Chapter 63

Gavin’s POV

The first thing Gavin did was check the bathroom; telling from Erin’s lingering scent, she wasn’t there at all. She’s been missing for at least a couple of hours.

He went from her bathroom to the open window and peered down. It was a long way to the ground; she would have to be pretty talented to make it to the ground without any injuries.

His stomach formed a tight knot at the thought of her getting hurt, but she wasn’t around anywhere so he knew she got out okay.

“Seth!” Gavin growled in his mindlink. His Beta should have been back hours ago from his mission and back to keep an eye on Erin while Gavin worked. The fact that Erin was missing meant that Seth and the other guards weren’t doing their jobs correctly. “Report to Erin’s room,” he ordered.

It didn’t take long for the tired Beta to enter the bedroom; he frowned instantly when he looked around the seemingly empty room and then his eyes landed on a very furious Gavin.

“Notice anything missing?” Gavin seethed between his teeth.

“Where’s Erin?”

“Exactly,” Gavin growled. “You tell me… where the hell is she?”

“I…I don’t know…” he said, still looking around the room curiously. “I only got back a couple of hours ago. I wanted to get some sleep so I appointed the guards to keep a watch over the door and make sure she doesn’t leave.”

Gavin glanced at the window.

“She didn’t get through a door.”

“You mean…?”

“Yes,” Gavin said, stopping his Beta’s words. “She went out the window. And now I have no idea where she could be going.”

“This isn’t good…” Seth breathed, staring at the window with wide and alarmed eyes.

Oh, now he cares about Erin’s well-being? They must have bonded within the last day or so. Typically, Seth would be telling Gavin that it was a good thing that Erin was gone and that he needed to let her go. But the look on Seth’s face showed real signs of worry.

Wherever Erin was, Gavin was determined to find her.

…

Erin’s POV

The door to Theo’s office was ajar when I approached. The headquarters was quiet, which wasn’t unusual, but with everything going on in the outside world, I thought there would be more roaming around.

A couple of Theo’s guards greeted me kindly as I made my way through the grand foyer and toward his office door.

Theo was sitting at his desk when I entered; he was staring at his computer with a blank expression on his face. He was typically hard to read, but in this case, it was nearly impossible. Perhaps it was because I was out of practice, or maybe because something was seriously wrong that he didn’t want me to know about it.

Theo knows who enters this realm as soon as they enter before even seeing them; he created this realm. So, he knew that I was here before I got to the building.

He leaned back in his seat, finally taking his eyes off his computer and he peered up at me. That blank expression remained on his face.

“What do I owe this pleasure?” Theo asked, his tone was almost icy and it sent a chill down my spine.

I wasn’t usually nervous about talking with Theo, but there was something about him at this moment that made me feel uneasy.

“Is what Henry saying true? Are the Slayers really back and are they after me?” I asked, stepping fully into his office and sealing his door closed behind me. I didn’t need outside ears hearing this conversation even though they all probably knew the situation.

Theo steered around my face for a short moment before he spoke.

“You Henry used to make a good team. You used to be able to trust him without having to find the answers from a third party. What happened to you?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust what he tells me,” I lied. “But I know he can’t stand Gavin and he would do anything to get Gavin out of the picture.”

“Do you really think that little of your partner?”

“Former partner.”

“You let him stand by your side for 3 years and pose as your husband. He’s your current partner,” Theo argued. “Why are you here, Erin?”

I was quiet for a moment; I didn’t really have an answer for him. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I was starting to second-guess myself.

“He thinks it’s Gavin that’s doing all this. He thinks Gavin is being controlled by the Slayers and that he’s actually after me…”

“Do you think that too?”

“Of course, not,” I shot back, shaking my head. “Gavin would never do that to me. He loves me.”

“Are you trying to convince yourself, or me?”

“Neither,” I said firmly, pressing my lips together in a thin line. “I’m just saying, what Henry is saying has to be fake. But why would he think such a thing unless it was told to him by someone in headquarters?”

“As you said, he didn’t like Gavin to begin with,” Theo shrugged. “It’s no mystery why he’s targeting Gavin.”

“Do you think that’s it?” I asked, meeting his eyes. “Do you think it’s just Henry’s way of getting rid of Gavin? Do you not think Gavin was a part of this?”

“Why does it matter what I think?”

“Because you are the man in charge, Theo,” I growled, feeling a wave of fury rising through me. “You can tell Henry to stand down.”

“I could, but Henry is an incredible judge of character. If he suspects Gavin, then he must have a plausible reason behind it,” Theo said in return.

I was starting to see the slight humor in his eyes and I knew at that moment he was getting a rise out of this.

It was like this was some kind of joke to him.

But what game was he trying to play with me?

“There’s no reason other than Henry’s ego,” I muttered, folding my arms across his chest. “Gavin is threatening to him, so he tries to tear him down.”

“I don’t believe Henry would frame an innocent man of crimes he didn’t commit. He’s been a long-time member of the Moonshadow organization, and he’s been nothing but incredible from day one. You out of anyone should know the kind of person Henry is.”

That was the problem; I did know the kind of person Henry was. I knew him better than anyone. I knew that this was something Henry would do if it meant getting what he wanted, and I wasn’t going to stand idly by and watch him frame Gavin for these heinous crimes.

“You had to know that I wasn’t going to pull the plug that easily,” Theo said, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face. “But that wasn’t the reason why you came here, and you know it.”

I stared at him for a long while as he leaned forward in his chair, spreading across his desk and giving me a glimmer of a smile that made me swallow the lump in my throat.

“So, I’ll ask again. Why are you here, Erin?”

After another beat of silence, I finally answered his questions.

“Because I want in,” I told him, keeping my eyes steadily on his. “I want to return to the Moonshadow organization.”