Chapter 83

Henry’s POV

By the time Henry got to the forest and spotted Erin, it was too late. Gavin was already there.

There was a jealous feeling in the pit of Henry’s stomach as he watched Gavin kneeling over Erin’s unconscious body. It was obvious from where Henry was standing that she was stabbed with a silver dagger. She wouldn’t have much longer to live unless Gavin was able to heal her.

Gavin was incredibly powerful from what Henry knew about him so there was no telling what kind of powers he really had.

Henry wasn’t surprised when he saw the glowing of Gavin’s hands as he pressed the palms into Erin’s chest. He watched in amazement, and from afar, as Erin’s wound began to heal, and a large wound appeared on Gavin’s chest.

He was transferring the damage done to Erin to himself.

Could Gavin die because of this?

Erin’s breathing grew stronger, and she made a soft moaning sound through her parted lips. Gavin gently placed her back on the ground before he fell to the ground himself and rolled over onto his back.

A pool of blood began to seep through the dirt around him; it was leaving his body at a quick pace. He was fighting hard to maintain his breath and stay awake, but it was a battle he was clearly losing.

Erin opened her eyes and for a moment, it seemed as if she was in complete confusion. She was in a state where she wasn’t sure if she was dead or alive. To Henry, that was obvious.

She stared up at the night sky for a short while and seemingly began to count the stars. But then she lifted her head off the ground and peered around at her surroundings.

Henry ducked further into the bushes he was hiding within, hoping she wouldn’t spot him. But she wasn’t looking at him, she was staring directly at Gavin with a horrid expression on her face.

He watched as the colors drained from her face and her entire body began trembling. She had never looked like that before; she had never looked that scared. It pulled at Henry’s heart painfully; it was jealousy he had never felt before.

He had loved Erin for a long time since knowing her; he would do anything for her and have proved that countless times. He thought that maybe, one day, Erin would share those same feelings in return.

Every time they came close to sharing the same feelings, it seemed that something would happen that would drive her back to Gavin’s arms.

Literally.

She was now kneeling over him with tears streaming down her fair complexion. She was biting on her lip hard to keep from sobbing but failing miserably.

She began to whimper and said something inaudible.

She pressed her hands to his chest, not caring for a moment that she was getting his blood all over her body. He was looking at her with such love and admiration that Henry wanted to punch something.

For a moment, he thought that maybe Gavin would die, and he could finally be rid of him.

It wasn’t a thought he was proud of, but it was a thought he had.

Erin said something to him, pressing his own hands to his wound while she rummaged through her backpack. Her fingers were trembling as she searched her bag, grabbing all the supplies she could.

She finally uncovered some stuff to provide aid to him.

It was smart to pack a first aid kit on this journey; the only smart thing she has done on this journey.

She rushed back to him.

“This will hurt,” she said in a broken whisper as she poured the alcohol on his open wound.

It didn’t look like it bothered him at all; Henry wondered why that was.

It must have hurt him even just a little; there’s no way he’s that macho that he can’t show when he’s in pain in front of her.

She looked surprised as well but then a small smile played on her lips when he said something to her in a low and inaudible tone. He was incredibly weak and fighting to stay awake for her benefit.

For some reason, that outraged Henry.

She grabbed a white bandage while she helped him sit up and lean against a tree. She worked wrapping his body as tightly as she could with the bandage.

With a wound that deep and that deadly, the bandage was only a temporary fix.

She had to have known that.

“It’s only to hold you over till we get to the hospital,” she stammered as she tied off the knot. “I’m calling the ambulance.”

She was about to reach for her phone when he grabbed onto her arm. She stared at him with a reddened face for a short while. He was saying something to her that Henry couldn’t hear but her entire demeanor had changed.

Her body was frozen, and her eyes were wide and tear-filled.

Her face was as red as a cherry; it was a stunned look that Henry had never seen from her before, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about this.

He knew he shouldn’t be watching this ordeal, but he couldn’t seem to look away.

Erin’s breathing had slowed down and then Henry heard her saying something that felt like a punch to his gut.

“I will love you forever…”

Before he knew what was happening, Erin was pressing her lips against Gavin’s. Their kiss started off sweet and simple, but then it grew more intense.

The tongue was obviously involved in this kiss and their bodies were pressed against each other like they wanted to rip one another’s clothes off. Gavin grew amazingly stronger and didn’t look like he was in any pain any longer.

He must have been healing this entire time and playing out his injuries, making her think he was worse off.

But why?

To get her sympathy?

To get her to confess her true feelings?

Regardless of the reason, it worked.

Henry couldn’t watch this any longer; if he had, he would have grown sick. He turned away from the scenery before him and began to walk away.

He knew at that moment that it was hopeless; as long as Gavin was around, Erin’s heart would never truly belong to Henry. Her heart will always belong to Gavin.

…

Erin’s POV

“Got you…” Gavin had said with a smirk and a playful look in his eyes. “I knew you still loved me.”

I stared at his body with shock; he had removed the bandages and I saw that his wound was completely healed. It was like it was never there, to begin with.

“How have you healed so quickly?” I asked in shock.

“I’m an Alpha,” he shrugged.

“But you said—”

“I lied,” he said quickly, interrupting my words. “I wasn’t dying. I just wanted you to tell me how you truly felt as if I was dying.”

“That’s manipulative,” I scolded, standing to my feet.

I was hurt that he would play such a cruel game with me; I began to turn away from him so I could collect my thoughts, but he grabbed onto my arm, also standing to his feet.

“I wasn’t trying to manipulate you,” he said in a low and incredibly sexy tone. “I just wanted to know how you felt and I’m glad that I know now. It’s not just in my head. You love me just as I love you.”

“That doesn’t change anything—”

“It changes everything,” he said, meeting my eyes. “What are you so afraid of?”

“It’s complicated,” I said to him, shaking my head at the thought.

I couldn’t tell him that I’m part of the Moonshadow organization; we can’t have normal relationships because nobody can know about what I truly am.

“Erin, I know you love me… you just told you that you did…”

“So?” I asked with desperation in my tone.

I know what I said… and I meant it.

But I couldn’t have a relationship with him as much as it pained me.

“So, let’s be together,” he pleaded, stepping closer to me.

My heart was racing, and I couldn’t seem to slow it down.

Then, he said the two words that made me stop breathing completely.

“Marry me.”