Chapter 29
Midnight was only a couple of hours away; I didn’t have long before I needed to make my escape.
“Champagne, Luna?” The server broke through my thoughts.
I turned to see a man standing nearby with a tray of champagne. Elliot was already sipping on his and he was watching me, waiting for me to answer.
I smiled and took a glass off the tray.
“Thank you,” I said in response.
He nodded and turned away.
Just as I took my first sip, I felt a strange disturbance; like someone was watching me. Feeling a slight chill run up my spine, I turned, and I froze when I saw Gavin on the other side of the gathering, staring at
me.
His face shined with indifference and my heart felt heavy in my chest. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him here; I mean, he was a part of the pack after all. But with all my worries about this evening, Gavin’s attendance was not a thought that occurred to me.
Just then, Beta Leo approached us. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and I could see a dark cloud forming on his expression as he whispered something into Elliot’s ear. If I had wolf hearing, I might have been able to hear what they were saying. But I was wolfless and didn’t have that ability.
Elliot visibly tensed and he nodded at Leo before turning his attention to me.
“I’m afraid I have a matter to take care of and must leave for a short while,” he told me. “Get to know some of the packmates and make sure to eat something. I’ll return to you once I can p>
He released his hold on my arm, leaving me feeling cold and alone. I thought that was what I wanted, for Elliot to leave me so I could escape. But once he let me go and stepped away, I found myself wishing he could stay by my side.
I watched his retreating form as he disappeared into the crowd with Leo.
I turned away, thinking now was a good time to plan my escape and get out of there before it was too late. But before I could take a step, Gavin approached me, causing my entire body to still.
“You seemed surprised to see me. Did you forget I was part of this pack as well?” He asked mockingly.
“You haven’t been a thought to me in a while, Gavin. I simply forgot about you,” I told him, trying to sound calm and collected.
Humor danced in his eyes as he stepped closer to me; his close proximity made me uncomfortable.
“Is that so?” He asked. “So, I suppose you aren’t angry with me for giving your paintings away to your sister p>
I pressed my lips together as I glared at him.
“Not at all,” I lied. “I painted something much better anyway. If anything, it was a blessing that you gave her my paintings p>
His eyes darkened.
“Oh yes, I saw your painting. It was a portrait of my uncle, right?” He asked. “I hope you don’t think that the fact he allowed you to use him as a model means anything. He only married you to get under my skin. His heart will always belong to one woman, and she isn’t you p>
My heart felt heavy in my chest from his words. I stared at him, unsure of what to say.
“If you’re lucky, maybe you will meet her tonight. Did I mention she was here?” He asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
What was he saying? I didn’t understand his meaning.
He was staring off in a specific direction and I followed his gaze. I realized there was a small crowd gathering and when I took a better look, I saw a gorgeous woman, wearing an elegant red dress with shimmering, silky, auburn hair and emerald, green eyes that shined under the illuminating lights.
Though everyone’s attention was focused on her, her attention was focused on the person beside her.
My heart fell into my stomach when I saw that it was Elliot.
“Who is that?” I found myself asking, my voice set in a hard whisper.
“You’re married to my uncle, and you have no idea who Shirly is?” Gavin asked, pretending to be shocked.
“Don’t be a jerk, Gavin. Just tell me who she is,” I demanded, completely forgetting about my plans of escape.
“That’s Shirly Darknight. She’s the Alpha of the Darknight pack,” Gavin explained.
Recognition slammed into me; I had heard about Shirly Darknight. She was the only female Alpha in the world and extremely powerful. She was also incredibly famous in the werewolf community. “She’s Elliot’s childhood friend,” Gavin continued. “Everybody knows she’s been pursuing him for years. Rumor has it, she killed her own fated mate so she could be with Elliot p>
My heart fell deep into my stomach.
But Gavin’s next words left me feeling paralyzed.
“Shirly was the one who was supposed to marry my uncle. She was supposed to be my aunt p>