"Alright then, If Erica is the key, then we have to find another way to deal with this curse without jeopardising her or the pack." The key! The image of Jasper holding the key in his hand flashed through my mind.
"Plan B," Damon said. What the hell was plan B. "We'll figure out how to save everyone, even if it means doing the unthinkable." I shook my head, I didn’t like where this was going.
"You don't have to stay and risk your wolf being affected, you know. You can leave the pack, find a new life somewhere else." Liam was looking down at the papers in front of him. He didn’t see the way Damon looked at him, like he was an idiot.
"Absolutely not. You're my brother, Liam. Maybe not in blood, but in spirit. And neither my wolf nor I give a damn about the risks. We're going to see this through to the end, together." I gasped into my hands and felt tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Liam was willing to let his wolf die, and die himself. He would never understand what it was that I had to do.
“See he is too stubborn,” I heard the voice of my wolf, Ana, in my head. “And Damon too, are you willing to let them both die when you can fix this?”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I rushed back to my room and collapsed onto the bed before I allowed the sobs to come out. I avoided it, but Ana was right. If there was no curse, then they wouldn’t have to sacrifice the pack, or themselves.
“And..” Ana whispered again, “we would finally be activated in our true, powerful destiny.”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” I snapped at her. “This is about Liam, and Damon, and Gen, Kaitlyn and Frankie, and Verity and the rest of the pack.” This was about my home, even if it meant me leaving. Sacrifice the one for the many. I didn’t know who said that, but it made sense right now.
My mind was made up. I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a black top. I sat at my desk and wrote Liam a letter. Tears slipped from my eyes as I wrote. I signed the letter.
“I love you forever, always yours, Erica.” Because I was, no matter what this decision meant. I would always be Liam’s, even if I could never have him again. I just hoped that even if he couldn’t forgive me for what I was about to do, he would at least find happiness somewhere else.
I couldn’t stop the sob from escaping my throat as I slipped the engagement ring from my finger, and Ana whimpered along. I put the letter and the ring into an envelope and put it on my bedside table. With one last look, I let myself out of the apartment and quietly made my way out of the pack house.
Ana was quiet as I made my way across the park and over the bridge. It wasn’t long before I found myself in front of the detention centre. I took a deep breath and swiped my card over the scanner and it lit up green. The door opened, and I slipped into the building. I made my way down the stairs and along the corridor to the cell at the end. The lights switched on as I walked under the sensors.
The last light came on as I opened the outer cell door and I saw Grant hanging from the ceiling with the chains. He looked like he had been asleep, or passed out. He glanced up and I could tell when his eyes focused on me because his face broke out into a wide smirk and he stood straighter.
“Well hello again, beautiful,” he cooed. “I didn’t expect a visit so soon, but I can’t say I’m upset.” He jangled the chains with an amused expression, as I looked at them. “Apparently I was a naughty boy,” he said. I tried to keep my face emotionless as I stared at him, but I felt like I was going to throw up. He must have known, because his smirk softened and a concerned expression fell across his face.
“What is it, beautiful?” He said “Talk to me.”
“Are you still able to mind link the Shadow Night pack?” and he frowned.
“Not with my accessories,” he said, jangling the chains.
“But if you weren’t chained?” He nodded his head, and I took a deep breath. I was really going to do this. Even if I was caught now, this was an act of treason against the pack. I swiped my ID card over the reader and opened the cell bars.
I entered the room and moved slowly towards Grant as he watched me. I looked at his restraints, knowing I would have to break them. A normal werewolf would be unable to break them because silver took your super strength, but I wasn’t a normal werewolf and silver didn’t weaken me. In fact, I suspected Silver improved my powers. I leaned up to the first cuff, needing to lean my body against Grants, and pulled. It was hard, but it did eventually snap and I moved to the next one. The second gave a little easier. Enough that I wasn’t expecting it, and I stumbled slightly when the resistance broke. Grant quickly caught me in his arms before I fell face first on the floor and I quickly scrambled out of his touch, moving to the back of the cell.
He chuckled and followed me, and I immediately regretted it as I realised I had trapped myself.
“Now beautiful,” he said, standing right in front of me close enough that I could feel his breath. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he moved in closer and I could see he was sniffing the surrounding air. “We could still leave, just me and you, and put this whole thing behind us.” I put my hand on his chest and pushed him away slightly.
“I’m not doing this for me, I am doing this for Liam,” and he closed his eyes and nodded sadly.
“Ok I’ll pass a message, I can already feel that he is close by waiting,” and then he grabbed my chin with his finger.
“It’s a different life over there, so know now that you will still have my protection. I will still protect you with my life.”
“Is this Grant talking, or Christian?” I asked, as he moved closer to me.
“I’ll always be Christian for you, beautiful.” Then he moved forward and pushed his lips against mine and pushed his tongue into my mouth. I pushed against him, but he wasn’t budging. I did the next best thing I could do. I brought my knee up sharply into his private parts and he grunted before falling over, doubled in pain.
“Fuck!” he grunted as he composed himself on the floor. He grinned at me as He dragged himself off the floor.
“Still worth it though,” and I glared at him. He chuckled and dusted himself off before looking at me again.
“Ok then, beautiful,” he said. “What’s the message?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again and said.
“Tell Jasper that I am ready to accept his offer.”
