Chapter 11

ERIK'S POV

"Avery…" I yelled out loud, while marching toward the door of her bedroom. What I had heard had set me off guard and I wasn't going to let her jeopardize what I planned for so long.

My face was red in anger as Shannon had desperately tried to stop me from going to Avery. She had been listening to my conversation with my parents even after we told her to leave.

But before I got to the door, Avery was already standing outside the door of her bedroom. She looked furious and intimidating, her eyes shot daggers at me and I visibly gulped.

I was afraid! Why would I be? She was just a tiny little girl. I cleared my throat and walked to stand before her.

"Avery, what have you done?" I asked her straightforwardly.

"What do you mean what have I done?" She clapped back, sharply.

"Why would you postpone the mating ceremony? Have I not shown you how much I adore you? Huh?" I said.

"Isn't that enough? Why do you have to be so greedy?" I shouted, my voice echoing through the walls.

Avery on the other hand, was a bit surprised at the way I shouted. "Oh shit! I fucked up." I said to myself.

"Erik, let's get it straight. I did not postpone the mating ceremony. I got it canceled." I spat out those words to him boldly.

Erik staggered at my boldness and blunt words. "You have changed, Avery!" He declared as if he had just found out the truth of the century.

"Nah, I didn't change Erik. You just never noticed I used to be like this." Avery clapped back and I blinked rapidly.

"What about us, Avery? I can't let you go." I said in a meek tone, realizing I had been shouting. I saw Avery wince like she was in pain and I was suddenly concerned about her.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, stepping closer to her, in a bid to touch her forehead and shoulder but before I could make contact she stopped me.

Putting her two hands between us as a stop sign, she said, "I'm not hurt, Erik. You should go. I informed my father that I will work toward my relationship. I'm not just ready to mate. Not anytime soon."

Her words struck me hard and I staggered a bit. I nodded my head while saying, "As you wish. I'll make sure you change your mind soon." I said and then turned to walk away.

My head was reeling from the fact that I couldn't become a mate to Avery and become the Alpha very soon.

With calculated steps, I walked toward the Beta's chambers. I wanted to see and talk to my mother. She could try to convince the Luna about the mating ceremony. I needed to get mated.

As I got into the chambers, I saw Shannon sitting comfortably on a black couch. "What are you doing here, Shannon?" I barked at her.

The fact that she had defiled my words by eavesdropping on my conversation made me angry. Added to that, she tried to stop me from going to Avery.

"I'm sorry, Erik." I heard Shannon apologize with a wronged face and my heart softened. How could I bear to be angry at such innocence?

"I was worried about what everything held for me. No one seemed to be concerned about my well-being in the whole pack. You know I'm just an adopted daughter." Shannon complained and I snorted.

"You know Avery cares for you. You just want to have everything." I said bluntly, shocking myself and Shannon.

"W-what did you say?" She asked as tears started to pool in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said quickly, even though I didn't look one bit sorry. I moved closer to Shannon and started to pat her back but it only made her cry more.

"No one cares about me in the pack. Not even you, Erik. You're just concerned about becoming the Alpha and nothing else." She said, and I was frustrated. I decided to sit back on the black couch.

"If you don't get mated to Avery and everything goes as planned. I'll just be at her beck and call all the time. I don't want that. You're going to be mine in the end and not hers." She continued to say.

"Yes, I'm yours." I assured her simply, wanting to get away from everything happening.

"Where is my mum?" I asked, changing the topic.

"She stepped out to go see the Luna." Shannon said simply. Her face was scrunched into a frown.

"Why would she go to see the Luna?" I asked. I had a bad premonition about what Shannon just said. I stood up sharply to my feet and started to walk out.

"Where are you off to?" Shannon asked me but I didn't care to answer. I just wanted to get to the Luna as quickly as possible.

The Luna was always seen seated at the private common hall for the Alpha and Beta families. She believed she could get her duties done easily there.

In a few minutes, I was at the private common hall. There were no guards at the entrance and it was a surprising thing.

"What do you think is happening?" I heard Shannon ask. She had also noticed the missing guards. I shrugged knowing I didn't have anything to do with it. I stepped forward and could hear the conversation going on inside.

"Why would Avery cancel the mating ceremony?" I heard my mother ask in a calm tone, and I gulped.

She had gone to confront the Luna!

For a moment, there was complete silence, and then came the shuffling. I guess the Luna was trying to put down her book, she always loved reading.

"I see no reason why you should ask me such a question, Deborah." The Luna replied coldly. Her tone sent me chills. Though the Luna had a kind heart, she wouldn't tolerate disrespect and injustice.

"You are Avery's mother and you should let her know what's best for her. Erik is the best for her." My mother insisted and I wanted to celebrate her boldness. But then I knew their conversation wasn't going to end well.

On the other hand, I couldn't control my curiosity. I wanted to see what was happening inside. By now, the Luna or my mother should have known that Shannon and I were just outside the door.

Going inside wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Let's go." I said to Shannon. However, witnessing my mother arguing with the Luna wasn't good but I didn't care.

Immediately we got inside, both women didn't care to give us any attention.

The Luna was seated on a wide couch while my mother was standing a few feet away. Seeing them, one could notice the difference in power, elegance, and grace. My mother visibly fell behind.

"What makes you think Erik is the best for my daughter?" The Luna asked, standing up on her feet.

"He is…" My mother was about to answer to the Luna when she was cut off abruptly.

"If Avery says he is not the best for her. Then he is not the best. It's that simple, Deborah." The Luna declared and I frowned.

My hands clenched into tight fists. The Luna was looking down at me and I was upset that I couldn't retort or do anything about it.

"Who do you think is best for her then?" I asked boldly. The heads of the three women present whipped in my direction. "Xander?" That name struck me and I said it in question.

I started to become suspicious of Xander and his relationship with Avery. I realized the unfamiliar scent I had perceived belonged to him.

"You should stay out of this, little boy." The Luna warned but I wasn't about to back off. Shannon on the other hand was tugging at my shirt. She just wanted me to shut up before the Lunastarted to suspect that something was on.

"What if he doesn't? Clear his doubts, Luna." My mother said, stepping dangerously close to the Luna. I saw my mother's murderous expression and I knew her anger and hate were taking control.

"You're not good for my daughter because you are mated to Shannon." The Luna shouted and the hall became eerily silent.

Everyone else stilled and our eyes widened in shock.

After a minute, I pointed a finger at her, "You knew?" I asked.

"Do not think you can hide your atrocities from anyone. You can be just a puppet to me if I want it." The Luna sneered but then I wasn't sure if she was serious about the puppet part.

But before I could reply to her question, the Luna was hit in the head by my mother! The Luna fell to the ground, bleeding and convulsing.

"Mum, what have you done?" I shouted and a knock sounded on the door.