#Chapter 7 – The perfect match.

Gavin’s POV Susanna wasn’t due to return for another week. Gavin had the understanding that her tour was going to be a month-long, but it’s only been 3 weeks. “I came back early to surprise you,” she explained with a fond look in her eyes. “I just missed you so much.” He forced a smile on his face, though he only felt unsettled by her presence. It’s not that he didn’t like Susanna; she was beautiful, and she would honestly make the perfect Luna for his pack. But he knew she was only after fortune and power. The little fortune and power she had from the fashion industry weren’t enough for her. “If you’ll excuse me, I was about to make an announcement. But tomorrow night, we will enjoy an evening out together.” She beamed at that and kissed his cheek gently. Gavin proceeded to announce the opening of the newest Hospital in the northern region that he personally is funding. He’s a billionaire; it would be stupid if he didn’t spend some of his money to better the kingdom. That’s what kept him an extremely respected Alpha. Later in the evening, Susanna went to her home to see her family, while Gavin went straight to his office. The shoes that remained in the box for Erin, sat on his desk, along with her wedding ring. He picked up the wedding ring, bringing it to his eyes with a deepened frown. Gavin had gotten her a ring 10x better than this one before she broke up with him. Though he kept that ring hidden away in his nightstand till this day. The diamonds of the ring Henry had gotten her were too small, and the engraving was corny. However, it was clear that this wedding ring cost a lot. He recognized the small symbol next to Erin’s name. It was a Tiffany collection. Those weren’t cheap. What did her husband do for work? “Your jealousy is showing,” Roman teased. “Shut up,” Gavin replied with an eye roll. Just as he shoved the ring into his top desk drawer, Beta Seth came into his office upon request. “Seth, I need you to find out everything you can about Erin and her husband. Whomever he is…” Gavin ordered. “Alpha, are you sure you want to go down that rabbit hole? What about Susanna? You know you need to keep her happy at all costs. You’re an Alpha, which means you need to find the perfect match within three months to attend the annual Werewolf Alpha Convention.” Gavin knew that his Beta was right. He’s been perceived as this heartless, cold-blooded Alpha who has been single for many years. He’s already under so much criticism for being matless. He needs a friendly luna to help him improve his image. A Luna’s job is to give a speech at the Alpha Convention to match their “mates” to get resources for their pack. The convention will be broadcasted live, and the audience’s impression of the Alpha couple is very important. Resources for packs were hard to come by because all packs are pinned against each other to get them. It’s a never-ending battle for resources. The convention was the one time that packs come together and decide who should get what resources. Which meant, they needed compelling speeches and a perfect image. This wasn’t just about Gavin anymore; it was about his entire pack. Susanna was the image he needed; he knew it, she knew it, and his Beta knew it too. “You are right,” Gavin finally admitted. “I’ve been acting selfishly. But I would still like to know who this man is. I’m taking Susanna out tomorrow night to celebrate her return and her achievements. She deserves a nice evening out.” Seth nodded in agreement. “I’ll let you know what I find out about Erin’s husband in meantime.” … Susanna wore a gorgeous, shimmering, silver dress that fit her body loosely and flowered evenly around her ankles. The dress also brought out her large chest which Gavin always admired. She was beautiful, but certainly not as beautiful as Erin. Even when Erin wore her waitress uniform and shoes with holes in them, she still proved to be gorgeous. “Careful, before your cock gets hard,” Roman teased. Ignoring his wolf, Gavin took Susanna’s arm in his and guided her to his waiting car out front. The two of them had a wonderful meal at Susanna’s favorite Italian cuisine in the city. Susanna talked his ear off as they enjoyed their meal. Though, Gavin was having trouble focusing on what she was babbling about. She was talking about her adventures during her tour the last few weeks. Some onlookers were glancing over at Gavin and Susanna’s table while they ate. They were both very known around the kingdom. Gavin being the richest and fiercest Alpha and Susanna being the famous fashion designer. The two of them made a promising couple. Seth was right when he said that Susanna would be the perfect match for him. This wasn’t about love; this was about his image and his career. “Can we go shopping after dinner?” Susanna asked, bringing his attention back to the moment. “It’s been a while since I’ve had time for a spree.” “Of course,” Gavin said, taking a sip of his wine. “Anything you’d like.” She smiled, pleased. She rose her wine glass, gesturing for him to do the same. “For a beautiful relationship that we are creating,” she said. He forced a smile on his face as he tapped his glass against hers and then proceeded to chug the rest of the contents before pouring himself another glass. He secretly wished this place had whisky. Once they finished dinner, as promised, Gavin took her shopping. There wasn’t a store she didn’t want to go in. He mainly stood in place as she walked around each aisle and returned with arms full of stuff. She was so childlike when she was shopping. She had this large smile on her face and he could hear her laughing as she glanced at some ugly outfits. She was poking fun at the models in the posters that were hung around the store. “They did her makeup horribly in this picture. Gavin, come look at this!” She laughed. Gavin could care less, but he pretended to find it humorous as well. The only thing he could think about at that moment, pathetically, was Erin. He wondered what she was doing. He knew after their phone call last night that she was going to be stressed. Gavin had no intentions of sending the ring to her husband, but he wanted her to worry about it for a little while. The thought amused him enough to smirk. “What’s funny?” Susanna asked, peering up at him once she finished rummaging through the store. “Nothing,” he answered. “Are you ready to go?” “Yes,” she answered, wrapping her arms through his. He grabbed her bags and they headed into the busy streets. Even at such a late hour, it was still so busy and lifelike in the city. That was what Gavin liked about the city; it never slept. Gavin’s car was down the street, a little way of a walk. Together they strolled down the street. As he took in the crowd of people walking past them, he paused when he saw a familiar figure standing just outside the jewelry store. It was Erin. She was wearing a pullover hoodie and an old pair of jeans with holes all over them. She wasn’t wearing her work shoes though; she wore a pair of flats. She had her arms slumped to her sides and she looked utterly defeated. Was she trying to buy a new ring? He straightened his stance as he walked toward her; as he neared, her entire body tensed and she glanced up at him, her eyes widening as if she had seen a ghost. Oh, this was going to be fun. “Hi, Erin,” he said, stopping in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something, but Susanna spoke first, with curiosity. “Honey, who is she?” Susanna’s eyes flickered to Susanna; her cheeks reddening only slightly. “She’s—” “I’m nobody. You have the wrong person,” Erin said quickly. She turned around and walked away without another word, leaving Gavin stunned. “…….” How dare she pretend to not know who I am. This is too much. That bad woman! "I swear I'll fuck her so hard in bed that she'll beg for mercy from me,” Gavin growled to his wolf. “I don’t think you’ll get that chance. Erin doesn’t care about you at all it seems. You’re less present in her eyes than a green fly,” Roman taunted relentlessly. “She’s just playing hard to get.” “You are making a fool out of yourself. You have a beautiful woman standing beside you that you should be more tentative about for the sake of the pack.” “That must be it. Erin must have been sad to see me with Susanna. She was jealous!”