Since Ethan had something to do in his community, he left first. He promised he would return after he had handled everything there. I called Ernie.
“Luna, do you need me?”
“Yes, Ernie.” I patted the seat next to me. “Please sit here.” After Ernie sat, I asked, “Is Red here?”
Ernie nodded. “Do you want to meet him? I can call him for you.”
“Later. Ernie, do you know any young and powerful witch?”
Ernie wrinkled her forehead. “Witch? No. Why, Luna?”
I bit my lower lip. “I wonder if it’s the best for me to leave your Alpha.”
“What?!” Ernie suddenly grabbed my hand and held it. “Luna, please don’t do it! Is there something wrong with my service, so you call me? I can improve, Luna. I promise! Even if you are dissatisfied with my service, you can fire me and choose someone else as your maid, but please, don’t leave our Alpha.”
I hugged Ernie. “You love Ethan as your Alpha so much, don’t you?”
“Yes, Luna. My sister and I are orphans. We had nowhere to go, but Alpha Ethan took us, gave us shelter, food, and protection. We would be dead long before now if he didn’t take us into the pack.” Then Ernie stammered, “Uh, I mean in our community. We call it a pack.”
“It’s not because of your service, Ernie. In fact, I like you a lot. I consider you my friend since you helped me with so many things I didn’t know about your world.”
“Oh, Luna, it’s a great honor for me to help you, to serve you. But, please, don’t leave our Alpha. He needs you.”
I shed my tears because I didn’t want to leave Ethan either. However, what if it was the best way for him? “Can you help me, Ernie?”
“Yes, Luna?”
“Please, try to find information about a young and powerful witch. If she is a kind person and you like her, please introduce her to the Alpha.”
“But why?”
“Because she will make Ethan happy.” My voice was broken. I sobbed and covered my face with both hands.
“Luna, what happened?” Ernie hugged me and patted my back. “I’m sure Alpha Ethan loves you. So, only you can make him happy, not this unknown witch.”
I bawled, and my tears moistened Ernie’s shoulder. “I wish it could be like that, but maybe we don’t mean to be together.”
“Luna … please don’t say things like that. Both of you love each other. I’m still young, and though I don’t know everything, I can see it clearly.”
“Only the true love from the witch can help Ethan, not me ….” Saying those words hurt me immensely. Then I pulled myself. “I want to be alone. Can you leave me, Ernie?”
“Yes, Luna.” Ernie walked to the door, but then she turned her body. “Luna, I’m nobody here. But I think you’re the most amazing Luna I’ve ever met. So please, don’t give up!” Then she left.
I sobbed again. How I wished I shouldn’t leave Ethan. How I wanted we could be together forever. However, if I stayed, I would be selfish.
It was when the door was knocked. Then, before I could wipe my tears, Red came inside.
“Luna, what happened? Ernie came to me, crying and telling me you wanted to leave our Alpha. Did he do something bad to you?”
I shook my head. “No.” My tears fell one by one.
“Luna, can you tell me what happened?” Red stood, taking tissues on the table, then offered them to me.
I picked up the tissues and wiped my tears. It wouldn’t want to stop falling. Finally, after five minutes, I stopped crying because of exhaustion. “You may hate me now. I’m such a mess ….”
“Luna, we have passed through that. Before, I was against your relationship with the Alpha, but not anymore. Please, tell me what happened until you want to leave Alpha?”
“Ethan just returned from Crescent Island. He immediately came to me. But, unfortunately, he couldn’t get the help ….” My voice was broken.
Red took a deep breath and said nothing. I was quiet for a few minutes since I didn’t know what else to say.
“But then, why did you decide to leave him?”
“Because the only one that can help Ethan is a young and powerful witch.”
“What?!” Red frowned. “Can you repeat it?”
“Only the true love from a young and powerful witch can help him. But first, they must love each other.”
Red stood, then walked back and forth in the room. “It’s madness! It’s a punishment meaner than I can think of!”
“Punishment?”
Red shook his head. “I can’t tell you anything, Luna. Since I have betrayed our Alpha once, I don’t want to repeat the same mistake. The best thing is if our Alpha tells you everything. But he should have reasons not to do it yet.”
“Now, you should understand why I want to leave him. Though it hurt me badly, I have no choice ….”
“No, don’t be quick in deciding a big matter like this, Luna. But, please, I beg you to think about it again.” Red was quiet for a while, but later, he said, “I saw the Alpha in devastating condition ten years ago because of losing his mate. I don’t want to see him in the same situation again.”
I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip. My tears threatened to fall again. “But this time, it will be different. We can’t be together for the best. If we’re still together, I can be a barrier between Ethan and his true love.” Tears escaped from my eyes. I wiped them, but then the tears created rivers on my face.
“Luna, I have never been good with words, but I know you are the one our Alpha needs. So please, don’t do this!”
I sniffed. “Red, you once asked me if I loved Ethan. I said I did. My answer is still the same until now.” Wiping my tears, I smiled bitterly. “You also asked me if I wanted the best for Ethan. I think it’s time to prove my love to him.” My lips were trembling before saying, “I’ll leave him …. It’s the best for everyone.”