“For a couple reasons,” I admitted, nibbling on my lower lip. “Your father didn’t want me to say anything to you.”
She snapped a look at me, her eyes large as she obtained that new information. “My father knew too?” She asked. “Did everybody know??”
“I’m not sure, I told her softly. “But your father was worried that you’d try to hurt yourself if you found out, or if you thought we were lying. He kind of just let it happen, despite knowing that Ethan wasn’t good for you.”
She swallowed as reality sunk in. Realization flickered through her eyes, and she let out a shaky breath as she nodded slowly, understanding clearly in her eyes.
“What was the other reason?” She asked.
I was quiet for a moment as I tried to put together the words; there was really no way around it, I had to tell her the entire truth for her to better understand the situation and for her to be grateful she got out of that situation when she did.
“Ethan was blackmailing me…”
Her eyes grew wide as she snapped a look at me, her mouth nearly dropping to the ground.
“What do you mean he was blackmailing you?” She asked, her eyes narrowed. “How?”
“You know his family are the Betas of the Redmoon pack?” I asked. “They have a lot of power. They are the richest family right now and they hold a lot of influence. Even more so my family, the Deltas.”
She listened thoughtfully and nodded, waiting for me to continue as I gathered my thoughts.
“My father owned a business, and we don’t come from a lot of money, so when he opened the business, he took out a pretty large loan. They racked up interest on the loan, though without telling him, so he owed twice as much as he borrowed. Ethan used his influence to triple the interest, so my father owed triple as much and then he got the loan pulled, so the loan sharks came demanding the funds. It was money that my father just didn’t have yet. Despite the business being successful and money coming in quickly, he didn’t have enough to pay off the entire loan yet. He had to give the sharks every penny he’s made, including the business, and it still wasn’t enough……..”
“Oh Judy…” Irene whispered, tears clear in her eyes.
I was quiet for a moment as I thought about my family, the weight of their reality resting on my shoulders. This was the first time I was telling this story out loud, and it was to someone kind of unexpected.
Taking a deep breath, I continued.
“Because my father couldn’t pay back the rest of the loan, he was put in jail. Ethan is the reason my father is in jail, and he could get him out if he wanted, but he’s holding him against me. Getting him beaten on a daily. My father is being tortured in prison, and Ethan is the reason it’s happening. He wanted me to live in a home that he purchased and be his mistress while he was married to you, Irene.”
She sucked in a sharp breath as she stared at me. I knew this was new information too and I hated being the one to tell her the reality of the situation, but she deserved to know everything.
“I refused and it’s been driving him crazy. He’s the reason I started to work with your father as your brother’s tutor. I needed the money so I can help out my family and try to pay off the rest of my father’s debt so I can get him out of jail,” I told her.
She shook her head, tears spilling out of my eyes.noveldrama
“Why hasn’t my father done something? He can easily pay off that debt for your father so you can get him out of prison and then he can do something about Ethan…”
I shook my head as tears filled my eyes.
“I didn’t tell him what Ethan was doing to me,” I admitted. “This is my problem… I don’t want to involve your father. Plus, my father has a lot of pride and would never accept help from anyone, especially a Lycan. But mostly, I’m just ashamed and embarrassed…”
“That’s ridiculous, Judy,” Irene said, a flicker of anger crossing her eyes. “Your father is in danger. You should have told my dad so he can help you. You have to get him out of jail.”
I nibbled on my lower lip, knowing she’s right.
“I also don’t think your father would help me if I tried,” I admitted softly. “Wrong,” a deep and furious voice said from the doorway, making us both flinch. “Give me 20 minutes,” Gavin said through his teeth as he pulled out his phone. “Afterwards…” he added, now turning his eyes at me, making my entire body heat under his scrutiny. “We are having a serious conversation.”
Gavin’s POV
I handed in my report to the judges without many casualties. The other Lycans were also there, telling them about each of the competitors they were with all night, and the judges took in the information thoughtfully. By the time they got to me, I handed them the report I wrote out and gave them a simple, “She passed,” then I turned and walked out.
When I reached the hotel suite, I thought I heard talking inside the room. Irene and Matt were inside; it was early, but I wouldn’t put it past either of them to be awake right now. However, when I got the door opened and stepped inside, my blood went cold when I heard Judy’s voice and then it boiled over when I heard what she was saying.
“Because my father couldn’t pay back the rest of the loan, he was put in jail. Ethan is the reason my father is in jail, and he could get him out if he wanted, but he’s holding him against me. Getting him beaten on a daily… my father is being tortured in prison, and Ethan is the reason it’s happening. He wanted me to live in a home that he purchased and be his mistress while he was married to you, Irene.
I refused and it’s been driving him crazy. He’s the reason I started to work with your father as your brother’s tutor. I needed the money so I can help out my family and try to pay off the rest of my father’s debt so I can get him out of jail.”
“Why hasn’t my father done something? He can easily pay off that debt for your father so you can get him out of prison and then he can do something about Ethan…” Irene asked. It sounded as if she had been crying. She still hasn’t exactly told me what Ethan did to make her run away from the pack and come here, but it must have been bad if Judy was spilling all of this to her.
“I didn’t tell him what Ethan was doing to me,” Judy murmured. “This is my problem… I don’t want to involve your father. Plus, my father has a lot of pride and would never accept help from anyone, especially a Lycan. But mostly, I’m just ashamed and embarrassed…”
“That’s ridiculous, Judy,” Irene said, sounding more upset than before. “Your father is in danger. You should have told my dad so he can help you. You have to get him out of jail.”
“I also don’t think your father would help me if I tried,” I said, which tipped me over the edge completely.
I stepped around the corner so they could see me clearly as I spoke.
“Wrong. Give me 20 minutes,” Gavin said through his teeth as he pulled out his phone. My eyes narrowed at Judy as she stared at me, open mouthed and wide- eyed. I could practically hear her heart beating rapidly. She didn’t want me to know about any of this, but now I knew everything. Her desperation for money when I first met her was making a lot more sense now and I felt like an idiot for not seeing the signs that something like this was going on. I was furious she kept this from me, but even more so that she wasn’t planning on telling me. I narrowed my eyes at her as I said, “Afterwards… we are having a serious conversation.”
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and without another word, I stormed out of the room. I needed to get out of there before I lost my absolute shit. The fact that this monster had been under my roof for months and I was about to let him marry my daughter.
Ethan Cash was a fucking dead man.
I brought up Beta Taylor’s phone number and clicked the call button, pressing the phone to my cheek firmly as I paced the hallway back and forth.
“Alpha,” Taylor answered, sounding tired. “What time is it?”
“Does it matter? When your Alpha calls you stand to attention,” I said through my teeth, cutting out any small casualties.noveldrama
He knew this was business and not a personal call or else I would have never called him this early. There was silence on the other end as he woke up fully and processed his icy words.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Taylor said, sounding more awake now. “What can I do for you?”
“I want Ethan Cash found, and I want him in custody until I get back,” I said through my teeth. “I don’t care what it takes, but I don’t want him going anywhere before I can get my hands on him.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Taylor said, knowing not to argue with me right now.
“Also, I want the debt paid off for Richard Montague. All of it. I want him out of prison by the end of the day today. The sooner the better,” I demanded.
“Yes, Alpha. Do we know how much he owes?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said through my teeth. “I want it all paid off. No questions asked.”
“On it,” Taylor agreed. “I’ll let you know when he’s released and when Ethan is in custody.”
“His family isn’t to go anywhere either. If they try, put them in custody as well.”
There was slight hesitation on his end for a moment.
“Yes, Alpha,” Taylor finally said after a beat of silence.
Without another word, I hung up the phone.
I needed to get out of here for a few minutes. I needed air and the fact that Judy kept something this important from me made me furious beyond belief. If I wanted to face her, I needed to have a clear head.
Judy’s POV
“Well, that was one way to tell him,” Irene said, staring at the closed door with a frown. “I’m sorry that happened,” she added.noveldrama
I sat frozen, staring at the doorway that Gavin just disappeared through, my heart pounding in my chest and tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. I couldn’t
believe that just happened. Now Gavin knew the truth about everything and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Irene said with a shrug. “Now he can do something about it. You shouldn’t have kept this to yourself, Judy. He can help get your dad out of prison.”
“My father’s pride is at stake,” I said softly.
“He’s being tortured in prison. I think this goes beyond pride,” Irene said, folding her arms across her chest. “Don’t you think?”
I knew she was right, so I nodded slowly.
“Maybe I should go after him,” I said as I started to stand, but Irene grabbed a hold of my arm, keeping me in place.
“I think you should give him some space. I know that look in his eyes and it never ends well for anyone. When he’s ready to talk, he’ll come back,” she assured me gently.
It was odd having her be on my side right now; it’s been months since I considered her a friend, but now it almost seemed as if she was back to her old self. I could tell she still had some questions and things on her mind as well, so I settled back onto the bed and took a deep breath, trying to calm my anxious
nerves.
“I shouldn’t have believed a word Ethan said to me,” Irene said softly, tears filling her eyes as she studied my face. “I’m really sorry Judy. For everything.”
I gave her a small smile as I wrapped her in my arms and held onto her tightly.
‘I’m the one who’s sorry, Irene. I’m sorry you got hurt and you were forced to be in the middle of this,” I whispered. “But it’s not your fault… none of it was ever your fault. You were a victim of his cruel games.”
She nibbled on her lower lip for a moment before she nodded, realization setting in.
“You were a victim too,” she told me gently. “You and your family. What he did was cruel and sickening. He can’t get away with this.”
“And he won’t,” I told her. “Especially now that Gavin knows everything. He would never let Ethan get away with hurting you like that.”
‘Not just me,” Irene said, nudging me gently. “He wouldn’t let Ethan get away with hurting you either.”
My cheeks burned from her words, and I stared down at my lap.
“Maybe,” I said softly. “Either way, Ethan is a dead man.”
We talked for a bit longer and it was nice having her back as a friend. She asked some more questions such as, “Were you two still together when I met him?” And “Did he cheat on you with me?”
She looked pale after I confirmed that he did cheat on me and that I had been marked by him when I turned 18. Whenever he’s intimate with anyone, my mark burns. It got easier over time, especially since I was spending time with Gavin, it almost seemed as if Gavin eased the pain from the broken mate bond. But the ghost of the pain is still there.
After a while, I decided to return to my room and get some rest. I waited around for a while for Gavin to return, but he didn’t. I said goodbye to Irene and went to my hotel suite, expecting to see Nan tucked away in bed with Chester beside her or something. But when I got there, neither of them was in the room.
Instead, I was being grabbed the second I stepped into the room and pressed against the wall, my breath hitched when I heard the low and threatening words that were whispered in my ear, “Now, it’s time for us to talk.”
Judy’s POV
“Gavin…” I gasped, not prepared for the overwhelming feeling of his body pressing against mine in the dark of the hotel suite. “Where’s Nan and Chester?”
“I sent them away so we could have a little chat,” he said, his tone lethal. “Did you really think you could keep this from me? Even if I didn’t overhear you, I would have found out one way or another.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, his close proximity making me weak-kneed.
“I had it handled…” I told him, trying to sound confident, but failing miserably.
“Handled?” He nearly laughed without humor. “Then why is your father still in prison?”
“I’ve been paying off his debt…” I said softly. “But they keep piling on more interest… we couldn’t even afford a lawyer, and all the ones appointed to him are corrupted by the Cash family.”
“You know what could have helped you in that situation?” He asked, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Telling a goddamn Lycan.”
I flinched at the harsh tone he used. He finally pushed off the wall to create some distance between us, but the distance seemed almost cold. He turned his back on me, and I watched him brush his fingers through his hair.
“Do you know what’s even worse?” Gavin asked, breaking through the silence that started to consume us. “You allowed him into our lives… you allowed me to
allow him to marry my daughter.”
“But he didn’t-”
“But he would have!” Gavin growled, whipping around to face me. “He would have married Irene and then what? Break her heart worse than he already has? Hurt her physically and mentally? Drained her of everything she’s worth and then came after me?”
“I didn’t think ”
“No, you weren’t thinking,” Gavin snapped, interrupting me once again. “You weren’t thinking about anybody but yourself. It was a selfish act not to tell me the entire truth about what was happening. I could have put an end to it long ago.”
I nibbled on my lower lip, hating that my cheeks were flushed, and tears were brimming in my eyes. I wasn’t going to let them fall right now though; I didn’t want him to see that kind of weakness in me.
“What are you going to do with him?” I found myself asking, my voice barely a whisper.noveldrama
I gasped when I felt him pressing against me once again, pinning me to the wall, though it wasn’t as rough as before, my heart still skipped a beat from his closeness.
“Does it matter?” He asked, his tone low and almost sultry as he whispered against my ear, his breath warm on my features. “Why do you care what happens to him? Do you still care for him?”
“No,” I said without hesitation, my own tone breathy. “But Irene does, despite what she might say.”
“Now you care about my family?” He asked, almost mockingly.
That was it for me; that was what pissed me off the most. How dare he think I don’t care about his family. I love his family; despite all Irene has done to make sure I wasn’t in the picture, I knew it was because of her love for Ethan that drove her to do those things. Now that she sees him for who he really is, our relationship can rebuild. But never stopped caring about her; both her and Matt had become important to me, and for Gavin to accuse me of not caring for them… caring for him… it pushed me over the edge.
I shoved him off me; typically, my strength wouldn’t be a match against his, but because he wasn’t prepared for my rage, he stumbled back a step, giving me some space.
I pointed my finger at him, rage flaring through my eyes.
“Don’t you dare accuse me of not caring for your family, Gavin. I love your family. They have become my family despite everything. I only didn’t tell Irene because I was afraid, she’d hurt herself if she knew that the man she loved, the one she chose as her mate and wanted to spend the rest of her life with, was only using her and cheating on her any chance he got. I didn’t tell you because it was my word against Ethan’s and honestly, I didn’t think you’d believe me. Not to mention my father has too much pride to ask outsiders for help, including a Lycan, and he told me that he, no matter what, won’t accept money from anyone other than his family. I thought he’d refuse if you were to pay off his debt. I was also embarrassed that we allowed something like this to happen and I didn’t want to confess to what happened to someone I was sleeping with! So, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, but don’t you dare call me selfish when everything I do is for everyone else—”
His lips were on mine before I could finish the rant. It was a kiss filled with need and anguish. He had me pressed against the wall again in seconds, his strong arms caging me in on either side as he deepened the kiss, his tongue making its way into my mouth and exploring me with such earnest that my heart felt as if it was about to beat right out of my chest.
“You are not just someone I am sleeping with,” he said against my lips; he nipped at my bottom lip, drawing it into his mouth before he resumed kissing me deeply.
I had no idea what that meant, but all the fight I had in me dissipated the second his lips were on mine. I kissed him back with as much frenzy as I could muster. Soon, he was lifting me off the ground and carrying me over to my bed, his kisses becoming bruising and filled with a lust that easily matched.
He broke his kiss from my mouth and ran his lips down the nape of my neck, nipping and sucking on my sweet spots, drawing out a moan from my lips as he ran his tongue across my chest, pulling my shirt over my head and leaving me in my bra. His eyes darkened when he saw the black lace of my bra and he let out a low growl and a curse as his lips continued to lick and suck my cleavage.
I felt my bra loosen as he undid the strap with ease, allowing it to fall to the bed. He threw it across the room before I had the chance to protest.
His lips wrapped around my nipple, making it pebble in his mouth as he teased it. I let out another moan, my back arching from the sensation and I felt a smile tipping the corner of his lips.
“So responsive to my touch,” he murmured as he resumed teasing my breast. He did the same tortuous teasing with the other one before he kissed down my body, taking my pants and panties off in the process, leaving me completely bare to him.
He kissed my inner thighs, but then he brought his lips back to mine and he kissed me with hunger like no other. Like he was a starving man, and I was his last meal.
He pulled his own shirt over his head and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of his incredibly toned body. I ran my fingers down his chiseled chest and abs, my fingers brushing along the waistband of his sweatpants.
His eyes were dark as he took me and I could see the smug smirk on his face because he knew that I was attracted to him with every fiber of my being.
I didn’t need to use words for him to know what I wanted. Soon, he was pulling off his pants, taking his boxers off with them. Both our breathing was rigid as his lips found mine again in a searing kiss that made me see stars. I moaned into his mouth as I felt his length poking at my entrance, testing my slit and making me wetter than I ever had been before.noveldrama
A low growl escaped his throat as he breathed me in; our breaths mingled.
He slowly pushed inside me, way slower than I thought he would because of how rough he was only a few moments ago, but now it seemed as if he was taking tender care of me as he pushed his manhood into my core. We both gasped at the sensation as my core swallowed every inch of him.
I let out another moan, my walls forming around him and making the perfect hideaway for his cock as his lips were mine again. He quickened his pace, pulling almost out before slamming back inside me. His movements slow but deep, making me gasp and moan each time.
He nipped at my ear, his breath warm against my features as he continued to
slam his entire length into me, hitting that perfect spot each time.
“Make no mistake, Judy,” he said in a low and threatening tone. “You are mine… and I always protect what is mine.”
Judy’s POV
I lay in bed naked, watching Gavin dress. It was the middle of the night, and we just finished our 3(rd) round of sex when he finally decided he’d had enough and was about to leave and return to his own suite. My heart was heavy as I watched him dress; I was unable to move still because my legs were too wobbly, and every fiber of my being was craving more of him. It was safer if I just stayed in the bed.
He glanced at me over his shoulder, a smug look on his face. He could smell my pending arousal, and I hated that. That was the one shitty thing about werewolves; we could literally smell everything, including arousal. After he finished pulling his shirt on over his head, he turned to look at me.
“The Ethan situation will be handled accordingly,” he told me as if we just finished some kind of business deal. “He won’t be a problem to you or your family anymore.”
I nodded, not really sure what more to say. He walked over to my side, surprising me by his quick nearness. He closed the gap in only a few strides and bent to kiss me on the lips. It was a gesture I wasn’t prepared for, and my mind was whirling with thoughts on what it meant.
His words kept playing repeatedly in my mind.
“You are mine… and I always protect what is mine.”
What did that even mean? I was his…?
I shook the thought out of my head; it was a lust-filled comment, and it didn’t mean anything. He said it in the heat of the moment. He only wanted to draw a reaction from me, and I wasn’t going to justify him with one.
His kiss was simple and sweet, and yet it sent my heart into complete turmoil. When he pulled away, I felt a sudden loss. He stepped away and cleared his throat, running his fingers through his disheveled hair, a rarity for him, even after
sex.
“I need to go,” he told me without much more of anything else.
On that note, he turned and left the suite, leaving me staring at the door, naked, and very much confused.
I only managed to get a few hours of sleep before Nan and Chester were walking back into the suite. I opened my eyes to see them whispering as they entered. Nan still looked a bit uncomfortable around him and he seemed as if he was walking on eggshells.
“Hey,” I said groggily as I sat up. “Where did you guys go?”
Nan smirked when she saw me.
“Well, your lover Lycan came in like a caveman, woke us up. Told us to get lost for the night. He bought us another hotel room for the night. So, we slept there,” Nan explained.
I raised my brows.
“Together?” I asked, peering between the two of them.
“We slept separate,” Nan clarified. “He slept on the couch, and I took the bed.”
“Did you talk at all?” I asked.
“Barely,” Chester was the one who begrudgingly answered.
“So, what’s the plan for today? Do you have more training?” Nan asked, ignoring him.
I shook my head.
“They gave us the day off,” I told her. “But I was thinking maybe we can have some fun today. Get our minds off things.” Lord knows I needed to get my mind off things that started with the G.
She nodded eagerly.
“Yes, I agree,” she said, sitting on my bed beside me. “Maybe we can find Sammy and invite her out with us. We can have a girl’s night and forget about guys for a while.”
Chester tensed at her words, and I felt a ping of guilt as I looked up at him. I hated that they were at odds with one another because they were both my friends.
“Actually, I was thinking maybe all of us can go out,” I suggested. “Chester could use a distraction too.”
Nan raised her brows as she looked at me, giving me the “You can’t be serious” look.noveldrama
I smiled at her, nudging her shoulder.
“Can’t you put her differences aside for one day? I asked her. “You are both my friends, and you are both in a difficult situation. You could both use a distraction. Just for today, let’s pretend that you don’t know each other and you are just two people who need a distraction.”
Nan looked hesitant, but she soon nodded slowly, her gaze flickering to Chester who was watching her before he decided with a nod.
I sighed out in relief.
“Good,” I said with a thoughtful smile. “Then we can see if Sammy is available and maybe Tabby too?”
“Sounds great,” Nan agreed.
“Oh, and Irene,” I added quickly.
Nan’s eyes grew wide as she snapped her gaze in my direction,
“Irene?” She asked, her mouth dropping open.
“Wait, Gavin’s daughter, Irene?” Chester asked, his brows furrowed. “She’s here? Since when?”
“She got in last night,” I explained. “It’s kind of a long story, but bottom line is… she knows the truth about Ethan.”
Nan’s eyes grew even larger as she studied my face. Nan was the only one who knew the entire story, so I knew I didn’t have to explain to her what I meant.
“Did he hurt her?” Nan finally asked after a beat of silence.
“Only emotionally<” I replied. “But she left him and came straight here. We talked about it last night and now she’s aware of the monster that he is.”
“Do you think she is strong enough to stay away from him?” Nan asked. “She was crazy obsessed with him. Like cut her wrists because her father disapproved of him, obsessed.”
“I think she’s plenty strong; now that she knows what he’s capable of, she has no interest in getting back together with him. From what she told me, it doesn’t look as if he would get back together with her either. He told her he didn’t need her or her father anymore to get what he wants.”
“What do you think he meant by that?” Nan asked, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
“Who knows,” I muttered. “But Gavin overheard everything and now he’s aware of what happened as well. He said he’s going to take care of it,” I explained.
“That explains why he looked so furious when he barged in here,” Chester said as he thought back to the night. “Should have heard him when he was pounding on the door. I thought he was going to break it off the hinges. The second the door was open, he was shoving past me and into the room, demanding that we leave for the night. He gave me a hotel key and everything.”noveldrama
I shook my head at the thought.
“He’s such a caveman,” I murmured, still confused by his actions, but choosing not to dwell on them too much.
“But seriously though; I could definitely use a night out,” Chester added. “I heard there’s a nightclub in the city up the street. We should check it out.”
I grinned at the idea and looked at Nan; she nodded in agreement.
“So, it’s agreed. Tonight, we are partying!”
Third Person POV
“Ethan, what the fuck have you done?” Ethan’s father, Raymond, growled as Ethan walked through the front door. “Why is the Beta searching for you and why did we get an Alpha order to remain here at all costs until his return next week?”
“You put us on house arrest,” his mother added, her arms wrapped around herself as if she might not survive being stuck in the manor for a week.
Ethan knew that by his current situation with Irene, he would have traveled to Gavin Landry. He had prepared for this, which was why he disappeared for the last few days.
“I have it handled,” Ethan said, walking past him and towards the stairs. “I only came to collect a few things and then I’ll be leaving.”
“Where are you going?” Raymond asked, following his son up the stairs.
“The least you know, the better,” Ethan told him, glancing over his shoulder. “That way they can’t Alpha command you into revealing my secrets.”
“Does this have anything to do with the Montagues?” Raymond asked.
Ethan paused outside his bedroom door, his eyes narrowed at his father, a look Raymond had never seen cross his son’s face before, causing him to pause.
“I have it handled,” Ethan said slowly, leaving no room for further arguments.
With that, he turned and stormed into his bedroom. The moment he was alone, he grabbed his phone and pulled out his contact.
Pressing his phone to his cheek, he waited for the contact to answer.
“I need you to pick me up. I have to leave my car here so I can’t be traced,” he said gruffly, waiting for them to reply.
“Do you think that’s a good idea? You know what will happen if we are caught together, Ethan,” the voice said on the other end of the line.
“It’s an emergency,” Ethan explained. “I’ll explain more when I see you. Can I expect you here soon?”
The other person sighed.
“Fine. But this better be good. I won’t be compromised because of you.”
Third Person POV
Daisy Baldwin stood outside the Cash manor, her red corvette running as she waited for Ethan. Her blond curls glistened under the moonlight; her features illuminated. Her pink overcoat hugging her figure perfectly. Working with Ethan was never a thing she had planned, but he sought her out one evening knowing that she wanted Gavin for herself, just as he wanted Judy.
They became partners in trying to break them up.
The moment she saw Ethan emerging from the manor with his luggage in hand, she pressed her lips in a thin line and folded her arms across her chest.
“There better be a good explanation why I’m picking you up so late at night and why you have luggage. If you think for a second you are staying with me—” she started to say, but he held up his hand to silence her.
He walked over to the trunk of her car and threw his luggage inside before making his way to the driver’s seat. Her mouth fell open as she scrambled to chase after him.
“What the hell do you think you are doing!” She screeched. “That’s my car!”
“Get in,” he said, not leaving her any room for argument.noveldrama
She stared at him dumbfounded, he put the car in drive, his eyes blazing as he stared at her.
“I said get in!” He growled again.
She quickly ran around the car and got into the passenger seat. Before she could even close the door, he was peeling away.
“What the hell is going on Ethan?” She asked, her heart racing as she held onto the seat. Ethan drove through the street, weaving through traffic, and it made her shake with nerves.
“We are leaving,” he tells her with finality. “There’s somewhere we need to be.”
“Want to enlighten me?” She asked, folding her arms across her chest once the road clears and there’s no more traffic.”
He smirks.
“Trust me,” he murmured. “You’re going to like this.”
Judy’s POV
Gavn wouldn’t let us go to the club without some of his gamma warriors trailing us, which I shouldn’t have been surprised about, especially considering his daughter was with us. The music was loud, and everyone was having the time of their lives. I wasn’t very much into dance clubs, and I could tell Sammy was the same way because she found a secluded spot in the corner and continued to sip on the same drink for over an hour.
I wished I could join her because I was tired, but Nan and Irene refused to let me sit.
“This is exactly what we needed,” Nan breathed as she took a long and steady sip of her drink.
I nodded in agreement and lifted my glass in the air for them to clink.
“To forgetting about guys,” I said with a grin, knowing that each of us needed to forget about a guy.
They cheered and clinked glasses.
“I’m just going to run to the bathroom,” Irene said, her words slurring slightly from the amount of alcohol she’s consumed.
I nodded as Nan dragged me back to the dance floor. The music picked up and we danced like nobody was watching, laughing and swaying with our drinks raised. I hadn’t even thought about where Chester had gone off to. The last I saw of him he was seated at the bar. I worried that he ended up finding a woman and is having sex with her somewhere. If that’s the case, it would destroy Nan because he is her fated mate and he was supposed to be trying to win her trust.
I didn’t voice my worry though, not wanting her to panic or doubt herself. She was supposed to be forgetting him for the night, despite the fact that he was here.
“We should check on Sammy,” I said loud enough for her to hear me.
Nan nodded, finally tiring herself out from all the dancing.
As we weaved through the crowd, Sammy’s small table in the corner came into view and I was honestly shocked to see Chester seated with her. They weren’t really talking, they both looked kind of bored and sipping on their drinks, a comfortable silence falling between them.
“Hey,” I said as I took a seat beside Chester, Nan took the empty seat beside Sammy, avoiding Chester’s wandering gaze.
“Have you been here the whole time?” I asked him, taking a sip of my drink.
“A few minutes ago,” he admitted. “I went from the bar to here. I needed to get away. Some of these women won’t take no for an answer.”
I could see Nan tensing from the corner of my eyes; she was trying hard not to look at him, but ii knew she wanted to know as much information as she could.
“Did you turn them down?” I asked him.
His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite read.
“Of course I did,” he replied. “Did you think I was going ot pick up women while here?”
I shrugged.
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” I admit.
“I’m not that big of an asshole,” he murmured, looking almost offended.
“Debatable,” I teased.
“Where’s Irene?” Sammy asked, glancing around the space.
“Bathroom,” Nan replied, still avoiding Chester’s gaze.
I frowned as I too looked around.
“She’s been in there for a while,” I said, noticing the time. “Maybe she can’t find us. I’ll go look for her.”
I stand and Chester stands as well.
“I’ll come with you,” he said a little too quickly.
I knew he just needed some space from Nan, and this was his way of getting that.noveldrama
I nodded and motioned for him to follow me.
We weaved our way through the crowds of people and towards the secluded hallway that led to the bathroom. As we neared the hallway, my senses started to pick up on something and my heart began to race. Something was wrong… I could feel it deep in my bones and Chester could sense my growing anxiety.
“What is it?” He asked with a frown.
“Something wrong,” I said, quickening my pace.
“How can you tell?”
I wasn’t sure how to explain it; but it was like every bone inside me was screaming that something was wrong, and I needed to get to the source. Without replying, I raced through the halls until I neared the girl’s room, and that was when I heard her.
“Please… let me go!” She cried; her tone choked as sobs wracked her body. “Please…” she sounded defeated, like she was giving up her fight.
My heart raced as I surged forward, my wolf nearly taking control entirely. I knew the voice to be Irene and then the male grunting was an unfamiliar sound, but it pissed me off entirely.
“Get back to Nan and Sammy and get them out of here,” I called over my shoulder to Chester as I picked up my pace. “Then call Gavin. Meet us out front!”
“Wait what?” Chester asked.
I didn’t reexplain it to him, I burst through the bathroom door in time to see a man mounting Irene, who was nearly completely naked, her clothes ripped, though it didn’t look like he had gotten very far with her.
He quickly spun around; his eyes wide with shock. He had locked the door, and I burst through it with ease, so I understood his shock. Before he could comprehend what was happening, I was kicking him in the face, making him nearly fly across the room.
Irene let out a choked sob as she grabbed what was left of her clothing and tried to cover herself, her hands and entire body trembling with fear. I didn’t spare her a look though; I was too focused on the man in front of me. He was unfamiliar, and he reeked of alcohol. He was kind of good looking, so I could see Irene willingly talking to him, but then he clearly took things too far and I wasn’t okay with that.
“You caught me off guard,” he growled, his eyes blazing with fury. “I won’t let that happen again.”
He lunged at me, ready to fight but I was faster and oddly enough, stronger. I managed to get the best of him, making him fly across the room again. His head slammed off the tiled wall and his eyes, unfocused, were fixed on me.
“I can do this all day,” I said through my teeth. “Come at me!”
“Who the hell are you?” He asked, wincing in pain as he struggled to get to his feet.
“I’m someone you seriously shouldn’t fuck with,” I growled.
Before I could say anything more, gamma warriors were in the room, pinning him to the ground.
One of the gammas knelt beside Irene and gave her his overcoat to cover her body. She thanked him as she wiped away her tears, her body still trembling. I wondered where the gammas were until this point and why they weren’t watching their main target. I decided to not question them right now though.
I grabbed Irene’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Let’s go,” I told her firmly, pulling her out of the bathroom like I was some kind of mother figure.
Judy’s POV
By the time we got outside, Gavin was already there. It almost felt as if he’d been here the entire time with how fast he arrived. His eyes were pouring into me, anger coursing through him as he quickly got out of the car and marched towards us. Chester, Nan, and Sammy waited nearby, their eyes wide as they looked back and forth between us.
“Get in the car,” he told me, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the car. He opened the passenger door and nearly yanked me inside. I was caught off guard by the sudden force and stumbled into the car; the door slammed behind me.
He then turned to Irene and assessed her. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she was crying and sniffling, her body trembling as she hugged the overcoat tighter around her body. He put a hand on her shoulder and said something to her that made her nod. Soon, she was walking towards the car and sitting in the back seat behind me.noveldrama
She sniffled and stared out the window.
Gavin said something to Chester, and he nodded; I saw Nan tensing, but she didn’t argue with whatever he said. I knew Chester had brought his own car, which was how we had all got here, so he was probably asking Chester to bring the girls back.
Gavin got into the driver’s seat and peeled away from the club, heading back to the resort. I stared out the window, the ride was long and quiet. Only the sounds of Irene’s sniffling could be heard. Gavin’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. I could feel his anger and I wasn’t sure who it was directed at.
Was he mad at me? This wasn’t my fault… then again, going to a club was my idea. Maybe that’s why he was angry.
Or maybe he was angry at the idea of that guy trying to have his way with his daughter?
A tight knot formed in the pit of my stomach.
As we reached the resort, he parked out front.
Irene unbuckled and got out of the car, saying she’ll see us later. I was confused by this because I thought we were all going in together. They must have had an understanding before they got into the car that Irene would be dropped off.
But what about me?
The door shut and Gavin drove away, leaving me dumfounded. It was late and I was honestly tired, not wanting to go on any more adventures this evening. I just wanted to get back to the room and sleep until tomorrow.
He pulled out back until we reached the parking lot and then he parked the car. He sat like that for a long while, neither of us speaking. I stared at him, not sure what to make of this, wondering what the hell was wrong and why he wouldn’t speak to me. He would barely even look at me.
What are you thinking about Gavin Landry?
Gavin’s POV
“Please don’t be angry with her, Dad. She protected me…” Irene just before getting in the car, her words replaying in my mind the entire drive back to the resort. “I never had anyone protect me like that. Though we are almost the same age… it felt very motherly.”
My heart was pounding in my chest as I parked the car outside the resort. I told Irene that I was dropping her off, and then I’m taking Judy somewhere to talk. She protected my daughter… she treated her like her own daughter despite her age. She had a motherly instinct in her and because of that, she was able to beat the crap out of that guy. Or so my gammas had told me. They explained the condition that guy was in by the time they reached the bathroom, and my chest swelled with pride at the thought of Judy doing all that to him all because he dared to touch Irene.
I could feel Judy’s eyes as I parked the car in a dark parking lot, keeping away from the sight of others so I could truly be alone with her. But the thoughts of that man hurting my daughter continued to replay in my head and fury was consuming me. He wasn’t dead, which meant if he wasn’t taken care of now, he could do this to others.
“Gavin….” Judy finally whispered, breaking through the intense silence.
He blinked, like he was just realizing she was there. He looked over at her, she was facing him in the passenger’s seat, her breathing heavily and her lips slightly parted. The concern in her eyes scent his own heart into overdrive, a feeling he couldn’t quite place, and he wasn’t quite ready to admit existed yet, but he knew something was there, festering within him and growing with each passing moment.
He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She wore a low-cut dress that showed off a bit too much of her cleavage and long, slender legs. His wolf growled possessively in his mind, a growl that came right out of his lips, making her eyes widen.
He knew he had to tone himself down before he terrified her to death, but he couldn’t help himself. She opened her mouth to speak again, but his lips were on hers before she could utter a single word. He practically felt her heart skipping a beat as he claimed her mouth with his. He kissed her like he was a parched and she was a fresh sip of water. Her mouth was soft and sweet against his; after the initial shock wore off, she started to kiss me back, her mouth moving rhythmically against mine, her tongue darting out and licking at my bottom lip, almost possessively.
A low growl escaped my lips as I pulled her closer to me, or as close as I could in a car. I drew her bottom lip into my mouth, tasting it like it was candy, a soft moan escaped her lips as I reclaimed her mouth.
I gripped her hips and before I knew what was happening, I was pulling her onto my lap, her back against the steering wheel as her lips remained on mine. She straddled my lap, my hard cock itching to be released from my pants, rubbing against her sensitive spot beneath her dress. I trailed my lips down the nape of her neck, kissing and nipping every corner I could, loving her soft gasps as pleasure consumed her.
I ran my lips across her chest, pulling out one of her braless breasts without having to remove any part of her dress because the low-cut was loose, giving me easy access. Her nips were already hard and waiting for me. I wasted no time wrapping my lips around it, tugging and teasing it between my teeth, sucking on it until were red and swollen.
I gave the other breast the same treatment, a low growl of pleasure escaping my throat, sending goosebumps to attack her body. A shiver ran through her body from my touch, and I smirked knowing the exact effect I had on her.
She ran her fingers through my hair, and I closed my eyes from the sensation, loving the way her hands felt on my body and in my hair. I reached between us, tugging at my waistband of my sweatpants until my large member was revealed to her. She wasted no time in moving her panties to the side and sinking down onto my large cock, allowing every inch to be absorbed inside of her.noveldrama
She let out a low groan of pleasure as she swallowed me whole, my entire length buried deep inside of her. She stayed like that for a moment, savoring the feel of me stretched out in her tight core, forming and fitting for me.
After a moment, she started to move, her hips thrusting against mine and our moans echoing in the car, heat consuming us, blocking the world out from around us. I gripped her hips tightly, enough to leave a bruise, but I knew it would heal by the time we were done. She threw her head back as she quickened her pace, her breath getting heavier as she got lost in the pleasure of having me deep inside of her, stroking her g-spot as if it was created for me alone.
I wrapped my lips around her nipple again, tugging and teasing it as she milked my cock of everything was worth. I was hardening even more inside of her, thrusting deeply inside her, quickening my own pace to match hers, chasing my pending orgasm as a moan escaped my lips.
I looked up at her flushed cheeks and her lust-filled eyes, a desire like no other rushing across me. He reached up and pulled her head down to my lips so I could claim her lips once again. She breathed me in, our breaths mingling as one. The sound of skin-on-skin slapping echoing in the vast space. Her breathy moan making my cock twitch with anticipation and when she yelled out my name, the sound of my name of her lips was nearly my undoing.
“Mine,” I whispered against her ear as I thrust hard and deep inside her, making her gasp at each sensation.
I felt her legs trembling as I held her firmly against me while I thrust deep and slow inside her, wanting to draw out her pleasure. She dug her nails into my shoulders as she came undone on my cock, her juices spreading across my lap.
Her orgasm was my undoing and within seconds, I was coming undone as well, burying myself deep inside her as I allowed my seed to coat her insides.
She fell against me, her body trembling with aftershocks of pleasure as I peppered kisses along her hairline and ran soothing circles around her back, my member still twitching inside her, releasing the last of its sperm.
“That…” I whispered hoarsely, raw emotions that were foreign to me being easily conveyed by my tone. “Was for protecting my daug
Judy’s POV
“Sorry I couldn’t make it out with you guys’ last night,” Tabby said as she spotted me during our weight training. “I wanted to have a clear head for training today.”
“Don’t be sorry. Honestly, you weren’t missing much,” I told her. “I probably shouldn’t have gone out either. The next and last part of the competition is crucial because this will determine the final winner. I probably should have a clear head too.”
“Have you been scouted yet?” Tabby asked, glancing around at the others who were hard at work and completely oblivious of us.
I frowned and shook my head.
“No, have you?” I asked.
Anyone could recruit us to their pack or gamma force without us having to win the competition. However, only those who win the competition can make it to the Elite Force.
“No, but I heard Sherry was recruited already. She still wants to compete though and try to get to the top,” Tabby told me.
I lifted the weight, it was heavier than what I was used to, but I was aiming to push myself a little further today.
“She would be stupid not to,” I said between grunts. “She’s really good at what she does.”
Tabby nodded in agreement, watching as I lifted the weight towards her and then back down.
“So, if you win and you make it on the Elite force, where do you want to be stationed? You know you get to choose your start base location.”
“I honestly hadn’t thought about it,” I told her.
The Lycans are in charge of the Elite Gamma Forces, so they were mainly stationed near their main packs. I knew there was an Elite Force station just outside of the Silver Crescent pack, so that would be ideal. But would Gavin even want me on that force? For some reason, I was nervous asking him.
“You live near Silver Crescent, right?” Tabby asked thoughtfully. “So, ideally, that would make the most sense. Unless you were looking for a change in scenery?”
“I mean, my family and friends all live there,” I told her, as I lifted the weight once again, my muscles screaming at me to stop and I knew I probably should have listened. The last thing I wanted was to hurt myself before the final rounds started. “So, yeah, it would be ideal. But I don’t know. I guess we will see. What about you? Have you thought about it?”
“I don’t live near any of the Lycans,” she said with a shrug. “So, I don’t really know. But I heard Alpha Landry has one of the better forces, so I would probably try to get into the Silver Crescent one.”
I finally put the weight down, feeling as if my arms were about to fall off.
I sat up, sweat caked on my face, and I used the back of my hand to wipe it off.
“We’d be neighbors,” I told her with a smile.
She laughed and nodded.
“Yeah, it would be pretty cool,” she breathed with a wide grin.
“Judy!” I heard my name coming from the gym entrance and I turned just in time to see Matt’s smiling face as he ran toward me, Irene quickly running after him. She looked as if she hadn’t slept a wink, and my chest tightened for her. I knew she was still heartbroken after the whole Ethan situation, not to mention being attacked at the club last night.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” I asked, sitting up on the bench. “Shouldn’t you be exploring the resort or tanning by the pool?”
“I wish,” Irene said, folding her arms across her chest and giving Matt a pointed look. “He was insisting that we came to see you before we did anything.”
I rubbed my hand through his hair and smiled down at him.
“Did Matthew miss me?” I teased, making him scowl.
“No,” he muttered. “I just wanted to see you in action… you know, for my own training,” he tried to play it off, but I could see through him.
I laughed.
“Oh, sure, I’m sure that’s what it is,” I teased again, making him roll his eyes. “Hey, this is Tabby. My friend on the team.”
“I saw you on TV!” Matt said with a grin. “You were on Judy’s team when you were on the island.”
Tabby nodded.
“Yes,” she replied. “Judy was pretty amazing with that bear.”
“It’s not like I did it alone,” I countered. “But anyways, Tabby, this is Matthew and Irene Landry.”noveldrama
Tabby’s eyes grew wide, and her mouth nearly dropped to the ground.
“The Landry’s??” She asked in awe. “As in Gavin Landry?”
“They are his kids,” I explained.
“I knew he had a daughter, but I had no idea he had a son too,” Tabby said, furrowing her brows. “He really keeps his life private.”
Matt looked a bit sheepish and uncomfortable from the remark and I gave him a reassuring smile.
“Woah, who is that cutey?” Irene asked, her eyes staring off in the distance.
I followed her gaze and then smirked when I saw the man she was looking at. Turning back to her I replied, “That would be Chuck Evans. He’s from the Bloodmoon pack up North. His father is the head gamma there.”
“He was also on Judy’s team when she was on the island,” Matt also explained, eagerly. “He was kind of like the team captain.”
“Yeah, and nobody even questioned it,” I said with a headshake. “But leadership came naturally to him, almost like it was a given.”
Irene’s eyes were fixed on Chuck, not paying attention to what anyone was saying.
“Earth to Irene,” I said, waving my hand in front of her face, making her blink a few times like she was just finding out where she was.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” She asked, her cheeks turning a strange shade of red.
“I was saying, that’s Chuck Evans. Though he’s great at what he does, he’s kind of arrogant. I’d just be wary of him.”
“It’s not like I’m planning on doing anything with him,” Irene said a bit nervously. “I just got out of a serious relationship. I’m still kind of a mess over it.”
“Have you heard from him?” I asked.
She shook her head, looking as if she wanted to cry.
“No,” she breathed. “He made it perfectly clear that he never wanted me to begin with. It was always my father he was after…”
“He never deserved you,” I told her, wrapping a sweaty arm around her.
“He didn’t deserve you either,” she sighed, resting her head on my shoulder, not caring that I was sweaty.
“Who are we talking about?” Tabby asked, and her brows furrowed.
“My ex-mate,” I told her. “And Irene’s ex-fiancé.”
Her eyes grew wide.
“Woah, juicy,” she breathed.
I laughed and gave Irene a gentle squeeze.
Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. I grabbed my phone out of my bag that sat beside the weights, and I saw that my mother was calling. My heart squeezed in my chest and suddenly, I was worried that something was wrong. She was still living in the Cash Manor after all. Did they do something to her after their connection with Irene and the Landry’s were cut?
I excused myself and rushed out of the gym so I could take the phone call privately. A million thoughts ran through my mind and for a moment, I was prepared to get a flight back home so I could be with my mother.
“Mom,” I greeted when I answered the phone. “Is everything okay?”
“Judy, it’s your father,” my mother sniffled on the other end.
My heart fell deep into my stomach at the thought of something happening to my father, knowing that it would also destroy my mother. If I lost him, I lost them both.
“Mom, what happened, is he okay?” I asked, panicking me.
“Yes, he’s fine,” my mother surprised me by saying. “He’s coming home, Judy. He’s getting out of jail today.”noveldrama
My eyes grew impossibly large; out of all the things she could be calling me for, that was not something I even thought about. I remembered Gavin saying he had it handled, but I didn’t think it would be so fast.
“Are you serious?” I asked, my voice coming out as a breathy whisper. “How, why?”
“His debt was paid in full,” she said softly.
My heart swelled with joy at hearing her; I realized these weren’t tears of fear or heartbreak, she was crying for joy because her mate was returning to her.
“Oh, mom, that makes me so happy,” I said, my own eyes welling with tears.
“Alpha Landry also called me personally to tell me that he was going to make sure we were set up well,” she told me, surprising me further. “He rebought our house, Judy. The Cash family no longer owns it…we do. We get to finally move home, Judy!”
hird Person POV
“Tell me again why we came to this country?” Daisy asked when they arrived at the resort.
Ethan grinned as the car parked outside of the main entrance and they got out of the car. He could already smell the sweet scent of his mate wafting in the air and it made his mouth water and his cock twitch. One way or another, Judy was his and he wasn’t going to let her go without a fight. Levi would get what he wanted, and Ethan would get what he wanted.
“You want your chances with Alpha Landry, don’t you?” Ethan asked, corking a brow at her.
She nibbled on her lower lip and then nodded.
“You know I do. He’s everything I ever wanted, and I will fight for him until my dying breath,” she declared, determination etched in her face. She will never give up on Gavin; she has loved him for most of her life. She was born and raised to love him; his family loves her and wants them to marry, and she was determined to make that happen no matter what.
“Gavin Landry is here,” Ethan explained to her. “This is your opportunity to seduce him. My target is Judy. As long as we keep them apart, we will get what we want.”
“And you’re sure this will work?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. She refused to be humiliated again in front of Gavin.
He smirked at her.
“Trust me, Daisy,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before Judy cracks.”
They checked into the room they purchased and then went to meet with Alpha Levi who was expecting them. He sat in the conference room, which was empty, his fingers tapping on the wooden table as Ethan and Daisy walked in. He stared between the two of them, assessing them carefully before he motioned for them to sit in the seats in front of him.
They did so without hesitation.
He slid a folder across the table towards them.noveldrama
“This is all the information you’ll need,” Levi said, his eyes narrowed. “There are room numbers and room keys in there too for both Judy and Gavin. Use them wisely.”
“I don’t understand,” Daisy said, folding her arms across her chest. She only knew
a little about Ehtan working with Levi, but she was still confused about what was truly wanted and why Levi was helping them like this. “What’s in it for you?”
“That’s for me to know,” he said, his tone bitter and his eyes icy, he poured his gaze into Daisy. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, somehow believing she was making a deal with the devil, and he would soon eat her alive. “You are dismissed,” he said with a final wave of his hand like he was swatting away a fly.
Ethan stood without hesitation, already knowing his way, but Daisy remained, her gaze fixed on his.
“No harm will come to him, right?” She asked, her tone was steadier than she felt.
Levi only smirked, he didn’t reply. He didn’t need to reply. Daisy’s blood went cold, and Ethan wasn’t going to let her ruin this for him. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to her feet, making her stumble. She glared at him with wide eyes, confused by the sudden gesture and change in attitude.
“Let’s go,” he said through his teeth as he dragged her out of the conference room, only the sounds of Levi’s dark chuckle could be heard as the door slowly shut behind them. Daisy pulled her arm out of Ethan’s once they were a good enough distance away.
“Why are you working with him? You know he wants the downfall of Gavin, right? He’s been his biggest enemy for years,” Daisy said, her eyes narrowed. “You can’t trust him.”
“Because he’s the only one who can get me what I want at this point,” Ethan said through his teeth. “He’ll break Gavin down and then you’ll be there to pick up the pieces and put him back together again. While I’ll be off with my mate and being the Alpha of the Redmoon pack with her by my side, just like it should have been from the start.”
“Do you really think this plan will work?” She asked.
“Yes,” he replied without any hesitation. “But we need to work together to make sure that it works. Now, I need to know. Are you with me… or are you against me?”
Gavin’s POV
“Delta Montague will be released from prison later this evening,” Beta Taylor said on the phone. “And his house had been rebought from under the Cash family so there shouldn’t be any more issues.”
ake sure he’s also able to continue his business as well. I don’t want them to have to worry about anything,” I ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Taylor, I could hear the smile in his voice; it made me roll my eyes as I ended the call without saying another word.
I sat in the resort bar, sipping scotch, thinking about my last encounter with Judy. I could practically taste her on my lips still and my cock twitched in my pants at the very thought. Tomorrow was the last day for the competition; tomorrow would determine the winner. I had already made up my mind though; I was going to ask her to be in the Elite force for my pack, whether she won or not. She more than earned her spot on the force and I wasn’t going to allow her to work for anyone else. Especially not Levi.
A presence beside him made him freeze and he turned to see a familiar figure seated beside him, her curly blond hair draped around her shoulders and crowning her features as she grinned at him. Instead of feeling attraction, he felt annoyed.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Daisy?” He asked, his annoyance palpable. “Can’t I come to a famous resort?” She asked innocently, batting her long lashes. “It’s just a coincidence that you happen to be here too. Or maybe it’s fate.”
“Fate has nothing to do with it,” I murmur, downing the rest of my scotch before I stand up. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“You’re going to make me buy my own drink? Is that any way to treat an old friend, Gavin?” Daisy asked, her bottom lip jetting out in a pout.
A low growl escaped my throat.
“You are not a friend.”
“That hurts,” she said, standing to her feet, her body swaying as she walked towards me. “And here I thought I meant something to you. After all, I do know your darkest secrets.”
My body tensed as I watched her; her eyes glinting with mischief.
“What is it you want, Daisy?” I asked through my teeth, not in the mood for her games.
“Take me to dinner tonight,” she said, her tone though sweet, still held a bite to it. “That’s all I want… just one evening being dined by the great Gavin Landry.” My eyes darkened.
“Why?”
She shrugged and gave me a playful smirk, which didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“No reason; I just want to catch up,” she said innocently as she batted her long and dark lashes. “Is that too much to ask?”
I swallowed, my jaw tense. The last thing I wanted was to be caught dead out and about with Daisy Baldwin; her motives were never pure and hadn’t been since I married Melissa all those years ago. I didn’t trust her, and she knew this.
“Don’t look at me like that, Gavin. It hurts my feelings… and you won’t like me when my feelings are hurt,” she said, a darkness in her eyes put my wolf on edge.
“Don’t you fucking threaten me,” I said in a low and threatening growl.
She smirked and stepped closer to me, her lips against my ear as she whispered,
“It would be such a shame if your secrets go to your precious Judy.”
I clenched my fists.noveldrama
“You are asking for death, Daisy,” I hissed.
She giggled and stepped back.
“It doesn’t matter if you kill me. I’m not the only one here who knows. Did you really think she wasn’t being watched?”
My heart hammered in my chest at the thought of others being around, knowing my secrets, and keeping watch over Judy, waiting for the opportunity to strike. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and run from this country; I wanted to take her somewhere else safer. Somewhere away from here.
My fists clenched at my sides as my nails dug into the palms of my hands. Daisy smirked again, knowing she had me where she wanted me.
“Just dinner, and I’ll make sure your secret never gets revealed to her.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Just dinner?” I asked, my resolve was cracking slightly.
She nodded.
“Yes,” she confirmed, folding her arms across her chest.
“Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll pick you up tonight, but Daisy, if you breathe a word about
this to anyone… and I’ll make sure my face is the last one you see.”
With that threat hanging in the air, I turned and stormed out.
Despite the good news from my parents about them being able to move home soon, my wolf was on edge. Something was wrong and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. I classified it as basic nerves for what was about to come tomorrow. It was the finals for this competition, and it would determine the winner. If we weren’t careful, we could lose our lives. My wolf wasn’t the type to back down or surrender, so I worried getting her to submit would be hard, if not impossible.
“Are you okay?” Nan asked when she noticed my expression. I was struggling at keeping my wolf under control. Something was seriously wrong with her right now and it worried me.
I nodded though, not wanting to worry my best friend.
“Yeah, I think I just need some air,” I told her truthfully, my heart hammering in my chest.
She nodded, a small frown marring her lips as she watched me leave the hotel suite. She didn’t follow after me, which I was grateful for. I wasn’t sure why, but I just needed to be alone for a little while. I needed to clear my thoughts and settle my wolf before she did something she would regret.
I didn’t get to make it outside though.
“Miss Montague,” Alpha Levi said, falling into step beside me. “Mind if I have a word with you?”
I frowned up at him, not sure what he could possibly want to speak to me about, but he was in charge of this competition so maybe it was related.
I nodded my head slowly.
“Of course, Alpha,” I said to him.
“Are you prepared for tomorrow?” He asked me, his eyes searching my face for something I wasn’t sure what.
I nodded, though I wasn’t entirely sure myself if I was prepared or not.
“Yes, Alpha,” I told him. “As prepared as I can be.”
“That’s good to hear. I have high hopes for you tomorrow,” he surprised me by saying. “I recruited you for a reason and that’s because I have faith in your abitlies. You are going to make the Elite team a stronger force with your presence.
“That’s if I win, Alpha,” I remind him. “There’s no guarantees to that.”
He nodded thoughtfully.
“Still, I’d like to offer you a position with the Elite team in pack,” he shocked me by saying.
My mouth nearly fell open. Being invited to the Elite team without having won the competition yet was a huge deal. But did I really want to work under Alpha Levi instead of Gavin? Then again, Gavin didn’t offer me any kind of position and I wasn’t sure if he was going to or not.noveldrama
For right now, I need to keep my options open and take what I can get.
“Wow, that’s a huge honor,” I told him thoughtfully. “But are you sure it’s me you want? There are other great candidates.”
“Nobody can do what you can,” he told me. “You are a very unique individual and it would be an honor to have you working for me on the Elite team. I still want you to try your best tomorrow, but just know, you’ve already won in my eyes.”
A smile tipped the corner of my lips.
“Thank you, Alpha,” I said, bowing my head out of respect to him. “That means a lot coming from a Lycan.”
He nodded, his eyes sparkling with something I couldn’t quite understand but I chose not to dwell on it for much longer. The longer we spoke, the more on edge my wolf was. She was desperate to go out and shift. I didn’t want to shift right now though because there was no telling what she would do and where she’d go if she did break free from me. Right now, it felt as if I was the only thing holding her back from doing something reckless.
“Think about what I said and get back to me soon,” he said, holding out his hand for me to shake.
I reached my hand out and he took it gently, bringing it to his lips. The kiss was featherlike, and he held my eyes the entire time, something dancing in his gaze that I couldn’t quite pin. As he kissed my knuckles, he lowered my hand back down, his fingers lingering a bit longer than necessary before he released me. “Until next time,” he said and then he turned and left without another word.
I was still reeling from that conversation when I stepped outside. It was quiet outside; most were either at dinner or somewhere else in the resort. The night air was cool against my warm flesh and the moon hung lazily in the sky, casting its rays down on the gorgeous resort.
Though it was peaceful, and the air was nice in my lungs, my wolf was still clearly on edge.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered to her, hoping for some kind of answer.
But all I got in return was silence. I placed my hand on my chest, feeling my rapid heartbeat, my brows furrowed.
“Congratulations on making it to the final round.”
His voice cut through my thoughts and suddenly, without even looking, I knew why my wolf was on edge. I spun around, my eyes wide as I stared at my ex-mate, my heart in my throat.
“Ethan?” I asked, my voice rough as I stared into his eyes. “W…what are you doing here?”
“Can’t I come and support my mate on her victory?” Ethan asked, stepping towards me.
I immediately stepped back; I hated that he still affected my wolf whenever he was around. I should have known that was the reason for her being on edge for the last few hours. He must have arrived here earlier today, and she could sense him nearby.
“We stopped being mates the second you cheated on me,” I said, folding my arms across my chest and glaring at him with my lips pressed together. “So, I’ll ask again, why are you here?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“You still wear my mark on your neck,” he said, his eyes scanning my neck where his mark remained. I reached up and touched it; he was right. I wore his mark, and I hated every second of it. Every time he fucked another woman I could feel it; though the pain was hardly there anymore, it still did wonders on my wolf knowing that our mate was with someone else.
“This mark was a mistake,” I hissed. “Clearly nothing but a joke to you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Judy,” he said, stepping closer to me. “My mark is not
a joke… it’s a symbol of our mating. We were good together once, remember?”
“Yeah, and then you chose Irene over me,” I said through my teeth. “You broke our mating the second you chose someone else, Ethan.”
“We broke up,” Ethan said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “So, you don’t have to worry about her anymore.”
“Yeah, I heard about your breakup,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You are pathetic, Ethan. I don’t trust you. You’ll only cheat on me again. I don’t understand what you even want with me.”
“I want my mate back,” he said, his wolf flashing through his eyes. “And I’m not going to give up without a fight.”noveldrama
“Give it up,” I said, shaking my head. “First, you cheat on me, and then you ask me to be your mistress… now you want me back? You are delusional if you think for a second, I would ever consider taking you back.”
I turn away from him, fully understanding why my wolf was on edge now. satisfied that I have answers and can settle her, I started to head back inside.
“Do you really think Gavin Landry cares about you?” He asked, making me freeze momentarily. “He doesn’t care about you at all, Judy. Not like I do.”
“You have no idea what you are talking about,” I said through my teeth.
“I know you are sleeping with him,” Ethan said, stepping closer to me. I refused to turn around to look at him, but I knew he was getting closer. “I can feel it just like you can feel when I’m with others. I know you care for him… possibly even falling for him. But he doesn’t feel the same way, Judy. For him, you are just an easy fuck. No strings attached, quick pussy.”
I spun around and slapped him in the face; his head jerked to the side and his eyes flashed red for a moment.
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” I hissed. “You know nothing about anything. Leave me alone, Ethan.”
With that, I stormed back inside, leaving him standing outside, watching after me.
I didn’t stop walking until I was in the elevator, heading back to the top floor. I stepped out of the elevator and started towards my room but paused outside of Gavin’s room. I stood at the door for a brief moment before I took a deep breath and knocked on it. I wasn’t sure what I was doing; it was kind of late and it was definitely stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. So much had happened today, and he was the only one I really wanted to talk to about it all.
I rose early and knocked on the door.
I waited with bated breath, hearing shuffling and then the doorknob turned. Once the door opened, my heart fell deep into my stomach.
A woman stared back at me, she was wearing nothing, but a robe and her blonde curls looked disheveled from the bed as she gave me a small smile, a sparkle of something in her eyes.
“Can we help you?”
Judy’s POV
I stood shellshocked, staring at the woman in front of me. I glanced at the door number to make sure it was the right door. Maybe in my haste and while I was lost in thought, I accidentally knocked on the right door. But as I glanced at the number, my heart sank. It was Gavin’s room and there was a woman, dressed in nothing but a robe, opening the door.
She tugged her robe a bit more closed as she studied me, a small frown marring her lips when I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure what to say; my entire body felt hot and numb at the same time and my heart was cracking. She was gorgeous and tall like a supermodel, a dark contrast of difference between us, making me feel sick to my stomach.noveldrama
“We didn’t order room service,” she soon said, breaking the silence that was practically consuming us.
“Is Gavin here?” I found myself asking, my coming out as nothing but a whisper. She raised her brows as she studied me even further and then realized crossed her face as she let out a soft laugh.
“He’s in the shower,” she told me. “He needed to bathe after our night of passion,” she added, her cheeks flushing pink, the same shade as mine. Only mine was flushed pink for a different reason. “You’re Judy, right?”
I blinked, surprised that she knew my name.
“Uh… yeah,” I said, my tone indifferent as I stared around her face. The more I looked at her, the more familiar she started to seem. “Have we met?”
She nodded and bit her lower lip.
“Only briefly when you were out to dinner with him. I thought it was a date, but he told me it was only a business dinner. Congrats on your job working for his family. I’m sure your family could really use the money after everything that happened with them.”
Realization dawned on me; I did know who she was. I remembered her that night at the restaurant, but I didn’t know that he had spoken to her since.
Daisy Baldwin.
She looked different with her hair down and no makeup on. But she was still beautiful, and her eyes sparkled with something I didn’t quite understand.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” She asked, her concern not genuine…at least it didn’t seem like it was. “You look kind of pale,” she pointed out.
“I… uhm…” I tried to say, but it felt like my world was closing in around me.
Gavin was seeing someone?
He was with Daisy Baldwin?
Since when?
I thought he couldn’t stand her. I thought the point of our agreement was to get Daisy and his family off his back.
I thought that’s why he wanted me…
I stepped away from the door, feeling embarrassed and lied to all at once. Tears burning in my eyes, and I hated that I was allowing him to affect me like this.
“You are mine, and I always protect what is mine.” His words replayed in my head… what did that even mean if he’s been sleeping with Daisy too? Was she also his? My heart cracked at the thought and my wolf whimpered from the pain. She also felt dejected and lied to.
“He doesn’t care about you.” Ethan’s words were replaying in my mind now and I’m starting to think, maybe he was right. Maybe Gavin truly did not care about
me.
Was this all a joke to him?
I felt sick to my stomach.
I was so busy with my inner turmoil, I barely noticed Daisy stepping out of the room, her arms folded across her chest.
“Look, Hun, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you are kind of dampening the mood. I was having a nice evening with my man and he’s about to come out of the shower soon. I’d rather you not be here when he does. If there isn’t an issue with Matthew, then I suggest you head on back to your room. Thank you for all you do. You are a wonderful babysitter.”
My mouth hung open; she thought I was Matt’s babysitter? What was Gavin telling her??
It felt like someone stabbed me in the chest.
“Where are Matt and Irene?” I finally mustered up some words.
She raised her brows.
“I assumed they were with you. Gavin sent them away so we can have some alone time for the evening,” she said, winking. “If you know what I mean.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling numb.
“I see,” I whispered, my voice coming out unfamiliar. “I’m sorry to bother you,” I whispered and turned away quickly, tears burning in my eyes.
“Judy?” Daisy said just as I was about to hurry away, I froze for a moment, waiting for her to continue. “Thank you for keeping his bed warm for me. But now that we are together, you aren’t needed for that particular task anymore. I hope you understand.”
I stood frozen, not sure what to say. Thankfully, she didn’t give me an option on what to say because she slipped back into the room and shut the door behind her.
After a long while, I finally got the courage to move and return to my room for the night. The second I was behind the closed doors and saw that I was alone, I burst into tears, crying until I couldn’t cry anymore.
“She’s been crying all night,” I heard Nan whispering. “Since we got back from dinner.”
“What do you think happened/” Chester asked, his concern clear as he spoke in a whispered tone, as if I wasn’t awake and could hear everything they were saying. At least they were getting along even though their common dominator was me.
“If I were to guess, I’d say it’s Gavin related,” Nan said thoughtfully.
“She has the final round of the competition today; this isn’t good,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s unfocused.”
I sit up in bed and glare at them.
“You know I can hear you, right?” I ask, staring between them. “And I assure you, my performance today will be fine.”
I quickly get out of bed and grab my workout clothes, my brain a jumbled mess
after last night. I could feel their eyes on me still though and I hated it. I hated that
I was someone they were now concerned about. I hated that I was someone becoming unstable; someone they needed to be wary of.
“We are here if you want to tell us what happened,” Nan said softly as she watched me roam around the room, collecting my things before I went into the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror, fully realizing why they were so concerned. I looked awful. My face was red and blotchy, my eyes were puffy, my nose was glowing red, and I had tear streaks down my cheeks. I also had dark bags under my eyes and my lower lip was bruised from biting it after a night of stifling sobs.
I hated that I looked this pathetic, and it was all because of a stupid guy.noveldrama
I quickly dressed, threw my hair in a pony and splashed some cold water on my face. I tried to force a smile, but it looked fake, so I gave up.
Nan and Chester were still watching me as I walked out of the bathroom, and I froze at the sight of their eyes on me.
I sighed.
“Glad you two have common grounds,” I murmured.
“We care about you,” Chester said with a shrug. “That cancels any of the tension between us.”
Nan nodded in agreement; her eyes still fixed on my face.
I didn’t like concerning them like this.
I sighed.
“Gavin was with another woman last night,” I murmured.
Nan’s brows furrowed.
“Wait what?” She asked. “Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“I went to his hotel room last night and Daisy Baldwin opened the door. She was naked, only wearing a robe and she looked disheveled.”
Nan shook her head.
“But Irene and Matt are staying with him.”
“They went out apparently,” I murmured. “I don’t know. It was kind of late, so maybe he bought them another hotel room for the night so he can sleep with Daisy.”
“Did you actually see him?” Nan pressed, not buying any of this.
“I didn’t have to see him,” I muttered. “Daisy said he was in the shower.”
“And you believed her?”
“How else would she end up in his room?” I asked. “Naked and disheveled looking.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to get a key when you aren’t the account holder,” Chester said, rolling his eyes and thinking about his own experience.
“She’s a Baldwin; it wouldn’t be hard for her,” Nan murmured.
I shook my head as tears filled my eyes; I hated crying, especially in front of
others. I was stronger than this.
“It’s fine,” I said softly. “Oh, and Ethan is here, which is great.”
“What??” Nan gasped. “At the same time as Daisy? This explains everything. This has Ethan written all over it.”
I shook my head and wiped my eyes.
“He doesn’t know her, and I doubt Daisy would involve herself with Ethan and his stupidity,” I muttered. “Let’s face it, Nan. I was played for a fool by a Landry. I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“It just doesn’t sound like him,” Nan said softly. “I don’t understand…”
“You don’t have to understand. It’s the facts. Gavin played me… he’s with Daisy and now I’m the stupid one with a broken heart.”
I glanced at the time and sighed. I was going to be late, and I promised I’d meet Tabby beforehand.
“I have to get to the arena and somehow get through this competition. Then, I’m quitting my job and going to try and move on,” I told her, as I walked past her.
“What is your plan for work?” She asked, her brows furrowed.
“Alpha Levi offered me a job earlier…” I told her softly. “I’ll think I’ll take him up on the offer.” With those words left in the air, I stepped out of the hotel room.
“Tell me again why you dragged us to the gym so early in the morning?” Irene asked as she rested her head against the weight machine.
Matt was practicing his aiming at the archery station, and I was lifting weights, seated next to Irene.
“Family bonding,” I said with a grin. “You wanted to get your mind off your failed engagement, you can’t do that cooped up in the suite all day.”
She rolled her eyes in a typical Irene fashion.noveldrama
“The sun isn’t even up yet,” she murmured. We already went out last night as a family. Do we really need to spend the morning together, too?”
“The last day of the competition is today so I won’t have a lot of time later,” I explained, grunting as I lifted the weight, my bicep bulging.
She sighed and continued to lift her dumbbell.
“So, how was your date with Daisy Baldwin?” Irene asked, smirking.
I froze for a moment and looked at her.
“It wasn’t a date,” I muttered.
Irene laughed and waved off my concern.
“I’m just kidding, Dad. Obviously, it wasn’t a date. I mean, you got back way too early last night. Like super early. We had time to not only go swimming, but also get ice-cream after you got back from dinner.”
It was true; it was only dinner. It took a little over an hour and then we returned to the hotel. I barely even said goodbye to her as I went to my suite and then took my kids out for some much-needed family time.
“So, did you tell Judy you went out with Daisy?” Irene suddenly asked.
I froze again and narrowed my eyes at her.
“Why would I need to tell Judy anything about who I went out with?” I asked, my tone coming out harsher than I intended.
She rolled her eyes again and put the weight down, turning to me, giving me her full attention.
“I’m not blind or stupid, Dad. Neither is Matt. We see the way you are with each other… the way you look at her. You like her way more than you are letting on. Something tells me if she finds out you went out with Daisy, she’s going to be upset…”
This was a conversation that I didn’t want to have with my daughter, but I knew her… she was stubborn like her mother always was and she wasn’t going to let me get out of this conversation.
“Judy is aware of the kind of relationship we have,” I told her.
“Is she?” Irene asked, raising her brows. “And what kind of relationship is that, Dad?”
“The kind that’s not your business,” I shot back. “Why the sudden concern for me and Judy?”
She shrugged casually.
“I don’t want to see either of you get hurt, that’s all. Honestly, Dad. If you have feelings for her, you should tell her. And don’t let her find out about your dinner date with Daisy from anyone else. If I know Auntie Daisy, I know she’ll try something to hurt Judy.”
My blood went cold at her words and Irene could see the realization dawning on my face because she gave me a satisfied smirk, having gotten through to me. I put the weight down and turned to look at her.
“Will you and Matt be okay here?” I asked. “I have somewhere to be.”
Irene nodded.
“We’ll be fine,” she assured me. “We will meet you in the arena later.”
I nodded and took off without another word.
Judy’s POV
My first instinct was to go to the gym this morning, but I decided against it and started to just head towards the arena instead. Maybe I can catch wind on what this next part of the competition was.
Tabby and a few others were also in the arena when I arrived and she smiled when she saw me, however her smile faltered when she saw the distant look on my face. I’m sure my eyes were still red and puffy from spending the night crying as well.
She excused herself from the others and met me the rest of the way.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked, assessing my face carefully.
I shook my head, not wanting to get into it.
“It’s nothing,” I murmur. “Any word on what the last competition is?”
“Chuck said it’s going to be a fight match,” she told me. “Accept this time, nothing is off limits.”
I nodded, already guessing as much.
“Same rules? Fight to the death unless the other person surrenders?”
She nodded.
“Are you going to be okay to compete? You kind of look unwell,” she pointed out, assessing my worn-out features, flushed cheeks, red nose, and puffy eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “I just didn’t get that much sleep last night, but it’s nothing to be concerned about. Maybe I’ll grab an energy drink from the vending machine,” I suggested.
She frowned as she watched me walk towards the training center; there were two vending machines right outside the door. One with healthy snacks, and the other with waters, Gatorades, and energy drinks.
“You know those aren’t good for you, right?” She asked, following after me. “Plus, you might crash out later.”
I went to grab my wallet from my bag to grab some singles, ignoring her warning. I grabbed a few dollars and chose the drink that didn’t sound awful. As soon as the can popped out, I opened it and took a sip, wincing at the taste.
She frowned at me and folded her arms across her chest.
“Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” She asked. “You seem off… not yourself. Are you focused because this part of the competition is crucial?”noveldrama
“I’ll be ready,” I told her. “You don’t need to worry about me. Just worry about yourself.”
She went to open her mouth to speak again but closed it when she saw Gavin approaching. He walked with determination in his steps and my entire body froze at the sight of him. His shirt was off and the sweat on his muscly body indicated he either came from the gym, or he got another type of workout this morning. The thought turned my stomach.
I refused to break down in front of him though. I had to keep myself strong.
“Can we talk?” He asked, ignoring Tabby’s presence.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” Tabby murmured as she walked away.
I took another sip of my drink without meeting his eyes.
“Those aren’t good for you,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You should drink water before the competition.”
“I’ll be fine,” I told him. “I don’t need you to be concerned about me too.”
“Hey, wait,” he said before I could turn around and walk away. “What’s wrong with you? Did you sleep last night?”
I pressed my lips in a thin line, not wanting to get into why I hadn’t slept. Clearly Daisy didn’t tell him about my visit last night or about how little talk.
“I slept fine,” I lied.
“Judy, look at me,” he demanded.
My traitorous body immediately met his eyes; I was convinced that he Alpha commanded me, making it impossible for me to resist. Upon seeing the look on my face and the pain in my eyes, his eyes darkened.
“What’s wrong?” His voice dropped to a mere whisper.
I pressed my lips in a thin line, refusing to cry in front of him.
“Why do you care?” I asked him.
Was about to turn away, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me through the training center doors; there weren’t many in the training center at this hour, and there were fewer watching eyes, so he’d be able to talk to me in private.
He pressed me against a wall, his body mere inches from mine.
“I’m not in the mood for your mind games, Judy. Tell me what the fuck is wrong before I compel you to tell me,” he growled, his wolf flashing through his eyes.
I stared at him in shock; he wouldn’t dare… would he?
“I know you were with Daisy last night,” I said, my tone filled with a vulnerability I hated that was leaking through.
His eyes flashed something that I didn’t recognize; my heart was in my throat, and I wanted to push off him and run for the hills, but I remained stagnant.
“My relationship with Daisy isn’t your concern,” he finally said, crushing my heart even further.
“We’ve been sleeping together; I thought I deserved to know if there was another woman involved,” I said through my teeth.
His eyes flashed dangerously.
“There isn’t-” he started to say, but he was soon interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Oh, Gavin. There you are,” Daisy said, approaching us, a frown marring her lips as she looked between Gavin and me. Her eyes darkened when she saw how close Gavin was to me and then she gazed flickered back to him. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I thought we could watch the finals together…”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I spoke first.
“You’re not interrupting,” I said quickly. “We were just finished here.”
I pushed him off and started towards the door, but just as I reached the door, I
turned back to him, his eyes remained on mine, dark and trying hard to keep his control.
“I deserved to know the truth,” I whispered.
With that, I turned and walked out of the training center.
Gavin’s POV
I turned to glare at Daisy.
“What the hell are you doing here, Daisy?” I asked, my tone gruff and annoyed. I was still confused about my interaction with Judy and not in the mood to deal with Daisy right now.
She frowned at me, folding her arms across her chest as she narrowed her eyes.
“I thought we had a nice time last night. I wanted to see if we could watch the competition together?” She asked, a bit taken aback by my harsh and aggravated tone.
“I’m watching it with the other Lycans,” I said, my eyes narrowed. “Last night was only dinner. There wasn’t anything more to it. Don’t overthink it.”
I started to walk away, but she grabbed my arm, making my wolf snarl from her touch. She quickly pulled her hand back, her eyes wide as she stared into my eyes.
“You never used to be like this before,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.
“A lot has changed,” I told her. “I’m not going to continue entertaining you.”
With that, I turned and walked back towards the arena. As I stepped outside, my eyes immediately found Judy who was with her friend Tabby. She looked upset and Tabby was watching her warily. My chest tightened; she wasn’t focused, so she could lose this competition. She was also stubborn, so she wasn’t going to surrender easily. It meant that there was a good chance she could get hurt during this final competition… or worse.
I just wish I knew why she was so pissed off about me having dinner with Daisy. It’s not like anything happened between us. It’s not like I brought Daisy back to the room and fucked her and then immediately went to Judy and fuck her. I wouldn’t do something that gross. My relationship with Daisy wasn’t her concern, but if it directly impacted her in any way, of course I would have told her sooner.
She was the only one I was sleeping with; the only one I cared to sleep with right now. My wolf agreed with my inner monologue; she was the only one he would allow to touch us without growling. That’s only happened twice in my life; once with my late wife, and the other with someone I’d spent a long time trying to forget.
“I’d watch your back,” Mica said as he stepped beside me, his eyes following mine to Judy. “I saw Levi talking to her earlier. I think he’s trying to convince her to join his Elite force.”
My jaw tightened and a low growl emerged from my lips. I tried to suppress the fury and rage building inside me, but I knew it was palpable to those around me and those who aren’t.
Judy wasn’t going to be working with Levi, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep that from happening. I didn’t bother responding to Mica, I went across the arena and towards my chair, preparing for the finale to start all while keeping my eyes locked on Judy. If I catch any sign of Levi snooping around her, I will step in between them and make sure it’s the last thing he ever does.noveldrama
Judy’s POV
“Are you sure you got this?” Tabby asked for the hundredth time, assessing my face.
I nodded; I appreciated her concern, but I was going to be just fine. It didn’t matter that my heart was shattered, this only drove purpose.
The arna filled up quickly; Nan arrived with Chester, Irene, and Matt. They sat near the Lycan chairs, Irene directly behind Gavin. She leaned forward to say something to her and he nodded thoughtfully. Her eyes flashed to me, and she gave me a warm smile with a wave. It was weird being her friend again after months of hostility and plotting. Buti was glad we made it back to this point. I waved at Matt who was eagerly watching me, waving both hands in the air for me, making a small smile tip the corner of my lips. The first real smile I had since last night.
“There she is,” Tabby said, nudging me. “And it only took a 7-year-old.”
I shrugged.
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for adorable faces.”
She chuckles and pats me on the back.
“We got this,” she said softly. I nodded in agreement, repeating her words and feeling the weight of them on my tongue.
As the buzzer sounded, indicating everyone to silence for the announcer, my heart skipped a beat. I truly needed to focus, or else I could lose. The last one standing wins the competition. There were about 20 of us left and it was going to be a mosh pit of fighting. The weaponry was open, which meant we could use any weapon; we could also shift if we wanted, or not. Nothing was off limits this round and that was terrifying.
Everyone got into position, ready for the fight to begin.
The unseen announcer spoke to the audience, getting them hyped for the final round and explaining what was going to happen. Once everything was set in motion, the countdown began. The audience chanted along with the announcer and then the buzzer went off.
It was mayhem. I relied on my smarts to get myself out of the middle of the fight. I was always been taught, if I don’t need to fight, then don’t. I would let them fight with one another, tire each other out, and then I’ll join. Nothing is off limits; fight smarter, not harder.
I ran as fast as I could; I could hear a few in wolf forms chasing me down, but due to the amount of hours I’ve practiced, I was arguably faster in my human form than these wolves were. I managed to cascade myself in the tree line just inside the arena. I managed to climb a nearby tree, making it hard for the wolves following me to get to me. I climbed until I reached the top, my eyes scanning the area. In the distance, I saw the fight continue, Tabby was using a sword to fight, and there were some who hadn’t bothered to shift yet, Chuck included.
The drones high in the sky captured everything; the wolves that followed me were attempting to climb the tree but failing miserably, making me smirk down at them.
There are a number of competitors who were eliminated already, bringing it from 20 to 15.
As tiem went on, the numbers continued to drop; Tabby was still in the running.
An arrow flew right towards me and I managed to dodge it just in time before it impaled my head. It stuck in the trunk behind me, my heart in my throat. I grabbed the arrow and used my wolf senses to find where it came from. I saw Sherry in the distance, her eyes focused on me. She was also on a tree, and she was in her human form. A Bow and Arrow in her hands as she lined up another arrow.noveldrama
Just as the second arrow went straight towards me, I grabbed the one in the trunk and threw it back at her as hard as I could. It went surprisingly hard and fast for someone who didn’t have a bow.
She obviously wasn’t prepared for it either because it caught her off guard as it stuck her arm, making her drop the bow to the ground.
The second arrow that I knocked off course turned directions and plunged one of the wolves on the ground in the shoulder, making him howl out in pain.
I winced as blood splattered across the forest ground, but I couldn’t show signs of remorse, not right now.
As Sherry attempted to climb down the tree to retrieve her bow, wincing with each step she made because of a new injury, I stripped out of my clothes. The second wolf that had followed me was too focused on the one on the ground and in pain; they were clearly friends if they weren’t attacking one another.
I quickly shifted into my wolf form and lunged at him, jumping from the top of the tree and towards his neck, my teeth elongated as my wolf took complete control of my human form.
He howled and hissed as I hung onto his neck, digging my teeth into it until his blood spilled into my mouth. He shifted back into his human form, gasping and crying for mercy.
“I surrender!” He announced. “Please, don’t kill me.”
Satisfied, I released him and nudged his side with my nose. He knew exactly what
I was after. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the white flag.
“I surrender!” He announced the drone that was watching everything above our heads. He waved the flag in the air for all to see. I could hear gasps and cries from the arena stadium; I could also hear a ton of cheers.
I quickly moved on, to find Sherry. She was holding her arm in pain as she pulled another arrow out of her quiver and attempted to put it onto her bow.
Her arm was dripping with blood, and she looked like she was in a lot of pain.
At that moment, I heard Tabby screaming and my heart was lurching. I glanced back at Sherry, whose hands were trembling.
I’ll come back for her, I turned and ran back towards the arena, leaving Sherry in my path.
Judy’s POV
As I run back to the arena in wolf form, I see Tabby fighting with Chuck; there aren’t a lot more fighters, so this was my chance to really show them what I got. Chuck was significantly bigger than the rest of us, including the remaining guys and Tabby was tiny in comparison. She fought with him fiercely though, using her sword as an extra shield as he went off on her.
She dodged and counter-attacked like a pro. I saw she had cuts on her legs and torso, indicating a tough fight. I wondered if they were from Chuck.
She attempted to dodge another attack, but this time he anticipated her move and counter attacked. He had her pinned to the ground in a heartbeat and his own sword raised above her head, his eyes dark with intentions.
She screamed again, fear in her eyes. She struggled to reach for her white flag, but it didn’t seem to matter. He was about to kill her without any mercy. I let out a fierce growl as I lunged at him, my canines digging into his ankles, making him yelp in pain. He whipped around, attempting to get me with his sword, but he missed by a hair, and I dug my teeth even deeper into his ankle.
He attempted to throw me off, but I was relentless and let out another furious growl.
Tabby managed to wiggle out from beneath Chuck and grab her own sword. Instead of cutting him with the blade end of the sword, she swung the metal handle at his hand, making him fall backwards with a giant welt on his head.
At that point, I finally released him, tasting his blood that coated my canines and dripped off my fur.
I was still pent up and pissed; I bared my teeth at him. He immediately shifted into his large wolf and lunged at me; his injuries long forgotten as his wolf quickly worked to heal him. He had me pinned to the ground for a minute, taking me off guard, but I snapped my teeth in his face and got hold of his neck. I might be small, but I was fast, unpredictable and my teeth were sharp.
He also got a hold of my neck at the same time; he was strong, so he was able to lift me up, forcing me to release my own hold on him. He whipped me around, making the crowd gasp. I could only imagine how it must have looked. He tossed me away like I was nothing but trash.
I flew through the air, landing on the ground with a thud. I winced in pain as I felt something snapping out of place in my shoulder.
I lifted my head to see Tabby now shifting and lunging at Chuck; a few others were also joining in on the fight. There weren’t many left, which meant this competition was about to end just as soon as only one competitor remained.
I tried to gather my thoughts and willpower; I needed my wolf to hurry and heal me a little so I can continue on with this fight.
I glanced out into the stadium and my eyes immediately found Gavin’s; my heart lurched at the sight of him. The heartache I had felt all night came rushing back to me and even my wolf whimpered in despair. He was standing tall, his eyes glued on me. They were dark and filled with what seemed like worry and concern.
It only infuriated me more. Who did he think he was? He had no right to worry about me after he just spent a passionate night with another woman. A low growl escaped my throat as I glared at Gavin, making him frown. My anger only fueled me even further as I turned away and focused my attention back to the fight.
There were only a few people left, one other wolf, Tabby, Chuck, and—
Just as the thought came to me, an arrow flew through the sky and struck the random wolf down. The others didn’t seem to notice, but I did. I quickly got out of the way as Sherry readied another arrow, pointing it directly at Tabby.
I roared for Tabby to get out of the way; but she was too preoccupied with Chuck. She didn’t notice the arrow flying straight towards her leg… not until it was too late.
She growled and hissed in pain as she fell to the ground. Taking that as an opportunity, Chuck plunged his sword into her stomach, making me scream out in wolf form.noveldrama
I ran towards her, tears threatening my eyes, but my view was blocked by Chuck’s giant wolf who came running at me in return. I was furious and scared for my friend; I wanted Chuck’s blood on my hands. I snapped at him, taking fur into my mouth and pulling out of his skin, making his hiss in pain, which came out strange in wolf form.
We fought for a while; both of us got some easy shots in. I mainly dodged the attacks he made on me, and I ran around him, hoping to tire him out. Part of being small meant I had more stamina than the larger wolves.
The medics were on the field quickly with their armor, shielding themselves from the fight. They were here to collect the injured, including Tabby. My heart lurched when I saw them lifting her on a stretcher from the corner of my eyes.
Sherry soon joined the fight, her bow and arrow in hand; she was still in human form and looked fierce. Her eyes were wild, and it made my heart hammer in my chest, wondering what it was she was planning.
She was now standing beside Chuck, both of them staring daggers at me. Chuck shifted and he said something to Sherry who nodded, a slow grin spreading across her lips. They were friends, so I knew they were going to team up against me and take me out. I didn’t stand a chance, they were incredible fighters, and they were allies. When it came down to it, it’ll be them competing for the prize and I would be left in the dirt.
I took a staggered step away from them, my eyes darting between the two of them as they both stepped towards me, their eyes fierce and determined.
Without any other thought, I tried to run past them and towards the weaponry room; if I could grab a weapon, any weapon, maybe I would stand a chance in my human form. My heart raced as my small wolf form managed to get past them, Chuck cursing as he was about to shift and hunt me down.
But then, to my shock, I heard him howl in pain and horror.
I turned as I continued running, shocked to find that Sherry had shot him with an arrow right in his chest, just missing his heart by a hair. Any closer, it would have pierced his heart, killing him.
She stood over him, readying another arrow. He looked up at her, pain striking his features and his eyes shining with betrayal.
She said something to him that I missed, just before she shot another arrow into his shoulder, keeping him pinned to the ground even further and in even more pain.
He howled out again, the sound echoing throughout the arena and shaking the ground.
She started to ready another arrow and pointed it directly at his head; his eyes were wide as he studied her face, understanding dawning on him.
He finally let his body relax, the look of defeat crossing his face. He glanced at his pants that lay on the ground a bit away from him and pointed to them. Without hesitation, Sherry went to his pants and dug around the pocket until she uncovered the white flag.
“I surrender…” Chuck whispered.
Satisfied, Sherry turned her attention to me; it was down to us. We were the only two left in the competition. The medics came out to collect Chuck who was cursing the whole time.
I went into the weaponry and grabbed some knives before shifting back into my human form. I left my clothes in the forest, so I was forced to be naked for this round.
I ran out of the weaponry with the knives, completely naked, but not caring at that moment. I swear I heard a dark growl coming from the stadium, but I shook my head; it had to have been my imagination.
“Guess it’s you and me,” Sherry said with a grin as she readied another arrow. “Hope you are prepared.”
She released the arrow, and it went towards me at lightning speed, but I was faster and dodged it with ease, flipping my body away from it like I was some kind of cheerleader. She continued releasing arrow after arrow, almost running out. I continued dodging them and flipping all around her.
She let out a growl of frustration. I took one of the knives and threw it at her during one of my flips, catching her off guard completely. It landed in her ankle, and she cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
I threw another knife at her, landing myself in front of her, the knife plunged into her shoulder. She circled out, her eyes wild as she attempted to pull it out and throw it back at me. Her throw was weak though and filled with pain; I was able to catch the knife easily.
She shifted into her wolf form, her wounds not fully healed, and lunged at me. I was quick on my feet and recovered her bow and arrow, grabbing a couple bows off the ground and readying them.
Just as she lunged at me through the air, her teeth elongated, ready to dig into me, I released the arrow, watching it plunge right next to her heart.
Her angry elongated teeth immediately retracted, and she fell to the ground, completely unconscious.
The entire stadium was silent…noveldrama
Judy’s POV
I shifted back into human form as I lay on the ground, staring at Sherry who remained unconscious, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Had I killed her? I wasn’t aiming for her heart, I was aiming to miss her heart, I just wanted to knock her out, to get her away from me and to stop attacking. I didn’t mean to….
My thoughts were interrupted as the medics rushed past me and towards Sherry’s still body. I watched as they examined her, carefully removing the knife and the arrow from her body, attempting to stop the rapid bleeding and injecting her with something, and made her release a shuddering breath. Hearing her breath made my own heartbeat again and I felt the weight of the world crashing down around
me.
She was alive.
I hadn’t killed her.
I was too preoccupied in my own breathing and heartbeat that I didn’t hear what the doctors were saying to her. She still seemed out of it, not sure where she was, and the bleeding was constant; her wolf hadn’t started to heal her yet.
As the medics moved around her, trying to get her back on her feet as quickly as possible, the crowd still remained completely quiet; I wasn’t even sure if any of them were breathing.
I stared at Sherry’s pale face; her lip trembling and her eyes void of emotion as she struggled to keep her breath in check.
Another medic came out with supplies; they were trying to get her strong enough to continue the fight, but she looked so broke and weak at that moment.
Just as he knelt beside her and got to work, her eyes flickered to me and for a moment, I saw a hint of vulnerability and defeat in them.noveldrama
I kept my eyes on her, wanting to tell her that I’m sorry for hurting her, but I couldn’t because this was the competition, and I couldn’t show any signs of weakness. Instead, I clutched the bow and arrow tightly, waiting for any wrong move, waiting for her to suddenly get her second wind and attack me. I wasn’t going to let her catch me off guard; this could be an elaborate show.
It was this type of thinking that Gammas had… the type of thinking that made me a good candidate for any gamma force… or so I’ve been told.
She saw the bow and arrow clutched in my grasp and a swear I saw a small smile twitching the corner of her lips.
It went away as one of the medics started to stitch up her wound, closing it and making it easier for her wolf to heal her. They were going extra hard on healing her quickly because we were down to the final two. They wanted to prolong the fight for as long as possible, even if it meant one of us dies.
My stomach lurched at the thought. My eyes flickered over to Levi who was sitting with the other Lycans, along with his Beta. They were talking amongst themselves, Levi’s eyes showing indifference and no signs of sympathy. When his eyes found mine, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, like he was telling me he was proud of me or something.
I felt sick to my stomach and turned away from him, surprised when I saw them sitting Sherry up, her face still pale and her eyes beginning to waver.
“Are you able to continue?” One of the medics boldly said.
The nerve of that man; was he joking? She could barely sit up, let alone fight. She looked at him for a moment and then she looked back at me, her eyes narrowed. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking or how she was feeling in the moment, but my heart was hammering.
Everyone in the stadium was hanging onto everything being said, listening with keen hearing and their mouths shut completely.
She looked like she wanted to say yes and continue to fight me; I could see the fight and determination etched in her eyes. But then it faded, and she looked at the ground for a moment, contemplating her choice.
Then, with a final breath, she said, “I surrender.”
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath at her barely audible words; my mouth nearly dropped open as I released the bow and arrow, letting them fall to the ground beside me.
The medics looked at one another.
“Final say, are you sure?” One of them asked.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I surrender.”
They nodded as they retrieved the stretcher, lifting her up. She winced in pain as they got her onto the stretcher, one of her stitches popping open and more blood trickled down her side. She was certainly in no shape to continue fighting; it was a smart choice, though I knew it was killing her.
She still fought bravely and there will definitely be scouts in contact with her soon.
As they started to carry her away, she stopped them just as they were passing me. Her eyes flickered down to me, a show of respect lingering there, and then to my surprise, she gave me a soft smile.noveldrama
“I knew you’d be a fierce competitor,” she said, holding her hand out to me to grasp. “Congratulations. It was an honor to meet you, Judy Montague.”
I grasped her hand in a firm handshake, my entire body trembling and my eyes wide as I stared at her.
Then she released my hand, and they carried her away, leaving me standing in the middle of the arena, completely alone… and still very naked.
The second she was gone, it was like someone turned on a switch because the entire stadium erupted in deafening cheers, rattling my brain, bringing me back to reality.
“And we have a winner!!” The announcer said through the loudspeaker; drones circled me, capturing every angle that they could, making sure to leave nothing out. “Congratulations Judy Montague! You won the Gamma Competition!!!”
The crowd went absolutely nuts as I stood frozen; I won?
I actually won?!
I barely noticed when people ran onto the arena grounds and rushed to me, Nan
and Irene being two of them. Nan immediately wrapped me in her arms and squealed loudly.
“Judy! Did you hear them! You won!!”
She was referring to the fact that I hadn’t moved an inch.
“I won…” I whispered, still in disbelief.
I was surrounded by a huge crowd; all trying to get pictures and ask me questions. It was an overwhelming feeling for sure; my heart was in my throat. Paparazzi started to swarm the place and suddenly, I had all these cameras on
me.
Before I could open my mouth to speak, there was a loud roar, silencing almost everyone.
I turned in the direction of the roar, and saw that the crowd was parting, making way for the Lycans. Gavin’s eyes were wild as he stared around at everyone. He looked like he was about to fight everyone in the world.
Levi was the one who approached me first.
“Congratulations Miss Montague,” he said, bowing his head respectfully. “How about we go somewhere and talk… away from prying ears. I’m sure you are exhausted and would like to recover your own injuries as well.”
I glanced down at my scratches and cuts, my face reddening. I was hyper aware that I was still very naked; I had no idea where I left my clothes.
I nodded and just before I could turn away and hurry towards the training center,
he wrapped a blanket around my body, shielding me from the views of everyone. I was grateful to him for that, and I thanked him with a small smile.
I swear I heard Gavin hiss, but I ignored it. Daisy was still seated in the stadium, watching him carefully and I wasn’t going to be the reason they had trouble in paradise. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of it though, but I swallowed it down.
“We’ll come too,” Nan said, Irene nodding along.
Levi looked like he wanted to refuse but I interrupted him before he could say anything.
“That’d be great,” I said quickly; I really didn’t want to be alone with Levi, especially naked like this.
He looked annoyed, but he bit his tongue and forced a smile, which made me feel even more wary about him.
“Judy!” Matt yelled as he ran into my arms, hugging me tightly. “That was
incredible! You were badass! I can’t wait to go back to school and tell everyone that my tutor won the gamma competition.”
I let myself smile, my heart warmed at his eagerness and pride. I rubbed his head thoughtfully.
“I’m glad you were here to see it,” I told him gently.
Irene turned to Chester.
“Can you watch him for a bit? I’m stealing Nan and we are going with Judy.”
Chester nodded, glancing at Nan who surprisingly gave him a small smile, making his body relax slightly.
Chester turned to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
“Congrats,” he said proudly. “I knew you could do it. Never doubted you for a second.”
I chuckled, and it felt good to laugh for a second. My heart was momentarily at ease… this was everything I wanted… I actually won.
But then my eyes flickered to Gavin who was watching me, his eyes dark with something unspoken and it was driving me crazy not knowing what he was thinking.
I didn’t bother asking him though; not in front of all these people.
“Come on,” Levi said, urging us forward while the other Lycans kept the crowd back, giving me space.
I finally pulled my eyes away from Gavin and nodded, following Levi with my friends behind me.
“My wolf will heal, a medic isn’t necessary,” I assured them as we walked into the resort health clinic. It was crowded with all the competitors getting medical attention; some in worse shape than others. “Save the staff for someone who needs it.”
“It’s required amongst all participants,” Alpha Levi told me as he stared aimlessly at his phone, as if he had no other care in the world. I sat on the medical bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling way more exposed than I wanted to feel. I still wore a blanket draped over my shoulders, covering my naked body, but I still felt odd without any clothing. It shouldn’t be a big deal because we are shifters after all and shifters are naturally comfortable in the nude. But I’ve never been one of them.
I still had a little thing called modesty. Kk
“You’ll be recruited by several packs,” Levi told me, his eyes never leaving his phone. “I hope you choose wisely. You are now a part of the Elite Force.”
“Do I have to choose right now?” I asked, nibbling my lip. “I’m still in school for another half a year and I’d like to finish it.”
Levi nodded, his eyes still fixed on his phone, as if he wasn’t interested in a thing I was saying. I pressed my lips together, biting my tongue.
“Yes, of course. Finish school and when you make a decision on where you want to be, reach out to me.”
“You?” I asked, raising my brows.
No offense to him, and I knew he was a Lycan, but I had access to Gavin Landry, who was the most powerful of the Lycan chairmen, so having gone to Levi seemed pointless.
He finally looked up from his phone, his eyes narrowed.
“When it comes to the Gamma Elite Force, I’m in charge,” he told me, his eyes darkening with something I couldn’t figure out. It gave me an uneasy feeling though. I wanted to question him about that; just because they appointed him in charge of this competition, doesn’t mean he was solely in charge of the Gamma Elite Force.
Before I could say another word, the door swung open. I was relieved to see Nan and Irene returning; they left so they could find me some clothes. When I saw the shorts and tank top in Irene’s hand, I let out a breath of relief.
“I got clothes,” she sang as she approached my bedside.
Nan was frowning when she noticed the look on Alpha Levi’s face.
“I hope we aren’t interrupting,” she said, his brows pinched together.
“Not at all,” I say, grabbing the clothes from Irene and sliding off the bed. “I’m just going to change in the bathroom.”
I walked into the bathroom on the far side of the room and quickly changed. When I looked at myself in the mirror, sighed. I had scratches and bites all over my face and neck. They weren’t mating marks, but marks indicating that I was just in a fight. I reached my hand, wincing at the tender flesh.
Some of the weapons were laced in wolfbane, that much was clear to me now. I wondered how many of them were and what the purpose of that was.
I left the bathroom to find Levi seated in the corner still on his phone. Nan andnoveldrama
Irene were seated near my bed, waiting for me.
“How are you feeling?” Nan asked as I got back into the medical bed.
“My face hurts,” I told her. “I think some of the weapons used had wolfsbane.”
Levi looked up from his phone, a smirk on his face.
“Not everyone noticed,” he replied. “Some of the competitors also had wolfsbane laced claws.”
“What?” I gasped.
He nodded, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
“There were no rules this round,” he reminded me. “They could do whatever they wanted. As could you.”
That could have been seriously dangerous, but I guess that was kind of the point. Soon, one of the medics came into the room and assessed my injuries. He gave me a cream that helps heal my cuts and scratches and then checked over the rest of my body before sending me on my way.
As soon as I left the health clinic, I was bombarded by even more paparazzi, thankfully, Levi was there to get me through the crowd, leaving questions unanswered. He guided me into a private area where there were a few men waiting for me, including the other Lycans, which also meant Gavin was there too.
“Judy Montague,” One of the men I didn’t recognize said as he stepped forward, offering me his hand, which I took and shook. “You are quite impressive. I’ve been watching you and from day one I knew you were going to make it far.”
“Thank you,” I replied as sweetly as I could.
“We are the top commanders for some of the Elite forces around the world; we have gathered here to scope recruits and to meet with the victor of the competition. With that being said, we are interested in working with you and making you one of our Elite Gammas. Of course you can only choose one of us. We have put together a packet of the details for each of our forces that you can look over on your own time. But I just wanted to introduce myself properly.”
He handed me a thick folder with his territory logo printed on the front.
“Thank you,” I said again.
He stepped aside and allowed for the others to introduce themselves as well, pretty much the same way, and then hand me their folders as well. They were such thick folders that I knew it was going to take some time to go through. I was already overwhelmed as is.
“Thank you for stopping by gentlemen, she’ll be in touch,” Gavin said, shaking each of their hands and dismissing them.
They nodded and said their farewells before leaving.
“Now that that’s out of the way, they are the Top Elite forces in the world, but they aren’t the only ones. You were sent an email with the listing of each force around the world. As the winner of the competition, you can choose any of them. Also, there’s a 5 million prize money as well and a trophy. The money is being wired to your account as we speak,” Levi continued to explain, my heart pounding in my chest when I thought about that money.
I could do a lot with that money.
Mica stepped around the corner with a large trophy and a grin on his face.
“Congrats Miss Montague,” Alpha Mica said thoughtfully as he handed me the heavy trophy. Nan and Irene had to help me hold it.
“Thank you,” I said with a proud smile. “It’s surreal; I still can’t believe I won.” “Believe it,” Nan said, patting me on the shoulder. “You did incredible.” “Truly,” Irene agreed.
“Tomorrow is the ceremony to celebrate your victory and the competition as a whole,” Alpha Levi said, his eyes on me. “It’s formal attire and obviously you are expected to be there. It’ll be held in the resort’s entertainment center ballroom. Your friends are invited as well.”
“Okay, I’ll be there,” I told him.
My flight home wasn’t until the day after tomorrow anyways, so that worked out fine. He nodded and without another word, he turned and left. Alpha Mica and Alpha Jeremy left after him, but Gavin remained.
“Where’s Matthew?” He asked Irene.
“With Chester,” Irene replied.
.n
He nodded and then glanced at me. I tried hard not to meet his eyes because every time I did, I felt the same familiar ache in my chest that
I always feel.
“Congratulations,” he finally said, breaking the heavy tension for a moment.
I nodded.
“Thanks,” I said, my tone almost indifferent.
After another beat of silence, he finally left.
Third Person POV
As soon as Levi was out of view of any others, he grabbed his cellphone from his pocket and brought up a specific name in his contact. He pushed the call button and then
pressed the phone to his cheek,
waiting for the contact to answer the phone.
After a few rings, the other line was picked up.
“You did well during this competition; she doesn’t suspect a thing,” Levi said to his
contact. “We move onto the next phase. Are you ready?”
“I feel kind of bad playing her like this…” the contact’s soft voice said on the other end. “It’s not right.”
“It’s necessary,” Levi snapped,
speaking through his teeth. “We
made an agreement; you aren’t
backing down on me now, because I can get your sister to do this instead.” noveldrama
“Are you kidding me? Chrissy would crack under the first sign of pressure,” his
contact hissed, her rage clear. “You can’t be serious.”
“Don’t test me,” Levi murmured. “Now, are you able to handle this next task?”
There was a pause for a moment before a heavy sigh could be heard on the other end.
“Yes… I can handle this task. I won’t let you down… father.”
Judy’s POV
“So, what’s going on between you and my father?” Irene asked, making my entire body freeze.
It was the next day; the day after I won the competition. We were gathered in my suite, getting dressed for the celebration. I was a bit nervous about it as is because I really wasn’t a fan of that much attention. There were going to be paparazzi there, and a lot of people were asking questions. I’m not sure I’m ready to answer any of these questions or what I’m going to say to anyone.
I wondered if the competitors were going to say nice things about me, or if they were going to snub me.
I shook the thought out of my head and then turned to Irene, her question registering in my head.
“What do you mean?” I asked her with a frown. “There’s nothing going on between your father and me.”
“Oh, please,” Irene said, rolling her eyes. “I saw the way you two were acting around each other earlier. There’s a lot of hostility. Seriously, is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” I said, trying to sound casual, though I knew I didn’t.
“Are you sure about that?” Irene asked, raising her brows. “It seemed pretty hostile between you two.”
I frowned and shook my head, just as Nan walked out of the bathroom.
“I’m positive,” I tell her.
“Are we almost ready to go?” Nan asked, staring between the two of us. “The celebration is going to be starting soon, and Judy is featured in it.”
I blushed at her words. I turned to look in the mirror one last time, straightening out the skirt of my dress with the palms of my hands.
“Okay, yes, I’m ready,” I breathed, turning to face them.
“Chester said he’ll come later with Matt,” Nan said, draping her arm through mine.
“How are you and Chester doing?” I asked as we headed out of the room. “You seem to be getting along better.”
She sighed.
“It’s still complicated, but I agreed to go out with him once we get back to our territory. Baby steps,” she said softly.
“I’ve known Chester for quite a while; he’s worked for the family in the North mansion for a long time. He’s a good guy, despite being a player. I think he had a rough breakup once and that was why he stopped allowing himself to feel,” Irene said with a frown, getting both our attention.
This was new information that I didn’t know, and telling from the look on Nan’s face, she didn’t know either.
“A breakup?” I was the one who asked when it was clear Nan wasn’t going to. Irene nodded, a sad smile on her face.
“Yeah, I forget what her name was. Irrelevant to me at the time but Chester was head over heels in love with her,” she said, shaking her head at the memory. “She broke his heart and shattered the little trust he had in women. Since then, he started sleeping around and didn’t allow himself to commit.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat when I thought of Chester feeling so broken that he swore himself off normal relationships. I wondered why he didn’t tell me; we had been friends when I moved into the mansion; friends since before he found out my best friend was his fated mate.
So, why would he keep such information from me?
The rest of the way to the ceremony was spent in silence as we processed this new information. Nan was completely lost in thought, and I could see the worry lines forming on her face.
The moment we stepped into the ceremony, I was bombarded by more paparazzi. They were never going to leave me alone; at least not until I answered some of their questions, relieving their piqued curiosity.
Thankfully, Alpha Levi and Alpha
Jeremy were there to get me
through the crowd, telling them I will answer all their questions later. They brought me over to where the other competitors were. Everyone dressed elegantly with champagne flutes and Most
talking amongst themselvenoveldrama
looked completely healed, some of them were from the very first round and got eliminated early on, like Chrissy, Alpha Levi’s daughter.
Before the first round of the
competition started, I met Chrissy and her friends in the bathroom. They tried to intimidate me, but it
didn’t work. She was with the set
friends I saw her with that day. They were talking and laughing amongst themselves, it was clear that Chrissy was the center of their attention.
“Judy!” I heard a familiar voice, and my heart melted when I saw Tabby rushing
towards me.
She looked beautiful in her maroon
dress that hugged her curves perfectly and her pixie styled hair. She had a bright smile on her face and looked way better than the last time Saw her on the arena ground. She was badly injured and taken away by medics; I had been worried about her, though I heard she was okay.
“Tabby,” I said, walking towards her, hugging her once she reached me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I can’t believe you won!” She shrieked. “I am so happy for you! Of course, I’m bummed I lost how and when I did, but I’m so grateful to be given the chance and to fight along your side. You deserved this win.”
