Chapter 117

Gavin’s POV

“Alpha, he’s here,” Beta Taylor said as he stepped into my home office. “Alpha Levi arrived in the pack this morning.”

I rubbed my temples with my fingers, feeling a headache brewing. The last thing I wanted to deal with was Alpha Levi… but it didn’t seem I had a choice. He was the one who was appointed to follow the Elite Gamma Force around the world and recruit students for the competition. The Gamma competitions happened once every 10 years and considering I had way too much to do here, I couldn’t really get away for a long period of time.

Levi was the most appropriate choice.

I had a high respect for the Elite and I wished I could have gone myself. I was the one who did most of their funding anyway. My personal gammas were picked from the Elite Force.

“Make sure the guards know not to allow him access to my Villa,” I murmured. “The less I have to deal with him, the better.”

“I heard he’s already made his choice, so he’s going to be leaving either tonight or tomorrow,” Beta Taylor surprised me by saying. I lifted my gaze and frowned at him.

“He’s made his choice?” I asked. “How many students?”

“I think just one,” he replied. “I’m not sure who it is though. I can find out for you.”

I shook my head.

“No need,” I murmured. “I’ll be at the competitions next week anyways, so I will see for myself.”

Beta Taylor nodded.

“I’ll make sure everything is all set for your flight. Lycan Alpha Terrance already sent over his permission to allow you access to his territory.”

I nodded.

I glanced at the time; it was about time for Leroy to pick up Judy from school and bring her to the villa for her tutoring session with Matt. I felt bad that I had to bail on her last night, and I wanted to make it up to her. Beta Taylor also looked at the time and gasped.

“Oh, shit. I’m late,” he muttered. “I have to pick up Judy.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Why are you the one picking her up? Where’s Leroy?”

“He asked for the night off,” Taylor said shrugging. “I told him I’d cover his shift and grab her from school.”

I snarled, my nose flaring as I glared at my Beta.

“Why wasn’t I informed of this sooner?” I asked through my teeth.

“Sorry, boss. Didn’t think it was a big deal. As long as someone picks her up, it shouldn’t matter,” he said, shrugging casually.

He was lucky he was also my friend or else I would have his head for talking to me like that.

“Get out of here and get her,” I said, dismissing him. He was late, which meant Judy was going to be standing there alone. Anything could happen to her. Especially with Alpha Levi roaming around the territory.

….

Judy’s POV

I stared down at the pack Alpha Levi handed to me before I left the gym. It had all the information I was going to need for this competition, including hotel arrangements, transportation, and a plane ticket. This was really happening; I would be on that plane next week and competing in the most important competition of my life.

My heart was racing in my chest. I was the only one that they recruited, which didn’t sit right with the rest of the class, but I was skeptical about it. I wished more than anything that I could tell Nan about it, but it was going to have to wait until I could find out where she was and why she was ignoring me. For right now, I was happy that I was going to the villa so I could tell Gavin. I had to tell him that I was taking a few weeks off as well because I wouldn’t be around to tutor Matt.

I stood outside the school grounds, glancing at my watch with a frown. It wasn’t like Leroy to be late, but he was. It made me nervous; could something be wrong?

A few minutes later, a familiar car pulled out in front of me and my entire body froze. I knew whose car this was, and I didn’t want to deal with him right now. I started to turn away and head back towards the campus; Leroy could text me when he arrived. Just as I started to walk away in the opposite direction, I heard the car door shutting and footsteps growing fast and loud behind me.

“Stop running away from me!” Ethan said as he grabbed a hold of my arm and whipped me around to face him. “What is wrong with you?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Don’t touch me,” I said, ripping my arm away from his grasp. “What are you doing here, Ethan?” I asked him, folding my arms across my chest.

“I came to ask you if the news reports are true,” he said, his eyes burning with anger and hurt. “Are you and Gavin together?”

My eyes grew large, and I took a step away from him.

“What are you talking about?” I asked him, pretending not to know a thing.

“Don’t play stupid, Judy,” he said, stepping even closer to me and making me feel even smaller as I stood in front of him. “I saw the news reports last week. I saw the picture… are you two truly together? Is that why you want nothing to do with me?”

I scoffed at him and rolled my eyes.

“I want nothing to do with you because you cheated on me, Ethan. Then, you tried to blackmail me into being your whore. It has nothing to do with Gavin and everything to do with you,” I hissed as I poked my finger in his chest.

His eyes darkened with each jab of my finger.

“Break up with him,” he demanded, making me laugh out loud.

“My relationship isn’t any of your business,” I told him. I was about to turn away again, but he grabbed my wrist. This time, it was much harder, and it made me wince in pain. He spun me around to face him, his eyes blaring with fury as he glared at me.

“Everything you do is my business,” he said through his teeth. “Make no mistake, Judy. You are still mine.”

“Fat chance,” I told him in return as I struggled against his hold, wincing as he tightened his fingers around my wrist, bruising me and marking me. “Ethan, let me go…” I said, my voice coming out as a hoarse whisper.

“I will let you go when I want to let you go,” he said coldly. “I’ve been very patient with you, Judy. But my patience had run out and now I want what is rightfully mine.”

“Ehtan…” I just to get him to release me once more, but he only tightened his hold around my wrist. I felt my wrist cracking and I knew he was spraining it. It would heal soon enough thanks ot my wolf, but it was hurting badly at the moment. “Let me go, you’re hurting me.”

“Tell me you’re mine,” he demanded, ignoring my pleas.

“Ethan—”

“TELL ME!!”

Just as I was about to grab him and shove him to the ground, Ethan released me quickly and I heard a cracking sound just before blood spilled out of his nose and he fell to the ground, crying in pain.

I stumbled backward, not sure what just happened. I looked up to see Beta Taylor standing nearby with his fist outstretched and he was glaring down at Ethan with fury in his eyes.

“She told you to let go. It probably would have been better if you had listened to her,” he said, pulling his fist back. I stared at Beta Taylor with a shocked expression. He just punched Ethan… for me.

“Taylor…?” I whispered, still not believing that he was there.

Beta Taylor looked up at me and his expression softened.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

After a beat of silence, I nodded.

“I… I think so,” I told him, staring down at his red and swollen first and then Ethan’s face. He was still on the ground, covering his clearly broken nose and whimpering as he rolled around the dirty ground.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Taylor said, motioning for me to follow him. I took his hand as he helped me step over Ethan.

“You asshole!” Ethan growled as we started to walk away. “I’m not going to let you get away with this! Do you have any idea who I am!!”

“In case I hadn’t made myself clear the first dozen times, Ethan,” I said, turning to look down at him. “This is over… we are over. Stop following me.”

He growled at me, his wolf close to the surface.

“We are never done,” he hissed.

I sighed and let Beta Taylor escort me to the car. Once I was securely inside, I turned my attention away from Ethan who was still on the ground, fuming in anger. Taylor started to drive off.

“Thank you, Taylor,” I told him.

He looked at me through the mirror and a smile tipped his lips.

“Of course,” he told me. “Gavin would have my head if I didn’t step in.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Could we maybe keep this between us for now?” I asked. “I don’t want Gavin to worry or be upset. Plus, I don’t want Irene to be hurt even more than she already.”

Taylor was quiet for a moment, but then he nodded.

‘Okay,” he finally replied. “It’ll be our secret.”