Chapter 240

Gavin’s POV

When I got to the mansion, I wasn’t expecting to see guests. I scowled as I stared at Judy who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I could hear her heart pounding against her chest and her breathing picked up, like she was just caught red handed.

“Who gave you permission to have a party in my mansion,” I asked folding my arms across my chest. Of course, I wasn’t really upset, but seeing her squirm was just too much fun. I knew she was here, and I wanted to ask her to join me for dinner tomorrow evening. I also wanted to check on Irene and the baby while I was at it so I figured I’d stop by instead of calling. Though I was here earlier in the day to drop Judy off, I didn’t stay long, nor did I really come inside.

“A party?” She asked, raising her brows as she glanced at Tabby and Shirley. “This is hardly a party.”

I realized there was one person missing from this get together; well, technically two, but I figured Nan was with her mate Chester in his room.

“Where’s Irene?”

They all looked at one another and I could practically smell the tension radiating off them. it immediately put me on alert.

“Probably asleep,” Judy settled on.

I could tell immediately that she was lying; not only could I smell the lie, but she had obvious tells. Like the way she tugged at her fingers or subtly licked the corner of her lip. I narrowed my eyes at her and was about to say something, but then I heard Irene’s voice.

“Dad?” She asked, walking into the kitchen, Chuck trialing in behind her. Both of them looked disheveled and they reeked of sex. A growl escaped my lips as I glared at Chuck, who paled immediately. “W… what are you doing here at this hour? It’s so late.”

“What is he doing here at this hour?” I countered, my eyes never leaving Chuck’s face.

I knew Chuck from past encounters; he was a competitor of the Gamma competition and was a fair fight. If Judy hadn’t won, it would have been him. He was a fair gamma under Jeremy’s jurisdiction, but I didn’t know him personally, which worried me. The last thing Irene needed was another Ethan situation. I knew what she was like when she was interested in a guy, and I didn’t like it.

“We were just leaving,” Shirley said quickly. “Right, Chuck?”

“Uh…” he glanced at Irene, a blush tinting his cheeks. “Yes.”

Irene looked upset by him leaving, but I didn’t give a shit. I wanted him gone and I didn’t want him to come back. My wolf was close to losing control but then in an instant, Judy put her hand on my back, her touch immediately soothing him back into my control. Nobody has ever had that type of effect on my wolf before and it startled me. I whipped around to look at her, my eyes wide for a moment, which seemed to jolt her.

She looked into my eyes for a long moment, suddenly the rest of the room faded away.

“It was good to see you again, Judy,” Chuck said, breaking through the barrier Judy and I had created with just one touch and one look.

Judy blinked, coming back to reality as well as she smiled at Chuck.

“It was good to see you too,” she replied.

Shirley and Tabby both gave her hugs; a small growl escaped me when Chuck tried to give her a hug as well; a growl I couldn’t suppress. It made him stand down and rethink his next move.

After another round of goodbyes, they finally left.

I turned to Irene.

“I’m not having you stay here for you to invite men over,” I scolded, folding my arms over my chest. “Until I can find a family to adopt that baby, you are responsible.”

“I didn’t invite him over, Dad,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And no offence, but I am an adult. I can spend time with whoever I want.”

“You need to take some time for yourself. You’ve been put through the ringer with Ethan, and I don’t want to see that happen again.”

“What makes you think it would happen again?” She asked. “Chuck is a great guy and—”

“You don’t know him,” I said, cutting off her words. “You know nothing about him or what he’s capable of, Irene.”

“I’ve spoken to him a few times. We met at the competition…” Irene told me. “You should be happy that he’s a gamma and can properly protect me.”

“I don’t trust anyone I’ve barely met… especially not with my daughter.”

“I think maybe we should just end the conversation here,” Judy suggested, stepping between us, her stance almost protective. “It’s been a long day, and we are all tired.”

Irene nodded in agreement.

“Fine,” I said, relenting.

After another beat of silence, Irene said goodnight and then went to her room. I turned to Judy, my eyes narrowed.

“What happened between them?” I found myself asking.

Judy smirked and stepped closer to me.

“You are such a protective father,” she teased, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her body against mine. “It’s kind of hot.”

She was deflecting my question and trying to distract me; just like how she lied to me earlier for Irene, she was trying to save Irene again. I should have been stronger than that and call her out on it, but I didn’t. Instead, I slammed my lips against hers and lifted her off the ground, forcing her legs around my waist.

“I’ll show you what’s hot,” he murmured against her lips as I carried her to her bedroom where I spent the remaining of the night just who dominates who.

The next morning, Judy wore only my shirt as she danced around the kitchen, cooking breakfast. I frowned as I entered, my sleep pants hanging low on my waist.

“Why are you cooking? Where’s Chester?” I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

She smiled at me.

“I told him I had breakfast covered this morning. He wanted to take Nan out.”

I nodded as I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I enjoyed the sight of her in my clothes, cooking in my kitchen. It was a sight I could get used to; a thought that came suddenly and made something stir low in my gut. I kissed the nape of her neck from behind, making her shudder and lean her back against me.

“Go to dinner with me tonight,” I murmur against her skin.

I felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Okay,” she whispered.

I gave her a gentle squeeze and peppered another kiss on the nape of her neck before pulling back.

“Then it’s settled,” I winked as I stole a piece of bacon from the pan and left the room, hearing her laughter echoing behind me.

….

I took Judy to the Carter Resort restaurant. Nan was working and was our waitress for the evening. Judy was dressed in a short white dress that rested just above her knees and dipped loosely between her cleavage, giving me a prime view. Her hair was down, draped beautifully around her shoulders and she wore only a little makeup to highlight her features.

When she smiled at me across the table, my heart nearly stopped.

I swore off the thought of a real relationship. Having someone to call mine… another mate… falling in love, it didn’t seem as if it were in my cards. Those I fall in love with die and the thought of losing Judy broke my heart in a way that I couldn’t explain.

But at this moment, my guard was down as I stared at her from across the table. She was telling me a story about something that happened to her that day, and it was making her laugh. She had a beautiful laugh; she looked so beautiful as she smiled.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and I kept thinking that I wanted to be the one to tuck it behind her ear. I wanted to touch her in one way or another.

“You seem lost in thought,” Judy pointed out, his brows raised. I realized she had stopped talking and I hadn’t said a word.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then Nan was at our table with the wine I ordered for us.

“Ready to order food?” She asked as she poured the wine into the glasses and then left the bottle.

We both ordered our meals and then Nan left to fill the orders, leaving us alone to talk.

“You are beautiful tonight,” I found myself saying.

Her cheeks flushed at the compliment.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied with a small smile.

I felt a sense of pride swelling in my chest, my lips tugging into a smile. We fell into a comfortable conversation, followed by comfortable silence, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

It didn’t take long for the food to arrive; being a Lycan had some perks. We got high priority no matter where we went; even in the place that was busy, which Carter’s Resort was always busy.

Midway through the meal, my phone rang. I wished I could have ignored it, but as the Alpha, I couldn’t. It could be an emergency.

I saw Beta Taylor appear on my screen.

“Yes?” I asked into the phone upon swiping the green answer button.

“Alpha, you need to return to your villa immediately,” he said, an urgency in his tone.

“I’m out to dinner with Judy,” I remind him; this was information he already knew.

“I know, Alpha, and I’m sorry to interrupt. But there is someone here I need to see,” he told me.

I furrowed my brows.

“Who is it? Does this really need to be dealt with right this minute?”

I met Judy’s eyes, and she was watching me with furrowed brows and a hint of worry in her gaze.

“Yes,” Taylor replied, breaking through my thoughts. “It’s Rachel.”