Chapter 256

Judy’s PV

My eyes grew wide as I stared at Irene. I remembered Rachel asking Gavin what she should wear to the charity event on Sunday, the same event that Irene was talking about. I had been to a fair share of these events, and both my parents would probably be there, seeming they were Deltas of the Redmoon pack; the Cash family was most likely going to be there as well.

It wasn’t something I was planning on intending, especially since Gavin and I had a falling out now that Rachel, his one and only love, returned. But as I stare at Irene, I can see the worry and seriousness hidden in her blue gaze as she nibbles on her lower lip, waiting for my answer.

“The charity event?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded as she shifted Emalyn’s position on her lap.

“Yes,” she replied. “Nan and Chester agreed to babysit Emalyn while I’m at the event. I really don’t want to go to this thing alone... especially if Ethan's family is going to be there. What if I break and bring up Emalyn?”

I raised my brows at her; I hadn’t even thought about that. Despite Irene’s nature and what she did to her brother, Irene wasn’t great at keeping secrets.

“And you expect me to help you keep this secret?” I asked her, eyeing her carefully.

She shrugged.

“I just need a friend there,” she said softly. “I need some support.”

“You know, I bet if you asked Chuck, he’d drop whatever he’s doing to come help you,” I suggest, trying to get out of this because I could already feel myself caving.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde, disheveled hair. The mom look on Irene was something I was starting to get used to. For a long time, I knew her as the girl with perfect clothing and perfect hair 24/7… but now she looked as if she hadn’t showered in days and was wearing the same clothes, with the same stain, then the last time I saw her a few days ago.

“He lives on the other side of the country,” she reminded me. “I don’t want to make him come to me for something like this.”

“Are you still in contact with him?” I asked.

I watched as her cheeks turned a shade of pink and she nibbled her lip nervously again before nodding.

“It’s weird… I can’t explain what’s happening between us. But do you believe in second chance mates?”

I blinked at her question.

Second chance mates were extremely rare and given to someone personally by the Moon Goddess herself if she found them worthy of such a chance. But it was strange she was asking because Irene never even had a first mate.

“Of course I do,” I told her. “I’ve heard stories of it happening, but never seen it with my own eyes. But Irene, you kind of need a first mate in order to have a second chance, mate.”

“Well, duh. I know that,” she told me, rolling her eyes, but there was no malice on her face, only a slight smirk as she met my gaze again. “I think Chuck might be my first mate.”

I blinked again, dumbstruck by her admittance.

“What?” I asked, shocked.

Her face turned a bright shade of red as she placed a sleeping Emalyn down in her carrier that sat on the floor in front of the couch.

“You have to promise that you won’t tell anyone about this,” she told me, her face serious.

I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, of course. I promise I won’t say anything,” I tell her with honesty.

She relaxed slightly and nodded. She stole herself, trying to figure out the best way to explain it to me. I could see the inner turmoil in her eyes and the worry that creased her forehead.

“Okay, so…” she began. “My wolf recognized him as our mate the second we spotted him.”

My eyes grew wide as I listened to her. That explains why she was so drawn to him; I should have known it was something like that.

“But it’s clear that he doesn’t recognize us,” she whispered.

I wasn’t sure why she was whispering; we were the only two in the living room. Then again, this mansion was filled with staff. “Whispering Walls,” Nan had always called it.

“Why wouldn’t he recognize you?” I asked.

She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

“He had a mate once,” she whispered. “But she died during a rogue attack.”

Realization dawned on me; if you are granted a second chance, mate, you don’t know it until you mark them officially. It’s the Moon Goddess’s one condition. She wants us to be able to fall in love naturally and truly move on from our past; she doesn’t want us to be influenced by the mate bond. She will bring us together by allowing us to feel that connection towards one another, but we are expected to make the relationship blossom and work on our own. Once we are marked and officially mated, our wolves will recognize each other as second chance mates, and that’ll only bring us closer together and make our love that much stronger.

But because Irene had never had a mate before, she knew right away that Chuck was hers. However, Chuck, though he feels a connection towards Irene, doesn’t know that she’s his second chance.

My heart broke for Irene because that must be so difficult.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her.

She just shrugged and gave me a sad smile.

“It’s okay,” she told me, even though I knew it wasn’t. “But anyway, it would mean everything to me if you could come to the charity banquet with me. Please, Judy, I don’t have anyone I can ask. You’re kind of my only friend.”

“Are you sure you even want to go to this event in the first place?” I asked her. “Especially with Ethan’s family being there.”

She groaned.

“Don’t remind me,” she muttered. “But I have to be here. It's expected as the Landry Heir.”

I raised my brows.

“Will Matt be there too, then?”

She shook her head.

“He’s too young,” she explained. “He’ll stay home with Alex.”

I nodded, still pondering this. I really didn’t want to let her down, but I wasn’t sure I could face Gavin and Rachel again. My stomach was still in a knot from my last interaction with them.

As if she could read my mind, Irene leaned forward with a sly smile on her face.

“I’ll have my designer make a gorgeous dress for you,” she assured me. “Something that’ll knock the socks off my father. He’ll regret trading you in for little Miss Perfect.”

I hadn’t really gotten the chance to talk to Irene about Rachel. I knew Rachel had come by the mansion once or twice with Gavin/ She had known Irene when she was only a little girl so I assumed it’d be a happy reunion. I didn’t want to hear it from Irene that Rachel was perfect for her father, and she was happy that she returned, so I kept my distance from Irene these last few weeks.

But seeing Irene’s face as she mentioned Rachel, it made my brows raise so high they disappeared through my hairline.

“Not a fan of her?” I asked her, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“I don’t trust her,” Rachel muttered. “I’m honestly surprised my father does. She gives me a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach.”

“Weird,” I murmured. “Matt kind of said the same thing.”

Her ears perked up at the mention of her brother.

“He did?” She asked. “So, we are in agreement. Neither of us wants our father to be with that woman.”

I nodded.

“Apparently,” I muttered in return.

After a beat of silence, Irene’s face sobered.

“How is Matt doing?”

I met her eyes and decided to be honest with her.

“He misses you,” I admitted. “But it’s better if you both keep your space from each other. His wolf calmed down a lot, and between Gavin and me giving him shifting and control lessons, he’s more in control of his wolf than he initially was. No more accidental shifting or letting his rage get the best of him. He’s very strong through; when he ages, he’ll be a powerful wolf for sure. Just like Gavin.”

“Guess it runs in the family,” Irene said softly. “Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”

I thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

“I think he already has,” I told her. “Just give it some time. Once things start slowing down, you’ll be able to see him again.”

She let out a breath and then nodded. We fell into a comfortable silence for a long while before she cleared her throat and looked at me.

“So, should I call my stylist and have her design you the perfect dress for the event?” she asked, a smile lighting up her face.

After another beat of silence, I finally nodded.

“Okay, yeah,” I told her. “I’ll go.”

She squealed happily as she grabbed her phone to text her stylist.

“You won’t regret this,’ she told me happily. “We are going to make my father regret ever giving you up.”