Chapter 28

Third Person POV

Later in the evening, Irene sat curled up on the couch, staring at her phone. Ethan told her that he would call at 8 pm and now it was 9:30 pm. She tried calling him a couple of times about a half hour ago, but he didn’t answer. She texted him as well, but her messages were left unread.

He had never disappeared from her like this before and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Her stomach was in a tight knot, and she couldn’t help the bad feeling she had in her chest. She wishes that she had someone to talk to about this, but she doesn’t have any actual friends. She has some girls that she hangs around once in a while, but Irene was smart enough to know when she’s being used. Most of them only want to hang out with her because of her status as Gavin Landry’s daughter; they either want something from her, or they want to get close to her father.

The closest one she has to a friend right now is Judy and she doesn’t have her number. She isn’t even sure if Judy wants to be friends with her. She wrapped her arms around her body like she was trying to hold herself together.

“Everything okay?” Her father asked as he walked into the room. He was wearing his pajama bottoms and no shirt. It was a rarity for Irene to see her father without a suit on; he was always well dressed, even if he was just walking around the house, which he never really did.

“I’m worried about Ethan,” she admitted, glancing at her phone. “He hasn’t called me.”

Gavin let out a huff that Irene knew way too well to be disapproval. It was no secret that Gavin didn’t like Ethan very much. Irene wasn’t sure why because Ethan had been nothing but kind to her from the very first moment they met.

He looked so handsome in his tux and his dark curls brushed out of his face as he scanned the room of the Alpha banquet. Word had gotten out that Alpha Carter from the Redmoon pack had died during a battle and now all available Alpha candidates in the area were gathered around to impress Gavin Landry.

Gavin was the only one who could single-handedly appoint any Alpha he wanted without consulting the other Lycans because he was the most powerful Lycan chairman in the world.

When Ethan’s eyes found Irene’s, it was as if they were the only two in the entire world. Her heart skipped a beat; even her wolf purred with contentment and satisfaction. She liked what they saw and from the smile on Ethan’s perfect lips, he liked what he saw as well.

It didn’t take long for him to stroll over to her and order her another glass of champagne. They talked the entire night; he hadn’t even bothered to ask her about her father or speak with him the entire night. It was as if he had forgotten why he was there in the first place.

By the end of the night, he asked for her number. He called her the next night, and they spoke until the sun rose. She never felt this way towards anyone before and she wanted to be with him more than anything. However, when she told her father about him and how much she wanted him, he didn’t give her his blessing at first. In fact, he expressed his concerns about Ethan using her and stated that he didn’t really like Ethan all that much based on what he had seen and heard from numerous packs.

Irene had to admit that she went a little crazy and threatened her own life if her father didn’t give him her blessing. He had no other choice but to do so. A month later, Ethan proposed, and Irene jumped at the opportunity.

She looked over at her father who was seated beside her on the couch, neither of them speaking.

“When Mom was alive, did you love her?”

Gavin seemed shocked by the question and turned to look at her, his eyes filled with concern and thought.

“She was my fated mate, of course, I loved her,” he answered without hesitation.

“I know she was your fated mate,” she said, staring down at her hands. “That just means you were drawn together and bound together by your wolves. But that doesn’t mean you have to actually love her.”

“I loved her.”

“But did you love her because of the bond, or because of your heart?” She asked.

“Why are you asking?” He countered; his eyes narrowed in her direction.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it gently as she thought about how to answer his question.

Truth be told, she wasn’t sure why she wanted to know. Maybe to prove that the mate bond doesn’t matter. She’s not mated with Ethan, but if either of them did ever found their mates, would they still want to be with each other, or would they automatically choose their mates? The thought terrified Irene and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t worried about Ethan one day finding his mate and then leaving her.

She wanted to know if the mate bond could be fought. If someone as strong and powerful as Gavin Landry couldn’t fight the mate bond, was there any hope for the rest of them?

“I guess I’m just trying to figure out how the mate bond works,” she murmured, tugging at her fingers nervously.

He sighed and leaned back on the couch as he thought about her question.

“The bond is strong,” he admitted. “Probably the strongest thing you’d ever experience. You think you have a handle on it, but in reality, you aren’t in control. It’s your wolves that take over. They make it impossible to stay away. But there’s also a part of you that doesn’t want to stay away. You will start to crave them to a point where it’s almost painful. Fighting it would only make you and your wolf miserable.”

“Did you try to fight it?” She asked.

“I was young,” he murmured. “I didn’t really understand the feeling and the bond. It was all very confusing. I think a part of me tried to fight it, yes. But your mother had a way of bringing me out of my shell. Then, she gave me the greatest gift I could have ever received.”

“What’s that?” She asked.

Gavin wrapped an arm around his daughter and pulled her in for a hug.

“You,” he answered.

She smiled as she peered up at him.

“So, you did love her,” she said softly; it wasn’t a question this time, but Gavin still answered her anyway. He nodded with a soft smile playing on his lips.

“Yes,” he answered. “When she died it was really difficult.”

“Is that why you don’t date?”

He raised his brows at her question.

“I date.”

“You don’t date seriously,” she retorted. “It’s always one-night stands. Never anything real.”

“I don’t have the time to date,” he told her. “I have a pack to run, duties to fulfill, and children to care for.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Dad,” she reminded him, nudging his arm with hers. “And Matt doesn’t need you around all the time. We both want you to be happy… even if it means dating someone younger than you.”

She bit her lip; she was hinting, and he knew it. He frowned at her.

“Someone younger?” He asked, his eyes never leaving the side of her face.

She shrugged.

“We just want you to be happy… with whoever you choose,” she told him. “We don’t want you to be lonely.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this, huh?” He asked her.

She bit back a smile, but she didn’t deny it.

“I’m going to bed now. I’m guessing Ethan won’t call me tonight,” she said, standing to her feet. Gavin could hear the heartache in her tone. “Good night, Dad. Thanks for the talk.”

He didn’t say anything; he gave her a nod and watched as she left the room. His mind traveled back to Judy and how she must be feeling through her own mate bond. Gavin knew that the mate bond was strong, and it was difficult to break; she had to live with the fact that her fated mate was marrying another woman and there was nothing she could do about it.

He wondered if Judy was strong enough to overcome such pain.

“Is there anything you need tonight before I call it a night?” One of the maids asked, walking into the room.

Gavin sighed and stood to his feet.

“No, you are dismissed,” he told her and started to walk past her.

“I quite liked Miss Montague,” the maid proceeded to say before Gavin could leave the room. “She’s a good fit for the house; don’t you think?”

Gavin wasn’t sure what to say in response, so he chose not to say anything. He walked out of the living room without sparing her another look.