Chapter 282

Judy’s POV

The next day, I was discharged from the hospital. Instead of going straight to my condo, I went to the packhouse instead. I felt gross, and all I really wanted was a shower, but I wanted to talk to Alpha Sampson first. I wanted to know what was going on; I needed an update, and I needed him to update me as well. I wanted to know what the plan was for the future.

The packhouse wasn’t nearly as busy as it was the other day after the first attack. I knew that meant most of the gammas were out doing a job, and the others in the pack were just trying to keep themselves safe.

I started to make my way across the packhouse when I heard my name.

“Judy!”

I turned to see Spencer rushing towards me, a relieved look on his face. Before I could comprehend anything, he had me in his arms and spun me around, making me laugh.

“Hey you,” I teased, keeping my hold on him so I wouldn’t fall.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you, but things have been crazy here, and when I heard you were going to be okay, I didn’t stress it too much. I knew you were strong but holy shit… You survived a bomb! You seriously are a badass. Anyone who had any lingering doubts about you before certainly doesn’t have them now.”

I blushed at the compliment when he put me back on the ground.

“Really?” I asked. “Is everyone talking about it?”

“Not one person isn’t,” he told me. “Also, I picked up your slack while you were out of commission and escorted our guests to the packhouse. We arrived a few hours ago. They are getting settled in their room now. Later, you should meet them. They are intense, though, I should warn you.”

I nodded.

“I’m sure I can handle it,” I told him. “I’ve dealt with intense people before. I’m actually only here to see Sampson for right now. I’m dying to get home and into the shower.”

“He’s in his office. He’s been up all night dealing with the aftermath of everything. Janet is a mess after finding out it was her daughter who exploded in the forest. She hasn’t left Sampson alone. Poor lady lost both her husband and daughter this week.”

I shudder at the thought.

“I couldn’t even imagine,” I whispered.

He nodded in agreement.

“I know, right?” he murmured. “So, Sampson might not be in the best mood. But I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you.”

I nodded.

“Okay, thanks,” I told him. “We’ll talk more later?”

“Of course,” he said, giving me a bright smile. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Judy. You had me worried sick.”

I went down the long hallway that led to Sampson’s office. I knocked on the door 3 times, and once he gave me confirmation to enter, I opened the door and stepped into the room.

“Judy, you’re back,” Sampson said, a pleased smile on his face. Though I could still see the worry lingering in his gaze and the tiredness of his eyes. It seems he hasn’t slept in days, and it was drastically showing.

“I’m back,” I tell him, shutting the door behind me.

I glanced over to see Aiden, Sampson’s Beta, seated with his feet propped up on the desk like he owned the place. He gave me a smirk, his eyes scanning my body and giving me an uneasy feeling. Aiden was the one thing I didn’t like about this pack; he never seemed to take no for an answer. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy, he was a little older than me, maybe late 20s, and he had blonde hair he always styled to perfection, and dark blue eyes with naturally long eyelashes that women would be jealous of. Most women in the pack found him to be eye candy and talked about him nonstop. He was what they would call a player; he never settled down and slept with anyone who walked.

Well, everyone except for Lucy… and except for me.

His not being able to sleep with me is driving him crazy, and lately, I’ve been on his radar. I kept telling him no, though, and that I’m not interested in getting to know him like that, but he’s relentless.

“Beta,” I greeted, trying to keep things professional. Considering he was the Beta and someone of high ranking, the rule was that I had to acknowledge him.

His eyes twinkled with mischief, and his lips turned up into an almost sly smile.

“Judy,” he replied in his own greeting. “Good to see you out and about.”

“Not even an explosion can stop me,” I say back, turning my attention back to Sampson. “I heard a bit from Lucy already, but I’d like to hear it from you. Was Cindy really heading to the pack to destroy it?”

Sampson swallowed, and I could tell from the way he was looking at me that what I said was true. I let out a breath, my shoulders slumping.

“We think they had something over her… something that made her comply,” Sampson told me. “We don’t think she did it of her own free will.”

I shake my head.

“No, she didn’t. When I saw her, she was struggling to move forward. She was taking her time… she wasn’t rushing away from the border. She was taking frequent breaks and looking like moving forward pained her more than her actual injuries. I think she was stalling. I don’t think she wanted to continue.”

Sampson raised his brows before turning to Aiden.

“Look more into that. Find out what they might have had on her,” he told him.

Aiden stood to his feet; he was tall, and I felt intimidated standing beside him.

“Sure thing,” he replied. “I’ll see if our guest Beta will help. Maybe we can use some of the resources. It’s what they are here for, isn’t it?”

There was a bit of annoyance to his words, making me raise my brows.

Sampson noticed it too and rolled his eyes.

“Be nice to our guests, they could kill you without hesitation,” Sampson warned him. “And they don’t even need an excuse.”

Aiden rolled his eyes before his gaze flickered to me.

“And I’ll be seeing you later, Miss Judy,” he murmured before brushing past me and leaving the office.

Sampson looked amused.

“You know it’ll stop if you just go out with him,” Sampson told me.

I rolled my eyes and took a seat in front of his desk.

“I know he’s your best friend, but seriously? He’s a slime ball,” I told him.

Sampson barked out a laugh and nodded.

“Yes, he is… but he’s good at his job. He’s a hit-and-quit kind of guy. Once he has you, he won’t want you anymore. You could just fake it,” Sampson told me, not for the first time.

I shook my head.

“I’m not faking anything… I’m not going out with him. End of story,” I told him.

“Suit yourself,” he chuckled. “I won’t force you. I’m just telling you… If you want him to leave you alone and avoid you like the plague, that’s the only way you’ll do it.”

He had a point; if I went out with him and even slept with him, the chances of me ever seeing him again after that were slim. He’ll avoid me like carrying some kind of disease. The thought made me laugh, and Sampson joined me, though the laughter soon died down and a serious expression crossed his face.

“So how are you, seriously?” He asked. “What did Dr. Jasper say?”

“He said I just need to rest, but I’ll be fine,” I tell him, only telling him a bit of the truth. I wasn’t ready to share the news about my pregnancy yet, and even though I knew I needed to tell Sampson… the words wouldn’t leave my lips.

Sampson nodded.

“You had everyone worried,” he told me. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see you. But after I found out you were going to be okay, there was just so much damage that needed to be taken care of.”

I shook my head and held up my hand.

“It’s okay. I understand there were more pressing matters,” I assured him. “I don’t blame you. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse. If she actually made it to the pack grounds, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

He nodded solemnly.

“There’s still so much to do. I still haven’t been able to see Janet yet.”

“Let me go,” I told him. “I’ll visit with her and make sure she’s being taken care of.”

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” He asked, raising his brows.

I shrugged.

“It’s not like I’m doing anything big or dangerous,” I tell him. “I’ll just swing by her home and see how she’s doing.”

Sampson sighed, but he didn’t argue.

“Thank you. That would be a huge help,” he told me. “And here.”

He pulls an envelope out of his desk drawer and hands it to me. It had Janet’s name on it.

“What’s this?”

“A letter from her husband… he wanted her to have it if anything ever happened,” he replied. “Along with money that will set her up for life.”

Janet’s husband was the Delta of the pack, and his line of work was dangerous, so I could see why he wanted his wife to be taken care of if anything were to ever happen to him. A lump formed in my throat; I was getting emotional, and I needed to calm myself down.

They damn hormones were starting to get to me.

“I’ll make sure she gets this,” I told him.

He nodded.

Just as I turned to leave, he stopped me again by saying my name; I paused and turned to look at him.

“I’ll be having a meeting tomorrow to introduce our guests. It’ll be in the afternoon. I expect you to be there.”

I nodded.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Then, I turned to leave.