Chapter 288

Judy’s POV

“Did you really think you could hide from me, little wolf?”

I was in deep shit. I knew I was in trouble the second Marlo ordered Rocco and Peter to escort me to Sampson’s office in the packhouse. That meant that Sampson mindlinked him and ordered him to do just that; this also meant that Sampson feared I would run. Which wasn’t far off considering I was indeed a runner. I would have run to avoid this conversation; there was no doubt in my mind that Lucy had told him the truth about my pregnancy.

The worst part was… I couldn’t even blame her. If she hadn’t, Dr. Jasper would have.

The second I was scheduled to go patrolling with my team this evening, I could see the worry in Lucy’s eyes. I knew her heart was in the right place. I hated that I couldn’t be upset with her… I only had myself to blame.

I knew that I was pregnant, but I shouldn’t be so careless.

The second I heard his voice... I knew I was in even deeper shit. He dismissed Rocco and Peter, and after slight hesitation, they were gone. I kept my back towards him, too afraid to actually turn around and face him. I had run from him; I left and said nothing to him, and now I was facing him head-on. I still couldn’t believe he was in Redcliff. I barely even heard his speech because all I could think about was the fact that he was actually here… standing in front of me.

My heart pounded in my chest when I felt his front pressing against my back. His warm breath fanned against the back of my neck, and I felt goosebumps forming on my arms.

“Who said I was hiding?” I hated how breathy and weak my voice sounded. My heart was pounding so loudly, I was sure he could hear it.

“Don’t insult me,” he whispered, his fingers trailing up my sides. I couldn’t help but shudder from his touch. He was intoxicating, and it was infuriating how my body…and my wolf… reacted to him. “Come with me.”

Before I knew what was happening, his hand was gently wrapped around my wrist, and he was pulling me with him and into a smaller room. It was one of the packhouse conference rooms, with a long table, a whiteboard, and a projector for presentations. This room was rarely used. I kept my back to him, unable to bring myself to look at him. If I did, I knew I would be putty in his hands. I heard the closing of the door behind him and then the clicking of the lock, making my heart skip a beat.

He was close to me again, his breath fanning against the nape of my neck.

“Turn around.” His voice came out as a low growl; I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and stood my ground. “I wasn’t asking.”

He takes my arm and spins me until I’m facing him. My eyes stay glued to his chest, his gorgeous, strongly built, rippling chest. My mouth went dry at just the sight of his chest, despite it being covered by his button-down shirt. I refused to meet his eyes because I knew if I did—

His hands were under my chin, lifting my head up to meet his gaze before I could finish that thought. My breath hitched when I looked into his clouded eyes. They were filled with so much pain and anger that it took my breath away. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.

I needed to break this tension between us… I needed to get away from his close proximity, but my body wouldn’t listen.

“Gavin—”

“How could you just leave?” He asked, stopping whatever it was I was about to say. His eyes trailed to my lips, causing heat to course through my entire body.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“It wasn’t personal…” I tried to lie, but he stopped me again.

“Don’t lie to me,” he said deeply and sharply, cutting through me like a knife. He kept a firm grip on my chin, keeping my eyes locked on his. “You… left…”

My lip trembled; his gaze shifted to my mouth, his eyes darkening. His thumb traced my bottom lip, sending warmth throughout my body and causing my breathing to hitch. How could this one man affect me to this degree?

“I left,” I whispered back.

“Tell me why you left,” he pushed. “Why didn’t you say goodbye…”

There was a raw vulnerability in his voice that caught me off guard. I wanted to tell him why I left; I wanted to tell him that I was heartbroken because I was hopelessly in love with a man who didn’t and wouldn’t love me back. Because the man I wanted was marrying another woman and expecting a baby with her.

A baby…

Shit. I was expecting a baby with him, and he didn’t know.

Should he know?

I couldn’t let this baby feel an ounce of being unwanted… not like how I feel.

“Answer the question, Judy,” he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“It was just time for me to go,” I told him weakly. “Alpha Levi gave me an offer and—”

“And you decided to take it without talking to me?”

“What would you have said?” I asked, the fog clearing as anger coursed through me. He had some nerve questioning me right now when he was the one with another woman… he was the one fucked me and then ghosted me. He was the one who walked away… not the other way around. My heart felt like it was on the verge of breaking all over again, and I’m trying so hard to mend it from past damages. “Would you have told me not to go?” I went on to ask. “Would you have kept me a prisoner in your pack? Forced me to work for you forever?”

“I would have given you the job that I had been holding for you,” he said through his teeth, his own anger mirroring mine.

M frowned, furrowed at his words; confusion consumed me.

“What?”

“The Silver Crescent Gamma Force,” he told me, his eyes narrowed. “There was a position on the force I was holding for you.”

I was shocked; my eyes wide as I stared at him.

“You never said…” I started to say, letting my words trail off. “You never offered…”

He said, and stepped away from me, giving me a minute to breathe without him being inches away from me.

“I didn’t want to overwhelm you,” he told me, his eyes never leaving mine. “You had offers thrown at you, and you hadn’t even graduated yet. I wanted to wait until your graduation to—”

“A graduation you didn’t attend,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

His brows dipped as he studied my face, and I hated how well he could read me.

“There was a reason for that…”

“Yes, I’ve heard your reason,” I nearly spat, unable to control my anger.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I parted my lips to speak, but the voices coming from the packhouse stopped me. Shit. If there were voices, that meant the meeting was over. Which meant Sampson was most likely heading to his office right now and if he sees I’m not there, he’s going to be pissed.

Reading my expression, Gavin reached for me.

“Stay.”

“I’m not a dog,” I told him, narrowing my eyes. “And I can’t… my Alpha wanted to speak to me.”

I turned to leave, but stopped when I heard his low and threatening growl.

Before I knew what was happening, his hands were on my hips and his face was buried in the nape of my neck, paralyzing me, rooting me to the ground. His lips brushed across the nape of my neck, and I swear I heard him inhaling before he released a frustrated sigh.

The masking spray blocked my scent, and for some reason, I knew it was driving him crazy. I knew it because he was also wearing it, as a powerful Lycan, it was necessary when he arrived in the pack. We didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention when the pack was already being targeted.

“If I ever hear you call him your Alpha again… I’ll make sure this pack doesn’t have one.”

A chill crept up my spine; his words laced with ice, and yet it went straight to my core.

He placed a small kiss on the nape of my neck, which both confused and aroused me. Why was he doing this? He was marrying another woman and expecting a baby with her. He shouldn’t be here messing with me… but I swallowed down those words and stepped forward, unlocking and opening the door. I waited a moment to gather my thoughts, and just before I pulled the door open, he released me.

I felt his eyes on me as I walked out of the room.

Just as suspected, packmates were pack and they were swarming around the packhouse. Nobody noticed me leaving the conference room or that Gavin was undoubtedly following me.

I hurried down the hallway and to Sampson’s office.

I wasn’t surprised that he was already there, pacing the place. Lucy was there as well, tears brimming in her eyes. When I stepped in, my heart was thudding in my chest.

“Where were you?” He asked, his eyes narrowed.

“Sorry…I got turned around…”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Judy. I had Gamma's escort you here,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

I thought Gavin would be behind me, but he wasn’t. It was a relief. I stepped into the room; my arms wrapped around my body like I was trying to keep myself together.

“Don’t yell at her,” Lucy tried to defend her. “She was going to tell you…”

“When? Before or after she got herself and the baby killed,” he snapped, his words harsh and making me flinch.

There were no doubts left… he knew the truth.

He turned to look at me, his eyes filled with anger, hurt… and a little worry.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant, Judy?”

I parted my lips to speak, but a loud growl stopped me. My entire body froze.

Gavin was behind me.