Chapter 290

Judy’s POV

I couldn’t believe this was happening. Gavin found out that I was pregnant, and now he was demanding answers. How could I possibly tell him that I was carrying his baby? I’m sure he had so many questions, and I wasn’t sure how to answer any of them.

Not to mention, Sampson was never going to trust me again.

Tears burned in my eyes as I stepped out of the packhouse. I wiped angrily at my tears. I was embarrassed, needless to say. The fact that I was hiding this pregnancy from the Alpha… everybody was going to know about it, and it was humiliating. Not only that… but my baby's father was now aware of this situation, and he was going to ask questions. Did I really think I could pass this baby off as someone else’s when I hadn’t been with anyone else?

I was so stupid.

“Judy, wait!” I heard my name from one of the last people I wanted to see right now. I hurried down the street and away from the packhouse. I needed to get back to my condo, pack up, and then leave as fast as I could. There’s nothing for me here anymore. With me being pregnant, I couldn’t be on the Elite Force. Without my ties to the force, there’s nothing keeping me in the Redcliff pack.

“Judy, just stop, please!” That voice came again, and I winced when I realized that she wasn’t going to go away. She was staying and she was following…she wasn’t giving up that easily. I should have known she wasn’t going to give up like that.

Before I knew what was happening, she was grabbing my arm and stopping me from going any further.

I refused to look at her, though; my heart was heavy, and I knew if I looked at her face, I would break down and start crying. I didn’t want to show her that kind of weakness.

“I’m so sorry, Judy,” Lucy cried, and I could hear the break in her voice. “I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t want to betray your trust, but I couldn’t let you go on patrol with your team. He needed to know the truth…”

I knew she was right; hell, if she didn’t tell him, Dr. Jasper or one of the medical teams would have. A knot formed in the pit of my belly, and I hated how I was feeling. I wrapped my arms around myself and let out a deep and shuddering breath as I broke into tears.

She wrapped me in her arms, pulling me close to her.

“I’m so sorry. Please, don’t hate me,” Lucy whispered. “I was only looking out for you… You have to believe me…”

“I do,” I found myself whispering. “I’m not mad at you. I’m just… embarrassed… upset... I don’t know.” I let my voice trail off as uncertainty consumed me. “Why did you have to tell him in front of everyone, Lucy?”

“I didn’t,” she said quickly. “I whispered it to him…” She nibbled on her lower lip and gave me a sad expression as if that fixed everything. I sighed and looked up at the sky as if I were asking the goddess why she was cursing me like this.

“In front of everyone,” I told her, folding my arms across my chest. “It made a scene…”

Tears continued to fill her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled.

“I’m so sorry. I panicked. I didn’t know what else to do. But I knew you couldn’t go on patrol, Judy, and I know you… You would have tried because you want to help with the rogue problem… I needed to stop you before it came to that. Sampson needed to know the truth. I’m sorry it happened how it did, but it needed to be done.”

I knew she was right… Goddess, I hated that she was right.

A tear escaped my eye and went down my cheek.

“Can we go back to your condo?” She asked after a beat of silence. “I feel like there’s more that needs to be said that shouldn’t be out in public.”

I knew what she wanted to talk about; the huge fucking elephant on the street. I nodded, and together we walked the rest of the way to my condo. It wasn’t a far walk, but it felt like it took hours to reach my condo. Most of the walk was done in silence as we both processed our thoughts and tried to figure out where we stood with one another.

I pulled my keys out of my bag and unlocked the front door, stepping into the vast space with Lucy following behind me.

She shut the door.

“Can I use your restroom?” She asked. “I must look like a mess and need to freshen up.”

Despite Lucy crying for the last couple of hours since the pack meeting till now, she still looked gorgeous. Yes, she had some makeup smeared under her eyes, and her face was a bit pale, but she was stunning.

“Of course,” I tell her.

She heads to the bathroom while I get the living room set up for a much-needed talk. I still wasn’t sure where my friendship stood with Lucy, but for right now, I think I needed a friend more than anyone. I wanted to call Nan and Irene and tell them what was happening, but that would mean admitting that I’m pregnant with Gavin’s baby, and I’d rather skip that part. I wanted to talk to someone who already knew that part of the story, so I didn’t have to repeat it.

It didn’t take long for Lucy to return. Her makeup was cleaned up, and her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

She gave me a small smile when she saw me seated on the couch. When she joined me, she turned to face me, getting herself comfortable.

“So, spill it,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Gavin Landry? How do you know him?”

I bit my lower lip and nibbled on it; I knew this question was going to happen. I took a deep breath before answering her question.

“I’m from his territory,” I told her. “I actually tutor his son…”

“His son??” She asked with wide eyes. “You personally work for Gavin Landry?”

I nodded and looked away from her penetrating eyes.

“Yes,” I tell her. “I have for almost 2 years…”

Her eyes grew large.

“What??” She gasped. “Holy shit. We barely even see Alpha Levi… like never. And you’re telling me you see Gavin Landry almost every day?”

“It was more like every other day,” I told her with a shrug. “And yeah, I saw him a lot… maybe a little too much on some days.”

My cheeks were burning, and her eyes grew even wider if that was possible.

“So, it’s true then,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. It wasn’t a question, but I knew she was waiting for an answer.

“What’s true?” I asked, playing stupid.

She rolled her eyes and then cocked her head to the side as she stared at me.

“That baby in your belly…” she said, eyes flickering to my still flat stomach before meeting my eyes again. “It’s Alpha Landry’s baby.”

My breathing halted at her words; once again, it wasn’t a question, just an observation, and I knew he was waiting for confirmation.

My hands immediately go to my belly, my fingers trembling as I fight to keep from curling up in a ball and crying.

“Yes, I’m pregnant with his baby,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, leaning back in her seat. “And you ran away from him?”

The memory of leaving the Silver Crescent pack came rushing back to me. My cheeks burned with regret and embarrassment, but at the same time, I had every reason to leave.

“He’s with someone else,” I muttered. “And expecting a baby with her.”

“Wait, what??” She asked, her brows furrowed. “What do you mean he’s with somebody else?”

“I mean, he has someone waiting for him at home. A fiancé or whatever… he chose her over me…”

She stared at me, dumbfounded for a moment before asking, “Then why is he here?”

I raised my brows.

“To help the pack, he was called here,” I reminded her.

She shook her head, that frown deepening on her face.

“He might have come here because he was called, but I guarantee he’s not leaving unless you’re with him,” she said, her eyes remaining on me. “The way he looked at you in the office… it was like you were his entire world.”

I shook my head.

“No, you’re mistaken,” I told her. “He doesn’t like me… he doesn’t care about me, and he won’t care about this baby. The only thing he cares about is Rachel…”

“Rachel?” She asked.

I nodded.

“His fiancée,” I muttered. “And the mother of his future child. He got her pregnant…”

She was quiet for a long moment while she processed that information. She opened her mouth to say something more, and I braced myself for another round of questions, but then I heard the doorbell.

I looked at Lucy, who raised her brows and shrugged her shoulders.

Sighing, I stood up and went to the front door. I pulled it open to reveal Sampson, who was sheepishly standing in front of me.

“Sorry to bother you,” he murmured. “But he wouldn’t let me go otherwise…”

He didn’t need to step aside for me to know… I already knew who he brought with him.

Sampson cleared his throat.

“He’s not going to leave until you talk to him.”