Chapter 297

Gavin’s POV

I was an asshole.

I ran my fingers through my hair as I watched Judy run out of the packhouse. I thought about going after her, but I knew she needed space. I hated that I upset her; I let my pride cloud my judgment, and I said something I regretted immediately. I was being and acting stupid; she just had an infuriating way of bringing it out of me.

But I knew that wasn’t an excuse.

I embarrassed her. I hurt her.

I could feel Sampson’s eyes on me as he leaned against his desk.

“I would have done the same,” he finally spoke, breaking through the tense silence. “If it were Lucy. I wouldn’t allow her to stay in another pack… at least not without me.”

“Lucy is your mate,” I said, my eyes finding his. “Judy isn’t mine.”

Sampson raised his brows.

“You sure about that?” He asked. “From the way you two responded to one another, I could practically see the pull from here.”

“I think I would know if she were my mate,” I muttered. “She’s not… but she is carrying my pup, and I won’t have her living in Levi’s territory. She belongs in the Silver Crescent pack with me, and near her friends and family. She left because of misunderstandings, which were cleared up last night. She’s not in her right head space, and she will come around soon enough.”

Sampson nodded, though I could tell there was something he wasn’t saying.

“Speak,” I ordered, my eyes narrowed at him.

“I’ve only known Judy for a short time, but she’s a stubborn girl. Telling her what to do isn’t going to end well. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and if you mean something to her, she was probably already considering turning down my offer and returning home with you. She didn’t exactly look pleased or excited when I told her she could stay in my pack.”

I froze at his words; had I pushed her far enough where she might actually want to stay here? He was right; she was stubborn as fuck and she had pride… pride that I stomped on.

“Sampson, what happened with—” Lucy walked into the office, but her voice trailed off when she spotted me.

Sampson frowned at his mate, a concern lingering in his eyes.

“What is it?” He asked, and his posture suddenly started straightening.

She pulled her gaze away from me and looked at Sampson.

“Judy,” she finished. “She left here upset. She was sobbing when I saw her. I tried to talk to her, but I don’t think she knew I was there. Spencer ended up taking her away.”

At the sound of Spencer’s name, my wolf was immediately alerted, and I couldn’t hold in the growl that escaped my lips.

“Why would Spencer take her away?” I asked through my teeth, my wolf close to the surface as I glared at Lucy.

She flushed under my scrutiny and took a step away.

“I… uh… I don’t know,” she stammered nervously.

On cue, Sampson was by her side, draping a protective arm around her. I knew that move all too well; he was worried I’d do something stupid to hurt his mate, and he wouldn’t tolerate that.

I had to calm myself before I started a war in this pack.

“Where did she go?” I asked, taking a deep breath, feeling my wolf stirring and stewing in its own anger and slight fear.

“Maybe he took her home?” She suggested, her eyes avoiding mine. I knew it was because my Lycan aura was strong; it was intimidating, and most had trouble looking directly at me when I got like this. Even Sampson struggled to look at me.

I didn’t wait around for them to say anything more. I hurried out of the office, ignoring everyone in my path who stopped to gawk at me. Most downcast their eyes the second they saw me because once again, my Lycan aura was too much for them.

I wasted no time in getting to Judy’s condo, and the second I stepped onto the property, I knew she wasn’t there. I still entertained the thought that maybe she was wearing the masking spray, and I couldn’t smell her, but even so, I knew in my gut that she wasn’t home. I would have been able to sense her somehow now that I’ve had a taste of her again; my wolf would know right away if she were here.

I walked into her condo, looking around the quiet space. My heart was racing against my ribcage.

“Judy?” I called out, my voice practically echoing through the vast space.

I walked into her kitchen, saw that it was untouched. I went towards her bedroom and stepped into the room. It looked exactly the same as it was before I left this morning.

“Fuck,” I cursed, feeling my aggravation growing.

Who the fuck did Spencer think he was?? Why would he take her away, and where would he have taken her?

My phone started to ring, bringing me out of my thoughts. My knuckles were tight as I gripped my phone in my pocket and glared at the screen. I tried to calm myself when I saw that it was Irene calling.

Taking a steady breath, I pressed the talk button and put the phone to my ear.

“Irene,” I greeted as if I were greeting a business partner, but it was the most I could manage right now. I was speaking through gritted teeth and trying to keep my wolf under control. I know better than anyone that if I wanted to find Judy and bring her home with me, I needed to be calm. I needed a calm mentality, and honestly, my daughter was pretty good at keeping me calm most of the time.

Plus, she could be calling for an emergency; ignoring the calls of my children was something I would never do if I could help it.

“Woah,” she said, taken aback by the harsh sound of my tone. “What’s crawled up your butt?”

“I’m not in the mood, Irene. What is it you need?” I asked, my jaw clenched.

“I was just asking if you could send over the adoption paperwork for Nan and Chester,” she told me.

I almost forgot about the adoption paperwork; I told her once I finished reviewing it, I would sign it and send it back to her so they could finalize it. Honestly, I was a bit worried about handing Emalyn over to Nan and Chester because of their unstable relationship. They are unmarried, and I wasn’t really sure if they’d make it as a couple. But these last few weeks have proved me wrong; they have gotten closer, and Chester even went as far as proposing to Nan, who surprisingly said yes.

Plus, they are both really good with the baby, and Irene trusts them.

“I hadn’t gotten around to reviewing them,” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair frustratingly. “I will soon, and I’ll send them to you.”

“Okay, what’s going on with you?” Irene asked, and I could almost see the furrow between her brows. “Forgetting something that serious isn’t you.”

“I didn’t forget, I—”

“Don’t lie to me, Dad,” she said, stopping my lie before it could fully leave my lips. She was right; I was lying. I completely forgot. The second I saw Judy, all my duties left my mind completely. “What’s really going on with you?”

I was quiet for a moment; should I tell her the truth? She was my daughter, and I hated lying to her. She was old enough to know when I was lying now, and I didn’t want to keep her in the dark when it was important.

“I found her,” I said, my tone dropping to barely above a whisper.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before she asked, “Found who?”

I was quiet, her name feeling heavy on my lips as I spoke it.

“Judy.”

Irene gasped.

“What??” She asked. “It’s been 2 weeks, and you’re telling me you found her? Where??”

“She’s been in the Redcliff pack,” I murmured, leaning against the wall; I needed it to support my weight.

“The Redcliff?” She asked. “Isn’t that in the far North? Alpha Levi’s territory?”

“That’s the one,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

“Why would she be there?” She asked. “She told me she got an offer in a different territory, but Levi’s?? What was she thinking?”

“She wanted to hurt me,” I sighed.

“Hurt you? Why would she want to—” her voice trailed off, and then she gasped softly. “Because of Rachel. She still thinks you and Rachel are together?”

“No,” I said sharply. “I told her we aren’t, nor will we ever be together. I’m ordering her to come home with me once I’m done with business here.”

Silence.

“Irene?” I asked after she didn’t say anything for a long while.

“Order her?” Irene asked. “You’re going to order Judy to return home with you? Even if it’s against her will?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” I asked. “I can’t let her stay here in Levi’s territory,” I spoke Levi’s name like it was a bad taste on my tongue.

“If you order her around, you will make her run,” Irene said, and I knew she was right, but I couldn’t help myself. I knew I was being stupid; I was selfish, and it was pushing her further away, not pulling her closer. “Dad… do you want her?”

“Yes,” I replied, it was strange admitting that to my daughter, but it was true. I wanted Judy so badly that it hurt.

“Then listen to me,” she said, a determined sound in her voice. “You need to start doing this differently. You aren’t going to win her heart by ordering her around. You gotta woo her. Make her remember why she fell in love with you…”