Chapter 309

Gavin’s POV

Watching Judy in her element, comforting Lucy and some of the other packmates, it made my heart sour. It was like watching her in a new light; it gave me a clear view of how she would be as an active Luna. I wanted to make her my Luna more than I wanted my next breath. Though she had worry lines beneath her eyes and a smile that seemed strained due to the high stress from the day, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I wasn’t sure how much more my heart could take.

While she was talking to a few packmates and then Lucy, I made a couple of calls and arranged a surprise for her. I wanted her to be happy, and I wanted her to know that I wanted nothing more than her happiness. I wanted to watch her flourish and be the woman, warrior, and Luna that I knew she was meant to be, but in order for that to happen, she needs to know she has people in her corner.

I felt her body tensing as I whispered against her ear, telling her I had a surprise for her.

“Do you trust me?” I asked her, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it.

Her breathing hitched, but without hesitation, she nodded.

“Yes,” she breathed.

I smiled, loving hearing that she trusted me. I pressed my lips to the nape of her neck, my heart skipping a beat, and my wolf wanting to surge forward. The urge to mark her as my own has been strong since finding her in the Redcliff pack. It’s something that I’ve never felt with anyone other than my late mate, but with Judy, things were different. I wanted her more than words could describe, and I was going to make sure she understood that.

She turned in my arms so she could look up at me.

“Is it a mistake to trust you?” She asked, her voice soft with a hint of vulnerability. It was a side of her that I knew only I saw.

I knew she thought she was weak because of these feelings and because of the vulnerability she shows me, but what she doesn’t know is that I find her to be the strongest woman I know.

“No,” I tell her honestly. “It’s not a mistake. I’ll never make you regret trusting me.”

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, and it made me want to suck her bottom lip into my mouth. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I held off for right now. There would be time for that later.

“Come with me,” I tell her again as I pull her towards the packhouse doors. The car I had ordered was already parked out front. Erik stood outside the back door, and when he saw Judy, he grinned. A surge of possessiveness washed through me, and I fought the urge to pull her into my side and keep her away from another male. But I knew I couldn’t do that… not with Judy.

She gasped when she saw him, and before I could stop her, she was running towards him. She had a smile on her face that I hadn’t seen in what felt like a long time, and it made a jealous rage boil through me.

I hated how easily she ran to him and how he wrapped his arms around her and twirled her. I clenched my fists at my side, keeping myself restrained. I knew they were friends; I assigned him as her personal driver for the last couple of years, and they’ve gotten close.

“Welcome back,” Erik said as he placed her back on the ground.

“It’s honestly good to be back. I didn’t realize how much I missed this place until I got here.”

“It’s only been a few weeks,” he teased.

She shrugged.

“A few weeks away from my home,” she reminded him, nudging his shoulder. “How have things been here while I was away?”

“Boring as fuck,” he told her, lifting one shoulder. “Maybe now things will liven back up.”

I stepped beside Judy, unable to contain myself anymore. I needed to be near her or my wolf would go crazy. She glanced up at me, her cheeks flushed from my close proximity. Erik straightened as he looked at me as well; I was a little taller than he, so I looked down at him.

“You know where to take us?”

He nodded.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Good.” My eyes remained on him, a dare in my eyes.

He swallowed and stepped away from Judy. She frowned and narrowed her eyes at me, but I didn’t pay her any mind as I watched Erik open the car door for us. He ran around the car and got into the driver’s seat. I motioned for Judy to get into the car first, and she hesitated for only a moment before she slid into the car, leaving me room to slide in beside her.

Once we were seated and buckled, Erik drove off.

Judy stared out the window the entire time, her hands fidgeting on her lap nervously. I wanted to reach out and hold her hands, but I didn’t want to come on too strongly. Thankfully, it didn’t take us long to get to where we needed to go. Erik drove us to the city just outside of the Redmoon pack, headed towards the Silver Crescent, the same city as my office was in.

He parked outside the Skylight Restaurant, and as soon as he parked, Judy’s jaw dropped.

“The Skylight?” She asked, turning to look at me. “This restaurant is exclusive and invite-only.”

“I’m a Lycan, I don’t need an invite,” I told her, a cocky grin on my lips that I knew made her weak in the knees. I took her hand and pulled her along with me.

She straightened out her jeans and ran her hands down them.

“Gavin, I’m not dressed for a place like this,” she told me, a hint of panic in her voice.

“It’s okay,” I tell her. “I rented the entire place out, so there’s nobody here besides the staff.”

She gasped.

“You rented this out?” She asked, peeking up at me. “Why would you do that?”

I just grinned and took her hand, pulling her along with me. We walked inside, the gorgeous décor catching her eyes immediately. This place was gorgeous, and the entire place was made from glass. Her eyes darted all over the place, scanning the many tables that lined the back wall and the marble flooring as we walked across the vast space.

We were greeted by some of the staff who were assigned to keep the place under lockdown while we occupied the area. I nodded at them, and they bowed as I passed them.

We walked into the glass elevator, Judy stayed close to my side, even when I released her hand. It pleased me to see her clinging to my side. The elevator ride was a while; it was a skyscraper, and we were going to the rooftop dining area.

“We are going to the top?” Judy asked after a while.

I nodded.

“Yes,” I replied.

She turned to look at me, her eyes searching mine.

“What are you up to, Gavin?” She asked.

I smiled down at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears, but before I could reply, the doors opened. The rooftop dining area was a large garden, and it was gorgeous; it overlooked the entire city, regardless of which table we sat at.

A table was made up for us as we walked across the rooftop; it was draped in a white cloth that reached the ground, and in the center was a bouquet of white lilies, Judy’s favorite flowers, and a lavender candle, which I knew was her favorite scent.

Judy’s eyes lit up at the sight, and then her gaze wandered over to our view of the city. It was breathtaking, but not as breathtaking as the view in front of me.

Judy sat down at the seat, her eyes scanning the flowers and the placements in front of her, a twinkle of something in her eyes that made my heart skip a beat.

“Gavin, what is all of this?” She asked, her voice hoarse with emotions as she finally met my eyes.

“I looked for you.”

She raised her brows as she searched my face.

“What?” She asked.

“I looked for you… For those 2 weeks you were gone… I looked for you.”

She blinked as she stared at me.

“Oh…” she glanced down at the empty plate in front of her.

“When you left, it was like you took a part of me with you, and I wasn’t going to rest until you were back where you belonged… when I found you, I said some things I shouldn’t have said. I was so focused on bringing you home that I never stopped to consider your feelings, and for that I’m sorry.”

She wouldn’t look at me, but I could see the emotions all over her face. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth again.

“I was consumed by my need to protect you and our pup, to right a wrong. But I was wrong to take your choices away from you.”

“You brought me here to tell me that?” She asked, her eyes still focused on her plate.

I shake my head. I reach across the table to cup her chin, lifting her gaze to meet mine. I saw the unshed tears, and it was nearly my undoing.

“No,” I tell her, my voice filled with genuine admiration and something else… something stronger. “I brought you here to tell you… baby or not… I want you.”

Her cheeks flushed.

“W…what?”

“I want you,” I repeated. “Not as a fling… not as a fake girlfriend to get my mother off my back… not as a secret… I want you, Judy. I want to love you so loud that the world fucking hears it.”