Chapter 326

Judy’s POV

Gavin’s mother lived in a manor on the other side of the pack; it was a smaller manor, but it was perfect for just one woman and her staff members to live there. Chester would speak about this home on occasions because sometimes he would be sent there to work in the kitchen when her head chef fell ill. He would say that despite Donna Landry’s age, she still takes lovers like she were in her youth. She typically sticks with young men and often flirts with Chester as well, though he declines her advances. Even more so now that he’s mated to my best friend.

Being near Donna’s home gave me a sense of unease; I knew this woman couldn’t stand me, and now that I was officially Gavin’s mate and carrying his baby, I knew she was going to throw a fit. I just hoped that Daisy wasn’t going to be here to witness it.

Daisy Baldwin and Donna Landry were close, and more often than not, Daisy would be found in Donna’s home.

Erik pulled up the windy driveway; I noticed a marble water fountain of a Greek god in front of the manor. If that didn’t tell you all you needed to know about Donna Landry, then I’m not sure what would.

The car stopped and I found myself staring up at the manor, my heart racing a thousand miles per hour and my palms growing sweaty with nerves. I felt the warmth of Gavin’s hand enclosing mine, bringing me back to the present moment. I looked up at his earnest expression, and a small smile tipped the corner of his lips.

“It’s going to be okay,” he assured me. “Just stick with me.”

I bit my lower lip, nibbling on it nervously, and I nodded, trying to steel myself before getting out of the car.

Gavin slid out of the car first, helping me out afterwards. Once we were both out of the car, he nodded at Erik, who gave him a subtle nod in return. Erik’s eyes found mine, and the quirk of his brow made me realize that he understood how I was feeling. Erik had been by my side for a while since I started to work for Gavin, and he became my personal driver. He knew how I felt towards Donna Landry and how she felt towards me.

I knew his look was meant to be reassuring, telling me he was there if anything went wrong, but it only solidified my feelings.

Gavin’s hand remained in mine, and he gave me a gentle squeeze.

He walked up the front steps, and before he even reached the door, it opened. A tall, lanky man stood in the breezeway, his greying hair glistened under the setting sun, and his pale green eyes shone with familiarity as he took Gavin in.

“Alpha Landry,” the man said, bowing his head to Gavin. “It’s good to see you again.”

“James,” Gavin greeted. He removed his hand from mine, leaving me feeling oddly cold and vulnerable. But before the feeling could linger and fester, his warm hand was placed on the small of my back, and I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Is my mother home?”

“She is,” the man said, stepping aside.

James was wearing a tailored suit that reminded me of the suit Adam always wore. I realized that must be the typical butler uniform. I assumed that James was Donna’s butler, considering he was answering her door in that suit.

Gavin, keeping his hand on the small of my back and guiding me, stepped into the home. I got a whiff of the scent that consumed the place, and all I could smell was Gavin’s mother. It wasn’t a terrible smell, but it reminded me of the time she and Daisy ambushed me at the restaurant when I was trying to enjoy my meal with my parents.

That was a scent I would never forget.

“I’ll go retrieve her,” James said as he closed the door behind us. “You may go into the sitting room to wait for her. I’ll have a maid bring you both some tea.”

“Thank you,” Gavin said to him as he guided me across the front foyer and towards another room. This room didn’t have a doorway, only an archway. It only had a couple of couches and armchairs, along with a coffee table and a mini bar on the far side of the room. It was casually decorated; much more casual than I expected, and it had a strange homey feeling to it.

There was a large glass door near the mini bar that led out to one of the back patios and overlooked the garden area.

I hated to admit it, but this place was gorgeous.

“Mom loves flowers,” Gavin said, following my gaze. “I made sure this place had the best garden in the pack. Of course, she only likes to look at them and not care for them, so I hired the best gardeners as well.”

“It’s beautiful,” I tell him, my voice coming out softer than intended.

He nodded.

“Take a seat,” he said, motioning for the couch. I did as he said, and he sat beside me, his hand finding mine again. It was almost as if he couldn’t stand the thought of not touching me, and I was more than okay with that. My wolf was basking in his nearness and loved his touch even more than I did.

Soon, a woman walked in with a platter of tea and a different assortment of sweeteners, along with a small cup of milk.

“Is there anything I can get for you, Alpha?” The woman asked, setting the platter down on the table in front of us.

“No, just my mother,” Gavin replied.

“She’ll be down in a moment. You know how your mother is,” the woman said with a faint laugh.

Gavin nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, though he managed to suppress it.

“Matilda, this is Judy. Judy, this is my mother’s head maid. She’s been a part of this family for a long time,” Gavin said.

I smiled politely at the woman, Matilda, who smiled in return and bowed her head to me. Her eyes shifted to the hand Gavin was holding, and her face brightened.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss… uh… sorry, I didn’t catch your last name,” she said, a bit awkwardly.

“It’s Montague,” I told her. “But please, just call me Judy.”

Her smile softened.

“Miss Judy,” she replied. Matilda turned to Gavin and gave him a knowing look. “She’s quite beautiful.”

Before I could feel my cheeks heating and feeling embarrassed about the compliment, Gavin finally allowed himself to smile.

“Yes, she is,” he replied simply, making my heart skip a beat.

I looked up at him, my eyes wide, and he gave me a subtle wink. I wasn’t sure why it surprised me, but it did. The fact that he can be so openly fond of me is shocking and comforting all at the same time.

“I’ll go see what’s keeping your mother,” she said. “If you need anything, just call me on the pack link.”

Gavin nodded and watched her retreating form.

“She seems nice,” I say once we are alone.

He nodded.

“Yeah, Matilda practically raised me growing up,” he explained. “My mother wasn’t around much, and my father was too busy being an Alpha. The only time he really paid attention to me was when I was training. He paid more attention to me when I became a teenager, and he found out that I inherited the Lycan bloodline from my great-grandfather.”

I knew very little of the Lycan bloodline, but I knew that they were a rarity. They were the most powerful wolves in the world, and there were quite a few of them. But there were only 4 of the most powerful amongst the Lycans who were made Chairmen. The 4 members of the Chairmen divided the werewolf nation into 4 parts, though it took a great war for that to happen. The most powerful of them all managed to get the biggest chunk of land, while the others had smaller parts.

It was Gavin’s great-grandfather who had fought in this war and was labeled the most powerful Lycan. That was passed down to Gavin, and in due time, it turned out that Gavin was also the most powerful after his great-grandfather passed away.

“It must have been difficult for you to not have your parents around all the time,” I tell him, leaning against him. “I couldn’t imagine not having mine with me… even though I’m adopted. My parents are my rock.”

Gavin nodded thoughtfully.

“Do you know anything of your birth parents?” He asked.

I used to wonder more about them growing up, but over time, I realized that some things were better left unknown. I had a great life with a great family, and I didn’t want anything to ruin that.

“Only that they died in a rogue attack a few days after I was born,” I told him. “I was found and brought to an orphanage where I lived for a few years. I don’t remember much about the orphanage, but for a long time, I used to have nightmares. I’m pretty sure I was mistreated, and it left a lasting impression on my soul because I was never truly able to forget.”

I remembered the nightmares vividly, being yelled at and hit whenever I made a sound. Lying in a dirty diaper and getting the most painful rashes, crying until I had no voice, and nobody would come to see if I was okay. When I was 2 years old, I was picked on by other kids and made to feel like I was less than them.

These were all dreams, so I wasn’t sure if any of it really happened, but it all felt so real.

But then I was adopted and brought to the Redmoon Pack. That was where my life truly began.

“I only know they died when I was a baby,” I told him with a shrug. “I don’t think much about them anymore. I have a family that I love and wouldn’t trade anything for.

Gavin nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. Before we could say anything else, a voice spoke from the archway, making my entire body freeze.

“Why did you bring this bitch into my house?”