Chapter 339

Judy’s POV

My mouth nearly fell open at Gavin’s remark.

“Lila?” I asked, my brows furrowed. I wasn’t understanding what was happening, but all I knew was that Rebecca was standing in front of us, and she looked… different.

Her typical brown hair was no longer brown but blonde with pink streaks at the ends, entwining with curls that weren’t there before. Her features were all the same; she had the same brown eyes with long lashes and the same high cheekbones and rosy lips, only her makeup was a little different. Actually… it was the makeup that was different in general. Before, she didn’t wear any makeup, but now, it seemed she had a whole face full of it.

Like me, she wore a dress that hugged her figure and really brought out the size of her breasts, only I felt like she wore it better. She had her hands on her hips as she stared at me; the gaze turning into daggers that pierced my very soul. I was suddenly very uncomfortable being near her.

This was a woman who made me believe that she was sleeping with Gavin, having his baby, and about to get married to him. It was all a plan to get rid of me… Gavin caught on pretty quickly and spent way too much time tricking her into believing he was trustworthy while gathering information. During that time, I thought they were together, and I ran off to the Redcliff Pack.

I didn’t know it at the time, but it was all Levi’s plan to get rid of me… for what? I wasn’t sure. Maybe a distraction? Maybe to hurt Gavin? Maybe both? The thought sent a chill down my spine.

I thought Gavin had her on lockdown; she was supposed to be in a holding cell so they could decide on a proper punishment for her. Had they let her go free? I wanted to ask Gavin, but my mouth wouldn’t work, and my entire body felt rooted to the ground.

“Don’t pretend you aren’t happy to see me, Gavin,” Lila said as she batted her eyelashes up at him. “I know we had some tough times, but at the end of the day, it’ll always be me you want, and you can’t deny that.”

“I didn’t actually know anything real about you… So how could you say that I want you?” Gavin said flatly. “I didn’t even know your real name until recently. You led me to believe that your name was Rebecca this entire time.”

She swatted away his concern.

“Only because I wasn’t sure if I could trust you,” she said, lifting her shoulders. “But not everything was a lie…”

She reached out to touch his arm, and without warning, I grabbed her wrist, a snarl leaving my lips.

“Don’t touch my mate,” I hissed, my voice coming out primal.

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Mate?” She asked, at first shocked, but then an amused glint appeared in her eyes. “Well, that explains why he’s bothering with someone like you. You’re not his usual type.”

“Judy is more my type than you will ever be,” Gavin said, before I could say anything in response.

I put his hand on my hip again and pulled myself away from her slightly. I released my hold on her wrist, though I wanted to break her hand for even daring to touch what was mine. I never felt this need to protect someone before, not even Ethan. I never wanted to break Irene’s hand like this when Ethan left me for her… but when it came to Gavin, I would destroy anyone with ill intentions if it meant protecting him.

I felt his sense of pride when I stood my ground; he was proud of me and liked my reaction.

“There you are,” another familiar voice said, and I turned to see Alpha Levi approaching. “I see you are already making trouble for yourself.”

Levi stood beside Lila, his hand finding her hip, and I didn’t miss the fact that she leaned into him slightly.

“Did you expect anything less from me?” She asked, a teasing hint in her tone.

He smiled down at her.

“No, I did not,” he told her before focusing his attention on Gavin and me. “I see you are joining us for the auction this evening. It should be an interesting event.”

“Yes, it should be,” Gavin replied simply. “I’m surprised that you came all this way for just an auction. Surely you have them closer to your own territory as well, no?”

“We do, yes,” Levi replied. “But this one has a particular item I’ve had my eye on for some time, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Gavin’s jaw clenched.

“I guess I should wish you luck then,” Gavin said, his eyes never leaving Levi’s. I wasn’t sure what was happening or what Gavin’s plan was, but I had a strange feeling; a knot formed in the pit of my stomach.

Without warning, Gavin was guiding me away. We sat in our seats, his hand clasped in mine, and at that moment, I realized I was trembling. Whether it was from rage after our encounter with Lila, or nerves. Either or… I couldn’t seem to stop shaking.

Edward passed by us, handing Gavin a paddle with a number on it. Gavin nodded his thanks before Edward went around the room, passing paddles to all the gentlemen and a couple of women who had powerful auras.

Levi and Lila sat in the same row as us, though they were a few seats away.

I admired how confidently Gavin sat; I knew he was planning something, I just wasn’t sure what it was, and I wasn’t sure if he’d tell me if I asked him, at least not here. He wouldn’t. I glanced over at Levi and saw him grinning at Lila. They were also planning something. I just hoped that Gavin was one step ahead of him.

“I can feel your anxiety,” Gavin whispered from beside me.

“This is just a lot,” I admit. “I feel like I don’t belong here.”

His fingers wrapped around mine in a gentle handhold. He squeezed my hand gently.

“You belong by my side,” he reminded me. “Where I am, you belong.”

I felt my cheeks warming at the sincerity in his tone and at his words. Before I could reply, the auctioneer returned to the podium and tapped the mic a couple of times to test it.

I heard the soft humming of the cameras starting to roll, and the light around the room dimmed. A spotlight appeared on the stage, highlighting Edward as he stood at the podium.

One of the cameramen gave Edwards a thumbs up, and Edwards cleared his throat.

“Good evening, folks. We are about to start the auction. Today’s auction is a donation to the Cancer Center. Every cent we make today will go straight to their donation funds, so we appreciate you all for being here. The center holds a spot in the owner of this museum's heart. Cassandra William’s mother had recently passed away from her long battle with cancer. Let us all hold a moment of silence out of respect.”

The room fell silent; not even a hushed whisper could be heard. A woman stood off on the side of the stage, her head bowed and her eyes red from the tears she had cried. She was a gorgeous woman with shimmering blonde hair and a silver gown. Her fair complexion was radiant under the crystal chandelier. I had seen her featured in magazines before, and I knew right away that she was Cassandra Williams, a famous artist. This was her museum, and I was honored to be in the space.

The auctioneer, Edward, cleared his throat.

“Very good,” he said, breaking through the silence that nearly consumed us. “Now we are starting off with a priceless artifact… a pendant with the rarest red ruby, surrounded by the rare blue diamond. It was named the Fire Cry pendant; the ruby presented the fire, and the diamonds represented the tears. It’s worth $100,000 on the market, and it was given to us by Madam Eliana of the Westwood pack, passed down by generations.”

Cassandra walked out, wheeling a small cart that held the pendant on display for the room to see. There was a camera zoomed in on it as well, which brought the pendant to a big screen on the stage for us to get a closer look.

It was gorgeous, and my chest tightened when he said that it cost $100,000. If this is what we were starting off with, I couldn’t imagine what the rest of the auction was going to be like.

I wondered why Madam Eliana would want to sell such a priceless heirloom. I’ve learned of her school; she was a heiress in the Westwood pack… her father was a rich Alpha, and though they aren’t as rich as Gavin’s family, or as powerful, they have made a name for themselves.

Eliana had taken over the pack as one of the first female Alphas after her father’s death a few years ago. I was surprised that she was selling this necklace because it once belonged to her grandmother.

“We will start the bid off at $100,000,” Edward continued.

A few paddles went up, including Levi’s. Lila beamed, and I knew he was trying to win the pendant for her.

$110,000,” Levi said, a smug smile on his face.

“$110,000, am I hearing $120,000?” Edward asked the room.

A few paddles went up, but not as many as the last time.

$150,000,” Levi said confidently.

“$150,000… am I hearing $160,000?” Edward asked.

Only one other paddle went up.

I glance at Gavin to see if he was seeing this, and as amazed as I was, he was too focused on his phone. He was typing away, texting somebody, and my brows furrowed at the sight.

$200,000,” Levi announced, his voice booming across the room. A few gasped; that was double the asking price, and the fact that he can throw money around like that was jaw-dropping, especially considering this wasn’t his main focus.

“$200,000, am I hearing $210,000?” Edward asked.

There was silence; no paddle went up, and Levi sat back in his seat, a smile on his face while Lila beamed with excitement.

“$200,000, going once… going twice…”

Gavin, who was typing on the phone up until that point, stood to his feet, his paddle high in the air.

“$500,000.”