Chapter 366

Judy’s POV

The dining room smelled of roasted chicken and rosemary, the scent making my stomach growl even as my baby fluttered low in my belly. I smoothed a hand over my small swell, my mind tumbling through the thing I hadn’t said out loud yet; my nerves, my hopes, my fear that I wasn’t doing enough to belong in this family… in this pack. I wasn’t just going to be a mother; I was going to be a Luna as well.

I never thought that I would ever be either, and it was a huge responsibility. I had one dream in life, and that was to be a gamma warrior… that was what I worked so hard to be, and now it’s like my dreams had all shifted to surround this little bean inside of me.

“Where are we going for vacation?” Matt asked, bouncing on his toes excitedly. It was rare that I saw Matt act his age; he was only 9, and he was the youngest shifter to ever be known in existence, not to mention an incredibly skilled fighter. It made me smile to see him so excited.

Irene had given me a wide-eyed look when Gavin mentioned a family vacation, and I gave her a slight wink, indicating that her suspicions were true; we were going to Alpha Jeremy’s pack, Blood Thorne.

Jermey’s territory was European and a place I always wanted to visit.

“Blood Thorne,” Gavin told him.

“Where is that?” Matt asked, his eyes wide.

“France,” Irene said with a grin. “It’s Alpha Jeremy’s territory.”

“Ohhh! I always wanted to go to France!” Matt said excitedly.

“Good, because we are going in a couple of days,” Gavin announced. “I was sent tickets to the Masquerade ball. Though Matt, you won't be able to attend the ball, I’m sure there will be something we can find for you to do.”

“Why can’t I go to the ball?” He asked, pouting.

“It’s for adults,” Gavin told him.

“What are we talking about?” Taylor asked. I hadn’t noticed him and Eliza seated at the table when we entered.

Eliza stood and gave me a hug as I neared her.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, placing her hand on my belly. She can’t help herself; even when she’s not on duty, she’s still working.

I smiled at her.

“I’m feeling incredible,” I tell her.

“Good; any abdominal pain?”

“None,” I assured her. “Don’t fuss over me, Eliza. We didn’t invite you here so you can work.”

She blushed at my words and sucked her bottom lip into my mouth.

“I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Sometimes I can’t help it.”

“What do you say, Eliza? Up for a trip?” Taylor asked, interrupting our little side conversation. We both turned to see Taylor and Gavin staring over at us. Gavin must have told him about our trip to Jeremy’s territory.

“A trip?” She asked, blinking. “Where?”

“Blood Thorne,” Taylor told her. “Alpha Jeremy’s territory.”

“Isn’t that a pack in France?” she asked, raising her brows. “I did some work over there a couple of years ago.”

Taylor nodded.

“We were just invited to a Masquerade ball over the weekend,” Taylor said, nodding his head towards Gavin.

Eliza frowned.

“I have patients here; I can’t exactly go away for a whole weekend,” Eliza said, a crease forming between her brows.

“We can get someone to cover your patients,” Gavin told her as he took his seat, motioning for me to sit beside him. “I wanted you to come along specifically for Judy. I worry about her being so far away during this fragile state of pregnancy, and considering it’s high risk, I wanted you to remain close to her during this trip.”

Eliza’s frown didn’t ease, though her expression softened slightly.

“I don’t trust anyone else with my patients,” she said softly.

“It’s only for the weekend, and I can help you choose a proper candidate to take over,” Gavin assured her. “There has to be someone you trust at least a little.”

She thought about it for a moment before she let out a breath.

“I suppose I can find someone,” she murmured before she lifted her gaze to her mate. “Okay, I suppose we can go.”

Taylor’s face lit up with excitement.

“Excellent,” he said, clapping his hands together.

“These invites include a plus one, so that still leaves us with one ticket left. I’m not entirely sure why he sent me so many,” Gavin said, his eyes shifting to me. I knew he suspected something, considering I mentioned going to his territory prior to these invites. But I feigned innocence. “Any idea who we should invite next?”

“How about Nan?” I asked quickly. “She can bring Chester.”

“I had a feeling that’s what you’d say,” Gavin said with a smirk.

“Can we bring Erk too?” Irene asked, her eyes shifting to her father. “He can be my plus one… it would be good to have a bodyguard, and Erik knows us the best. I think he’d be a better traveling companion than anyone else.”

Gavin thought about it for a moment before he nodded.

“I’ll talk to Erik tomorrow,” Gavin said.

Just then, our dinner arrived. My stomach growled even more at the sight of the delicious food. I said my thanks to the maid who placed a plate in front of me, along with a glass of water.

For a few moments, we ate in silence, each consumed in our own thoughts. Taylor was the first to break the quiet. He leaned back in his chair, his smile tugging just a little crooked, that easy charm of his slipping into the room like sunlight through the curtains.

“Well,” he said, lifting his glass. “I suppose I should start practicing how to walk without tripping over a tuxedo. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to a formal event, and I never do well with them.”

Eliza’s lips curved as she smoothed her napkin across her lap.

“Maybe you should take me out more,” she teased before she glanced at me. “Last time he took me somewhere nice, he managed to spill his wine all over the table, ruining my dress.”

I bit my lip to stifle a laugh.

“It was one time, and it was an accident,” Taylor shot back, mocking offense. “And I bought you a new one. Didn’t I?”

“You did,” she said, leaning over and pecking his lips with hers. “An even better one, I might add.”

“I’m not all bad,” Taylor said, shrugging one shoulder.

Eliza giggled, and I couldn’t help but smile at their affection; they are both so consumed with work all the time that I forget that they are a mated and loving couple. It makes my heart swell knowing that they have found one another, and they stuck it out no matter what life threw at them. No amount of distance could come between their mate bond, and I wondered if Gavin and I would ever reach that point. I still felt like our bond was fragile, but I think that’s because it’s still so new.

Irene was also watching Taylor and Eliza; her expression was more somber, though. I knew she was thinking about Chuck at that moment. Chuck, her mate, who lived in the Blood Thorne Pack and hadn’t invited Irene to move in with him, or made any attempt to fully claim her yet. The mate she’s convinced was with other women when he’s not with her, even though she doesn’t want to admit that out loud.

This wasn’t just a family vacation for her… nor was it for me. We were on a mission to see if it was true. To see if the man she came to love over these last few months truly was cheating on her and making a fool out of her.

My heart ached at the thought of something like this happening again. Irene deserved a happily ever after, and the thought of yet another man playing her was something I couldn’t even comprehend.

The conversation shifted to more of a business aspect on Gavin's and Taylor's end. I heard Zachary Blackwell coming up a couple of times, and I felt my blood go cold at the sound of the Blackwells’ name. I hadn’t had any further dreams like I had a few nights ago, but the old woman's voice still echoed in my head, something I could never forget.

Blood calls to blood.

It's now known that the Blackwells, now that they are out of hiding, want to collaborate with the Landry Foundation, though I’m not sure if Gavin has fully accepted the offer yet. He’s been lost in thought since we left the manor a few days ago, and I’ve been wanting to ask what’s been running through his head, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me the truth.

When dinner concluded, Eliza and Taylor left so they could get a head start on packing.

“I need to make some phone calls in my office to make sure everything is taken care of for the weekend,” Gavin tells me as he presses his lips to the corner of my mouth. “I’ll be up shortly. You should start packing too. It’s a bit colder this time of year in France, so pack accordingly.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, my lips tipping into a smirk.

He raised his brows and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

“Sir, huh?” He asked, a flirtatious glint to his tone. He pressed his lips to my ear and whispered, “Save that for later.”

I flushed and bit back a grin before he placed another kiss on my temple and left the dining room. Matt had already taken off, so he could pack his stuff as well; he was more excited for this trip than anything.

As I started to make my way upstairs and towards the bedroom, I spotted Irene, who was about to disappear into her room.

“Hey,” I said before she could close the door. She turned to me, and I saw her eyes were red with unshed tears. I swallowed. “Are you doing okay?”

She stared at me for a moment longer before she let out a breath.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “Because I have no idea what I’m going to find once I get there…”

“Whatever it is, we will face it together. You know we have your back, Irene,” I told her, hoping my words came across as genuine.

Before she could reply, her phone rang. She glanced down at the screen, and more tears filled her eyes.

“I have ot take this,” she whispered. She pushed the talk button and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hey, Babe,” she said just as she shut the door.