Chapter 378

Judy’s POV

The plane went very still for a moment, like the air forgot how to breathe.

Erik had a mate? How was this the first time I had heard about this? Erik was the kind of guy who believed he would never find a mate. He mentioned in the past that he didn’t even want a mate. He was too busy taking care of his mother and sister after his father passed away years ago. He works and lives for his family, and having a mate would complicate things.

Gavin’s Lycan power rolled through the cabin; it didn’t roar… it settled. It was heavy and absolute, pressing on my skin until the hair on my arms lifted. His voice came low and lethal.

“Taylor, restrain him.”

Taylor was already up. Erik wasn’t fighting so much as shaking—gold burning through his iris, jaw clenched against the snarl he couldn’t swallow. Claws half-formed at his fingertips, chest heaving, not a threat so much as a wolf trapped inside a man.

“I can’t…” Erik tried to say as he struggled against his wolf. But his words dissolved into a guttural sound, and my heart lurched.

Taylor came closer to Erik as if he were approaching a wild animal; I suppose in some ways, he was.

“Just wait a minute,” I said, putting my hand up to stop Taylor from grabbing Erik. I turned to look at Erik, who was still gripping the armrests as if his life depended on it. “Erik, look at me.”

His gaze snapped to mine. For a heartbeat, the gold dimmed, and the brown surface, the man shouldering the beast back a fraction. He looked… lost. Maybe even a little bit broken. I hated that my friend was going through something, and I wasn’t sure how to help him.

When had he met his mate, and who was she?

I wanted to ask these questions, but not while his wolf is on the edge and not in front of all these people… even if these people were my best friends.

“I can’t control him…” Erik finally whispered, his voice sounding so sad and worried.

“I know,” I kept my tone even, steady. “But you have to breathe.”

Taylor was right next to us now.

“Erik, how about I sit with you for a while?” Taylor suggested. “That way, if you do try anything, I’ll be there to stop it.”

Erik didn’t reply; instead, the gold and black returned his eyes, and he let out a snarl. His wolf didn’t like that idea; he only wanted one thing, and nothing else mattered until he got that one thing. I could see that a shift was on the horizon, and before I knew what was happening, Taylor was grabbing me and pulling me out of the seat. Suddenly, everybody was awake and alert, their eyes wide when they caught wind of Erik, struggling against his wolf and practically mid shift.

Gavin was out of his seat in second, wrapping his arms around me, blocking my view of Erik. I struggled against him, not wanting to leave my friend behind; I knew Erik would never hurt me… he just wasn’t in his right mind right now.

I finally was able to get a look at Erik just in time to watch him stick him with a needle. The snarling grew quieter until Erik slumped against his seat, his eyes closed, and his head rested on the window. Taylor let out a sigh and leaned back in the seat.

“What the hell just happened?” Nan asked, her eyes wide, when she spotted what was happening.

“Erik went crazy,” Matt said with a laugh. “Taylor was badass though.”

Taylor smirked at Matt’s words.

My eyes wouldn’t leave Erik’s. He was so upset… so broken. He had a mate.

My eyes immiedalty went to Irene at that thought, and I noticed her watching Erik with a frown, but she made no movements towards him. A small frown between her brows, and I wondered for a moment what was going through her mind.

“You shouldn’t have gotten that close to him,” Gavin said as he guided me back to our seats. “It was dangerous while he was struggling like that.”

“You wouldn’t have let him hurt me.”

“That’s not the point,” he said, his mouth tightening.

I knew he was right, and it was probably stupid to approach a wild wolf while pregnant. I not only put myself in danger, but I also put my baby in danger. However, I still believed that Erik would never hurt either of us… I couldn’t take chances like that anymore.

“I’m okay,” I assured him. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

He stroked his thumb once along my cheekbone and kept his arm around me like he could keep the entire world away with his body alone.

By the time we landed, it was dawn. The doors opened and cool air rushed in; it smelled like rain, metal, and home. When we got off the plane, Gavin and Taylor worked together to get Erik into a waiting car with some Gammas on standby.

“Take him to Eliza’s clinic,” Gavin ordered the gammas.

Confused, they looked at one another before their eyes settled on Erik.

“Is he okay?” One of them asked.

‘He’ll be fine,” Gavin muttered. “You can ask him questions when he wakes.”

They both nodded and took Erik away without another word.

Gavin guided me to the familiar vehicle that would take us home. He opened the door for me, and his expression shifted when he saw the way my knees wobbled. He didn’t say anything about it, though, and I was grateful for that. He slid into the car with me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his side.

By the time we reached the villa, sunlight was gilding the edges of the roofline. Gavin exited the car first, saying goodbye to the gamma who had driven us, considering Taylor went to his mate's clinic with Erik. Irene and Matt were quiet the entire drive; Irene was still so lost in thought. I wanted to talk to her and find out what’s going through her mind, but I also didn’t want to pry.

Matt just looked exhausted.

“I’m going to bed,” Matt yawned as he exited the car.

“Goodnight,” I told him, giving him a quick hug as I watched him head inside.

I didn’t even notice that Irene was already inside, and I felt slightly hurt at the fact that she wasn’t talking ot me. I know I’m marrying her father soon, but she wa still my friend and I wanted to be there for her. But it seemed she didn’t want me anywhere near her, which hurt more than anything.

Gavin scooped me into his arms, taking my breath away, and then he started to walk inside.

“I can walk, you know,” I said, keeping my voice teasing.

He grinned down at me.

“Indulge me.”

I rolled my eyes, but it was plausible. He bent and kissed my nose, making me chuckle. He took the stairs like I weighed nothing and set me down on our bed as if I might burst at the heels.

“You’ve been hovering,” I told him, but I didn’t make it sharp. Truth be told, I liked it when he hovered. It made me feel protected and safe.

“You passed out yesterday, Judy,” he reminded me. His hand stayed a warm weight at my waist. “So, yes, I’ll hover for a while.”

“You make it sound like I passed out on purpose,” I say, raising my brows.

“Knowing you? The corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m not ruling it out.”

I laughed, though it was weak and tired—it was a real laugh. He leaned in, brushed a stray curl from my forehead, and for a while, we didn’t talk at all. Silence wasn’t empty with him; it filled in around us and breathed.

“Do you think Erik will be okay?” I asked finally.

“He will,” Gavin said without hesitation. “Eliza and Taylor will handle it.”

I nodded, wanting to believe it.

“He has a mate,” I whispered.

“It seems so.”

“He never told me,” I said, shaking my head. “I thought we were friends… I can’t believe he never told me. Did you know?”

“No, of course not. You know more about him than I do,” Gavin told me, tightening his hold on me.

I nodded, and our conversation faded into a comfortable silence. We held each other and shared kisses occasionally.

“I think I’m going to talk to my parents tomorrow,” I said suddenly, drawing his attention.

He raised his brows.

“Talk to them about what?”

I nibbled on my lower lip as I thought about everything that’s happened these last couple of weeks. I had questions about what was happening to me and who I truly was, and I knew the ones who would know were the ones who had taken care of me my entire life. I never questioned things before because they took such good care of me and never made me think they didn’t love me as if I were their own.

I never really cared too much about what happened to my birth parents because I already had parents who loved me and never made me want for anything.

“About me…” I said after a short pause. “I think it’s finally time to find out where I came from.”