Chapter 174

Judy’s POV

I lay in bed naked, watching Gavin dress. It was the middle of the night, and we just finished our 3(rd) round of sex when he finally decided he’d had enough and was about to leave and return to his own suite. My heart was heavy as I watched him dress; I was unable to move still because my legs were too wobbly, and every fiber of my being was craving more of him. It was safer if I just stayed in the bed.

He glanced at me over his shoulder, a smug look on his face. He could smell my pending arousal, and I hated that. That was the one shitty thing about werewolves; we could literally smell everything, including arousal. After he finished pulling his shirt on over his head, he turned to look at me.

“The Ethan situation will be handled accordingly,” he told me as if we just finished some kind of business deal. “He won’t be a problem to you or your family anymore.”

I nodded, not really sure what more to say. He walked over to my side, surprising me by his quick nearness. He closed the gap in only a few strides and bent to kiss me on the lips. It was a gesture I wasn’t prepared for, and my mind was whirling with thoughts on what it meant.

His words kept playing repeatedly in my mind.

“You are mine… and I always protect what is mine.”

What did that even mean? I was his…?

I shook the thought out of my head; it was a lust-filled comment, and it didn’t mean anything. He said it in the heat of the moment. He only wanted to draw a reaction from me, and I wasn’t going to justify him with one.

His kiss was simple and sweet, and yet it sent my heart into complete turmoil. When he pulled away, I felt a sudden loss. He stepped away and cleared his throat, running his fingers through his disheveled hair, a rarity for him, even after sex.

“I need to go,” he told me without much more of anything else.

On that note, he turned and left the suite, leaving me staring at the door, naked, and very much confused.

I only managed to get a few hours of sleep before Nan and Chester were walking back into the suite. I opened my eyes to see them whispering as they entered. Nan still looked a bit uncomfortable around him and he seemed as if he was walking on eggshells.

“Hey,” I said groggily as I sat up. “Where did you guys go?”

Nan smirked when she saw me.

“Well, your lover Lycan came in like a caveman, woke us up. Told us to get lost for the night. He bought us another hotel room for the night. So, we slept there,” Nan explained.

I raised my brows.

“Together?” I asked, peering between the two of them.

“We slept separate,” Nan clarified. “He slept on the couch, and I took the bed.”

“Did you talk at all?” I asked.

“Barely,” Chester was the one who begrudgingly answered.

“So, what’s the plan for today? Do you have more training?” Nan asked, ignoring him.

I shook my head.

“They gave us the day off,” I told her. “But I was thinking maybe we can have some fun today. Get our minds off things.” Lord knows I needed to get my mind off things that started with the G.

She nodded eagerly.

“Yes, I agree,” she said, sitting on my bed beside me. “Maybe we can find Sammy and invite her out with us. We can have a girl’s night and forget about guys for a while.”

Chester tensed at her words, and I felt a ping of guilt as I looked up at him. I hated that they were at odds with one another because they were both my friends.

“Actually, I was thinking maybe all of us can go out,” I suggested. “Chester could use a distraction too.”

Nan raised her brows as she looked at me, giving me the “You can’t be serious” look.

I smiled at her, nudging her shoulder.

“Can't you put her differences aside for one day? I asked her. “You are both my friends, and you are both in a difficult situation. You could both use a distraction. Just for today, let’s pretend that you don’t know each other and you are just two people who need a distraction.”

Nan looked hesitant, but she soon nodded slowly, her gaze flickering to Chester who was watching her before he decided with a nod.

I sighed out in relief.

“Good,” I said with a thoughtful smile. “Then we can see if Sammy is available and maybe Tabby too?”

“Sounds great,” Nan agreed.

“Oh, and Irene,” I added quickly.

Nan’s eyes grew wide as she snapped her gaze in my direction,

“Irene?” She asked, her mouth dropping open.

“Wait, Gavin’s daughter, Irene?” Chester asked, his brows furrowed. “She’s here? Since when?”

“She got in last night,” I explained. “It’s kind of a long story, but bottom line is… she knows the truth about Ethan.”

Nan’s eyes grew even larger as she studied my face. Nan was the only one who knew the entire story, so I knew I didn’t have to explain to her what I meant.

“Did he hurt her?” Nan finally asked after a beat of silence.

“Only emotionally<” I replied. “But she left him and came straight here. We talked about it last night and now she’s aware of the monster that he is.”

“Do you think she is strong enough to stay away from him?” Nan asked. “She was crazy obsessed with him. Like cut her wrists because her father disapproved of him, obsessed.”

“I think she’s plenty strong; now that she knows what he’s capable of, she has no interest in getting back together with him. From what she told me, it doesn’t look as if he would get back together with her either. He told her he didn’t need her or her father anymore to get what he wants.”

“What do you think he meant by that?” Nan asked, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

“Who knows,” I muttered. “But Gavin overheard everything and now he’s aware of what happened as well. He said he’s going to take care of it,” I explained.

“That explains why he looked so furious when he barged in here,” Chester said as he thought back to the night. “Should have heard him when he was pounding on the door. I thought he was going to break it off the hinges. The second the door was open, he was shoving past me and into the room, demanding that we leave for the night. He gave me a hotel key and everything.”

I shook my head at the thought.

“He’s such a caveman,” I murmured, still confused by his actions, but choosing not to dwell on them too much.

“But seriously though; I could definitely use a night out,” Chester added. “I heard there’s a nightclub in the city up the street. We should check it out.”

I grinned at the idea and looked at Nan; she nodded in agreement.

“So, it’s agreed. Tonight, we are partying!”

…..

Third Person POV

“Ethan, what the fuck have you done?” Ethan’s father, Raymond, growled as Ethan walked through the front door. “Why is the Beta searching for you and why did we get an Alpha order to remain here at all costs until his return next week?”

“You put us on house arrest,” his mother added, her arms wrapped around herself as if she might not survive being stuck in the manor for a week.

Ethan knew that by his current situation with Irene, he would have traveled to Gavin Landry. He had prepared for this, which was why he disappeared for the last few days.

“I have it handled,” Ethan said, walking past him and towards the stairs. “I only came to collect a few things and then I’ll be leaving.”

“Where are you going?” Raymond asked, following his son up the stairs.

“The least you know, the better,” Ethan told him, glancing over his shoulder. “That way they can’t Alpha command you into revealing my secrets.”

“Does this have anything to do with the Montagues?” Raymond asked.

Ethan paused outside his bedroom door, his eyes narrowed at his father, a look Raymond had never seen cross his son’s face before, causing him to pause.

“I have it handled,” Ethan said slowly, leaving no room for further arguments.

With that, he turned and stormed into his bedroom. The moment he was alone, he grabbed his phone and pulled out his contact.

Pressing his phone to his cheek, he waited for the contact to answer.

“I need you to pick me up. I have to leave my car here so I can’t be traced,” he said gruffly, waiting for them to reply.

“Do you think that’s a good idea? You know what will happen if we are caught together, Ethan,” the voice said on the other end of the line.

“It’s an emergency,” Ethan explained. “I’ll explain more when I see you. Can I expect you here soon?”

The other person sighed.

“Fine. But this better be good. I won’t be compromised because of you.”