Chapter 315

Judy’s POV

“Holy fuck! He marked you?!” Nan shrieked from the doorway of the kitchen. I texted her as soon as Gavin left, and she wasted no time in making an appearance. The staff hadn’t returned yet, so it was only the two of us in this huge mansion. I had just finished eating breakfast and was cleaning the dishes when Nan showed up.

The first thing she noticed was the mark on my neck. I had my hair pulled up and in a messy bun, so my mark was on full display. It’s not like I was planning on hiding it or anything; I was proud of this mark and was excited to show it off. However, I didn’t want to tell Irene or Matt about it just yet. I wanted Gavin and I to tell them together in a proper setting.

I smiled at her as I put the last dish in the dishwasher and shut the door. I turned to look at her and nodded, feeling my cheeks flushed.

“Yeah, it happened last night,” I told her. “I’m not sure what came over him… one minute we were having sex and the next minute he couldn’t control his wolf anymore. He marked me and I didn’t stop him.”

“Holy shit,” she gasped as she came closer to me, her eyes never leaving the mark. “It’s beautiful, way better than the mark Ethan left on you. He’s such scum. I never knew what you saw in him.”

She crinkled her nose like she smelled something foul. I grinned; Nan always made her feelings towards Ethan vocal.

“At least now he has no more ties to you.”

“Our ties had all but died long ago,” I told her. “Yeah, his mark still lingered, but I could barely feel the bond. It didn’t hurt when he fucked other women anymore. Not since Gavin and I first got together.”

I remembered how painful it was when Ethan was intimate with other women, especially Irene. It nearly destroyed my wolf; I shuddered at the thought. But then once I started sleeping with Gavin, things started to get better, and gradually, over time, the pain went away altogether.

I wondered briefly if it ever hurt Ethan whenever I was intimate with Gavin… but I stopped caring about it long ago.

“Yeah, but whenever he was around or nearby, your wolf still felt it, and some of that sorrow seeped back into your heart,” Nan reminded me. “You tried to hide it, but I’m your best friend and can read you like a book.”

I knew she was right; I was relieved that it would no longer be a factor. I can now face Ethan without feeling any type of dread.

“So, are you going to tell Irene and Matt?” She asked, sitting at the breakfast nook.

“Yeah, we will have to. I can’t exactly hide this, and I refuse to be his dirty little secret,” I told her, with zero doubts in my tone.

She smiled proudly.

“I’m so happy for you. To have a chosen mate is a beautiful thing because it means you chose each other for you and not your wolves,” she told me, stealing a piece of leftover bacon on the plate filled with bacon that Gavin left. I didn’t want to throw it away and waste it, so I figured I’d leave it on the counter for anyone who wants it when they return to the mansion.

“Maybe at first that’s what it was,” I admitted. “But actually, he’s not a chosen mate.”

She blinked as her eyes found mine.

“What?”

I bit my lip to keep from squealing.

“At first, he was a chosen mate. Or at least, I thought he was. I mean, my wolf was always drawn to him, and it seemed his was drawn to me. But I thought it was only physical attraction. When we had sex last night, I thought it was just make-up sex after being gone for so long. The emotions of yesterday made my hormones all jumbled, and I just needed that physical closeness. It seemed he did, too. When he initially marked me, there was a point in time where I thought ‘this is the man I’m choosing as my mate from here on out…’ but that thought quickly was replaced with the fact that my wolf immediately recognized him as hers.”

Nan’s mouth dropped open.

“Wait… are you saying…” she started to say, but the shock of the matter was too much for her to finish that sentence.

I knew what she was thinking, and I nodded.

“Yes,” I whispered. “She recognized him as her mate. Not just my chosen mate… but as her actual mate.”

“He’s your second chance…” She spoke it like a statement, not a question, but I nodded anyway.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Holy fucking shit, Judy!” She shrieked, jumping to her feet. “This whole time Gavin Landry was your mate?! How did you not know!!?”

I laughed, unable to contain the glee I was feeling.

“You know the rules of the second chance, mate, Nan,” I told her. “The Moon Goddess wanted us to choose one another in our hearts and not let our feelings be decided by our wolves alone. A second chance is a chance for us to heal ourselves from past wounds and choose one another fully. Once we mark each other, that’s when our wolves recognize one another officially as mates.”

“Yeah, but there wasn’t a single hint that he could be your actual mate?” She asked, her eyes narrowed. “None?”

I shook my head.

“Other than my wolf liking him more than anyone else other than Ethan,” I said with a shrug. “She gave her stamp of approval, but she didn’t push for me to go after him. She was still hurting over her former mate to really go after another man. For me, it was mostly physical attraction at first, and then it grew into so much more after I got to know him. I had no idea what to expect.”

“That’s incredible,” she breathed. “I never knew anyone who had a second chance, mate, so I never really knew what it was like. I’ve only heard stories from the internet. It’s very rare. You must be really special for the Moon Goddess to deem you worthy of a second chance.”

I shrugged.

“Maybe it’s Gavin that’s special and I’m just along for the ride.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Nan said as she made her way to the coffee pot to pour herself a mug of coffee. “You are quite special, even if you don’t think so.”

I bit my lower lip.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the thought that I was special enough to gain the Moon Goddess’s favor. “But enough about me… what about you?”

She blinked as she brought her mug to her lips.

“What about me?”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” I teased. “You and Chester… not to mention Emalyn.”

Nan blushed.

“Oh, that,” she breathed. “Well, I guess it was unavoidable. He is my mate after all.”

“But you didn’t trust him only weeks ago,” I told her. “What changed?”

“He did,” she admitted. “He hasn’t even spoken to another woman since that hussy left the picture. He’s been so tentative and caring… seeing him with Emalyn… it did something to me and I realized that I might have misjudged him.”

“So, you agreed to be his wife?” I asked, raising my brows.

“Gavin didn’t want an unmarried couple adopting Emalyn, and we both grew so attached to her over the last few weeks,” she admitted. “Marriage is only a piece of paper, and if that’s what we need to keep her in our lives, then that’s what we’ll do.”

I noticed she’s still unmarked, and an understanding washed over me.

“Are you waiting to let him mark you?” I asked.

She nodded, setting the mug of coffee on the counter in front of her.

“For right now, yes,” she admitted. “I’m scared. I’m not as brave as you. But we will see what happens in the future. So far, he’s been amazing. Honestly, he’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. I’m falling in love with him… I’m just scared.”

I wrap her in my arms and hug my best friend.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been here,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t take any of your calls. I had my phone shut off these last few weeks, and I kind of dismissed my old life. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

“I understand why you left,” she admitted, tears brimming in her eyes. “I would have done the same thing.”

I pulled back to look at her.

“I wouldn’t have stayed away forever. I just needed time,” I admitted. “You’re my family, Nan. I can’t do this thing called life without you.”

She smiled at me, though tears still brimmed her eyes.

“I can’t do this without you either,” she admitted, her voice dropping to a broken whisper.

I hugged her again, tighter this time.

After a moment, I pulled back and wiped the tears off my own cheeks, tears I hadn’t known had fallen until this moment.

“I’m heading to the Redmoon pack today to see my parents. They want to pay Alpha Sampson and Luna Lucy a visit. I don’t think Sampson and Lucy had met anyone in the pack yet because of the turmoil from the day yesterday. Would you like to come with me? Unless you're busy with Emalyn or something.

She shook her head.

“Emalyn is at the villa with Nan,” she told me. “Chester and I wanted some alone time last night, so Nan agreed to babysit. Chester is at the grocery store shopping so he can restock the kitchen before he picks her up. I have today off from work, so I’m completely available.”

I grinned, relieved to hear that.

“Good,” I said. “Let me get dressed, and we’ll head out.”

She nodded as she stole another piece of bacon. Just before I left the kitchen, she called after me.

I stopped and looked at her.

“I’m really glad you’re home.”

I smiled back at her.

“Me too,” I replied, and I truly meant those words.