Chapter 327

Judy’s POV

Gavin’s body tensed at the sound of his mother’s words; his hand gripping mine tightly. He turned to look at her; she stood in the archway of the sitting room, her arms folded across her chest. She wore a gorgeous evening gown, making me think she was just heading out. Her hair was perfectly curled and tied up into a bun, and her makeup looked professionally done.

Her perfectly trimmed brows were knitted together as she stared at the two of us, her eyes occasionally drifting to the hand that Gavin was grasping as if his life depended on it.

I wasn’t surprised by her rude voice or that I wasn’t welcomed into her home. But I was there for Gavin, so I kept my lips clamped shut, hating that my cheeks were growing red.

“Watch how you speak about her, Mother,” Gavin said, a dangerous edge to his voice. “Don’t forget whose property this really is. Judy is here as my guest, and you’ll show her respect.”

She pressed her lips together until they were nothing more than a thin line.

“So, that’s how this is going to be?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at her son. “You are threatening me for her now? Are you seriously trading a Baldwin for this?”

I blanched at her words, but Gavin didn’t release my hand.

“There was nothing to trade. Daisy was never an option for me, and I’m not sure how much more I could make that clear,” Gavin said, his tone firm and leaving no room for arguments.

“She’s a Baldwin… the same bloodline as your mate!” Donna said, a snarl to her tone. “Why wouldn’t you want to stick to the same bloodline. Plus, they are a powerful and rich family. What more could you possibly want? What could this woman offer you that Daisy couldn’t?”

“Melissa stopped being my mate the day she was taken from this world. The bond shattered immediately,” Gavin said, speaking in a low and guarded tone. It made my heart squeeze painfully in my chest, and yet still, he hadn’t let go of my hand. It was reassuring in a way to know that he was still present with me, despite speaking about the past with his mother. “Just because Daisy shares the same blood as her doesn’t make her remotely close to being my mate. Melissa and Daisy couldn’t stand each other, and she would never want me to get with her sister in the first place. But regardless of that, there’s nothing between Daisy and me despite what your wishes.”

“That’s because you haven’t given her a proper chance yet,” Donna said stubbornly; she was relentless and clearly not giving up. “You could learn to love her and choose her as your mate. You could be a powerful couple.”

“I’m not doing this with you again, Mother. I will say this for the final time: I will not take Daisy as my mate. She will never be my anything, let alone my Luna. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but the fact of the matter is, Judy is my second chance mate, and she will be the one by my side at the end.”

I gawked at him; I wasn’t expecting him to just come right out and say it. But he shamelessly told his mother the truth without sugar coating it. Her eyes grew large as she stared at him and then at me. I saw the darkness swirling in her gaze and the anger flashing across her face as she clenched her fists.

“What the fuck did you do to my son, you fucking bitch!” She hissed, and before I could say anything or react, she was inches in front of me, swiping her hand across my face, and the sting of her slap nearly sent me spiraling.

I tasted the copper blood from my split lip, and she raised her hand to slap me again. Only this time, Gavin could react and was in front of me within a second. His aura was strong, and I could feel his anger rolling off him in waves. He was gripping his mother's hand, squeezing tightly, making her face go pale as she stared up at her son. Her eyes were staring at him like she was staring at a stranger, barely recognizing the man in front of her.

“G…Gavin… you’re hurting me,” she said through her gritted teeth as she tried to break free from his grip.

“Lay your hands on my mate again, and you’ll know what real pain feels like,” he said through his own teeth. I knew it was his wolf speaking, and a shudder ran through me; he sounded so deadly and serious in that moment.

Her eyes grew larger, almost comically so.

“I’m your mother,” she bit out. “How could you—”

“I don’t care who you are. Hurt her again, and I’ll do much worse to you,” he said, interrupting her before she could say a word. “Apologize.”

She gawked at him; his eyes were non-blinking, and his face was serious.

“I refuse,” she spat out, a venomous bite to her words.

“Apologize now!!” He roared, his voice deep but controlled. I felt his Lycan powers wash over him, and I knew she felt it too because, despite her resistance, her eyes darted to me.

“I’m sorry for striking you, Judy,” she said, and I knew it pained her to speak those words.

I wouldn’t dare speak.

Gavin released his grip on his mother. I saw the red mark on her wrist, though I knew it would heal in minutes, I still shivered at the thought that Gavin had hurt his mother enough to leave a mark. He was pissed, despite the apology. His wolf was still so pent up over the fact that his mother hurt me enough to draw blood; I could feel the anxiety and the anger continuing to roll off him.

I knew I needed to do something, so I placed my hand on his back, feeling his rigid shoulders.

“Hey,” I said softly. “I’m okay. Just sit down with me.”

I felt him relaxing slightly, though his eyes remained trained on his mother. I ran my fingers down his back and touched his hand, entwining my fingers with his.

“Please, Gavin,” I whisper. “Just sit down.”

After a pause, Gavin finally lowered himself back onto the couch beside me.

“Matilda,” Donna said, her eyes darting to Matilda, who stood shell-shocked at the archway. I hadn’t even seen or heard her approaching, and I wondered how much of that she saw. “Can you get the antiseptic and an icepack for Miss Montague’s face?”

“Y… yes, ma'am,” Matilda said and darted from the room without another word.

Donna’s words surprised me, and it seemed to be enough to snap Gavin out of his stupor because soon his entire body turned in my direction. His hands were cupping my face, and I could see the fear and worry in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” He whispered, his thumb tracing my lower lip. I winced slightly when he brushed my split lip, but the pain went away almost immediately after. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have let her get that close to you…”

“I’m okay,” I assured him. “It’s only a small scratch. It’ll heal in no time.”

He leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine, taking in a deep smell as if he was memorizing my scent.

“I’ll never let that happen again,” he assured me, placing a small kiss on the corner of my lip. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing across my cheek and sending a jolt of electricity through my body, drawing me in closer to him.

I was wildly aware of Donna staring at us from across the room. As soon as Gavin released his hold on her arm, she scurried away before he could grab her again. I couldn’t blame her; I’m sure she was still shocked that her own son would resort to hurting her because of another woman. I was shocked as well; I didn’t think Gavin would choose me over his own mother… and yet here I was, being cared for by him while his mother glared at us from across the room.

Not long after, Matilda returned with the required stuff. She was about to help me put the antiseptic on, but Gavin grabbed it from her and dismissed her, without even looking in her direction.

Gavin placed the ointment on my lip and then the ice pack on my cheek to keep it from swelling.

“So, that’s how it’s going to be now?” Donna finally asked after a long while. “It’s her over your own mother?”

“I love you, Mother, but it will always be my mate over anyone,” he said without hesitation. His eyes found hers from across the room, and his expression softened slightly. “You were mated to my father, and you stuck by him despite everything he had done to you. Despite his treatment of both you and me…. You're still stuck with him. You did that because he was your fated mate, and despite everything, you loved him. I’m not giving Judy up for anything or anyone. I almost lost her once, and I’m not going to make that mistake again.”

My heart swelled at his words, and I felt tears stinging my eyes. If I wasn’t reassured before, I certainly was now. There was no doubt in my mind how Gavin felt about me now.

“I see,” she replied tightly. “And there’s no hope for Daisy…”

“No, there’s not,” Gavin replied, narrowing his eyes. “Not only is Judy my second chance mate… but she’s also carrying my pup. I will do whatever I can to protect her and our pup.”

Donna gawked at us, shocked.

“She’s what??” She gasped. “Are you telling me she’s carrying my grandchild?”

“Yes,” Gavin replied, wrapping an arm around my shoulders while using his other one to keep the ice pack on my cheek. “We are having a baby.”

She covered her mouth with her hands as his words sank in.

Gavin raised his brows at his mother, unsure of what to make of her reaction.

“Are you telling me you had no idea of any of this?” Gavin asked.

She shook her head.

“How could I have known?” She asked. “You never told me.”

“No, but then why would you auction off the Moon Gem if you weren’t giving up on the idea of me and Daisy being together?”

The silence that stretched on felt like hours before Donna finally spoke; her yees filled with confusion that made my stomach twist.

“Who said I was auctioning off the Moon Gem??”