Judy’s POV When Gavin arrived, I was a bundle of nerves. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and I kept biting my lip to keep from sobbing. The girls from the pack were talking about protesting my becoming their Luna. How could I tell Gavin that his own pack hated me and didn’t want me as their Luna? “Hey, you,” he said as I slid into the passenger seat. He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. Normally, his kisses would make me feel more relaxed and at ease, but this time, they didn’t. It only made me more nervous and upset over everything that had happened today. He noticed my strange mood and pulled back with a frown. “Hey,” he said softly, brushing my hair out of my face and behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment longer than usual. “What happened?” “Am I that transparent?” “Only to me…” he murmured. “Are you blocking me from your emotions? I hadn’t been able to feel you much today.” Now that he mentioned it, I hadn’t even noticed that I’ve been blocking him for most of today. I guess my wolf didn’t want her mate to know that we were struggling. She wanted him to think that we can handle things. I wasn’t sure how to answer him. “I have to tell you something, and I’m not entirely sure where to begin,” I tell him, nibbling on the corner of my mouth. “How about the beginning?” He suggested. “You can start from when you visited your parents. What did they tell you?” I told him the story my parents told me, and finalized it with, “I can’t believe my birth mom would just give me up like that.” “Maybe she had good reason,” Gavin said. “What reason could you justify for giving up your own baby?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “I couldn’t even think to do such a thing.” “Your situation isn’t like hers,” Gavin told me. “I know you would do anything you can to protect this baby… as would I. Maybe that’s all she was trying to do… protect you. We don’t exactly know the situation she was in, so we can’t really judge her for her choices. She chose your parents because she trusted them, and you grew up in a loving home.” “What could scare her so badly that she would give me away, though? Hide me?” I asked, shaking my head. “What kind of family did she come from that she felt she needed to give me away to keep me from them?” He was quiet for a long while, and it gave me an eerie feeling as I glanced over at him. “What are you thinking about?” I asked. “The Moon Gem,” he surprised me by saying. “You’re still having dreams about it, right? And you mentioned the Blackwells were there the night you were born.” I nodded. “Apparently, Lila was born the same day,” I murmured. “Or at least around that same timeframe. Why?” “I was thinking about something Levi had told me,” he explained, piquing my interest even more. “He said that the gem was back in the family it originated from… but the wrong person has it.” I raised my brows. “The wrong person? Doesn’t it belong to Lila? I thought it was contained with her magic.” “I thought so too, but apparently that wasn’t the case. It seemed like Levi knew more about that than he should. I’m not sure how he knew about it or why… but I think he might have more answers to your questions. It’s just a feeling I have.” “You think I should speak with him?” “I’m not saying that,” he said quickly. “I don’t trust him… like at all. But if he’s withholding information that could benefit you, I can get it out of him.” I nibbled on my lower lip for a bit as I thought about that. “Nan thinks I should see a Seer,” I tell him. “One that can tell me about my past and my family.” “Seers are tricky,” he warned. “The payment for their services isn’t always worth it.” “We are going to find out if Erik can maybe hook us up with a good deal with the Seer that he went to.” Gavin raised his brows. “I wasn’t aware he went to one,” Gavin said, glancing at me briefly before returning to the road. “For what reason did he go and see one?” This was it… the moment I told him the full truth. And I did. I told him everything that Erik had told me about Irene and about the siren. By the time we reached the Villa, Gavin was a ball of fury. His face was red, and he looked like he was trying hard not to lose control of himself or his wolf. “I didn’t think Sirens were around anymore,” he murmured. “They were supposed to be extinct.” “Well, a Seer told Erik otherwise, and he’s convinced Chuck is a siren who has Irene under his spell. The thing is, I’m not exactly sure what Chuck wants and why he’s using Irene to get it.” “I’ll find out,” Gavin assured me. “But in the meantime, the only way to break the siren’s spell is no contact. It could take months, but as long as Irene has zero contact with him, and I mean no texts or phone calls, then the impact of the siren’s spell will diminish. More contact with her true mate might help as well. I know Irene doesn’t want anything to do with Erik right now, but he needs to remain persistent and stick by her even if she pushes him away. The more their wolves are together, the better it’ll be. Pretty soon, her wolf will recognize his.” “So, you won’t kill him?” I asked, raising my brows. He glanced at me as he parked the car in his spot. “Why would I kill him?” “Because he’s fawning over your daughter. She was upset with him earlier because he wouldn’t leave her alone about being true mates. He was worried about you knowing about it,” I admitted. He let out a bark of laughter. “If there’s anyone I trust with my daughter, it’s Erik. I’ll reassign him and make sure he’s on Irene duty going forward. That way it’ll be his actual job to stand by her and protect her, even if she denies him,” Gavin said, reaching out to grab a hold of my hand. “I’m glad you told me. I need you to keep me in the loop and trust that I’ll always be here to help you.” I couldn’t help but smile at him, though I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. I still hadn’t heard about what the she-wolves at the packhouse were saying about me, but then again, I really didn’t want him knowing something as simple as that could make me crack under pressure. I leaned in and kissed his lips deeply, feeling his heart pounding against mine as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I let out a moan into his mouth just before pulling back, breathless. “I’m starving, let’s eat pizza,” I tell him. We brought the pizza into the villa; Matt greeted us eagerly, explaining how hungry he was. Irene didn’t want to leave her room, so it was only the three of us eating in the dining hall. When we finished, I put a couple of slices on a plate and grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge. “I’m going to bring Irene some food,” I told them. “Then I’ll come down and help Matt with his homework.” “I’ll get started,” Matt said, going towards the back parlor. I headed upstairs and paused outside Irene’s room for a moment. After a breath, I knocked on the door. There was no response, so I knocked again. Once again, no response. Without much thought, I jiggled the handle, glad to see that it was unlocked, and I pushed the door open. Irene sat on her bed; her face buried in her phone, and her body trembling. “Hey,” I said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind me. “I brought you pizza.” She glanced up at me with a frown before looking back down at her phone. “I’m not hungry,” she murmured. “Yeah, but you should eat something,” I tell her. “I know you’ve had a long day and you weren’t expecting Erik to bombard you like that, but you need to keep up your strength.” “Erik is such an asshole for what he did,” he muttered. “Maybe he’s an asshole for how he went about it,” I admitted. “But his heart was in the right place. He cares about you, Irene.” “He lied to me.” “Or maybe he didn’t. Did you stop and think maybe he’s telling the truth? That Chuck isn’t who he says he is? I mean, what kind of mate cheats like that?” “Ethan cheated on you,” Irene reminded me, making me flinch. “Yes, and then your father saved me. Maybe Erik is the one who’s going to save you,” I told her, glad that my voice didn’t falter. She rolled her eyes. “Doubtful. He’s just another guy wanting to play with my heart, and I’m not going through that again,” she muttered, her voice was bitter and unlike herself. It made me shiver. “Have you spoken to Chuck since everything went down?” I found myself asking. She shook her head. “No,” she muttered. “But I think about texting him all the time. I hate that he hasn’t called to explain things to me.” I wasn’t sur what there was to explain, but I bit back my words. “Has Chuck ever asked you for anything?” I asked, changing the subject drastically, and it made her blink. “Like what?” “I don’t know… anything,” I said with a shrug. “Money, jewels… anything you might have given him?” “I don’t think so,” she said, getting lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head. “What’s with the questions?” “No reason,” I said, forcing a light laugh. “I was just wondering.” “What’s up with you? You seem off, too.” I decided against telling her the situation with my family because I wasn’t sur where her head was at, but I did tell her about the she-wolves at the packhouse. Her eyes grew wide. “You should tell my father. He won’t stand for that. They’re slandering their future, Luna… his mate,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “I bet it was Liv and her stupid posse.” “It was,” I said, unsurprised that she knew that without me saying it. Irene scoffed. “Figures,” she muttered. “I used to be a part of that posse before I realized they didn’t actually like me.” “I’m not exactly sure what to do if they protest,” I admit. “Gavin will think I’m incapable.” “My father would never think that. But if you’re worried, I could help you.” I raised my brows. “Help me how?” “I mean, I have been training my entire life to be a proper Luna, and I know this world better than anyone. I can help you… train you… turn you into a Luna.” “You’d do that?” I asked. “Why?” She shrugged. “Despite everything, you’re still my friend. Plus, I could use a distraction,” she told me. She held out her hand with a sly grin. “Do we have a deal. Help me with my distraction and getting my mind off of all this shit… and I’ll help you be the best Luna you can be.” I thought about it for a moment before I took her hand; if anything, I can maybe convince her to open up to me more. “Okay,” I relented. “You have a deal.”