Judy’s POV My heart stopped in my chest. Daisy and Lila wanted to speak with me… I looked up at Gavin, and I could see his jaw tense. His eyes blazed with protection and anger. “She’s not going anywhere,” Gavin said through his teeth. I swallowed hard, stepping back just enough to get a good look at him, meeting his eyes. He was determined to keep our little family safe. “I should talk to them,” I spoke the words before my mind could fully catch up. “Gavin, if they’re asking for me… It’s not random.” “It doesn’t matter,” he snapped. “They sent rogues to the house, Judy. To you. And now they want you to just scroll over there alone? Absolutely not.” “I won’t go unprotected. You can come with me, and so will some of the gammas,” I told him, stepping closer to him. “I don’t trust them,” he said, turning to look at me. “I can’t—” “Gavin—” “No,” he said sharply, closing the gap between us; his hands gripping my arms, gentle but full of frustration. “You’re pregnant. Those rogues could have taken you, and now I’m supposed to let you walk towards the people responsible?”“They sent rogues to get me; we don’t know what they wanted,” I say, my eyes narrowed. “For all we know, they just want to talk.” “And if they don’t?” He asked, narrowing his eyes right back at me. “If they try to take you? What happens then…. I can’t lose you, Judy.” He pressed his forehead against mine and took in a deep breath. I closed my eyes, breathing him in as well. “You won’t,” I assured him. “You’ll be there the entire time, and you’ll protect me… I know you will. I trust you more than anyone in this world, Gavin. You won’t let anything happen to me. Please… I need to see what they want, and if anything, I need to get that Moon Gem from Lila. According to Cora, it belongs to me. I don’t want it in her hands any longer.” He stepped back, dragging a hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to punch a wall, and I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but I stood my ground. Taylor stood awkwardly in the doorway, his eyes shifted to the ground, refusing to look at either of us. “You’re asking me to let you walk into danger... again. You shouldn’t be worried about stuff like this…we have a wedding to plan and a future to work towards. A baby to prepare for…a Luna ceremony to hold.” I reached up and touched his cheek, holding it and making his eyes meet mine. “And we will plan for all of that,” I said, my voice a soft whisper. “I promise you…I will be walking down that aisle and marrying you. I will be having your baby and standing by your side as your Luna. But I want what belongs to me… I want to know where I came from. I want to hear what they have to say and figure out what they know.” He was quiet for a long while, both of us staring at one another like we held the answers to everything. He soon let out a breath and bent to brush his lips across mine. “I’m coming with you.” “I know,” I say without hesitation. “And so are some of the other gammas. You won’t be alone with them even for a second.” “I know,” I said again, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. After a moment, he nodded. “If anything feels wrong, I’m getting you out of there,” he promised, cupping my face in his warm hands. “Swear to me that you won’t take risks.” “I promise,” I say without hesitation. He nodded, looking relieved, though his body still held tension. I grabbed my jacket off a chair and headed towards the door. Taylor stepped aside so I could walk through it. Before we left, we checked in on Irene and Matt, who were sitting in Irene’s bedroom, Erik leaning against the far wall. None of them was talking, and Irene’s face was flushed; she refused to look at Erik, and he looked utterly miserable. But he was there to protect them, and I was grateful for that.Erik and Gavin exchanged some words; he explained what was going on, and though Erik also protested about us walking into the lion's den, he knew better than to argue. Soon, we were leaving, my heart heavy in my chest. The outside was much quieter than it had been; most of the rogues were either gone or dead. I tried not to look at the dead bodies on the ground, and I tried not to feel sick at the sight of them. I continued to walk through the villa yard, my mind whirling. Leaves rustled; the air shifted, and two figures emerged from the shadows as we reached the forest grounds. I knew right away that it was Daisy Baldwin; her eyes were wide as she stepped forward, and then I saw Lila standing beside her. Something started to glow in the cloth she was holding. Daisy’s eyes widened even more when she saw it glowing. “So… it’s true then,” she whispered. Lila shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “No… it can’t be… I’m the heiress. I’m the one the gem belongs to,” Lila tried to argue, but Daisy curled her lip. “Clearly not,” Daisy practically hissed. “I told you something wasn’t right, Lila. I told you that the gem doesn’t respond to you in the way that it should. It burns you for crying out loud. It isn’t normal… It’s not your blood that it wants; it’s hers. It glowed more than it ever glowed when she was at the manor; you saw it just as you see it now. it wants her… It’s her. She’s the heiress.” “How is that possible…?” Lila asked, continuing to shake her head. “It shouldn’t be possible.” “But it is,” Daisy said, folding her arms across her chest. “Levi Churchill had told me once that things aren’t as they seem. I didn’t know what he meant at the time, but now I do.” “Enough of this,” Gavin said, stepping closer to me, his protection wrapping around me like a cozy blanket. “You wanted to speak with her, and now she’s here. Say what you must, and then we will be on our way.” Daisy narrowed her eyes at us, and then her eyes found mine. “Your blood will activate this gem… and then we will all get what we want,” she said, her eyes pouring into mine. “Please… you have to help me.” “Help you?” I asked, finally finding my voice. “Help you with what?” Tears filled Daisy’s eyes, and for the first time since knowing her, I saw vulnerability. “I need to break my ties with someone… I have to be set free, or I won’t survive it any longer. I can’t… I can’t continue on this way,” she said, shaking her head as she looked away from me. “No,” Lila said, turning away from us. “It’s mine… she can’t have it. You didn’t tell me that’s why we were coming here. I thought we were going to end her so her powers would be transferred to me. You said the person who kills her will gain her magic, and then I’ll be the true heiress after all.”Daisy rolled her eyes. “Did you really believe that?” Daisy said, turning her attention to Lila, whose eyes were wide and panicked. “That’s not how it works. You won’t get her magic if you kill her. I only needed you to bring the gem here so I can give it to its true owner.” “What about the rogues?” Gavin asked, folding his arms across his chest. “You sent them after Judy.” “I sent them to get her. I didn’t think she’d come here willingly,” Daisy admitted. “They could have hurt her,” Gavin said through his teeth. “And face a death wish?” Daisy asked, raising her brows. “They knew the consequences.” The gem started to glow even more, and I felt myself being pulled towards it; it was a hypnotizing feeling, and I struggled to keep myself grounded. “There has to be more to it,” Gavin said, his lip curling as he glared at Daisy. “What more do you want?” “Freedom is all I ask for. I have been tied to Noah Blackwell for far too long… doing his bidding, being his side piece, and tied to him in more ways than I can count. He has a rare gift where he can mate with multiple women, and it makes me want to die every single time. I can’t live like that anymore… I can’t….” “You selfish bitch!” Lila snapped, her fury getting the best of her, and she was just about to slap Daisy in the face for betraying her, but then she screamed out in pain and dropped the gem to the ground, her hands red from the burn. I stepped back, not sure what had just happened, but then the gem flew at me so fast that I could hardly grasp it. Gavin was quick to move and tried to grab it before it reached me, but it was too late. It jabbed my shoulder blade, and I screamed out in pain as I fell to the ground. I felt the warmth of my blood seeping through my shirt, and Gavin’s scream was the last thing I remembered hearing before everything faded to black.