Gavin’s POV Judy went limp in my arms before I even had a chance to process what I’d just seen. I tried to protect her from the gem; it flew at her so fast I barely even noticed it moving. I wrapped my arms around her just as it hit her body. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she started to fall. But I had her in my arms before she could hit the ground. It wasn’t until she went limp that I realized the gem had lodged itself into her shoulder blade. Blood started to seep through her shirt, and the gem was glowing so bright that it was difficult to see. It made the nighttime look like pure daylight, and I had to squint to see Judy’s wound properly. Her breathing was so shallow that I feared that it wasn’t there; I could hardly think straight through the roaring of my ears. My wolf was in a complete state of panic after watching my mate get impaled by the Moon Gem and pass out. Chaos exploded around us. Didn’t register what was happening as I held onto Judy… my eyes fixed on her paling features. Gammas were rushing towards us… my head Gamma, Derek, in the lead. His eyes were wild as he looked around, trying to figure out what the threat was. Taylor was also there, and he was the one who saw Judy first; his eyes wide and his face pale. “What the fuck,” he said under his breath before his eyes darted to Lila and Daisy, who stood slack-jawed… Lila was red in the face and looked like she was about to take off at any moment.“Don’t let them get away,” I said through my teeth, trying to keep my wolf calm. As predicted, Lila tried to make a run for it… But Daisy stood rooted to the ground, her eyes never leaving Judy’s face. Taylor was quick to capture Lila before she could get away. “It’s not fair!” She screeched, tears burning in her eyes. “It was supposed to be me. It’s supposed to choose me. It’s my magic… I’m the heiress… it belongs to me.” “No… You are not,” a voice said from nearby, making us all jerk around to find a shadow inching forward. My warriors were already armed and ready for a fight, but then she came into view, and I held up my hand, causing them to freeze. My entire body froze in shock when I saw who was approaching us. I had no idea how it was possible. “W…what?” Lila stammered, her eyes wide and startled to find her grandmother, Esme, approaching her… on her foot. “Grandma??” “You are not my grandchild,” Esme said through her teeth; her eyes narrowed and turned into slits. “You are nothing but a disgrace. You have been since the day you were born.” Lila’s face went pale. “H…how are you talking?” Lila asked, voicing the question that I had as well. “In all the years I have known you… You have never spoken a word.”“You are not my grandchild,” she said again, her voice hoarse from years of disuse. “And you knew it… You’ve always known it.” Lila’s lip quivered, and her face was paling even more. She tried to break free from Taylor's hold, but he wasn’t budging. I clutched Judy tighter against my chest; I was carrying her bridal style, ready to get her out of here. I needed to find Eliza. “Taylor, where’s your mate?” I asked, my eyes remaining on Esme. I didn’t trust her not to try anything… I knew the reason why Esme hadn’t spoken all these years… but I still didn’t trust her. Not while Judy was at her most vulnerable. Taylor glanced at his wristwatch. “Probably wrapping up in her clinic by now,” he replied. “I need to get to her before she leaves,” I said, backing away. “I need to make sure Judy and the baby are okay.” “They are both fine,” Esme said as she turned to look at me. “Just relax. She will wake up soon enough.” I turned Judy so she wasn’t in view of Esme, and my eyes turned into slits as I stared at the old woman. She was standing… which meant her years of using a wheelchair had been a lie. I wondered what else she was keeping from us. Had Judy been right when she said she saw Esme in her dreams? Had she been the cause of those dreams? Both my protective instinct and wolf were urging me to get Judy out of here as soon as possible. “I understand that you do not trust me, Alpha,” Esme said, her eyes fixed on my face. “But I am not the one you need to worry about.” I didn’t have patience for cryptic warnings… not with Judy unconscious in my arms and the Moon Gem lodged in her shoulder. My grip tightened even more instinctively. “Then who the hell should I worry about?” I snapped. Esmee’s gaze flickered toward Lila, who was sobbing and trying uselessly to pry Taylor’s hands off her arms. “Her family is still out there,” Esme said. “And they won’t stop until Judy is found. Now that Gem has been restored, and the magic has been placed inside of its rightful host… they can now sense the shift… they will know she is here, and they will come to get her.” I let out a deadly snarl that could bring chills to the darkest soul. Anger flared inside of me. “Over my dead body,” I snarled, my voice gravely as I fought to control my wolf. Esme blinked, seemingly unaffected. “I mean you no harm, Alpha… you must believe me,” she said, her tone calm. “I only intend to help… Judy is my family after all… and we always protect our own.”“Your family?” I asked, my eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?” “She is my grandchild… the rightful heiress to the Blackwell empire and the true host of magic.” I blinked, confused by what she was saying. I didn’t have time for this. “Get her to your doctor,” Esme said, her eyes flickering to Judy’s face despite my best efforts to shield her. “I know it’ll make you feel better and think more rationally once you know for sure that she is going to be okay. But please… when she wakes… allow me time to speak with her. Our talk is long over-do.” A thoughtful look crossed over Esme’s face. I almost told her no and that she would never speak with my mate. But then I thought of Judy…she’s been wanting to know about her family for some time now. She would never forgive me if I kept something like this from her… something this important…another piece to her puzzle. She would want to speak to Esme to get more information. That was how Judy was, and I loved that about her. “Fine,” I said after a moment of pause. “You may enter my territory under the guise of 3 of my best warriors and my Beta. I will give you supervised time to speak to Judy… I will not leave her side. You are to keep your hands to yourself, and if you step out of line or do something questionable, I’ll have you removed and banned from ever setting foot on my territory again. I don’t give a fuck if I just became partners with your son.”A small smile tipped the corner of her lips, and she nodded her head once. “I will abide by your rules,” she said softly. “I have a feeling what I have to say is something you’d both want to hear anyway. As I said, I only want to help. I mean neither of you any harm, and if I must keep my distance to prove that to you… It’s a small price that I will pay.” I stared at her for a moment longer before I finally pulled my eyes away from her and onto Taylor. He met my gaze and gave me a firm nod; I didn’t have to tell him what to do… he already knew. Without much thought, I turned and started towards the back. My movements were quick. I ran with the speed of a thousand wolves; my feet hating the pavement once we broke through the clearing of the woods. I jumped over the dead rogues on the ground, not even batting an eye at them. Eliza’s clinic came into view, and seeing that the light was still on, I let out a breath. She was still there…she can help. I burst through the doors; the waiting area was empty, not even Eliza’s assistant was seated at her desk. But Eliza quickly rushed through the doors, her eyes wide at the sudden commotion. “What happened?” Eliza asked, rushing to keep up with me as I stormed past her and towards her office. “The Moon Gem impaled Judy. She lost a lot of blood, and she won’t wake up,” I said over my shoulder.“Get her on the bed and let me take a look,” Eliza said as she put on her latex gloves. I put Judy on the bed, reluctant to pull away from her. I knew that I needed to give Eliza space, but the thought of parting from Judy made my wolf feral. Eliza stood beside me, and she looked up, determination raw in her eyes. “You can stay here… I know your wolf is panicking right now. Just hold her hand and let me do my job. I promise you… I will make sure that both your mate and baby are okay.” “Thank you,” I managed to whisper, and for the first time, the moment I let myself relax and really take in Judy’s disheveled and pale features… tears filled my eyes.