Judy’s POV “Wait… so you’re like magical now?” Nan asked, her brows raised to her hairline. She tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear as she tucked her feet beneath her on the couch. We sat in the parlor of the villa, and I caught her up on everything that had happened over the last few days. It was the next day after I woke up, and I found out that my family had been the Blackwells this entire time. “I guess so,” I said, staring down at my hands like I expected them just to do something. “It doesn’t feel real, though.” “Do you feel super powerful?” Nan asked curiously, leaning forward so she could hear what I had to say. “Yeah,” I admitted. “Like some burst of energy is surging through me or something.” “That’s incredible,” she breathed, her eyes lighting up. “I can’t believe you’re a witch.” “The Host of Magic,” Irene corrected. “That’s more powerful than a basic witch.” “Yeah, and I’m not entirely sure how to use this kind of magic,” I muttered. “It’s all so intense.” “When do you meet with Cora for training?” Nan asked. “Tomorrow morning,” I replied. “They all agreed that I needed to take a break for today because my world was turned upside down yesterday. Gavin went to see Levi, and I was thinking of going to see my parents.” “Your Montgomery family or the Blackwells?” Nan asked. “Montgomery,” I answered. “I know I just found out about my birth parents, but I really need to get some advice from those who raised me and those who knew me. I love my mom and dad more than anything… even if we aren’t related by blood. They would know exactly what to say to me in this moment.” Nan wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into her side, resting her head against mine. “I’m sorry you are going through so much,” she breathed. “Just relax because your baby can’t handle stress, and I won’t have my nephew in danger.” I smiled at her words. “You’re going to be the best Auntie Nan,” I teased, nudging her shoulder and making her laugh. “Damn straight I will be,” she said, cracking a sly grin. “I’m going to spoil him so much you'll get sick of it. “I could never get sick of you,” I laughed. She laughed too, and Irene cracked a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She seemed almost anxious about something for the time she’s been with us in the parlor. She wasn’t here the entire time; she only got here a little bit ago. She tucked her honey strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and looked around the room like she expected monsters to jump out and scare her. She was nibbling on her lower lip. I went to ask what was wrong, but then I heard a door shutting, and her entire body went rigid. I raised my brows, confused by her reaction, and then I saw him. “Erik….” I breathed. He stepped into the room, smiling at me. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked, walking towards the couch. I knew he was trying hard not to look over at Irene, but it seemed her eyes were glued to him for some reason. “Better,” I told him. “In fact…I feel powerful.” “So, what ended up happening?” He asked, sitting down on the couch beside Irene, who looked like she was about to bolt from the room at any moment. I quickly caught Erik up on the events of what had happened, and by the time I finished, he let out a low whistle. “Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “I knew some shady stuff was at play. So now we need to be on the lookout for the Churchills?” I nodded and let out a breath as I looked around at my friends. “Seems that way,” I muttered. “What else is new? All we do is fight the Churchills… first Levi and now the rest of his family.” “Well, we aren’t going to let them get to you,” Erik said, giving me a reassuring smile. “They have nothing on the Silver Crescent pack. We are your family, and we will protect you.”“Thanks, but not everyone thinks the same way.” “So, some girls want to protest you from being the Luna… you are going to be an amazing Luna,” Nan told me, giving me a quick squeeze. A nervous bubble grew in my stomach. “Half the pack thinks I’m unqualified,” I muttered. “And that’s the half that doesn’t know you,” Irene said, folding her arms across her chest. “I’ll still help you become the best Luna that you can be. Trust me… they won’t know what hit them once you come at them.” Irene was trying hard not to look at Erik, but his eyes flickered to her, and I could see his cheeks turning red. I wanted to practice this magic and become the best at it so I could help Irene. I wanted to break her ties with Chuck so she could finally see Erik as her one true mate. She deserved that much, and I hated not being able to help her right now. “You’re Gavin’s fated mate,” Erik said, clearing his throat once he finally managed to pull his eyes away from the side of Irene’s face. “Which means you were created to be a Luna. The Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.” “He’s right,” Nan said, giving Erik an approving nod. “She doesn’t, and she chose you to be Gavin’s mate and the Luna of his pack… the mother of his children… You got this, and you aren’t alone.” I smiled at them.“Thanks, guys,” I said, leaning my head against Nan’s shoulder. Irene started to stand. “I’m going to head upstairs…” she started to say, but Nan grabbed her arm, tugging her back down onto the couch. “No way,” Nan said quickly. “Come on, Irene. We never get to hang out anymore. Don’t you miss us?” Irene bit her lip, and I saw how red her face was getting. “Of course… but—” “We don’t need excuses. We need food. I vote that we eat something delicious. I happen to know that the kitchen here is fully stocked, and I’m willing to make anything you guys want. Let’s have a day and eat food and gossip as we used to… with the bonus of Erik, our knight in shining armor.” She flashed a toothy grin at Erik, who let out a low chuckle before running his fingers through his hair. “I suppose I can hang out,” Erik said with a shrug. He glanced at Irene, and for the first time, she actually met his eyes, and I could see questions swirling in them. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Me too…” I smiled, happy that they were both setting aside their issues so we could all hang out. “Perfect,” Nan said, jumping to her feet. “I don’t have to be home anytime soon because Chester is with Em… so I’m all yours. Let's go into the kitchen and figure out what to make.” She held out her hand for me to take, and I took it without hesitation, allowing her to pull me to my feet. “Do we have pizza rolls?” Erik asked, making me laugh. He was such a boy sometimes. “Do I look like someone who would disrespect the kitchen by making pizza rolls?” Nan asked, crinkling her nose. Erik shrugged. “It was just a suggestion,” he murmured, though I could see the smirk forming in his usual fashion. “How about nachos?” I asked, suddenly having the most intense craving for Mexican food. Nan smiled at me. “Anything you want, Luna,” she teased, nudging me as we walked arm in arm into the kitchen. Nan was immediately in her element, bossing us around like a drill sergeant as we attempted to help her the best we could in the kitchen. Erik grated cheese like it had a personal vendetta, Irene washed the beans and opened the rest of the cans while I got all the silverware and plates together. As we all fell into rhythm, lost in our own worlds, Nan’s arm wrapped around my shoulders. “You doing okay?” She asked me.I nodded, though that nervous flutter never left my belly. “I’m just scared,” I admitted. “I want everyone and everything to be okay… I want everyone to be happy. Irene isn’t happy right now, and it’s because of Chuck… I want to break that bond so she can move on with her life.” Nan nodded in agreement, both our eyes going towards Irene, who was trying to keep her distance from Erik, and Erik was practically drooling over her. It was sad, and it tugged at my heart. “Miss Judy,” I heard Adam saying from the doorway of the kitchen. He was holding a tablet in his hands, and his brows were furrowed as he stared down at it. “There’s something you need to see.” “What is it?” I asked, my heart practically in my throat. He walked over to me and showed me the tablet screen; it was footage from the new security system Gavin had installed at the entrance of the villa. I narrowed my eyes at the image on the screen and sucked in a sharp intake. “Is that…?” I started to ask, my eyes blinking on their own accord.