Chapter 20

Chapter 20
Judy’s POV

My mother was smiling for the first time since my father was taken away by the pack Gammas.

“Oh, Judy! Good, you’re home. Look who came to visit us!”

“My mother said, smiling brightly at Ethan, ‘He told me that he can help us if you cooperate with him.'”

She looked at me with a curious expression in her eyes, wondering what I would say next.

She looked back at me. I had told her that Ethan refused to help, but now it seemed like he was making it look like I was being uncooperative with his requests. He was trying to shift the blame onto me for why he wouldn’t help. I could tell he hadn’t explained to her the real reason behind his refusal.

I knew what those demands were, but I wasn’t going to tell her. Sharing that information would only hurt her more, and I didn’t have the strength to do it right now. I was completely worn out after the long day I had, and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and rest.

I really didn’t want to deal with Ethan right now.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. He was standing there with a smug smile on his face.

“What’s he doing here, Mom?” I asked her.

She frowned at me.

“Is that any way to speak?” she asked, pinching her brows together. “I raised you better than that, Judy. Ethan has been a friend of this family for a long time. He’s your mate, and he’s—”

“He’s offering to help us when we really need it. You should show him more respect,” she said.

I pressed my lips together tightly.

“Do I need to remind you that we broke up?” I asked, still looking at her.

I was talking to Ethan, but I was also speaking with my mother. I needed both of them to understand that Ethan and I were no longer together. If my mother was hoping for us to get back together, she was mistaken because that was not going to happen.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t still be friends,” she replied. “He is in the running to be our new Alpha. Regardless, he deserves our respect.”

Ethan stood up, and I instinctively took a step back.

I wanted to create as much distance between us as I could. My wolf had been quiet since we spotted him at Gavin’s villa with Irene. I worried that something might be seriously wrong with her. She hadn’t blocked me since the day Ethan rejected her.

“I’m sorry for intruding,” Ethan said, forcing a smile as he looked at me. I could tell it was just for my mother’s sake. The bitterness in his voice made it clear he didn’t really mean it.

“I was hoping for a moment of your time,” I said.

“In your dreams, Ethan,” I added, then turned my back to him and stormed out of the living room. I wasn’t going to give him the time of day.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I climbed the stairs. Just as I reached the top and opened the door, I felt a hand push against my lower back, shoving me the rest of the way inside.

I turned quickly to face Ethan, who was staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What the hell are you doing in here, Ethan?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I felt…

“You’re the one asking the questions,” he snapped back, clearly annoyed. “What do you think you’re doing, showing off Gavin Landry like that?”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

—

**Chapter 20**

“Excuse me?” I asked him, confused.

Ethan was surprised. “What does that have to do with you? Aren’t you engaged to his daughter?”

“Do you really think selling yourself to Gavin will help get your father out of prison?” Ethan laughed. “You’re wasting your time.”

“You’re being delusional if you think for even a second that he would ever be interested in you.”

“You remember the hickeys I had on my neck not too long ago, right?” I asked him, folding my arms across my chest.

His expression darkened when he heard about the hickeys. He stepped toward me, and I instinctively took a step back, wanting to keep my distance from him.

“I asked around,” he said, his voice tense. “Apparently, Gavin was seen with someone a lot.”

“Did you drink that evening?” he asked quietly. He seemed a bit confused. “You must have taken advantage of the opportunity.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I responded, narrowing my eyes at him. “I did not.”

“I’m not falling for that, Judy!”

“I don’t know who you think you’re fooling. I see right through you. I know what kind of person you are, and I know you would do anything for your family. Even if it means sacrificing your own comfort.”

“Why not just take me up on my offer and end this whole thing?” Ethan suggested, hoping to make things simple with a bit of money.

“Because I won’t be your mistress, Ethan,” I said sharply. “That’s insulting to everyone involved, including Irene.”

“Don’t you care about her at all? How could you ask me something like that, knowing it would hurt her?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Don’t pretend you care about her,” he replied.

“Someone has to.”

“I growled.

He let out a humorless laugh just before he grabbed me and pulled me close, completely catching me off guard. He wrapped one arm around my hips and the other around my back, pressing me against him.

My heart raced as I pressed against his hard chest. I felt like it might burst from the sudden movement.

“Just shut up,” he murmured, and then his lips came crashing against mine.

Anger bubbled up inside me as our lips met.

His tongue brushed against my bottom lip, trying to find a way in. I kept my mouth shut tight, not wanting to give in to him. There was a time when his kiss would have made my knees weak, and I would have surrendered immediately. But now, I held my ground.

I felt disgusted and used. I no longer experienced that familiar tingle I once felt from his touch.