Chapter 71

**Chapter 0071**

He led me to the chairs and made me sit in one while he took the other, his fingers still gently holding mine.

“So, tell us what our son…”

“Gavin said, turning his attention to the principal, who was watching us carefully.

Principal Thorne cleared his throat and looked between the two of us.

“Matthew got into a fight yesterday in the lunchroom,” he explained.

I was shocked when I heard the principal say, “We have zero tolerance for fighting in this school. The only reason he wasn’t expelled is because he’s a Landry. I wanted to talk to you about the right punishment for the boy.”

I thought Gavin would give a detailed response, but instead, he just sat there quietly.

Matt had been in trouble again. Fighting was definitely not acceptable, and even if he couldn’t be expelled because he was a Landry, something had to be done. I thought Gavin would be really angry with Matt for his behavior.

But

What I didn’t expect was the calmness that washed over him as he stared at the principal, as if it was Principal Thorne who was in the wrong. He leaned back in his seat, taking a moment to study the principal sitting before him. “And why…”

“Why did Matt fight that boy? Do you know why?” Gavin asked.

I raised my eyebrows at his question. It was a good one. I turned to face the principal, waiting for an answer.

“I…”

“I’m not exactly sure…” the principal said, his eyebrows knitted together.

“You didn’t even ask him what upset him?” Gavin questioned, raising his eyebrows. “Matt isn’t known to be violent unless…”

I realized Gavin was right. Matt had chased away those tutors for a good reason. They didn’t care about helping him; they were selfish and greedy. They treated Matt poorly, only interested in what they could gain from him.

Matt had every reason to chase them away. But once you get to know him, you see he’s just a sweet little boy who wants his family to spend more time with him.

He doesn’t have a violent bone in his body unless he feels it’s deserved.

He often feels lonely and sad. He really wants attention and will do anything to get it. However, I don’t see him trying to get that kind of attention at school. I know school is important to him; it’s clear from how he acts there.

He worked really hard during our study sessions. He wouldn’t do anything to risk that unless there was a good reason.

“It doesn’t matter what the reason is. He still broke our school rules,” Principal said.

Thorne crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I know he’s your son, Alpha Landry, but we need to do something about his behavior.”

“His behavior?” I finally found my voice to respond. “You think there’s a problem?”

“I don’t even know why he acted that way, and you want us to punish him? How can we be sure that Matt started the fight? Maybe he was just defending himself. And why aren’t the other boy’s parents here? Are you really expecting us to make a decision without all the facts?”

Principal Thorne looked serious as he spoke. “Are you planning to punish him too?”

He continued, “The other boy has a broken nose and had to go to the nurse’s office.” His frown grew deeper with concern.

—

**Chapter 7**

“And how do you know he didn’t deserve it?”

“Gavin asked, ‘What happened?’

‘Alpha, I—’

‘My wife and I taught our son to stand up for himself, so it’s hard to believe that Matt would just punch another boy in the face for no reason,’ he continued.”

Gavin interrupted him, saying, “My wife…”

My cheeks turned red when he called me his wife. I stole a glance at him and noticed a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips, like he was trying not to laugh.

I pressed my lips together, trying to hide my surprise.

I turned to face the principal.

“Call him over so we can talk to him,” I said, relieved that my voice sounded stronger than I felt.

The principal swallowed hard and nodded. He picked up his phone to make the call.

“Can you bring Matthew Landry to my office?” he asked into the phone. “Thanks.”

He hung up and took a deep breath.

Gavin nodded in approval. We sat in silence for what felt like a long time. Gavin was deep in thought, and I could sense the tension in the air.

He held my hand tightly, and every now and then, he would gently tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. He was putting on a show for the principal, but all it did was make my heart race.

A few moments later, the door opened.

Matthew walked into the room. As soon as he saw his father, he froze.

“D… dad?” he stammered.