Judy’s POV

“Shut up!” She gasped. “Are you serious?? You went to Gavin Landry’s VIP suite? As in THE Gavin Landry?!”

I nearly tackled her; she was being so loud!

“Keep your voice down!” I scolded, attempting to cover her mouth with my hands but she was too quick and dodged me.

“How can I possibly keep it down when my best friend went to Gavin Landry’s hotel room last night and waited until now to tell me!” She exclaimed.

Nan was a waitress at the hotel restaurant the engagement party was at last night. The hotel, called Carter Resorts, was in the human territory, and it was owned by Patrick Carter, the Delta of the Silver Crescent pack. Which happened to be Gavin Landry’s pack.

I wasn’t surprised to see Gavin there last night, especially considering his daughter was the bride-to-be. I was less surprised to see that he had a VIP suite at the hotel.

I sighed.

“It all happened so fast, and I had a bit too much to drink,” I admitted. “I all but forgot when I got home because other stuff happened.”

I wrapped my arms around my body and looked up at her concerned eyes.

“What else happened?” She asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

I took a deep breath, and I told Nan everything that happened, right up until Ethan came over and asked me to be his mistress in exchange for him paying off my father’s debt. By the time I finished talking, Nan’s jaw had dropped.

“The nerve of that asshole!” She hissed. “How dare he! He rejected you and now he wants you to be his little whore?! He has zero shame.”

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do, Nan,” I whispered. “There’s no way I could come up with 5 million dollars to pay off my father’s debt.”

We both fell silent as our thoughts consumed us and then her face lit up. I knew that look well and it grew nervous as a smile spread across her face. I knew right away that she had an idea, and I also knew that I wasn’t going to like it.

“You said that he gave you his shirt to wear?” She asked.

I nodded.

She gasped and grabbed my arm.

“Isn’t it obvious, Judy? Gavin is into you. That’s the only reason he’d give you his shirt. He wanted his scent on you! He's very picky. In all my time as a waitress, you're the first woman he's ever offered.”

I gawked at her. She had officially lost her mind.

“Gavin’s not into me,” I said, shaking my head. “He gave me his shirt because mine ripped. There was nothing to it.”

“Why would he even care?” Nan asked, folding her arms across her chest. “He’s Gavin Landry and doesn’t need to care about any of this. Besides, you mentioned that he kissed you heatedly. You were ready to go all the way with him, which is huge because you were planning on waiting until after you were married. There had to be some kind of connection last night.”

I glanced at my hands.

“Or maybe I was just hurting and wanted to get back at Ethan,” I murmured. “Plus, I had a little too much to drink.”

“Drunk actions are sober thoughts or something like that,” she said, waving away my words. Then, she smirked. “You could use this to your advantage. Do you still have that lingerie you bought for your wedding night? You should pay Gavin a little visit and make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

___

I knew it was a bad idea the moment she spoke the words, but her words continued to replay in my mind for the remainder of the day and night. When I woke up the next morning, my mind was made up.

I went to my closet and grabbed my red lingerie. I had only tried it on once and I felt a little self-conscious wearing it, but I knew the night of my wedding when I finally gave myself over to Ethan fully, it wouldn’t matter what I was wearing. My heart ached at the thought, and I quickly brushed it out of my head before I started to cry again.

I dressed in the lingerie, and I grabbed a long trench coat, wrapping it around my body. I left my hair down and I put on a little makeup to make my features pop.

For the last day or so, my mother had either been speaking on the phone to lawyers, visiting my father in prison, or in her room. I had barely seen or spoken to her since I told her Ethan wasn’t going to help us. I hated knowing I disappointed her, but hopefully, this would fix all our problems.

It was no secret where Gavin’s office was; everybody knew the famous Gavin Landry Corporation. When I walked through the front door, the receptionist was typing on her computer.

She barely spared me a look as I approached the desk.

“Good morning, I’m here to see Gavin Landry,” I said as politely as I could.

The receptionist looked upward at me and blinked a couple of times, looking less than amused.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Uh, no, but—”

“Look, I don’t have time for this. Countless women come in here and request to speak with Gavin and I’m going to tell you what I tell them. Mr. Landry is incredibly busy, and he doesn’t have time or patience to be dealing with another fan girl,” she said bitterly.

“And what gives you the right to turn away those who come to see me?” A deep voice boomed.

Judy’s POV

“Mr. Landry,” the receptionist said, quickly standing to her feet. She suddenly seemed disheveled, and I wanted to smirk with satisfaction, but I kept it held in.

“I asked you a question, Laura,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her. “What gives you the right to send away guests? You know the protocol. You are to call my office, and I am the one who decides whether or not I will see them or not. Not you.”

She swallowed and glanced at the ground as if staring directly at him physically hurt her.

“Come with me.”

It took me a second to realize he was speaking to me, but when I saw the receptionist glaring at me and Gavin’s retreating back, I nearly stumbled over my feet to catch up to him. He walked through a luxurious waiting room until we reached a glass elevator.

It was very high-tech with a touch screen attached to it. He brought up a keypad and typed in some sequence before pressing the floor number.

He stood so close to me that the elevator felt almost cramped, despite it being a wide space. I could smell his incredible minty scent, mixed in with his aftershave and my heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t bother looking at me though and I was starting to doubt this plan would work. Maybe he didn’t like me as much as I thought he did. I felt awkward knowing that under this coat was nothing but lingerie.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. It was an extremely large space with marble flooring and granite walls.

“Where exactly is your office?” I asked, staring around the gorgeous area.

He glanced at me; his face kept indifferent.

“This is my office.”

My eyes grew large at his words. He continued walking until he rounded the corner and sure enough, there was his desk right in front of large windows that overlooked the human city. It was gorgeous and my stomach twisted with nerves.

He didn’t bother sitting on his desk chair. Instead, he turned to face me, leaning against his desk and folding his arms across his chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I took him in. He wore a white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up halfway, showing off his incredible muscles and his dark dress pants hugged his waist perfectly, showcasing his incredible form.

My wolf purred with satisfaction, and I found myself staring at him for way longer than I intended to.

He cleared his throat, making me nearly jump out of my skin as my gaze shot upward and met his. He was smirking at me, as if to say, “Caught you.”

My cheeks burned from the embarrassment I felt.

“So, what did you come here for?” He asked, breaking the tension between us.

Oh. Right. The reason I’m here.

“I have a problem, and I need your help,” I said in a rush.

He raised his right brow.

“What kind of problem?”

I cleared my throat before continuing.

“My father was arrested the other night,” I blurted. “His business went bankrupt, and he owes a lot of money. Roughly 5 million dollars.”

He was silent as he stared at me; I realized he was waiting for me to continue. Probably wanted to know how I needed his help.

“I was hoping you’d be able to help him and maybe pay the debt for my father so he could get out of prison?” I asked, biting my lip.

He was quiet for another moment, processing my request before he ran his hands over his face.

“And what would I get in return for helping your family?” He asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Confidence: I needed confidence.

I held my head up high and looked him right in the eyes. It was known as a challenge to look an Alpha directly in the eyes, even worse so looking a Lycan directly in the eyes. But Gavin wasn’t as angry as I thought he would be, instead, he looked intrigued.

“Well,” I began, I dropped my voice low as I stepped closer to him. “At the party the other day, we obviously had a connection…” I felt my cheeks growing hot as I spoke those words. “And I thought maybe…”

I took a deep breath and undid my coat, revealing a portion of my lingerie, but not all of it. Not yet at least. His eyes darkened as he gazed over my body, and I nearly melted under his scrutiny.

I suddenly had a surge of confidence, and I reached my hand out to touch his arm.

“I thought maybe I could do some favors for you in return,” I said in a sultry voice. “I’m a college student and very clean. I haven’t had sex before, but I’m on birth control, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

His breathing grew heavy as he straightened his posture, closing the small gap between us. His nearness was intoxicating, and my heart started to race against my chest. His scent enveloped me, and I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this delirious.

He reached his hand up and I felt his fingers glide down my cheek, sending a wave of warmth throughout my whole body. We were so close together that I thought I was going to pass out from the heat that consumed me.

His eyes were dark like they were the night in the VIP suite.

He swallowed hard and I watched his Adam’s apple move slightly. I closed my eyes, preparing for him to kiss me. I could feel his breath on my lips and just as I leaned in close to him, getting ready for his embrace, it never came.

Instead, I felt him adjusting my coat, covering my body.

My eyes flew open, and I looked at his stern expression.

“Do you really think I need to pay a woman for sex?” He asked, breaking the silence. “You said it yourself that I have many options.”

My cheeks flushed immediately.

“I just thought—”

“You thought you could use your body to pay for my help,” he said, interrupting me. “You are still young, Miss Montague. You will regret taking such shortcuts in the future.”

How did he know my name? I hadn’t told him. Had he looked into me? My heart skipped a beat at the thought, but his words were slowly crushing me.

He didn’t want me.

I lowered my gaze, hating how hot my face was getting. I knew he could see just how embarrassed I was.

When he spoke next, he softened his voice and spoke with compassion.

“Look, I have a daughter,” he told me. “I would never teach her to use her body as a transaction. I want more for her and her future, and I expect better from her.”

He reached his hand and caressed the nape of my neck with his fingertips; my breath hitched as I gazed into his eyes.

“I expected better from you,” he added; my heart fell into my stomach and disappointment consumed me.

He was right. I was better than this.

I nodded my head and opened my mouth to speak, but I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see a couple of security guards standing nearby and I whipped around to look at Gavin with wide eyes.

“I’m afraid my time is up, and my patience has run out,” Gavin said, looking at me briefly before glancing at the security guards. “Escort Miss Montague out of the building, please.”

“Yes sir,” they both said.

They stood on each side of me, and I stared at Gavin with shock. I didn’t fight or argue with the security guards as they told me to come with them.

“Thank you for your time,” I managed to say before I turned and left the office. I wanted to cry because of the shame, but I knew more importantly I needed a new job.

….

“I’m so excited we get to work together,” Nan said with a wide smile. “And you look great in that uniform.”

I looked down at my uniform. I felt ridiculous in this thing; it was a short skirt and a crop top that showed way too much cleavage. I felt like I was on display.

Especially at night when this place pretty much turned into a club. These men are wealthy and would tip generously. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up when I was struggling for money.

“That’s what friends are for,” she said, nudging my arm with hers.

She looked behind me and sighed.

“Looks like we are getting a group of guys. Good luck,” she said.

I sighed and turned to greet the customers but then I froze when I saw who was amongst them.

Ethan.

Judy’s POV

“You were right,” I heard one of his friends saying. “She does work here. This is going to be so good.”

“Hey, call girl, can we get a table, or are you just going to stare at us?”

Call girl?

I placed the menus on the table for them and waited for each of them to take a seat.

“I’m not a call girl. Please, take your seat.”

As I leaned over the table to put the beer in front of each of them, one of them grabbed my rear end. I felt my entire body freeze.

“I like this little uniform on you. How about you take it off and see what’s underneath.”

My entire body went hot as I stepped back from the table, forcing his hand to drop.

“Do not touch me,” I said loudly to each of them.

“Oh, come on, Judy. Aren’t you here to satisfy men?” Another of his friends asked. “So come here and satisfy us. Sit on my lap.”

I pressed my lips together.

“I’m not a call girl,” I told them for the final time. “I’m a waitress.”

“You got this job because you’re hot,” one of them chuckled. “The manager didn’t care about your skills. He cared about whether or not you could flirt with the customers and make him a lot of money. I’m willing to give you a good tip if you let me see what’s underneath your uniform and sit on my lap.”

I felt my blood going cold from his words.

“Come here baby girl,” he said, patting his lap and winking at me.

I just stared at him, disbelieving.

I looked at Ethan who was watching me, waiting to see what I would do. How could he just let his friends speak to me like this? At one point, he would have never allowed this. He would have punched anyone who looked at me with lust in their eyes.

Now, he was acting as if he didn’t care.

“I’ll give you 10 thousand dollars if you drink this entire beer,” one of his friends asked.

My mouth nearly fell open.

“What?” I asked.

“You heard me,” he answered. “Drink this whole beer and you’ll get 10 thousand dollars.”

“We’ll all give you 10 thousand dollars each if you drink all of our beers,” another one said.

I stared at the beer and then at the men. My eyes landed on Ethan once more; he raised his brows, waiting for my answer.

Swallowing my pride, I stepped towards the table and grabbed one of the glasses.

I really didn’t like beer, but money was money, and I knew Ethan’s friends were rich and could pay that kind of money easily. I needed the cash to get my father out of prison and pay off his debt.

I brought the cup to my lips and let the liquid run down my throat. I winced at the bitter taste, but I kept pushing myself until the cup was empty. His friends were cheering and chanting as I drank the contents of the cup.

I slammed the cup on the counter and looked at the next guy who slid his beer at me, winking as he did so.

I chugged his beer as well.

I only got halfway through the third glass when I felt a firm grip around my wrist and I was yanked away.

I heard Ethan’s friends booing and telling him he was a party pooper. I had no idea where Ethan was taking me; he was quiet until we reached outside and then he whipped around to glare at me.

“Accept my offer and stop this foolishness,” he ordered.

“I won’t be your mistress, Ethan,” I told him, narrowing my eyes, my head fuzzy from the beer. “You can forget about that.”

“You’d rather act like a little slut instead?” He asked through his teeth. “You looked ridiculous in there!”

“Why do you care? You have your fiancé. This is my private business, and my private business no longer includes you.”

“You are still mine, Judy. You will always be mine,” he growled.

I wanted to laugh at his ridiculousness, but I also wanted to cry. He was so sweet at one point; I spent more than 2 years loving this man. Now as he stood before me, I realized he was a stranger.

“I am not yours,” I told him, glad that my voice came out stronger than I felt.

He let out a bitter laugh.

“Fine, be a whore for all I care,” he growled. “Spread your legs for money because that’s all you’re good for—”

Before I could stop myself, my hand swung and made contact with his cheek, causing a loud slap.

He didn’t flinch but he did grow angrier as he went to grab my throat. He froze though when he looked at my neck and I watched the color draining from his face.

“What the fuck,” he hissed. He grabbed my chin and yanked my head to the side. “Is that a hickey?”

I realized when getting dressed this morning that the hickey Gavin left on me the other night was still there. It was fading, but visible.

“So, what if it is?” I asked.

He released my chin and glared at me, his gaze icy.

“Who the hell have you been with?”

“That’s not your concern,” I retorted.

I turned to walk away, but he gripped my arm, making me whimper in pain as he whipped me around to face him again.

“Answer my goddamn question, Judy! Who have you been with?!”

Through gritted teeth, I answered, “Gavin. Your future father-in-law. Happy now?”

He released me and let out a bark of laughter.

“Are you kidding me? You don’t have to make up such a ridiculous story,” Ethan said through a fit of laughter.

I heard more laughter from nearby and I realized Ethan’s friends were crowding around.

“Is she talking about Gavin Landry? He has standards. He would never go for a girl like, Judy.”

“Yeah, Judy is a slut and Gavin is a Lycan chairman. There’s no way,” another friend laughed.

“I’m being serious,” I told them, folding my arms across my chest.

This time Ethan did grab my throat, and his gaze turned almost deadly.

“Stop playing me for a fool and tell me the truth,” he growled. “Gavin would never want someone like you. You are nobody. You don’t fit into his world. ”

I couldn’t breathe as his hands tightened around my throat, so I couldn’t respond.

“Now, how about you do as I say and move into the house I bought? Once I get married, I’ll see you frequently at night and you can spread your pretty little legs for me only—”

There was a loud honk from nearby, making Ethan drop his hold around my neck. I coughed and rubbed my sore neck as he glared at the person interrupting us.

I glanced at the black Bently and frowned when the door opened.

I gasped when I saw Gavin seated in the back, his eyes on me.

“Get in,” he ordered.

I stared at him, disbelieving.

“I won’t ask you again, Judy,” he said through his teeth.

I felt Ethan’s shocked eyes on me as I quickly hurried towards the car and got in, closing the door behind me.

“Drive,” he ordered the driver.

“Yes, sir.”

The car started to move; Ethan stood on the curb; his mouth nearly dropped. His friends were equally shocked.

Gavin glanced at me, and I felt my cheeks redden.

“Using me to make your ex-fiancé jealous, are you?”