Judy’s POV
My heart fell into my stomach. “What?!” I gasped.
We lived in a decent-sized house; my adoptive father, being a successful businessman and a Delta of the Redmoon pack, had a lot of money.
“He was arrested,” she explained. “He made a bad investment for the company, and he ended up losing all the money. He went completely bankrupt and now he owes the pack so much money. Until he pays it, they put him in jail.”
“They can’t just come and take him away like this,” I said, standing to my feet, hardly able to contain my emotions. “Without any warning? That’s not fair!”
“They can do whatever they want. The Beta is under the jurisdiction of the Lycans, and it was his decision. Loan sharks are ruthless, and nobody wishes to deal with them. It’s easier to just get rid of the problem and right now… your father is the problem.”
Before I could say anything more, my phone started to ring. I reached into my bag and pulled it out. I frowned when I saw the name flash across the screen.
“I heard about your father,” Ethan’s voice was soft as he spoke, and my traitorous heart skipped a beat. I hated how my body responded to him still; it was because of this stupid mate bond. Even though he rejected me, and I accepted it, that didn’t mean it severed our bond. It won’t be severed until he marks someone else.“I might have a suggestion though. But I’d like to tell you in person. Come outside.”
I quickly left the kitchen and walked out of the house. Ethan was leaning against his car with his arms folded across his chest.
Goddess, I hated how good he looked.
I had been in love with him for longer than 2 years. He was my friend, my confidant, my fated mate. When he rejected me, it destroyed everything I had dreamt of.
I wrapped my arms around my body, desperately trying to hold myself together.
“Why are you here?” I asked him after a long and awkward silence.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he replied.
“Why?”
The corner of his lips tipped upwards as he stared at me; I nearly melted under his scrutiny, and I had to shift my gaze to look at the ground.
“Because I can help you,” he answered. “Your father’s funding chain is broken, and he now owes a lot of money. I know for a fact that he doesn’t have that kind of money, especially now that his business has gone under. But I do.”
I lifted my gaze to meet him; he was serious.
“Are you saying you’d pay my father’s debt?” I asked him.
He nodded.
“Yes,” he answered.
“And what would we have to do in return?” I asked, almost afraid to ask.
He smirked, which gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“There is a condition,” he confessed. I waited silently for him to continue, my eyes never leaving his. “After I get married, I want you to drop out of school and become my mistress.”
I couldn’t have heard him correctly; I stared at him with my jaw practically on the ground.
“Excuse me?” I managed to sputter. “You want me to what??”
“Drop out of school and become my mistress. I already have a luxurious home for you to live in. You would never have to want for anything. I’ll pay off your father’s debt and give you more money than you could dream of.”
“How… how could you ask me to do such a thing?” I asked in a choked whisper; tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I kept them away, not wanting him to see my break.
He stepped closer to me, and I felt rooted to the ground, unable to move away. My wolf was whimpering about his request; she couldn’t believe our mate could ask such a thing from us. She was gutted and I hated that she was put in this position.
“Because we’ve always been so good together, Judy,” he said, reaching out and touching my arm gently. “We will always have this strong connection, even if I mark someone else. You and your family would be set for life… all you have to do is say yes…”
He was rubbing his fingers up and down my arms and I felt sick to my stomach. I finally found the strength to step away from him, my body trembling.
“No,” I said, meeting his eyes. “I would never become your mistress.”
His eyes darkened.
“I’m about to become the Alpha, Judy. You must get with the times. Becoming my mistress would only benefit you and plus, don’t you want your father out of jail?”
“I will find another way,” I said through my teeth. “If that’s all you came here to say, then I’ve heard enough. You can leave.”
He raised his brows as he stared at me. He studied me for a moment longer like he expected me to change his mind at any moment.
“You’ll change your mind,” he told me as he stepped away from me and towards his car. “And when you do, I’ll be here. But until then, your father will remain in prison.”
“I’ll figure it out,” I said to his retreating back. “We don’t need you, Ethan!”
He chuckled as he opened his car door and then he turned back to gaze into my eyes.
“In order to get him out of prison, you’ll need at least 5 million dollars. When you realize that there’s no other option, you’ll come to your senses. I’m sure of it.”
Without another word, he got into his car. I watched as he drove away, disappearing into the night.
It was only when he disappeared that I allowed myself to fall to the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks before I could stop them.
5 million dollars?
How was I going to come up with that kind of money?
——————
I had two classes this morning and one later in the afternoon. My first class was warrior training, and my second class was shifting, both of which I excelled at. I was going to college for Gamma training so that once I graduated, I could prove myself to the Gamma force and become a warrior. Then I would easily be able to pay off my father’s debt and save my family.
“You look like hell,” my best friend, Nan, pointed out as I sat beside her against the large Oaktree; the very tree we always met up at.
“It was a rough night,” I admitted as I took out my textbook to study.
“Where did you go last night? When I returned, you were gone. Did you leave early because of the engagement party?”
I bit my lower lip as I thought about what to say to her. If I lied, she’d be able to see right through me. I was a terrible liar initially, but Nan could read me like a book.
“I ripped my shirt, and someone brought me into his room to change,” I said, feeling my cheeks growing warm at the memory.
She raised her brows, and I could barely look at her.
“You went to someone’s room?” She asked. “Whose?”
I was quiet for a moment, and she grabbed my arm, getting my attention.
“Judy, who did you leave with?” She asked, now her voice was filled with alarm.
I knew there was no getting out of this conversation. I bit my lip and peeked up at her through my lashes.
“Gavin Landry,” I squeaked.
