The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 330

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 330: Get Away**

**Judy’s POV**

“Are you ever going to share what actually happened?” Nan inquired, her gaze piercing through the early morning haze as she scrutinized me from the other side of the room.

I was in the midst of assisting her with the final touches of packing; our destination was the airport, and time was of the essence. The sun had yet to rise, casting a dim light that barely illuminated the corners of Nan’s apartment. I had taken the liberty of packing my belongings the night before and had made a beeline to her place afterward. Thankfully, Nan had offered to pick me up, sparing me the need to explain my whereabouts to Leroy.

“Not a chance,” I replied, my eyes focused on the task at hand, knowing that if I met her gaze, I would crumble like a flimsy lawn chair.

“At some point, Judy, you’re going to have to spill the beans,” Nan persisted, stepping around the clutter to catch my eye. “You were absolutely devastated when I picked you up last night.”

I bit my lower lip, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

The truth was, I was mortified. Mortified over my blunder; mortified that I had inadvertently put Matt in danger. And above all, I was mortified that Gavin had unceremoniously kicked me out without allowing me the chance to explain myself. His Alpha command had reverberated through me, and my body craved distance, a necessity until we were far removed from each other.

Irene had finally gotten her wish; I was leaving.

“Not right now,” I finally relented, glancing at the clock. “We need to hurry, or we’ll miss our flight,” I urged her, urgency creeping into my voice.

With a resigned sigh, she fell silent, the weight of my words hanging in the air.

Nan navigated her car through the quiet streets toward the airport. Each mile we put between ourselves and the pack felt like a breath of fresh air, easing the tension in my chest. As she parked the car, I felt a sense of relief wash over me; the chaos of the previous night was fading, albeit slowly. We gathered our bags and made our way into the bustling airport.

The morning crowd was a whirlwind of activity, with travelers clad in business attire hurrying to their respective terminals, each one seemingly in a race against time. Nan and I, clad in our comfy yoga pants and oversized sweatshirts, felt like outsiders in this sea of formality. I glanced at her, and she returned my look, both of us silently acknowledging our shared sentiment of being out of place.

We approached the bag-checking station, where our bags were weighed and tagged. I clutched my backpack tightly, determined to keep it as my carry-on, while Nan balanced her small duffle bag with ease. After thanking the woman at the counter, I retrieved my plane ticket from my bag, my eyes scanning for the terminal number.

“I think we need to head upstairs,” I informed Nan, who nodded in agreement.

Once we cleared security, we hurried up the stairs toward our designated terminal.

“Do we have time for a quick coffee?” Nan asked, her eyes lighting up as we passed a coffee station.

“Absolutely,” I replied, rummaging through my bag to find my wallet.

We placed our usual coffee orders, the familiar scents of roasted beans and sweeteners wrapping around us like a comforting embrace. With thirty minutes until boarding, we settled into a pair of seats, grateful for a moment of respite.

As I sat there, my gaze drifted to a young girl nearby, who appeared to be slightly younger than me. Her short blonde hair framed a face that was etched with anxiety, and her pale green eyes darted around the terminal. What caught my attention most was the Gamma sweatshirt she wore proudly.

Without a word to Nan, I stood up and made my way over to the girl.

“Where are you going?” Nan asked, her brow furrowing in concern as she followed me.

I halted in front of the girl, offering a warm smile as she startled and glanced up at me with wide eyes.

“Hi there,” I greeted her cheerfully.

“Uh… hi…” she replied, her voice hesitant as she shifted her gaze between Nan and me.

“Are you headed to the Gamma Competition too?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

She blinked, confusion evident on her face.

“What?”

I gestured to her sweatshirt.

“That’s a Gamma sweatshirt, right?”

Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at the fabric.

“Oh, um… yeah. I’m going to the competition,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Us too,” I said, taking a seat beside her. “I’m Judy, and this is my friend, Nan.”

Nan offered a small wave, and the girl responded with a shy smile.

“Hello, I’m Sammy,” she introduced herself, still displaying a hint of unease.

“What pack do you belong to?” Nan inquired, her interest piqued.

“Moonshine,” Sammy replied.

“Oh, that’s quite a distance from our pack,” I noted, nodding thoughtfully. “It’s about an hour’s drive, I believe.”

“Where are you from?” she asked, her voice soft and barely audible.

“Redmoon,” I answered, feeling a twinge of pride.

“Oh,” she breathed, her eyes widening. “I heard you just lost your Alpha.”

“That’s true,” I replied, the weight of loss heavy on my heart. “He died in a battle, and now we have several vying for the new role.”

She nodded, her expression sympathetic.

“There are a few male wolves in my pack who also wanted that position,” she confessed. “But I told them if anyone should lead the Redmoon pack, it should be someone from that pack.”

“Not necessarily,” I shrugged, trying to remain optimistic. “It could be anyone at this point.”

“So, who’s running your pack while you wait for a new Alpha?” Sammy asked, genuine curiosity in her tone.

“The Cash family kind of runs everything,” Nan interjected, rolling her eyes. “They’re like the royal family of Redmoon.”

“I’ve heard of them,” Sammy said, her interest growing. “They’re the Betas, right? And quite wealthy?”

I nodded, feeling a sense of pride.

“Yes,” I confirmed. “Raymond Cash was the Alpha’s Beta, and my father held the position of Delta.”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow,” she exclaimed. “So, you’re kind of a big deal too, huh?”

“What do you want?” he asked, his eyes glued to the screen, his tone dripping with bitterness.

Irene froze, taken aback by the edge in his voice.

“What’s with the attitude?” she challenged, folding her arms across her chest as she glared down at him.

“I heard what you said to Judy yesterday,” he muttered, finally tearing his gaze away from the game to glare at her. “You were awful, blaming her for my accident.”

“Because she shot you,” Irene shot back, gesturing toward his healing leg. Thankfully, in another day or so, it would be completely healed. “It was her fault.”

“It was my fault,” Matt surprised her by saying. “I moved in front of the target because I saw something on the ground I wanted to pick up. Judy always warned me never to move from my spot while someone is shooting because they aim based on where you are. I threw her off balance by shifting. I wasn’t thinking clearly. It was a rookie mistake.”

Irene was left speechless, her mind racing. She had seen Matt move from his original position, but Judy should have noticed him before releasing the bow.

“She wasn’t even aiming for me,” Matt continued, his voice firm. “She was demonstrating a trick shot. The arrow just happened to fly in the direction I moved to.”

“A trick shot?” Irene asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“You know nothing about what Judy can do,” he said through clenched teeth. “She’s an incredible archer and fighter, capable of feats you could only dream of. This accident was not her fault. I wanted to tell her that last night, but everyone was yelling, and then Dad listened to you and kicked her out. He Alpha commanded her, Irene, and that’s on you.”

Irene felt a jolt of shock run through her.

“I… uh…” she stammered, grappling with her emotions.

Just then, Gavin knocked on the door, interrupting the charged atmosphere.

“Everything okay?” he asked, stepping into the room.

“The accident wasn’t Judy’s fault,” Matt reiterated, his voice filled with urgency. “I moved from my spot after she told me countless times not to do that. If anyone should be blamed, it’s me. But please, don’t be mad at Judy anymore. I don’t want her to quit or get fired… I don’t want her to leave.”

Tears welled up in Matt’s eyes, and Irene felt a pang of guilt pierce her heart. This was entirely her fault; what kind of monster had she become? And for what? All for Ethan? Was he even worth it?

“Thank you for telling me that,” Gavin said, placing a reassuring hand on Matt’s shoulder.

“Dad… you aren’t going to fire her, are you?”

Gavin shook his head firmly.

“No, I’ve been trying to reach her. Her phone’s off. We’ll have to wait until I return. I was coming in here to let you know that I’m leaving now and will be gone for a few weeks.”

“Are you heading straight to the Gamma competition?”

“It doesn’t start for a couple more days. I’m checking in at the resort first, and then I might meet some of the competitors for dinner this evening,” he explained. “Behave while I’m away. Both of you. Call if you need anything. Be good for Beta Taylor.”

“Okay…” they both replied in unison, a sense of resignation settling over them.

As Gavin left the room, Irene turned back to Matt, who still had tears glistening in his eyes.

In that moment, Irene realized the magnitude of her mistake.