Chapter 0083
Judy’s POV
The waitress returned to our table, holding a bottle of red wine and two crystal glasses.
“The best wine we have tonight is the Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac,” she told Walter, her eyes fixed firmly on him.
Walter nodded, a small smile playing at his lips.
“Sounds great,” he replied. “Can you pour my date a glass first?”
The waitress hesitated for a moment, glancing at me before giving a tight, almost reluctant smile. I leaned back in my seat, putting on a neutral expression. She straightened up and poured me a glass of wine, the deep red liquid glistening in the crystal glass, illuminated by the soft glow of the chandelier above us.
As she handed me my glass, her attention immediately turned back to Walter. Her smile became more flirtatious, the same one she had been wearing earlier.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked, placing a hand on his bicep.
Walter glanced down at her hand, his frown deepening. Without a word, he took her hand and gently but firmly removed it from his arm. Her eyes widened, clearly surprised by the gesture.
“Let’s try to remain professional, shall we?” he said, his voice calm but assertive, his eyebrow arched. “There’s no need to be disrespectful towards my date.”
I saw the waitress’s face turn beet red as she quickly withdrew, stammering an apology.
“I… uh…” she muttered.
Walter didn’t give her a chance to finish. “Just check on our meals,” he ordered coolly, waving her away dismissively.
She nodded quickly, almost knocking over her tray in her hurry to retreat.
Once she was gone, Walter sighed and turned to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice that earlier,” he said sincerely. “I promise, from now on, I’ll do my best to make sure you feel comfortable.”
I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “I truly appreciate that, Walter,” I told him, my voice soft with gratitude.
Walter lifted his wine glass with a playful glint in his eyes. “Let’s enjoy the rest of the evening,” he said, offering me a toast.
I smiled, raising my glass to meet his. We clinked glasses, and for a brief moment, everything felt perfect. We both took a sip, and I finally began to relax, letting the tension slip away.
Third Person POV
Judy was so absorbed in her date with Walter that she didn’t feel Ethan’s glare burning into the back of her head. Across the room, he was fuming, his thoughts clouded with jealousy and frustration. Irene, on the other hand, was still babbling on about something that Ethan couldn’t care less about. His mind was entirely consumed by Judy—and how, just hours after their conversation, she could be sitting at a table with another man.
It wasn’t like he had a right to be upset. After all, he was here with Irene, the woman he had chosen over his fated mate. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. His wolf, however, was far less convinced. The animal inside him growled, still angry over the choice he had made. Breaking up with his fated mate had been necessary, he rationalized, if he was ever going to secure his position as Alpha of the Redmoon Pack.
But then there was Judy. He wanted her, and he wasn’t going to stop until he had her—no matter what it took. He’d already bought a house for her, after all. He wouldn’t let anyone get in his way.
“Are you even listening to me?” Irene snapped, folding her arms across her chest.
Ethan blinked, caught off guard. He had completely zoned out, unable to focus on anything but Judy.
“Of course I am,” he lied, forcing a smile.
“Then what did I say?” Irene raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
Ethan hesitated, his mind racing. “Something about the wedding?” he guessed, though he had no idea.
Irene rolled her eyes and set her napkin down, her plate mostly empty now. “I think I’ve had enough,” she murmured. “I’d like to go home now.”
Ethan frowned. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Acting like what?” Irene shot back, her tone sharp.
“Immaturely,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration. “If there’s a problem, you should tell me.”
“I could say the same to you,” she retorted, her eyes narrowing. “You haven’t been yourself since meeting Judy. Is there something I need to know about? Did something happen between the two of you?”
Her words hit him like a slap to the face. Had he been that obvious? He quickly tried to cover up his surprise, knowing he needed to be careful if he was going to become Alpha.
“Of course not, Irene,” he assured her, forcing a smile. “I only have eyes for you.”
“Then why haven’t you been able to stop staring at her?” Irene asked, her voice low and dangerous.
“I’m not staring at her,” he denied, but his words lacked conviction.
“I don’t believe you,” Irene said, shaking her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this here.”
Ethan dropped his voice to a whisper, trying to salvage the situation. “How about I pay the bill, and then we leave? We can talk more in the car.”
Irene hesitated, her eyes filled with uncertainty. After a long pause, she nodded curtly. “I’ll be outside waiting.”
As she stood up and walked away, Ethan was left staring after her, his mind spinning with how to handle this situation. But just as he was about to follow, he caught a glimpse of Walter’s gaze flickering in his direction. The other man had noticed the tension between them, and Ethan could see the hint of frustration in his eyes.
Walter wasn’t the only one who had noticed Ethan’s gaze fixed on Judy all evening. His Beta, Max, was also keenly aware of the situation.
Walter opened a mindlink with him, his voice low and controlled.
“Max,” Walter said, his tone serious.
“I’m here,” Max replied almost immediately. “Everything okay?”
“I need you to find out everything you can about Ethan Cash,” Walter ordered. “He and Judy have a past, and I need to know everything about it. Find out what you can. Now.”
