Chapter : 835
Judy’s POV
The car ride was long; it took several hours, and most of it was done in silence. Gavin was lost in thought the entire drive… as was I. Gavin drove with his jaw tight, one hand gripping the wheel and the other holding mine like he thought I’d disappear if he let go.
I stared out the window at the woods rushing by-dense trees, heavy branches, patches of morning fog clinging to the ground. The deeper we went, the less the world looked like anything familiar. No houses, no mailboxes… not even an occasional jogger or hiker.
Just miles and miles of quiet.
“Why would she live out here where there is nobody else?” I asked, more to myself than from Gavin.
“From what I hear, she doesn’t trust anybody,” Gavin replied.
Taylor had done a little more digging before we left and found out some stuff about Coraline Blackwell. She disappeared off the grid years ago and stopped associating with her family. Her lack of trust was palpable to Taylor, and he made mention of that to Gavin. We weren’t sure what kind of woman we were walking into, but my nerves couldn’t be settled for the entire few hours we drove.
“Do you think it’s safe to intrude on her?” I asked, nibbling on my lower lip.
Gavin glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the road in front of him.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assured me. “You should know that by now.”
I nodded, feeling heat creep up my cheeks.
“I know,” I breathed, my voice coming out as a whisper. “That’s not what I meant.” “You have nothing to worry about.”
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, and I felt the warmth going from him to me, and my heart skipped a beat.
Every mile closer felt like a step toward something life-changing… answers… truth… maybe even something I wasn’t ready to hear yet. After another thirty minutes of nothing but trees, Gavin slowed the car and turned onto a narrow dirt road that looked like it hadn’t been driven on since the 90s. The branches overhead knitted together thickly enough to block out most of the sun.
By the time we reached a clearing, my heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it echoed in my ears. Her house sat at the far end—if you could call it a house.
It looked more like a forgotten cabin swallowed by the woods, vines crawling up the walls, the windows half obscured, the wood worn and dark from age. Smoke curled from the chimney, soft and thin.
“Looks like she’s home,” Gavin murmured, motioning with his head towards the car in the makeshift driveway.
I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t known I was holding until that moment. Gavin parked the car, and we both sat there for a moment longer than necessary, just staring at the house.
“Don’t leave my side,” he said, and he sounded almost nervous. I nodded without hesitation as we both got out of the car.
The instant my feet hit the ground, the air changed. It was heavy and thick, like walking into a room full of static electricity. The hair on my arms rose, and a chill crept up my spine.
Gavin noticed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side as we walked up the front steps and towards the front door. The door opened before we reached it fully, and we both froze in our steps.
Coraline Blackwell didn’t step out of the house. Her small frame filled the doorway like a shadow that decided to solidify. She looked older than she was, but according to Selene, Cora was Zachary’s little sister. She had her silver han pulled back sharp cheekbones, and deep set eyes that looked as if they saw straight through me. But nothing about her felt fragile. If anything, she radiated authority.
Then her eyes flickered to Gavin, and her frown deepened.
“You brought a Landry to my doorstep.”
Her voice was like brittle glass; it was sharp and cold. Her words had taken me by surprise, and I took an involuntary step back. Gavin tightened his hold on me, though, keeping me by his side.
Gavin opened his mouth to speak, to
defend himself, no doubt, but
Coraline held up her hand, effectively silencing him. Which surprised me more than anything, Gavin actually closed his mouth, allowing this woman to tell him what to do with just her hand.
“Don’t speak,” she told him, as if her hand gesture wasn’t loud and clear enough for him to understand its meanings. After what your family had done… after what they took… You have no right to speak. You shouldn’t be here. It was a mistake for you both to come.”
“Gavin didn’t do anything wrong,” I found myself defending my mate, my anxiety turning into anger. “It was his father who did the stealing… Gavin was just a boy.”
“Theft is in his blood. Like father, like son…” Coraline muttered. “It’s time for you both to leave. I have nothing to offer you.”