Page 21 of Following Their Heart

“It’s how he thinks. It’s not my words he understands, but the images I think about when I say them. It’s taking some getting used to, but whatever works, right?”

“I guess.” Weird to think of us as a flock, but…okay. “So…you think we’re done here?”

Shep holds up a finger, telling me with the gesture to kindly shut up while he listens to Bernard.

After a beat, he says, “No, we have a leader. He is the Judge, and he is a good man. We trust him. He says we fight, and so we fight. We will win, too. This is our turf. Raptor will not get our mate.”

Bernard shifts on his feet, and Shep watches him avidly.

“Ja,”Shep says. “I think that would be useful. I will talk to Jud.”

“What’ll you talk to Jud about?” This is annoying. I hate being right here while these two have a tea party without me.

“He wants to help us.”

“The more the merrier,” I say.

“If we let him out, he won’t fly away. He will stay and be our spy. He will let us know when Raptor is coming.”

“I don’t know. What if he’s lying? Jud and Rev’ll be pissed if he gets away.”

“He won’t.” Shep unlatches the cage.

“It’s your neck on the line,” I say, absolving myself of responsibility.

I stand back while Shep swings the door wide.

Bernard hops off his perch and down out of the cage. Once he’s through the door, he unfurls his massive wings. And flies out the mouth of the cave with a whoosh and not a single look back.

“I’m telling on you,” I say.

Shep just chuckles. “He’s not gone. I still feel him. He’s on our side now. He wants Raptor dead as bad as we do.”

“I hope you’re right. Bernard’s the closest thing we have to intel on this guy.” Rev has been spending a lot of time with him to learn whatever he can. Now that Shep can communicate with him, maybe we’ll learn even more. Maybe this unassuming pelican can give us the upper hand. Lord knows we need all the help we can get.

Chapter 9

Jud

Jud in the Afternoon

Cora has been gluedto my side since breakfast, and I couldn’t be happier. This woman does something to my insides, and when she chooses to spend time with me, I feel like more than the Judge. I feel like aking.

Being with her is so addictive that I even helped her clean up after breakfast, something I’ve only ever done when I’ve grabbed a snack for myself between mealtimes. It was nice, moving around the kitchen with her, alone. Since Shep was off with Doc having some kind of pow-wow with the pelican, I got to steal plenty of kisses and ass grabs between washing, drying, and putting away dishes.

Something about those dark, figure-hugging jeans she has on makes me outright salivate over that little ass. Maybe it’s the way her fitted flannel shirt covers all but the very bottom of those denim-clad cheeks, or the way the pockets sit just there, over the fleshiest part, tempting me to drag up the hem of her shirt so I can slide my hands into those pockets and grab a good handful, something I helped myself to more than once.

We’re in my office now. I’m sitting at my desk doing my usual review of the night’s security footage, and Cora’s curious about it. I hook her with an arm to bring her between my legs, and I talk her through my routine. “We have night-vision trail cams all over the perimeter.” I point at the map on my wall that shows our territory.

While she studies the map, I study her. When she first came to us, she was a skinny, bruised mess with leaves in her hair and blisters on her feet inside those ridiculous ladybug boots. Now, she’s clean, well-fed, and not afraid for her life. Her hair is a waterfall of silky waves that I can’t stop petting. Her skin is healed to flawless perfection—except for the scars she’ll always carry on her back—and she smells like vanilla and lavender. She’s all woman, and having her this close rouses everything male in me.

I want her.God,do I fucking want her!

But I’m not going to take from her. Not today. Maybe not ever again.

Seeing Cora walk on eggshells around me last night was a wake-up call. She chose Doc and Shep to spend the night with. But I guess because we’d had a moment in this office before dinner, she was worried I’d feel rejected or jealous that she didn’t choose me. She explained to me shehadto choose Doc and Shep because of some dream she had. Rev told me about it, too. He made it clear he’d advised her to do what her dream showed her, and the dream showed her being with the two of them.

I wish I could have told Cora and Rev they didn’t need to explain things to me like I’m some toddler who throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way, but the truth is, theydidneed to. Iwasjealous. Ididfeel rejected. Cora wasrightto worry about my stupid bruised feelings. But she shouldn’t have to. I’m a grown fucking man, for Christ sakes. I’m the Judge. I shouldn’t need coddling, especially when I’m the one who decided Cora would be withallof us.

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