Free Judge: Mating Fever: Shifters Forever Worlds (Barely After Dark Book 3) by Elle Thorne Page A

isolation on an island.
    Judge shuddered. He’d have chosen death.
    “We’ll get him to the Shifter Supreme Court,” Asa said. He turned to Range. “You’ll hibernate while we take turns driving.”
    “Not you,” Range said to the other wolf shifter who’d been wounded, blood-splattered across his clothing.
    “I fucking hate elementals,” the blood-covered shifter spat.
    Range nodded. “Starting to feel the same way myself.” He turned to Judge and Griz. “We got this. Why don’t you all get out of here? It’d be better if you weren’t around—in case.”
    Judge didn’t know what all the phrase “in case” might cover, and he sure as hell didn’t want to find out. He had Lars and Lani to worry about. He had no business being involved in shifter hunting or enforcing, or anything else like that.
    He looked at Griz and Lance. “Ready?”
    “Let’s get your son home.” Griz clapped Judge on the back.
    Don’t have to tell me twice.

Chapter 17
    J udge , Lani, Lars, Pepper, Lance, Mac, Griz, and Ciara piled into the Suburban. They were heading straight to Bear Canyon Valley.
    Except they had to make one little detour.
    Mac and Lani insisted they stop at a store and pick up a few necessities.
    “Seems little Lars has needs,” Griz said, with a wink.
    Judge wondered if he did it just so he could say his great-nephew’s name—his own name.
    He wondered if Griz never found anyone because of his brothers and himself. Was that why he had no kids of his own?
    Always watching after us?
    A pang of sadness traveled through Judge. He understood so much now that he had his own son.
    “Let’s get on the road. This is no place for my son or my mate.”
    Would she agree to be his mate? He glanced at Lani’s profile, across the Suburban, a sleeping Lars between them. She couldn’t leave him. She couldn’t take Lars away.
    Judge had no memories of a father, he was too young when his own was killed.
    I’ll be damned if Lars will grow up without a father.
    His phone buzzed in his pocket. Taking it out, he couldn’t help the smile that came to his face. He pressed to accept the call.
    “Aunt Mae. Hi.”
    “Judge, Griz caught me up, said that you were headed to Denver, but I haven’t heard from him in a while now. Is everything okay? Have you found Lani?”
    “Yup. We’re heading home. Well, all of us but Cross and Ariadne. They went with Range and his guys to the Denver satellite office of the Compliance Unit.”
    Lani shot him a smile and put her fingers over her lips, pointing to the sleeping baby.
    “Sorry,” Judge mouthed to her and shifted the phone to the other ear. “Oh, and Aunt Mae, the baby’s name is Larsen.”
    Mae squealed into the phone.
    Judge pulled the phone away for a second until she settled down.
    “Another shifter in the valley.” Mae’s tone was sentimental.
    He knew how much it meant to her to repopulate the valley with shifters.
    “See you after a bit, Aunt Mae. And yeah, we’re bringing the baby by to see Doc. And a friend.” He glanced at Pepper in the back seat with Ciara and Griz. “She’s injured. Could use some patching up.”
    “Oh, my. We have some catching up to do.”
    “Yeah, we sure do.”
    Judge had kept his gaze on Lani the whole time he talked to his aunt. He had no idea what he’d say if Mae asked him any questions about Lani.
----
    L ani watched Judge in the window’s reflection. She could see him watching her. She’d seen the tender looks he gave Lars. She got it. She felt the same way. The question was, how did Judge feel about her?
    I did abandon him, after all.
    Did he mean the words he’d said? Or were those words driven by the situation and adrenaline?
    She felt his gaze on her.
    “We need to talk.” Judge’s voice was low.
    God. He’s changed his mind.
    Her fears were not unfounded.
    She chewed on her bottom lip, fighting back the tears, and turned his way.
    His lips were almost curved into a smile. Did that bode well? Was what he wanted to