of them remained steadfast. They’d bonded even more under the duress of her presence. Like having survived a battle. After so many packs, so easily fractured, this one was the gift Judd had always hoped for and never thought he’d get. Rather like Colin.
“Colin?”
“Yeah, Judd?” Colin leaned forward so Judd could feel his breath on the back of his neck. Judd shivered like a giddy teenager.
“What’s a coprolite?”
Then the most wonderful thing happened. Colin started to laugh.
“Judd?” Colin pulled Judd aside and let the others get a head start through the yard to the pack house.
“Yeah, kid, you doing all right?”
“My mother’s personality should come with one of those warning labels – side effects may include headaches, rashes, and murderous tendencies.”
Colin was deflecting, of course, and he knew Judd could tell.
The enforcer smiled but also pressed. “And?”
“It was fine. She mostly ignored me. I know you find it strange, and it’s probably unhealthy, but I like being ignored. I find it reassuring.”
“Man, I hope you never realize how much I noticed you, then.”
Colin felt his cheeks warm. He dipped his head. “That’s a nice thing to say. So I was wondering…” He faded off, losing words and courage.
“Out with it, Gingersnap.”
“Would you maybe consider… Could we start the… lessons tonight?” His stomach boiled with fear but also with want.
“I still got patrol and you still got homework. And Alec is gonna want to talk to us. Make sure we’re all doing all right. Especially you and Kevin. But then, yeah, I want you in my bed.”
“You do?”
“Just to sleep, sweetheart.”
“Oh.” Had he changed his mind? Colin couldn’t stop the disappointment in his voice. The boiling turned to all fear. A blurred throbbing took over his ears, like an alarm set to his heartbeat – rejection, rejection, rejection.
Judd turned him, tipped his chin up with two fingers. “Listen to me, Gingersnap. I want to rip that dumb sweatshirt off you. Show you everything all at once in the worst way. But it’s too soon. I need you to be sure that you’re ready for this. I need to know that you want it to be me. I think one way to do that is for you to sleep touching me. Get accustomed to close contact. Get me used to your scent, and my scent all over you. Also get you used to seeing a man like me as safe and yours to do with as you will. Okay? It is absolutely not that I don’t want you. It’s that I want this to be good for you. Right now we are both too stressed. Not to mention suffering the repercussions of country music bitch exposure.”
Colin nodded, still disappointed but he supposed that made sense. “I understand. Should I wear pajamas?”
“There’s no need to go that far.” Judd sounded seriously offended. “The very idea that a werewolf would wear clothing when sleeping. Preposterous!”
Colin gave him a nudge. “Look at you with the big words.”
“Brat.”
“I prefer Gingersnap.”
“Yeah, me too. You should study in my bed. I like the idea of finding you there when I get back from patrol.”
Colin’s pulse calmed. He warmed with pleasure at that simple statement. No one had ever wanted him around and in their space before. He adored the image of himself curled up with his books in Judd’s room, Judd’s scent all around him.
“You like that idea too?” There was a hesitancy to Judd’s tone that made Colin eager to reassure him.
“I love it.”
Wolf Judd returned to his room after a long run. Colin was curled up there. Colin in his private territory. He almost barked in joy. Possessive pleasure shivered over him – his mate in his room. The smell of them, together. Heaven. Although sweat and cum would make it better. The wolf side of Judd didn’t care about waiting or finer feeling, he just wanted.
It had been a hard patrol. Kevin needed to run. Leave behind his mother and her cruel disregard. He’d faced up to sins. His sins. Hers. Ones that he’d not noticed before. Ones he could not control. They hurt him and yet he couldn’t physically repair them. So Kevin ran to escape. Judd knew. Judd had done the same many times before – stretched muscles because his heart had stretched too far.
Judd had no parents. He wasn’t one himself. The notion of motherhood was somewhat alien. Still, he knew that identity was caged by upbringing. Kevin faced a disconnect forged by time. Had Kevin romanticized his mother until this night?