Judgment for Jude: Wolves of Solara IIII Read online

  Judgment for Jude

  Wolves of Solara IIII

  Charlie Tran

  Copyright © 2019 by Charlie Tran

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictiously.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Glenn

  2. Jude

  3. Glenn

  4. Jude

  5. Glenn

  6. Jude

  7. Glenn

  8. Jude

  9. Glenn

  10. Jude

  11. Glenn

  12. Jude

  13. Glenn

  14. Jude

  15. Jude

  Epilogue

  1

  Glenn

  I was shaking, not from the cold alone but from the fear that was wracking through me. Even when I was first taken into the back of that cop car, I couldn't control my hands from quivering behind my back. And now was no different. I eyed everyone around me cautiously. Most of the wolves waiting to be processed were from the club. Some were just the working boys like me, while a couple of stragglers had already been in here to begin with.

  The floor was freezing under my bare feet. and now that I was no longer handcuffed, I wrapped my arms around my body to try to keep warm, my teeth chattering.

  One person I could instantly recognize in the vicinity was the blonde who had fetched me earlier for Silver's pack. He wasn't shaking, even in his skimpy clothing, but was bouncing his leg aggressively with a pissed off look on his face. Fellow prospective inmates were staring down at the floor, some muttering to themselves and others around them. Thankfully, none of the bouncers or more aggressive members of the Grey Brotherhood were in here, which meant there was no one to try and intimidate us.

  Hopefully, whenever we were going to be questioned, everyone would put the blame on Leon, the man who really deserved to be punished for his shit.

  Speaking of which, where was Leon?

  "Hey," I whispered, snapping a finger towards the blonde across from me. He was grumbling about something before his eyes shifted up, brows still furrowed, after I got his attention.

  "What?" He snapped back, lips pursed as though I was annoying him.

  "Where is Leon?" I mouthed, hoping none of the officers nearby would see. He shrugged, lifting his head to scan around the room for a brief moment.

  "I don't know," he mouthed back and immediately turned his head away, shaking his leg with his eyes shut, clearly finished with the conversation.

  "Hey, did you need any water?" a cop spoke up, one that I recognized. He stopped in front of me, as he and several others were making the rounds to assure that everyone was keeping in line.

  Reese.

  "Oh. No, I'm all right, thanks. Hey, when are we going to be getting out of here?" I asked earnestly, reaching forward to grab him by the sleeve of his jacket.

  "After everyone is processed, they'll move you to interrogations. And then you'll have to stay here for a while until the judge sets your bail amount. After you serve the time, you can go."

  "Serve time? The hell are you talking about?" I grimaced, quickly removing my hand, and wrapping my arms around myself once again.

  "Look, I'm really sorry. I can't do anything..."

  "Yeah, what do you mean serve time? We weren't running that club." The blonde across me snorted, speaking much louder than I had, and in turn drawing much more attention. Reese seemed nervous with more eyes focused on him. The other wolves looked fearful, some hopeful, and a few rather angry.

  "I can't say anything for sure," Reese held up his hands, "But even if you didn't do anything to actually hurt the others, some of you still engaged in prostitution. The butlers, fine, but the ones with gang relations, the ones prostituting..."

  "Not everyone wanted to do that, you idiot. Some of them were forced into it!" Blondie raised his voice, standing up out of his seat to stare down—or rather up—at Reese. The novice officer backed up as the voices around began to pick up fearfully.

  "Then that's up for the judge to decide." Reese took a step away from us as though we were going to rush him. Maybe some wanted to, but I didn't think anyone was stupid enough to even try.

  "That's bullshit!"

  "I want to get out of here!"

  "Please, help me!"

  "You bastard, this is worse than the sex club!"

  Voices continued to ring aloud in disfavor of what Reese had told us, and the poor man looked scared. While I was seething deep down inside, I couldn't just blame him for all of this.

  "Hey. Hey!" Another officer shouted, coming closer to our holding cell now that the rowdiness was starting to get a bit out of hand. He walked up to us, banging a fist onto the bars for us to shut up. "Calm the fuck down in there. Your arraignments will happen one by one, and then you'll be put in general holding. So, sit tight and shut the fuck up!"

  "How about you shut the fuck up!" Another wolf stood up, rushed to the door of the cell and pulled on it.

  "Cut it out!" The more aggressive officer shouted back, while Reese backed away even further, clearly not knowing how to deescalate the situation at hand.

  "We've been in here for half a fuckin' day! You're just gonna keep us locked up and throw away the key! We don't deserve this!" He kept screaming, pulling even harder on the doors with all of his weight, his teeth bared at the officer. I recognized him as one of the wolves that were frequently kept in his cage. When he wasn't serving drinks and tobacco—which wasn't very often because of his poor attitude—he was locked up. The poor man must be going crazy.

  "If you don't cut it out, we're gonna take you to confinement!" The officer hollered back. But it didn't deter the man from continuing to go crazy.

  "Back me up!" The guard shouted, fishing for his keys and opening the door to the small holding area. As soon as he did, the thrashing wolf lunged at him. It didn't take much for frightened Reese and the new officer to rush him, taking him down to the floor quickly with a sickening crack of his skull hitting the floor.

  My eyes widened at the scene, and I leapt to my feet at the sudden violence and took several steps back until I hit the wall.

  Other wolves in the cell began to shout, a couple of them backing away as well, while only a few began to berate the guards for how they slammed the other wolf down. But I didn't say anything, my hands beginning to quiver as they slid against the cement of the wall I tried to press up against.

  More guards began to flood into the room, but at this point, the man wasn't posing any further threat. In fact, he wasn't even moving. His fingers began to twitch slightly, and a small pool of red was left underneath where his head had been when a couple of the police officers picked him off of the floor and rushed him out into the hallway again.

  The few wolves who felt the need to whoop and holler were quickly quieted by the threats from the remaining guards. But watching everything happen only left one thought in my head—that I needed to get out of here. And I needed to find my child.

  After everything had been said and done, I was placed into a cell of my own across from other inmates who had been here far longer than those of us who were rounded up at the Gilded Heart.

  I could hear constant shouting, swearing, and someone far down the hall beating on their cell door. I wrapped my arms around myself, taking in the surroundings bri
efly. There was a toilet to the side and, a desk right across from it with a small television that was on, though the show was barely visible through the static that fizzled across the screen. The bottom bunk was empty, and I assumed it would be mine. Above it, on the top bunk, was a type of shifter that I hadn't seen in a long time. His eyes weren't focused on whatever show had been playing, the thin slits of his pupils eyeing me cautiously as a smirk played across his lips.

  "Interesting," he said, tapping a claw against the metal of the bunk before he leaned over, staring at me even more closely. I backed away from him, pressing my back into the bars with a stern look on my face.

  "What are you looking at, cat?" I snarled, showing my fangs in an attempt to make him back off. He scoffed, leaning up again to sit against the wall.

  "Typical dog." He rolled his eyes but still didn't look away from me. "First time in?"

  I nodded.

  "What for?" He persisted, either not noticing or not caring about the obvious unease I was suffering.

  "They said for prostitution. And gang relations."

  "A gang? What a bad doggie." He snickered, scratching at the back of his head as he finally focused back on the television. "Got a name?"

  "It's not doggie, if you're wondering." I snorted and approached the bunk bed slowly before sitting down on the uncomfortable mattress. I'd say that it was even more uncomfortable than the bedding back at the club.

  "I'll keep calling you that if you don't tell me your name, puppy."

  I thought for a moment. What was it gonna hurt to tell him my name?

  "Glenn." I gulped, looking up at the bottom of his bunk, listening as he shifted around, until finally his head popped down from over the side, making me jump. He was so quick!

  "Joshua. Nice to have someone in here. Even if you are flea-ridden."

  I bit my tongue. Joshua's slit pupils began to expand as he watched me, as though he was waiting for me to react. But I did nothing. Which he seemed to enjoy. The slits thinned once again, and his smirk grew into a wide smile.

  "I like you."

  I made a face at him. He was clearly out of his mind. Why was he in general population and not solitary confinement?

  "Come here with the rest of those mutts?"

  I nodded, assuming he was talking about the rest of the wolves who had been taken in as part of the raid.

  "Why don't you speak?"

  "What more do I have to say to you? I'm gonna be in here until I find a way to get out or at least pay for my bail."

  "Ooohh. You haven't been to actual court yet, have ya?"

  I shook my head. The video conference I'd had was only a formality, judging from how it went, or so I assumed. They told me the crimes against me, gave me a bail amount, and threw me in here. At least until my court date or until I could fork over some cash. But anything I had made at the club was left at the club. Probably taken into 'evidence'.

  "I'm sure you could turn a few tricks, get some money from the other guys inside with funds on their books."

  Again, I didn't say anything. It would probably start a fight, and I wasn't capable of defending myself physically right now. I was drained and completely exhausted from everything that had happened.

  "You're no fun, little puppy dog."

  "I'm not a dog," I snapped, having to grip my claws into the thin sheets and mattress to prevent myself from flying straight at his face. I hated cats! They always liked to push everyone's buttons and toy with people like a rat in their claws.

  "Feisty. You're a big bad wolf then, not just a little dog, huh?" He grinned, withdrawing up once more and out of sight.

  Thank goodness he had shut up for now. But I was still stuck in here with him.

  Silver, where are you? You promised to save me, but you didn't. After all I've done for you. And just like everything else in my life. Like Leon. He had let me down.

  I'd never give anyone a chance, ever again.

  2

  Jude

  I had my arm wrapped around Silver, rubbing the back of his shoulders to console him as he held his belly, head down. He wasn't giving me much in the way of answers, probably because he thought I'd be even angrier about everything.

  I heard a familiar click towards the main door to my penthouse, and my head snapped up, as did Silver's, when it finally creaked open. There stood Lucas, smiling as though nothing had happened, shaking the snow out of his hair. His jacket slipped off of his arms, and he slung it to the ground, one sleeve at a time, careful to balance the tray he had in his hands with four coffees tucked inside. As soon as it was off, he stomped his shoes on the welcome mat and stepped out of his wet boots.

  "You guys doing all right? Look even sadder than Forest when Jason has to go to work." He grinned, scratching underneath his chin as he stood just a few feet in front of us.

  He gestured the tray of coffee towards us in his other hand before setting it down on the coffee table. He came even closer, lovingly grasping Silver's chin in his hands.

  Silver had told all of us about how deep their relationship had run, while I had assumed they'd only hooked up once or twice, I couldn't believe how deep their romance had been until now.

  "I missed you, babe." He grinned, leaning down to place a kiss upon Silver's lips, but I put a hand out to stop him and stood up.

  "The fuck is wrong with you? Lucas asked, that goofy smile finally removed from his face. I narrowed my gaze as I towered over him. I needed to put him in check.

  "You're what's wrong," I snorted.

  "Oh yeah, big tough wolf. Sorry, Alpha." Lucas rolled his eyes, trying to sidestep around me, only for me to block his path once again.

  "You really don't know how to stay in your place, do you?"

  "Hey, what's going on?" I heard Forest's voice call out from the room he'd been staying in, but I didn't turn to look. I was solely focused on Lucas and the defiant look in his eyes.

  "I dunno. Why don't you ask tough guy here?" Lucas smirked, and I couldn't stand that stupid look on his face anymore. I pulled my arm back, and before he could even register what I was about to do, I socked him straight in the jaw, sending him sprawling on the ground with a hard thud.

  "What are you doing?!" Forest and Silver both shouted in unison.

  "I'm putting this mutt in his place!" I snarled, only to fall back onto my own ass as Lucas swept my feet out from underneath me.

  "Don't challenge him!" Silver shouted, grunting as he stood up from the couch. But he had already tried me, and he needed to be pounded down to remember who the Alpha was. I pushed myself to my knees, grabbing Lucas by his outstretched leg to pull him underneath me, but he kicked my hand away and rolled off to the side.

  I shook out my fist, standing up as he did, and we leapt at one another.

  "Stop it, please!" Forest shouted before retreating to his room, the sound of Willow crying ringing in my ears.

  Lucas swung towards my head, and I dropped down into a squat as it went over me, and grabbed him by his waist to toss him down onto the ground once again. I didn't leap right on top of him, instead stomping straight into his stomach.

  He grunted in pain, his claws now extended, as he took a slash at my leg. But I stomped down again, not putting all of my strength into it so as to at least not break his ribs—only his ego.

  His claws sank into my leg, this time gripping onto it with dear life as I dug my heel harder into his belly.

  "Stop it, please!" Silver cried. I could feel his hands grabbing at my shirt, tugging at me.

  "I give, I give!" Lucas shouted as well, retracting his sharpened talons to pat at the wounds he Had inflicted, his eyes beginning to water as I finally took my foot away.

  "I'm sick of all of you," I warned, looking at Forest as he emerged from the room with Willow on his hip, then at Silver, whose belly was beginning to get quite swollen, and finally to the wolf who now spat up small droplets of spittle and blood.

  "Ever since our first run-in with the Grey Brotherhood..." I continued, m
y hands balling into fists at my sides as I eyed each and every one of them, "I've felt nothing but disrespect from all of you."

  I pointed at Forest, "You wouldn't seek out my help above the others. Isn't it my duty as your Alpha to protect everyone in my pack? You barely showed your face around here while you were holed up with Jason."

  "If you were such a good Alpha, you would have helped get Glenn out of that place already like Silver wanted!" Forest pouted but quickly shut up as I glared harder at him.

  I then moved my finger to point at Silver.

  "You always leave when you're mad at Lucas. You let another pack mate determine when you want to be around. Your constant running away got you into that trouble."

  "But Vik came to Alfie's room!" Forest snapped, drawing my attention to him again.

  "If your mate was half the wolf he portrays himself to be, he would have killed Vik when he had the chance. When he tried to kidnap you!"

  Then, finally, to Lucas. I glared at him the hardest, dropping down into a crouch above him as I stared at his face, his gaze refusing to meet mine.

  "And you. You have the audacity to act like you just did? Not to mention you got Silver pregnant. Wolves do not mate from within their own pack. They bring in others from the outside; that's how we expand faster. You broke a cardinal rule. I should have you thrown out for doing such a thing."

  "You wouldn't do that, right Jude?" Silver pleaded, continuing to tug at the hem of my shirt as I stood up until I finally smacked his hands away.

  "I'm not going to, no. Our numbers are thin as they are. At least you all are popping out new pups to make up for it. But I'm not tolerating any more foolishness. I am Alpha. That means something, especially within my own household. Just how you had to fight to join the ranks when I first started this clan, I will do the same to throw you out if this behavior continues. Does everyone understand me?"