Page 13 of New Blood (Werewolf Alliance #1)

T he funeral was a shitshow. There was a lot more wrong with this pack than Jude had been led to believe. He stood in the background, watching the fire consume Cameron’s body, while the family continued to bicker even after Eve had left.

Austin, who stood next to him, leaned in, murmuring, “That’s the family you’re supposed to marry into? Fuck me! I don’t envy you.”

He’d almost forgotten about that particular part of his assignment while watching the funeral unravel. Austin’s reminder brought everything back into focus.

“Yeah, well, nobody said it would be a cakewalk. The Alliance doesn’t send us to packs that have their shit together.”

“That’s a valid point.” Still, his brother grimaced. “I hope she’s at least good in the sa—”

Jude cast him a scolding look, stopping him from finishing the word.

He didn’t even want to think of having to sleep with Eve to produce offspring.

Was this how royal couples who married only to unite their countries felt?

Couldn’t have been much fun. For starters, how was he even going to get an erection when the thought of sleeping with Eve left him cold?

A woman could at least fake it. But a man?

Fuck! He’d never before even considered all the implications of taking over a pack as its alpha.

Not being attracted to the highest-ranking female of childbearing age had never even made his list of things to worry about.

He’d always assumed that his greatest challenge would be to gain the pack’s loyalty and acceptance as their new leader.

While he normally shared most of his concerns with his brother, the sexual aspect of his duty wasn’t something he wanted to get into with him.

Jude was the older brother, and he had to lead by example.

He didn’t want his own doubts to poison Austin’s ambitions of one day accepting the same mission as Jude: to take over a rogue pack as the new alpha and mate with the daughter or niece of a deposed alpha.

He pushed the thoughts aside to concentrate on the next steps.

“The sooner you get William Gallagher to Montana, the better.”

“You just say the word, and we’re out of here,” Austin replied. “Whom do you want me to take with me?”

For a moment, Jude contemplated his answer.

“Take Francisco. He’s already taken care of the security issues here, so I can spare him right now.

But I couldn’t arrange for the helicopter to take you to the airfield.

You’ll have to take one of the cars. The plane will be ready for takeoff by eleven.

You’ll be getting in late, so you and Francisco will need to spend a night in Bozeman before getting back. ”

“You sure you can spare us for that long?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it under control. The guys know what to do. Besides, if the Gallaghers want to mount a rebellion, they’ll have to get their shit together first, and by the looks of it, they’re not all on the same page.”

“Lucky for us,” Austin commented. “Just watch your back. I didn’t get any good vibes from Byron last night.”

“Neither did I,” Jude confessed. “But he’s a hothead. At least with him, we know what we’re up against. He won’t be able to hide his feelings about what’s going on.”

“You got that right,” Austin agreed. “He’s a lot like Eve: quick to fly off the handle.”

Jude nodded. “Who I’m more concerned about is Thaddeus. He’s too quiet. He doesn’t show his emotions. Not sure what to think of him.”

“Yeah, the quiet ones you’ve gotta watch out for. What do you think of Flora? Bit bossy, isn’t she?”

“She’s clearly used to running the show here. If I can get her on my side, half the battle is won. Let’s not antagonize her.”

“Yeah, let’s not.” Austin cleared his throat. “By the way, about her daughter, Violet… Looks like Cameron’s death hit her pretty hard. You think she might have had something going with him?”

Jude raised an eyebrow. “With her cousin?”

Austin shrugged. “Why not? It’s not exactly unheard of in smaller communities. It’s not like her pack would approve of her taking a mate who’s not a werewolf. Her options are limited.”

It was true: werewolves didn’t mate with humans.

It was too dangerous because the mating ritual meant that the werewolf had to bite the human, which turned the human into a werewolf.

But the process wasn’t without danger. Not every human survived the turning.

In fact, it was a surprise that the human Cameron had turned against her will, had actually survived. She’d been lucky.

“True. But the pack is bigger than what we see here. There are others who don’t live on the estate. But I’ll keep an eye on Violet, just in case she was in love with her cousin and is looking for revenge.”

“Do that,” Austin agreed.

They fell silent for a while. The fire continued to burn, consuming Cameron’s body. It would smolder for a long time, but it was time to break up the funeral.

Quiet defiance spewed from William Gallagher’s eyes when Austin and Francisco led him to the waiting SUV. The family members walked with them, while Jude ordered Heath to stay with the fire so it wouldn’t spread and ignite a wildfire.

Arriving at the car, Jude turned to the assembled.

“Tonight, every member of the pack will have to swear a loyalty oath to me and the Werewolf Alliance. If you think you can’t do that, I suggest you start packing. You’re welcome to leave with your former alpha.”

He let his gaze roam over the assembled family members. Nobody spoke up. Instead, they stood stone-faced, their chins high, their bodies rigid.

“Very well. Should you change your mind before tonight, you’re free to leave. Anybody who doesn’t take the oath will be cast out of the pack.”

He gave a nod to Austin, who opened the door to the SUV and ushered William inside. Before he shut the door, William lashed a hateful glare at Jude.

“This isn’t over.”

No, it wasn’t. He knew that. William would do anything to get his pack and his position back, but he wouldn’t succeed if Jude was able to secure the pack’s trust quickly and fully. And he had every intention of doing just that.