Page 15 of New Blood (Werewolf Alliance #1)

E ntering the foyer, Jude waved at Wendell Loveland, who stood at the entrance to the living room.

The massive werewolf wore a tight-fitting black T-shirt that showed off his impressive biceps.

His permanent scowl prevented many people from addressing him for fear he’d lash out, but Jude knew him better.

He was reserved and private, and preferred the company of animals to that of people.

“What’s up?” Wendell asked.

“Call a meeting with the Gallagher family members in half an hour. I want our entire team to take part.”

“Consider it done.” Then he pointed to Jude’s sleeve. “What happened there?”

“Flying ember from the fire.” He shrugged as he looked at the hole the fire had burned into his sleeve. “So much for my favorite shirt. I’d better get changed quickly. I should have another one in my bag.”

Wendell nodded. “Austin said they’ll bring our trunks back on their flight tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Let the others know to call him if there’s anything in particular they want transported here. There’ll be sufficient space on the plane.”

“Guess we’ll be staying here for a while, huh?” Wendell asked.

“Yeah, well, I guess it’s permanent for me. But once everything has settled down here, I’m sure the Alliance will pull some of you from this assignment.”

After all, every member of his team was trained as an alpha-in-waiting.

In the meantime, they helped those new Alphas who were taking over a rogue pack.

He’d done the same before in Washington State.

There, he’d assisted an alpha-in-waiting bring a rogue pack under control and had seen firsthand how difficult this undertaking could be.

However, the Washington State pack in question had finally seen the error of their ways and submitted to their new alpha.

Now, the pack was prospering, and by all accounts, everybody was happy and getting along fine despite the difficulties at the beginning.

Remembering that assignment made him feel more confident that the Gallagher pack would eventually also fall in line, and everything would work out for the best.

“Back in a few minutes,” Jude said to Wendell and headed for the stairs.

He took two at once, hurrying to the master suite.

In the dark, wood-paneled corridor, he already undid the buttons of his shirt.

When he opened the door and entered, he shrugged off the shirt and tossed it on a nearby chair.

His chest bare, he walked to the large walk-in closet that was more like an old-fashioned dressing room.

The previous night, he’d tossed his travel bag on the floor there, not bothering to unpack anything but his toiletries.

At the open door to the dressing room, he came to an abrupt halt.

His heart instantly began to race at double its normal speed.

The room wasn’t empty. Danielle, her back to him, dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt that showed off her slim figure perfectly, was busy folding William’s clothing and placing it in large cardboard boxes.

She hadn’t heard him yet, and he used the brief moment to roam his eyes over her.

Damn, she looked fine. He inhaled her scent, and with it, he felt his pants tighten around his groin, his cock demanding more space to expand.

A breath escaped him, and Danielle spun around, gasping in shock. He could see her chest rising and couldn’t help but notice her nipples hardening under her T-shirt.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said quickly, her cheeks flushing. “I didn’t know you’d be here at this time. I’ll come back later to finish.”

She made a step in his direction, but he didn’t budge, didn’t make space for her to be able to reach the door. Her gaze trailed to his chest, and her lips parted. In the silence between them, he could only hear their breathing and his own heartbeat.

“I apologize. I know I’m not supposed to be here when you’re in your room,” she said, her voice shaking as if she expected to be scolded.

“It’s not a problem,” he said gently, while continuing to block the door.

“But you said I should not be seen—”

“I said what?” He stepped closer, his naked skin now prickling in anticipation.

“That I should only work in your room when you’re not here.”

He shook his head. “I never said that.”

“But Flora—”

“She must have misunderstood me,” he interrupted. “I have no problem with you being here while I’m here.”

In fact, he welcomed it. Welcomed the chance to see her in the privacy of his suite, where nobody else could see their interaction.

During the funeral, he’d avoided looking at her, fearing that somebody could see how much he wanted her.

But here, alone with her, he could look all he wanted.

And so could she. It didn’t escape him that she let her gaze travel over his chest, and that she liked what she saw.

He could feel the electrical charges that seemed to dance between them, igniting the air around them.

When she made another attempt toward the door, he took her by the shoulders and pulled her to him.

“I can’t let you go,” he murmured. “You know that, don’t you?”

Because there was no chance in hell she didn’t feel the attraction between them.

She met his gaze then, and everything around him blurred. It was as if only the two of them existed in this moment. Nothing else mattered.

Without wasting another second, Jude dipped his head to hers and brushed his lips over hers, first gently, but when she didn’t protest, didn’t pull back, he captured them fully and kissed her.

He slid his arms around her and pressed her to his half-naked body, the hard muscles of his chest crushing her soft breasts.

He could feel and hear her heartbeat now.

It matched his own in speed and intensity.

Automatically, their hearts had synced to beat in the same rhythm. This was paradise.

At first, Danielle couldn’t believe what was happening.

Was she hallucinating? Had she fallen asleep during the monotonous task of folding and packing William’s clothes, and was now dreaming?

But with every moan and every sigh coming from Jude and herself, she knew that this was reality.

Jude was kissing her, holding her tightly in his arms. She felt his naked skin, the heat of it almost singeing her despite the remaining layer of clothing between them.

His lips and tongue were demanding, his taste intoxicating.

She couldn’t get enough of him, of this feeling of perfection, of utter bliss.

She responded to him in the same untamed fashion, meeting his demand with a demand of her own.

She’d never before been so sure of what she wanted.

Jude showed her what it could be like if only circumstances were different.

But right now, she pushed those thoughts back.

For just a few seconds, she wanted to feel like a real woman.

She allowed her hands to roam his body, caressing his strong muscles, brushing over his nape, feeling him shudder beneath her touch.

At the same time, Jude slid one hand to her ass and pressed her to his groin, where the hard outline of his cock greeted her.

Unable to resist, she rubbed herself on him like an animal in heat.

Because that’s what she was: both an animal and in heat.

Jude moaned into her mouth, her action visibly pleasing him.

He massaged her ass with one hand, while he cupped the back of her head with the other as if he was afraid that she’d pull back and sever the contact if he didn’t hold her so tightly.

But he was wrong. She could easily free herself if she wanted to, but she didn’t want to.

She loved the way he kissed, without limits, without leaving a doubt as to what he wanted from her.

Because she wanted the same. Jude was even more virile than she’d expected.

His prowess was a powerful turn-on, while the underlying tenderness with which he kissed her made her yearn for even more.

Jude suddenly ripped his lips from hers.

“Fuck!” he cursed, his eyes changing into those of his inner wolf, pinning her for a brief moment, before he dipped his head to her neck and kissed her there, his sharp canines brushing over her sensitive skin.

She shivered with pleasure and held onto his shoulders for fear of losing her balance. A moment later, she felt Jude shove his hand underneath her T-shirt and capture her naked breast. She shuddered at the intimate contact.

“You feel so good,” he murmured while he continued planting open-mouthed kisses on her neck. “Damn, woman, you make me so hard.”

She was aware of that, and one part of her was proud of that.

But she should stop him now. Stop herself, but the way he caressed her breasts and kissed her neck made her feel delirious.

She wanted to let herself fall, to bathe in the tenderness he was showering her with, to allow him to go further.

With every second that he pleasured her, her body heated further, and moisture pooled at the juncture of her thighs.

Her own sensitive nose picked up the scent, and she knew Jude was aware of it too.

His hand suddenly trailed down to her pussy, and he cupped her through her jeans. Despite wanting what he was offering, she pushed him back and freed herself from his embrace.

“I can’t!” she cried out and pushed past him.

“Danielle, please,” he called after her, but she’d already reached the door and kept running.

She couldn’t let this happen. Jude wasn’t free to mate with her, and she couldn’t accept anything less than a true mating.