Page 38 of New Blood (Werewolf Alliance #1)

S till feeling blindsided after what had transpired in Jude’s bedroom, Mason walked downstairs.

He needed a drink. A stiff one. He hadn’t expected that his cousin, of all people, would act against the Werewolf Alliance’s directive.

Jude was supposed to mate with a Gallagher family member, not the maid.

Not that he could blame Jude in the slightest. If he’d been faced with the choice of mating with Eve or with Danielle, he would have chosen Danielle anytime.

But Jude wasn’t supposed to choose. The Alliance had made the choice for him, and he’d ignored the order and done what he wanted.

This would cause a shitstorm once they found out.

Owen was walking ahead of him, his cellphone pressed to his ear. “Damn it, Spencer. Where are you? Something’s happened. You need to call me. Now!”

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and cursed.

“Drink?” Mason asked as they both reached the foyer.

Owen cast him a quick look. “Yeah. Definitely need one.”

Mason entered the living room before him, flipping the light switch to illuminate the large room. He walked to the cabinet that held glasses and various spirits.

“Whiskey?”

Owen shook his head. “Bourbon.”

Mason poured the drinks and handed one tumbler to Owen, then took his own and took a sip.

“Storm, pour me one too?” Francisco said from the door. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “That sort of surprise needs to be washed down with something strong.”

Behind him, Thaddeus entered. He didn’t say a word. Instead, he walked to the drinks cabinet, where Mason was pouring a whiskey for Francisco, and reached for a fresh glass.

“I’ll pour you one,” Mason offered.

“You’re not the host. I can pour my own fucking drink.”

At his cutting words, Mason felt anger surge in him. He had no idea what Thaddeus had against him. But this time, he didn’t swallow it like on previous occasions.

“You know what, Thaddeus? You’re not the only one who’s bothered by what’s happened.”

Thaddeus turned his head to look him squarely in the eyes. “Are you trying to say that you didn’t know about this?” His tone wasn’t any friendlier than before.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. So take your bad mood out on somebody else. I’m not your punching bag.”

Thaddeus grunted, but didn’t come back with a retort. Instead, he slumped down on the couch next to his cousin Owen.

“Where’s Spencer?” Thaddeus asked.

“Out. I left him a message to call me.”

From the open door, more sounds of footsteps could be heard.

His glass of whiskey in his hand, Mason walked closer to the door and looked into the foyer.

Byron was charging down the stairs, fully dressed in street clothes now, holding his injured arm awkwardly.

He headed for the door just as Wendell crossed the foyer.

When Byron left and slammed the entrance door behind him, Mason exchanged a look with Wendell.

“You’re the only one dressed properly,” Mason said, pointing to his pajama pants and his naked chest.

“I’ll tail him,” Wendell said with a nod, understanding instantly what he needed to do. He set his cat down on the floor and left. The cat meowed in protest.

Mason pivoted and walked to a comfortable armchair opposite the sofa and sat down.

He took another sip of his drink, then looked at the Gallaghers.

An uncomfortable silence spread in the room.

Even Francisco, who could always strike up a conversation about anything with anybody, drank his whiskey in silence.

What was there to say? The deed was done.

Jude was mated to Danielle, and a mating couldn’t be reversed.

It was Owen who finally broke the silence. “Guess Eve got her wish after all.”

Thaddeus let out a bitter chuckle. “I suppose the old adage is true: be careful what you wish for.”

Mason furrowed his forehead, and Owen met his gaze. “It can’t have escaped any of you that Eve isn’t exactly someone who likes to be told that she has to mate with somebody she doesn’t even know, let alone like.”

“And again, my dear, spoiled sister screwed us all,” Thaddeus added.

Surprised at Thaddeus’s candid words, Mason felt compelled to defend Eve. “It’s not exactly Eve’s fault that Jude took Danielle as his mate.”

Thaddeus shook his head. “If she hadn’t shown him the cold shoulder from day one, he wouldn’t even have looked at anyone else.”

The clearing of a throat came from the door. Mason shot a look in the direction. Austin stood there.

“Hey, Storm, Francisco: for tonight, Grant and Parker will take shifts watching the door to the master bedroom. Just in case.”

Mason nodded, understanding. A hothead like Byron might not have learned his lesson the first time around.

“Right.”

“I’m going to sleep,” Austin said.

“Good for you,” Mason replied. “I don’t think I can sleep right now.”

Austin turned and left.

Thaddeus shot up from the couch. “I’m going for a run.” He set his empty glass down on the coffee table.

“A run? That’s a good idea,” Mason replied. It would help him get rid of the tension in his body. “I’ll join you.”

There was an almost imperceptible flinch in Thaddeus’s face, making him want to take back his words. But to cave now just because Thaddeus seemed to dislike the idea of running with him would be spineless. The youngest Gallagher son would have to get over whatever issue he had with him.

“Anybody else wanna join?” Thaddeus asked now as if running only with him was making him uncomfortable.

“Nah,” Owen said. “I’m waiting for Spencer to call me back.”

Francisco lifted his glass and shook his head. “I’m good here.”

“Guess then it’s just you and me,” Mason said, walking toward the door.

In the foyer, they encountered Ransom.

“We’re going for a run,” Mason said.

“Great idea. I need that,” Ransom said and joined them as they headed toward the mud room.

As they entered it and began shedding their clothes so they could shift into their wolf forms without tearing their clothes, Ransom shook his head.

“What?” Mason asked.

“I should have smelled a rat when Jude told me this morning that I shouldn’t bother making a pass at Danielle.” He scoffed. “He said she’s so shy that she’s probably boring in bed.”

Mason let out a chuckle. “And you believed him?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I didn’t know he only said that because he wanted her for himself.”

Thaddeus shrugged and tossed his shirt on a bench. “Guess he had you fooled.”

Mason ran his eyes over Thaddeus’s chest, admiring his firm abdominal muscles and his defined pectorals. He had to tear himself away from it and looked for something to say so that nobody would notice how he was checking him out.

“And you, you weren’t fooled by him?” Mason asked

Thaddeus opened the button of his pants and lowered the zipper. “I wasn’t fooled that he didn’t want to mate with Eve. Though after hearing him in the laundry room quite obviously making out with a woman, I’d thought that it was Violet who’d thrown her hat in the ring.”

“Violet?” Mason asked.

He let his eyes travel lower to watch as Thaddeus pulled down his pants. Fuck, he wasn’t even wearing any underwear. His cock sprang free of its confines, while he tossed his pants onto the bench.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the puppy eyes with which she’s been ogling him,” Thaddeus said, then looked at him. “You gonna run in your pajama pants?”

Fuck! He’d stood there like an idiot while Thaddeus and Ransom had gotten undressed.

“Oh, fuck,” Mason said, raising his arms in a disarming gesture. “Guess I’m still discombobulated about tonight’s main event.”

Thaddeus didn’t comment. Instead, he opened the door to the outside, while Mason quickly shucked his pajama pants.

With his eyes, he followed Thaddeus, admiring his firm butt muscles and his strong thighs and long legs.

It was evident that the youngest Gallagher son took care of his body.

While their werewolf genes gave them supernatural strength and resilience, muscles and flat abs like Thaddeus’s didn’t just appear out of nowhere.

Even werewolves had to work out to pack on more muscle and trim down the fat.

“Let’s go, Storm,” Ransom said with a slap on his shoulder. “We’re not getting any younger.”

He followed the two men. Outside, they shifted into their wolf forms.

Mason went through the change like in a trance.

He’d always enjoyed the transformation because as a wolf, his senses were heightened.

He became hyper-aware of everything around him, and he loved that sensation.

As if he was one with nature and didn’t have to hide what he was.

Didn’t have to pretend he was just like the others in his family and his team.

Didn’t have to lie to everybody he loved.