Page 7 of New Blood (Werewolf Alliance #1)

D anielle continued to peek past Chase’s broad shoulders.

She and Priscilla had remained partially shielded behind him and Priscilla’s brother, Heath, while the new alpha had spoken to the pack.

She was glad that she stood as far away as possible from the imposing stranger with the silky voice and the piercing eyes.

Glad because of the effect he had on her.

She’d expected to be scared of Jude and the other newcomers because they were here to clean house and most likely impose all kinds of new rules.

She’d only just gotten comfortable living with the Gallagher pack, but Jude and his men would bring more change, and she’d never liked change.

Because in her experience, change was often accompanied by something negative, something bad.

What she hadn’t expected when laying eyes on Jude and listening to his voice was that no fear rose inside her.

Rather, butterflies were invading her belly, turning it upside down as if she were doing cartwheels on a trampoline.

She’d never thought that this was what it felt like and was utterly unprepared for it.

At the same time, the feelings rising inside her, trying to bubble to the surface, were undeniable.

Long before her death, her mother had described to her what it felt like when her inner wolf had recognized her mate, but Danielle had dismissed the story as a fairytale every girl wanted to hear.

She’d seen too much pain and suffering to believe that there was truly such a thing as fated mates.

Her mother, of all people, had been a living example that even mates destined for each other could end up alone and unhappy.

Finding one’s fated mate didn’t guarantee a happy ending.

Yet the feeling remained, even while she tried to push it aside.

One look into his eyes, one whiff of his male scent drifting to her as if seeking her out, one silken word reverberating inside her chest, and the knowledge was etched into her heart.

She was glad that the room was crowded and that she stood in the back of it, close to the door in case she needed a quick escape.

Still, she remained standing there, her feet rigid as if glued to the floor, her body feeling like a furnace that was overheating.

She knew what it meant: she was going into spontaneous heat, her body ignoring her regular cycle.

This only happened to female werewolves when confronted with their true mate for the first time or after being apart for a long time.

Mine.

Even as her heart acknowledged that Jude was her mate, her mind tried to override it, knowing that the future her heart sought was impossible.

Jude would never be hers. Not only was she one of the lowest-ranking females of the pack, but he’d also just announced that he would mate with Eve to unite the pack.

And the firm tone in his words confirmed that he wasn’t interested in a love match. This was strictly business.

According to Heath and Chase, who both knew a few things about the Werewolf Alliance, this was how the organization managed to take over packs and keep them in the fold.

The team leader mated with the highest-ranked female of the pack to quell any potential uprising and quickly produced a litter of wolf pups, all in the name of forming tight bonds that were hard to break. It would be no different here.

She wanted to curse, to scream, to run into the woods and let it all out: her frustration, the injustice of it, and the pain of knowing that there would be no fairytale ending for her.

But she kept it all in, remained calm and collected on the outside, not betraying the storm that was raging inside her.

She was good at that. It had been drilled into her from an early age.

Don’t draw any attention to yourself; it will only end badly.

Her mother’s words echoed in her head, and for the first time, she wanted to rebel against them.

“Danielle?” Flora’s sharp voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She snapped her gaze to her.

“Yes?”

“Upstairs! You’re with me,” Flora said gruffly, then pointed at Priscilla. “Priscilla will prepare Cameron’s room.”

She nodded quickly, following Flora out of the living room, Priscilla by her side.

She could sense Flora’s displeasure, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her.

Rather, her conversation with Jude had to be the cause of it.

She hadn’t heard what they’d spoken, but she’d seen the tense exchange, and it had looked like whatever Flora had suggested hadn’t met with Jude’s approval.

Upstairs, Priscilla went toward Cameron’s room, and Danielle followed Flora into the master suite, which consisted of a large bedroom with a sitting area in front of a rustic fireplace and a large ensuite bathroom.

It was the largest bedroom in the house and even boasted a small balcony overlooking the backyard and the vast forested area that belonged to the estate.

The western view afforded a beautiful sunset view on clear days or thick fog rolling in from the ocean on others.

“Help me with stripping the sheets,” Flora ordered.

Danielle instantly jumped into action, knowing that Flora didn’t like wasting time. As she began to unbutton the duvet cover, she looked at Flora, who was already stripping the pillows.

“The new alpha will move in here tonight? But William…” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence, and she didn’t have to.

Flora let out a huff. “He could have at least let him stay here for one more night, rather than locking him up downstairs. It’s just not dignified.”

“I’m sorry,” Danielle said with a nod. While being a strict leader, William had always treated her with fairness and sometimes even with kindness. “What will happen with all of us now that the Alliance is taking over? This will be so hard on everybody.”

Her voice trembled lightly, and it appeared that Flora picked up on it, because she gave her a gentle nod.

“You have nothing to worry about, Danielle. Nothing will change for you. You’ll still do your job the same way you did it before.

” She shrugged, seeming to think of something else.

“You’ll probably have to move back into the cottage, given that all of Jude’s men need rooms. It’ll need to be fixed first, of course. We’ll figure it out.”

Danielle nodded even though she wasn’t keen on that prospect, although she didn’t like living in the main house where she had little to no privacy.

However, the thought of moving back into the cottage where a gas explosion had nearly killed her, made her shiver.

She would never feel safe again in the very place where she’d nearly died.

But she decided not to voice her concerns about the safety of the cottage, knowing that Flora was in a mood where she couldn’t be swayed. At least not tonight.

“It’ll be better for you, trust me,” Flora continued as she opened a chest of drawers and removed fresh sheets for the bed. “You’ll be out of the way and won’t get into trouble. Who knows what these men are like.”

“You’re probably right,” Danielle answered reluctantly as she helped her make the bed. Maybe it would be best. After all, then she would have less contact with Jude.

“Of course I’m right. You’ll see. Just keep your head down, and you’ll be alright.”

Together, they shook out the duvet and put on the new cover. Danielle rearranged the pillows on the bed and smoothed out a few creases on the sheets.

“Go ahead, clean the bathroom,” Flora ordered. “I’ll pack up William’s private items in the meantime.”

With a nod, Danielle pivoted and walked into the ensuite bathroom.

She took the used towels off the towel holders and tossed them to the floor, then pulled fresh ones from the linen closet.

Then she retrieved a bucket with cleaning supplies from underneath the sink, before she began to wipe down all the surfaces.

During the monotonous work, her mind wandered back to Jude and the moment he’d announced that he would mate with Eve, the deposed alpha’s only daughter.

She couldn’t see Eve’s reaction because her view had been blocked by several Gallagher family members.

However, she’d heard Eve’s gasp, although she couldn’t deduce Eve’s feelings from the sound.

Had her gasp been merely an exclamation of welcome surprise, or dread?

Surely, Eve wasn’t blind and could see that Jude Beaumont was a tall, attractive man who oozed sex appeal from every pore of his body.

Add to that the power he now wielded in this pack, and what female werewolf wouldn’t want to be his chosen one?

Surely, no woman in her right mind would reject him, not even Eve, who was known for being choosy.

And why shouldn’t she be particular about the man she chose?

She was stunningly beautiful, occupied a high rank in the pack, and was smart to boot.

Under her leadership, the equestrian estate the Gallagher family operated had won multiple awards for their horses. Eve would never settle for just any man, that much was clear. But she wouldn’t have to, because Jude would be any sophisticated woman’s top pick.

Enough!

It did her no good to continue thinking of him.

In fact, it was best if she ignored him as well as the persistent voice in her heart that insisted that she claim the man nature had chosen to be her mate.

If she acted upon her desire to mate with Jude, the pack would splinter into different factions, any chance at unifying it under Jude’s leadership gone.

It would be a slap in the face of the Gallagher family, and they wouldn’t take kindly to it.

It would mean war. And she didn’t want to be the reason for it.