Page 27 of New Blood

Danielle carried the last of the boxes downstairs and brought them into the storage room. The room was getting pretty crammed, but luckily, the boxes she’d packed with William’s clothes and shoes wouldn’t be staying there for very long. She’d marked them with a black Sharpie so that Flora would be able to easily identify them when the time came to ship them to whatever location William would be exiled to.

She still couldn’t believe how quickly the world she knew had turned on its axis. Now they all had to get used to something new, and nobody knew whether things would change for the better or the worse. She wished she could say that things were turning out better for her under the new pack leadership. However, the kiss she and Jude had shared had made it clear to her that she wouldn’t be able to suppress her feelings for the man who should become her mate and not Eve’s for very long.

“Danielle.”

The soft male voice made her shriek and whirl around, nearly bumping her head against the door frame. Jude stood entirely too close to her, his tall frame blocking the door and preventing her from seeing if anybody else was in the corridor.

His masculine scent instantly filled her nostrils, and his nearness created goosebumps on her skin. By the heat rising into her head, she guessed that she was blushing like a ripe tomato. And why shouldn’t she? Any woman would blush if the man who’d kissed her passionately and touched her intimately not an hour earlier stood so close to her that she could feel his body heat.

“J-Jude,” she stuttered, before clearing her throat and making another attempt at speaking. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

The chocolate-brown color of his eyes suddenly sparkled as if tiny flames were flickering in them.

“Yes, in fact you can. I want to see the estate.”

“Oh, uhm,” she stammered, searching for an answer so he could leave quickly and wouldn’t do anything stupid. “I’m sure Heath would love to show you around. He should be out by the garage in the back. You can’t miss him.”

“I’d like you to give me the tour,” he said, his eyes pinning her. “Please… or do I need to play the alpha-card?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Asking me when anybody else could give you a tour.”

“I prefer your company to that of anybody else.”

She swallowed, and her mind went back to the moment they’d kissed in his walk-in closet.

“It can’t happen again. Please, just leave me be,” she begged.

“I promise I won’t touch you during the tour. I give you my word,” he said, “but if you refuse to give me a tour, I’ll kiss you right here, where anybody passing can see us. Is that what you want?”

In shock, she stared at him.

“Yeah, didn’t think so,” he said with a confident grin.

She knew she had no choice. He would kiss her if she didn’t comply. At least if she showed him around the property, he wouldn’t touch her. She believed that much. He was a man of honor, if she discounted the moment when they’d both lost their minds earlier today as if they were randy high school kids.

“Alright.”

Jude stepped aside and let her exit the storage room. She quickly glanced around to see if anybody was near and could have heard or seen the exchange, but she didn’t see or hear anybody. She was grateful for it, because she didn’t want to have to explain to Flora or anybody else why she was talking privately with the alpha.

She didn’t speak until they were outside and the back door closed behind them.

“This way,” she said, pointing to a path that led past the garages. She saw Heath vacuuming the inside of one of the SUVs, but he didn’t see or hear them as they walked past the garage.

“There are six cars parked in this garage, and there’s space for several more in the front driveway,” she started.

“How long have you lived here?”

Jude’s question was unexpected, almost as if he hadn’t even heard her explanation about the cars.

“I thought you wanted to get a tour of the estate,” she deflected.

“Which you’re giving me. Thank you. It doesn’t mean we can’t talk while you show me around.”

She felt his gaze on her. He was right of course, but why did he have to ask her about her private life? It was something she kept close to her vest. The less anybody knew about her past, the safer she was.