Page 36 of New Blood

“Uhm… Danielle, is it?”

At the hesitating question, Danielle turned around and saw one of Jude’s men standing in the doorway.

“Yes?”

“I’m Parker in case you don’t remember my name.”

While she’d tried to memorize the newcomers’ names, she hadn’t quite managed to put a name to the man who looked like a surfer with his dark-blond tousled hair, the wide grin, and the southern drawl. He seemed less intense than the rest of the Werewolf Alliance team, despite being just as tall and muscular as his colleagues—or perhaps friends. From the few interactions she’d seen, it was clear that they’d known each other for a long time and were a tight-knit team. It wasn’t a surprise. A man who deposed an alpha to take over a pack needed people whom he could trust and who had his back.

“Good morning, Parker. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Just wanted to let you know, in case anybody asks for me, I’m driving to the airport now to get Austin and Francisco. Their plane’s touching down in about a half hour.”

“Thanks, I’ll let the others know.”

He made a step into the kitchen. “While I’m out: do you need me to get anything from the store?”

Surprised that he would offer to help out with household tasks, she shook her head. In the six years she’d been with the Gallaghers, Cameron and Byron had never asked if they could help out with household chores. Only Thaddeus had occasionally offered his help, and each time it had looked like he only did it because he needed an excuse to leave the house.

Danielle gave him a smile. “Flora and Priscilla are on a Costco run right now. But thanks for asking.”

Parker nodded. “Righty-oh. See ya later.”

And like a whirlwind, he was gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

22

Jude held the door open for Violet and entered the alpha’s office behind her, before pulling the door shut. The room was wood-paneled from floor to ceiling. An old, heavy oak desk stood in front of the tall double windows looking out onto the meadow behind the mansion. There was a comfortable reading nook with an old leather chair and an ottoman to rest one’s feet. Family photos stood on bookshelves, on side tables, and even on the desk itself.

“I’ve printed all the reports out for you,” Violet started, sounding eager and chirpy.

“I appreciate it,” Jude replied. “How long have you been keeping the books for the businesses?”

“About five years now. Aunt Clarice did them before me, and I helped her, but when she died…” She sighed. “That’s when I took over, since she’d trained me, you know?”

Jude pointed to one of the photos that showed William with Flora, another woman, and another man. All of them were at least twenty years younger. “Is that Clarice?”

Violet nodded. “Yes, and that’s my dad.”

Jude recognized the family resemblance between William and George before looking more closely at Clarice. She was more beautiful than Flora in the photo, though Flora definitely looked pretty back then.

“They look very happy.”

Violet smiled, nodding. “And to think that Uncle William could have been my dad.”

Confused about the comment, Jude wrinkled his forehead. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, my mother dated William first—before he met Clarice. He fell in love with her instead and broke it off with Mom. Soon after that, Mom met William’s brother, my dad. So it all worked out perfectly.”

That was indeed a surprise to him. That detail hadn’t been in the file the Werewolf Alliance had on the Gallagher pack.

“Interesting,” he mused. “And your Aunt Clarice. She died five years ago?”

Violet nodded, her face turning somber. “She was still so young. It was tragic.”

“Every death is tragic.”

She looked to the door, then lowered her voice. “She took her own life. Wolfsbane.”