Page 53 of New Blood

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

At least while riding the ATVs, the noise of the engines made conversation practically impossible, which was fine by him. He didn’t want to have to make small talk with the utterly unreadable werewolf who made him nervous whenever they were alone.

32

The entire house smelled of the venison that had been slow-roasting in the oven for several hours. Jude felt hungry. He’d skipped lunch. He’d been on a video conference with the Werewolf Alliance’s headquarters outside of Bozeman. They’d held a hearing, and he’d been required to testify about what Cameron and William Gallagher had done. To his surprise, another person had been on the same call: Patrick Woodford, the vampire he’d met the night of his arrival. The Alliance had gotten in touch with him to hear his side of the events that had culminated in Cameron’s death. It was highly unusual that the Alliance would allow a vampire to be part of their proceedings, but then, what had happened had been extraordinary, and the vampire had sworn to keep their secret. He trusted Patrick. He’d seen it in his eyes when they’d spoken that night.

After the video call, Jude felt weary. He knew it was guilt that lay heavy on his shoulders. He knew he should call the elders and inform them that he’d mated not with Gallagher’s daughter or niece, but with Danielle, a low-ranked member of the pack. They wouldn’t be pleased. Indeed, they’d most likely pull him out and install the next alpha-in-waiting instead, which by his count was Austin. He would have done it gladly, handing the reins over to his brother, but he knew that Austin liked Eve even less than he did. And he couldn’t do that to his brother. He deserved better. He deserved a fresh start, not the mess Jude would be leaving if the Alliance deposed him. He had to come up with another solution, something that would unite the pack under him without him having to marry into the family. Because one thing was one hundred percent clear: he would never leave Danielle.

Jude left his office. He found Wendell in the library. The massive man with a stubble-beard and striking silver-grey eyes looked up from his computer.

“Hey, Jude.”

Seeing that they were alone, Jude pulled the door shut behind him and approached.

“About Byron,” he started.

“What about him?”

“I’m wondering whether he could have killed the deer last night.”

Wendell shrugged. “Why are you suspecting him?”

“I heard that he’s killed animals before when he was angry.”

“I see. You wonder if he was angry enough after his brother’s death to have done it.”

“Yeah. What’s your take on him? I mean, you spent some time together at the bail bonds businesses.”

“He showed me around. He’s actually surprisingly popular with the managers. We also ran into a few bounty hunters they’ve got working for them. Pretty cool guys. They seem to accept Byron as one of them.”

“Are you saying he wasn’t acting like a jerk for once?”

Wendell chuckled. “Believe it or not, he’s different when he’s not at the estate. Out there, in the real world, he’s normal. I mean, as normal as any werewolf can be. But what I’m trying to say is, he’s almost likable. Almost,” Wendell emphasized.

Surprised, Jude furrowed his forehead.

“So you don’t think he could have done it?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. He’s definitely capable of it. Whether he actually did it, I don’t know. I’m in the room next to his, and as you know, I’m a light sleeper, but I didn’t hear him leave during the night.”

“Thanks, bro.”

“So you have no leads on who could have taken down the deer?”

Jude shook his head. “None. Byron’s my best guess.” He shrugged. “It could have been Eve, for all I know.”

“Yeah, that one’s a tough nut to crack. Wouldn’t wanna be in your shoes. She’s not somebody I’d want to warm my bed.”

Jude didn’t comment. What would he say? That Eve would most certainly never warm his bed, because he’d chosen Danielle instead? Danielle had asked him to keep their secret for now, so he would keep it. Maybe tonight, they could come up with a plan of how to proceed.

“Well, thanks anyway.” He pointed to the clock. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Oh, good.” He looked over his shoulder. “Kitty? Where are you hiding?”

A soft meow came from underneath a sofa, and a moment later, the white cat emerged. She stared at him, then at Wendell, before she made a beeline for her master and jumped onto his lap, curling up to him.

“Are you planning on bringing her into the dining room?”