Page 54 of New Blood

Wendell petted the cat. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“Because if I’m not mistaken, Eve hates cats.”

“Tough luck. If Kitty isn’t allowed in the dining room, I’m eating in the kitchen with her.”

“Don’t you think that’s kind of an unhealthy attachment you have to your cat?”

Kitty suddenly hissed at him.

“I don’t think she likes your comment.”

Jude rolled his eyes.

“Fine. Bring her, but do me a favor: sit as far away from Eve as you can. I don’t wanna referee a fight tonight.”

“Got it, boss.” Then he dipped his head to the cat, who rose and licked his neck. “See, Kitty, you get to come.”

Jude turned and left the library.

A half hour later, everybody was assembled in the dining room. The various dishes had been placed on a long table along the wall, so everybody could help themselves and fill their plate before sitting down at the massive dining table. Despite its size, it was crowded. Extra chairs had been added to fit all nineteen pack and Werewolf Alliance members.

Jude noticed that Wendell and his cat had found a seat next to Danielle. When Danielle cooed over Kitty and exchanged a few laughs with Wendell, he felt his heart constrict. Damn, he knew he had no reason to be jealous, but seeing her laughing with another man elicited that feeling anyway. He pushed it down and ripped his gaze from them when Eve took the seat right next to him. Tonight, he wouldn’t be able to ignore her. He wished he could tell Eve right here and now that he wouldn’t be mating with her. Leaving her in the belief that she would be the alpha female of the pack was cruel, but he couldn’t change that right now. He had to play along.

“Danielle, I’ve got good news for you.”

Danielle tore her gaze from Jude and Eve and faced Flora, who sat straight across from her at the dining table.

“Yes?”

Flora smiled. “Tomorrow, two workers from the vineyard will come and start with the repairs of your cottage, so you can move back in soon.”

“Oh, the cottage,” she said, searching for an answer.

“Yes, they think it’ll take only two days to repair what needs to make it habitable again. Apart from the kitchen, of course, but since you cook and eat in the main house anyway, we’re not gonna bother with that right away.”

Before she could comment, Flora continued, “With so many people needing accommodations right now, it’s really the best. We can probably have Priscilla share with you, so that somebody else can use her room in Heath’s cottage.” She shifted her gaze to Wendell. “Maybe you’d like to share a cottage with Heath or Chase?”

Wendell cleared his throat. “If that’s what Jude decides, then yes, that’s not a problem.”

Flora chuckled. “Oh, no need to bother Jude with everything. He’s got plenty on his plate. And I’m still in charge of the household. I think it’ll be best, so we can make room.”

“Maybe we should really leave it up to the new alpha to decide on that,” Danielle finally replied.

She didn’t like to be steamrolled, and she knew neither did Jude. Was this a way for Flora to show everybody that she still wielded considerable power in the pack?

Danielle remembered the gas explosion that had damaged her cottage all too well. On that same night, Flora had suggested she move into the cottage that Chase occupied now, but William had insisted that she move into the main house. She knew that Flora hadn’t liked being overruled. It appeared that with William gone, Flora would go back to her original plan to remove her from the main house once more. As if she’d done something that displeased Flora.

“Don’t be silly, girl,” Flora said with a laugh, before looking back at Wendell. “It’s the best solution. You’ll have more privacy there, too.”

Danielle swallowed the piece of venison that she’d shoved in her mouth. Maybe her decision to wait on telling the family that she and Jude were mated hadn’t been such a brilliant idea after all. Because once she was sent to live in the cottage again, sneaking back to Jude’s bedroom every night wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“So, Wendell,” Flora continued, ignoring her completely now. “It’s quite unusual for someone of our kind to have a cat.”

As Wendell replied to her, Danielle tuned out their conversation and glanced around.

Priscilla, who sat to Flora’s left and had clearly heard Flora’s plan, locked eyes with her. She knew Priscilla well enough to realize that she wasn’t happy about Flora’s plan either. She and her brother Heath were close. As for Flora’s claim that she’d have more privacy in the cottage, that was a blatant lie: the damaged cottage had only one bedroom to start with, which meant that Flora expected her and Priscilla to share a room. It was obvious that this move was meant to remind her and Priscilla that they were the lowest-ranking members of the pack.

She cast Priscilla an encouraging look. Tonight, she would speak to Jude to make sure that Flora didn’t get a chance to execute her plan.