Page 51 of New Blood

The whispered word made her whirl around and let out a startled gasp.

“Jude,” she murmured and looked past him to the open door of the laundry room, checking if anybody was in the hallway.

But Jude filled almost the entire doorframe, making it impossible for her to see much. He took a step closer, leaving the door cracked open.

“I was disappointed that you weren’t there when I woke up.”

Her heart fluttered, because she, too, would have liked to wake up with him. “I couldn’t stay, or somebody might have seen me leave your bedroom.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way.” He leaned in. “Just say the word, and I’ll announce our union to the pack.”

His masculine scent wrapped around her, drugging her. She felt the magnetic pull he had on her, filling her with the need to touch him. Or rub herself all over him. Damn, now that he’d made love to her, she wanted him even more, knowing how her body reacted to him and what kind of pleasure they could give each other.

“Fuck, baby,” he whispered. “I wish I could take you right here.”

Before she could even respond, Jude touched her lips with his and kissed her passionately. Her back touched the wall, while he pressed his body to hers, making her aware of his arousal. He was just as hard and as big as the night before. Instinctively, she molded to him, giving in to his demand. Her mate’s demand. She knew it was their bond that made her feel like putty in his arms.

It was common knowledge that when one partner initiated intimacy, their mate was powerless, unable to resist because of the magical connection between them. But she knew it was more than that, more than just fate that connected them. She felt it in her heart, felt the love that was growing there. She didn’t just need him; she wanted him.

Feeling the hunger with which he kissed her, she melted into him, her hands caressing him, one sliding to his ass to yank him even closer. As she rubbed herself against his erection, Jude moaned into her mouth. A deep feeling of satisfaction settled in her as she recognized the power she had over him, the power to make him lose control, the same power he had over her.

She understood now that being with a powerful man, an alpha, was something she’d secretly always dreamed of, because he was teasing something out of her that she never thought she had: strength. She wasn’t weak like everybody always assumed, but had merely hidden her nature to fit in, to not make any waves. Until now.

With every stroke of his tongue against hers, her body heated more until a massive bonfire seemed to rage inside her, consuming her with need and desire. When she suddenly felt cool air waft against her lips, she realized that Jude had severed the kiss. She stared at him and noticed him breathing raggedly. His eyes were blazing, not quite human anymore. The wolf inside him was simmering just below the surface, still hidden from everyone but her. She could see the wolf. A low growl escaped from her throat, a sign that her own wolf wanted to be unleashed.

“Damn, Danielle, I don’t know how long I can pretend in front of the rest of the pack that there’s nothing between us,” he said, his voice colored with a tinge of frustration. “Don’t you see what you’re doing to me?”

She saw it only too well, because the same was happening to her. She put a hand on his chest and felt his strong heartbeat drum against her palm.

“I…,” she said, hesitating.

She didn’t know why she was still holding on to the belief that she needed more time to prepare herself for the fallout from the Gallagher family. No matter how long they waited, the Gallaghers’ wrath would descend on her and Jude.

“We’ll talk about it tonight, after everybody is asleep,” she suggested.

“Alright,” he conceded and leaned in again.

Knowing another kiss would only lead to them making love in the laundry room, she pressed both hands against his chest.

“Don’t, please,” she begged.

He inhaled a long breath. “Okay, tonight then.” He turned halfway, before he turned back again. “Oh, before I forget: there’ll be a big dinner tonight. Heath found a deer that was bleeding out in the woods.”

Shocked, she gasped. “What happened?”

“It looks like a wolf took it down last night or early this morning. Ripped out its throat, then went for the heart.”

“And the heart was gone?” she asked, even though she guessed the answer.

“Yeah. It must have been somebody from the pack. Has that happened here before, when William was still in charge?”

For a moment, she contemplated her answer. “Not a deer, no. But something smaller.”

“What do you mean?”

She hesitated, not wanting to talk badly about anyone, but she couldn’t keep it to herself now.

“Byron… whenever he fought with his father, he’d go into the woods and hunt. You know, rabbits or coyotes, and rip their hearts out to eat them. But never a deer.”