JUDE (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (A Wood Haven Novella Book 1) Read online

  “Good girl,” the coyote grinned. “Now why don’t the three of us climb into my car and go for a little drive to discuss the details. Shall we?”

  A black sedan waited by the curb. How had I not noticed it until now?

  The coyote placed a hand against my lower back and gently pushed me in its direction. I started walking. Stephen’s eyes were on me, I could feel them, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Too many emotions bubbled through me. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. This was bad, really bad.

  My stomach rolled as another guy with liquid-gold eyes climbed from behind the steering wheel and popped open the back door for us to slip inside. Shifters made me uneasy. Especially coyotes. They were troublemakers, everyone knew it. While others in Wood Haven seemed to accept the bears and the few other shifters residing within the city limits, it was common knowledge to stay away from the coyotes.

  This was something I wished my brother had adhered to like the rest of us. Instead, he continued to get mixed up with them and their shady dealings. From the looks of this group, I could only imagine the type of dealings he was still involved in. Drugs. Gambling. They were probably where the last five grand I gave to Stephen had gone.

  I slid across the cold, cream-colored leather seat until I was pressed against the opposite door. The kingpin coyote slid in beside me. His cologne saturated the air, choking me. I slipped my purse off my shoulder and placed it in my lap. My hands trembled. I gripped my handbag in an attempt to hide it. Why, I wasn’t sure. These guys could probably smell fear on me, but I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing it as well.

  The driver slammed the door shut after my brother slipped in and then positioned himself behind the wheel again. He pulled away from the curb at a slow speed.

  “There, now we can talk,” the coyote said. His attention was on me. I could feel his eyes boring into me. I licked my lips and tightened my grip on my handbag. My muscles grew rigid. “Stephen, why don’t you go ahead and fill your sister in on our deal.”

  Stephen cleared his throat and leaned forward to look at me. I didn’t glance his way. Instead, I continued to stare straight ahead, barely able to breathe. “I need you to complete a job for Mitch. Once you do, my debt is wiped clean and my life is off the chopping block. Please agree to it, Fifi.”

  I cringed at the sound of my childhood nickname. Earlier it had melted my heart, but now it pissed me off.

  I closed my eyes and released the breath I’d been holding. “What sort of job is it?”

  Mitch’s hand landed on my thigh. I flinched at the contact and he laughed.

  “Glad to see you’re so easily on board,” he said as his hand squeezed my upper thigh.

  I removed his hand and locked eyes with him. “I never said I was on board. All I did was ask what the job was. You wanted me to hear my brother out, so I am.” My scalp prickled as his eyes heated from my tone.

  I cleared my throat, fearful of what he was going to do or say next. My brother’s situation was enough proof that this shifter was not one to piss off. I needed to keep my mouth shut.

  A wicked grin stretched across Mitch’s face. “You have more gusto than you give yourself credit for.”

  My eyes dropped to stare at my hands. My knuckles had gone white from gripping my purse too tight. I didn’t feel as though I had any gusto. I was scared shitless. I had no idea where I was being taken and no idea what the coyote wanted me to do in order to save my brother’s life.

  “I told Mitch you were a cook,” Stephen said. His voice shook when he spoke.

  “And I have a job for you.” Mitch’s warm breath caressed my face. He was too close. I leaned back against the seat, causing him to grin. “I’d like for you to cook for the new alpha of the wolves that recently moved to Wood Haven.”

  “That’s it? You want me to cook a meal for the newest wolf pack in town?”

  There had to be something more. That was too easy.

  “Not exactly,” Mitch said. My heart slammed against my rib cage. “I’d like you to poison their new alpha. Do this, and your brother goes free. Don’t, and your brother dies. It’s up to you. The choice is yours, doll face.” His liquid-gold eyes locked directly on mine, probing me for the answer he wanted to hear.

  My mind went numb and the tips of my fingers grew cold. He’d only left me with one option really, because I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I allowed Stephen to die. Mitch was a man of his word, I had no doubt. He would follow through with what he said.

  “How?” My voice quivered as the word pushed past my lips.

  Mitch snapped his fingers and the driver produced a Manila envelope.

  “Everything you need to know is inside here,” Mitch said, handing it to me.

  My eyes locked with his as I took it from him, their liquid-gold color pulling me in. The car came to a stop and the door beside me opened. I flinched, not having realized we’d pulled over and the driver had stepped out. I gathered my purse and gripped the envelope tight as I slipped out of the car.

  “I’ll be in touch, Ms. Davis,” Mitch insisted. I glanced at him. A slow grin spread across his face as his eyes raked over my body. “You know, you’re a lot prettier than I imagined.”

  I staggered away from the car, clutching the envelope to my chest. Mitch’s crazy deep laugh vibrated the air around me as his car pulled away from the curb. My stomach churned. I felt as though I’d just made a deal with the devil.

  CHAPTER THREE

  JUDE

  I propped my feet up on the ottoman and leaned back on my couch. Troy would be calling any second now. I’d given him a task, and as much as he didn’t enjoy it, I knew he would follow through. He was my second-in-command. It was his duty.

  My phone rang and a smile pricked at the corners of my mouth. Troy’s name lit the screen.

  “Did you get me any names?” I answered.

  “I found one.”

  “One is all I need.” I headed to the kitchen, eager to jot down the name and number of the human who’d be catering our pack gathering next week.

  “Her name is Sophia Davis. She’s fresh out of culinary school, according to her social media accounts. She’s done a couple smaller gigs the last three months, but nothing substantial.”

  “Doesn’t mean she can’t cook,” I said as I wrote down her name. “You got a number for her?”

  “Yeah, 741–0002.”

  “I’ll call and see if she’s available next weekend.”

  “I still think this is a bad idea, Jude,” Troy growled. “You’re going against tradition.”

  My jaw tightened. We’d already been through this before. Numerous times, in fact. When would he realize that was the point? I wanted to go against pack traditions. I wanted to start fresh.

  I wasn’t my father.

  “I’m not going against everything involving the gathering. Some traditions still stand. The only part I’m changing is the potluck. I’d like to cater it instead. You have to admit, it’s better than eating Ms. Herring’s mincemeat casserole again.”

  “I think the others will see it as you having no regard for traditions. You’re bringing a human in, Jude. This is a traditional gathering. Wolves only. We’re celebrating something pack related.”

  “I know.”

  “Your father would’ve never brought a human in for something like this,” Troy muttered.

  My pulse quickened at the mention of my father. “Good thing he isn’t here then.”

  I hung up without giving Troy a chance to respond. Screw him.

  Troy was brainwashed, just like a handful of the others. They believed humans were beneath us. It was my father’s doing. He’d believed the same. How my sister and I managed to block out his racist ways was beyond me. When he passed I’d thought that mentality would die with him, I’d thought the others would finally see the light, but they hadn’t.

  Here we were months later, and a select few were still butting against me when it came to increasing
human relations. Didn’t they realize the benefits of such a thing? The bears did. Other shifters in this town did. It was my motivating factor for moving the pack here.

  How could I get through their skulls increasing human relations was a good thing? It was a step toward the future, a step forward. My muscles tensed as energy from an argument no one was around to hear burned through me. I pulled in a deep breath and closed my eyes. My wolf wanted to break free. He couldn’t handle the emotions raging within me. I promised to let him out later tonight. After dusk. When it was safer to shift and roam around as my other form.

  I opened my eyes and stared at Sophia’s name scratched across the notepad.

  “Sophia … Sophia Davis.” Her name rolled off my tongue and saturated the air around me. I enjoyed the sound of it, the feel. A need to know more about her pulsed through me.

  I grabbed my laptop off the kitchen counter and headed toward my couch. With my feet propped up on the ottoman, I booted my laptop up and waited. Seconds later, I typed in Sophia’s name and began browsing through her social media accounts. I clicked on one of her pictures to enlarge it

  She was beautiful.

  Her dark hair was long, falling in silky locks that swept past her shoulders. Brown eyes stared back at me, framed by thick, dark lashes. Her full lips were twisted into a perfect bow, accentuating the dimples in her cheeks. A small splatter of freckles dotted the bridge of her nose, and there was a tiny beauty mark beneath her left eye.

  Suddenly, seeing her wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear her voice, to hear her say my name.

  I placed my laptop on the ottoman and headed to the kitchen where I’d left her number. My wolf shifted through me, excited by the prospect of hearing Sophia’s voice. I dialed her number and began pacing as ringing filled my ear. I cleared my throat and licked my lips, waiting for her to answer.

  “Hello?” her sweet voice filtered through the phone. My wolf released an internal howl of approval as something inside me shifted.

  My heart kick-started in my chest. “Ms. Davis?”

  “Yeah, this is she.” The sound of metal scraping against metal worked its way through the line. “And who is this?”

  “Jude, Jude Wilder,” I said, knowing she didn’t know who I was, but secretly wishing she did. “I heard through the grapevine in town you’re a talented chef. I’d like to hire your services for an event I’m hosting next weekend. Are you available?”

  Her breath hitched. Was she surprised at the prospect of someone calling with a job offer?

  “What sort of event is it?”

  A slow smile stretched across my face, I enjoyed that she’d gotten straight to the point. “A pack gathering.”

  “A shifter party?” Nerves wrangled her words. Did she have something against shifters?

  “Yes. Does that bother you?”

  “When can we meet to go over the menu?”

  She’d surprised me. I’d figured she would be more hesitant to agree. “Would tomorrow night work for you? Or is that too soon?”

  “No. Tomorrow works.”

  “Good, how does seven o’clock sound?”

  “Tell me where to be and I’ll be there.”

  Straight to the point. I liked that about this woman. We’d work well together. “My place. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Sounds good.” She hung up before either of us could say another word.

  I sent her my address and then set my phone on the counter. A warmth shifted through my core, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I wanted this woman, and so did my wolf.

  The image of Sophia from her social media profile flashed through my mind. A slow grin spread across my face and I headed to my fridge for a beer. If Sophia had an aversion to shifters, I’d damn sure make an effort to rectify it.

  Tomorrow night couldn’t get here fast enough.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SOPHIA

  Clove Hill, where the hell are you? Jude said the street would be past a red barn, which I had yet to see. Barns were big. Surely it would be impossible to miss.

  I reached for the scrap of paper I’d jotted directions on earlier this morning when I’d been forced to call him back because I had no clue where the place was. Our conversation from the night before had been awkward as hell and I hadn’t thought to ask after he’d sent me his address. I’d been too taken aback by him calling to think straight.

  Don’t kid yourself, an inner voice piped up, you were taken aback by the velvety-smooth tone to his voice.

  My cheeks heated and I couldn’t deny the way his voice had affected me. My insides still tingled at the memory of his deep voice in my ear. I licked my lips. If I found his voice this sexy, I wondered what I’d feel in his presence.

  It didn’t matter. It shouldn’t, at least. Not if I intended to save Stephen.

  A sour taste built in my mouth as a red barn came into view in the distance.

  “Thank you, Jesus,” I whispered. There was no way in hell I wanted to call Jude back and ask for directions a second time. Minimal contact with him was my goal.

  I eased up on the gas, searching for a street sign that should be just past the barn. The second I spotted it my heart began to pound. I was seconds away from meeting the shifter I was supposed to kill. Moments away from stepping through his front door. And days away from having to poison him.

  My palms grew sweaty as I turned onto his road. My car lurched and then sputtered as I cranked the wheel too far. Potholes jostled me around as I dipped off from the smooth pavement onto the gravel road Jude lived on. I hit my brakes after hitting an exceptionally big pothole and nearly gave myself whiplash. My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as I attempted to lightly press the gas in order to ease my way out of it. Mud slung up behind me as my tires dug deeper into the hole. The last couple of rains hadn’t been kind to this section of the road.

  I pressed the gas harder and rocked my body forward, hoping to give my pathetic car a little more oomph. It did no good. My tires continued to spin, but I wasn’t able to gain any traction.

  “Damn it!” I slammed my palm against the steering wheel.

  I was stuck.

  “No,” I muttered. “You’re not stuck. Third times a charm.” I shifted my car into reverse and gassed it.

  My tire continued to dig itself deeper into the pothole.

  A slew of curse words rushed past my lips. I unbuckled and climbed out of my car to check the damage. Large clumps of mud caked the side, their earthy scent saturating the air. My back tire had been swallowed by the pothole. There was no way I was going to get out of this thing without a tow truck to help. God, and there was no way I could afford to call one either.

  Thank you, Stephen, for putting me in another crap-tastic situation.

  My teeth ground together as heat flushed through my body. What was I supposed to do? Jude was expecting me. I had food in my backseat that would spoil if it didn’t get refrigerated soon. And my car was stuck in a pothole the size of the Grand Canyon.

  I climbed back behind the wheel and rummaged through my purse for my cell. Finding a towing company online shouldn’t be hard; it would be waiting for them to come that would kill me, that and calling Jude to tell him I’d have to reschedule.

  I opened my Internet browser and waited for it to connect. The circle of death spun slowly. One measly bar was all the reception I had out here. I would need more than that to search the Internet as fast as I wanted. Would I even be able to make a call with such crappy service? Texting was probably my best bet.

  I scrolled until I found an open thread of messages with Liz.

  Help. I’m stuck in a giant pothole at the end of Jude’s road. My cell service is crap and I need you to look up a number for a towing truck company.

  I hit send and watched as the green bar slowly made its way across my screen.

  Why don’t you try texting Jude first? See if he can get you out of the hole since you’re already there.

  Of course she would say that
. Liz was practical, which was generally a good thing. Not in this situation though. I couldn’t ask the guy I was supposed to kill for help. It seemed too personal and intimate in some way, like a violation of an unwritten rule among killers.

  As much as I liked to believe I wasn’t a killer, going through with this to save Stephen made me one.

  What good would that do if he doesn’t have a truck?

  How will you know if you don’t ever ask?

  Fine.

  Call me later and tell me how everything goes.

  I tapped on my recent calls. Jude’s number hadn’t been saved as a contact in my phone, but the number was still there nonetheless. A puff of air left my lungs as I struggled to think of what to say to him.

  Hey, this is Sophie. I’m sitting at the beginning of Clove Hill. My car decided to dig a hole for its death. You don’t happen to have a truck big enough and a set of chains to help pull me out, do you?

  He responded right away.

  A suicidal car. Now that’s something you don’t see every day. I’ll be there in a second.

  A slow smile spread onto my face as relief trickled through me. Thank God he wasn’t an ass about it.

  Thank you.

  I leaned back in my seat and waited. It wasn’t long before a shiny white truck came down the road heading toward me. The thing was a beast. Four doors and an extended cab, plus large tires made for playing in the mud. The closer it came, the easier it was for me to make out Jude behind the wheel.

  He had dark hair nicely cut, a smoothly shaven face, and a bright, white smile. He was even more handsome than in the picture Mitch had tucked inside the manila envelope he’d given me. Butterflies burst into flight in my lower stomach as my heart pounded out a beat for them. Jude came to a stop in front of my car. He left his truck running as he climbed out, carrying a wad of chains with him.