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

  “I don’t understand.” I stared at the vial of dark liquid. There was enough to kill me and my entire pack. Was that Mitch’s plan? To wipe us all out? How did he know I was planning to host a non-traditional gathering with my pack? How had he been able to slip Sophia into my life? It didn’t make any sense.

  “How did he know I was searching for a chef to cater the event?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that if I don’t slip some of this into your drink tomorrow my brother will die.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Mitch doesn’t play games. He’s serious, Jude. He already gave me my brother’s finger as a reminder of just how serious he is.” She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and sniffled. “I know you must hate me. Heck, you probably want me to leave and never come back, but I can’t. Not yet. I need your help. Please. I need to find a way to keep both of you alive. Mitch won’t take my life as a trade. I’ve already asked.”

  My heart stalled in my chest. She’d already asked? Why would she be willing to give her life for mine? Her brother I understood, but for me?

  “Why?” I asked.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Because without your help—”

  “No, I don’t mean why should I help you, I mean why would you be willing to give your life for mine?”

  “Because,” she whispered. “I love you.”

  My heart contracted and expanded so fast it was a wonder I was still breathing. My wolf growled a loud rumble of satisfaction as her words lingered in the air. Warmth spread through me like a wildfire and the desire to kiss her pulsed through me, but it wasn’t as strong as my desire to hear her repeat what she’d said.

  “What did you just say?”

  “I know I sound crazy. I know this is fast and makes no sense, but I know what I’m feeling and I’m not going to deny it. I love you.”

  “I had to hear you say those words again,” I breathed. “I love you too.”

  I pulled her into my lap, wrapped my arms around her tiny waist, and brushed my lips across hers. The incredible sensation that I’d felt simmering through my veins the other night as we’d made love burst through me again the instant our lips touched. Cupping the back of her head, I threaded my fingers through her hair as my tongue met hers in possessive sweeps. She whimpered, and my cock jumped at the sound. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I made slow, easy love to her mouth.

  My mouth watered at the scent of her body’s response to me. I found the hemline of her tank top and pushed my hand past the material to caress along the small of her back. Goose bumps erupted beneath my fingertips and a little moan escaped from her. When my thumb hooked into the waistband of her shorts, she gasped into my mouth. The desire to touch her sensitive areas burned through me. I wanted to slip my fingers along her silky folds and feel her wetness dampen my skin, but now wasn’t the time. No matter what my wolf thought. My man knew there was too much on the line to get distracted.

  I broke our kiss and tucked a few stray strands of Sophia’s hair behind her ear. “As much as I would love to continue in the direction this is obviously going,” I said in a low voice. “There are some serious matters I need to figure out before tomorrow.”

  “I know. What do you plan on doing?”

  “I’ll have to think on it. But don’t worry, I’ll come up with something.” I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, making a silent promise to her to do whatever it took to make sure she stayed safe. Her and her brother. “Just come tomorrow as planned to the gathering. Bring your delicious food and your beautiful smile. I’ll handle everything else. It’ll be okay.”

  The tension in her muscles lessened at the sound of my words. Satisfaction slithered along my spine from having put her mind at ease.

  “Okay. I can do that.” She slipped off my lap and gathered her keys as she stood. “Also, I don’t know if there’s any connection between what Mitch is having me do and your guy, but I thought you should know the guy on your porch the other day is the same guy I ran into—literally—when I was leaving Mitch’s gambling house the day he gave me the wolfsbane.”

  Troy?

  My fists clenched at my sides. He was the only one who’d known I’d been searching for a human to cater the gathering. He was my fucking second-in-command. What the hell had he been doing at Mitch’s gambling house?

  I walked Sophia to her car while trying to calm my wolf. It wasn’t happening. I’d been betrayed, and by my second-in-command no less. Blood would be shed because of this.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  SOPHIA

  Country music blasted through the subwoofer beside Jude’s entertainment center, the smoky scent of pulled pork wafted through the air, and smiling faces could be seen on everyone—with the exception of a few clustered near the front door. It was apparent they were the shifters who weren’t as enthusiastic when it came to human relations. While I’d noticed their heated glares from time to time, I didn’t pay them any attention. They were the least of my worries.

  I glanced at Jude, wishing he’d pull me into another room to speak with me about whatever it was he had planned. He was sipping from a glass of water, smiling as he talked to his glowing, pregnant sister. When he reached out to rub her swollen belly, warmth settled into my bones. There was something so sweet about the gesture. Jude was this big, strong man who had loads of authority and responsibilities, but who was softened by the mere thought of his nieces or nephews. I had no doubt that same sense of softness would emanate from him when someone was carrying his child someday. For a split second, I thought of how it would feel if that woman were me.

  Someone bumped me from behind, causing me to nearly drop the aluminum tray of bacon-topped baked beans in my hands.

  “Excuse me, sorry,” I muttered as I shifted out of their way to set the tray down before I spilled it.

  “You shouldn’t be here, human.”

  Panic laced my veins at the harsh tone. I shifted around to face the person berating me. It was the same guy I’d spotted at Mitch’s house, the same one from Jude’s porch. I didn’t know his name, but I knew he belonged to Jude’s pack. He was a wolf. Not a coyote.

  While I wasn’t sure what dynamics were in place within Jude’s pack, I had gathered this guy was higher up in the rankings. From the nasty look he was giving me, it was clear he shared a similar opinion of humans as the wolves beside the front door.

  I straightened my back and held his gaze. I didn’t have time for his type. “If you want food, then I should be. I’m the one who cooked it all.”

  “Looks like all the food has been set out. Isn’t it time for you to leave?”

  “I’m booked for another hour. And, I was told to keep the food coming, which is what I intend to do.” I sidestepped him and headed toward the kitchen. The guy gave me the heebie-jeebies. There was something off about him. He wasn’t a friend of Jude’s and I only hoped what I mentioned to Jude the other night was enough proof for him to realize the same.

  I glanced at Jude as I headed into the kitchen. He ended the conversation he was having with his sister and followed after me. I went straight to the fridge and grabbed the extra bowl of coleslaw I’d made. Jude’s warm arms wrapped around me from behind.

  “Are you okay?”

  I leaned into him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “I can sense there’s something going on.” He trailed soft kisses along the side of my neck. “You seem tense. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “You hired me. That’s help enough.” I spun around in his arms to lightly peck at his lips. “And it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you worried about Mitch?”

  I flinched at the mention of his name. Of course I was worried about Mitch. I wasn’t about to admit it though. Jude had asked me to have faith he could handle the situation. That’s what I was doing. Or at least trying to do.

  My heart kick-started in my chest as I worried he hadn’t crafted a plan. What if his knowledge of the shifter world and
their laws hadn’t helped him find a solution?

  “Hey, I told you not to worry.” His hands dug into my hips as he aligned his gaze with mine. “I have everything under control. Your brother is going to be safe. You’re going to be safe. I’m going to be safe. Mitch, however, he might not be safe. Troy either.”

  “Please just tell me what you have planned. I don’t like surprises.”

  Jude tipped his head to the side as a slow smirk spread across his face. “If you’re going to be with me, surprises are something you’re going to have to get used to. And, no, I won’t tell you what I have planned. You don’t need to know any more than you already do, just know that tonight, before the end of this party, things will be handled.”

  Before the end of this party. That mean Jude was planning to do something now. While everyone was here. What if someone got hurt? Like one of the little kids running around or his sister Amy?

  “Relax.” He pressed his lips against mine, igniting the feelings I had for him enough to burn away all of my worries. “I’ve got this. Trust me.”

  I placed the coleslaw I’d been holding on the counter and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. My tongue slipped between the seam of his lips, searching for his. His fingertips dug into my hips harder the second I found it and he released a low moan. It rumbled free from his chest and vibrated against me.

  The entire world fell away. It was just me and Jude, alone in his kitchen, in his house. He brushed his tongue against mine, sending jolts of electricity straight to my core as his hands roamed over my body. A heady combination of adrenaline and sexual need burst through me as Jude backed me against the fridge, pinning me in place with his hard body.

  I trailed my fingertips down his solid chest until I reached the hemline of his T-shirt. Pushing it up, I slipped my fingertips beneath the fabric to caress along the heated skin of his abdomen. Wetness pooled between my thighs at the low rumble that slipped past his lips on a warm breath of air. He cupped my ass and jerked his pelvis forward, pressing his solid member against my stomach to let me know how excited he was.

  “Oh,” someone gasped. My eyes snapped open and I spotted Jude’s sister standing a few feet away with an empty bowl of potato chips in her hand. My cheeks flamed as our gaze locked. “I knew my brother had a thing for you, but I didn’t think it had migrated this far.”

  Jude brushed his lips across mine once more before spinning to face her. “Oh it has.”

  Amy stepped farther into the kitchen and set the empty chip bowl on the counter. She arched a brow. “Really?”

  Jude interlaced his fingers within mine. “Yeah.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “I am.”

  She shifted her eyes to me, as though she was waiting for me to deny what her brother had said. I didn’t. How could I? “Oh my gosh,” she squealed, bringing her palms together and pressing her index fingers to her lips. Her eyes watered as she shifted her gaze between the two of us. “This is so exciting! I can’t believe my baby brother has finally found his mate.”

  All the air in my lungs left me as the tension I’d been feeling melted away. Amy was okay with Jude and I being together.

  Jude squeezed my hand in his. “Took me long enough, huh, sis?”

  “Damn right it did.” She grinned.

  “I thought she was just a good way for you to subdue the wolf inside you, to satisfy his sexual needs a little while longer,” Troy growled. He’d heard our conversation from where he was standing a few feet away.

  Jude’s body grew rigid and his grip on my hand tightened. “This is none of your business.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ. I am your second-in-command, after all.”

  “Not for much longer,” Jude muttered so low I wondered if his sister and Troy were able to hear.

  Troy arched a brow. “Did you just say what I think you did? Are you tossing me to the curb for having a different opinion on humans than you?”

  The way he’d said humans, like it was a sick, dirty, disgusting thing beneath him, had my heart pounding in my throat.

  Amy picked up the bowl of coleslaw and shoved it into my hands. She then scooped up the bag of unopen potato chips and the bowl she’d carried into the kitchen with her. “I think it’s time you and I leave. Let these two duke this out alone.”

  “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” I didn’t want to be in the line of fire when they went at it. However, I didn’t want to be too far away either. I paused outside the entrance to the kitchen, feeling as though that was far enough. I didn’t have wolf hearing like the others, and I damn sure wanted to be able to hear what they were saying.

  “Not because you have a different opinion on humans than I do, no,” Jude snarled. “But because it goes deeper than that for you, and I think you know it.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I think you know exactly what I’m trying to say.” Jude reached into his pocket for something. “But, in case you need a little refresher. Here you go.” He tossed Troy the tiny vial of wolfsbane Mitch had given me.

  He was calling Troy out, in front of everyone.

  “What’s this?” Troy glanced at the bottle of dark liquid.

  “Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what that is.”

  “And what if I do? What are you gonna do about it?”

  Jude released a low growl that lifted the fine hairs along my forearms. “Change and I’ll show you.”

  “Change?” Troy’s voice shook when he spoke. He was nervous. Even my human ears could sense it.

  “Change.” Jude’s voice rolled with authority. His chin lowered and his eyes darkened with danger. “Now.”

  The sound of bones shifting and popping filled the air, but it was the sight of anguish stretched across Troy’s face that turned my stomach. While I was sure transforming into a wolf didn’t tickle, I was positive when your alpha forced you to turn it hurt ten times worse.

  At least that was the impression Troy was giving as he howled in pain.

  Corded veins popped out of his neck. His hands balled into fists at his sides and his head tipped back. A feral growl pushed its way past his clenched teeth as his body shook from the change. Hairs pushed their way through his skin as it stretched over his stooped body. His face elongated, morphing into that of a wolf before my eyes. A gasp escaped me, and my hand came up to clamped over my mouth.

  “This is going to get ugly,” Amy whispered. She looped her arm through mine and walked me toward the sliding glass door off the dining room. “It’s probably best if you don’t watch.”

  I didn’t argue, and I didn’t put up a fight because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’d never witnessed a werewolf shift. I couldn’t look away.

  Jude circled Troy, who was now completely transformed into his dark-haired wolf. Troy’s head bowed, either in a submissive stance or as a screw-you gesture. I couldn’t tell. When Jude released a low growl that sounded more beast than human, my eyes snapped back to him. His entire body shook as he forced the change upon himself as well.

  “What’s Jude going to do to him?”

  Amy pulled the sliding glass door open and forced me outside with her. “He’s going to bleed him.”

  “Bleed him? As in drain him of his blood?” They were wolves, not vampires. How was that even possible?

  “Pretty much.”

  A commotion broke out inside the house. From where I was standing on the back deck, I couldn’t see Jude or Troy, but I could see the rest of the pack. A few of them had shifted into their wolf form either out of excitement for what was about to take place, or because Jude had commanded them to. Growling and snapping of teeth filled the air as I continued staring through the glass door, waiting for any sign of Jude. When a loud howl of pain erupted from somewhere within the house I flinched and gripped the handle to the door, eager to make sure Jude was all right. Amy maneuvered around me, and slammed the door shut.

  “That wasn’t Jude. He’s fine,” she said as sh
e eyed me. “You really are smitten with my brother, are you? It’s so exciting to finally see him involved with someone!”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t him? It sounded like him.” Or maybe it didn’t. This was a howl out of physical pain, not broken-heartedness like I’d heard him use before.

  Amy shook her head. “It wasn't him. It was Troy. Jude started bleeding him.”

  A shiver slipped along my spine. I released my grip on the door handle and wrapped my arms around myself. My knees grew wobbly as I thought about what was happening inside, what bleeding someone might mean.

  Pack laws were nothing to mess with, and clearly neither was Jude.

  I walked to the stairs of the deck and sat down on the first one. Sunlight beat down on my face and a warm breeze blew as I waited for whatever was happening inside to end.

  “Okay, I think it’s over,” Amy said after a few minutes had passed.

  I stood and brushed myself off, ready to head inside and check on Jude. He appeared at the sliding glass door—devoid of clothing—before I had a chance to step inside. My cheeks heated at the sight of his manhood on display.

  “Nudity is something you’re going to have to get used to if you plan on hanging around a bunch of werewolves,” Amy chuckled as she slipped past us inside the house, holding on to her round belly.

  Jude gripped my hips and pulled me flush against his body. Concern flared within his icy-blue eyes. “Are you okay? I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  “I’m fine. I didn’t see much. Amy pulled me out of there before I could.”

  “Thank goodness; I didn’t like the idea of you seeing me like that or being so close when wolves were changing.”

  My brows furrowed. “Why? It’s a part of who you are.”

  “I know, but is it a part of me that you can accept?”