JUDE (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (A Wood Haven Novella Book 1) Page 9

  “I already have.”

  I didn’t care Jude was a werewolf. I didn’t care he was the alpha to a pack. My view on shifters has changed dramatically and it was all because of him. All I cared about was that I got to be with him. And that his heart was still beating. And Stephen. I cared about my brother too. What would bleeding Troy mean for Stephen? Mitch still hadn’t been taken care of. Had he?

  “Hey, Jude.” Amy poked her head back out the sliding glass door. “I think you might want to take this call.” She held his cell out to him.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s one of the bears.”

  “This could be good news,” he said as he took the phone from her and swiped the screen. “Hello? This is him.”

  Jude released me from his grip and took a few steps away. He began pacing the length of his deck. I tried to focus on what he was saying, but my mind had dipped to thoughts of my brother and his safety. If something happened to him I’d never be able to forgive myself.

  Jude stepped to where I was standing and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Yeah. I’ll let her know. Thank you for your promptness with the situation. I appreciate it.” He hung up. I trailed my eyes over his face, trying to judge whether he’d received good news or not. “Mitch has been taken care of and your brother is safe. I called in help from the bears. Apparently, they’ve been waiting for something major to use against the coyotes other than gambling to take them down. Kidnapping your brother and creating a plan to wipe out an alpha from a neutral pack was more than enough.”

  “Stephen is safe?”

  “Perfectly safe.”

  I melted into Jude and exhaled a long breath of relief. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as my emotions got the best of me.

  “Don’t cry, Red,” Jude whispered against my ear. “There’s still a party going on.” He smoothed his hands along my hips and gently nudged me toward the sliding glass door.

  I wiped my eyes as I stepped inside. “Right.”

  I headed toward the buffet spread I’d set out to see what needed to be refilled, but Jude caught my wrist and pulled me back to him.

  “I didn’t mean for you to go back to work. I meant for you to enjoy this party with me. You have just as much, if not more, as everyone else here to celebrate.”

  “Yeah, but you hired me to handle the food. I should at least make sure everything is topped off.”

  “Later. Right now all I want you to do is dance with me.”

  I laughed as he shuffled his bare feet to the country song playing. “I will, as soon as you get dressed.”

  “Why? You don’t like the sight of me naked?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I just think it’s a little weird you’re the only one naked.” Everyone else who’d shifted had pulled their clothes back on except for him.

  “Fine,” he muttered as he kissed along the back of my hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  “And I’ll be right here … Checking to make sure everything is refilled.” I grinned as I stepped to the table.

  Jude headed toward the back of the house to get dressed while I gathered up an empty pulled pork dish. A text came through on my cell. It was Stephen.

  Thank you, Fifi. I know Mitch being taken down was something you did.

  I smiled as I typed out a response.

  It was, and you’re welcome. Now, are you planning on getting the help you need?

  I hated to sound bitchy, but I wanted to keep him on track. Plus, he sort of owed me after everything.

  I’m making arrangements at the place on the outskirts of town as we speak. I know I need help and I’m going to get it. I promise you.

  Good. I love you.

  Love you too.

  With a smile, I headed to the kitchen without thinking what took place there moments before until Troy’s bloodied, naked body came into view. He was sprawled across the white tiles of the floor, bleeding from his neck. My feet faltered. His neck had been ripped open and his face was lying in a puddle of his own blood. His eyes were closed, and I thought for a split second that he might be dead until I noticed his chest rise and fall.

  Jude had done this.

  My stomach twisted as I continued to stare at the gruesome sight before me. Jude was powerful, far more powerful than any man had a right to be. Then again he wasn’t really a man, he was a wolf. They all were.

  “He’ll be all right.” Warm hands wrapped around me from behind and the masculine scent of Jude’s cologne wafted to my nose. “It looks worse than it is. Wolves have excellent healing abilities. His wound will be healed within an hour. It’ll leave a nasty scar, but that’s the price he has to pay for betraying me. It could have been worse. If my father were still the alpha it would have been.”

  “And what would he have done?”

  “He’d have killed him for his betrayal.”

  “I guess everyone has something to celebrate today then, even Troy.”

  Jude took the dish of pulled pork from my hands and set it on the counter, then proceeded to pull me back to where the bulk of the party was happening.

  “Now dance with me,” he insisted as he shuffled his feet to the music again.

  Laughter bellowed from my chest as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Eyes from the wolves around us bored into me from all sides. My face heated as I struggled to shake off their stares.

  “What’s wrong, Red?”

  “Everyone’s staring at us.”

  “Staring at us, no, they’re staring at you.”

  “Gee, thanks for making me feel better.”

  “It’s nothing bad, they’re just soaking in the beauty of the new alpha queen.”

  I pulled away and looked him directly in the eye. “Alpha queen?”

  “Well, you are bonded to their alpha.”

  My teeth sank into my bottom lip as a giddy laugh burst past my lips. “I guess I am.”

  “Damn right you are, Red,” Jude insisted.

  He pressed his lips against mine as he spun us in a slow circle that didn’t match with the beat of the music, but I didn’t care. His hands moved to cup my ass as his tongue slipped between my parted lips. I slid my hands over his shoulders and down his biceps, responding to his kiss. Howls erupted from the pack members watching on, causing me to giggle.

  A couple of weeks ago, if anyone had told me I’d be standing in a roomful of werewolves, kissing their alpha I would have said they were full of shit. I’d never felt the tiniest desire to seek out the company of werewolves, or any shifter for that matter. Now, you wouldn’t be able to get me to release myself from this shifter’s side.

  Jude Wilder had saved not only himself, but my brother, and in turn, he’d also saved me. Somewhere along the line he’d stolen my heart too.

  I would happily love this man, and his wolf, until the day I died.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hailey Storm loves writing hot shifter romances filled with dreamy alpha males and fiery heroines. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kiddos. When she's not thinking up new story ideas, Hailey can likely be found snuggled into the side of her own alpha male while sipping on a glass of red wine or watching the sunset.

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