Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Actually, I did want to know what had separated my late husband from his younger brother. What could have been so bad that it made Carter cut Daniel out of his life forever?
I gave rapid instructions and then settled back in the seat. Korwyn’s driving was smooth and competent so far and I found that I felt comfortable around him. Also, in the confines of the car I couldn’t help smelling his scent—it smelled like warm fur, dark masculine spice, and clean laundry—I liked it a lot.
“Okay, so the reason my dad and your husband parted ways was over a woman—my mom, actually,” Korwyn told me.
“Really?” I looked at him in surprise. To my knowledge, Carter had never been married before he had bought me to be his wife. “What happened?”
“Well, they both fell in love with her—both dated her. When it came time to choose, everyone was sure she’d pick Uncle Carter. He was the oldest brother, after all—he stood to inherit all my grandfather’s vast fortune. And my father, of course, wasn’t getting much of anything—he was the poor and penniless second son.”
“Obviously she chose your father over Carter, though,” I said, frowning. “Did she ever tell you why?”
Korwyn frowned.
“When I asked her, she always just said, ‘his hands were cold—as cold as his heart.’” He laughed and shook his head. “Sorry if that’s disrespectful now that he’s gone.”
“No.” I shook my head. “No, your mother was right.” Then I turned away and looked out the window, remembering the last twenty years with my late husband, who had indeed been cold-hearted.
“Oh, er…” Korwyn didn’t seem to know what to say.
I was at a loss myself.
“So…you came after you heard my husband was dead hoping for an inheritance?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“Sure. My father always claimed that Uncle Carter had taken some assets that weren’t his. See, my grandfather did leave a little to his second son in his will, but Uncle Carter found a way around it. He kept absolutely everything. My dad used to tell me that our family was cheated—that we were owed at least some of what your husband kept for himself.”
I could well believe that was true—Carter had always been a greedy, grasping man. And if he hated someone or bore a grudge against them, he did everything he could to ruin them financially. If he had thought that the woman he wanted had been stolen from him, he would have retaliated in kind.
“I see,” I said a bit stiffly. “Well, we can, of course, have the lawyers in to go over Carter’s will—”
“Oh, no-no,” Korwyn said quickly. “Please—I’m not here to take anything my uncle left to you. I’m doing fine on my own, actually—I have my own business and I’ve done quite well so far. I mainly came for curiosity’s sake. All my life I heard my father and mother talk about Uncle Carter and what a cold bastard he was—sorry.” He shot me an apologetic look.
“No, it’s all right.” I shook my head. “Go on.”
“Anyway, I guess I just wanted to see him—just once, even if it was when he was already gone.” He frowned. “And now, of course, I have to stay and see about the Pack Leadership. I’m not going to hand over my birthright to that bastard. That—”
“Harris Murdoch,” I said, supplying the name.
“Right. I don’t like his attitude, and I don’t back down from a fight.” His frown deepened. “Besides, I’ve always been a Lone Wolf before, but I think I have enough management experience that I’d be good at running a pack.”
I gave a mirthless laugh.
“You don’t need any business acumen or management experience to lead the Pack—not if you do it like Carter did. You just need a cold heart and a willingness to kill anyone who gets in your way or breaks the Pack Laws, that’s all.”
He shot me a wide-eyed look.
“So the rumors are true? Uncle Carter really was that much of a bastard?”
“And then some,” I said softly.
Then, hearing the bitterness in my own voice, I tried for a lighter tone.
“I’m glad you’re here. Whether Carter would have welcomed you or not, it’s good to know Carter left an heir. I thought I was alone in the world after he passed.”
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t offer you a whole extended family,” Korwyn said. “My mom died of breast cancer back when I was a kid and my dad passed a few years ago.” He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling with the motion. “So it’s just me.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “I’m still glad you came. Ah—here we are—you can turn in here.”
I gestured to the entrance to Wolverton Manor which led to a long and twisting road that meandered through thick woods until it finally came to the house itself. The road was so narrow that only one car at a time could drive it and there were only a few places along the way for one car to pull over so another could pass.