Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Yes, she’d had something to do with it.
And yes, the other witches had known that. They just hadn’t had the balls to confront her over it. Instead, they’d closed down their launderette.
Right then, a knock came at the front door. Emberlyn felt her brow crease. It could be Paisley, but she doubted it – her friend wasn’t an early riser.
Whoever it was, the manor didn’t consider them a physical threat to Emberlyn, or they wouldn’t have made it this far. Which didn’t mean that it wasn’t one of her relatives – they weren’t likely to try punching her or anything.
Her pretty porcelain cup in hand, Emberlyn walked down the hallway. When she pulled open the door, her pulse did a little skip. On the porch stood a tower of deliciousness wearing a faded dark tee, worn gray denim jeans and black leather boots.
She blinked in surprise. ‘Ripper.’ It was a wonder that her voice came out even. Because, up close, this werewolf had a way of making her hormones feel faint.
She had a weakness for this guy. Her defenses crumbled in the presence of all that raw male power. Making it harder to fight the attraction, her magick never failed to stir around his apex-predator energy.
He stared at her, holding himself with an unnatural stillness that made her think of an animal ready to pounce. Tension sparked in the air, live and hotly sexual – always did when they stood so close. And she found herself thinking it was a crying shame that he was so wrapped up in another woman.
What would it be like, she wondered, to love someone who loved you . . . but who also loved your brother? Would you pray that that brother moved on so that you’d be free to pursue her? Would you alternate from feeling love to anger to resentment? Would you want to let her go, or would you spend your time hoping she’d one day choose you?
At that moment, his gaze roamed over Emberlyn – from her lightly made-up face to her loose curls, ivory pencil dress, silver triple-moon anklet and ivory high heels. His eyes snagged hers again, heat simmering in their depths. ‘You always look like that first thing in the morning?’ he asked, a little gravel in his voice, sounding so . . . put out.
And right then, she made an informed and very mature decision.
She was going to fuck with him.
‘Not until after I’ve masturbated, showered and smoothed oil all over my skin.’
His jaw clenched, and a muscle in his cheek ticked.
Hiding a smile, she took a sip of her tea. He was way too serious. ‘Can I help you with something?’
He planted his feet. ‘We should talk.’ A firm statement littered with intent.
‘Okay.’ Was Emberlyn going to invite him in? Uh, no. Werewolf social ‘rules’ were different; you had to be careful to speak their language.
You didn’t let them into your home. You didn’t feed them. You didn’t let them leave their possessions in your house. Otherwise, you basically indicated that they could have rights where you were concerned if they wanted to claim them. And if you gave an inch with a werewolf, they’d take a mile.
He crossed his arms over his packed-with-muscle chest. ‘First of all, I’ve got to know if you’re going to contest the will and try to claim the land.’
‘Nope.’
‘Just nope?’
She propped her hip against the doorjamb. ‘Just nope.’
He narrowed his eyes, skeptical. ‘Why not?’
‘One, I don’t need it. Two, it rightfully belongs to you anyway. Three, I wouldn’t disrespect my grandmother’s last wishes. Though you should probably be aware that she only left it to you as part of a strategy.’
‘Strategy?’
‘She left me a note, making it clear she’d wanted me to have the manor. Partly because she knew I was the only Vautier who wouldn’t sell it. She also knew I’d be subsequently facing all sorts of problems. You owning most of the land beside the manor limits those problems for me.’
He grunted. ‘I don’t care why she did it so long as I get to keep possession of the land.’
‘As I said, I have no interest in taking it from you. But there are those who’ll try,’ Emberlyn warned.
He dismissed that with a look, evidently unconcerned. ‘If that happens, I’ll deal with it.’
Emberlyn didn’t doubt it. He was a wolf who knew how to get shit done. The kind you’d look at and think, He could handle it. Given all he’d endured and pushed through, you’d likely be right.
He took two smooth steps forward, making her pulse hiccup. ‘As for another reason I’m here . . . you’re probably not aware of this, but I had an arrangement with your grandmother.’
‘An arrangement?’
‘She made a certain elixir for me on a monthly basis.’
Emberlyn felt her head twitch to the side. ‘What sort of elixir?’