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)
His face darkened. ‘When was that?’
Michael had attacked her before he ran for Bloodhill, but it wasn’t something she talked about. ‘That’s a whole other story. I’ll tell you about it sometime.’ Maybe. Probably not.
Laine reappeared, smiling. ‘Clarence will be with you both very soon – he’s just finishing a call.’ She returned to her chair and went right back to her computer.
Emberlyn glanced at Ripper. ‘On the subject of people being bitten by werewolves, I wanted to ask you something.’ She crossed her legs, not failing to notice how his gaze dipped to them. ‘One of my best friends, Paisley, is interested in taking the Change.’
His eyes flew back to hers, squinting. ‘That’s Kage’s sister, right?’
‘Right. She’d like to join your clan, if possible. I don’t know how you go about choosing people, but I was wondering if you could at least speak with her.’
He gave a slow nod. ‘I can do that.’
‘She has a family thing tonight. Tomorrow sometime after five?’
‘I’m free then.’
‘Choose a location best for you. She can’t meet with you at her house because the coven isn’t supportive of her decision.’
‘I’ll be at the manor around six-thirty.’
Thanks for asking if you can use my home.
A male with slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair materialized, clad in a black suit. He glanced from her to Ripper, a polite smile gracing his jowly face and tugging up his mustache. ‘I appreciate you both coming on such short notice. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.’
She and Ripper rose from their seats and crossed to him. Hands were shaken, and brief greetings were exchanged. Clarence then led them down the hallway and into an office. The décor was very old school, all dark woods and vintage furnishings. Even the brass lamp on his cluttered desktop appeared to be an antique.
Old framed photos of the building hung on the walls, along with some artwork. What appeared to be law books lined the shelves on the wall behind him. Beneath them were filing cabinets and a coffee machine. There were some personal touches. Like family pictures, a cute ‘Best Dad’ mug, and memorabilia.
He waved a hand toward the seats opposite his desk. ‘How are you after Saturday night’s attack?’ he asked her.
‘Pretty good, thanks.’ She took a seat. The leather padding was warm from the beams of sunlight that slashed through the windows’ Venetian blinds. ‘I’d feel a lot better if my family would accept the conditions of the will.’
Ripper sank into the chair beside hers. ‘They really mean to render it invalid?’
Faint irritation leaching into his brown eyes, Clarence let out a put-out sigh. ‘Yes. One of the coven’s lawyers, Tyra Mosby, called me Friday to inform me of it. She claimed it would be best if you released your “false claim” on the land’ – his gaze moved to Emberlyn – ‘and if you released your similarly false claim on the manor before it came to that.’
Emberlyn hauled in an annoyed breath, inadvertently taking in the scents of coffee, wood polish and leather. ‘What did you say to that?’
‘I told Tyra that there was nothing false about the claims, and that any attempts to contest the will would result in nothing. I didn’t contact either of you about it because I thought she might be bluffing – overturning a will isn’t easy, after all. But when I came in early this morning I found an official notice in my mail.’ Clarence swiped a letter from a mail tray and held it up.
Emberlyn exchanged a frustrated look with Ripper.
Clarence set the paper on his desk. ‘To sum up the letter, Gill is the main challenger of the will. She insists that Millicent lacked the mental capacity to make one; feels that the existing will can’t possibly reflect her mother’s true last wishes. Gill also asserts that under no circumstances would Millicent want you to have the manor, Emberlyn. She is requesting that you be removed from it until the matter is resolved.’ Clarence looked at Ripper. ‘She also requests that your clan not set foot on the land in the interim.’
Emberlyn felt her jaw harden. ‘She can shove that request up her ass.’
‘Yeah, it ain’t happening,’ Ripper clipped.
‘I will be making that clear,’ Clarence assured them. ‘Don’t let it worry you. She has no way or right to enforce these demands.’
‘Be honest,’ began Emberlyn, ‘does she have a shot at winning?’
‘She would have to convince the council of her claim. That will be difficult when the will was signed in the presence of both myself and a medical practitioner.’
‘Why a medical practitioner?’ asked Ripper.
‘Because Millicent asked that one talk with her and confirm she had the capacity to write a valid will,’ Clarence replied.
Well, damn. ‘She anticipated that it would be contested.’
The lawyer nodded. ‘Tyra will have surely noticed the practitioner’s signature but has proceeded anyway, perhaps thinking it won’t be enough to convince anyone that Millicent was stable. What she and your family will not be aware of is that Millicent also left a letter of wishes. Something she wrote separately to explain the stipulations of the will.’