A Highland Werewolf Wedding - By Terry Spear Page 0,84
on the light sweater and looked up at Cearnach, who was staring at her in surprise. “Wolves don’t get married. I don’t have any family and…”
“You have us.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He didn’t want this to be an issue between them, but she had to marry him. He understood her reluctance because she had no family—at least that would be welcome. “You have my family and extended family.”
“No one would sit on the bride’s side of the church.”
“Oh, aye, the place will be packed. Mark my word.”
“Wolves don’t get married,” she said again. “I never planned to be married if I found… found the right mate for me.”
“If something should happen to Ian, I would gain his title.” He sighed and kissed her forehead. “It’s nothing to worry about now.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You wouldn’t have to do anything but show up at the ceremony.”
He smiled. “We fight the battles, lass. You plan the fun stuff.”
She snorted.
“My mother will insist on helping.”
She sighed at that.
“Tell her to stay out of it if you want. It’s up to you.”
“If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have a wedding!”
“Except for that.”
Cearnach took Elaine’s hand and led her through the front door of the kennels. As soon as they walked across the inner bailey, several people greeted them, small smiles on their faces.
Elaine’s cheeks flushed beautifully. “They know,” she whispered to him. “Don’t they?”
“Aye, I imagine so.”
She frowned. “Your mother will think it’s her doing.”
Cearnach didn’t say anything.
“Flynn will think it’s his.”
Cearnach finally smiled down at her and pulled her to a stop. “But I will know it was your doing.”
“Mine?” she asked, looking up at him, her gaze questioning.
“Oh, aye, lass. You hooked me from the very beginning.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled open the door to the keep, then escorted her inside.
Though they had jobs to do, Duncan and Guthrie were milling around in the great hall. When they heard Elaine and Cearnach crossing the stone floor, both turned to watch them.
Duncan, not one to mince words, spoke right up. “Is it done?”
Cearnach frowned at him. “We haven’t spoken with Elaine’s solicitor yet,” Cearnach said, not about to discuss mating with Elaine with his brothers.
Duncan gave him a small smile, knowing just from his response that he’d taken Elaine for his mate.
Guthrie raised his brows.
As Cearnach and Elaine walked by his brothers, he cast a glance over his shoulder at them, giving them a look, reminding them not to spread the word until he was ready to tell everyone. Duncan would speak with Shelley about it, and he was certain Ian had told Julia already.
When they arrived in Ian’s office, he introduced Elaine and Cearnach to her solicitor, a wiry, little gray-haired man with a laptop computer and a big black briefcase. The man smelled like a gray wolf.
“I’ve been managing the lass’s estates for years,” Mr. Hoover said. “Samson and Tobias Hawthorn gifted the properties to her centuries ago, and the estates have earned enough money to pay the taxes and upkeep all these years. I… couldn’t locate her once I learned her uncles had died. I did try. Once I discovered where she’d gone, she had already disappeared again.
“You own Senton Castle and all the land around it. Your parents married in the chapel there when the castle was still standing. Grand affair, if I do say so myself,” Mr. Hoover said to Elaine. “Here are the property descriptions and locations.” He passed a pile of papers to her.
“They were married at Senton Castle? Why did my parents leave there?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“Many years later, they left when they couldn’t maintain the castle. Wars, famine. One of those wars resulted in the death of your older brother.”
“Brother?” Elaine asked, sounding horrified. “I had a brother?”
“Two, but one was stillborn. The other was ten when you were born. Fighting broke out and he was beyond the shelter of the castle walls at the time. Your parents were distraught over the death of their male heir.” Mr. Hoover looked at Ian as if the fault was his.
That had Cearnach thinking about the times they’d bombarded the castle with cannon fire.
“Your parents left the castle in your uncles’ care shortly after that. Not wishing to remain in Scotland, your parents started anew in Florida. While your uncles were away sailing the seas, the Kilpatricks and McKinleys ran Senton Castle into the ground. Your uncles