A Highland Werewolf Wedding - By Terry Spear Page 0,90

“He’s been here forever. Long enough to have known her uncles.”

Guthrie turned to the other men with them. “Search everything. All the drawers, cabinets, everything for any clue as to who he is. Or any connections he might have with the Kilpatricks, McKinleys, or Elaine.”

Either the guy was a neat freak or he had a maid who was one. Socks were rolled up in one drawer. Briefs in another. Sweaters were neatly folded in another.

Duncan made a mess of them, not bothering to neaten up after himself. Guthrie smiled at him, knowing that with the way a wolf could smell scents, the renter would realize another wolf had handled his property. No sense in trying to hide the fact.

They returned to the office, and while Guthrie worked on breaking through the wolf’s security code on his computer, Duncan searched through all the drawers in the room, then began to pull books off a shelf and flip through each and every one of them.

Duncan found nothing, which was more than odd. He turned to watch Guthrie.

No matter how good his skills were at hacking, Guthrie was unable to get into the man’s computer. He glanced at Duncan, then at the mass of books thrown on the floor in a heap. Guthrie knew Duncan wouldn’t intentionally make a mess of someone else’s place unless he had good reason. To make a statement. To make the wolf beware. Elaine now had family, a new family, to protect her. Duncan couldn’t help feeling antagonistic about the wolf who lived here.

“What do you suspect, Duncan?” Guthrie asked, standing.

Oran and his brothers came to the doorway of the office, shaking their heads as Duncan considered them. “We didn’t find any clues,” Oran said.

“There’s nothing personal here anywhere. How can anyone live so long in a place and have nothing that would clue others in about his habits, interests, lifestyle?” Duncan said. “I have a feeling he’s connected somehow to Elaine, her family, something. And it’s not in a good way.” That’s all Duncan had to say. A wolf’s instincts were often right.

“Okay.” Guthrie sat back down at Mr. Hazelton’s computer. “Let’s see what we can learn about old Samuel here.”

***

Much later that evening, Cearnach and Elaine returned to Argent Castle, where she almost felt at home. Calling a massive castle in a different country “home” seemed strange. Actually, being at the castle wasn’t what made her feel that way, but being with Cearnach. He was home for her.

Most everyone had retired for the night, although Ian told Cearnach that his brothers and cousins were still at the keep, trying to break into the renter’s computer. No sign of the man as yet. And no indication that he was related to Elaine or that any treasure was hidden within.

“I’m worried about them,” Elaine said to Cearnach.

“They’ll be fine.”

Dismissing her concern, he told her they were warriors, used to business like this. She still couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t thought they’d do anything more than she and Cearnach had done. Search the place. Not try to break into his computer. But Cearnach had warned her they would be thorough.

She could see that Cearnach had only one thing in mind as he hurried her up to their bedchamber. As soon as he shut the door, she yanked aside the curtain on her side of the bed. He turned to see her sitting on the mattress, yawning. She attempted to fight the tiredness that racked her body, but she couldn’t shake it off. After the ghostly problems last night and the jet lag from the day before, then washing all those huge pups earlier today and running all over Scotland searching for treasure, she was exhausted.

Cearnach stalked toward her, his gaze predatory, not in the least bit tired. He crouched before her and pulled off one of her boots, then the other. “It’s late and way past time for bed.”

She smiled at him and cupped his face, then lifted it to look up at her. “If anyone had told me I’d be sleeping with a Highland wolf in a castle in Scotland…”

“Mated to a wolf,” he corrected her. “There’s a vast difference. Last night, you slept with a wolf. Tonight, you’re with your mate.”

Mated to a wolf. She liked the way he said it. The connection that now stood between them for the rest of their days.

His warm fingers stroked up her belly underneath the sweater, higher until he ran his hands over her breasts and squeezed them. Already his