Page 299 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 3

Mia

Rain still pelted down in wild sheets. I tucked the envelope inside my jacket and raced behind Noah to his truck. Once seated, I clutched the envelope in my hands so tight it crinkled the edge.

How could I be so stupid? Ashton told me to read it first. I just didn’t think there’d be conditions to my inheriting Joan’s estate.Who does that?I thought this chance was too good to be true, that my sucky luck had finally changed. Nope.

Noah’s truck grumbled to life, and he drove out of the parking lot. The wipers swished like crazy, clearing the windshield.

“Are you okay?” he asked once we were out on the main road.

Yes. No. Not really. In less than an hour, I’d arrived in Woodland Falls, signed a will without reading it, and now I sat in a truck with a stranger. Stupid on all counts. Yet, a feeling in my gut told me Noah wasn’t a stranger. Like in the movies when two people knew each other from another lifetime. I didn’t know. But I sensed no danger. And usually I was a pretty decent judge of character.

Though, could I trust my gut right now? I just signed a freaking will without reading it.

“I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”I hope.“I appreciate you driving me.”

His gaze swung to me and then back to the road. “No problem. Ash lives on the outskirts of town. It’s hard enough to find during the day, let alone at night with this rain.”

I nodded. Small talk was never my specialty, even more so now.

The poor guy took pity on me and didn’t push for a conversation. Instead, he turned on the music and kept his eyes on the road. Every now and then, I sensed him glance over at me. I clutched that envelope and prayed for a way out of this.

Noah turned off the road and continued down a long drive before stopping in front of a beautiful old farmhouse. Lights lit up the wrap-around porch. Three stories, shutters on the windows, wide timber steps. Even with the horrid weather, the place was straight out of a home magazine. On a sunny day, I bet the house was stunning.

“Clearly being a lawyer pays well,” I blurted. Sometimes, I really should keep my mouth shut.

Noah snorted. “It’s actually an old family home. But you’re right, lawyers charge like savage wolves.”

As Noah killed the engine, the front door opened and Ashton stepped onto the porch, dressed more casually than when I saw him an hour ago.

I tucked the envelope under my jacket again and ran for the house, straight up the steps onto the porch.

Ashton held open the front door. “Come inside where it’s dry.”

I flipped off my muddy shoes and darted inside. By now, there was no hope for my jacket, so I left it outside. Just before the door closed behind me, I swung to Noah holding back on the porch. “Are you coming in?”

“I’m good out here.” He settled into one of the chairs like he owned the place. “Take your time.”

He drove me here and didn’t seem fazed waiting outside on the porch while I dealt with this disaster. I’d never met a guy with such old-fashioned manners and chivalry. Another refreshing change.

Once I closed the door, Ashton offered me a towel, and I dried my face and hands.

I followed Ashton through the grand foyer to an office off to one side. Instead of taking a seat behind the large mahogany desk, Ashton sat in an armchair and gestured to the other. “I take it you read the condition.”

I sat on the edge of the seat and slipped the will from the envelope. “Can she really do this?”

“She can and she did.”

A heavy weight sank in my belly. “Surely, there’s a way out of it?”

“I’m afraid not.” He thought for a moment. “From what I know, Joan hoped you’d build a life here in Woodland Falls. This is your opportunity to try it out before you consider selling her estate.”

Build a life here? My mother tainted all my memories of this town when she dumped me here for an entire summer. No matter how hard Joan tried to make it enjoyable, that underlying resentment lingered in everything I did. Regardless of what condition she included in her will, I’d never move here.

The only thing that kept me together the summer I came here was the wolf. The mysterious creature that reappeared in the forest behind Joan’s house every afternoon. That wolf became not just my friend, but my salvation. It wouldn’t surprise me if I created the memory as a coping mechanism for dealing with my shitty childhood.

I exhaled a long, tired breath. “What happens if I don’t adhere to the condition?”

---