“Well,Isuppose given the time and the weather,”FatherMacKaitybegan, looking around nervously.
“Thank you,Father,”Isaid, nodding at him, just as though he had agreed with me.“Andthank you for the lovely service.IknowCarterwould have been very grateful for all your kind words.”
FatherMacKaitypuffed up at once.
“Oh, well…he was a finePackLeader.Itwas my pleasure,” he said, nodding and smiling.
“Thank you.Come,Korwyn,”Isaid to the man at my side—just as thoughI’dknown him my whole life.“Let’sget you settled inWolvertonManor.”
Then, without any acknowledgement of the people staring at us and whispering behind their hands,Iswept out of the funeral home with my head held high.
I might have made a poor choice, butIdidn’t care.Iwould literally rather be dead than married toHarrisMurdoch.Ijust prayed to theMoonGoddessthat the young man at my side could beat him.
Otherwise, my life would soon be a livingHell.
THREE
VIVIENNE
The rain was coming down hard, drenching me at once butImade it to theSilverGhostRollsRoycethatCarterhad left me before my composure broke.Ikept my back straight becauseIknew people were probably still watching butIcould feel myself dissolving inside.
Goddess of theMoon, what hadIdone?Ihad bet my whole future on an untriedAlpha—oneIdidn’t even know.Ididn’t even know if he was safe to be alone with—he could be a murderer for allIknew!
But…Ididn’t get any sense of menace from him.NotlikeIgot fromHarrisMurdoch—the ugliness and menace rolled off ofhimin waves.Itwas one reasonIcouldn’t stand him—that and the fact that he was a bully who never bathed.
The rain was still pelting me asIfumbled in my purse for the keys.Ifound them but they slipped through my trembling fingers and fell in the mud at my feet.
With a little cry,Ibent to pick them up—only to feel a hand on my arm.
“Please, let me,Vivienne.”Korwynhad a deep, gentle voice and he stooped easily to get the traitorous keys.
He still had his coat and shirt under his arm, so he was wet too,Isaw.Beadsof water ran down his broad back and shoulders and his hair was plastered to his head.
“Got them.”Herose at once and offered them to me.
I started to take them but thenIstopped.
“Actually…would you like to drive?”Iasked him.“Carternever let me much, soI’mafraidI’ma little out of practice.”
“Sure, if you want me to.”Heunlocked the car and then escorted me around to get me settled in the passenger’s side.
I wondered if this display of care was genuine or for the benefit of thePackmembers still watching from the funeral home.Eitherway,Ididn’t care.Itwas a nice gesture on his part—oneCarterhad never made once in our whole marriage.Mylate husband didn’t believe in “babying” his wife by holding the door or pulling out my chair.Heseemed to think any little act of consideration might spoil me—as thoughIwas a tiresome child who would start whining for favors if he treated me with any kindness.
I slid into the cushioned seat of theRollsgratefully, glad to be out of the pouring rain.Theveil covering my face was wet along with all my other clothes, butIdidn’t want to remove it yet.Ifeared what people would say if they saw me getting too comfortable with my new houseguest.
SoIsimply sat ramrod straight in the passenger seat asKorwynslid in beside me into the driver’s seat.
“Whew!It’sreally pouring out there.”Heshut the door and pushed the wet hair off his forehead.Inthe dim lightIcould see that his eyes were brown.Also, he seemed to take up a lot more space in the car thanCarterever had.Maybebecause my late husband had been a head and a half shorter than him and shriveled by age.
Korwyn was young and fit—his abdominal muscles bunched appealingly as he reached down to slide the key into the ignition.ThenIrealizedIshouldn’t be looking there and returned my gaze to his face.
“This is a beautiful car,” he said to me.“Mustbe vintage.”
I nodded.
“Cars were one ofCarter’sobsessions.Heliked to collect them.”
Korwyn gave a low, rumbling laughIcouldn’t help liking at once.
