“Some might not think it’s a curse,” Seth replied, honor-bound to defend his heritage.
“Your aunt certainly didn’t believe it to be. Called it a gift, and seemed determined to uphold tradition—single-handedly, if need be. Broke her heart when your grandmother carted you off to Chicago. She’d be tickled pink that youfinally came home.”
Must everyone remind Seth of what he’d missed? “I regret not making the trip while she was still alive. I’d been led to believe she didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Oh, she wanted you, without a doubt. Even approached me for legal advice. Your grandmother was a strong-minded lady and threatened to expose the town if Irene didn’t back down.” Richard narrowed his eyes, peering over the tops of his glasses. “A lot of people made extreme sacrifices to protect the innocent, up to and including falsifying official documents. Irene wouldn’t risk exposing those goodhearted souls to possible legal action. I hope you understand.”
The lengths necessary to keep the true nature of the town and its residents concealed hadn’t occurred to Seth before. Constant duplicity must be a heavy burden on poor Dustin. “I’m starting to,” Seth told the lawyer, still somewhat mystified that he was having this conversation. A small part of him still hoped the whole possum thing would turn out to be a joke. Either Richard was in on the ruse or—it wasn’t a joke. “How can you talk about this so casually? I mean,” Seth said, dropping his voice to a whisper, “we’re talking people turning into possums, aren’t we?”
Seth half expected the lawyer to gasp and shout, “What the hell are you talking about?” Instead, Richard coolly replied with, “Some say it’s the other way around: possums turning into humans, but, yes, you get the gist of it. Now that you have a better understanding of the entire situation, what are you going to do?” He raised one bushy brow.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! It’s real, it’s not a dream!Seth’s last hope of returning to his safe little world—a world devoid of possum shifters—vanished in an instant. “I honestly haven’t figured it out yet. I’m hoping you’ll help me.”
“You’ve been over the papers I’ve sent?” Seth nodded. “I’m sure you’ve noticed how well off your aunt left you.”
“I did.” A lot of zeroes trailed the five on her savings account balance alone. Alotof zeroes. “Do you mind if I ask how she came across so much money?”
One side of Clooney’s mouth hiked up. “The family’s been here a long time, and I’d love to tell you that they made every penny honestly. However, some of it’s moonshine money, dating back to Prohibition, and let me tell you, possums make really good thieves.” He smiled more fully. “But one day a friend insisted your aunt invest her little nest egg and encouraged her to buy stocks that caught her eye. Well, she liked apples, so—”
Seth nearly choked. “What? My aunt, who didn’t even own a computer, bought tech stocks?”
“Made a fortune off them too. And she left behind a good deal of land—land I’m certain developers are foaming at the mouth for.”
Seth shuddered, recalling the men who’d tried to fleece him of the property. “Yes, sir.”
“Tempted?”
“If I get an offer that’s not insulting—yes.”
Clooney let out a weary sigh, gesturing at a chair across from him. “Have a seat.”
Seth sat warily, watching the man who knew far more about his aunt’s legal matters than Seth probably ever would. With the memory of the realtors firmly in mind, he wondered how far he could trust anyone.
Clooney picked up a figurine from his desk and rolled it around in his hand—the likeness of a possum mother, young clinging to her back. Back in Chicago, Seth would have considered it an odd thing to have; here it seemed right somehow.
“Now, I don’t know how much you know about possums, but they’re solitary creatures, keep to themselves. However, your relatives learned early on the benefit of safety in numbers. Your family bought the land in the 1700s, creating a place to live openly and not have to hide. It’s been a sanctuary ever since, and kindred spirits—”
“You mean other possum shifters?” Seth interjected, wanting to ensure they remained on the same page.
Richard nodded. “Among a few others. They come here where they can live mostly normal lives. Any other virus and they’d probably receive sympathy, but Channing-Frost inspires fear and revulsion. Hundreds were killed before towns like Possum Kingdom were formed. Your predecessors fought hard for their homes, for their people. Don’t throw away their efforts as if they didn’t matter.”
What?“You… you want to me to stay here?”
“What’s your status, if you don’t mind my asking? Do you carry the virus?”
“I do.” Seth suddenly found the carpet beneath his worn tennis shoes quite fascinating.
“Do you shift?”
“Not yet. I’m told my virus strain was dormant up until now, but I was bitten the other night. Now a doctor tells me there’s a good chance I will.”
Clooney put the paperweight down. He leaned over the desk and lowered his voice. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Your aunt left the majority of her assets to you outright,exceptmost of the acreage, which is why I asked to meet with you face to face. I had difficulty phrasing the documents, but the land goes to the current Jack or Jill, as it provides a safe place for the passel to spend their full moons. Whoever is chosen to assume control must answer any challenges, both for the position and the inheritance.”
“Challenges?” Seth swallowed hard.
“You’re Irene’s next of kin. Providing you’re able to shift from human to animal form and back again while retaining your right mind, the leadership of the passel should pass to you.”
What the fuck? Dustin hadn’t mentioned Seth having to fight for the crown of King of Possum Kingdom. And he hadn’t been forthcoming with warnings about any challenges either.Wait ’til I see him again!“What about the challenges?”
