more as well.”
As everyone finished eating, Canyon grew restless. They stayed at the table making small talk, but Canyon was ready to jump out of his skin. He watched his father, looking for a sign that he was ready to tell them the story he’d mentioned. Did it have something to do with the Medina family? Why else would he wait so long to start?
It was clear he was killing time, and that wasn’t like him. When Luke Benedict had something on his mind, no force of nature or living creature could keep him from voicing it. Canyon couldn’t imagine what else would have affected his father that way, or made him hesitate like this.
Finally, his father sat back and surveyed the group. They sensed his change of mood, because the conversation dimmed suddenly until no one spoke. “I have a story to tell you. I wish I’d told you all sooner.” He cast an apologetic glance toward his mate.
“To be honest, until Canyon and I started digging around today in the Medina family background, I thought most of this story had been embellished by my grandfather, Royce.” Canyon’s father gave him an indulgent smile. “You didn’t know your great-grandfather, but he loved to tell tales.”
“It’s all right.” Canyon’s mother reached across the table and grasped his father’s hand. “Tell us now.”
Chapter Eleven
What had they found on the Medinas? Fiera leaned forward, her heart pounding. That must be what had happened, because Luke had too serious a look on his face for this to be nothing more than an old story which may or may not be true.
“My paternal grandfather, Royce, and Hawke’s maternal great-grandfather, Will Davis, who was human of course, started their businesses around the same time. This was before the stock market crash in the early twentieth century. Both men had successful businesses, and because they were in the same field, became known to each other. But they were never friends. They were fierce rivals.”
The hair on the back of Fiera’s neck stood up as she glimpsed the intense look on Arizona’s face. “I didn’t realize the families were connected that far back.”
“Yes, they were.” Luke nodded. “When the crash hit, both businesses survived because the men were smart and determined. I’d go so far as to say they were ruthless, but Royce didn’t engage in the same types of underhanded dealings that would eventually catch the attention of both the SEC and the IRS. Both are now investigating the Medina businesses.”
Excited chatter raced around the table for a few moments, and Luke let it die down before he continued.
“Canyon and I found evidence of that today, and we’ll keep an eye on it as much as possible. Gillian Wallis, one of the attorneys at the firm, managed to dig up the original papers transferring Will’s business to the Medina family name, not back when his granddaughter, Nanette, married Amasa like we had thought. The transfer occurred the generation before, when his son, Thomas, married Nanette’s mother.”
“Who was her mother?” asked Fiera.
A dark look graced Canyon’s face. “A distant cousin of Hawke’s family named Talia. Nanette was her only child, but she left the village when Nanette was a toddler. No one knows what happened to her. I found a reference to a story that suggests her disappearance is tied to the legend that gave the lynxes their blood moon powers, but nothing specific.”
“She was from a shifter family?” Fiera hugged herself as a shiver ran down her spine. “But I thought his mother was half human?”
“She is, but she also had leopard blood in her. Her last name was Grantham, but there are no traces of her family left in our village.”
“Do you think that’s because she mated with a human?” asked Stone.
“Possibly,” said Luke. “We all know the legends and superstitions surrounding that act.”
“But a mate is a mate,” said Arizona. “When I find mine, even if she’s human, I won’t let old
As everyone finished eating, Canyon grew restless. They stayed at the table making small talk, but Canyon was ready to jump out of his skin. He watched his father, looking for a sign that he was ready to tell them the story he’d mentioned. Did it have something to do with the Medina family? Why else would he wait so long to start?
It was clear he was killing time, and that wasn’t like him. When Luke Benedict had something on his mind, no force of nature or living creature could keep him from voicing it. Canyon couldn’t imagine what else would have affected his father that way, or made him hesitate like this.
Finally, his father sat back and surveyed the group. They sensed his change of mood, because the conversation dimmed suddenly until no one spoke. “I have a story to tell you. I wish I’d told you all sooner.” He cast an apologetic glance toward his mate.
“To be honest, until Canyon and I started digging around today in the Medina family background, I thought most of this story had been embellished by my grandfather, Royce.” Canyon’s father gave him an indulgent smile. “You didn’t know your great-grandfather, but he loved to tell tales.”
“It’s all right.” Canyon’s mother reached across the table and grasped his father’s hand. “Tell us now.”
Chapter Eleven
What had they found on the Medinas? Fiera leaned forward, her heart pounding. That must be what had happened, because Luke had too serious a look on his face for this to be nothing more than an old story which may or may not be true.
“My paternal grandfather, Royce, and Hawke’s maternal great-grandfather, Will Davis, who was human of course, started their businesses around the same time. This was before the stock market crash in the early twentieth century. Both men had successful businesses, and because they were in the same field, became known to each other. But they were never friends. They were fierce rivals.”
The hair on the back of Fiera’s neck stood up as she glimpsed the intense look on Arizona’s face. “I didn’t realize the families were connected that far back.”
“Yes, they were.” Luke nodded. “When the crash hit, both businesses survived because the men were smart and determined. I’d go so far as to say they were ruthless, but Royce didn’t engage in the same types of underhanded dealings that would eventually catch the attention of both the SEC and the IRS. Both are now investigating the Medina businesses.”
Excited chatter raced around the table for a few moments, and Luke let it die down before he continued.
“Canyon and I found evidence of that today, and we’ll keep an eye on it as much as possible. Gillian Wallis, one of the attorneys at the firm, managed to dig up the original papers transferring Will’s business to the Medina family name, not back when his granddaughter, Nanette, married Amasa like we had thought. The transfer occurred the generation before, when his son, Thomas, married Nanette’s mother.”
“Who was her mother?” asked Fiera.
A dark look graced Canyon’s face. “A distant cousin of Hawke’s family named Talia. Nanette was her only child, but she left the village when Nanette was a toddler. No one knows what happened to her. I found a reference to a story that suggests her disappearance is tied to the legend that gave the lynxes their blood moon powers, but nothing specific.”
“She was from a shifter family?” Fiera hugged herself as a shiver ran down her spine. “But I thought his mother was half human?”
“She is, but she also had leopard blood in her. Her last name was Grantham, but there are no traces of her family left in our village.”
“Do you think that’s because she mated with a human?” asked Stone.
“Possibly,” said Luke. “We all know the legends and superstitions surrounding that act.”
“But a mate is a mate,” said Arizona. “When I find mine, even if she’s human, I won’t let old
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