Free Ellis: Emerson Wolves ― Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance by Kathi S. Barton Page B

her dad. I’m assuming that he was a shifter or Dawn wouldn’t be. Anyway, nothing as yet.”
    Ellis looked up at the stairs. Dawn was still asleep, and he thought maybe she needed to be here to hear this information. But he didn’t want her upset over anything right now, and she needed the sleep. He looked at Jarrett when he laughed.
    “You’re in love with her.” He told him he was. “Good. It looks very good on you. And, so you know, Dan is doing a fantastic job on the library. He told me to tell you that he’d have it done tomorrow if you managed to stay away another day or two.”
    “We should have this place done tomorrow, too. Not the roofing yet; the shingles are behind schedule a little, but the rest will be done.” He got up and paced the large kitchen they were in. “They didn’t know who she was. Not even to stare to try and see if it was her.”
    “I saw that, too. It’s a good thing. If they come here, it means she’ll be safe if you’re not around.” He shook his head at Jarrett. “I know you won’t leave her, but something might happen that takes you away from her. And she is a pretty strong shifter.”
    “She’s terrified of them.” He pulled a glass from the cabinet and offered them each one as well. As he poured three glasses of tea, he continued. “I don’t blame her. I know a little of what they did to her, and how they kept her locked up like they did for so long.”
    “It was verbal, too.” Ellis looked at Dawn when she entered the room and gave her his glass of tea. “Thank you. I’ve never been able to get over the fact that they hated me so much. If they didn’t want me, then they shouldn’t have taken me in.”
    “It was the money.” Ellis asked Jarrett what money. “Mostly it was the federal money they got. Food stamps, a check to care for you. Then there was the allotment they got from the government on other things. I think that’s why Basil decided to quit his job. Everywhere they said that they had to take you—piano lessons, games, and practice for sports you were in—they got money for that too.”
    “I didn’t go to any of those.” Ellis watched her face as it came to her what the hell was going on. “Oh my God. They lied to everyone, not just me.”
    “Pretty much. But today we’re going to have some fun with them. Shawn is going over with Mike today to serve them. Addie is suing them. Basically, while they own the property they live on, they haven’t paid taxes in years. Not to mention, when they bought the property a few generations ago, they were to maintain it and to keep it looking neat. It was part of the deal that Addie’s great-grandmother made with their relatives.”
    “Will it kick them off the property?” Addie told her that they’d have ninety days to comply. “They won’t be able to do that. The place…have you seen it? I think there are cars in the yard under some of that grass, and then there are the bags of trash in the back. I’ve gone over there a couple of times recently just to check to see if they’re still alive.”
    Jarrett stood up and put his glass in the sink before speaking. “If I were you, I’d try to be hanging around the area at about two today. Could be fun.”

Chapter 6
     
    Dawn landed on the limb above Ellis. He’d left a few minutes before her because she’d been in the middle of putting a roast in the oven when he’d told her he needed to go. She was nervous but knew that if anything happened, it wasn’t going to be to her. When she looked down at him he was looking up, and she moved to the ground next to him and shifted into her wolf.
    You’re a beautiful wolf. Has anyone ever told you that? She moved closer to him until their bodies were touching . I want more than anything to run with you when this is over. Do you think you could do that?
    I’d like that. They looked up when a car pulled into the driveway. It was just before two, and she watched as her aunt and uncle came out onto the porch.