C4 CHAPTER 4

It had not been long since his great uncle passed on. A week at most and already scavengers have started fighting each other for his pieces. It was nearly impossible to believe that these were the people his uncle had called family. But he did, unfortunately, and they were. It was also hard to believe he was gone.

His great uncle was a fair, kind and forgiving man. Maybe a bit too kind and forgiving. For someone who looked like he could crush your skull no matter what species he was, he would not hurt a fly. He looked like a literal Saint Nicholas. A broken one albeit.

His wife and mate, Margaret, died fifty years ago in a rogue attack. Leaving him to care for their only son by all by himself. The loss had left him deeply scarred. He was human though, so although the pain was there it was not life threatening. It was still excruciating.

Samuel could not imagine that kind of pain and he had been through a lot of it. Physically, psychologically and emotionally.

Contrary to popular human belief, there were no such things as soulmates in their world. They simply made a normal decision about who they were going to marry and stay with for the rest of their natural lives. Each community had different names for their significant others but the most common was, well, mate.

They were correct about the pain they would feel if one partner died though but that only occurred in one out of one thousand supernaturals, although it did occur in humans too but at a far lesser possibility. Edward Deleze had raised his son, Timothy to be a true gentleman and friend. The father and son duo built Deleze Inc together. He would have retired if Timothy had not died in a house fire ten years ago.

Timothy’s death shattered him. The only thing that kept him alive were his grandsons, Klaus and Dylan. He had tried to raise them right but Timothy’s snake of a wife, demon actually, Cynthia had made that near impossible.

Thanks to her, his cousins had grown into a pair of deceitful bastards. They had done, to keep it mild, some pretty bad things. Many of them were downright stupid and some of them were abjectly unforgivable.

Klaus was a gambler, into drugs and debt while his twin was nothing more than a beast, he was a merciless sadist and enjoyed lording power everyone. Aside from their looks, the only thing they had in common was something they got from Cynthia. Deal making. That was why they got away with everything. One deal here or there would always solve their problems. One minute the were up to their fucking heads in a mess they could not get the hell out of with other communities and even humans. Next thing you know they are out of it and sent on their fucking merry way on a red carpet with even more rewards in their pockets.

They would make any deal as long as it benefitted them. No matter who or what it cost. They had no sense of morality or shame anymore. They were nothing like their father or their grandfather. Edward Deleze was not just his great uncle, he was in every way a true ally. His loyalty was something else. For a human, that was remarkable.

It was unfortunate that such characters did not flow in Klaus and Dylan. Everyone knew this would happen, afterall how else would a demoness raise her children. If anything their grandfather’s death served them and their mother a great deal. They would get their inheritance and do whatever they pleased with it and there would be no nosy grandfather to look into their affairs. They were free to be as underhanded and demonic as they wanted. Their mother would definitely waste no moment throwing the most lavish and immorally decadent parties.

His great uncle was buried in the family cemetery, beside his wife and son. Cynthia had made a performance at the funeral. The perfect display of the beautiful daughter in-law truly distraught at her father in-law’s death, though many of them knew it for what it was.

Klaus and Dylan did not even so much as act grieved. They just accepted the flowing words of condolences with bored expressions. The truth of the matter was, that they could not wait for the reading of the will. Once they got what they wanted, Edward Deleze would be nothing more than a fleeting memory.

His Great Uncle’s death had left Samuel’s mother a crying mess. Leaving his father and his younger siblings to console her. His death had really broken something in her. He had been the only remaining member of her maiden family, now he was gone and neither Klaus or Dylan made the cut.

So here they were at the reading. Still clad in their funeral attire because the Delezes had asked for the reading to be done now. The funeral had ended only ended less than three hours ago. They would have had it read sooner if the president of the company and a few lawyers had not needed to be present.

His great uncle’s personal lawyer, a wolf as old as he was. Balding and wrinkled, held the will in his hands. They were all present. His parents and four younger siblings, something neither Cynthia or her sons liked. Apparently, his great uncle had wanted them to be present.

“May I offer my deepest condolences for the death of Mr Edward Deleze.” The personal lawyer started. Of course it was meant for Samuel’s family and not the trio of demons.

They refused to call him my his African name. Not that anyone had anything on them for that. His name was so long, it was actually a couple of sentences in english. So simply his English name, Edward, would do. “If you are all ready, may we proceed?” He asked.

Cynthia answered quickly sounding impatient. “We are ready, please proceed.”

Samuel’s father gave her a look, but she did not spare him a single glance. She believed that they were unimportant in this matter. She held her platinum blonde covered head high. Her body looked primed to strike or in this case, with her overly exaggerated human appearance, party like the sex crazed demon she was.

The lawyer gratefully did not start until his mother had calmed down. “We begin. Now Edward wanted you all to kno–” He did not get to finish his sentence before Dylan cut him off.

Dylan waved his hand in circles, just as impatient as his mother. “Just get to the important bit.”

His father would have risen from his seat if he was not holding his still distraught mother. He growled sounding just about ready to teach Dylan a lesson. “He will read out everything that document has to say Dylan.”

Klaus aimed his molten amber eyes at Samuel’s father. “You have no jurisdiction here former Alpha Princeton.” So please keep your thoughts to yourself.”