Rodney: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance by Kathi Barton (books for new readers TXT) 📕

down and turned to Harris. “Shep was right in thinking you were vampire. Also, believe it or not, there is fae in your bloodline. Not enough for me to have tasted it, but when I did a search on your line, I found, more generations back than I could have found on my own, that you did indeed have a mated vampire and fae as ancestors.”

“So he was almost right on both. If you say it’s a small amount, then how was he able to taste it?” Harris held onto Shep’s hand as she asked Jason. “Please, tell me what you’ve found out.”

“His name was Alexander. If he had a last name, like most of us, it has long since been forgotten. I’m sorry to tell you, however, that he has died. When his mate, Maybell, was killed, he followed her in death by meeting the sun. Together they had nine children, living a full and relatively happy life. Quite unheard of for a vampire to have so many children. And the fact that only one of them was a female was even more so. They too, sadly, are gone.” Rebel asked them what had happened to them. “They weren’t immortal—the family, I mean. However, they all had mates and begat more children and even more children beyond them. When they reached the end of their lifetime, they died as a human would.”

“But I’m a descendant of them.” Jason smiled at her and said she was the last of them. The only living child of the Alexander and Maybell line. “They were the first then. The first of my lineage.”

“Yes. And to say that they left you a legacy is understating their lifetime. As you may or may not know, when a vampire is killed or dies, his assets are put into a vault for his descendants. Had you not had me check, his things and those of his family, would have stayed locked up for all time. As it is now, I was able to prove you’re a child of his blood, and their assets now come to you.” Harris said she didn’t need anything. “Perhaps. But to not take it would be akin to not acknowledging your line. It is inevitable that the things stored away for him go to you now. The men in charge of such things have been putting things in your name, as well as exchanging the money for current money at today’s market pricing. There is a great deal of it, Harris. More than you have currently.”

“Christ.” Rebel had an idea that Harris was wealthy. But whatever it was, Shep seemed to be a little upset with whatever was coming to her. He spoke before she could ask him what was pissing him off. “I’m just getting used to having an endless supply of ready cash. You’re making it sound as if what we have isn’t even a drop in the bucket.”

“If the money you had right now were enough to fill one of the oceans in this land, the amount for you from your descendants would fill all the oceans and flood the world.” Jason paused to let that sink in before he spoke again. “There isn’t a number they can give you that will tell you what you now have.”

“Can I at least assume it’s not all money?” Jason told Harris it was also gemstones, like diamonds and emeralds, property, homes, as well as stocks. “Why hasn’t anyone before now at least gotten some of this? I mean, it could have meant a home for them. College or whatever.”

“They have. All of the generations got some of it. However, like their sire before them, they added to the vault. There are other things I need to discuss with you if—”

“Who wants something to eat?” No one said a word when Harris suddenly stood up and asked who was hungry. “Well, I am. I’m going to the kitchen. I need a minute. Or a year. Just let me think about this.”

No one moved to follow her. Rebel thought about it, going after the woman to ask her if this was something she had planned. A joke or something. But she also didn’t know if she wanted to hear that it was true. That the couple whose home they were in was worth billions, even trillions, of dollars seemed too real to be a joke.

“Anyone need any money?” It was Rodney who laughed at Shep first. Then he was followed by Trenton and the others. Lach looked like she’d been hit with something, and even Bella looked a little shell-shocked. “I’m thinking we can pretty much lend any amount you might need for any project you have going or are even thinking about starting. This is much more than I imagined it would be when I asked Harris to call one of her vampire friends.”

“I’m not sure you should even begin to put it in a bank. Or several of them, for that matter. This would have people crawling out of the woodwork.” Shep told her he’d be able to afford them. “Yes, but it would be something that would get someone hurt. Your children kidnapped too.”

“I’m worried about that now. So you’re right. We’ll have to figure out how to use this money without causing trouble. I’m thinking the first thing we should do is get a vault of our own.” Jason said it had arrived in a vault. “Good that— Did you say that it arrived in one? Not that it’s coming here in one?”

“It’s here in your lower levels. As you could imagine, they wouldn’t want to have to care for that much if they had someone around that could take it off their hands. The vaults—plural, so you are aware—arrived just as I did. If you’d like, I can show them to you now.” No one moved. “Or not. It’s up to you. The passwords are on the front of each of them. Once you have opened them, I’d