“Wow—he really does look like my old man,” he murmured.“Imean, how he looked before he died.”
“And who was your old man, er, father?”FatherMacKaityasked.
“DanielJamison,” the stranger said promptly.
“And you are?”FatherMacKaitycontinued to probe.
“Oh,I’mKorwynJamison,” the stranger said.“ButIusually go byKor.”
He was wearing a hooded raincoat but now he threw back the hood, revealing a tousled head of golden-brown hair that was almost curly.Hehad large brown eyes, a firm jaw, and a straight nose.
I estimated that he couldn’t be more than twenty-five—twenty-seven on the outside.Butwas he really the son ofCarter’sestranged brother?
The rest of thePackseemed to have the same doubts.
“What is this bullshit?”HarrisMurdochdemanded, swaggering up to the stranger—who was a whole head taller than him,Inoted.“Whoare you boy and how dare you stake a claim on thePackleadership?”he growled.
The man’s face changed and suddenlyIwondered if he might be closer to thirty.Hedrew himself up and stared down atHarrisgrimly.
“I never heard he was thePackLeader,” he said.“Butif he was and he left no other heirs then yes—I’lltake his place.”
“The hell you will!”Harrisshouted, going red in the face.“I’mthe nextPackLeader!”
KorwynJamisonarched an eyebrow.
“Oh?Soyou were related to him?”
“Well, no,”Harrishad to admit.
“Then he must have designated you as his heir,”Korwynsaid.
“No, he didn’t, but that doesn’t matter!”Harrisblustered.
“I’m afraidIdon’t understand.”Korwynsmiled politely, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.“Ifyou’re not related in any way to the latePackLeaderand he didn’t designate you as his heir, then how are you going to take his place?”
“Through theAlphaChallenge, of course!”Harrissnarled.
“Now, now,Harris—let’s all just take a breath, shall we?”FatherMacKaitysaid soothingly.“Wedon’t even know if this stranger is telling the truth about being related to our latePackLeader.”
“Oh, that’s not hard to prove,”Korwynsaid easily.Heslipped off his raincoat and began unbuttoning his shirt.Amoment later he pulled it open, revealing a broad, muscular chest.Andthere—on his left pec, directly over his heart—was theJamisonfamily crest—theMarkthat all males of theJamisonline are born with.
I traced it with my eyes—the dark lines on his tan skin—the wolf’s head howling at the crescent moon with a star just above it.Carter’sMarkhad been on his back, but it didn’t really matter where theMarkshowed up as long as you could see it.
There was a collective gasp as the entire funeral parlor saw the crest onKorwyn’schest and then—after a shocked moment of silence—people all began talking at once.
“That doesn’t mean anything!It’sa lie—a fake!”Harrisshouted angrily.
“Now, now,Ithink we all need to calm down,”FatherMacKaitysaid.
“It can’t be, can it?PackLeaderCarterdidn’t have any relatives, did he?”someone else murmured.
“I dunno—IthinkIheard he had a younger brother,” another voice answered.“Ahalf-brother.”
“Look!”Korwyn’svoice rose above the babble, and all eyes turned to him.“I’llprove myMarkis natural,” he said.
And, shedding his shirt and coat completely, he strode over to the casket.
As he nearedCarter’sdead body, the mark over his heart began to glow.Bythe time he reached the casket and was standing directly beside the corpse, it looked as though the wolf’s head, and the moon and star had been outlined by golden fire.