chapter 8

Emily woke much earlier than usual, feeling trapped and claustrophobic. She made her way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, then noticed her reflection looked as exhausted as she felt. Her eyes were bleary with dark patches beneath them, and her skin was much paler than normal, which gave her an unpleasant pause.

How sure was she that no one was feeding on her?

She leaned forward, checking her throat carefully in the mirror. There didn’t appear to be any bite marks, and the cross was still protectively around her neck, which made her feel better. Somewhat.

Cautiously satisfied she was simply suffering from sleeplessness, she got dressed in last night’s clothes. What she needed was some space and fresh air to settle herself. Her nerves weren’t about to let her get more sleep, and she felt like a caged animal in her room. After a long moment’s indecision, she slipped her gun into the waistband of her jeans. Considering the fiasco of last night, it wouldn’t hurt to keep it with her, just in case.

She half-expected to find the door locked, but the knob turned easily in her hand. She made it all the way to the front door and turned the deadbolt to make her escape. Then, with no warning, William simply appeared between her and the door. She let out a small shriek of surprise and jumped back, her heart hammering in her throat.

“Where are you going?” His voice had a slightly accusatory note. His dark hair was tousled slightly, and his eyes were hard and glinting.

Emily recovered herself from the surprise quickly, then bristled at his tone. She stiffened her spine and narrowed her eyes. “Am I a prisoner?” She demanded.

He frowned at her for a moment, as if considering the question. “Not exactly,” he said carefully.

“Good,” she answered shortly and moved to step around him.

William caught her arm in a gentle, but firm grip. “Where are you going?” He repeated.

She looked at the hand on her arm pointedly, then back to his darkly handsome face, set in stubborn lines. She tried to take a step away from him, but he moved with her. It was then she noticed he wore nothing more than a loose pair of athletic shorts, which gave her a perfect view of his bare chest, since it was at eye level.

It was an impressive chest; wide and strong, giving way to his broad shoulders and well-muscled arms. He looked like the perfect specimen of man, without an ounce of fat on him. All muscle and power. Not that she was about to let that stop her temper. If anything, it seemed to add fuel to the fire.

“I’ll be back in a little while,” she said stiffly, and gave a little pull to indicate he needed to release her. Amber was here, so it wasn’t as if she’d run away. His grip never faltered.

“After last night, the pack will be out searching for you. It isn’t safe,” he said.

His hand slowly moved from her wrist to her forearm in a gentle caress, and the atmosphere changed drastically. His touch felt far too intimate, and her skin seemed overly sensitive under his fingers.

“I’ve managed on my own a long time now, William,” she said, her voice a little thick. She used his first name deliberately—like a school teacher might—to show she had the authority to do so, and was at least his equal.

His eyes took on a golden glint and a heat that made her pulse rate ratchet up another notch. With his free hand, he reached out and ran a single finger down her cheek in a featherlight touch. “You’re so fragile and you don’t even know it,” he said silkily, his voice a low, throaty murmur.

She swallowed hard and tried not to lean into his touch like a cat. His words of the night before floated through her mind, and she felt the color rise in her cheeks.

He wanted her.

He’d told her so outright.

That made his touch now very dangerous, indeed. Her reaction to the contact seemed way out of proportion. It was nothing that should have caused sudden heat to build in her midsection and beyond. She needed to get control of herself before things got out of hand. With a small, forced laugh to dispel the moment, she shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not nearly as fragile as you seem to think,” she said.

To which he chuckled. It was a deep, rich sound. Then his gaze pointedly raked over her from head to toe appraisingly.

She refused to look away from his eyes. Instead, she raised a single brow mutinously, daring him to mention that her head barely reached his chest, or the gun in her waistband hung halfway down her thigh.

Instead of saying anything, he took a step toward her, crowding her away from the door and against the wall with his large frame, forcing her to step back.

Emily retreated a single involuntary step, but no more. She stood firm, determined to face him down. He might deliberately intimidate her—though she wasn’t really sure it was deliberate—but he wouldn’t hurt her.

She didn’t know what made her so certain of that. After all, she’d seen him decapitate a man without a word only a few hours before. But somehow, she just knew she was safe with him. So, she stubbornly held her ground. He had to stop eventually, or walk over the top of her.

He didn’t stop advancing until his legs were against hers, and she became very aware of the sheer size of the man. With one hand, he cupped her chin and tipped her head up, then bent to brush her lips gently with his own. The pressure from his lips was barely there for an instant before he pulled away.

“I understand you want to leave the house. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and we can go wherever you want,” he whispered thickly, his mouth a mere inch from her own.

Emily watched him walk toward the stairs without saying a word, wondering that her knees still held her up. She was dumbfounded and rocked to the core of her being. As soon as she heard the door to his bedroom click shut, she turned and ran from the house for all she was worth.

She had no idea where she was going.

She needed time and space to think.

So much had happened, and her life seemed to be spinning out of control. She needed to find a way to get her feet back under her, so she didn’t feel so helpless. That would start with a clear head.

If William went with her like he intended to, it would completely negate her ability to think. Her head was muddled even worse in his presence. He was too big, too handsome, too…male for her comfort. She responded to him in ways she’d never experienced before, and it scared the hell out of her.

She needed time to sort it out.

Once she stepped off the porch, she stared at the only car parked outside of the house. Her own rented car had been abandoned last night, she realized with dismay. Well, she thought with a sigh, there goes the deposit.

She gave an exaggerated groan and started down the road on foot. Town was only a couple of miles, and the walk would help to clear her head. If any werewolves were lurking about, she had her gun loaded with silver and no qualms about shooting them. Although, from what she’d read on werewolf lore, the pack would be in ruins until the new pecking order was established. This knowledge made her confident they would be too busy dealing with their own mess to worry about her too much, no matter what William thought.

It was a beautiful day for this late in the year. Cool air brushed lazily across her cheeks. The leaves provided the perfect crunching sound as she walked along, determined to think about nothing except the sound of the world around her and the success of yesterday.

No matter what else had happened, she’d found Amber. Against all odds, she’d rescued her from a pack of werewolves. Granted, she’d had unexpected help, but that didn’t stop her from being able to claim success.

Hopefully Amber would see it as the rescue it was.

Even after their last conversation had ended as so many before it—Amber screaming undying hatred for her and storming out—Emily refused to consider the possibility of anything other than a happy reunion. Maybe this rescue would finally bring Amber around and make her realize the error of her ways.

Emily snorted aloud at her own foolishness.

It had never occurred to her Amber might have done something irrevocable until she saw it for herself last night. While Amber had always been troubled for unknown reasons, she really went out of control in their late teen years. Their mother did everything she could think to help her troubled daughter, which only seemed to make it worse. As her behavior continued to spiral, Amber had grown bitter and resentful of her sister, and the gap between them had become a gulf Emily couldn’t breach. Emily couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a civil conversation. But she was her sister, and Emily refused to give up on her.

There was good in Amber.

There had to be.

It was the roar of an engine that pulled her from her musing.

Without looking up, she knew who was flying down the road. Her eyes jumped to the trees beside her. They were a good ten feet away—too far to hide herself before he spotted her—and she didn’t think it would be a good idea to make him chase her through the woods.

Again.

When she glanced up at the approaching car, it took every bit of her self-control not to run, anyway.

William’s face was clearly visible through the windshield, and he looked furious.

The car came to a stop beside her and the passenger door flew open almost violently.

She peered inside with a nervous smile, and found William staring at her, his eyes a glittering shade of amber instead of cool gray.

Something told her that wasn’t a good sign.

“Get in,” he growled.

With one hand on the door, she glanced over her shoulder and wondered if she really could escape him in the woods. It would take him a minute or so to free himself from the car, and if she timed it just right—

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned dangerously. “I’m not fully in control right now, and giving a wolf something to chase is asking for trouble.”

Well, didn’t that just build her confidence? She swallowed loudly and climbed into the car. After a single deep breath to calm her nerves, she decided not to cower in the face of his anger. She couldn’t exactly plead weak and helpless, not after the speech she gave him at the house, so she decided to go on the offensive, instead. “Why are you so determined to come with me?” She asked irritably as she closed the door and he pulled back onto the road.

“Because you’re m-” he paused, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “My responsibility,” he finished.

She waved a dismissive hand at him. “No, I am my responsibility,” she argued.

He grunted and gave a shrug that clearly said he didn’t care what she thought. “I disagree,” he said simply.

And with those words, she went from pretending not to be afraid of him, to being too angry to fear him. “I hate to break it to you, but no matter what you think, I am a free woman,” she declared. “Capable of my very own thoughts and making my own decisions.”

“Not when it comes to your safety,” he snapped. “Not anymore.”

She eyed him a long moment, fighting back the urge to reach out and punch him in the side of his oh-too-handsome face. “I went for a walk,” she said between clenched teeth. “To get some time to think. You’re acting like I was on my way to slay dragons or something. Which, just so you know,” she jabbed a finger at him to emphasize her point. “I could do if I chose.”

“Where did you want to go?” He asked causally, ignoring her words as if she wasn’t working herself into a fine temper.

Emily had to take a few deep breaths to keep from screaming in frustration. “I need to get my rental car and a change of clothes if I’m going to be staying at your house for a few days,” she said with deliberate slowness once she had her temper under better control.

“Where are your clothes?” He asked.

“My hotel is about an hour that way,” she said, pointing through the window.

Amusement flitted across his face. “You were planning to walk there, huh?”

Actually, she’d intended just to buy a new outfit since she was on foot, but if he was determined to drive her around...

She gave him her best innocent look. “Of course.”

Still smirking, he headed in the direction she indicated. “Where did you leave your rental?” he asked after they rode along in companionable silence a while.

“Close to the wolf’s house,” she answered. “Or den, I guess.”

Didn’t wolves live in dens?

“Paoli and I will pick up the car when he rises,” William said. “You don’t need to be anywhere near that place.” At her narrowed eyes, he gave a slight shrug and a long-suffering sigh. “I’m sorry if I’m being bossy or overbearing,” he offered. “But your safety is very important to me.”

“Why?” She asked, frowning at him.

“I already told you,” he said. “You’re my responsibility.”

“Okay. But why?” she asked.

William was quiet for a moment. “It’s complicated,” he said finally.

“Of course it is,” she said caustically.

William glanced at her. “I’m not trying to be difficult,” he said. “But there are things even Paoli and I are still trying to figure out. I promise to tell you when the time comes.”

“And meanwhile, I just sit quietly and trust you to look out for me?” She asked in a furious hiss.

“Well…” William said slowly before he gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s not a woman thing, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s a human thing. You’re a lot more fragile than we are.”

When she gave him a look that clearly said she didn’t believe a word he was saying, he groaned. “If Paoli’s arm was ripped off by an enemy, do you know what would happen?” He asked.

She blanched slightly at the mental image, but shook her head.

“He’d regrow it. If your arm was ripped off, you’d likely bleed to death in just a few minutes. See the difference? Humans are fragile. That’s why they’re our natural—” He broke off and gave her a look of discomfort that was hilarious to see on his face because it looked so out of place.

“Prey?” She supplied in a falsely sweet voice.

“Yes,” he said after a long hesitation. “Humans are our natural prey. But Paoli and I try very hard not to kill.”

“Why?” She asked curiously. Then—considering her own circumstances—she raised her hands before he could say anything. “I’m glad of that, all things considered,” she said quickly.

She gave a slightly nervous chuckle. “But I’m curious why you don’t just go around attacking people if they’re your natural prey,” she said.

“It’s—” he began.

“Complicated,” she cut him off irritably, then fell silent.

Several moments passed while she pointed out turns to get to her hotel. William didn’t voice any complaints, but his eyes burned. He needed sunglasses. While the sunlight may not harm him the way it would Paoli, years of living with a vampire had kept him in the dark long enough, the bright of the day was blinding and his skin felt overly sensitive.

All the light made him feel strangely exposed.

His wolf stirred with unease, and he had to focus to keep it controlled, especially with Emily so close.

When he parked the car in front of the hotel and saw all the people around, he groaned inwardly. He was in no shape to be so close to that many humans.

Something must have shown on his face, because Emily gave him a slight smile. “You wait here. Don’t want you eating anyone,” she said. Then she hopped out of the car and jogged across the parking lot to the front door of the building.

He stared after her in silent surprise.

Had she been teasing him?

He threw an arm across his face to hide his eyes and rested back on his seat with a satisfied smirk. She had been teasing him, he decided.

And the wolf settled.