Tempest of Passion (6 page)

“
Mr. Dalton?”

Emily trembled in his arms and he
forced himself to concentrate on her and ignore the pull of his
animal, desperate to seek out the enemy. Screams and shouts sounded
behind them as others attempted to calm the frightened
animal.

“
Are you all right, Ms.
Bunsbury?” Gently gripping her chin, he tilted her head back.
Instinctively, Emily leaned into his touch.

William’s heart tightened. Their
blood called to each other, there was no doubt about it, but wolf
mating was more than blood and desire, it was the bonding of souls
and hearts. For them to be truly mated, Emily had to love him. She
had to willingly give herself to him in body, mind and soul.
Otherwise, they were nothing more than wispy clouds carried on a
cold winter breeze. When two wolves mated, it was simple: they both
knew about the mating call … but with humans, it was much more
complicated. A human mate had an option. They could reject their
wolf counterpart, effectively dooming them to die of heartbreak.
William refused to contemplate that option. Hadn’t he lost enough
already?

“
Are you all right?” he repeated, grazing his thumb over her
cheek. Emily’s eyes closed and opened wide as she realized she’d
been nuzzling him.

“
I’m fine.” She hurried to create distance between them, her
knees folding as she rushed to her feet.

“
Careful.”

“
My knee might be a bit bruised,” she admitted, licking her
lips in a nervous gesture. “I—that horse,” she mumbled, looking up
at him. “I suppose I should thank you.”

“
You do not seem pleased at the prospect,” he noted, tucking
her arm into his and leading her back toward the assembly. Hope
blossomed in his chest as she didn’t pull away from his touch and
her face broke into an unexpected smile.

“
No, Mr. Dalton. I am indeed not pleased at having to thank a
callous rascal that forced my hand upon him.” Her teeth flashed in
the darkness and the shiver that racked her body swept through
him.

“
You are shaking.”

“
I am all right.”

William
glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She was pale, her lips
tight as she fought to control her quivering limbs. His jaw
tightened. She hid it well, but she was still frightened. Another
shudder vibrated through him and he contemplated sending societal
proprieties to hell and carrying her inside.

“
You look like you’re about to faint.”

“
I am not a fainter. I just need to sit down,” she said
softly.

“
Allow me to escort you home.”

“
No … my mother is inside.”

“
Emily.”

“
Do not.” She glanced up at him, eyes full of reproach. “Do
not.” Disentangling herself from him, she ambled ahead in quick
short steps. Cursing under his breath, William rushed to help
her.

“
At least allow me to assist you. You cannot go back into the
ballroom. Your gown is torn, your hair has fallen loose, and you
look like you’ve seen the devil himself.”

Emily
paused. “What do you suggest?” she finally said.

Chapter Six

“
Emily?” Jane Bunsbury rushed to her daughter’s side, concern
etched on her face as she took in her disheveled appearance. “My
poor baby,” she cooed, brushing back stray strands of Emily’s hair.
“What happened? Mr. Dalton told me that you were feeling unwell,
and a horse came out at you.” Jane glanced at him.

“
Yes. The room was too stuffy and I had the need for some
fresh air. Mr. Dalton offered to escort me, but I went on ahead. I
never saw the beast coming.”

Emily’s mother nodded solemnly, easily believing their
story.

“
Perfectly understandable. You haven’t danced in so long,” she
muttered. “I’m surprised you haven’t fainted.” Patting her
daughter’s knee in what was to be an encouraging gesture, she
veered to face him. “Mr. Dalton, you are a true hero. Twice you
have saved my dearest daughter from harm and social shame. I am not
certain how to thank you for your valor and kindness. Please, dine
with us sometime this week. We are in debt to you.”

William glanced at Emily. She had her head down. Her hair
curtained her face, but he could sense her discomfort. William
crossed his arms over his chest. She was unhappy. If by his
mother’s badgering or his presence he couldn’t say, but he realized
that she needed space.

“
Mrs. Bunsbury,” he began, unsure of how to avert the
invitation and not wishing to impose himself on Emily any more than
necessary.

“
Please, mother. Let Mr. Dalton be … leave him at peace. He
has already done enough. There is no need for you to accost him. If
he comes to visit us, people will think there is an arrangement
between us––and there is no such thing.”

“
Emily!”

Jane Bunsbury gave William a simpering smile, clearly
embarrassed by her daughter’s behavior.

William smiled back feebly. “I will call your
coach.”

He didn’t exchange another word with Emily as they left.
Unease curled deep into his gut as he gazed at the darkened
street.

“
It reeks of wolf,” Reeves whispered, appearing at his
side.

William nodded. “There weren’t supposed to be any wolves in
Brookenshire.”

“
There weren’t.”

William ran his fingers through his hair. Had be brought them
about? Was the thing Emily had seen that first night sent as a
threat to him? And the horse’s approach at breaking speed––was it
deliberate? He had been present on both occasions and only he could
sense the beasts. They had to be some form of warning, but he could
not decipher what they were trying to tell him. Was he perhaps too
close to London? Was the person who’d succeeded in banishing him
from the pack trying to kill him, once and for all? He tightened
his hands into fists. Whatever it was, it had almost gotten to
Emily twice. His heart tripled its tempo. His wolf snarled. William
would not permit such a thing. He sensed that Emily felt something
for him, but had she felt nothing but contempt he would still not
walk away. He refused to leave her. She was his mate. The only
thing he had left in the world, even if she had no knowledge of it
yet.

William glanced at Reeves. The wolf’s blue eyes drifted left
and right, searching. “Anything amiss, Mr. Reeves?”

The other man shook his head. “Whoever did it is good at
covering his tracks. There’s wolf smell but it’s barely there,
covered by something I can’t pinpoint.”

“
Well, perfume would help disguise it … but it wouldn’t be
enough.”

Reeves shook his blonde mane. “No, it’s something else,
stronger, denser. Can’t say exactly.” He shrugged. “It was
fortunate you were there.” Reeves stared at him for a brief instant
before averting his gaze. “She is your mate?” he
whispered.

“
I believe so.”

Reeves
nodded. He took a step back and offered William his
hand.

“
Good night, Mr. Dalton. I shall see you tomorrow.”

William
raised his eyebrows. Reeves gave him a weak smile. Finally, William
shook the other man’s hand.

“
Tomorrow at ten, Sir. I hope this time we will not be
interrupted.”

William watched amused as a blush crept up the other man’s
face. He had kept to his promise and had called upon him at the inn
the next day after their meeting in the woods, but as word spread
that the fabric trader was in town, the two men were repeatedly
interrupted.

“
I apologize again, Sir. A lone man must make a living.”
William patted Reeves’s back.

“
Indeed. Good night, Mr. Reeves.”

“
Good night, Sir. “

As soon as Reeves entered the town house, William took to the
shadows. Carefully avoiding anyone out and about, he hurried
through town. He kept close to the shadows, using the darkness as a
cloak from the eyes around him. Slivers of moonlight illuminated
his path, though he did not need to see them to know the way. Not
only had he walked that path almost every day for the past weeks,
he also allowed his nose to lead him. He could smell Emily. Lilacs,
sunshine and an inkling of fear that she pushed farther away from
her at every roll of the coach’s wheels.

As soon as he was out of sight from the
town, he hid among some of the denser bushes and removed his
clothes, neatly folding them and hiding them amid the brambles. His
bones cracked and bent as he shifted. His hair grew, becoming
shaggier and redder, streaked with white and brown. His eyes turned
fully amber and his sense of smell became more acute. He sniffed
the air. Emily’s fragrance hit him harder than before and he had to
hold back a howl of distress. He needed her. Even if she did not
love him back he needed to know that she was safe, that she could
continue with her life in the way that she wanted to. He ran
through the fields and forests surrounding the path to Emily’s
home, his paws hitting the ground with force, skidding across
leaves and sticks. Nothing stopped him. He could hear the coach in
the distance, its wheels rolling across the sandy terrain. They
were barely a few minutes from the house when the scent reached
him.
Wolves
.

He broke into a run and skidded to a stop at the picture
before him. Two grey wolves blocked the road. They snarled and
snapped at the horses, frightening them and causing them to rear
back. The coachman fought to control the beasts while searching
beneath his seat for a gun. Emily’s mother was screaming her head
off in fear, and his precious Emily was trying to console her.
William focused his gaze on one of the wolves. The animal left the
horse to look at him. His lips curled back to expose his fangs and
gums. A voice he did not recognize spoke into his mind.

“
William Dalton. We’ve been expecting you.”

They crouched at the same time. William’s hackles bristled.
The voice continued.

“
Do not worry, Dalton. I’ll keep you alive so you can see how
we kill your mate.”

William lunged. He would die before allowing anyone to touch
his Emily. He rolled on the floor with the other wolf, snapping his
jaws in an attempt to bite into soft flesh. Pain erupted over his
chest as his enemy managed to swipe his claws at him. William
redoubled his efforts. He sunk his teeth into the man’s right leg.
The wolf howled in pain. A second low-pitched snarl reminded
William that there was another beast. William veered around just as
the other animal threw himself at him. He jumped and bit off a
piece of his side. The wolf whined in pain and set off at a run
into the woods at the side of the road. William prepared himself
for another attack from the first wolf, but to his surprise the
animal shadowed his companion. He ran after them bent on attainment
answers, when he heard the gunshot. He swerved to the side seconds
before the bullet hit him.

“
Over ‘ere. Bloody beasts gone in th’ woods, Mr.
Bunsbury.”

“
Beasts … what beasts?”

“
Wolves! Wolves in Brookenshire!” Jane Bunsbury’s hysterical
high-pitched voice seemed to echo around them. “You must do
something, Mr. Bunsbury. We could have died. I…”

Another gunshot ricocheted around him. More voices and screams
joined the group of travelers. William cursed. He needed to get out
of there fast. He could smell the beast’s blood thick in the air,
but hunting them now would be perilous for his own life. The humans
would track down their prints come daybreak and that could
eventually lead them to him. He could not afford that luxury, not
now when Emily’s life was also in peril. Bile rose to the back of
his throat and his lips curled into a snarl as he veered toward the
other side and abandoned the hunt. They’d be back and when they
returned, he’d be ready.

Circling the area, he found a mildly
secluded spot where he could watch the group of humans milling
about trying to make some sense of the occurrence. Men were arguing
about the wolves’ route while Emily’s mother was being hoisted into
the arms of a large servant and carried inside. Emily stood at her
side, composed if a little pale. As if sensing something, she
stopped and looked in his direction. William held his breath. His
animal heart pattered anxiously in his chest, silly hope blossoming
in its depths. Could she feel him? Could she feel his presence? Did
she need him like he needed her? He kept hidden the urge to show
himself to her.
Emily
. He whispered her name in his mind. Her lips parted. A
servant grasped her elbow and ushered her into the house, breaking
the moment.

William’s tail drooped. He remained hidden, watching the house
until all the humans had returned and the scent of wolf dissipated
completely. Finally, he shifted and hurried back to his clothes.
The scratches on his chest burned, but he ignored them. In a town
of humans, there was only one man who could help him: Graham
Reeves.

Chapter Seven

William stared at the man sitting across from him. He’d
frightened the owner of the lodging when he came calling at such a
late hour, but fortunately, a few coins had quieted the man who had
acceded in fetching Reeves for him.