Defiance at Werewolf Keep (Werewolf Keep Trilogy) (15 page)

But even as that thought came, he knew it was false. It would not be easy to go back to life alone after spending this euphoric few months with Lily. She had spoiled him for any other life.

‘What ails you?’ he demanded briskly, afraid to hear her answer, yet afraid to leave it unexpressed.

‘Nothing. T
his is very good news. You deserve this, as does everyone here who has lived with this contagion for so long.’

‘Lily, if you are reconsidering our marriage…’

The shocked expression that crossed her face was a balm to the wound created by his fears. So she didn’t think to leave him. Then what could cause this deep melancholy? This should be a time of rejoicing!

‘How could you think something like that? Of course, if it is what you want…’

‘Donna be foolish, woman. You are all I want, all I’ll ever wanted. So tell me, what is this sadness I sense in you? You smile with your mouth, but not with your eyes.’

Lily turned away and lowered her head. Her fingers entwined like the roots of a
parasitic weed around its host.

‘Lily, Love, you’re scaring me.’ He drew her into his arms and pressed her stiff body against his own. It reminded him of that long ago day on the train up from London. The moment she realised that she was a werewolf.

‘Lily, donna do this to me. Tell me what fashes you so. I’ll fix it. Whatever ails you, I’ll fix it. You know I’d die for you.’

He felt the tears before they began to wrack her body in convulsive surges. Terrified, he dragged her away from him and drew her face up so he could see the truth in her eyes. All he saw in those watery violet depths was misery.

Will wanted to shake the truth out of her. This torture inflicted on him was unbearable. His way was to act, not sit back and wait. Surely she understood that this enforced waiting was killing him.

‘What happens to Ellen and I?’ she finally managed to get out between gut wrenching sobs.

He frowned in confusion. What did she mean?  ‘Ellen and you? Why would you and Ellen be singled out for something different? Lily, stop crying, lass, and tell me what troubles you.’

With a great deal of inner fortitude, his little wife pulled herself together and mopped at her eyes with the palms of her hand. Her nose was running and she sniffed repeatedly.

‘Ellen was on her death bed when she contracted this contagion. If she no longer has it, what will happen to her? The strength of the werewolf is all that keeps her hale and hardy, for all her years.’

‘Why are we talking about Ellen? I ken you like the woman, as do I, but you canna be workin yourself up like this for her. You should be happy. This is the best news we’ve ever
had. Why let your concerns for – ’

‘Will, Ell
en will likely die when the contagion’s strength is removed. What do you think will happen to me when that strength is removed from me? I have already lived five years past the age predicted for my death. Without this contagion I will become an invalid again, awaiting my death on a day to day basis, having to deal with pain…’ She burst into a fresh wave of tears as she buried her face in her hands.

He had been so caught up with his own prospects that he hadn’t considered the ramifications for her. Ho
w could he have been so selfish? To her, this gift of a new life might be a death sentence.

His gut rebelled and it took everything he had to keep from vomiting up his dinner. The bile that rose was acid in his mouth, no more foul than his new thoughts.

If this cure was genuine then it was a death sentence for the woman he loved. She would leave him, just as mother had left him. Not right away, but each aching hour of every day until she couldn’t hold on any longer. What kind of life was that? No life at all.

‘It may not be the case. The contagion may have permanently healed your other ailments. It does not necessarily mean you will go back to the way you
were.’ He felt like a drowning man grasping for flotsam that would keep him afloat. This pathetic piece was all he could cling to. Not enough, not nearly enough.

‘It is possible. I suppose it is possible. But what if it isn’t? Will, I have been so happy in the last few months. I never believed I could feel so happy and content. Even being a werewolf is no hardship when you are beside me. It is almost like that is just another aspect of our feelings for each other. Even if I was healthy, and there is no guarantee that will be the case, I am not sure I want to lose her. I like that aspect of myself.’

Will pulled her into his arms and buried his fists in her long, silky hair. He wanted to deny her words, to push aside her fears. But her terror was now his, and it was strangling him. The only thing he knew for sure was that he would not let her go. If there was even a chance that her illness might return, he wouldn’t let it happen.

Jumping to his feet, he put on his trousers and pulled up his braces. He wore no shirt, but in this moment, proprieties didn’t seem to matter. He needed to address this issue with Byron and Phil. Not tomorrow, not in the morning, but now.

‘Where are you going?’ Lily’s face was a picture of confused distress.

‘No one has considered this issue. I need to air it. Now.’

‘But everyone is abed.’

‘I donna care if I have to wake the whole Keep. I canna wait till morning. Neither can you. Why I didna see it earlier… I was too caught up in ma own selfish happiness.’

‘You have a right to be. You deserve this, Will!’

‘I deserve to have the
love of ma life taken from me? No, I donna think so. Not now.’

With that
, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When he bashed loudly on Byron and Phil’s door
, he was surprised to have it open before he could slam his fist into the wood panelling for the third time. Byron stood on the threshold, shirt undone, hair rumpled. His eyes sparked fire at the sight of the intruder.

‘What?’

‘Can I come in?’

‘Phil is abed!’

‘It is all right, I have thrown on a robe. Let him in.’ Phil appeared behind her husband, glorious copper hair down and tossled. Will realised he’d interrupted more than sleep.

But
, in this moment, he didn’t care. He barged past Byron and strode over to the dark fireplace. Then he leaned against the mantle while he tried to bring his rioting emotions under control.

‘What has happened, man? Speak up? Is someone hurt?’
Byron demanded, closing the door behind him.

‘Not yet. But Lily is beside herself with fear. Have you considered what will happen to her and Ellen without the contagion?’

The little gasp that came from Phil gave him clear indication that she now did. Byron was silent. Impatiently, he turned to face the man he considered the closest thing to a friend that he had. What were his thoughts?

‘Ellen was near death when she was bitten,’ Phil said softly as she sat down in the wing-backed smoking chair beside the
cold fire.

‘Exactly. And Lily was not supposed to live past twenty. She was already on borrowed time when she was infected.
’

Phil
’s head jerked from side to side as if she was trying to see the way forward. In the end, she looked to Byron, her eyes betraying her desperation. It did nothing to allay his fears.

‘We are all getting ahead of ourselves. We do not even know
if there
is
a cure that will work for all of you. And we have to find a way to safely administer the cure. It might not work with everyone. It might be short lived. It has only been a few months since the cure was discovered. The contagion may be in remission. It could return. Worrying about the ramifications for Lily and Ellen at this point is premature.’

‘Premature? My wife is crying her eyes out in terror because she thinks she will go back to the pain
she lived with every day and the death she was promised. Don’t talk to me about getting ahead of myself.’ Will grabbed Byron’s shirt and pulled him in close so they were nose to nose. He had never felt this kind of fury, not even in the midst of battle when a kind of berserk rage had turned him into an unthinking killing machine that others called heroic.

Byron place
d a cautionary hand on his shoulder. ‘I understand your fears, Will. But getting angry with me does not help the situation. You know that I will never let anything happen to Lily. Have a little faith, man!’

Very slowly, Will let his grip ease. Yes, he knew better than this. But his emotions were in chaos and he had no way to handle them but to indulge in fury. That emotion he knew well. That emotion could cleans
e him of all others.

But Lily deserved better than an out of control protector. He didn’t come in here to threaten his friend, he came in here to get answers. Something he could take back to his wife to ease her fears.

With a resolute step back, Will let go of Byron completely. ‘My apologies. I have gone from the heights to the depths in a matter of minutes. Until I stopped and looked at Lily, I was so caught up in the euphoria of the cure.’

‘Understandable. Think nothing of it. I should have been more sensitive. Of course asking you not to jump ahead was a useless request. In your shoes
, I, too, would have been projecting the end result .’

‘Can we experiment in some way
before we give Ellen or Lily the cure?’ Phil said thoughtfully, totally unaffected by the threat of violence that had just be averted.

‘How? Take a sick person, infect them with the co
ntagion and then give them the cure to see if their sickness returns? That would be a cruel thing to do,’ Will said.

‘No. I am thinking that there might be others who were sick at the time of their turning.
Others whose conditions were not life-threatening before the contagion. They would undergo the cure anyway, and we could see what transpired. If they became sick once more, we will have our answer, if not, it bodes well for Ellen and Lily.’

‘But a less severe condition might not retur
n while a mortal one might. It could signify nothing.’

‘It would signify
something
. At the very least, if they became ill again, we would know that the cure would be detrimental to Lily and Ellen,’ Byron said thoughtfully.

‘And what if it is detrimental to the
m? Are they forced to take the cure to end the contagion? I can see the government enforcing the cure on all of us, no matter the consequences.’ Will began to pace.

‘If ther
e was a threat of a new outbreak, that might be the case. But if we can contain that threat as we have done up until now…’

‘Do you mean to keep Lily and Ellen here, imprisoned, while everyone else gets to be free? That is diabolical!’

‘If that is the only life offered them. It would be their choice. The Keep could remain as it is. It would take in only those whose lives were threatened by the cure.’

‘What of people who are mortally ill who want to take on the contagion to live? Would the government approve such a plan? I think not.
’

‘You are creating problems w
here there are none. Whatever happens, we will safeguard Lily and Ellen. You have my word on it.’

‘I canna stand the thought of her being alone in her wolf form. Even if I stood guard on her, I couldna stand it. What if I had to shoot her?’

‘Will, stop it. You are running away with yourself,’ Phil said gently. ‘Let it be enough that you have our assurances that Lily will not be put at risk by this cure. No matter what, we will not take your wife from you. Beyond that, none of us can see.’

In his heart, Will knew that what Phil said was the tr
uth. But he hated not having definitive answers. This interim was excruciating.

But ther
e would be no better answers given this night, so he decided his best use of time would be to comfort and reassure his wife, who, ever now, was sitting in their room alone, seemingly forgotten.

‘Sorry for disturbin’ you. I will try to keep calm from now on, if only for Lily.’

Byron patted him on the shoulder. ‘It is understandable, Will. You have much to deal with. It has been a big day, and it will only become more so in the days and weeks to come. Our way of life has been stable for so long. The future is not. Even I am worried what it will mean for us all.’

‘You can find a new life
away from here for both you, Phil and the child to come. Donna let our cares take that away from you.’

Byron looked over at
his wife and smiled stiffly. ‘I have spent the last ten years worrying about the denizens of this Keep. You cannot expect me to give it up so easily, can you?’ There was a slight quirk to his lips by the last words and Will saw Phil smile in answer to it.

‘We owe you everything. Never forget that.’ Will nodded at his friend and then at Phil before making his exit.

* * *

Lily knew that she had handled the disclosure of her concerns badly, but once Will
pressed her to confide them it had been like a dam had broken inside her and her greatest fears exploded outward, magnifying with every word she spoke. Knowing she had upset Will only added to her own unease. He had been so happy, and she had taken that away from him. How long had he known perfect contentment and hope? A few hours? Surely she could have allowed him more than that before she piled her worries on his shoulders.

As she brushed her hair over and over again, awaiting the return of her husband, she tried to get perspective, tried to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But no matter what path she took, all she saw was the end of her idyllic life with the man who had come to mean so much to her in so short a time.

When the door opened, Lily turned to face her husband, the best smile she could manage pasted on her colourless lips. Will smiled at her sheepishly and came to stand behind her, taking the brush from her hand. Then, for several long, silent moments, he brushed her hair for her, calming them both by the action.

When he was ready
, he started talking. ‘Byron and Phil have assured me that you will not be put at risk. If there is any possibility that this cure might cause your eventual death then you will not have to take it. But there are other possibilities, ways we can find out if the removal of the contagion will return you to your former condition.’

‘How?’

‘You and Ellen are not the only people to be sick at the time you were turned. We are certainly the largest and most effective sanctuary for werewolves, but as you must have realised from the letters you read each day, there are little pockets of containment everywhere. Somewhere in the world there will be others who may have been sick but not on death’s door at the time of turning. If they take the cure and do not get sick again, then we know there’s a good chance your problems won’t re-emerge. Or if those other people do get sick again, we know not to risk the cure for you. Would it be too bad remaining a werewolf?’

Lily felt her heart lift. Could she stay a werewolf once the cure was found? Would they let her? If it was a choice between remaining as she was or going back to the invalid she had been, then she wanted to stay a werewolf. But what of Will? Would he stay with her if that was her choice?

‘What about us?’

Will lifted her up by the shoulders until she was standing close enough to kiss. The tender touch of his lips reassured her as nothing else could. ‘I stay with you, no matter what else changes in our lives. I made that
promise not so long ago, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death us do part.’

‘I love you so much it hurts,’ she admitted as she wound her fingers into his shaggy
, greying hair.

‘Loving you doesn’t hurt
me. Loving you is the sweetest bliss I’ve ever known, ma bonnie lassie.’

And their kisses became more passionate until all else faded away. When her legs gave way beneath her, Will scooped her up and strode with her to the bed. Then he was sliding his hand up under her night gown so that he could feel skin on skin.

Lily would never tire of this man’s touch. His hard, calloused hands skirting over her sensitised skin always sent a surge of arousal through her system, driving out everything but her overwhelmed senses. She breathed him in, revelling anew in his familiar wild scent. Even though the wolf was far away, she could still sense him, and her own wolf reacted to his presence.

Wi
ldness claimed her then, making her do things she would never have done otherwise. Her hand found his hard length, and she gloried in his quick in-breath and hiss, as if her very touch was too much pleasure for him to bear. Then she tightened her hands around his thick girth and felt the pulse beneath her palms become frenetic. His breath matched that pulse, and his hand, as it closed over her maidenhair, was shaking with pent passion.

Moaning, she opened her legs for him, giving him permission to explore further. When he delved deep into her craving body, she bucked against that hand and let her hands run up and down the length of him, more skilled now in eliciting delight from her man.

‘Oh, Lass, I canna get enough of you,’ he groaned out as he clamped his mouth over hers again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth so savagely that her breath caught in her throat. The virginal spinster would have been frightened by this man’s intensity, but the wolf was not. She gave back as she was given, nipping and sucking at the invading tongue until he broke the contact, gasping for air.

Then he was biting his way down her neck as the hand t
hat was not on her secret place found its way to her breast, kneading and stroking it until she felt she could stand it no more. She had to have his mouth on her.

‘Please,’ she begged, pressing her small breasts up at him. He knew exactly what she was asking for. His mouth skidded down her shoulder until it reached her nipple. Then he drew it into his mouth and suckled deep.

‘Ohhhh,’ she cried out, the electric current between breast and core too powerful to be denied. ‘Now, Will, please!’

Again
, he did her bidding as if no words were needed between them. He placed his arousal at the weeping entrance to her centre and with one frenzied jerk embedded himself in her, filling her up so that all emptiness was gone.

But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. She moved her hips so that she could get more of
him, and his harsh breaths as he suckled her breast became faster and more frenzied. In the end, he gave up on her breast and arched his back, holding her hips in his big hands so that he could direct her where he needed her.

With
his hard length buried deep inside her, Lily was transported to a place where there was no Will and no Lily. It was a place where only one being existed. And love was its only purpose, its only thought.