Imprisoned at Werewolf Keep (Werewolf Keep Trilogy) (8 page)

'I will go down
stairs and make the arrangements. You will never have to set eyes on me again,' Fidelia said in the steadiest voice.

When the maid returned with boots, coat and a horse, he left the hotel as discretely as possible. But he was all too aware of the curious, scandalised gazes of those he passed.

W
hat did it matter? Far worse than a little scandal was threatening them all now. His woman was in danger, not only from Rathgart, but from him, and he couldn’t protect her.

That he h
ad acknowledged the truth of it sometime during the passionate intimacies they’d shared was only fuel for his self-loathing. His beast had claimed this woman as his own, and the more he came to know her, the more the man in him agreed. Sweet, beautiful, refined and yet passionate, she was every man’s fantasy. And he had come close to destroying her.

What if shared bodily fluids was enough to turn her? They believed it was the saliva of the wolf interacting with the blood of an open wound that caused the transition. But what if it was
contact with any bodily fluid, even saliva? Just kissing her could mean her downfall. He should have known better when he’d been with her in the drying room. He had kissed her then and should have realised the mistake. But instead, he’d gone upstairs with her, unchaperoned. What had he thought would happen?

At least he had not broken
her skin in his fevered passion. Nor let it go too far that he spilled his tainted seed in her. But if she was to stay near him any longer, he had no doubt that the wolf would have its way. Next time, he wouldn’t be able to control it.

When he arrived back at the Keep mid-morning, the place was in an uproar. As soon as he was spotted, people came from everywhere to check on him.

‘Jas, where the devil?’ Byron demanded before Phil interrupted with, ‘Are you all right?’

He sighed heavily and dismounted, handing the horse over to Jamey. ‘Yes, I am fine, and I did no damage last night. I awoke outsi
de Lady Montgomery’s hotel. She was the one to find me, and I found clothes in the drying room.’

‘Does she know…? How did you explain your lack of clothing?’ Phil demanded this time.

‘Set upon by thieves who took everything. When she has more time to think about it, she will probably realise what a thin story it was, but I gave her little time to consider such issues.’

‘What do you mean?’ Phil stared at him cautiously, as if sensing the truth already.

‘Can we go inside? I need to eat and I could do with a stiff brandy. I am cold all the way to my bones.’

While the others drifted away, Byron and Phil lead the way into the study where Byron poured them a
ll a stiff drink. Jasper downed the burning heat in one swallow and offered his glass up for a second.

‘How did you manage it?’ Byron asked as he poured another generous glass of brandy for him. ‘And more importantly, why?’

‘My wolf has claimed her. Or that’s what it feels like. It sees her as his mate. I had no choice but to hide the key when you came to lock up last night, then unlock it after you left and before I changed. Then I followed her scent to Harrogate and howled at the moon all night outside her window. I have no idea why the guard didn’t hear it and shoot me.

‘Then when I had her within reach I almost ravaged her. I only just reined
in the beast, in time. But I do not know if it is too late. Whether my saliva is enough… I did not break her skin… I know that much.’

‘Oh my God, Jas, what have you done?’ Phil cried, staring at him as if he was the worst monster in the world.

‘I know, I know. I cannot forgive myself. But I told her to go. To get away from here.’

‘She will be terrified. After what Rathgart did to her, and now you. She knows almost nothing about men. Howard
was…’ she stopped herself from going on and changed tack. ‘Did you frighten her badly? I will have to go to her.’

‘She was not frightened. It was mutual, I think. I may have misread her, but
I do not think so. She is a passionate woman, and I think she returned my feelings. But I had to stop, in case…’

‘Dee
passionate? No, you definitely saw what you wanted to see. Maybe she acquiesced in her fear.’

‘Does it matter? What counts here is the damage I may have done to her. She might turn next full moon!’ Jasper never raised his voice, but now he found himself yelling at his friends in fury and despair.

‘Get a hold of yourself, man. It need not be as you fear. It may have to be direct contact with blood.’

‘But what if it isn’t? God, I’ve killed and now I’ve pos
sibly turned an innocent woman! All because I couldn’t rein the beast in.’

‘I will leave immediately. I have to talk to her. She cannot just go away,
Jasper. If there is a chance she is infected, we have to keep her here. I will bring her back, try to explain to her what has happened. Good Lord, I cannot believe this is happening.’ Phil shook her head as if to dislodge the horrifying future she was envisaging.

‘
If she has turned then she will handle it, Phil. You can help her.’

‘If you bring her here, I will have to stay locked up. I cannot be trusted around her,’ Jasper said, raking his hands through his hair, wanting to pull it out by the roots. How had he thought his beast acceptable? How had he thought he could be anything but a monster?

At that moment, the door to the study flew open and Will strode in, his face ashen.

‘A rider just arrived. Your
wee friend has been taken from the hotel. Her maid said it was Rathgart.’

‘What about the guard I set?’ Byron demanded.

‘Gone. Disappeared. Paid off or dead. He had a coach and four, and was heading north.’

‘How many men?’

‘A driver. That’s all the maid saw. Or so the messenger said.’

Jasper was out the door before the last words were out of the ex-pugilist’s mouth. He raced out the back way to the stables. By the time he
had his horse saddled, Byron and Will were at his side.

‘What in damnation do you think you a
re doing?’ Byron yelled, grabbing his arm.

‘Going after Dee. You know what that bastard will do to her, what
he may already have done to her.’

‘You cannot go. If you cannot get
back here before nightfall you will be a danger to everyone you meet.’

‘I will be a danger to
one man only, or any other that tries to get between me and my woman. That includes you ‘Ron. Now let me go!’ He tore his arm out of Byron’s grip and threw himself up into the saddle.

‘Wait
, you cannot accost him alone,’ Will said, going to the nearest stall for a horse.

‘Catch up if you can, but I will no
t wait. A coach has to stick to the roads. I can go overland. I can catch up before he has had a chance to … hurt her.’

‘Then take this!’ Byron thrust a pistol into his hand. ‘Bu
t you have to find a safe place if you cannot get back in time. You do not need any more guilt. What you have is already killing you.’

‘Then I will die. But not before I find Dee and kill that bastard who took her.’

And with that, he dug his heels into his gelding and raced out of the stable yard.

Phil raced into the stable as Jasper hurtling past, his face a picture of such fury it frightened her.

Gasping for breath, she stared at Byron and Will.
‘What is happening? Jasper can’t go after them on his own.’

‘I am going
, too. I am just finalising plans for tonight. You will have to help Jamey, as I am unlikely to be back in time.’ Byron reached for the rifle that stood against the wall of the barn. He checked it for cartridges and then pocketed a handful more for emergencies.

‘Who are they for?’ she demanded, her voice squeaking with terror.

‘If Jasper does not reach them before nightfall, I will have to be prepared.’

‘No!
No, you cannot be considering shooting Jas. He is your best friend! He is trying to save
my
best friend!’ Phil exclaimed, twisting her hands together.

‘I know, but he would be the first to tell me to take him down if he posed a threat to anyone, especially Dee. It will not come to that, I am sure. But if it does…’

‘I am coming with you. Dee will need me.’ Phil lifted her chin as her eyes sparked fire.

‘You are needed here.’

‘Will can make sure everything is ship-shape before he takes to his cell, and Jamey is quite capable enough to look after things on his own. He has done it before. I am going with you.’

Will led
her mare out of the stable, side-saddle in place. She looked at him in astonishment. Byron noticed for the first time the horse the Scot had prepared. He opened his mouth to question his choice but then closed it, waiting to hear what Will had to say for himself.

‘
What? You dinna ken I know you, lassie?’ Will looked at Phil cynically. ‘You wouldna stay locked up safe when you’re wee friend needs you. I ken it and so does ‘Ron.’ He grinned at her cheekily, trying to cover up his frustration and fear that his heavy brogue made apparent.

Byron opened his mouth to countermand his decision, but then he looked at his wife.

After a fraction of a second, he nodded. ‘You have to obey me without question. And if I shoot, you have to be prepared for that. Can you do that, Phil?’

She nodde
d too, unable to find the words to reply.

Then Byron was swinging up into the saddle of his huge hunter and Will was assisting Phil into her side-saddle.

‘We will stop at the front door and get warm coats and hats. The weather is mild now, but by tonight it will be freezing.’ Byron turned his mount and cantered out the door.

‘Be careful, lass. The roads will be treacherous.’ Will hande
d Phil her reins and stepped out of the way.

‘You never cease to amaze me
, Will, you really do. Thank you for siding with me.’

‘No thanks needed. You canna afford the time to be arguing the rights and wrongs of this. Just donna make me sorry I did this.’

Without another word, Phil urged her mount into a canter and followed closely on her husband’s tail.

Fidelia was numb. She’d sat crammed in the opposite corner of the bucking, rocking carriage from the villain who had kidnapped her for hours. Up until now he had done nothing to hurt her beyond manhandling her into the vehicle. But as the hours passed and they changed horses at one way-station after another, Fidelia couldn’t help wondering where he was taking her and if there was any hope of rescue. 

W
hen the afternoon turned to dusk, she could stand the silence and mystery no longer. Not knowing her fate was far worse than discovering what he planned for her. At least, if she knew, she could find some hope in the scenario. Sticking out her chin, she looked her kidnapper in the eye.

‘What do you plan to do with me?’ she demanded with as much confidence as she could muster. The look he sent her
almost took the wind right out of her sails. It was a look designed to belittle her, relegating her to the position of mere stupid woman.

‘We are going to Gretna Green,’ he said with an arrogant sneer, as if granting her the gift of his plans.

‘Scotland? Whatever for?’ But she knew already. There was only one reason couples headed for Gretna Green: A hasty marriage.

‘So that we can seal our love, of course.’ The absurdity of his words baffled her. Surely he didn’t think he could make her marry him, even in Scotland.

‘What love? I do not even know you. And even if I did, I would never marry a man who killed my husband. A man who tried to ravage me in my own morning room.’

‘I caused you
r husband’s accident so that you could be free from that oaf. Do not tell me that you are not gratefully for that freedom? To imagine you beneath that old man, his flaccid cock barely able to breach you…It disgusts me, as it must you.

‘You need a young stallio
n in your bed, Lady Montgomery…Fidelia. Once you have felt my cock inside you, there will be no thought of any other man.’

‘You speak most crudely, sir. Have you no finer sensibilities, to speak thus to a lady?’ Why
was she intentionally needling him when he was so obviously a mad man? But beyond the numbing fear she felt, there was fury for what he had done to Howard. What he had done to her step-daughters by taking away their home and family. No, she would not sit meekly by and let this man say and do whatever he liked to her.

Rathgart lunged toward her and grabbed her face between his thumb and forefing
er, pinching her chin as tight as a vice. His breath reeked of rotting teeth and the onions he had consumed with his midday meal. ‘I will speak to my wife in whatever fashion I choose. Ladylike ways are acceptable when dealing with underlings or social inferiors, my dear, but they are not acceptable when addressing your lord and master.’

‘You will never be my lord and master. You expect me to agree to a marriage in Scotland? I would rather die!’ She spat back directly into his face.