Chapter Twenty-Two

William bit back a whine of pain. At least one of his ribs was broken and his vision was hazy, but none of that mattered. She was nearby.

Emily was somewhere near. He could smell her. The sweetness of her scent mingled with fear and confusion. He breathed in a sigh of relief. Only fear and confusion, not pain or––he swallowed the bile climbing to the back of his throat––death.

He took in a deep breath, attempting to distinguish his surroundings. There were other wolves nearby as well as people. His ears perked up as he realized there were raised voices. A horse neighed, not far off. He rolled onto his stomach and stood on shaking legs, then took a step forward and a shaft of sunlight hit him in the eyes. He blinked, panting in fear. He was in the city center … locked in a dog pound’s coach.

He took a step back and snarled as a man came into his line of vision.

“Oi, boss, beasty here is awake.”

His snarl turned into a growl as his cousin came forth. Beside him, white as a leaf, stood Emily. He took a step back. She couldn’t see him like this. She couldn’t know it was he.

“Ah, excellent, excellent. I knew the beating I delivered hadn’t killed him.”

George pressed his face to the mesh wire that made up part of the coach’s door. He pulled Emily to his side and forced her to look inside.

William slinked further into the shadows.

“Look at him, Emily. Your beloved husband. He thinks you still don’t know anything.” George chuckled. “Clearly, the drug I gave him has addled his brains.”

William’s heart jumped to his throat. Was his cousin right? Had Emily seen him shift? Had she realized what sort of man she was involved with?

“I can see your head spinning, William. Do not weary yourself … Emily knows all. Don’t you, love?”

Roughly grabbing her, George pushed her in front of him. He grasped her chin and forced her to look into the cage. William stared at her. Fear and disgust was written clearly all over her face. Her heart was beating a tune akin to panic.

“Look at her, cousin. Look at her well, for this will be the last time you’ll see her.”

William jumped without thinking. Emily gasped and stumbled backwards into George.

No.

He wanted to rip his cousin’s throat out. To demand that he release his wife … but he could do nothing.

“Set him loose.”

What?

The man who had been standing guard over him opened the door. William looked at his cousin, and then at Emily. He took a cautious step forward upon hearing people about. The busy street bustled with people going about their early morning chores. He would be seen. It didn’t matter how fast he ran, someone would certainly see him.

“Not coming out, are we?”

George pulled Emily to his side. William bared his teeth as the glint of a knife pressed into her ribs caught his eye.

The brute. He wouldn’t dare.

George called to him, mocking. “Out with you, wolfie.”

He took another tentative step. If only he could grasp his cousin and take him away, then maybe he’d avoid being seen and save Emily. They were in a side street. He could see that now. The pound’s coach had parked to the side and they were slowly inching toward the main street. He only had to stop George from ever getting there. He took another step. George retreated, carrying Emily with him.

“Don’t you dare consider shifting, Will. I sense you change … and I will dig this knife into her ribs as easily as it slips into butter.”

William swallowed and took another step. They were almost at the main intersection. This was madness. What did his cousin want from all this?

He looked at George and something must have shown in his gaze, for the younger man laughed.

“You’re wondering when I went mad, are you not, William?” He shook his head. “I’m not mad, cousin. I am a visionary. And…” he narrowed his eyes, shifting them so the yellow tinge in them came out, “…alpha.”

William flattened his ears.

“Yes, no need to look so shocked, cousin. You are not the only family alpha. You are not the strongest, the fastest or the best of the Dalton clan. I am too. And it’s about bloody time the rest of the world knows we exist.”

William took a step closer to them. His cousin grinned.

“Think you can distract me enough to kill me, Will? Tsk. Tsk. We are one step away from one of the busiest streets in London. You’re going to come here, like a good boy … and die like one, too. Didn’t you enjoy being the hero, William? Well, you’re going to die like one.” Abruptly he grinned. “For me at least, because with your death and after I get rid of your father, I’ll become alpha and then the world will see what we are truly capable of.”

William swallowed, throat dry. He crouched. He could hear Emily’s haggard breathing. Smell the putrid stench of blood on the man in charge of the pound. He could sense the people in the street beyond, moving about, careless of the world around them. His ears perked up.

“Ready, Knowles?”

“Yes, Sir.”

The man moved toward the edge of the street away from William.

“And you, precious? Ready to scream like I taught you?”

Emily did not reply. She didn’t need to, as William could smell her disgust and fear. She glanced back at him. He looked away. He would speak to her after all this passed. Now, now he had to prepare to kill George.

His cousin and Emily stepped into the street. Emily shrieked in surprise. The blade clattered to the floor as George stumbled backwards with a curse. William lunged.