built on far less than what I felt for her. She understands I donna love her, but she’s willing to take me anyway. Not that she has any choice, when it comes right down to it. Short of shootin’ me, that is.’ Will crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. This was all going terribly wrong. He thought he’d come up with the perfect solution, a solution that Lily had happily gone along with, and now Byron and Phil were putting up barriers.
‘I will talk to Lily and see how she actually feels about this crazy idea of yours,’ Phil said, striding for the door.
‘’Tis no’ crazy, it’s practical. Donna go undoin’ all my good work. She agreed. ‘Tis not ideal, but it’s the best solution. Tellin’ her something different will just confuse her.’ Will was yelling and he noted how both Phil and Byron took a step back under the onslaught. With everything human inside him, he reined in the wolf and stood down. He was doing his cause no good by flying off the handle like this.
‘I will not have that girl bullied into doing something that offends her. As for this marriage proposal… How can you expect her to accept you when she has no experience with men? She has the right to be courted and treated like a princess before she decides on a husband.’
‘Like Byron courted you?’ Will threw back.
‘I had some experience with other men. I may never have been courted but I had been kissed. So I knew how special Byron’s kisses were.’ Phil stormed back over to stand in front of him, nose to nose. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Byron moving in, ready to protect his woman.
‘Go then, tell her she can do better than me. We all ken the truth of it. But that won’t make a bit of difference come the full moon.’
‘I am not suggesting she can do better than you, you damned, infuriating Scotsman. I am suggesting that she should at least have the chance to choose. For Heaven’s sake, the girl has only just started to recover from a lifetime of illness. She is still not fully well. So much has happened for her in so short a time. Forcing yourself on her could push her over the edge.’
Will jerked back as if Phil had slapped him. Was she suggesting that Lily might choose to end her life rather than be with him? Had he really bullied her into making what he saw as the only rational choice? He would rather Byron put a bullet in his head than place Lily in such a situation.
Phil drew in a deep breath, and when she spoke again it was more calmly. ‘I will talk to her. I will see what she really wants to do. Then we can go from there.’
Will nodded wordlessly, hi s throat so choked with emotion he couldn’t have spoken if he’d tried. Had he forced her to choose him? Was he that much of a frightening bully? She had called him a bear with a sore paw, and that was a fair description of the way he’d been behaving in the last week, but surely she knew he would never hurt her. Surely she knew he only had her best interests at heart.
But even as that though t came to mind he realised that if he had her best interests at heart he would have found some other way out of this situation. He knew he wasn’t the right man for the girl, but his wolf wouldn’t allow him to consider any other option. Maybe the only real alternative was a bullet in the brain.
* * *
Lily was reading one of the Keep’s letters. It gave her perspective. It stopped her from giving in to self-pity.
How could she have been so self-indulgent in front of Will? She had bewailed her fate like a child. Even calling for her father had been the behaviour of a child. How could Will feel anything but annoyance with her?
Yet he’d asked her to marry him. Well, maybe not asked. But he had offered, and that was something she would never have expected in a hundred years. Of course, it was because of their wolves. He’d told her, yet again, that he didn’t love her. Yet, having a man like Will care for her was more than enough. More than she
‘I will talk to Lily and see how she actually feels about this crazy idea of yours,’ Phil said, striding for the door.
‘’Tis no’ crazy, it’s practical. Donna go undoin’ all my good work. She agreed. ‘Tis not ideal, but it’s the best solution. Tellin’ her something different will just confuse her.’ Will was yelling and he noted how both Phil and Byron took a step back under the onslaught. With everything human inside him, he reined in the wolf and stood down. He was doing his cause no good by flying off the handle like this.
‘I will not have that girl bullied into doing something that offends her. As for this marriage proposal… How can you expect her to accept you when she has no experience with men? She has the right to be courted and treated like a princess before she decides on a husband.’
‘Like Byron courted you?’ Will threw back.
‘I had some experience with other men. I may never have been courted but I had been kissed. So I knew how special Byron’s kisses were.’ Phil stormed back over to stand in front of him, nose to nose. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Byron moving in, ready to protect his woman.
‘Go then, tell her she can do better than me. We all ken the truth of it. But that won’t make a bit of difference come the full moon.’
‘I am not suggesting she can do better than you, you damned, infuriating Scotsman. I am suggesting that she should at least have the chance to choose. For Heaven’s sake, the girl has only just started to recover from a lifetime of illness. She is still not fully well. So much has happened for her in so short a time. Forcing yourself on her could push her over the edge.’
Will jerked back as if Phil had slapped him. Was she suggesting that Lily might choose to end her life rather than be with him? Had he really bullied her into making what he saw as the only rational choice? He would rather Byron put a bullet in his head than place Lily in such a situation.
Phil drew in a deep breath, and when she spoke again it was more calmly. ‘I will talk to her. I will see what she really wants to do. Then we can go from there.’
Will nodded wordlessly, hi s throat so choked with emotion he couldn’t have spoken if he’d tried. Had he forced her to choose him? Was he that much of a frightening bully? She had called him a bear with a sore paw, and that was a fair description of the way he’d been behaving in the last week, but surely she knew he would never hurt her. Surely she knew he only had her best interests at heart.
But even as that though t came to mind he realised that if he had her best interests at heart he would have found some other way out of this situation. He knew he wasn’t the right man for the girl, but his wolf wouldn’t allow him to consider any other option. Maybe the only real alternative was a bullet in the brain.
* * *
Lily was reading one of the Keep’s letters. It gave her perspective. It stopped her from giving in to self-pity.
How could she have been so self-indulgent in front of Will? She had bewailed her fate like a child. Even calling for her father had been the behaviour of a child. How could Will feel anything but annoyance with her?
Yet he’d asked her to marry him. Well, maybe not asked. But he had offered, and that was something she would never have expected in a hundred years. Of course, it was because of their wolves. He’d told her, yet again, that he didn’t love her. Yet, having a man like Will care for her was more than enough. More than she
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