exactly,” he said, a little hesitation in his words.
She noticed the hesitation. A thoughtful little crinkle appeared between her brows.
“But you turned into a wolf,” she pointed out.
He gave her just a hint of a nod.
“I’m complicated,” he said.
Another silence stretched out.
What did that mean? He either was a werewolf or he wasn’t. What was the point of being obtuse about it?
“Do you kill people?” she asked bluntly, her voice almost a whisper. “Humans, I mean?”
A tight smile crept across his face and didn’t reach his eyes.
“You’re safe with us,” was all he said.
She nodded almost absently.
“So yes,” she mumbled.
There was a heavy feeling of disappointment in her gut, but she refused to examine it. She needed to keep her distance from him. She could never be involved with someone who killed people, no matter how attracted to him she was.
He was a killer, and she needed to remember that.
“Not if I can help it,” he said heavily.
“Prop her up,” Paoli instructed when he reentered the room, a small vial in his hand.
Emily did so without question. She watched with bated breath as he poured some vile‐smelling concoction down Amber’s throat.
Amber coughed and sputtered, covering Paoli in frothy spittle, but the transformation continued, unchanged.
“Well, that was disappointing,” he announced dryly.
He wiped his face with a grimace, then hustled back out of the room.
“What if he can’t fix this?” Emily asked William in a small voice. “Then what happens?”
William held her gaze.
“You already know the answer,” he said darkly.
“I told you, that’s not going to happen. I won’t let you kill her,” she said.
She met his eyes boldly, as if daring him to challenge her.
He said nothing, but continued to watch her. Like she was a bug.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she said, squirming uncomfortably.
“Like what?” He cocked his head to the side, a look of puzzlement on his face.
“Like you’re a cat watching a mouse,” she said.
She jabbed an accusatory finger in his direction.
William grinned at her. It was a guilty look.
“What’s funny?” she demanded.
“You walked into a werewolf den under a full moon without a thought, but someone watching you makes you uncomfortable,” he chuckled.
Emily glanced at Amber.
“I didn’t consider the moon,” she admitted. “I just knew she was there, and I was afraid for her.”
William sobered, becoming instantly serious.
“Did you know she was with wolves?” he asked.
“Yes,” Emily said, watching Amber again.
“Then you should have considered the moon,” he admonished. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
Emily plucked at the blanket, uncomfortable at being scolded, especially when she knew he was right.
“I know,” she said softly.
“Let’s give this a try,” Paoli said, his voice very serious when he returned.
A gold necklace dangled from his hand, and the reeking smell of whatever was inside the charm made William back away, a scowl on his face.
“What the hell is that?” William demanded when Paoli crossed the room and slipped the necklace over Amber’s head.
“Wolfsbane,” Paoli said over his shoulder.
As the trio stood watching, the transformation gradually slowed.
Several minutes later, it stopped completely and Amber was left in exhausted human form. She crumpled in on herself. One last moan escaped her lips before she fell into a blissful state of unconsciousness.
Relief washed through Emily with enough force to make her knees weak.
“You fixed her,” she whispered breathlessly, her eyes tearful.
“Not exactly,” Paoli disagreed.
He held his hands out to ward her off when she stepped forward like she wanted to hug him.
“Cross,” he reminded.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Emily cried.
She quickly stepped back. Then a frown crossed her face when his words sank in.
“What do you mean ‘not exactly’?” she asked.
“Wolfsbane won’t cure lycanthropy. All it does is stop the wolf from being able to take over the body. All the rage is still there, but now it has no outlet,” he explained.
“What does that mean for her?” she asked.
She didn’t like the way that sounded. Amber wasn’t exactly known for her even temperament before.
Paoli looked back at William, who was now standing in the hallway to avoid the wolfsbane.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ll keep looking for something more permanent, but at least this will buy her some time. It’s almost sunrise, and we all need to rest. There’s another bedroom down the hall.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Emily said absently, her eyes on Amber’s worn‐out form.
At least she was human again. Sort of.
“No,” William said sharply.
Both Paoli and Emily turned and stared at him.
“Until we have a chance to see what her mental status will be, it may not be safe,” William explained.
Paoli seemed to consider it, then nodded in agreement.
“That’s true,” he said. “Something like this may have left her . . . different.”
“But
