The Wolf's Pursuit (London Fairy Tales #3)(7)

"Mission," he finished crisply. "It's a mission regardless of how you see it, my lady. If you are quite certain then?" He said it as a question, his speech sounded careless and indifferent, but over the past few months she had grown to know him. He was placating her sense of pride. Curse the man!

"I am certain." But she wasn't. The familiar tick in her blasted gloves began anew, the need to hold a pistol, the way her blood roared when she successfully bested her opponent. No! She could no longer put her family in such danger! Not when both her sisters were so blissfully happy.

Rosalind, her sister, had married the Duke of Montmouth. The man had rode in on his horse quite like a prince, sweeping Rosalind off her feet, or so he said time and time again when his wife wasn't listening.

And Isabelle, well, she had been kidnapped by her husband. Gwen had to admit to finding it terribly romantic. The great Beast of Russia, Dominique Maksylov, was said to possess no heart, yet he proved its existence daily when he doted on Isabelle. His music was currently all the rage throughout the country; a new dance had even been made in their honor.

Isabelle found it taxing and quite embarrassing. Dominique, however, never missed a dance. They had both re-entered into society a few months ago.

Blast. She couldn't even lie to herself in her head. It wasn't just a few months. It had been four months, one day, and by her calculations, four hours. She had done nothing short of jumping out the window, in order to clear her mind of the man who had dared pin her against the wall with his body.

All masculine hardness pressed against her until she'd thought she would expire on the spot. He was cold, heartless, yet so incredibly fearless, it had taken everything in her power to keep her wits about her, especially when he stole a kiss or two.

Pathetic that her first two kisses had been with a spy.

The most notorious spy in all of London.

Infamous rakehell, Hunter, the Wolf. Though to be fair, at the time, she had laughed in his face when he'd shared his identity. It was probably for the best, for it forced the man to put distance between them.

Hours after her meeting, Montmouth had discovered her at the inn, though he knew not of Hunter's identity. Gwen had assumed Hunter to be missing. That is, until days later when they were all happily brought together at Dominique Maksylov's estate, where her sister resided.

Surprise was not the word she would have used to describe the moment. Irritating? Provoking? Yes, those were adequate words, for the first thing Hunter had uttered under his breath when he brought her hand to his lips in a greeting was, "I'll kill you and not blink, if you reveal anything."

Imagine, the nerve of the man! As if she was not currently in the same predicament! She had been working for the Crown for months without her family's knowledge! At the time of her initial dealings with the War Office, she could have walked the streets of London dressed as a footman and her mother wouldn't have batted an eye. Granted, it was later decided she was quite mad, but still.

Gwen shook the memories from her head, allowing the feel of the Wolf's kiss to dissolve into her subconscious, though she knew it would be back and she'd yet again want his hands on her, regardless of propriety or the fact that every time he opened his mouth she imagined shooting him with her pistol.

"My lady?" Mr. Wilkins cleared his throat again. "Have you been listening to anything at all? Apologies, but I've never seen you so distracted."

Distracted, hah! Overheated? Well… Gwen gave the man a tight smile. "As I've said before, I no longer wish to endanger myself or my family."

"Alright, well. Off you go."

"Pardon?" Gwen nearly tipped over from the shock. "Aren't you going to try to convince me? Offer me more money? Make me feel guilty for not protecting my country and all that?"

"No." He shook his head. "Good day to you."

"But..."

Mr. Wilkins gave an exasperated sigh. "What is it you want? Do you want me to grovel? For I will not do it. Another agent, the one who is to be your partner, will just have to go at it alone. Not that I doubt his ability to do so, but his cover has long ago been blown, making it increasingly difficult for him to do his job."

"Partner? Another agent?"

"But of course. This was to be a covert operation, my lady. After all, the Season is underway, and the exact place I need you to infiltrate is the one you were born into."

"The Season? You want me to…" Gwen searched for the correct word. "Debut?"

"In a word, yes. But that will be all. I cannot tell you too much, my dear, for you've already said no. The Wolf will no doubt find success sooner without a woman by his side—"

"—I accept!" Gwen shouted.

"What of your family? Hmm? Their safety? Your own personal morals and ethics and…"

Gwen rolled her eyes. She couldn't very well curse her family to perdition, not when she was already certain the Wolf would be there. Truly it would be an unkindness to her flesh and blood. Though at this moment, all she cared about was proving to the man that she was his equal as a spy, in every way. "I care for my family a great deal," she said demurely. "However, I am finding the idea that any sort of danger could befall them during the Season appalling, and for that reason, and that alone, I will accept this mission." Well, that reason and the interesting fact that she would be working alongside the man who haunted her dreams every night.