Chapter 55
Chapter Fifty-Five
QUINN
He’s tucked in so tightly, I have to pry his arms from his head, but as soon as I get one arm free, he looks up. His expression goes from absolute terror to pure relief and joy in one heartbeat.
We don’t bother talking; we hold on to each other for dear life, and I keep on crying.
Roshka parks his butt behind me, keeping me safe, while Nalla shoves her face between Marco and me. She doesn’t let up until we’re forced apart, and then she’s licking his face.
He laughs before he starts demanding answers. It’s hard to understand what he’s saying because he has to sign around Nalla. She refuses to move and drops her head down, slightly snarling in warning and staring at me in challenge whenever I try to move her.
Aleksei barks at her from outside the bushes before he barges into the small space, telling her to move. She ignores his command, too, getting more protective the more we tell her to move.
But seeing a male he doesn’t know, fear coats Marco’s features.
“He is a good man, Marco. I promise, he is going to look after us. He is my Alpha.” I talk a mile a minute. My signing is a jumbled mess because I’m a jumbled mess.
And because it’s Aleksei, and this man doesn’t understand the word patience, instead of giving Marco time to adjust to the concept of a safe male near us, he pushes Roshka over and kneels next to me.
He holds his phone in one hand, the flashlight helping us see, and holds his hand out to shake Marco’s and starts talking.
“She is my wife. I’m lucky, huh? But apparently now even luckier because she did not tell me how strong and brave her brother was.
And since Quinn is my wife, that means we are basically brothers. ”
Aleksei speaks exactly how you should when communicating with a deaf child. He talks clearly, and I sign everything he says.
Judging by the look on Marco’s face when Aleksei finishes, Marco understands, but he looks at me for confirmation.
“He is not the man I was going to marry. This one, we like a lot. He will look after us.”
“And Nalla is my dog, but now she looks like she wants to be your dog,” Aleksei says, more animated than usual.
I know it’s because he’s still picking up on Marco’s fear. Aleksei’s designation is riding him as hard as mine is. Which is to be expected, as is the crash that’s going to happen to me pretty soon.
“Come on,” I say to them both. “Let’s go back to the house. Deena is there, and she will want to see you, Marco.”
As soon as he learns Deena is okay, he latches on. He wraps around me like an octopus, burying his face in the crook of my neck. Except he stills because Aleksei makes a very Alpha noise. It’s so loud that it rumbles in the air like thunder, which is how Marco feels it.
Before I can explain, Marco switches sides, and the crisis is averted.
“You forgot to tell me, maya, you have a baby Alpha on your hands,” Aleksei growls softly against my ear as he starts dragging us out.
My pants are going to be ruined, but being pulled out is the only way, considering the way Marco won’t let go. Nalla isn’t helping, either, as she’s basically supergluing herself to Marco.
As soon as we’re free of the shrubs, Marco turns so he can keep an eye on Aleksei, and the two of them make no bones about sizing each other up. Their stare down is going as well as can be expected until Santiago appears.
Marco locks up again. I change how I’m holding him in my arms, so he can read what I’m saying. “That’s Santiago, he’s good too.”
Marco points at my face before looking back at Santiago. I get it. If Marco wasn’t in my arms, I’d be rushing over there to have a closer look at the split above his eye.
“I’m okay, bebe. I found the last man, and he won’t be running or hiding anymore.” Santiago stands where he is, and I go to him. As soon as we’re near enough, he bends down. “Hey, big guy, I’m Santiago. Your sister is kind of amazing, isn’t she?”
Like with Aleksei, Santiago doesn’t hold back from doing what he would normally do if we were alone, which is to come up and give me a kiss. There’s nothing sexual about the moment, nor is it done to provoke a reaction from Marco. If anything, it’s a show of how things will be.
“Marco, Aleksei is going to take you. Quinn is very tired, and I don't want her walking. I’m going to carry her back. Nalla is right here. No one will hurt you.” Santiago speaks in the same tone and manner Aleksei did, and it might be because they’re both Alphas and so is Marco, but despite not knowing either of my Alphas, he nods and goes to Aleksei without complaint.
Aleksei is not tentative in the way he holds Marco. His arms band around him, reassuring him on a different level—Alpha to Alpha—that Marco is safe. When Marco reaches for Nalla, I know we’re going to be okay.
Santiago sweeps me off my feet, and I can’t help the soft whine I make when I see his face. “I’m fine.”
“Fine isn’t that telling. No more getting hurt,” I growl as I sit up higher in his arms to get a better look at his cut. Even in the moonless night, it’s easy to see I’ll need my kit again. I reach over and kiss his cheek before souring our reunion. “And Pedro?”
“The prick had a few unsavory words, and color me surprised, I don’t like listening to cockheads trash-talking my wife.” Santiago is in a feral mood, now we’re alone. It whips around him like a tornado, and it needs an outlet. “He wasn’t walking away from our—”
“Your wife, huh?” I say, interrupting.
His eyes narrow as he looks down at me, his designation shining bright in them. “Bebe, did you just say that?”
We come to a complete stop as he continues to stare.
“Well, Santiago, there was no proposal, but also, I already have a ring. See?” I hold my hand up, nearly pushing the diamond monstrosity into his face.
“That fucking ring is…”
“I only brought it up because you were wasting our time talking about a piece of shit who should have died years ago. Let's not waste time on things that don’t matter. And for the record, I’m going to say yes.
” The gathering storm that was riding his ass, and changing his scent, dissipates in an instant.
He looks over his shoulder, checking where Aleksei is, then kisses me hard and dirty before throwing me over his shoulder and racing us inside.
I shut Marco’s door and walk quietly through the house, grabbing another tea on the way. We have comfortable chairs on the front porch, but the first stair is my spot. I return to sitting on Kade’s hoodie.
Setting my cup down beside me, I bundle my hair in a high ponytail, then use one of Aleksei’s ties as a ribbon. My hair’s annoying me today.
It’s early, the sun not yet visible above the trees.
I should be sleeping, like everyone else, but I’m wide awake, dealing with a rush of strange energy.
I can’t put my finger on what the issue is.
And part of that is probably because it’s not one issue—it’s a catalog of worries.
I can’t find the right place to start processing the turn of events.
I sit and stare for what feels like a long time, until I hear someone moving around. I hope my restlessness didn’t radiate through our bond, dragging one of my mates from their rest.
I twist around, expecting Kade, but it’s Deena. I launch up.
“Don’t,” she scolds under her breath. “You worry too much. I’m sore as hell, but you and I both know I’m fine.”
I let her fend for herself, despite my instincts screaming at me to help.
“Let me pull your chair over. You’re not doing that.” I lift the wicker seat.
Deena holds on to the railing while I shuffle her chair nearer. And then I help her into it, hearing a sigh of relief once she’s seated. I return inside and get a blanket and her tea, which she made but left on the counter.
“Did you get a new shirt?” she asks, pushing me away as I fuss around her. The blanket doesn’t seem to sit right.
“You want to talk about what I’m wearing?” I retort, though it’s without bite.
I look down at what she’s referring to because, in all honesty, I have no clue what I’m wearing. Ahh. Santiago’s business shirt and a pair of leggings.
We sit quietly after that. I want to ask her a hundred questions, but I think we both need the peace of the early morning more.
There’s something about this land that nurtures.
I know Deena feels the same because when the agent brought us here, we both got out of the car, turned to each other, and simply knew.
We signed that day with a move-in clause that meant they never left once everything was exchanged.
“This is what I needed,” she says quietly behind me, her face tipped back as she takes deep inhales of the crisp air. “I was worried I’d see our home differently. Weird, huh? Don’t ask how, but I knew Marco was safe. I also knew I was in trouble, but I kept promising myself this if I survived.”
Apologies burn on my tongue, but she doesn’t need me to apologize for things out of my control. I reach over and squeeze her foot, though my need to comfort barely abates.
I watch the view in front of me. “Do you need some more pain meds?”
“Not yet,” Deena answers quickly. “I still hate the way they make me feel. After all this time, you’d think I’d get over it, but I’d rather go through the suffering than be dragged to the place I invariably end up.”
“I get that. I’d never force you to take medication. Your healing is your own, but suffering won’t help.”
Her eyes stay closed, and I sense that she’s remembering why she won’t take the painkillers as her scent strays. Deena shakes her head, shutting down her memories. I know because she explained the process of how she copes.
“Marco seemed okay,” she says while blowing on her tea. Her eyes flit over the cup to mine, and they fill with a worry only a mother can have.
“Because he is. Do you remember him waking you up? I told him not to. I said he could sleep next to you, though.”