Chapter 10 #3
“You’re not Pack, Helena,” Gideon growled, and she flinched. “You made sure of that when you not only cut the connection between your mate and son, but you severed Pack ties.”
Helena let her tears fall, yet Quinn felt nothing for her. He squeezed Gina’s hand, trying to put his thoughts and feelings into that one motion. She didn’t squeeze back.
“I made a mistake all those years ago,” Helena said, her voice cracking.
Quinn growled but stopped when Gideon shot him a look.
“What was your mistake? Using dark magic to do something so taboo that no one has ever done it before or since? Or maybe it was almost killing Quinn because of your selfishness? Hmm? Oh, I know...it was when you almost killed your newborn baby because you couldn’t handle it.
Instead of coming to me or any of us, you ran away and broke away form the Pack.
You betrayed us. You betrayed your son. You betrayed your mate. You betrayed yourself.”
Quinn sucked in a breath at his Alpha’s words. Damn, Gideon was pissed and yet was saying everything that had rolled through Quinn’s head countless times.
“I’m sorry,” Helena whimpered.
“She made a mistake, Gideon,” Shannon crooned. “Every wolf is allowed to make a mistake. She wasn’t banished back then, so it must not have been too bad.”
Quinn’s eyes boggled, and Gina squeezed his hand.
“I want my mate back,” Helena said. “I want my son. I was out of my mind when I left, and now I know I’ve made mistakes, but I want my son and Quinn.
The moon goddess blessed us, and I can’t keep away from them any longer.
” She turned toward the rest of the Pack, pleading.
“I’m a mother. Can’t you see that? It was the witch who made me do what I did.
It was her power. I’m a victim just like Quinn and Jesse.
” She fell to her knees, her cheeks stained with tears.
“Please. Let me have my baby. Let me have my mate.”
“Unbelievable,” Quinn growled then pulled his gaze away from Helena to stare at Gina. “Don’t believe her. She’s lying.”
Gina met his eyes and sighed. “A witch couldn’t have taken the threat between your souls without Helena’s free will. At least that’s what I think, but she’s here now, Quinn. Wouldn’t she be better for Jesse in terms of the bond than me?”
Quinn growled and opened his mouth, but Shannon beat him to the punch.
“Quiet, Redwood,” she snapped. “You’re here to see the mate Quinn should have had. Don’t you see that you’re hurting a bond that came before you?”
“Back off,” Quinn said, his voice low.
“Know your place, wolf,” Shannon snapped.
“Quiet. All of you.” Gideon raked his claws over the stone pillar in front of him, and Quinn held back a wince. The Alpha was pissed. “Gina and Quinn are mated now, Helena. You’re too late. And even if you’d come earlier, you broke everything you could have had. It’s over.”
“Not so fast, Alpha,” Shannon interrupted.
“Excuse me?” Gideon said, his voice a whip.
“Quinn mated both of them. This isn’t a trinity bond or a full threesome or that would be one thing. No, this is unprecedented. Technically, the moon goddess chose both Gina and Helena. We need to see how this plays out.”
“Fuck no,” Quinn yelled. “I have a mate now. Fuck Helena and fuck whatever you think you’re doing.”
“Quinn,” Gina whispered, pulling on his hand. “Don’t yell at the elders.”
“I’ll yell at whoever I want to. They can’t tell me who to mate.”
Shannon smiled, and chills slid down his back. “Oh. I believe I can. Or at least I can provide the way. You see, since you’ve mated both of them, that’s a sign of indecision. And you know what must happen when someone can’t decide between two mates.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Gideon snapped. “A mating circle? You want Gina and Helena to fight in a mating circle?”
Shannon nodded. “Yes. It’s the way of the wolves. You can’t change the laws, Alpha.” She narrowed her eyes. “Though I know you’ve tried.”
Quinn pulled Gina to his side, wrapping his arm around her. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she put her arm around his waist. His wolf nudged at her, wanting to scent her and make sure everyone knew she was his.
“You can’t make them fight,” Quinn said, trying to keep calm. This couldn’t be happening. This was ridiculous. “I’m mated to Gina. We have a bond. You can’t force her to fight for me when she already has me.”
Shannon shook her head. “We’ve never had a case like this before, meaning we must follow the laws that closely resemble it. Helena has a chance to be your mate, meaning she must fight for it. Bonds, as we’ve seen, can be broken when, I mean if, she wins.”
Did the elder really hate the new generation of wolves enough that she wanted to break him again? What the hell was going on?
“Gideon. Do something.”
His Alpha glared at Shannon then faced Quinn. “I can’t make up new laws on the spot, Quinn. Since the elders are forcing a mating circle, then it will have to be done.” He narrowed his eyes. “This will not be happening again though.”
“Well, bully for the next person,” he spat. “What about now? I’m not forcing her to fight for me.”
“There’s nothing I can do,” Gideon whispered, looking for all the world as though the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear.
And what if she didn’t fight?
What if she left him standing there and broke the bond? Not only would it break him if she left, but it could hurt Jesse as well.
Damn Helena.
Damn himself.
If Gina didn’t fight for him, he’d lose everything…everything he hadn’t known he wanted.