Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Gina’s pulse pounded in her ears, and she had to struggle to breathe. It didn’t make any sense. None of this made any sense. She wasn’t even a freaking Talon, and now she had to follow an elder’s proclamation or risk losing the mating bond she’d just found in the first place.
Holy hell, what was she going to do?
Quinn put his hands on her hips and brought her back to his front. She shuddered out a breath, letting his scent wash over her. Her wolf was beyond in love with the wolf behind her and knew that they should be together through thick and thin.
The woman was more hesitant.
She’d had to be.
Quinn put his mouth to her ear, his breath sending warm shock waves down her body—soothing yet putting her near a new kind of edge.
“Let’s get out of the circle and head back to my place. We can talk then.”
She nodded but didn’t turn, afraid that once she looked at him she’d give in and fight for a man who might not want her.
He led her to his home, ignoring people calling for them.
She didn’t want to talk to anyone but Quinn.
She wasn’t weak, but goddess, things kept piling up, and she didn’t know how she was going to deal with it.
She just needed to stop and think about every detail then lead with her mind, not with her heart.
If she could.
When they walked into his home, she relaxed marginally and pulled away.
“Gina.”
She looked up at Quinn, at the sound of his deep voice.
“Your former mate is a bitch.” Her eyes widened at what slipped out, but she didn’t regret it.
She was done holding herself back. Done treading lightly to save someone else pain…
to save herself pain. All it had done was put her in a position where she was going to be hurt anyway—emotionally and physically.
Quinn blinked then snorted. “Yeah. She is.” He reached out and cupped her face. The calluses on his thumbs brushed her skin, and she shivered.
She loved this man.
Loved the way he protected what was his, loved the way he threw himself into everything he did. Loved the way he was as dominant as an Alpha, but stepped aside when he needed to.
He was a wolf that made her feel safe yet let her fight for herself at the same time.
She loved the man as well, not just the wolf. Quinn had done what he’d promised he’d never do—mate another. He was ready to willingly leave his Pack for her and his son.
She saw the nobility in that…even if she was scared that he wanted Helena back. It didn’t make any sense, and it killed her that she was being so insecure, but she couldn’t help it.
“What are you thinking about so hard, Gina?” he asked, his voice low.
She narrowed her eyes at him and pulled back. “What do you think? God, Quinn. Your elder wants me to fight for my life in a mating circle so I can have the right to mate you. I’m already mated to you. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Quinn growled low. “No. It doesn’t. That bitch Shannon has a vendetta against Gideon and everyone associated with him. She’s using every rule or half rule she can to find a way to hurt us. I’m so sorry you’re being thrown in the middle of it.”
“I…I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she whispered. It hurt that she couldn’t just come out and say she wanted this mating. She was being a coward, and that’s not how she was raised.
Melanie and Kade had been through a mating circle during their initial mating.
Everything had turned out all right eventually.
For a moment, she thought about calling her parents just to hear them, but stopped herself.
This was between her and Quinn—and the rest of the Pack.
She needed to learn to do things on her own—at least for now.
Quinn looked hurt for a moment then sighed.
He took her hand in his and traced a finger along her palm.
She shuddered a breath at the contact, wanting more.
The mating urge between them rode her hard, and it clouded her thoughts.
It didn’t help that they hadn’t made love since the first night.
In fact, last night was the first time she’d truly felt as though he wanted something more… then Helena had shown up.
“I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.” He met her gaze, his finger still tracing her palm. “I already made you mate with me for Jesse when you didn’t want to. I’m not going to do that again.”
Her wolf growled, and she wanted to do the same. “You’re saying you can just sever the bond if I walk away? It’ll be that easy for you?”
His eyes glowed gold, and he let go of her hand only to grip her upper arms and bring her to his chest.
“It will kill me to let you go. Don’t you get that? I don’t want to lose you because of a stupid technicality.”
Her heart raced, but she couldn’t let him off the hook. She didn’t know what he wanted, and until he was honest with the both of them, she couldn’t make another mistake.
“You won’t lose me because of that. You’ll lose me because you didn’t want me in the first place.”
Quinn cursed and lowered his forehead to hers.
“Gina, damn it. I’m not doing this right.
I don’t want you to fight Helena. I don’t want Helena.
I want you. If things had been different, if I hadn’t mated with her in the first place, there would have been no doubt in my mind. I would have mated you in a heartbeat.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. Her throat went dry, and she tried to swallow. “But all of that did happen. And you got Jesse out of the deal.”
He sighed. “Jesse’s the most important thing in my life. You know that. Hell, you mated with me because of that. Gina, you’re also right up there. You should have been up there in the first place, but I was too blind to see it.”
She pulled back and stared up at him. “What are you saying, Quinn?”
He cupped her face, his eyes bright. “I don’t want you to fight Helena because I’ve already made my choice.
You’re it for me, Gina. I don’t want another mate.
I want you. I want your strength, your heart, your loyalty, your beauty.
I want it all. I’m a selfish bastard for wanting all of that without showing you that I’m a better man than I have been, but I can’t help it.
I love you, Gina. I want that forever that our bond promised, even if we tried to hide it. ”
She froze, her brain going in a hundred different directions. “Quinn…”
His thumb caressed her cheek. “I know I went against the rules and fell in love with you, but I’ve never been good at following the rules when it comes to you. If I could take you and Jesse and run away from the Pack, I would, but I can’t. We all need the bonds we’ve made. Our Pack needs us.”
Tears slid down her cheeks, and he brushed them away. “You…you weren’t supposed to love me. We said we wouldn’t. We said we’d mate for Jesse, and that was it.”
He nodded, the frown on his face making her ache. “I know. I will never be able to repay you for doing what you did to save Jesse’s life, but I want to find a way to make this work between us. Fate might have put us together, but I want to be the one who helps keep us together.”
She licked her lips, her wolf nudging at her to kiss her mate and seal the promise. She couldn’t though. She couldn’t think. It was all too much, and she couldn’t believe it was real.
His face fell, and he took a step back. “But I understand if you don’t want me.
I don’t deserve it. Jesse should be fine if we have to switch over the bond to Helena.
” His face looked like he sucked a raw lemon.
“God, I hate that woman, but if you need to find yourself a mate you could love, one that you can fight for, I’ll step back.
I’m not going to go all Alpha on you and force you to love me. You deserve more than that.”
Then he did something that truly awed her.
He lowered his head and bared his neck, giving her the upper hand, the dominance.
That this man would do this…she couldn’t take it anymore.
She took two steps and cupped his face, forcing his gaze to hers.
“Never bow to me, Quinn. You’re a proud wolf, and you should remain that way.
I was only hesitating because things are going so fast. I love you too.
I know I shouldn’t have fallen for you, but I couldn’t help it.
I want to know everything about you and fall in love with those parts too.
Do you get that? I want you, Quinn, not some other fictional wolf I’ve never met. ”
He let out a breath and smiled, his eyes glowing with his wolf. “Gina…”
She smiled back then kissed his chin. “We’re so freaking stupid, aren’t we?”
He snorted then shook his head. “We’re stupid for each other, that’s for sure.
I should have told you how I felt last night.
In fact, I was working my way up to it, and then everything changed.
” His face sobered. “I don’t want you to have to fight in a mating circle, but with the way the Pack is right now, I don’t see a way out. ”
She grinned. “I’ll kick her ass, Quinn. I was never worried about losing. She’s nothing compared to me. I was only worried that you didn’t want me to win.”
“I want you, Gina. All of you. Forever. Got me?”
She reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling her to him. “Yep. Now you’ve got me.”
He pressed his lips to hers, and she opened for him, tangling her tongue with his.
She moaned into him, gripping his shoulder with her free hand, wanting more of him.
He pulled back, nipping at her lips, then her chin and neck.
When she pressed her body tight against him, he growled then gripped her ass in his hands.
He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting him, craving him.
She licked and nipped at his skin, running her hands over his face, his shoulders, his back. He massaged her ass, rocking his hard cock along her pussy. Her body ached and warmed, wanting him inside her.