He was off the bed before she could gasp, bedding flung aside as he stalked towards her with an intent that made Quinn’s knees turn to water. Arm circling her, pulling her tight against his side, the near black of his gaze scrutinized the shadows before running along her body. Narrowing as they took in the pale sticks of her legs glowing in the dim light coming through the windows.
“I-I thought… baby…” Tongue fat and heavy, the words felt gritty as she stammered them out. Panic settled into her bones and made her tremble.
Quinn forced herself to swallow the shrill whine when he curled his body around her and pulled her away from the door. Trying not to stumble as he led her back to the bed, feet heavy as they ached to turn back, to run for some escape she was only imagining to begin with. Lifted with ease, he tucked her back into the bed and pulled the covers snug to her chin.
“I’ll get them.” His dark gaze raked over her again, pausing on the length of her legs once more before he traced their steps back to the door. Grabbing a robe from the closet door, he slung it around his shoulders and left.
“Fuck,” Quinn whispered to the darkness once the quiet padding of his footsteps faded far enough away.
****
“Is everything all right, sir?”
Tobias stopped outside of the nursery, shoulders tensing before he picked Curtis out of the gloomy shadows of the hallway. He hadn’t even realized the other man was there, caught unaware by Curtis’ presence. That shouldn’t have happened. Releasing a pent up breath in a sigh, Tobias leaned against the frame to peer at Curtis as he drew nearer. Worry creased the lines of Curtis’ face, etching deep into his umber skin, drawing his mouth into a grimace.
“Fine. She wants them.” A flick of his wrist sent fingers towards the closed door, indicating the two sleeping children. Letting the edge of his frustration show, he canted his chin at Curtis. “And why are you slinking around in the dark?”
“We have a shipment to get to David Vaughn tomorrow. I’ve been organizing the warehouse runs and drivers.”
There was no mistaking the rough edged aggravation and murky disgust of the situation in his tone. Promises had been made and now had to be seen to. So many obligated tithes to the Alphas whose territories he had invaded with a veritable army at his back. Upsetting the delicate balance of the lives they all led, one where the imaginary lines of social niceties were dependent on them all agreeing to pretend they existed in the first place. He’d been so consumed with Quinn that he’d forgotten all about them.
A mistake that could have cost him much more than a few crates of drugs and a handful of women if Curtis hadn’t been there.
Swiping a hand over the rough stubble on his jaw, Tobias let loose another hard exhale. A quick nod of understanding handed over in something too close to defeat.
“Rey was able to find enough girls?”
“No, he wasn’t,” Curtis said, jacket straining over bulging muscle as he leaned on the wall opposite. Presenting a casual air with a form that was anything but, he stared hard at Tobias. “We had to call in favors from others. The new woman who took over Rippin’s position, she took up most of the slack.”
“A woman?” If there was a laugh there, it was dusty and atrophied. Locked away for too long. “Those idiots let a woman take them over?”
“She’s an Alpha and appears to be settling in all right. She’s been working at acquiring better quality for some time and has improved Rippin’s stable. Willing to work with us more than Rippin ever was.”
“You need to stop saying that name now.”
“This endeavor is going to cost us much more than it already has, sir.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then I hope she makes it worth it,” Curtis said, meeting the challenge that flared in Tobias’ gaze. “It’s no different than when she left.”
“Much like you, she will see the error in her ways when I decide I’ve had enough. Goodnight, Curtis.”
“Goodnight, sir.”
Without another word, Tobias went into the nursery, plucking his slumbering children from their cribs. Quieting their murmured complaints, he took them back to his bedroom. Quinn remained wide eyed, listless until he settled the babies beside her. Only then did she react, flowing into motion that had to have hurt, pulling them close and curling around their warm little bodies.
Refusing to let out another sigh tonight, he tugged on a pair of shorts and tossed his robe over a chair. Sliding back into bed, he clenched his jaw and gripped her hip harder when she tried to cringe away.
She was his mate, and by the Gods, she would start acting like it.
Chapter 14
Quinn pushed the small mounds of food around her plate, rearranging them for the umpteenth time. Deciding on a triangle pattern this time, she glanced at Elise and Adam. Both were covered in orange, somehow even managing to get it in their hair.
“Hold it the other way, sweetheart,” she murmured, letting her fork clatter to the porcelain as she righted his vivid green dinosaur spoon. “Might get some in your mouth that way.”
Adam’s cheeks puffed with a proud smile as he made even more of a mess smearing his food around the matching plate. He did, however, manage to get some of it into his mouth, and so she hummed and smiled her approval. Didn’t even care when Elise grabbed at her shirt and smeared it with what was supposed to be carrots and apples.
