Concerns and questions waved aside, and Meghan refusing to acknowledge that anything was wrong as she fussed over the children, Quinn could offer nothing to solve whatever plagued her. Meghan’s smile was stiff, a stilted lilt in her tone as she whisked Adam and Elise off to be dressed and readied for breakfast, promising to see Quinn downstairs.
Hating the silence that echoed around her, she rushed through getting dressed. Armored herself in a silken dress shaded in soft blues and pinks to hold the gray misery at bay. The day was bright and warm, no hint of the storm lingering in lofty clouds in a vivid blue sky beyond her windows.
Popping one of the pills into her mouth to let it dissolve, Quinn made her way downstairs. Following Elise’s burbling laughter and Adam’s squeals of joy, she found them seated at the large dining table. Neat pile of cereal scattering as Elise grabbed the pieces up in strangling fistfuls, Adam scooped oatmeal into his mouth with intense concentration.
“Sit, Miss Quinn. I’ll get you something.” Meghan patted Quinn’s shoulder as she breezed past, humming a quiet tune under her breath. Steps light, she hurried to the kitchen.
“Guess she’s okay,” Quinn murmured to the kids as she collapsed into her chair, ignored in favor of their food.
Meghan reappeared, a tray piled high with eggs, fried potato cakes, and sausage accompanied by a bowl of oatmeal doctored with a liberal amount of maple syrup and brown sugar. Setting one of the plates and bowl in front of Quinn, Meghan’s lips spread wide in delighted exuberance.
“I’d almost forgotten that Mr. Kahler said the new medication helped. You’ve taken it, yes?”
“Yeah, I did,” Quinn said, distracted by the sight of so much food. She’d puked after the whole ordeal the day before, and despite the grayed edges of the world and the way her limbs felt leaden, she wanted to try again.
Brandishing her fork, Quinn took the first bite and would have spit it back out had Meghan not watched on with avid interest, which caught the attention of both Adam and Elise. With all three staring, she couldn’t get the thick glob of putrid muck from her tongue other than to swallow it. Slimy and hard, it quivered at the back of her throat before plummeting down into her stomach where she swore she heard it plunk.
Aghast at the differences between her cheeseburger just the day before and simple eggs, Quinn didn’t know what was wrong with her. If it was that Tobias wasn’t near, what had happened, if there was something new and awful wrong with her. Brimming with her frustration, she picked at the meal with all the gusto of the condemned as Meghan smiled and nodded in satisfaction. All of them seeming unaware of what turmoil festered within her.
It would of course end the way it had all along.
Huddled over the toilet, Quinn gagged. The steady rush of bile burned her sinuses, eyes watering as she choked. It seemed to take forever before her stomach grew as quiet as it ever did these days. Blind fingers fumbling, she grabbed hold of the handle and flushed her misery away, squeezing her eyes shut so as not to see it swirling down the drain.
Hauling her body up by handholds on nearby fixtures, she gained her feet. Weak as a newborn foal, she shuffled to the sink. Even the thought of her berry flavored toothpaste made her shudder and cringe, but if she had to taste those awful mashed potatoes a third time, she would vomit again on principle alone.
Quinn faced off with her reflection in the mirror, swearing she could see herself turning green as she reached for her toothbrush.
Frowning, she leaned closer and swiped at her chin. Bringing her fingers up, she stared at the dark brown flecks. What on earth had she eaten? Pulling a face of disgust, she turned the water on and washed her hands and face. Reaching for her toothbrush, she steeled herself for the pungent flavor.
She felt him. A surge of violence and resolve pounded through her. Knocked her knees loose, making her cling to the cold stone to stay upright. Before the front door could even slam shut, she felt him storming through the house. Intent, purposeful.
Stalking his prey.
Stomach twisting, another violent cramp seized her middle. Turning towards the toilet again, Quinn’s strangled shriek echoed back at her as she crashed to her knees. A rush of slick wet her thighs, soaking through her skirt, filling the room with its candied sweetness.
“There’s my little bird.”
Head swinging around, she stared wide eyed at him as he stalked closer. Tie gone, his vest flapped open as he tugged at his shirt. Buttons popped free to clatter against the tile as he jerked it open.
“Something’s not right,” Quinn said in a rush, words slamming together in a single breath as she crawled away.
The call was too loud, too harsh. It clawed down her back, twisting her spine as she stammered out a panicked cry. There was no stopping the river of slick that poured out for him, enticing him.
“Wait! It’s not right, something’s wrong,” Quinn screamed, but he was already tearing at her clothes. Ripping the silky cloth away to leave her sprawled naked on the tiles.
Pawing at her, pushing and pulling as his nails scraped over delicate skin, he got Quinn to her knees. Covered her back, shoving the reverberation of his growl against her neck.
Thick, heavy, he split her open as he buried his cock to the hilt in one painful thrust. His gratified moan snared on her shriek of pain.
She wasn’t ready. There was no dulling of her senses, no lack of pain as he rutted her with violent slaps of his hips against her upturned ass. Her screams were nothing but agony.
“Mine,” he roared, dragging her up against him as he sat back.
Chapter Eight
Trembling under his weight, Quinn tried not to flinch from the growl that prickled her skin. Blood still oozed from where her stitches pulled free the last time she shifted in an attempt to find a more comfortable position while his knot felt as if it tore her apart.
He was far beyond reason, not listening to any of her pleas and cries to stop. When words failed, she tried to do whatever it was she’d done to bring him to his knees through the bond, but even that only enraged him further.
