Page 23 of Wicked Wolf

With that, she left, and he stood there, his head lowered.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Quinn,” Walker growled. “First, you’re lucky Jesse is out cold. Second? I didn’t know you were so cruel. You broke her.”

Quinn had forgotten Walker was there but didn’t turn to face the other man.

“Just go,” he whispered.

“I knew Helena scarred you, but shit, Quinn, you can’t let her ruin your future.”

Quinn growled and let his power roll through the room. Walker didn’t bow. Instead, the Healer pushed his own power back.

Quinn staggered and lowered his head.

“Yeah, I’m higher ranking than you. Get over it, asshole,” Walker cursed. “If Kade ever finds out what you said to her, he’ll kill you, and we’ll end up in another war. That’s politics and family.” He sighed. “You’re my friend, Quinn, but the man I just saw isn’t the man I know, the man I’m friends with. That man is not Jesse’s father. Remember that.”

Walker stormed out of the house, and Quinn sank to the floor, his head in his hands. Walker was right. He had been an asshole to Gina. He hadn’t meant to lash out like he had, and now he’d hurt her more than he’d ever meant to.

The only thing he knew was that he hadn’t deserved Helena, and he damn well didn’t deserve Gina. She’d find another wolf to mate and find her happiness.

She wasn’t for Quinn.

He wasn’t for her.

He didn’t deserve anything.

Chapter Five

The ground beneath her feet gave way, and Gina fell on her knees. Rocks and twigs dug into her skin, and dirt covered her palms as she knelt on all fours, determined not to break.

Though hadn’t she already broken?

Her limbs ached, but not as much as her heart.

She’d made it to the den, through the wards, and couldn’t keep going.

She didn’t even like Quinn, yet he’d hurt her in a way she never thought possible.

She’d known he might not want to mate with her. That was to be expected. They didn’t know each other that well and hadn’t gotten off on the right foot. It wasn’t as though she was expecting a mating mark and for him to jump her right there.

Even she hadn’t been ready for that.

But she’d thought he might actually talk to her about it.

God, how wrong she’d been.

She licked her lips and forced herself to sit down rather than kneel. He’d had a mate; she’d known that. After all, how else would he have Jesse?

She’d assumed that Jesse’s mother had died though. Wolves were not like humans. They couldn’t cheat on each other. What would be the point? Their bodies didn’t want another and their hearts sure as hell didn’t. Their souls were eternally entwined once both parts of the mating were locked into place.

Or, at least, that’s how it was supposed to be.

Once that happened, wolves couldn’t feel other potentials out in the world. That would be irrevocably cruel. Fate might be a tricky bitch, but she wasn’t cruel.

Well, maybe she was.

When she’d figured out the tug and pull she felt with Quinn was the mating urge, she’d thought his mate was dead. That had to have been the only way for her to feel that energy.

She’d known it wouldn’t be easy. She’d heard stories of her uncle Adam and the pain he’d felt and caused because of his first mate, Anna. When she’d been killed, he’d put up a stone wall between him and the world. When Bay had come into his life and torn down that wall, it hadn’t been a road paved with flowers.