Page 36 of Wicked Wolf

She’d used that inner flame to help Heal Jesse, and yet that magic hadn’t been enough to save him fully.

No, that would only come from a bond. At least that’s what people thought. Hannah and Walker had spent months working on a plan behind Quinn’s back so they wouldn’t get his hopes up, and now the plan seemed to be a potential mate.

Her.

She swallowed hard.

Even three days ago, she’d have leapt headfirst into the mating without a second thought. Fate and the moon goddess would provide for her, and she would come out ahead, with a mate and child that she could cherish…and would cherish her.

Now she wouldn’t have that.

She’d put her heart on the line to talk with Quinn about what could happen before she’d known the full extent of Jesse’s illness, and she’d come back shattered. Quinn didn’t want her. He wanted nothing to do with another woman since the one he’d loved had almost killed him in every way possible. He especially wanted nothing to do with a witch considering how Helena had been able to leave him and Jesse.

The fact that Quinn had been desperate enough to save his son that he’d allowed not only Hannah, but Gina as well, into his home to perform magic was not lost on her.

Quinn would do anything for his son.

Including mate the one person he refused to want.

Her.

She sucked in a breath and looked down at her hands. Mating was supposed to be full of love, hope, and promise. Not dread and loss. She was going to mate with Quinn because it was the right thing to do, the only thing to do, and yet it would kill her.

Her wolf nudged at her, and she closed her eyes. Her wolf desperately wanted Quinn and his wolf, and now her wolf would be happy.

At least as happy as she could be within Gina.

Gina would sacrifice her happiness and be in a loveless mating to save Quinn’s son.

She couldn’t not do it.

But she wasn’t sure she knew who she’d become at the other end of it.

The scent of six unfamiliar wolves filled her nostrils, and her wolf went on alert. She opened her eyes and felt around with her senses to figure out where the scents were coming from. When she inhaled again, she relaxed, but only marginally.

Three were Redwoods while the other three were Talons—however, her wolf didn’t trust them. There was something about the way they came upon her alone on neutral territory that set her on edge.

When the six came out from the cover of trees, she raised her chin. She didn’t recognize three of the males. The other three looked familiar, but she didn’t know them well. They were all older than her, but lower in rank. Though they lived in an age where women were treated as equals in some respects, wolves, older wolves in particular, had a problem with strong female leaders.

She’d been in more than one dominance fight to prove her worth, and from the tension in the air, she might just have to do that again. The fact that the Talons and Redwoods were working together might have made her happy later, considering she was a leader on the council, but right then, she needed to focus on what was happening in front of her.

“What can I do for you?” she asked, her voice calm. She didn’t let her wolf rise to the surface, but she was there, just in case.

The largest Talon wolf stepped forward, and she bristled. “I heard you used your powers to save the little boy.”

She didn’t frown, but it was close. This was about her powers? Well, shit.

“Yes. You heard correctly.” She wouldn’t lie to them, but she had a feeling she needed to be careful.

“We always knew you were a witch and a wolf, but you never showed your powers,” one of the Redwoods said.

“I don’t know if I like the fact that you don’t know what you’re doing with your fire power, and yet you’re touching our children,” one of the other Talons put in.

She growled. “I don’t know if I care what you like, wolf.”

The six came closer, forming a horseshoe around her. Silly wolves. She could take all six of them down, and they knew it. However, if they worked together, it would prove a challenge.

“You’re not in control of your powers, and you think you’re better than us because you got lucky enough to get adopted,” a Redwood said.