Page 37 of Wicked Wolf

She growled again, her wolf rising to the surface. “My birth parents died protecting our Pack. I wouldn’t count that as lucky. Now if you’re here to fight me because you’re a jealous little pup, fine. I’ll fight you and win, but this isn’t a dominance challenge. I’m stronger than all of you, and you know it. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here as a group. You’ll deal with the consequences of fighting outside a match if you provoke me.”

The first Talon snorted. “Running back to Mommy and Daddy Alpha? Some wolf you are.”

She snarled. “Fuck off, Talons. I thought we were trying to support trust. You call coming up on a lone wolf in neutral territory trust?”

The Talon wolf shrugged. “We trust some of you, but we don’t trust you. Witch. Your kind hurt Quinn and the entire Central Pack. We don’t like you.”

Freaking bigots.

“What’s going on here?” Quinn said as he came up from behind her.

He’d been downwind, so she hadn’t scented him. However, because her wolf wanted him so, she didn’t jump.

Thank the goddess.

“This is the wolf that used her powers,” the quietest Talon wolf said. “We want to make sure she doesn’t use them again. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

Gina let her wolf rise fully, and she growled, sending out her power. The three Redwoods opened their eyes, shocked, and then went to their knees.

They were not humans. They were wolves. One did not mess with a more dominant wolf. Witch or not.

She dismissed the Redwoods then turned to the Talons. She held open her palms and let a small spark arc through her. It lasted for only a moment, but it gave enough of a show to bring fear into the other wolves’ eyes.

Quinn growled and sent his wolf out. The Talons knelt, and she smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile.

“I’m a witch. Get over it. All of you.” She was talking to Quinn as well, but she refused to look at him. “I’m your dominant. I’m higher ranking. You don’t get to throw a fit because you don’t understand something. Ready to go on the attack here because you don’t like the family that took me in? Shame on all of you.” She turned to the Redwoods. “We’ll deal with you in the den. Now get the hell out of my face.”

They scurried away, and she knew she’d have to keep an eye on them.

“Same with you three. Go to Mitchell.” The three other wolves whimpered then ran toward their den.

When they were alone, Gina sighed and relaxed then stiffened again once she remembered why she and Quinn were meeting.

“What was that about?” Quinn asked.

Gina turned to him and raised a brow. “That was about bigotry and ignorance. We have witches in our den, but not many since there aren’t many witches out there in the first place. Not everyone trusts them because of what happened with the Centrals all those years ago. It’s getting better, but it takes time. As for me personally? They don’t like me because they think I got my power through luck.”

Quinn snarled. “Luck? Your parents fucking died. That’s not luck. That’s a twist of fate that kicks you in the nuts.”

She snorted despite herself. “Eloquent.” She sobered then met his gaze. “I meant what I said about my blood. I’m a witch, Quinn. That’s never going to change.”

He nodded, his face solemn. “I know. For what it’s worth, Gina, I’m sorry for saying what I did.”

The words were nice, but his original words couldn’t be erased. “But not what you felt.”

He ran a hand over his head. “I don’t know what I feel. And before you think I’m here only because of what Walker said, you’re wrong. I felt like an asshole as soon as I said the words. No matter what happened to me before, that doesn’t make it your fault. I do have issues with witches. But in reality, I have issues with one witch. And with Helena, for that matter. I shouldn’t put my own faults and past issues on your shoulders. That was wrong of me.”

She didn’t say anything; she wasn’t sure she could. While what he said should have made her feel better, she couldn’t allow herself to forget. To forgive. For all she knew, he was only saying this because he wanted her to save his son.

That was the problem with being broken by the one person who was supposed to treasure you above all else. She couldn’t trust his intentions. Couldn’t trust any feelings he might have for her now or one day in the future. Ironic since they’d been brought together to find trust and understanding in the first place.

Yet she would mate with him anyway.

Apparently, she was a glutton for punishment.

“I’m glad you said that, but I don’t know if I believe it.” She might not trust him, but she would be honest, no matter what. It was the one way she could live through this.

He flinched but nodded. “I understand. I don’t deserve anything you could do for me, Gina.”