Page 44 of Wicked Wolf

She froze then lifted her hips. “Next time,” she repeated.

He pumped in and out of her slowly, watching her eyes darken as she rose over the crest. Right when he was about to come, she tilted her head and bared her neck.

“Mark me,” she whispered.

His fangs lengthened, and he growled before lowering his head at the perfect angle so she could mark him as well. He never quit moving, never quit remembering that he was deep inside the woman fate had chosen for him despite his rejection.

He scored her neck before taking a deep breath.

“Quinn. Just do it. Please.”

He licked the part of her neck that met her shoulder then closed his eyes. When he bit down, sliding through the skin, he shook. His wolf howled, rejoicing in the bond forming. He thrust his cock twice more within her before he came, her inner walls clenching around him as she did the same. He turned his head to the side, letting Gina mark him as hers. Her fangs slid into him, the pain nothing compared to the sweet ecstasy roaring through him.

The bond between them snapped into place so hard he felt as though he would break. It wove around their souls like a fire burst before flaring like a golden thread, unbending, unbroken.

The spot in his heart that had been dead, so cold for so long, warmed and filled with the essence that was all Gina. His wolf howled, practically prancing at the thought of Gina’s wolf forever in his life.

He pulled his mouth away from her then licked the wound closed, his body shaking. When he moved to look into her eyes, he knew he’d never be the same.

Tears marked her cheeks, and she paled at the sight of him. When he moved to brush them away, she turned from him, leaving him wanting…yet not empty.

No, he’d never be empty again, not with Gina as his mate.

She’d mated with him for Jesse, yet it was Quinn who had come out ahead.

Their lives were forever connected, yet he didn’t deserve it. She’d given up everything she could have had with another mate, and yet he could offer her nothing but his bond and promise to try not to hurt her again.

He didn’t deserve Gina.

He didn’t deserve anything.

Chapter Nine

Gina took two steps into her new home on Redwood Pack land and didn’t feel the urge to run away. That was something, at least.

It had been two weeks since she’d mated with Quinn, and she still didn’t know what she was doing. Sure, she saw him every day, but it wasn’t like they talked about how they were feeling.

How was she supposed to do that when she didn’t know what she was feeling herself? On one hand, she hated the fact that they’d both only mated to protect a boy who couldn’t protect himself.

On the other, she couldn’t help but want the man who had taken her and bonded with her. When she looked under the layers of hurt and pain, she saw the man he had once been, or at least the man she could admire and crave now. He wasn’t a bad man, a bad wolf. No, he was loyal, fierce, and innately stoic. Yet those outer layers had hurt her and prevented him from ever feeling for her the want she needed in a true bond.

She was just so freaking confused, yet she couldn’t stop and think about it. There was too much to do. The council had come back together, and while they tried to ignore the fact that their leaders were now mated, it was hard to do.

She and Quinn hadn’t told anyone why they had mated, and most people thought it was because they wanted to, because they loved one another, not because of the true reason. Only her family and Quinn’s friends had guessed, but she hadn’t told them the truth.

She didn’t want people to judge her or even Jesse for her decision. After all, she’d mated for the life of Jesse, not for love. She’d been the one to make it, so now she was the one who was going to have to live with it.

The council was working hard with the maternals and sentries to make their plans for having the two Packs work together actually happen. Gina hoped everything worked out and that the moon goddess gave them a break, but she honestly didn’t know anymore.

It didn’t help that she had no idea what to say to Quinn. They talked work, Pack issues, and Jesse, but that was it. They didn’t talk about feelings or emotions, but she didn’t think they could yet. Their bond was still too fresh, too new. She could feel him on the other side of the bond as well as her wolf could, and it scared her. If she looked too closely, she might get burned, and she couldn’t afford that.

So, the council was well on its way to hopefully being helpful, she and Quinn were studiously avoiding talking about big issues, and thankfully, Jesse seemed to be getting better.

She ran a hand over her heart and let out a breath. That little pup was already turning out to be the light of her life. He’d accepted her as Quinn’s mate surprisingly fast. He was still a little shy around her and called her Gina, but it was more than she could have ever asked for. They were learning each other much like she and Quinn were learning each other. In fact, Quinn and Jesse were coming over to the den later that day so they could all bond. Or at least try to. It was weird going about things so differently than most wolves, but she would find a way to make it work.

At least Jesse was getting better. He didn’t have that much more energy than he had before, but between the bond and what Hannah and Walker had done, he wasn’t getting tired like he used to. She hoped that meant he was well on the way to being mended.

She didn’t live with them, but she did see Quinn and Jesse daily. It was hard to see them and not fall in love with them. That was one thing she promised herself she wouldn’t do, yet she knew that might be futile.