Page 105 of Quintus

“It’s all about food for you, isn’t it?” Hunter laughed. “No offence but that part about accepting being a vampire, I figure you’re about at ninety-nine percent. Seriously, you’re kind of obsessed.”

Quintus laughed with the wolf. Hunter knew far too much about him, and for once, he simply didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was Gabriella and her happiness, and that too, made him smile.

He shrugged and stuffed another beignet into his mouth. Goddess these things are good. Tomorrow, he’d begin his mission to make every day of Gabriella’s life happy. Evil and terror were a thing of the past. When he went to look for Viktor, he’d ensure that she was safe and secure, knowing she had family. He smiled, knowing he felt love and was loved.

Quintus stood, gazing out over the horizon. Lights twinkled off the buildings as the echo of car horns and music reflected the mood of the city. A lively Saturday evening was beginning in the French Quarter.

Quintus scanned the rooftop, ensuring every detail was perfect. Candlelit arrangements floated in the long rectangular pool. The fragrance of her favorite flowers, lilies, permeated the air. A table off to the corner had been set, awaiting a delicious dinner. A jazz quartet played soft music in the corner. He laughed, so cliché, yet exactly how he’d dreamed it would be.

He’d spent the last three weeks nursing his beautiful wolf back to health. She’d broken down, admitting she’d been devastated about not being able to have children. It had crushed him to see her in such pain, but there was little he could do.

Acceptance was forced on a vampire. In exchange for power and immortality, they drank blood to stay alive, sacrificed their human existence. You were born into a new family, vampires. When you bonded, your human mate accepted your limitations, everything you were and weren’t. Biological children weren’t part of that equation.

Quintus had put out feelers into the supernatural world, searching for his brother. When he’d gone to seek assistance from the fae, his realm was gone. Thorn, the half-demon, hadn’t been heard of since he’d gone missing after the Mao attacked Viktor. Absinthe claimed to have no knowledge of his disappearance or how to reach him. Both Quintus and Kade had scoured New Orleans for Ramiel, but no one had seen him since the night they’d killed Lilitu.

Although he still couldn’t sense Viktor’s life force, Quintus vowed to find him, dead or alive. But Hell wasn’t a place he could go until Gabriella was settled and he had established a solid plan to get in and out of the underworld safely.

The elevator dinged, drawing him out of his contemplation. His breath caught at the sight of Gabriella exiting from the elevator, seemingly floating on air. She was sexy as fuck without even trying, every curve of her body accentuated by her sheer fitted dress. Her hair had been pulled up, exposing the satiny skin of her neck. Radiant as the sun, she glowed. Her smile told him his surprise had been successful.

Tonight she’d find out how much she meant to him. As he approached Gabriella, his face beamed with pride.

“You’re stunning,” he told her. Lifting her hand upward, he spun her around, and she giggled.

“You look so handsome. A tuxedo? Sexy,” she purred, falling into his embrace. “And this hotel…it’s beautiful.”

“Sorry, but you’re the only beautiful one here. You’re everything.” His forehead rested against hers. “But interesting you should mention this hotel. You see.” Quintus briefly pressed his lips to hers and led her toward the ledge, gazing onto a view of the Mississippi.

“Everything changes. This hotel, when it was first built, it was only five stories high. It was a great hotel at the time. But there was a fire, destroyed nearly the whole building. It had a good foundation, so they rebuilt it. And over the years, there were more renovations. Today, this hotel is over one hundred years old and more beautiful than ever. Visitors from all over the world flock here to enjoy the elegant ambiance of the restored lobby and its world class service.”

“It’s beautiful here. The view is amazing,” she said, smiling as she gazed over the horizon.

“You. Me. Everything about us. We’ve been born. I’ve nearly died. Your magick is gone. We’ve faced trials. But we had good foundation,” he gently placed his palm to her chest, “in here. Our hearts. Changed, si? But we prevailed. And tonight, with you by my side, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

Quintus held her hand in his. “Gabriella, I know we’re mated. This is what wolves do. But I…” he gave a small laugh, “I’m an old-fashioned man.” He paused, looking onto the muddy river.

Gabriella smiled, tilting her head in confusion, but remained silent.

“You came into my life a month ago. The bonding, the mating, that was fate. Destiny…it wasn’t in our control. Love, however is something we choose.” Quintus reached for the small box in his pocket and flipped open the top, revealing the stunning rectangular diamond ring. “I love you, Gabby. I’ve never in my life felt this way about another person. I know neither one of us needs to do this, but I want you. I want you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

“Quintus.” Gabriella’s hands covered her lips in surprise. “Yes, yes…oh yes.”

He slid the ring onto her shaking hand and as she rushed into his arms, he held tight to her. Quintus had never imagined he’d be whole again. That anyone could steal his hardened heart, claim it as her own. He captured her lips with his, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. Demanding and possessive, he kissed her with all the passion in his heart.

Gabriella broke contact, her eyes brimming with tears. “No, wait. Quintus. I have to tell you something.”

Chapter Sixteen

Everything she’d ever hated was tied up into a neat little ball called ‘magick’. Its dangling cords had strangled Gabriella, haunting her entire life. Even as a child, well before she shifted, she knew there was something different about her. She didn’t want to be a witch, or have anything to do with her coven or the evil they represented.

A family wasn’t ever an option. She dared not dream about the security of having a home or someone to love. But now…now her entire life was different. Mated, she’d fallen in love with an incredible man, lover…father.

She’d cried in the shower, her hands over her womb, grieving the loss of the dream of having his child. For but a second, she’d had a glimmer of hope upon learning, that on a rare occasion a witch’s magick could create a child, allowing the vampire to sire a biological child. The odds were slim, but the mere chance was all that was needed to plant a seed in her mind.

When she’d swallowed the poison, she’d given no thought to her decision, determined to kill Lilitu. Gabriella never suspected the hellfire would rob her of her magick. When she’d destroyed the high priestess and coven, it had taken every iota of her energy, the magick released into the night. As soon as she blinked her eyes open, gazing at Quintus, the realization slammed into her like a freight train. Her magick was gone, smashing any hope she’d conceive.

A week had passed before she’d been able to admit to Quintus how devastated she was. She’d known he’d understand. He’d gone a lifetime accepting he’d never have children. Quintus had assured her that they could adopt a wolf, raising a child within the pack.

Days had morphed into weeks, and she’d begun to accept her fate. Quintus had gone to New York, while she remained with Lyceum Wolves. Although she loved Hunter, his pack was too far away for her to belong, and she needed to be able to run with a pack where she lived in New Orleans and New York. Home.