Page 49 of Quintus

“What the hell are you doing? No don’t tell me. Look, Quint. You’re one of the toughest mofo’s I’ve ever known. This woman is turning you inside out. There’s no way in the past you’d have ever given up on a woman…let alone one who’s your mate. What the actual fuck is going on?”

“You saw her tonight. I know it seems like the wrong thing to do but I’m telling you, she’s losing it because she’s a wolf. I’m her mate…”

“Mao is your mate.”

“No, she’s not. I mean, yeah, she was once. But that was a long fucking time ago. I’ve bitten Gabriella, tasted of her. The bond. I know it’s begun.”

“So Gabriella mated with you? She’s got the mark?”

“Well, no. I mean, I guess it didn’t even occur to me until tonight.”

“She probably doesn’t even know to look for it. She hasn’t been raised in the pack.” Viktor downed the whiskey and slammed the glass on the bar. “But what about Mao? You started the process…I don’t know when. Fuck. I can’t even remember how long it’s been but I sure as shit know she was your mate. When she died…” His words trailed off and he continued to shake his head, staring into his empty glass, and then sent his gaze back up to meet Quintus’. “You almost died.”

“I’d bitten her, but we hadn’t completed the bond.” Quintus plowed his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Look, I don’t know how this shit works. I mean if she survived the fall, why didn’t I feel her life force? I didn’t. It may have been a hell of a long time ago but I remember it like yesterday. It felt like my guts were ripped out. There was nothing. She was nowhere.”

“But she’s not dead. She’s upstairs in the west wing guest room.”

“It’s been a long time, and I’m telling you that whatever bond we’d started…it’s gone. It’s just gone. I don’t know what’s going on. That woman looks like Mao, but I don’t trust the demon or Absinthe for that matter.”

“And our dear little Gabriella? You send her off with an Alpha? What the hell were you thinking? She might never be back.”

“She’s a wolf. She needed to shift tonight. And despite her doing it like she did, shifting right there in front of everyone, I wanted this for her. It’s the first time in her whole life she’s ever run with another wolf.” Quintus grabbed his drink off the bar and made his way over to an oversized black suede chair and fell down into it, propping his feet on an ottoman. The scent of the Kentucky whiskey filled his nostrils as he brought the rim of the glass to his lips. “She’s been alone for a long time. She trusted me to bite her. And more importantly, her wolf, she trusted me. And now this thing with Mao…Jesus Christ, I feel like an asshole for saying this, but I’ve already mourned the loss. She’s no longer my mate. I don’t know how I know this but I just do. Today…”

“Today you were in shock. And truth here…I was not expecting to ever see her again. I mean…she looked fine too. Your girl was in Hell and she looks like she’s been to Cabo, taking a chill on vaca.”

“She’s not my girl.” Quintus’ head snapped up, his focus on his brother. “I need more information about how she survived. That woman upstairs looks like Mao. It doesn’t mean that’s actually her.”

“She’s twinning, that’s for damn sure.”

“Her scent…aside from the slight burnt odor, it could’ve been Mao.”

“Hell. Can’t get the smell out of the skin.” Viktor sunk down into the plush sofa and rested his head back onto one of its pillows. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you. She’s here. In your house. In the flesh. Not dead. Very much alive and my guess is she’s going to be gearing up for making up some time in the next few hours.”

“No. Absolutely not. That isn’t happening.” Quintus shook his head.

“I didn’t say you. I said her. I can just tell by the way she looked at you back there, she’s got lovin’ on her mind. No joke.”

“You need to shut the fuck up because Gabriella’s going to be strolling through that door any minute and I want her to stay.”

“Stay where?” Viktor looked around the room, and gave Quintus a sly smile.

“Here, of course.” Quintus dragged his forefinger around the rim of his glass. “It’s not like I didn’t love Mao. I did. But I grieved. I moved on. And now…Gabby’s a…”

“A complication?” Viktor’s smile disappeared, a serious expression washing over his face. “It will happen to all of us eventually. I can’t say I ever tire of being single but the Goddess…she does what she wants.”

“I’ve tasted Gabriella. I can feel her. The bond has begun. I could deny it…maybe.”

“Vampires have done so. It won’t be easy. No other will satisfy you.”

“Leaving Gabby to Hunter tonight…” He shook his head and lifted his glass to his lips. “It was so Goddamn hard. She needs to submit to me…not the fucking Alpha.”

“She submitted to him?” Viktor asked, surprise in his voice.

“No. Well, how the fuck am I supposed to know? All I do know is that there’s bones in France that can possibly be used to lift the hold on the Salem witches. Whatever’s going on with those bitches is spooking everyone in New York City. They’re coming for Gabriella. I want to get this thing…whatever the hell it is and get back to New Orleans. It’s time for all this bullshit to end.”

“And Mao?”

“I don’t know. She could go back to China. Or stay here…” Quintus blew out a breath in frustration. There was no way Gabriella would ever accept his ex-lover living in the same city.