AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Quinn sighed. “They’re going to force it. Between the Clause and magic from a witch, the two of them will be able to procreate.”
A tear fell down her cheek, but she didn’t brush it away. This wasn’t supposed to be easy. The idea that theonewolf for her would be readily handed off to another woman hurt like hell. They could deal with her tears.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked, her voice harsh. “If he’s going to mate with this woman, why are you here? What do I have to do with it?”
She wanted them to leave. She wanted to crawl in a hole and let time pass just for a little bit so she could get over whatever fantasies she’d held about mating.
“Gideon bought some time,” Quinn said carefully.
“And how did he do that?” she asked, her voice emotionless.
“He…he said he’d found his potential mate so they couldn’t force him to mate with Iona.”
She staggered back, gripping the back of the couch for support. “Did…did he say who?”
Finn shook his head. “No, not in front of the elders. They weren’t pleased, but they gave him time to mate with the potential before they forced Iona on him.”
She shook her head. “Then why are you here?”
Quinn let out a breath. “Because we know it’s you, Brie. We knew before you told us. Gideon had to explain to his family what was going on as soon as they were in private. I don’t know what his plan is, but he said your name, and then Walker called me. He wanted to warn me before the shit hit the fan. Because, Brie, the shitwillhit the fan.”
She forced herself to take two steps then sank down on the couch, her legs unable to hold her up anymore. Gideon had felt it then. Had said her name…but only to save himself.
Well, wasn’t that fate being a bitch?
He wouldn’t have her if he had been given the choice. In fact, she wasn’t sure he’d chosen her at all. He hadn’t exactly contacted her, had he? No. Instead, he was in his den forming a plan that would disrupt her life and change it forever, yet he hadn’t bothered to let her in on the secret.
“Do you know what he’s going to do?” she asked woodenly.Did he know whatshewas going to do?
“I have no clue, Brie,” Quinn answered. “But there is a lot riding on this, and yet, I don’t know what the best thing hecando is.”
“He’s not going to force her,” Finn snapped, and Brie’s head shot up.
“Excuse me?” she asked softly.
“You’re my family, you’reourPack. You aren’t a Talon. You didn’t mention the fact that he was a potential, so something must have held you back. Come on, Brie, he’s a fucking Alpha. His Pack isn’t going to want a submissive as the Alpha Female. It’s unheard of. I don’t want you to get hurt just so Gideon can rule the way he wants. You’re more important than that.”
The tears fell freely now, but she refused to let either man closer to her. Finn’s words might be true, but they hurt like hell.
“Don’t you think I know I would never be accepted as Gideon’s mate? I’m Jasper and Willow’s daughter. I’m a Redwood. My place is here. I’m a submissive who doesn’t like fighting. I’m not Alpha-mate material,” she said, her voice rising with each word.
Finn winced. “Damn it. I didn’t mean it like that, Brie.”
She rolled her eyes then wiped up her tears. No use crying when it didn’t accomplish anything. “Well, it came out that way. I know I’m not good enough to be the Alpha’s mate. It’s fine. I was getting over it. But now Gideon is using me without telling me. He might not have said my name to the elders, but he’s on a deadline to show up with a potential mate or else he’s forced to stick with this Iona.”
She already hated Iona, and she hadn’t even met the woman. It wasn’t as though Brie had a reason for this jealousy, but she couldn’t handle holding backallof her emotions.
Quinn blew out a breath then sat down on the couch next to her. Her wolf prickled at the closeness of two such dominant wolves near her, then calmed somewhat in their presence. Damn wolf. Finn rubbed the back of his neck then lowered himself to the coffee table.
“I don’t know what Gideon is going to do, Brie, but there is no way he’ll force you do to anything you don’t want to do.” Finn growled the last part, and she sighed.
“He’s not like that, Finn,” Quinn put in. “He might be an Alpha you don’t know, but he’s not a monster.”
Finn growled again, and she closed her eyes for a moment before slowly opening them.
Put a bunch of testosterone-driven, dominant males in a room and things went to shit. Finn might be powerful and the Heir, but he wasn’t an Alpha yet. She didn’t want to see her cousin, or any of her family, get hurt because of something out of their control. She also didn’t want to see Gideon get hurt despite the fact that she didn’t know him, and he’d yet to even say he wanted her.
Hedidn’twant her—he only needed her—and that was the problem.
