Page 60 of Reclaiming Quinn
Deke slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the laugh. He never thought Quinn would stand up for himself, and now that he had? Oh, Deke wanted a lot more of it.
Quinn….
Don’t you patronize me. I need my mate, you selfish bastard.
The outburst shocked Deke.Do you really think I’m being selfish?
Another few moments of nothing more than the echo of Quinn’s voice before,No, you’re not. I love you because you care. It’s just hard being away from you. I can’t see you or smell you or tell you how much I love you. And I can’t tell you that the Mother came to visit me.
Shewhat? Are you hurt?
No, she would never hurt me. She told me a story of how Lydon came to be, and how she was with me when Ryker and Kristopher were doing… what they did.
Deke clamped down hard on his mind. He didn’t want Quinn to see the ugly thoughts. Of course, he should have known better.
She couldn’t stop them. Mother had no strength left. She’d used it all to help Sean find Gareth so he could become a full Omega. She hoped it would help balance the scales and lead the wolves out of the darkness, me included.
Still unsure of his feelings for the Mother, Deke said nothing. If she helped Quinn, then Deke was grateful.
“Tell yourmateI said hello.” Zach grinned. “You should see the soppy look on your face. You’re totally besotted with him.”
And Deke was. He knew that now more than ever.
I need you to do me a favor. Talk to Gareth. Tell him…. Tell him Zach knows about shifters.
A human?
He’s not like most humans. He’s brave, and he’s willing to risk his life to save others. He did it for me.
Deke opened his mind, letting Quinn see Zach the way Deke saw him. He feared Quinn’s reaction to Deke and Zach’s friendship. Would Quinn slide back into doubt about his place in Deke’s life, thinking Zach a better fit?
He’s a good man, and I think he’s right. The two of you will be great friends. I can’t wait to meet him.
Goddess, I love you. I can’t wait to have you in my arms again.
I need to go now. I’m getting a migraine from trying to hold the connection open.
Then go rest. Just know that hearing you has made my day.
I love you. Oh, before I forget, Gareth wants you to try and figure out where you are. He’s got dozens of wolves ready the moment we know your location. Gotta say, seeing him this way is scary as hell. Makes me glad he’s on our side.
As long as Gareth was keeping Quinn safe, Deke was glad he was on their side as well.
“HE TOLDa human about us?” Gareth growled as he slammed a hand down on the tabletop, rattling the dishes. “Deke is treading on thin ice. First he disobeys my direct command for him to stay here, then—”
Sean cleared his throat, which caused Gareth to spin on his heel and level a glare at Sean.
“Yes, fine, I know,” he shouted, jabbing a finger in the air to punctuate his point. “He needed to try and help his mate. I understand all that. But this? It’s probably the worst thing Deke could do. Humans can’t know about us. As fractured as we are, they could round us up and toss us into prison—or worse.”
“Zach won’t betray us,” Quinn said, standing a bit straighter. “Deke trusts him, and I believe in Deke. And there’s something else. Deke thinks Zach is human, but when he showed me the images of Zach fighting with one of Klein’s men, Zach was beating him.”
Quinn was afraid Gareth’s head would snap off, the way he twisted it when he turned the full weight of his attention to him.
“What do you meanbeating him? There is no way a human could best a wolf hand to hand.”
“Specist much?” Sean quipped. “There are some very powerful humans out there.”
Quinn nodded. “Yes, and I know how it sounds, but… I don’t know. I get the impression there’s something there, under the surface, that Deke can’t see.”
