“You know it’s a big deal. You know that people need to be aware of these things,” he replied, groaning. “You know that. And her! We hadn’t told her anything was physical between us. Quinn, you blindsided her. She freaked out. Thought we were a couple and that I was going to cheat on you with her.”
“I don’t…” Quinn frowned now. “I don’t think like that.”
“Yeah, she remembered that part after.” He huffed. “Quinn, come on. There’s another reason, and you need to tell me.”
“She and I don’t spend a lot of time together now.” Quinn sighed and sat on his bed.
“You spend a lot of time together,” he retorted. “You’re together nearly every other day, pouring over books as she helps you with your education, since she does better than Vincent.”
“Yeah but that’s work,” Quinn snapped. “It’s not anything else. I want to…take her hunting, and swim more, and other things. I don’t want to be another piece of work for her and I want more than a teacher.”
“She’s your friend, too. What did you want by her seeing us?” Elijah murmured. He would have faked some confusion, but the wolves would have told Quinn it wasn’t real. They were probably reporting Elijah’s every scent to Quinn.
“I let her walk up on us…” He took a deep breath. “I hoped she would join.”
Elijah heard it, filed it away for a later moment, and then started to laugh. He fucking knew it. “You should tell her you think of her that way,” Elijah told him, grinning like a fool.
“She looks at me like a little brother,” he growled.
“I don’t think she thinks of you that way. She finds you attractive too.” Elijah reminded him, sitting down next to him. “She’s just a woman with a lot on her plate, and she can’t read your mind, Quinn. You were also pretty fucking abrasive when she first got here so she probably sees you as off limits, probably thinks you aren’t interested.”
“She’s different from other women,” he whispered. “Other women would have joined.”
“She is?” He thought that Sawyer was just a fantastic woman, but not overtly different. Unique in her own ways, but still very much a woman.
“Different from women I know…knew,” Quinn explained. “A Druid would have joined, and I thought, Sawyer is powerful and she’s taking what she wants now - she would join. Hopefully.”
“Sawyer isn’t a Druid.” Elijah growled, suddenly angry that Quinn was even still thinking about the women who tore up his body and ruined his self-worth. That left him feral, uneducated, and alone. Who had done their best to destroy him. “I would hope she’s fucking different. She gives a damn. They didn’t.”
“She’s afraid of me,” he continued. “She won’t want to be in bed with a male who could hurt her. Axel was more powerful than her and look what he did.”
Elijah cursed. Quinn was so perceptive, but past the fact that he and Axel were more powerful than her, there was literally nothing else in common. He knew that fighting the comparison was a losing battle, though. Quinn was looking at relationship dynamics with her like a pack structure and power was important in a pack structure. Her history with powerful men…well, there was no denying it, and Elijah was partially impressed that Quinn was thinking on it when he thought of her. It meant Quinn was considering emotions, thoughts and feelings when he thought of her.
“Why are you thinking about Druids?” He changed the topic. “And just remember to let me know if Sawyer is about to walk up on us. I can handle it differently. Be prepared for it, at least.”
“She liked it.” Quinn chuckled. “Shade followed her scent. She liked the scene.”
That much Elijah had figured out on his own. He didn’t miss that Quinn changed the topic. “The Druids,” Elijah reminded him. “You haven’t willingly talked or even thought about them in a long time.”
“Something is going on that has me uncomfortable. I can feel Druids to the south using their magic to its full potential. It just has me itchy. It hits like waves, every few nights, two or three Druids, full power, washing over the land.” Quinn shrugged. “It has nothing to do with me, but it’s unusual. It’s just making me itchy and won’t let me stop thinking about them.”
He was uncomfortable just hearing about it. Quinn was immensely strong, dangerously powerful, and to feel anyone’s magic from that sort of distance was something no other Magi could probably do. Elijah sure as hell didn’t feel anything and he was one of the most powerful Magi in the house, nearly even with Sawyer.
“Would other Druids here in North America feel anything?” He rubbed his hands together, as his mind whirled. Were they all so powerful to feel each other across the globe?
“Of course. Probably every Druid on the planet would know something is going on down there, and they probably know what. I’m not going to ask any of them.” Quinn let out a growl when he was done. “They wouldn’t tell me anyway, since I hate them so much.”
“I know you do,” he whispered. Quinn had so many reasons to hate Druids. The scars on his back were a visual reminder of it every day.
“Anything else you want?” Quinn asked, looking to him. Druid talk was over, Elijah knew it. Quinn wasn’t going to want to stick on them for longer than he needed to.
“No. I really just wanted to give you a hard time over Sawyer,” he admitted.
“Sorry,” Quinn mumbled. “I won’t try that again. I don’t know why I thought my idea would work.”
“Don’t think I wouldn’t find it amusing. I would probably give my left testicle for a time like that. Just next time tell me before you try to make it happen. And maybe her.” Elijah chuckled, covering his face. Quinn was so bad at these things. At least he wasn’t fighting with her like Zander; he just had no confidence in being someone important to her. He had no confidence in anything that had to do with ‘civilized’ people. If she were a Druid, Quinn would have already found a way to express himself and got her in his bed, but she wasn’t, and that made all the difference, since Quinn hated Druids and women because of them. She was the farthest thing from a Druid Elijah could imagine.
Whether it ever happened or not, Elijah knew those two would also be friends, and he hoped Quinn saw that as being important to her.
“I’m going to bed,” he declared, standing up and stretching. Quinn wrapped an arm around his waist and held him so he couldn’t walk away.
“You want her too,” Quinn whispered, knowingly.
“I do,” he confirmed. “You’ve known that.”
“You don’t want her like I want her,” Quinn corrected. “You want her the way Jasper does, or Vincent.”
“And what’s that mean?” He demanded, turning to look down at the other Magi.
“You know exactly what I mean,” Quinn said before releasing Elijah. “I want her physically. You want her…feelings.”
“You have lost your mind,” Elijah teased. Then he left the room before perceptive and strange Quinn could call him out on anything else.
Yeah, Elijah wanted her more than just as a friend, or friend with benefits. Something he hadn’t wanted from another person for a very long time. He just didn’t want Quinn to talk about it. Or anyone else, including Vincent, who said things in Texas Elijah hadn’t wanted to hear.
He was fine continuing to lie to everyone else about it. And he knew Quinn was now also lying to himself. Quinn wanted more than just her body too, but Rogue Wolf had no idea how to love a woman.
6
Sawyer
“Are you ready for New York?” Vincent asked Sawyer the moment she walked into his office. She’d come down at his command, since he’d had a question. She didn’t understand why he couldn’t just ask the question he wanted through his damn telepathy, but she had come downstairs anyway just for him to do so.
On further consideration, she would have needed to come downstairs to answer it anyway. She was still irked that he just hadn’t asked it using telepathy and given her the chance to think of an answer on the way downstairs.
“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?” Sawyer frowned at him. “We leave tomorrow. Of course I packed already.”
“Good, that means we can relax for the evening.” Vincent chuckled humorlessly, his eyes rolling to the ceiling. “Elijah is already begging me for a movie night or even a night at the bar before we go. Something for the entire team to do since we’ve been a bit scattered outside of workouts.”
“Fantastic,” Sawyer mumbled. “Let’s do the bar. We don’t go out enough and I haven’t been yet.”
“I’ll let him know. Go get ready and pass on the word to your other guys. I’ll tell Elijah and Quinn,” Vincent ordered. This was something of a common occurrence now. Sawyer handled Jasper and Zander while Vincent took care of Elijah and Quinn. She would trade him if she thought he would accept. Again, she didn’t know why he didn’t just tell everyone telepathically. “And Sawyer?”
“Yeah?” She looked back at him before she left his office.
“No weapons in New York.” Vincent’s smile was knowing, and she glared at him for a moment before walking back out of the room. Like hell was she going to New York in front of a ton of imps and military men without her blades.
“I’m serious, Sawyer. Don’t make me have to check before we leave for the airport.”
She cursed and made a mental note to take the twelve-inch daggers and throwing knives out of her bag. She didn’t want to get reprimanded over it and forced to leave them behind anyway. And that’s what he would use his telepathy for? To remind her to take her blades out of her bag?
She hit the second floor and went straight for Jasper’s door first, feeling both of them through the door. She knocked twice before pushing it open to see Jasper and Zander lying on the bed with controllers.
“What’s up?” Jasper asked as she walked in and looked around. She didn’t go to anyone’s room very often. They normally came to hers, which she preferred. Her space, her domain, where she would feel more comfortable. Jasper had gone for blues throughout the room, falling into more blue greys, stormy like his eyes.
“We’re going to the bar tonight,” Sawyer said, looking around. “Nice room.” Hers was also in blues, though she had since changed her sheets and comforter to dark greys and blacks. She was slowly making it more her and less whatever they had originally come up with.
“Thanks,” he said back quickly, jumping off the bed.
Zander followed him more slowly and stalked over to Sawyer. “We’re going out, huh?” he asked, grinning.
“We are going to the bar,” she repeated. “The entire team. Something fun to do before we head to New York.”
“Vincent’s getting soft. He hates doing things the night before anything important. Says we should get our rest.” He laughed. “I’ll go put on something nice. Please wear those leather pants.”
Sawyer groaned with exaggeration after he kissed her cheek and walked out. She rolled her eyes to Jasper, who smiled innocently.
“I’ll get ready now.” He pulled off his tee shirt and she took a hissing intake of air at the sight. “Are you just going to stare or are you going to get ready, too?”
“Christ,” she mumbled. She kept staring at his bare chest though. Her eyes trailed down a little. She’d seen him shirtless before, but she was living in a house with men who were expected to stay in peak physical condition. She appreciated the sight every time she got the chance, now with a lot less reserve than she had before. She blinked a couple of times and smiled innocently back at Jasper. “I can see why you aren’t worried about losing a leg. The rest of you makes up for it.”
The comment made his cheeks flush with that pink she loved. “Get out of here,” he told her, stumbling over the words a little. “Before you make me more embarrassed.”
“You started it,” Sawyer reminded him, pointing at the discarded shirt. Teasing Jasper about his sex appeal: new favorite pastime, and hopefully it would get him to accept his beauty. He was such a good boy, but she wanted more of that man she knew was underneath. “Maybe you should keep your clothes on if you don’t want me to notice what’s underneath them.” She turned and began to walk out.
“I’ll remember that,” he called out as she was leaving.
“Please, forget it whenever you want,” Sawyer called back, laughing through the words.
She changed in her own room, and she did pick out the leather pants, sliding into them. They hugged and held the best parts, and smothered the less desirable ones. She chose a black tee, not wanting to go all out on her outfit. She pulled her hair from its ponytail and shook it around, then went to her shared bathroom to see what she had done.
“I need to brush that,” she sighed. She grabbed a brush off the counter and began to tame her hair. It was too long, too curly, full of thick waves that made a mess of things when it got wet and didn’t get brushed soon enough. She was beginning to wonder if she should cut it all off, but the idea left a bad taste in her mouth. Her long hair was the most feminine thing about her, except for the tits, ass, and vagina.
She felt she was looking presentable when she left the bathroom and walked down to the kitchen, finding Elijah there with Quinn, both ready to go.
“Quinn, you’re coming?” Sawyer tilted her head in some confusion. She knew Vincent said the entire team, but she had yet to ever see Quinn go to town for any reason. Even if by chance he needed something, someone else would go pick it up for him. If they could, they would order it online on a rush delivery.
“I am,” he answered. She looked him over slowly. He was wearing jeans. And real shoes, loafers, not just the uniform boots she’d only ever seen him in. Hell, most of the time, he was barefoot. She didn’t even want to consider the dark button-down shirt he was in. She felt like she was looking at a different man. He must have noticed her shock at his appearance. “Yes. I can dress myself when it’s called for. No, it’s not comfortable.”
“I…” She didn’t have anything to say to that. Anything she could think of was just going to shove her foot in her mouth.
“Looks good, doesn’t he?” Elijah chuckled. “I wish I could convince him to get dressed up more often.”
Good? She was impressed. He looked human. Quinn looked like he belonged in a group of friends at a bar and not in the woods by himself. It was a good, if weird, look on him.
“Are we waiting on Jasper and Zander?” Vincent inquired patiently as he walked in.
“We are,” Sawyer told him. He walked over to her and she leaned into the soft kiss.
“You look good,” he whispered. “I love when your hair is down.”
“It’s a pain,” she replied. “I’m considering cutting it all off.”
“Please don’t,” Quinn cut in. she looked over to him, her eyebrows rising. “I like the long hair.”
“I’m on his side,” Vincent told her.
“I like the hair,” Elijah said finally, but then shrugged. “Though, it’s your hair. Cut it, don’t cut it, whatever. You’ll still be the hottest thing this side of the Mississippi.”
“Elijah is the smartest man in the room tonight,” Sawyer declared. “Because you guys and your opinions about my hair really don’t play a factor into whether I’m going to cut it or not.” If she got tired of it, then it was going, whether they liked it or not.
“If you cut your hair, I’ll be upset,” Zander said, growling, as he walked in.
“Why?” she huffed, turning to him.
“I like seeing it on the pillows,” Zander explained, grinning.
She narrowed her eyes on him. Of course he had some reason like that. It astounded her that she thought he was attractive when he could be so piggish.
“Let’s just get to the bar before these two start a fight,” Jasper interjected quickly. “Please.”
“All right, you heard Jasper’s plea. Let’s get moving,” Vincent said it all with a laugh. Sawyer was happy to see their ‘leader’ in a better mood than she’d ever known him. Since coming back from Texas, he only had small momen
ts of darkness. He didn’t seem to be crushed under the weight of the past as much. Sure, she had some stuff to work out and that meant he was getting a little ignored, but that was a necessity to her. He didn’t seem to be taking it too hard since she accepted the date he had planned for New York.
She drove herself, taking the Audi while the guys took two Range Rovers. She didn’t plan on having more than a couple of drinks, if that. She would stay under the limit to make the drive home.
At the bar, the one she had the weirdly fond memory of getting a drunk Vincent from, she realized she had beaten the others and went inside on her own. It was a quiet, run-down little country bar in the middle of nowhere, with beat up wood furniture and tattered upholstery. She assumed everyone inside were locals that she just hadn’t met yet. She found a booth and slid in, waiting on the guys.
She was in relative silence for only a few seconds before Zander’s cheery hello to the bartender announced the arrival of the rest of her team.
“How did you beat us here?” Vincent asked as he slid in next to her.
“I speed,” Sawyer answered. “Not like crazy-ass Elijah, but I like to go fast.”
“I should have remembered,” he said in an ‘aha’ sort of voice. “The speeding ticket.”
“Let’s pretend that never happened.” She moved further into the booth so Jasper could sit on the other side of Vincent. It left Quinn, Zander, and Elijah trying to fit on the other side. The scene was comical.
“Drinks!” Elijah declared, slapping his hand to the table. “Sawyer, you should have ridden with us. Jasper and Vincent are the DD’s this time. Now you need to worry about staying sober for the drive home.”
“Exactly,” she retorted. Driving home was an excuse not to get hammered.
Drinks were brought, and Sawyer had water to start, pouring it from a pitcher whenever she was getting low. When she finally ordered a drink, she went strong: a Jack and Coke.
The team mostly talked about New York, their favorite things to do up in the city while they were there on required visits. Sawyer knew the bars and theatres they were talking about, but she had never visited them. She had stayed under the radar so well up there because she hadn’t gone to those places. They were places where Magi regularly hung out openly and reveled in their magic and the security that normally came from being a New York Magi. Magi trouble didn’t hit New York, thanks to the overwhelming presence of the World Magi Council and their two dogs, the International Magi Police Organization and the International Magi Armed Services. The cops and the military. She hid right under their noses for a long time because she didn’t go to the places that the team was talking about.
The Redemption Saga Box Set Page 70