Quinn's Quest l(-4

by N. J. Walters

  Quinn couldn’t believe his ears. This beautiful, courageous, giving woman loved him. It couldn’t be true. But the soft gaze in her eyes and her warm hand on his cheek told another story.

  He buried his face against the curve of her neck, wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She was everything he hadn’t even known he wanted until he’d met her. For him, she was perfect.

  He didn’t deserve her and he said as much aloud.

  “Why not?” Her voice was filled with compassion.

  He spilled the secret fear that had been killing him slowly, poisoning his soul day after day. “How can we be together? How can I be happy when my sister is being held captive? Tortured? I don’t deserve it. Not until she’s rescued. Maybe not even then. I let her down.”

  It was all out in the open now. All the venom in his soul had been unleashed. He felt unworthy to be loved by Bethany. Why should he be granted love when there were so many other males who were alone? Males who were more deserving.

  “Oh, Quinn.” She held him in her arms, resting her cheek against his heart. It was where he always wanted her to be. The sex between them was off the charts, but it was these quiet moments that he loved, the connection that existed between them on so many levels.

  “Do you think Chrissten would want you to be unhappy?” Bethany didn’t give him time to answer. “I didn’t know her for long, but I know she loves you and Craig more than anything. She wouldn’t want you to feel guilty. If anything, she probably feels guilty about being kidnapped. She knows you’ll keep looking for her until you find her. That’s loyalty. That’s love.”

  Her words were a balm to his tattered soul.

  “I have nightmares.” He blurted out the words before he could stop himself. He’d never told anyone about his dreams.

  “About what?” Her voice, like her touch, was so soft and gentle.

  “About killing. Blood. Death. My sister. Christ—” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I have flashbacks sometimes, too, to events that actually happened. I’ve done things I’m not proud of.” He lowered his hand and looked at her. “Bethany, I’m totally screwed up.”

  Her hazel eyes with their flecks of brown held such compassion it made his heart ache. “I’m screwed up too. I know I haven’t really dealt with the kidnapping. There hasn’t been time. And I’m still freaked out about the whole werewolf thing.”

  “You’re amazing.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Incredible, actually. Not only did you escape—”

  “With Chrissten’s help,” she reminded him.

  “You got away,” he asserted. “You’ve done what you can to help us find my sister and all while dealing with some pretty heavy shit.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.” She shrugged off his praise. “I didn’t do anything special. Anyone in my shoes would have done the same thing. I did what I had to do to survive.”

  Bethany placed her palm against his cheek and he soaked in the warmth of her touch. “I know you’re not going to stop looking for her. I wouldn’t want you to. We have to find her and we will. But don’t you think we’ll be stronger together than apart?”

  Quinn rolled until she was beneath him again. He rested his weight on his forearms, ignoring the slight sting from the gash on his upper arm. Bethany’s hair was still damp as it spread across the pillow. Her body cradled his. Her eyes were soft with love, her lips slightly parted. He’d never seen her look so beautiful.

  Could he take a chance? Could he believe what she was saying? Could she accept the flawed man he was? Did he deserve her love?

  “Yes.”

  The word was softly spoken in his head. She’d let down her guard and opened herself to him. He hadn’t realized she’d lowered the mental door between them and he’d broadcasted his fears to her. He’d have to watch that in the future.

  The future.

  Those two words sounded good. A future. One with Bethany by his side and Chrissten home safe and sound.

  “I don’t have a home to offer you. I’ve moved around a lot. I don’t even know where home is anymore.” He’d traveled so much with the bounty hunters, never laying down roots. Before that, he and his siblings had lived in a series of cheap apartments. They’d been thinking about pooling their resources and buying a house together when Chrissten had been kidnapped. Right now all their personal belongings were in storage, waiting for a time when they might have a home once again.

  “Home is wherever you are, Quinn. Wherever we are.” His heart stilled and swelled at her acceptance of him and his situation. “We’ll find Chrissten. And when we do, the four of us—you, me, Chrissten and Craig—will decide where we want to live. We’ll find a house and make it a home. Maybe it will be here in Chicago. Maybe not. Time will tell.”

  God, he loved this woman. She’d come into his life so suddenly. A gift. A hope for the future.

  He’d be a fool not to grab onto her with both hands. And he liked to think he was anything but a fool even though he’d been acting like one. He learned from his mistakes and he’d almost made the biggest one of his life. He’d almost let Bethany go. “I love you.”

  Her eyes widened and tears filled them.

  “Shit. I never said that to make you cry. That’s supposed to make you happy.”

  She gave a soggy laugh and swiped at her eyes. “They’re happy tears.”

  “Yeah.” He leaned down and licked several of the salty tears away.

  “Yeah.” She looped her arms around his neck.

  He nudged her thighs open with his and reached between them, angling his erection at the opening to her sex. The silky fabric of her panties presented little barrier, not when he was determined to have her. He ripped away the flimsy material. Being able to manifest a sharp claw on command had its uses.

  She was soft and wet and warm. She always was. He’d come to depend on her unconditional acceptance, her welcome.

  “Come home.” She tilted her hips toward him and he slid balls deep. Home. It was like home. She was home. His haven in life.

  He wanted to be that for her. “I’ll make you happy,” he vowed. He meant it to the bottom of his soul.

  “I know you will.” Her easy acceptance humbled him. She was much braver than he was. Able to open herself without reservation.

  He began to move, keeping his thrusts slow and shallow. He wanted this to last.

  But it wasn’t to be. They were both so on edge, so attuned to one another. He kissed her, tasting the honey of her lips, the sweetness of her tongue.

  She opened to him on every level. Body and soul. His climax gathered low in his balls and rocked through his shaft. Her pussy pulsed around him as she came.

  Together.

  Always together.

  They were truly mated. And, the fates willing, they’d be together for centuries to come.

  “Bethany,” he called her name out loud and then in his head. When the storm passed, he rolled with her still cradled in his arms until she was on top of him. He closed his eyes and for the first time in many long months fell asleep at peace. He knew the search for his sister was far from over, but he no longer had to face it alone.

  Epilogue

  Bethany sat at the table with the rest of the pack, feeling more at home than she had since she’d first stepped foot into Haven. That was Quinn’s doing. She couldn’t believe he’d told her he loved her. They were mated now. Not just physically, but for real. Committed to one another.

  Another night at work had come and gone and the bar was closed. It had become a ritual for all of them to spend a few minutes sitting around and talking about the day’s events. They were also waiting for an update from Damek.

  Bethany crossed her fingers, hoping the vampire had come up with some new information.

  She looked around at all the faces that had quickly become so familiar, so dear to her. Meredith sat beside Isaiah at the head of the table. Bethany had no idea how the other woman dealt with the alpha. Frankly, sometimes the sheer force of
his power scared the heck out of her. But when he looked at his mate she could see the softening in his eyes and that made her like him.

  Hank sat a little away from the rest of them, deep in thought about something. His blue eyes watched the door, waiting for Damek to arrive. She’d always thought he was the most intense of the bunch, after Isaiah, but it had increased over the past few days, ever since their last failed attempt to rescue Chrissten. She wondered if he thought about Chrissten, worried about her.

  The others sat around chatting and laughing and teasing, just like a real family.

  They were all so different, some pureblooded and others half-breeds, yet there was no denying the unbreakable bonds that existed between them. And they’d all put their lives at risk to help her and to help rescue Chrissten. She felt lucky and honored to know them.

  Isaiah chose that moment to raise his head and stare down the table at her. She froze in her chair, feeling much like a small animal must when faced with a rather large predator. Her heart took off, like a racer hearing a starter’s pistol. Even though he’d been nothing but kind to her, she didn’t think she’d ever get used to this fearsome male.

  Quinn’s arm was draped over her shoulder, his body angled protectively close to hers. He sensed her unease and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as if to remind her she no longer had to face the world alone.

  “Do you have anything you’d like to announce?” The corners of Isaiah’s mouth quirked slightly, as though he was trying to hold back a smile.

  She glanced up at Quinn, who stared back at the alpha. “Bethany and I are mated.” The pride in his voice warmed her heart. She reached for his hand beneath the table. His fingers closed around hers and squeezed.

  Of course all of them already knew they’d mated. There was no fooling a werewolf’s sense of smell, and Quinn’s scent was all over her. Plus the debilitating heat had passed, leaving her satisfied and content. But this was the official announcement and it would ease the tension between Quinn and the other single males, or at least she hoped it would.

  “Congratulations.” Meredith’s excitement was genuine, which helped Bethany to relax even more. She’d wondered what the older woman’s reaction to the news would be, considering Michael had shown an interest in her.

  She glanced at Michael and he inclined his head toward her and then Quinn, seeming to resign himself to the news. They accepted the quiet congratulations of the rest of the pack. It was official now. No going back.

  They’d already told Craig. It seemed only fair to tell him before they made their announcement to everyone else. He’d studied her with his calm blue eyes. Then he’d reached out and hugged her, welcoming her to the family. Family. She hadn’t had that in a long time.

  “He’s coming.” Hank got up from the table and made it to the door before Damek opened it. The vampire scowled at Hank as he swept inside. Hank simply shut the door and leaned against it, arms crossed over his chest.

  Damek’s gaze went straight to her and Quinn and he delicately sniffed the air and smiled. She wanted to bury her face against Quinn. Knew her face was red. She knew the pack could smell Quinn’s scent on her where he’d marked her as his. She should have realized the vampire could smell it too. Thankfully, he said nothing, and his discretion impressed her in spite of herself. It seems the vampire was a gentleman at heart.

  “I haven’t picked up the scent of anything yet.” Quinn stiffened beside her. “But,” Damek continued, “I have not given up hope.”

  Craig stood and offered Damek a sheet of paper. “These are some possibilities for a van that Quinn saw speeding from the scene. He only had a partial plate, so this is as far as I can whittle it down.”

  Damek took the list, scanned it and handed it back. “I’ll have some of my people look into this and call before dawn with whatever I learn.”

  He whirled away and headed for the door once again. Bethany was beginning to learn that Damek was a man of few words, especially when he meant business. She wondered why the vampire always came to the bar with news rather than calling. Maybe he was lonely. Whatever the reason, she was glad for his help, in spite of the fact he was one scary male.

  Damek cocked his eyebrow at Hank, who was still leaning against the door, blocking it.

  The two men stared at one another for a long moment. Power snapped in the air and Isaiah slowly pushed away from the table and stood, ready to defend the younger wolf if it became necessary. Werewolves and vampires were natural enemies, or had been before bounty hunters had started destroying them all. The alliance between them was uneasy at best.

  As though the two of them had come to some unspoken agreement, Hank slowly inclined his head to Damek and shifted out of the way, opening the door for the ancient vampire.

  In the blink of an eye he was gone, melted into the darkness beyond. Hank closed and locked the door again.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Meredith released a breath. “I need a drink.”

  Isaiah laughed, leaned down and kissed his mate. “I can do better than a drink.” With that, he scooped her into his arms and headed for the doorway that led to the apartments. Meredith called her goodnights over his broad shoulder.

  The rest of them laughed and the group broke up. Teague and Neema quickly disappeared, followed by Kevin and Benjamin, but not before they all offered their congratulations to her and Quinn.

  Michael stopped in front of her and she tensed. He offered her a grin. “Too bad he met you first.” With that, he leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. It was so fast, she didn’t have time to react before he retreated.

  Quinn growled. “Do that again and I’ll rearrange that pretty face of yours.”

  Michael grinned. “Fair enough.” He thrust out his hand. “Congratulations.”

  Quinn stared at it for a moment and then took it. They did that male shoulder-bump thing that manly men did.

  Bethany shook her head. She’d never understand the workings of the male mind. One minute they could be ready to kill one another, the next they were best buddies. Michael lightly touched her shoulder and then left them to head upstairs.

  Hank was the last of the pack to stop in front of them. “We’ll find her,” he promised. “We’ll find Chrissten.”

  “Thanks.” Quinn offered his hand to the other male. They shook and Hank nodded to her before following the rest.

  Then it was just the three of them. Craig seemed so alone among all the werewolves. Not that he’d ever said anything, but Bethany knew he’d have to feel strange about it all. Reaching out, she hugged him. “Thank you for accepting me into your family.”

  He returned the embrace and whispered in her ear. “You make him happy and he deserves that.”

  Bethany’s eyes stung and she nodded. This family needed to be whole again. And they would be. She truly believed that.

  “Come on, baby. Let’s go to bed.” Quinn wrapped his arm around her waist and urged her toward the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder at his younger brother. “You coming up?”

  Craig waved his hand. “In a bit. I have a few things I want to check out.”

  Quinn frowned and Bethany sensed his concern for his sibling. “Don’t work all night, okay?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m fine.” With that parting statement, he disappeared down the hallway into Meredith’s office and shut the door behind him.

  “I’m worried about him.” Quinn stared at the closed office door.

  “I know.” There was nothing either of them could do. They were all dealing with Chrissten’s loss in their own way. “We’ll keep an eye on him.”

  “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he asked. He brushed his lips over the top of her head and the hand on her back pressed her closer to his side.

  “Hmmm, maybe not in the last ten minutes,” she teased.

  He grinned and scooped her into his arms. “I’ll have to do something about that.” He carried her up to their apartment and into their bedroom. He kicked the
door shut, keeping the rest of the world at bay.

  As he lowered her to the bed, he said the words she’d never get tired of hearing. “I love you, Bethany. You’re my miracle. My hope.”

  “Oh, Quinn. You’re mine. I love you so much.” Their lips met and her body heated, ready to show Quinn just how much she loved him.

  Down the hall in another apartment, Hank lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He could hear Kevin settling down on the couch out in the living room. Feminine laughter filled the air and a door was slammed shut.

  His arms were locked around a pillow. He buried his face against the white cotton and inhaled, trying to block out the noise from the happy couple in the apartment down the hall. He didn’t begrudge Quinn and Bethany their happiness. He wanted the same thing for himself.

  “I’ll find you, Chrissten,” he vowed.

  About the Author

  N.J. Walters has always been a voracious reader of romance novels and decided one day that she could write one as well. The contemporary story, Discovering Dani, was the very first novel she wrote while living in a little town much like the one Dani O’Rourke lives in, though all other similarities to Dani’s life pretty much end there. Then she wrote another one that followed up on Dani’s friends and neighbors. But she didn’t consider herself a “real” writer yet.

  Just a few years later N. J. had a mid-life crisis at a fairly young age, gave notice after ten years at her job on a Friday and received a tentative acceptance for her first published novel (an erotic romance) from a publisher on the following Sunday.

  Happily married to the love of her life, with his encouragement and support she gave up the job of selling books for the more pleasurable job of writing them. She now spends her days writing novels of her own. Werewolves, vampires, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to do it. And some days she actually feels like a “real” writer.