Page 10 of Wicked Wolf

He wasn’t the same wolf he’d been before Helena. He was only forty-five, yet he felt so much older.

“Did he tell you about what the meeting covered?” Quinn finally asked. He needed to get his head out of his ass and actually pay attention to the man in front of him, rather than a past he couldn’t change.

Walker nodded. “Yes. You’re leading a new council.” He raised a brow. “Or, rather, co-leading with Gina.”

Quinn scowled at the way the other man said her name. As if he knew her more than he should or something.

“How do you know Gina?”

Walker took a sip of his beer, his gaze on Quinn. “She sometimes works with Hannah when she’s not working with Adam.”

Quinn frowned. “I thought she was going to be the Enforcer. Not the Healer. Why would she need to work with Hannah? And how did I not know you work with Hannah?”

Walker rolled his eyes then put his beer down. “First, I work with Hannah because she’s the closest Healer to me. It’s nice to have another person who understands the bonds I hold with the Pack. Though her power is different because it comes from her witch blood, rather than being a wolf, it has the same basic premise as mine. As for Gina, she works with Hannah because Hannah is not only family, but a witch.”

At Quinn’s dumbfounded look, Walker shook his head.

“Gina needs guidance when it comes to her powers. She’s only in her twenties, so she has a lot to learn. Hannah had not only her own mother to teach her how to use her powers, but the coven as well before she left years ago. Years before she even met the Redwoods and her mates. Gina doesn’t have a mother who can show her the ropes. I believe Gina’s mother, Larissa, was just beginning to get to the baser parts of their magic when she and her mate, Neil, were killed.” Walker sighed. “Melanie might be a strong and powerful Alpha female and a fantastic mother, but she is not a witch. She can’t show Gina what she needs because it’s not inherent to her. So Hannah helps.”

“That’s nice of her,” Quinn mumbled.

Walker snorted. “The whole Jamenson family works as a unit. I mean, all of them are mated, and most of them have two or three children. Kade and Melanie have seven kids, just like Kade’s parents had. They’re a huge family. They might be around our age, but they’re further along than the Brentwoods when it comes to matings and procreating.”

Quinn sighed. “Well, they also had a previous Alpha pair who knew what the hell they were doing. Edward and Patricia were wolves of legend.” He shook his head. “Our previous Alpha? Not so much.”

The fact that Quinn was talking about Walker’s father was not lost on him. Then again, there was no love lost with that family tale and the history of the Talons.

Walter just lifted a brow then picked up his beer for another drink.

Quinn looked over when he scented his Alpha and Beta at the door. They didn’t bother to knock since he hadn’t locked the door behind him. Plus, they were always welcome in his home because they helped protect his son.

“I see you’ve started on the drinking without us,” Gideon said, his voice tired. Quinn didn’t know what it felt like to be Alpha, but he knew he’d never want the weight of that responsibility on his shoulders.

Mitchell scowled then went to the fridge, pulling out a couple of beers. Mitchell was a pain in the ass, but considering what the man had gone through, Quinn didn’t blame him one bit.

“So, a council,” Quinn said once they were all seated and drinking. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

Gideon merely gave him a look. “Since when have I had to explain any decisions I’ve made when it comes to this Pack?”

Quinn lowered his eyes. “I meant no disrespect,” he said, his voice a growl.

Gideon just sighed. “Stop it. I didn’t tell you because Kade wasn’t going to tell Gina or the others we wanted on the council. And yes, Kade and I knew who we wanted on our councils before we showed up for the meeting, but we didn’t tell each other. We wanted to wait until we were there for the reveal or what have you. Only Mitchell and Jasper knew what was going on, but not to the full extent. Not even our Enforcers or Heirs knew because we wanted to keep things equal and not let politics get in the way. Though, with any Pack melding, there’s going to be politics.” His Alpha snarled the last part, and Quinn felt better.

At least he wasn’t the only one kept in the dark. “So you didn’t tell Ryder about it because he’s the Heir just like Finn? Finn’s a bit young to be part of all of this.” Finn was Kade’s oldest son, and therefore the Redwood Pack Heir. He’d also been forced to hold that mantel since he was just a little boy of three. Not only had Finn almost been killed the year before that in the war, he then had to deal with the new powers flowing through his veins when the former Alpha, his grandfather, had died at the hands of the demon.

It had been a dark time for all werewolves that day.

Gideon scratched his chin. “Pretty much. Though the boy is an adult now by human standards, so Kade is going to start giving him more responsibility, I think. The kid’s not that hotheaded. Not like we were when we were his age. The fact that he had every bone in his body broken when he was two, thanks to the demon, changed him. War and loss changes you. Paves your path in a different direction when you’re not looking.”

He winced at the reminder of Finn’s injuries. The kid was okay now, but that couldn’t have been an easy experience. “So now we all know?” Quinn asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Yes. We’re not going to keep it a secret. This council isn’t for backdoor dealings or political maneuvers. It’s about a way to make sure our future actually arrives. I’m afraid if we don’t start working together for more than just a few days a year, we’re going to fuck it up when something changes.”

Quinn tilted his head. “What changes?”

His Alpha shook his head. “I don’t know. Something’s coming, and we need to find a way to grow before it happens.” He met Quinn’s eyes. “Are you going to be able to work with Gina? We still have time to shift things if you’re having issues. Issues you can’t overcome, that is.”

It was a challenge, and everyone in the room knew it. If Quinn said he wanted out, he’d look weak to the rest of the Pack, as well as the Redwoods. So it didn’t matter that he wouldn’t back out anyway; he now had no choice.