Page 34 of Wicked Wolf

“Begin.”

At the sound of Hannah’s voice, Gina threw her head back. Power slammed into her, and she gripped Quinn’s hand. She hated herself for craving his touch, craving his need. Then she pushed that away, knowing this wasn’t about her and Quinn, but about a little boy who needed them both.

Magic filled her body, scraping along her skin before wrapping around her organs. The hair on her arms rose¸ and she tried to swallow, only to come up dry. She’d never felt this much power before. It wasn’t as if she was a strong witch. No, she was a strong wolf who happened to spew fire from her palms when she thought real hard about it. There was a difference.

She forced herself to look down at Quinn’s son and what was happening in front of her. Hannah and Walker chanted over Jesse, their arms moving in unison as they pulled on their bonds to Heal him. Josh and Reed had their arms around Hannah’s waist, holding her steady. Brandon and Gideon had their hands on their brother’s shoulders, keeping him still. Quinn sucked in a breath next to her, and she braced herself. A wave of pain crashed into her, and she bit her lip. The fire in her veins blended with her magic and wove a spell around the pain, dissipating it.

She didn’t know how she did that, only that it was inherent. Her birth mother had taught her enough to protect herself and other people, but they hadn’t gotten to the lessons about using her powers.

She wasn’t a Healer, nor was she a witch who could help others. At least that’s what she thought. It wasn’t as if she’d seen any evidence to the contrary. She could only use what she knew, and that was to take whatever pain Jesse, and subsequently Quinn, held and make it go away.

She kept her eyes open and on Jesse. If she focused on him, she could deal with the pain and anything that came afterward. She licked her lips, knowing if she broke her concentration she’d ruin it for all of them. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—be that weak link.

The process took hours, and by the end of it, she was drained, emotionally and physically. Sweat covered her body, and she had a hard time staying upright. She blinked a couple of times, then sucked in a breath when Quinn leaned into her, thereby keeping her from passing out. She looked down and swallowed hard.

Throughout it all, though, she never let go of Quinn’s hand.

Hannah’s earlier words echoed through her head, but she ignored them, pushing them away. There would be time to make decisions and deal with the consequences of a woman’s betrayal. A woman Gina had never met.

Gina’s pain and loss would be worth the life of a young boy.

She knew that, but she didn’t want to think of it.

Not yet.

“That’s all we can do,” Hannah said softly, her voice tired.

Gina leaned into Quinn, her hand still in his. She didn’t want to think too hard about it, the feel and scent of him against her. She needed only his strength so she didn’t pass out.

“How is he?” Quinn growled out. His wolf sounded close to the surface, but Gina had a feeling it was only because of the exhaustion weighing on all of them.

Walker sighed. “The bond between him and me as a Healer seemed slightly stronger, Quinn. That’s a good thing. He isn’t in pain right now.” He met Quinn’s eyes, and Gina squeezed Quinn’s hand. She might not know what she felt right then, but she knew the father, not the man who hated her, needed support.

“I think, between this group, we gave him more time,” Hannah said slowly.

More time.

That was something at least. Time for what though? That was the question. Either it was enough time for him to find his own mate or for Quinn to try to mate on his own and provide another bond for Jesse to latch onto.

Every single person in the room knew what the answer had to be.

Every single person knew who would supply that answer.

Anything else would be horrific for that little boy.

She’d just have to deal with the consequences.

She let out a breath then released Quinn’s hand. Her wolf whimpered, but she ignored it. This was not the time to deal with anything but sleep and her own thoughts. The loss of the heat of Quinn’s touch was something she’d have to push away for the time being.

Maybe forever.

“Thank you,” Quinn said, this time his voice sounding more himself. “Thank you for doing all you can.”

“He’s a pup. He’s one of us,” Hannah said simply.

The others gave her a look then quietly left after saying good-bye and giving Quinn instructions about when Jesse would wake up.

Uncle Josh leaned down, kissed her temple, whispering so low that only she could hear. “We’re not leaving you. We’ll be right outside.”