Page 38 of Wicked Wolf

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Jesse needs you to mate again so he can have a fighting chance. I get that.”

“Gina…” He paused then sighed. “I can’t ask you to do this. I can’t ask you to risk your future because of something that you had nothing to do with in the first place.”

Rejection stung again, but she pushed it away. Still, his wolf didn’t want her. Even though Jesse could live if she risked her happiness to mate with Quinn, the wolf didn’t want her.

Well, too damn bad.

“Don’t be an idiot. Your son deserves to live. Plus, if we mate, we’ll keep the Talons and Redwoods together in another way.” She paused. “Though this means that one of us will have to switch Packs. You get that, right? We can’t have a mating bond and different Pack bonds. I don’t think we have to do it right away, while we’re letting the bond settle, but it would have to happen sooner or later.” Hell, this was getting more and more complicated. The idea she’d have to leave her family made her want to throw up, but she held herself in check.

Quinn blinked. “I didn’t think about that. Well, okay then. Jesse and I will become Redwoods, if they let us in. You’re going to be the Enforcer, Gina. There’s no way we’d take that from you. Once Jesse gets stronger, we can break the Talon bonds and make our vows to Kade and the Redwoods.” He sucked in a breath. “Shit. I can’t believe we’re talking about this. Gina…I don’t want you to give up a future with a man you could love for me.”

She shook her head, even as her heart was breaking. “I’m not giving up anything for you, Quinn. I’m doing it all for Jesse. You get that? You’re nothing to me. You can’t be more. You said I was the epitome of everything you hate, and even if you didn’t mean that, you still said it. You can’t take those words back. So, yes, I will create a mating bond with you. I will let your wolf mark me as I mark you. I will let you into my body and into my life. I will even let our souls entwine so Jesse can live.” She paused. “I will never love you. I can’t love a man who hates who and what I am. You don’t want my love anyway. You don’t want another mate. We will both survive for your son. It’s all we can do.”

Even as she said the words, she knew she was lying. She’d be honest about everything but that. She had to save part of herself or she’d never make it. She could love this man. He was strong, loyal, and everything she’d ever dreamed of in a mate. Yet she knew she couldn’t allow herself to fall. Once she fell, she’d lose everything else she had within her.

Quinn let out a breath. “You’re willing to give up everything for my son, Gina. I…I don’t know how to repay that.”

She raised her chin. “Be a better man and wolf. Raise your son to be a great man. That’s all you can do.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. “I want to get this over with before I change my mind.”

Not the most romantic way to get a wolf into bed, but she was past romance, past caring. She hurt too much to even try.

Quinn let out a breath. “Jesse is at Walker’s and will be for the night. They wanted to keep an eye on him. We can go back to my place and…”

“Yeah…and…” She snorted. “We’re going to be mates, Quinn. We should at least say what we’re going to do.”

Quinn met her gaze. “We’re going to go back to my place, and I’m going to mark you then fill you with my cock and create a mating bond. You might not love me, Gina, but I’ll do everything in my power to show you that I’m worth this. That I’m worthy of you.” He took a breath then swallowed hard. She watched his throat work, scared of what he’d say next. “I want you to be happy, Gina.”

That’s what she was afraid of.

She didn’t react. She couldn’t. Her wolf howled, and her body ached for the man in front of her.

Her heart, however, fractured that much more.

Chapter Eight

Quinn stared at his hands, not knowing what else to do. It wasn’t as if he was a young pup who’d never been in the presence of a woman, but this was different.

This was unheard of.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

They were in his home, his kitchen, yet he felt like they were on another planet. One where nothing made sense, and yet it had to somehow.

“This is awkward.”

Quinn snorted and looked up at Gina. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

She ran a hand through her hair, the long brown strands touching the top of her breasts. Honest to God, she looked scared, not ready to entwine her life and soul with him.

“I…I don’t know what to do. I’ve never done this before.”

Quinn had been in the process of turning toward the fridge, but ran into the kitchen island at her words. He cursed then blinked up at her.

“Never?”

She narrowed her eyes then rolled them. “I meant I’ve been with someone before. I’m not a virgin, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

For some reason, his wolf growled at her words. Well, he knew the reason. The idea of her with another male made him want to rip the bastard limb from limb, a response that didn’t sit lightly with him considering he’d been mated before. Hell, he had a kid. He was a couple of decades older than Gina, so it wasn’t like either of them was pure and innocent.