Page 39 of Wicked Wolf

He hadn’t really thought of her past.

He hadn’t thought of her future either.

Yet here he was, ready to take her future away to save his son. Gina was a far better wolf than he was. He didn’t deserve her, and both of them were aware it, yet he knew he couldn’t reject her offer.

Not when it could save Jesse.

“Sorry,” he mumbled and turned toward the fridge, this time avoiding the island. “Want something to eat?” Maybe if they actually did something other than stare at each other, they could figure out what to do next.

Gina let out a breath. “Yeah. I was too nervous to think about food before I left, and now I’m regretting it.”

He just prayed she didn’t regret anything else. He pushed that thought out of his head and pulled out vegetables and a steak he had thawing in the fridge.

“I can make us up a steak omelet if you want,” he said, trying to sound casual but failing.

“I’ll help.”

They were so polite and distant. They didn’t sound like two wolves who were going to end up in his bedroom, sweaty and soul-bound. The thing was, they didn’t know each other. They knew only some of the specifics, but not any of the details that made the human part of their souls want to mate. Their wolves might be ready, and the outcome of Jesse living put a spin on it that changed things, but their human halves were far from ready to be mated for the rest of their eternities.

For one thing, he’d promised himself—and Gina for that matter—that he’d never mate again. He all but threw her out of his house and hurt her more than he’d meant to. Or, rather, he’d hurt her exactly like he’d meant to, even if he hadn’t wanted to when he truly thought about it.

Quinn pushed those thoughts away and went to the island. “You want to wash the vegetables while I start on the meat?”

“That I can do,” she said softly. He noticed the shaking in her hands, but he didn’t comment on it. They needed to move past the tension and figure out how the hell they were going to make this work.

He started cutting the meat while heating up oil in the pan. Once he finished that, he got started on the eggs, trying not to notice how good Gina felt next to him. They worked side by side in silence for a few minutes when she came back to the island.

He let out a breath, knowing if he didn’t say something, they’d never move past this. “I’m not going to ask if you’re sure, Gina,” he said softly. “If I keep asking that, you’re either going to punch me or just walk away, and I don’t want either of those.” He met her gaze, and she widened her eyes.

No, he didn’t want her gone, but he wasn’t sure of his own motives. Yes, he wanted his son to have a fighting chance, but right then, Jesse wasn’t in the room. This was about Quinn and Gina.

And that scared the hell out of him.

“I’m sure, Quinn. I’m not going to back down because it’s hard.” Her voice didn’t hold a hint of anything but strength. For that he could have kissed her.

And he would.

Jesus, how the hell had he gotten himself into this situation?

Fate fucking hated him.

“What do you want out of this?” he asked then shook his head at the anger in her eyes. “I don’t mean anything bad by it. I mean, what do you want to do with what’s happening? We’re going to eat breakfast and try to calm ourselves, but at some point, we’re going to go back to my bedroom and have sex. You get that, right? This isn’t how most matings go, and I feel like I’m taking something important away from you.”

She sighed. “Stop it, Quinn. Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t ask if I was sure? Because what you said sounds a lot like it. As for what I want? I want your son to be happy and healthy. I want my Pack to be safe. I want the Talons to be safe.”

He set the beef in the pan, ignoring the sizzle of oil as it popped at him. “You didn’t mention what you wanted for yourself.”

“No, I guess I didn’t. What I wanted before I met you doesn’t really matter anymore. What I want now is to find a way to be happy. You don’t love me, and I don’t love you. We’re wolves, not humans. We can find a way to enjoy sex and not hate ourselves for it. As for what comes after a few years of us being together?” She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I know I’m not going to punish you for it. You’re punishing yourself enough for it.”

Goddess, this woman was something else. She was so strong, yet he didn’t think she knew it. He turned the heat down on the stove then moved to wash his hands. After he dried them, he prowled toward her. She stood as stiff as a statue, yet he didn’t stop. When he cupped her cheek, she parted her lips.

“You are something else, Gina. You are the strongest wolf I know, and I’ve met a lot of strong wolves. The fact you’re sacrificing a future you could have for Jesse…” He let out a breath. “I don’t think I could ever repay you.”

She licked her lips, and his gaze followed the movement. “Just don’t hate me,” she said so low he wasn’t sure he heard her right.

His thumb rubbed her cheek, and he nodded slowly. “I don’t hate you, Gina.” She sucked in a breath, and he cursed himself for his rage before. “I hate what Helena and the witch who helped her did to me. Did to Jesse. But I don’t hate you.”

She met his gaze, and he hoped she saw the truth in his words. “Don’t hate who I am, then. Can you do that? Can you get over what happened and know that I’m wolf, witch, and woman?”