Page 55 of Wicked Wolf

Shannon nodded. “Yes. It’s the way of the wolves. You can’t change the laws, Alpha.” She narrowed her eyes. “Though I know you’ve tried.”

Quinn pulled Gina to his side, wrapping his arm around her. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she put her arm around his waist. His wolf nudged at her, wanting to scent her and make sure everyone knew she was his.

“You can’t make them fight,” Quinn said, trying to keep calm. This couldn’t be happening. This was ridiculous. “I’m mated to Gina. We have a bond. You can’t force her to fight for me when she already has me.”

Shannon shook her head. “We’ve never had a case like this before, meaning we must follow the laws that closely resemble it. Helena has a chance to be your mate, meaning she must fight for it. Bonds, as we’ve seen, can be broken when, I mean if, she wins.”

Did the elder really hate the new generation of wolves enough that she wanted to break him again? What the hell was going on?

“Gideon. Do something.”

His Alpha glared at Shannon then faced Quinn. “I can’t make up new laws on the spot, Quinn. Since the elders are forcing a mating circle, then it will have to be done.” He narrowed his eyes. “This will not be happening again though.”

“Well, bully for the next person,” he spat. “What about now? I’m not forcing her to fight for me.”

“There’s nothing I can do,” Gideon whispered, looking for all the world as though the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear.

And what if she didn’t fight?

What if she left him standing there and broke the bond? Not only would it break him if she left, but it could hurt Jesse as well.

Damn Helena.

Damn himself.

If Gina didn’t fight for him, he’d lose everything…everything he hadn’t known he wanted.

Chapter Eleven

Gina’s pulse pounded in her ears, and she had to struggle to breathe. It didn’t make any sense. None of this made any sense. She wasn’t even a freaking Talon, and now she had to follow an elder’s proclamation or risk losing the mating bond she’d just found in the first place.

Holy hell, what was she going to do?

Quinn put his hands on her hips and brought her back to his front. She shuddered out a breath, letting his scent wash over her. Her wolf was beyond in love with the wolf behind her and knew that they should be together through thick and thin.

The woman was more hesitant.

She’d had to be.

Quinn put his mouth to her ear, his breath sending warm shock waves down her body—soothing yet putting her near a new kind of edge.

“Let’s get out of the circle and head back to my place. We can talk then.”

She nodded but didn’t turn, afraid that once she looked at him she’d give in and fight for a man who might not want her.

He led her to his home, ignoring people calling for them. She didn’t want to talk to anyone but Quinn. She wasn’t weak, but goddess, things kept piling up, and she didn’t know how she was going to deal with it. She just needed to stop and think about every detail then lead with her mind, not with her heart.

If she could.

When they walked into his home, she relaxed marginally and pulled away.

“Gina.”

She looked up at Quinn, at the sound of his deep voice. “Your former mate is a bitch.” Her eyes widened at what slipped out, but she didn’t regret it. She was done holding herself back. Done treading lightly to save someone else pain…to save herself pain. All it had done was put her in a position where she was going to be hurt anyway—emotionally and physically.

Quinn blinked then snorted. “Yeah. She is.” He reached out and cupped her face. The calluses on his thumbs brushed her skin, and she shivered.

She loved this man.