Benjamin and Teague held Michael back.
“Enough.” Isaiah’s low command broke through Quinn’s anger. Shame filled him. He had to get a grip on himself.
He yanked at his arms and Isaiah and Hank let him go. Quinn was shaken by his violent reaction toward the other male. He didn’t know Michael that well, but he liked him well enough. Had never thought of attacking him before he’d mentioned his interest in Bethany.
Damn, this was confusing as hell. He didn’t have time to deal with this crazy attraction, with this overwhelming sense of—and he hated to admit it—jealousy. All his attention had to be focused on finding his sister. Nothing else mattered. It couldn’t. He wouldn’t allow it to.
He turned from the group, walked to the large window at the front of the bar and stared out at the city as it started to come to life for another day.
Bethany barely held it together on the way to the ladies’ room. The moment she was inside, she leaned against the wall and sucked in a deep, fortifying breath. Her skin was itchy and hot. She wanted to scratch it. She wanted to tear her clothing off and roll around on cool sheets. Preferably with a strong, virile male. Quinn’s visage popped into her head, leaving her breathless.
Her breasts swelled, her nipples incredibly sensitive as they pressed against the thin cups of her bra. The ache between her legs throbbed nonstop, making her want to squeeze them together to try to ease it. But she knew that wouldn’t work. She’d already tried.
“Just breathe.”
Bethany heard water running in the background and then a cool, wet paper towel was pressed against her forehead. It felt so good against her flushed skin. She lifted her head, wanting more. The older woman was watching her, her blue eyes filled with concern.
“I don’t know if you caught all our names, but I’m Meredith Striker and this is Neema. She’s mated to Teague, the male with the earrings and tats.” She pointed to the younger woman who offered a shy smile.
As much as she appreciated Meredith’s kindness, Bethany didn’t have time for pleasantries. “What’s happening to me?” She needed to know. “Chrissten said I was close to being able to change into my wolf.” And didn’t that sound absolutely crazy. But she had to believe in something. If she wasn’t a werewolf than she obviously had some sort of crazy disease. This wasn’t normal.
“How much do you know about being a werewolf?” Meredith asked.
Bethany shrugged, desperately trying to ignore the way her nipples tightened into hard nubs. She pulled the edges of her fleece closed to cover them. “Nothing. Chrissten tried to tell me some things, but I thought she was nuts and didn’t pay a lot of attention.”
“You’ve always been stronger than other women. Your hearing is keen and your vision is exceptional.” Neema stepped forward. Bethany studied the slender young woman with her smooth café au lait skin, curly black hair and kind brown eyes.
“Yes. But that could simply be good genetics.” That didn’t prove anything to Bethany.
Meredith sighed. “It is good genetics. Werewolf genetics.” She rubbed the paper towel over Bethany’s face one final time before dumping it into the garbage. “Your mother didn’t tell you anything?”
A deep sense of betrayal tugged at Bethany. It was quickly followed by one of guilt. Her mother had done the best she could. “You heard what I told everyone out there.” She motioned to the door and the room beyond. “She didn’t tell me anything. She didn’t like me asking questions about my father. It scared her.”
Neema nodded slowly. “She probably found out what he was and was afraid. My mother was like that too. She could never bring herself to believe what my father was and tried to drown her fears in drugs and alcohol until they finally killed her. She used to talk when she was drunk or high. That’s how I learned what I was. For a long time I thought she was crazy. It was frightening when I realized she was telling the truth.”
The other woman’s sorrow was a tangible thing. “I’m so sorry.” Bethany didn’t know what else to say. So far she hadn’t seen much good in this whole werewolf thing. It seemed to have brought nothing but trouble to all of them.
“You’re going into heat,” Meredith interrupted, her tone brisk. “It means you’ve reached sexual maturity and are ready to make your first change. Werewolf females are late bloomers. We come into our sexuality in our early twenties.”
Well, that certainly explained a lot. She’d never been very attracted to men. She’d thought she simply didn’t have much of a sex drive. Turns out she had one that was kicking into hyper drive and was ready to spin out of control. She shoved that thought aside and turned her attention to the one part of the situation that intrigued her the most.
“That’s good, right? That I’m ready to make my first change.” Bethany wasn’t too sure how she felt about the bones in her body cracking and reforming. It was going to hurt. It had to. Didn’t it? But in the end she’d be stronger, better able to protect herself. Not that it would be much help against that tranquilizer that Dr. Morton had developed, but she’d feel better, not quite so vulnerable.
For a brief moment, the image of Quinn popped into her head. Why she thought of him as a protector, as a safe haven in an angry, crazy world, she had no idea. She was on her own, as always. She needed to depend on herself and not on anyone else. Certainly not a man, werewolf or human.
“It is a good thing, but it does have conditions attached.”
Bethany knew she wasn’t going to like what Meredith had to say next. “Tell me.” She needed to know the truth. She was tired of feeling like she was trying to solve a puzzle with most of the vital pieces missing.
“Mother Nature wants the species to continue. That means she wants you to procreate.”
Bethany swallowed hard as the folds between her legs grew slicker with cream. She could easily imagine Quinn naked. All that hard, hot flesh sliding over her, around her, inside her. She shuddered.
“You have to mate.”
Meredith’s blunt statement shocked her. “You can’t be serious.” Sex was one thing, but this entire mating idea sounded complicated and a whole lot scary.
“Very.” Meredith took Bethany’s hands. Even though she only looked a few years older, Bethany was struck by the fact that she was probably much older than she seemed.
“How old are you?” Bethany blurted out. Her cheeks heated as embarrassment swept over her. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.”
Meredith laughed and the happy sound made Bethany smile in spite of the gravity of the situation. “I’m eighty-five years old.”
“Get out.” Bethany wasn’t sure the other woman wasn’t pulling her leg. Her skin was flawless and there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight. Her long black hair fell to her waist like a curtain of silk. Meredith looked liked a vibrant, beautiful woman in the prime of her life. Bethany would have guessed her age at early to mid-thirties, tops.
“We live to be around five hundred years old. I don’t know about half-breeds, if you’ll live that long or less. Only time will tell.”
“Wow.” That was a lot to wrap her head around.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ll get used to it in time. I was lucky to find Teague right around the time I went into heat for the first time. Neither one of us really had much idea about the whole mating thing. We came together because we fell in love. I know this is a much different situation for you.” Neema gave Bethany’s arm a reassuring pat. “If you have any questions about being a half-breed female, please don’t hesitate to ask. I may not have all the answers but I can answer a lot of your questions. And anything I can’t tell you, Meredith can.”
“Of course. Anything I can do to make you feel more settled. You’re welcome here at Haven as long as you need a place.” Meredith’s offer helped settle her frazzled nerves. It helped to know she’d have a roof over her head while she tried to figure out how to reclaim her life. She might be proud, but she wasn’t stupid enough to turn aside Meredith’s generous offer.
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br /> “Thank you.” Bethany didn’t know how she felt about talking to virtual strangers about the weird turn in her life but it was nice to know she had somewhere to go for answers to her questions.
“We don’t have much time.” Meredith glanced at the door. “The men will be ready to leave in another minute or two.”
Bethany was afraid she wasn’t going to like what came next. “What do I need to know?” Better to have all the information she could than to remain ignorant about her condition. She’d been kept in the dark all her life.
Meredith leaned back against one of the three sinks and answered in a crisp, business-like manner. “You need to be claimed by an unattached male. He’ll mate with you, mounting you from behind and marking you as his own. When you have sex in that way it will unlock the wolf inside you, enabling you to make your first change.”
Bethany leaned more heavily against the wall and swallowed the large lump in her throat. This was a lot to process. “So if we have sex then I’ll be able to shift any time I want.”
“Yes.” Meredith’s gaze went to the door a second before a heavy knock sounded. “But the mating bond is strong, not something you can easily walk away from. You need to be sure before you let a male claim you. He’ll never let you go once you’re his. Males are nothing if not possessive.”
“We’re ready.” The male voice was tinged with impatience.
“My mate isn’t known for his patience, but he has other virtues that make him worth keeping around.” Meredith opened the door as she finished speaking and smiled at Isaiah.
“I’ll show you my other virtues later,” he promised Meredith. Bethany felt her cheeks heating at the sexual tension crackling around the couple. Neema just chuckled, obviously amused by the sensual byplay.
Bethany’s head was whirling. She had a lot to think about—claiming, mating and last but not least, shifting. But first things first. Chrissten was still a captive. Until her friend was free, Bethany couldn’t think about her own life. She owed Chrissten her freedom. Her fellow captive had sacrificed everything for her and Bethany could do nothing less in return.
“Let’s go.” She pushed past the other women and Isaiah and headed for the door of the bar. Quinn fell in beside her as she stepped outside in the cool early morning air, but she didn’t look at him. She needed to get her wayward emotions and her body under control.
Two hours later, Bethany was almost ready to dissolve into tears and drop to the ground with exhaustion. They’d been searching nonstop, spread out over a large area of decaying streets and waterfront warehouses. It all looked the same to her.
“Anything seem familiar?” Quinn had asked her the same question every five minutes for the entire two hours. His desperation was getting to her, making her feel like a failure for not being able to pinpoint the right building immediately.
Why hadn’t she paid more attention? Because she’d been too busy running for her life. She knew that but it didn’t make this situation any easier for any of them.
She shook her head. “No. Nothing.” She ignored him as best she could. It really was impossible to ignore six-foot-two of lean muscle and barely leashed power.
Bethany was surprised they weren’t having any trouble with the gangs of young men who were hanging around. Of course, this early in the morning most of them had disappeared off the streets and were sleeping wherever it was they called home. A motley trio with tattoos and piercings had approached them about an hour ago. Quinn had turned their way and growled, his teeth lengthening and his face changing until it resembled that of a wolf. The men had yelled and taken off as fast as their legs could carry them, one of them saying a Hail Mary as he ran. She would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so dire.
Seeing him change like that was a stark reminder of what he was. Part animal. Just like Brian. Maybe all the men were like that, more beasts than men. She knew the comparison probably wasn’t fair, but she reminded herself that she really didn’t know Quinn, or any of them for that matter. They needed something from her—information and help. What would happen if she couldn’t deliver? Icy tendrils traced down her back, making her shiver. She pulled her fleece sweater tighter around her body, hoping to trap more of her body heat.
“You okay?” Another familiar question from Quinn. Somehow when they’d split into groups to search, he’d ended up with her. Not that she was complaining. She felt more at ease with him than she did with any of the others, with the exception of Meredith and Neema. Talking with them even briefly had made them much more approachable.
Bethany rubbed her forehead. Her head was pounding and even the roots of her hair ached. She was beyond exhausted and working strictly on autopilot. With every breath she took her nostrils were filled with the stench of garbage, dirt and layers of fuel and exhaust from the vehicles that traversed the streets daily. She was so tired even the rutted street was starting to look inviting. Maybe she could lie down for a minute. She immediately vetoed the idea. Who knew what kind of dirt and filth was layered there. She’d have to hold on a bit longer.
“I’m fine.” She even managed to make her words sound half-believable. What else could she tell him? His sister was out there. Somewhere. And Bethany had failed to get help right away. She owed him as much as she owed Chrissten.
She needed to focus. Blocking out the large male hovering next to her, she concentrated on her surroundings. Did the buildings across the street look familiar?
Maybe?
She started across the road with Quinn tight on her heels. She couldn’t resist a quick sniff. He smelled so good to her. Better than chocolate cake with dark fudge frosting. She could eat him up.
Focus, she reminded herself. Her body was already reacting to his nearness, her nipples puckering and her pussy clutching. Her skin was clammy. Her clothing felt too tight. She might be exhausted but she wasn’t dead.
“Bethany.” The low, intimate tone in his voice sent a pulse of heat flooding between her thighs. “I can smell your arousal. It’s sweet and spicy.”
Oh God. He could smell her. Of course he could. If she could smell him, he could do the same with her. He could already change into his wolf, which meant his senses were even keener than hers.
Chrissten had told her that would happen. And she would know. She’d already made her transition. Bethany swallowed hard as terror flooded through her, driving out the arousal. She couldn’t imagine what Chrissten had suffered at the hands of Brian.
She hurried forward, needing to get away from Quinn. Needed to be able to breathe. She hurried down the split and pitted sidewalk. Suddenly she froze, her nostrils flaring and her eyes narrowing. This place was familiar. She was certain of it.
She stopped so fast Quinn almost rammed into her. He caught himself and placed his hands on her shoulders. She sensed the aura of anticipation surrounding him, but he remained quiet, letting her do what she needed to do.
Instinct had her turning right. She was almost one hundred percent certain this was the way they needed to go. Quinn pulled out his phone and made a quick call. She knew he was pulling in reinforcements, telling the rest of the group where they were headed.
She swerved left, running now as she headed down an empty alleyway. A sense of certainty filled her when she recognized the graffiti sprayed across the building. Quinn gave a growl beside her and then he was passing her. He’d caught a scent.
Bethany hurried to keep up with him, but it wasn’t easy. He was practically a blur as he rounded the corner. She was right behind him. There. Up ahead was a dilapidated building. The front boards had been torn away from the doorway. This close, she could smell herself, the blood she’d left on the wood as she’d struggled to get away.
Quinn tore at what was left of the boards, flinging them to the side. By the time she reached him he was already inside. She heard Isaiah call her name but didn’t stop. There was no time to waste.
It was much harder to go back inside than she’d imagined it would be. Her heart pounded as
she paused at the place on the steps where she’d left Chrissten. She leaned down and pressed her hand against the scarred wood. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She already knew her friend was no longer here. The place felt abandoned. Empty. They’d moved on and taken Chrissten with them. They were too late.
Bethany’s heart ached. She’d failed. Her legs were like lead weights, her heart heavy as she descended into her own personal hell. Footfalls behind her were blocked by the unholy howl of pain that ripped through the air.
Quinn.
He’d found the empty cell. Bethany went to him, not knowing what she would do when she found him. “Sorry” was just a word. There was nothing she could say or do to take away his pain.
He was sitting on Chrissten’s bunk, her pillow clutched in his arms. He looked broken. Lost. The bunk across from him was empty. The blanket partially dragged on the floor. Bethany refused to look at it. The walls seemed to close in around her, threatening to crush her. She swallowed her pain and the nightmares pushing at the fringes of her consciousness. Quinn needed her.
She went to him, drawn by his pain, and sat beside him. “I’m so sorry.” Such inadequate words, but they were all she had to offer.
He shook his head and stood. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed as his gaze turned icy. He tossed the pillow back onto the bed and strode from the room without a backward glance.
Bethany remained. She felt small. Afraid. Defeated. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel Chrissten beside her, hear her voice urging her to run. A door slammed and she jumped. Afraid of being locked inside, she hurried out of the room and almost knocked Hank over. She knew all of their names now, had been introduced on the ride over, but that was all she knew about them. He was tall and blond and quiet.
He grabbed her by the upper arms and steadied her. “You okay?” She could see the honest concern written all over his face but didn’t quite know how to answer his question.
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