Quinn's Quest

Chapter Eight

Bethany couldn’t drag her eyes away from the vampire. He was tall and his skin was pale. His lithe body was covered with a designer suit, but he wasn’t wearing a satin-lined cloak like in the old movies. She was almost disappointed. She could tell by the way it fit him his suit hadn’t come off any rack, but had been tailored to his exact measurements. His hair was black as night and flowed to his shoulders. His eyes were just as dark. They seemed to absorb the light around him.

He was extremely handsome. He was also scary as hell. This was a man with many secrets. A dangerous man who had watched time pass him by. She had no idea how old Damek was, but he appeared ageless, like an old soul in a young man’s body. There was just something about him that told her to beware. She had enough animal instinct to know this was a man she didn’t want to make an enemy of, a man who should be approached with great caution.

Quinn wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she slid off the barstool. She was grateful for the support.

Damek’s gaze passed over the group, pausing to study her and Quinn. One corner of his mouth twisted upward into a brief smile as if he were amused by something before he continued his perusal of the others in the room.

The door closed behind him with a thump. Bethany jumped. She was extremely nervous. What did one say to a vampire? Better for her to blend with the background and let the others do the talking.

Isaiah stepped forward. “You ever think about knocking?”

Damek inclined his head. “I think about it, but then ask myself why would I bother?” Beside her, Bethany heard Craig give a snort of laughter at Damek’s reply

Meredith laughed and welcomed their guest while Isaiah simply scowled at him. “Good evening, Damek.”

Damek inclined his head. “Gracious as always.” His gaze cut sideways toward Isaiah. “How do you Strikers find such exquisite females?”

Isaiah dragged his mate closer, his arm wrapping possessively around her. Meredith patted Isaiah’s arm while she continued to speak to Damek. “Have you discovered anything new?”

The vampire shook his head and Bethany felt the muscles in Quinn’s arm tighten around her. “I have heard nothing yet, but I have feelers out everywhere.” He seemed to flow across the floor, his movements smooth and graceful, like a dancer. One moment he was near the door, the next he was in front of her and Quinn.

“It is an abomination what is being done to your sister. I am sorry for that.”

Bethany felt some of the tension leech slowly out of Quinn. “Thanks. I appreciate anything you can do.”

The vampire lifted his hand toward Bethany. She shrank back, unable to stop herself. The dark energy coming off Damek frightened the crap out of her. Quinn growled. The other males in the room shifted restlessly. The moment was fraught with danger.

“I mean you no harm, little one,” Damek promised. He lowered his hand, but she still felt a light brush against her skin as though he’d touched her.

The vampire shook his head. “Yet another beautiful woman to add to your pack.” He shook his head and sighed. “You Strikers are lucky bastards.”

Heat climbed up Bethany’s cheeks. She fought the urge to turn her face into Quinn’s chest and hide. She hated feeling like she was on display in front of everyone.

Damek snapped his gaze from her and turned his attention to Quinn. “Do you have a list of properties that you haven’t checked yet?” Damek’s eyes seemed to be lit by an inner fire, one that burned hot and dark. Bethany found his eyes mesmerizing and scary at the same time. She wanted to look away but couldn’t pull her gaze from him.

Craig stepped forward. “I’ve got an expanded list. I’ve marked off the ones we’ve already checked out. I came up with a couple new places. I thought we might have a look at them tonight.”

Damek smiled and she caught a flash of sharp white teeth. “Ah, the human.” He snatched the list from Craig’s hand and perused it. “You have done well.”

Quinn growled low. Threatening.

Damek waved his hand. “I mean your brother no harm, wolf. He’s interesting for a human. And unlike many of your kind, I like humans.”

Bethany didn’t want to think about the reason Damek liked humans. Vampires needed blood to survive. Or at least that’s what all the legends said. She was quickly learning there was some truth to folklore when it came to werewolves, so why not vampires?

The thought of having to take blood to survive made Bethany’s stomach roil. She swallowed hard, afraid to look away from the powerful creature in front of them.

“If you ever get tired of working for wolves I could use someone like you,” Damek said to Craig, ignoring the way Quinn and the rest of the males in the room bristled.

“Leave my pack alone, Damek.” Isaiah strolled over to stand next to Craig. He looked huge next to the younger man. He also looked prepared to fight, which surprised Bethany.

“Ah, you werewolves are so territorial.”

Isaiah snorted. “And you’re not?”

Damek chuckled. “I won’t deny it.” He shrugged. “I was here long before this place was anything more than a smudge on a map and I’ll probably be here long after all of you are gone.”

There was a deep, compelling sadness in his voice that made Bethany frown. He sounded…lonely. She couldn’t begin to imagine how old Damek was.

He settled his dark gaze on Isaiah. “I wouldn’t hurt your human. I was offering him a job. His computer skills are impressive.”

Craig gave a rueful smile. “Thanks, but I’m happy here. With my family.” His gaze slid to Quinn, but he quickly returned it to the vampire.

“Still.” A heavy vellum card seemed to appear in Damek’s hand as if by magic. He handed it to Craig. “If you change your mind.”

To Bethany’s surprise, Craig took the card and shoved in the back pocket of his jeans. “Thanks.”

Damek studied the list before handing it back to Craig. “I will check the new addresses tonight. I can do it more quickly than you can. Plus, I will attract no attention. I will call you if I come across a likely location.”

Isaiah started to protest, but Damek held up his hand. Isaiah stopped, but appeared ready to throttle the vampire. Bethany held her breath, not wanting to see any kind of battle between the incredibly strong alpha male and the powerful vampire.

“I don’t doubt your skills, my friend,” Damek began. “But this will also allow me to search the minds of those who wander the dark corners of the city, especially the South Side, which seems to be the most likely place for this doctor to try to hide.”

Bethany’s mouth went bone dry. The vampire could read minds. Could he read hers? As if hearing her question aloud, he turned and stared at her. Then he winked. It was such an unexpected gesture it made her grin. It seemed so incongruous for a debonair vampire to be winking at her.

Quinn was practically vibrating with anger. She wrapped her arms around his waist, desperate to keep him from doing something crazy like attacking Damek. That wouldn’t end well no matter what happened.

“I’ll contact you before dawn. If I am successful at finding the location of your missing female it will be up to you to rescue her.” Damek rubbed his fingernails against the sleeve of his jacket to buff them. “I am not at my best during the day.”

Isaiah snorted again. “That’s an understatement.”

“I have several hours until dawn. Plenty of time to search the new locations and do some hunting of my own.”

Bethany shivered at the threat in Damek’s voice. She was glad he was on their side. She wouldn’t want to be the doctor or Brian if Damek found them.

“’Til we meet again, my friends.” Damek seemed to disappear into the shadows. The door opened and closed and he was gone. Tension seeped from the room like air from a balloon.

“That was…that was…” Bethany honestly didn’t know what to say.

Isaiah walked over to the door and bolted it. “Damek is different, but once he’s given his word, it’s gold.” He turned back to address the group, particularly Craig. “Don’t ever try to bargain with him. He’s like the devil. He’ll tempt you, and then find a loophole in any agreement in order to get whatever he wants. He’s the most dangerous creature I’ve ever met.”

No arguments from her. Bethany was scared of the vampire and wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Craig frowned. “I meant what I said. I’m not leaving my family.” He moved closer to Quinn.

Meredith went to Craig and patted his arm. “You have a place here as long as you want one. You may not be a werewolf, but you’re family now, the same as everyone else.

Bethany watched the others in the room, curious as to their reaction to Meredith’s pronouncement. Michael was frowning, but he was staring at the closed, locked door and she couldn’t be sure if his dour expression was because of his mother’s offer to Craig or if he was still thinking about Damek’s visit. Isaiah appeared resigned to whatever his mate wanted. But Benjamin, Teague, Neema, Kevin and Hank all nodded and seemed genuine in their acceptance.

“I appreciate it.” Craig removed his glasses and polished the lenses before slipping them back on. “By the way, I did your quarterly sales and expense reports while I was waiting for the searches to finish. I left them on your desk for you to look at. I highlighted a few areas where you can save money and improve sales. I’ve started your taxes and should have them done tomorrow.”

Meredith’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. When she recovered from her shock, she surged forward and hugged Craig, surprising the younger man. “That’s it, I’m never letting you go. You’ve sealed your fate.” She whirled to face Isaiah. “He has to stay now. He does quarterly reports. Taxes.” She appeared almost dazed.

Craig shrugged. “It was nothing. The paperwork was all there. I figured it was the least I could do to thank you for everything.”

Isaiah appeared impressed, which Bethany didn’t think was an easy thing to do. “You heard my wife, you have to stay now.”

Craig shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll stay as long as Quinn is here. I don’t want to lose my family again.”

The expression on the alpha male’s face softened. “I understand. But you’ll always have a place here.” He nodded at Quinn and Bethany. “You all do. You are pack. Not all werewolves will accept you. You know that, Quinn. There are the paranormal bounty hunters to contend with. And now this new threat from a deranged human scientist.”

Meredith added her voice to the argument. “There is safety to be found in numbers. We’ve all learned that. We protect one another. Help one another. That’s what pack life is all about.”

Bethany swallowed hard, touched by the genuine offer. Sure, Meredith had offered her a job earlier, but this was different. This was a formal offer from the alpha pair of the pack. She might not know everything about her new heritage, but she knew this was a huge deal.

She’d felt so alone for most of her life, even when her mother had been alive. Maybe if her mother had been more like Quinn’s mother, her life would have been different. He’d always known he was different, known what he was. She’d been lied to her entire life. Yes, her mother had been trying to protect her in her own way. Bethany understood that. But instead of protecting her, it had left her vulnerable to Phillip Morton and rogue werewolves like Brian.

Quinn inclined his head. “I thank you for your offer, but I can’t make any decisions until I find Chris.”

“Understood.” Isaiah addressed the rest of the group. “Time to get some rest. Damek will call if he finds something. Be ready to roll if he does.”

They all said goodnight to one another and trooped up the back stairs to the apartments. Michael, Benjamin, Isaiah and Meredith stopped on the second floor, while the rest of them took the extra flight to the third floor.

Quinn’s hand pressed hard against her lower back as he escorted her into their apartment. And how weird was it to be saying their apartment. It wasn’t theirs. They were simply sharing the place. It belonged to Kevin.

It was decorated in what she thought of as man-cave style. It had overstuffed leather furniture in the living room, including the sofa where Craig had been crashing on nights when he wasn’t down in the office, which was most nights. A huge flat-screen television and plenty of other electronic equipment filled out the rest of the room. The small galley kitchen opened up into the living room. It was clean and nice. But it wasn’t hers.

Bethany longed for a place to call her own. The one thing she regretted about having to leave Detroit was the loss of her apartment. It might not be much, but it had been all hers.

“You okay?” Quinn’s low rumble next to her ear sent shivers down her spine. Now that the tension of meeting Damek was passed, Bethany was facing an entirely new set of problems. Her skin was flushed and tight, like it was too small to cover her frame. She wanted to haul her clothing off and scratch at her flesh.

A sense of emptiness filled her. Her sex throbbed with an ever-growing need. The lush folds of her pussy were wet and swollen. Her nipples were peaked and aching to be touched.

Bethany glanced at Quinn and licked her lips. Yeah, that’s what she wanted. Quinn was a prime male specimen. She knew from firsthand experience that his cock was long and thick and hard. She almost whimpered aloud at the mere thought of him pounding into her slick, tight channel, powering in and out, over and over.

“I’m going to grab a shower and head back down to the office for a few hours.” Craig’s voice interrupted her. She realized she was swaying in Quinn’s grasp. Her breathing was so fast and shallow she was practically panting.

“Shower over at Hank’s place.” Quinn’s voice was rough with need. Thick was lust.

Craig’s eyes widened as he studied them. “Will do. Give me a second.” He disappeared into the bedroom and returned a few seconds later with a change of clothing.

Bethany wanted to die with embarrassment, but another part of her was fiercely glad he was leaving. She had to get naked.

“I’ll come get you if I hear any news.” With that reassurance, Craig was gone.

The second the door closed behind him, Bethany started tearing at her clothing. It was confining her, choking her.

“Easy, baby.” Quinn tried to help her but she jerked away from him. He didn’t understand. She had to get naked.

He wrapped his arms around her and wrestled her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t helping her.” Please,” she begged, appalled by her lack of control.

It was as though she were another person. Not the Bethany she knew at all, but some creature more primal, more basic.

Her skin rippled and she cried out as her pussy spasmed, contracting around air.

“Let me help you.” Quinn’s voice was like it was coming from far away. “Stop tearing at your skin, baby. You’re hurting yourself.”

She smelled it then, the coppery scent of blood. She stilled and looked down at herself, horrified to see the fabric of her shirt was shredded and several long gashes marred her arms. She’d done that. To herself.

The shock was enough to jolt her back into some semblance of control. “What am I doing?” She peered up at Quinn, who had his strong arms wrapped around her like a straightjacket. “What have I done?”

“It’s okay, Bethany.” He released her slowly and began tugging at her ruined clothing. What was left of her shirt landed on the floor. Her bra followed. “I don’t think there’s any turning back from this moment. You’re in heat.”

She shut her eyes and swallowed. There was that word again. Trying to pretend it was simply biology wasn’t helping. It went far beyond the physical and into the mental. She craved Quinn. Wanted to join with him, to bond with him. Permanently.

And that was totally unfair to him. He had his own demons to fight.

“You should—” She broke off as a wave of lust rocketed through her, making her cry out. Her body undulated.

“Holy fuck.” Quinn swore as he helped her onto the bed. He practically ripped off her shoes and socks before dragging her jeans and panties down her thighs and off. He was panting as hard as she was.

“You…” She swallowed hard and stared at Quinn. “You felt that too.”

He looked as though he was in pain when he nodded. His usually pale eyes appeared darker. A lock of blond hair fell onto his forehead. She curled her fingers into her palms to keep from touching him.

He had to leave. Now. Or they could do something he might regret.

“You have to go.” Those were the hardest four words she’d ever said in her entire life. Every molecule in her body rebelled at the notion of him leaving her.

He stilled and then took a step back.

The cotton comforter beneath her back was cool, but her skin was hot. She bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning as a wave of heat blasted through her, arrowing from her breasts to between her legs. Her thighs were wet and she could feel a trickle of cream slipping from her pussy to trail between the dark crevice of her butt.

He looked devastated. Angry.

She didn’t want that. She was trying to save him, not hurt him. “Go before it’s too late.” It was getting harder and harder to speak.

He frowned. “Too late for what?”

She rolled over onto her side, panting hard. Quinn was beside her immediately. “Let me help you, sweetheart.”

The words tore at her heart. If only she were his sweetheart. She felt closer to Quinn than she ever had to another man. Maybe they hadn’t known one another very long and the circumstances had been extreme, but that didn’t seem to matter one bit.

Deep in her heart she wanted him. Forever. She barely dared to speak the word love. Her instincts, the ones she always relied on, were screaming at her not to let him go. She felt a stirring inside her and recognized it for the first time as her wolf. Something not separate from her, but part of her. Two sides of the same coin.

But the human part of her, the part not controlled by instinct, didn’t want a man if he was trapped by biology as much as she was. She was human enough that she yearned to be wanted simply for herself. To be loved.

It was torture to speak. Bethany finally understood how powerful this burning, instinctual need truly was. How had Chrissten fought against Brian for so long? The moment she asked the question, she knew the answer. If any other male were here besides Quinn, she’d fight him.

Bethany didn’t know if it was true for all female werewolves or only half-breeds, but there was no denying the truth. She wanted to be with one male and one male only. Maybe it was her human side. Maybe it was true for all female werewolves. It was too late to ask anyone.

Quinn cupped her breast. The skin of his palm was rough. She made a whimpering sound in her throat when he thumbed her nipple.

“Let me take you. Let me help you.” Quinn’s eyes were glowing with lust. “I thought about this a lot today. Let me mate with you. That will protect you from other males. But I’ll let you go when you want to.” He brushed her damp hair away from her scalp. “You’ll be free to go and do whatever you want, whenever you want.”

He was killing her. On one hand he was offering her heaven. She wanted to mate with him, to be with him. But it was obvious he didn’t feel the same way she did about forever. Sure he wanted her. That was more than apparent by the rather conspicuous bulge in his jeans. That was biology. But he was willing to let her go whenever she wanted.

She licked her dry lips. “Be sure. What if you find a female you want to mate with permanently?” It almost killed her to ask the question, but it had to be asked.

He closed his eyes briefly, shutting himself off emotionally from her. “It won’t happen.” When he opened his eyes there was nothing there but longing and lust. Any traces of other emotions were gone.

So be it. She’d let him go in the end because she loved him and wanted him happy. Maybe she’d find a way out of their mating somewhere down the road. After all, they were both half-breeds, not purebloods.

Just thinking of leaving him made her feel ill. But she wouldn’t cling or stay with him if he didn’t want her permanently. She had too much pride for that. She also wasn’t stupid enough to turn aside his help. She knew this had to happen. If not with him, then with another male. And she couldn’t handle the thought of any other male but Quinn touching her in this way.

Bethany wanted only Quinn and she was too far gone to turn him away. He’d missed his opportunity to bail earlier. It was too late for them both. Maybe it always had been.

She opened her arms to him. “Come.”

Quinn vaulted from the bed and started to rip away his clothing. His skin was damp with perspiration. His arm muscles flexed and rippled as he tore off his shirt. He toed off his sneakers and shoved his jeans down. He wasn’t wearing underwear and his cock was revealed in all its male glory.

She licked her lips and her core began to throb heavily. Oh yeah, she wanted that long, thick cock powering into her again and again.

“Almost there, babe.” Quinn peeled off his socks and then joined her on the bed, covering her with his large body. He took her mouth in a torrid kiss. His lips slid over hers, his tongue was hot and rough as it plunged deep. She grasped his thick shoulders, loving the feel of him. His strength. His power.

He pulled back and stared down at her. The heat in his eyes matched the heat flowing through her body. “Take me.” She wanted to add the word forever but managed to hold it back. This was for now. He was a good man. He wanted to protect her from the others. He was offering himself, sacrificing his future for her.

She knew there was no such thing as divorce among werewolves. A pair mated until death. She gripped him tighter, running her hands down his back. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to Quinn.

He was giving up his future. For her. Sure, he might think they could both walk away when all this was over, but somehow Bethany didn’t think it would be quite that easy.

She opened her mouth to protest one more time, but it was too late. His lips were hot on her face, along the curve of her jaw and neck.

Bethany let the heat take her. She lost herself to the lust pulsing through her and to the man holding her in his arms.