Quinn knocked on the guest room door. Marigold and Sonya had both been posted outside of Quinn’s bedroom, under orders from Luke not to leave her alone.

“I’m going in by myself,” Quinn told Marigold. The conversation she was about to have with Brandon, she didn’t want to have in front of his twin.

“But Luke--”

“I’m your Ursula, not Luke. And you are my second, not my employee.”

Marigold sighed. “Fine. Sonya isn’t under the same constraints.”

“Fine.” Quinn stared at the leggy brunette. “I can’t stop you from coming in with me.”

She opened the door. Brandon was sitting up on the edge of his bed. “Come in.” He motioned to a chair near him. His face was somber, and it took away from his normal boyish charm. He had chestnut brown hair, straight but thick, and cut short, but not militant in style. His green eyes, normally lit with good humor, were almost stark now. So serious.

Sonya closed the door behind her, and Quinn took the seat near him. “You wanted to speak to me?”

“I will be your mate,” he said bluntly. “I’m not afraid of Trey or his goon squad.”

Her mouth tasted bitter. Monica’s worst fear realized. Brandon was offering himself to Quinn. “You don’t have any feelings for me, Brandon, and you’ve never shown the slightest interest in clan leadership. You could have challenged him at any time since you came of age, if taking Trey’s place had been your goal.”

“You’re right. But since we, me and Mari, started working for Dashwood Security, I’ve realized that there are some things require sacrifice. I see how hard you’ve tried to make sure the clan was safe from Steele. I can help you.”

“I appreciate the offer.” And she did. Brandon wasn’t hard to look at, on the contrary, he looked like Joe Manganiello’s cuter brother. He was kind and loyal, both the qualities she had requested at the Paranormal Dating Agency. Was this the man Gerri Wilder had chosen for her? Surely not. She’d heard a lot about the older woman, but cruelty hadn’t been one of her quirks. She’d have to trust that Mrs. Wilder had a plan. That’s what she got paid for. “No. I really can’t. You’re a lovely man, but I could never love you, and you’d never love me. I might be able to stand that with a stranger, someone I don’t care about, but I don’t think I could do that with you.”

“Okay.” He nodded and winced, his hand moving to his heart.

“Are you okay?” Quinn got up and helped him get back in bed.

“Still sore is all, but the scab over my ribs is almost gone. You all did a real number on me.” He smiled his boyish smile, which brightened his whole face. “Frankly, I’m relieved. On a good day, I’m pretty sure I could take Trey, but I’m not one-hundred percent. I’d have hated making you a widow before we even got to the wedding night.”

Quinn blushed but smiled back. “Then it’s all for the best that I turned you down.” She pulled the blankets up over his bare feet. “I’ll send Monica in with some pain meds.”

Brandon reached out and grabbed Quinn’s wrist. “Don’t.” He shook his head. “I don’t like her seeing me like this. Weak. Just send Marigold. Okay?”

Quinn nodded. She tried not to smile, but with those words, she realized that Brandon Bennet did like her sister and more than in a friend way, even if he might not know it himself. “Rest now. I’ll come back later and check on you.”

Marigold waited outside the door like a good soldier. “My brother’s an idiot,” she said when Quinn and Sonya exited.

“Agreed,” said Sonya.

“How did you hear?” Shifters had excellent hearing, but the walls and the doors had been made mostly sound proof. Her dad’s doing. It was a way to keep private conversations private.

“It’s a twin thing,” Marigold said. Her hair and eye color were the same as her brother’s, but where Brandon had always been carefree, Marigold was more stoic. Or at least she’d seem so. The past few days taught Quinn that beneath the serious exterior was a dry wit.

“His intentions were pure,” Quinn said. “If a little misguided.”

“That’s my bro. Mister Misguided.” Marigold crossed her arms. “Though, really, it’s not a bad plan. If he’d not just had a bullet explode in his heart less than a week ago. If I was allowed, I might have offered you the same deal. Our clan will disintegrate under Trey’s heavy hand.”

“You give a maniac any kind of power, and he will find all kinds of ways to beat you over the head with it,” Sonya said, and it was the most words Quinn had heard her say in one breath.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Rick said when he came upon them out in the hall. He put his arms around Sonya and kissed her thoroughly. Quinn hadn’t really seen the two together and found the demonstration of affection disconcerting. Bears in her clan tended to be more reserved. At least in public.

Quinn looked around. “Did, uhm, Luke come back with you?”

“He’ll be right in.” Rick held out his hand. “I need your phone. Luke’s getting them from your mom and sisters now.”

“Mine’s in my bedroom. Why do you need it? What did you guys find out?”

“First, Trey has an ego the size of a small universe.”

“We knew that,” Marigold said.

“And, he put spyware on your phones. He can listen to your voicemails and read your text messages, Doc.”

“Son of a bitch,” Quinn hissed.

Marigold pursed her lips. “We did not know that.”

“I’m getting my phone now.”

“Bring it down, and I’ll clean it,” Rick said.

“I’m going to toss the stupid thing in the toilet and buy me a new phone.”

Rick grinned. “That’ll work too.”

Quinn took off in a run. Damn it. She’d blown it. Her text to Luke had outed him and had given Trey something to hold against her.