Chapter Twenty-Two
Quinn shut his eyes, hoping the reds and pinks streaking across the sky outside his bedroom were just a figment of his imagination. But they weren’t. It was another morning in his miserable life. He let out a groan and rolled over in bed, wrapping himself around a pillow.
Sleep eluded him for the past couple days, and when he did finally crash out of pure exhaustion, he never got more than a couple hours of sleep. He spent every waking moment he had thinking about that day in the library and of Selena’s betrayal. He thought being rejected by his father was the worst pain he’d ever felt, but he was wrong.
It was all too much, finding out about her engagement after all they had shared. Wolf was threatening to rip out from his skin. His control was slipping, and there was nowhere safe for him to shift in the library, so he had done the only thing he could do. He called his brother-in-law, Daric, for help. The warlock had the power to take him away from there, and he came just in time. Daric whisked him away to some forest in the middle of nowhere where he could let Wolf take over. The animal ran and ran for miles, it seemed, until it was exhausted. Hours later, Daric found him lying under a bush. He was in human form, his body healing from various scratches. Quinn made Daric promise not to tell anyone. His brother-in-law said he would not lie to his siblings, especially Meredith, but would not offer the information either. Quinn hoped Meredith wouldn’t suspect anything.
The loud banging on the door and the insistent ringing of the doorbell woke him up hours later. Quinn put a pillow over his head and hoped whoever it was would go away. After a few minutes, the noise stopped.
“Get up,” Meredith said in an annoyed voice as she ripped the pillow from his head.
So much for Meredith not finding out. “What are you doing in here?” he groaned. “Did you break into my apartment?”
“Well, what was I supposed to do?” she asked
“How about not break into my apartment?”
“You weren’t answering the door,” she pointed out. Quinn opened his eyes and gave Meredith an angry stare. His sister looked right back at him, hands on her hips, her pregnant belly sticking out of her middle. She was wearing a shirt that read, ‘We’re hoping it’s a unicorn.’
“What the hell is going on with you, Quinn?” Meredith dragged the sheet from his body. “Eww. When was the last time you showered?”
“Take a hike, Mer,” Quinn muttered, rolling away from his sister.
“You smell, and this place is a mess.” She motioned around his bedroom, which was littered with empty takeout containers and boxes. “Why are you living like this? And why haven’t you come to work in days?”
Quinn let out a growl. “How the hell did you know that?”
“Killian asked me to come in and help out with some projects. Things you’re supposed to be doing,” Meredith pointed out. “Then, he tells me you haven’t been to work in a week. It also looks like you haven’t left your apartment or taken a shower or even slept in that time.” She sat down gingerly next to him. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
“If I take a shower, will you leave me alone?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s a start. Now go before your stench makes me puke all over your dirty sheets.”
Quinn grumbled, but obeyed, lumbering towards the bathroom. What was it about Meredith that no one could say no to her?
He breathed a sigh as the hot water sprayed all over his greasy hair and skin. It felt good, he had to admit. He scrubbed himself, washing his hair and skin with some shampoo and body wash. Running a hand over his face, he supposed he also needed a shave, but it would take too long. He had to make Meredith leave now. He finished showering and stepped out of the stall.
“Wear this,” Meredith said as she stormed into the bathroom, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes.
“What the fuck, Meredith?” Quinn said as he covered his crotch with his hands.
“Wear these outside clothes. You’ll feel better when you’re not in your underwear all the time.”
“Fine,” he groused, ripping a towel from the rack. “Now get the fuck out of my bathroom.”
As Quinn dried himself off, he wiped the fog from his mirror and stared at his reflection. “Jesus.” No wonder Meredith was pissed. He looked like shit. His facial hair was scraggly, he needed a haircut, and the dark smudges under his eyes weren’t bags as much as they were an entire collection of luggage.
Turning away from his reflection, he finished dressing and padded out to his bedroom. The empty boxes of food were gone, and Meredith was stripping the bed. “You should burn these,” she said holding one of the sheets away from her body.
“Whatever,” he answered. “What will it take for you to leave?”
Meredith walked up to him and crossed her arms. She was three or four inches shorter than him, but she looked him straight in the eye. “The only way I’m leaving here is with you. I’m going to make you come to work today.”
“Oh yeah? You and what army?”
“I don’t need an army,” she replied. “I have a warlock, and your boss is a literal fire-breathing dragon. Or do you want to tell Sebastian yourself why you haven’t been to work?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
Quinn let out a frustrated sound. “Fine. Let’s go and get this over with.” If he needed to work to get Meredith off his back, then that was what he was going to do. Besides, maybe this was what he needed to get his mind off Selena.
Meredith gave him a sweet smile. “Good.”
As they walked out of the loft, they passed by the living room. Quinn ignored the claw and teeth marks that marred the leather couch and wooden coffee table. Meredith raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything.
Outside, the air was clean and crisp. Though he grumbled the entire time, Quinn was somewhat grateful to be outside. Even Wolf perked up a bit. The damn animal went from fighting with him to ignoring him. It stopped making its presence known in the last day or so, and Quinn was starting to get worried. Was Wolf broken beyond repair? Was he?
When they arrived at the Lone Wolf Security office, Killian and Connor were already waiting at the reception area.
“What the hell is this?” Quinn looked at each of his siblings. “A fucking intervention?”
“What’s going on with you, Quinn?” Killian asked. Connor said nothing, but even his face was drawn with concern.
“I just needed a few days off, I told you.” Quinn looked at the door, but Meredith was blocking it. “I’m here now, and I’ll get to work. But you all better leave me alone, or I’m outta here.”
“You made my husband lie to me,” Meredith accused. “You called him while in the middle of an uncontrollable shift and made him take you away.”
“No, I made him not tell you, not lie about it,” Quinn corrected. “Besides, I couldn’t turn into a goddamn wolf in the middle of Manhattan!”
“But why couldn’t you get control of Wolf?” Meredith asked. “What happened?”
“Nothing!” he roared. “Nothing at all.”
“Quinn, calm the fuck down,” Meredith warned.
But Wolf was growling and snarling, and he could feel the animal just ready to fight and claw out of him. Anger, pain, sadness … the emotions were too much. He wanted Selena and, at the same time, hated her and never wanted to see her again. It was tearing him apart.
“Quinn! No!” Meredith cried as Wolf ripped out of him.
It was so fast the only thing he remembered was the sound of his clothes ripping to shreds. Wolf bared his teeth at Meredith. It wanted to destroy everything in sight.
“Fuck!” Meredith cursed as she looked at Connor. Wolf’s presence was agitating Connor, and his brother was hunched over, grunting as he sought to take control of his body. Wolf was gnashing its teeth, ready for a fight.
“No!” Killian yelled. “Shift back, Quinn.”
“Goddammit!” Meredith looked at Wolf. “You’re buying me a new shirt, asshole!” She let out a growl, and her wolf burst out from her body in a flurry of white fur and claws. The albino she-wolf stood in front of Wolf, slowly advancing toward its brother.
Wolf snapped its teeth at the she-wolf, but the moment it sniffed the pup inside her, it backed down and laid on its back. Wolf's protective instincts had won over his need to inflict pain. The she-wolf turned to Connor and sniffed and licked his hand, until his breathing evened and he fell to his knees, letting out a pained grunt.
Quinn slowly gained control of Wolf, his limbs and snout shortening and the fur receding into his skin. He was on his hands and knees, and sweat dripped from his brow. Slowly, he steadied himself and got to his feet. The sound of the door opening, followed by a loud gasp made him snap his head up.
Evie stood by the door, her eyes wide and her mouth opened. “What happened? Oh my God, why are you naked?”
Meredith had changed back into her human form, and Connor was already taking his shirt off to hand to his sister. “God, I can’t believe I saw your dick twice today, Quinn,” she said. Evie blushed and covered her eyes with her hand.
Quinn caught the extra pair of jeans and shirt Killian had retrieved from his office. They were Lycans, after all, and were prepared for this kind of thing.
“What are you doing here, Evie?” Killian asked. “You said you weren’t coming in today.”
“I left my phone charger.” She walked to her desk and retrieved the device. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
“Why don’t you ask your best friend?” Quinn bit out.
Evie’s face turned from concerned to distaste. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, so just shut up, Quinn.”
“Oh yeah?” His own anger was boiling now. “She’s the one who was engaged this entire time and didn’t tell me.”
Meredith let out a gasp. “What? Selena’s getting married?”
“Yeah, surprised me too,” Quinn spat. “The little liar strung me along while she was getting ready to marry her childhood sweetheart. And people say I’m the heartless one.”
“Shut up!” Evie’s face scrunched in anger and blood rushed to her cheeks. “Stop talking about her like that. You didn’t give her a chance to explain.”
“Explain what?” he asked bitterly. “That all she wanted was a good fuck from me?”
Evie leaped at Quinn, her hands extended, ready to claw his eyes out. Before she could reach him, Connor jumped between them and hooked his arms around her waist, dragging her away. “Selena told me everything!” Evie cried. “She wasn't engaged yet, but she didn't have a choice. It was marry Jason or be banished from her coven. You think she wants to be in a loveless marriage? No. But without any power, it was her only chance to gain their respect. Her entire life, her family treated her like shit while the coven did nothing.” She wrenched herself away from Connor and stood in front of Quinn, eyes blazing. “No one cared for her or treated her with respect. And no one loved her, not since her mom died.” She paused. “She was going to turn him down. She already bought tickets to go home and tell Jason and then her father. Selena was going to leave everything behind so she could be with you. She was in love with you, Quinn. You." Her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. "And you hurt her and pushed her right back into their open arms,” Evie said bitterly.
Quinn stood still, the pressure behind his eyes growing. Evie’s words cut him like a knife, causing a fresh pain to sear through him. This time, the pain was because he hurt Selena on purpose and drove her away. It was too late now. Wolf was ripping at his insides, snarling at him for letting her go. “Fuck.” He slammed his fist against the nearest wall, leaving a mark in the plaster. “I want her back.” He put his hands on Evie’s shoulders. “Tell me how I can get her back.”
“Oh. My. God.” Meredith’s eyes bugged out. “You’re in love with her.”
“Of course I’m in love with her!” Quinn shot back.
Meredith’s face turned from shock to mirth, and she started laughing. They were full-belly laughs that had her doubling over, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her cheeks. She kept going for a full thirty seconds, then slowly began to gain her composure.
“Are you done?” Quinn asked.
“No.” And she started to laugh again, clutching Killian's arm to keep herself upright. His brother bit his lip, his eyes were amused.
“All right, already, stop.” Quinn rolled his eyes. “For God’s sake, shut up and tell me how I’m going to get her back.”
“Well, for starters,” Meredith began, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You gotta stop that engagement.”
“I know that. But how will I make her forgive me?”
“Oh, Quinn,” she said, patting his shoulder. “You can’t make her forgive you. You can only ask.”
He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Shit. I said some things to her … I don’t know if she’ll want to forgive me. I don’t even know if she loves me.”
There was a glint in Meredith’s eyes. “Of course she loves you. You’re her True Mate.”
“What?” Quinn exclaimed. “How can you know that?”
“Well, I can’t be one hundred percent certain,” Meredith began. “But does she have a scent that drives you wild?”
Quinn thought of Selena’s sweet butterscotch scent. “Yeah …”
“And that didn’t give you a clue? She’s not a Lycan, but she has a scent?”
“Well, that did seem strange.”
“And does Wolf get anxious when she’s in danger or angry at you when you've pissed her off?”
“Huh.” He always thought it was strange, but chalked it up to Wolf being an asshole.
“Yeah and …” Meredith’s brows knitted together. “You’ve finally slept with her, right? She could be pregnant with your pup right now!”
“No.” He shook his head. “She’s not pregnant.”
“How do you know?”
“We used condoms,” Quinn exclaimed. “You know, like normal, responsible people.”
“Ugh,” Meredith said in an exasperated voice. “Well, if you want to be really sure, then you need to inject her with your baby batter. Like, soon.”
“Meredith!” Killian warned.
“What? Do you guys think I’m twelve or something?” She pointed to her belly. “Did you forget how I got this?”
“No, because you keep reminding us,” Connor interjected.
“But how can you possibly know she’s my True Mate? I never told you any of this until now.”
Meredith bit her lip. “Er, Daric told me. He saw it in a vision.”
“Right.” Because aside from being able to travel across the globe in a second, Daric could also see the past and future when he touched people. If Daric saw it then … it must be true.
“Uh, guys?” Evie interrupted. “Tonight’s the engagement party where they’re going to announce it to their entire coven. Glenwood Country Club. In Philadelphia.”
He looked at the clock. “Shit.” Philadelphia was at least a three-hour drive away. “Meredith, is Daric around?”
His sister shook her head. “Sorry, the Alpha asked him for a favor. He’s out of contact for at least the next 12 hours.”
“Damn.” He was hoping Daric could pop him over to Philadelphia. If he drove, he just might make it. But his Range Rover was back at his house. “Did you drive today?” he asked Killian.
“No,” he replied, shaking his head. “But Connor’s truck is stored here in the parking garage.”
All eyes turned to Connor. He crossed his arms over his chest. “No fucking way.” Connor pretty much hated everything, but if there was one thing he did love, it was his black Dodge Ram. He brought it to New York even though he wouldn’t be able to drive it as often as he did back in Portland. He didn’t even trust a company to ship it here; instead, he put it on a rig himself and drove it across the country.
“You have to let Quinn borrow your truck,” Meredith said. “Selena is ours. She’s one of us now. And we can’t lose her to some stupid warlock.”
“We?” Connor growled. “I ain’t her mate.”
“Please, Connor?” Evie pleaded, grabbing his bicep with her hands. “Quinn can’t let Selena marry someone else. I’ll never see her again if she moves away. I want my best friend back.”
Connor let out a grunt and then shoved his hands into his pocket. “Here.” He tossed a set of keys to Quinn, which he easily caught. “Take care of Jolene.”
“You named your car Jolene?” Evie asked.
“It’s a long story,” Meredith giggled.
“Thanks, bro!” Quinn said with a bright smile. “I’ll take good care of her.”
“You better. I just had her interior reupholstered.”
“Good luck!” Meredith called as Quinn raced out the door.