Chapter Twenty-Three
“For crying out loud, aren’t you done yet?” Jane Merlin’s impatient voice shook Selena out of her trance.
“I’m almost done,” she called through the bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, Selena checked her reflection in the vanity mirror one last time. It took hours, but she was able to tame her hair into a chic up-do. She also put on some makeup to cover the smudges under her eyes, but, other than that, she kept it minimal. The dress she put on was a long black evening gown she had in the closet, which seemed appropriate given the circumstances. She didn’t feel like it was a happy occasion; instead, it felt like a slow march toward the end.
Selena bit her lip to keep from crying. She thought she’d exhausted all her tears, but each time she thought of Quinn … No. It was her fault for keeping Jason a secret. She could have told him at any time, but she didn’t. And now that she made her bed, she had to lie in it. With one last deep breath, she stood up and opened the door to leave her childhood bedroom.
“My, my, don’t you clean up nice,” Alexis sneered. She was standing outside her door, leaning against the wall. As usual, she was all dolled up, her hair and makeup perfect and her short blue dress showing off her tanned and toned legs
Selena did not have the patience to deal with her tonight. “I’m getting engaged, did you hear?”
Alexis’ eyes turned into slits. “Yes, imagine that. A warlock actually wants you. Selena the Dud.”
The nickname used to hurt, but now she just felt … nothing. It was like a rocket that was shooting straight for her but suddenly fizzled out. “What, are you jealous? That Jason Ward wants me and not you?”
Alexis laughed. “You think he wants you? He’s just using you to produce an heir. After all, he has everything—he’s a gifted warlock, rich, handsome, has a good pedigree—the only thing left that would make his daddy and mommy happy is to have a grandchild who was descended from both Charlotte Fontaine and Magnus Merlin.” She gave a snort. “Not that you turned out to have any talent.” She leaned down, her face inches from Selena’s and her eyes full of hate. “When you spawn another dud, Jason will realize he should have married me.”
“You’ve been in love with him? This whole time?”
“Love?” Alexis spat. “You’re such a fool, Selena. Love isn’t real. You think my mother married your father for love? No. Your daddy’s a rich businessman and a powerful warlock. Too bad he made her sign an iron-clad prenup that guaranteed everything would go to you if they divorced.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She had no idea.
“And do you think your Lycan boyfriend loved you? Tell me, where is he now? Did he not like knowing you were engaged while you were fucking him?”
“It was you,” Selena accused. “You told him about Jason.”
She laughed. “Of course it was me. You thought you could hide it from me? I could see the way he looked at you that night at Merlin’s. I couldn’t believe he would want to sleep with a plain little thing like you and not me.” She tossed her blond locks over her shoulder. “Well, when I told Leonard, he was madder than a box of cats. He told us he was going to accept Jason’s proposal on your behalf and instructed us to do whatever it took to get that Lycan away from you and get you back here. So, I told him you were already engaged.”
Selena felt the bottom of her stomach drop, and her vision blurred. God, her father really was willing to sink to the lowest depths to get what he wanted, even hurt his own flesh and blood. She tried to say something, but she just stood there, stunned.
“Selena!” Leonard Merlin’s voice rang out loud from downstairs. “We’re going to be late, come down here now.”
“Congratulations,” Alexis said in a sweet voice before she turned around and left her standing there.
Alexis’ words washed over her. Was love really a lie? It was starting to feel like that. She thought her father loved her, but he’d been ignoring the way her stepmother and stepsisters treated her for years. And now he was forcing her to marry a man she hardly knew. She thought Jane loved her father, and she took some solace in that, but she’d been after his money all along. A small part of her had even thought Quinn loved her, but his cruel words and refusal to listen to her told her that wasn’t true either.
The cold, empty feeling crept over her slowly. This would be her life now. It was this or banishment. She thought she could have survived being away from her coven if she had Quinn. But, in wanting to have it all, she lost him—the only thing that mattered.
***
Selena wasn’t even sure how she got to the country club. She somehow made it from the house to Leonard’s car and into the club. The function room of the Glenwood Country Club was all decked out tonight for the happy occasion. Fairy lights strung with fresh white jasmine flowers were hung overhead. The round tables scattered all over the room were covered with white tablecloths and elegant flower arrangements. Their entire coven was here to celebrate the engagement. People would stop her and offer their congratulations, and Selena nodded and smiled at them, even as she felt numb inside. Across the room, she spied Jason Ward and his parents. He was wearing a dark suit, and, even from afar, she could make out his handsome features and tall frame. When their gazes locked and he gave her a slight smile, she felt absolutely nothing.
“Hello, my dear.”
Selena turned to the familiar voice. “Uncle Lucien,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “You came.”
“Of course,” Lucien answered, his lips forming into a sad smile. “I couldn’t let you throw yourself to the wolves without any support.”
She held back the tears. “Thank you,” she said as she stepped into his embrace.
“Are you sure about this?” Lucien asked. “What about Quinn?”
She stiffened in his arms. “He doesn’t want me, Uncle Lucien. He never did.”
“I can’t believe that,” he said as he pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. His dark gaze captured hers. “Besides, why are you committing yourself to this sham of a marriage in the first place?" She couldn't answer him, so he let out a resigned sigh. "Remember what I told you about when you decide to stand up for yourself.”
Selena almost wanted to laugh. Looking around her, with the entire coven here to celebrate the engagement, it was too late. She spied Jason again, looking handsome and regal in his suit, and she wondered if it would really be so bad. He was good looking and wealthy, and she could learn to care for him. Plus, there was the bonus of children who could grow up with magical talent.
“Selena,” Leonard called as he appeared behind her. “Oh Lucien, I didn’t see you there. When did you come in?”
“A few minutes ago,” the other warlock answered. “I was just giving Selena my congratulations.”
“Thank you, Uncle Lucien,” she said weakly. “I’ll see you later.”
Merlin nodded at her as she allowed Leonard to drag her to their table.
“The program’s about to begin,” Leonard said impatiently. “We’re already late. You won’t even have time to have a few minutes alone with the Wards. They were looking forward to seeing you.”
“Well, thank God for that.” Selena shut her mouth when she realized she had said that out loud.
“You will behave, Selena,” Leonard said as they sat down at their table. “You will sit there and look happy and smile at Jason Ward. Ah,” he looked to the stage where a man in a tux was standing with a microphone, “You’ll have to say hello to them when the host asks you to come up on stage then.”
The fairy lights dimmed, and everyone hurried to their seats. Selena sat still, waiting for the program to begin.
“Good evening everyone and welcome to—who the fuck are you?” The stunned emcee looked up at the large man dressed in ripped jeans and a black shirt who marched up the steps to the stage and grabbed the microphone from his hand.
Selena’s heart stopped in her chest. “Quinn?”
***
It seemed like a good idea at the time, bursting into a room full of witches and warlocks. In fact, Wolf thought it was a fucking brilliant idea. Quinn had even rehearsed his entire speech on the way over. He was going to march up to Selena and declare that he loved her and they belonged together. Now he was suddenly having performance anxiety. In his ripped jeans, plain shirt, unkempt hair, and unshaven jaw, he felt even more uncomfortable in the room full of witches and warlocks dressed to the nines in formal attire. He thought it was going to be a dinner party or something small, not a decked-out ballroom with two hundred witches and warlocks, who were all currently staring at him.
“Young man,” the emcee said, regaining his composure. “This is a private function. Please leave.”
“Yeah? Well, I object. I object to this marriage,” he declared.
“That’s for the ceremony, you moron!” someone called out.
Quinn swallowed visibly. “Wow … I thought this was going to be a small party.” A loud groan from the foot of the stage caught his attention. Looking down, he saw Selena sitting at the front most table, her eyes wide with surprise. Next to her was an older warlock, probably her father. He did not look amused.
“Anyway,” he continued. “Selena, you can’t marry this douche bag.”
“Shut up, you’re the douche bag!” the same voice shouted.
Quinn ignored the voice again. “I mean, fine, I don’t know if he’s a douche bag, but you still can’t marry him. Selena, you’re my True Mate.” There were several gasps from the audience and the words Lycan and wolf were whispered a few times among the crowd. “I mean, I’m not sure yet because we’ve been banging with condoms and she’s not knocked up. But I plan to get her pregnant, as soon as she lets me put my Daddy sauce in her.”
He flashed Selena a smile, but her face was hidden as she banged her head on the table and let out another groan.
“Get off the stage, moron!”
Quinn felt his blood pressure rise. “Who the fuck keeps hassling me?”
“No one wants to hear you, asshole!”
“Oh yeah? I'm the asshole? I don’t come to your declaration of love and heckle you, do I?” Another audible gasp caught his attention. This time, it came from Selena. “It’s true. I love you, Selena, and I can’t live without you.”
Selena shot to her feet. “Quinn!” she called in a desperate voice. “Get me out of here.”
“You ungrateful child!” The older man beside her stood up and grabbed her by the elbow. “You will sit down and shut up, while I get security to take out this dog.”
When Selena struggled to get free of her father, the older man raised his hand. Quinn instantly saw red, and Wolf was ready to tear the warlock apart. He leaped down from the stage and ran to Selena, but he was too late.
“You will let go of her and put your hand down,” Lucien Merlin said in a deadly voice. He stood between Selena and her father, calm as a millpond with a glass of wine in one hand. “Or do you want her mate to rip you to shreds?”
Leonard’s face went red, and his hand dropped to his side. “Selena, if you do this, you know what’s going to happen.”
Selena pulled away from her father. “I do. And I’m fucking glad to be out of here!” She turned to Quinn. “Let’s go.”
Quinn wasted no time in grabbing her hand and dragging her away, ignoring the shocked stares and indignant shouts as they rushed through the richly-decorated function room. He gave one last backward glance to make sure no one was following them, and he saw Lucien Merlin wink at him as he took a sip of his wine. They ran to the main lobby and out the door to the parking lot.
“Where’s your Range Rover?” Selena asked, glancing around.
“I didn’t have time to get it,” Quinn explained as he led her to the other end of the parking lot. “I had to bring Jolene.”
“What’s a Jolene?”
Quinn nodded to the vehicle in the middle of the row of luxury cars. The jacked-up black Dodge Ram looked incredibly out of place next to all the Mercedes Benzes, BMWs, Jaguars, and Porsches. A loud beep indicated that the truck was unlocked, and Quinn helped her up into the passenger seat before swinging around and getting into the driver’s side. He turned the key in the ignition, revved the engine, and tore out of the Glenwood Country Club, nearly knocking down the stunned valet who was taking a smoke break near the open exit gates.
Quinn drove away from the country club. He had been worried someone from Selena’s coven might chase after them, but it was just them on the lonely country road. It would be at least another ten miles until the ramp to the highway. He breathed a sigh.
“Quinn,” Selena finally said. “I can’t believe you said that in front of everyone.”
He flashed her a grin. “What, that we’ve been having responsible, protected sex or that I was going to knock you up? Cuz the first one is true and the second one will be soon.”
She blushed. “No, you moron! That I’m your True Mate! Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, we can’t be one hundred percent sure.” Quinn saw a small clearing up ahead on the side of the road. He slowed down and maneuvered the truck into the small patch of mud. The branches and shrubs that scratched the side of the truck made him wince, but he’d figure out what to tell Connor later. “But we can try and find out.”
Selena let out an indignant cry when he reached over to scoop her up out of the passenger seat and onto his lap. God, he was already hard, just being near her. If this wasn’t a sign they were True Mates, then he probably had some sort of mental disorder that made him get an erection whenever he was around Selena.
“Quinn,” she whispered, twisting around so she was straddling his lap. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for not telling you about Jason. My father—”
“Shhh … kitten.” He put a finger on her lips. “No need to apologize. Evie told me. I’m the one who should say sorry for what I said to you in the library. For not letting you explain.” His chest tightened as he felt the shame of his own words. “Forgive me?”
“How about we forgive each other?” she said.
He nodded. “Agreed.”
Selena leaned down and planted her lips on his. The tightness in his chest disappeared, replaced by a satisfied growl. Wolf urged him to take her now, and plant his seed in her. And he wanted nothing more than to make love to her without any barriers and then watch her belly grow with their pup in the next couple of months.
“Selena …” He tugged at her dress, raising it over her thighs and up to her waist. Shit, he wanted to feel her naked breasts and suck on her nipples, too, but there was no time to take off the dress.
She moaned when his fingers found her panties, the front already damp. Fingers stroked her clit and her damp lips, teasing her until she was slick, then slipped into her. She rocked her fingers against him, grabbing on his shoulders for support. Selena let out a sharp cry as her body convulsed in a small orgasm and he continued to fuck her with his fingers. She slumped down, her face burying into the crook of his neck. Her scent teased his senses, making his cock strain painfully against his jeans. He needed her now.
“Sorry, kitten,” he apologized before ripping the scrap of lace off. Selena responded by fumbling with his jeans and releasing his already hard cock. She pointed the tip at her entrance.
“Are we really going to try this here?”
“Hell, yeah,” Quinn said as he grabbed her by the shoulders and sank her down on his cock. “Fuck.” She was tight and wet, her inner muscles enveloping him like a snug glove. “Kitten, you feel so good.” Nothing between them this time. He could feel every inch of her.
“Quinn … I …” Her head rolled back when he began to thrust into her. Just small movements of his hips, but she whimpered in pleasure. Selena grabbed his shoulders and began to move, grinding her pelvis down on him as her pussy squeezed him.
“Fuck … baby …” She felt so good. Around him and in his arms. His fingers dug into her hair, releasing it from her up do, making her wild red hair flow down her shoulders and back. Her pink lips parted as small pants escaped her mouth. She moaned his name over and over again.
“I love you, Selena,” he panted. His hands gripped her hips, urging her faster and faster. “Only you. Forever.”
“I can’t … I …”
“Then don’t. Just let go. I’ll be here to catch you.”
She let out a cry as her body shuddered and she squeezed tight around him. He couldn’t control it any longer, and he came, spurting his cum inside her. His own body spasmed and the white hot pleasure sliced through him, nearly blinding his vision.
She collapsed on top of him, and he thought she said something, but his ears were still ringing. “Say that again?” he gasped.
Selena giggled. “I said, I love you too, Quinn.”
He let out a sigh of relief, then grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down for a kiss. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to say it.”
She smirked. “You’re always so impatient.”
He let out a groan as she shifted her hips. “Hmmm … don't move, kitten.”
“Aren’t you uncomfortable? I can get—”
“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere.” He tightened his arms around her. “I’m going to make sure this works. Meredith told me all it takes is one time, the first time, but I’m not taking any chances. My buttermilk isn’t going anywhere.”
“What?” She looked down. “Oh. Right.”
“Shit, kitten.” Fuck, he didn’t even ask her if she wanted a kid. “Are you … are you regretting this?”
“Huh? No! Of course not.” She laid her head on his chest. “I just never thought …”
“Me neither.” He kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Selena. And I want to have a dozen babies with you. At least.”
She giggled. “Well, give me a minute here … we don’t even have one.”
“Yet,” he said. “Don’t twins run in the family?”