Reclaiming Quinn - Parker Williams Page 0,51

eyes. Though he didn’t realize it at the time, he now knew those were the moments when Quinn and Deke were melding their souls.

“I’ll do whatever you ask, Alpha.”

If it brought Deke home, Quinn would give anything.

“This isn’t a punishment, Quinn. We want to help you, if you’ll let us.”

Quinn nodded, his stomach in knots. Right now he could feel that familiar rage bubbling inside him, demanding a target. Even back when he’d been a slave, he’d never experienced anger like this. It felt as though something was clawing at his insides, demanding to get out.

“Sean? Can we talk a minute first?” Quinn needed a handle on this, and it had to be fast. “It’s important.”

“Sure, let’s go into the bedroom.” He stood on his tiptoes and kissed Gareth. “I’ll take care of him.”

“I had no doubt.”

Quinn headed for the bedroom, Sean close behind him. When they got inside, Sean closed the door, then turned to face Quinn. His expression was inscrutable.

“There’s something… wrong. I can sense it. I want to release my pheromones and try to make you happy, but I don’t think that’s what you need. Talk to me.”

Quinn couldn’t look at Sean, so instead he strode over to the window and stared down at the street below.

“There’s something weird going on in my head. So much anger and pain. It’s like a jackhammer in my brain.”

“Mhm.” Sean sighed, then moved to where Quinn was and slid an arm around his waist. “I think I understand.”

How could he when Quinn didn’t?

“You said you and Deke never consummated your relationship. From what I understand, you shouldn’t be able to touch minds yet, but it seems your bond is so strong, you can. The problem? Without actually being near Deke, you’re not able to complete your bond with him, and your mind is getting desperate. In fact, that might be why you can communicate with him in the first place, because your head is working overtime, trying to cling to him.”

But that didn’t make sense. He never felt like this when Deke was off at work. “I don’t understand. This never happened in Lydon.”

“Because you always knew where Deke was, and now you don’t. Think of it like this; a man is trapped underwater. His mind is demanding air, it needs to breathe, but the guy is struggling to get to the surface. In a panic, his mind, certain they’ll die without taking a breath, overrides the man’s self-preservation and forces him to take a breath.”

“And I’m the drowning man.”

It wasn’t a question, because Quinn knew it was true. The analogy was perfect.

“And Deke is your oxygen.”

That led to another path of thought. “What happens if we don’t get him back?”

Sean looked away, and Quinn knew the answer.

“I’ll drown.”

A quick shake of the head. “I’m going to be honest with you. All the years I spent as the Mother’s vessel and I never once had her tell me things like this could happen. She made it all sunshine and roses and—”

“It probably was before, but after the slaughter?”

When every known Omega was killed because the Alphas wanted war. When Mother’s most loved creations were wiped out.

“So I could die.”

It didn’t matter. Without Deke, Quinn didn’t want to live. He knew that now, and he was okay with it. The prospect of living without Deke left him feeling cold and hollow.

“Stop that,” Sean snapped. When Quinn looked at him, he got a chill from the frigid glare. “We’re going to get him back, and you’re going to live a long life with Deke. No other answer is acceptable.”

“But what if—”

“No! The Mother has a plan for you. I don’t know what it is, but I know she does. The trials you lived through tell me there’s something in store for you, and it’s going to be incredible.”

Quinn snorted. “She’s a mean old bitch.”

Sean’s jaw dropped open. “You did not just say that.”

A quick step to the side and Quinn leveled a harsh glare at Sean. “Why not? She let me be raped! She let Ryker take Margaret and hold her. I don’t even know if he did to her what he did to me. You know, if it’s within her power to stop something bad and she doesn’t, wouldn’t that make her just as responsible for it happening? I mean, I get it. She was in mourning for what she lost, but what about everything the rest of us did while she was off having a pity party? Our parents were