Reclaiming Quinn - Parker Williams Page 0,15

through a hole at the bottom of the door, and the dishes were collected the same way. You have no idea how lonely I was.”

That wasn’t the half of it. Depression was common on most days, because Quinn had no idea what would happen to him. He’d contemplated trying to kill himself, but something inside stopped him. He thought he was too weak to carry it out.

“I wanted to die.”

Master gasped. “Never say that. Ever.” He rolled back from the table still holding Quinn’s hand. “You know what? Come with me.”

He led Quinn to the sofa, hoisted himself onto it, and tugged Quinn down next to him. Master patted his lap.

“Lie down.”

In Master’s lap? Oh no. That would be…. Master took the choice out of his hand by putting an arm around Quinn’s shoulder and pulling him down. Before Quinn could protest, Master was rubbing Quinn’s scalp. It still felt weird having no hair, but he liked that they’d cut it off because it had become a weapon Ryker’d used against him.

“I’m going to tell you something, okay?”

Yes, talk to me, please. I’m… scared.

“When I got the call from Lyram asking me to come to Lydon, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I went to my boss and told him I was quitting because…. I know this is going to sound corny, but it’s the truth. I told him that there was something pulling me to Lydon, telling me I had to get there. It was like an imperative. When I got to the pack grounds, Lyram picked me up and took me around, showing me the area. I fell hard for it and thought I’d finally found my place in the world.”

Oh, Quinn wished he could do that. Life at Lydon was easy, simple. Quinn was given work to do, and he was mostly happy.

“I was wrong.”

What? “Are you…?” Quinn swallowed the heart that was suddenly in his throat. “Are you leaving Lydon, Master?”

“No, that’s where I want to be. I’ve traveled the world, and I’ve seen some amazing things, but not one of them compares to what I found in Lydon. There are so many beauties out there for people to behold, but there’s a gem—metaphorically speaking—in Lydon that is the greatest treasure anyone could ask for. I would be a fool to even consider going.”

“A gem?”

Master’s fingers rubbed Quinn’s scalp harder, and Quinn did his best to stifle a groan. Master’s hands were magical.

“The day I went into the kitchen and found you all eating chili? That was when I discovered something more precious than anything I’d ever seen before.”

Quinn was breathless waiting to find out what it was. “Can I ask?”

A tiny smile appeared on Master’s face. “I saw you eating with everyone, and I realized I’d found what I had been missing for years. A family. My parents died when I was a teen, and I bounced around from person to person, crashing on a couch when I could, but even though they were my relatives, I never thought of them as family. My wheelchair was something that made me seem weak in their eyes because I was only half a man, they said.”

This time Quinn jolted upright. “No! You’re good, decent, kind. You’re a better man than any I’ve ever met before. Please, don’t listen to what they said.”

It was vitally important that Master not accept what he was told. He was a light in Quinn’s world, and Quinn couldn’t imagine that being snuffed out.

“Don’t worry, I don’t. The day Gareth met me, his eyes widened when he saw my chair, but he never treated me like I wasn’t able to pull my weight. He saw the person, not the disability. It helped that he was familiar with my work, but that wasn’t the whole of it. He told me once that my life is measured not by my body, but by my heart. The afternoon I wheeled into that kitchen? I desperately wanted to belong in Lydon, because even though I’d only been there a day, it was already more of a home to me than anywhere else I’d been.”

The words were pretty, and they soothed Quinn, but he couldn’t help it when he blurted out, “Please tell me you won’t leave me behind if you go.”

The green of Master’s eyes darkened slightly, which sent a ripple through Quinn. “You have my word I will never leave you. We’re a package deal, you and I.” He reached out and ran the pad of