Reclaiming Quinn - Parker Williams Page 0,18
feel my wolf anymore. He’s dead.”
That couldn’t be possible. “Quinn, remember what Gareth told us? We’re not two separate creatures. We are one heart and one mind. Our wolf side and human side are the same. Your wolf can’t be dead.”
“But Ryker told me he’d killed it. He said I would never become a wolf again.”
Son of a fucking bitch. Deke leaned in close and sniffed. Oh, the scent was heaven to him, warm and comfortable and… home.
“Trust me when I tell you that your wolf is still alive. Your scent is definitely that of a wolf.”
“But Ryker—”
“Lied. Again. He tortured you. Then to compound it, he made you believe you were never going to be what you were meant to.” Deke took Quinn’s hand and threaded their fingers together. “The Mother told Gareth that our wolf and human are part of a whole, not two separate entities. Now, do you want to argue with the goddess who created us?”
“But…. If she created us, why didn’t she do something years ago? Why let the wolves suffer the way we did?”
It spoke volumes, as far as Deke was concerned, that Quinn’s first thoughts were for all wolves and not his own loss. When Deke had gotten hurt, his only thoughts were what he’d lost, and nothing else mattered.
“Truthfully, I’ve been struggling with that myself, but I’m doing my best to understand. I lost the use of my legs when I was eight. After what amounted to a lifetime of running and roughhousing with the other kids, all of a sudden I was relegated to a chair and had to sit and watch as the world moved on without me. I was inconsolable and tried to push everyone away. And that was just my legs. What must it have been like for Mother to lose everything she’d created? Her perfect, beautiful Omegas, the gift she gave to the wolves, all slaughtered, and the wolves who were meant to be her greatest creation descending into anarchy and madness?”
“Oh.” Quinn sighed, then squeezed Deke’s hand, which Deke was sure he didn’t even realize he was doing. “She must have been devastated.”
“I’d imagine so. I’m guessing it took her a while before she was willing to see how bad it had gotten and then decide to do something about it. Thanks to Sean, she was able to, but if you remember, she put him through hell too. He got sick and was full of pain and anger. It took Gareth’s love to bring him back.”
“Because they’re mates, right?”
“Yes, exactly.”
They were quiet for a few minutes, Quinn not letting Deke’s hand go.
“Do you ever think you’ll find your mate?”
Deke wanted to assure Quinn that he had, and he would never let him go, but it still wasn’t time for that.
“I know I will. And my mate will be the most amazing man ever to walk the earth. He will bring sunshine to so many lives with his smile and his easygoing way. Everyone who meets him will be better for it.”
And Deke meant those words from the depths of his soul.
WHAT WOULD happen to Quinn if Master ever found his mate? Would he be allowed to serve them both? Would Master tell Quinn his services were no longer required? Would he—
“What’s on your mind, Quinn?”
Quinn turned to look at Master. “Oh, nothing, Master.”
Master touched Quinn on the shoulder. “Do you know what happens when you lie? A little fairy comes down and plucks a hair out. Why do you think so many politicians are bald?”
Quinn squinted. “That’s not true.” But Master had said…. “Is it?”
That made Master chuckle. “No, it’s not true. It was just a joke. But your expression tells me you’re thinking about something, and from how sad it is, I need to know.”
That made sense. “If—when—you find your mate, will you allow me to still serve you? I can be very good to your mate as well, I promise.”
Deke groaned. “Once again, I am never letting you go. I will not sell you, give you away, turn you out. You are going to be with me for the rest of our lives, and you’ve got my word on that.”
“But what if your mate—”
“The rest of our lives, Quinn. Nothing anyone says will ever make me give you up, do you get that?”
Oh, the way Master spoke. Quinn wanted to believe it with his whole heart. He could barely remember his life before Ryker, and now with Master, those memories of Ryker were beginning