Page 46 of Crossing Quinn

“Remember that when you meet my father.”

“The Overlord told me about his battle with your father. Lysis is one of the few warriors with the ability to defeat him.”

A shudder shook me as I remembered that terrible battle. “I was there. They would have killed each other if Detja hadn’t stopped the fight.”

“Detja and you have a great deal in common.”

“We’re both troublesome females?”

I felt the brush of Quinn’s mind like fingertips stroking my skin. “Your loyalty to your family. No matter what happens, you will never abandon them. You will fight to your last breath to protect them. That trait is very important to me.”

“You say the sweetest things, but the next time I see Dolon, he’s a dead man.”

Quinn groaned. “Heads up, darlin’. Your mother is about to pay you a visit.”

“I’m going to need more chocolate.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Mami opened the shower door. “You bonded with that snake?”

“I did.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing when the water sprayed out, hitting my mother dead in the face.

“Why would you do something so foolish?” Mami narrowed her eyes as the water continued to bathe her.

“Originally, I wanted to keep the Tai-Kok from eating me. Once our minds joined, I discovered Quinn is an honorable male who loves his family. His warrior skills are as good as Papa’s, and Quinn will stand by me no matter what fate throws at us.” A smile tugged at my lips. “He’s also a great kisser.”

Mami shrieked, “You kissed him?”

“He kissed me, and I really enjoyed it. Another point in his favor: Quinn would give his life for me. Just like Papa would die for you.”

“He’s sneaky! He shot me with my own tranquilizer dart.”

“Quinn did what was necessary. He couldn’t concentrate on helping me fight off the Tai-Kok with you screaming like a demented banshee,” I replied patiently.

Big, fat tears rolled down my mother’s cheeks. “You’re taking his side?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Your father will put a stop to this nonsense,” Mami said stubbornly.

“Did you forget Papa agreed to bring me to Tanith on my twenty-first birthday to be given to some stranger?”

“I had hoped they would forget about you.”

“Forget?” I laughed. “There’s not a chance in the nine hells Zarek would ever forget about my unique abilities, and he now knows I’m a berserker.”

“Because of Quinn. The snitch.”

I shook my head in disbelief. Mami had totally ignored the fact that her big mouth was the reason Zarek knew about me in the first place.

My mother’s appalled gaze settled on something in Quinn’s sleeping quarters. “Why are you and Clio covered in blood and body parts?”

Blood? I peered around the shower wall. Holy Goddess! Clio and Adan were back from the feeding ground, and their yellow eyes were the only things visible on their gore-draped bodies. “What happened?”

“It’s been two centuries since I hunted on Piscium. Those furry little creatures I once pursued are now the size of a house and equipped with tusks.”

“In other words, you had to run for your lives,”I said with a frown.

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