Page 10 of Forced Wolf Bride

Saffy's eyes widen at that, but she knows better than to say anything. Instead, she simply nods and rushes off in her little car. She and Zack are practically family to me. I care about them both, but it still amuses me how skittish she is.

I'm still chuckling as I turn back to Zack, who looks less amused.

"Will you stop scaring her? She's just a kid." He groans. "Now she thinks you've got that woman chained up or something."

"Maybe I have," I mutter, but then shake my head so he knows I'm joking. "I do have her locked down, though. She's a runner."

"Most women who have been kidnapped tend to try and run," Zack states dryly.

"That's true," I admit, though Quinn certainly didn't want to run this morning when she was practically begging me to take her.

"Must be worth the effort for the bond," Zack says, considering me briefly. "Her scent’s all over you, so I'm thinking it was worth it all around."

"She's worth it," I acknowledge reluctantly. "For the bond. I wasn't expecting her to get so in my head, though. Even my run this morning didn't shake her."

Zack throws back his head and barks out a merciless laugh. "Ooh, she must have been good!"

"Enough!" I snap before even realizing I've done it, my wolf near exploding with rage.

Zack immediately drops his head in submission, raising his hands. "Woah, I meant no disrespect, Diego. Honestly, I'm happy for you. I wasn't sure I believed in that mate stuff, either, really, but I'd say it's had quite the effect on you already."

I shake my head, my eyes returning to normal. "Shit, sorry, Zack. I know you meant no harm. She's got me feeling all kinds of weird today."

We fall awkwardly silent for a moment. There are few—or honestly, no—other wolves I'd ever show any kind of uncertainty or weakness around except for Zack. My dad gave me some advice when I took the position of alpha. Find someone I can trust, just that one wolf for when my back's against the wall.

For me, that person is Zack. He's a hard-nosed man with more than enough of his own issues. But he's also strong, loyal, and has zero aspirations to take on the “nightmare,” as he calls it, of being alpha. He's earned my trust and loyalty over a lifetime.

But the truth is, if he speaks too familiarly about Quinn again, I don't know what my wolf is capable of. And that scares the shit out of me.

Zack sighs, taking another long swig from his water before regarding me carefully. "We've all heard and seen wolves with their mates. It's strong stuff. I'm guessing she must be the real deal for you." Then he chuckles. "Seems like Marcus finally did something right."

At that, I scoff. "We both know damn well what was going down in that room. He was about to take her for himself."

Letting out a low whistle, Zack replies, "I'm not sure we have the moral high ground here, Diego. Kidnapped is kidnapped."

"You questioning my decisions, Zack?" I snap, knowing full well he's right.

"Lord, no. You know that, Diego. Just pointing out our position."

I can't help but wonder what the hell is wrong with me today. Snapping at Zack, the one wolf I can fully trust. I need to get my head on straight before the meeting.

"Marcus is a problem for another day,” I say. “Right now, I need to be planning our next steps. I'm going to make Mason and Silverstar wolves. Securing my mate straight from under him is just a bonus." Squaring my shoulders, I meet Zack’s eye. "But she's done something to me this morning, and I can't shake it."

Zack chuckles. "Her scent is all over you, so I can only guess. Before you retaliate, I'm happy for you. To be honest, she's probably stuck in your head because you're happy. You've just forgotten what that's like."

His words hit me more poignantly than he probably intended. Is that what this is? Feeling happy hasn't been a priority of mine these last few years. There were plenty of issues within the pack before Tyler died, and a hell of a lot of pain and anger after.

"It's more than that. My wolf is straight-up confused,” I admit. “Seeing her, rushing in when I don't even know her. You're right—the bond is some damn powerful stuff. I feel the strength already. She's fiery, though. She hates my guts, and I can't figure out why I care so damn much when I don't even know her."

"You think she's got a man? Someone we need to put down?"

My eyes flash at the thought. "She's mine. No way she's had another wolf around her. I'd be able to tell."

"Well, that's something," Zack says as we start toward his truck, the meeting looming, "Gotta say—and I'm no expert—but if you're that bothered about her hating you, maybe you need to make her like you a bit more?"

I'm about to tell him where to go, but he continues. "You were all fired up about this meeting two days ago. Now you've been standing here for near forty minutes and not mentioned it once. Make that mating bond work for you, its strength and power. And if it's got you like this, she must feel the same, so it can't be that hard to make her a bit friendlier. If you know what I mean."

He winks with his final statement. I want to slap the smirk right off his face, but instead, I find myself laughing. It's true—Quinn definitely felt it, too. I've never needed to use charm to get a woman into my bed, but if doing so makes her less of a nightmare to be around, it might just be worth a shot. She ain't going anywhere while the bond is working, and I certainly want to get my hands on that body again.

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