Page 29 of Forced Wolf Bride

I'm arranging some drinks in the kitchen for Gina and me, knowing the men will hold their meeting in the den. Just Mateo and Diego, with Zack and Lucca nearby. I've already put some drinks in the den, as if having a nice beverage will help the men meet any kind of compromise.

Looking at Diego and Zack talking by the porch, I'm struck by how calm and authoritative Diego looks. I know he says he's too old for me, but all I see is a sexy alpha. He has some salt and pepper to his dark hair, which only adds to his rugged sexiness. His broad shoulders and imposing height make me feel tiny in comparison. When I think of how he took control in the shower, the way he always does in bed, a delightful shiver runs through my body.

Yep, Gina's definitely going to pick up on our insane chemistry.

As if on cue, the sound of trucks rolling up the driveway interrupts my thoughts. I take a deep breath and head toward the door, steeling myself for the conversations to come.

Mateo steps out of his truck first and walks around to lean against its front, waiting for us to meet them outside. I see Gina and Lucca get out just as I step onto the porch. Diego gives me a reassuring nod as I step down toward the group, slowly at first, but then breaking into a run as Gina ignores Lucca's words of caution and rushes to meet me.

Gina's face lights up as we collide in the drive in a tight embrace.

"God, it's so good to see you," she says, her eyes shining with excitement. "You have no idea how worried I was when you disappeared. What the hell is going on, Quinn?"

Before I can form a response, I see Diego has moved closer to Mateo, and the two men seem to be involved in a tense standoff. Zack and Lucca remain near but appear to be standing back, letting the two alphas size each other up.

I know how conflicted Diego is about this meeting. Thank goodness Mason isn't here; I'm not sure Diego can ever come to terms with the man who actually killed Tyler. I want this to work so badly, but I'm not sure that Diego, as a father, can let go of this war.

As Mateo and Diego continue to stare each other down, I can feel the tension in the air. It's so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Gina looks between the two men, her face a mask of concern. I know this is the moment when everything could fall apart before it's even begun.

Diego breaks the silence first, his voice low and measured. "Mateo, I'm willing to sit and talk this out alpha-to-alpha. There'll be no challenge today. From me, anyway."

Mateo snorts in derision but nods. "We can talk, Diego. I'm surprised, though. You haven't seemed to be in a talking mood."

I can feel the tension rolling off Diego in waves. He rolls his shoulders and turns his head just a fraction, almost checking I'm still here. "Like I said, we can talk."

Gina and I exchange a look, and I can see her silent question: Is this going to work?

Diego turns on his heel, taking the lead and walking toward the cabin. Mateo follows, with Zack and Lucca bringing up the rear. Gina and I look on nervously as Mateo and Diego disappear into the den. Zack and Lucca stand guard outside but do not exchange a single word.

Lucca tells Gina and me to go catch up. I can see he's worried about having her here and is just as tense as Zack.

Gina and I sit in the kitchen, watching the door nervously for any sign of what's happening inside. When all seems quiet, I finally pour us some drinks, grateful to sit beside my friend for the first time in weeks, even though the circumstances are crazy.

"Are you really okay?" Gina whispers. "Is Diego hurting you? Why did he take you?"

I place my cup back down on the counter and take a deep breath to gather my thoughts. I need to explain this properly. At least, as best as I can, considering I’m not sure I understand it myself.

“Diego didn’t take me,” I say slowly. “Marcus did—a wolf in his pack. I don’t know what he was going to do to me... but Diego saved me. As soon as we met, we both kinda knew.”

I can see Gina’s confusion, so try to give her some more explanation. “It’s like there was an immediate connection between us, like our souls were already connected somehow." I pause for a moment before continuing, my voice barely above a whisper. "We just knew that we had to be together. I mean, I tried to fight it, but my wolf knew. She just knew."

Gina looks at me with wide eyes, then slowly shakes her head in disbelief before finally responding. "You know what he's done, right? If he's your mate... I just don't know what to say. At all."

I look down at my cup, not wanting to meet her eye. It's clear her feelings about Diego aren't going to change anytime soon. Can I really tell her about the baby? Everything I've feared about losing her seems to be coming true.

She leans over to take my hand. "The bond is strong, sometimes unstoppable. But if he's not a good man, you can still escape."

"No!" I exclaim. After seeing the surprise in her eyes and noticing Lucca and Zack enter the room, I tone my voice down. "You don't understand—he's not bad at all. He's grieving. Tyler was everything your pack thinks he was, but that's not Diego."

Gina rolls her eyes. "And how can you be sure? Look what Tyler did to McKenna. That's going to be you," she whispers, obviously not wanting Zack to hear.

"No, no, no,” I say passionately. “Diego is angry and grieving his son. You think of Tyler as the monster he became, but Diego's home is full of pictures of them together when he was a boy. He was his child, and he's grieving. He keeps saying Tyler would have become a better man in time, but now he can't. This isn't the war everyone thinks it is." As I speak, Gina's face softens slightly.

"But what about the attacks, the destruction, even my kidnapping? I…" She trails off.

I sigh, scared I'm going to reveal too much about things even I don't understand properly. "Diego didn't give the go-ahead for all that. That was this Marcus guy. I think he was Tyler's friend, and he's using Diego's grief as an excuse for violence. I'm not saying Diego doesn't want revenge, but random destruction wasn't his idea."

Gina looks thoughtful for a moment. "Well, if this Marcus is anything like Tyler… but what kind of revenge does Diego want?"

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