Page 17 of Forced Wolf Bride

She looks so sincere and kind at that moment, tears well in my eyes, and I can't reply. She immediately reaches out and places her hand on my shoulder. "Oh, god, he's not hurting you, is he? I know Diego. He's not usuall—"

I wave my hand to stop her. "No, no. It's nothing like that. He's actually… I mean, we're… fine," I stutter, unsure how to explain. "I'm just worried about my friend from the other pack. She must be so worried about me."

Saffy frowns slightly. "He hasn't let you contact her at all? It's all very tense, isn't it, with the other pack? It's difficult."

She heads to the counter, where she has a pot of coffee. She gestures if I'd like a cup, and I smile and nod, taking a seat on one of the benches. I’m glad to finally have someone else to talk to.

"I'm not actually from Mateo's pack; I was just staying with Gina,” I clarify. “Fixing the… well, the fountain."

At the mention of the destroyed fountain, Saffy blushes slightly. "Yes, there's been a lot of that. Marcus and his boys seem to think it proves a point."

From the disgusted way Saffy says Marcus's name, I can see she's not a fan of the guy, either. I decide to push. "So that wasn't Diego?"

Looking slightly wary, she shrugs. "I'm sure he was happy for them to do whatever, but I think he has bigger plans. With what happened and all."

I nod in understanding. "What was Tyler like? I only know the basics about what happened."

A strange look passes over Saffy's face before she pastes on a smile. "Look, I'm not going to speak ill of the dead or my pack. Diego was his dad, and he's hurting. Not many see that, with him being alpha. Men like Marcus just think about ego and revenge. Diego's just thinking about his son."

"Yeah, I think I see that, too," I say thoughtfully.

"You do, don't you?" Saffy says carefully before adding, "Diego's not like Tyler was, you know. He's a good man."

I thank Saffy for the coffee and pick out some ingredients, mulling over her words as I walk through the aisles. She told me a lot while remaining loyal to her alpha, confirming my suspicions that Diego's revenge is driven by pain. It also sounds like Marcus is every bit as dangerous as I first thought.

By the time Diego steps into the store, looking for me, I'm sitting back at the counter with Saffy, laughing like we've known each other for years. I turn as he walks in, not missing the surprise that flashes across his face.

"You two getting on, I see?" he asks, picking up my bags.

Saffy takes my cup as I stand and draws me into a hug. "Yes, we are, and you're not to hide her away anymore. She can at least come over to ours, can't she?"

I hold my breath while I wait for Diego to answer. He looks between us before nodding. "Yeah, we'll see."

I exit the store with Diego, feeling better than I have in weeks.

Chapter 9 - Diego

Driving away from my cabin, I feel a twinge of what I can only describe as guilt as I think about setting the security system and locking Quinn inside. It's what I've been doing every day for the last six weeks.

But things have changed since she was kidnapped by my pack. Since I realized she was my mate.We'vechanged.

At first, I thought it was the bond making me feel things, purely driven by my wolf. Now I see that it's her and the way she makes me feel as a man. I haven't felt this content in years, maybe ever. I haven't laughed this much in years, that's for sure.

Choking back my laughter, I remember surprising Quinn this morning when she came into the kitchen making eggs and bacon, wearing just her little apron and nothing underneath. Her face was a picture, and definitely worth the sparks I'd taken from the frying pan. Remembering how she'd sunk to her knees and taken me deep into her mouth in return was also well worth it.

Trying not to dwell on the memory as I head to the pack meeting, I have to adjust my hard cock in my trousers. I seem to be permanently hard at the moment. Quinn's body is pure heaven, and I can't get enough. Can't keep my hands off her.

At first, I didn't trust her not to run. My wolf needed to lock her down to maintain the bond. I couldn't risk her getting away when the strength the bond provides is out of this world. Now, it's the man in me who's scared that she'll run, that I'll lose her and the light she's brought to my life. I hadn’t even realized how little I was living until she reminded me how things could be.

Driving into the town center, I pass the sports complex, and my eyes land on the tournament grounds. I don't know why I told Quinn about that, but ever since, it's been on my mind. I can picture Tyler so clearly there as a young pup, best in his class and destined for great things. I don't understand where it all went wrong with the boy.

Looking at the unkempt tournament grounds suddenly makes me angry. Rage bubbles up from somewhere deep inside, and I grip the steering wheel. Punching out Zack's number on the car control panel, I seethe, waiting for it to connect.

"You nearly here, Diego?" Zack answers lightly, and I can hear a crowd in the background.

"Why the fuck aren’t the tournament grounds maintained?" I snap.

Zack pauses for a moment before replying, "Um, it's not needed, I guess." His tone is careful.

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