Page 23 of Forced Wolf Bride

"Quiet as a mouse, ain't she?" He chuckles, and I roll my eyes. "I doubt she's a fan of Marcus, either."

"No." I laugh darkly. “She sure ain’t. She’s no fool. But I do need to talk to her.”

“That you do.” Zack laughs again, putting his hands up as I shoot him a glare.

We say goodbye, and he heads back down to his truck. I watch as he turns the vehicle and heads back off my property. I appreciate him coming to me, but it's nothing I wasn't already aware of. I'll deal with Silverstar, get my revenge for Tyler, and then I'll put Marcus where he belongs. Whether that's in the ground or far from here will depend on his actions.

I sigh and roll my shoulders before heading back in to find Quinn. I wonder how much of that she heard. I don't want her frightened. She obviously isn't feeling herself today, so the last thing she needs to hear is that Marcus wants to use her like this.

Upon entry, I hear sounds coming from the kitchen, where I find Quinn pacing and making some hot chocolate.

"Enough there for two?" I ask, causing her to spin around and almost drop the pan. I rush forward to steady her. "Woah, didn't mean to startle you."

She tries to laugh it off and insists on pouring the drinks, but she's still quiet and jumpy. I carry our hot drinks to the back porch and then pull out some of the thicker rugs. The weather is changing rapidly now, and winter will be here sooner rather than later.

Quinn pulls her legs up beside me, taking the giant cup of sweet hot chocolate in both hands to test its temperature. I decide this is the perfect moment.

Taking a breath, I start, "I know you heard me and Zack talking. I don't want you to worry about anything, okay?"

"Of course I'm worried," Quinn says with a sigh. "I'm worried about how scared Gina must be. I'm worried about this revenge against Mateo's pack. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm worried about you."

Our eyes meet just as she says she's worried about me, and the words warm something deep within me. Her concern touches a part of my soul that has been devoid of care or companionship for too long.

"You don't need to worry about me," I reply gruffly. "Is that what's wrong? Is that why you're not yourself?"

Her eyes go straight back to her drink, and she takes another quick sip. "N-no, I'm okay. I do worry, but it's not about that."

So it's something else?

"Is it Marcus? I think you heard Zack airing out his thoughts on this." I sigh. "That won't happen. This situation doesn't concern you, and I won't let Marcus near you. He's a problem for another day."

Quinn takes a deep breath and looks up at me with tears in her eyes. My wolf howls at the sight of my mate in distress. I wipe away a tear, and she instinctively leans into my touch.

"It's not Marcus. Well, notjustMarcus," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "It's me. I have something to tell you, Diego."

I furrow my brows and brace myself for the worst.

"What is it, Quinn?" I ask gently, trying to keep my voice calm. Inside, my mind is racing with possibilities. Has she already managed to contact Gina? Has she betrayed me somehow?

"I'm pregnant," she says, her voice trembling with emotion.

I freeze, my mind going completely blank. It takes a moment for her words to sink in, and when they do, all I feel is pure shock. This is the last thing I was expecting. I had braced myself for betrayal, not this...

"Pregnant?" I repeat dumbly. "How? I mean, when? How long have you known?"

Quinn takes a deep breath and looks at me with a mixture of fear and hope in her eyes. "I realized today," she says. "I didn't realize the dates. Everything has been so... I-I just didn't realize." She stops talking again as fresh tears begin to fall.

I feel a surge of emotions that I can't quite identify. Part of me feels a rush of excitement and pride, but another part is terrified of what this means. I'd resigned myself to only having one son. When Tyler died, I thought my line died, too.

And now Quinn is pregnant. That means a whole new family for me.

I realize I haven’t said anything in response. Instinctively, I pull her into my arms, her body now wracked with sobs.

"Shush now," I soothe. "A baby is a good thing. My mate, my baby."

My hand reaches for her still-flat stomach, and she looks at me with fresh hope in her eyes.

Does this change anything? Everything?

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