Quinn gasped, unable to help herself.Trenton glared at her while telling the woman, “You have the wrong house.”

Quinn couldn’t face her father, and when she turned, Kyllian’s eyebrows were raised.She couldn’t face him either.She blinked back the tears threatening to fall.After all this time.

“I’m at the right house.Tell Quinn her daughter’s in trouble.I’ll wait.”

“Quinn?”Trenton grabbed her arms and turned her toward him.“Tell me this woman is lying.”The tears did fall then.She couldn’t lie to her dad.Not now.“Quinnlyn, how?When?”Trenton grabbed his chest, his knees buckling.

“Dad!”Quinn reached out for him, but Kyllian was faster.He gently lowered Trenton to the floor, and Quinn squatted next to him.

“Call an ambulance,” Kyllian instructed.

“No.I’m fine,” Trenton argued.“Well, not fine, but it’s not a heart attack.”

“You don’t know that.We can’t take the risk.I’m calling for help.”

Trenton grabbed her wrist.“No, you’re not.You’re going to tell me what the hell she’s talking about.”

Kyllian brushed a tear off Quinn’s cheek.“Would you like some privacy?”

Quinn shook her head.“No.You need to hear this too.Let’s get Dad off the floor first.”

Kyllian scooped Trenton up like he weighed nothing and carried him into the living room, settling him on the sofa.Trenton reached out a hand, but Quinn wrapped her arms around her waist, keeping distance between them.She didn’t deserve his love or comfort.

“I didn’t tell you the whole truth about what happened when I ran away.”Looking at Kyllian, she explained, “As I told you earlier, we moved around a lot when I was young.Being a dire wolf, I needed to shift.To run.To be with others of my kind.We had just moved again, this time landing in Arkansas.We were near the Ozarks, and my animal was clawing to get out.One night, I snuck out and took off in my fur.I ran into a pack, and it was like coming home.I lied to them, telling them I had lost my family, and the Alpha, Stewart, welcomed me into theirs.I didn’t know anything about pack dynamics or fated mates.I hadn’t read my mother’s journals, so I believed what they told me.What I didn’t know was they also lied to me.I knew I was different because in shifted form, I was larger and had different coloring.They recognized me as a dire wolf, and...”Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath.“The Alpha’s heir, Blake was his name, claimed I was his mate.Promised to take care of me.My Wolf fought with me.Refused to allow Blake to claim me.I wanted what they promised – a family, a pack, somewhere to belong ­– so my beast and I compromised.Long story short, Blake and I...we, uh...”

“You had sex,” Trenton said.

“I was so stupid.They didn’t want me; they wanted my dire genes.It wasn’t until after Nikita was born that I found out the truth.Blake took Nikita while I was asleep.When I woke, Stewart told me Blake and his true mate had taken Nikita to raise as their own, and while I was welcome to stay with the pack, I would never see my child again.I immediately shifted and attacked Stewart.Even though he was Alpha, I tore his throat out, and with his blood dripping off my jaw, I challenged every other member of their pack.My Wolf knew what it was doing even though I didn’t.All I knew was I’d had my child taken away from me and I needed to find her.Each and every member bared their necks to me.Everyone except Karen, Stewart’s mate.She ran.I didn’t realize I should have chased after her.I was caught up in the emotions of losing my child and killing the Alpha.”

Quinn sat down in one of the chairs opposite her father.“In that moment, I became Alpha of a pack I didn’t want.When I shifted back, I asked them where Blake had taken Nikita, but no one could tell me.One of the females, Mercy, admitted they were aware of Blake’s plan to seduce me because of my dire genes, but she said they didn’t realize he was going to take Nikita and leave.I shifted into my fur and took off in the direction Karen had gone.I eventually lost her scent, but I kept searching the area.After a month, I gave up and came back to the apartment.”

“Oh, Quinn.”Trenton rose from the sofa and knelt beside her, gripping her hands in his.“Why wouldn’t you tell me?I knew something happened because you shut yourself off from me, but this?You should have told me so I could help you.”Trenton bent his head and placed it against her stomach.Quinn released his hands and cupped his head.

“I was scared.Until I read Mom’s journals, I had no idea I had become the Alpha.I just thought I’d killed someone.”

“That’s why you’ve been hiding all this time?”Kyllian asked.

Quinn looked at him through watery eyes.“Yes.By the time I figured out shifter laws were different, I was already used to the solitude.Even if I had known what killing Stewart meant, I wouldn’t have wanted the title.I was just a kid, and I was only able to take him down because I surprised him.I wouldn’t want to live every day not knowing if that was the day someone would challenge me.”

“What do you want to do about the woman at the gate?If you want, I can get rid of her, or I can compel her to tell the truth,” Kyllian offered.

“How?”Quinn asked, stroking Trenton’s hair.

“It’s a Gryphon gift.”

Trenton raised his head and kissed Quinn’s cheek.“Let’s hear what she has to say.If my granddaughter is in trouble, we need to help her.”

Quinn had always known her father was a good man, but she had never loved him more than in that moment.“Okay.”

Kayos

Kyllian was shockedat Quinn’s story, but it explained the despair his Gryphon recognized from the female.Being a mercenary, he had killed before, but never out of anger.He didn’t fault Quinn for her actions.She was a young mother whose pup had been stolen.Just a teen trying to find her place in a pack.Kyllian didn’t fault Trenton for keeping her from others of her kind.Both had been dealt with so much grief.Kyllian would do everything in his power to help them.

It was Quinn who let the woman know they would meet her at the gate.Trenton was still pale from shock, and Kyllian kept one eye on the male to make sure they didn’t need to call an ambulance after all.Instead of walking, they took Trenton’s SUV.

“Mercy,” Quinn muttered when they reached the end of the driveway.She opened the door, and Kyllian hurried out with her.Instead of opening the gate, Quinn strode to the metal barrier.“How did you find me?”she asked the other woman.

“I’ve always known where you were.When you took off, Jeremy and I followed you.With Stewart dead and you running, the pack was in disarray for a while, but eventually Blake returned and claimed Alpha status.We didn’t agree with what happened to you, so Jeremy and I vowed to watch over Nikita while keeping tabs on you.”

Tags: Faith Gibson Crime
Source: readsnovelonline.net