The Pack's Nemesis (Quirin's Story) novel Chapter 3

Quirin

When Henry and I pulled up to the packhouse, I smelled her before I even opened the door.

“Quirin, where are you going?” Henry asks as I quickly leap out of the car and make my way to the packhouse. I ignore him. I have to see her. It’s all I can do to keep Raif under control as he pulls me into the packhouse.

Once inside, the place is packed and I can’t see her, can’t find her. Raif snarls angrily and the party guests part like the red sea.

There, across the room from me, is Kennedy. My mate.

Raif announces it before I can stop him. Part of me is thrilled. There’s always been something about Kennedy that has drawn me in, something that has made me feel protective and even possessive at times. And now, I know why, she’s my fated mate.

The other part of me knows that the words that I spoke to her all those years ago were accurate. ‘Men like me are no good for little pups like you.’ I hadn’t been lying. She deserves someone like Henry, or even someone like her brother. Instead, the Moon Goddess has decided to punish her with someone like me. I should reject her, I should set her free, but I know I can’t. I’m much too selfish for that.

“Mate,” she says. I know it’s her wolf who replies to Raif, but watching her sweet mouth say the word that I’ve only dared to dream that she would say to me, makes the possessiveness that I’ve held on to tightly flare inside of me.

It didn’t escape me that everyone, every single person in the room, turned to look at her when I called her my mate. I’m sure they all thought she’d reject me. And maybe she will. If she’s smart, she will.

‘I refuse to accept it,’ Raif says. ‘She’s ours. I want her. I want them both.’

Raif has wanted Echo from the moment he first saw her. Of course, back then she was much too young for me or him to do anything. I’d always felt the pull to this little pup, but once she had her wolf, the pull had become even stronger.

I stare at her across the room, not moving as I watch her big grey-green eyes go wide. I realize that her dress brings out the color of those eyes, making them stand out against her pale skin and dark brown hair.

‘Stop making our mate think we don’t want her,’ Raif growls before literally pushing me forward. Rather than stopping and looking like a fool, I slowly walk up to Kennedy. Some might call it a prowl, the predator hunting his prey. But since the prey looks eager to be captured, I’m not sure it’s an accurate assessment.

“Happy Birthday, Little Pup,” I say to her and instantly I get the response I expected. Her lips press together but before she can come back with some smart retort, I wrap my arm around her and pull her against me, pressing my lips to hers.

Her submission is instant, and it makes me hard as I press myself against her, devouring her. I’m not gentle with the kiss, growling possessively as I take her mouth and finally get to taste her for the first time. Her citrus and mint scent tastes better than any dream that I ever had of her. My mouth waters and my desire to shred her clothes and make her mine right now is almost overwhelming.

When I finally pull back I look at her, my mate.

“We’re leaving,” I growl.

“What?” she asks, frowning while still looking dazed. I love that dazed look on her face.

“Alpha Quirin, it’s Kennedy’s birthday. The party has just begun. Surely you don’t intend to take her away from her party already.”

I don’t have to turn to know that it’s Alpha Connor who is speaking. The man looks exactly like his father and for that alone, I despise him. But he’s Kennedy’s twin and I know that she considers him her best friend. It’s the only reason I don’t kill him for trying to keep me from taking my mate.

“There are too many unmated Alphas in this room for my liking,” I growl, never looking away from my mate.

“No one is stupid enough to try and take your mate from you, Q. Everyone saw that the two of you are mates. Let her have her birthday party.” That comes from Henry. He’s come up behind me and is speaking softly.

“Of course they won’t. I would kill anyone who touches her,” I growl loudly, making sure every Alpha here knows that she’s mine.

“Alpha Quirin.” This time it’s the sweet voice of Luna Yara. She, like Henry, is one of the few people in this world that I would never ignore or hurt. “We worked very hard to have a nice party for our twins. Would you please reconsider your need to take Kennedy from us so soon?”

I realize that, through all of this, my mate hasn’t said a word. “What do you want, Kennedy?” I see the instant happiness that I used her name, rather than calling her Little Pup.

“I want to be with you,” she says and it’s like she’s turned her beacon of light on me, pushing away all my darkness. Such is the power that this little wolf, barely an adult, has over me.

“We should stay and celebrate you. But we’re leaving tonight,” I tell her.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” I say, finally pulling my eyes away from her. I turn to the room and see that everyone is staring at us. “Well, is this a party or what?” I growl.