N. Walters - Quinn's Quest

Then there were Meredith’s two grown sons, Michael and Benjamin. Benjamin was the younger, quieter of the two. They both looked a lot like their mother with their straight black hair and blue eyes. Michael’s face was more rugged.

As if sensing her perusal, Michael glanced her way and smiled. There was masculine interest in his eyes. She nodded and quickly looked away, not wanting to encourage him. Not when she knew he was drawn to her by the pheromones her body was throwing off.

Teague and Neema were mates. Teague didn’t look anything like the rest of them with his red hair and hard, suspicious green eyes. Tattoos covered his arms and a trio of gold hoops decorated his left earlobe. He looked dangerous. Neema was his total opposite. She was beautiful with her darker skin and brown eyes that were always filled with kindness. They were an unlikely pair but there was no doubting the love they shared.

Kevin was quiet and kept to himself. She didn’t find him quite as intimidating as the rest of them. He was the most normal of the lot, if that was the right word. His humanity seemed more in control than his wolf side.

Then there was Hank, who in spite of being a half-breed seemed just as intimidating as the other pureblooded werewolves. He was tall and broad and aloof with short blond hair and pale blue eyes. He was one intense dude, his gaze always moving, always watchful.

But no matter how much she tried to avoid him, she was always drawn back to Quinn. He was seated across from her talking to his brother. Craig was an anomaly. The only non-werewolf in the group. The only true human of the bunch.

She wished she was sitting beside Quinn, but she’d been late coming down after her shower and everyone else had been seated, leaving only one chair open. Still, it wasn’t a bad view. She could easily watch him out of her peripheral vision without him knowing it.

Damn, he looked fine. He’d showered and dressed and wore a black T-shirt that stretched at the seams as the material tried to contain his shoulders and biceps.

As she watched, he forked up some eggs and chewed them as he listened to whatever his brother was telling him. His strong jaw moved and the sunlight from one of the bar windows glinted off his blond hair. She knew how soft his hair was and wanted to run her fingers through it again. She wanted to do more than that with him, but it was a start.

“More pancakes?” Teague’s rough voice interrupted her daydream. She glanced down at her plate and realized she hadn’t eaten a bite.

“No, thank you.” She lifted her fork and knife and cut off a piece, popping it into her mouth, not because she particularly wanted to eat but because she didn’t want to be impolite. As hungry as she was, her stomach still felt jumpy around all these werewolves.

The pancake practically melted in her mouth and she almost moaned aloud with pleasure. “This is so good,” she said after she swallowed. That was an understatement. These were the best pancakes she’d ever eaten.

“Thanks. Glad you like them.”

She glanced at Teague with surprise and he grinned. It made him look less forbidding somehow. “You made them?” She couldn’t hide her surprise. Last thing she expected was a macho werewolf to be able to whip up a huge batch of fluffy pancakes.

“Teague can cook anything.” Neema smiled at her mate. “He’s amazing in the kitchen.”

Bethany nodded and kept on eating. She had to stop stereotyping these people just because they were different. Heck, she was different too. That’s what had gotten her into this mess.

Isaiah put down his fork and picked up a mug of coffee. That seemed to be the signal that mealtime was over and it was time to get down to business. The other males lowered their utensils and leaned forward to listen.

“What do you know?” Isaiah addressed his question to Craig, who was in the process of pushing his own plate away. The younger man looked tired and she knew he hadn’t gotten much, if any, sleep. He’d been working nonstop for hours searching for clues of his sister’s whereabouts.

“Doctor Philip Morton, boy genius. He had two doctorates by the time he was twenty. He worked for the government in military research, primarily in genetics. He left them about two years ago, quite unexpectedly. I couldn’t find out exactly why. Those files were a little bit tricky and I didn’t want to risk setting off any alarms unless I had to.”

“You hacked into government files? The military?” Bethany was shocked and set her fork down on the side of her plate.

“Of course,” he replied. “How else could I find out what I needed to know?” Bethany made a mental note not to underestimate this man. He was young, but he obviously had skills that made her glad he was on their side.

“Anyway,” Craig continued. “The doctor’s parents were older when they had him. They’re both deceased, but they left him very well off.”

“How well off?” The sound of Quinn’s deep voice seeped into her cells as though they were starved and he was the only nourishment around. It frightened her how much she wanted to sit beside him and soak in his warmth.

This morning had been a revelation. She wasn’t frigid after all. All it had taken was the right man to bring out her sexuality. That and a bit of help from Mother Nature. This whole biology and going into heat thing was still freaking her out.

How could she figure out if what she felt for Quinn was real?

Not that it mattered. He obviously wasn’t looking for more than a sexual relationship. She could handle that. She was a grown woman. Why shouldn’t she have a friend with benefits?

She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to pay attention to the conversation.

“Filthy rich. I’ve been doing some digging into local property in his name, his parents’ names and various combinations of all of them, in case he’s trying to hide anything. I’ve come up with a list of seven properties so far, mainly on the South Side, but I’m still looking for possible dummy companies that he might own. The name on the title of the abandoned building where Bethany and Chrissten were held is under a totally different name.”

“So we search the buildings you’ve found one by one while you look for more.” Hank picked up his mug and sipped his coffee. Intensity rolled off him in waves. “If we split up into teams, we can be more effective.”

They all looked to Isaiah, and Bethany realized that his word was final. The dynamics of the group was fascinating. They all had their say, but ultimately any decisions were made by the alpha.

As a person who’d spent her entire life with one parent and then alone, it felt strange to be a part of a group, even if it was only a temporary thing.

Quinn was practically vibrating with barely suppressed anticipation. She knew he wanted to get out there and start looking. She couldn’t blame him one bit.

She also knew he’d be taking that list and checking each building no matter what Isaiah said. Like her, he wasn’t really part of this pack.

“I’ll take Michael and Benjamin. Quinn, you and Hank and Teague can go together. We stay in larger groups. It might take longer, but we don’t know what the heck we’re up against.”

“I want to go.” The words were out of her mouth before she’d had time to think them through. “It’s only right.” She wanted, actually needed, to be a part of this. Chrissten had sacrificed herself, and the only way Bethany could repay that debt was by finding her friend.

Isaiah inclined his head, acceding to her right to go with them. “Go with Quinn’s group.” He glanced at the rest of the pack. “The rest of you need to get the club ready for business. Damek will be contacting us if he finds out anything.”