Undying Hope by Emma Weylin Page A

their minds connected with a double-ended USB cable. They could know what each other was thinking and feeling without having to use words. She would be with him until he no longer wanted her or death found her. She’d touched him in a way no other person had. She didn’t need to see everything, only the parts that mattered: that he wanted her, and he would keep his word to never hurt her.
    His mouth dragged along her jaw line, his hand slipping up the hem of her shirt, when someone cleared their throat.
    “You know,” said the graveled drawl. “One of the exam rooms might give you more privacy.”
    As his head lifted, the growling sound that erupted from Quinn wasn’t human. “Haven, darling, I’d like for you to meet the middle brother, Garret Wolf.”
    Haven turned her head and hopped closer to Quinn. Wolf wasn’t quite as large as Quinn, but damn near close. That wasn’t what worried her. He had an odd feel to him, and his eyes were an unnatural color brown. “You don’t have the same surname?”
    Wolf gave a florid bow. “Reannon, it is wonderful to finally meet you. The name was deliberate. Riordan and I share the surname, while Quinn, our public figure, has his own name. I see that you have accepted the bonding process, yes?”
    She pressed her back into Quinn and squeaked. There was that “Reannon” word again, but Wolf was too intimidating to ask, and he was already waiting for an answer to another question. “Yes.”
    “Congratulations.” He bowed again, though his tone was mocking. “The Cadeyrn has finally found his Reannon! Our people will be overjoyed.”
    She managed a wobbly smile. “Thank you.”
    “You may want to hold on to that,” Wolf said as he walked farther into the room. “You have no known Undying kin, which leaves you vulnerable. I will take the responsibility for this bonding.” Wolf glared at Quinn when it appeared he would object. “She is my sister now. You do not have the authority to deny me this. She needs a protector until both of you are safely bonded.”
    “Wolf—” Quinn started.
    “My clan,” Wolf snapped. “My judgment.”
    “Stop!” Haven moved between the men. Two tigers fighting would have been less dangerous. “I don’t understand.”
    “He’s trying to make putting me down his responsibility should something go wrong, and I go the way of the meirlock,” Quinn said coldly.
    “If you’re king, how do you not have authority to override him?”
    “Valid question,” Wolf said as he crouched down in front of her. “I am the Wolf Caden of the Heartland Tribe. While Quinn has rule of the Cadfaels, I have rule of our clan. This is a clan matter, and the responsibility should not be given to someone else.”
    Haven could feel the color running out of her face. A few hours ago, Quinn had ended the life of a turned Cadfael. “But I agreed,” she said. “Why are you threatening his life?”
    “Precaution,” Quinn said. “Sometimes things go wrong in a bonding, and the treòir reacts badly.”
    Wolf’s eyes glowed. “You mean like choosing to give up your treòir and allowing both of you to wither and die with old age?”
    Haven rounded on Quinn. “You said that was a possibility. Not that you were planning on doing it!”
    “You don’t understand,” Quinn roared at her. “Changing you into what I am will kill you.”
    “You don’t know that,” Wolf said as a deep, guttural growl vibrated in him. “No one else would be willing to risk your wrath to give our Reannon all needed information.”
    Haven glared over her shoulder at Wolf before rounding back on Quinn. “You were never planning on changing me?”
    “I—” He snarled at his brother. “Get. Out. I will deal with you later.” He waited until a smug Wolf ventured back up the stairs before he shifted to sit on the couch and pulled Haven onto his lap. “I’ve seen many women die in a botched conversion. It is painful and horrible.”
    While she wanted to be angry with him,