Chapter Seventeen

Snow Summit Bunker

Tuesday, 6:00 AM

Quinn had heard it all, of course. Maybe it would have been better to have told Maddie himself, instead of acting like he didn't remember. But how was he to know that Bella had figured him out all those years ago? She'd never mentioned it to him. Never even hinted that she'd figured out what he'd done.

Those had been painful rage filled days, ones he'd been very glad to leave behind and pretend they'd never happened.

And now the truth was out. Maddie knew what kind of darkness he was capable of. He could have happily gone his whole life without sharing that reality with her.

She'd knocked him out and tied him to a chair for interrogation. Twice. Did he really think she trusted him enough to want a future with him? For a few precious hours his infinitely long life had looked a little more welcoming. He'd been picturing such ridiculous scenes as introducing her to the newborns and sitting around their usually neglected dining room with the whole family, chatting about their plans.

It was too soon to give up on his dreams. Their potential relationship had only just barely started. They still had a chance to work out their misunderstandings and get to know each other even better.

But why wasn't she coming into the room? She'd been standing outside the door for a while.

He expanded his senses and focused only on her. She was alone. Her heartbeat was a little fast but steady. Her mind was in turmoil. There was a hint of the salty scent of tears.

This probably had more to do with her long-lost family than anything about their relationship.

The urge to comfort her in this time of need burst something inside him. His power snapped out at the restraints. He twisted it to his will and gently broke the blessing on each of the bindings. In three strides he was through the door and pulling her into his arms.

"Quinn…"

"I'm sorry."

She tensed. "Why are you sorry?"

He'd uttered the words because he was sorry that she'd gone through such suffering. But there was a lot more to it. He was sorry for his weakness back then when he gave into the drink and the pleasure. He was sorry he hadn't noticed soon enough to save her family. And he was most sorry that they hadn't met all those years ago.

"Never mind." She shoved him back through the door until he was pushed into the seat he'd just left. Before he could object, she was on his lap, her arms around his neck and her lips claiming his.

As wonderful as the kiss was… what moved him nearly to tears was how her mind was open to him. Everything she felt was right there clearly between them. "I'm so sorry."

"I'd rather hear you tell me how much you love me."

"I do. I love you. I'm terrible at showing it so I'm sure I'll disappoint you over and over…"

He tightened his grip on her, crushing her against his chest while burying his fingers in her thick hair and deepening their kiss, letting his passion run wild. Maybe then she'd finally understand how she affected him.

He was so focused on Maddie that he almost missed the sudden change in atmosphere. Not that either of them could have missed it for more than a moment.

Maddie pulled back. "What the hell is that?"

He was on his feet, pushing Maddie behind him. He knew that feeling. Would never, ever forget how it felt. No matter how many centuries passed, that sensation of ultimate power would always fill his blood with exhilaration.

Maddie's form wavered, power sparking off her skin.

He understood the reaction. Her wolf was certainly reacting to the malevolent threat that was enveloping the entirety of the bunker. The identity of the newest guest was familiar even if they hadn't met for centuries and she currently seemed intent on violence.

"What is happening? Should we be running?"

Bella lurched into the doorway. "She's here for him and she is pissed."

"She who? Him who?" Maddie had her knife out in one hand while her other was twisted tight in the back of his jacket. His unshakable Maddie was trembling. She had very good instincts.

The bunker started shaking.

"Come on!" Bella grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. Which towed Maddie along with them.

The smart move might have been to flee from the building. If Wyllo was coming here and wasn't in a great mood they might all be wiped off the map. But smarts didn't have much to do with the flare of excitement that exploded within him.

From the main room it was easy to see where she'd gone. The door and part of the concrete wall was ripped away and pulverized. Inside the room…

"Shit."

"Yeah."

Wyllo was sitting on the floor cradling a still unconscious Georgie in her arms. The way she held him was different than he'd expected. Wyllo was like a mother to them, a distant and very stern maternal figure that had birthed them into their new lives and taught them how to live. But the way she held Georgie was not maternal in the least. She held him like a lover.

"Did you know?"

Bella nodded. "Yes, I've been trying to convince her to visit him."

"You were dreaming with her?" He hesitated to ask because he was afraid of how bitter and jealous it made him sound, but still… "Have you been in touch with her from the beginning?

"I was."

She'd come to visit Georgie, and had dreamed with Bella, but not once in over seven hundred years had she ever contacted him.

"It's not like that. You were always okay without her. We weren't as strong."

He'd fought so hard to be strong enough to support and protect them while believing that Wyllo had abandoned them. He laughed out loud at how stupid his emotional reaction was. He had been perfectly fine without her. She'd been right all along.

"Quinn, be quiet." Bella stood partially in front of him.

The air around Wyllo and Georgie vibrated with the visual manifestation of her power. Tiny black butterflies swept around the room in a dozen different swarms. Wyllo stroked the lank hair back from Georgie's face. The hair was returned to its clean bright blonde color with each caress.

"Maddie, it would be good if he woke up soon."

"I'm not sure why he hasn't."

Wyllo materialized beside him, her claw-tipped fingers latching onto Maddie's throat. "You did this! You hurt him!"

He spun and caught his maker's arm, pulling the two apart. He was sure he didn't have that kind of strength so he could only guess she'd let go out of surprise.

Bella grabbed her other side. "Wait! Don't hurt Maddie."

"She hurt your brother. Why shouldn't I end her?"

He still held onto her arm and could feel the power running wild on her emotions. "You can't. She's mine." He had shoved Maddie behind him once more.

Wyllo's body turned to ash, and she rematerialized beside Georgie.

Bella was the one to advance. "Don't you dare blame us for the state he's in. That is absolutely all your doing."

The air turned icy and thick enough to choke on. "I've only ever loved you all. I'd never hurt him this badly."

"You let him fall in love with you and then you left him alone. He was lost without you. Desperate for some kind of meaning. Someone to love. But no matter how long he waited, you never came. No matter what he tried, it never worked out. Who else could be blamed for his condition?"

Damn, he'd really had no idea how bad off Georgie had been. How could the fool have fallen for their maker? She was… shit, she was an ancient blood demon in the service of the Lord of Hell. What had he been thinking?

Bella's voice softened just a little. "Wyllo, you're here now. Do what you can to help him."

"He wants us to be together, but I can't stay with him. He already knows this."

This was so stupid. It seemed Georgie had the audacity to fall in love with someone like Wyllo and from the way she was acting, she probably loved him back. If they did love each other why shouldn't they be together? "Then take him with you. Don't leave him behind again."

"He cannot join me in Niflheim. Vampires are killed on sight by my kind."

And yet, she'd rebelled and created three or maybe more fledglings. "Sounds like we're your dirty little secret. If you told Georgie that, it's no wonder he's upset."

"It's not like that!"

"Isn't it?"

"How dare you talk to me like that? You'd be dust if it weren't for me."

"Did I say something that wasn't true? Or are you just feeling guilty over your wild youth?"

"You think that was my youth? You were reborn because I was on vacation and bored. After five thousand years of service… I wanted something that was mine. I wanted…"

Georgie's hand rose and cupped her cheek.

"Oh…" Her voice dropped too low to hear.

"Don't say things you don't mean." Georgie's face crumpled in silent tears.

"You're awake." She wiped away his tears and leaned over him protectively. Their faces were close, their voices barely audible. The moment was something meant to be private but so impossible to turn away from.

"My beautiful Wyllo."

"Silly boy, what have you done to yourself?" Her whipping power settled down to a light flutter. Tamed in an instant by his gentle touch. "You shouldn't scare me so much. I nearly died when I felt you fade."

"How can you—" Quinn wasn't sure what he'd intended to say, but the scathing comments dried up in his mouth at the sight of them so obviously in love."

"Everything she's ever done was done to protect us."

Bella turned back to him. "Quinn, can you make this place a little more appropriate for our surprise guest?"

She wanted us to treat Wyllo, a powerful blood demon, like a guest. When it wasn't even their place to act like hosts. "Maddie, do you mind if I modify the place a little?"

Maddie finally let go of his jacket, but she continued to use him as a shield as if she was trying to stay out of Wyllo's line of sight. "Not at all. I don't mind if it will help us all get out of this alive."

"I'm not going to let her hurt you."

"Quinn, she's a fucking demon." She finally tore her gaze away from Wyllo. "Seriously, I've never even met a low-level demon and I can easily tell she's way out of their league."

"Once she sees that Georgie is okay, she'll calm down and then you'll be able to understand her better." Maybe that was part of why Bella had asked for the modifications. The few minutes it would take would offer Wyllo a little more time to adjust.

"When's the last time you visited?" With a look of disbelief, Maddie moved with him across the room.

"It's been more than six hundred years."

"What if she's changed?"

He paused long enough to catch Maddie's elbow. "That's a drop in the bucket for her. I doubt she's changed much. And no matter what else happens, you can trust me to always put your safety first. I won't let her hurt you."

She nodded and seemed like maybe she relaxed a little.

"I guess I'd better spruce up the place some. Any suggestions?"

Maddie shook her head, but an image flashed across her mind. One of a spacious, comfortable sitting area. Several low couches, plush rugs and brightly tiled walls. With extravagant floor to ceiling curtains over windows shaped like Arabian arches. The combination was bright and cheerful, elegant and cozy.

He could recreate a version of that concept in the bunker with some adjustments to take the lower ceilings and lack of windows into account.

After he turned his magic loose to do its thing, it only took a few minutes to completely transform the bunker. Maddie's gasp was satisfying.

"Oh Quinn, that is amazing."

"I modeled it after a memory of yours. Was this a place that was special for you?"

She leaned against his body as they walked slowly toward the set of sofas. "It was the home of our alphas. We used it for all the clan gatherings. I haven't thought of it in decades, but you somehow created this from my memories?"

"Shouldn't I have? Does it make you sad to be reminded?" He sat down and she dropped onto his lap.

"No, I'm very happy."

He tightened his hold on her, burying his face in her thick hair. "You make me happy, Madeline. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't forgiven me."

"There was nothing for me to forgive. If anything, you helped me, and carried the burden alone for way too long."

He nodded and tried to let the topic fade. Instead focusing on the sweet smell that leaked through her usual perfume. Maddie's scent. Now that he'd caught it, he'd never forget it.

"Are you okay with everything happening?" She was still worrying about him.

"I am." Mostly. He couldn't fault Bella or Georgie for their part, but he still felt slighted. As if he was the only unloved child of Wyllo's.

Wyllo and Georgie sat down across from them for a moment before Bella dragged Georgie back to his feet. "You need to go shower. Not later, immediately. Unless you want Wyllo to hate you and run away again, go do it right now." She shoved him off toward the only bathroom in the bunker.

Which left Wyllo sitting alone across from them until Bella wandered back over.

Slipping from his lap, Maddie gave his arm a squeeze. "Go talk to her. I know you want to."

He patted her knee before standing up. He was very lucky to have a woman like Maddie at his side. She understood his desires even before he was able to form them into words. He did want to speak with Wyllo. There was no telling if he'd ever get another opportunity to do so.

He approached her slowly. She was sitting on the couch chatting with Bella. Her wild appearance had tamed down some to black slacks and a marbled grey top. She looked almost human.

She looked up and met his gaze warily. "Quinn."

Bella jumped up. "I'll let you two talk." She moved off, intercepting Georgie, and herding him back toward the bathroom.

"Sit with me, please."

That simple invitation softened the anger that he'd had within him since finding out she'd been in contact with the others but not him. He dropped slowly onto the couch beside her. A dozen different comments crossed his mind, but they all came across as childish.

"She's pretty."

"Madeline?" He glanced over and just the sight of her leaning against the back of the other couch gave him strength. "Yes, and strong."

"You must be confused because I never contacted you."

That was as good a word as any. "Yes."

"I missed you all but most of all I worried about you. I thought you needed time to grow into who you'd become. Who you would be without me around. And then I realized that I was still needed."

"I needed you too."

"No, you didn't. You've become an amazing man." Her fingers settled over his chest. "Though, I believe you may still be in the process of becoming. Becoming something different, perhaps unique."

"What does that mean?"

"You've noticed changes, haven't you? Your magic has evolved, and your body is struggling to keep up."

Maybe he'd been right… but was it even possible? "I adopted a Valàfrn youngster, and we've become like family. I'd grown convinced that his magic was being shared with me, but I didn't have any evidence because the changes were so slight."

"Interesting theory. Perhaps that was something like a crack in the door. The female you have paired with, she is the one who will force the door wide open."

"What does it mean?"

Wyllo shrugged. "Who knows? As far as I know, it's never been done before. I'm as curious as you are."

"Never?"

"Well, there was a Cyvampis fellow who had a tryst with a wolf a while back. I don't think I ever heard how that turned out."

She hadn't told him what was happening or what to expect, but she'd made it sound like a blessing. Which just confirmed how he already felt about the changes he'd noticed.

"I'm proud of you, Quinn. You've built a wonderful life for yourself. When I'd hear about you from the others, I always felt relief. You were the proof that my choice wasn't wrong, regardless of the rules of my people."

"Is there anything I can do to help Georgie through his problems?"

She choked on whatever she'd been about to say. And then after a moment she took his hand. "I know you've always done your best to take care of them both. This time, it's my turn. I'll find a way to support Georgie properly even if I have to abandon my duty to be with him."

Was she being serious? Would she walk away from her sacred duty to be with her vampire lover? "I'm sorry for being so self-righteous. You didn't deserve to be judged like that."

"You were right." She looked longingly toward the other end of the bunker where Georgie had emerged looking much cleaner from what must have been the fastest shower on earth. "Can you and Bella watch over him until I can get my situation sorted out?"

"Of course. How long will it take?"

"I don't know. Hopefully only a few months."

Despite looking much better, Georgie strode their way as if desperate to rejoin Wyllo. Even if this visit helped him regain a little stability, he'd surely be lost again without her.

"Will you be able to stay in touch with him? Otherwise…"

"Yes, this time I'll reach out to him until he trusts me once more." She pulled him into a gentle hug. "With that promise, I'd better return you to your wolf. She's starting to look at me like I'd be tasty."

He chuckled at the thought. "I think I'm in more danger than you."

"Indeed, she's bound to keep you on a tight leash. Are you sure you… no, never mind. Just be happy."

He returned to Maddie's side with a lighter heart. It was a strange feeling, but one he was certain he needed to work through. Wyllo was closer to a mother to him than his own mother had been. And her leaving them behind, even when they understood why she had to go, had been hard. He'd always pretended that they were fine as long as they had each other and for the most part they had been.

But at some point, he had given up on his own need to be nurtured. He'd just accepted that he'd be the protector for their tiny family, and he'd focused on growing strong enough to do the job.

"Are you okay?"

"Mm... yeah."

"You feel… better. Softer, more contented than before."

"We'll be leaving here as soon as the sun goes down. Is there any place you'd like to go?"

"Home."

He sucked in a slow breath to hide the pain that shafted through him. She'd be leaving him to return to Bella's villa. Which he supposed made sense. Still, he'd hoped they would have a little more time together.

"Your home."

"Mine?" He closed his eyes, as relief washed through him.

"Yes, not only do we need to settle Georgie somewhere secure, but I want to meet the rest of your family."

"Oh."

"I can't wait to meet the babies. I've always loved the little ones."

"I'd be happy to introduce you."

"I thought my chance of having my own pups was over, but I've been feeling kind of warm and fuzzy since we met. Makes me wonder what our babies might look like."

"Maddie…" How could he shatter her newly revived dream with a cold dose of reality. But it wouldn't be fair to let her get her hopes up either. "I've always wanted children too, but it's not possible."

"Quinn, you have a heartbeat." She tapped his chest in a steady rhythm very close to the soft thud of his heart. "You have a pulse, and your breathing is almost normal now." Her fingers slid up to the exposed skin on his neck. "You maybe didn't notice but your body temperature is higher now too."

She was right, but they had no way of knowing what any of it meant, if anything.

"Don't worry about me getting my hopes up. But just consider that we are both stepping across the threshold into unknown territory. What is possible or not isn't a certainty any longer."

He pulled her close and brushed a kiss against her temple. "I'd just planned on us being the cutest grandparents in the family, but your dreams have given me a whole new beautiful goal."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Probably. I can barely think right now, I'm so happy."

"Quinn, will you marry me?" She grinned up at him like an imp. "I'm going to expect a wedding before you plan out our golden years."

"I love the way you think, Madeline. Let's get married and then take a long vacation together with just the two of us."

"A honeymoon sounds wonderful." She brushed a heated kiss over his lips without giving him a chance to deepen it. "We're not very far from Vegas."

"No way."

Her beautiful lips spread in a playful grin. "Can't a vampire have a church wedding even in a place like Vegas?"

"Only vampires who don't want to see their bride and wedding party decked out in the kind of finery that takes time and planning."

"Ahh… I'd forgotten you enjoyed that kind of thing."

"I do, quite a bit actually."

"How about we compromise. Get hitched in Vegas, have a lovely honeymoon and then a big wedding next year. Does that sound good to you?"

"It sounds amazing."

"Speaking of our amazing golden years, do you know there is a chance they might be very, very long? Obviously, vampires can keep on ticking for just about forever, but mated Valàfrn are the same."

He held her close. She was truly the amazing one. When he was still wondering what might be possible, she was planning ways to enjoy the future assuming everything was within their grasp. "How do you do it?"

"Let's chalk it up to experience. Must be that extra decade I have on you that makes the difference."

"Ah, that's right, I've got a cougar on my hands."

"I thought we were going to be the cutest grands in the family?"

"I'm sure we will be. But since you're older than me, I'll rely on that experience and be in your care."

"You know, I'm excited but also a little nervous to meet your family."

"You've already met half of them." And he was sure Zeven and Harley would be just as accepting. "You've got nothing to worry about on that front. But…"

"What is it?"

"Will you be happy living with me and my family? Can you leave Bella's villa without regrets?"

"Quinn, this is the twenty-first century. Travel is easier than ever before. I'll just visit her as often as I want to."

"I suppose so."

"And did I ever mention that I have my pilot's license? How do you feel about upgrading your agency transports to include a helicopter?"

"I think I could work that into my budget." Honestly, he was relieved. As much as he wanted Maddie with him, he'd felt a little bit guilty for stealing away Bella's best friend.

"In that case, all we need to do is get Georgie settled…"

Bella joined in the conversation. "About that, I've decided he can stay with me for the time being."

"Are you sure?"

Another one of his worries eased. He'd been thinking about how having Georgie stay at headquarters might be difficult on the new babies, but he'd been hesitating to bring it up.

Bella gave him a wink. "You don't need his gloomy moods bringing down all the love over there at your place. And I have a suspicion that he might choose to sleep until Wyllo comes back for him."

He wrapped Maddie in his arms. "Then we'll be off to Vegas and then home to Albuquerque."

"Were you serious about a Vegas wedding?"

"Indeed. I'm a man of my word."