Quinn's Quest: Legacy, Book 4 by N.J. Walters Read Free Book Online Page B

meant to frighten her. “I’m sorry.” He whispered the words in her ear. “I won’t hurt you. Not ever.” That’s a promise he could easily keep. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to hurt her either. This woman was precious, and not just because she had information he needed.
    He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. His hold turned from a prison to one of shelter against the world. He rubbed one hand up and down her back and used the other to cup her face. There were no tears on her cheeks, but her face was pale, her eyes luminous.
    She tried to pull away but he held her there, needing the physical contact with her. “Talk to me.” He needed to know everything she did. “Help me understand.”
    She stopped struggling and took a calming breath. Her jacket was open and the motion pushed her breasts against the front of her top. He tried not to notice the way the worn material cupped the substantial mounds.
    His dick flexed again. He ignored it, never taking his eyes from her face. “Tell me about this doctor.”
    Craig interrupted before she could begin. “I think everyone should hear this.”
    Bethany tensed in his arms. “Everyone?” Fear strained her voice and he didn’t blame her in the least. She was a woman alone with strangers. And if she’d been kidnapped and held with Chris, as she claimed, then God only knew what she’d been through these past few weeks. What Chris had been through these long months.
    His arms tightened reflexively around her and he had to force himself to relax. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to relax his knotted biceps. “It’s okay. They’re friends and they want to help.”
    He knew Isaiah and the rest of them had been listening, waiting for their cue when he heard footsteps on the stairs. They all filed into the room and were an intimidating group, large and lethal. Bethany sidled a bit closer to him. Pleasure at the small action filled him even though he knew it was only because he was one of the two people she knew so he was better than nothing.
    “I’m Isaiah Striker.” Isaiah studied Bethany and the way she was sitting in Quinn’s lap. Quinn didn’t care. Crazy and irrational as it was, he’d staked his claim and wasn’t about to take a step back. “Welcome to Haven. Our home.”
     
    Bethany fought to keep from being totally overwhelmed by the group of people surrounding her. There were seven men and two women, besides Quinn, in the room. They were all tall and moved with grace and ease. But it was the big man in front who scared the crap out of her. He reminded her of Brian in the way he moved, in the animalistic grace of his movements. A sense of power, of barely leashed strength surrounded him.
    She took a deep breath and froze. Terror flooded into her veins as a musky scent filled her nostrils. He was one of them too. A werewolf. She sniffed again, certain she had to be mistaken. How many werewolves could there be running around the city? Many scents struck her at once, all individual, and only some were partly human. There were several more of them who had the same underlying natural perfume to their skin that Brian had.
    All of these people were werewolves, or at least part. She frowned and sniffed again. Except for maybe Craig. She didn’t get the same scent from him as she did from the others. He smelled totally normal. Totally human.
    And the fact she was now smelling people for identification and could differentiate between human and nonhuman told her she was in very unfamiliar territory. She’d never done anything like this in her life, at least not on purpose. Not until Chrissten had nagged her into trying. She’d humored the other woman, putting off the difference in scents between them and Brian and the doctor as normal, even though she’d never smelled anything like it in her life until then. She’d always had a keen sense of smell but hadn’t thought anything of it until two weeks ago.
    The big man with the shaggy brown hair was still