Page 22 of Reclaiming Quinn

“Yes, what?”

“Mas—”

“Quinn.” The word held a note of warning. “My name.”

“Yes, Deke. I like it when Dani holds me. She’s like a mother to me, but I never feel worthy when she hugs me. It doesn’t matter because she does it anyway.” He sniffled. “It’s weird because there are times when I want to ask her to hug me, because it always makes me feel better.”

“Could I hug you?”

“You?” Why would Mas—Deke want to hug him? “Why?”

Deke stroked a hand over Quinn’s arm. “Do you think you’re the only one who likes hugs? The two creatures who most need to be touched are humans and wolves. We happen to be the best of both worlds, but with that comes the need to be touched often.” He shifted a bit, then pulled Quinn closer. “Would you mind if I tried to hug you now?”

“Do I…. Do I need to hug you back?”

He chuckled. “Not if you don’t want to, no.”

But he did, and if Deke took comfort as well, why shouldn’t Quinn do what he could to help? “May I?”

“If you’d like, but there isn’t any pressure to do this.”

A quick dip of the chin. “I understand.”

Slowly Deke wrapped his arms around Quinn, holding him gently. No, not so much holding as cradling. Quinn put his face into the crook of Deke’s neck and sniffed. His mind reeled at what he found there. The scent of a hearth with a roaring fire, black raspberry, the woods at night when no one was around. It was deep, dark, and a little mysterious. In the space of a heartbeat, Quinn was addicted to the smell.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes, very okay.”Please don’t stop.“Can I hug you too?”

“Anything you want.”

Quinn reached up and put his arms around Deke’s shoulders and hugged him gently. As insane as it sounded, Quinn never wanted to let go. He felt like a piece of a puzzle that finally discovered where it fit. A soft moan slid out of him as he tried to bury his face deeper into Deke’s throat.

“You okay?”

“Oh yes.” He nuzzled the skin, doing his best not to lick. “Deke, I—”

“What? Tell me.”

The problem was, Quinn didn’t have the words for how overwhelming it was being this close to Deke. He scooted, doing his best to get closer, wanting more of that intoxicating aroma.

Deke clutched Quinn’s shoulders. “Take what you need, Quinn.”

With permission, Quinn struck. He jammed his face into Deke’s neck, licking and sucking. Anything to have more of this feeling that coursed through his body.

Deke tilted his neck, allowing Quinn full access. “That’s it, do that.”

Quinn reached up and grabbed Deke’s face, then slammed their mouths together. He thrust his tongue inside Deke’s mouth, and in that warmth he found even more of that taste he craved. He ground his hips down and couldn’t help but notice Deke was hard. When Deke kissed back, Quinn realized what he was doing, and horror swept through him. He jerked back and stared into Deke’s face.

Deke panted, his eyes wide, the pupils huge.

“I’m sorry. I—I—I… oh my Goddess, what did I do?” He jerked away from Deke. He’d forced himself on Deke. He was no better than Ryker. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Deke reached for Quinn, but he stood quickly. “Quinn, wait.”

Quinn turned and rushed out the door, then headed down the hall to where he remembered the elevators were. He had to get away before he hurt Deke. The idea that he could have done to Deke what had been done to him terrified him.

He would die before he’d let that happen.