Page 97 of Taming His Vampire Mate

“What is the meaning of this?” I demanded, speaking to no one in particular.

A half-dozen startled eyes turned my way. And the moment I spoke, it was obvious what they were doing. They were testing Quinn.

“It needs to be done,” Sadie said dismissively, no doubt catching the way my gaze locked on the young vampire. He sat at a round table with Derek, their shoulders touching, hands clasped. Derek looked more at ease than I’d ever seen him. Sadie added, “You would have coddled him and drawn this whole thing out.”

“You’re risking the lives of every mortal in this room. Not to mention Quinn’s life! What happens when he snaps and kills—” I broke off, looking at the college-aged human in the far corner.

“Jason,” the man supplied.

“When Quinn snaps and kills Jason,” I finished, scowling. “Who, by the way, looks barely old enough to drink.”

Before anyone could reply, the front door opened and Jeremy—freshly showered, hair still damp—stepped inside.

He took in the scene, eyes widening in alarm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice dropped to a dangerous growl, gaze zeroing in on Quinn and Derek, then sweeping the room until it landed on me. “This is way too early, Thierry! We can’t chance this yet!”

I was startled we’d ended up on the same page without even discussing it. Granted, he thoughtIwas the cause of this idiocy. But still—that was a good sign, wasn’t it?

“I just walked into this,” I informed him. “I was in the middle of using very small words to explain why they’re all idiots.”

Jeremy’s lips jerked into a broad, goofy grin. I found myself smiling back, probably looking just as soppy and foolish as he did.

“Men,” Sadie said, shaking her head in exasperation. She traded a meaningful look with Poppy and Simone, then added, “If you want things done properly, you put a woman in charge. Everyone knows that.”

“And who, exactly, putyouin charge?” I demanded.

“Sheer competence.” Sadie stared me down. “We must know how quickly these creatures can begin to experience human emotions after they’ve met their mates. Lives may depend on this knowledge.”

“At the cost of Jason’s life?”

“It’s a calculated risk. One he has agreed to take. Besides, he regularly drinks from us. He’s far older and stronger than he looks. He would survive whatever happens to him.”

Well, that neatly explained Jason’s strange calm. He probablywantedQuinn to lose control. If Quinn killed him while he had vampire blood in his system, he’d come back as one of us. Lovely.

“You’re overreacting,” Derek said, squeezing Quinn’s hand. “He’s doing really well.” Then he looked at Quinn. “I’m proud of you.”

Quinn’s eyes went glassy, and he smiled at Derek in a way that practically lit up the room—no fangs in sight. Then he looked at Sadie. “When can we move in together?”

Sadie arched a brow. “You have an eternity.” Then she paused. “Perhaps after you’ve taken him on a proper first date.” To us, she added, “Supervised, of course.”

“Yes, of course,” I muttered, seething and half an inch from gnashing my teeth.

“If anything happens to Quinn, you’ll all pay,” Jeremy warned, his hands tightening into fists. “You’re setting him up for failure. He deserves a real chance to recover from what was done to him.”

Everyone in the room stared at him, myself included. It took me a moment to parse the emotion behind his words. Perhaps I was slow on the uptake, but I realized belatedly that Jeremy was feelingprotectiveof Quinn. From the looks of it, in exactly the same way I was.

Jeremy confirmed it when he added, “And what if Quinn loses control? Have you thought about what that would do to him?”

“Darling,” Simone said, flashing him a genuine smile that told me she’d heard the same thing I had in his voice. “He’s surrounded by three powerful vampires, his destined mate, and a witch who can rewrite the web of fate itself. I think he’s alright for the moment.”

“I’d zap him in a heartbeat if he wasn’t,” Poppy confirmed. “He’s totally safe.”

Jeremy hesitated, some of the heat draining from his expression. He glanced down at Quinn. “You’re really doing okay?”

“I won’t pretend I don’t notice it,” Quinn admitted. “But it’s easy to ignore right now.” His gaze dropped to where Derek held his hand, and he almost looked like he didn’t believe it. “Kind of weird, how everything works out, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Weird,” Jeremy breathed, staring at him.

Quinn managed a smile that didn’t look dangerous. His eyes weren’t cold and flat but filled with a kaleidoscope of emotion. “Sorry about the—”