Hudson focused on the bond, feeling for the tug that would tell him if his mate was nearby. An invisible pull told him that she was and as he followed the sensation, he realised that she was most likely in the library.
Heading upstairs to the resource centre, he pushed open the door and walked silently through the stacks until he found Quinn, standing on tiptoes, trying to reach a heavy book that was on the top shelf.
Just as he made his way toward her, Quinn shrieked, her fingers closing around the base of the spine as she lost her balance and fell backwards, the heavy book overbalancing and heading straight for her.
With lightning speed, Hudson caught Quinn’s waist, pulling her into his chest as his other hand wrapped around the falling book, gripping it tightly.
Helping the blushing she wolf to stand, he held out the book with a grin, ‘I believe this is yours?’ he said.
Rolling her eyes, Quinn snatched it from his hands quickly, ‘I had it you know’ she grumbled.
‘I know, just thought I’d help you out, being taller and all’ Hudson replied, his grin widening.
‘You don’t have to take such pleasure in my lack of co-ordination’ the she wolf muttered, picking up her bag that was on the floor beside her and walking toward the tables to sit down.
Following her, Hudson shook his head, ‘I take no pleasure in you almost falling over little mate’ he said firmly, ‘but I do take pleasure in saving you’ he added with a wink.
Quinn raised an eyebrow at him, ‘so we are mates now are we?’ she asked bluntly.
Hudson nodded, ‘we are, I took back my rejection and as you haven’t rejected me, that means we are still mates.’
‘Unmated’ Quinn shot back pointedly, ‘and unmarked, so really we’re just two people who barely know each other.’
Hudson nodded, ‘two people who barely know each other but are insanely attracted to each other’ he countered.
The she wolf’s mouth dropped open as she spluttered, ‘I am not! . . I never . . who said I was attracted to you?’ she demanded.
The Alpha smiled mischievously, ‘you’ve never said it’ he replied softly, ‘but the way your breath hitched when I caught you just now, tells me you like being touched by me.’
Quinn hurriedly opened the book, flicking through the pages rapidly as she let her hair fall over her face, trying to hide the deepening blush on her cheeks.
‘So what are you reading?’ the Alpha asked, sitting down across from her, and trying to read some of the page upside down. ‘Must be important if you are willing to risk a concussion for it.’
The she wolf huffed, ‘I would have been fine’ she ground out, ‘a book falling on me wouldn’t have caused lasting damage. It only fell because my shoe slipped on the carpet anyway, I didn’t need your help.’
Hudson tilted his head, studying the red head across from him, ‘if that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night babe, I won’t argue’ he drawled out.
Quinn glared at him, ‘I say it because it’s the truth’ she argued, ‘and don’t call me babe.’
The Alpha shrugged, ‘OK sweetheart’ he replied.
‘Or sweetheart, or pumpkin, or cupcake, and definitely not baby! I am not a toddler’ she added, her gaze narrowing.
‘I hear you loud and clear Angel’ Hudson said with a chuckle at the she wolf’s angry glare.
‘Are you always this annoying?’ she asked icily.
The teenager grinned, ‘usually I’m worse, I’m tamping it down for you Angel.’
‘Ugh, the Goddess obviously has it in for me’ Quinn muttered to herself, ‘I must have pissed her off in a previous life.’
Hudson leaned over the table, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, ‘or she thought you were so amazing that you deserved a challenge’ he countered.
Quinn snorted, ‘more like impossible task’ she replied grouchily.
‘So, what are you doing?’ the Alpha asked again, his gaze returning to the book between them.
The she wolf sighed, ‘I’m looking up the rules about being allowed to start your own pack and have it recognised by the Council’ she replied grudgingly. ‘In particular, how many wolves are required and the legalities of obtaining pack land.’
Hudson sat back slightly, surprised, ‘you want to start your own pack?’ he asked, slightly worried at the revelation.
Quinn looked up at him, ‘no, I’m looking for my friends, you know, the ones you seem to magically know about despite the fact I have been very careful to keep them hidden. If I can get them recognised as a pack and they can obtain land, they will be able to get steady work, recruit more members and build a safe place to live.’
‘That would also make them eligible for medical help at outside wolf clinics until they could get a doctor and clinic situated’ Hudson added with a nod.
Quinn nodded absentmindedly back at him, ‘the system is ridiculously biased toward packs but makes it almost impossible for Rogues to gain pack status without being accepted into a readily formed one. Even pack members who decide to set up their own pack find it hard to get accepted by the Council and obtain land despite having money behind them. A rogue with barely more than the clothes on their back have next to no chance.’
‘If you know it’s hopeless, why are you still giving time to it?’ he asked curiously.
‘It’s not hopeless’ Quinn flared, glaring at him, ‘I said its NEARLY impossible, not that it is impossible. There is a way to do it otherwise where did all these packs come from in the first place? Not all of us are hundreds of years old and from before the Council was formed. So I will keep researching until I find the loophole that will help Rogues become legitimate citizens and give them the same rights as packs have.’
The Alpha watched his mate, taking in her determination as she returned her attention to the book in front of her that he realised was about werewolf law. ‘Well if anyone can do it, I believe you can’ he said softly, as she looked up at him again in surprise.
‘You think so?’ she asked uncertainly, a sliver of vulnerability flashing through her eyes.
Hudson nodded, ‘I don’t think it, I know it’ he replied firmly, ‘you are passionate Angel, so you’ll find what you need.’
Standing up, he went to leave before stopping, realising he had forgotten to talk about what he’d originally come looking for her for. ‘Oh, I have found a doctor who will come and check Esme’ he said quietly, grabbing the she wolf’s full attention as she sat straighter, watching him warily.
‘It’s our pack doctor’ Hudson hurriedly added, ‘she’s my aunt and has agreed to do it off the books, not even the Alpha will know she’s gone. She said that Saturday or Sunday would be best for her to get off pack lands without any questions. Is it possible to get Esme back to the group by then? I thought we could ask Patterson to go and find them? He should know where she and her mother have gone?’
Quinn stared at him, ‘why?’ she asked finally, ‘why are you doing this?’
The Alpha shrugged, ‘because I don’t feel right letting a pup die just because she was born into a less fortunate family. Especially when I have access to help that could save her.’
The red head studied him for a moment as if trying to decide if he was being truthful before slowly nodding, ‘I can go and see Patterson after school, ask him to get Esme and her mother back for the weekend. Sunday is probably better as it will give him time to reach them and for everyone to get back to their camp. I also have duties that I need to do on Saturday so I’d rather not have to skip them if I can possibly do so.’
Giving her a small smile, Hudson nodded his agreement before standing up, throwing his back over his shoulder. He stepped away from the table, turning away so as to leave the she wolf to her research.
‘Hudson?’ she called out suddenly, halting his steps, tingles rolling through him from the sound of his name falling from her lips.
‘Yeah?’ he asked, turning back to her.
Rubbing a page of the book through her fingers, Quinn sat there for a second before clearing her throat, ‘um, thank you’ she said haltingly, ‘for stopping me from falling and being hit by a book.’ She raised her gaze to his, biting on her lip before adding, ‘and for trying to help my friends, I do appreciate it.’
Giving an embarrassed shrug, Hudson grinned before turning around again and heading back out of the library and down to his first lesson of the day.
Walking in, he found a very annoyed Garrett sitting at the back, his feet on the table as he scrolled through his phone.
‘Oh, decided to come back did you?’ he grumbled without looking up at his Alpha as the teenager sat down next to him. ‘I’ve only been sat here like Billy no mates for forty minutes but don’t let that worry you.’
Hudson shoved his feet,, knocking them off the desk, ‘I had to see my mate’ he replied as he started to pull his books from his bag, setting them on the table in front of him.
Garrett’s face spun toward him, the phone clattering onto the wooden surface as he gave his attention to his friend. ‘You found your mate? Our Luna?’ he demanded, ‘and you didn’t think to tell me? Who is she? What’s her name? Is she coming home with us to meet the Alpha and Luna? Shit! Does the Luna know? How has there been no talk of a party! You know how Luna loves a reason to host.’
The Alpha rolled his eyes, ‘Yes I found my mate, no I didn’t tell you’ he replied, ‘nor anyone else for that matter. Her name is Quinn and . . . its complicated, I’m not ready for mum to know so don’t go blabbing to anyone.’
The beta glared at his Alpha, ‘you want me to keep a secret from the Luna?’ he hissed, ‘are you insane? DO you know what she’ll do to me when she finds out that not only did you keep your mate from her but that I knew and didn’t say anything?’ The teenager whistled as he shook his head slowly, ‘she will skin you alive, set you on fire and use your flaming body to spit roast me.’
Hudson laughed at the other boy’s dramatics, ‘she will not spit roast you’ he disagreed.
‘OK, maybe she’ll be a bit more fancy, but I don’t want to be flambéed either! Tell your mother about Quinn, save us both from her wrath! You know what a mistake it is to rile a Luna! Do you forget the great Luna rage of two thousand and sixteen? My ass couldn’t sit properly on a chair for a week!’
The Alpha snorted with laughter at the memory of the two of them hiding from an irate Luna after they snuck into the kitchen and took chunks out of the very expensive mating cake that had been delivered earlier that day ready for the ceremony of Garrett’s oldest sister and her newly found mate.
‘It’ll be fine’ Hudson encouraged, patting his friend’s shoulder, ‘as long as we both keep quiet, the Luna will never know that there was a secret kept from her to begin with.’