Feeling her pussy flutter around him, Jesse stilled. “No, no, no.” She made a sound that was close to a sob. Stroking her stomach, he soothed, “Shush, you can fight it. Breathe through it. Fight it for me. That’s it.” After a few moments, her pussy stopped quaking. “That’s my good girl.”
A moan slipped out of Harley as he gave her a slow, shallow thrust. Her pussy clamped down on him, but she didn’t start to come. Still, she knew it wouldn’t be long before her orgasm came barreling toward her again. “I won’t last.”
“I know.” He gave her another agonizingly slow thrust. And another. And another.
“I need it harder.”
“I know you do.”
But she’d have to ask for it. Begging wasn’t her style, though. Never had been. Still, there was no way she could keep fighting off orgasms, so she relented. “Please fuck me harder.”
“Anything you want.” Jesse fucked in and out of her with brutal, territorial thrusts, knowing she could take it, knowing it was what she needed. Feeling her pussy tighten, he said, “Don’t come yet.” Ignoring her hiss, he said, “Wait.” He kept on thrusting hard and deep, both dominating and claiming her. “Wait.” He fucked her even faster, sucking on his brand. Her pussy fluttered, but she held back. “Good girl.” He added another finger in her ass and thrust them both hard. “Now come.”
Tumbling into a vicious orgasm, Harley threw her head back as her body arched like a bow and a scream tore out of her throat. She felt his cock swelling inside her, stretching her even more, and then he drove deep and exploded. Little aftershocks racked them both, and she would have collapsed to the floor if his arm weren’t wrapped around her.
Licking over his brand, Jesse smiled as she began to purr. He’d grown to love that sound. “Does your cat still want to claw my face off?”
“The orgasm soothed her bruised ego a little.”
“We could always have a rematch, give you a chance to win. We can change the rules, shake things up a little, make the prize something else.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, and he frowned at the soft yet odd look on her face as he asked, “What?”
“You played. And you want to play again.” It was nice. It also meant he let his guard down with her, which she loved.
“You’re fun to play with . . . even though you’re the sorest loser ever.” In fact, that was part of the fun. “Shower. Then bed.” He’d wake sometime in the night and reach for her, like he always did. Although she was moody when she was tired, she never complained that he woke her by sliding his cock inside her or by eating her out. She was right there with him every step of the way, accepting and taking him. She was as much his match in bed as she was out of it. Smiling at that thought, he carried her upstairs.
“You have visitors.”
At Zander’s words, Jesse halted near a tree, hand clenched around his cell phone. “My parents?”
“Yep,” confirmed the enforcer. “As you’ve probably guessed, they’re not happy. Bracken let them pass; they’re waiting for you at the main lodge.”
Sighing, Jesse changed course and stalked through the forest, heading for the main lodge. “Harley’s not there, is she?” He didn’t want blood getting spilled.
“No.”
Relieved, Jesse said, “Good.” She was no doubt still relaxing in the reading alcove, where he’d reluctantly left her hours ago so he could begin patrol duty. “I’ll be there soon.”
Walking into the lodge a few minutes later, Jesse wasn’t surprised by the tension thickening the air. His pack may once have had their doubts about Harley, but they now all considered her one of their own. As such, they were staring dubiously at the visitors who they knew disapproved of her.
His father, who Jesse bore a strong resemblance to, smiled wanly as he patted him on the back. “You look well, son,” said Julian. They’d always gotten along, though Jesse couldn’t help but lose some respect for the male when he folded under his mother’s dominance. Still, he and his wolf would be pleased to see him under other circumstances.
His mother was dainty and thin, but she had a forceful presence that made her seem bigger than she actually was. It was that presence which kept her family in line, but Jesse had never been interested in falling in line for her or anyone else. They got along, but they would always bump heads from time to time.
Fern stared at Jesse with a pinched, wounded expression. “How could you, Jesse?”
He sighed. “Mom—”
“You knew what pain this would cause your family, but you didn’t care.” She took a step toward him. “Do you know how hard it was to hear this from someone else?”
“Would it have felt any better hearing about it from me?”
Her mouth snapped shut. But it unfortunately opened again. “You didn’t even discuss it with us.”
“Why would I? Even if I did feel the need to have your opinion, I wouldn’t have needed to talk to you; I already know how you feel about Harley.”
“And yet you claimed her. Claimed her. You could have had Kim.”
Ah, so she’d gone straight to his parents when she got home—probably told them terrible tales about his mate. Bracken must have come to the same conclusion, because he groaned.
Jesse told Fern, “I don’t want Kim or anyone else. Harley’s who I want.”
“How could you do this to Mia?”
“I’m not doing anything to her or because of her or to spite her—it has nothing to do with Mia or you.”
Julian sighed tiredly. “Son, I know Harley isn’t responsible for Mia’s addiction. So does your mother, deep down.” He glanced at her cold expression and amended, “Deep, deep, deep down.”
Jesse wouldn’t be too sure of that.
Fern waved a hand. “We’re not here about her anyway.”
Jesse narrowed his eyes. “What’s happened?”
“Someone desecrated Mia’s memorial stone,” replied Fern.
For a moment, Jesse had no words. Rage rushed through him like a tidal wave, tightening his muscles and clouding his vision. “Someone did what?”
His mother’s eyes flickered nervously. “It was someone in the pack. We don’t know who . . . but we suspect it was Spencer.” Torrie’s brother. “We think he wants to get back at you for taking another female as a mate.”
Motherfucker. Jesse’s breathing sped up and there was a strange pounding in the ears. He’d kill the little shit. Kill him and enjoy it.
“Jesse should have spent his life alone because Torrie died?” snarled Shaya. His wolf snarled right along with her.
“Of course not,” said Julian. “I don’t think her family would have reacted so badly if the female Jesse had claimed wasn’t Harley.”
“You mean all because she’s a Vincent?” asked Nick, disgusted.
Julian shook his head. “It’s not that. It would make them feel better to believe that Torrie was really his one and only, that another female would just be second best. That’s not something they can do with Harley. Jesse never hid his attraction to her as well as he’d thought. Everyone saw it. Everyone watched him come alive and knew who was responsible for that. They were grateful, but they also resented Harley for being able to do it. They can’t kid themselves into thinking Harley is second best.”
Shaya planted her hands on her hips. “So you know that he’s wanted her for a long time, and yet you still begrudge him the happiness you know she brings him? Seriously?”
Any other time, Jesse might have responded just as bitterly as Shaya had, but he was too enraged to speak right then as his mother’s news rang in his ears again and again. It didn’t matter that he’d never been close to Mia; she was still his baby sister, and he’d like to think she’d finally found whatever peace she’d been unable to find here. But the son of a bitch had desecrated his sister’s memorial stone. And now he’d pay for it. Jesse strode out of the living area and into the kitchen, heading right for the back door.
“Jesse, no! Wait, dammit.” Zander slipped in front
of him. “You’re not thinking right now.”
“The fucker’s not getting away with this.” His voice cracked with anger.
“No, he’s not. But charging down there won’t help. He’s trying to draw you there. He was always sneaky like that.”
True, but Jesse didn’t care. “Zander, move out of my fucking way.”
But the enforcer didn’t. Worse, Bracken moved to Zander’s side to further block Jesse’s path. Jesse growled. “Both of you move.”
As Jesse ranted at his friends, Nick turned to his mate. “Shaya, call Harley. We need her.” Jesse was trembling with rage and Nick was sure that their best chance of calming the enforcer was to bring Harley to him.
Fern bristled. “This is family business.”
Nick leaned into the bitch, looming over her. “Look at him; he’s lost it. You did that by blurting out that shit instead of telling him gently.” She’d known it would hurt him, and that was exactly why the bitter bitch had done it. “Harley’s the only one who has a chance at calming him down, so deal with it.”
Fern swallowed. “Jesse doesn’t lose control.”
“He does; it’s just very rare,” said Derren. “Nick’s right; we’re going to need Harley, and we’re going to need her now.”
Shaya, phone to her ear, said, “Already on it.”
Standing beside the bed, Harley paused her bow midstroke as her cell began to chime. Placing the bow and violin on the bed, she grabbed the phone from the beside cabinet, swiped her thumb over the screen, and said sweetly, “Sherwood Forest, this is Maid Marian.”
“You need to come to the main lodge.”
Harley frowned at the urgency in Shaya’s voice. Her cat sat up, instantly alert. “Why?” she asked, dashing downstairs and making a beeline for the front door.
“Jesse’s parents are here. He was already wound up about his mother whining that he’d claimed you against her approval, so when she abruptly and insensitively dropped the news that Mia’s memorial stone was desecrated by Torrie’s brother, Jesse just snapped. He wants to beat the living shit out of him. You need to calm him down.”
“On my way.” With her cat going crazy, Harley sprinted to the lodge and barged inside. Her pack mates turned to her, all looking helpless, as they listened to Jesse raging. Harley ignored Fern’s hostile stare. The bitch wasn’t important. Her cat sneered at her, though.
Following Jesse’s scent, Harley found him in the kitchen. Zander and Bracken were blocking his route to the door, trying to talk him down. “Jesse?” she said. He froze, stopping midrant, but he didn’t respond. Casually, she said, “Sorry to interrupt; I was just wondering who I need to kill.”
That had him slowly turning to face her, blinking in surprise. “What?” The word was guttural.
“Someone’s obviously aimed to piss you off, and it has clearly worked like a charm. Who was it and where do I find them?” Yes, she was pointing out that he was giving the asshole what they wanted by reacting this way. She moved toward him, but he raised a hand to ward her off. Her cat snarled, not wanting distance between them.
“I need you to stay back,” he clipped. “I’m not in control.”
“You wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Don’t,” he bit out, but she slowly walked to him.
“You’re hurting. Don’t expect me to ignore that. I can’t. I won’t.” She gently pushed aside the hand warding her off, but she didn’t invade his personal space. That would just make him and his wolf feel crowded and trapped. She needed him to calm down enough to come to her. “Shaya told me what happened. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t let the fucker get away with this.”
“He won’t,” she promised him.
“He did it to get at me.”
“He did it because he has no respect for the dead and he’s as cold as fucking ice,” she corrected. “Come here.”
Fists clenched, Jesse growled. “I have to see what he did.”
“Why, Jesse, why put yourself through that, huh? He wants that. He wants to hurt you. Don’t give him what he wants.”
“Harley . . .”
“I know. I do. Michael’s headstone has been ruined by graffiti more times than I can count. I know it’s painful that the one place they have left to rest is disrespected that way, but I will not allow you to show that bastard your pain.” She softened her voice as she added, “Come here.”
And then he was holding her, his face buried in her neck, and squeezing her so tight it hurt. She didn’t struggle. She held on to him and let him take what comfort he needed. Everyone melted away, leaving them alone. Sifting her fingers through his hair, she whispered soothing words in his ear. Her cat pushed up against Harley’s skin, offering him the same comfort.
Finally, the tremors stopped and his grip began to loosen. But he still didn’t release her. “We should probably take this to another room,” said Harley, “because I think Kathy wants to make lunch for the pack now.”
“In a minute,” he said against her neck.
Harley heard footsteps, but she didn’t turn. She didn’t need to. She recognized the scents of the two people approaching. For fuck’s sake.
“You all right, son?” Julian asked, cautious.
Jesse lifted his head. “Fine.”
Julian nodded at Harley. “Thank you for helping him,” he said sincerely and with a little warmth. The civility was an olive branch, and it pissed off Fern.
“Helping?” repeated Fern. “She talked of killing Spencer. How was that supposed to calm him?”
Harley had intended to take Jesse off guard and snap him out of his enraged zone. It had worked. Of course, he probably wouldn’t have been in any such zone if it weren’t for Fern, who was now glaring at her; trying to pressure her into lowering her gaze. Harley didn’t. She released Jesse and turned to fully face the witch. Fern just kept on glaring. “Are we done trying to outstare each other, because I’m getting bored.”
“I want to speak to my son in private.”
“Tough. Shit. You didn’t come here in peace and break the news to him gently. You used it to hurt him, didn’t you?” Her eyelids flickered. “You don’t approve of his choice of mate so you punished him for acting without your approval.”
Fern’s jaw tightened. “I’d never hurt my son.”
“You just did.” Whipping her tail, her cat hissed. She wanted out. Wanted to avenge her mate.
Fern’s lips pulled back, baring her teeth. “You don’t deserve him.”
Possibly not, but that wasn’t the issue here. “You don’t have to like me. In fact, you probably wouldn’t, even if it wasn’t for Mia. I’m not a likeable person. I’m rude. Stubborn. Sarcastic. Snarky. I only have respect for the people who’ve earned it—you haven’t. My cat, who has no patience for anyone other than Jesse and would protect him against even his own pack mates, would sure like to claw open your gut and watch you bleed. It’s actually hard to hold her back. And, to be honest, I don’t particularly want to.”
“I wouldn’t object if your cat did,” Shaya muttered.
“So if you’re determined to dislike me, Fern, fine—I can’t say I care if you do or you don’t. But get the idea out of your head that Jesse has to justify his decisions to you. He’s a grown male who doesn’t need or require your approval. If you push him on this, you’ll push him away. He lost one mate because fate can be a cruel bitch. If you make him lose another, you’ll be the cruel bitch. I know you love your son, so I can’t imagine you want to hurt him more than he’s already been hurt. But maybe I’m misjudging you just as much as you’re misjudging me.”
Fern’s mouth flattened as she returned Harley’s glare. “My daughter—”
“You don’t get to play the Mia card, Fern. Your daughter was a junkie before I met her and she continued to be a junkie after I left her life. Like you, I tried to help her. Like you, I failed. But we didn’t fail her; she failed herself. Keep blaming me for that if you want, but you don’t get to use her to drive a wedge betwe
en me and Jesse. You don’t get to play on his feelings for Mia to make him feel bad. It’s not fair to him, and it’s not fair to her. She’d hate you for it.”
Something Harley couldn’t quite identify flashed in Fern’s eyes. She tried to pass Harley and get to Jesse, but Harley blocked her path and hissed. “No. I don’t trust you around him.”
“I’m his mother!”
“Then damn well act like it!”
Scratching his head, Julian came forward. “I’m glad to see you’re so protective of my son, Harley. That’s how it should be.” Words seemed to fail him, and he sighed. Maybe someone else would have felt sorry for the guy and taken pity on him. Harley wasn’t the merciful type.
Fern’s eyes, blazing in outrage, sliced to Jesse. “Are you going to let her stand between you and your own parents?” she demanded.
Jesse didn’t even need to think about it. “Yeah. In her position, I’d do the same.”
Fern sneered. “Her parents are worthless—”
“They both accepted the mating,” he said. “Even Lily, despite her love of drama, didn’t cause this much of a scene.” His mother flinched, but he didn’t back down. “When you’re prepared to accept my choice and, more importantly, accept Harley, come back and we’ll talk. Until then, stay away.”
Fern moved toward him. “Jesse—”
Again Harley blocked her path. “Nu-uh. You heard what he said.”
Sighing, Julian put a hand on his mate’s shoulder. “Fern, this conversation has been unpleasant enough. Let’s go before something is said that can’t be taken back.”
For once in a long time, Fern listened to him. They left the main lodge without a word to anyone, though his father did give both Jesse and Harley a weak smile. Jesse let out a heavy sigh as he heard their car drive away. That was when his mate grabbed his arm.
“Come on.”
Jesse didn’t ask where they were going, sensing that she was not in a chatty mood right now. Neither was he; rage still simmered beneath his skin, making him edgy. He wordlessly followed her outside and to their lodge.
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