Yeah, but they had still accepted her into the family . . . though sometimes she’d wondered if they’d done it just to piss Lily off.

“If I thought for even a moment that my pack wouldn’t accept and protect you, I’d leave with you. You’ll have problems with Kathy at first. She doesn’t like change and she sees threats to the pack everywhere. But I have a lot of respect for her because, although her mate died, she hung on and survived the breaking of the mating bond so she could raise Nick, Eli, and Roni.”

Having lived with a mother who wasn’t strong enough to survive restricted contact with her mate, Harley could also respect Kathy for that.

“I swear to you right now that if you can’t be happy here, we’ll leave together. I’m just asking you to try for me, baby.”

She inhaled a deep breath. “Okay.”

The last bit of tension left him. “Good girl.”

Bones snapped and popped, and suddenly Harley had a very large gray wolf standing over her, licking at her jaw. Smiling, she petted his neck. “You’re going to get fur on the bed.”

The wolf nipped her chin and then jumped off the bed. His eyes flashed human—there was both a challenge and an invitation there. And then the wolf took off running.

Harley shifted as she rose from the bed, releasing her cat so she could play with her mate.

The small cat did a long stretch, fitting into her skin. She padded down the stairs and tracked the scent of her male. As she walked through the lodge, she rubbed against the furniture and doorways, scent marking her home. Satisfied, she followed his scent out of the lodge and to the forest, where he waited. She slowly walked toward him. Then she abruptly veered left and ran. She clambered up a tree, out of reach, and easily swung from one branch to another by her flexible front and hind paws, enticing him to play.

The gray wolf kept pace with her as he charged through the forest, leaping over thick roots and logs. The wildlife scattered as he passed. His mate was fast. Agile. But he knew his territory well and navigated it easily. When she finally leapt to the ground, he came at her from the front. The female halted, panting. She was graceful. Strong. His.

The little cat sprang at the wolf and bit into his neck hard enough to mark him. He marked her right back. They wrestled, pounced, and played until she tired. Though happy, she still mourned the absence of the mating bond. Lamented that they were not true mates. And, like her human half, hoped that imprinting would one day bind them.

CHAPTER SIX

Harley and Jesse chose to spend the rest of the day catching up and enjoying time alone, so she didn’t meet the rest of the pack until the next morning when they had breakfast at the main lodge. Not exactly eager to spend time with a bunch of people who, for the most part, didn’t want her there, Harley would have happily spent another day at Jesse’s lodge. However, he wanted her to meet the rest of the pack. As she didn’t want them to think she was hiding, she agreed. So now they sat at the long table, helping themselves to the selection of food that Kathy placed in the center.

Jesse had wasted no time in making his claim on her clear. He hadn’t said a word, just brushed aside her hair so that the bite was visible. A few people sucked in a stunned breath, but most didn’t look surprised; that didn’t mean they were all fine with it. Nick, Derren, Eli, and Caleb exchanged “this could be bad” looks. As Jesse had predicted, Kathy wasn’t at all happy and made it clear in a pathetically passive-aggressive way.

Harley ignored her, which seemed to only increase her frustration. Harley suspected the woman would snap at some point and spout whatever was on her mind. How tedious. Jesse also ignored it. He focused on Harley, constantly touching her—stroking her hair, holding her hand, tracing her claiming mark, or curving his arm around her to run his fingers along her collarbone.

She’d expected Jesse to be possessive, but she hadn’t expected him to be so blatant about it. Shifters were easy about touch when it came to people they trusted, but she’d never known Jesse to be touchy-feely. Of course, the constant touching was also a protective display. He was communicating to every wolf in that room that she wasn’t to be harmed, verbally or physically. It was . . . nice. She wasn’t used to nice when it came to relationships. She was used to assholes.

It was a shame that the dog wasn’t around, since at least he liked her. But apparently Bruce went roaming for days at a time.

Leaning back in his chair, Derren spoke to Jesse. “You wasted no time in claiming Harley, did you?”

Jesse blinked. “Why would I?”

Ally chuckled. “Why indeed.”

Derren’s gaze cut to Harley. “You don’t seem to have returned the claim. But I’m guessing, since you haven’t covered the bite with makeup, that you’ve accepted his claim on you.”

Harley sipped at her coffee, returning his stare boldly.

He arched a brow. “No answer?”

“I didn’t realize there was a question,” she said.

Ally snickered. “Don’t mind him, Harley, he’s—”

Splat.

As a slice of toast slapped Jesse’s chest, he sighed at the two pups. In reality, he was amused that—despite the constant reprimands—the pups seemed to find it necessary to engage in a food fight with each other every morning. However, he’d find it much more amusing if their aim was better and the food didn’t accidentally hit him.

Eyes twinkling, Willow kept her hand over her mouth to hold in her laugh. Cassidy had her head down to hide her amusement, but her little shoulders were shaking.