Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Frowning at her shrill outburst, Harley mused, “You’re a lot angrier about all this than I’d first thought.” This was teeth-gnashing anger that would eat at a person’s soul. “Fascinating.”
“Fascinating?” Kim echoed.
“Well, not really,” said Harley. “It’s actually quite sad that a grown woman would carry this much bitterness over . . . well, anything.” Her cat raked her claws against Harley’s stomach, wanting the freedom to avenge herself.
“I never once misled you into thinking there would be anything between us,” Jesse told Kim. “If you thought differently, that’s on you.”
Kim planted her hands on her hips. “So you’ll fuck my sister but not me?”
Jesse grimaced. “I never touched your sister. It’s all in your messed-up head.”
Derren and Bracken came charging out of the trees. Both skidded to a halt, taking in the sight before them.
Closing his eyes, Bracken said, “I’m not even going to ask what happened, Kim. I don’t want to know. Go. Mom’s waiting for you.”
Kim warily approached him. “Bracken—”
His eyes snapped open. “Don’t. You bloodied one of my pack mates!”
“She bloodied me first!”
“That’s actually true,” said Harley. “Of course, if she hadn’t come at me from behind and took a fistful of my hair, I wouldn’t have whirled on her and slashed at her face.”
Derren growled at Kim. “You’re lucky you’re Bracken’s sister. Anyone else would have paid deeply for that. Now get the fuck out of here.”
As his sister walked off, Bracken looked at Harley. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think she was truly this stupid.”
“No need to apologize,” said Harley. “That was on her, not you.”
Bracken and Derren followed closely behind Kim, probably distrusting that she wouldn’t idiotically turn right around and make things worse.
Gently turning Harley to face him, Jesse massaged her stiff shoulders. “You okay?”
In spite of her mood, Harley’s mouth curled into a small smile. “You’d be a lot better at soothing my anger if you weren’t growling.”
Jesse softly brushed his thumb over her split lip; it was healing well. “If she was a male, she’d be dead right now.” He would have snapped the bastard’s neck like a twig. “You should be yelling at me.”
“Why?”
“When I went to the club to find you, I told you that you’d be safe here.”
She smoothed her hands up and down his chest. “I’m safer with you than I am anywhere else.”
He kissed her. “Damn right.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I kinda enjoyed making her bleed.” The fact that the she-wolf was bleeding was really the only thing stopping her cat from going apeshit.
“I can’t say that surprises me.”
“Not that I’m not pleased to see you, but what brought you home? Did you hear us fighting?”
“No.” He took both her hands, tangling their fingers. “I’m really sorry to tell you this, because it’s not going to improve your mood a tiny bit.”
Crap. “What?”
“Lily and Shawn are here.”
Oh, freaking wonderful. Just the people Harley did not want to see. Ever. And if it made her cruel that she wasn’t pleased to see her own mother, well . . . then she was cruel.
“Do you want to speak with them?”
Not even a little. “Sure.” Her cat snarled her displeasure, but Harley believed it was best just to get the whole thing over with.
“I can make them leave.”
“They’d just come back.” She kissed him. “But thanks. I’m going to wash, change, and drag a brush through my hair. By then, these injuries will have healed. Then we’ll let Lily whine about how I didn’t tell her I was mated.”
A short while later, they were walking down the dirt road to where a large number of the pack was gathered up ahead. Even from there, Harley could hear her mother whining, “You can’t stop us from seeing her!” The woman did love to make a scene. She was truly gifted at it.
“Let us pass!” demanded Shawn, curt.
“No. You have permission to step onto our territory but not to pass any farther.” Eli’s voice was deceptively cool. “Harley will come when she’s ready.”
Derren briefly glanced over his shoulder. “She’s almost here. I suggest you calm yourselves unless you want her to refuse to speak with you.”
But, of course, they didn’t follow his advice.
The crowd parted as she and Jesse arrived; everyone gave Harley either a supportive smile or a respectful nod. Unlike the others, Eli didn’t move. He stood between Harley and their visitors like a sentry. Still, she was able to see Lily and Shawn just fine. They both looked gaunt, pale, and disheveled. Her mother was dressed in a tight vest and short skirt, both of which badly needed ironing and were two sizes too small. Shawn, as per usual, was dressed like a biker, though he was a very sad imitation of one.
Red faced, Shawn ordered, “Tell him to move!”
She smiled. “Nobody can make Eli do anything he doesn’t want to do. I guess you’ll have to ask him nicely.” And, yes, she was tormenting them a little. Hey, if they were going to embarrass her, then there was no reason for her to be hospitable.