“Yours,” she easily agreed.
He tipped up her chin so he could look in her eyes. “You always were. Always will be.”
“Is your wolf okay with me claiming him?”
“Okay with it?” That would be a serious understatement. “He’s smug as all hell and mentally crowing like a rooster.”
“Good, so is my cat.” Her stomach rumbled. “I’m hungry. We need breakfast.”
“I need to take care of you first.” He slipped a finger inside her, finding her deliciously wet. “Then we eat.”
It wasn’t until they were in the kitchen, where Harley was reaching for a Danish, that Jesse told her he wanted them to have breakfast with the pack so he could share that she’d officially claimed him. Harley grimaced. “You want us to walk right into the main lodge and make a big announcement in front of everybody?”
He leaned against the fridge. “What’s wrong with that?”
A lot. She wasn’t nervous about the pack’s reaction. They had already accepted her, and several had expressed their eagerness for her to claim Jesse. But she detested being the center of attention, especially since . . . “They’ll all want to hug me, and you know I’m not big on being touched.” Neither was her cat.
“You can deal with it this once.” He crossed the room to take her hand and pull her close. “I want everyone to know.” He was proud that she’d claimed him.
“That’s easily done.” She whipped her cell out of her pocket.
Jesse frowned. “Who are you calling?” Then he heard his Alpha female greet, “Morning!”
“I claimed Jesse last night. Pass it on.” Harley ended the call and smiled at him. “See, easily done.”
He just shook his head, helplessly amused.
“How long do you think it will be before it reaches everyone?”
“Five minutes at most. They’ll come here,” he warned her. “You haven’t escaped their reaction.”
“Yeah, but they won’t all come at once.”
Yes, they would. But he’d let her believe differently if it stopped her from disappearing in her cat form. “If we’re not going to eat with the pack, we best do it now before they come.” She was cranky when she was hungry, so there was less chance of her losing her patience with the pack if she’d eaten.
Snuggled together on the porch swing, they were just finishing breakfast when they heard excited chatter in the near distance. Harley froze. “That’s more than one person.” Straining to hear better, she realized it was more than even a few people. “They’ve all come together?”
Jesse’s mouth curved. “Sounds like it.” He got to his feet and brushed the crumbs off his lap. Then he looked up just in time to see his mate lunging toward the tree. He looped on arm around her waist. “No, no, no.”
She struggled against him. “I can accept their congratulations from up there!”
“Don’t be a wuss.”
“A wuss?” she echoed as he advanced through the lodge. “Who uses that word?”
“I do.” He set her on her feet but kept his arm tight around her. “It’ll be fine.” He pulled open the front door to see his entire pack approaching. The females and pups entered first; each hugged and congratulated them. The males patted Jesse on the back and gave Harley a smile, knowing better than to hug her when she and Jesse weren’t yet fully mated.
By the end of the scene, Harley’s upper lip had curled back, her eyes kept flashing cat, and she looked ready to dive on someone. Jesse tightened his hold, fearing she might actually claw someone if her personal space was yet again invaded.
“That’s two pieces of good news in one morning,” said Nick.
Jesse’s wolf cocked his head. “Two pieces?”
“We have the location of Hector’s parents.”
Anticipation rushed through Jesse. “Where are they?”
“Chicago.”
“You need to take me with you, Nick,” said Shaya.
The Alpha male sighed, and it was clear they’d had this conversation before. “Shay—”
“Nick, let’s be honest here; you’re not particularly pleasant,” she said without any judgment. “You need someone to temper you. That’s what I do.” She did, and she did it often.
Eli folded his arms across his chest. “Shaya is good at keeping the peace, Nick. It’s what makes her such a good mediator.”
Nick gave him a look that said “traitor.” “We’ll talk more about this later, Shay.” Then he turned to his Beta pair. “I know how badly you want to come, but I need you here. I need to know my daughter is well protected.”
“She will be,” vowed Ally. “You can count on that.”
Nick inclined his head and then slid his gaze back to Jesse. “I intend to take you, Roni, and Marcus.”
Jesse nodded. “When do we leave?”
“I was hoping we could leave today,” replied Nick. “But we won’t have access to the jet until the day after tomorrow.”
“Let’s end this talk of Hector-related matters,” said Ally. “Yes, it’s good news, but it’s still not a pleasant subject. Today needs to be a happy day for Harley and Jesse.”
“I agree.” Shaya linked arms with Harley and tried to pull her toward the dining table, but Jesse refused to let go. Shaya rolled her eyes. “The Phoenix wolves told me to express their congratulations.”