He growled. “Personally, I think you’re trying to make me crazy.”
“You have no proof of that.”
Growling again, Jesse gently massaged her honey shampoo into her hair as she soaped his chest. He loved her hair; loved the color and texture and natural shine. Loved how it felt against his skin, loved burying his face in it as they slept.
After a quick rinse, he then smoothed conditioner into her hair while a soapy hand slowly pumped his cock. There was only so much a guy could take. Soon enough he had her legs hanging in the crooks of his elbows as he took her hard and fast against the tiled wall.
Clean, sated, and dressed, they ate their lunch in a companionable silence . . . which was probably why they easily heard a crowd quickly approaching.
Harley cocked her head. “Is that Marcus I hear trying to calm someone down?”
Jesse sighed. “Yes.” And it was no doubt Roni.
Swallowing a slice of cucumber, Harley said, “I’m guessing they’re outraged on Eli’s behalf and I’m now an even bigger bad guy than I was before.” Honestly, it bothered her more than it should have that these people were so quick to vilify her. It was like they’d pounced on the whole thing as an excuse to do some venting of their own.
“I won’t let any of them harm you,” Jesse stated.
“Neither will I,” she said as they rose. “What are you going to do if people start demanding that I leave?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?” He took her hand. “If you ever leave this pack for any reason, I’m leaving with you. But I don’t think they’ll demand that; I really don’t.”
“We’ll soon find out if you’re right.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Harley and Jesse opened the front door and walked onto the porch hand in hand, presenting a united front. Roni, Marcus, Kathy, Kent, and Caleb stood at the bottom of the stone steps. Marcus didn’t spare Harley or Jesse a glance, too busy trying to keep Roni calm to even look their way. It wasn’t working; she was tense as a bow and, like Kathy, radiated hostility. Kent and Caleb glared at Harley—a ballsy move for submissive wolves. She could have used her dominant vibes to force them to lower their gazes, but fuck ’em.
Harley was kind of surprised Nat and Kim weren’t present. Surely they would have at least enjoyed witnessing Harley taking a verbal beating.
“I don’t know what you guys think you’re fucking doing, storming to our home like this, but you might want to rethink it,” rumbled Jesse, as offended and outraged as his wolf. “Did you rile them up, Kathy?”
Kathy didn’t look at him; she was totally focused on Harley. “My pack gave you sanctuary . . . and you repay us by attacking my son?”
“You all need to leave,” growled Jesse—the guttural sound came from both him and his wolf.
“Come on, Roni, let’s just go,” coaxed Marcus, gently urging her backward. “Ally healed him; he won’t have any permanent scars. It’s over now.”
“Did you see what your cat did to my brother?” Roni snarled at Harley, making Marcus groan and lower his head in sheer exasperation.
Harley jutted out her chin. “I did.” Her cat puffed up her body and whipped her tail, expecting a challenge from the other female. Harley didn’t want to fight with Roni, but she suspected it might come to that. The she-wolf was pissed.
“Did you see how deep those wounds were?” demanded Roni, fingers curled like claws. “Don’t you have any control over your cat at all?”
Jesse swore. “She isn’t feral; she’s just protective of her mate. Go judge her.”
Roni said to Harley, “He doesn’t need you fighting his battles—”
“And I’ll bet Marcus doesn’t need you fighting his,” said Harley. “But can you honestly tell me you never once stood up for him, even though he might not have needed it?”
Roni’s eyes slid to Marcus, who gave his mate a pointed look.
“I didn’t think so,” said Harley.
Whatever Marcus whispered into Roni’s ear made the anger leak from her expression. The female raked a hand through her hair. “Eli has a lot going on right now.”
So fucking what? “He doesn’t get to wear that like a badge and think it gives him the right to treat his pack mates the way he treated Jesse.” Harley spoke to the others as she added, “And if anyone here disagrees with that, they should be fucking ashamed of themselves.”
Kent and Caleb exchanged looks, suddenly uncomfortable, and did the human equivalent of tucking their tails between their legs.
Roni sighed. “Eli—”
“It’s your brother and he’s hurting,” finished Harley. “You want to protect him. Fine. I had a brother and . . .” No, she wouldn’t talk about Michael. They hadn’t earned a piece of her heart. “My point is I know the instinct to defend a brother is strong, so I understand why you’re so upset. But I’m not sorry for what I did and I won’t pretend to be, so if it’s an apology you’ve come for, Roni, you’re wasting minutes out of our lives. And if it’s a fight you’ve come for . . . bring it.”
Jesse and Marcus sprang into action and inserted themselves between Harley and Roni. Marcus angled himself so he could look at both females as he said, “This ends now. We don’t want fighting within the pack.”
“I wasn’t aware that you regarded me as part of it,” said Harley.