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)
Jesse watched as, like that time at the club, she stood with her feet shoulder width apart and her left foot slightly forward. Positioning the electric violin on her left collarbone, she propped the left side of her jaw on the chin rest. Bow in hand, she then began to play.
This tune was different from the one she played at the club, not rushed and hectic. In the beginning, the notes were soft. Mellow. Lilting. Almost ghostly. Soon, they became resonant, dark, and sensuous as they increased in power and intensity. One minute he was feeling calm, like he was floating; the next he was feeling invigorated, like the rhythm was recharging him.
The entire time, he was totally riveted and mesmerized by his mate, by her grace and confidence. Pride flooded every part of him. She was so damn talented. And she was his to dote on, care for, guard, and possess.
She moved fluidly from one note to the next, each one layered with emotion. There was so much soul and fire in her. Both drove her as she played, and the notes seemed to thunder toward the crescendo, becoming loud and vibrant. And then they began to wane and taper off, becoming once again soft and warm . . . until she stopped and looked up at him.
Throat thick, he swallowed. “Flawless.” His voice cracked with emotion. He patted his thighs. “Come here.” She carefully put down the violin and bow before coming to straddle him. Framing her face with his hands, he kissed her. “That really was amazing, baby. Thank you. If I didn’t already love you, I would have fallen hard for you right then.”
Feeling uncharacteristically shy, she said, “Stop being sweet.”
“Not being sweet. Just honest.”
“So you feel better now?”
“Much.” His limbs felt loose and his pulse was now steady. He kissed her again. “I’m sorry about my mother.” It was a surprise that he could mention the woman without wanting to explode. The rage had disintegrated like mist. Maybe it would be back. For now, he was free of it.
“She hurt you more than she hurt me.”
“And then you made her regret it. That was hot, by the way. My wolf likes it when you get all protective like that.” He smoothed his hands up and down her back. “My mother will respect your strength, even though she won’t want to.”
“She’ll never fully accept me, Jesse.” He needed to be prepared for that.
“She will if she wants grandkids.”
Harley cocked her head, surprised. “You want kids?” He’d never struck her as a fatherly person, though he was gentle with Willow and Cassidy.
“Sure, I want kids one day. Little girls with gold eyes.”
“Or little boys with dark eyes.”
“Whatever. I don’t care if they’re girls, boys, pups, or cubs as long as they’re happy and healthy.”
Well, he could change his mind on that. “Quick warning: margay cubs are totally demonic.” He laughed. “I’m serious. They climb before they can walk. You find them in the strangest places. Cabinets. Cupboards. On top of refrigerators. And they hide food everywhere.”
Smiling, he shrugged. “That’s okay.”
“They can also shift before puberty.”
“Really?” Theoretically, any shifter could do so. However, wolves generally didn’t shift until after puberty.
“Most shift for the first time at the age of six.”
“I don’t care what they are, when they can shift, or how much trouble they’ll be. I’ll love them, just like I love you. Just like you love me. Don’t you?”
“Yes. Can we stop acting like girls now?”
“You are a girl,” he chuckled. His girl. And yet . . . they still hadn’t fully imprinted.
“What’s wrong?”
He blinked. “What makes you think there’s anything wrong?”
“I sensed your mood plummet.”
Jesse twined a lock of her hair around his finger. “You often ask yourself why we haven’t bonded? I don’t get it, Harley. We’re totally open with one another. We don’t have any walls up. Our animals want the bond as much as we do.”
“I was told imprinting can sometimes be a slow process. It’ll happen. I can feel the potential of it. Have patience.”
“I don’t have patience when it comes to this. I want you bonded to me. I want our scents to mix; I want to feel what you’re feeling; I want to know I can bolster your strength if you need me to.”
“It’ll happen. Until then . . .” Her nose wrinkled. “I’m hungry.”
Sensing that she was trying to lighten his mood, he went with it. “Yeah, me too. Any Danishes?”
“Cinnamon buns okay for you?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hector made Nick wait three days before he would agree to speak with him. Like last time, Derren, Ally, and Eli accompanied Nick while Jesse, Roni, and Marcus remained hidden. Nick and Hector met in the same spot, and everyone was in the same position, including Hector’s guards. So, once more, Jesse was crouched near a thick oak as he watched a meeting between his Alpha and the half shifter.