“You misunderstood last night,” he told her. “When I said Torrie was a subject we wouldn’t touch, I didn’t mean you had no right to hear about her. I wasn’t trying to protect her memory, and I didn’t believe you’d taint it.”

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “Then why?”

“There was a couple in my old pack who weren’t true mates, Jeannie and Ron. He lost his true mate when they were kids. He talked of her as you would a little sister. You have to understand . . . you feel things differently as a kid than you do as an adult. As a kid, I loved Torrie. I still do, but that love is more fraternal now that I’m an adult. It was the same for him.”

“I understand.”

“Jeannie didn’t. She was resentful that she wasn’t his true mate. Jealous of what feelings he had for the little girl. She compared herself to her, compared their traits and likes and dislikes. She was convinced she was second best, though that was probably her own insecurities talking, and she constantly accused him of pining for his true mate.

“I know you’re not Jeannie. In fact, you’re nothing like her. But I didn’t want that for us. I didn’t want you tormenting yourself the way she did. I didn’t want you to ever think you couldn’t match up. I figured the less you knew about Torrie, the better.”

Harley kissed his throat. “I get it.” He’d done it to protect her. She played her fingers over the bite on his shoulder, understanding now his fascination with her own claiming mark. Just the sight and feel of it was comforting, a reminder that the most important person in her life was hers. It was also a total turn-on.

“You’re not the only one who worries about being second best.” Jesse stroked a hand over her hair. “I worry that one day you’ll regret choosing me over your true mate. I’ve seen it happen with imprinted couples. They grow to resent each other. But life is too fucking short to hem and haw over things. Sometimes you’ve gotta go with your gut. This feels right.”

“My gut tends to get me in trouble,” she said with a smile. “But I think it might have led me right this time.”

Tangling his fingers with hers, he brought their joined hands to his mouth. “There’ll be times when I piss you off and hurt you. It’ll be unintentional, but it’ll happen. All I can do is swear I’ll fix my fuckups. I promise you that you are not second best and you do not have to compete with anyone.”

“It’s not that I think there’s some kind of competition. I just meant that, as your true mate, she’ll naturally be a part of you.”

“She would have been my mate. She’s not here, Harley. You’re my mate.”

“But I’m not your other half—that’s all I’m saying.” And, yeah, it did sting despite how much she wished it didn’t, but she kept that pain to herself.

He cupped her face and skimmed his thumb along her jaw. Softly, he said, “No, you’re not my other half. You’re my center. No lie, baby. You brought me back from the dead, remember? Everything was dark and bleak and empty. My soul was in pieces. You changed that. I can’t be without my center, can I? I need that. And that’s you.” He gave her a slow, wet, languid kiss. “It’ll always be you. Don’t ever, ever doubt that.”

Wrapping one arm tight around her, he picked her up and took her to bed.

Jesse woke to the feel of a hot mouth wrapped tight around his cock. His mate was sucking so hard her cheeks hollowed, scoring his sides with her nails. Her soft hair trailed over his thighs, teasing his nerve endings into a little frenzy. Her tongue flicked a certain spot just right and he growled. “That’s it.” His voice was gruff from sleep. Gold eyes flicked to his, blazing with heat and feminine possession. And he understood he was being claimed in a whole other way here.

He knotted his fingers in her hair as he watched. Her lips kept a tight grip on his cock as her tongue swirled and licked and rubbed. He hissed as the head bumped the back of her throat, and then that throat contracted around him as she swallowed him deeper. Fuck. “Yeah, take more, baby.” She did. And the sight of more and more of his cock disappearing into her mouth was almost more than he could take.

Harley lightly grazed his balls with her nails, smiling around his cock as he swore. She liked the taste of him. Liked the feel of him hot and hard in her mouth. Liked him fisting her hair with a dark proprietary edge that said he could fuck her mouth if he wanted to but was choosing not to. It was as bold as the stark possessiveness shimmering in his eyes that once would have made her bristle. Now it gave her goose bumps.

“I’m gonna come, Harley. I want you to swallow every drop.” Using his grip on her hair, he held her head in place. She sucked harder, purring . . . and then he exploded, watching her throat work as she swallowed it all. “Good girl.” It was one more way to mark his mate and solidify his claim.

Harley slid up his body, resting comfortably on his chest as she pressed a light kiss to his mouth. “Good morning.”

“It’s a very good morning.” One hand cupped her ass as his other lazily smoothed up and down her bare back. She tucked her face into the crook of his neck and relaxed into his touch. Little claws absentmindedly kneaded his shoulders and a purr slipped out of her. Jesse smiled. She often settled on top of him, whether in bed or on the sofa, while he petted her, lazily luxuriating in the attention. “You really are one big kitty cat. My kitty.”