Up close, Jesse stroked Harley’s back, petting the tension out of her. His wolf snarled at the scent of her blood, pushing at Jesse’s skin so he could reach his mate and comfort her. Both he and Jesse silently seethed at the sight of her injuries. They weren’t bad enough to need Ally’s help and, in fact, would probably heal just fine within the next thirty minutes. That didn’t make him feel any better.

He made a quick call to Derren and explained the matter. The Beta assured Jesse that he would get there fast, which was a good thing because Kim then regained consciousness. Realizing her predicament, she muttered something around her gag. With the strength of their kind, she tore her bonds and struggled to her feet, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” he growled at Kim, reminding himself how wrong it would be to strike a female. “You had no fucking right to touch her! I wish right now I was a lesser guy so I could rip your damn throat out!”

Breathing hard, Kim touched one of the scratches on her face. “She drew blood first.”

He jabbed a finger at the she-wolf. “You were warned not to come back here. You knew exactly what could happen if you did. Or maybe that’s why you came here. Maybe you wanted a fight.”

“You made a mistake choosing her, Jesse. I could have helped you open up.”

Harley tilted her head. “Persistent little bitch, aren’t you? And so very, very bitter.” Harley didn’t know if that bitterness was so intense because Kim had feelings for Jesse or because she simply couldn’t cope with being denied what she wanted. Harley also didn’t care.

“Three years,” Kim said to him. “It’s been three years of nothing from her, and then you claim her. You don’t even know her. Not really. I was there for you at the memorial, but you went to her.”

“You followed me after the memorial,” Jesse realized. He did remember Kim hovering around him, trying to comfort him. He hadn’t thought she’d followed him, though.

“Hoping to wear him down?” asked Harley. “Oh, now that’s just sad and desperate.”

Her flush deepened. “Says the woman who took advantage of a grieving male!”

“Harley didn’t take advantage,” said Jesse. “She took what was hers.”

Kim flinched. “Your true mate died—”

“I never said Harley was my true mate. I claimed her because she’s my choice. I’m hers just as she’s mine.”

“Even though she introduced your sister to drugs? Isn’t that the ultimate insult to Mia’s memory?”

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.