Harley groaned inwardly. “Tess . . .”
“He doesn’t mind being objectified for just a minute.” Stepping back, Tess urged them inside. “Lunch is almost ready. And no, Harley, I did not make it. How about a tour, Jesse?”
Interested to see the inside of what had once been his mate’s home, he nodded. Following Tess around the ground floor, he was unsurprised to see that the interior was as grand as the exterior. White walls, luxurious carpeting, stylish furnishings, and expensive paintings ran throughout the entire space. There wasn’t a single thing out of place, and everything seemed to glimmer.
Taking them up a grand staircase, Tess showed him the one room he’d been eager to see—Harley’s old room. His wolf was just as curious. “I left it exactly as it was,” Tess told him.
Considering his mate had lived there until she’d left for college, he’d expected a space that was typical of a teenager. But there were no posters or girly things or even any personal touches. It didn’t shout “Harley” at all. He got it. To fit in with her human friends—friends who would have spent time here—she’d had to be human. To do that, she’d had to hide her cat, but being a shifter meant having a dualism to the soul; the human and animal were fused together. In hiding her cat, she’d hidden her true self. He doubted many people knew the real Harley Vincent.
When the tour was over and they were making their way to the dining room, he slowed to study a cluster of photographs on the wall. They were all of Harley at different ages, even from when she was just a cub and still part of her pride. She was smiling in each photo, but the smiles in the earlier pictures didn’t quite reach her eyes. The photos of her as a teenager when she’d come to live with Tess were different; Harley was clearly happier and healthier.
In the dining room, Tess spent a few minutes fussing over them as she set out the food and poured drinks. The moment her ass hit the seat, she turned to Harley. “I’m very upset with you for not telling me about the hate mail sooner.”
Harley sighed. “I told you why I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did, but . . .” Tess forked some pasta onto her plate before adding, “I don’t think it was just about protecting me.” She looked at Jesse. “Harley was a model child—never gave me a cross word, never broke a single rule, never neglected her chores, and never got into any trouble in school. Seriously, I never had to ground her even once. That’s just not natural, is it? I talked to her principal and school counselor about it.”
Jesse blinked. “You had a meeting with her principal and counselor about her behavior . . . because it was perfect?”
“It concerned me. Then one day, I realized what it was—like someone had whispered the answer into my ear. She was determined not to give me a reason to give her up.” Tess turned to Harley with a soft smile. “You didn’t want to go back to Lily, so you did everything possible to please me. That still breaks my heart. Lily will never forgive me for keeping you.”
Jesse frowned, cutting into his steak. “I thought Clive agreed to you having custody of Harley.”
“He did, but Lily wasn’t happy about it. She’d relied on Harley for a lot of things—cleaning, laundering, and grocery shopping. Lily turned up every so often, claiming to have turned her life around, said she’d changed and wanted Harley back. She’d rob us blind before she left. Harley used to put ‘Stop being a bum’ notes in her purse for Lily to find, but Lily could never complain about it or she’d have to admit she tried to steal from her own daughter.” Tess exchanged a conspiratorial smile with Harley.
As they ate, Tess regaled Jesse with tales of a teenage Harley and recited all her accomplishments, clearly proud. He resisted telling Tess he already knew of all her achievements, having kept watch over her.
It was when they were finished with lunch that she took in Jesse with a speculative gaze that made his wolf lift his chin. “So . . . you claimed my niece.”
“I did.”
“And you want her to do the same to you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Even though there are dozens of reasons why this might not be a good idea?”
“Even though.”
Tess considered that for a minute, then nodded. “Good enough.”
Harley rolled her eyes. “Great interrogation skills, Tess.”
“Actions speak louder than words. I’ve been watching him with you. He stays close, like a sentry, placing himself in the way of you and any potential danger. He touches you a lot, but not in a creepy way; they’re subtle, affectionate, reassuring touches that let you know he’s there and provide him with the comfort that he has you with him. He watches you closely, taking in every emotion and enjoying the view. I know for a fact that if I showed myself to be a threat to you, he’d go for my throat,” she added with delight.
Harley blinked. “And that makes you happy?”
“It’s what any good aunt wants for her niece.” She moved her smile to Jesse. “Tell me about your pack, Jesse.”
Thinking that Tess was extremely astute, he said, “There are sixteen shifters in total, all wolves except for Harley.” Without revealing anything that would be considered pack business, Jesse told her about the territory and each of the members.
“They sound like wonderful people. I’ll bet you fit right in from the start, Harley.” Tess noticed Harley tense, and she was right on it. “What? What’s wrong? His pack doesn’t like you?” Tess turned to him. “I can talk to them. I’d be happy to come forward as a character witness.”