Force of Temptation (Mercury Pack Book 2)

by Suzanne Wright

  “Tell me how I couldn’t want to keep her and claim her as mine.”

  “Seriously, stop.”

  “Tell me how I couldn’t love her.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath, stunned.

  Jesse raked his hands into her hair. “That’s right, baby, I love you. Always will.” He slammed his mouth down on hers. The kiss was hard. Deep. Wet. Greedy. Almost savage. The addictive taste of her drove him into a frenzy; he’d always crave it, always burn for it. Always burn for her.

  A primal, powerful need clawed at him, causing his body to tighten and his cock to harden to the point of pain. Jesse angled her head how he wanted it, making the kiss even deeper. He took her mouth like he needed it to survive—and he did; he needed Harley. One of her hands tugged on his hair while the other clawed at his nape, demanding more. Then that’s what she’d get.

  Harley hissed as his teeth bit into her lip, drawing blood. Licking over the puncture marks to ease the sting, he lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip. Each time he thrust his tongue into her mouth, he rocked his hips into hers. She moaned, tightening her leg around him to bring him closer. She felt empty. Hot. Restless. Almost like a cat in heat. “I need you in me.”

  With possessiveness flaring through him, Jesse shredded her clothes with his claws just as she yanked off his T-shirt and tore open his fly. “Good, because I want in you.” Her cat eyes glowed with a primitive lust that hit him right in the gut. “Now.”

  Harley curled her arms around his neck as he abruptly lifted her, his hands like steel bands around her thighs. His dark eyes blazed into hers, and her pussy clenched at the raw, unadulterated possession stamped on his features. No sooner had she wrapped her legs around him than he savagely thrust hard, burying himself balls deep inside her. “Fuck,” she gasped, digging her claws into the sleek skin of his back.

  Jesse groaned as her hot pussy clamped down on his cock, so tight and slick he could come right then. But he didn’t. “Hold me tighter.” Her limbs tightened around him until they were as close as two people could be. Then he was powering into her with rough, territorial strokes. His wolf’s possessiveness fueled every thrust. “My pussy,” Jesse growled against her mouth. And for once, she didn’t fight him on it. There wasn’t even a glint of defiance in that gold gaze. “You belong to me, don’t you?” His tone dared her to deny what they both knew was true.

  “Yes,” she rasped, watching as masculine approval gleamed in his gaze.

  “Then give me your throat.” Ah, a little wariness flashed across her face. He wasn’t surprised to see her still struggle with that. “It doesn’t mean reining in your dominance, Harley. It just means giving me what’s already mine—everything.” Still, she hesitated, waging an inner battle. He growled, “Give it to me.” And finally, she tilted her head back, exposing her neck. He damn well almost came. “Such a good girl.”

  Harley held on tight as his pace turned brutal and he ferociously hammered into her, grunting and growling into her neck. Her cat reveled in how animalistic it was. His fingers dug so hard into her thighs that Harley knew he’d leave bruises, but she didn’t care. She loved the little brands he left. Loved how rough and aggressive he could be. Loved him. Loved him with everything she was, just as her cat did.

  “Jesse, I’m gonna come.” She could feel her orgasm tumbling fast toward her.

  He bit her neck. “Mark me, Harley. Claim me.” He needed it. His wolf needed it. It was a soul-deep need that tormented both man and animal day and night. Jesse had asked her time and again to do it, but she never did. Never—

  Jesse hissed out a breath as sharp little teeth sank deep into his shoulder, stabbing hard enough to draw blood. His mate sucked and licked at the mark . . . claiming him. And like that, he exploded. He didn’t just come; his entire body quaked and fragmented as his cock swelled and pulsed deep inside his mate while her pussy contracted around him. “Fuck, I love you,” he growled.

  And then every bit of energy seemed to leave them both. She sagged over him, limp. Holding her tight, he turned and slid to the wooden floor, stretching out his legs for her to straddle them. For a long time, they just sat there, panting and trembling. She’d claimed him. His mate had finally claimed him. The satisfaction of that went beyond anything he’d experienced before. It settled into every pore, every muscle, every bone. His wolf was both smug and relieved that this little cat they adored had returned their claim.

  Languid with pure contentment, Harley and her cat snuggled into their mate. He was the only male both her human and animal side had wanted. The cat had always quickly grown bored with Harley’s human partners. This wolf impressed, amused, delighted, and challenged both sides of her nature. “Oh, um, by the way . . . love you too,” she slurred into his chest.

  Throat burning, Jesse kissed her hair and inhaled the honey scent of her shampoo. He’d known she cared for him—she would never have let him claim her if she didn’t—but he hadn’t known how much. There had been nights when he watched her sleep, wondering if he’d ever find a way into that big heart that was encased in an iron cage. It was probably natural that someone who felt things so deeply would protect that heart so it didn’t go through life constantly bruised. He’d hoped she’d trust him to be a person who wouldn’t abuse that trust and purposely wound her. But he had hurt her, and now he needed to fix it.

  “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.”

  “Yours,” she easily agreed.

  He tipped up her chin so he could look in her eyes. “You always were. Always will be.”

  “Is your wolf okay with me claiming him?”

  “Okay with it?” That would be a serious understatement. “He’s smug as all hell and mentally crowing like a rooster.”

  “Good, so is my cat.” Her stomach rumbled. “I’m hungry. We need breakfast.”

  “I need to take care of you first.” He slipped a finger inside her, finding her deliciously wet. “Then we eat.”

  It wasn’t until they were in the kitchen, where Harley was reaching for a Danish, that Jesse told her he wanted them to have breakfast with the pack so he could share that she’d officially claimed him. Harley grimaced. “You want us to walk right into the main lodge and make a big announcement in front of everybody?”

  He leaned against the fridge. “What’s wrong with that?”

  A lot. She wasn’t nervous about the pack’s reaction. They had already accepted her, and several had expressed their eagerness for her to claim Jesse. But she detested being the center of attention, especially since . . . “They’ll all want to hug me, and you know I’m not big on being touched.” Neither was her cat.

  “You can deal with it this once.” He crossed the room to take her hand and pull her close. “I want everyone to know.” He was proud that she’d claimed him.

  “That’s easily done.” She whipped her cell out of her pocket.

  Jesse frowned. “Who are you calling?” Then he heard his Alpha female greet, “Morning!”

  “I claimed Jesse last night. Pass it on.” Harley ended the call and smiled at him. “See, easily done.”

  He just shook his head, helplessly amused.

  “How long do you think it will be before it reaches everyone?”

  “Five minutes at most. They’ll come here,” he warned her. “You haven’t escaped their reaction.”

  “Yeah, but they won’t all come at once.”

  Yes, they would. But he’d let her believe differently if it stopped her from disappearing in her cat form. “If we’re not going to eat with the pack, we best do it now before they come.” She was cranky when she was hungry, so there was less chance of her losing her patience with the pack if she’d eaten.

  Snuggled together on the porch swing, they were just finishing breakfast when they heard excited chatter in the near distance. Harley froze. “That’s more than one person.” Straining to hear better, she realized it was more than even a few people. “They’ve all come together?”

  Jesse’s mouth curved. “Sounds like it.” He got to his feet and brushed the crumbs off his lap. Then he looked up just in time to see his mate lunging toward the tree. He looped on arm around her waist. “No, no, no.”

  She struggled against him. “I can accept their congratulations from up there!”

  “Don’t be a wuss.”

  “A wuss?” she echoed as he advanced through the lodge. “Who uses that word?”

  “I do.” He set her on her feet but kept his arm tight around her. “It’ll be fine.” He pulled open the front door to see his entire pack approaching. The females and pups entered first; each hugged and congratulated them. The males patted Jesse on the back and gave Harley a smile, knowing better than to hug her when she and Jesse weren’t yet fully mated.

  By the end of the scene, Harley’s upper lip had curled back, her eyes kept flashing cat, and she looked ready to dive on someone. Jesse tightened his hold, fearing she might actually claw someone if her personal space was yet again invaded.

  “That’s two pieces of good news in one morning,” said Nick.

  Jesse’s wolf cocked his head. “Two pieces?”

  “We have the location of Hector’s parents.”

  Anticipation rushed through Jesse. “Where are they?”

  “Chicago.”

  “You need to take me with you, Nick,” said Shaya.

  The Alpha male sighed, and it was clear they’d had this conversation before. “Shay—”

  “Nick, let’s be honest here; you’re not particularly pleasant,” she said without any judgment. “You need someone to temper you. That’s what I do.” She did, and she did it often.

  Eli folded his arms across his chest. “Shaya is good at keeping the peace, Nick. It’s what makes her such a good mediator.”

  Nick gave him a look that said “traitor.” “We’ll talk more about this later, Shay.” Then he turned to his Beta pair. “I know how badly you want to come, but I need you here. I need to know my daughter is well protected.”

  “She will be,” vowed Ally. “You can count on that.”

  Nick inclined his head and then slid his gaze back to Jesse. “I intend to take you, Roni, and Marcus.”

  Jesse nodded. “When do we leave?”

  “I was hoping we could leave today,” replied Nick. “But we won’t have access to the jet until the day after tomorrow.”

  “Let’s end this talk of Hector-related matters,” said Ally. “Yes, it’s good news, but it’s still not a pleasant subject. Today needs to be a happy day for Harley and Jesse.”

  “I agree.” Shaya linked arms with Harley and tried to pull her toward the dining table, but Jesse refused to let go. Shaya rolled her eyes. “The Phoenix wolves told me to express their congratulations.”
r />   Jesse looked at Shaya. “You shared it with people outside the pack already?”

  “Harley told me to pass it on,” the redhead pointed out. “Taryn likes her. They share something in common: they both have fathers who are assholes.” Shaya turned to Ally. “Speaking of Taryn’s father, apparently Lance bought an Italian restaurant.” Lance was not only Taryn’s father but her old Alpha. Shaya and Caleb had also once been part of his pack.

  Ally sat on one of the dining chairs. “Another restaurant? How many does he own now?”

  “Six, I think,” replied Shaya. “It’s no secret that I don’t like Lance, but he’s right to buy properties and businesses.”

  “Yeah,” said Roni. “Extremists can’t force us to stick to our own territories if we own properties and businesses smack dab in the middle of their communities.”

  Harley pursed her lips, wondering if the females were about to inform Nick of her attention to buy the club.

  “And it’s good for humans to see us, to see that we’re relatable and can coexist with them just fine.” Ally leaned back in her seat. “Not all of them are against us. The majority of the human population accepts us. They’re just not very vocal about it.”

  “I agree that Lance is wise,” said Roni. “If shifters stick to their territories, it means they’re segregating themselves. By buying restaurants, stores, diners, and other properties, they’re always visible. And it means they can have businesses exclusive to shifters too. Places they can shop and eat without worrying about being harassed.”

  “I have my fingers in pies,” said Nick, his posture defensive. Evidently, he didn’t like hearing other Alphas be praised.

  Shaya blinked at him. “Oh, I know that. You . . . invest.” She said the word like it was insignificant. “Investing is good too.”

  “Yeah?” Nick folded his arms. “You don’t seem convinced.”

  Roni sighed at him. “Be honest, investing is the lazy way.”

  “Lazy?” he repeated.

  “You’re taking risks, but only behind the safety of your computer.” Roni shrugged. “You don’t own anything outright.”