wearing too much makeup, looked mad enough to spit. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of catching Henry in the lie, nor did I want to draw much of her attention. She looked like the kind of person who might have knee-capped me to get me out of the way of her plans.
And then Henry turned toward me and touched my chin and kissed me, and I forgot about everyone and everything else. His lips were soft and warm, gentle as he started with the most casual, glancing touch. His arm, strong as steel, kept me close to his side as he leaned down to repeat the kiss, and I couldn’t help touching him back. My knees weakened and I could do little more than cling to him as his lips parted and his tongue brushed the corner of my mouth.
I closed my eyes and opened to him, ready to get lost in the sensations. It didn’t even matter if there were witnesses. I couldn’t feel anything but his touch, the connection with him, sparking magic in the air. Which should have dragged me back to reality. We were there at the warehouse to challenge my control and see whether I could shock Mercy by accident. I didn’t want to accidentally blast Henry’s sister or the poor girl with her, even if the older woman kind of deserved it.
Henry must have heard my murmur of distress or felt me tense, because he broke off the kiss and retreated just a bit, though he returned for another whisper of a kiss across my cheekbone. It felt like the world held its breath as we stared at each other. I didn’t know what to do or say and just hung there in his arms as he smiled, his long eyelashes nearly hiding his eyes from me completely. Hints of gold flashed through, and I saw some of the wolf staring back at me.
Deirdre cleared her throat, sounding amused. “Well. As you can see, Ms. Nola, Henry is well... entrenched here. There is no reason for him to return to wherever you came from, so with all due respect, please do not bother him further.”
Henry straightened up but hugged me to him, my front plastered against his side, and I tucked my head against his shoulder as he faced his sister once more. He still sounded remarkably calm and in control, even though my knees wobbled and I couldn’t have strung a sensible thought together for all the money in the world.
“Give my regards to the pack, Nola, but I have no business with them now,” he said.
It sounded final. It should have been final.
But Nola sniffed in disdain and eyed me from head to toe. “A non-shifter cannot be your true mate, Henry. Everyone knows that. I’m sure you’ve got some... infatuation with this girl, but you owe it to your family to—”
He growled, loud enough it vibrated through me, and my skin prickled. His sister’s eyebrows rose as she eyed him, as if shocked by his uncouth behavior, and her mouth twisted in distaste as she looked at me once more. Henry’s arm tightened around me even more. “Do not threaten my mate.”
It sounded far too serious, as if he meant it. As if he believed I was his mate. Whatever it meant to be a mate. It wasn’t just posturing to get his sister off his back. I straightened, wanting to get some distance before things got even more serious, but his arm was like iron and the rest of him was even less likely to move.
He and his sister stared each other down, neither willing to blink, and I craned my neck to look for Deirdre’s help. She caught my eye and started to smile the very faintest bit, though she smoothed her expression as she stepped forward. “Enough of this. Surely we can all behave like adults. Nola and Fran, you are welcome to take rooms here at the pack house for the night. My mate and I will host you for dinner; Henry and his mate will attend. We can discuss these matters in a civilized way and resolve whatever must be resolved.”
Henry still growled, but more quietly, and his sister stepped back. She folded her arms over her chest but nodded at Deirdre. “Fine.”
Deirdre nodded back and turned her attention to Mercy. “If you don’t mind, please show them inside and register them with Brody.”
The younger woman gestured for the two guests to follow