Page 51 of Her Purr-fect Christmas Mate

“You don’t have to be here,” he told Peony in an undertone.

“I would rather be here than anywhere else.”

“You should give that statement some thought. I’m sure you could think of somewhere pleasanter. A tank full of sharks, perhaps.”

“Only if you were there with me.”

“Thank you.” She looked up at him. He attempted a smile. “For being here with me. For being you. For… offering to use your claws on my behalf, instead of on me.”

Peony laughed. “If you would let me know who to use them on without me having to wrench it out of your mind, I’d do it more often.”

He kissed her, then straightened. *Let us in, Grandmother. It’s about the Hypatia.*

The door whipped open. Aurelie Leith didn’t spare a glance for the woman at her grandson’s side; her eyes snapped to him, the same black, angry pits he’d long ago stopped himself from wanting to find any love in.

“The Hypatia?” Aurelie’s mouth was an angry slash. “What about it? Has it burned down at last? Did Blanderley choke to death on its dust?”

13

Peony

Ifshehadn’tspentso much of the last day with her body wrapped around his, Peony wouldn’t have noticed how tense Mordecai became the moment he saw his grandmother.

He didn’t frown or jut his jaw or clench his fists. He just… tensed. In the actual sense of the word. Every muscle in his body turned temporarily to stone in the space between one breath and the next, which arrived perfectly on time becauseof coursehe wouldn’t let a little thing like being scowled at by the only living member of his family make himvisibly upset.

Staring into that fierce, suspicious face, Peony suddenly understood why Mordecai was the way he was.

Mrs. Leith’s shoulders shook with rage. “Nothing good ever came of that place! It’s a mistake. An ugly, money-sink of a mistake, filled with traitors! Charlatans! Tell me it’s burned down, Mordecai. Give your grandmother a happy Christmas.”

There it was. This was the real thing. Mordecai’s revenge quest, his coldly determined plans to destroy the Hypatia—it was a pale echo of this purehatredthat burned bone-cracking bright in the old woman’s heart.

It took Peony’s breath away. Her whole chest locked tight as though her ribs were trying to protect herownheart against the venom pouring from Mrs. Leith’s mouth.

Mordecai’s mind brushed hers. She sent him a silent nod. This was what they were here for. Give his nightmare grandmother the title to the Hypatia and leave her to have a merry Christmas burning it down or something,holy crap.

The Hypatia.HerHypatia.

Not mine, she reminded herself.I don’t even want it.

*I’m terribly sorry,* Mordecai said into her mind. He stepped forward, one hand on her lower back so she couldn’t help but come with him. Didn’t stop her heels from skittering on the parquet floor, though.

“Um—” she began.

“Grandmother. This is Peony Fisher. She is my mate.”

*Wow. Such romance.*

*You’re welcome.*

Mrs. Leith’s nostrils flared. Her eyes grated down Peony, once, then she sniffed and turned away, scuttling deeper into her apartment. “Your mate? I expected more from you than wasting your time on that nonsense.”

“Until two days ago, I’d given the matter no thought whatsoever.”

“What did she do, fall out of the sky?”

Mordecai’s gaze raked across her, scalding her. “I’m the one who fell,” he murmured, his voice pure silk. Peony thought a number of inappropriate thoughts, and carefully filed them for later perusal.

They followed his grandmother into the next room.

---