by Anna Lowe
There were only five rogues left standing, but Thomas leaped and took out one. A massive, dark-furred wolf ripped out the throat of another, and a lanky she-wolf wrestled a third to the ground, clamping her jaws around his neck. The biggest coyote Drew had ever seen clawed another rogue, and a huge boar steamrolled the rogue who was trying to flee, crushing it under his hooves. A cloud of dust rose, veiling the scene, and Drew backed Summer up, intent on keeping her safe.
Safe. Holy shit. Were they finally safe? He circled her three times, keeping her close. Mett’s gang was all dead. But, shit. Summer was bloody and cut and—
Drew, I’m fine, she insisted, sniffing him back.
You’re wounded.
Nothing serious. Nothing like you. Are you okay?
What did it matter if he was okay? He needed her to be okay. He turned another tight circle, keeping her safe.
The wolves that had raced to their aid coughed as the dust settled, and everyone looked around, surveying the scene.
“Whoa,” Thomas said, shifting back to human form.
Safe. They were finally safe. Or were they? Drew snarled at the new alpha of Hope Springs when he stepped closer.
Thomas threw his hands up. “Is she okay?”
Genuine concern poured from his voice, and something in Drew clicked. Thomas cared for Summer? A wave of jealousy flooded over him, and he puffed out his fur, keeping Summer concealed as best he could. Yes, it was childish. Yes, he ought to trust that fate wanted him and Summer together and not Summer and some other jerk. But damn it, he wasn’t risking anything.
Drew, she murmured, sticking her wolf muzzle clear of his fur. Her body pressed against his, reassuring him. I’m okay. Everything is okay.
He was still panting a mile a minute, and his sides heaved, but he couldn’t settle down. Everything was not okay. A pack of rogues had just attacked his mate, and she’d had to dodge a silver bullet. On top of that, the newly minted pack alpha seemed to be after his woman. So, no. Nothing about this was okay, except the fact that he and Summer were still on their feet. And crap, he might not be there for long, because wounds he hadn’t felt until now were suddenly announcing themselves in a dozen places that burned and ached.
Thomas held out his hands and spoke quietly. “I don’t want to fight you.” His eyes slid to Summer, saying, I want to love her.
Drew growled until Thomas took a long breath and stepped back. “Just checking she’s okay,” he murmured, looking sadder than a man on the cusp of a pivotal victory ought to be. “Just checking.”
Checking or plotting? Drew watched Thomas until he saw the man’s shoulders slump slightly.
She’s yours, Thomas admitted, shooting the thought into Drew’s mind. I see that. I respect that. He shot Summer a wry smile, then looked at Drew again. Lucky bastard. Make sure you appreciate what you have.
Oh, he’d appreciate it, all right. He’d cherish his mate every day for the rest of his life.
With a sigh, Thomas turned away, convincing Drew he meant it. Maybe Thomas was a man of honor, after all. Drew chuffed, and the wolf looked back.
Good luck, Drew called, feeling doubly lucky. He was the one who got the girl. All Thomas got was a mess of a pack.
Thomas nodded, standing tall to address the Twin Moon wolves. “Thanks for coming. You got my message?”
Drew gaped. It was Thomas who’d sent the anonymous message? Thomas was one of the good guys all along?
Ty Hawthorne, still in wolf form, nodded in a way that made Drew suspect there’d been further exchanges since he’d left Arizona. The dark-haired Arizona alpha paused to sniff and nuzzle his mate, then turned and walked beside Thomas, heading back to the settlement, obviously ready to discuss business.
Well, Drew wanted no part of that. All he wanted was Summer. And maybe a bed because, hell, everything hurt.
He settled for dropping to the ground. His mate was all right. Thank God for that.
Of course she is, his bear mumbled, fading slowly away. Did you see her move?
A smile spread over his face. Yeah, he’d seen her move, all right. All lithe and agile and graceful despite the carnage of it all.
Drew, she whispered, licking his nose with her long, wolf tongue.
She whimpered and nuzzled him and fussed over his wounds, somehow managing to make him float away on cloud nine instead of obsessing about the throbbing pain.
He broke into what had to be a goofy grin, and she did, too. Love you, my bear.
He sighed. Love you, my wolf.
It’s over. It’s finally over, Summer said.
He looked deep into her eyes and saw the future again. No. It’s only just the start. Our start.
Epilogue
The bell over the door to the Quarter Moon Café chimed merrily, and three big men filed in. Summer looked up with a smile. She’d started work early, as always, forcing herself away from her slumbering mate to help Jessica bake. Leaving Drew was the hardest part of her day, which said a lot about how wonderful her life had become. She had the best job, the best home, the best mate in the world.
Her heart skipped in anticipation, hoping Drew would be among them. She’d probably never get over the excitement of seeing her mate, even if they’d only been apart for an hour or two.
“Morning, Summer.” Luke tipped his hat. “Merry almost-Christmas.”
The holiday was only a few days away, and she couldn’t wait.
“Heya, Summer. Looks like you brought the weather with you again.” Mack waved to the clear Arizona sky filling up the upper portion of the windows with a rich, vibrant blue.
“Hi, sweetheart. Gonna need some coffee to jump start my day,” Sam said.
“Hi, guys.” She smiled and tried not to crane her neck to see behind them.
Then a fourth man crowded the doorway, and her smile stretched cheek to cheek. Her wolf wagged its tail and cheered.
Mate! My mate!
Their eyes locked, and his smile went from happy to blissed-out with lovestruck joy.
Hers, too.
Drew stepped slowly over the threshold, rubbing a shoulder against the doorframe in a way that said, Mine. Mine to cherish and protect.
And it was his, in a way, just as the place was hers, too. When they’d come back from Utah, Soren and the others had invited them to join the Blue Moon clan, and she’d shed tears of joy.
I think that means yes, Drew had said, grinning a mile wide.
All she could do was nod and blubber, unable to express it all. Home. She had a real home with an honest group of shifters she loved and respected. And best of all, with her mate.
She got a permanent job working shifts in the café and saloon, and Drew did, too. He shared bartending duties in the saloon, helped out in the café at its busiest times, and did all the odd jobs Soren and Simon didn’t have time to do. Which there were a hell of a lot of because both businesses were booming. The clan was flourishing, too. Jessica hadn’t said anything yet, but Summer was pretty sure that new, rosy glow on her boss’ cheeks didn’t just come from the prospect of a little time off now that there were more hands to share the load. She’d bet anything Jess was expecting, though she didn’t say a word. That was for Jessica to announce when she and Simon were ready.
Babies. Mates. Bright futures. A dozen sunny possibilities rushed through her mind as she watched Drew come through the door.
He paused and wiped his boots — such a polite bear — in that right-left, right-left pattern she knew so well and finally stepped up to her. Right up to her, nice and close.
“Morning.” His green-gold eyes sparkled and danced with joy.
“Morning,” she replied, trying not to blush. Because it had been a good morning. A damn good one when she’d woken naked and draped across his body with her head pillowed on his mile-wide chest. The best morning ever, it seemed like, because she was at his side.
He was so close she could kiss him, but just when she was about to, he took a tiny, teasing step back. That was a litt
le habit he’d kept from their early days. Close-closer-back and then close again. She loved it — that reminder of how much they’d stood to lose, and how much they’d gained.
Mate, he rumbled, closing the gap again to kiss her at last.
She closed her eyes and drank in his kiss. And drank and drank as he backed her up to the wall. He held her there, his big, hard body flush against hers, and kissed her like they’d been apart for months, not hours. He nipped her lips, then smoothed them over with his tongue, and tasted her again and again.
“There they go again,” Luke sighed.
“Didn’t you give these kids a place to play house?” Mack joked.
“Love,” Sam said. “True love. Don’t mess with it, boys.”
A rumbling sound came from Drew’s chest, agreeing with Sam. Don’t mess with me or my mate.
Summer reveled in his kiss for another minute before forcing herself to break it off. Because, oops, she was supposed to be working. She got as far as tucking her face against Drew’s shoulder but got stuck there. Man, did he smell good. Felt good, too.
Mate. Want my mate, her wolf growled. Don’t want to wait any more.
That was the issue — the waiting. When they’d returned to Arizona, they’d decided not to exchange mating bites until things had settled down a bit. Drew still needed some time to heal from his wounds, and she needed time to get used to feeling…well, free. Free of the crushing guilt, the need to prove herself constantly.
Believe me, he’s ready, her wolf growled. And I am, too.
She was beginning to think they’d put off mating bites a little too long, given the way they nearly devoured each other every time they touched. A little PDA was okay, but too much…
“You know what?” Mack announced so decisively, everyone turned.
“What?” Luke replied on cue.
Mack stepped behind the counter. “I can get my own muffin, and Sam can get his own coffee. You don’t mind, do you, Jess?”
Jessica grinned. “Don’t mind at all.”
Luke looked at Summer and Drew and jerked his head toward the back door. “Which means you two can, um…”
“Tear each other’s clothes off and go at it,” Mack finished. “In private, I mean. Get that mating bite on her, Drew. Please. Put us out of our misery.”
Summer’s cheeks burned from a blush that had to be bright red. Had they been that bad?
Jessica smiled. “Good idea. Why don’t you take the rest of the morning off?”
A blush spread under Drew’s dark beard, giving him a little-boy-in-a-man’s-body look that made him unbearably attractive.
Well, get moving already, her wolf yowled.
“Um, well…” she stuttered, lacing her fingers through Drew’s.
Mack swung his muffin plate toward the back door. “Move it, bear, and let us eat our breakfast in peace.”
His words seemed to break the spell, because the next thing she knew, Drew was hurrying her out the back door.
“Ah. True love.” Sam’s voice sounded from behind.
“True love,” she agreed, rushing along at her mate’s side.
“Fate,” Drew murmured. “Thank goodness for fate.”
He led her across the lot and up the stairs toward the little apartment above the garage they’d moved in to together. And every step they took unleashed a little more bottled-up desire. She shed her apron and left it draped over the tinsel at the lower end of the banister. A second later, she’d wrestled Drew’s shirt off and tossed it to the right. Her shirt was next, and though she went for his jeans, Drew beat her to it by popping off her bra. Their passion was a whirlwind, a tornado, a runaway train, sweeping them along in a rush of giggles, pants, and kiss-smothered exclamations.
“True love,” she whispered into his lips the second he came up for air.
“Fate,” he agreed, then crushed his mouth to hers and consumed her.
They sank to the stairs, his big body covering hers, his huge hands working her breasts. Then he ducked his head and kissed his way to her left nipple. The one closest to her heart.
The second his soft lips closed around the tight bud, she arched right off the stairs and into thin air. Well, it felt like it anyway. Like floating or riding a wave with Drew wrapped around her like a life jacket. She clung to him and scratched at his bare shoulders, as desperate as he was to complete their connection. Not just with kisses. Not just with another round of sex. Nothing would satisfy her until they’d exchanged mating bites.
He sucked in her nipple, released it, and smoothed it over with his tongue. “So beautiful. So perfect.”
She’d never felt like either before, but Drew made her into a goddess. She really did feel beautiful and perfect.
And hungry. God, was she ravenous for her mate.
Need him inside me. Need to feel his bite, her wolf yowled.
She got his jeans off but not his boxers because he got to her pants first. It took a bit of wiggling, but a second later, her jeans and panties hung on the rail, too, a few more pieces of flotsam tossed up by the storm they created.
“Mine,” he growled, and his eyes glowed. He slid a hand down her belly, over her mound, and between her legs.
Her hips lifted straight off the stairs to meet his warm, sure hand, and he slipped right in, spreading her slickness left and right.
“Drew,” she moaned, reaching for his cock. His erection practically bobbed into her hand, and she wrapped her fingers around it. He was hard for her. Hard and huge.
For her. She did that to him. She turned on her mate.
Of course, we do, her wolf chuckled. Look at him.
His eyes had gone to half-mast, and his mouth opened in a silent exclamation an inch above her breast. The movements of his fingers slowed inside her, then quickened to match her long strokes over his cock.
Up and down, she went.
In and out. He mirrored her.
She circled the broad tip of his cock.
He circled her sex in smooth circles.
She watched him in wide-eyed delight.
His eyes closed, his head tilted, and his lips moved in silent cries of Mine and Mate.
“Oh, Drew.” She’d never needed a man so badly. She’d never needed anything so badly. Not food. Not water. Not air. “I need you inside me.”
“I am inside you,” he teased, pumping his fingers deeper, making her cry out.
She squirmed in ecstasy under him, then got herself together just enough to stroke his cock.
“This,” she moaned. “I need this.”
She’d seen bonfires. Big ones that shot huge, swirling flames up toward the stars. And there was always a point when she thought the bonfire couldn’t blaze higher, until a huge lick of flame sparked up and rose above the rest, proving her wrong. It was just like that now. And damn, she was that bonfire. Because she managed to arch up under Drew’s bulk, push him, and work his boxers down to his knees. The head of his cock stood stiff and proud, glistening with his need.
“I need this,” she insisted.
His eyes flashed, and a second later, he shed his boxers completely, picked her up, and hustled her up the remaining stairs. He paused at the top landing, though, and his dirty thoughts reached her mind.
He could set her down right there. He could spread her legs, position himself on a lower step, and lick her straight to heaven.
And boy, was that tempting. Incredibly tempting. But nothing would satisfy her right now but his cock, buried deep inside her, followed by the heat of his breath on her neck as he prepared to mark her as his.
She pushed that image into his mind, added all kinds of dirty details she didn’t have words for, and watched his eyes glow brighter.
“On second thought,” he murmured, rushing her to the bedroom.
The short trip was a blur, though her eyes caught one thing. The framed needlepoint on the wall of their tiny living room that said, Home is where the heart is. And damn, she couldn’t agree more.
Th
e moment her back hit the mattress, he was upon her, his cock notched at her entrance. He took a deep breath and paused. What was he waiting for? She searched his face.
He rested his elbows on the mattress, coming face-to-face with her. A moment of calm in the eye of the hurricane.
“I love you.” He smoothed her hair back so gently, so softly, she could have cried.
“I love you.” She bit her lip, worried those three words didn’t capture what she really felt. Lots of people said them, but did their hearts feel too big for their chests when they did? Did their souls sing and dance the way hers did?
He kissed her — one slow kiss after so many frenzied others — telling her he didn’t need words to understand what she meant.
“I love you,” she repeated, a little steadier this time. “And I will die if you don’t screw me through this mattress right now.”
He laughed, and a dozen happy folds lined his eyes and mouth, emphasizing his huge grin.
“Got it. Got it.”
He pushed back up off his elbows, and a second later, he was all serious again. All hard, all ready.
This is it, his eyes said.
This is it. She wrapped her legs around him.
He rolled his hips, and his cock slid in.
She moaned in a mixture of satisfaction and raging need then pulled her legs higher along his sides. “More. Need more.”
He pulled out, thrust in again, and slowly built momentum. His first few strokes were shallow, helping her adjust. The next were deeper, less patient. And what followed — that was off the charts.
She cried out, greeting each hard, hot slide with an inner squeeze. Relishing the friction, the drag. Almost wishing she wasn’t so slick, just to maximize the feeling of his skin dragging over her inner walls.
His eyes had drifted out of focus while he moved, but they snapped open then. Maximize?
Oops. Had she thought it clearly enough for him to catch?
I’ll show you maximize, the spark in his eyes said.
He rose to his knees, hauling her hips with him, keeping the connection. And then he started to move again. To pump. To thrust. Holding her body tight against his, not letting the slightest gap separate them.