I squeezed her thigh. “They also have a mom who is nothing like you.”

  “Maybe she wasn’t always like that.” Ruby stared out the windshield into the darkness again. “She lost everything and had to build her own coven.”

  “Maybe so, but that doesn’t justify hiring people to kill werewolves and using their blood and body parts to make yourself stronger.” I shook my head. “And where was Victor? Maybe he’s dead.”

  She shrugged and looked my way. “You don’t think werewolves with witch blood are too powerful?”

  “I don’t have all the answers, but I don’t think Fate would’ve marked you as my one true mate if our kids were going to be some kind of supernatural abomination.”

  She seemed to ponder that for a minute before she met my eyes. “Good… Because my period is late.”

  My heart stuttered. We’d been careful, using condoms ever since the one night a little over a week ago when passion got the best of us. “Are you?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Probably not. I haven’t taken a test or anything. I feel fine. I was really stressed about the ceremony. That’s more than likely all it is.”

  But she was unsure enough to mention it to me. I took her hand and kissed it. “Whatever happens, I’ll be right beside you until my last breath. We’re a team. We’ll face it together.”

  Her eyes shone in the dim light. “The wolf and the witch?”

  I nodded and bent to kiss her lips. “My witch.”

  The drive back to her place seemed to take forever. I hit every damned light. Now I was the one wishing I knew the teleportation spell. When I turned onto her street, I found a parking space on the corner and turned off the engine as I leaned over and claimed her lips again.

  She moaned into the kiss, her fingers sliding through my hair. Our tongues wrestled hungrily, desperate to get even closer.

  Her teeth scraped my bottom lip, drawing a growl from my throat. “We should get inside and warm up.”

  “I’m a fan of that plan.”

  Nate met us at the door, barking and jumping for his leash. Ruby scooped him up and kissed the top of his head. She looked at me. “I can walk him while you take a hot shower.”

  After the night we’d just had, I wasn’t excited about her being alone, but as if she could read my mind, she rose on her toes and brushed her lips against my cheek. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just take Nate in the backyard.”

  “I love you.” I wrapped my arms around her. “I’ll be fast in the shower.”

  “Slow down and I’ll join you.” Her eyes sparkled as she turned for the back door. She still had her robe on, but I imagined she was shaking her ass for me.

  I jogged up the stairs and had my pants off in record time. The hot water from the shower soaked through my skin, finally warming my bones. I washed way the horror of being forced into a shift and the terror of seeing Ruby in danger.

  We’d lived.

  And we loved each other. I was fucking blessed.

  She joined me in the shower, and we washed off the dirt and blood until all reminders of the struggle were gone. Ruby got out first and wrapped herself in her oversized robe while I grabbed a towel and started drying off.

  “I’ll meet you in bed.” Her eyes sparkled with desire and my pulse shot to my groin.

  When I came out of the bathroom, Ruby was already burrowed under the covers.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Are you naked under there?”

  The sight of her grin warmed me almost as much the shower. “You should probably check.”

  I nodded, tugging the towel free from my waist. “I think that’s definitely for the best.” I walked to the foot of the bed and lifted the covers. “I’ll work my way up.”

  I crawled under the covers, pushing her legs apart as I kissed the insides of her knees. My fingers slid farther up to the juncture of her thighs. I traced around her opening and growled against her soft inner thigh. “You are naked.”

  Her scent drove me wild. My mouth watered, aching to taste her, as I dragged my mouth along her leg. I parted her lips with my fingers and pressed my mouth to her core. Her hips writhed under me as she opened her legs wider. I inserted two fingers as I sucked and teased her clit. Hearing her pulse race and her breathing become ragged had me yearning to bury myself inside her. She was mine. I licked faster until her inner muscles clenched tight around my fingers. She moaned as her orgasm swelled.

  “I need you,” she gasped.

  I pressed hot kisses up her body, slowing to suck each pert nipple. I kneaded her breasts as I lifted my head. “Condoms. In your nightstand.”

  We’d been careful other than that one time downstairs, but if she was already late, maybe she didn’t care. I didn’t know, and I was definitely leaving the call to her. I wanted her to be the mother of my children, but I was willing to wait until she wanted that, too.

  Her hands slid down to grip my ass. “I need to be close to you.”

  I fused my lips to hers and pushed my hips forward until I was completely buried in her warmth. For a few seconds, I couldn’t move. Never wanted to move again. We were one, and it felt so fucking right.

  “I love you,” I whispered against her lips as I ground my hips into her.

  She pulled her legs up around my waist and stared at me, all the way into my soul. “I love you, too.”

  Her nails trailed down my back. “You were made for me.”

  I slid my hand between our bodies to tease her higher. “You feel so damned good.”

  She worked her hips into my thrusts as we both drowned in pleasure. I pumped into her harder and faster until her orgasm swept through her, taking me right over the edge with her. I rested my head on her chest, shivering as the aftershocks ran through me. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I closed my eyes, struggling to memorize every second of this moment.

  “I’m so lucky Fate chose you for my mate,” I whispered.

  She kissed my hair. “Me too.”

  The thought blew my mind. I lifted my head, losing myself in her beautiful, fathomless brown eyes. “Where do you want to live? I have money saved up. We could even move over a couple blocks to the McIntire Historic District if you wanted to.”

  She caressed my cheek. “You don’t like this house?”

  “It’s not that.” I stroked her hair back at her temple. “This house is fine if you’re happy here.” My lips curved into a crooked smile. “I just want to be with you, Ruby. I don’t want to spend another night on the farm without you in my arms.”

  “So don’t.” Her smile brightened. “Will you move in with me?”

  Nate barked at the foot of the bed.

  I craned my neck to see him. “Would that be all right with you, Mr. Hawthorne?”

  Nate took that as an invitation to come up and snuggle into the other pillow.

  Ruby laughed and caressed my cheek. “I think that’s a yes.”

  “Works for me.” I kissed her lips and slid free of her body, spooning her as exhaustion sank into every muscle.

  She let out a happy sigh that warmed me all over. “I’m a wolf’s witch.”

  And I was the wolf.

  Fuck, I might never stop smiling.

  EPILOGUE

  Ruby

  Two weeks had zoomed by in a blur. We’d announced our relationship to both the pack and the coven. Our peers were supportive, and Mathias seemed thrilled Zeke had found his mate. I think it gave him hope that the rest of the pack might be able to do the same.

  But Lillian was distant.

  Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with us. She still wouldn’t talk about what Sienna had said to her that night. I’m sure seeing that Sienna hadn’t aged a day had to have been unsettling, but something had shaken my mentor and I couldn’t seem to reach her.

  Zeke asked Jackson to keep digging into the Hinterland and Bloodstone law firm. If we couldn’t find Sienna, maybe we could locate someone she hired and squeeze them for information. It was worth a try.

  Nate barked at a lizard, sending it scrambling into the hedge, then kicked his back legs, scratching his claws on the sidewalk as if he were some kind of hot-shot lizard hunter.

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “Yes, they all fear you, Sir Barksalot.”

  The weather finally had warmed, and Zeke had helped me plant some bulbs in the window boxes out front. I couldn’t help peeking at them every time I came in the house. I’d had bright blooms in them before, but these were the first flowers we’d planted together. It seemed symbolic.

  The house smelled amazing when we got back, and my belly growled. I ran my hand over it without thinking. I hadn’t told Zeke yet, but I’d finally broken down and took a pregnancy test the day before.

  It had come back positive.

  I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t told him immediately. It wasn’t as through we’d been careful with the condoms since, and I hadn’t gone to the doctor to get on the pill. We both knew this was a possibility, but I hadn’t found the perfect moment to drop the news just yet.

  “Are you cooking bacon?” I called as I hung up Nate’s leash and gave him a soft treat.

  When I rounded the corner, my werewolf boyfriend was wearing one of my “Witch City” aprons over his sweats and a T-shirt. He grinned at me and clicked the tongs in his hand. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” I sat at the bar, shamelessly watching his ass.

  He flipped over the last few slices in the pan and turned around. “Tonight’s the full moon. Is the coven going to come to the farm for your circle while we’re out shifting?”

  “That’s the plan.” I patted the howlite wolf in my pocket. I planned to set it out in the circle tonight to charge in the moonlight.

  He looked over at me a couple of times as he took the bacon out of the pan. After he switched off the gas burner, he walked over to me with a perplexed look on his face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I got up and went around the island to grab a piece. “Just hungry.” I took a bite and groaned. So good. I met his eyes. “Why?”

  He studied me for a moment and took my hand. “You should probably sit.”

  My brows pinched together. “You’re making me nervous. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” He waited for me to settle on the stool. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

  “Why?”

  He wet his lips. “You… Well…you’re pregnant.”

  My eyes widened. “How could you possibly know that?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “I can hear your heartbeat, remember? And now there are two more.”

  “That’s impossible. I haven’t been pregnant long enough for any heartbeats.”

  He tugged at his chin. “That’s why I thought you better sit. You know werewolves are born in set of twins, but I’m not sure anyone told you the gestation time is only four months.”

  My jaw dropped. “Four months?”

  He started to backpedal. “Maybe I’m wrong. You should probably take a test just to be sure.”

  “I already did. I’m pregnant.” I took his hand and forced the words out in one long sentence. “I took a pregnancy test yesterday and I should have said something, but you were busy and then I wasn’t sure how you’d react, and I still didn’t say anything and then I was waiting for the right moment, but there never seemed to be one so I was going to wait until after the full moon since it’s your first one as Alpha and—”

  He kissed me, completely interrupting my train of thought. I ran my hands up his chest as he pulled back.

  “You’re really pregnant?”

  I nodded, watching for any sign of disappointment or stress.

  Zeke grinned and scooped me off the stool and into his arms. “We’re going to be a family.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Looks like it.”

  He froze, his smile fading. “Oh shit. I need to call General Sloan. Maybe we can get a werewolf doctor from another pack to help with the delivery.” Now he was the one babbling. “They’ll have the shifter gene so we can’t go to a hospital or let anyone draw blood. But I don’t know how to deliver a baby…”

  I pulled him down to me and kissed him. “Are you telling me your pack doesn’t have a doctor?”

  He nodded.

  I smiled. “Then it’s a good thing Margaret from the Coven of Light is a nurse practitioner and certified doula. She can deliver the babies.”

  He blinked. “The coven has a doctor?”

  “Yes. And if we can’t risk drawing blood, then she won’t. Our secrets will be safe with her.”

  “This is amazing.” He shook his head. “We should have brought the pack and the coven together sooner.”

  “We weren’t in charge back then.”

  He brushed a kiss to my forehead. “We’re going to be parents.” He smiled. “My mom is going to be a grandmother. I think she gave up on that dream years ago.”

  Zeke’s mom and I had hit it off from the moment we met. While he tended to be a thinker, his mother oozed emotions. We understood each other completely, and I had no doubt she’d be an amazing grandmother to our kids.

  “Maybe we can tell her tomorrow after you all shift?”

  He nodded. “Good plan.” He set me back down on the stool. “But first, I’m going to finish making you breakfast. You need to eat plenty for three now.”

  I laughed. “No wonder I’m starving.”

  Salem had always been my hometown, but it hadn’t felt like home since the fire. Zeke was changing all of that. We were bringing together the coven and the pack, and now we were going to be a family. It was all happening so fast, as if the universe had just been waiting for us to meet and now the pieces were all falling into place.

  My werewolf boyfriend started cracking eggs for omelets while Nate danced around his feet just in case he dropped anything.

  I couldn’t imagine being happier.

  And this was only the beginning.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks for reading Wolf’s Witch! I hope you enjoyed the book! If you enjoyed meeting the new Salem Pack, I hope you’ll leave a review. Even short ones help more readers discover the wolf pack.

  Starting a new series is equally daunting and thrilling sometimes both at the same time, so big thanks to my intrepid beta readers, Denise Fluhr, Heather Hand, and Sarah E. Lily! Your feedback and enthusiasm really kept me inspired and eager to stay at the keyboard.

  I’m sending a huge thank you to my fantastic editor, Danielle Poiesz at Double Vision Editorial for all her input to help me get everything on the page and make the book shine. You’re the best!

  I’m also grateful to Fiona Jayde my amazing cover artist for the sexy new wolf pack cover and series logo! You have a gift for taking my concepts and running with it! Thanks for all your work.

  Huge thanks to all the Wordmakers for all the writing sprints, especially the late night Write Owls, D. Ann, Randi and Kris! Thanks for staying up late with me and cheering me on! You inspire me!

  To my husband, Ken, thanks for coming with me to Salem, Massachusetts for another book research adventure! I’ve always wanted to visit Salem and I’m so grateful for your patience while I dragged you onto every tour and asked a million questions. Your love and support make my book ideas turn into reality. I couldn’t do any of this without you! Thanks for the love and the fruity drinks! I love you!

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  The Muse Chronicles

  LURE OF OBSESSION

  LEGEND OF LOVE

  BREATH OF PASSION

  LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

  DEVOTED TO DESTINY

  DANCE OF THE HEART

  SONG OF THE SOUL

  The Night Series

  NIGHT WALKER

  NIGHT THIEF

  NIGHT DEMON

  NIGHT ANGEL

  NIGHT CHILD

  The Moon Series

  MOONLIGHT

  HUNTER’S MOON

  BLOOD MOON

  HARVEST MOON

  ICE MOON

  BLUE MOON

  WOLF MOON

  NEW MOON

  The Sedona Pack

  THE LONE WOLF’S WISH

  SEDONA SIN

  SEDONA SEDUCTION

  SEDONA SCANDAL

  SEDONA SURRENDER

  SEDONA SERENITY

  SEDONA SACRIFICE

  SEDONA SUSPECT

  SEDONA SANCTUARY

  SEDONA SALVATION

  The Salem Pack

  WOLF’S WITCH

  WOLF’S WOMAN

  The Sentinels of Savannah

  MAGNOLIA MYSTIC

  PIRATE’S PASSION

  PIRATE’S PLEASURE

  PIRATE’S PERSUASION

  PIRATE’S PROMISE

  PIRATE’S PARADOX

  Summerland Stories

  ACROSS THE VEIL

  FORBIDDEN HEARTS

  A WINTER’S WISH

  Standalone Works

  BEG ME TO SLAY

  FORGOTTEN TREASURES

  AFTER THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

  Writing as L.A. Kessler

  The Genesis Trilogy

  PERFECT

  FLAWED

  TAINTED

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  Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of passionate, page-turning paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.

  Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

  She also publishes horror and thriller novels under the pseudonym, L.A. Kessler.

  When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist and tarot card reader.

  You can learn more at AuthorLisaKessler.com.