He’s not going to ask. Even now, he was leaving the final decision to her. A mating was done with the female on her hands and knees. Committed to him and to them, she turned away from him and pressed her hands against the mossy ground, arching her back toward him.

  The sound he made wasn’t fully human but was one of pleasure and pain. Hard hands gripped her hips. His knees pushed against hers, spreading her legs wider. Long fingers skated over the lips of her sex. “You’re wet. Are you ready?” She was too far gone to reply. He didn’t wait for an answer, dipping his fingers into her core. “Yeah, you are.” There was wonder and satisfaction in his tone.

  She bucked against his fingers, teetering on the edge of coming. “Nicholas.”

  He notched the thick head of his shaft at her opening, pushing past the natural resistance until it rested barely inside of her. “You’re mine. Now and forever.”

  The solemn vow touched her deeply and brought tears to her eyes. “And you’re mine. Now and forever.”

  On a ragged groan, he drove forward in one thrust, burying himself to the hilt.

  “Yes.” She pushed back, wanting all he had to give and more.

  He dropped forward, his big body covering hers, his hands resting alongside hers. Goose bumps raced down her back. There was no fear, only excitement and anticipation. She tilted her head to one side.

  The flat of his tongue dragged over the exposed curve of her neck before dropping down to the top of her shoulder where the two met. He struck hard and fast, his fangs sinking into her.

  A flash of pain was followed by a spasm of pleasure as the bond snapped into place. This was more binding than the human wedding they’d had. No piece of paper had this kind of power.

  He flexed his hips, pulling back and driving forward. Short, quick thrusts propelled her higher. She curled her fingers into the ground and locked her elbows to keep from falling on her face. Her breasts swayed, her nipples hard as diamonds. He lifted one hand off the ground and found her clit, rubbing it with his thumb.

  Her sex clenched, squeezing his cock. On a howl, he came, thrusting again and again, as if he’d never stop. Pleasure exploded through her, leaving her boneless, stripping her of strength.

  She fell forward, but he caught her before she face-planted and eased her down, following so he covered her. They were locked together, the base of his shaft swollen. Her sex continued to contract, milking every drop of his essence from him.

  If a rampage of wild rhinos attacked, she wouldn’t be able to get out of the way. Not that there was any danger of rhinos in West Virginia. She laughed at her nonsensical thoughts, totally rung out, yet strangely energized.

  As her breathing returned to normal, she inhaled deeply, drinking in the earthy scent of the ground, the tangy scent of the pine trees, and the sweet scent of nearby wildflowers. Overlaying it all was the richer smell of sex. They were mated. She was a part of him, and he was a part of her.

  With a groan, he rolled to his side, taking her with him so she was no longer in danger of being crushed. Not that she ever had been. He’d made sure of it. He tilted her head back so she was looking at his face. Without a word, he kissed her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. It was tender, almost sweet. He brushed a damp lock of hair off of her forehead. “Thank you. We didn’t use a condom.” They couldn’t, not with a mating.

  “It’s okay. I don’t need it anymore.” The fates could decide if they’d have a child. The odds weren’t with them, but then again, the chances of them finding each other had been pretty slim. Maybe they’d beat the odds again.

  “Whatever you want.” He nuzzled her neck and hugged her tighter.

  They lay there, neither of them ready to end the night. “I guess we should get back.” She’d left the kids with virtual strangers. It hadn’t even registered until now. Yet, she didn’t get anxious. That’s how much trust she had in her new mate.

  A raccoon waddled by, unconcerned by their presence. As if that was the deciding factor, Nicholas withdrew, got to his feet, and held out his hand.

  ****

  Bailey is my mate. It was done and there was no way to take it back. The bond between them was solid. It was up to them to keep it that way.

  He wanted to thump his chest and howl in triumph, but figured it was smarter to wait on that until he was alone. Naked, with her tousled red hair, flushed cheeks, and green eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of the ages, the image of her as a woodland goddess only solidified. She took his hand and stood beside him, tall and proud.

  His gaze lingered on her neck and the permanent mark that proclaimed to the world that she was his. If that didn’t clue them in, then his scent covering her would. Even now, no one really understood why the mating mark never faded. When he rubbed his thumb over it, she shivered.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “No.”

  He buried his face against her neck and licked the mark. The scent of sex grew stronger. It aroused her. Damn, that was hot as hell.

  She squeezed her head down by her shoulder, forcing him to stop. “The kids.” Her breathy voice, erect nipples, and the way she rubbed sensuously against his chest contradicted her words. He was hard as steel, wanted to take her over and over until they passed out for the night, but his pleasure would have to wait. Her need to check on the kids would keep her from fully enjoying herself.

  “We’ll come back tomorrow.” Preferably in the daytime. Even though he had preternatural vision, he wanted to see her naked with the sun illuminating every inch of her delectable body. “And the day after. And the day after that.”

  Her soft laughter had his balls trying to climb inside him. “Horny, are you?”

  “You have no idea,” he muttered. It was likely to be a perpetual state for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough of her.

  After grabbing his jeans off the ground, he shook them, but instead of putting them on, he rolled them into a bundle.

  “You’re not getting dressed?” Bailey held up the tattered remains of her top. He might have been a little enthusiastic getting it off of her.

  “Let’s run.” The primal urge to race through the night across pack land with his mate by his side fired his blood.

  “What about our clothes?”

  He took her shorts and rolled them around his jeans, wrapping her tattered shirt around both to hold them together. A nearby downed tree made the perfect place to stash the makeshift package. “We’ll get them tomorrow.” If they didn’t make it back, he’d come himself.

  “Okay.” Raising her arms in the air, she embraced her wolf. Reddish-brown fur rippled over her pale skin. She fell forward onto large paws. Her entire face reshaped until a gorgeous female wolf with a long muzzle, a flat forehead, and alert ears stared back at him.

  Falling to his knees, he embraced her. There were no words to convey the love welling up inside him, along with a deadly, protective instinct that grew fiercer with each passing second. She licked his cheek and whined, sensing his inner turmoil.

  He ran his hands down her sleek flanks, rubbing the muscles beneath the thick fur. “You’re everything to me.” She stilled, then sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

  Staying on his knees beside her, he shifted. She jumped back as his bigger wolf emerged. Head down on her paws, she put her butt in the air, wiggling it. His mate was in a frisky and playful mood.

  He jumped forward, nipping at her ear before lunging out of the way. Giving a yip, she mock attacked, taking him to the ground. They rolled around and he jumped to his feet. Evading her, he began to run. Keeping the pace slow enough that she could easily keep up, he led the way back toward the house and their future.

  As he’d expected, the lights were still on inside, but his father sat on the porch. How many nights had he waited for either him or Aaron or both to come home? They were grown men, but they would always be his kids. Now that he was responsible for four of his own, he understood his father better.

  Jacque stood and pointed to the bundles of clothes sitting on the steps. “Figured you might need it.” Turning his back, he gave them privacy to shift and dress. Bailey shot Nicholas a worried glance, but he shook his head. The second she smoothed her shirt down, his father swung back around, his gaze going to the mark on her neck.

  Nicholas put his arm around her waist and led her up onto the porch. “Bailey and I mated.” He met his father’s stern gaze.

  Jacque wrapped his hand around Nicholas’s neck and pulled him forward until their foreheads were touching. “You chose well.” His father’s acceptance made his chest tighten.

  He did the same with Bailey, touching their foreheads together. “Welcome to the family.” A smile teased the corners of his mouth. “God help you. You might be the Smith Pack, but you’re now a part of the Salvation Pack. That comes with a lot of nosy people who will poke into your business, whether you want them to or not.”

  Nicholas wanted to kiss the perplexed frown from her face. “Way to scare her away, Dad. The family will love you, but they do have opinions. Not in a bad way. They’ll all want to help. And they’ll love the kids.” That would be her primary concern.

  “You’ll be coming back with us to introduce your mate and new family to your mother.” Arms crossed over his chest, Jacque practically dared them to decline.

  Beside Nicholas, Bailey bristled. This was one alpha facing another. It was up to him to be mediator. “My mother will worry. She’d come to visit, but then the others would want to come, too. They won’t stop until their curiosity is satisfied.” He jerked his head toward the farmhouse. “We don’t have room for all of them.”

  Sighing, she rubbed her brow. “It’s not that I don’t want to meet your family, but I just can’t pick up and leave. I have a business, orders to get out, animals to take care of, and kids who need stability.”

  “It will be a couple of days at least.” He shot his father a look, daring him to disagree. He loved his parents, but Bailey was his priority now.

  Rather than frustration or anger, there was pride in his father’s eyes. “We need to tie up some loose ends before we can head home.”

  Bailey looked around the yard. “The bodies are gone. What other loose ends are there?”

  The same metabolism that accelerated healing and gave wolves twice the lifespan of humans also helped them disintegrate faster after death. In a matter of days, the bodies would be nothing but dust. It was nature’s way of protecting them from discovery. No body, no proof. His father would have found somewhere safe to stash the remains of their enemies or burned them. Fire would solve the problem even faster.

  She’d always run from her foes, hadn’t had to deal with the aftermath, didn’t understand all the little details that had to be seen to in order to avoid drawing the attention of the authorities. “They would have driven here, so there are probably a couple of trucks somewhere. We need to find them before the cops do and get rid of them.”

  “You’re right. I should have thought of that.” She glanced at the house, then turned away and faced Jacque. “What do I need to do?”

  God, she was something else. All her instincts were screaming at her to go to her kids, but she was putting their welfare above her own needs. Taking her hand, Nicholas pressed a kiss to her palm. “Now you let your mate and extended family handle this for you.”

  “My pack, my problem.”

  He shook his head and placed her hand against his heart. “Our pack, our problem.”

  They stared at each other until finally she nodded. “I knew you’d be trouble,” she muttered. “You’re bossy and controlling.”

  “You knew that when you mated me.” He was confident she’d accept his help. “You love me anyway.”

  She grunted, but there was no mistaking the relief in her eyes. “What else needs to be done?”

  Nicholas rocked back on his heels. “I’d say we drive those trucks back to wherever they came from. I’m assuming the registration will be in the glove box. Unless they had wallets?”

  Jacque shook his head. “They took that precaution. If there are no wallets or registration in the trucks, we’ll contact Armand. He’ll hack motor vehicle registration and find us an address.”

  Bailey squeezed his hand. “Why do you need to know their address?”

  Her fear was palpable. Her grandfather and his pack were the bogeymen in her life, the monsters that had threatened her and her family for so long. “Their alpha died here tonight. And probably their top men. Technically, by pack laws, I’m now their alpha. I have no intention of claiming the title,” he added before she got even more upset. “But a message needs to be sent. You and the others are off-limits, and you have a powerful ally behind you.”

  “We don’t take kindly to those who attack pack.” Pure menace radiated from every word his father said. “I’d say you have four days to get things in order here. On the fifth day, we’re heading to Salvation. I’ll tell your mother.” He pointedly looked at Bailey for confirmation.

  She threw her hands up in the air. “The two of you are totally alike. I should have known. Five days, and I need to find someone to take care of the place while we’re gone. The animals still need to be cared for.”

  “I’ll stay.” Aaron stepped outside. “I’ve been listening,” he told them, totally unapologetic.

  “Thank you.” That was his brother’s way. He’d step in and do whatever needed doing.

  Aaron smiled. “I’m claiming a kiss from the bride since I missed the wedding ceremony and I’ll miss the mating celebration.” Grabbing Bailey, he dipped her dramatically and planted a loud kiss right on her lips. “Welcome to the family.”

  Laughing, she slapped at his chest until he eased her upright. “Thank you. I think. You’re all alike.” With a shake of her head, she reached for the door handle. “There’s no way I can repay you all for what you’ve done for us.”

  “You’re family.” Aaron echoed his father’s earlier words.

  Nicholas took her in his arms. “You’re my mate.” The kiss was tender, even though he wanted to sweep her into his arms and carry her away. “I’ll be back as soon as we track those trucks down.”

  Aaron wrapped his arms around them both. “Dad and I will take care of that. You have some kids who are waiting for you.” Then he was gone, both he and their father vanishing into the night.

  “I really like them, but I’m not sure about the rest of your pack.” A shiver of fear went through her. He held her closer.

  “My mother is going to love you. She’s going to be extra thrilled with the kids. She’s been moaning about ‘the younger generation’ not mating. She’s been wanting grandkids.”

  Groaning, Bailey buried her face against his neck. “Let’s get this bunch raised first.”

  Laughing, he put his hand on her back and guided her inside, where his new pack waited.

  Epilogue

  Bailey rubbed at the mark on her neck. Nicholas noticed—of course he did, the man noticed everything when it came to her—reached out, and took her hand. “Everything will be fine. Trust me.”

  “The only reason I’m here is because I trust you,” she muttered. The past five days had flown by in a flurry of activity. Nicholas, his father, and brother had driven to Missouri, each of them driving a truck—two belonging to the men who’d come to the farm and his father’s vehicle, which they’d used to bring them back to West Virginia.

  Nicholas had given her a bare bones account of what had gone down. Seemed that her grandfather wasn’t a popular alpha, ruling by fear, and many were glad to see him and his son and cronies gone. None of them cared about Bailey or her family. They had concerns of their own to occupy them. Satisfied they’d made their point, they’d left the vehicles with the pack and driven back.

  That night, they’d finally gotten back to the spot in the woods where they’d mated. They’d made love all night and watched the sun rise. Aaron and Jacque had watched the kids, who had taken to both men. The boys looked up to them as they did with Nicholas. Eliza was more reticent but was slowly becoming more comfortable around them. Nicholas would always be their favorite.

  “Are we there yet?” Eliza popped up from the back seat where she’d been napping. She’d only asked the question about five million times. Thankfully, it was only a six-and-a-half-hour trip.

  “Almost,” he told her. “Turn-off is up ahead.”

  Butterflies took flight in her stomach. She swiveled her head around, making sure their truck was behind them. Emmett had insisted on driving it, and both Henry and Waya had opted to ride with him.

  “Don’t worry. I’m keeping an eye on them,” Nicholas promised.

  “I’m sorry your father had to drive alone.” They’d lost sight of him hours ago.

  True to his word, Aaron was back at the farm. Before they’d left, he’d talked to the kids, taking down their instructions on the care of the animals. It was difficult to picture him gathering eggs and milking cows. Somehow it was easier to imagine Nicholas doing it. Maybe because he’d made it his home, put his stamp on it in the short time he’d been in their lives.

  “Dad is fine. I’d say he’s been home a while now.” He cleared his throat. “Likely doing some celebrating before we arrive.”

  “I thought you’d slowed down a bit the past hour.” She stifled a giggle, trying to picture the big, tough wolf rushing home to his mate. It made him more approachable.

  “Here we go.” Nicholas turned the truck onto a dirt road. It wound through the trees, leaving the outside world behind. It finally ended at a large parking area filled with trucks of various makes, models, and colors. There were so many. A lump formed in her throat.

  Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.

  It was too late to run as people and wolves poured down the various paths that led away from the lot. Nicholas turned off the engine and smiled. “Ready?”

  “Not really.”