They waited a little longer, and when they felt reasonably assured the bear wasn’t going to follow them anywhere, they all headed back home.

  “How are you going to scare him off?” Elizabeth asked.

  “We might have to get the wildlife service to relocate him. We’re not feeding him, but if he’s attracted to our homes, our kids and dogs, we could all be at risk. If he would just stay on the other side of the lake, we would be fine. But once they think they can get free food, even if we’re not offering, he could return,” David said. “Though it’s possible we could chase him off as a pack of wolves and he would stay away.”

  “We try not to run as wolves too much during the day, but it might be worth it to get rid of him,” Owen said.

  “Why not now?” Elizabeth asked. “Do you think four wolves would be enough of a deterrent?”

  “How about eight of us?” Slade hollered out.

  Elizabeth turned to see Sheri, Gavin, and Cameron racing past Slade as wolves.

  In unspoken agreement, the rest of them stripped and shifted, and as a wolf pack, they headed out after the bear. She could see how well the pack worked. Not to kill the bear, but to corral him like a ranch dog would do in herding cows or sheep.

  They chased him for miles, toward the other side of the lake. At times, they let him pause and growl at them. Even charge them. But they were too fast, sometimes running in bursts of forty miles an hour. Finally, once he was about ten miles from their homes, they eased up, watching him continue to lumber away until he was out of sight.

  They still waited, making sure he didn’t come back, Elizabeth nuzzling David’s face, Owen and Candice rubbing against each other, the others just panting and watching for the bear. Then they made a detour to the lake, drank some of the water, and loped all the way back to where they’d left their clothes.

  Elizabeth hoped the bear wouldn’t ever return, but if they couldn’t keep him away as wolves, they could always reach out to the rangers. But even then she knew bears could still return.

  She loved how unified the pack had been. How they all worked together, first taking care of the little ones and the dogs, then coming to David and Elizabeth’s aid should they have still needed it.

  She was both tired and amped up, ready to return home to make love to her wolf and take a nap. Their nice little walk with the pack members and the dogs had turned into a wild adventure, and she couldn’t be prouder of the pack or of belonging to it.

  When they finally reached their clothes, they hurried to dress and headed back to the houses. Elizabeth and David led the pack, hand in hand.

  “That was one big bear,” Slade said.

  “Yeah, if I’d still been hunting,” Owen said, “it would have made a great prize. But I’m glad we let them live in peace with us now. Or relative peace, as long as they’re not hassling us on our side of the lake.”

  David wholeheartedly agreed. “If it hadn’t been for me having a heart attack and being turned into a wolf, Owen and I would still be searching for bears to hunt in season. Not that we ever had much luck.”

  Owen laughed. “Yeah, we were the worst bear hunters in the world. Now we’re no longer hunting them, and instead we have to deal with them as wolves—karma, I swear.”

  “You know, you were talking about the one that treed you. The grizzly?” Elizabeth said. “Well, I was looking up about tree-climbing black bears, and they can climb a hundred feet in thirty seconds. So I’m glad we didn’t try to climb a tree to avoid this bear. They look like huge teddy bears and you would never think they were that agile.”

  “And you never run away from them as a human because they can run over two miles at twenty-five miles per hour,” David said. “If they’d been chasing us? Bad news for us.”

  Candice laughed. “I’m definitely going to write a bear encounter into my new book.” She gave David and Owen a laughing glance. “And don’t be surprised if you recognize a few details.”

  ***

  A caravan of cars headed to the drive-in theater after dinner. They arrived early enough for the pack members’ vehicles to take up several parking spaces in a row. If they hadn’t been a bunch of newly mated or nearly mated wolves, they would have doubled up in some of the vehicles. But this was like date night for all of them.

  The stars were out, the moon waning, and it was just beautiful, especially because Elizabeth was cuddled next to David on the bench seat in back.

  “This is amazing,” Elizabeth said.

  “Yeah,” David said, casually rubbing her shoulder. They weren’t teens groping in a vehicle, but he did love being able to snuggle with Elizabeth at the drive-in, something he had done as a teen with a girl in Seattle. But as a wolf, and with a woman he truly cared about, this was so much better.

  Even though he’d seen the movie plenty of times before, when the T. rex charged the Jeep, David felt the urge to hit the gas and get out of there.

  “Jump!” Elizabeth said later, talking to the movie characters. “Grant will catch you!” She turned toward David. “He should have gotten down. He made it all that way up, climbed over, and then suddenly froze? This reminds me of a couple having a long kiss or speech where the aliens are attacking all around them. I’m like, can you please just get a move on? Save the kissing for when your lives are not in peril.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “Maybe it’s because they might not live through whatever it is, and they need to have that last farewell kiss before they die.”

  “Well, they are going to die if they don’t get a move on.”

  When the movie ended, Elizabeth lifted her head to David’s and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Thanks for this. I really had fun.”

  “I agree. I haven’t been to a drive-in theater since I was a teen and was still human.”

  “Well, we’re going to have to put this on our list of fun things to do.” She was already looking up the drive-in’s next feature. “The movie Ghost starts next Friday.”

  “It’s a date. What do you think about going to the fair Sunday night?” David asked.

  “Oh, yeah, but if we go, we should take the kids.”

  “They’re going already. But I thought we could go on our own. Just us.”

  She laughed. “Sorry. I think of fairs and kids, but yeah, that would make for a fun date. When did you want to go?”

  “We’ll go early in the evening and have dinner, when everything is all lit up. We can ride the rides, play the games—”

  “You’ll win a stuffed toy for me?”

  “I thought you could win one for me.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Happy to.”

  David started the car. “Maybe if Slade isn’t taking a group of tourists out in his seaplane, he can take Sheri. He loves stuff like that—so he tells us,” David said. “He hasn’t really had the time since he joined our pack.”

  “Okay, I guess if he isn’t able to go, she would be thrilled to ride the rides with the kids.”

  “Right.” He was really trying to carve out some good quality time with Elizabeth, so he hoped that was true.

  They were nearing home when Elizabeth got a text. “Ooh. Sheri is staying overnight with Slade. She said not to make anything of it, but she wanted to give us more of the weekend off to be together, and he has two spare bedrooms.”

  David smiled. “That’s still good news for them. And for us.”

  Maybe tonight would be the night. With Sheri gone and everything going so well, maybe Elizabeth would be ready.

  David didn’t think he’d ever been so nervous about proposing a question to anyone than the one he was dying to ask Elizabeth:

  Will you mate me, Elizabeth?

  Chapter 21

  As soon as they walked into the house and he locked the door, Elizabeth was ready to throw herself at him and make love all the way. She knew he was the one for her—from his every word, every deed, every action. She hoped it wasn’t too soon to pop the question to him. She worried he still was somewhat at odds over his shifting abilities and was afraid to tie her down to his world as a newly turned wolf, and offspring that wouldn’t be royal wolves either.

  But none of that mattered to her. And it didn’t matter if he said no to a mating right away either. She would give him the time he needed. But she was determined to make him hers. If not now, then soon.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. He settled his hands around her waist and smiled down at her.

  “Do you want to—” they both said at the same time.

  She paused. He paused. Each waiting for the other to say what they had to say.

  Then she and he both started up again. “Do you want to—” And this time they laughed.

  “Mate!” she said.

  “Oh hell yeah. You took the word right out of my mouth.”

  ***

  This was it. The real deal. David couldn’t be happier. He reached down and pulled off Elizabeth’s sandals and kicked off his flip-flops. She was yanking up his T-shirt while he was trying to remove hers. They ended up laughing at each other before he released her shirt, and she pulled his shirt up over his head. Then his hands were on her shirt again, pulling it up and off. She reached down to unfasten his belt, and he was undoing the button and zipper on her white shorts.

  It felt frantic and hurried and hot and, God, he had to have her now.

  Then she unbuttoned his denim shorts and pulled down the zipper. Together, they slid down each other’s shorts and began kissing again, him in his boxer briefs and her in her bikini panties and bra.

  He cupped her breasts and began to kiss her throat while she tilted her head back and purred.

  She slid her hands over his pecs, her thumbs rubbing his nipples in a gentle caress, making his cock jump. And when she leaned down and licked his nipples, he had to pause and take in the erotic sensation, loving the feel of her, of her mouth on his heated flesh, her lips soft and moist and her tongue teasing.

  Then he ran his hands over her breasts and pulled the bra cups down so they were framing her breasts. She was beautiful. Every inch of her. He kissed one breast with reverence, and then the other. Then, like she’d done with his nipples, he ran his thumbs over them, the nubs peaking already. He licked one, though he took it a step further and suckled it. Then he did the same with the other, licked it and pulled on it with his mouth until she arched her back and he smelled their pheromones raging, the musky scent of their sex enveloping everything.

  Their hearts were beating hard and their blood was rushing through their veins. Then he was massaging her breasts again and kissing her mouth. She was the stuff of dreams. Yet she was his dream come true now.

  She kissed him back, her tongue slipping into his mouth, deepening the kiss, the eroticism building. She rubbed her body against his, her breasts against his pecs, her mound against his erection stirring for release. She raised her leg and rubbed against his leg, parting her legs for him, enticing him to take this further.

  He slid his hand down to rub her between her legs, her panties slipping between the folds, wet, ready for him. He reached down and slid them down her legs, and she kicked them off the rest of the way. She pulled his boxer briefs down, and he hurried to dispense with them. Then he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the master bedroom where, before she had arrived, he’d only fantasized about taking her as his mate.

  Now it was really happening.

  He dumped her on the bed in a tangle of arms and legs, and she laughed and scooted over to make room for him.

  He climbed in, his mouth on hers again, both of them on their sides, his hand sweeping down her back, finding her bra still in the way and hastily removing it. He moved on to her hip before he pulled her leg over his, spreading her to him.

  Oh God, she was so wet. He stroked between her legs, feeling her readiness on his fingers, the heat of their bodies, and the sound of their thumping heartbeats filling his ears.

  “Oh, yes,” she whispered against his mouth, sounding seduced by his touch, just like she was seducing him with her scent and touch and whispered breath. “You are wonderful,” she said. “I love you.” And then she grew quiet as he slipped a finger into her slick channel.

  “I love you, Elizabeth, with all my heart.”

  What a joy it was to be with her now—and to know this was forever for them.

  ***

  Elizabeth was overjoyed David had wanted to be her mate. She’d known in her heart what she had wanted, but she was also a royal wolf and he was not. So she’d had to let him decide how far he wanted to take this. Although it wasn’t like she would have let him go. She would have stood by his side forever. Her first love. And she’d wanted him to be the only one for her.

  He made her feel renewed and excited about everything in life, whereas before she had just been getting by. He did that for her. Made her love every moment of her existence.

  Now, he was stroking her to climax, the feeling of impending release dragging her upward toward the moon, and she needed this, craved it, but not from anyone else. Just David.

  He slipped his fingers out of her and she wanted to protest, but then he was stroking her feminine nub again, and she was flying toward the sun and the moon as if they could coexist until the moment when they collided in one beautiful explosion of happiness. She cried out with joy. “David!”

  He gave her a wickedly lustful smile, kissed her mouth, and then moved her onto her back, kneeing her leg aside. His penis pressed between her feminine lips all the way to the goal. She wrapped her legs around his hips, wanting him to go deeper, to hold him tight, to never let go.

  He seemed to want the same and thrust inside her, slowly at first, then gaining momentum and thrusting harder, faster.

  This was so good, the union between wolves, the way they said “I do” forever and ever.

  “Love you,” he said, his breath unsteady as he continued to surge into her.

  “Love you back,” she said, her voice just as ragged, the need just as great.

  He continued to thrust into her, and she could see not only the tension in his face but the rigidness of his body, the way he was holding back for a moment, the way he pushed in all the way to her womb right at the end. The climax. He breathed out words, a prayer maybe, but she was lost in her own slice of heaven. He pumped into her a few more times and then he stayed inside her, kissing her face, her forehead, cheeks, jawline. Her mouth, and the kiss lingered there. “You are the only one for me.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, her legs still holding his hips tight to hers. Her wolf. Forever now.

  “I couldn’t love you more.”

  ***

  That night, Elizabeth slept better than she ever had. It was morning when she glanced over at David, who she thought was asleep, but he was watching her and smiling.

  She moved closer, and he wrapped his arms around her in a good-morning hug. “How long have you been awake?” she asked, kissing his bare chest.

  “Just a few minutes. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

  Then they heard the kids calling to each other outside.

  “Just play chase!” Faith yelled. “No hide-and-seek.”

  “They sure keep Faith on her toes,” Elizabeth said. She planned to get up and make herself some tea, but this was just too nice, snuggling with her mate, listening to the sounds of children’s laughter. And David didn’t seem to be in any hurry either.

  She was half drifting off to sleep when she smelled bacon and sausage cooking outside. “Faith and Cameron are having breakfast outside?”

  “Smells like it. Come on, let’s get dressed and grab some coffee and tea.” He kissed her nose.

  She wanted to just lie there and enjoy this lazy time with David, but he was already leaving the bed and heading to the bathroom. She sighed, but when she heard the shower turn on, she happily got up to join him.

  “I’m not sure,” he said, soaping her down, “but the breakfast might be for us.”

  She frowned at him. “For us?”

  “Well, the guys and I did that for Cameron and Faith, even though they were mated by then, once we had settled in our homes. And after that, we did the same for Owen and Candice and Amelia and Gavin once they were mated.”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth panicked and hurried to finish up.

  “It’s fine. No rush.” He gently lowered her head into the water. “Your hair still has shampoo in it.” He kissed her cheek and lovingly rinsed the shampoo out. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his hands caressing her head, his fingers massaging her scalp like a pro.

  “Thanks, mate of mine.” When there wasn’t a sud to be seen, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel for her.

  She kissed him again. “You are my hero.”

  “That’s what I always want to be for you.”

  She hurried to dry her hair, and then she left the bathroom to grab some clothes and dress. “What if we hadn’t joined them outside for breakfast?”

  “They would have done it another day and another, until they celebrated the big event with us.”

  “But what if it’s just a coincidence and breakfast really is just for them?”

  David peered out the window while wearing only his fresh boxer briefs. “I would say we are invited to breakfast.”

  “You mean they know we mated? How would they know?”

  “This pack just always seems to know. It was bound to happen. I think that’s the reason they wanted to make sure that Sheri had a place to go for the weekend.”

  Elizabeth pulled on her T-shirt and looked out the window. “Well, we might have not done it yet.”

  “Then an early celebration, telling us to get on with it.”

  She shook her head, but a smile teased the corners of her mouth. “Well, we’d better not keep them waiting.”