“You have to stand for something,” Kal said the words to Keeley a million times during the past week. He wondered if she heard him. Probably not.

For the last few days, Dani and she moved different things into his home, while Caden reluctantly gathered his belongings and left them at the Blueriver home. He tried to talk to his brother who, of course, was being obstinate. The bastard. None of his brothers or his nephew smelled a pregnancy on Danielle, nor did she have a tan line of a ring. She didn’t smell like Simon and by the way, since she’d been beaten and battered by the fuckwad, he doubted the woman would like the piece of shit near her bed.

So, what gives? Every time he tried to speak to Caden, he held up his hand and walked away. This little showdown already started to affect his and Keeley’s mating. This morning, instead of lounging with his mate, naked, she was over with Dani, trying to help situate little Aiden who’d been fussy all night—a sure sign of the tension radiating between the mated pair. Well, not quite mated pair. If his brother would only pull his head out of his ass long enough to see Danielle instead of the taint Simon placed over her.

He stepped out onto the porch and found Jace sitting on the wicker couch they’d bought from Mrs. Martin’s shop several years ago. The worn, rickety furniture piece probably should have been thrown out last summer, but he couldn’t quite force himself to do it yet. Maybe next year.

Jace stared across the creek at the house. A few months ago, it had been vacant. Had been that way for a few years. Crazy to think new tenants would cause such a stir with their presence. His brother lifted the mug in his hand to his lips, blew on it, then took a sip. The pensive way he stared, along with scent of longing and loneliness, disturbed Kal. He could smack the man, but he doubted it would change a thing. Jace could have what he had if he’d make a move. Claim their dispatcher and his lover as his mates, and start a life together. He didn’t have to be alone, and he didn’t have to hide.

“What you thinking about,” he groused, glancing back at Dani’s home.

“How stupid our brother is,” Jace answered. “How long has Keeley been there?”

“A couple of hours.”

Jace grunted. “You’d think he’d learn by now. If he doesn’t speak up, he’s only hurting himself and the rest of us.”

Pot, meet kettle. “Sure enough. I hope she kicks his ass. It would serve him right.” Kal took a sip of his coffee. “How'd things go during the full moon?”

His brother didn’t answer. Never seemed to. It’d been this way for years. Blake belonged in their pack as well, but due to their, whatever-the-hell-they-wanted-to-call-it, they didn’t seem comfortable showing their bond in public. In fact, Blake lived almost on the border of Arizona and New Mexico, to keep prying eyes from questioning their relationship.

Kal didn’t care. If they were gay and mates, great. Congratulations. If they were bi-sexual and mates, even better. Hell, he smelled Jace’s lust when it came to Loraine, so he knew his brother wanted her something desperate, yet he continued to follow the same line as Caden. He finished his coffee and headed for the door. He had to get ready for work. Keeley would come find him later, he knew it.

He stepped back inside and went through the motions of getting ready for work. They still had to talk. As much as she gave over to him—sweetly, too—it didn’t mean she completely trusted him. She still held back. He’d like to say he understood her hesitation, and he’d willingly wait for her to open up, but something about the other day with Simon rubbed him the wrong way. The whole setup did. However, until she talked to him, there was nothing he could do to assuage her fears or help her.

Trust for him was a two-way street.

First, he had to deal with Cade.

When he exited the house, his twin stood beside the sheriff SUV, staring at the house across the creek. His gaze narrowed, his focus sharpened, what or why Kal didn’t have a clue until he saw Keeley marching across the bridge carrying Aiden in her arms. Cade didn’t even flinch when she scowled at him, nor when she curled her lip and carried the pup over to Kal.

“I will be watching my nephew for the morning so Danielle can sleep,” she huffed before stomping up onto the porch. “If you know what’s good for you both, you won’t come back 'til you knock some sense into your twin.”

He didn’t have a chance to zing a retort back at her, that she hadn’t slammed the door in both of their faces. Kal glanced over at Caden who continued to watch the house. Though he might not come out and say his little mate was right, in this situation, he could. Whatever his brother had done threatened his budding mating with Keeley, and he wouldn’t stand for it.

“What the fuck did you do?”

Caden stared at him before easing into the vehicle beside him. “Who said I did anything?”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Kal snorted. “You obviously did something. Danielle hasn’t slept a wink.”

Caden grunted.

“She’s not pregnant,” he said, pulling out of the driveway. “You’d smell it on her.”

“How do we know she didn’t terminate it? How do we know everything they are saying is the truth and he’s lying?”

Kal slammed on the breaks. “Are you saying my mate is lying?”

“I’m saying, we don’t know the whole truth,” Caden growled. “They came in here, set up house and have been leading us around by our dicks. Meanwhile, a guy shows up, knows everything about them, including stating he was married to Danielle, and she carried his child.”

“They’re not married either.” Kal held onto his control by a thread.

“Yeah, and Keeley is a hacker. She knows how to delete their digital footprints. How do you know she didn’t erase the marriage, too?”

The air rushed out of Kal. A hacker? They hadn’t talked about what she did for a job, but hacking systems didn’t fit with the person he knew. “You’re mistaken.”

“Yeah, well, the reason nothing happened between Dani and me is because I found a room in their home no one but Keeley could access. When I asked about it, Dani told me what it was.”

His insides twisted. Memories of the day he walked up on Keeley and Dani sitting out front of the diner eating their lunch assailed him. She’d been so quick to slam her laptop shut when he arrived. What the fuck had she been doing? His stomach dropped, could they have gotten it all wrong? Was Dani on the run like Simon said?

No. He refused to believe his mate lied to him. Perhaps she didn’t tell him the whole truth, but she wouldn’t lie. “We saw them with our own eyes, brother. They were battered. Beaten to a pulp, no way they faked it.”

“I don’t think they faked it, however, I don’t believe they’re telling the whole truth either.” Cade stared out the windshield. “We’re missing something.”

The sun glared off the road in front of them as they drove through the middle of town. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, and already the shops were opening, readying for the coming day. The festival ended on a high note, those humans who came to enjoy the town celebration either left oblivious to everything or stayed, learning to grow accustomed to their new lives as members of the pack.

“There’s a logical explanation for it. I won’t believe my mate has any nefarious intentions when it comes to this pack or our mating. I think everything with Mac fucked you up in the head and now you don’t even trust yourself let alone a potential mate.” Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop the niggle of worry creeping through his veins. What if everything Kal knew about Keeley—which wasn’t much—had been a fabrication? An utter and complete lie?

“Don’t bring up Mac,” Cade growled. “He has nothing to do with the fact we have a damn hacker in our pack, as your mate. She could have done all sorts of things. What if she knew about us or you? Or—”

“Careful, brother. You might very well be my twin, but I won’t hesitate cutting you down for attacking my mate.”

“I figured you’d say something stupid,” he groused. “Your head is stuck in mate mode when I am thinking of our family. Seem to be the only one these days. We have too much danger surrounding us, and now, we have to add another variable.”

As soon as Kal stopped the truck near the front of the sheriff’s department, Caden jumped out. He’d pushed his brother hard. It caused him to lash out at Kalkin, say things his brother wouldn’t normally say or do, but it also left gut-twisting lingering questions. Later you’ll get the answers. Right now, you have to concentrate on work and make sure Simon doesn’t get close to the girls.

As he stepped out of the vehicle, Logan approached him from the eastern side of the building. He appeared a little long in the tooth. Two days’ worth of scruff covered his cheeks. His eyes were bloodshot and tired. “I’m glad you’re here.” Even his voice held a note of weariness to it.

“What’s going on? Everything okay?”

Logan rubbed the back of his neck. “Describe okay.” He held his hand up. “Sorry. Stupid question. Simon is still here. There is a woman staying with him and from the sounds of it, she enjoyed herself through the festivities.”

“I fucking knew it.” Married, his fucking left nut. The stench of Simon’s lies when he opened his mouth the first time had been enough to gag Kalkin. This time, though, he’d fucked up. The bastard let his guard down. “Anything else?”

He nodded. “They left yesterday, went east toward New Mexico. Sage followed as best as she could without getting caught. But, she lost them on an old two-lane road. The assholes had to have known she was there.”

“Shit,” Kal grumbled. “At least you got good intel. Go home and sleep. Come back tomorrow morning. Where’s Sage?”

“Already home. I wouldn’t let her do anything else.”

“Good.” He nodded to his deputy before striding for the office door. “Oh, Logan.” He stopped, bracing his hand on the door. “I might need you to keep an eye on Danielle and Aiden for a bit tomorrow. I’ll let you know.”

“The pup doing well?”

“He’s fine.” His new mom, not so much. “Just, be ready.”

“Will do.”

After the way he left things with Caden, he didn’t want to chance his brother leaving them alone in the house and Simon getting froggy. At least if Logan watched over them, he could ward off any would be attacks.

Kalkin stepped inside the sheriff’s department. The blare of phones ringing and people talking caught him by surprise. Cade sat at his desk, going over incident reports from the weekend while he and Danielle were gone, while two of his other deputies helped Loraine out with the calls. He figured most of it would be simple stuff. A county as big as Apache was bound to have other issues besides wolves and asshole psychic bounty hunters.

Sitting in the chair directly across from him wearing a shit-eating smile was their resident pain in the ass kid, Nico Lopez. His hands were behind his back, cuffed. Kal shook his head. The fourteen-year-old kid didn’t mean any harm, but as one of the pups without a family, he sure did get into more trouble than he was sometimes worth. “What did you do this time?”

“Why does everyone assume I’m the bad guy?” he chuckled.

Kal narrowed his eyes.

“Fine,” he sighed. “I caught Jeremey and Paul messing around with Mrs. Martin's shop, but when I tried to stop them, she latched onto me instead of them.” He glanced up at Kal. “They said something about the Quincy pack.”

Shit. Of all the days…he didn’t need this crap on his plate, too. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll let you go, but you have to do me a favor in return.”

The kid’s eyes brightened. “Anything.”

“See where they’re meeting and report back to me. Even if you think it’s stupid, let me know. In return, I’ll talk with Mrs. Martin. Deal?”

Nico turned in his chair, showing Kal his hands. “Deal.”

---

Kal returned home as the sun touched the horizon. Cade decided to spend the evening at the station, needing to put space between him and Danielle. Plus, he was going to wait to see if Nico returned with any updates on the Quincy pack. Even though he gave Cade the information Logan passed along, it didn’t sway him. He’d been convinced Danielle and Keeley were hiding something big between them. And, with the stupid shit going on with Raymond Quincy, he didn’t blame his brother. The pack would continue to be the bane of their existence, especially where Mac, their eldest brother, was concerned.

Fucking asshole. Why’d he have to be so goddamned stupid?

The answer was simple.

A stupid fucking wolf who tickled his dick the right way and Mac fell hard for her. Gave her a pup, too, which she discarded. Royce had been the reminder of what happened when they trusted the wrong people. Nevertheless, Keeley wasn’t the same as Marjorie. She didn’t have a nasty bone in her body, nor had she been the least bit bitchy. Sure, she hid, but after what she and Danielle endured, who could blame them? Who could blame her?

He’d get Keeley to tell him the truth, no matter the outcome, and he’d relay it to Cade. A stupid agreement, because he had a feeling she wouldn’t tell him anything he didn't already know. Except, he couldn’t help but wonder if there’d been more to what she and Danielle had gone through.

He hoped to hell it didn’t backfire in his face.

He pulled up to the house and threw the vehicle into park. Jace sat on the porch, bottle of beer in his hand, another one waiting beside him, probably for Kal. His brother stared out at nothing, most likely lost in his thoughts. He did it a lot lately; unfortunately, Kalkin could only help them one at a time. After getting out of the truck, he stepped up onto the porch and drew his brother’s attention away from whatever he’d been concentrating on.

“Hey, Keeley said she’d be with her sister 'til later, but if you wanted her, come get her.” He shook his head before scowling. “I’m not your human memo boards.”

He laughed. “No, you’re not. Thank you, though.”

As if on cue, Keeley appeared on the bridge striding toward them. She didn’t seem happy and he didn’t blame her. They had shit to hash out, including who she’d really been before she arrived in Window Rock and why she felt the need to keep it from him. However, he also realized she’d need to vent about Dani.

“Hey,” Kalkin called, raising his hand in greeting.

A small smile tugged at her lips. “Hey, yourself.” She stepped up to him.

“How’s Danielle and Aiden?” He leaned in and kissed her.

“Better now. I think.” She frowned. “I’m lying. I don’t really…” She sighed. “Can your brother be less cruel to her?”

Kal urged her to the door. “I think I figured out what happened, but we should talk about this in private.”

“Sure.” If she had any inkling of what he’d expected from her, she didn’t show it. “Where do you want to talk?”

He kicked the door closed, then pushed her against it, holding her there as he ravished her mouth. Fuck, even with the full moon waning, the magnetic pull to his mate grabbed him by the balls and all rational thought fled from him. He could use this to his advantage. He shoved the flowy material of her shirt away from her flesh, allowing the heat of her skin to warm his palms. He groaned into the kiss when he found her large, round breasts unbound and her nipples hard. He teased the peaks with the tips of his fingers, first grazing the points, then plucking them until she cried out, writhing against him.

“Fuck, you make me lose my head,” he muttered across her lips. “Come on.” He palmed her ass and lifted her. He loved her lush curves, the way they contoured to his body when he held her close.

She locked her legs around his waist and the heat of her sex seared him. He missed this. The whole day he’d been trapped in his thoughts of what if. What if he’d made a mistake? What if he'd picked the wrong mate? However, holding her as he did, those questions disappeared and a sense of rightness settled over him. There were always logical explanations to every situation.

He carried her up the stairs to his room, and then slammed the door. “Get naked. Now.” He put her down on the bed. “Don’t fuck with me either.”

The scent of her arousal grew thicker as she sucked in a breath. Her eyes were round with excitement. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she pulled the shirt from her head before working open her shorts. “What happened?”

“You and I are going to talk,” he growled, curling his lip as he kicked off his boots. “For every right answer, you’re going to take an inch of my cock.” He deliberately didn’t tell her where or how.

“Oh really?” She stood. The cut-offs she wore slipped from her thighs, then pooled around her feet. “Do I get to ask you any questions?”

He shook his head. “Not this time. Maybe after.” He stalked her. Like prey to a famished predator, he watched his little mate, enjoying the way she trembled under his scrutinizing gaze. The small scrap of material covering her pussy destroyed the last threads of his control. He grabbed the hem. “I said naked.” With a quick tug, the fabric ripped apart, then joined the other garments already lying about.

She gasped, “Kal.”

He rested his palm against her neck. The rapid beat of her pulse pounded against his fingers. Her eyes dilated. He put aside the aching need throbbing through his groin, causing his cock to jerk and a drop of precum to roll down the length, and focused on her. “Ready to play?”

Keeley licked her lips. “Y-yes.”

He growled. “You afraid of me, sweet cheeks?”

She lifted her chin. “No.”

“You should be.” He wrapped his hand around her throat, not enough to hurt, just enough to show her who was in charge. “There are things you haven’t told me. Things about yourself you left out.”

Her pulse quickened. “N-no.”

“No?” He gripped her hip with his free hand. “You sure?”

Her gaze darted to the door, then back to him. “Yes.”

He slid his palm to her ass, before giving it a quick smack. The crack of flesh striking flesh echoed in the room. “I beg to differ.” He squeezed the heated globe, distributing the warmth before slapping it again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He spun her around, so his chest pressed to her back and his dick to the cleft of her ass. “I think you do.” He nipped at the mark he’d left at the juncture of her neck and collarbone, claiming her as his. “I think you’re afraid to trust me with all of your secrets.”

She stiffened. “Why do you believe that?”

He bent her over, bracing her hands on the bed. “Don’t move.” He then took a knee. The perfect curve of her pussy, all wet and swollen, greeted him along with the sweetest hint of her arousal. He groaned, palming her ass before pressing the twin globes together, then opening her up. The translucent ribbons of her juices coated her slit. A small dribble ran down the inside of her thigh and he lapped it up.

Tart and sugary, he licked her again, wanting more of the confectionary delight. He buried his face between her thighs, nipping and sucking on her labia while avoiding the one thing he knew would set her off. She grunted above him, rocking her pussy over his mouth. Can’t have her getting off so quickly. He smacked her ass, this time harder than the last. Keeley cried out and ground down on his face. The action only served to turn him on even more than he already was.

Between his legs, his dick jerked and bobbed, while ribbons of precum leaked there. Fuck, he needed to get this under control, but he had no way of stopping it either. He suspected he never would either. Grabbing at the tattered remains of his control, he pushed back. His heart slammed against his ribs as adrenaline and the gut churning yearning to mate beat through his body.

He leaned over her and pressed kisses to her spine as he continued to tease her with his fingers. She gripped them. Her snug channel, warm and wet, milked him for all she was worth, needing the one thing he wouldn’t give just yet.

“I love it when you’re greedy,” he murmured against the shell of her ear. “But I’m not ready for this to end.”

He retreated from her, then licked the digits clean. He hummed in approval. The heady taste went straight to his head, leaving him dizzy. He had to concentrate, though. She had the answers he craved. Ones that would help Caden and Danielle.

“First question,” he whispered while opening up the bedside table. “What kind of work do you do?” After taking the lube out, he opened it and proceeded to squeeze some on the tip of his erection. He worked the gel into his length, understanding he’d have to go slow.

Keeley glanced over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“I’m asking the questions. Answer mine. What kind of work do you do, or did you do before moving here?”

She held his gaze for a moment, then faced forward. “Security. Mostly. I have a degree in Computer Science and Cyber Technologies. I also minored in English.” She huffed out a sigh. “Why does it matter?”

Without saying a word, he slicked up her rear, then positioned himself there. “Don’t fight me.”

He pushed forward. Her eyes widened as she yelped. She clenched around him and he groaned. After adding more of the lube, he retreated, then pushed again. The star of her ass rippled around his tip, allowing him access. He grunted, staving off the need to shove himself deep inside of her.

“Kal,” she whimpered, writhing below him.

“I’ve got you.” He worked her clit, making her burn a little brighter for him. “You’re fucking perfect, sweet cheeks. Only a few more questions.”

“Why is my job important?”

He couldn’t come out and accuse her of being a hacker when she obviously had been trained to do just that in cyber security. “Have you ever cleaned anything up for you or your sister, online?” He tip-toed a line with her.

Her head dropped forward. “She told him.” Not a question, but a statement.

“Yes,” he answered, advancing forward a bit more. She clenched and unclenched, sending tingles of pleasure down his spine. Fuck, he could admit this had been a stupid idea. He didn’t think he could last. She felt way too fucking good.

“Yes. I have and do it every time we move.” She reached back for him, placing her hand on his thigh. Her nails dug into the sensitive flesh there and he groaned. Kal shifted his hips and filled her in one thrust.

Keeley screamed. She trembled in his arms as she pulsed around him. Damn it. It would be so easy to say screw it and just give into the building pressure in his balls. He needed her something fierce, but he had one more question, and Kal realized it might piss her off, but he also had his brother to worry about, which was really fucking stupid to think about while fucking mate.

“Did you erase Danielle’s marriage or did she terminate a pregnancy because of Simon?” Before she could answer, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush to him. “Please, sweet cheeks. I have so much to explain, I understand this, but my twin and your sister will destroy each other if I don’t have truths.” He flexed his hips, rolling them slightly.

“I would never,” she sobbed softly. “She’d never.”

The scent of her tears hit him square in the chest. Fuck. “Damn it, baby. I’m an asshole.” He pressed kisses to her neck and mark. His thrusts were short and measured, made to give them both pleasure while also prolonging their releases. “I fucking love you.” Yeah, enough to question her loyalties. “So much. I can’t explain it. You can ask me anything.”

“Why?” she whimpered. Her hands went to his arms.

“Caden found your dungeon, and he thought the worst,” he whispered. He felt like shit. He knew the answer and his fucking brother made him doubt her. “Dani told him you’re a hacker.” He pulled from her. He felt the loss of her soft body immediately. He hated it.

“Of course she did,” Keeley sighed, sitting on the bed. “She hates secrets.”

Kal snorted. “Imagine that.”

She laughed. “I wipe everything we do. But she’s never been married or been pregnant. Why would Caden think such?”

He had to tell her. If they were going to move past all of this, he had to explain what happened to them. It would also mean Caden would have to open up to Danielle. “Mackenzie, our older brother, thought he found a mate. He fell for Marjorie. Hard. They mated and she got pregnant. A few days after she had Royce, she disappeared. So did our brother. A few weeks later, a package arrived. It was a piece of flesh, with a tattoo my brother had gotten for her.”

“Oh God,” she cried. She launched herself into his arms. “I’m so sorry.” The wetness of her tears spilled down his neck. “Simon is so…”

“Crazy?”

She gave a watery chuckle. “More than that.” She sniffled and sat back. “He came into our lives at the worst possible time. He was, in the beginning, the bit of fresh air we needed. I thought…I believed I could trust him.”

He heard the hesitancy in her voice. “I’m right here,” he whispered.

“I should have known,” she whispered.

Tension radiated from her. Whatever happened, it changed his mate. Profoundly. “Why would you ever doubt yourself?”

She made a sad noise. “Three days before I met Simon, I…” A strangled sound filled her throat. “The guy, my boyfriend…I didn’t…I said no. But he wouldn’t stop. He kept…grabbing and he…

He snatched her up, holding her to his body. God, she didn’t have to tell him anymore. He could figure it out by her reluctance. By the way she seemed to choose her words or lack thereof. “Did they catch him?”

“I thought I killed him,” she wept. “He tried to rape me and it just happened. I-I threw him then I ran. I called Danielle and she picked me up.”

“What happened next?”

“Nothing. Like I said, Simon showed up. I was so scared. So…afraid. I buried it. Danielle watched the papers and the news, but nothing was ever said. For the first time, Danielle and I could be us. He said his cousin had abilities and there were communities of us all over and shifters. We weren’t weird or strange and didn’t have to hide.” She hiccupped. “We were happy.”

Kalkin wiped away her tears. The terror and self-recrimination filled her eyes. The story didn’t end well. He’d been at the end of their journey, and now he expected her to trust him and his brothers. Fuck. He’d kill Simon. “Baby, I’m so fucking sorry.” He pressed his lips to hers. “You don’t have to say anything else.”

She shook her head. Her bottom lip trembled. “No. It’s time.” She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “We had no clue Simon worked for the Psychic Bounty Hunters. We didn’t even know the government had a division specifically for us. One day, we had a cook-out with some of Simon’s friends and I saw…him.

“Danielle and I froze. He walked into the house, and I lost it. I destroyed everything. Danielle and I barely got out of the house with clothes on our backs and the important stuff. We drove west, and didn’t stop.”

How many months had they been on their own? How many years did they seek out some semblance of peace? How strong were they both for continuing to try to live innocuous lives without giving a hint to who they were or what had happened to them. How could he have just attacked his mate the first night without knowing the truth? Fuck. He wanted to rail against everything and everyone. He wanted to stomp into Simon’s hotel room and kill the man. However, he couldn’t. So far he hadn’t done anything stupid.

“Then you ended up here,” he murmured.

“It was the smallest dot on the map,” she admitted. “We thought we could get lost in the middle of the desert.”

“Instead, you found me.” He tipped her chin up. “A scraggly wolf, with a fucked up family.” He kissed her again.

“I did,” she agreed, giving him a small smile. Then she frowned again. “He can’t take Danielle. She’s got the biggest bounty on her head. The government wants her. If there were more empaths with healing abilities, think of how valuable they’d be to the military.”

A low growl built in his chest. “No fucking way. No one is going anywhere. I won’t let it happen. We won’t let that shit happen.” The vicious possessiveness he’d struggled to push down since he met Keeley pushed forward again. He placed her on the bed, then headed for his bathroom.

When he returned, he gathered her up in his arms and lay with her in their bed. He stared down at his mate. Such a strong, determined female. The perfect woman for him. She’d been through so much. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, before kissing her. “I love you, mate.” He kissed her again, the embers of his arousal growling within him. “I’m going to prove it every day, too. That’s my vow to you.”

She stared up at him, her hands on his shoulders. The glitter of arousal still sparkled in her eyes. “I love you, too.” She smiled and fuck-it-all if his heart didn’t burst with so much pride.

He rolled them. Her soft laughter was music to his ears. He'd spend the rest of his life erasing all of the horrible memories. Simon would be dealt with. He’d help Danielle with Cade or else find her a wolf of stature to give her the life she deserved. Shit, he’d never felt so alive or so filled with anticipation of what could be. It surged through his veins as he settled between her thighs. The warmth of her sex teased him but when he glanced down at her, he knew he wouldn’t do anything after everything she’d told him if she didn’t want him to.

“Please,” she whispered. “Make it all go away. Make me forget.”

“Always, mate.” He positioned himself at her entrance. With a shift of his hips, he entered her with one stroke. He groaned, pressing his forehead to hers. She rippled around him, accommodating him. It was as if a million kisses were pressed to his length at the same time, while the warm, wetness coated him. It was life and death. Exquisite.

Kal held completely still. “Look at me, mate.” Her gaze flicked to his. “Good girl. Stay with me.”

He made love to his mate. The need to solidify what they were together tore through him. He had to make this all about her and them. His thrusts were controlled, allowing them maximum pleasure without throwing them over the edge. Her whispered sighs, and the way she scraped her nails across his shoulders, added to the sensations filling him. This was perfect. Intense. This was love and light and everything good in the world.

This would be the memory they made together to push away the ugly. The black out of the life before now. This had been Keeley’s way of starting over and he swore to himself he would spend every day replacing the negative with a happiness only mates could give each other. Kal kissed her. He threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her to him. He didn’t want an inch of their flesh not touching.

Keeley hooked her leg over his hip and he slipped deeper into her, groaning against her mouth. Then he felt it. It took his breath away. Keeley’s pussy clenched, holding him in a vice. His pace faltered. Her eyes widened. “Kal?”

“I can’t stop it.” He fit his hand between them, circling her clit, adding pressure. “Come with me, sweet cheeks. Give it to me.” The knot continued to swell, causing him to shorten his strokes. He couldn’t explain it. He’d always been told it would happen during the full moon, and no other time, however here they were, rushing toward their releases…

“Yes,” she whimpered. “Oh God…so good.” She writhed below him, pulling slightly on the knot forming, locking them together.

Kal buried his face in her neck and nuzzled her mark. He groaned her name before biting down. The air rushed from his lungs on the first rush of his release. Keeley clung to him as she milked his cock, taking every drop of his seed. The small sounds she made only added to the erotism of the moment. He gave another lick to her mark, then lifted his face to stare down at her. A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Only on the full moon, huh?” she teased.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “We were always taught the moon dictated how this worked.” He rolled them so that his little mate was tucked into the curve of his body while the knot held them together.

“Guess things change,” she mumbled.

He frowned. “Yeah, guess so.” He kissed the crown of her head.

“Are you upset it happened?”

He grunted. “Fuck no. Being tied to you is the best part of loving you.”

She gave a content sigh. “Good, because I love it and you, too.” She pressed her lips to his chest.

He played with her hair. “There’s something I should tell you.”

She sat up a bit to stare at him, tugging on the knot. They groaned. “What?”

“Well, you are the Alpha’s mate. You should start meeting your pack. Also, after the festivities, we have sixteen new members as well. They will be your responsibility to help out. I think you’re the right mate for the job.”

She blinked. “Really?”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Yep. You are the mate to the Alpha. You are this pack’s Alpha female. We’ll have a party as soon as we deal with Simon, and a ceremony, too. It’ll be a welcoming to the pack and a celebration of our mating. You and Danielle can plan it.”

“You’re serious.” She laughed.

“I told you. This is your pack now. This is your ho—”

She kissed him. “Yes. To everything. Yes!”

He rolled them, the knot finally receding. “Hot fucking damn.” He retreated then filled her. “Now, let’s see if we can make that happen again.” He winked, kissing her once more.