Nova stood on Amara’s porch, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his black leather jacket. He was the Beta Wolf of the Mountain Wolf Clan. He had fought in countless skirmishes with the Valley Clan over the last decade, in most of which, his side had come out on top. He had faced his mother—who was a formidable presence—after royally screwing up as a boy, and he hadn’t even flinched at the lectures she had pounded into his skull. And yet, here he stood, about to take the woman he had been secretly in love with since he was seventeen to dinner, and his palms were sweating like crazy.

Go figure.

Nova swallowed hard just as the door handle turned and the door opened. Amara stood in front of him, irresistibly sexy. His jaw dropped. “Well, don’t you look, um.” Silently, he cursed himself for his lack of words. He cleared his throat. “You look amazing, Amara.”

He was pleased to see her blush. The scarlet heat looked fantastic against her caramel-colored skin. Amara offered him a shy smile. Damn, she was beautiful.

Nova held out a bouquet of orange and red lilies. With their yellow centers, they reminded him of the sunset, a time of day he’d always associated with her. His ventures away from his pack to watch her—for her own protection, of course—had always begun at sundown, when it was safer to run through the woods without human interference. The people of Strathford hated wolves, it was true, but they feared them all the same. He had yet to be approached on his way into town.

Amara took the flowers and buried her face in the blooms, inhaling their sweet scent. The fragrance filled the night around them. “Thank you.” She beamed. “I’m just going to…” She pointed behind her into the house. Understanding, he nodded and she disappeared through the door. She returned a few moments later and took the hand he offered. Her fingers were small and delicate, her skin soft and smooth. Nova had spent years wondering what those fingers would feel like, what the sensation of her skin on his would do to him. The reality didn’t disappoint. Amara’s smile went from shy to coy. “You’re looking pretty handsome tonight, yourself. Where are we going?”

“I’ve got something special planned.”

He took her to a fancy restaurant outside of Strathford, where he went all out. Champagne, lobster, the works. He wanted to spoil her. He knew from his years of observation that she hadn’t experienced much luxury and, while he didn’t have a lot, he had enough to make her feel like a queen for at least one night.

Their conversation was surprisingly easy. He had been worried they would have nothing to talk about, or that he would slip and say something that would reveal how long he had been watching her. Luckily, neither one had happened. What had happened was they had polished off a bottle of wine, enjoyed a fantastic Italian dinner, and were currently strolling through the streets of Strathford on the way back to her place.

She hadn’t mentioned the wolf attack once, which was strange, he had to admit. He kept waiting for it to happen, hoping he didn’t have to explain any suspicions away. However, she remained stoically silent on the subject. Nova couldn’t help but be pleased. He’d had enough wolf business for the moment.

It was no longer safe for even the pack to be alone at night. The Valley Clan had invaded their territory, had begun calling Strathford their own, and the attacks between the two packs had been more vicious than ever. But he didn’t need to talk about that with Amara.

He glanced down at their joined hands. It was amazing. For ten years, he had been wondering what it would feel like to hold her hand. To walk with her through the streets of downtown. To be able to talk to her, to hear her say his name instead of just hearing her talk to other people. And now, miraculously, here he was, doing just that. It was funny how life worked out sometimes.

Even if he was violating one of the pack’s most important rules.

After an hour of walking, which felt more like moments, they reached her front door. He walked her up the steps of the porch, trying not to picture her standing there holding a shotgun the night before.

Amara bit her lip, before turning to face him. Her face was glowing in the porch light. Before he really knew what he was doing, Nova leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers.

Just the taste of her was intoxicating. She smelled of cinnamon and just a hint of something spicy. Her lips moved beneath his, her tongue tentatively probing into his mouth. Nova moaned against her. He had just enough time to revel in the fact that Amara was in his arms at last before their hands were all over each other.

Amara blindly fumbled with her keys. It was a grueling process. By the time she finally managed to marry key to lock and get the door open, anything resembling Nova’s patience had run out. With her heart beating wildly, she led him to her room and closed the door. He had waited ten years for this moment, and now that it had come, he intended to enjoy every second.

Wrapping his arms around her, Nova gripped Amara’s hips and hoisted her up so her legs could wrap around his waist. His lips found every inch of skin they could; her lips, her cheek, her neck, her shoulders. His urgency to touch all that was Amara Townsend was overwhelming. Pushing her against the wall, he hiked up her dress while fighting the buttons on his jeans.

He couldn’t believe his luck. Nemoy was going to kill him. Fuck, Nova thought, chastising himself. Quit thinking about your brother.

Finally managing to get his pants down, he picked her up, groaning against her when her legs clamped around him. Her warm, wet center pressed against him, and he felt himself get hard.

He couldn’t believe it. He’d actually managed to get his hands on Amara Townsend. And she was so much better than he’d ever imagined. She was the woman of his dreams, and she had no idea. How was he ever going to explain to her how much she meant to him?

Breathing hard, he trailed his mouth down her front, peeling the dress down to her waist. He took her breast into his mouth, suckling on her nipple, and loving the way she moaned in ecstasy.

Gripping her hips, he thrust into her, once, twice. Amara cried out, and he thrust harder. He drove her up, pounding her up against the wall, until she was all but quivering against him. For ten years, he had watched her, falling more and more for her every day, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. As she shuddered around him, raking her fingers down his back, Nova knew that if he let himself, what had once been infatuation would turn to actual love.

It scared the living hell out of him. But maybe it was time to let himself fall. As they clung to each other one last time, Nova pushed them both up to the peak of climax. He came with her, and in that moment, he let himself fall over the edge.