I let her walk ahead of me, enjoying the set of her shoulders and her strong back as she found the place. I hadn’t told her where to go. Instinct drew her.

We waited until the moon was full again. It seemed fitting to let a month pass. Now, it could be more our time, not a decision made in the haste of grief. If I ever thought Molly viewed it as such, she proved me wrong tonight. When she reached the clearing near the deepest part of the stream, she turned to face me.

Her pale skin shimmered beneath the moonlight. A breeze kicked up. She should be cold here. The leaves had already begun to turn and we’d had the first snowfall last week. Molly held her hand out to mine; her smile lit me from the inside out.

“You’re sure.” I’d said it a thousand times. There was never any need. I could sense it in the way she breathed, the way she squared her shoulders, and the strong, steady beat of her heart.

My heart. My love.

She went up on her tiptoes. I tilted my head down and kissed her. I could be gentle now. In another moment, I wouldn’t be. Even now, the strength of the pull between us stirred my wolf. My vision darkened and I knew she could see the golden glint of the beast she’d grown to love.

“I love you,” she whispered. Molly tasted like sweet cinnamon. Her heart throbbed. I trailed my fingers down her arm, loving the gooseflesh I made. I took a step back, wanting to admire her again.

Her nipples peaked. I reached for one of them, tweaking it. She threw her head back and groaned. I didn’t have to tell her what to do.

Molly sank to the soft earth. Her full lips parted in a wicked smile. She let her thighs fall to the side. Her sex glistened with the dew of desire. I could watch her like that forever. Without even thinking, Molly reached between her legs, drawing a finger between her slick folds. Her breath hitched as she stroked herself for me.

“Baby,” I whispered, dropping to my knees before her. It seemed fitting that I did. I wanted to worship at her feet. Molly’s scent reached me. More cinnamon mixed with darker lust, mingling with the woodland smells that drew me home.

I pressed my palms against her thighs, spreading her wide. I licked my lips, loving the way she squirmed in anticipation. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to tease her, draw her out. She’d begged me time and again for this, but I couldn’t get enough of it. She tasted so good.

“Liam!” She gasped, threading her fingers through my hair as I drew her out. She bucked and writhed beneath me. I nipped her thigh. She went still except for the hitch of her breath. I loved the way it made her breasts quiver.

“Liam,” she said. “Please. I can’t wait.”

“Oh, yes, you can. You can do anything I ask of you.”

She threw her head back and moaned. I was a liar, anyway. I was just as eager as she was. She thrust her hips forward, beckoning me to use my tongue on her again. I did. I flicked that sweet little bud until it grew hard beneath my touch. Then, I knew she’d reached her breaking point.

“Not yet,” I said, nipping her thigh again. She squirmed, but went still. I slid my hand beneath her buttocks, gently urging her to turn.

She did. Her legs shuddering, she went on all fours. Molly dropped her head, letting her hair fall to the side. My dick was rock hard for her. Every part of my nature demanded this. I felt my fangs come out. Leaning forward, I grazed her shoulder with them. Molly gasped with pleasure. I slid my hand between her legs. She was wet. Dripping.

I stroked myself, edging my cock between her legs. Molly dug her fingers into the soft earth to brace herself.

“Hold still,” I cautioned her again.

She gasped, kicking up a grouse from the nearby brush. Its wings fluttered. So did Molly. I worked my fingers between her legs, stroking her, coaxing her to the edge once again.

“Liam! I can’t hold back!”

My wicked laughter brushed her temple. “Yes, you can, baby.”

But, it was me who couldn’t hold back. I took two fingers and spread her wide, easing my passage. Molly cried out as I entered her. This was different and she felt it instantly.

“Oh! Oh! Baby! You’re bigger. How are you bigger?”

“Shh,” I cautioned. I sheathed myself to the root. Molly arched her back to receive me. I filled her wholly, completely as she stretched even wider to accommodate me. She was right. This was different than every other time. Because this time, I would make her mine.

I started the slow, ancient rhythm. Instinctively, Molly responded. She dropped her chin to the ground, angling her ass up even higher, taking me deeper. I thrust inside her again and again.

Her moans of pleasure echoed through the forest. Oh, God. I knew how lucky we were to have these stolen moments. Just a few weeks ago, this ritual would have drawn the Pack. It would again, I knew. But not tonight.

I felt Molly stretch and quiver against me. My own powerful build threatened to unseat me. It was almost time. Molly picked up the rhythm, thrusting back; she fucked me wild and raw. Her grunts grew louder.

“That’s it, baby,” I said. “Take it. Scream if you have to. We own the night.”

And we did.

Molly threw her head back. Her hair dropped to the side again, exposing the nape of her neck. I swelled within her. She shrieked with delight. Then, I couldn’t hold back a second longer. Stretching myself long, I reached for her. I held her still with one hand on her shoulder. Then, I sank my teeth into the sweet spot at the base of her neck. Marking her. Tasting her.

“Yes!” Molly cried. “Oh my God! Yes!”

I knew what she felt because I felt it too. As I made my Alpha’s Mark, Molly felt pleasure there just like the throbbing pulse between her legs. It was as if she now had two erogenous zones, forever connected. She would burn for me there. In time, I would mark her again and again. Each coupling would bind her closer to me. There would come a time when we wouldn’t need words to communicate no matter how far apart we were.

She was mine. I was hers. I claimed her that night. Totally. Completely. Forever.

Molly’s pleasure exploded around me. I couldn’t stop. I bit her once again, sealing the mark and wiping the blood away. By the time I took her in my arms, it would already be healed. As she shuddered out the last spasms of pleasure, mine began.

“Yes!” Molly cried out again, craving my seed. On a night like this, I could even dare to hope that someday, we could let it take root. We could bring a new generation of shifters into the world who would live free as they were supposed to. That night, it seemed everything was possible.

And it was all because of this marvel of a woman beneath me. As I spent myself inside her, Molly sank into me, sighing out my name.

Then, I did hold her close. I took her in my arms and left a trail of soft kisses around her breasts, in the hollow of her throat, until I finally found her lips.

“I love you,” she said. “My God. Why did we wait so long?”

Laughing, I brushed the hair from her face. Molly’s heart beat with my heart. The bond was sealed and it was strong. I felt a twinge of fear at that. For the first time, I could fully appreciate what Jagger was now. If anything happened to rip this bond from me, I wouldn’t want to go on.

Molly’s face darkened. She knew what I was thinking and she shared my fear. But, my brave girl reached up and touched my face.

“We’ll survive,” she whispered. “We’ve come this far. It’s a new beginning, Liam. Whatever happens next, this was worth it. Just this moment.”

Smiling, I drew her close. “Of course it is. I love you, baby.” I brought her palm to my lips and kissed it.

My Molly. My love. My heart.

She was right. While my heart beat alongside hers, everything was possible.