When they pulled into his garage, Ash made a beeline for his gun safe.

Nika's beautiful gray eyes widened when he pulled out his shotgun and a box of 12-gauge slugs.

"Loaded for bear," he told her with grim humor. "Maybe I can't shift and fight off your clan's enforcers bear-to-bear if they come for you, but with this, I can still do a lot to discourage them."

Her expression turned sad. "I hope it doesn't come to that. I don't want anyone to get hurt—not you, and not anyone from the Medveds."

"I said I'd protect you, and I will," Ash said, feeling his determination down to his bones. "With this, if your relatives show up, maybe we can deter them long enough to negotiate."

"I hope so," she said, putting a protective hand over the mound of her belly.

She's so damned beautiful, Ash thought, as renewed desire raced through his veins.

All those soft, lovely curves hid a fierce competence and compassion that appealed to him even more that her sweet body. She had really impressed him when she jumped right into the role of EMT to help Tyler.

Tyler. Ash wondered why his black-sheep cousin had returned to Bearpaw Ridge after all these years. When Tyler had left after high school graduation to seek his fortune in the Pacific Northwest, Ash figured that they'd all seen the last of him.

Everyone in Bearpaw Ridge except Ash had breathed a sigh of relief when Tyler was gone. His cousin had riled up a lot of people in their quiet, tight-knit town with his wild ways. Only freshman Ash had seen the smart, lonely teenager under his cousin's tough, rebellious façade, and he'd been Tyler's lone friend during the other's senior year.

After Tyler graduated—barely—and left town, they'd stayed in sporadic touch via email and social media while Ash's gaming company began its explosive trajectory towards success and Tyler worked his way to a degree in construction management followed by his general contractor's license.

But now all thoughts of his cousin's unexpected return to town fled as Nika approached him and her sweet scent hit his nose.

"Now, where were we, before we were so rudely interrupted?" he asked her, feeling a hungry grin stretch his lips.

He shifted his grip on the shotgun and bent to kiss her. He took his time plundering her soft, hot mouth, anticipating the fulfillment of his long-denied hunger for her, and was rewarded by the renewed musky perfume of her arousal.

"In a warmer place with a lot less clothing," Nika said breathlessly, pulling just far enough away that he felt her lips brush his with butterfly strokes at every word.

He felt her hand slip under his firefighter's jacket. An instant later, she pressed her palm firmly against the growing bulge of his erection, and he regretted the loss of sensation through his insulated bunkers.

His personal protective equipment was as thick as armor. While that was usually a good thing, right now it was interfering with his plans for the rest of the evening.

"Let's go inside and get naked," he suggested and was rewarded with a breathy giggle from his mate.

Ash slung the leather strap of his shotgun over his shoulder and scooped her up.

He carried her into his house as she wound her arms around his neck and kissed every part of him that she could reach, the firm bulge of her pregnancy pressing against his middle.

Once inside, she helped him strip out of his bulky firefighting gear, and he returned the favor by divesting her of her down jacket, knitted hat and gloves, and the rest of her clothing down to her bra and panties.

To his disappointment, she stepped back when he reached for her. But his dismay was short-lived.

"Wait, it's your turn, Ash," she said with a seductive smile.

His breath caught as he felt her stroke the stiff length of his cock under his boxers, her fingers cupping and caressing his eager erection through the soft fabric.

Ash swallowed hard. Every frustrated daydream and fantasy he'd had since she left him seemed to be coming true at last.

He felt her hook her fingers under the elastic waistband and pull them down, freeing his rigid cock. It strained hungrily towards her as she sank slowly to her knees, pulling his underwear down to his ankles.

Nika leaned forward, and he felt her hot breath feather over his sensitive skin. He saw the tip of her tongue emerge cat-like from between her deliciously plump lips and swipe delicately over the broad tip of his cock.

A jolt of pure pleasure raced up to his lower spine, and it was all Ash could do to keep from coming on the spot.

He groaned and tried to pull her up.

Her delicate-looking hands clamped around his legs with shifter strength, and she shook her head playfully.

"Oh no, you don't," she cautioned, her eyes dilated with need so that only a thin ring of silvery-gray showed around enormous black pupils. "Not until I'm done with you, Mister Swanson."

Her tongue darted out again, and he felt her slick warmth circle the tip of his cock. He swayed under the wicked caress, battling the urge screaming at him to pull her to her feet and take her hard and deep until she screamed his name.

"You're killing me," he informed her in a low growl.

In reply, she smiled, opened her mouth and engulfed him in hot, wet bliss for the next few minutes. Even after months apart, she still knew exactly what he liked and how to drive him out of his mind with need.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to be inside her. Now.

He pulled her roughly to her feet. Her cheeks were deliciously flushed, and her lips looked swollen.

He tore off her bra with brute force, then paused to kiss his way down her throat to her bare breasts, devouring them as she squirmed with impatience and rising heat.

When he finally yanked her panties off, she smelled of pure, musky arousal.

"Ash," she begged, when he came back up to his feet. "Please. Now."

His bear rose inside him, roused from its torpor at last. "Oh God, yes."

They didn't make it to the bed or even his sofa, only steps away. Ash slid his hands behind her hips and lifted her effortlessly. He took two steps forward and pressed her against the mudroom wall.

"Open your legs," he ordered.

She complied eagerly, wrapping her thighs around his waist. He felt his cock pressing against her slick, hot entrance and prayed fervently that nothing would interrupt them this time.

Then he surrendered to seven months of need and invaded her with one powerful thrust, filling her completely.

"Oh. My. God," she gasped, clutching at him.

He felt her short nails digging into his shoulders and the powerful squeeze of her thighs around his hips, and the bonds of his self-restraint snapped at last.

Mine. My mate. Mine.

He took her fast and hard against the wall of the mudroom, his mouth covering hers, muffling her moans as he pistoned against her, his stiff length caressing her clit with every long, sliding thrust.

He felt his climax gathering inside him like a giant wave.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he came. It started at the base of his spine and rushed out of him like a torrent of molten metal, a river of heat and fire and bright sparks of pleasure that seemed to come from everywhere inside him, right down to his fingertips and toes.

Nika convulsed against him. She cried his name, and he felt her inner muscles ripple and pulse around him, squeezing his cock.

Knowing that he had been able to do this to her made him feel powerful.

Together, they rode out their mutual pleasure, arms wrapped around each other and the precious life they had created cradled safely between them.

When the last pulses of his climax faded away, he shifted his grip and stepped away from the wall, holding her still firmly joined to him.

"Mine," he said as he carried through the house, to the master suite and his bed.

Nika kissed him greedily as they fell on the mattress together.

"Mine," she echoed, and he liked the way it sounded on her lips.

She bit his throat, and his arousal sprang back to life with a roar. He took charge of the encounter and pinned her down, hungrily kissing and nipping every inch of her until she was squirming beneath him and pleading breathlessly with him to fuck her.

Ash's bear liked that. Ash the man liked it too, and he was only too happy to oblige his mate.

He urged her to turn over and get up on her hands and knees while he took her from behind.

Driven by his bear's needs, he moved over her, admiring her sweet round ass as he spread her glistening entrance wide with his thumbs and entered her again.

Their encounter was raw and animalistic this time, his fingers digging into her hips as he plunged in and out of her slick, hot body.

Mine. Mine. Mine. The words echoed inside his head like a mantra as she gasped and writhed and bucked against him, urging him on with low, breathy cries that drove him crazy.

He saw Nika's hands claw into his comforter as she moaned. Then, to his immense satisfaction, she climaxed again, and the sight and sounds of her ecstasy pushed him over the edge too.

They came to rest spooned together on top of his comforter, his hands filled with the soft abundance of her breasts and that sweet ass nestled against his groin. This armful of curvy, willing mate was his idea of paradise, and he didn't want this moment to end.

"I've waited a long time for this," he murmured and nibbled his way around the shell of her ear.

She wriggled against him. "Me, too. And can I just say two words: pregnancy hormones?"

"I'm not complaining…and I'm not done if you aren't," Ash said.

And he wasn't done, not by a long shot. He'd spent too many lonely nights aching for her not to squeeze every moment he could out of this night.

He nipped and kissed his way down the side of her neck while he toyed with her nipples, feeling them harden and rise beneath his questing fingertips as he listened to the changes in her pulse and breathing.

"Oooh." Nika's breath shuddered out of her as he simultaneously bit the back of her neck and gently pinched the tips of her breasts. She pushed back against him and rubbed her velvety ass against his rising cock. "I'm really glad you're not done."

This time, she insisted on riding him as he sprawled on his back, hands reaching up to caress her taut, rounded belly and breasts.

When he came, holding her hips and thrusting up into her with a loud growl, she collapsed panting onto his chest.

"Okay, now I'm done!" she panted. "Have some mercy for the pregnant lady."

Ash frowned. He'd climaxed this time, but she hadn't, and he could sense that she was still aroused.

"No, you're not done. Not yet." He traced the line of her spine and felt her shiver beneath his touch. "I want to see you come, Nika. What kind of mate would leave you hanging?"

She laughed.

"I can't move," she protested, giggling. "Honest. And it's okay. I'm still one orgasm ahead of you, remember?"

He did remember, and the memory of his sweet mate arching and shuddering beneath his lips and tongue only stoked his hunger.

"Who's keeping score?" he asked, grinning. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her off him. "I want to do this. Just lie back and enjoy yourself."

* * *

Ash was as good as his word as he wriggled down the length of her body, stopping every few inches to kiss her skin.

He ended up between her thighs, where he did things to her with his talented mouth that made her scream his name over and over again.

Exhausted at last, she finally fell asleep in his arms, floating in warm, boneless bliss and feeling safe and cared-for as he curled protectively around her.

Nika awoke to sunshine, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the smoky, tantalizing scent of frying bacon. She opened her eyes, feeling truly refreshed and energized for the first time in months…and discovered that the bed was empty.

Only a dented pillow, a crumpled comforter, and Ash's clean masculine scent remained to remind her that she hadn't passed this night alone. Disappointment shot through her. She'd been looking forward to cuddling a bit before they got up and faced the day.

A flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head to see Ash walk into the master suite, followed by Thunder, who was trotting at his heels and staring up at the tray in rapt adoration.

Ash was dressed in a plain canvas apron and nothing else. He held a breakfast tray loaded with scrambled eggs, crisp strips of bacon, smoked sausages, and a big golden waffle drizzled with melted butter. There was a steaming mug of coffee and a small glass pitcher fragrant with maple syrup.

He glowed with the sweet happiness that she remembered from their initial courtship. The sight of him took her breath away and reawakened her desire for him.

"Morning," he said in a warm, deep voice. "Pay no attention to the starving-hound act—Thunder's already conned me out of a sausage and a piece of bacon."

Nika laughed and gave Ash a slow, appreciative once over, her glance lingering on his broad shoulders and tightly muscled biceps before dropping to the mug of coffee on the tray.

At the sight of it, she clasped her hands over her breasts like a silent-movie heroine. "Is that French Roast? Ash Swanson, you are my hero."

He laughed and came over to perch on her side of the bed, holding the tray level with her chest. Thunder trotted to Ash's side of the bed, jumped up, and curled on top of the comforter. "I remember how well you function before you've caffeinated."

Back in Seattle, when they had first begun spending weekends together, he would always bring her breakfast in bed. She had always found it an incredibly thoughtful and caring gesture.

And now, even after all that she'd done, this gesture, even more than his passionate lovemaking, showed that he still really cared for her.

Her throat tightened, and her eyes prickled and grew blurry.

She cleared her throat, trying to suppress the urge to cry like a baby. Stupid pregnancy hormones!

"Function?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light and bantering. "I'm not ashamed to admit that in my world, nothing happens before coffee. Thank you."

She picked up the mug and inhaled the rich, strong aroma.

"I slept really well last night," he said, and his expression left no doubt as to his meaning. "How about you?"

"Never better," she told him, and took her first sip of liquid heaven.

Suddenly ravenous, she grabbed the silverware off the tray and dug into the plate of breakfast food he had cooked for her. Everything was delicious—the eggs moist and fluffy, the sausage pleasantly spiced, and the waffle crisp and tender inside.

Ash watched her as she ate, a satisfied smile playing around his bearded lips. "That's venison sausage," he told her. "My brothers and I went on a hunting-camping trip last fall, and we got lucky. They still haven't let me forget that I passed out while we were butchering it."

Nika tried to decide how she felt about venison as she chewed and swallowed a mouthful of the sausage.

"Poor Bambi," she said finally. "So cute, yet so delicious."

Ash chuckled, and the sound caressed her.

When she finished eating, the plate was clean.

"Stay put," Ash told her as he picked up the tray. "I'll be back."

* * *

She and Ash showered together in his huge master suite bathroom. Or rather, she stood under multiple jets of luxuriously hot water while Ash gently scrubbed her from head to toe with a richly foaming unscented body wash, then shampooed and rinsed her hair.

Nika stood luxuriating under his ministrations, his strong fingers massaging her scalp, and realized that she had never felt so pampered.

Ash finished rinsing her hair. Sweeping aside the sleek, wet strands, he kissed her neck as his hands dropped to her breasts and began to work their magic.

She leaned back against him and felt his cock hardening against her as he made slow, tender love to her with his hands and his mouth.

His fingers slipped between her legs, stroking and teasing, kindling her desire to an urgent flame unquenched by the water and steam surrounding her.

Nika drew a shuddering breath and caught his hand.

"I want to spend every morning with you like this," she said, just before she bent her head and kissed each of his fingers before drawing his forefinger into her mouth and sucking on it.

Satisfaction filled her as she heard Ash take a sharp breath. His cock was now fully erect, the thick shaft pressed against his lower belly. Her pussy throbbed with a hungry ache to feel it inside her as quickly as possible.

"So do I," Ash said, sounding breathless.

He withdrew his finger from between her lips and turned her around. Then he bent her forward. She complied eagerly, bracing her hands against the cool marble tile of the shower wall and spreading her feet apart.

"Please," she begged, and he responded by guiding his cock to her entrance.

She felt the broad tip push against her, and a thrill of anticipation shot through her.

"We should get married as soon as possible," he said, and thrust home.

Nika moaned with the sheer pleasure of being filled and stretched by him once more. Then his words sank in. "Married? But we're already mated!"

"Something that the government doesn't know or care about," he told her, as he began to move.

His hands returned to deliciously tormenting her breasts. "I want to make everything official before our baby is born."

"Yes," gasped Nika. "Oh, yes."

"Good. Then that's settled." His hands tightened on her hips, and the rhythm of his thrusts sped up.

Nika stopped thinking. She yielded to the sensations coursing through her, the spiral of desire winding ever tighter as warm water continued to pour over her.

"Come for me, sweet Nika," Ash whispered and reached down to stroke her clit with his fingertip.

His touch sent her tumbling over the edge. Bursts of intense pleasure shot through her like jewel-colored fireworks as she felt him shudder against her with his own release.

Afterwards, when they had dried off and dressed, Ash made her a mug of herb tea, and they sat at his kitchen island to talk.

"I know we always talked about a small wedding, but this will be really small and informal," he said, his hazel eyes glowing with happiness.

Nika smiled at her mate, feeling buoyant with her own happiness. "I don't care about the size of the wedding or anything except marrying you." She shook her head. "And it's not like I can invite my parents or anyone from my clan."

"I'm sorry about that," Ash said, sobering for an instant.

Then he brightened again. "We'll have great food, I'm sure Annabeth will make us one of her fantastic cakes, and I'll put together a playlist that'll keep everyone dancing all night," he assured her. "We could either hold the ceremony and reception here, at the ranch—Evan's house has a huge open-plan downstairs room that could host the reception, and it's not like he and Steffi actually live there—or I could ask Justin about renting out his restaurant."

"I liked Justin's place—" Nika began.

Then Thunder ran out of the master suite, barking wildly.

A moment later, Nika heard it, too: the distinctive whup-whup-whup of an approaching helicopter.

Nika's phone buzzed. She glanced down to see a one-word text message from Dimitri.

RUN!