Veronica opened her eyes.

Though her body was still floating on waves of ecstasy, fulfillment allowed her mind to focus on something other than chasing the tantalizing pleasure.

Lobo was watching her, his gaze as intense as a tiger’s.

His lips were glistening from her juices and the idea of his unsatisfied need somehow made her frantic again, though she was still in the throes of her climax.

Please, she thought, unable to voice the words of her longing for him to possess her, to fill her to bursting with himself.

His jaw tightened as if he had heard her and he crawled up to her, pressed his forehead to hers.

“Please,” she managed to whisper out loud.

She felt his heat against her and for a moment she was almost afraid. He felt so huge, it seemed impossible that he wouldn’t split her open.

But she was so wet he managed to press inside her slowly, slowly, until she was filled with him.

“Veronica,” he whispered through gritted teeth.

She felt him throb inside her as he held himself still.

She searched her mind for the right words, but came back to the only one she could make her mouth form in the heat of her desire.

“Please,” she whispered back, jogging her hips slightly to encourage him to move.

He groaned and obliged her instantly, sliding nearly out of her only to plunge back in.

She found herself beginning to see stars again as if she were going to climax a second time.

“So good,” he murmured. “My mate, my glorious mate.”

His words pushed her over the edge.

She barely managed to wrap her fingers around his huge arms to anchor herself before she was flying apart again. This time the pleasure was more intense and her heart felt as if it were expanding to enfold the entire universe.

Her mate, he had claimed her. They had claimed each other.

Lobo cried out and threw his head back.

She felt every throb and frisson of his ecstatic climax.

And then she felt something else, a light breeze in the air, or a wavering in the universe.

Good, so good, Lobo said.

But he hadn’t said anything.

Yours, he said, laying his head down on her chest. Forever.

“Did you say something?” she asked.

“No,” he said, his voice resonating through her body.

“But, I heard…” She trailed off. It had been a long day. She was probably imagining things.

“What did you hear?” he asked lifting his head, his blue eyes dancing as he gazed at her.

“Yours forever,” she said uncertainly.

“Ah,” he said.

“I know, now you think I’m crazy,” she said. “But you had a hamburger and I had no dinner at all. I’m probably just tired and hungry, and—”

“No,” he told her. “I didn’t say it, but I felt it. Dr. Bhimani said this might happen.”

“She thought this would happen?” Veronica asked in horror, looking around them at the rolled up clothing and the woods. They must have been crazed with lust. There were beds a quarter mile away in the old academy.

“No, no,” he laughed. “She told me that one day my mate might share my gift.”

“Your gift?”

“I can… sense the emotions of the creatures around me,” he said. “More easily if I care about them or if I really try to connect with them.”

“That’s amazing,” she said.

“You’re not scared?”

“Are you kidding me?” she asked. “I’m grateful. From now on I’ll have a leg up on whether or not someone is a colossal jerk. This is like catnip for me.”

So relieved, so grateful…

“Ha, you were worried,” she crowed.

“Maybe a little.” He grinned at her sheepishly. “Any big plans for your newfound powers?”

“Nope,” she said. “I’m more interested in my newfound mate.”

“And I’m more interested in the fact that you didn’t have any dinner,” he told her. “I can’t mate with you all night long if you aren’t properly nourished. Come on, let’s go back and I’ll make you something to eat. Then we’ll find a real bed. You’ll think up a good use for your new gift in the morning.”

She yawned and allowed him to help her up. She liked his plan. It was good to be in love with someone when that someone had such excellent ideas of how to spend time.

They dressed quickly and hand in hand, walked back through the misty field toward home.