“I always want you, though the heat fades a little between bouts of sex.”

His eyes changed as she watched¯the black receded to show the pretty brown again. The faint hair on his cheeks disappeared and his fangs slid up into a perfectly straight row of white, normal-looking teeth. It amazed her how he could do that and she had to admit it was impressive.

“I nearly mated you.”

“I know. I didn’t want you to do something you’d regret.” She tried to hide her disappointment. “Trust me. I’m never going to forget losing my mind when I was filled with hormones. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I pulled your hair.”

“You didn’t. You had to do it to stop me. I wouldn’t have regretted it. I told you we needed to talk. That’s what I wanted us to discuss.” He hesitated. “Would you have hated me if I’d bitten you?”

“No. Never.” Her heart started to race. “What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t want to lose you, Shannon. When mating heat passes, I don’t want to let you go. I’m a werewolf, I realize we are going to face a lot of shit since my pack won’t be happy with a part puma living with me, but I don’t give a damn. Will you consider staying with me?”

Tears filled her eyes, momentarily blinded her, and she had to fight them back. Anton softly cursed.

“I’m sorry. I should have kept my mouth closed. It’s too soon. Will you at least give us a chance? We’ll have time to get to know each other better by the time I go out of heat. All I ask is for you to keep an open mind that maybe you could get past what I am and care about me the way I do you.”

“I don’t have to do that.”

He winced. “Okay.” His gaze darted anywhere but at her face. “We’ll use condoms. I’ll put on a muzzle if that’s what it takes to prevent me from biting you. I want to mate you but I’d never force it.”

“Anton?”

“It’s okay. You’re human. You need more time.” He finally met her gaze. “I’m not crazy or a lunatic. I just know I want to be with you, I love you, and I’d like to spend the rest of my life as your mate. I want to be honest so you know where I stand.” He paused. “I’m hoping you’ll fall in love with me. I’m going to warn you now…” A smile bowed his lips. “I’m not going to play fair. I’ll do anything to convince you that I’m your perfect mate.”

More tears flowed but she didn’t try to force them back anymore. “I only stopped you from biting me because I thought you might be out of control. I don’t need you to convince me of anything. I love you.”

His gaze widened.

“Do you think I’d let just any guy take me to bed?” She grinned. “I love you, Anton. I don’t want to leave you. I never want to lose what we have.” She cocked her head to the side and positioned her body enough to elevate one shoulder to offer it to him. “I’m yours for the taking if you want me.”

His sexy eyes darkened. “I want you, kitten.”

Shannon’s chest started to vibrate and she started to purr without his hands stroking her body. Her eyes widened with surprise but Anton grinned.

“It sounds as if you might have a bit more cat inside you than you knew. I’m taking that for a yes from it too.”

“This is so embarrassing,” she groaned, cleared her throat, and the purring ceased. “You bring out so much inside me that I never experienced before.”

“We’ll work it out.” He chuckled. “We’ve got time. Lots of it.” He withdrew his c**k from her. He groaned. “I always hate separating us.”

“Then why are you getting up?”

He sat back on his heels. “Roll over. This is easier to do doggy style.” He chuckled at his joke. “Besides, I’ve already scarred you. I want to keep it to a minimum when I mate you. I’ll bite over where I already have.”

Surprise held her still. “You want to mate now?”

All traces of humor erased from his features. “Yes. Do you want to wait?”

“No.” She rolled over and moved to her hands and knees, threw her hair out of the way, and smiled at him over her shoulder. She wiggled her ass. “Do it.”

He lifted to his knees. “I love you, Shannon. I will protect you with my life, make it my first priority to always see to your happiness, and I pledge my eternal love to you.”

His words touched her so much she battled tears. “I promise to love you forever too. I’d die for you as well, and I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

His fangs slid down as she watched and he nudged her thighs farther apart with his knee, gently. “You’re mostly human and I know what humans consider the ultimate commitment. Will you marry me?”

She laughed. “I’m about to let you bite me. What’s a wedding compared to that? Of course I will but something really small and fun. Nothing big or drastic, okay? I figure we’ll face enough stress when your pack finds out you’ve mated me.”

He chuckled. “Good.” His gaze dropped to her curvy ass. “You’re so hot. You have no idea what you do to me.”

She twisted a little to get a look at his stiff c**k and grinned. “I can see and I do know. You do the same to me.” She wiggled her ass again. “Make me happy.”

Anton adjusted his legs outside hers and nudged her wet folds with his cock. He entered her slowly, her pleasure instant at the feel of him stretching her vaginal walls until he slid into her deep and she moaned. He didn’t move once he got into that position.

His voice turned gruff. “I love you, kitten.”

“I love you too, wolf.”

He laughed, wrapped his body over hers, and caged her under him. “I’ll try not to hurt you when I bite. Just hold still when I do. I don’t want to tear your skin any more than I have to. I need to keep locked into you to cement our mating. I want a strong bond formed between us.”

She met his gaze. “So do I. You won’t hurt me. I trust you.”

He kept her gaze as he started to slowly move, thrusting in and out of her. She gripped the bedding to brace her body and pushed back to meet his hips. Ecstasy filled her with every motion. Desire burned hotter and brighter as they moved against each other building to a frenzy of motion. Anton’s arm wrapped around her waist to lock her against him and he hammered her harder and faster.

Shannon had to look away, her head lowered, and she screamed as the cl**ax hit. Anton snarled and she tried not to tense when his sharp fangs pierced her skin. She cried out again, the pain minimal compared to the second cl**ax his bite sent throughout her body. He groaned, his body jerked against hers as he started to come, and she could feel him filling her with his warm release. It seemed to go on forever. His mouth suckled her shoulder, his warm tongue against the curve of it as he held it inside his mouth during the mini-aftershocks of the intense sex they’d just shared.

He finally released her with his mouth. His tongue lapped at her bite mark and she chuckled. “That kind of tickles.”

He paused. “I’m yours now and you’re mine. We’re mated.”

She turned her head until their gazes met. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Epilogue

Three weeks later

Shannon laughed and ducked under Anton’s arm when he lunged at her. “You missed me.”

He grinned. “In more ways than one. I couldn’t stop thinking about you while I visited my dad. The past two hours seemed as though a week passed. I want you.”

She paused by their brand-new bed to grin at him. “Come and get me then.” She lifted the hem of her skirt enough to show him her bare thighs. “Want to guess what I’m not wearing?”

His sexy gaze lowered. “Want to guess where I’m about to put my face to find out?”

She inched the skirt higher to reveal more thigh. “How is your father?”

“He’s growing stronger.” He tore his shirt over his head. “Our doctor assures us he’ll make it. He should be able to take the pack back in less than a month.”

“And your mother?”

“My grandfather has her. He’ll make sure she isn’t able to cause any more trouble.” He bent to remove his boots. “Enough talk.” He opened the snap of his jeans. “I’ve done my family duty today. Now it’s all about us.”

“I like that.” She licked her lips. “I love it when you look at me like that.”

He shoved his jeans down his thighs and pure lust gripped Shannon at seeing him completely stripped bare. Anton had to be the sexiest male who ever walked the earth and he was her mate.

“I’m about to love you a hell of a lot.”

She backed up until her legs touched the edge of their new bed. “Sounds fun.”

He stalked toward her and paused just inches away. He surprised her when he suddenly dropped to his knees and grabbed one of her legs. He lifted it, careful not to make her lose her balance, and settled the curve of her knee over his broad shoulder. His gaze lowered to her pu**y in front of his face. A soft growl rumbled from his throat.

“No panties, kitten?” He gripped her skirt, shoved it higher, out of the way, and leaned in. “And you’re wet. Have I mentioned how I love your scent and taste? I’m addicted to you.” He opened his mouth and licked her clit.

Shannon grabbed for one of the bedposts with one hand and held her skirt out of his way with the other. “That feels so good.”

He lapped at her and the vibration started inside her chest at the pleasure his mouth created. The purrs coming from her were something she had grown accustomed to. She only experienced that it when Anton made love to her or caressed her after sex. It seemed to turn him on more so she’d stopped trying to resist the urge when it struck.

He suddenly stopped teasing her cl*t and she met his gaze when he grinned at her.

“What?”

“You’re my purrfect mate.” He mimicked the sound she’d made when he said it.

She laughed. “I guess I am. You’re a grrrreat mate,” she growled at him.

He suddenly rose, chuckling. Her leg over his shoulder caused her to fall back onto the bed as Anton came down on top of her. “We’re a hell of a pair, aren’t we?”

Her hands caressed his face. “We’re purrfect.”

He laughed again. “Ready to purr for me, kitten?” He nudged her with his cock.

“Ready to howl for me, baby?”

His mouth came down on hers. Shannon wrapped her legs around his waist and slid her fingers into his silky hair as the kiss deepened. She’d take that as a yes.