The beauty of her in the moonlight made his breath catch. Her breasts were touched by silver, the nipples dark and tight. She shook out her hair, the rumpled brown and gold brushed by moonlight.

Her jeans fell, and now she was bare. Kenzie clung to Bowman while she wrapped first one leg, then the other around his hips, the heat of her planted exactly over the ridge inside his jeans. She began to rub him, while Bowman held her against him, the friction driving him wild.

He bit her chin, then her neck. He loved the scent of her, her beauty only for him.

Kenzie. Mate.

Her look turned to one of pure pleasure as she worked herself against the solid denim of his jeans. His cock pounded beneath the cloth, wanting something less tame than simply rubbing against her. Any other night he might slow down and enjoy the myriad sensations, but tonight was electrifying, blotting out all but his rawest needs.

He unlocked Kenzie’s legs from him and set her back down, her small noise of protest making him nearly lose all control. Then he unbuckled, unzipped, and kicked his way out of his pants. He was bare beneath as well, also for ease of shifting.

He had Kenzie against the tree again before she could draw a breath. He lifted her, wrapping her legs around his hips, positioning himself at the spread of her.

She leaned back, his strong mate, and Bowman held her behind her waist, her hands locked around his neck. His cock brushed her opening, then slid inside, until she was taking all of him.

Their first mating, long ago, had been primal, so full of torn clothing and rug burns that Bowman hadn’t had time to register the pleasure of it. It had been the most intense sex of his life up until that point.

But every time since then had been even better. Tonight was no exception. Those who believed coupling with the same person palled over time, or that the sex could never be as good as the first time, had to be insane. Or maybe they just weren’t very good at it.

Kenzie made each experience amazing. Just when Bowman thought he’d never feel more explosive pleasure, Kenzie showed him he was wrong. She knew exactly how to touch him, how to stroke him. Even Kenzie running light fingers across his chest could have him hard and ready in an instant.

When she’d crawled under the covers last night to take him in her mouth, Bowman had thought he’d die. He’d wanted to pin her down and make love to her and never stop.

Now he turned in a circle with her, buried deep inside her. She moved against him, her eyes softening as she found pleasure, which she was giving back to him tenfold.

Goddess, I love you, Kenzie. How could I ever be without you?

Moonlight bathed her face in radiance. Her breasts moved with their rhythm, her breath quickening to gasps of delight. Bowman didn’t dampen his groans and the growling laughter in his throat. This was a mating ceremony night, when Shifters gave in to their carnal desires, answering that most basic instinct—to mate, to make cubs.

The Goddess be blessed for making this instinct pure joy.

Bowman held her. “Kenzie, love . . .”

Kenzie answered with wordless cries, their love ringing through the woods. Nothing mattered in the world—not the Collar that gleamed on Kenzie’s throat, not the threats outside Shiftertown, not even the problem of the mate bond.

Only this mattered, joining with Kenzie, loving her, being one with her. And at the same remaining two, because no way could one single being feel This. Damn. Good.

He was coming. Bowman heard words leave his mouth. “You’re beautiful, Kenz. You’ve got the finest ass, the hottest . . .” More phrases, from poetic to filthy came in time with his thrusts. She was hot and slick, and embraced him with her whole body. “I want to be inside you, and never . . . come . . . out.”

Kenzie’s hips rocked with his, her strong arms steadying herself and, at the same time, him. She was Bowman’s anchor, his reality. His necessity.

He loved her, and the hell he’d ever let her go to some asshole who claimed he had a mate bond with her. Screw the fucking mate bond.

Bowman’s cries turned to howls. Kenzie’s joined his. Their wolves, buried deep within them, rejoiced in the moonlight, for this mating, this joining of bodies and twining of souls.

Bowman found himself on the ground, still inside Kenzie, tears stinging his eyes. Kenzie’s face was wet too, but her smile was wide.

She put up her hand and wiped a tear from Bowman’s cheek, then they collapsed together into the soft pine needles with warm kisses and touches, murmuring things to each other that weren’t really words at all.

* * *

Bowman often left Kenzie directly after loving, especially when they shared an intense coupling. She lay quietly under him now as he stilled, and braced herself for him heaving to his feet and walking away.

She was surprised, then, when Bowman remained on top of her, gently kissing her neck, licking where he’d bitten her. Kenzie didn’t want to move much, in case it reminded him to go, but she couldn’t help running her fingers through his short hair, liking the silken buzz of it.

Dappled light touched Bowman’s shoulders, brushing the sculpted beauty of his back, his legs, the rise of his buttocks. Kenzie thought she could lie here under him forever, his strength surrounding her.

He raised his head and kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips, with slow tenderness. The sweet kiss led to something deeper, going on for some time.

Bowman lifted his head. His eyes were the same color as the moonlight, his Collar a black streak against his sun-kissed throat.

“We’re good together,” he said in a soft voice. “You and me.”

Beyond the darkness, Shiftertown was lit up, music blaring, Shifters yelling and carrying on. Kenzie couldn’t see them from where she lay, but she could definitely hear them. Probably half the county could.

“Yeah,” Kenzie answered, smiling up at Bowman. “We are.”

She touched his face, feeling the burn of whiskers, and traced his lips. Bowman caught her fingers with his teeth. He drew her forefinger all the way into his mouth, working it the same way he would her nipple. He did so for a time, until Kenzie moved beneath him, fires stirring like the leaping flames of the bonfires.

“The Goddess made us for each other,” he said when he released her finger, licking it one more time. “I knew when I first saw you. I looked past all those scared Shifters, and you were standing there, straight up and take-no-shit, helping the cubs, getting in the face of the human guards who tried to mess with you. I never wanted to look away.”