He turned her over roughly, forcing her onto all fours. Nope. There’d be no going back to the bed for this coupling. There’d be no romance, soft lights, jazz music, and high threadcount sheets. There’d be no condoms.

She wasn’t in heat and she was on the pill. Chances were low to nonexistent she’d get pregnant. But that didn’t matter. Not to the Smith males. When they claimed a female, they claimed a female. And like the canines they were, they’d do it out here. In nature. Something both of them were elementally a part of.

Smitty leaned over her, his lips dragging across her back, his tongue licking her spine. One hand slid beneath her and rested against her stomach, holding her in place; the other hand braced Smitty above her. Like most things when it came to Smitty, he didn’t rush this. Her wolf took his time. Brushing his head against her shoulders, his nose against the back of her neck. Strong, powerful thighs pressed against the back of hers and she could feel his hard cock resting against her ass.

He kissed her neck, moving down until he reached her shoulder. He licked a spot there. Once, twice. Then his mouth opened and wrapped around the muscle. She closed her eyes, preparing for the pain.

And it hurt. God, it hurt! This wasn’t soft and gentle and sweet. Fangs brutally tore through flesh and muscle, digging against bone. Her yelp of pain didn’t stop him. She didn’t expect it to.

Jess gasped and whimpered, instinctively trying to pull away, but the more she struggled the harder Smitty held on. His arms wrapped around her, keeping her tight against him, trying to keep her still. Then his cock pushed against her, demanding entrance inside her pussy. Demanding and receiving.

It wasn’t until he pushed home that she realized how wet she was. How ready for him. So ready that as soon as he slammed inside her, the first orgasm washed over her without his having to do much of anything. He held on to her as her body shook and she cried out, the sound echoing off the leafless trees.

Smitty waited until she shook and groaned through that first one, until the panting slowed down. He waited until she realized it wasn’t over. Then he used his body to force the top half of her close to the ground while pushing her ass up higher. He readjusted his grip on her shoulder, dragging another cry of pain from her when he settled his fangs back inside her flesh; then he drove into her body without pity, without mercy. A Smith wolf claiming his mate in absolutely no uncertain terms.

And with each vicious, nearly cruel thrust, she felt how much he loved her. It was weird. Something a full-human would never understand. Yet Jess knew. Knew that as surely as he’d always call her Jessie Ann—no matter how much she hated it—he would always love her. He’d die for her. Protect their pups. Protect her Pack while protecting his own. He’d do whatever he could to make her happy.

One of the arms gripping her tight loosened and the fingers slid down her belly, between her legs. He stroked her clit several times until he gripped it and squeezed. Jess broke again, this time her gasps turning into sobs. Sobs ofrelease. Sobs of triumph. She’d finally gotten him. She’d gotten her wolf.

Yet even as she knew they were perfect for each other, she also knew that she’d always drive him crazy. She’d always confuse him. Confound him. Make him wonder, “What the hell is she going on about now?” She’d never give him a moment’s peace. And he’d always annoy her, talk as slowly as humanly possible, if he said anything at all. He’d always think she was weird. And he’d laugh at her more often than not. Their pups would grow up to be crazed wolfdogs. Part of a group of hybrids so dangerously unstable, Prides and wolf Packs all over the country went out of their way to keep them out of the shifter-only towns and resorts.

But they’d be theirs. Ward-Smith “freaky little bastards,” as Sabina often called her own children. They’d be theirs and no other pups would ever be as loved or as confused as they.

Jess braced her forearms against the freezing cold ground, balancing her body so Smitty could drive inside her harder, faster. So he could make her come again.

And he did.

She screamed out, the sounds of her release echoing off the snow-covered trees as her body pushed back into his every thrust. Meeting him, stroke for stroke. Squeezing his cock until he thought both his heads would explode.

Then she spoke the words. The words he’d been waiting for her to say without anger. And, most important, without regret. What he would have continued fucking her in the cold for until he heard them.

“I love you, Smitty. God, I love you so much!”

That’s what he’d needed to hear. What he expected to keep hearing until the Lord called them both home.

Again, Smitty unhinged his jaw where he’d marked her as his for eternity. He grabbed tight hold of her hips and yanked her back as he drove into her. Taking what was his, giving her everything he had. Because as much as she belonged to him, he belonged to her. He always would. His soul, their lives, all wound together in a wonderfully messy knot. Nothing in their lives would ever be normal or quiet, and that made him happier than he ever thought possible.

He dug in deeper, gripped her hips tighter, and pounded into her harder, until he threw his head back and roared his release, rivaling any lion he knew.

Her pussy spasmed around his cock, milking him dry as she whimpered out another orgasm, her body shaking as badly as his.

Smitty came deep inside her, making sure she took all of it, all of him before collapsing against her back and the two of them landed on the hard ground.

Fighting for breath, Smitty looked up at the overcast sky. The storm had come and it suddenly occurred to him they were completely covered in snow. Then he glanced down at Jessie... and that’s when he saw it. As clear as he could see Jessie Ann’s trembling form, he could see this. There’d be no Smith sons for him and Jessie. No males he’d have to spend his whole life watching his back over. No males to try to maul him during family hunts.