His wolf lent his voice a growlingundertone as he said the most important words he’d ever uttered. “Iwill.”
“Love you,” shemouthed.
“Love you,” he mouthedback.
She turned slowly and faced the pack,brushing her hair to one side to bare her neck. He would’ve muchrather done this when she was hazed with pleasure, but it wasn’ttheir way. This marking—of a male to his female, of the alpha tohis true mate—had to be done in front of the pack as witness, andthere was no male wolf on the planet who would allow his female tobe seen hazed with bliss by any other males. While he didn’t wantto cause her pain, the mating bite in front of the pack was asignificant moment, marking her as the alpha female intruth.
He inhaled and shook away the nerves,catching her sweet scent and smiling. His fangs slid smoothly fromhis gums, and his fingertips itched with the need to bareclaws.
“I’ll make this up to youlater,” he whispered.
“I know youwill.”
She crossed her arms over his,anchoring herself to him. He closed his eyes and savored themoment, and then he struck, burying his fangs into her throat. Shestifled a gasp and her body jolted within his embrace. Extractinghis fangs, he nicked his tongue and swiped his blood into thewound. He drew his face away from her neck and watched as his bloodhealed the wounds swiftly. Only two scars remained—which wouldforever mark her as his.
He hugged her tight and tilted hishead away from hers, letting out a possessive howl.
His pack dropped to their knees andhowled along with him, a joyous sound commemorating her as theiralpha female and his true mate.
When the last echo had faded and theonly sound was the crackling fire, Wrath turned her in his arms andkissed her.
“You okay?”
“That wasn’t bad,” shewhispered. “I feel different.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “More connected toyou.”
“I feel the sameway.”
The pack got off their knees andcongratulated them. Wrath led Trinity to one of the log seats, andwhile she sat, he went to the table and filled plates for the twoof them. The pack followed suit, and in minutes they were alleating around the fire, laughing and talking. While Wrath hadalways felt a camaraderie with the pack, he couldn’t remember thelast time they’d done this. Just hung out together. He’d been tooconsumed with planning his next move in his bid to take overeverything and amass as much power as possible that he’d nevertaken time to enjoy what he already had.
It was about damn time.
When they’d eaten all they could ofvenison, mashed root vegetables, and Wrath’s favorite honey roastedcarrots, Trinity cut the cake, giving a piece toeveryone.
Wrath looked at his slice of cake. Ithad three layers of yellow cake, with a white cream and red berriesof some sort in between, topped with more white cream and flowersmade of sugar. He sniffed it, finding it smelling pleasantly offruit and sugar.
“You guys don’t have cakehere?” Trinity asked, taking a bite and humming inpleasure.
“Not like this,” he said.They had honeycakes, which were small round cakes drizzled withhoney. But he’d never seen anything like this.
He cut a piece with his fork and ateit, surprised at the sweetness and delicious taste. At his urging,she explained the berries were called strawberries and the creamwas actually frosting, made with sugar and milk.
“We don’t havestrawberries,” Creek said. “Too bad, because they’reamazing.”
“There seems to be most ofthe same fruits and vegetables here as in my old world,” Trinitysaid. “I like strawberries, too, but I can definitely live withoutthem because I get to be here.”
Wrath smiled at her, thankful for themagic that had made a path between two vastly different worlds tobring them together.
When their meal was finished, Isoldepromised to clean up before she headed home. Wrath called for hispack to shift and hunt together, and to enjoy the night. He tookTrinity into the woods, Mytan sniffing loudly around them, his tailwagging.
Once out of view of everyone, hekissed her deeply.
“Wow, let’s skip the huntand go to bed.”
He chuckled. “You don’t really meanthat.”
“No, but you’re verytempting.”
“So are you.” He pulled hisshirt off and she took it, draping it over a low-hanging branch.“I’m still me in my shift. While I can’t talk to you, I canunderstand what you’re saying.”
“Can I go withyou?”
“You can’tshift.”
“I know,” she said, rollingher eyes. “But I can walk with you. I mean, unless you need to runto satisfy your wolf. I’d rather be out in the woods with youtonight instead of sitting around the bonfire with Mytan justwaiting for you to come back.”
It hadn’t occurred to him that she’dlikely be bored. “I’d love that. And for the record, my beast isperfectly content right now just being with you. I’m shiftingbecause it’s the full moon and it’s a tradition after a matingannouncement, not because I have a deep need to do so.”
“Then I’d love to joinyou.”
He finished stripping, waiting untilshe’d hung up his things and was watching him before he called hisshift forward. The change came over him quickly, onyx fur coveringskin, bones cracking and reforming, hands and feet replaced withbig paws. He shook himself out and stretched, then moved to her.Her eyes were wide and her smile was broad as she cupped his headand kissed his nose.
“That was amazing! You’reso gorgeous. I mean, you’re the sexiest guy I’ve ever known, butyour wolf is beautiful.” She walked around him slowly and ran herhands through his fur. He loved feeling her hands onhim.
“Let’s go,” she said. “Thesooner you can shift back, the sooner we can make our mating nightofficial.”
He loved that idea hard.
They headed deeper into the woods,Trinity walking at his side. His pack occasionally passed by asthey chased the furry creatures that called the woods home, butWrath wasn’t interested in chasing anything. He was the mostcontent he’d ever been. Everything within him was at peace now thatTrinity—the missing part of his heart—was finally his intruth.
When they’d meandered their way aroundthe forest and back to the fire, she sat on one
