My dick stirred inside her because I liked rough, too. Or at least like what we just did. Just as I was learning what made her happy, I was learning what made me happy.
“Fuck, baby. I’m so happy. My wolf is happy.” I eased out of her, my gaze roving over her face, memorizing every perfect detail. “You’re mine,” I breathed.
This time, instead of flinching or freaking out, she nodded, her palm sliding down to cradle the side of my face. I turned my head and kissed it. “I’m yours. You’re mine. This is our beginning.”
This was our beginning. I couldn’t believe it. It was almost too good to be true.
But my wolf had settled. I was fully bonded to my mate–attached and protective and needing to provide, but that feral desperation was gone. I wasn’t going to go moon mad.
“But I think our dinner has gone cold,” she said.
I chuckled. “Fuck dinner. I’m feasting on you.”
And I did just that. More than once.
24
SUMMER
* * *
I was happy. I couldn’t really remember ever being this happy. I had friends. Natalie, of course, but the entire Wolf Ranch group had taken me in. It wasn’t because they were all shifters either because they weren’t. Audrey and Marina were sisters and human. Charlie and Becky and Riley and… I could keep going, but the names didn’t matter. They were all my newfound friends.
“Another pitcher, please and thank you,” a guy in a snap shirt and Stetson requested with a wink. It was Saturday night again–time moved fast when your days and nights were filled with sex and love and belonging. Even though it was snowing out, the place was packed. A little weather didn’t bother Montanans much. If it did, they’d be stuck in their houses for eight months out of the year.
I reached to the middle of the high top and grabbed the empty pitcher. “You got it.”
I weaved through the crowd, saying hi to some familiar faces and set the empty on the server area of the bar. Cody came over.
“Refill, please.”
He nodded, tucked the pitcher in the dirties bucket, and started filling a clean one. As he did, he glanced my way. “All good?”
I smiled, which I knew he couldn’t miss. “Yeah. Really good.”
He tapped his neck, right where I’d been marked on mine. “Figured.”
After Boone had marked me, I’d looked at the spot in the mirror. It wasn’t too sore or even much of an open wound where his teeth punctured the skin. Now, it was just red marks where he’d done it. A small scar. It didn’t look like a hickey, so humans who didn’t know about shifters wouldn’t think it was anything. But Cody recognized it for what it was.
Boone was mine.
“Where’s your mate tonight?” He flipped off the tap.
“With his brothers,” I replied over the new song on the jukebox. It was loud and twangy and had a solid beat that everyone liked. “They were going snowmobiling with Johnny and Rand earlier. Then some kind of guy thing. Sports on TV or whatever. He’s coming before closing to pick me up.”
And take me back to my place and hopefully have his snarly way with me.
This was a new thing for Boone–doing something fun with his brothers and other shifters–but a good transition because it was up on the mountainside where he felt the most comfortable. He was working on getting out there, and I was proud of him for it.
“That’s great. Maybe you two can come over for dinner some night I have off. Riley’s been super excited telling me about how your songs have gone viral online.”
I’d heard from the music producer again, wanting to hear an official demo reel and meet me.
I felt myself blush and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, she’s my social media manager, for sure.”
“You’re good, Summer. She might’ve put it out there, but people love your work.” He set the full pitcher in front of me.
I smiled again, this time not because of Boone but because of me. He was giving me a compliment, and I liked it. Sure, everyone liked compliments, but my music had been shut down for so long it was validating to know people like Cody really liked it. Millions of views were also proof.
