Four months later …
The pool nearest the river at Kirkham hot springs under the nearly full moon was one of the most beautiful things Devon had ever seen. Hot water cascaded in a trickling waterfall, adding to the sound of the river as it rushed by. Devon shivered as the cool spring air kissed her naked flesh, coaxing goose bumps to the surface of her skin. She marveled over the events of the past several months that brought her to this moment. Her life had done a complete one-eighty. And she had a very sexy werewolf to thank for it.
The heat of Liam’s body warmed her back before his bare chest even made contact with her skin. Devon’s lips curled in an indulgent smile as she allowed her eyes to drift shut.
“Cold?”
The deep rumble of his voice resonated through her and she shivered for a completely different reason. “Not even a little bit.”
“Liar.” Liam chuckled. “You’re covered in goose bumps.”
Okay, so maybe she was a little cold. But Devon welcomed the chilling sensation. After tonight, Liam assured her that she’d never feel cold again—at least, not in the same way—and Devon wanted to commit the feeling to memory. Everything would change. She’d leave the life she knew behind. Four months ago, the prospect of change had terrified her. But Liam had given her the time and space she needed to make a decision on her own and she was ready now. She wanted this life. She wanted Liam.
Forever.
He took her by the hand and guided her into the shallow pool. Pins and needles pricked at her skin as the geothermally heated water made contact with her cooled skin. It only took a moment for her to adjust to the temperature as she settled down into the shallow pool. Liam settled down behind her and she let her back rest against his wide, muscular chest.
“Better?”
Devon let out an indulgent sigh. “Much better.”
Last year, she would have balked at the prospect of skinny-dipping, even at night. But Liam assured her that modesty was something that a werewolf quickly learned to live without and she figured she might as well get used to running around outside without her clothes on. After all, she’d be doing it at least once per month for the rest of her existence.
Several quiet moments passed. Liam’s hands roamed her body. His lips touched down on her bare shoulder, her throat, the nape of her neck. “You don’t have to do this you know.” When he finally broke the silence, Devon sensed the worry in his tone. “If you’re not ready, if you need more time, I’ll understand.”
Of course he would. Liam’s patience with her seemed to have no end. Since that day when Christoph had sent her car down the embankment, Liam had gone out of his way to be patient with her. To cater to her needs and be understanding. It hadn’t all been smooth sailing since then. Adjusting to pack life was something of a culture shock. Sort of like living on a campus with fifteen rowdy brothers and a few sisters. Boundaries were often crossed, but Devon had come to learn that with such a tight-knit group as Liam’s pack, boundaries were bound to blur. There wasn’t a single member of Liam’s pack that she didn’t adore. She already considered them family. And after tomorrow, she’d truly be one of them.
“I don’t need any more time.” Devon turned and tilted her head up toward Liam. He leaned down for a quick kiss. “I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a while. It’s time to move forward and get on with our lives.”
“Hmmmm.” The deep hum of his voice sent a fresh round of chills over Devon’s skin. His eyes lit with gold as a wide smile spread across his full lips. “I like the sound of that.”
He reached around to cup her breasts in his palms. Devon’s head fell back on his shoulder and she let out a slow, contented breath. The pads of his thumbs brushed her pearled nipples and she shuddered. The simplest touch from Liam ignited a bright spark within her that quickly turned to a raging fire. Devon had never known true desire until Liam.
Devon loved Liam. The more she thought of it, the more she realized she’d been in love with him from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.
“Are you worried?” Liam had done his best to prepare her for what the transition would be like. She was beginning to think it bothered him a lot more than it bothered her.
“A little.” There was no use lying to a werewolf. “But I know you’re going to take care of me until I settle in to it.”
Liam kissed the top of her head. He continued his slow exploration of her body that heated Devon’s blood and quickened her breath. “You’ll have nothing to fear,” he murmured against her ear. “The pack will take care of you.”
Devon’s biggest concern had always been the prospect of losing herself. Of becoming someone else. Liam assured her that the changes she’d experience would be merely metaphysical in nature. That while her body would change, the essence of what made her unique would always remain the same. He’d also let them split their time between Stanley and Lowman and agreed to continue to do so after her transition so that Devon could run the bar and keep that part of her life intact. She knew there would come a time that she’d be forced to let it go, but Liam assured her that it would be years before that would happen. For now, very little had to change.
“I’m lucky to have you.” Tender emotion swelled in Devon’s chest. “I’m lucky to have all of you.”
“I’m the one who’s lucky.” Liam’s solemn tone only intensified the emotion that lodged itself in Devon’s throat. “To have found my mate after believing I would never find her is a gift I will never take for granted.”
Devon didn’t speak. She couldn’t. The words stalled on her tongue, stayed by unshed tears. She’d never felt for anyone what she felt for Liam. He was her heart, her soul, her comfort, her home. Words hadn’t been invented that could properly describe what she felt for him. And by letting Liam bite her under the full moon tomorrow night, she would ensure that they would be together for as long as possible.
She turned in Liam’s arms. Their mouths met, tongues danced, hands explored. Their breaths mingled into one. Time stood still while they enjoyed each other’s bodies under the light of the full moon.
“I love you, Liam.” Devon uttered the words against his mouth. She’d told him every day for months and would continue to do so until she didn’t have breath to fill her lungs. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” His mouth found hers again and the urgency of his kiss banished all further conversation. They didn’t need words to convey how they felt. All they needed was each other.
* * *
Liam paced the confines of his bedroom. The moon would be up in less than a half hour and with his transition, he’d no longer be able to communicate with Devon. Tonight’s full moon would be solemn for the pack. There would be no hunt. No running through the forest. No wild abandon. Tonight, the pack would stand watch over Devon as she recovered from the bite that Liam would deliver. He knew that she was strong enough. That she’d survive the transition. That her mind was sound and that duality wouldn’t weigh on her. Still, he couldn’t help but worry. Nothing mattered more than her safety. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her.
“Relax.” Devon’s easy laughter released the tension in his muscles. “You’re so nervous you’d think you’re the one about to be bitten by a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound werewolf.”
It would be only a nip. Just enough to break the skin. But Liam was reluctant to harm her, even if the result would help to strengthen their mate bond and ensure that they would be together for centuries to come.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” The admission made Liam’s chest ache.
“You won’t. Not enough for it to matter anyway.”
Gods, she was strong. Brave. Fierce. She’d make a formidable werewolf, Liam had no doubt in his mind. “Are you sure you’re ready…?”
“Liam.” Devon gave a rueful shake of her head. “We discussed this last night. I’m ready.”
“Last night I was too distracted by your body to think clearly.” He teased, but it wasn’t far from the truth. Devon could easily distract him with nothing more than a heated glance.
Her husky laughter sent a delicious chill down Liam’s spine. His wolf gave an anxious yip in the recess of his psyche. The animal was close to the forefront of his mind, ready to be let out and even more eager to make their mate truly theirs. As a werewolf, Devon would feel their mate bond in the same way Liam did. The wolf was as anxious for that connection between them as Liam was.
The past four months had been bliss. He didn’t want to ruin a good thing. What if she had second thoughts, or regrets? What if he did something tonight that he couldn’t take back that would cause her to resent him? To hate him? He’d shrivel up and die if that were to happen.
“Are all Alpha werewolves so broody and melodramatic, or is it just you?”
Her teasing tone did little to temper his anxiety. She smiled and the brilliance of it was like the sun, banishing the dark cloud he’d cast on his thoughts. Tonight was supposed to be a time to rejoice, not mourn. He wasn’t killing her, he was giving her a new life. A life they could share. Devon was truly remarkable. That they’d managed to find each other in this sparsely populated wilderness still amazed him.
He supposed he had Christoph running him out of Colorado to thank for it.
Liam’s skin tightened on his frame and the magic of his impending full-moon transition sparked the air. The wolf wouldn’t be denied for much longer. As soon as the moon crested the horizon, he would have no choice but to succumb to the animal’s—and the moon’s—pull. Once he bowed to that instinct, there would be no going back for either of them. The wolf would follow through. Devon might not be afforded the opportunity to change her mind. The wolf was a high-handed bastard. Alpha logic.
“I just want to be sure.” He needed Devon to know that his love for her wasn’t conditional. That she didn’t have to make any sacrifices for him or anyone else. “I love you, Devon. Just as you are. That’s enough for me.”
Devon crossed the room. She took Liam’s hands in hers as her gaze held him still. “I love you, too. And I’ve told you already, I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me. I want this. I’ve been ready for weeks. Stop trying to talk me out of it. My mind’s made up. I can be just as stubborn as you can, you know.”
That was certainly the truth. She was the perfect mate for an equally stubborn Alpha. “You win.” Liam allowed for a chuckle as he bent down and kissed her forehead. “No more arguing. No more trying to talk you out of anything.”
“Damn straight!” Devon gave him a playful knock on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get this show on the road. The buildup is driving me crazy.”
Liam took her by the hand and led her out of their bedroom and down the stairs. After tonight, everything would be different, and at the same time, wouldn’t change at all. Liam reminded himself as he walked ahead of Devon through the house to the back door that his bite would be a gift and not a curse. He’d never once thought of his existence as anything to regret or be ashamed of. He possessed power and strength, the ability to protect those he loved and were under his care. And now, he’d pass those traits to his mate.
They stepped out the back door to find every member of the pack waiting for them fifty or so yards from the main house in a large clearing. Devon gave Liam’s hand a gentle squeeze and in the small gesture, he felt every ounce of love she had for him.
“So much pomp and circumstance,” she teased. “I feel underdressed in jeans.”
Liam laughed. Gods, how he loved her. “If you feel underdressed now, wait for the next full moon.” She’d have to get used to a lot more unabashed nakedness than she was used to. Pack life always required a time of adjustment for newly turned werewolves, and Devon would be no exception.
“Oh, I know it.” She walked beside him now, her hand still in his. “It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure.”
An understatement. “For both of us.” Whether it came with the territory or not, Liam wasn’t sure he was ready for the pack to see his mate without her clothes. For the first few full moons, Liam thought it might be best for his own sanity if they ran separate from the pack. At least, until Devon became more comfortable with her newfound duality.
She turned to face him and her expression became mischievous. “Jealous?”
“Always.” Liam doubted there would ever be a time that he didn’t feel possessive of Devon.
“Good. I sort of like that.” She leaned in for a quick kiss.
She drove him absolutely mad with want. Liam stopped and allowed the kiss to linger. The moon wasn’t up yet. He’d take every spare moment he could get.
“Hey.” Devon pulled away. “Are you trying to distract me?”
“That depends,” Liam replied. “Is it working?”
“Nope.” Devon flashed a wide smile. “The moon’s on the horizon. Are you ready?”
Liam’s skin tingled with the impending shift. It was time. He kissed her once more in farewell until the moon set and he could speak to her again. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know.” Her trust in him made his chest swell with pride and tender emotion. “As long as I have you, everything will always be okay.”
He felt the exact same way. He couldn’t wait to start this new chapter of their lives. Liam belonged to Devon and she belonged to him.
Forever.