“Shh,” Ethan and Margo both said, with Margo adding, “He’s about to break down the door of the castle and rescue Chantelle from that awful Ruslan Barnett.”

Making a “hrrump” sound, Selenka settled down. It lasted three minutes. “She is an idiot!” Selenka cried. “Poor Ridge! Tied to this brainless embarrassment of a wolf who gets herself kidnapped every five seconds and is soooooo ‘terrified’ of her champagne-and-caviar-offering captor that she can’t even walk out when the door is fucking open!”

“That’s it.” Features set in severe lines, Margo pointed a finger at Selenka. “We’re going to kick you out of our viewing club if you can’t zip it.”

“Grr.” Arms folded across her chest, Selenka managed to stay silent until it was time for her to leave—though Ethan thought she’d explode from the pressure of keeping her opinions to herself.

Rising after the first episode, she bent down to kiss Ethan. “Do not, ever, in any circumstances, pick me up and throw me over your shoulder as a grand gesture. I will leave bite marks on your gorgeous butt so deep they’ll turn into tattoos.”

Ethan nipped at her lower lip. “I know my mate.”

Mollified, she left at last, but he and Margo waited until they got a message from Kostya telling them Selenka had exited the den before they sprang into action. The comm went off, Ethan stood, Alia entered the room with a full tuxedo in a garment bag, and Margo made the call to the kitchen.

The two women then stepped out, taking an excited Loyal with them, so Ethan could change at the speed of light, and by the time he exited in a perfectly fitted tuxedo—thanks to Alia’s skills—Manuil was standing there with a carry bag that should hold ice-cold craft beer, dark chocolate, black cherries that Abbot had teleported for him just because Ethan asked, and a nonalcoholic cocktail since Psy didn’t do too well with alcohol.

Margo whistled at seeing him, as did Ivo, who was standing with his forearm braced on Margo’s shoulder. “He does scrub up pretty,” Margo said. “Though I’m not sure about the clean-shaven look.”

“It’ll grow back.” Ethan had said the same thing to Selenka this morning, after he shaved. She’d scowled, but she’d also petted his smooth face with curious hands, testing whether she liked it or not; since he’d ended up backed up against the counter while his mate had her way with him, he was pretty sure the verdict was positive. “Have I forgotten anything?”

Gregori paused in eating the bowl of ice cream with which he’d wandered over, a square bandage on the side of his neck over the site of a new tattoo. “Music?”

“I have it loaded onto my phone.” He also had a backup in a small device he’d borrowed from Ivo. “Call Valentin.”

Margo put the phone to her ear. “It’s time. Call off the meet.” She listened for a moment, then made a face. “Yeah, yeah, we owe you one. And I know damn well you won’t forget.” She hung up. “Bears.”

“I’ve alerted Dinara.” Alia held up her own phone. “She’ll redirect Selenka in the direction you want her to go once our alpha turns back into den territory.”

“Did she come up with a rational reason for the redirect?” Ethan asked, since Dinara had said, “I’ll think of something,” when he’d requested the assist.

“A love-struck date happening a small way away between two submissives who might get shy if they knew a dominant was around.” Alia’s soft lips curved as Ethan bent to rub Loyal’s head. “Our tough Dinara is a romantic.”

“You’ll take care of him?” he said to Margo; Loyal was used to going where Ethan went, but Ethan couldn’t take him today.

“Loyal and I will finish our Hourglass Lives marathon.” Margo patted the side of her thigh, and Loyal wandered over. Margo crouched down to put an arm around his back, so he wouldn’t follow Ethan when Ethan left.

“Oh, and my love has set up your table and chairs,” Alia said with a smile. “Tyoma also wants you to know you’re making him look bad.”

Carrier bag slung over his shoulder, Ethan said, “Spasibo,” to the group and made sure to touch Manuil’s shoulder before he headed out.

The boy’s face lit up like a small sun. “Good luck, Ethan.”

Ethan hoped he wouldn’t need luck, that it would all go according to plan. When he reached the den’s vehicle bay, Kostya was waiting for him by the jetcycle Ethan had already ridden more than once. “Selya’s just back in den territory.” He handed over a helmet. “Probably in a bad temper and muttering about bears. You have seven minutes.”

Pulling on the helmet, Ethan thanked the lieutenant, then roared out of the vehicle bay and onto the path that’d lead him to the small table and two chairs Artem had set up. He’d done this exact trail three times this week, to ensure he was aware of all possible hurdles that might come up.

But the ride was smooth today, the moon a silver spotlight on the world.

Reaching the small clearing surrounded by huge trees that created a kind of amphitheater, he parked the jetcycle and hung his helmet on one of the handlebars. Then he quickly arranged the table with the items he carried; the one thing none of the others knew about was the bunch of paper flowers he’d brought in his pocket.

Selenka delighted in the origami he left for her to find.

Table set, he got a beep on his phone that proved to be Dinara giving him the one-minute countdown. Taking a deep breath, he slipped out through the trees to stand at the side of the dirt track Selenka was driving. Her headlights appeared around the corner not long afterward—and Ethan stuck out his thumb as if hitching a ride.

Switching off the lights the instant she spotted him, so he wouldn’t be blinded, she brought the car to a stop and jumped out. Hands on her hips, she stared at him with a stern expression, but delight bubbled along the mating bond. Because this was a game, and wolves loved to play.

“Ethan Night, if you tell me Valentin was in on this, I really truly will bite you,” she threatened.

“He was only peripherally involved,” Ethan said and held out a hand. “No details. But you can still bite me. I like it.”

Shoulders shaking, she took his hand. “What are we doing, zaichik?”

“Having dessert in the moonlight.” Tenderness filled him at the emotions he sensed in her, the simple pleasure and happiness that suffused her.

She sighed when she spotted the white-draped table, the bowl of cherries, the chocolate he’d found for her after she’d mentioned it once in passing. “Oh, Ethan.” Taking the seat he pulled out, she propped her chin on her hands and looked up at him. “Is this in the manual?”

It had been a joke between mates, but Ethan solemnly shook his head. “I thought of this myself using a little inspiration from Wild Woman.” He wasn’t an expert yet, after all.

Primal delight in her. “Aren’t you going to sit?” she asked after he poured her the beer she liked. “How am I supposed to straddle your lap and kiss you stupid if you aren’t seated?”

His cock reacted as it always did to any flirtatiousness from his mate. But Ethan had more to do this night. “I learned something. I want to show you.”

A tilt of her head.

Taking out his phone, he started the quiet background music, then inhaled, exhaled . . . and began to sing to his mate who loved his voice. In front of him, Selenka ignored her drink, ignored the cherries and the chocolate, her eyes closing as she listened with every cell in her body. Her pleasure was a song of its own through his blood.

She shuddered when he stopped, her eyes pure gold when she opened them. “Your voice, Ethan . . . You could captivate my entire pack with it.”

“No, it’s only for you.” For his queen.

“The things you say, Ethan Night . . .” Rising from her chair, Selenka took a cherry and bit into it. She kissed him with lips stained cherry red before she fed him the other half and threw away the pip. “You’re not the only one with secrets.”

She took a step back with another lush kiss, then reached into the vee of her T-shirt to pull out the pendant she wore on a chain. He’d noticed the chain, but the ring-shaped pendant was new to him.

“I planned to do this later tonight, but . . .” A deep smile as she undid the chain and dropped the ring into her hand. A thick band with a simple design that made it appear like beaten metal, it had the letters E and S entwined in the central section.

“Our mating,” she said, “was a thing of instinct. But it’s become so much more. We’ve become who mates should be to one another—lovers, friends, swords, and shields.” She held up the ring. “I want you to wear this so you never doubt who you are to me. My mate, my love, and my Ethan.”

Chest crushingly tight, he stood frozen as she slid the ring onto his finger; then he curled his fingers inward into a fist, holding the gift close. “How did you know?” he rasped. That he still sometimes worried she wouldn’t have chosen him if her wolf hadn’t pushed her into it.

“I’m your mate.” A chiding glance, but her kiss was tender. “You’re my always, Ethan, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Wrapping her up in his arms, Ethan lifted her off the ground . . . then he spun her around as his heart spun, his blood turning to dazzling light. Throwing back her head, his mate sent up a howl that was a song more beautiful than any he could ever sing—because in that howl was untrammeled happiness.

He was her always and that made her happy.

It was a joy the broken, trapped boy he’d once been could’ve never imagined, but the shadow of that boy danced in the light today, no shackles on his mind or on his heart. A heart that belonged to an alpha wolf.

* * *

—

AS Ethan and Selenka spun under the moonlight, Kaleb Krychek looked at the fault lines in the PsyNet, the weak spots created by multiple recent hits, and turned to Aden. “We no longer have a choice.”