“It’s not the mating frenzy.” Zander’s thumbs found her opening, caressed it. “It’s you. You save my life, you ease my pain, and you act like you don’t know why that’s special. No one ever saved my life before, Rae. Only you.”

His hands warmed her skin, his touch exciting her and making her thoughts blur. She figured he meant she’d saved him in the bar fight when she’d slammed the sword into the shotgun, keeping Zander from being hit point-blank. He’d still been shot, but only grazed. The scar from that wound had faded, barely discernible now on his tanned flesh.

“I didn’t want them to hurt you,” she said shakily. “You were my ride.”

Zander’s smile spread across his face—his real smile, which only showed up when she surprised him. He leaned to her and kissed her deeply, then took his mouth down her body in the path his fingers had traveled.

Rae sucked in a breath when he pressed an openmouthed kiss to her most intimate place, and another when he abruptly rose from her. Rae was suddenly cold without him and lifted herself on her elbows, a protest on her lips.

Before she could speak, Zander stepped out into the front room but was back almost immediately, the Sword of the Guardian in his hands. He took both pieces from the sheath and laid them across the dresser, the broken pieces fitted together.

“What will we need that for?” Rae asked in surprise.

“An idea of mine. The runes where it’s broken say the couple gets reunited.” Zander’s eyes sparkled as he came back to her. “I bet I know what those two did when they found each other again. Maybe it’s what will put the sword back together.”

Rae blinked. “And that’s why you brought me here?”

“It’s one reason I brought you here.” Zander cupped Rae’s face. “I have a lot of other things on my mind.”

He leaned to kiss her again, but Rae drew back. “I don’t like it . . . watching.”

Zander looked puzzled, but just then the sword made a faint ting, as though it were laughing. Zander grimaced and swung away into the bathroom. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

He emerged with a towel and dropped it over the sword, which went silent. Without another word, Zander stripped himself of his jeans and underwear and returned to her.

The next kiss wiped away Rae’s doubts, fears, and worries. She lay back as he came down to her, the bed embracing them both. Zander kissed her face, her throat, his weight covering her but not oppressing. His body was protective, wanting, not demanding or subduing. Zander was with her, taking care of her.

He moved his mouth to her breast, covering it. Rae groaned as she slid her foot up his leg, wanting to pull his heavy cock inside her but not wanting the warm sensation of his mouth on her to cease.

Zander circled her nipple with his tongue, then licked between her breasts to her throat. He lifted his head and kissed her, his mouth hot from her breast. At the same he drew one finger firmly along her opening. As Rae jerked hard with pleasure, Zander slid himself inside her.

Rae lost the kiss as she gave a strangled cry, the amazing feeling of him robbing her of breath. Zander filled and spread her, a tight fit, but Rae also had the instant and striking sense that he’d been made for her.

Zander growled low in his throat, his eyes half closing. “Goddess, I knew you’d feel good, but I never thought . . .” He groaned as he slid another inch inside her. “I want to stay in you forever . . .”

Rae wanted to quip that it would be impractical but she couldn’t, because she wanted that too. Forever in Zander’s warmth, hearing his deep voice as he loved her, that rumble of it vibrating her whole body.

The hardness of him found her open spaces, filled her, completed her. Rae lifted her hips and Zander slid all the way in, easy for him because she was so slick. Rae wanted him with her body, her heart, her soul.

Mate, the wolf inside her said joyfully. The other part of me.

Zander gazed down at Rae, his eyes dark with raw need. He pressed a long kiss to the corner of her mouth as he began to thrust.

Even if he is a bear, the wolf said with a grin, and then Rae lost all sense of words and thoughts.

* * *

Zander surrendered to the incredible sensation of being inside Rae. She opened to him all the way, welcoming him, no holding back. Rae didn’t do things by halves—she gave all of herself.

She was giving all of herself to him now. Zander’s hips moved as he tried to be inside her as far as he could, greedy for her and her heat.

The loneliness that was Zander’s life splintered and fell away. All the pain he’d sucked into himself, all the grief when he’d failed to heal someone, even the joy when he’d helped them, was gone on the breath of the wind. Nothing mattered in his past, or his future. Only this present mattered with Rae beneath him, her gray eyes darkening in passion.

Rae was also sweet, soft, and sexy, and Zander lost himself in the hot joy of her. To hell with the world and all its crap. He was with Rae, who gripped him tight, squeezing his cock inside her. Let the frenzy come. Screw it.

Zander growled as he sank into the bed with her, Rae’s eyes the most beautiful sight in the world as she gave in to desire. Zander thrust, and thrust again, every slide in and out an astonishing thing. If any experience in his life had been this good, he didn’t remember it. Nope, nothing had ever been this good.

He drowned in Rae’s scent, her touch, the noises she made as they rocked together. She was beauty itself, and she was sassy and strong, and Zander would never have enough of her.

Rae gave a sharp cry as her climax engulfed her, then she went crazy, kissing him, crying his name, dragging him deeper and deeper inside her.

Zander gave her what she asked for, bracing his fists on the bed as he drove into her, Rae’s feet planted on his backside and pulling him in. He grew dizzy as his coming surged up and then smacked him hard.

He heard his voice tearing through the room, Rae’s answering cries, and the faint shimmer of the sword on the dresser. Then every sound was swamped by the roaring in Zander’s ears, though he heard the snarls in his throat.

I love you, Little Wolf.

Zander had no idea if he shouted the words or his mind only filled with them. The sounds coming out of his mouth were incoherent, and then he no longer cared.

Rae had hold of him, her coming strong, and Zander matched it. They clung to each other, kissing, crying out, kissing again as they fell together, joined and whole.