He raised his head and kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips, with slow tenderness. The sweet kiss led to something deeper, going on for some time.
Bowman lifted his head. His eyes were the same color as the moonlight, his Collar a black streak against his sun-kissed throat.
“We’re good together,” he said in a soft voice. “You and me.”
Beyond the darkness, Shiftertown was lit up, music blaring, Shifters yelling and carrying on. Kenzie couldn’t see them from where she lay, but she could definitely hear them. Probably half the county could.
“Yeah,” Kenzie answered, smiling up at Bowman. “We are.”
She touched his face, feeling the burn of whiskers, and traced his lips. Bowman caught her fingers with his teeth. He drew her forefinger all the way into his mouth, working it the same way he would her nipple. He did so for a time, until Kenzie moved beneath him, fires stirring like the leaping flames of the bonfires.
“The Goddess made us for each other,” he said when he released her finger, licking it one more time. “I knew when I first saw you. I looked past all those scared Shifters, and you were standing there, straight up and take-no-shit, helping the cubs, getting in the face of the human guards who tried to mess with you. I never wanted to look away.”
“I couldn’t look away from you either.” Kenzie sent him a grin. “But we had to, or we’d still be there.”
“When I knew I had to take a mate, there was no question who it would be.”
Kenzie drew her hand through his hair again. She knew he’d come to her to keep Uncle Cristian off his back, but Cristian had other nieces. Bowman could have made a different choice.
“I’m glad you picked me,” Kenzie said softly.
Bowman started to laugh. The sound was warm, low, and made her shiver. “Seriously, Kenz, if I’d tried to mate-claim anyone else, you’d have come after me and killed me.”
“Possibly.” True, Kenzie had never bothered to hide her interest in Bowman. She hadn’t chased him, but when she’d seen him around Shiftertown, or at the roadhouse, she’d made sure he looked at her. She’d flirted, swayed her hips, contrived to be wearing the tightest clothes she could when she knew he’d be at the bar. When she’d danced with other men—human or Shifter—she’d look over at Bowman and give him a challenging look.
Bowman’s laugh went low, as though he remembered the same things. “No ‘possibly’ about it. You drove me frigging crazy. I remember once, you mooned me in the roadhouse parking lot. I thought I was going to die. If we’d have been alone, I’d have grabbed you and taken you right there.”
“Yeah?” Kenzie slanted him a smile. “I remember you shaking your head and walking away with Cade and Jamie.”
“And keeping Jamie from running after you like the horny Feline he is. Of course I wanted you, Kenz. You have the best ass I’ve ever seen. And being Shifter, I’ve seen a lot of naked asses. Trust me, yours is the prettiest.”
“Are you trying to get into my pants, Bowman O’Donnell? Thinking you have a right to any female you want?”
“Your pants are way over there, Mrs. O’Donnell. The only female I want is you. You and your great ass.” He looked down at her chest, her skin pearlescent in the moonlight. “Your tits aren’t bad either.”
“Watch it,” Kenzie said. “My evil uncle will make you mate-claim me.”
Bowman’s voice went low, all teasing gone. “Way too late for that.”
He growled as he kissed her, hungry, savage. Kenzie tried to kiss him back, but Bowman broke away, seized her by the hips, and rolled her facedown.
Kenzie pretended to try to scramble away, but she shivered in happiness when Bowman caught her and dragged her back to him.
Bowman plunged inside her from behind, thrusting with the power that would join them, body and soul. Kenzie laughed into the cold, crisp air, loving him, until her laughter wound into joyous cries.
* * *
Bowman walked with Kenzie back to the heart of Shiftertown later that night, hand in hand. Kenzie was sore, her knees scraped raw. Bowman moved a bit stiffly himself.
They found Ryan at the cub slumber party, watched over by Afina and other older Shifters, including Cristian. Ryan begged to stay the whole night, and Bowman gave the okay. As long as he didn’t go to the zip line, not at night—and not without him or Kenzie.
“You mean because they’re all starkers up there,” Ryan said. “It’s only unmated Shifters, Dad.” He made a face. “They’re just trying to have sex. Like you and Mom. Not interested.”
One of the girl cubs laughed, but she looked sublimely uninterested as well. Cubs had no hormonal urges until their Transitions in their twenties, and then—watch out. Kenzie would have about another fifteen years before she had to deal with Ryan going through his, but she knew those years would fly by.