She nodded, and he wasn't sure if she actually heard him. He let his hands roam over her shoulders, breasts, and lower. He made sure he stayed away from her belly, not ready to feel what was beneath the already stretched-out skin. Her thighs were creamy and smooth beneath his palms, and he rubbed circles onto them, loving the way Bay felt against his skin. He spread her thighs wider and used his thumb to trace her seam. She gasped again, and he grinned, liking the control.

He slipped a thumb inside and groaned. "Holy hell, you're already wet."

Bay's body blushed, and she looked down at him, caution in her gaze. "I can't help it. You do that to me. It's just a reaction."

Adam nodded, liking and needing the way she reassured their agreement. "If you could feel my cock right now, you'd understand it's the same way for me."

Her mouth formed the temptress's grin. "I'm sure that could be arranged."

He didn't say anything, ignoring the warm pulse that seeped into his icy chest. He crushed that, remembering why they were there. They needed to cool down the mating urge so they could move on and get her the hell out of here.

Adam dipped his middle finger to the knuckle inside her, and she clamped down, warm and needy. He used his thumb to brush her clit, and she shuddered. He scraped the swollen nub with his fingernail, and she bucked off the bed. He gripped her hip to hold her steady and inserted two more fingers, curling them to reach that sensitive spot. Bay moaned his name, and he let it wash over him in a wave. Using a sensuous rhythm, he watched her body flush and her panting increased until, finally, she came against his fingers, her pussy tightening and a scream ripping from her throat.

He stood and removed his clothing quickly. She lay down on the bed and watched him with pleasure-darkened eyes. His cock slapped his belly as he walked toward her, intent seeping through every pore. Her breath hitched, and he groaned at the magnificent sight before him. His gaze traveled over her body and froze at her swollen belly. With great determination, he flipped her over on her knees, and she gasped.

"Can I take you from here?"

"I...I think so," she mumbled, a slight trace of fear edging her words.

Without thinking, he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. His wolf growled in pleasure, and he pulled his hand back.

He swallowed hard. "Tell me if I hurt you; we'll stop if we have to."

"Of course, please, Adam, please."

He gripped his cock and centered the head at her entrance. He didn't put on a condom because it was way too late to be thinking about that. They'd already made that mistake. He gripped her hips and slid in inch by agonizing inch. When he was fully inside her, he stopped and tried to catch his breath. She fit him like a glove, a perfect fucking glove. She was hot, wet, and ready for him. They both moaned when he moved back slowly. He pulled out then thrust back in, loving the way her body arched with him, even with the awkwardness of her midsection. He set a rhythm, feeling her body close around him as she slowly climbed to her climax.

He increased the rhythm, their heartbeats syncing, their breaths doing the same. His balls tightened as she came around him, and he followed her, his seed filling her, warm and needy.

Before he caught his breath, he pulled out and set her on her side, careful not to jostle her. He watched as she closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over her belly. He swallowed hard and staggered away to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Blindly, he turned the water on as hot as it could go and stepped under the steamy spray. The water scalded him, giving him a heavy dose of what he needed, pain, agony.

He crouched down, his legs giving out, his knees slamming into the floor. He didn't even notice the sharp pain as his body wracked in convulsions. Tears streamed from his eyes as he finally broke down, something he hadn't done in a very long while.

Yes, he'd slept with women after Anna. But that had only been to fill a need. But with Bay, this time, it had been different. He knew he could lie to himself all he wanted and say it meant nothing. But it did. And that was the worst betrayal all. He'd promised to love his Anna for the rest of his life, knowing at the time that, as a wolf, his life would be long. And yet, as he'd held Bay's hips in his palms, he'd broken his vow to his long-lost mate.

How was he ever going to forgive himself? And why should he?

Chapter 8.

Bay stepped out of the shower and placed her feet on the soft forest green bathmat. She wrapped herself in a fluffy green towel and sighed. She sat on the edge of the tub and rubbed lotion all over her. Even though she kind of enjoyed the fact that she was pregnant, in a scary sort of way, the stretch marks were going to kill her. She was pretty sure all women had to deal with them, but thankfully, she was a wolf and could most likely heal them later.

And yes, she was thinking about stretch marks and stupid trivial things. That way she didn't have to think about the fact that she'd slept with Adam, again. She closed her eyes and bit her tongue. Crap, she hadn't meant to do that. Yes, the mating urge had ridden her just as hard, if not harder, than Adam because of the hormones, but that didn't give her an excuse to make poor decisions. He kept promising he wouldn't hurt her, but she knew it was too late. Her heart was going to break it was going to hurt like hell.

And it was all her fault.

She pulled on a loose-fitting shirt and yoga pants, wincing as she stretched muscles that were a little too achy from earlier. She blushed as she remembered the way Adam had played her body like a fine-tuned instrument. She made her come twice before allowing himself to do the same. Her emotions ran her ragged, and she wanted to sob. But she was too strong for that. They had just had sex, not made love. That had not been love. That is been a joining of two bodies, and then he'd left her. Again.

She bit back another sob. She'd heard him break down in the shower, and it had taken every ounce of her energy and inner strength to not go in there and comfort him. He was not crying over her, but over the fact that he'd failed himself. What had she become? This was her. She was stronger than this. Yet, she cried at the drop of a hat over a man who'd used her. But really, they had both made the agreement that they would use each other. It was her own damn fault. Damn hormones.

The baby kicked, and she placed her palm over the little foot.

"I know it's not your fault," she whispered. Warmth spread over her at the thought of her unborn child. She already loved this little baby more than she loved anything else in her life. And although that wasn't saying much, considering her past, it didn't diminish the fact that this little guy or girl would be the center of her life.

The scent of pine and wolf entered her nose, and she froze. Adam stood at the door, a frown on his face. "Are you ready?"

She looked down at her dressed form then nodded. "I'm ready to go. Where exactly are we going?"

"We'll be inside the wards and in the part of the forest we usually use for hunts like this," Adam answered. "We haven't done a hunt outside the wards and in our outer territories since the initial attacks."

She nodded, sadness filling her. Though she was not part of the Pack yet, and hadn't even known these people, she still felt the pain of losing so many of their members at once. Corbin, the Alpha of the Centrals, along with his now deceased father, Hector, had come onto their land, burned as many buildings to the ground as they could, and killed as many people as they could. The demon, Caym, had even threatened to kill Willow and had kidnapped Reed. Thankfully, Reed had escaped, along with his two mates, Hannah and Josh.

"I'm ready to go; I need to shift."

"It's the full moon; I'm not surprised. When was the last time you shifted anyway?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, at least two weeks ago."

He shook his head then fisted his hands. "That's not smart when you're pregnant, Bay. You need to take care of yourself and your wolf so your body can take care of your baby."

She lifted her chin, anger filling her. She hadn't missed the fact that he always said 'you' or 'your' in reference to her child, as if taking own of their unborn even with words were too much for him. "I'm sorry I was a little busy trying not to die or whatever the hell was going to happen when that person found me. I tried to shift as often as possible, but I didn't have the den or safe place like this to hide."

"And whose fault is that?"

She let out a snort then stood up, her body sore and achy from their excursion. Her skin felt tight, like it was too small for her body. She needed to shift and let her wolf run free. She could feel the setting of the sun and the moon coming toward her, pulling her.

She walked past him, careful not to let any part of her touch him. She didn't know if she could deal with that. She stood stone still and rested her gaze on him.

"I've never been in a full hunt like this before, Adam," she said in a small voice. "I don't know what to do."

Adam blinked at her, and she could almost feel him judging her from where she stood. Damn, she hated being a lone wolf sometimes, but it wasn't like she'd had any other choice.

"Shift when I shift, then follow me. We don't always hunt like a Pack; sometimes we go in smaller groups. Since we don't have as much space to roam because of the wards, everyone who will shift tonight is going to be one big group, at least to start. So stay by my side and you'll know what to do. You're a wolf, Bay. You'll know what to do instinctively."

She nodded, grateful he would show her what to do but also careful not to show him that. She couldn't let him have any more power over her than he already did.

"You have nothing to fear. I won't let anything happen to you. Whoever was following you and made you feel unsafe cannot get through our wards."

She nodded again, letting him think that that was why she was nervous. Better to think she was afraid of an outside force harming her rather than the man in front of her.

They walked out the back door and through the woods into the small clearing. The final rays of the sun sank below the horizon, and the moon brightened as night set in. A small wind blew through her hair, the red curls falling into disarray around her face. She hadn't had a chance to put any product in her hair or deal with the mass of curls that had been the bane of her existence after her shower. Plus, since she was going to be turning into a wolf, she didn't really feel the need. But as they came up upon the rest the pack, she felt wholly inadequate. Every single person looked beautiful, like freaking models. The most striking of all had the Jamenson green eyes set in the most model-like face she'd ever seen. This woman must be Cailin, Adam's baby sister, with her long black hair and green eyes. Bay wanted to hide her fat self and never look back. Why was it that whatever a woman saw another woman who was so beautiful she felt like the ugly spinster? Oh, she could hate a woman like that, except for the fact that she was the Redwood princess, and Bay couldn't really fault the woman for being beautiful.

Adam ignored her as he stopped, and Bay held her breath. She'd done her best to wash his scent off her just like she'd known he done the same with hers. She tried not to take it personally, but it still stung. She covered her belly with her hands and closed her eyes. Her skin rippled under the moonlight, and her wolf howled to be released.

She looked out over the crowd and saw Willow, who waved at her. Bay returned it with a small smile, grateful for a friendly face. Her mate, Jasper, wrapped an arm around her and gave Bay a slight nod. Relief filled her at the acceptance in his gaze. She looked out over the rest of the family, and they each, in turn, gave her a nod or wave of some kind. She didn't know what exactly all that meant, but at least she didn't feel so alone.

North came up to her side and gave her a hug. Surprised, Bay froze. Adam turned and growled, and North lifted his arm.

"It's good to see you again, Bay," North whispered. "How's the baby?"

She rested her hand on the swell of her stomach and looked up at the twin with no scar. "We're doing just fine. Thank you."

North nodded and looked her over with the cool gaze of the doctor, not that of a male. "Once you shift, yip or something if it hurts. Okay?"

Her eyes widened, and alarm spread through her. "What do you mean? I thought shifting was okay when I was pregnant. That's what I heard, and I've been shifting this whole time. Only, God, have I been doing it wrong? Have I been hurting my baby?"

Adam put a strong hand on her shoulder and gripped it. Though she was thankful for the comfort, she didn't want to read too much into it. North's eyes widened at the touch, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just want to make sure you're okay. Shifting is natural. Therefore, your body will adjust while you're pregnant to shift that certain way. Your wolf needs it and wouldn't want to hurt your baby. I just want to make sure everything is okay. It's just the doctor in me."

She let out a breath, relieved. "Okay, I'll let you know. But you need to do better on that whole not-freaking-out-the-patient thing, okay?"

North gave a rueful smile and stepped back. That's when she noticed the other two wolves standing behind North. Maddox, North's twin, stood the farthest away, no expression on his face. The long scar that traced the right side of his face looked stark in contrast to his tan skin. The other person-a woman-had dark eyes, dark hair, and caramel-colored skin. She also looked like someone had broken her and she hadn't quite figured out how to put herself back together.

North looked over his shoulder and turned. "Bay, this is Ellie, our friend and member of the Pack." The other woman inclined her head, and they did the same. Tension radiated through the three newcomers, and Bay didn't really know what to think of that. She was missing a piece of the puzzle, but she didn't think it was really any of her business.

"It's time, Pack," Edward called out, his voice echoing throughout the trees surrounding them.

Bay lowered her head, showing proper respect to her Alpha. Though she had not grown up in a Pack, her body and wolf knew instinctively what to do.

Adam blocked her view of the others as they started to strip out of their clothes and shift. She felt grateful toward the man and quickly took off her oversized shirt and knelt on the ground. She wasn't quite sure what to think of Adam's gesture. Right now, all she could think about was changing. Her wolf howled, and warmth spread over her belly, cocooning it in a safe haven. Her limbs stretched, the bones breaking, the muscles tearing. Fur sprouted over her skin, and her back arched as her limbs reformed and reattached in new positions. She threw back her head and howled to the moon as she stood as a rusty-red wolf.

When she was finished, she looked over at Adam's wolf, awed at the beauty of it. He was large, bigger than her by at least twenty pounds, and was a beautiful chestnut brown. Half of his face was black, and he had black ears. He was magnificent.

North, Maddox, and Ellie surrounded them. The twins both had a mixture of gray and tan fur, while Ellie was a caramel brown. They bounded off together, Maddox taking the rear. Adam looked over his shoulder and took off after them. Not wanting to be left behind, she followed them, the ground soft below her paws. Through the link to the Pack and Adam, she could feel the others around her hunting in a unit for their prey. Even though they did not need to hunt for animals in this form, they enjoyed the rush of being able to let go and let their wolves take control. She let her wolf rise to the surface and followed that sweet pine scent she was falling for.

The feel of the Pack surrounded her, and she felt like she had come home. So this is what she had been missing being by herself for so long. She almost cried at the thought of what she had lost, but now she had gained so much, if only for the moment.

She heard the sudden sound of the pitter-pat of little feet on the ground and recognized it as the footsteps of a rabbit. The others moved on as she stopped. Her ears pointed forward, and she bent her nose to the ground. Her wolf kicked in, and she followed the trail and scent to the delicious rabbit. She crept behind it as it froze, aware that a predator had it in sight. It took one hop, and she pounced, taking its life out in a single movement so it would not suffer.

Though her belly was big in this form, as in her other form, she laid down on her side, eager to begin her meal. The sweet pine scent invaded her nose as Adam came to her side, another rabbit in his mouth. He laid it next to her and lay down beside it, not looking at her. They each ate their meal in silence, a peacefulness that came from being on four legs when the sound of more wolves came toward them. North, Maddox, and Ellie stopped about two feet away and stared. It was hard to communicate as wolves, but she had a feeling the men wanted to go off alone. Call it a wolf's intuition. She looked at Adam, who lowered his head and bounced off, North and Maddox following him.

Ellie came to her side, nudged the dead carcass away, and gave a wolfy grin. Bay barked a laugh then darted off, letting the other wolf know to follow her. They both ran through the woods, feeling safe under their wards and knowing that the other wolves were around them if there was any trouble. Finally, after another hour of playing, they made their way back to the center of the field where their clothes lay. They each shifted back, Bay wincing at the pain of shifting that never went away even as many times as she'd done it.

Ellie smiled at her, naked as a jaybird, and quickly got dressed. Bay did the same and tried not to notice the scars on the other woman's back. She didn't say anything, and she wasn't sure that Ellie had even noticed that she'd seen anything.

"It's nice to meet you by the way," Ellie said, and held out her hand.

They shook, and Bay felt a kindred spirit with the woman. "It's nice to meet you too. It was little hard to meet everyone with people staring and crowding."

"I know what you mean. And I'm new to the Pack as well, so it's nice to see another new face. I don't feel all alone."

"You're new, too?"

"They didn't tell you?" she said wryly. "I'm the daughter of our enemy. The Redwoods are amazing. If they can accept me-at least most of them-then they can do anything. They can win this. I know it."

Bay nodded but didn't say anything. As much she loved hearing that they'd accepted the daughter of their rival pack into their fold, Bay didn't feel very warm. Would they accept her if they knew the truth? No, she didn't think so. She hadn't even accepted it herself.

Chapter 9.

Eight Months Before Adam let his head rest against the steering wheel as his body shook. Fuck. What was he doing here in a small rundown town in southern California? He'd needed to leave the Pack for just a little while to catch his breath. He'd never leave them for long; he couldn't do that. They were his family and had been by his side through everything heartbreaking his life, including the worst thing imaginable.

He clenched the steering will, his knuckles turning white. He'd left only a few weeks before, and now he could feel them calling him back. He was their Enforcer, and he needed to protect them. He couldn't do that this far away, but it wasn't time for him to leave yet. He didn't know what he was searching for, but he hadn't found it yet.

Maybe it was peace. He gave a harsh laugh and lifted his head from the steering wheel. Peace, sure, like that would ever happen. He'd lost his Anna and knew he'd never find peace. Maybe his wolf just needed to run...no, not yet. He didn't want to shift to his wolf and remember that feeling. He'd been doing okay for the past two decades, but one-by-one, as each brother mated, he felt a little part of himself die again. And when Reed had shown up with not one, but two mates, he'd needed to get the fuck out of there.

Maybe he just needed to get laid. A sharp pain radiated through him, and he cursed. Dammit, he hated urges and needs. Sometimes he wished he were a fucking eunuch.

On that thought, he got out of this truck, slammed the door, and prowled to the bar. He just needed a drink. He walked into the rundown bar that smelled of witches and magic and breathed a sigh of relief. Here he'd be able to get as drunk as he wanted and not have to deal with the humans staring at him.

When he walked up to the bar and the bartender raised an eyebrow, Adam grunted. The male witch seemed to know what Adam wanted and slid over an entire bottle and one glass. Adam grunted his thanks and found a table in the corner to sit. He leaned with his back to the wall. That way he could see if anyone came up to him. He was out of his territory, and he needed to be careful. He took a long swig straight from the bottle and relished the spicy taste as it poured down his throat. He poured some more in the glass because he didn't want to look so crass and took another drink.

People milled about; having conversations he didn't care about and played a game of darts, he didn't want to join. Four bottles of tequila later, he was just starting to get a buzz. The bartender looked up at him, and Adam put two hundreds down on the table to signify he wasn't quite done yet. The bartender nodded and looked around for something, what, Adam didn't care.

"I take it you want more?" a sweet voice asked, pulling out him out of his buzzed stupor.

"Yes, bring the bottle." And because his mom would kick his ass if he weren't polite, he tacked on a, "please." She didn't even glance in his direction as she walked away, but he caught a sweet berries scent that made his cock stand up and pulled a groan from him.

Holy hell, that had smelled like sweet heaven.

The tantalizing scent came back, and this time he took a good look. Oh, fuck. She was all curves, curves of sin that a man could pound into night after night. Or at least for one night. Red curls framed her face and bounced as she walked. And those damn green eyes of hers called to him even through the drunken haze.

"Okay, here you go, be careful," she said with a smile, and started to turn away.

He grabbed her wrist, and she started. He inhaled again and growled. "You're a wolf." A statement, not a question.

"So astute. I'm surprised you could even tell that with all the liquor running through your system."

He gave a laugh then took another swig of his drink, the sweet, spicy taste mingling with her scent and causing a dynamic that made him want to bend her over the table and fuck her right there to see how tight she was.

She turned and raised a brow. "Excuse me, why do you think it's okay to touch me?"

"Maybe because I don't want you to go."

She let out a sigh. "Really? That's the best you can do? That was just pathetic. Though at least you didn't ask me if it hurt when I fell from heaven or something. God, I swear, you'd think after all these years men would get better at pickup lines."

"Maybe they just needed you to teach them." He groaned inwardly at that, knowing that even though he was drunk, it had to be worse than what he had said before.