She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, honey, that was just bad. But, I'll tell you what. I'm off my shift in ten minutes. Why don't I pick up another bottle or two and we can drink our worries away?"

"What type of worries do you have?"

She shook her head and grinned ruefully. "We don't know each other enough for that, but I will drink with you, and then we'll see what happens."

His cock twitched, and he smiled. "Sounds good to me."

He indulged himself and the rest of the bottle and waited for her to return. When she was done working, she came back with two bottles, one in each hand, and the seductive grin on her face. Hell yeah, this is just what he'd needed, a way to forget and indulge.

She sat down next to him in the booth, not across from him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, liking the way she felt against his drunk self.

"Do you know what bottle you're on now?" she asked, pouring a glass for herself.

"Does it matter?"

"I just don't want you to die on me."

"I think I'm a little far away from that, but thanks for worrying."

"Good." With that, she tossed back the shot and poured two more. He took a drink, letting it roll over his tongue as he inhaled her scent. She smelled of wolf, but also of something...more? Maybe it was the drink talking. He took her free hand in his and rubbed his fingers along her wrist. Her pulse raced, and he looked down at her eyes, liking the way she looked back at him, eager, wanting.

They finished the second bottle not really talking, just letting their arousal fill the room. The others filed out and the bartender called out, saying he was closing up and Bay knew what to do.

"I guess we should leave?" Adam asked, not wanting to let her go right then.

"My apartment's upstairs," she whispered, her words floating over him and making him growl.

"Sounds like a plan to me." He wanted to get in her quick and hard, and maybe slow and leisurely later. Maybe this quick fuck would drown away the pain more than the alcohol had.

Bay pulled Adam up the stairs after she'd turn off the lights to the bar. Her pulse beat in her ears, and she squeezed his hand for balance. She was a little too drunk to be doing this, but it didn't matter. She inhaled his sweet pine scent again and knew.

This man, this Adam, was her mate.

Oh, hell.

Could this be it? Had she really found someone to share the rest of her life with? Is that why she felt like she needed to writhe herself against him right now?

Could she trust him?

They made their way to her room, and as soon as she closed the door, he pressed her against the wall, his mouth crushing hers. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't think. She closed her eyes and moaned as his tongue worked its way into her mouth, mimicking that sensual motion she wanted to feel.

She felt his hands roam down her sides, and then he ripped the snap and zipper from her jeans. She gasped as he tore them from her body and threw them across the room. He lifted his mouth from hers, gave her wicked grin, and knelt between her legs.

Holy shit. Her wolf growled, and she did the same.

He pressed his face against her panties and inhaled, and the look of his dark hair against the white satin almost made her come at the spot. He looked up at her, the gold glowing around the iris of his eye and the green almost nonexistent around the dilated pupil. Her breath shuddered, and he dragged his teeth along her clit, sending shivers down her spine to end in her core. He caught the sides of her thong with his teeth and ripped, the strength of him causing her knees to buckle, and she almost fell. He caught her by the back of the thighs, and his strong hands lifted her so her legs lay draped over his shoulders.

"I want to taste you. Then I'm going to fuck you as hard as I can to see how much you can take. How does that sound?" His voice sent shivers along her body, and she shook.

"How about I just say do me now?"

"That can be arranged." Then he bent forward and licked her clit, her body shaking as she dug her nails into the drywall for leverage. He licked and sucked and feasted on her. Her body writhed against his face, digging in his shoulders, but he didn't drop her. She still wore her heels from working, and they dug into his back. He gently bit down on her clit, and she came, stars slashing behind her eyelids and his name on her lips.

She heard him growl but didn't have enough energy to move. She felt him take off her shoes, and he licked up her side, around her breasts, until he reached her mouth.

"I knew you'd taste like a feast. Like sweet berries and woman. And the way you look when you come...oh, fuck yeah, I'm going to enjoy pounding into you."

Her eyelids fluttered, and she smiled. "What are you waiting for?"

He growled and nipped her lip then licked the sting.

He laid her on the bed and stood back watching her. "Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to touch me?" she teased.

"Greedy, are you? Oh, I like that."

He took off his clothes, and she lay mesmerized, staring at the long sexy lines of his body and the bulging muscles. Most wolves had a strong body, but he was sexier than most. And he was all hers.

Her eyes dropped down to his cock that stood out, thick and pulsating. She could already see the tip had a little drop of cum. And she was the one who'd done that to him. That made her want him even more. She writhed on the bedspread, her knees spread wantonly. He stared down at her, his eyes gold, and ran a hand up and down his shaft, twisting and squeezing. Holy hell, that had to be the hottest thing she'd ever seen. She'd never thought seeing the guy touch himself like that would be hot, but, apparently, she hadn't seen that before.

He lowered himself over her and kissed her, and she enjoyed the taste of herself on his tongue. She should have blushed at her brazen acts, but she only wanted more of Adam. He moved down her body, licking and sucking everywhere he went. He held her breasts in his hands and rolled the nipples in his fingers.

"These are delicious; I'm going to eat them right up."

She shivered and arched her breast into his mouth as he sucked on one nipple and played with the other with his fingers. He kept biting and sucking and twisting, and she almost came just by that. Her breasts were so large that she didn't usually have that much sensitivity and couldn't come from just that touch alone, but, apparently, all she needed was Adam.

He pulled up and looked down at her. "I don't think I can wait any longer. I need to be in you."

"Oh, thank God," she rasped.

She noticed that he didn't get a condom, and she didn't correct him. After all, this was a mating. She trusted him. Shouldn't she?

Before she could question that thought, he flipped her over so she knelt right above his cock, her breasts bouncing with the movement.

"You're going to ride me, baby," he growled, and gripped her hips with his hands.

She slowly lowered herself onto his cock and moaned at the feeling. He was so big that she felt so full. She hadn't even lowered herself fully, but she didn't think she could go any farther.

"You're really big."

He let out a rough chuckle. "You sure know how to make a guy feel good."

"Oh shut up. Give me a second to get used to it so I can go down all the way."

"Anything you want, baby."

She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth until, finally, her muscles loosened a bit so she could slide down the rest of the way. She stilled as they connected in the most intimate of ways.

He tightened his grip on her hips and pushed up. She closed her eyes and moaned.

"No," he bit out. "Don't close your eyes; keep them open so I can see them spark when you come."

She almost did just that with just his words, but she opened her eyes and looked down at him. She placed her hands on his chest and rolled her hips to match the movement of his. They rocked together in a furious rhythm, their bodies sweating and writhing.

They moved faster, and she came again, screaming his name. His dick twitched inside her, and he groaned and then flipped them. She could see in his eyes from their glazed look that the drink hadn't been exorcised out of his system yet. She lay beneath him, breathing heavily as he pounded into her with such a ferocity that, had she been human, he could have broken her. As it was, she would have delicious bruises from their lovemaking, and she didn't care.

He slammed into her, and she watched as his canines elongated. She tilted her head in their ancient custom, ready for him to mark her to start their mating. She needed-no, craved-this. He bit into the meaty flesh, and she came against him again, her body rolling in pleasure and sweet agony.

He pulled back, licked the wound, and then flipped them over again, his body still thrusting into her. Damn, the man had stamina. Poor guy hadn't gotten off yet and only cared about her pleasure. Oh, how she wanted to keep him.

Her wolf howled, and her teeth elongated. Adam tilted his neck, and she bit in, falling a little bit in love with him as she tasted him. He roared and came within her, his seed locking that final mating key. Their souls entwined, and she could feel him deep within her heart as well as her body.

He collapsed and let out a breath. His cock still hard inside her, he twisted so they both lay on their sides, their breaths in sync. She laid her head against his chest and felt him fall into a deep sleep as he held her.

She yawned, worn out in the best of ways. Contentment settled over her as she slowly fell asleep in the arms of her mate. Yes, this was the perfect moment. Nothing could crush this.

Chapter 10.

Present Day Three days had passed since the hunt, and Adam still didn't know what to do with himself. His stomach was in knots, and his skin felt ready to burst. He felt like a teenager again, trying to learn to control the shift with his raging hormones. He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath, though his body wouldn't let him.

He looked out the window of the bedroom and stared through the trees. The sun was just now setting, and pinks and grays shone through the gaps in the leaves like an odd array of twilight. This used to be Anna's favorite time of day.

He shook his head and almost beat his fists against his skull. Why the hell did he keep thinking about her?

He turned from the window, willing himself not to think about her anymore. Every time he did, he fell further and further into the spiral of depression. So, when he looked down, he muttered another curse. Bay napped on their bed, her cheek pressed against her hands, a calm expression on her face. Though it was only early evening, she said she had needed a nap since the baby had moved around the night before, keeping her up.

They'd taken to sleeping next to each other on his big bed, not quite touching. The couch wasn't big enough for either of them to lie comfortably, and frankly, it made his wolf would feel better to have her close. The better his wolf felt, the less stress he had himself. She moaned in her sleep, a curl falling on her face and he took a step back. Damn, he wanted to brush it away to feel the softness of her skin, her hair, her everything.

To top off his anger and other emotions, there hadn't been any developments in her case. It was almost as if the person who was searching for her had stopped completely. They'd looked into all avenues of her past but had come up empty. Adam's gut reaction was that it was the Centrals were following her. Either they had scented her new Pack status or they were following her for a much more devious purpose. Either way, it grated on him that they couldn't figure it out and that she still could be in danger once she left.

A part of him had almost wanted to put her up as bait to see who they would find. But as soon as that thought entered his mind, he felt like a shit. He would never endanger a woman like that, let alone a pregnant one.

The Pack could feel the magic pooling around the wards as the Centrals grew stronger, an inky black feeling like a sticky molasses that wouldn't go away. With each step that their rivals took toward the dark, the Redwoods were forced to make decisions. They couldn't cross that line and sell their souls to the devil, if only figuratively. But there had to be a way to find the gray. Because of Reed and his mates, they now held the trinity bond so they knew their wards would hold, at least against wolves. He knew they would not hold against the demon himself. And that thought scared him more than any other.

They needed to find another way to make themselves stronger that didn't include dark magic.

He cursed at their weakness.

He turned away from Bay, determined not to think of it for more than he already had. Meaning not every ten seconds. As he walked out to the hallway, he stopped in between the two closed doors that he knew his guest had entered. His fingers strummed against his thighs on their own accord, and he took a deep breath.

No, he couldn't, not without Anna.

He turned to his right and opened the door. He gulped, letting the wave of emotions wash over him. Since her death, he hadn't gone into this room, or the one across the hall, other than to clean them. He staggered back to the reality.

This had been their music room.

Their small piano stood on the corner, still tuned and dust free. Anna had used to accompany him while he played on the guitar. The old acoustic still stood on its setting, also in tune and ready for him to play. He took a shuddering breath as he glimpsed his old cowboy hat hanging on the peg on the wall. Anna had bought that for him, and he'd worn it every time they played. He used to fashion himself a werewolf cowboy. What an ass.

They used to play beautiful music together, though Anna couldn't sing to save her life. He chuckled at the memory and let the cold pain settle over him like an old friend.

"Play, you know you need to. It's been too long. It's okay to mourn and grieve, but we can't let your life die along with hers."

Adam closed his eyes at his wolf's words. The damn thing had been more talkative recently, and he blamed Bay for that. How could his wolf forget their first mate and want to move onto a new one?

"That's not what I want to do, and you know it. I loved Anna and her wolf with every breath that I had, but Bay is our mate too. We need her. And she needs us."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his body shaking, coldness seeping into him like a blanket. He sat down on the chair and picked up the guitar. The cool wood felt like a distant memory under his fingers. Flashes of Anna's smile and the sound of her laugh caused bile to rise up in his throat. Could he do this?

He strummed his fingers along the strings, playing a few chords. The music drifted up and enveloped him. Gods, he'd missed this. Though he didn't hear her, he could feel Bay's presence in the doorway. With his back to her, she couldn't see his face, and he was grateful. He didn't know what he would do if he had to look into those eyes and see something that scared him to death.

Would he see pity? Or hope?

His fingers moved on their own accord and played a soft melody, the long years of practice flowing through them like a long-lost friend. He heard Bay sigh over his shoulder as he played. She held secrets from him; he knew it. He didn't quite understand the source of her powers. How could she sense a memory by just a touch? And how was it her wolf had more control over her than others had over their humans? She was hiding something, and he would do everything he could to find out. He could lie and say it was only because he was the Enforcer and he needed to protect the pack, but he dreaded the fact that there might be an underlying reason that had nothing to do with safety but existed because of their bond.

His thoughts drifted from her and her secrets, and he lost himself in the music. He didn't sing, only let the guitar do what it needed to do-play. With each note, he felt like he was losing Anna all over again. She wasn't here to play beside him or hear him play. How was he supposed to get over her?

He heard Bay shuffle behind him, her movements becoming more waddling with every passing day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her sit down on the piano bench, her gaze intent on him. He turned and scowled at her for invading his space, but she didn't move, merely lifted her chin. She turned to face the piano, her belly touching the wood, and placed her hands over the keys.

He almost screamed out, telling her not to touch what was not hers, but the words were stuck in his throat. Her fingers played a ghostly movement over the ivory, but she didn't utter a sound.

His finger stopped. He set the guitar down, the cold spreading over him. No, she couldn't play. She couldn't know how. Fate wouldn't be that cruel.

No, it was a bitch.

He slowly, methodically, made sure the guitar was on its stand, and walked away, leaving her there. He left the room, walked the too short steps to the other room across the hall, and laid his head against the door.

"What's in there, Adam?" Bay asked as she stood behind him.

He didn't answer, couldn't answer. Instead, he opened the door and stepped aside. Bay took two steps into the room and gasped. He looked over her shoulder and closed his eyes. He didn't need to look; he knew what was there. He'd seen it for twenty years. The pale pink walls of the nursery had faded over time, but he could still tell the colors. The crib and furniture were outdated but clean and dust free since he cleaned regularly.

He opened his eyes and tried to feel something, anything. No cold, no pain. Nothing. He was looking at what would've been his daughter's room and felt nothing.

Should he feel something?

He turned away from the room and felt Bay's pain through their mating bond. She cried softly, but he could still hear her. He couldn't be here right now.

"I'm going on patrol, and I'm going to take you to Jasper and Willow's," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Adam..."

He didn't wait to hear what she might have said, so he walked away. His past was coming back in full force, but the things he wanted most weren't coming with it.