Jennifer Ashley: Feral Heat

So had the young woman called Joanne, who was being looked after by Broderick and his brothers. She’d relaxed a bit around Shifters, at least around Broderick’s gruff family. She was still worried about her sister, but Dylan already had things in motion. They’d find her.

As the moon rose, its cool light flooding the clearing, Liam held up his hands for silence. He and Eric stepped forward, Eric smiling in his warm way.

“By the light of the Mother Goddess,” Liam began.

“I acknowledge this mating,” Eric finished. “The blessings of the Goddess go with you, Son.” He put his arms around Jace. “And Daughter.” Eric turned and embraced Deni, Jace’s hand on Deni’s back as she hugged Eric in return.

And then there was laughter, many more hugs, with Deni almost squashed by the enthusiastic ones her sons gave her. Ronan’s giant bear hug competed with Will’s and Jackson’s for force. Tiger even hugged her, then gave her a nod, as though satisfied she’d finally wised up and done the right thing, bringing Jace home.

Shifters whooped, howled, screamed. The mating ceremony was a fertility feast, and Shiftertown would be fertile tonight.

Deni hadn’t felt the dizziness or beginnings of nausea that had triggered her episodes of near-madness since Jace had been brought home safely to Shiftertown. She’d made a breakthrough, she thought, out in the wild, choosing to give in to her instincts, which had helped her find her mate. The fact that she’d been able to pull herself out of the instinctive state once she’d found Jace, and hadn’t gone insane, had restored some of her confidence. The mate bond also helped erase her fear, and so had the removal of the Collar. Deni didn’t know exactly when she’d been healed, but she knew the process had begun when she’d met Jace that night at the fight club.

Music poured into the night. Deni danced with her sons, then Ellison, Liam, and Eric, with a circle of girls—Andrea, Kim, Iona, Glory, Elizabeth, Myka, Carly. The cubs ran around, undisciplined, shouting and screaming in their own games.

Finally, Deni ended up with Jace again. He tugged her close, his eyes going pale green with barely contained mating frenzy.

“Remember how this started?” he asked.

“You getting your ass kicked?” Deni answered, laughing.

“Me saving your ass,” Jace said. “And then having it.”

“Don’t you wish.”

“I do.” Jace leaned close. “I wanted you again and again, Deni. I went through a lot to keep you by my side, didn’t I?”

Deni nodded. “I’m glad you did.”

Jace kissed her again, his smiles gone. “It’s dark out here tonight. No one would miss us.”

She gave him a teasing smile. “Maybe we should be more civilized about it, now that we’re mated.”

“Screw that.” Jace’s hold tightened, his hand warming the small of her back. “I like being wild with you, Den. My heart.”

“Mmm.” Deni kissed him, then wrenched herself out of his arms. “Let’s be wild, then.” She took the garland from her head and threw it, spinning, away from her. Shifter women shouted laughter and scrambled after it.

“Catch me if you can, Feline,” Deni said to Jace, and she swung away, dashing into the night.

She heard a growl of frustrated wildcat, then another one of determination. Deni ran, but she knew she’d never outdistance a leopard who’d do anything to bring down his prey. She did try, though, so Jace would have a challenge.

But when his strong arms came around her in the darkness beyond the bonfires, Jace’s kisses frantically falling on her flesh, Deni knew she’d never been so happy to be caught.