over his chest. Then lower. She stroked him and he stiffened. “It is the only way,” she purred. I yelled. “No!” But she led him over to the pallet which had been made up by the fire. She urged his powerful body to lie back. He closed his eyes as she mounted him. Her face was a cruel mask of triumph. How had I not seen she was evil? How did Marcus not see? The crack of lightning came without warning. It sliced into the ground several feet from where Cassiah was on the verge of taking Marcus into her body. I blinked as my eyes sought to recover from the flash of light. Standing there, with a furious expression, was a small boy. The effect of his sudden appearance was dramatic. Every watching member of the Dark Claws gasped and dropped to his knees, head bowed. Cassiah’s face went slack with empty horror. Marcus toppled her and rose to his knees. “Great Seer,” he said. “Great Seer,” the Dark Claws repeated. I stared. Somehow I had expected The Seer to be wizened and homely, a sort of underworld Santa Claus. Not this cherubic childlike being. But when he spoke his deep voice thundered with ancient knowledge. He pointed a small finger as the cowering witch. “Cassiah. You have betrayed the sacred duties of witchcraft. You will answer for your crime.” The witch let out a high wail of anguish and dropped into the dirt. “Mercy,” she begged. But The Seer was unforgiving. “You do not deserve mercy.” He turned to Marcus’s kneeling form. “Marcus of the Dark Claws, the witch had the foulest of intentions. She meant to exile your child’s spirit into oblivion and take you for herself.” Another wail from Cassiah. “She will be punished.” The Seer faced me. The blue eyes in his small face were kindly. “Jessa, the last werewolf bride of the Caprese line and daughter of a lost demon. Your body carries a boy child who will bind us all together.” He nodded. “Raise him well.” With another crack of lightning he disappeared, and Cassiah with him. I sank to my knees, trembling. Kiko returned to his human form and set about extinguishing the fire. One of the brethren placed a comforting hand on my back. But I desperately needed Marcus. Then he was there, lifting me in his strong arms and carrying me to the privacy of our cabin. There were no words as he undressed me, only a ferocious urgency to bury himself inside my slippery center. I came virtually the instant he entered me, arching my back and scratching his chest. Despite the heaviness of my pregnancy body, he rolled me easily on top of him and urged me to ride as hard as I could bear. I scratched his chest more deeply and licked the blood from the small wounds, feeling a furious possessiveness in the act. As he climaxed he screamed my name. We rocked together until the orgasm spiraled to conclusion. As I climbed from him I felt a flood of warmth between my legs. I knew it was too heavy to be leaked semen. “Marcus,” I said. “Our son is coming.” Many painful hours later our child slept in my arms. He had screamed his fierce way into the world shaking his tiny hands. But he quieted when his father held him and suckled greedily at my breast when it was offered. Marcus rested his head on my shoulder. “My queen,” he said. “My love.” I kissed his forehead. “Forever.” Gradually he fell into a happy sleep. Our son issued a tiny sigh. He would need a name. I settled back happily into the bed pillow, not minding the hurt which burned between my legs as the baby had ripped his way into the world. I was the last werewolf bride. I was a mate and mother. I was complete. *** About the author : Sage Domini's first written story was about a young star who fell from the sky and needed the help of a special girl to find his place in this vast universe. That was a few (dozen) years ago. Though Sage has moved on to racier themes, she remains fascinated by the simple concept that we all belong somewhere...with someone.