She leaned against him and laid her head on her paws and then closed her eyes. He licked her ear but continued to watch their surroundings, ever watchful. And when Cassie woke, she rose, a little stiffly, he thought, and stretched. Then they both raced into the creek to hunt fish for dinner.

He was so busy observing her and the way she focused on the water, watching for a chance to catch her prey, that when she caught one, he realized he should have been fishing, too. He loved to observe her in everything she did. She grabbed the fish and raised it up out of the water. The expression on her face said it all. I have mine... Where's yours?

Then she trotted back to the cabin, tail and head raised high, ears perked up, fish in mouth. After dinner, he knew exactly what he was having for dessert.

* * *

Cassie knew playing with Leidolf in the creek was a very bad mistake. Yet after having the best sex ever, she'd felt on a runner's high. What better way to extend that feeling of power than to play a little? The trouble was that the play had sexual connotations, not innocent in the least.

And the worst of it? She loved Leidolf for participating with her. Since she'd lost her family, she hadn't engaged in recreation with another lupus garou in wolf form. She hadn't remembered how much fun it could be. She glanced back at Leidolf still trying to catch his fish in the creek. He looked at her and gave her a wolf smile.

Inwardly, she laughed. Then she headed inside the cabin and set her fish in the pot.

After a few minutes, Leidolf headed inside with his fish between his wolf's teeth, the trout smaller than hers. She felt like a lazybones, though, as she rested next to the fire, drying her fur, hoping to give her shoulder a break. She shouldn't have played so hard. Not giving it her all when challenging the alpha male was not her way, but now the injury was coming back to haunt her.

Leidolf dropped his fish in the pot, then came over and nuzzled her face with his own.

Then he shifted into his gorgeous hunk of a human self, water droplets sliding down his smooth skin and clinging to his hair and the shadow of a beard.

"We did too much," he said, frowning as he crouched next to her and ran his hand over her head. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I should have given more thought to--"

Cassie shifted into her human form and rolled onto her back on the pine-needle bed. "Hurry and cook the fish, Leidolf." She ran a finger over his muscular thigh. "I'm ravenous."

A slow, hungry smile appeared on his lips. "Are we still just at the fooling-around stage, Cassie?" He sifted his fingers through her wet hair. "Not ready for the real thing?"

She glanced at his crotch. Already the "real thing" was swelling with interest.

"We'd have to make a deal," she said softly, her eyes focused on his.

"A deal."

She knew he wouldn't like what she had to offer. Already his tone was aloof and his posture stiffened. One didn't make deals with alpha males.

"Like what, Cassie?" He shifted his fingers down her arm in a sweeping, tender caress.

"If I become your mate, I continue to do what I'm doing. Anytime, anywhere, without anyone's interference." Meaning, of course, Leidolf's.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a dissatisfied way. He didn't say anything right away, just continued to meet her gaze. Then he said, "I have a pack to run, Cassie." He continued to touch her in a loving way.

"Yes, I know. And that's why I have to have your assurance that if I was to become your mate, I would continue to do my research."

"And when you're pregnant?"

She twisted her mouth.

"We don't use birth control."

"All right, if I became pregnant, I would stay at home. Only once I begin showing. Not early on."

His fingers stilled on her arm, and he ground his teeth.

"All right?"

"What about after our children come?"

She let out her breath in exasperation. "Leidolf, when they're little, I'll be there for them. When they get older..."

"You're not taking them on hunting expeditions."

She raised a brow.

"Only when they're old enough," he said.

"What age? I want everything ironed out now. I don't want you telling me later that I can't take them with me on my research until they're eighteen or some such nonsense."

Leidolf rose to his full height and folded his arms. "What age then?"

She shrugged and winced.

His brows furrowed, he crouched back at her side. "Cassie, you shouldn't have played so hard. Now you're hurting, aren't you?" He touched her cheek so tenderly she wanted to cry.

No one had cared about her hurting anywhere since her own family had shown concern for her so many years ago. But she couldn't let him sidetrack her on the important issues. "Ten."

"Ten years old? No way. They'd get into all kinds of mischief at that age."

"Why? Because you did?"

He smiled coyly. "Yeah, and since they would be of my blood, I could just imagine the trouble they might get into. Not to mention you probably pulled your fair share of shenanigans when you were that age."

She had, but she wasn't about to let on. She scowled at him. "Twelve then."

He harrumphed. "Sixteen."

"Sixteen? You've got to be kidding. They'd be ready to run the ranch by then. Thirteen."

"Fourteen."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Thirteen."

"What will our pack members say if they see their alpha female always leaving the pack?"

"Your pack members will live. Just like they've done fine without me before this. And don't you dare take it out on your pack when I leave you in charge by yourself," Cassie warned.

Leidolf sighed darkly and took Cassie's hand and rubbed his cheek against the top. "When you came to rescue me after I'd been tranquilized, you had already claimed me, Cassie. You rubbed your scent against my face, declaring we were a match, that I was yours. And I declare it back. But a female alpha doesn't set the rules for the alpha male."

Cassie licked her dry lips. Although Leidolf was right, she wouldn't exactly concede his point. "A pregnant one does. Just think of me as being perpetually pregnant."

His lips lifted in an arrogant smile.

"I mean, envision it, not make it true."

He hesitated as if giving the matter serious thought, but he was so tense she figured he wanted to jump in and agree with all his heart right away.

"All right," he finally said, "we have a deal."

His expression was way too satisfied, and she was sure she'd fallen into that rabbit's hole with no way out. She felt as though she were making a deal with the devil, that he wouldn't make the concessions he had agreed to a reality, and an inkling of fear streaked through her. Her freedom was at stake. The oral contract was binding. She'd set out the rules... hell, had she left any important ones out? And he had agreed. Now they only had to consummate the relationship, and it was a done deal.

"You agreed, Cassie. Do you want to eat first or..."

"There can't be any stipulation--"

Leidolf smiled again. "No more clauses. I agreed. Now, eat first or... hell, I'm not risking you changing your mind."

He winked, and she managed a small smile. She'd definitely made a deal with the devil. Whatever happened, she hoped they could work things out to both their satisfaction.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her. This was her fantasy. She was the huntress, and she'd caught her sea god. She licked a droplet of water off his nipple. He smiled and ran his hands through her hair, his hot hard body pressed against hers, his legs between hers, just working up to the moment to make her his.

She momentarily forgot about the way his arousal poked against her mound as he covered her mouth with his, tongue thrusting, ravishing, conquering, all-consuming. Like a man who'd been love-deprived for eons. And she craved his rabid touch, enjoyed responding back just as passionately, her tongue teasing and tasting his, her teeth nipping at his lips, her mouth sucking on his tongue. He groaned low, a sound that said she was pushing him beyond the outer limits.

He shifted a hand to her side, his thumb brushing the side of her breast, and his mouth moved lower, sweeping over her throat, her breastbone, and then lower to her breast. His tongue licked the rigid nipple, his heated breath making it even more sensitive as the cool air in the cabin mixed with the wetness. She swept her hands down his back, lower, taking hold of his buttocks and squeezing, thinking back to the way she'd first seen him swimming in the lake. What a great ass. And now? The sea god was all hers. She'd captured him on the hunt, just as she'd intended.

With his mouth latching onto her other nipple, he reached between them and began to rub her sensitive nub, slowly at first. Yet she felt as though he was holding back, as taut as his whole body was, wanting to get on with the real business but wanting to pleasure her first. And it was killing him to do so, his heavy arousal drumming against her body with need.

"Hmm, Leidolf," she whispered, not able to say much else the way he was stroking her, his wicked fingers quickening, rubbing her nub harder, his tongue encircling her nipple, his lips grasping and pulling gently. But his actions propelled her to arch against him, wanting more of his touch, just as she frantically caressed the skin of his muscled arms and back to his delectable ass, wanting to touch every part of him, too.

This time, she moaned, spreading her legs farther, wanting him inside of her... now. The ache between her legs begged for release, for satisfaction, the sexy smell of him, their pheromones mixing like a sensuous wolfish aphrodisiac spurring them on, compelling them to finish what they'd begun. Her actions spurred him on as well; every time she squeezed his buttocks, his arousal jumped. When she licked his shoulder, nipped it, and kissed and then twisted again, arching into him, wanting to scream at him to take her now, he nearly entered her. Almost. He wasn't through torturing her yet with his exquisitely masculine touch.