“I shouldn’t have done that,” Jace was saying as they threaded their way through parked vehicles. She heard his voice but didn’t pay much attention to the words. “I shouldn’t have taken you in there. I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

“It’s bad,” Deni said, nodding. She wasn’t concentrating on her words either. “I should have stayed home tonight, but I needed . . .” She shivered. “I don’t know what I needed.”

Not true. Deni had needed escape, life, not hiding in the dark. Her sons had gone to work, Ellison had taken his mate, Maria, out for dinner and probably sex, and the rest of Shiftertown had emptied to attend the fight club. Sit at home and mope or go out and be with her friends and neighbors? She’d been tired of moping, so here she was.

Deni’s uncontrolled instincts were punishing her now. Jace had known to take her out of there before she did something stupid, but the wildness in her didn’t calm. It needed release.

Deni’s wolf needed to fight, to hunt, to kill. Robbed of that, the she-wolf in her wanted the nearest thing to it.

She swung to Jace, his scent filling her, his strength calling to her. He was solid, strong, alpha, male, and he was here with her in the dark. She couldn’t have stopped herself even if she’d wanted to.

Deni slammed both hands to Jace’s chest. He caught her with a strong grip but fell against the side of a pickup, carrying her back with him. He had a musky male scent, a little wild, like the woods on a moonlit night. The moon was high and full tonight, always irresistible to a wolf.

Jace’s eyes were unusual, jade green, the color heightened by his tanned face and brown black hair he’d buzzed short. He was large too, but agile and athletic.

He watched her, not shoving her away, not angry. Just watching.

Another surge of sound came from the arena, human and animal crying out for blood. Deni snarled, pinned Jace against the truck, and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Chapter Two

Jace found himself with his arms full of gorgeous woman. A hungry gorgeous woman. Her kiss pushed him flat against the truck, the ridges of its door digging into his back.

Against his front, he felt nothing but soft woman—breasts, hands, thighs. Deni’s mouth was all over his, lips seeking, tongue swiping into his mouth, giving him a taste of spice and wildness.

Jace told himself to push her away, but he cupped her waist and ended up dragging her closer. Another roar came from the arena, galvanizing her, winding up Jace’s heat in response.

The sarong bared much of her flesh—the garment clasped at one shoulder and wrapped her hips, leaving Deni’s neck, arms, and most of her back bare. Her warm skin was silken under Jace’s fingers, curves lush. A full-bodied Shifter woman.

Deni was tall, as Shifter women were, but Jace was taller. He scooped her into him, liking how she fit against him. Her bu**ocks were a handful, her br**sts the best cushions.

He opened his mouth to hers, welcoming her greedy kisses. She was hot in his arms, she smelled good, and her hair was silken against his skin.

It was exciting and erotic, pulling a woman he’d just met into his arms, the two of them wound up from the fighting, wanting to relieve themselves in the shadows with fervent, hard sex. Her body rubbed his hard-on, tingling raw pleasure through him. Some Shifters were already scratching their itches tonight in this parking lot, with humans or other Shifters. By the sounds and scents, they were at it in cars or in the shadows beyond. Frantic, basic coupling.

Deni groped for the button of his jeans, fingers sliding along the zipper. In a few seconds, she’d have his hot c**k in her hands, and he’d be done for.

“Not here,” Jace managed to say. He had just enough presence of mind to not want to be caught banging Ellison Rowe’s sister up against the side of a Shifter’s pickup. A few steps and they’d be in deep shadow, on hard Texas earth.

Deni nodded, her eyes the light gray of her wolf. Jace swung her off her feet and ran with her beyond the circle of light.

He didn’t bother trying to find a soft place to lie down in the darkness. Jace could hold the both of them up—he was plenty strong. One tug of strings and the sarong fell, baring her to him. Jace buried his nose in her neck as he nipped her flesh. He loved how she smelled. Feminine, strong, beautiful.

Deni managed to get his jeans open. Jace let them slither down his legs, then his underwear followed. He lifted her, cradling her hips, and she slid straight onto him.

Her eyes widened. Beautiful silver white eyes, moonlight eyes. Jace caught her head with one hand, loving the feel of her hair against his fingers, and he kissed her.

Hot, amazing woman wrapped around him, as hungry as he was. Jace was deep inside her, the penetration satisfying, filling him up as much as he filled her.

Deni moaned a little against his mouth. Jace released her from the kiss, but he wanted to go on kissing her, her mouth hot. Goddess, how lucky was he that she’d run to join in his fight?

Jace thrust what little he could, lifting her with hands under her bu**ocks and lowering her onto him again in small, swift jerks. They were both making noises now, and not being quiet. Anyone passing would know two Shifters were finding relief out here in the dark.

This was raw, rough sex. No finesse, no romance. Just a man and a woman doing what the Goddess had made them to do. Come together, join, mate, create.

“Jace.”

Deni cried his name, then her head went back, passion making her incoherent. Jace held on to her, taking their combined weight on his planted feet, rocking to seek more and more of her.

He gathered her hard against him, feeling his seed build in its need to reach her. Shifters wanted more than anything to make more Shifters, and Jace’s body knew it. Instinct, desire, whatever he wanted to call it. It took over, and he couldn’t fight it.

“Son of a bitch,” he whispered as his climax hit him, harder than any he’d had in his life. He felt his seed go and felt her take it, heard his own shouts drowned in hers and another, final victory roar from the arena.

Jace shuddered, whatever the hell he said lost to the night. Deni clung to him, her gasps of pleasure not muffled. She hung on to him until the last thrust, and then Jace simply held her, wondering that he’d found something so beautiful so unexpectedly.

His body was still crazed with need. He felt his c**k rise again, not that it had deflated much.

Oh, hell no. Jace was crawling with heat, desire rampaging through his body. He thought he’d be sated with a quick coupling—that both of them would be sated.