little group, and he always challenged Sera because she was the closest to his speed, even when she wasn’t trying. He tried to catch her for a while, then went after Faith, who’d been running the entire time and was panting with the exertion.
No longer considering Richard a threat, Sera slowed to a gentle trot and let out a laugh. While she was observing her friends, Richard lunged for her, wrapped his arms around her slim waist, then swung her around in circles. She laughed as the world around her blurred by. When Richard stopped spinning, he began tickling her ribcage. She tried to fight him off, but he pinned her to the ground with his knees. She called out to her friends in merriment, but every male already had another female.
It was an all-out tickle ambush, except for Ally, who was rolling on the ground and laughing at all of them. Tears sprang to her eyes as she screamed out. She closed her eyes as she fought the urge to scream again.
Suddenly, Richard’s body was ripped from Sera’s, and another crouched over her. Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped as she saw Koda’s shaking form above her, peering suspiciously at Richard. She slowly crawled out from under Koda and moved in front of him, blocking his view of her friend. Koda tried to look around her, but she brought his head down to hold her glowing gaze. Her wolf was close to the surface now that her mate was near, and Sera had to struggle to contain her.
“Get away from her, you bastard!” Richard said, running toward them.
Koda snarled and pushed Sera protectively behind him. “Mine!”
“Like hell she is. She’s ours!”
Koda started to lunge, but Sera’s hand on his back made him freeze. “I am yours always,” she said into his mind.
He turned abruptly and crushed his lips against hers. She moaned into his mouth, snaking her arms around his neck.
Trisha spoke up, causing them to pull away. “Uh, guys, these are our fiancés, Jackson and Koda. Can y’all go in the house and give us a minute?”
Sera felt everyone leave the yard. Once they were gone, she let her wolf shine through her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.
“Are you hurt?” Koda growled, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb.
Pressing her face into his chest, she shook her head.
“Then why are you crying?”
“I have been alone. The whole time I have been on this blasted land, I have wanted nothing more than to be in your arms. I missed you, my mate.”
She slipped her hand under his shirt and pressed her palm on his chest. The skin-on-skin contact calmed her. He placed his hands on her stomach, making her wolf howl in relief. Both Sera and her wolf craved his touch, and to receive it was like being stranded in the desert and finally being blessed with a tall, cool, crisp glass of water.
Koda snarled and crushed his lips to hers again.
She returned his kiss, pushing every emotion she had been feeling into him.
With every stroke of his tongue and every swirl of his fingertips over her heated skin, he showed her just how much he needed her.
She smiled as she gently pushed him back, looking into his glowing green eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you more,” he said, offering a small smile.
“I love you most.”
He shook his head and grabbed for her hand. “Not possible.”
Sera rolled her eyes and turned to say hello to Jackson but didn’t bother when she saw him locked in a passionate embrace with his mate. She turned and walked toward the house with Koda trailing behind, keeping a