Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 20835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20835 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Her breathy sigh of appreciation had my dick trying to punch through the sweatpants I’d tugged on when I got up. The damn thing hadn’t gotten hard until yesterday, and now it refused to go down no matter how many times I’d come inside her tight pussy. Maybe this primal need to fill her with my seed would die down a little once I knocked her up, but I doubted that it would ever go away.
When I brought her a different cup of coffee, fixed the way she’d requested, she was already done with her breakfast. “Did you get enough to eat?”
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed around the mug I handed her.
“Do you need to get back to campus for any classes today?”
“Nope.” She beamed a smile at me over the rim of the cup. “Two of my courses are online this semester, and the other three are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I don’t even have any assignments or tests due tomorrow, so you’ve got me all day.”
I wanted nothing more than to keep my mate to myself, but I knew that I needed to let Keane know that I had finally found her. Being a member of his pack came with responsibilities. But so did being Marielle’s mate…including educating her about the mating process.
Setting her mug next to mine, I climbed on the mattress and settled her on my lap, facing me with her legs dangling past my hips onto the mattress. “I’m sorry, my treasure. I got distracted last night and left out an important part of your education about shifters.”
“I can’t blame you. Things kind of spiraled out of control when I kissed you.”
I hadn’t been surprised by how hot the passion between us burned, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it had taken her by surprise since she hadn’t grown up knowing she was destined to be with me and hearing stories about fated mates. “Do you have regrets?”
“Not even a little bit.” She shook her head, trust shining from her hazel orbs. “So don’t be worried about whatever it is that you need to tell me. All of those mind-blowing orgasms you gave me softened me up for this conversation.”
“It’s not bad, just different because you’re human,” I reassured her.
She shook her head with a soft laugh. “It can’t be any wilder than you shifting into a giant dragon.”
I brushed my thumb over the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “I think I made it clear last night that mates are a big deal for shifters, but I left out a couple of details. You might’ve wondered over the years why you never felt attracted to anyone else—it’s because you were destined to be mine.”
“Is the same true for you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Yes, my treasure,” I confirmed with a smirk. “I never felt desire until I caught your sweet scent in my lungs and locked eyes with you.”
She relaxed into my hold. “Good.”
My dragon was smug about her satisfaction with my answer. “And in order for me to fully claim you, I’ll need to bite you here and mark you as mine forever.”
“Do it now,” she demanded, tilting her head to give me better access.
“The mating mark only takes hold if I’m deep inside you and your pussy is full of my come.”
Her bottom lip puffed out in an adorable pout. “Ugh, I really want you to claim me, but I think my body needs a little break before I’ll be ready to take you again.”
“I know.” I nipped at her bottom lip. “Which is why we should probably get up so neither of us is tempted to do anything that would hurt you.”
She sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Lifting her off the mattress, I stood. “I need to let my alpha know that I found you anyway, so maybe we should head over to his cabin.”
A short while later, we did just that. Although she didn’t have my mark on her shoulder, Marielle was drenched in my scent and wearing one of my T-shirts over her leggings. So there was no mistaking her as anything but mine.
“Wait out here for me, my treasure?” I requested, brushing a kiss against her temple when we got to Keane and Laina’s back deck. “Keane can get cranky if his cubs get woken up, and they might still be down.”
“Go ahead,” she urged with a smile. “I’ll enjoy the fresh air while you risk the wrath of your alpha.”
I found my alpha alone in the kitchen. “Artemis, I’m surprised to see you. I figured you’d be at your cave today.”
“I found my mate yesterday.”
“Congratulations.” Keane clapped me on the back. “I’m fucking thrilled for you, man. Claiming your fated mate is the best damn thing that’ll ever happen to you.”
“I haven’t fully claimed her yet,” I admitted, scrubbing my palms down my bristly cheeks. “Biting her wouldn’t have been right when she didn’t know about it last night.”