I scoop her into my arms, and she turns her wide eyes up to me, searching for reassurance. “A bad dream?” I ask as I run a soothing paw along her back.
Her body relaxing against me, she nods.
I lower my jaw to rest on the top of her head, letting my warmth comfort her. “Now,” I murmur, “you tellmewhat’s bothering you.”
“I sometimes dream of Arnold’s death.”
Why does his death haunt her? “Are you not happy he is gone?” I ask. “He did not deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
She tilts her face upward, and I trace my tongue over her face. “Come in,” I call toward the door, sensing the otherswaiting outside. The door opens to Mina, Naïa, and Essin. The nýmphí rise to their feet and part to make way for the three females.
“Good morning, Your Majesty. Theron,” Mina says as they all bow.
I nod, and my mate greets them with a soft smile. “Good morning.”
“Where is Elder Aïna?” I ask, scanning the room.
“Your mate’s scent clouds your senses,” Essin replies with a wide grin.
My ears twitch, and I turn toward the entrance as Elder Aïna walks in and says, “I have been standing here for a while now, mighty warrior.”
A deep sigh escapes me as I rise, still holding my mate in my arms. “Her Majesty needs to wake first.”
“That is our duty.” A few of the nýmphí step forward as if to take my Noël from me.
“I can do it too,” I argue, lifting her higher.
“Theron, let me down.”
My ears fall back. “Can I braid your hair, then?”
The horrified looks that ripple across the room stop me in my tracks. Every female in our home stares at me as if I’ve just claimed I can shift into human form.
“Don’tevertouch her hair again,” Essin huffs, her tone sharp.
I blink. What have I done wrong now? I set my mate down and watch as the nýmphí immediately swarm around her.
“Should we go so you two can take care of this?” one of them asks, motioning toward my hard cock.
They’re all here already, and my mate wouldn’t like to show that side of herself to others. I agree with her, but also, I’d love to stretch her some more before the trials. I shake my head,exhaling as I decide to surrender this battle. Some fights aren’t worth winning.
I walk out of my own home, leaving the females to tend to their duties.
My cock remains hard, my soul longs for the connection we’ve yet to complete. Being together, yet unbonded, is a torment I wasn’t prepared for.
Elder Aïna explained it. When mates meet, the bonding ritual must be performed within six moons, or their bodies will begin to betray them. The closeness of two unjoined souls takes its toll on the physical form.
There are no stories of what happens to mates who delay the ritual for too long. It’s unheard of. And I know we won’t be among them. In two days, my mate and I will bond. That certainty eases the burning in my soul.
Still, my heavy cock resists relief. The image of it buried deep inside her flashes through my mind, and I growl low in my chest.
I lost control last night, and I don’t regret it. Not one bit.
She welcomes my touch. My mate wants me.
A smile stretches across my face at the thought. She is curious, open to me. Yet, she hasn’t come to me herself. Not yet. These things take time. Yes, time.
I stop, stroking my cock to ease the ache. My knot is swollen, throbbing with the need to claim her fully. “Soon, we’ll fill her womb,” I murmur to my cock. The thought calms me even as I find release.
