Chapter 51. Prepared

I was ready. A fierce, almost violent pride swelled in my chest as his intention became clear. He bent closer, warm breath brushing against my ear, and spoke those two words that set my pulse racing: “My mate.”

“My mate,” I echoed, my voice trembling with emotion. “Yours.” The single word tumbled from my lips in a breathy whisper of agreement. In that moment, joy and love surged through me like a tidal wave, charging every nerve ending with electricity.

He shifted his hips, easing forward until the head of him rubbed gently along the length of my slick folds. The sensation was exquisite, and a low, eager moan slipped from my throat. Heat pooled between my legs, and I parted my thighs, welcoming him. Then he paused, angling himself toward my entrance and pressing so lightly at first that I hardly felt it—only a soft, probing pressure at the verge of where I ached to be filled.

I froze. He hadn’t pushed inside—yet the barely perceptible stretch at the edge of my o