His fingertips stroked my face, golden eyes bright as he gazed at me with so much affection it took my breath away. “I was so blinded by the priestess’s lies. I couldn’t see that I had found everything I ever wanted.”
“Wh... what?” I stuttered, that annoying little ray of hope blooming into a kaleidoscope.
Jutuk cupped my face between his hands, brushing his lips gently over mine. “You, Pearl. You are bold, brash, determined, and stubborn. You are the most perfect, wonderful female I have ever known. I thought it was impossible, but now I know better.”
“Jutuk?” A wave of pure happiness washed over me, crashing down like a thunderstorm. It was overwhelming, almost too much to bear. It was as if all the joy in the world had concentrated itself into one single moment, and I was lucky enough to be caught in its grasp.
Moving as if in slow motion, Jutuk laid his forehead against mine, the golden gaze intense. “You are mine, Pearl. And I am yours—always.”
Tears streamed down my face as a sound of utter joy escaped my lips. Jutuk smiled as he gently kissed the wetness away, his warm lips pressing against my skin as he traced the trails of my tears to my lips. I could feel his heart pounding with emotion as he kissed me. Our lips moved together, and the world seemed to fade away as we lost ourselves in each other and the joy of finally knowing we loved each other.
“There is one other thing I must confess to you,” Jutuk muttered as we came up for air.
He seemed concerned, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about his confession. He could be an alien serial killer at this point... or worse, he might not like my cooking. Whatever it was, we’d deal. I loved him.
“Your friends...” he began, and a sliver of trepidation raced across my spine. While I might forgive a lot... hurting my friends was on a whole different level.
“What?”
“Your friends have all mated with my brethren.” Jutuk smiled at my reaction. “Your friend Emmy has mated with my chieftain, Daisy with the war chief, Clara with our weapons master, and Agnes with our healer.”
I understood his apprehension about the confession, not that it would have made the slightest change to how I felt for Jutuk. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Based on the priestesses’ lies, I did not believe them to be true matings,” he admitted.
“And now you do?”
Jutuk threaded a hand through my hair, holding my face close, our forehead touching. His deep breath fanned my cheeks, smelling of spice.
“If my Vaktaire brothers feel for their mates, even a scintilla of what I feel for you, yes, the matings are true.”
I wrapped my arms around his muscular neck, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine. His scent, a mix of musk and spice, enveloped me in a comforting embrace. “I love you, Jutuk,” I whispered, my heart overflowing with emotion. The starlight beaming through the window danced off his chiseled features as I leaned in for a kiss. Never had I felt such a deep and all-consuming passion for anyone.
“Love,” Jutuk mused, trailing his lips over my cheek and down my neck. “Such a small word to describe such immeasurable feeling."
“What is the Vaktaire word?” I buried my fingers in his caramel-colored hair, loving the way his silky strands flowed through my fingers.
Jutuk thought for a moment. “There isn’t one word big enough in our language.” His eyes darkened as he gazed at me. “How can one simple word encompass all that you are to me? You are the air that I breathe, the light that allows my sight, and the shadows that allow my rest. You are the beat of my heart and the reason for my existence. My mate.”
The feeling, like a shimmer of ice and heat over my skin, was so odd that I gasped, placing a hand on my chest. Under my fingertips, my heartbeat slowed, feeling like it almost stopped, then sped up again and settled into a rhythmic beat. It wasn’t a painful sensation at all. It felt strange... but I felt a rush of warmth and rightness. The sensation was overwhelming yet comforting at the same time.
Jutuk watched me for a minute, his golden gaze blazing with affection. Then he placed his palm over my heart. His gaze flickered, but he smiled, lifted my other hand, and placed it over his own heart.
It took a moment for me to differentiate one beat from the other. Our hearts moved in perfect unison. The rhythmic thumping synchronized, creating a beautiful melody that echoedthrough my chest and into his. It was as if our souls danced together, connected by the steady drumming of our hearts. It was every bit as romantic as I expected.
Jutuk gazed at me, a look of contentment spreading across his face. “My mate.” The word was guttural, spoken from some deep-down primal part of him, and I liked the way it sounded on his tongue.
My mate.
With a contented sigh, I leaned into him, feeling my body relax as I let myself melt into the warmth of his embrace. My love for him enveloped me, filling every inch of my being with a sense of peace and protection... and need.
“Pearl.” His warm breath tickled my skin as he whispered my name just before his lips claimed mine.
A gasp escaped my lips as his tongue danced with mine, shooting waves of pleasure through my body. Without breaking the kiss, Jutuk lifted me off his lap to lay me gently on the bed, his heavy weight pressing down on me. I squirmed against him, wanting to feel every inch of his muscled length against me. He kissed me deeply as his hand explored my body, trailing from my belly down to my hip and then sliding across my inner thigh, igniting a flame with every touch.
My fingers tingled with anticipation as I traced the defined lines of his chest and abs, feeling his skin ripple under my touch. I continued to explore lower, my nails leaving faint pink trails along his stomach, wanting to pull another groan of pleasure from his lips.
My fingers trembled as I reached for his pants, fumbling with the buttons and zipper in my haste. Finally, I released him from the confines of his clothing and wrapped my hand around his hard length. I felt his pulse thumping against my palm as I stroked him eagerly, desperate to satisfy the insatiable desire coursing through my veins.
