Page 17 of Silent Jay

I glanced around for her luggage but didn’t see it. After placing her on my bed, I liberally slathered her injuries in magically enhanced disinfectant and wrapped them as best I could. Her luggage still hadn’t been delivered. I slid one of my t-shirts over her head, silently thanking my luck, and tucked her into my bed.

My bed. My shirt. I let out a possessive growl.Mine.I loved seeing her in all of it.

Crawling in behind her, I locked her in my embrace and breathed in her scent until sleep took me.

My throbbinghard-on woke me in the morning light. My mate slept locked in my arms. I pressed my hips forward, desperate for friction. A low, sleepy moan escaped her lips, and she wiggled her butt invitingly.

I ran my hand down her stomach, still covered in my t-shirt. She mumbled in her sleep and arched her perfect peach into my dick. My heart sang. A tall woman, my shirt just barely went past her ass. I didn’t need to push it up much to explore the crease between her thighs before cupping her sex.

A low tingle brushing my skin was my only warning. Raw power zapped my hand, running down my body to strangle my erection. Pain blossomed. I cupped my tender junk, rolling to the other side with my lips between my teeth to keep from waking up my mate.

My anger from last night flooded back. I glanced toward my demolished couch, willing it to catch fire, but Rehan took everything by putting out my internal flame. I needed a feckin’ ceremony to relight it, which wouldn’t be happening any time soon.

I took a deep breath and looked at my sleeping mate, letting her calm me.

At least peeing would be easier with my dick as floppy as a cable.

With my bodily functions taken care of and a coffee in my hands, I picked up my tablet and stared at it. I wanted to get back into bed with my mate, but I couldn’t touch her.

We had three days, less now, just the two of us. Scalehive, the group who ran The Hunt and brought women to the island, told us our mates would think of these three days like a honeymoon. But with the water heir's magic protecting her body, we couldn’t even kiss.

I ran a hand down my face.

This was mad. I’d never obsessed over anyone like this. Nothing in my life prepared me for these emotions. I grunted. Ruling this island required a degree of objectivity. A lesson my sire literally beat into his too-sensitive son.

Instead of letting my past hurt, I focused on my future. My mate. What did humans even eat? Tia had been right last night. I’d not planned on going on my first Hunt, much less finding a woman.

Could they usually talk right away?

Baw, I didn’t even know her name.

I woke up my tablet. My chat, social media, and email were all disabled, so my mate and I could focus only on each other, but a file waited for me on my cloud drive. I opened it, and my mate’s paperwork appeared before me. The picture of her was terrible. She barely looked awake.

Betty Strop

5”9’

172 pounds

Mixed race, possibly Egyptian

Green eyes

Black hair, no history of male pattern baldness

American, Master’s Degree or higher

IQ 108

Clean family history, some alcohol abuse

Overall score 87/100

I furrowed my eyebrows. Eighty-seven was solid, though I’d had higher expectations. I flipped over to the next page, where it went into details. After reading through her family medical history, I flipped back to the front. Five-nine seemed too short. I was a solid six-six, and though she was smaller than me, I’d only had to bend a bit to kiss her. Granted, she’d been in my arms for most of it.

I kept reading, looking for something less medical. At the back, I found her preference sheet. I’d left my bedroom door open enough to peek at her sleeping form. “Betty,” I tried out her name, smiling at her, before continuing to read.

She liked long walks on the beach and knitting. Her favorite movies were romantic comedies, and she was a vegan.

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