Page 36 of Into the Grasslands

His mouth latched on to my clit and then he hummed up at me and gave me a wicked grin before his hum turned into an annoying buzz. A knock on the door made me look to the left. We were no longer by the pond and instead, in the room I’d been given when I first came to the pack.

* * *

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

“Turn your alarm off, Nika!” Janella’s voice came through the haze left over from my dream.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

“Sorry,” I called out and then leaned over to turn off the alarm that had apparently been buzzing away long enough for my roommate to become annoyed with me.

Thorin and I spent twenty-five days getting to know one another. In that time, I had nearly been zapped to the point of pain multiple times. My patience had worn thin about a week ago, and I think mine lasted longer than Thorin’s. My dreams had gone from sweet and romantic to hot and spicy in the past week. Truth be told, if we didn’t get to have a private moment before our mating ceremony, I might be tempted to fully mate Thorin in front of the pack, visiting dignitaries, and whoever else wanted to watch. I’d do it without any shame at all because I was starved for his touch.

We still had four more days to go and then our courtship would end as the moon rose. Our mating ceremony was set for three in the morning the following day. It was the peak of the full moon and for our people, the closest to the Goddess Selene we could get, especially since it fell on the summer equinox.

I groaned as I got out of bed and felt the slick fluid of my arousal between my thighs. “Four and a half days, Nika!”

I heard Janelle giggle from the kitchen outside of my room and rolled my eyes. She knew exactly what I was counting down and why. When I finally made myself presentable and walked out, she offered a knowing grin before she sipped on her tea.

“Another dream?”

“Goddess help me,” I whimpered. “I am seriously in danger of a public display at my mating ceremony that should not happen.”

Janelle giggled again. “If it makes you feel better, I think your mate is in the same boat. Yesterday, he snapped at everyone who crossed his path and then he threw his nose up in the air and caught your scent. I have never seen a person move so fast as Thorin did when he realized you were about to leave the pack house.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm.” Janelle offered the sound of assurance as she sipped her tea again. “He caught your scent and was on it in the space of a heartbeat. Then, it was hilarious to see the two of you try to hold back from touching one another. I swear, the whole pack lives for those moments. Will they or won’t they get the shock of their lives this time?” Janelle teased as I pouted.

“It’s not funny. I’m so thrilled that everyone is entertained but I feel like I might spontaneously combust if Thorin and I can’t consummate our relationship sometime soon.”

“Poor thing,” Janelle offered and she meant it.

“If you find your mate soon, just remember what I’m going through and don’t do this to yourself.”

Janelle’s eyes cast downward, and I moved quickly to sit beside her. “What’s that about?”

“I think I did meet my mate the other day.”

“You did? Who was it?”

“I don’t know. He isn’t someone who I’ve seen around the pack before. The man looked a bit like Thorin, but slightly shorter. Maybe 6’3” instead of gigantor’s height. They have the same facial structure and coloring though. He was deeply tanned with dark hair, a beard, and dark eyes, though I couldn’t be sure of the color. The minute he saw me, and I started toward him, he froze. By the time I was halfway there, I think I called out ‘Mate’ and he took off. He literally ran away from me.”

“That’s odd. Are you sure you said the word? Maybe he didn’t hear you.”

“No, I’m certain he heard me. More than that, it was as if he knew I was his mate too.”

“The men don’t usually know until you touch, and the bond snaps in place.”

“Yeah, I know, but weird things seem to happen with this pack. Look at you and Thorin. He shouldn’t have been able to be your mate for months and then only as a second chance, choice mate.”

“That’s true. I guess we need to stop thinking of everything as an absolute.”

Janella nodded her head. “Maybe he’ll be around more this week, since we’re all getting ready for your mating ceremony.”

“If you see him again, and I’m around, point him out. I’ll ask Thorin who he is.”

“Thanks,” Janella mentioned. “It makes me wonder if he already has a mate or something. Why else would you run from your moon-blessed?”

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