Page 43 of Naga Healer's Mate

“I’m all yours,” she gasped, her voice breaking as pleasure consumed her.

He growled, his lower half snapping against her as he pushed her closer to the edge.She could feel the tension building, coiling tighter and tighter until it finally snapped.Her orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, her inner walls clenching around him as she cried out, “You are mine.”

He soon followed her over the edge with a guttural roar, his release spilling deep inside her as he collapsed against her chest, his tail coiling possessively around her.They lay there, breathless and tangled, their bodies still connected as the aftershocks of pleasure rippled through them.

“I’m yours,” he murmured against her skin, his voice soft.

She couldn’t argue, not anymore.He was hers, and she was his.

Chapter 23

Nirrn

NirrncoiledprotectivelyaroundIslae as morning light filtered through the safe house’s narrow windows.His eyes traced the curves of her face, memorizing every detail—the slight part of her lips, the way her dark lashes fanned against her cheeks, the gentle rise and fall of her chest.The bruises from her captivity had faded to yellowed shadows, testament to her body’s remarkable healing capacity.

His fingers ghosted over her bare shoulder, careful not to wake her.Five days of constant vigilance, of tending her wounds, of watching her slowly regain her strength.Five days of falling deeper into this fierce need to keep her safe, and to shield her from harm.His orange scales reflected the sunlight as he shifted, throwing prismatic patterns across her soft skin.

“Mine,” he whispered, the word barely a breath.The mate bond hummed contentedly between them, stronger now than ever.He still couldn’t believe he found his true mate, and one as remarkable as Islae.Her determination and her passion for healing and protecting others despite the risks—she matched him in every way.

A cool breeze drifted through the room, carrying the scent of looming danger.They couldn’t stay here much longer.The Jorvlens might still be searching for them, and this safe house, while secure for now, wouldn’t remain so forever.His tail tightened fractionally around her sleeping form.There was only one solution—Nirum.His home planet would offer them protection, resources, and a chance to build a life together away from the corruption of Jorvla.

Islae shifted in her sleep, pressing closer to his chest.His scales rasped softly against her skin as he adjusted his hold, supporting her more fully against him.She was strong, his mate, capable of defending herself.But that didn’t diminish his need to protect her and to ensure she never faced such dangers alone again.

“You’ve changed me for the better,” he murmured, watching the sunlight play across her features.“Made me more than just a healer.”His fingers traced the line of her jaw.“Made me into someone worthy of you.”

The warrior that had awakened within him during her rescue still simmered beneath his skin, ready to emerge if needed.He would tear apart anyone who threatened her, heal any wound she suffered, and stand between her and any danger.Not because she needed him to, but because protecting and loving her had become as natural to him as breathing.

Nirrn coiled tighter around Islae’s sleeping form.The past ten days had changed everything—his purpose, his very nature.The healer in him had merged with something more primal and more possessive.He continued to watch her while she slept, noting every subtle movement of her chest as she breathed, counting each precious inhale and exhale.

The mate bond sang louder as he lay there tightening his strong arms around her.She didn’t fully know about the bond yet, not until he explained what it really meant, what they truly were to each other.The thought of telling her made his scales ripple with anxiety.What if she rejected him?Humans didn’t usually have such instant and powerful connections.Would she understand the depth, the permanence of what it meant to be his true mate?

His hand drifted to her hair, his fingers gently stroking the soft strands.Islae stirred, her eyelashes fluttering open.She peered up at him with an expression that made his heart stutter—open, vulnerable… loving?His heart started beating wildly in his chest.

“You’re watching me sleep again,” she murmured, reaching up to trace his jaw.

“Always,” he rumbled, catching her hand and pressing it against his chest where his heart thundered.

Nirrn’s tail coiled tighter around Islae’s waist as the words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.“Islae, you are my mate.”His eyes met hers, searching for any sign of rejection or fear.

“What do you mean?”Her fingers stroked the orange scales on his chest, sending shivers down his spine.

“The first day I met you, when you touched my shoulder in your clinic, I felt it—the mate bond.It’s sacred among my kind, a connection that binds two souls together.”His voice deepened with emotion.“Our minds and our hearts become one.The mental connection we share is rare, a precious gift.”

“The warmth in my blood,” Islae whispered.“When we were apart, it made me feel things… made me feel you.”She paused, her brown eyes widening with recognition.“And in that cell…I knew I heard your voice in my mind.”

Nirrn’s scales rippled with joy as he cupped her face between his hands.“That was the mate bond you felt.The bond cannot be denied or forced.It simply is—two halves of one whole, finding each other across the stars.”

Instead of pulling away, Islae pressed her forehead to his.Her breath mingled with his as she spoke.“I thought I was going mad, feeling and hearing you there.But this… this makes sense.”She inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent.“It’s why I trust you when I’ve never trusted anyone.Why I feel complete when you’re near.”

Relief and happiness surged through him.His tail wrapped more securely around her, drawing her closer until there wasn’t a breath of space between them.“You accept this?Accept me?”

“Yes,” she whispered against his lips.“I accept being your mate.”

The warrior in him roared with triumph.His mate.His to protect, to cherish, and to love.The words he had held back for so long finally broke free.“I love you, Islae.”

She smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw.“I love you, too, Nirrn.”

His large hand cupped the back of her delicate head, his fingers threading through her hair as he claimed her mouth with his.The kiss started gentle, a whisper of devotion, but quickly deepened into something more primal.His mate, finally his.The thought sent a surge of possessive pride through him.The warrior that had awakened within him growled in satisfaction as she melted against his chest.

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