Page 31 of Finding my Shifter Soulmate

Her entire body tightens and releases, and it goes on, cresting in several small bumps before dying away. The aftershocks radiate from her, drawing her limbs in tight. I watch, admiring every squirm and jerk.

Wiping my face, I look at her with a small chuckle before I climb on the bed and flip her over, raising her hips off the mattress. In one movement, I sheath myself to the hilt and bury my cock inside her. A loud, sweet gasp signals her submission, and I grab her hips, giving her a series of long, fast thrusts. Her juices flow over me, mixing with the bathwater droplets.

Every second is like heaven, with the way she wraps my dick in a tight glove. And the cries I draw out of her serve to inflate my ego and my rock-hard member. Every moan and gasp that she utters is another triumph, sending me soaring.

Grinding harder, I feel her ripple around my shaft, tight and slick. Her entire body quivers as I thrust my hips forward, giving her everything I have. Her head sinks to the pillow, and her face turns to the side, smiling.

Something tingles in my spine, telling me it's time to come, and when I draw back and snap my pelvis forward, a burst of electricity rattles my core, shooting out to my toes. It's overwhelming, and I sink myself as deep as I can get while spurting my seed. Sabrina jerks her hips in time with mine, and suddenly she goes soft, collapsing while I finish thrusting through my orgasm.

I rub her back, still buried in her as I catch my breath. Eventually, I pull out of her and slide next to her body, resting my head on the pillow beside her, gazing down at her tired but content features. I cup her chin in my palm. She stirs and gazes at me with those lovely hazel eyes.

"I love you, Sabrina." The words just sort of pour out of my mouth, unrehearsed and genuine.

Her lips curve into a languid, pleased smile. "I love you too."

Reaching over, I brush a strand of hair away from her face, grinning as I kiss her on the forehead. Her eyes slowly close, and the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing indicates that she's off to dreamland.

I, on the other hand, lay wide awake, stunned at the revelation I've just experienced. It's been years since I've told a woman that I love her, not since my wife passed. My wife wasn’t my fated mate, but I loved her dearly, so by all rights, should make me uncomfortable—or scared at the very least. But instead, it feels natural. So right.

Careful not to wake her, I tug the blankets over both of us and draw her into the crook of my arm, holding her tight. The sun is going down, and all I have to look forward to is holding my mate. I gaze into the darkness of the bedroom for a long time, my mind running through what our future might look like. If anything is truly changed, not just for me, but for the island, it rests on her. Sabrina's the catalyst for all of this, and I have to have faith that she can deliver on it.

After a short while, my mind turns sluggish, and my blinks get slower and longer. While sleep creeps up on me, the memory of my wife flashes in front of me. There's no guilt. No pain. When she comes into view, there's only contentment and acceptance of where my heart lies. Then, I fade away.

Epilogue – Sabrina – One Year Later

"You're getting married here?" Jean looks out over the lagoon, with the waterfall sparkling in the sunlight. Behind it, the cave holding the Barong statue is hidden just out of sight. "It's paradise!"

Smiling, I gesture around. "I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Right before a tiger tried to skin me alive. Why not do it here?"

Hibiscus flowers and bouquets of pink and orange in pots and woven baskets are laid out all around. Between the trees, colored fairy lights hang and glow softly. A long, white asile runner lines the way, with chairs on either side, soon to be filled with all of our friends. It's a shame that my parents won't be able to attend, but we sent them a digital invitation to watch the live stream of the ceremony. Maybe someday they'll be open to the idea of venturing to my new home, but for now, I'm just thrilled to have my best friend with me.

My wedding dress is anything but traditional, at least by American standards. Instead of a white, flowing dress, it's a colorful sarong, wrapped around my chest and tied in an elaborate knot, threaded through with flowers. In place of a veil, I'm crowned with a hibiscus garland. Nothing else quite captures the beauty of this island the way this dress does. It's simple, but lovely. And most importantly, not typical. As with every other aspect of this wedding, I want it to carry on the Bali traditions and custom with my wedding dress.

The resort I stayed in when I first arrived catered the even with local delicacies. Plates are filled with succulent meatscooked in coconut milk and spiced rice and vegetables served on banana leaves.

As my bridesmaid, Jean is draped in a sheer white sarong, wrapped around a mint green sundress. She bounces up and down in her sandals, wearing a smile wide enough to swallow the sea. She pulls at the fabric around my waist and asks, "Is this loose enough? I don't want to crush the little parasite growing in there."

Glancing down at my belly, I giggle, rubbing my palm over the barely-there dome. She's not wrong—at five months, my baby bump is a factor, though I'm not huge yet. When I glance into the mirror, I get a good profile of him or her, thinking about how one day soon, he or she will crawl or walk or run in these islands, enjoying the surf and the heat and all the gorgeous, fantastic plant life. It's the very reason Gede and I wanted to get married now, before my stomach grows so big I can't move without waddling.

"It's fine," I assure her. "I'll loosen it after the ceremony."

"You're so beautiful!" Jean beams at my side, tearing up.

"And you're going to make me cry. Don't. Make. Me. Cry."

We stop fiddling with the sarong and hug one another, both of us chuckling. When we step back, I do my best to admire her without my own tears spilling over. Sometimes it's weird to see her here, but after she arrived, she decided to stay for a while, and I couldn't be more excited to introduce her to my new life. Well, most of my new life. I'm afraid she'll never quite understand about the shifters.

Jean checks the time on her phone for the third time, and she nearly leaps into the air. "It's time! I'll get everyone in theirseats. You go hide in the bushes somewhere until your groom gets in position. See you in a few."

Taking a deep breath, I meander down the aisle, heading through the palm trees until I'm well out of sight. Until I'm back in the shadow of the cave, where I see Rama waiting for me.

"You look lovely, Sabrina. Gede is a lucky man. Are you ready?"

"More than I've ever been in my life." I reach forward and give him a quick, brief hug. I heard through the grapevine that he had a hard time recovering from his wounds, but they did wonders to humble him. Over time, we've become something of friends.

"Well, I'm delighted to perform your ceremony." His hand slides down my baby bump, and he cradles the swollen lump. His eyes go dreamy for a moment, and he appears to lose himself in thought.

"Rama?"

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