Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
That would change today. Today was the ceremony. Today she would meet her mate for the first time and start the next phase of her life.
Unlike Jezebel, Suzette had never had the sensation that her mate had watched her grow up. She’d forced herself to ignore the sadness that had often consumed her, unwilling to verbalize her concerns to her friend or anyone else.
What if the reason she’d never sensed his presence had been because he’d been disinterested in her? What if he didn’t even want a mate? What if he found her lacking or wasn’t attracted to her? She’d had about a hundred other negative thoughts over the years, all of which she’d stuffed into a metaphorical box, praying on this day her fears would be eased.
Though she had lost some sleep in the past two weeks from jolting awake before the sun, she’d also felt a strange comforting sense, believing her mate cared enough to watch her every night.
Suzette had been so bored and tired that she’d started taking naps in the afternoon. She hadn’t taken a nap since she’d been about four. But lately, she’d been unable to keep her eyes open after lunch.
Suzette threw the covers back and slid out of bed before padding over to the window and looking out into the darkness.
No one was out there. No one was watching her. No way would she ever mention the visits she believed to have had in the night to a living soul. If she were mistaken, they would think her loony. If she was correct… There was no telling how the elders might receive such information. Alpha Protectors were forbidden contact with their mates until the day of their twentieth birthday.
There was no chance she would be able to go back to sleep, so she headed for the bathroom to begin preparations for today’s ceremony. She would wash her hair early, giving it plenty of time to dry. She would also shave and cover her body in her favorite lavender-scented lotion.
Modesty had been drilled into her from birth. It was the way of her people. Females never exposed any of themselves outside of the home. They didn’t even do so in front of their own family members. The only time Suzette was naked was alone in her windowless bathroom.
After she entered, she locked the door. Thoughts of her mate and what he might look like consumed her as she turned on the shower and removed her shift. While the water heated, she turned toward the full-length mirror on the back of the door and stared at her naked body.
Suzette had no idea if she was attractive or not. Looks weren’t something her people ever commented on. Her mother had always told her what mattered was what was in her heart and mind.
What mattered was that she impress her new mate with her submission and obedience.
It was ridiculous that she continued to feel his presence nearby. There was little chance he had come close to her even once in the past two weeks, let alone nightly. It didn’t matter. She preferred to pretend he’d been there. It comforted her.
As she stared at her body in the mirror, she ran her hands up her torso and cupped her breasts. Her breath hitched, and her cheeks heated as she stroked her nipples until they turned into hard points.
Touching herself like this was new also. It was frowned upon. Her mother hadn’t spoken to her much about sex, but she’d given her a basic five-minute rundown a few years ago. At that time, she’d told her it would be best if she left her pleasure up to her future mate and didn’t take it for herself.
Until two weeks ago, Suzette hadn’t had the foggiest clue what her mother had been speaking of. The feelings that came to the surface every morning when she awoke were new to her and left her breathless and curious. A tightness had manifested in her stomach and lingered throughout the morning. She’d found herself distracted by thoughts of what her mate might look like and what it would feel like to be touched by him.
As she ran her hands down her torso and along her inner thighs, her breath hitched. She closed her eyes and pictured her mate doing this, touching her reverently and intimately.
She wanted to feel more, to reach between her legs and stroke her folds. She knew wetness had gathered there and her private parts were swollen and needy. She refrained, however. “Today,” she murmured to her reflection. “Today you will meet him and start your forever.”
She prayed her imagination had not led her down a path that would leave her disappointed.
Forcing herself to focus on preparing herself for the ceremony, she showered and dressed in the first few layers of shifts that would go beneath her ceremonial dress. She would wait for the last moment to put the dress on over the top.