I’m still reelingfrom everything that happened tonight when Raoul carries me over the threshold to his bedroom and kicks the door shut behind us.
I’m a shifter. A lioness. Or a tiger. Or a mixture of both. Hell, I don’t know what I am.
But what’s obvious is that everything Raoul has been telling me is true. There’s no use fighting it now. I am indeed his mate. When I saw my father’s jaws hovering over Raoul’s neck, ready to strike, I didn’t think. I just reacted, throwing myself between them in order to save Raoul.
I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing his golden eyes blazing down at me again, and in that moment, I didn’t even stop to think about what that might mean.
But when Raoul sits me gently on the bed and squats down before me, tilting my chin up to force me to meet his gaze, I know that I’m going to have to think about it now.
“You know you are mine,” his voice purrs as his eyes rove over my face adoringly.
The way he’s looking at me, coupled with that slight purr in his voice, has me trembling.
“Raoul…” I begin, but he pulls my hands up to his lips and kisses them reverently.
“You put yourself in danger for me.” His accusation comes out half wonder, half admonition.
I swallow before admitting, “I couldn’t let him kill you.”
Raoul’s golden eyes stare into mine worshipfully before he kneels before me and lowers his head in a bow. “My queen.”
My breath hitches at his show of submission. I already know that as the tiger king Raoul has never submitted to anyone, yet here he is on his knees, bowing tome.
Something inside me breaks. It’s like all the ice surrounding my heart thaws and melts away to be replaced by a burning heat. My entire body relaxes, and I lean into him. “Raoul,” I say his name, my voice breaking at the end, and that’s all it takes for my mate to rise and take me in his arms.
He crushes me to his chest and devours me. He kisses all over my face, my cheeks, my forehead, and my lips before he begins moving down by throat. He slides the straps of my dress off and takes my nipples in between his teeth, sending electric shocks shooting throughout my entire system. He kisses every inch of my skin he can find, coming up periodically to drink from my lips again.
“Fuck, Mya. My perfect mate. My queen. I adore you. I worship you,” he whispers against my skin in between licks and sucks. He’s sucking on me like he wants to leave hickeys all over my body, and at this point, I don’t even care. I’ll wear all his marks with pride.
“Raoul,” I moan out. “Please, I need you.” I tell him as I arch my hips up into him, rubbing myself against his swollen flesh through our clothing.
Raoul makes a strangled noise before he sits me up and yanks the dress over my head, flinging it to the floor. He does likewise with his own clothing until we’re sitting before each other on the bed naked.
His eyes rake over my nakedness, and I fight the urge to cover myself with my arms. This is Raoul, my mate, and it’s obvious from the way he’s looking at me I have nothing to be insecure about.
“So beautiful,” he murmurs before his lips descend on mine again. He continues to kiss me as he presses me back against the bed. He cages me in with his big arms on other side of me. He’s leaning on his elbows as he settles his weight on me, and I feel that swollen part of him prodding against my opening.
“Fuck, kitten, feel how wet you are for me?” He closes his eyes and drags his length against me a couple of times, hitting my clit and sending pleasure rocketing through me.
I moan and lift my hips up to him in invitation, my entire body throbbing, wanting to be filled by him.
He growls when he sees my offering and sits back to position himself at my opening.
I close my eyes at the sting as he starts to press into me.
“Eyes on me, kitten,” he growls. I open my eyes obediently to find his blazing golden orbs trained intently on me as he continues to push into me. His jaw is tight, and sweat beads his brow. The muscles in his arms flex as he pushes into me inexorably slowly. I can tell it’s costing him to hold back.
And suddenly, I don’t want him to hold back. I need him to take me roughly.
“Take me,” I urge him as I wrap my arms and legs around him, digging my heels into his ass to urge him forward.
The muscles of my pussy clench involuntarily around him, and he curses before he slams the rest of the way inside me.
I feel the barrier of my innocence give way as he shreds my virginity in two. “Raoul!” I scream his name, but he swallows my cry with a desperate kiss. His tongue twines with mine. He kisses me breathless as he begins to move inside me, slamming his huge girth and length in and out of me.
I feel that delicious pressure building, but it’s building deeper than ever before. “You feel that?” Raoul pants against my neck as he fists my hair. “That’s me mating you. You are mine now, Mya. Mine. Always and forever. With any luck, I’ll breed you with the big load I’ve got brewing just for you, kitten.”
His words shouldn’t turn me on the way they do, but they do. My muscles clench around him involuntarily, and he moans gutturally.