The flight was long. No matter how hard I tried to stay awake, my eyelids were too heavy though and eventually they fell closed and stayed closed. I had woken up later then what I normally would have any other morning. So I knew I shouldn't be tired, but it was almost as if my body was preparing itself for what I knew was going to happen in the next couple of hours. Riley had told me that I shouldn't expect to start my heat at the stroke of midnight but given the strength of Ryder's wolf it would most likely take effect before six am. By the way she explained it, it seemed like it was going to pull me from a sleep and I'd be left in a writing heat that wouldn't subside completely till I had Ryder inside me and we had both gotten a release. I could feel Ryder's nerves at us mating as well. The closer we got to completing the process, the more I could feel his wolf. He had explained to me a few nights ago after an intense make out session that had left me breathless, that his wolf could sense that my heat was coming. His wolf was still stated from his birthday when he came into his full power. Only now was he going to get all the extra power out, it was weighing on my chest to know that he was going to do that through me but also once we had mated he would gain more strength. The whole pregnancy prospect was hanging over my head. I was growing more comfortable with the idea. With Ryder by my side I knew I could do it. I had seen how great he could be with Elijah and other children, plus they idea of carrying his child pulled a smile to my face. A soft caress up my spine sends a shiver through me and my eyes manage to flick back open. Hovering over the top of me is my shirtless husband, his hazel eyes glinting with mischief as he looks down at me. "Hey," his voice is husky as his hand continues over my body. "Hey," with my hand sliding up the toned muscles of his chest the action calling his eyes down to it. My body temperature hadn't changed and the large clock to my side confirmed todays date. It was now the second of December. "Happy Birthday, my gorgeous Charlotte," He doesn't give me time to reply as his lips quickly press against mine. They're soft as they gently move across the soft area that's only ever been met by his lips and it was always going to stay that way. He was mine forever. "Are we nearly there?" I ask once I've managed to pull back away from him. I shivered when his warm fingers run up the length of my leg that was over his lap. "Soon, we should land in about fifteen minutes." Ryder's hand continues to caress my leg as a silence settles over us. The bond between us was getting stronger and I could see that he was growing more nervous about what was going to happen the closer we got to it happening. He didn't want to hurt me. It went against everything he and his wolf believed in even if the pain I was going to experience was unintentional. Smiling I turn my eyes away from the window and the quickly passing dark ocean and up to Ryder's eyes that are looking softly down at me. "What are we going to do when we get there?" As if sensing my thoughts Ryder smirks down at me. "Well, despite the obvious, I'm going to take you swimming. You can sleep if you want to but the water would be able to cool and relax you before everything." "I can't swim," Ryder knew that but he seemed very insistent on getting me in the water with him. His hand comes up to brush my hair back as he smiles at me. "I know but then I won't have to let you go." His head nuzzles down into my neck and his lips brush over his mark. The contact causes me to wiggle myself further onto his lap. Ryder groans and his hand locks onto my hip to stop me from grinding in to him. "Lottie my wolf is already turned on enough." He growls out more than speaks. Somebody clears there throat from behind us. Ryder keeps his head buried in my neck taking in long breathes of my scent but I turn my head to see Reynolds stood just in front of our seats, his head turned to the side so he's not watching us. "Were about to land so maybe get off each other, you have three weeks to do that." Ryder growls again against my skin doing the opposite of what his best friend said as his hands tightened around me as we made the slightly bumpy decent to the ground. After getting of the plane I see two cars, Ryder's hand slides into mine as he leads me to the closest one that was having luggage placed into the back of by the flight attendant. He opens the passenger door for me and helps me into the high seat. From my seat I can see as he walks around the back of the car and says something to Reynolds before they share a quick hug and he's back next to me, opening the drivers' seat door. His eyes are sincere as he looks over at me and gently slipping his hand back into mine. "Are you ready for this, because if you're not then we can back to the castle and figure out some other way to get through this?" With a soft squeeze of his hand I smile up at him. "As much as this scares me Ryder, I want to do it. I want you and if it happens today I want your kids as well." His hand pulls mine up to his lips and kisses it. "I love you."