Page 25 of Chev's Mate

Charlie nods, probably having already heard about my idea from Aziel. I fear I overstepped and was too aggressive during our meeting, but he didn’t seem upset. I’m hoping he doesn’t hold a grudge.

“How exciting!” Charlie says. “I doubt my mates would let me participateinmy condition, but I look forward to watching.”

She overenunciates her words and gestures to her stomach, making light of the pregnancy. I take that as my opportunity to look. I’ve never seen such a happily pregnant woman before, and it’s refreshing. When I was with the ogres, pregnancies were treated as a shameful secret.

Infants were taken away almost immediately after birth, so women were afraid to get attached to the child growing inside them. Everybody pretended the pregnancy didn’t exist, and once the woman gave birth, the child was never spoken of again.

I’m thankful I never had to experience it firsthand.

“Well, I’ll leave you to get settled.” I pause and clear my throat. “I don’t want to intrude, but what will your hours here look like?”

If I’m lucky, I get maybe thirty minutes a week from Aziel. I anticipate Charlie will be more available, but I know she’s pregnant and her mates aren’t excited about her being here. I’m hesitant to begin relying on her if she’s going to up and disappear once her pregnancy progresses.

“I’m committing to a minimum of two hours a day,” Charlie says. “I’d like to do more, but I promised my mates I wouldn’t overexert myself. Human bodies aren’t necessarily equipped to grow demon babies, so pregnancy can take a lot out of me.”

I nod. “I can imagine.”

If Chev and I ever had children, I wonder how my body would take it. Nymphs are weaker than shifters, but we’re stronger than humans. I don’t think I’d have any issues.

Not that I’m planning on ever having children or accepting Chev, though.

“I’ll see you around, then,” I say, heading toward the door.

Charlie returns to work, and I rush out of her office before I begin rambling and say something I regret. I don’t think I embarrassed myself too badly, and I feel I hid my nerves moderately well. Charlie seems nice enough, and I look forward to working with her. I can already tell I’ll get way more done with her on my side than I did with Aziel.

Chapter Eleven

CHEV

PAIN WAKES ME up, and I immediately know it’s from Vanessa.

I’m out of bed in a heartbeat, my bear bursting from my skin as I lunge for the bedroom door. A loud snarl I’m unable to control spills from my throat as the pain in my shoulder grows, the feeling slight as it travels through the mate bond.

My thigh tingles, almost even burns, as my mark calls out to me. I’m hardly aware of anything happening around me as I barrel down the hallway, desperate to find Vanessa.

Charlie rounds a corner, her eyes wide as she spots me, but she’s smart enough to jump out of the way. Her fear must travel to her mates because, within seconds, the smell of demons surrounds me.

There are flashes on either side of me as Aziel, Gray, and Silas try to teleport into my path, but I’m moving too quickly. Silas manages to appear in front of me, but it’s a mistake.

I bite the limb he throws in my direction, and I use it to toss him against the nearest wall. There are shouts, many of them, but they go in one ear and out the other as I tumble down the stairs. My paws slip against the steps, my bear form unaccustomed to using stairs, so I practically roll down them. I don’t care.

I need to find Vanessa.

I slow as I run through the corridor the children play in, narrowly avoiding running into them. Even Cassia moves out of the way, a scared scream tearing from her throat. I’ll apologize and let her chew on me later.

I’m faintly aware of Aziel yelling my name, but I ignore every one of his calls as I finally burst out of the house. I break the front door in the process, the wood splintering as I slam my body through it. I’ll fix it later.

The pain in my shoulder remains, and it’s all I can think about as I take off in the direction of the female facility. My bond guides me toward Vanessa, and I run to her as fast as possible. I’ve never felt her pain before, so I know it must be severe.

Vanessa should still be in bed, but she’s in pain. Something is wrong.

My bear releases another howl into the forest, the loud noise echoing as I hurry to my mate. I want everybody to know I’m coming. Whoever has hurt Vanessa will die today, and I want them to know it.

When the fence surrounding the facility enters my line of sight, I lower my head and slam into it. The metal forms around my skull before breaking apart. It hurts. Fuck, it hurts, but it’s not unbearable. I would crush a thousand fences for my mate.

“Chev!”

Aziel appears in my path.

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