Page 38 of Chev's Mate

It’s the damned bond. It’s warping my mind, and I have no control over it.

“I don’t want him doing that anymore,” I say.

Charlie nods. “I’ll see to it that he doesn’t.”

Good. Good. That’s good.

“Is there anything else you want to talk about?” Charlie asks.

Yes. No. I don’t know where to start.

Chapter Fifteen

VANESSA

I FORCE MYSELF to take a deep, calming breath before peering back through the tiny peephole in my front door. I regret every decision that’s led me here.

Chev stands beside my golf cart, his hands clasped behind his back. He promised to be early, and he meant it. In his hand are the keys I typically leave on the dashboard, and I watch with a gaping mouth as he swings them around his finger. He’s wearing his leathers, and the large muscles in his thighs flex as he idly wanders around my golf cart.

He wasn’t anywhere to be seen when I left work last night, and he didn’t come when I called out to him. It left me experiencing an odd sense of loneliness, and I hardly got any sleep.

Was he giving me space? The thought has my heart thumping, and a soft crack emerges in my need to keep him at arm’s length. A shifter giving his mate distance? I didn’t think that was possible. Charlie said she’d talk to him, but I didn’t actually think anything would come from it.

Chev sighs and kicks a rock. How long has he been standing out there?

I shouldn’t keep him waiting, and my hand shakes as I work up the strength to open my front door. Chev’s head snaps up asI step outside, his lips curling into a wide grin as I shut the door behind me.

“Good morning, my mate,” he says by way of greeting.

The title has me stumbling, my feet tripping over themselves. Chev’s hands flex by his sides as he watches me straighten myself out. He’s probably fighting against his instinct to run forward and catch me.

This must be Charlie’s doing. I confided in her, sharing my fears and issues regarding Chev. She listened to every word, and she promised to talk with him. I assumed it would be a lost cause.

“Did Charlie speak to you?” I ask.

Chev nods. “Yes. She said you felt suffocated and I should give you space.” He kicks another rock. “I’ll no longer watch you from the woods, and I’ll make my presence known when I’m near.”

His chest puffs up as he speaks. He looks so proud to tell me this, which makes my heart do backflips. Nobody’s ever cared so much about how I feel. My comfort came last when I was a purchased female. The ogres liked it when I was scared, and the cruelest even enjoyed placing bets on who could make me scream the loudest.

“Thank you,” I whisper, unsure what else to say. “You shouldn’t have been watching me in the first place.”

Chev lowers his gaze. “I know. I didn’t—” He pauses and shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”

I walk down my porch steps. I’m not wearing anything special—jeans and a plain, black shirt—but Chev looks at me like I’m in the most elegant dress he’s ever seen. Or naked. He waits until I’m almost to him before speaking again.

“Would you like me to kiss your mark again?”

I trip over my feet, but Chev catches me this time. Our body explodes with warmth whenever we touch, and I instinctivelylean against his chest before thinking better of it and pulling away. I need to stop letting him get this close to me. It will only make it hurt more when he inevitably leaves and finds somebody who can give him what he wants.

The thought of him with another fills me with a rage I don’t want to think too deeply about. My possessiveness is growing, and I’m beginning to understand why blessed breeds are adamant about saving themselves. I hate violence, but I want to kill every female Chev has ever touched.

“Does my past upset you?” I blurt out.

I wish to swallow up the question the second it emerges.

Chev furrows his brow. “No.” His answer is firm.

He hesitates momentarily before cupping my cheeks, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones and his fingers burying into the hair behind my ears. He’s careful not to accidentally touch the mark on the back of my neck.

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