Page 64 of Chev's Mate

I feel useful, and I hope I’m making a difference to the women here.

“Have you had a chance to look over the meal plans for next quarter?” Charlie asks.

I groan, shaking my head. One of the facilities in the elven lands has some serious structural issues, and they want to send their women here until it’s fixed.

“Not yet,” I say. “The elves have been keeping me busy.”

Charlie laughs and bobs her head. “I’ve seen the messages.”

There are dozens of them. The Wrath facility is small, and it will take a lot of navigation to comfortably accommodate the number of women they wish to send over. I don’t want the females already here to feel cramped, though.

The managers in charge of the shifter and dragon facilities said they have some room, and I think we’ll have to split up the women currently living in the elven facility. It’s not ideal, but we don’t have many other options.

“I plan to look it over this week,” I say.

I scan my desk, looking for the meal plan documents Charlie gave me last week. Creating them falls under my job description, but Charlie enjoys making them and she’s pretty good at it. I doubt I’ll find any issues. I never do, but I still appreciate her asking me to review it for final approval.

I was worried about what working with her would be like, fearful she’d circumvent me because of her title and standing within the Wrath kingdom, but it hasn’t been an issue.

“There’s no rush,” Charlie says. “I know you’re busy.”

Too busy.

Charlie glances at her phone, and even before saying anything, I know she has to leave. Her males tend to get antsy when she isn’t back when she says she’s going to be, and after her incubus came storming in here one afternoon when we’d gotten to chatting, she’s been careful about leaving on time.

I think it’s overly possessive, but I remind myself it isn’t my relationship to judge. Charlie seems happy with her males, and that’s all that matters. I’m not the one married to them, so it doesn’t matter how I feel.

“I should get going,” Charlie says.

I nod. “I’ll see you soon.”

She makes her way out of my office, and I return to work. I have a few messages I’d like to get out before Chev joins me forlunch. I invited him to come here, which I’ve never done before. I’m admittedly quite nervous.

I send out three messages before my office door bursts open and my oversized mate comes storming inside. He doesn’t bother knocking. I wonder how he gets any work done when he’s constantly running between the Wrath manor and the facility, but whenever I ask, he tells me he has it handled before abruptly changing the subject. I think he’s struggling to keep up with everything and is lying for my benefit. He doesn’t want me to worry.

I’m still worried, though.

Thoughts of moving to the shifter realm have crossed my mind, but I’m yet to voice them. I’d hate to get Chev excited about something I’m still unsure of.

He’s been updating his home to my liking, which I appreciate, but the thought of living with him is frightening. The men who owned me covered me in jewelry when we went out in public, but in private, I slept on a wooden pallet in a mouse-infested basement most nights. Men are different in public than they are behind closed doors.

I know Chev isn’t like the ogres. I know that to my very bones, but something still holds me back.

“Can I see your breasts?” Chev asks, kicking my office door shut.

I snort. “What?”

Is he serious?

Chev smirks and toys with his leathers, messing with them just enough that I can see the bottom of his mate mark. He’s always trying to tease me with it, the man acting like a sultry whore whenever we’re alone and he’s in his leathers.

His mark is entirely black now, the thick ring around his thigh fully darkened. I love the look of it, and I find myself leaning forward as it enters my line of sight.

“Your breasts,” Chev says, refusing to lift his skirt any higher.

A part of me wants to play coy and see what he’ll do if I refuse, but the larger part that wants to see his mated mark wins. I reach for the bottom of my shirt. I don’t mind showing him my chest, and Chev rocks back on his heels as I pull the fabric up.

I lock eyes with him as I do the same with my bra, fully exposing myself.

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