Page 90 of Chev's Mate

I clear my throat. “No.”

The bond between us yanks, signaling I’m lying.

“Admit you’re scared of them,” Vanessa taunts.

Over my dead body.

“I love you,” I say instead.

Vanessa cocks her head to the side, the action so cute, I can no longer hold back. I return her hug, holding her against me. I hate making my mate angry, but the children needed to learn sooner rather than later. It’s only a matter of time before they’re teenagers and no longer want to hang out with me.

Besides, it’s hard to kill demons, so it’s not like the axes are a genuine danger to them.

“Gray’s going to be here soon,” Vanessa says.

I huff, annoyed. The kids are screaming bloody murder as they fight over the food Vanessa made, but I still wish they could stay longer. I love our home being filled with loud children, and I find them a great source of entertainment.

Plus, the more I watch them, the more the Wrath trio is indebted to me. I’ll soon be able to ask them for anything I want and they won’t be able to sayno. I’ll practically own them. Silas will be my transportationslave.

“Would you like to see my bear?” I ask.

Vanessa flushes, but I know it’s because she’s trying not to laugh at me. Still, she nods, pleasing me with her choice. My bear hasn’t seen her in days, and I’m antsy to feel her fingers brushing through my fur. She’s gentle with it, and because of her, I’m the softest bear in the pack.

Everybody is jealous of me.

Vanessa and I join the children at the table, and by the time Gray comes to pick his spawns up, I’m practically bursting at theseams to shift into my bear. Gray tries to stick around and chat, but I shoo him away before dragging Vanessa outside.

She’s full of giggles, and I join in before shifting into my animal form. My bear is elated, and he circles her legs before plopping onto his butt for pets. I didn’t like her petting me at first, the action emasculating, but now I love it.

“Human bears like to catch fish,” Vanessa says, running her fingers through my fur. “Have you ever done that?”

I dip my head when she snags a knot. Catch fish? Why the fuck would I ever want to catch a fish? They’re small and provide little meat. Charlie has been filling Vanessa’s head with everything that human bears can do, and none of their actions make sense. I’ve concluded that human bears are ridiculous creatures, and I’m amazed they’ve survived this long.

Vanessa meanders into the forest, heading outside my pack lands, and I follow. This is where the biggest trees live, and Vanessa spreads her arms as she runs her fingers along the bark. Eventually, she reaches one she connects with most, and she pauses to admire it.

I plop onto my belly. She’ll be here a while. Vanessa joins me on the ground, her hand still on the tree, and leans against my side.

I’ve been hiding a tree twice this size from her, the largest in the area, and I’ve been working hard to build a home around it. She’s always asking about that Wrath restaurant we went to, and I know she’ll love having a house in the same style.

This home will be large, and I’m making sure to include several extra bedrooms for the many children I’m hoping we someday have.

I curl around her, pleased as my bear begins to purr. When we move into the new home, I will accidentally drop and break her bird figurines.

It’s a sneaky move, but I’m a very sneaky male, so I know I’ll be successful.

Epilogue

Two Years Later

CHEV

I CURSE, ANNOYED with the size of the small buttons on my new camera. I hate these fucking things, and I bring the device closer to my face to get a better look at the settings.

Vanessa steps into the room, and she leans against the doorway as she watches me struggle to set up my camera and tripod. She doesn’t make a sound, but I can tell she’s laughing at me. She finds my inability to “properly” use technology entertaining, but I don’t see the humor.

It took me weeks to convince Silas to help me pick this camera out. He’s not pleased with my reasoning behind wanting one, but he isn’t putting up much of an argument.

He knows it’s useless.

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