Page 8 of Chev's Mate

I don’t want him. I don’t want a mate.

Chev’s muscles flex, and his hands fidget at his sides. He wants to touch me, grab me, and it’s taking everything in him not to do so. I wonder what’s stopping him. He’s stronger than I am. We both know it, and I know shifters feel ownership over their mates.

It’s probably because of Mammon. The Queen of Greed has been trying to turn the elves and other blessed breeds against the shifters and demons. She’s publicly spoken out against them since the demon war, and if she catches wind of Chev forcing himself on a female, she’ll have all the ammunition she needs.

She wants to absorb Wrath and the shifter lands, forcing Aziel and Chev to submit to her. That’s probably the only thing holding Chev back.

He may pretend to be a good man, but at the end of the day, he’s part animal. He runs on instinct, and that instinct is no doubt telling him to take me.

Something inside me whispers something similar, whispers for me to take him, but it’s easy to ignore. My mind has been broken and reformed what feels like a million times, and I’m good at denying my wants.

Aziel looks confused, his eyebrow furrowing as he looks between my red, splotchy face and Chev’s nervous one. The shifter tries to make eye contact with me, but I refuse to give it.

That’s only going to encourage him.

“Oh,” Aziel says, his words slow as he tries to read the room. “Congratulations?”

I struggle to find my voice, my fear making it impossible to think. Going silent is a defense mechanism, and no amount of intense therapy has been able to break me from the habit.Instead, I shake my head. My blonde hair whips around my face, and a low whine slips from Chev’s throat.

The noise calls to me, the repressed part of my soul desperate for him, but I ignore it.

I don’t want a mate.

“She denies me,” Chev says.

Aziel looks shocked. “She smells like a blessed breed. Does she not feel the bond?”

He steps toward me, but he freezes when I scurry back. It’s the same dance I did with Chev, but Aziel doesn’t seem particularly keen to play as he returns to his original position by the door. He already has a full harem with his three mates, and I can tell he’s not interested in me. It makes me happy.

“I accidently uncovered my penis,” Chev whispers. He sounds ashamed. I don’t believe it. “I was too excited, and I scared her.”

Unwanted tears fill my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought he intended to rape me. I’m still not entirely convinced that he doesn’t.

Chev whines again. My body recognizes it and urges me to comfort him, but I refuse. I’ve mindlessly followed my instincts one too many times, trusting men because they seemed nice and I was desperate for a friendship. Some stupid bond isn’t going to make a fool of me.

“Is this what you brought me here for?” Aziel asks.

Chev nods. “Yes.”

Aziel straightens his spine and turns toward Chev. He looks pissed, and I step back as the full strength of his power reaches me. It makes me want to drop to my knees and submit, but I refuse. The therapists say we aren’t supposed to do that anymore.

“You said this was an emergency,” Aziel seethes. “You physically took my child out of my arms and demanded I bring you back here.”

Chev doesn’t seem to care about the anger pouring from the Wrath as he grunts and wildly gestures in my direction. I eye the distance between them and the door.

I doubt I could make it past Chev, let alone Aziel. The demons can teleport, making my speed useless. He can catch me in a heartbeat, even if I have a decent head start.

“Thisisan emergency, Aziel,” Chev argues. “I’ve found my mate, and she’s scared of me.”

My head pounds. I don’t like when men talk about me like I’m not here—like I’m some object and not a real person.

Aziel runs a hand through his hair. “This isnotan emergency.”

He turns toward me. I flinch, staring at the milky spit-up on his shoulder so I don’t have to look into his angry eyes.

“You’re expected to arrive at my facility in a few hours, aren’t you?” he asks.

I hesitate before giving a jerky nod.

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