Page 156 of Devoted

Not that my OCD could be solved, but surely there had to be better options than the ones I currently had at my disposal.

I stepped out of the hallway and paused. Zeke’s meeting was right at the other end of this ridiculously sized house. He hadn’t told me I shouldn’t go outside, but was I supposed to let him know?

‘What if you do that and everyone thinks you’re weird? He’s not your keeper or your dad.They’ll think it’s odd if you interrupt their meeting.’

There was too much logic there for me to argue with. Instead, I turned in the opposite direction, heading for the back of the house. It wasn’t like I was going to go far, just do a brisk lap around the garden.

Look at me, taking the advice I’d given someone else. That had to be a first.

The cold wind was a welcome relief as I stepped outside. I drew in a deep breath, feeling it go all the way into my lungs.

Yes. This was a good idea.

As much as I fuckinghatedcardio, except sex of course, it was good for me. I mean, it was good for everyone, but itespecially helped when I was anxious. I knew that, but it didn’t encourage me to work out regularly.

I paced for the edge of the woodland. Stepping inside, I let the sound of the wind in the branches mix with the distant traffic until it became a comforting blanket of white noise.

My mind finally quieted, my rationality taking the forefront once more. I could agree to being Zeke’s mate. What was more, Iwantedto. It was scary, but pretty much everything scared me. At least in this situation, I’d be getting things out of it. Things better than anything I’d had before. Love. Happiness. Security.

Zeke was offering me all of them.

And I was going to accept.

I was going to accept him.

A laugh broke free as I shook off the shackles of my fear. I was going to do this. I was going to be his, and he’d be mine. Gloria could take her threats and ultimatums and fuck off. She wasn’t going to hold me over him.

Like fuck was I letting that happen another minute longer.

Resolved and grinning, I spun on my heel to head back to the house. Before I could take a step though, a figure stepped out from between the trees.

A beautiful woman, with flowing blonde hair stood serenely before me. She smiled, and I’d never seen anything more terrifying.

I knew who she was without needing to ask. What she was. Some buried part of my psyche was screaming at me torun.

I couldn’t move though. She tilted her head at me, her smile growing wider.

“Hello, Sam.”

35

Ezekiel

This meeting was dragging on. And I shouldn’t have been irritated by it, not when they were coming up with ideas to help protect my mate.

But, for some reason, the longer I was away from Sam, the more my skin was itching. There was an incessant tugging in my chest, begging me to go to him.

He’s safe,I reminded myself for the seventieth time.This is one of the most impenetrable buildings in the world.

The ward at my door tripped, making me tense. A few moments later, another across the back door went. Where was Sam going?

“What’s wrong with you?” Rami hissed under his breath. “You look like you’re chewing glass.”

“Sam’s gone out the back door,” I muttered.

“So? Is he not allowed in the gardens?”

I gave him a pointed look. “I’d prefer him indoors while there’s a psychotic angel who has it out for him.”

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