Chapter Two
VANESSA
I PINCH MY nose, more than a little overwhelmed.
I’ve been working here for almost three full days now, and I’m starting to worry the files I’m expected to review are endless. I’ve been staring at my laptop for hours, trying and failing to absorb every little piece of information I can find about the Wrath facility. I failed to realize just how many files I’d have to familiarize myself with, and it’s intense.
I know I’m not expected to get through everything right away, but I’d still like to make a good dent before the week ends. I want to impress—especially before I leave for Wrath tonight. I could commute here from my new placement in Wrath, but most facility managers choose to live and work out of the realm of their placement. It makes sense since I’ll be spending most of my time there. The portals are easy enough to use, but they take a lot of energy to operate.
It’s not as if I’m unfamiliar with living on facility land, and I admittedly enjoy the security and safety that being there offers. It’s the one good thing about being placed in Wrath. I know I’ll be safe.
I tap my foot against the ground as I click through the files on my computer. I find one discussing meal plans, and I rest my chin in my palm as I scan it. I try to remain focused, but my eyes continually flicker toward the door.
Chev hasn’t visited me yet, but I know it’s inevitable.
I want to get this introduction over with, and not knowing exactly when he’s coming is driving me insane. Every time I get in the groove of things, I hear a sound in the hallway and clam up.
I’d much rather have a set time for his visit, but I know better than to complain about how he runs his company. If Chev wants to be a pop-in kind of guy, I’m not really in a place to ask him to change.
At this point, though, I’m unsure if he’s even coming. The day is almost over.
I don’t want to do this again tomorrow. Although maybe if I’m lucky, he’ll never stop by. I intend to begin working out of the Wrath facility next week, so he’s running out of time to make his introduction. I doubt he ever visits the Wrath facility, so once I’m there, I’ll be free of him.
That, admittedly, sounds nice.
I sigh, moving on to my next file.
Two more hours, and I’ll be heading to Wrath. I’d be lying if I said I weren’t nervous, but I think I’m equal parts excited. My things should’ve been brought over today, and Echo told me there’ll be somebody waiting to show me my new home when I arrive.
I’m sad to be leaving the friends I’ve made in my small community, but I’ll have the weekends to visit them.
My computer screen dims. I frown, confused as I try to figure out what’s happening. Technology isn’t a luxury the ogres provided, and while I learned the basics from the trade programs I participated in, I received little to no instruction on troubleshooting.
The screen is still readable despite being dim, and I grin proudly when I notice the red power indicator. It says my computer is low on charge, and I fiddle with the plug shoved into the side of the device before following the cable to the outlet.
It’s not plugged into the wall.
If being a facility manager doesn’t work out, I’ve got a career in technology I can push toward. The elves have several technological-focused trade programs in their realms, and I’ve heard they’re relatively easy to get into.
I crawl under my desk and stick the plug into the outlet, proud of my problem-solving. I’m careful not to shock myself, constantly wary after an incident a few years ago. I tried plugging something in while still touching the metal prong, and my entire arm went numb.
I spent an hour entirely convinced I was going to lose it.
The computer beeps, signaling it’s now charging, and I knock my knuckles against the floor with a triumphant smirk. Today’s a good day.
My self-victory dies as I hear my office door open, the creak loud. My pulse skyrockets, and I take a second to calm down before moving. It’s probably just Echo coming to check in on me. She does so once or twice a day.
“Vanessa?”
I freeze, my muscles tensing. The voice is low and masculine, and it sends unwanted shivers down my spine. I recognize it from the news programs, and I clench my fists as I work up the courage to stand and confront Chev.
He saved the females. He’s a good guy, and he’s safe.
It’s not uncommon for rescued females to grow overwhelmed and hide, and I don’t want him to think that’s what I’m doing. I’m scared, yes, but I refuse to let my fear rule my life. I’ve earned this job, and I’ve worked hard to overcome my fears.
Chev’s footfalls sound heavy as he enters my office.
I hear only three steps, which I hope still has him at a reasonable distance from my desk. I know I can’t hide from men forever, but being in an enclosed, private space with one still pushes the limits of what I can handle.
The longer I hide under here, the worse it’ll appear, though. Clenching my jaw, I crawl out from under my desk and stand. Oh. No. My heart stops, and I place a hand over my chest as I stare at the man before me.
Chev’s just as large as I feared, and he’s a spitting image of Echo, with his curly, dark hair and vibrant-green eyes. He’s wearing his leathers, and every exposed muscle on his body grows rigid as he looks at me.
His eyes dart along my face before lowering to my feet and bouncing back up. I’m horrified, unable to move.
Chev blinks, a look of complete shock taking over his features before his lips spread into a genuine smile. I don’t return it. I was removed from the nymph lands when I was a child, but I don’t need the stories of my people to recognize the pulsating claim within me.
It calls to Chev, making me feel like a rubber band pulled too tightly.
He’s my mate, and judging by the look on his face, he knows it.
“Vanessa?” His use of my name has shifted from a worry-filled question to a deep purr, and I imagine if I weren’t so fucking uncomfortable, I’d enjoy it.
He steps forward. I step back.
We do this again.
And again.
Chev clears his throat. “My mate.”
He doesn’t seem to recognize my discomfort, and I hold out my hands as I hurry to the other side of the room. I’m not interested in having a mate. I have no desire for intimacy, love, or anything that comes with a mate bond. I want to be independent, free of ever needing a man again.
I gasp, the sound ragged as it leaves my throat. “No.”
Chev stills, his head cocking to the side as he stares at my palms. His chest expands as he breathes, and I’m disgusted as he openly scans my figure. I purposefully wear modest clothing, but his gaze makes me feel naked.
I hate how he looks at me, evaluating my body with such open excitement. I curl in on myself, not wanting his eyes—or any part of him—on me.
“You’re my mate,” Chev says.
I shake my head, denying it. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are,” he insists. He grabs the front of his leathers and yanks them up, exposing himself. “Look!”
I scramble backward, my shoulder slamming into the wall. What’s he doing? He takes a hold of himself, and I’m filled with horror.
I’m going to vomit. I knew this was too good to be true. When I was first rescued, I thought it was a cruel joke. The ogres loved to do that, loved to make us believe things were getting better just so they could watch our bodies and minds break at their hands once more.
It was a cruel form of torture. You eventually learn not to get your hopes up, and I was stupid to do so here. The shifters may have removed us from our owners, but at the end of the day, males are males. They only have one thing on their mind, one goal, and Chev is showing me his.
“No, no! Not that!” Chev sounds panicked. He shoves his length to the side with enough force that he winces, hiding it from my view as he points to the mate mark next to it.
His is a light gray.
“You’re my mate, Vanessa,” he says. “I can feel it, and you’ve darkened my mark.”
I turn away, watching out of the corner of my eyes as he finally lowers his skirt. Men exposing themselves to me is nothing new, and it always ends the same way. I want to hurt him.
The way Chev stalks toward me is proof enough of his intentions. The shifters have always placed too much importance on their mate bonds, and while their obsession is cute from a distance, I just know it’s absolutely suffocating from the inside.
I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a male.
“Leave,” I say, struggling to work up the courage to speak. “I don’t want this.”
The therapists inside the facilities always say we’re entitled to speak our minds. If we don’t want a man, we have every right to say so. We’re not property, and they can’t force us. Not anymore.
“No.” Chev doesn’t hesitate to reject my request. “You’re my mate.”
My heart is beating so fast, it’s a miracle I’m still standing. I scan the room, hoping to find a weapon to defend myself with. I refuse to become an abused, kept female again. I worked hard to overcome it, and I won’t let Chev take my freedom from me.
“I am your nothing,” I insist, subtly inching toward the office door. “I am not your mate.”
Shifter males are territorial, but I bet Echo can help me. Her office is on the other side of the building, but I’m willing to bet I’m faster than Chev. He’s large and strong, which doesn’t always correlate to fast.
I need a head start, and what lies underneath his leathers is the perfect target.
Chev takes a cautious step in my direction, his shoulders hunched forward in a clear attempt to appear small. I muster every bit of courage I have as I let him approach.
He coos. “It’s okay, my mate. I’m not going to hurt you.”
He holds out his arms, and the second I feel them begin to close around me, I raise my knee and slam it as hard as I can between his legs.
Chev groans and folds in on himself, and I waste no time darting toward the door. I want to draw attention to us, and I scream as I sprint down the long hallway. I was happy with the seclusion of my office, but now I wish it were in a busier area.
Loud footsteps thunder behind me, encouraging me to pick up my pace as I hear Chev closing the gap. He’s faster than I thought he’d be.
I open my mouth to let out another scream, but the noise is stolen from my throat as a heavy arm wraps around my midsection and pulls me back against a hard chest. My heels drag against the floor, and I scratch at Chev’s bicep as he forces me into my office.
I thrash and try to pry him off, tears streaming down my cheeks as I struggle to breathe. Chev releases me the second we’re back inside my office, and I flatten myself against the farthest wall as he locks the door. Why’s he doing this?
“Fuck,” Chev says, running his hands through his hair. “Fuck!”
He turns and reopens the door a second later. I’m still flattened against the wall, too frantic to feel relieved, as he storms out of the room. He slams the door shut behind him, and my knees wobble as I rush toward it.
Is he still out there?
I place my ear against the door, listening for any sounds of life. My ears aren’t nearly as good as that of the strong breeds, but I can hear heartbeats from close proximity. There’s nothing but silence, but it doesn’t calm me.
I doubt Chev will be gone for long. This job isn’t worth my freedom, and I need to disappear before he returns. There aren’t many places for females to escape, but I’ve heard rumors of lands where shifters don’t have jurisdiction.
The door handle doesn’t budge when I try to pull it open, and after three consecutive attempts, I realize it’s locked. Chev locked me in here? How? The lock is on my side of the door.
I kick at the wood, not caring that the action makes my toes sting. I’m faintly aware that I’m hyperventilating as I yank at the door repeatedly, trying and failing to break the lock.
Why would he trap me in here? It’s probably because he knows I’m going to run.
What if he tries to kidnap me, forcing me into some obscure, hidden area within the shifter lands? It’d be easy for him to do. Chev’s the leader, and he has nobody to answer to. There’s nobody to stop him.