Page 80 of Protected By Her Mate

“I’m sorry. I should have taken better care of them.” Her soft-spoken words are tearing me up. It would be better if she blamed me. If I hadn’t invaded Charlie’s life, Edie wouldn’t have targeted either her or Luke.

She shakes her head, her gaze warm. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s not your fault that psycho targeted my daughter. You were injured too. I saw video footage on the news of you being attacked by that woman. I’m just so glad all of you…” Her words falter.

I feel awkward as I step toward her, intending to pat her back, but she reaches for me and wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my chest. “Thank you for bringing them back to me.” I hold her for a moment, then she steps back, pulling a tissue from her pocket and blowing her nose before nodding decisively. “I brought fresh buñuelos so you won’t have to cook in the morning. Please, take care of my babies.” She opens the door and moves into the hallway.

“Wait.” I hurry after her. “Let me walk you home.”

She waves me away. “No, thank you. I brought the van with me. I’ll be fine.”

She leaves and I decide Charlie is more like her mother than I thought. They both possess a quiet core of strength.

I open the window and lean out to watch Annalisa climb into the van, turn it on and pull into the street. I pull my head in only after her taillights disappear around the corner.

I turn as Charlie walks into the living room, yawning widely. “Was that my mom’s voice I heard?” She’s wearing a brief pair of sleep shorts and a camisole top, her hair a knotted mess on top of her head. Her eyes land on the Tupperware container and light up. “Did she bring treats?”

“Yes, breakfast,” I say. “She was checking in on you.”

She pries the lid off and shoves what looks like a donut hole into her mouth, sighing contentedly as she chews. “These are homemade buñuelos, you know,” she says with her mouth full. “You should try one.”

I should be leaving her alone, going back to my own place and shutting down our connection. With the curse over our heads, any continued contact with her is torture for both of us in the long run. It can’t continue.

But I can’t bring myself to reject my mate.

It’s an impossible situation.

“Let it go for now,” she urges, replacing the lid on the container. “We can worry about the curse tomorrow.”

“It doesn’t work that way.” Despite my words, I walk toward her, wrapping my hands around her waist and dragging her into me. “The more time we spend together the more tightly bound we are. You could be hurt or worse and I can’t allow that.”

She presses her cheek to my chest. “Maybe this is something you can’t protect me from.”

Gently I set her away from me. “I can and I will. You said it yourself, you have a family to think of. You can’t sacrifice yourself.”

She moves closer but doesn’t touch me. She tilts her head back, looking up at me. “You are my family, Lennox. You proved that today. I don’t think I can lose you any more than I can lose my son. We just have to find a way around this curse. Three of your brothers did, why can’t we?”

“It’s not that simple. Believe me, if I could find a way around the curse, I would do it in a heartbeat. I live for you now, Charlie. My heart beats for you, and you can trust that you will always have me near, but we can’t mate.” I lift her hand, pressing it to my heart, revelling in her intoxicating scent of cinnamon, shampoo, and Charlie.

Her lips tremble as she says, “You would stay near me, even if we can’t mate?”

“I will never leave you, Charlie.”

A tear snakes down her cheek. “I suppose that will have to be good enough. When… when should we… I don’t even know what happens next. Do you just go sit outside my window, watching me grow older? Watching until the day I die. Is that what happens?”

I smile sadly. “Something like that.”

She lets out a watery laugh. “My neighbours are going to wonder why I keep my dog on the fire escape.”

“They’ll understand once they see the size of me.”

She laughs again, but a few more tears fall.

I cup her cheek, rubbing the tears with my thumb. “Don’t cry, Charlie. It won’t be so bad.”

She smiles tremulously. “I’ll always feel safe knowing you’re nearby.”

“You can bet on it,” I assure her.

She steps away from me and I drop my hand. “You’re a good man, Lennox.” She hugs herself, looking small and fragile in the shadows of her living room. “I’m going to bed now. I… I hope I see you in the morning.”

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