8. CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHENTE

When I prowl into the lobby of the library, Odette is at the front desk.

Her bespeckled, hazel gaze meets mine, widening in apparent shock, and my steps falter.

Is there something on my fangs?

I surreptitiously rub a finger over them before beaming a wide smile at her.

She looks gorgeous, the olive-green dress complementing her hair and eyes to perfection.

Internally, I war with myself whether I should tell her what I think.

In the end, I blurt out something in a rush, my voice raising with each word until it sounds more like a question than a statement.

Real smooth, pendejo.

"Um, thank you. No one's ever noticed the shape of my nose…"

And this is why I'm an unmated Chupacabra far from his home.

I sigh, concluding I'm always going to be alone because I'm a green, spiked disaster who should stop talking.

To cover my embarrassment, I slide something across the smooth counter of the desk toward Odette.

She leans forward, rising out of her wheelchair to grab it.

It takes her a moment to realize what she's holding, but when she does, she gives a low gasp that sends a pulse of need rocketing through my body.

The sound takes root in my imagination, and my thoughts fill with the vision of her gasping naked and wet underneath me.

My cock stirs, and I shift, willing it to stay behind its scaled sheath.

Not since my youth have I humiliated myself by exposing my cock in public.

It's a natural phenomenon among my kind for young males not to be able to control their hormones and bodily reactions.

Where I come from, no one bats an eyelash, but I'm long gone from the caverns of my childhood as well as the excuse of my adolescence.

If my cock slithers out like an errant snake, I'm sure Odette will scream and throw me out of the library.

She's a pretty, dainty thing that would probably faint dead away at the sight of my cock.

Dark green, spiked, longer than her arm, and twice as thick as her wrist.

And then there's my cum.

Bright red like blood and more addictive than any human drug.

The color alone has to be off-putting for a human, but one taste would be enough to enslave them.

Just what I want—a woman held against her will.

Not.

Nothing repulses me more than the thought of making a female bond to me without it being one hundred percent her choice.

Chupa cum is purposefully addictive to ensure the female completes the mating bond with her chosen male.

Once she does, the cum isn't addictive any longer, but rather, intoxicating.

It makes her euphoric and enhances her pleasure.

All other Chupas become repugnant to her, especially their scents.

As we all have forked tongues, we smell primarily through them as opposed through our noses like humans.

Taste and smell intertwine for us on another level of symbiosis.

A sick thrill fills me at the thought of Odette repelled by everyone but me.

Mine.

Internally, I groan. It's way too early to be this possessive, yet here I stand, contemplating how to make this perfect creature fall for me.

"Chente, is this what I think it is…"

"It's a Chupacabran chivo."

"I know! They're incredibly rare! Do you know how much this is worth for collectors?"

My people are extremely secretive and don't share our money with outsiders.

Only a handful of humans have seen, let alone held, one of our coins.

It's made of amber, mined from the very caves Chupas live in.

The front side features the emblem of Chupas and the back sports an emblem from the clan that forged it.

This one has a flame pressed into the back since my clan makes the fire that melts the amber.

"I can't accept this, Chente. It's worth a fortune."

I shrug like it's no big deal, even though it is.

"Please take it as a symbol of my friendship."

Something flashes across her face, an emotion I can't quite place—disappointment, perhaps.

But why would she be disappointed?

Maybe my gift isn't good enough. I should've brought her flowers like a normal guy.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"A token of your friendship , of course. I still think it's too much, but thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Unless my ears deceive me, Odette placed an odd bit of inflection on the word ‘friendship'.

Does she not want to even be friends?

Of course not, why would she—this is her job, and I'm just another patron.

My heart stutters in my chest, constricting painfully at the realization this gorgeous woman will never like me as I do her.

But at least she seems to like her gift. That's something at least.

"Are you enjoying your books?"

Her question takes me by surprise, but I have no idea why.

She's a librarian, and I'm back in the library—what other reason could I have to be here in her eyes?

"Erm, yes, loving them."

"Oh good. Were you looking for more already?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could point me to the children's section."

"Of course."

Curiosity burns in her gaze but she doesn't ask me anything more, simply shows me where to find the books.

"I don't have kids."

Once again, I'm blurting out my thoughts like an idiot.

In my haste to explain that I don't have a mate and younglings, I raise even more questions.

Why else would a grown male want books in the children's section?

"O…ok. Do you need help finding anything in particular?"

"No. No. Just seeing if I can find some favorites from my youth."

And the lies keep piling on.

"What were your favorites?"

"Um, you know, Mexican folklore picture books."

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I have any of those, but I can request to have them borrowed if another library in Quebec does."

"That's mighty kind of you, thank you. For the time being, I'll just see what you've got here."

Odette leaves me alone to peruse the shelves of colorful books.

My hope is that I can find one on beginner words.

When I do, I sink to the floor, folding my long legs underneath me, trying to rein in my tail so it doesn't knock anything down.

I open the book in my lap, looking at a picture of an apple.

Next to it are seven squiggles with the first two moderately spaced from the other five.

Do they read ‘apple'?

"Oh, trying to learn French?"

How she snuck up on me is a testimony of how hard I'm concentrating.

"French?"

I frown, closing the book. It won't help to try and learn from a book from a language I don't even speak.

"That's a French picture book."

"Right. I wondered—I mean, I didn't want to assume since I don't speak it."

"I'd be happy to teach you some phrases, if you want."

"I would love that, actually, but I have to be getting back to work soon. But I'll see you tonight."

"Y-you want me to teach you some French tonight?"

"No. But I want to make sure you lock up and get to your car alright again."

"Chente…you don't have to do that. I promise I'm safe."

"I know—because I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She gasps again, the sharp intake of breath sending my imagination into overdrive once more.

"Th-thank you."

Her sweet stammer does nothing to cool the fire coursing through my body.

I'm grateful she accepts that I'm going to be here to see her off instead of thinking I'm a creeper.

Then again, maybe she does think I'm a creeper.

"See you in a bit," I murmur, standing awkwardly.

"I can't wait."

Her quiet admission jerks me upright, and my chest swells at the truth filling her words.

Turning to walk away, I stop, rocking back on the heels of my feet, my tail keeping me upright while I contemplate asking Odette something.

Goodness knows I've already made a big enough fool of myself today.

But, of course, the words come tumbling out of my mouth of their own accord.

"Do you want to be my friend?"

She hesitates before nodding. "Yes."

I swear there's a sadness in her gaze when she answers me, and I take another deep breath.

"Do you think you ever might want to be…more than friends?"

Odette grips the wheels of her chair so tightly that I can hear the leather of her gloves grate against the rubber.

I immediately regret even asking as she dips her head, strands of pink hair covering her cheeks.

My hands clench into fists, and I spin back around to run away, but her soft voice calls to me, freezing me in my tracks.

"I think I might."

Her hazel gaze is leveled on me, and I struggle to remember how to inhale.

A tentative smile curls her lips, and if I died right now, it would be as a happy man.

Because I'm certain I just found my mate.