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His Virgin Mate(19)

By:Grace Goodwin


Von stepped between us and spoke to her. “I am aware of the protocols, Officiate Treva, but Lexi’s mark is on a place I do not wish other males to see.”

I blushed and my nipples tightened as he watched, as if answering his silent call. He lifted his hand, as if to touch me, but stopped himself and moved to block Cosmo’s view completely once more. Treva had said they were possessive and protective, hadn’t she? I just hadn’t realized how much Von’s all-male posturing would turn me on.

Officiate Treva looked at me. “Follow me to a private room.”

Von looked at me again, nodded. His jaw was clenched. He didn’t like what was happening, didn’t like the way Cosmo lurked or looked at me, but it seemed he couldn’t argue further. And I had no desire to see his beautiful chiseled face marred by bruises and blood.

Treva walked to me. “Alexis, if you will accompany me?”

I glanced at Katie and Dani, bit my lip. Katie shrugged and Dani nodded, a reassuring smile on her face.

I didn’t have a choice but to follow. If I wanted Von, I’d have to play by their rules. I’d initiated this to try to stop a fight, but judging by the way the two men were scowling at one another, this wasn’t going to matter. Nothing would dissuade Cosmo.

Maybe he didn’t want me at all. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to fight Von.

Treva led the way. I was behind her and the two men followed. Looking back, I peeked around their large frames and saw Katie and Dani giving me thumbs-up signs until the door to the main hall closed behind us. Treva led us to a side room, a much smaller one. I heard the door click shut.

“Are you aware of the mark on your body, Alexis?” Treva asked.

I nodded, then whispered, “Yes.”

My gaze flicked to Von, who was watching me with coiled tension.

“Senior Hunter Von mentioned it is not on your palm, but in a private location?”

I nodded again. When none spoke, I realized they were waiting for more from me. “The side of my breast.”

Major Cosmo’s nostrils flared and Von’s blue eyes darkened to a stormy gray.

He stepped forward, stripped off his brown uniform jacket, dropped it to the floor. Unbuttoning his shirt, he tugged the side of it open to reveal part of a drool-worthy chest. There was a smattering of dark hair and a flat nipple. Beside it, on the side of his ribs was his mark. A mark identical to my own. I gasped, seeing the upside-down Texas-shaped discoloration on his flesh was fascinating. I wanted to touch it. Kiss it. Trace it with my tongue. I could even feel my mark tingle beneath my dress. A proximity thing?

“Her body is for me and me alone.” Von’s words sliced through the silence, raising his eyebrows as if daring Officiate Treva to argue.

She pressed some kind of communication unit strapped to her thigh. “This is highly unusual. I have never, in all my years in this role, seen this. Senior Hunter Von’s mark is not on his palm, but has been witnessed and confirmed,” she said, clearly for a record of some sort.

“I want to see her mark for myself,” Major Cosmo countered. “My claim is first.”

“Not if you are denied by the female,” Treva countered, her ball-buster voice back in full force. Thank god.

I inwardly sighed then, relieved to hear the rule allowing me to kick him in the balls if I wanted to in case he didn’t back off. The tone of her response had me thinking she wasn’t too keen on the guy.

“I’m not flashing either man,” I said.

“You don’t have to.”

“Officiate—”

“Major Cosmo.”

They both spoke at the same time, but Treva gave a withering look to the major. “At your high rank, you should be familiar with protocol. For Alexis’s benefit, and perhaps yours—” She gave him a pointed look. “I will share them.”

She looked to me.

“As a representative of the Touchstone, I am the only one required to witness proof of the marks on both you and your potential mate’s palms. I record the confirmation. My word is law and will validate the marked match. In this highly unusual case, I will be the one to witness the proof. No one else needs to see it, Alexis, unless you allow it. Do you choose to allow these men to view your mark?”

After a quick glance at Major Creepy, I looked to Von. I knew he wanted to see my breast and I actually wanted to show him. He’d touched it, kissed it in the dream last night. Since I knew we were matched and I wasn’t going to deny him, he would see it in real life soon enough. But not now. Not like this. I didn’t want the first time he looked at my body to be in a proving room with others watching.

“No. I prefer to be alone.”