Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Hidden Currents

My breath caught in my throat. I could feel the heat from his body, from his mouth, from everywhere. His arms tightened around me.

I heard the lady make a sound—something like a choked breath or a curse—before she let out a bitter laugh.

“Unbelievable,” she hissed. “You’ll regret this.”

I didn’t look at her, but I saw the middle finger she flashed at me as she stormed out in her clacking heels. The doors swung behind her with a dramatic bang.

Gareth slowly pulled away. My neck was still tingling from the contact.

He looked at me for a beat, then gestured to the chair. “Sit.”

I sat, trying to pretend like my face wasn’t burning.

“I’m sorry for that,” he said after a moment. “You didn’t deserve to be dragged into that mess.”

I gave a half-laugh, still trying to calm my racing heart. “Is that your usual way of handling things? Public neck bites?”

“No,” he said dryly. “It’s a one-time performance.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So... what was that exactly?”

Gareth sighed. “I needed her to back off. And she doesn’t take no easily. That scene was the fastest way to end it.”

“Ah,” I said, not sure how I felt about being used. “And now she thinks I’m your new woman.”

“Let her,” he muttered.

I tilted my head, watching him. “So who is she, really?”

He was quiet for a second. Then his eyes met mine. “Her name’s Delilah. She’s the cousin of... my former fated mate.”

I blinked. “Oh.”

“My mate passed away years ago.” His voice dropped a little. “But she looks a lot like her. So much so that my mother, who’s still holding out hope I’ll settle down again, keeps pushing the idea of me giving her a chance.”

“And you’re not interested.”

“No,” he said firmly. “Not in the slightest.”

I nodded, unsure what to say. That was... a lot. It explained the tension, the nip, and the way his voice had turned cold when she clung to him. But it also made something ache in my chest that I didn’t want to think too hard about.

“Well,” I said, trying to keep my tone light, “next time you want to chase someone off, maybe just say you’ve got a stalker girlfriend.”

His lips curved faintly. “I’ll consider it.”

My heart still hadn’t settled, and I wasn’t sure if it was from what just happened... or from what it might’ve meant.

Because the way he held me... the way his eyes locked on mine...

I shook the thought out of my head.

I tried not to think about the woman who had just left the restaurant. Her hair was perfect, thick blonde curls bouncing down her back. Even with anger on her face, she looked graceful and polished. She had the kind of body people paid to get. The kind that turned heads.

She was older, sure. But I still felt like a high school girl in comparison.

Of course, Gareth had been with someone like her.

And if she looked like his fated mate... well, it made sense. My stomach twisted.

We sat there for a while, just letting the quiet settle between us. The kind of silence that didn’t demand anything, just... lingered.

I swirled the wine in my glass and glanced at him. “She must’ve been really beautiful,” I said gently. “Your mate.”

Gareth’s eyes flicked up, surprised I brought it back up. “She was,” he said after a moment.

Gareth didn’t say much after that. He just glanced at me occasionally, brows slightly furrowed, like he was trying to figure something out. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

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