Page 47 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

After Jack goes, Lena leaves baby Gray with Belle and we head out to her car. We spend the next few hours supplyingsafehouses with nonperishables, bottles of water, as well as blankets and other equipment.

The safehouses are far out of town, small cabins that are very isolated and scattered far apart. It takes a lot of time to get to each one, and some are set far from any roads, meaning we have to hike out through the woods.

By the time we stock up five cabins, the sun is sinking towards the horizon and the wind has begun to scream as it cuts its way through the peaks, bringing ice on its breath. We stagger back into Gladys’s diner, heading for the table to grab cake and coffee. Gladys hurries over and throws a blanket around my shoulders, giving me a quick hug.

“You’re such a good girl, Leslie. You must have worked so hard today.”

I nod, wrapping my hands around the mug of coffee to absorb its warmth. “Are my parents safe?”

“Yes, dear. They are still at home, but they have their instructions if they need to relocate. Word on the wind is that the biker pack will sweep in, kill anyone they see, and tear the place apart to take anything they can use. They are desperate, apparently.”

I nod slowly, taking sips of hot coffee as I try to warm myself up. “Have we heard back from the scouts?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

Gladys tries not to react, but I see her eyebrows shoot up.

“What is it?” I ask, my voice croaking in my throat. “What have you heard?”

“Five shifters went out to join the wild scouts,” she says. “They were to set a perimeter and determine how serious theother pack was about invading. We haven’t received an official report yet.”

I can see something lurking in her deep blue eyes. She knows something, but she doesn’t want to tell me. I put my coffee down and glare at her.

“What aren’t you telling me, Gladys? Kyle went straight out to join Alpha Bailey—surely they have an update by now. That was first thing this morning!”

“Oh, Leslie,” she says very softly. “I’m so, so sorry, honey.”

For a second, I just stare at her. A sense of horrible vertigo hits me, and I feel like the floor is rushing up to me, about to smack the life right out of my body. Hundreds of horrible images crowd through my brain, and my stomach lurches so hard, I feel like I’m going to barf up the coffee I just drank.

“Gladys, what are you talking about?” My voice comes out trembly and soft. “What the hell happened?”

She puts her hands on my shoulders, her mouth twisted as she looks into my eyes. “Kyle was one of the five shifters who went out with the wild scouts. The reason we don’t have much intel is because… only two of them came back, and they were badly injured.”

I stare at her, praying as hard as I can that she is going to tell me Kyle is alright. I can’t conceive of her saying anything else.

“Leslie… three of the shifters who went out are still missing, and Kyle is one of them.”

It takes a few seconds to absorb the words. At first, I don’t understand her at all. I shake my head, denying the truth.

Gladys pulls me into a hug, her own eyes full of tears. As her words finally penetrate my mind I cling to her, feeling tears running down my cheeks.

I never told him. I never told him that I forgive him, and now he’s gone and I’ll never get the chance.

Chapter 17 - Kyle

Snow crunches under my paws as I take long, fast strides along the twisted paths of the forest. The sun is tipping past noon, and the light glances off the ice crystals hanging from the bare trees, dappling the trails before me.

Not far behind, I can hear the light patter of one of the others. There are five of us in total, streaking through the wilderness towards Ophir.

Bae sent us out to scout and report with full authority to decimate any enemies we might find. Kelta, Driss, and Nate reported that wolves were moving through these forests in tight formations, looking to go through the small town and then on to Silverton.

And Leslie is in Silverton right now!

When I left her, I thought I’d be on perimeter at Silver Meadows. I never imagined that I’d be heading out to protect Silverton. I know that this area is less attractive to the Sawpit Pack than the north territories.

But if they take Silverton, we are weakened, and their pack, their town, is so much smaller. They are practically defenseless.

This fear puts fire in my blood. Every inch of my skin feels electric, and my fur bristles from my ears right to the tip of my tail. A low growl echoes through my throat as I think of what I’d do to any wolf that touched my wife.

There is a soft yip downwind, and I change direction, heading into a steep area of wooded scrub. I follow the scent of the others and pace into a small clearing where the others have shifted and are talking softly.

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