Page 50 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

By the time we stagger into town, Body can’t maintain his wolf shape. I hold him up as we stagger into one of the outpost cabins. I can see a fire going inside, and I’m hoping there is someone in there who can help us.

When I bang on the door, it swings open immediately, and I’m relieved to see Bailey on the other side of it.

“Kyle!” he yells. “What happened? Kelta, get over here with some blankets.”

Kelta and Nate appear, carrying big blankets that they wrap around Body. As they drag him to the fire, I grab one of the blankets for myself and Bae hands me a glass of brandy. I toss it down in one gulp.

“We got the report from Seth and Trace,” he says. “I didn’t think you’d make it back, bro.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t, either. But there’s something you need to know, Bae.”

“What?”

“They know who I am now. They will come after us twice as hard. Well, they’ll come after me.”

“Understood,” Bae says, his amber eyes glowing. I can tell he wants nothing more than to meet Jethro one-on-one like he did with the last alpha.

“Is everyone alright?” I ask. “Were there any other attacks?”

“No,” Bae answers, shaking his head. “Everyone is fine. Obviously, they only intended that one hit, and they weren’t expecting us to be ready for them.”

“Bae, they have a big camp up there. Most of their pack is there, and I suspect there are lots of others scattered around in the wilderness, just waiting for their chance.”

Bae nods, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You should go home and get some rest, my friend. You deserve it. And…” He looks over at the fire, where Kelta and Nate are dressing Body’s wounds. “Thank you. You did a fucking stupid thing, and it was against my orders, but you saved my friend from a horrible death.”

“Any time, my alpha,” I answer, putting my hand over his. “I’ll return to my mate now, if I may.”

“By all means,” he says, letting me go. “I’ll be in touch.”

I leave the cabin, shedding the blanket by the door so I can shift and bolt into the woods. Even though I’ve been running all day, I can barely feel my aches now because I’m on my way to Leslie, and nothing matters except wrapping my arms around her and feeling the comfort of her arms.

I break through the tree line at the back of our house, charging across the yard and up the back steps. I shift, pushing the door open and stepping into the kitchen.

“Leslie!” I call, my heart leaping in my chest.

“Kyle?” she screams from the hallway. I hear her footsteps thudding as she runs to the kitchen.

“Leslie!” I launch myself towards her, my arms open, desperate to hold her.

She throws her hands up in the air, shaking her head. Tears are pouring down her face, and her mouth twists as she chokes on sobs.

“How dare you, you asshole!” she screams. “How fucking dare you!”

I stand there in my kitchen, staring at my mate, wondering what I could possibly have done this time.

Chapter 18 - Leslie

When Kyle walks through the door, I’m so shocked that I don’t even hear the words coming out of my mouth. I’d only just gotten a text from Gina telling me that Kyle had reported to Bae and was on his way home. I barely had time to react before I heard the door slam.

I stare at him for a few seconds, my entire body frozen in place. He has blood stains all over him, and some injuries that are still healing. My heart twists in my chest, and my eyes fill with tears, but I hold myself still, desperate to keep my distance.

“Leslie,” he whispers gently.

Just the softness in his voice, the desperation, break down all my boundaries. I fly into his arms. Tears pour down my cheeks as I hold him, squeezing him around the waist to prove that he’s real. I press my cheek to his chest to hear his heart pounding, feeling relief flooding through me so powerfully that my knees weaken.

Kyle gently strokes my hair, his head bent towards me as he takes deep breaths of my scent. After a few seconds, it registers to me how cold his skin is, and I pull back to look up into his face.

“You’re so cold. I have to get you a blanket.”

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