Page 66 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

“No.” I shake my head. “It’s worse than that. I felt it on the way into town. Something isn’t right here. This isn’t Jethro’s style.”

Sasha has shifted and is walking over to us. Most of the pack have surrounded us and are waiting, their ears pricked up.

“Maybe the pack got quite a bit bigger, and this wasn’t anyone you knew,” Sasha says. “I mean, you couldn’t have been close to everyone there.”

“That’s true, I wasn’t,” I agree. “But the pack isn’t that big. I know their faces, and their scents. I haven’t seen a single one of them.”

Everyone shares a worried look as the implications begin to manifest in our minds.

“Also, where is Jethro?” I ask. “Did anyone kill him? Did anyone see him?”

Carson, Seth, and Sasha shake their heads. I look around at the circle of wolves and see a lot of head-shaking and confused faces.

A groan of despair shudders through me. “This isn’t his style at all. If he was still alive, we’d know exactly where he was right now. He’d been pulling off some major cruelty just tosicken us. Even if he knew he was beaten, it wouldn’t stop him from tearing up a few innocent people, just for kicks.”

“So, what is this?” Seth asks, baffled. “What the hell is going on? If Sawpit Pack aren’t here, where the fuck are they?”

My chest tightens, and I cover my face with one hand. All the fear, all the rage I felt when I first woke up this morning is nothing compared to the dread flooding through me right now.

Maybe… Rider didn’t lie.

When I look around the circle, it’s obvious the others have reached the same conclusion as me.

“The Sawpit Pack is in Silver Meadows,” I whisper, looking up at the nearby mountain range. “I’d bet any money they are attacking right now—from the foot of the range.”

“The shadow of Mount Sneffels,” Sasha whispers.

For one brief second, everyone is still, and the air is strung with tension, singing like a bowstring pulled tight. Then, all at once, we turn and shift, running for the woods.

We have to get back! We have to get home!

I left my pack—mymate!—undefended, and now, all my worst fears are coming true.

Chapter 24 - Leslie

After Kyle leaves, I check in with Gina, who tells me the town is quiet. Bae and Jack have stayed in Silver Meadows, as well as a small group of fighters. All the vulnerable pack members are still on alert, just in case.

As I text with Gina, I get a sense of how bad the attack is. It seems like the Sawpit Pack has hit with their full numbers, but our guys are dealing with them well. I sit on the edge of the bed for a few seconds, remembering the feeling of Kyle in my arms.

Come back to me. Please come back to me.

I decide that I can’t just sit around waiting for news; I’ll just drive myself crazy. I have a shift at the ice cream shop, so I decide to go in.

It’ll be better than just sitting here imagining horrible things, and I don’t want to be at Shelley’s nervously checking my messages and listening to everyone talk about the fight.

For a few hours, I keep myself fully distracted as I hand out ice cream and clean fridges and buckets. The light work distracts my mind and keeps my hands busy. A few people mention a fire in Silverton, but I try not to pay too much attention.

As I leave work, I check my phone. Flicking open the screen gives me a sick sense of anxiety, and it only worsens when I see no messages from Kyle.

There are a few from Gina, just updating me that no one has been injured and the fight seems to have been decided. I get into my little car, wondering if I should go home to wait for Kyle or head over to Gina’s

I’m still undecided when my phone starts pinging like crazy. My heart hammers in my chest as I pick it up and open it, waiting to hear horrible news about Kyle.

To my shock, it’s the emergency network we set up days ago. Enemy wolves are flooding into town from the ranges, and we are being ordered into our safehouses.

Since I’m not far from Shelley’s, I decide to go there. I can’t go home or to Gina’s because we all evacuate from our houses if there is an attack. The majority of the vulnerable pack members will be moved to outpost cabins. There are five command centers set up around the outskirts, and that’s where any fighters will go.

Shelley’s will be well-defended, a command-and-recovery spot where anyone can come in for shelter or to get information on the attack. From there, they can retire to a safehouse or join the fight.

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