Page 67 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

When I enter the back door, there are so many people packed in the meeting room I can barely move. Over at the main table, I see Gina texting furiously, surrounded by others who are handing out medical supplies and weapons.

I check my phone, but there is still nothing from Kyle. My heart flutters in my chest as I head towards Gina, hoping for an update. I’m almost at the table when her phone rings.

“It’s Bailey!” she cries, holding it up. She answers and puts it on speaker, holding up one finger for silence.

“Gina?”

“I’m here, Bae. We’re all here in command central. What’s going on?”

“I can’t reach anyone who went to Silverton. I haven’t heard from them in a couple of hours. We’ve found out that theSawpit Pack hired some rogues to make that attack while they came at us from the mountains.”

“Okay,” Gina says, nodding. “How are the defenses holding up?”

“Pretty well,” our alpha answers. “All of our town posts are solid, they haven’t had much to deal with. The main attack is coming through the campground at the foot of the mountains.”

“Do you have Kelta and the other wild wolves?”

Bae sighs. “The last communication I had from her was the text that the Sawpit Pack was approaching. Since then, nothing.”

Gina blinks hard, and a murmur rumbles around the room.

This is bad.

“Gina—” Bae says softly.

“Oh, God,” she says. “What is it, Bae?”

“They have Lena.”

“What?”

“She was with Jack in a first defense line at this end of town. The fighting got brutal, and she was captured.”

“Oh no.”

“It gets worse.”

“How can it be worse?”

Bae sighs. “Is Leslie there?”

I take a little step back, hiding behind a few people. No one has seen me yet. Gina looks around.

“I don’t think so.”

“Good. Keep her safe. Keep her out of the battle. Move her to the safest outpost you have.”

“Why?”

“Because they will only give Lena back if we trade Leslie.”

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Gina curses. The room erupts with voices in various stages of shock. I just tuck myself a bit further into my hoodie and stay quiet.

“But what about Lena?” Gina asks, her voice high. “What are you going to do?”

“We’re negotiating. Working on a plan. Meanwhile, hunt down Leslie. We need to know where she is. If they have her already, there’s no point negotiating. If they don’t, get her to a safehouse right away.”

I start to go back slowly towards the doors, watching Gina’s face crumple as tears start to run down her cheeks.

---