Page 59 of Plus-Size Mate

“Then what exactly are you saying?” Jack asked, his brow furrowing.

Kane turned to Winter then and asked, “What exactly do you need to do for this spell?”

“It's quite simple really,” Winter said, shrugging. “I just need to mix up the potion. The hard part is getting her to take it.”

Winter watched as a lightbulb seemed to go on inside Kane's head. “That's easy enough. Everybody drinks at parties, and we still have a mating to celebrate, don't we?”

He looked between Winter and Eddie, smiling hopefully.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Eddie said, shaking his head.

Winter almost felt disappointed. Didn't he want to celebrate their union?

“It's perfect,” she insisted, rising to her feet, prepared to go and make the potion right away. “We can tell Karena it's a wedding reception. Humans have those, don't they?”

Eddie looked doubtful, but the others seemed amenable to the plan.

“It's settled then,” Jack said, slamming his hand down on his desk. “We'll host this reception of yours tomorrow night. That should be enough time for you to prepare, right, Winter?”

Clenching her hands into fists with determination, Winter nodded. “More than enough.”

“Must we really do it like this?” Eddie asked, and Winter's heart sank.

“Yes,” Jack said, an edge to his voice. Winter was relieved when Eddie didn't fight anymore. “You're dismissed.”

As everyone filed out of the office, Winter pulled Eddie to one side and demanded, “What the hell was that all about?”

Eddie glanced down, his cheeks reddening a little.

“Don't you want to celebrate this?” Winter asked, gesturing between them. “I thought things weregoodbetween us.”

“They are!” Eddie responded quickly, his face whipping up to meet her gaze. When he placed a hand against her cheek, Winter couldn't help but lean into his touch. “I just don't like the idea of so much attention being on us while you're risking so much to administer a potion to a human. It could all blow up in our faces.”

Hearing the concern in his tone, Winter's heart began to melt. Taking his face in both her hands, she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him hard. “You worry too much.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Eddie pulled her close and kissed her back. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I'll always worry about you. It's my job as your mate.”

Winter's body tingled all over at his words and she kissed him again.

“Damn, would you two get a room?” Will called from down the hall, and Eddie and Winter burst into laughter.

“Come on,” Winter said, gripping Eddie's hand. “I've got a potion to prepare.”

Chapter 21 - Eddie

The night of the supposed celebration of their mating, Eddie still felt unsettled about the whole plan. What if something went wrong? What if Winter ended up in harm's way?

He would give anything to protect the pack, but not her. In the last few days, she had taken on an entirely different role in his life, one that meant even more to him than all of his packmates combined.

He never in a million years could have guessed that would happen, but it had, and now, though the plan wasn't entirely a dangerous one, he was terrified.

Anything could go wrong.

You're being ridiculous,he told himself as he checked himself over in the mirror in his bedroom at the manor.

He hadn't liked the thought of leaving Winter alone at the shop to prepare, but she had insisted she was fine, that she needed isolation to go about her witchy business. And besides, she had the shop to take care of, too.

She has so much responsibility,he thought, wishing he could take it all away from her. He couldn't help but feel as though it was all his fault. He was the reason all of this was being put on her. If she wasn't his mate, she never would have been dragged into pack business.

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