Page 13 of Plus-Size Mate

Of the whole group, only he and Will were yet unmated. Of course, there were over a hundred werewolves besides in the pack, some of whom had found their mates long ago, but it still left Eddie feeling like an odd one out.

Glancing at Will, he wondered,does it bother him as much as it does me?

He couldn't really imagine so. Will was always the ladies’ man. He had been quite the conqueror during their war days. Eddie couldn't imagine him ever settling down with just one woman.

Why it was even on his mind so much, Eddie didn’t know, but since he had met Winter that morning, it seemed to be all he could think about.

He had to get his head back in the game and listen to whatever the hell it was that Jack had brought them here to say. Besides, he was almost certain it had something to do with her, anyway.

“I’m sure some of you are wondering why we had a visit from a witch this afternoon,” Jack said, as if he had read Eddie’s mind. The alpha looked around the room as many of his men started to nod, Eddie included.

He had been the one to deliver the message that had brought her here in the first place. He had every right to know why she had been summoned.

“Well, during my long search for a way to protect the town from Christopher and his pack, I came across something that I believe will be most helpful,” Jack continued, dropping down into his seat behind his desk.

Zander, sitting in one of the armchairs opposite him, said, “Does this have something to do with the book as I saw you mulling over last night?”

Eddie’s mind immediately went back to the memory of when he had last seen Winter. She had been carrying a heavy-looking leatherback tome; it seemed pretty reasonable that Zander was onto something.

And when Jack nodded, Eddie clenched his jaw. If there was something in that book that could help them save the town from the man who had been plaguing them since almost day one, why had he let a witch walk out of the manor with it?

Somehow, it just didn’t feel quite right.

“Within the pages of that book, I came across a spell that will protect the town from any werewolf that is not connected to our pack in some way,” Jack explained. His gaze darkened, and Eddie’s sense of impending doom grew. “The only problem is that the key ingredient in this spell is one that would require a great sacrifice of one of us to attain.”

Silence filled the room for several moments. The weight of the air seemed to increase as everyone stared at their alpha, waiting for more information.

In the end, it was Layla who spoke up. “Perhaps I can help to get it?”

Of course, being the business partner of Wylla and so dedicated to her work with herbs and plants, she was bound tothink so; yet the expression on Jack’s face told Eddie it wasn’t about to be that simple.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t something you can simply grow or buy,” Jack said.

“So what is it?”

Layla’s question hung in the air, growing sour.

Eddie’s chest tightened. The wolf inside him was awakening, his sense of danger bringing him forth.

“In order for the spell to be completed by a witch of the town, she must connect herself to our pack,” Jack explained. “This witch must be powerful, capable of wielding the spell, and also willing to mate with one of our own.”

There was a chorus of astonished gasps from the others within the room.

Even Eddie joined them, utterly shocked by the words that had just come from his alpha’s mouth.

“You want one of our own to mate with a witch?” Kane exclaimed, sounding just as stunned as the rest of them.

“No werewolf in his right mind would do that!” Hanson put in.

“Who said anything about it being a male wolf? There are male witches in town,” Miley put in, her eyes blazing with red anger that rivaled even her flaming red hair.

“The spell specially calls for a female witch,” Jack explained, sighing deeply before he turned his gaze upon Eddie and Will, who just so happened to be leaning on the same wall of the office.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I’m perfectly happy as a lone wolf,” Will said, raising his hands. “Looks like you’re up, Eddie.”

Will pushed himself off the wall and stepped away, looking at Eddie with a mischievous expression.

“You haven’t had much luck with she-wolves,” the golden-haired wolf continued. “Maybe it’s time you tried your charms on a witch instead.”

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