Page 39 of Plus-Size Mate

“You’re performing a spell involving a mating ritual with her tomorrow night,” Will pointed out. “Isn't that kinda as close as you can get to her beingyourwitch?”

Eddie's heart soared for a second.My witch?If he thought about it, he guessed Will was right. The question was, would Winter consider herself that? And if she did, would she be pleased about it?

With how independent she seemed, he could guess the answer easily enough.

“You and I both know this isn't anything to do with her being mine or my being hers,” Eddie said, perhaps a little defensively. “This is about protecting the town.”

Will actually looked a little shocked at that. “Is that really the only reason you're doing this? To protect the town?”

“What other reason could there be?” Eddie asked, stepping backwards into his room, a little taken aback.

As if taking that as permission, Will entered Eddie's bedroom and crossed to the armchair as he said, “Well, when we came back from seeing off those werewolves at the shop, the two of you looked pretty damn cozy.”

Eddie closed his eyes for a second, remembering how when the others had returned to help clean up the mess that had been left by the intruders, he and Winter had still been standing close enough for him to brush her little finger with his own.

Just that smallest touch had been enough to send a shockwave up his arm and into his chest.

He opened his eyes again and sighed, “If I'm honest, I don't know what's going on between us. The only thing I'm sure of is the fact this spell has to happen.”

“And is that really only to protect the town?” Will asked, dropping into the armchair and crossing his arms as if he had no intention of leaving until they'd had a proper heart-to-heart.

Eddie growled through gritted teeth, his stomach twisting as he clicked the door closed and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. “I have no idea what else it could be.”

Will leaned forward in his seat. Looking Eddie right in the eye, he said, “I saw the way you looked at her, dude.”

“Huh?” Eddie huffed, a little confused.

“Let's just say you looked far more hooked on the witch than I ever saw you with Carly,” Will said, shrugging. “You never took your eyes off her once the whole time we were at the Green Cauldron.”

“She was injured,” Eddie said defensively. “She had just been attacked by a group of our kind. You know how ruthless they can be.”

Will raised a brow, looking at Eddie pointedly. “And you and I both know any one of our men could have been the one to look after her while the others cleaned up, but you seemed to think ithadto be you.”

“We'd just decided I was going to be the werewolf in the ritual, and she the witch. How else was I supposed to act? We're kinda linked already in that respect.”

The words sounded dumb even to Eddie, but he was relieved when Will didn't push the subject any further.

Instead, he threw up his hands and said, “Look, all I'm saying is, I'm glad you seem to finally be moving forward instead of sniffing after that damn floozy.”

He threw his thumb in the direction of the door.

Eddie nodded his own agreement. “It feels good, getting her hooks out of me.”

He stretched a little as he said it.

“Well, it seems to me like someone else is going to have their hooks in you real soon,” Will said, wiggling his brow. “You ready for tomorrow night?”

Eddie gulped. “Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever be ready.”

Will leaned forward then and reached for Eddie, gripping his shoulder in a firm and brotherly manner. “You're a better wolf than I'll ever be, Eddie. I don't know what I'd have done if Jack asked me to do this.”

“He kinda did,” Eddie said, adding jokingly, “You were just too much of a pussy to take it.”

Will feigned offense then, placing his hand over his chest as he exclaimed, “How dare you?” Then he clucked his tongue against his teeth and admitted, “I guess I'll have to own that one. The witch just wasn't for me.”

“She isn't for me either,” Eddie reminded him. “This is about defending the town. I'll do anything it takes to protect the pack. We all would if it really came down to it. This just wasn't meant to be on you.”

Will looked a little surprised at that, almost as if he had been feeling guilty for letting Eddie shoulder this one.

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