Page 71 of Plus-Size Mate

“I'll be better once all this attention dies down,” Eddie admitted, offering a smile to another congratulating packmate as they passed by.

Winter held him tighter and wiggled her nose in that cute little way that she did. “Don't be so grumpy.”

Eddie shrugged. “It's a werewolf trait. I can't help it.”

Both he and Winter glanced at Karena then. Had he said that too loud?

It appeared that her attention was still entirely on Kane. She looked quite fascinated by the amount of people in the room, maybe even a little overwhelmed.

“I never imagined you living in a place like this,” Karena admitted, taking another sip of her drink.

Eddie's stomach twisted all over again. How long was it going to take for the potion to work? Would it be instant, or did it take some time to get into her system and rewire things?

Eddie was about to whisper the question in Winter's ear when a commotion at the door drew everyone's attention.

“What is going on?” Winter asked, and Eddie felt her fingers grip the back of his jacket as if she was concerned.

“I don't know,” Eddie admitted, already on high alert. Something about the voice that came rushing down the hall had him on edge.

“What the fuck?” Kane cursed, and Eddie glanced at his packmate. The tattooed werewolf was all squared up as if prepared for a fight.

And that's when the news hit them along with the realization that everything was going to shit.

Eddie had been right. Their luck was running out.

“Christopher is gone!”

“Who…who is Christopher?” Karena asked, and Eddie's spine shivered.

Those were the kinds of questions they had been hoping to avoid from her.

All over the room, Eddie's packmates were breaking into action.

“Everyone out!” Jack yelled, though nobody really needed the instruction. “Find him before he gets over the border!”

“Kane? What's going on?” Karena asked, her voice sounding small, like a child’s.

When Eddie looked at her, he saw that she had gone awfully pale.

“Karena, are you alright?” Winter asked, leaving Eddie's side.

“I…I don't feel so good,” Karena confessed as all hell broke loose around them. All Eddie could pray was that Winter's potion would take effect quickly enough for her not to remember any of this.

“Maybe you should sit—”

Winter never got to finish her suggestion as Karena suddenly dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Kane barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground, laying her down gently and swiftly removing her empty glass from her hand.

“Is she going to be alright?” Kane asked, looking up at Winter with deep concern.

Eddie gulped. Was this supposed to happen?

Winter dropped down into a crouch before the siblings and nodded. “It's just the potion taking effect. Once it's done its work, she'll wake.”

Kane looked relieved at that, though if Eddie was honest, he didn't look entirely convinced.

“Was this the right thing to do?” Kane asked.

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