Page 67 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

The van hits a bump, jolting me out of my thoughts, and I clench my fists in my lap, nails digging into my palms. My wolf’s growling grows louder, more insistent, and I feel a surge of adrenaline like a spark of electricity running through my veins. I can’t do this. I can’t just leave. I need to know. I need to take the risk, even if it means getting hurt again.

Before I know it, the words are out of my mouth. “Pull over.”

Uncle Richard glances at me in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowing. “What?”

“Pull over,” I say again, louder this time.

My aunt turns around in her seat, resting her elbow on the back of it. “Jane, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just… I need to get out.”

Sonya flashes me a knowing smile.

I don’t have a plan, but I know I can’t just keep sitting here, feeling sorry for myself. I have to do something.

“Jane, I really don’t think—”

“Please, Uncle Richard. Just pull over.”

He sighs but obliges, slowing the van and easing it to the side of the road. The moment we come to a stop, I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door handle.

“What’s going on?” Aunt Gwen asks, turning in her seat to face me fully now. “Why do you want to get out?”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions threatening to spill over. “I’m staying,” I say, the words solid, like a decision that’s been brewing inside me for a long time. “I need to go back and figure things out with Reiner.”

My aunt’s eyes widen, surprise flickering across her face. “Are you sure, honey? You don’t have to make any rash decisions. You can think this over.”

“I’ve been thinking,” I say, my voice trembling with the intensity of everything I’m feeling. “I’ve been thinking ever since we left, and I can’t keep going like this. I need to know where we stand, where this is heading. I can’t keep running away.”

Sonya looks at me for a long moment before she chimes in with a very practical, “And what if things don’t work out? What if he doesn’t feel the same?”

“Then, at least I’ll know. At least I won’t spend the rest of my life wondering.”

The van is silent for a few seconds, and I feel like they’re all looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind.

“We have to stay with the caravan,” Uncle Richard reminds me. “It’s protocol.”

“I’ll walk. I know the way back to Green Lake.”

“Jane, that’s crazy,” my aunt argues. “You can’t just walk all the way back by yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” I insist. “I can shift, and I’ll be there in no time.”

Sonya nods, a small, understanding smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “All right, Jane. If this is what you want, then you should do it.”

I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Thank you.”

“But be careful,” my aunt adds, her tone serious. “We’re not that far from Green Lake, but the roads can be tricky. Promise us you’ll use the safe path.”

“I will,” I assure her, nodding. “I’ll be careful.”

Sonya reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Go on, then. Go figure things out.”

I smile the first real smile in what seems like forever and open the door.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I feel the tension in my chest begin to unravel. The fresh air fills my lungs, and the oppressive heat of the van gives way to a cool breeze that carries the scent of pine and earth. I close the door behind me, the soft click punctuating the decision I can’t take back.

The van pulls away slowly, leaving me standing on the side of the road, but I’ve never felt more sure about anything in my life. The sound of the vans fades into the distance, leaving only the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call to break the silence. My wolf is still restless, but there’s a sense of purpose now, a certainty that wasn’t there before. This is right. I need to do this.

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