Page 47 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

She stands alone before him, her arms folded across her chest, meeting his gaze with a dreadful calm.

No…

Amanda!

Chapter 15 - Amanda

After getting tantalizingly tipsy at the bakery, the girls and I take off for Shelley’s. There’s a considerable crowd out the back made up of wolves from all three packs and a few witches from the coven.

As I settle down into a chair near the barbecue area, the atmosphere wraps around me like a comfortable blanket. The smell of meat cooking, the taste of cold beer sharp on my tongue, and the easy conversation bring me more than just nostalgia. I really do feel as if I’ve come home.

To where I belong, and where I need to stay.

It’s difficult to think too hard about my problems with Body when I’m this intoxicated, so I just join in giggling with the girls and indulging in some delicious food, cold drinks, and good company.

Once the party is up and swinging, I know Body has to be around, but I try not to think about him. As much as I feel at home here in Silver Meadows, the idea of being with him still scares me, and I’m not ready to face all the reasons why.

There is only one that counts. Gina said I’d forgiven him already, and I know it’s true. I just can’t take the risk of getting hurt like that again. I love him too much to lose him twice.

Even as drunk as I am, I know my logic is impossibly flawed. I’m suffering right now because I won’t let myself be with him, and it’s only going to get worse the longer I try to keep us apart.

“Hey, witch, what do you think you’re doing here?” a gruff voice cuts through my mental fog. It takes a few moments to focus on the tall, burly guy standing in front of me.

“What?” I say.

“Is there a problem?” Gina asks, standing up. “Everyone here is an honored guest of the pack. I won’t have any violence or disrespect.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” he growls. “You’re not my luna.”

“Nor am I,” Fiona says, getting up to stand next to Gina. “But I won’t hesitate to put you back in your place and make you run home with your tail between your legs.”

“Careful,” he hisses. “We’re close to doing just that, and never coming back—unless it’s to go to war and claim your territory like we should have done years ago.”

“This is not a matter for lower pack members,” Gina says disdainfully, “but for the alphas. This is your last chance to go back to the party and enjoy yourself. Otherwise, I will see you thrown out.”

“You’ve got teeth, don’t you?” he sneers. I can see a couple of other guys coming up behind him, and as his friends get closer, his confidence grows. He takes another step towards us.

“Now I see why you’re Bailey’s luna,” the burly guy says. “You’re no lightweight. But you can’t throw me out of the party yourself. You’d be better off throwing out the witches. Then we’ll have nothing to fight about.”

“Listen,” Gina starts, but I stand up and put my hand on her arm.

“No, Gina, don’t put yourself in danger for me,” I say. “He wants to have words, then let’s have them.”

I turn to the guy, and I can feel my powers rising in me. The adrenaline has pretty much evaporated the alcohol in mysystem, and I feel like I could throw him half a mile without even breaking a sweat.

As we glare at each other, I realize a crowd has gathered. My confidence falters. If it was only the two of us, it wouldn’t matter if we got into a situation. But with everyone looking on, it could start an all-out brawl.

Something like that could split the three packs for good. I can’t let this happen.

The big wolf isn’t backing off, and neither are his friends. It’s like everyone in the crowd is afraid to move, knowing that anything could ignite this argument into a brutal fight.

“Amanda!” Body’s voice roars through the crowd, and people start literally diving out of his way. Body comes tearing through and leaps at the big guy, tackling him to the ground and laying punches into his face.

Before I can even take a breath, the entire crowd seems to turn on itself. I can see Bailey and Kyle back-to-back, wrestling with several guys at once. Rider and Peter are cutting into the thick of it, moving in synchronized patterns that coordinate their attacks.

Gina and Fiona shift, baying into the sky. Their call is answered by more wolves that come charging through Shelley’s to join the fight. In the next chaotic few minutes, there are shifting wolves, flying fur, and flailing limbs everywhere. I have absolutely no clue what’s going on.

A series of howls issues from the nearby woods, and the Decker wolves turn and flee, leaving the fight. Once they’re gone, the parking lot feels shockingly empty, echoing with the powerful vibrations of the violence that was just unleashed.

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