Page 5 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

This is why we teach the young ones. So they’ll be prepared for anything.

“Okay,” I snap myself out of my thoughts, pulling myself together. “We need to find shelter to sleep in. Who can seek out a safe place for us?”

Caleb raises his hand, and I wave him back. “Not you, Caleb. Give one of the others a turn.”

“Okay,” he chuckles. “I won’t help.”

I point at him, shaking my finger and grinning. “You’re just too good at it. No one else will learn if I let you go first every time.”

Caleb makes a zipping motion across his mouth. The others start to look around.

“Should we shift?” Lester asks.

“Use whatever skills you need,” I answer.

Lester immediately shifts and begins to pace around the clearing. The others look around as well, but it’s clear that Lester has purpose and the others have no idea what they’re doing.

Suddenly, Lester yips loudly and shifts back. He points into a deep thicket of close-knit branches.

“In here,” he says. “There’s a little hollow that isn’t frozen, protected from snow by the bushes. If we all curl up in there, then we’ll be warm until morning.”

“Good job,” I say, nodding. “Now, is anyone hungry?”

Everyone murmurs an affirmative. I shake my head and grin.

“So, you’re all ready to go out and hunt, then?” I say. “That’s the only choice up here. We could go after rabbits, or team up to bring down something bigger.”

All of them groan, protesting.

“I can’t hunt in this state,” Rae moans. “My feet are killing me.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty rundown,” Mike agrees. “I don’t think I could hunt like this. I’d more than likely exhaust myself and end up with nothing to show for it.”

“Sleeping would be much easier with a full belly,” Caleb says. “I mean, I’m pretty beat, too, but I’m just saying.”

“This is very important,” I cut in. “Weighing up the decision to hunt is vital. If you expend too much energy and fail, then it’s better to sleep now and hunt in the morning. The only reason to push yourself right now is if food was a necessity—if you’d literally die without it. Is anyone that hungry?”

All the youngsters look at each other and mutter, shaking their heads as they think it over.

“I think sleep is the better option,” Caleb suggests. “We can hunt in the morning.”

“Good choice,” I agree. “Okay, kids. Shift and get into that burrow to curl up.”

One by one, the young wolves shift and then crawl on their bellies into the hollow. I wait until the last one goes and position myself at the entrance so the others will be safe behind me. All of them fall asleep quickly, and I’m left alone with only my thoughts.

It doesn’t surprise me when I spiral down into the memories of my capture and the hellish escape with Kyle. I’ve been close to Bailey my whole life—I was even at his wedding—but that was the first time I literally offered up my life for the alpha.

I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Still, the fear rides in my heart, making my blood run hot. I can’t forget this incident, because I should have died.

The squad had orders to return to Bae and leave me. If Kyle hadn’t come…

My mind shies away from the horrific possibilities from when I was down that path. My own demise, and the painful methods that might have been brought to me, are bad enough to contemplate… but there is one thing that would have been far worse.

If I died, I’d never have gotten a chance to tell her how sorry I am.

A low whine escapes between my teeth, and I curl up tighter, trying to push the pain away. It doesn’t have any effect. My heart feels like it’s being twisted and torn in two.

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