Page 65 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

She wiggles her eyebrows. “That sounds awfully fun.”

“Will you stop it? You’re supposed to be resting, not getting your heart rate up.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “You brought it up.”

I make a zipping motion across my lips, shaking my head as I go to get the tea. I have a few strawberry jam donuts, too—Amanda’s favorites—and put everything on a tray to take back to her. When I get there, she’s sitting up with her phone.

“Nell and Zoe are okay,” she says with relief. “There’s still a few wounded over at Jenks’s place, but most people have gone home.”

She pauses as I put the tray down, her eyes shadowed and dark as she looks up at me.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Ten casualties,” she murmurs. “Ten wolves. Four from Silver Meadows, six from New Hope. There are three from the wild wolves, and four from Decker. Even worse, most of the Silverton pack that was at the party showing solidarity with us seems to have gone back home.”

“Willingly?” I gasp.

“Unknown. Decker might have dragged them back for revenge, or convinced them to go.”

“When is the funeral?”

“A couple of days. They want all the wounded fully healed before then, and they will be buried in the woods behind Jenks’s place.”

“What do we do until then?”

“Rest, heal… I don’t know, other than that.”

I sit down next to her, handing her a cup of tea and a donut. She starts on both ravenously.

“Hungry?” I ask.

She nods, mumbling through a mouthful of jelly and sugar. “Sugar replenishes our powers quickest. Also, the richness of the cake makes me feel full and kind of kickstarts my healing.”

“Good to know. Nothing but desserts for you from here on out.”

“Not complaining,” she laughs.

While she tucks into breakfast, I check my phone, finding out that Bae and Gina are still at Jenks’s place running the recovery and preparing for the funeral. Rider and Fiona have returned to New Hope with Peter and Lucy to bring their wounded home and rest with the pack before the funeral.

Members of both packs have been dispatched to scouting points in the mountains to watch for further attacks. I feel bad that I’m not out there and text Bailey about it. He returns with a message seconds later that he wants all alphas and top-circle wolves in town to rally the packs. He also says he has the most hardened warriors on watch.

Hopefully, we gave the wild ones and Decker pack enough of a pounding that they’ll back off for a long while.

I feel a sense of dread, knowing that something will have to be done with them eventually. The idea of going up against our former friends and allies is not a pretty one.

What about Lena and Leslie? They can’t go home now. Lena’s brother Sam has not come to us, so he’s siding with Decker. My youngsters will never come back for training.

This is such a big fucking mess.

“Body?” Amanda says.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Lucy asked if I can come out to New Hope soon. They aren’t as well-equipped as Silver Meadows, and she wants some help. What do you think?”

“As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go. You don’t even have to ask.”

“You’re the best,” she says with a grin, leaning in to kiss me. Powdered sugar and the hint of strawberry jelly stick on my lips as she pulls away.

---