Page 83 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

Almost…

He leans back on his haunches and coils, and I brace myself, taking a deep breath and holding it.

He leaps, flying through the air with all the strength and power in his body. I throw myself to the ground, letting down the shield. Two of the Decker wolves from behind me pounce at the exact same time. Bredu tears into them, ripping them apart.

I crawl away, trying desperately to put my shield back up and failing. Bredu turns, growling and barking in rage as he realizes he was tricked.

You might be powerful, but you’re just an animal! You can’t control your instincts.

“How long since you were human?” I mutter to him.

Bredu growls, stalking towards me with blood dripping from his jaws. The two remaining wolves from Decker pack stalk from one side while Bredu approaches from the other.

The same trick won’t work. I have to time this even more carefully than before.

I know if Bredu gets within striking distance, I’ll be dead before I hit the ground.

And then, I’ll never be able to apologize to Body.

I throw up my left hand, directing my power into a wave at the two Decker wolves. They fly backwards, slamming into trees and then falling to the ground. I don’t have time to check if they are alive or dead—I barely have time to turn around before Bredu leaps at me again.

Drawing power from the earth and sky, I channel it into the forcefield holding Bredu in place. He yelps and twists in the air, desperately trying to get free.

I have to kill him.

It’s an ugly thought. So far, I’ve been acting on instinct, but if I want to kill Bredu, it will have to be calculated and purposeful.

Closing my eyes, I focus on his huge, deep chest. I imagine the heart beating inside it, and the massive cage of ribs protecting it. I can feel it, as well as see it.

Slowly, I close my fist. Bredu starts to howl, a horrific sound of pain and defeat. I slam my fist closed, and I hear the shattering of his ribs. My eyes open just in time to see him hit the ground, blood leaking from his nose, eyes, and ears from the pressure of his burst heart.

I turn around to face Kelta, but the web of vines is empty.

She got away!

Then, I hear howls in the distance. They rise up through the trees as they follow my scent, and a wolf leading them barks with excitement as he swiftly follows my trail.

Joy fills me, running through my veins and flowing through into my spirit. The entire mountain seems to be singing to me, and finally, I understand the truth.

Love! Love is the only thing that can heal our powers. We only failed because we lost our faith in love.

Turning towards the baying of the wolves, I start to run. There is no fear or doubt in me now, only love, and it has a name.

Body.

Chapter 26 - Body

“Amanda!”

My scream echoes through the forest as I shift back to human, calling out to her. The scent of blood up ahead is so strong, I know that there has been terrible violence, and death.

I can smell Amanda, too, but I have no way of knowing if she’s alive or dead. The hot rush of fresh wounds is too thick to discern any individual scent.

“Body?”

“Amanda!” I scream, charging through the trees.

I see her ahead of me, framed by branches, lit from behind as the light filters through the leaves around her head. The forest seems to bend around her, letting her through and creating a soft path for her feet.

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