Page 25 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

She turns to look at me, and her eyes feel like lasers. Her hair moves as if a breeze is blowing inside the truck, which is impossible.

There it is… that electrifying energy that I always felt around her. She’s so beautiful, unique, and powerful. How did I let her get away?

“You think I don’t remember?” she says, her voice hard but even. She appears completely calm, and I have to admit, I was hoping for some emotion from her.

Positive or negative, I’ll take either right now.

She reaches over and puts her hand over mine where it rests on the gear stick. A soft sigh eases through my lips, and goosebumps fly across my skin. Her thumb gently strokes across the edge of my fingers, and I can almost feel the sensation all over my body, as if she can touch me anywhere she wants just by thinking about it. I blink hard, keeping some of my attention on the road while Amanda’s touch slowly erodes the rest of my control.

“You think I don’t remember this?” she asks, and her voice is incredibly soft, a murmur of breath that barely makes a sound. I can feel her arousal, and smell it. I’ve been so long without any contact at all—and missing her so much—that I can’t suffer through this with grace.

Just when I’m about to pull the truck over, she removes her hand, and the pleasurable sensations shut down. The sudden lack of them leaves me feeling cold. Shocked and sick, like I just fell into a frozen lake and almost died before someone could pull me out.

“I remember everything, Body,” she says, her voice harsh again, “and I’ll never forget how you hurt me. You want to relive the old days? Well, relive that moment, over and over, just like I have for the past ten years.”

But I have!

My regret is so powerful, it tears at every single inch of me, ripping through my heart and soul. If I tell her I’ve been hurting, too, I know it will just seem like I’m making it all aboutme. So I keep my mouth shut and drive her straight to the bakery.

“I’ll see you later,” I say, feeling awkward and inadequate.

She gets out of the truck and leaves with a slight wave.

As I turn towards Shelley’s, I can feel sweat trickling down my sides. My heart is hammering up into my throat. Deep in my blood, my wolf is raging, snapping, and snarling.

So close… she’s so close, and yet so far.

I try to quiet my mind as I arrive at Shelley’s, knowing I’ll need to be thinking clearly to join the discussion. As I get close to the back door, though, I can already hear raised voices.

Looks like everyone brought nothing but raw emotion to the meeting today.

I enter the room. At one end of the long table are Bae, Rider, Carson, Jen, and Peter. At the other end are Belle, Decker, and Gladys, standing like a united force. Kelta and a couple of her scouts are in the middle, looking back and forth between the two sides.

“I told you, this meeting is a waste of time!” Decker yells. “We won’t stand for this. I was prepared to make a one-off exception, but if wolves marrying witches is going to be an ongoing trend, I won’t support it.”

“Decker,” Jen says in a hard voice. “Witches and wolves have always wedded. It’s one of the oldest traditions in the mountains.”

“Then why didn’t it happen for the last hundred years?” Decker demands. “Why did wolves and witches become enemies?”

“Because of ignorant jerks like you!” Jen shrieks, finally losing it.

“It was because of the snare spell, like the one Miss Lucy put on that rogue wolf,” Kelta says, her voice very soft. “A few wolves got enchanted, and the alphas didn’t like it. So, they moved the packs far from the witches and banished the wolves that wanted to stay with their witch wives.”

“Just as they should,” Gladys snaps.

“Look, I can see how anyone would get upset at a forced marriage—” Bae starts.

“Do you?” Decker cuts in.

“Yeah, I do!” Bae yells. “But what do you think has been going on all this time? We have set up marriages for our own good, with little thought for the people involved. Or did you forget that?”

“That was wolves being wedded to wolves to strengthen the bond between our packs,” Gladys says. “It’s progress, and new blood for all of us. Wedding witches is pure abomination.”

“Decker, wait. We’re getting off-track,” Bae says, shaking his head and covering his face with his hand. “If I invite the coven into my pack and allow my wolves to mingle with the witches and even marry them, what will you do?”

“We will withdraw from you,” Decker says firmly. “All of my wolves will return to Silverton. Any who don’t come with me when I leave better stay here. They won’t find a friendly welcome should they decide to return.”

“You would split the packs?” Rider asks. “After all we’ve been through to make peace, you would tear it all apart?”

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