Page 75 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

“Let’s go tomorrow, at first light,” I say. “I can’t drag out this torture any longer. I want a clean break. We can meet at the camping ground, load up the minibus, and go.”

“Go where?” Zoe asks. “Back to the canyon?”

“I think it would be too hard to make it work without magic,” I answer. “But for the moment, let’s just worry about getting out of here. We might go back to our camp up there, just until we figure out what to do next.”

“Should we even bother to stay together?” Tara asks. “We have no magic, no power. We aren’t even witches anymore. Certainly not a coven.”

Her words shake me to the core. Suddenly, I’m terrified, feeling like I’m hanging over a chasm, held by the thinnest of webs, about to plunge into an abyss of despair I will never escape from.

I have nothing... no power, no sisters, no love…

“We’ll decide that later,” Nell says. “For now, prepare to go to the canyon. We can rest for a while up there. And for all we know, once we enact this sacrifice, we might even get our powers back.”

I have no idea if Nell even believes that, but it definitely perks up the others. There’s a sense of hope around the table as we make plans to meet in the morning. Some of the girls even seem excited about the plan.

“What about me?” Lucy says, holding back tears. “Do you expect me to just go along with this and tell no one?”

“Yes,” I answer, hugging her. “Because you are my friend and my sister in the craft. And you know I’m doing the right thing.”

“I don’t believe that!” she cries. “I never will—but I will stay quiet about your plan, at least for now. I’m not promising anything, though. If I think anyone might be in danger, I will spill my guts like a snagged feed bag, you got me?”

“I got you,” I answer. “Thank you, Lucy.”

“Don’t thank me,” she says, shaking her head. “I haven’t exactly made a promise here.”

I squeeze her just a bit tighter before letting her go.

The meeting breaks up, and I feel better than I have in days. As Nell and I go out to the car, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

“Will you say goodbye to him?” Nell asks me as we pull up outside the cabin.

I shake my head. “He’d never let me go. All the qualities I love and admire about him are the same things that make it impossible for me to be honest. Even if he knows in his heart that this is right, he’d never let me do it.”

“What if he just wanted to go with you?”

“Oh, he definitely would,” I mutter. “That’s the problem. He’d leave his pack, his young charges—everything. And I can’t be the cause of that.”

“Okay,” Nell says, leaning over to hug me. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Bright and early,” I agree, getting out and slamming the door. I watch Nell drive off, then go inside, trying to work up a smile.

I don’t want Body to suspect a thing. I wish I could still do a basic sleep spell to keep him under until I was gone.

When I come inside, he’s sitting on the couch, watching some sports. He immediately turns down the volume when I walk in and sits up.

“Hey!” he greets. “How did your meeting go with the girls?”

“Great,” I answer, smiling. “We had a good talk. Worked out a few things.”

“I’m glad. I just want you to do whatever you need to so you can get through this.”

I try not to react to his words, even though they sting.

It’s like he just gave me permission to leave.

“Want a beer?” he asks, holding up a six-pack.

“Sure,” I answer, taking one.

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