Page 76 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

He passes over a bag of salted nuts, and I munch down a big handful. Body laughs when my stomach growls.

“Didn’t you pig out with the girls at the bakery?”

“Of course I did,” I lie, smiling. “We absolutely murdered ourselves with chocolate cake.”

“Sounds like you still need dinner.”

“No, the beer and nuts will fill me up. How was your meeting with Bae?”

I see a tense look flash across his face, followed by an easy smile. “Oh, fine,” he says. “Just a basic chat about pack stuff. Everything looks quiet, for now. No immediate danger on the horizon.”

He’s lying!

“So… Decker and the wild wolves aren’t coming in for another hit?”

“No, no way! We gave them a good beating, and they know we’re stronger. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I smile, trying to appear calm and trusting. I’m a bit pissed that he’s lying to me, but I can’t get too upset about it—I’m lying through my teeth, too.

“What are you up to tomorrow?” he asks, and even though it sounds casual, I know it’s not.

He’s keeping tabs on me.

“Oh, not much,” I say casually. “Might meet with a couple of the girls in the afternoon. Why?”

“Just stay near the house,” he says in a light tone. “Don’t go wandering too far out into the hills or anything like that.”

“Why?” I ask, unable to keep a hard note from creeping into my voice.

“It’s nothing,” he says, smiling. “Just don’t want you to get in the way of the patrols.”

“You said they weren’t going to attack?”

“No, they won’t. I’m sure of it. We still have wolves out in scout positions, though. It’s just better if you stay out of the way.”

“Okay, no problem,” I answer, leaning over to take his hand. “I’ll stay right here.”

His warm smile at that moment almost breaks me. I’m right on the verge of telling him everything, and demanding he tell me the truth as well.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he says. “The pack is strong. We’ll get through this, and everyone will be safe. I promise you.”

“Yes,” I murmur, putting my arms around him and snuggling against his side. “All of us will be safe.”

He wraps himself around me, and I put my cheek against his hard chest, listening to the throb of his heartbeat. I desperately want to make love to him one last time, but I know if I do, I won’t have the strength to leave.

And I have to. It’s the only way to protect him, even if he can’t see it.

Chapter 24 - Body

I hate lying to Amanda, but I consider it to be an absolute necessity. I expected her to be more upbeat after visiting with the others, but maybe I’m asking for too much.

It’s going to take time… and it’s not over yet. I don’t know how to tell her to prepare for more violence. All I can hope to do is keep it away from her.

When we snuggle up on the couch together, my heart soars. It’s the closest she’s gotten to me in days, and I’m comforted by her warmth.

Maybe soon, she’ll be able to talk to me about everything that’s going on in her mind. Then we can help each other through this, instead of struggling in silence.

Her presence is so relaxing, I drift off to sleep almost immediately. Both my body and my mind are tired after days of stress. And tonight’s meeting, then lying to Amanda, were probably the most grueling things I’ve ever done.

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