Forced Plus-Size Mate (Silver Meadows Wolves #6)

Chapter 1 - Amanda

Moonlight filters through the canopy above me, patterning the forest with a pale glow and shifting shadows. The leaves chatter in the icy breeze, and I turn my eyes to the sky once more.

Please, Great Goddess. Please.

I close my eyes, immersing myself in the darkness within. Then I take a deep breath, open my eyes, and wave my hand across the small clay bowl in front of me.

“Ignite!” I say, using a commanding tone.

Nothing happens. Not even a puff of smoke. The deep, exhilarating power I usually feel throbbing in my veins is gone. I can’t connect to the forest, or the great web of life.

I cover my face with my hands, unable to stop the hot tears spilling down my cheeks. Rocking back and forth on my knees a little, I contemplate trying the spell again.

This is the sixth time. If it was going to work, it would have long before now.

I look up again, trying to fill my heart with love for the Great Goddess who rules us all, but the desperation in me almost turns my thoughts into something much darker and far more selfish.

No, no. Don’t blame yourself, or the gods—just figure it out!

The dry leaves in the clay bowl shift in the breeze. I reach in and crumble them between my fingers. This is the simplest of spells. If I can’t get this to work, then all magic is beyond me, and I can’t figure out why.

I have to. My coven is depending on me!

I gather up my things and start heading back to our settlement. My witches and I have lived out here for years, ever since we fled Silver Meadows.

My heart screams in my chest, and I shake my head, violently pushing the feelings away. I told my coven that we had to leave the human world to live in the wilderness so we could enhance our magic and connection to nature. It was true, but not the whole truth.

Body.

It’s been years since I thought about him. I was happy out here with the coven, living a simple, uncomplicated life. We’re isolated, with no towns or civilization for miles. I chose Black Canyon because West Elk Wilderness seems to go on forever… and it’s completely untamed.

It wasn’t easy to set up our little village, but with the help of our magic, we built a few cottages and made ourselves very comfortable out here. We seemed to get stronger by the day, performing feats of enchantment none of us ever dreamed possible.

Until I went back to help Lucy.

Scowling, I hold my coat a bit tighter around myself, trying to keep the cold wind from creeping through to my skin. The cottages are just ahead, and even though it’s very late, there is a soft glow in the window of the nearest one.

Probably Nell, waiting up for me.

Nell is the oldest in the coven. Thirteen women, blessed with the gift, beloved of the Goddess.

Maybe not anymore.

I don’t want to admit it, but magic had become unstable even before I went back to Silver Meadows. Living in the wilderness, building cottages, hunting, running water—these are things that would be nearly impossible for anyone this far from civilization.

But with our magic, life out here was more than comfortable. For years, all we did was care for the forest, and each other.

Small spells began to go wrong. Nothing that alarmed us too much. I considered it a challenge from the Goddess herself, a sign that we needed to heed the cycle of life and align ourselves to its rhythm.

Then Lucy asked me for help. Seeing that message felt like a blade straight through the chest. I knew I had to go; I couldn’t leave my friend all alone. At the same time, going back to Silver Meadows was the last thing I wanted to do.

Body…

Don’t think about him!

It’s too late—I’m trapped in a memory now. I can hear the excited chatter of the other students as we prepare to leave school on the last day of class. The air feels warm, and the future is full of promise.

And I’m standing in front of Body Andrews, inviting him to go on a road trip with me, thinking about the two of us finally alone with each other, together, and exploring the world before we start on careers or college.

The room falls into complete silence as if every kid in the room has turned to focus on us, anxiously awaiting Body’s answer.

I’m not anxious. He loves me. We’ve been together every night for months… it’s time to make it official and begin our lives together!

“Look, Amanda,” he said. “We’ve been having some fun together, but I think you got the wrong idea. I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ve got responsibilities, okay? Just drop this.”

“Okay.” My answer was bright, cheerful, and full of ridiculous self-assurance. I really couldn’t see the blow coming.

“Let’s just hang out in town, then,” he said. “I’m happy to spend the summer doing whatever you want.”

I stepped forward, smiling, my heart full of love, reaching out to him—

And he sighed, grabbing my hands, pushing them back towards me and shaking his head.

“Amanda, you aren’t listening. I’m done here, okay? I don’t know what you’ve been assuming, but whatever we had, it’s over now. I’m just not that interested in you.”

Even though the memory is years old, it hurts no less. Tears trickle down my cheeks as I stare at the moon, wondering why the Goddess has abandoned me just like Body did. Like everyone has…

Except my coven.

They stood by me when I told them I had to leave Silver Meadows. They didn’t even argue about leaving their families—they just packed up their things and left with me the very next day. We became true sisters to each other, a deeper bond than blood.

That’s why I have to do the right thing by them now. I have no choice.

I walk slowly towards the little cabin. The light in the windows is getting dim. We are forced to cut wood by hand now, and that means we don’t have much left. It’s hard to keep the cabins warm. Running water became impossible a short time ago, and the little gardens we kept alive with our magic have all died.

I walk slowly up the stairs, feeling the cold soaking through my clothes to chill my bones. I push open the heavy door and shut it quickly behind me. Nell is sitting by the fire in her rocking chair, staring into the low, flickering flames.

“We can’t stay here,” she whispers.

“I know.”

“The spell didn’t work, did it?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“No,” I answer, coming over to sit across from her. I put my things down on the floor and pull off my scarf, looking at Nell. She turns her gaze from the fire to look at me with her pale, green eyes.

“We have to go back to Silver Meadows,” she says. Inside, I fall apart, but I don’t let it show. I keep screams bottled in my throat, and I won’t allow a single tear to fall.

“I know,” I answer softly. “We have no choice.”

With only a few hours until dawn, there is no point going to bed. I pack some things, trying to avoid conversation with Nell. We’ve talked ourselves half to death about the failure of our magic, and I don’t feel like doing it again.

As the others begin to wake, Nell and I give them the news. Some of the girls seem relieved. I don’t blame them, but it still feels like a betrayal.

They followed me out here, helped build these cabins, plant our gardens, and care for the wild creatures. They’ve been nothing but loyal, and now they are scared. Stand by them as they have stood by you!

It takes us some time to hike out to the nearest campsite. Our old van is waiting patiently where I left it. Since I took it to Silver Meadows a few months ago to see Lucy, I know it’s still working and has a full tank of gas.

I try to ignore the excited chatter of the others as we pack into the little bus. I could easily consider going to another town to start over, but it’s obvious from the way the others are talking that they can’t wait to go home.

Home. I thought Black Canyon was our home. Now, it looks like my sisters have always thought of it as a temporary place.

It takes a few hours to navigate the long, old roads back to Silver Meadows. Nell switches places with me about halfway through, and without the distraction of driving, all I can do is look out the window and sulk.

“Hey, Amanda,” says Zoe, sitting down next to me. “You look down, hun. Are you okay?”

“Just thinking about our magic,” I say. “That’s all.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, think of this as a cool holiday—a chance to catch up with all the people we know back home!”

That’s exactly what I don’t want to do.

“Sure,” I answer. “Thanks, Zoe.”

She grins and heads back to her seat, singing with a couple of the others. It truly warms my heart to see them so happy, and I try to focus on that instead of my fear.

It doesn’t last long. Familiar landmarks begin to appear around us, and every bend in the road is well-known. The others point excitedly as they see things they recognize. All the while, I shrink further down in my seat, denying the entire situation.

When Nell pulls up at the main Silver Meadows camping area, several cars are waiting. The others texted their families and friends on the way down, and now I’m surrounded by joyful reunions. I stand in the middle of it, holding my bag and staring into the town as if I’m walking to my doom.

Maybe he’s not even here anymore. He might have gone off to college or something…

Fat chance. He’s the alpha’s close friend. As if he’d leave his pack.

“Amanda? Are you okay?”

Lucy’s voice is soft, but it cuts through the chatter with perfect clarity. I turn around to see her standing behind me. I throw my arms around her, trying not to cry.

“Hey!” she says. “It’s okay. What’s the matter?”

“I just… I didn’t think we’d really have to come back.”

“Is staying with me for a bit really so torturous?” she asks with a devilish grin.

“Stop it,” I mutter, poking her in the ribs. “You know what I mean.”

“Well, I don’t, really, because I stayed… I don’t know what kind of life you have been living out there.”

I shake my head, turning back to look at the mountain. “An idyllic one. Perfectly aligned with nature. Secluded, peaceful… powerful.”

“Yeah, okay. That does sound pretty sweet. But I think I’d miss the bakery.”

I smile and turn back to Lucy, giving her another hug. “Thank you for letting me stay with you. All the girls are pretty scared after losing their magic, so we need some support until we figure it out.”

“Then you’ll go back?”

“That’s the plan.”

Lucy nods, a little scowl denting her eyebrows. “Are you sure you want to go all the way back out there?”

“Yes,” I answer firmly. “It’s all I want, and the others do, too. This is a temporary glitch, nothing to worry about. I’ll figure out how to get our magic back, and we can return to the valley.”

“My magic’s been fine,” Lucy says. “Stronger than ever, actually. After bringing Peter here, my power level has just shot up to sky-high. The other day I said out loud that I was thirsty, and it started raining, right on top of me.”

“That’s interesting,” I say. “Anything else going on?”

“If I need something—like if I’m in the bakery kneading dough, and I think to myself, where’s the powdered sugar?—it will just appear next to me.”

“No way,” I mutter. “Is it telekinesis, or teleportation?”

“I’m not sure,” Lucy muses. “I think it’s both, actually, depending on where the item is, and how far it has to travel.”

“Fascinating.”

What is different about Lucy? Why is her magic getting stronger as ours is dying?

“Come on,” she says, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s get home. I baked a chocolate cake.”

“Best news I’ve heard all day,” I answer, putting my arm around her waist and squeezing her.

Even if the circumstances aren’t perfect, it is good to see Lucy again. I just have to get our magic back as soon as I can… so I can get back to the canyon before I have to face Body.