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

Chapter 20 - Body

Cool, gray dawn slowly lightens the room, and a sound beyond hearing brings me out of a deep, contented sleep. My body is fully alert, muscles tensed up and hair standing on end. With my arms still wrapped protectively around Amanda, I try to figure out what woke me.

Ears practically pricked up, all my senses tuned, I finally catch the noise of a thin howl. Relief prickles through me as I realize it’s just a swift wind tearing down from the peaks and whistling through the shutters.

I tighten my arms around Amanda a little more. Her soft, even breathing comforts me. Not only because she’s so close to me, but it sounds like she is relaxed and fully healed from the battle.

I let the bloody, violent scenes run through my head, trying not to hold on to them, just letting the memories flow. I’m still struggling to accept it actually happened—that our allies and friends attacked us, with complete intent to murder us all.

If this ugliness was within them from the beginning, then it was only a matter of time until it came out. Don’t blame yourself, and don’t second-guess your choices.

I look down at Amanda’s beautiful face, and I know I don’t regret a single thing. I’d fight an entire pack of hellhounds to keep her by my side.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

I’m wondering if I can slip out of bed without waking Amanda when she stirs in my arms, yawning and slowly opening her eyes. Their tropical shade captures me, the thrill of it exactly that same as the first time I ever looked into them.

Caribbean blue… like diving into still, perfect blue pools, warm and ringed with pure white sand…

“Morning,” she mumbles, smiling. “What time is it?”

“No idea. I only just woke up myself. Do you want me to check?”

“Not yet.”

She snuggles closely against me, putting her cheek against my chest. I hear a sigh escape her lips as she listens to my heartbeat, her fingertips lightly tracing my back.

“How do you feel?” I ask.

“A bit of a headache, but I’m okay.”

“We should get a doctor to look at you. Or a healer. Could Lucy—”

“I’m perfectly capable of monitoring myself,” she mutters. “You know human doctors can’t help us in these situations.”

“What do you mean, monitor?”

“Oh, I can turn my awareness inside and check on my internal organs. I can even actively heal myself, if the overall effort doesn’t exceed the benefit. I can do it with other people, too. Most witches can.”

“That sounds like a handy skill to have.”

“Not always. It can actually get in the way if I’m trying to exert myself, but managing that awareness is all part of using magic.”

“And you’re the strongest?”

“Well. That’s a relative term. The most adept. Of all the others, I have the most talents, and I’m exceptional with all of them. The other girls have mostly focused on one particular skill and gotten really good at it, instead of learning a lot of them.”

“You don’t need to convince me of how special you are,” I whisper, leaning down.

Amanda smiles and turns her face up to mine, pulling me closer for a kiss. When our lips touch, there is a slight jolt to it, a shock that runs through my body.

This has been happening ever since she got back, and it’s getting stronger. It must be magic.

It’s electric but not painful, and it sends warmth spreading through my veins. Arousal burns through me, streaking from my mouth, to my hands, across my belly, and down into my cock.

I was already afflicted with the usual condition of the morning… didn’t need any help there!

Amanda giggles a little as she reaches down and caresses me, teasing the head of my cock with her fingertips and gripping the shaft. I run my hands along her waist, reaching down to squeeze her ass while my other hand finds her breasts.

As I push forward to roll her over, she gasps, frowning suddenly. I pull back immediately.

“Are you okay?”

“Just sore, in my neck and around the back of my head. I’m alright.”

“Not alright enough for strenuous activity,” I say firmly. “You relax, and I’ll get you some breakfast. Tea or coffee?”

“Tea, please. Very strong. I want to argue with you that our activity doesn’t have to be strenuous, but we both know that’s not true, so?” She makes a little shrug with her hands.

I kiss her gently, brushing back her tangled, curly hair. “I promise to restrain you, as well as myself, until you’re fully healed.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “That sounds awfully fun.”

“Will you stop it? You’re supposed to be resting, not getting your heart rate up.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “You brought it up.”

I make a zipping motion across my lips, shaking my head as I go to get the tea. I have a few strawberry jam donuts, too—Amanda’s favorites—and put everything on a tray to take back to her. When I get there, she’s sitting up with her phone.

“Nell and Zoe are okay,” she says with relief. “There’s still a few wounded over at Jenks’s place, but most people have gone home.”

She pauses as I put the tray down, her eyes shadowed and dark as she looks up at me.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Ten casualties,” she murmurs. “Ten wolves. Four from Silver Meadows, six from New Hope. There are three from the wild wolves, and four from Decker. Even worse, most of the Silverton pack that was at the party showing solidarity with us seems to have gone back home.”

“Willingly?” I gasp.

“Unknown. Decker might have dragged them back for revenge, or convinced them to go.”

“When is the funeral?”

“A couple of days. They want all the wounded fully healed before then, and they will be buried in the woods behind Jenks’s place.”

“What do we do until then?”

“Rest, heal… I don’t know, other than that.”

I sit down next to her, handing her a cup of tea and a donut. She starts on both ravenously.

“Hungry?” I ask.

She nods, mumbling through a mouthful of jelly and sugar. “Sugar replenishes our powers quickest. Also, the richness of the cake makes me feel full and kind of kickstarts my healing.”

“Good to know. Nothing but desserts for you from here on out.”

“Not complaining,” she laughs.

While she tucks into breakfast, I check my phone, finding out that Bae and Gina are still at Jenks’s place running the recovery and preparing for the funeral. Rider and Fiona have returned to New Hope with Peter and Lucy to bring their wounded home and rest with the pack before the funeral.

Members of both packs have been dispatched to scouting points in the mountains to watch for further attacks. I feel bad that I’m not out there and text Bailey about it. He returns with a message seconds later that he wants all alphas and top-circle wolves in town to rally the packs. He also says he has the most hardened warriors on watch.

Hopefully, we gave the wild ones and Decker pack enough of a pounding that they’ll back off for a long while.

I feel a sense of dread, knowing that something will have to be done with them eventually. The idea of going up against our former friends and allies is not a pretty one.

What about Lena and Leslie? They can’t go home now. Lena’s brother Sam has not come to us, so he’s siding with Decker. My youngsters will never come back for training.

This is such a big fucking mess.

“Body?” Amanda says.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Lucy asked if I can come out to New Hope soon. They aren’t as well-equipped as Silver Meadows, and she wants some help. What do you think?”

“As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go. You don’t even have to ask.”

“You’re the best,” she says with a grin, leaning in to kiss me. Powdered sugar and the hint of strawberry jelly stick on my lips as she pulls away.

“I don’t know about that,” I mutter. “But I sure do try.”

She smiles and kisses me again. This is so close to being a perfect moment. Having her in my arms, waking up together—it’s all I’ve wanted for so long.

But I never imagined I’d see the packs torn apart like this. Are the others really so afraid of the witches’ power?

We get ready fairly quickly, and I can tell Amanda is eager to see Lucy. But as we prepare to leave, I notice a drawn, thoughtful look on her face, and her eyes are dark and troubled—as if those tropical pools have been covered by violent, stormy clouds.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yes,” she answers, smiling. “Just anxious about the others.”

I don’t believe it, but I know I can’t make her talk if she doesn’t want to, so I keep quiet.

I drive us over to New Hope, and Amanda eagerly takes in the scenery.

“I didn’t realize it was so far out into the mountains,” she says. “How do they live out here?”

“They put together the infrastructure all by themselves,” I answer. “Rider had plans to improve the pack situation and find a permanent home for them, but it wasn’t until he married Fiona that it all came together. It was an abandoned mining town, and they completely renovated and repaired it. The whole place is entirely self-sufficient and off-grid.”

“But who is Rider?” Amanda asks. “I never heard of New Hope pack before. I’ve talked with Lucy a bit, but I still don’t really understand where this pack came from.”

“They used to be Sawpit.”

“What? They were your enemies!”

“I know,” I answer, my voice hard. “I was on the front lines once. I got fucked up badly by their old alpha, Jethro. It’s pretty complicated.”

“I can’t… I mean, I know it’s your job to be at Bae’s side and fight on the front lines, but I can’t say I like it.”

“It’s okay,” I say lightly. “It was just a scuffle. I came out of it fine.”

There’s no way I’m telling her Kyle dragged my half-dead carcass home across the mountain and it took me three weeks to heal.

I park in the dusty, flat area at the end of the bush track. It’s mid-afternoon, and the sun is bright, even though the air is still cold. I can hear the wind still howling, a thin, disturbing sound as if its voice is being torn against the peaks.

Like the mountain itself, sighing in pain right before it screams.

I shake my head to clear it of those dark thoughts, focusing on Amanda’s hand in mine and the beauty of the forest around us. Soon, we crest the hill above the valley and see New Hope spread out before us on the other side of the flat plain.

As soon as we’re seen, someone shouts and waves. I wave back, recognizing Peter by the great hall. A few kids shift and immediately start running towards me. I know who the one in front is without even looking.

Caleb.

Letting go of Amanda’s hand, I jump and shift, charging towards the kids. Caleb leaps at me, barking and nipping as he twists and turns. We chase each other’s tails as we bounce around and roll through the grass, yipping in excitement.

I didn’t realize how badly I needed to see my pups. No matter what else is going on, the next generation is safe. Rider was right to call this place New Hope, because it is constantly bringing hope to all of us.

I look behind briefly to make sure Amanda is following, then I bound after the pups again. I chase and herd them, skittering backwards and crouching into a play bow to draw them in for another wrestle. Peter joins us, then Rider. Before long, the valley is full of the happy sounds of wolves playing, and my heart feels fully healed.

For now, at least. Danger is coming for us all. And as of yet, we don’t know how to meet it.