Page 16 of Forced Plus-Size Mate
His face twists as he tries to swallow his defeat with grace, then he turns and slams open the door to the main bar. His disgruntled men follow him, leaving tension hanging in the air.
“Come forward, girl,” Jen says, beckoning to me. “Take no notice of those fools. It’s your wedding day, and you deserve to celebrate!”
I watch Body’s face as I approach. I can’t fathom what he’s feeling. He looks like he’s still in shock—his eyes are wide,his lips are pressed together, and his whole body is so tense that his hands are clenched into fists.
“Are we all here?” Jen asks.
“I think so,” Bae answers.
He and Rider stand next to Body, with Carson in front of us with Jen. Gina and Lucy come up beside me, and it almost feels as if they are herding me.
Like an animal. A doe trapped in a small pen, desperate to flee from the hunters.
The ceremony is short, much quicker than I anticipated. Jen merely speaks a few phrases, and it’s over. I wanted it to pass me by without much emotion, but instead, the words have incredible weight, and I feel the binding nature of them.
This ritual is old. As old as my witch blood. I can feel it in my bones.
“You may kiss the bride,” Jen says to Body a little mischievously.
I turn towards Body, and he looks terrified. His pupils are dilated, and his lips are pressed tightly together.
He doesn’t want to kiss me. For God’s sake, let’s just get this over with!
I lean forward and plant a soft, quick kiss on his lips. Just that light touch sends chills running through me, striking my bones and firing my blood. Warm rivers of anticipation run across my skin, hardening my nipples and starting a low, throbbing pulse between my legs.
Oh, Goddess, no!
He turns me on as much as he always did. Maybe even more, and I know I’m not strong enough to fight it.
I’ve always been yours, Body. Even if you were never mine.
Chapter 6 - Body
The kiss shocks me, quite literally. I wasn’t expecting her to lean in and kiss me first. When her lips touch mine, electricity crackles through my blood, clashing against my bones. Goosebumps spread across my skin. The sensation is so powerful, I feel like every hair on my head is standing on end.
When Amanda pulls away, her eyes are wide with fear.
It’s like the kiss shocked her even more than it did me.
I try to take her hand, but she slips away from me, following Jen into the main room. As soon as we get inside, I see Decker and his crew sitting at the end of the bar. Bae and Rider head straight for them, but I follow Amanda to the long tables where pack and family are all waiting.
“There you are!” Carla greets, getting up to give Amanda a hug. “You really came back to town and didn’t visit me?”
“I was getting around to it,” Amanda answers bashfully. “I left so suddenly, I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.”
“Oh, sweet girl,” Carla says, shaking her head. “Nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
I stay a few paces away, feeling a bit left out of the family reunion. I knew that Amanda’s mom was a pretty absent parent; it was the reason we usually hung out at her house. I didn’t know that Carla had stepped in as a surrogate.
But I should have known. Carla is everyone’s mom. She adopted every stray kid at school.
It’s something I only heard about but didn’t experience. My parents were the opposite of absent. They were in my face every day about grades and football.
“Son!” a voice cries out. “You performed the ceremony without us?”
Speak of the devil.
“Yes, Mom,” I mutter, turning around. “It was up to Bae, not me.”
