Page 3 of Forced Plus-Size Mate
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.
