Page 3 of Plus-Size Bullied Mate

This is the part that feels more bearable. The isolation, the silence, and the freedom of not being scrutinized for every minor thing.

I pull my hood higher and follow the narrow trail winding deeper into the woods.

Somewhere far off, waves crash against the cliffs, and the island breathes around me like a living, tangible thing.

For a while, I let myself disappear into it, free from the pack, the relentless memories, and best of all, Hunter. It’s just me, the rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath my boots, and the refreshing sting of night air filling my lungs.

Then I stiffen when the scent hits me hard from behind. It’s something unknown to me, yet wrapped in danger, with notes that are explicitly male.

When I stop, it’s already too late.

A large hand clamps around my upper arm and shoves me sideways into a tree hard enough to rattle my teeth. Pain explodes across my shoulder, and I gasp sharply as it registers fully.

“Well,” a rough voice drawls, “look what I found wandering alone.”

Fear spikes through my chest as I look up, and recognition comes immediately.

Hayes Voss.

While I never got close enough to see or know him myself, everyone talks about the Voss family, especially the current Alpha of Wraith Peak.

With his brown hair, dark brown eyes that almost look like pits in the shaded woods, and his broad frame that towers over me, I know without a doubt it’s him. The arrogance lingering beneath the surface gives him away.

He’s been a public enemy for quite some time and was beaten months ago by one of the other alphas. After the fact, word got around quickly. But regardless of that loss, everyone has been on high alert ever since, given how unpredictable he can be.

His eyes lock onto me with sadistic amusement. “You’re one of Hunter’s wolves, right?”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” I snap instinctively, trying to yank myself back to no avail.

His grip only tightens to a painful degree. “Wrong answer.”

I suck in a sharp breath as my inner wolf snarls beneath my skin, but fear smothers her quickly.

Without question, Hayes is stronger than I by a devastating margin. He’s a bit older, too, and fully dominant. Even if his strength hasn’t been a proper match for the other alphas on the island, he is still a leader regardless, and that comes with physical perks.

I already know how this ends, and it seems he does, too.

Hayes studies my face for a moment before barking out a short laugh. His gaze drags slowly over me. “You’re definitely an outcast. You reek of loneliness.”

Humiliation burns through me immediately, and I jerk back against his hold, but he barely moves.

“What do you want?”

He tilts his head, grinning a little more. “Really, I didn’t plan this. I came looking to send a message, since your new alpha has friends who think they can humiliate me and walk away like they’re heroes. You just happened to cross my path.”

“I’m not involved in any of that,” I mutter, hoping it’ll be enough to get him to leave me alone.

“No,” he agrees. “But you’re right here, and perfectly convenient for me.”

My stomach drops, and the forest suddenly feels too quiet. The isolation I crave immediately loses its appeal, and I have no choice but to bear it alone.

Hayes steps closer. “The funny thing about alphas is that they hate when someone touches what belongs to them, outcast or not.”

Disgust twists through me, and I do everything in my power to keep the panic down. “I don’t belong to Hunter.”

Hayes smirks. “Pack rules say otherwise.”

“The pack barely remembers I exist.”