Page 68 of Plus-Size Bullied Mate

It belonged to Tessa, and it reached me with the kind of clarity through the bond that can’t be faked. It was unlike anything I had felt from her before. Rather than bracing for a difficult situation, it was like she had been stopped dead in her tracks, and her wolf knew immediately that she needed help.

Having shifted mid-stride, I press through the trees with a renewed urgency while I rely on the invisible tether to guide me to her.

In the back of my mind, I reach the pack link and send out a rushed command for the others to fall in line, but I’m not waiting for any of them.

I know where she is, and a minute wasted could mean the unthinkable.

Taking the western trail towards the cliffside overlook, I can sense myself drawing closer with every movement. The bond is a compass that only points toward her, so I follow its lead and force my way through the underbrush despite the wet ground that seems to punish me. Ignoring it, I don’t slow down.

Deeper into the woods, the lingering effects of the storm are more evident through tree roots that are still slick, along with the fallen branches and puddles that haven’t dried up yet. But it doesn’t matter as the forest blurs on either side of me.

I smell them before I see them.

Wraith Peak.

Their scent signatures are distinct, and I know them intimately now. There are too many for me to lock onto, but beneath them, I catch his again.

Ever since he first started causing problems on the island, I’ve been cataloging his scent, and now his specific blend of ambition and barely-controlled fury is too close to home. Far too close to my mate.

None of them is trying to be covert here. Instead, they’re spread out in the woods, obviously surrounding Hayes and Tessa without covering their scents.

All of this is deliberate, and all of it feels like Hayes’ final attempt at correcting the record.

But just like with Zane, he chose the wrong man to deal with.

Growling at several wolves around me, I watch as they move back, sinking into defensive stances and letting me pass. I snap at one close to me, making it yelp before dashing away, then I break through the tree line and stop when I see Hayes at the center. There’s a brawny man to his left, and several others in an arc that acts more like a border.

Tessa stands at the cliffside with the drop behind her, but despite that, she keeps her chin up and her spine straight.

The sight of her bravery is enough to both set me off and instill a sudden burst of pride in me.

Instead of cowering or surrendering to them, she’s putting on a brave face and standing her ground as any luna should.

Hayes turns toward me, and while his defenses certainly go up, he looks more like he’s been waiting for this than surprised.

“Reed.” He says, sounding too satisfied with how everything is panning out. He stands between Tessa and me with a smug look. “You’re faster than I expected.”

“Step away from her,” I say.

“Or?”

“That’s not how this goes,” I return, holding his gaze while barely keeping my rage beneath the surface. “Step away or you’ll regret not doing so.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes. Instead, he’s calculating everything in real time and looking for the right points to exploit. He’s just like his father was before he let his own greed get the better of him.

“I came to talk about territory, and to see just how far you’ll go for this one here,” Hayes says, not at all concerned as he should be. “Maybe this will also be a good lesson in strengthening these soft borders of yours.”

“Tell me about soft borders while standing in the middle of my territory, and I’ll show you what soft looks like.”

He chuckles, then nods in Tessa’s direction. “That mate of yours… she’s brave, I’ll give her that. She stood there and told us to leave. I’m told your father did that once. He stood his ground too, but look where that got him.”

Even hearing Hayes remotely reference my dad sends a shockwave of blistering anger through me.

But that’s exactly what he wants. I know he wants the reckless, reactive kind of rage from me, just like most will try to lead with. But I’ve seen what that does to people. Men like Hayes, who know they can’t win, poke at your emotions instead, making you lose focus and make sloppy moves while using their unpredictability to their advantage.

Hayes is good enough to know that he needs me off-balance to stand any kind of chance against me.

Instead, I keep my face as cold as I can. “You’ve lost before, and you’ll lose again.”