Page 27 of Fat Forced Mate

Gently, I lower her into the water, supporting her as the current swirls around us. I reluctantly release her into the creek's cool embrace, watching as she sinks into the crystalline water. The current swirls around her, carrying away theevidence of our passionate encounter. Sunlight dances across the rippling surface, casting shimmering patterns on Luna's pale skin.

"I'll get your clothes," I murmur, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face.

Luna nods, avoiding my gaze, clarity back in her eyes. “I left my dress on the riverbank.”

Her fingers trail through the water, creating tiny whirlpools that spiral away downstream. I watch her for a moment longer, drinking in the sight of her—flushed skin, tousled hair, the marks of my passion blooming across her throat and collarbone.

Tearing myself away, I make my way back up the mossy bank. The forest seems to hold its breath; the only sounds the burbling creek and the occasional trill of distant songbirds.

When I return her clothes to her, she doesn’t say a word to me. The moment she’s dressed, soaked once more and shivering, before I can ask her a single question, say a single word, she’s gone.

Chapter 11 - Luna

My magic hasn't settled since that day by Shadow Creek. It crackles beneath my skin like bottled lightning, making the air thick with static even in my sleep. The pack house's guest quarters have become a minefield of my own making—shattered mirrors, scorched curtains, furniture that moves on its own when I'm not paying attention. Even now, a week later, my morning tea trembles in its cup without me touching it.

"You're thinking about him again," Ruby observes from her perch in the window seat. "The sugar bowl just did a little dance."

I force the magic down, though it fights me like a living thing. "I'm thinking about the second trial."

"Mm-hmm." She doesn't look up from the stack of local newspapers spread across her lap. "That's why you keep touching your neck where he—"

"Don't." My magic spikes, making every piece of silverware on the breakfast tray rattle. "We're not talking about that."

About how his hands felt on my skin. About the way, he growled my name against my throat. About how perfectly we still fit together, like those years apart never happened...

The teacup explodes.

Ruby waves away the steam, unfazed. "You know, most people just sigh dramatically when they're pining. They don't redecorate with their feelings."

"I'm not pining." I start picking up pieces of porcelain, needing to do something with my hands. "And I'm not redecorating. My magic's just... unsettled."

"Unsettled." She sets aside the papers, fixing me with that look that says she's about to be annoyingly perceptive.

I pause in my cleanup. “Don’t look at me like that.”

"I’m not looking at you like anything." Ruby pulls another newspaper from her stack. "I just think it’s worth keeping an eye on, witch-girl. Because your magic being 'unsettled' usually means something's coming. Something big."

A faint trace of power ripples through the room as if agreeing with her. The remaining teacups dance along the edge of the tray. The curtains flutter despite the closed windows. Even the air feels charged, like the moment before a storm breaks.

"It's probably just stress," I mutter, but the excuse sounds weak even to me. "The trials, being back here, Nic—"

Oh god, Nic. I can’t bear to even think his name at this point.

A knock interrupts before I can finish. James pokes his head in, looking annoyingly alert for this early hour. Despite the mud on his boots, his ranger uniform is pristine, but something about his expression sets off warning bells in my head.

"Morning, little sister." His casual tone doesn't match the tension in his shoulders. "Mind if I borrow that newspaper when Ruby's done? The one about the attacks up north?"

Ruby and I exchange glances. She shuffles through her stack with deliberate care. "You mean the ones the Council keeps saying are just normal territory disputes?"

"Exactly those." James's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Funny how they keep happening closer to our borders, isn't it?"

My magic surges again, responding to something in his voice. The newspaper trembles in Ruby's hands as she passesit over. I catch a glimpse of the headline—Third Pack Reports Missing Wolves—before James tucks it away.

"Be careful with that," he says, but he's looking at me rather than Ruby. "Some things aren't meant for public discussion. Especially now."

He leaves before I can ask what he means. The door clicks shut with a finality that makes my skin prickle.

"Well, that wasn't ominous at all." Ruby starts gathering the rest of her papers. "Want to bet the Council's emergency meeting this morning has nothing to do with whatever's got your brother so twitchy?"

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