Page 42 of Fat Forced Mate

Ruby greets me with a sympathetic smile when I enter. "How's it going?"

I place eleven wooden disks on the counter. "One short."

"Well, you're in luck." She produces the twelfth token from her pocket. "Consider this payment for helping me reorganize the mythology section last week."

Relief washes over me. "Ruby, you're a lifesaver."

"I know." She grins. "Now go show those stuck-up wolves what you're made of."

The town square is crowded when I return, the pack gathering to witness the conclusion of my trial. Victoria stands on the small stone platform where she began the day, her face impassive as I approach.

"Luna Morgan," she intones formally. "Have you completed the Trial of Unity?"

In answer, I place all twelve tokens in the ceremonial bowl she holds out. A murmur runs through the crowd—surprise, disappointment, grudging respect all mingled together.

Victoria examines each token, then nods. "The Trial of Unity is complete. Luna Morgan has earned the trust of the community."

The declaration hangs in the air for a moment before scattered applause breaks out. Not enthusiastic by any means, but more than I expected. I allow myself a small smile of triumph.

As the crowd begins to disperse, I catch sight of Nic watching me from the edge of the square. Our eyes meet,and something electric passes between us—pride in his gaze, perhaps, or something deeper I dare not name.

I look away first, unwilling to deal with the complicated emotions he stirs in me. Not now, when I'm so tired, and my control is so fragile. I don’t have it in me to lie to him right now, and the last thing I can do is tell him the truth.

Instead, I slip away quietly, making my way back to my temporary quarters in the guest wing of the pack house. Only when the door is safely closed behind me do I allow myself to truly relax, sinking onto the bed with a deep sigh.

My hand finds its way to my stomach, resting there as I close my eyes.

"We did it," I whisper. "One trial down, one to go."

Whatever happens next—with the final trial, with Nic, with the strange tension I can feel building in Silvercreek—I'll face it. Not just for myself anymore, but for the child who deserves a better welcome to this world than I ever received.

Chapter 16 - Dominic

As dawn breaks over Silvercreek, I nurse a pounding headache. I've been awake for hours already, reports spread across my desk in organized chaos. Sleep has cemented itself as a distant memory these past few days, its place taken by the constant low-grade burn of anxiety and something else I refuse to name.

My coffee has gone cold, forgotten somewhere between reviewing border patrol logs and staring blankly at the wall. The scratches from the last raid across my ribs are nearly healed now, pink lines rather than angry welts, but the memory of their wrongness lingers like a bad taste.

A knock interrupts my brooding.

"Enter," I call, straightening in my chair as Thomas walks in, more reports clutched in his steady hands.

"Morning," he says, taking in my appearance with a quick, assessing glance. "You look like hell."

"Thanks." I reach for the papers he's holding. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Luna passed her Trial yesterday," he says, though we both know I'm already aware of this. I was there, watching from the shadows as she presented her twelve tokens to Victoria, her face glowing with quiet triumph. “It was good to see her building connections.”

I grunt noncommittally, shuffling the papers without really seeing them.

"She got a token from Melissa," Thomas continues, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Now that I didn't expect."

This catches my attention. "Melissa? You're sure?"

"That’s what people are saying.” He leans against the edge of my desk. "Rumor has it Luna patched her up after an accident. Must have been some impressive first aid to thaw the ice queen."

My wolf stirs at this, pleased by the evidence of Luna's healing abilities, her value to the pack. I suppress the feeling immediately.

"The final Trial is in five days," I say instead, changing the subject. "We need to focus on security, get this over with. The Gods know we’ve got more trouble on the horizon.” Trouble I certainly don’t want interfering with Luna’s final trial. I want her as far from ‘trouble’ in all its forms as possible.

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