Page 22 of The Alpha’s Forced Plus-Size Mate (Silverfang Creek Wolves #3)

Three days later, I finally felt like I could breathe again.

The fog from the poisoning had cleared, but my body was still weak, and my muscles ached in ways I couldn’t explain. Danny had been at my side through all of it, a steady and unyielding presence, even when I told him he didn’t have to hover.

He provided an endless stream of cold ice water, chicken noodle soup, and physical comfort. We watched movies cuddled up in his bed, and he helped me to the shower when I simply couldn’t take being dirty any longer yesterday.

Soon, I felt almost like myself again. The wolfsbane was fully out of my system. I was healed.

I knew I was lucky. Not every wolf had a mate like him—one who didn’t just claim them but stood by them, no matter what. It scared me how much I depended on that now, but it was also a comfort. I’d never even thought that connections like the one Danny and I have could exist, but here I was. He might be overbearing and have a tendency to hover, but after the Reckless Stalker attack, I was a lot more willing to indulge him in his protective behavior.

Sitting on the couch, a blanket draped over my lap, I watched Danny move about the house. He was fussing with something in the kitchen, but I couldn’t quite make out what. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and watching him cook in a simple white t-shirt was enough to make my mouth water.

“I can feel the way you’re looking at me!” he called. “We still need to wait a few days, no matter how badly you want to jump my bones.”

“Oh, shut up.”

He turned, a grin tugging at his lips. Then, he tugged his shirt over his head and threw it in my direction, continuing to prepare the meal while naked from the waist up. I couldn’t help but laugh, but I still appreciated the view.

“Happy?”

I reclined, sighing happily. “Yes—yes, I am.”

He served us spaghetti with garlic bread—no wine, though. Not while I was still recovering. It was a simple meal, but because my mate made it for me, it was one of the best things I’d ever tasted. We went back to the couch afterward, where Danny massaged my legs, which were sore from lack of use.

I watched his face in profile, emotion welling up in me. There, in the low, buttery yellow light, I was overcome with how strongly I felt for this man. He was a mystery, so hard and tough and possessive, but undeniably sweet when we were alone. I looked down at my hands, twisting the edge of the blanket between my fingers. “Danny—”

He must’ve heard something in my tone because his busy hands stopped, and he gave me his full attention. “What is it?”

I looked into his eyes, the ones that always seemed to hold so much patience and understanding, and I knew I couldn’t keep hiding the depth of my feelings. Not from him. “I need to tell you something.”

His brow furrowed, and concerned lines formed across his face. “You can tell me anything, Naomi. Always.”

I took a shaky breath, my hands gripping the blanket tighter. “I’ve been scared,” I admitted, the words tumbling out faster than I intended. “Not just because of Julian or the demons, but because of—us. Of how much you mean to me. I didn’t even realize it until I was—stuck in my own head. I thought I’d lose you, and it was like—it was like losing myself.”

He reached for my hands, gently prying them away from the blanket and holding them in his own. His warmth was reassuring, his strength unwavering. “You’re not going to lose me. You’re my mate, Naomi, and I’m not letting you leave. That’s not changing.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “I know. But it’s not just about that. I realized I’ve been holding back. I’ve been so scared of—of being abandoned again, of not being enough, that I wasn’t letting myself really trust this. Trust you.”

A million different emotions played across his face, but he kept his cool, squeezing my hands gently. “Naomi, you’re everything to me. You know that, right? I’d fight every demon in the fucking country, any pack of wolves—hell, the military if that’s what it took to keep you as my mate.”

“I know,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “And I want to stop holding back. I want to stop being scared. I’m all in, Danny. I want this—us. I want to be the mate you deserve. I love you.”

His smile was small but radiant, and he lifted one of my hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles.

“You already are, Naomi,” he said. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I love you too.”

My lip quivered, and a tear slid down the apple of my cheek. Danny winced, wiping it away. “Ah, Sweetheart. I hate to see you cry.”

“It’s a good cry,” I insisted. He didn’t look convinced, but I could see the wheels turning behind his gray eyes.

After a moment, Danny perked up, a small grin on his lips. “You know what I think we need?”

I sniffed, tilting my head at him. “What?”

“A date. A real one. None of this demon-interrupted picnic or battle-for-our-lives bullshit. Just you and me, somewhere nice, where I can spoil you properly.”

A surprised giggle escaped despite the tears, the sound surprising even me. “You want to take me on a date? I think we’re way past the dating stage now.”

“I insist on it,” he said, his grin widening. “Dinner, maybe some dancing—whatever you want. What do you say, Canine Queen? Let me remind you how good life can be.”

Warmth spread through me, chasing away the last of my lingering doubts. I smiled, leaning forward to rest my forehead against his. “I say yes.”

***

The following day, I felt even better, and Danny didn’t complain when I got myself out of bed and roamed the house. After lunch, Danny and I sat across the kitchen table from Peter and Saul, books and documents spread out before us. Peter adjusted his glasses, flipping through an old leather-bound volume, while Saul was hunched over a laptop, his face illuminated by the blue glow of the screen.

We had agreed to help Hector figure out what exactly the demons were looking for when they targeted Faye and Sierra. Demons had always been a problem, but the concentrated efforts they were putting out to capture one person were unheard of.

I had been excited to have a task after days of bed rest, but the research was way more boring than I anticipated. It felt like high school study hall all over again. Peter had at least brought a meat and cheese tray, which I picked at while the men talked.

Peter cleared his throat, drawing our attention. “So I don’t know if the demons want Faye herself, now that I look into her family history,” he said, pointing to a passage in the book. “If what I’m reading is correct, Faye’s bloodline ties back to an old coven—one that held significant power centuries ago. The demons aren’t targeting her randomly. They’re after the Spear’s inheritance, and I guess she or Sierra would work to claim it.”

I frowned. “Her inheritance? What does that even mean? Money? Land?”

“See, that’s where I keep getting hung up,” Peter replied, his tone careful. “It’s all so vague.”

“It’s more—esoteric,” Saul added. “Coven leaders often passed down magical artifacts or knowledge through their bloodlines. If Faye inherited something, it’s likely a powerful artifact or spell that the demons believe they can use.”

Danny leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “That aligns with what I’ve been finding—but I have to admit all of this brainiac shit isn’t my forte. Are you sure I have to be here?”

“Yes,” all three of us answered in unison.

Danny scowled. “Fine, fine, I’ll stay. So—these demons are willing to tear apart packs and hurt innocent people just to get their hands on some damned mystery inheritance?”

“Seems that way,” Saul said, tapping a few keys on his laptop. “I can put in a formal request to access the Spears’ original estate records in Raleigh, North Carolina. There might be more details there—legal documents, personal writings, etcetera.”

This perked me up. A road trip sounded fun. “Do you think the estate could still have something like that? It’s been generations, hasn’t it?”

“It’s a long shot,” Saul admitted. “But it’s worth pursuing. If the demons are convinced Faye has it—or at least access to it—then the answers might lie in the estate records. And even if the inheritance is gone, we might find a clue about where it went or what it was.”

Danny nodded. “Got it. Obviously, we have to pass all this on to Hector. He might not even want us messing with it anymore. Honestly, that wouldn’t bother me. I’m fine with our boring, non-demon- attracting witch.”

Saul, the witch in question, flipped him off.

Peter tapped his pen against the book. “There’s another angle we need to consider. The demons are going to look for weak spots, not just in Hector’s pack but in other packs, too. That’s what they were trying with Naomi—they wanted the Red Canines to do their dirty work. They’ve already shown they’re willing to use violence and manipulation to get what they want. We need to keep all of the packs that will listen to us informed.”

“We’ll double the security,” Danny said firmly. “Hector’s already ramped up patrols, but I’ll talk to him about hiring more hands.”

“And Faye herself?” I asked. “She’s strong, but this is so much bigger than her.”

“Hector has her training hard,” Danny said. “She needs to be ready for anything.”

Saul nodded, already typing on his laptop. “I’ll handle the request for the estate records. It might take some time to process, but I’ll expedite it as much as I can.”

Peter leaned back, his expression grave. “We’re running against the clock. The demons know what they’re after. It’s only a matter of time before they escalate.”

Remembering the battlefield, the three fallen wolves, and all of the blood, I couldn’t imagine things getting much worse. But knowing these demons, the battle we had to face could only be the tip of the iceberg.