Page 8 of The Alpha’s Forced Plus-Size Mate (Silverfang Creek Wolves #3)

The mirror in Penny’s room was too small for a full view, but I could see enough to know the dress suited me. Penny had dug it out of her wardrobe, mischief written all over her face when she handed it over. I’m lucky as hell that she was plus size like me, as opposed to our other roommate, the reedy Natalia.

Penny’s clothes reflected just how confident she was in herself and her body. It wasn’t that I was necessarily self-conscious about my own curves, but I was always keenly aware that I was different than a lot of the pack members my age. I didn’t dress like someone who loved herself, but Penny did. Standing in her clothes, I felt a mix of feelings—a thrill at how genuinely good I looked and a sinking feeling at how uncomfortable I would be with anyone else's eyes on me.

“I don’t know. Maybe this is too much.”

“It’s perfect for a date,” she’d said, brushing off my protests.

And it was. The fabric was soft and flowing, the deep forest green color complementing my dark hair and eyes—It hugged my curves just enough to be flattering but loose enough to feel comfortable. A subtle V-neckline and short flutter sleeves added a touch of romance, while the hem fell just below my knees, grazing against my bare calves.

Smoothing the skirt, I let out a long breath. “This was a bad idea.”

Penny snorted from her spot on the bed, where she was lying on her stomach, looking at something on the phone. “You look gorgeous. Now stop fidgeting before you wear a hole in that dress.”

Before I could argue, a low rumble sounded from outside. My heart skipped, and I quickly turned away from the mirror, giving Penny a panicked look. She had hopped up and was looking out the window, turning around to give me an excited thumbs up. “It’s go time!”

“I guess that’s my cue, then.” My voice was wavering, devoid of any of the confidence I had hoped to put in it.

Penny smirked, clearly enjoying my nerves far too much. “Have fun, Naomi. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

I shot her a glare, but it was half-hearted. “I have no idea what you would or wouldn’t do.”

She waggled her eyebrows, grabbing the bag she was letting me borrow and tossing it in my direction. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I’d play a little hard to get, but if I had a sexy Alpha on my tail, I might roll over and show him my belly a little.”

I flushed red, shocked. “Penny!”

Laughing, she pushed me toward the door. “Get out of here, lady. Have fun.”

There was no going back now. I had agreed to the date, and now I wasn’t going to chicken out.

I thought I was totally prepared, but when I stepped out onto the porch, I nearly stopped in my tracks.

Danny was leaning casually against a sleek black Harley-Davidson Road Glide, the chrome accents gleaming in the soft glow of the porch light. He’d swapped his usual rugged jeans and T-shirt for something slightly more polished—a fitted black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms, paired with dark jeans and leather boots. A simple silver chain glinted at his throat, catching the light as he straightened at the sight of me.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. His dark eyes traveled over me slowly, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks under his gaze. I fidgeted with the necklace Natalia had forced on me—a tiny gold paw print on a delicate chain.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice low and genuine.

“Thanks,” I muttered, looking away to hide the flush that had crept up my neck. “Should I uh—put pants on? I guess it slipped my mind that you all were in a biker gang.”

Amusement glittered in his eyes. “Motorcycle club. But no. A lot of the ladies like the vibrations.”

Oh my God, I thought, covering my face with my hands, I’m going to be blushing the entire night, right?

Danny’s laugh was genuine, which was enough to get me to lower my hands and accept the helmet he was holding out for me. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You’re so pretty when you blush. Ready?”

I hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding, taking the helmet from his hands, and slipping it over my head. I wasn’t fond of how restricting it felt, and Danny could tell, reaching up to help me adjust it. His fingers brushed against my face, and the brief contact made me shiver.

He helped me climb onto the back of the bike, his hands steadying me as I adjusted to the unfamiliar seat. Once I was settled, he handed me his leather jacket, insisting I wear it for the ride.

“It’ll keep you warm,” he said simply, as though I could argue with the protective edge in his voice.

“I’m a wolf too, you know. We run warm naturally.”

“I’m well aware,” he chuckled, helping me shrug on the jacket anyway and zip it up to my neck. “Wolf or not, we all feel the wind going 60-plus miles per hour.”

Danny climbed on in front of me, and there was a brief moment when I realized that there was no choice but to wrap my arms around him. Oh, it was nicer than I could have imagined. Danny was firm and warm, his muscles shifting as he put his hands on the handlebars. I couldn’t lean my cheek against his back like my body so wanted to—the helmet was in the way—but I shifted forward, and we were in full body contact from our hips up. Ugh. He felt so damned good. If I wasn’t supposed to be pissed at him, it’d be way too easy to give in.

The ride through Athens was exhilarating, the rush of the wind tugging at my hair and the hum of the engine beneath us like a heartbeat. I couldn’t stop myself from gripping him hard, feeling the strength of his body through the leather as he guided the bike with practiced ease.

He was right. The vibration was nice. I was glad Penny had given me a longer dress so my modesty was slightly preserved, but it was teetering on erotic—the hard lines of Danny’s body, the shaking of the bike beneath me, the world racing by at impossible speeds.

We left the city behind, the roads winding into the quiet woods that surrounded the area. The air was warm, thick with the scent of pine and earth, but there was a faint coolness as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.

Eventually, we came to a stop near a small clearing by the river. The spot was breathtaking, the water shimmering with the last rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. Fireflies flickered around us, more joining their brethren as the sun continued to lower.

Danny helped me off the bike, steadying me again as my legs adjusted. I tugged the helmet off, looking at my reflection in the mirrored visor and wincing at the state of my hair. When I looked up, Danny was watching me with painful fondness. “Most of the girls braid their hair. I should have told you.”

“Most of what girls?” I ask, suddenly jealous when I had no right to be.

“Calm down, Sweetheart. I meant the other guys’ wives and girlfriends.” He gestured around us. “What do you think?”

“This is—beautiful,” I admitted, my voice softer than I intended.

Danny shrugged, but there was a hint of pride in his expression. “Thought you might like it.”

For once, I didn’t feel the need to argue. I simply let myself enjoy the moment, even if a part of me remained guarded. Of course I was still pissed about the kidnapping and the house arrest, but I wasn’t a fool. This was pack politics; this was just how it worked sometimes. I’d like to think the Silverfangs were more modern than this, but I’d be lying to myself. Add in the fact that Danny was an Alpha, and I should have known that running was pointless.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to give up fighting, though. I might be destined to lose, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

Danny crouched by the bike, pulling a leather bag from the back. He worked quietly, methodically, as though this were something he did often, though I doubted he brought many people to secluded riversides for a picnic. I was still somewhat surprised he hadn’t taken me to some smoky biker bar. Surprised, and relieved.

When he began unloading the contents—a bottle of wine, a wooden board piled with an assortment of cheeses, deli meats, and a small loaf of crusty bread—I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“Didn’t peg you as the charcuterie type,” I said, folding my arms as I watched him spread everything out on the blanket.

Danny glanced up at me with a faint smirk. “I’m full of surprises.”

The casual flirtation caught me off guard. I quickly looked away, focusing instead on the soft babble of the river in the background.

We sat down across from each other on the soft, blanket-covered grass. I folded my legs under myself, kicking off my sandals, infinitely glad that my black gel pedicure was hanging on from before the kidnapping.

He poured us each a glass of wine, the deep red liquid catching the firefly light, and offered me the first piece of cheese. I took it reluctantly, nibbling on it more to fill the silence than because I was actually hungry. It was mild and fruity, and my stomach rumbled at the first bite. Okay, so maybe I was hungry. Big deal.

Danny, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. He leaned back on one hand, his dark eyes flicking over me in a way that made my skin prickle with awareness. I watched his large fingers grab wedges of cheese and pieces of cured meat, following suit and trying whatever he seemed to enjoy. It was all delicious—unctuous, cheesy, salty, sharp, and sweet, depending on which piece I chose. Danny kept my wine glass full and kept the conversation surface-level for the time being—what I did for work, how I liked Penny and Natalia, etcetera.

“So,” I said finally, breaking through the casual chit-chat to ask something I was actually curious about. “Do you usually whisk women away to places like this, or am I special?”

He chuckled, the sound low and warm. “You’re special.”

I rolled my eyes, though my heart betrayed me with a tiny flutter. “Sure I am.”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not really,” I admitted, swirling the wine in my glass. “Everyone in my old pack thought I was as interesting as a slice of white bread.”

Anger flickered over his features. “Idiots, then. All of them.”

This made me blink in surprise. “How can you say that, thought? You don’t even know me. So what is it? Why are you so—fixated on me? Why can’t you let me out of your sight for five minutes?”

Danny’s easy demeanor shifted. His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he sighed, running a hand through his dark curls.

“It’s not just about you,” he said quietly. “It’s about what you mean to me.”

“That’s vague,” I said, trying to keep my tone light even as my stomach tightened. We were getting into serious territory quite fast.

He looked at me then, his expression unguarded in a way that made my chest ache. “You remind me of what I lost once. Of what I can’t lose again.”

I frowned, the playful edge to our conversation gone for good. “What do you mean?”

Danny took a sip of his wine before setting the glass aside. He stared out at the river, his jaw tight as he spoke. “My parents were fated to be together. My father used to tell me that she was his everything, the other half of his soul. They were mates, no question about it. Then I went and killed her during childbirth, and everything was ruined.”

I was stunned and heartbroken for Danny all at once. The words were heavy and raw, and it was clear that he had been dreading telling me. He spoke about it like an old wound that had never healed, hurting him day after day.

“I don’t remember her, obviously,” he continued, his voice steady but distant. “But my dad—He loved her so much it nearly killed him. He spent my whole life telling me that when you find your mate, you do whatever it takes to protect them. That nothing else matters.”

I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. “So, this—This is about your parents?”

Danny’s gaze snapped back to mine, full of misery but also a fierce determination. “This is about you, Naomi. You’re my mate. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine. And I can’t lose you.”

His words should have terrified me. They should have sent me running back into the woods. Instead, they lodged somewhere deep inside, planting themselves in a corner of my heart I didn’t want to acknowledge, roots sinking deep. I couldn’t have pulled them out even if I wanted to.

I looked away, focusing on the distant forest instead of the pain of the man in front of me. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on someone you barely know,”

Danny reached out, his hand brushing a strand of my wind-swept hair behind my ear. “Then let me get to know you.”

His voice was quiet and sincere, and it was the first time I felt like maybe—just maybe—he wasn’t trying to trap me. Maybe he was just trying to keep me safe in the only way he knew how. Some of my anger at him bled away, replaced by a fondness that I feared more than I welcomed. Danny wasn’t just some possessive asshole. He was an Alpha who was terrified of losing something he had waited his entire life for—a mate. Me.

I reached for something to say, something that wouldn’t drag us deeper into the sadness of it all but something that would let him know I understood. That I was listening. “Your parents—” I began, licking my lips. “They sound like they had something special.”

“They did,” Danny replied, his voice gentler now, the sharpness of loss replaced by a yearning. “But it wasn’t perfect. It was messy, like all the best things are. It’s just—knowing you’re meant for someone makes the mess worth it.”

I nodded slowly, my fingers tracing the edge of my wine glass. “I wouldn’t know.”

Danny looked at me, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Don’t do it! My psyche screamed. Don’t open up like this. You can’t take it back!

But my heart was stronger, and it really, really wanted to connect with Danny. To give him something about me that was just as valuable as what he had just shared. “I don’t have parents,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I mean, I had them, obviously. But they didn’t stick around.”

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything. The silence felt heavier this time, like he was waiting for me to explain. I swallowed hard and continued.

“They left me with the Silverfang Creek pack’s doctor when I was a baby. No note, no explanation. Just—gone. I grew up in the pack boarding school. The other pups had parents—pack moms who brought them snacks, pack dads who showed up for training. I had teachers, nannies, whoever happened to be around.”

I laughed, but there was no joy in it. “It was why I always thought the mate match ceremonies were a waste of time. There had never been a single person on this planet that wanted me in any way, shape or form. I had spent so many years hardening myself to be alone that it was almost insulting to be called to every match ceremony as if there was hope. Then fate throws a curve ball in my direction and I’m matched with you of all people. An Alpha…wanting me, good ol’ Normal Naomi. It was ridiculous. But now I’m here and you look at me like I’m something special, something precious, and it—” My throat was tight, and getting out the last few words was almost impossible. “It brings me right back to that boarding house, when I still had hope I’d be chosen. I thought I’d killed off that part of myself a long time ago. It’s…it’s fine.”

Danny leaned forward slightly, his hand brushing against the blanket between us. “Naomi—”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, cutting him off. “I’ve had a long time to get used to it. I couldn’t exactly miss something that I never had, you know?”

But it wasn’t fine, and I knew he could tell. I felt uncomfortable, exposed. Had I taken it too far?

“Why would you want to go back?” he asked after a moment, his voice careful, deliberate. “To a pack that didn’t give you a family?”

It was a sore spot. Yeah, Normal Naomi, why would you go back? I bet they don’t even know you're gone. I bristled, the heat rising in my chest. “You don’t get it,” I snapped, turning to face him. “They protected me.”

Danny tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. “And? You were a child, and they weren’t monsters, so of course they did. But that doesn’t mean you owe them your entire life.”

“They raised me, Danny. They fed me, clothed me, and made sure I had everything I needed to survive. Just because they weren’t my blood doesn’t mean they didn’t care.” My voice cracked, and I hated the way it made me feel small. “And I’m sure they’ll come find me.”

Danny didn’t argue, but the way he looked at me said he wasn’t convinced. There was a quiet pity in his expression, and it made me want to slap the look off his face. How dare he pity me? I was fine before he took me. Fine!

“They might,” he admitted finally, his voice low. “But they’d have to go through me to get to you.”

With my throat dry, I turned back to the river, reaching for my wine glass and draining it. There we were, all the way back at the beginning. Danny had me trapped, and he had no plan of letting me go. Did the reasons why even matter at this point?

“Would you leave if they came for you?” His voice was quiet, but there was a deadly edge to it.

The question sent a jolt through me. My first instinct was to say yes, to reaffirm my loyalty to the pack that had raised me. But the words felt heavier on my tongue than they should have. It took me long seconds to answer.

“Yes,” I said finally, wishing like hell I sounded like I believed my own words.

Danny’s lips curled into a slow, infuriating smile, the kind that made my pulse spike with equal parts rage and unwanted attraction. “I’ve already won, then.”

I blinked, thrown by the statement. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He leaned back slightly, his arms bracing behind him as though this was all a game to him. “You’re lying to yourself, Naomi. You don’t want to leave. If you did, you wouldn’t have hesitated. I can smell the lie on you, hear your heart kicking up. You’d be tempted to stay. With me. As my mate.”

His words pierced through the carefully constructed armor I’d built around myself. The worst part was he was right. And he knew it.

“Oh, fuck you, Danny.”

“Brave to speak to an Alpha like that—unless you’re his mate. Admit it, Naomi, you’re mine, and you’re staying,” he replied, his tone maddeningly calm, like he was stating a simple fact.

The heat in my chest turned to a full-blown wildfire, and before I could stop myself, I felt my wolf rising to the surface.

To hell with it. My wolf had been begging to be released for days now. Maybe I needed to show Danny that I was a force to be reckoned with, too. My skin tingled, bones shifting and muscles stretching as my body gave way to instinct.

The transformation was quick, seamless. One moment, I was sitting there in human form, and the next, I was on four paws, my sandy fur shimmering in the moonlight as I shook off and stepped out of the green dress. My emotions were completely different like this—simpler, black and white instead of a million shades of gray.

Danny didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look surprised. Instead, his smirk deepened as though he’d been waiting for this. He looked damned delighted.

“Feeling a little wild, huh?”

I growled, low and threatening, and then I lunged.

The impact sent him sprawling backward onto the blanket, his breath escaping in a sharp exhale of laughter. My paws pinned his broad chest, my sharp teeth bared inches from his face. He stared up at me, and to my frustration, he didn’t look the least bit intimidated. If anything, his grin widened. “There’s my girl,” he murmured, his voice almost—proud.

I snarled in response, pressing down harder with my weight. But even as my wolf demanded I put him in his place, another part of me—smaller, quieter—thrilled at the way he looked at me. Like I was fierce. Powerful. His equal.

“Go on,” he taunted softly. “Show me what you’ve got.”

His words only fueled my anger, and I snapped my teeth dangerously close to his throat. He didn’t flinch. Instead, his hand moved slowly, deliberately, brushing against the white heart-shaped marking on my chest.

I froze, my wolf’s instincts warring with my human emotions. He wasn’t supposed to touch me like that—not with tenderness, not with reverence. It wasn’t fair.

Danny’s eyes softened, though his smirk lingered. “You can fight me all you want, Naomi. But we both know I’m not the one you’re really mad at.”

My growl faltered, the weight of his words sinking in. He was wrong—he had to be. I wasn’t mad at myself. I wasn’t mad at the pull I felt toward him.

Was I?