Page 26 of Plus-Size Sold Mate
“I was perfectly believable,” Eve scoffs to herself as she tries to shrug him off, glaring at him. “Get off me. You’re heavy.”
Unrepentant, Dominic chuckles and leans his weight against her. “You’re stuck with me now.”
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I glance at Sera, catching the tangle of confusion and slight fear in her eyes. She doesn’t know any of the guys, and I can only imagine how intimidating they must look to her.
Before I can say anything, Eve slips out of Dominic’s hold and takes Sera’s arm, pulling her back toward the cabin with an excited smile. She has always loved coming out here, and now, I have the feeling she plans to take every advantage of having another woman in her life.
I silently hope that helps, if even a little bit.
A hand clapped against my shoulder jostles me, tugging me out of my thoughts while the girls walk away. I find Hunter’s smirk.
“So that’s the mystery woman we’ve heard so little about.”
Taking a slow breath, I brace myself, well aware that I have more than a few questions to answer. “Her name’s Sera. You’re not allowed to interrogate her.”
Dominic grins. “We wouldn’t dream of it.”
I already know he’s lying. They’re all curious.
“You survived the ceremony and all. Impressive,” Zane says coolly, glancing to the front door where the girls slipped through. “You didn’t consult with us.”
“At the very least, we assumed we would’ve been invited,” Dominic adds.
“I know I didn’t say anything, but it happened fast,” I admit, glancing between them with my arms crossed. “I hate to say it, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
Zane lifts a brow. “Spur of the moment? Did you at least know her beforehand?”
“No.” When they give me questioning looks, I add, “It wasn’t a tactical operation. I didn’t think I needed to fill you in as it was unfolding.”
“Maybe not, but usually when one of us makes big moves, the others are told. This is kind of big,” Hunter murmurs.
“You bonded without a word to a woman you don’t know,” Zane states plainly, tone making it seem like I should’ve known better.
“And a witch at that,” Dominic contributes, looking both vaguely amused and a bit wary. He shrugs when I give him a questioning glance. “Eve filled us in.”
Of course she did. But, I guess that saves me from having to explain it myself.
“Yes, she is,” I confirm. “Dawson Voss was after Sera, so I bonded with her to protect her.”
Zane’s brows lift at that, as if the pieces have fallen into place for him. “You staked your claim, you mean.”
“Yes.”
He keeps that studying gaze on me. “And you trust her?”
The question isn’t as accusatory as it sounds, given how that’s just his tone, but if anything, it’s cautious.
None of them knows her, and they don’t know what she’s capable of. I can’t blame them for questioning her. But I don’t want that doubt lingering for long.
“I do.”
“Based on what?” Hunter asks curiously.
“Instinct. I saw a woman who needed help, and with Dawson involved, I connected the dots.”
“And that was grounds to bond with her?” Zane asks.
I usually pride myself on my patience, but their questions are starting to grate on my nerves. “Yes, it was. But what’s the difference between her and Lila?”
