Page 39 of Plus-Size Sold Mate
As silence stretches in the space, something old and familiar rises in me. Those thoughts ingrained in my head come back, just as intensely as they used to. That fear and resistance remind me that magic is dangerous, volatile, and it destroys. It undermines, and it can’t be trusted.
I hear my father’s voice in the back of my head, rigid with warnings and rules many of us obeyed since we were only little.
“I didn’t watch it happen myself, but I saw those ruins with my own eyes. I saw the damage untrained, unchecked magic can do.”
But even as those instincts flare up in me, I feel the bond react. It’s faint but immediate, and the reality of my situation cuts through those damning thoughts. I see Sera’s face, and I tense.
I know what he’s trying to do, but I won’t let it shake me again. I’m not that same kind anymore.
“You’re telling us this because of Sera,” I state, tone a little firmer now as I hold his gaze.
Elder Jonah hesitates, then he sighs. “Yes. You’ve bonded yourself to a witch, Luke.”
“I know I have.”
“And you’re the Alpha, which means your choices ripple outward. The pack will follow your lead even if they’re resistant, and I hope you understand what you’re inviting in.”
For a moment there, I was so close to falling back into doubt and the expectations that have been hanging over my head for some time now. I almost let those warnings and that old way of thinking get to me.
Despite being able to picture the village Jonah described in my mind, seeing the destruction, I imagine Sera being in the middle of it. But just as easily, I remember the way she carefully mixed the herbs I got her back at the house, grinding them together with expert hands, how she looked so at ease writing down notes.
She’s not reckless or a child. She survived a place far harsher than this one, and since being with us, she hasn’t lashed out even once. She easily could’ve used her magic against me the day I decided to keep her here, but she didn’t.
Keeping those thoughts in the forefront of my mind, I take a slow breath.
“With respect,” I begin, speaking as carefully as I can. “Sera is not the same as that girl. She has had her whole life to understand her abilities.”
“Understanding does not eliminate risk.”
“Fear and a refusal to show compassion don’t either,” I return, allowing my words to hang in the air between us. As tempting as it is, I don’t raise my voice, but I mean it anyway.
Eve leans forward a bit, tone gentle. “I’ve spent time with Sera, and I don’t sense any malicious intent from her.”
Jonah watches her closely. “And you trust your instincts.”
She nods. “I do.”
He glances back at me, expression not unkind, but not fully convinced either. “And you do as well?”
“I do.”
My answer comes immediately, even surprising me, and after a moment, Jonah nods slowly.
“I’m not telling you this to challenge your authority, as I know times have changed, but I will caution you wherever I can. The pack is uneasy, and they hesitate to welcome her as you hope.”
Despite it not coming as a surprise, my jaw tightens anyway. “I expected that, and I’m not asking them to blindly celebrate her. I’m only asking them not to condemn her for something she didn’t choose.”
For the first time during this conversation, Jonah’s expression softens slightly. “You carry more than your own heart now, Luke. It is a sacred thing, but don’t let it blind you.”
“I won’t.”
While it’s a heavy promise, it’s one I intend to keep.
Even if the others might doubt me, I will make this work. I will be the Alpha they need me to be, and I’ll help them see that Sera isn’t the monster they’ve been made to assume she is. I’ll be the mate she deserves.
Eventually, Jonah dismisses us with a nod and a few parting words, and the walk back is more stifling than I expect.
Earning myself a few empathetic looks from my siblings, we part ways, and I head for the house again.
