Plus Sized Ruthless Lycan

"Calista, breathe. Just look at me and breathe."

I couldn't. I couldn't pull air into my lungs. My knees hit the damp grass behind the Alpha’s pavilion.

"He called me a pig, Maya."

"He said I was too heavy. That I eat too much. After everything I did... he chose her. She’s pregnant."

Maya dropped to her knees beside me, her hands gripping my shoulders. She was the only true friend I had made in this pack over the last two years, the only one who didn't look at me with pity or disgust.

"I am going to kill him," Maya snarled.

"I swear to the Moon Goddess, I am going to march back in there and rip his throat out in front of the entire territory."

"No," I sobbed, shaking my head violently. "Don't. He's the Alpha now. He'll kill you, Maya. He doesn't care. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"Calista, look at me," she demanded, forcing my chin up. "You are not going to sit here in the dirt crying over a weak, pathetic excuse for a man who used you. Do you hear me? You survived that surgery. You are stronger than this. Now get up."

"I can't face them. They're laughing at me. I know they are."

"Then we aren't staying," Maya said firmly, pulling me to my feet. "We are leaving the territory. Right now. We're going to the border."

"The border? Maya, it's late'.

"We are going to The Howling Hound. It's off pack lands, it's dark, and they serve liquor strong enough to sedate a bear," she stated, dragging me toward the gravel parking lot. "You are going to drink, Calista. You are going to forget his face, his voice, and this entire miserable night."

The bass of the border bar vibrated through my chest. The place was packed with rogues, traveling merchants, and humans who didn't know any better. The air was filled with smoke and cheap perfume.

Maya slammed a glass of dark amber liquid onto the sticky counter in front of me. "Drink," she ordered.

"Maya, I've never had whiskey before."

"And you've never had your mate reject you to marry your pregnant step-sister before. Tonight is a night of firsts. Drink it."

I picked up the glass with trembling fingers and tipped it back. The liquid burned like pure fire sliding down my throat, making my eyes water and a heavy cough escape my chest.

"Again," Maya said, signaling the bartender.

"I feel sick," I whispered, the room was already starting to blur at the edges. "My chest physically hurts, Maya. It feels like my heart is actually bleeding. How could he just throw me away?"

"Because he's a coward," she spat, taking a shot herself. "He used your marrow to save his own life because he was too terrified to die. And now that he's healed, he wants the shiny, traditional Luna. He doesn't deserve the ground you walk on."

I stared down at my empty glass, the tears threatening to fall again. "I need to use the restroom. I just... I need a minute to wash my face."

"Do you want me to come with you?" "No. I'll be right back."

I slipped off the barstool, my legs feeling a little unsteady as I pushed my way through the crowded dance floor. The hallway leading to the restrooms was dim, the music muffled by the walls.

I pushed into the bathroom, turned on the cold water, and splashed it over my flushed face. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dark red silk dress was wrinkled, my makeup was ruined, and my eyes were completely bloodshot. Eric was right. I was just a sad, broken girl.

Taking a shaky breath, I grabbed a paper towel, dried my face, and pushed the bathroom door open to step back out into the hall.

I bumped directly into a wall of muscle.

A pair of large, warm hands immediately gripped my waist to steady me. "Careful."

I looked up, the apology dying instantly on my tongue.

The man standing in front of me stole the very breath from my lungs. He was impossibly tall, dressed in a custom, grey shirt that screamed old money and power. But it was his face that made my heart stop entirely.

He looked like Eric.

The same sharp jawline, the same midnight-black hair. His features were older, sharper, and deeply hardened by time. He radiated an overwhelming, aura of dominance.

"I... I'm sorry," I stammered, trying to step back, but his hands didn't leave my waist.

He didn't move. He just stared down at me, his piercing silver eyes locked onto my face. The intensity in his gaze was so heavy it made my skin prickle with sudden heat.

"You're crying," he noted.

"I'm fine," I lied, my voice shaking. "Please let me go."

"Who did it?" he asked, completely ignoring my request. His thumbs slowly brushed against the silk fabric at my waist. "Who put those tears in your eyes?"

"You're a stranger. It's none of your business."

"I am a stranger," he agreed, stepping closer, backing me slowly against the bathroom door. "But the moment I saw you walk down this hall, I felt something I haven't felt in a very long time. Actually, I've never felt this."

"Felt what?" I whispered, my heart was suddenly beating fast. I couldn't look away from his silver eyes.

"A pull," he murmured, leaning his head down until his lips were inches from my ear. The scent of mint and dark chocolate surrounded me, intoxicating and wild. "I apologize. I know

we just met. I know I should walk away. But my wolf is clawing at my chest. You are like a magnet, little one. I can't keep my hands off you."

"You shouldn't," I breathed out, though I didn't push him away. The hollow, agonizing ache in my chest from Eric's rejection was suddenly... quiet. Overpowered by the sheer heat radiating from the man in front of me.

"Tell me to stop, and I will walk out of this bar," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Tell me you don't feel this."

"I feel it," I admitted, a reckless surge of adrenaline washing over me. I had played by the rules my whole life. I gave my body, my health, and my heart to a boy who tossed me into the dirt. I wanted to forget. I wanted to feel something other than pain.

"Good," he growled.

He didn't hesitate anymore. His hand slid up into my hair, tilting my head back, and his lips met mine.

It was a complete, consuming takeover. His mouth moved against mine with a desperate, hungry heat that sent a jolt of pure electricity straight down my spine. I gasped into his mouth, my hands flying up to grip the lapels of his shirt.

Mate.

The word exploded in my mind, echoing through my blood. The bond snapped into place with the force of a hurricane. Second chance. The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance on the exact same night I lost my first.

He groaned deeply into the kiss, wrapping both arms around me and lifting me completely off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist on pure instinct.

"Mine," he snarled against my lips, his fangs grazing my lower lip. "You are mine." "Yes," I whimpered, burying my fingers in his dark hair.

He carried me out the back exit of the bar, the cold night air hitting my heated skin. I didn't care where we were going. I didn't care about anything except the burning connection binding my soul to his. He pushed me into the back of a tinted car, following me in and slamming the door shut.

The transition was a blur of heated skin, frantic breaths, and soft, desperate words. We ended up in a huge, opulent hotel penthouse miles away.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice rough with restraint as he laid me back against the luxurious silk sheets of the bed, his silver eyes blazing with adoration. "I will wait. If you need time, I will wait a thousand years for you."

"Don't wait," I pleaded, pulling him down to me. "Make me forget tonight. Claim me."

The gentleness vanished, replaced by the possessive, primal need of an Alpha claiming what was his. Every touch was electric, every kiss a fiery promise. When he finally sank his fangs into the crook of my neck, marking me as his own, a brilliant, blinding light erupted behind my eyelids. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me. Complete surrender.

I woke up slowly, my body aching in the most satisfying way possible. The curtains of the penthouse were drawn, letting in a sliver of bright morning sunlight.

I stretched my legs under the sheets, a soft smile playing on my lips. The agonizing heartbreak of yesterday felt like a distant nightmare. I reached across the bed, but the other side was empty. The sheets were still warm.

"Hello?" I called out softly, wrapping the duvet around my chest as I sat up.

"I'm out here, beautiful Luna," his deep voice called from the adjoining private terrace.

My heart fluttered at the title. I pushed myself out of bed, grabbing one of his large dress shirts from the floor and slipping it on. It smelled exactly like him—mint and power.

I walked barefoot across the plush carpet, stepping out onto the sun-drenched balcony.

He was standing by the railing, holding a cup of coffee, completely dressed in a fresh dark suit, looking even more intimidating and gorgeous in the daylight.

"Good morning," I smiled, stepping up beside him.

"Good morning," he replied, turning to kiss my forehead softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dreaming," I admitted, looking down at the intricate mate mark on my collarbone. "I don't even know your name."

A sleek black phone resting on the patio table began to buzz loudly interrupting me. I glanced down. The caller ID flashed across the screen.

Alpha Eric - Crimson Shadow Pack.

My blood ran completely cold. The breath froze in my throat. I stared at the flashing screen. He calmly picked up the phone, his eyes completely unreadable.

"Why is he calling you?" I whispered, as the resemblance finally clicked into place. The same jaw. The same hair.

"Because he is my nephew."

"And I am Lord Valerius. The true King of the Northern Coast." I stumbled backward, hitting the door.

Valerius. The exiled, ruthless uncle. The billionaire Lycan king that Eric and his father were really terrified of. The man who had vowed to return one day and tear the Crimson Shadow pack to the ground.

And I had just let him mark me.