==Lila==
I lay there in the mud, chest heaving. Naked. Shaking. The second howl still echoed in my ears like it belonged to someone else. My skin burned where the fur had come and gone. Every curve felt heavier now. My soft belly pressed into the damp ground. My thick thighs ached from the run.
Remy stood over me. His eyes stayed wide. That flash of fear had not left his face.
I pushed myself up on shaky arms. Mud caked my breasts and stomach. It clung to the generous swell of my hips. I hated how exposed I felt. How raw.
"Stay back," I snapped. My voice came out hoarse.
He did not listen. He stepped closer. His boots sank into the soft earth. The scent of him hit me hard. Pine and smoke and something darker that made my wolf stir even now.
"You need to come with me," he said. Low. Rough.
I laughed. It sounded broken. "Come with you? After what you just did?"
His jaw tightened. He reached down and grabbed my arm. His fingers wrapped around my soft flesh. Heat shot through me. I hated it. My body still reacted to his touch like the bond had not been rejected at all.
"Let go!" I yanked hard. But he was stronger. Alpha strong.
He pulled me to my feet. My curves brushed against him for a second. Full breasts against his chest. Soft belly against his hard stomach. Shame burned hotter than the shift pain.
"You're a danger right now," he growled. "Half shifted. Out of control. The pack can't see you like this."
I twisted in his grip. "The pack already saw enough. They laughed at me. You made sure of that."
He did not answer. Instead he bent down and scooped me up like I weighed nothing. One arm under my knees. The other behind my back. My thick thighs draped over his forearm. My hips pressed against his side.
"Put me down!" I shoved at his chest. My palms met hard muscle. My wolf whined inside me. Traitor.
Remy started walking. Fast. Through the dark bayou. Moss brushed my bare skin. Cold water splashed my feet. Every step made my body jiggle against him. Breasts. Belly. Thighs. I felt every soft inch of myself and wanted to die from it.
"Stop fighting me, Lila," he muttered. His breath was warm on my hair.
"I hate you," I whispered. But my voice cracked. Tears mixed with the mud on my face.
He kept moving. The pack house lights appeared through the trees. Old wooden building raised on stilts. Spanish moss draped the roof like curtains. He carried me up the steps without slowing down.
A few pack members lingered outside. Their eyes widened when they saw us. Me. Naked. Curvy. Cradled in the Alpha's arms like some broken prize.
"Get inside," Remy barked at them. They scattered.
He kicked open the front door. The house smelled like woodsmoke and old books. He carried me down a long hallway. My heart pounded against my ribs.
He pushed into a bedroom at the end. Plain. Heavy furniture. Big bed with dark sheets. He set me down on my feet. I stumbled. My legs felt like jelly.
Before I could run he closed the door. The lock clicked loud.
I backed up until my back hit the wall. My soft curves pressed against the cool wood. Arms crossed over my heavy breasts. Trying to hide what everyone had already seen.
"You can't keep me here," I said. My voice shook.
Remy turned to face me. His eyes ran over my body once. Quick. But I saw the flicker. Hunger mixed with something else. Regret maybe.
"You're staying," he said. Flat. Final.
I lunged for the door. He caught me around the waist. His arm banded across my soft stomach. Fingers spread wide over my curves. Heat flooded me again. Unwanted. Dangerous.
"Get your hands off me!" I elbowed him hard. He grunted but did not let go.
"You're dangerous, Lila. That howl. It wasn't normal. Something's wrong with you."
"Wrong with me?" I laughed bitterly. "You're the one who rejected me in front of everyone. Called me too big. Too soft."
His grip tightened for a second. Then loosened. He stepped back. But he stayed between me and the door.
"I did what I had to," he muttered. But he would not meet my eyes.
I stood there naked and aching. Mud still streaked my thick thighs. My full hips. My rounded belly. Every inch of me felt exposed. Judged. Yet my wolf kept pushing toward him. Stupid animal.
Remy grabbed a blanket from the bed and tossed it at me. I caught it and wrapped it around my body. It barely covered my curves. The fabric clung to my breasts and hips.
He watched me for a long moment. Something shifted in his face. Almost soft. Then it hardened again.
"You're staying until I figure out what the hell you really are," he growled.
The lock clicked as he turned to leave.
Right then pain flared on my hip. Sharp. Burning. Like a brand pressed into my skin.
I gasped and clutched the spot. My grandmother's old curse mark. The one she had shown me once in secret. A small crescent shape that had never hurt before.
It burned hotter now. Red hot. Pulsing like it had come alive.
Remy froze at the door. His eyes dropped to my hip where the blanket had slipped.
The mark glowed faintly under my fingers.
And his face went pale.