All Chapters of Bound by Fate: The Plus-Sized Fated Mate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Chapter 32: AneiraBy the fourth morning, the cottage had settled into a rhythm I no longer needed to think about.The fire came first.It had become habit to wake before dawn, often without realizing I had slept at all. One moment I would be seated beside the hearth with a bandage in my lap, the next I would find my head resting against the back of the chair while the last embers glowed faintly beneath a blanket of ash. Every morning began the same way. I coaxed the fire back to life before the cold had a chance to settle too deeply into the room, feeding logs into the grate until warmth spread once more through the little cottage.Only then did I turn my attention to Kale. As always, I began with the things that mattered most. His breathing came first, followed by the steady beat of his pulse beneath my fingertips. Only after reassuring myself that both remained unchanged did I rest the back of my hand against his forehead, quietly bracing for the familiar heat that had plagued him

Chapter 34: KaleThe first thing I noticed was warmth.Not the sharp, oppressive heat of fever, but the steady, living warmth of a fire that had been tended through the night. It reached me in slow waves, easing the chill buried deep inside my bones. Beneath it came the scent of burning cedar, old stone warmed by the hearth, and herbs hanging somewhere overhead, drying in neat bundles until the air itself tasted green.I kept my eyes closed for another heartbeat, allowing the rest of my senses to wake before the rest of me did.The fire crackled softly somewhere to my left, the sound steady enough to tell me it had been fed recently. Wind skimmed across the shutters without finding a way through, carrying the muffled groan of snow-laden pines beyond the walls. Somewhere deeper inside the cottage, water dripped into a basin with slow, patient rhythm, each drop measuring the silence between them.No unfamiliar scent disturbing the air.Only then did I open my eyes.The rafters were low

Chapter 36: KaleThe thought never finished.Because she was already moving.The knock came again.Aneira did not startle. If anything, her shoulders settled with the quiet resignation of someone who had already guessed exactly what waited beyond the other side of the door.She rose from the chair with a soft sigh, taking the bottle from my hand before I had quite decided whether I intended to drink its contents. Her fingers brushed mine for no longer than was necessary, warm despite the cold that lingered in the cottage, before she corked the bottle again and set it carefully upon the worktable.“You still haven’t drunk it.”“I was about to.”“No,” she replied without looking at me as she slid the bolt free. “You were thinking about drinking it.”The corner of my mouth almost moved.Almost.She opened the door only wide enough to slip through before closing it firmly behind her, leaving the cold and the stranger outside with her.Once the door closed behind her, the cottage seemed qu

Chapter 38: AneiraI couldn’t help smiling.“I was wondering how long it would take.”Lyra made a sound somewhere between a laugh and an exasperated groan before weaving between the tables.“I didn’t know I would see you again so soon.”“I didn’t know I was coming until yesterday.”“That’s hardly fair.”She pulled me into a quick hug before stepping back to study me.“You actually came back.”“Only for supplies.”“How did you run out of your supplies so soon?”Rowan reached us a moment later, looking no less surprised than his sister.“You picked a busy day.”“Hmm.”His eyes swept briefly around the tavern before lowering his voice.“No trouble getting in?”I shook my head.“None.”“Good.” He sounded genuinely relieved.Only then did Mira glance up from behind the counter.Her gaze moved from Rowan to Lyra, then paused on me.Something shifted in her expression. Her brow knit for the briefest moment, as though some half-forgotten memory had brushed past her.Before the thought could t

Chapter 40Unknown POVNearly half an hour had passed since the council dispersed. One by one, Ashfang’s elders had taken their leave until only silence remained within Elder Varik’s hall.Firelight danced across polished stone pillars, throwing long shadows over carved beams blackened by generations of smoke. Thick wolf pelts lay across the floor, muting every footstep, while the scent of cedar and burning pine clung heavily to the warm air.Elder Varik stood before the enormous hearth, one weathered hand resting on the carved mantle.Age had silvered his hair but it had done nothing to soften him.The years had carved hard lines into his face instead, leaving him looking less like an old wolf and more like a blade worn smooth by use.He watched the fire in silence.“So.”His voice carried easily through the hall.“The council grows restless.”Across the hall, another figure lingered in the shadow of a carved stone pillar. One shoulder rested against one of the ancient pillars, his p