Page 2 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

I cringe when a wailing, drunken female shifter starts belting out “Amazed.” The words aren’t even close to coherent, and the tune is nothing like the original. “So, we have you to thank for that, huh? Lucky us.”

He laughs, a surprisingly melodious sound for someone as large and muscly as he is. “I apologize for that. What’s your name? I’m Reiner.”

“I’m Jane. So, you’re from Green Lake? Tell me all about it.”

“Well, it’s nice. Quiet. Lots of trees. Very outdoorsy. It’s not nearly as modern as Stardust Hollow, but that’s not a bad thing. I’m of the opinion that technology has made us a world of idiots.”

“Hmm.” I snort and lift my cup. “Pretty profound, there.”

“True, though. But why are we standing in the corner when there’s fun to be had? Surely your boyfriend wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave such a stunning woman alone in a crowd like this.”

At that, I laugh. Loudly. There’s no chance of a man in this crowd resembling the word “boyfriend,” let alone one of them thinking I am pretty. I’m not an idiot. I’m twenty-three, but I’ve learned a lot in that time. Regardless of all the body-positivity rhetoric flying around, I take it all with a large dose of salt. Like it or not, men tend to prefer women who aren’t built like I am, and I accept that.

But the way Reiner’s eyes travel over me from head to toe and back again says something different. His eyes are smoldering—even a complete fool can see that. Without any conscious thought or direction, I feel my head shaking back and forth.

“No boyfriend. No anything.”

His eyes come back to mine, and his lips spread into a wide grin. It’s dazzling, lighting up his handsome face and causing the corners of his amber eyes to crease and sparkle.

“Well, isn’t this just my lucky night, then? Want to dance, sugar? Show me some of your local moves?”

My heart beats triple-time, filling my chest with its loud throbbing. Dancing? With him? And people would see us. This feels like that movie with the curvy girl and the ridiculously sexy guy, and now she’s finally living out her fantasy.

Before I can even force my vocal cords to cooperate, Reiner steps away from the table and reaches for my hand, lifting it up and smiling the whole time. He whirls me out to the center of the room with an easy grace that seems unfit for a large man like him, and he pulls me close to his hard, sculpted body.

Just seconds before, the crowded room was almost unbearable, but now it’s beautiful and bright. Magical, even. We’re in a sparkling cocoon of our own making, and I feel invincible. For once, I’m feeling confident. This strong, handsome man chose me to dance with. Me, Jane Forrester. Not the skinny blonde two tables over, but me. That surely counts for something, right? And maybe if I close my eyes, the spell won’t end, and I can feel like this forever, pressed up against Reiner like this.

Soon, my feet are moving, and they’re doing it effortlessly. Dancing has never been a talent of mine, but being in Reiner’s arms is making me tap into some previously unknown well of rhythm. How it happens, I don’t know, but as we twist and glide around the room, I forget that there are eyes on us, watching as everything happens. I give over to Reiner and close my eyes.

Bliss.

Around and around we go until the karaoke stops and all that is left is our footfalls. All too soon, the notes of the song start to fade away, and then we’re just standing there, him holding me tight, my head on his shoulder, breathing in that fresh, clean scent of his. It’s the perfect dream. The one you don’t ever want to end, the one that doesn’t feel real.

Reiner eases back until I’m forced to open my eyes and look at him. What he’s going to do or say, I haven’t a clue, but when he slips a finger under my chin, I think I have a good idea.

Lick your lips, I tell myself.Close your eyes. Let him do the rest.

The anticipation kills me. My heart is in my throat. I can’t breathe. Goosebumps prickle down my arms and legs, and my cheeks are aflame. This is it. The scene of a lifetime, and it’s happening to me.

When his lips do brush my own, it’s like lightning bolts hitting me. The sensation buzzes along my nerve endings, sending jolts that leave my knees buckling. My stomach drops, my heart leaps, and my blood goes hot in my veins. Nothing, not a single day of my existence, has ever made me feel this much.

I’ve heard stories about what it feels like when you find your mate, but now that I’m experiencing it, I have to wonder how I could have ever doubted it was real. It is very real. I understand now.

Oh my god. I love this feeling.

His head moves back, and when my eyelids slide back, I find him looking down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Jane?” he begins. His voice comes out softer than it ever has, and my skin goes hot, tingling with pleasure and joy. When I don’t answer right away, he lifts his head a little higher, peering around the room before glancing back at me. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Staring at him? But how can I not stare? After the mind-blowing connection I felt with Reiner, the one that resonated through my body—no, my soul—it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt. The only conclusion I can reach is that Reiner Thomas is my mate. My male. The one fated to be with me for the rest of my life.

And he kissed me! It was a short, heated kiss, the kind full of passion and promise, and my lips still tingle as I try to form words.

“Did you—” My voice breaks, but I try again. “Reiner, did you feel that? Did you feel something with me just then? Did you feel like… I don’t know… destiny? Because I did, and I…”

I pull in a slow breath to continue talking, but his expression stops me cold. At the amusement pulling at the corner of his mouth and the pity flickering in his expression, I realize with a burst of clarity and sharp regret just what’s happening. The first wave of heartbreak explodes in my chest, and I struggle to breathe as Reiner looks down at me with growing mirth.

“Oh, come on, sugar. You couldn’t possibly think…” He barks out a loud, sharp laugh, and I tense as more waves of distress threaten to knock me flat. I’m in danger of sliding right down to the dirty bar floor. “Sugar, just because I danced with you doesn’t mean we’re mates. Get a hold of yourself. What the hell do you think is going to happen?”

---