Page 20 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

“It was a long time ago,” I say, echoing his own words.

“Yeah, but it still hurts, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” I admit. “I miss them. I miss them so much. But I know they’d be proud of me. I try to focus on that.”

“I hope my parents would be proud of me, too,” he says. “I’ve done some shitty things, and I’m not proud of a lot of the choices I’ve made, but I’m trying to be better. For Jack, for the pack, and for myself.”

“I’m glad,” I say, and I really am.

When he cranes his neck to look at me, his eyes are shining, and I can’t help the pull I feel toward him. I lean in, but just before our lips touch, I get a whiff of burning meat, and I jerk back.

“Shit,” I curse. “Dinner’s burning.”

Chapter 9 - Reiner

The Forresters prepared a full feast for dinner, and Jane and I saved it just in time.

“Thank god,” Jane says, looking over the smoldering grill. “I think it’s salvageable.”

Glancing over her shoulder, I take in the sight. They’ve got chicken, ribs, sausage, and steaks. “What are you feeding, an army?” I ask, and she laughs.

“Aunt Gwen always gets carried away when we have guests. She loves to cook, and she loves to feed people.”

“What if I was a vegetarian? You’d have a lot of leftovers.”

She snorts. “I doubt that. You’re a shifter, and we’re carnivores. I’ve never met a vegetarian shifter.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” I tease.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not a vegetarian,” she says, nudging me. “Because my aunt would be devastated.”

“I’m not one to turn down a home-cooked meal.”

“Good,” she says, and her smile is so bright as she hands me a big roasting pan. “Here, hold this.”

She piles the meat into the dish, and once she’s collected it all, she takes it from me and leads me back inside. Jack is right where I left him, entertaining her family. It was a good call, bringing him here. He and Jane’s aunt and uncle seemed to hit it off.

Jack’s always been much more outgoing than me, and he’s definitely the charmer. He can talk to anyone, and he doesn’t have a problem opening up. Me, on the other hand…well, that’s a different story. I’ve never been one for small talk, and I’ve never been one for sharing my feelings.

I’m not a big fan of talking about my past, either. I’ve never been able to open up about my parents’ murder. Jack’s the only one who knows the full story, and that’s only because he was there. Jane is the first person I’ve ever opened up to about it, and I don’t know why I did. Maybe it’s because I feel connected to her, like we’re similar in many ways. Or maybe it’s because I’m just tired of holding in the pain and the grief.

“Food’s ready,” Jane announces, and her aunt and uncle are quick to jump up and follow her into the kitchen.

They’ve already set the table, and Jane places the pan filled with meat in the center of the table while Gwen serves up the sides. Richard takes his seat at the head of the table and gestures for Jack and me to sit down.

“I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of space,” he comments. “Not that we’re ungrateful for the trailers your pack provided for us, mind you. It just takes some getting used to when you’re accustomed to having a large house and a big yard.”

“I can imagine,” Jack replies. “Reiner and I had the pleasure of visiting Stardust Hollow during the swap last year. It was quite a town. Very beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Richard says, grinning. “We’re very proud of it.”

“Did you enjoy your visit, Reiner?” Gwen asks as she sits down across from him.

Jane’s gaze flicks to me, and she clenches her jaw. No doubt, she’s remembering how awful I treated her that night at the bar, but she doesn’t say anything.

“It was… interesting,” I reply, and Jane scoffs.

“That’s one way to put it,” she mutters.

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