Page 4 of The Wolf's Plus-Size Bride

“Stardust Hollow women aren’t as helpless as you think,” Mia says, an unimpressed eyebrow cocked. “They’ve just got more culture.”

I shrug off her words and toss out a lazy smile in her direction. “Call it what you like, honey, but it’s the truth. There ain’t much substance in there.”

Piper sits up straighter. “You know what your problem is?”

Oh, here goes.

“What’s my problem?” I ask, and as soon as the last word leaves my mouth, I feel the chill in the air coming off of her.

“You, my friend, are an arrogant asshole,” Mia supplies for her. “And you think you’re better than everyone.”

I try and hold in my laughter, I really do, but fuck, it’s impossible. Hearing the insult come from sweet, innocent Mia’s lips, of all people, is too damn funny. She never speaks like that, and seeing her face with her cheeks blazing has me almost spitting out the mouthful of beer in my mouth.

Coughing, I grimace. “Jeez, Mia. Tell me how you really feel about me.”

Her slender shoulders rise and fall while she rolls her eyes. “Trust me, Reiner, I am holding back. No one here is brave enough to tell you, and I’m sick of it.”

“And why isn’t anyone brave enough to tell me?”

“Because,” Jack, the cousin I love and loathe in equal measure, interrupts with a laugh, “you’d kick our asses, Reiner. That’s why.”

Rafe shakes his head, finally breaking away from his own private conversation to put his two cents in. I’m seriously just waiting to see where this goes and who says what next, so I keep my cool. My cocky smirk remains on my lips like I’m not even noticing the talk of my single status.

Rafe sits, and as he gets comfortable, he angles his head, a calculating glint in his eyes. “Reiner, this whole self-assured ‘womanizer’ thing was cute and all when we were younger, but you’re not a kid anymore. What are you now, thirty-four? It’s time you think about settling down and hanging up your belt.”

I laugh, and the sound of it is too bright and fake not to tip off my pack that I don’t like the turn this conversation has taken. I push up from the chair and slug back the beer I’ve been nursing. When I look back over my shoulder, I grin wide.

“None of you need to worry about my personal life, thank you very much. As a matter of fact, I met a girl.”

A moment of total silence follows.

“No way,” Jack hoots, and then all my pack are climbing up from their chairs, pouncing on the sudden information like vultures, diving into the gory details without any respect or censure.

“What’s her name?” Jack wants to know, and all the others yell out more questions in a flurry of voices.

“Where did you meet?”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

I hold my hands up and back away, one slow step at a time. “Look, it’s all still pretty new, if you know what I mean. I’d rather not get into it just yet. Leave us a little mystery.”

The only one I’m not sure is buying it is Piper. Those blue eyes of hers see far too much, and right now, they zero in on me with a fiery force I can feel digging under my skin. “Reiner?”

Ignoring her, I shake my head and keep walking, only pausing to stop and grab another beer from the cooler. As soon as I have one in my hand, I skip on by like I’m not a nearly middle-aged man claiming I have a secret love.

I stand to the side and watch from a distance while Rafe, our beta, drapes his arm over Piper’s shoulders. Those two are together constantly. I don’t think he’s let her out of his sight for more than two seconds since she had their pup, Margie. Kind of interesting, considering the kind of wolf he was before they got married and she became pregnant. Back in the day, Rafe Woods was considered a wild card, so seeing him all domesticated is a little weird. But he’s not the only one. Our pack is growing pups left and right, and a lot of our unattached wolves are finding the magic with their mates.

That’s why the recent and steady encouragement to move my ass and find myself a suitable female to settle down with is grating on my nerves. Of course, I want all that mushy stuff, too, but these days, it feels like there’s this timer hanging over my head, dangling over my entire future. The timer is ordering me to take my mark and settle down, or else.

The one and only time I’ve ever felt anything close to what they’ve described to me happened when I was with Jane, but I completely fucked that up. Now, a year later, I can barely recall her scent, and the impression of her face is a bit blurry. Still, every now and then, I catch myself scanning the crowds, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Back then, I panicked. When I kissed her, sparks erupted, and it was more intense than anything I’ve experienced since with anyone. But instead of embracing it, I acted like a douche. The look on her face when I gaslit the shit out of her and pretended I felt nothing still haunts me to this day.

Yeah. I’m an asshole, like she said, and now I’m a fucking liar, too.

It’s only a matter of time before they all find out there is no girl and that I said what I did to save face and pull the focus off myself. Green Lake is a small community. There aren’t any real secrets here, and when they discover the truth, I’m going to be the butt of all the jokes for at least the next year, I’m sure.

Just fucking great. I need to get the hell out of here.

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