Page 24 of Love, A Curvy Girl's Guide

He motioned toward a man in his thirties who stepped forward to shake their hands. “It’s nice to meet you both. My wife, Ivy, is anxious to meet you, Haley. She’s just lying down right now because she’s getting closer to term and this is her first pup.”

Pup. Haley tried to smile and look as if this weren’t the strangest moment of her life. She still half expected them to laugh and tell her it was all a big joke. Only it wasn’t a joke, and she was in it just as deep as Ian was.

“Congratulations to you both,” Haley added hastily.

Bentley grinned. “Thank you. We’re very excited.”

Ian’s arm slipped around Haley’s waist protectively as he chatted with Garrick and Bentley. Haley was thankful for the time to just look around and see what this new experience held.

Many of the pack members had begun to disassemble. Haley hoped it was because they had other things to do and not because they weren’t impressed with the new pack members.

“Haley?”

She jerked out of her thoughts to see that the Alpha was looking at her expectantly.

There was a beat of silence, broken only by a snicker from somewhere in the room. Ian’s jaw clenched, his hand twitching at his side, but he didn’t say anything.

The Alpha’s lips quirked in what might have been amusement—or maybe irritation. “Haley, as you have a history with pharmaceuticals, I wondered if you might like to shadow our pack healer, Neela. She’s out on some calls, but you should get the chance to meet her at dinner.”

Haley nodded jerkily. “Um, sure, I would like that. What will Ian be doing?”

The Alpha smiled, and this time it seemed genuine. “At first he will learn to control his shift, and then we will go into what it means to be a part of the Iron Claw Pack. Everyone here has spent their entire lives learning this stuff. So don’t be too hard on yourselves. It’s going to take you some time to get the hang of things.”

“But we don’t have to stay here forever,” Haley added hurriedly. “Not that I don’t appreciate everything. But my dad has cancer and I need to be closer to him.”

“Haley does a lot for her family,” Ian added. “Her being away is a burden to them.”

“I see,” Garrick said, rubbing his chin. “Well, you could always go back and forth for a while as Ian is getting the swing of things. I won’t lie. You’re here because of your bond with Ian, and a mating bond changes things. It will be difficult for both of you to be apart. But it’s not unheard of.”

Ian nodded. “I can accept that. I only want what’s best for Haley.”

“Once Ian has control of his shifts,” the Alpha continued, “you both could live back home again and function as remote members of the pack. We don’t want to force you to do anything. I just want to express that being part of a pack comes with rules. Loyalty. Secrecy. Respect.”

Haley could understand why those things would be important. However, she was mostly excited that they didn’t expect her to be away from her dad for too long. Being away from Ian might suck, but she’d never forgive herself if something happened to her dad and she was over an hour away in the mountains instead of by his side.

“I understand,” she said right after Ian.

The Alpha’s sharp gaze lingered on them both for a moment before he nodded. “Good. Now we get into the thick of things.”

The Alpha left Bentley to see them settled. As Ian and Bentley began to talk, Haley noticed that some of the pack had begun to murmur among themselves, their voices a low hum that made Haley’s skin prickle. She caught snippets of words—“outsider,” “human,” “mate bond”—and forced herself not to react.

“Don’t mind them.”

Haley turned to find a woman standing beside her, a serene smile on her face. She was older, with silver-streaked hair and kind eyes that radiated calm.

“I’m Neela, the pack’s healer,” the woman said, her voice soothing. “You must be Haley.”

Haley nodded. “That obvious, huh?”

The healer chuckled. “A little. But don’t worry—it’s not a bad thing. You have a strength about you, even if you don’t realize it yet.”

Haley’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I’ll take your word for it.”

The healer studied her for a moment, then added softly, “Strength doesn’t always roar, dear. Sometimes it listens first.”

FOURTEEN

The pack’s guest quarters were a cozy blend of rustic charm and utilitarian design. Thick wooden beams lined the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with faded tapestries depicting wolves beneath the moon. A small window overlooked the forest, allowing a sliver of moonlight to spill across the room.

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