Alpha Curves (Paranormal BBW Shifter Romance): Wolf Clan Book 3 by Christa Wick
Authors: Christa Wick
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Esme must have sensed their arrival because Tanner didn't have the truck in park before the witch opened the door and waved at Iris. Worry pinched the lovely, rounded face and she blinked rapidly despite the overcast day.
Iris pulled the door handle, the lock disengaging as Tanner offered a parting warning.
"Try to remember they're cubs, not cons."
Rolling her shoulders, Iris stepped out of the truck. Overcoming the urge to slam the door, she glared at the older wolf, the forced smile on her face almost feral as the lock clicked softly in place. Someone -- several someones -- needed a reminder that she wasn't the one who had kidnapped a homicide detective and held her captive for two weeks. They needed to stop treating her like she was the criminal or some monstrous bitch who planned on sticking bamboo shoots under the cubs' nails until they remembered something about the time before they had been rescued.
As soon as Iris stepped under the awning, Esme lightly curled a hand around her wrist. Iris flattened her lips to hide the smile. The witch wanted to read her. Contact helped, but Esme had confided she couldn't get past the steel trap that was Iris's mind...or heart. Yet touching was too much of a habit for Esme to break. The more stressed she was about something, the more touching she did, sometimes to get a read on the person, sometimes to send them calming energy.
"I've questioned dozens of children while their hurt was fresh," she assured Esme. "I'm not going to be any less gentle or careful because they are shifters."
Esme shook her head, her grip tightening enough that Iris had the sensation of a handcuff locking around her wrist.
"It's not that," Esme whispered. "Cade is here."
Ah, there it was -- the source of the witch's concern that Iris would bolt. She lifted a brow, studying Esme's face for any other surprises in store. Finding none, she shrugged.
"He doesn't need to be," Iris said. "There's not a thing he can do to help the process...only inhibit it."
A nervous lick of her top lip preceded Esme's smile. "I think he's here to protect you from Dana."
"Oh, well..." Iris laughed. She had expected the clan leader to be present, his interest heavily weighted on the personal side. He had stalled today's interview as long as he could, even using baby Asa's birth as an excuse to delay.
With Esme's fingers still circling her wrist, Iris rubbed her free hand along the witch's forearm, using the contact to direct a little calming energy in the witch's direction. The gesture provoked both a smile and a soft chuckle from Esme.
Temporarily releasing her hold on Iris, Esme wrapped her arms around the she-wolf's shoulders as she whispered in her ear. "You're the only person other than Leah to try that. Thank you."
Soaking in the physical comfort of being hugged by the only person in the clan she considered a true friend, Iris didn't fight the tears. Esme squeezed more tightly as she promised Dana wouldn't be a problem.
"I've been gradually working on him all weekend," she confessed, the words not even a whisper and spoken directly into Iris's ear. "His favorite foods, charms, spells, anything to slowly build layers of calm."
Gently breaking contact with the witch, Iris erased the evidence of her tears. "You're exactly what that big, bad wolf needs," she joked. "He seems to have spent too much of his life opposing and mistrusting everyone that he wouldn't know how to stop even if he wanted to."
Esme breathed in, her head bobbing lightly in agreement. "And yet so much of his behavior can be justified."
Iris caught the meaningful look the witch cast in her direction. Part of her rushed to acknowledge Esme's unspoken point, the other part of her chewed at her lip to keep the admission from coming out. Yes, she mistrusted those around her, even Esme at times. She had no doubt the witch would ultimately put the clan's needs first. And, yes, Iris needed to learn how to stop, to keep the suspicion and
Esme must have sensed their arrival because Tanner didn't have the truck in park before the witch opened the door and waved at Iris. Worry pinched the lovely, rounded face and she blinked rapidly despite the overcast day.
Iris pulled the door handle, the lock disengaging as Tanner offered a parting warning.
"Try to remember they're cubs, not cons."
Rolling her shoulders, Iris stepped out of the truck. Overcoming the urge to slam the door, she glared at the older wolf, the forced smile on her face almost feral as the lock clicked softly in place. Someone -- several someones -- needed a reminder that she wasn't the one who had kidnapped a homicide detective and held her captive for two weeks. They needed to stop treating her like she was the criminal or some monstrous bitch who planned on sticking bamboo shoots under the cubs' nails until they remembered something about the time before they had been rescued.
As soon as Iris stepped under the awning, Esme lightly curled a hand around her wrist. Iris flattened her lips to hide the smile. The witch wanted to read her. Contact helped, but Esme had confided she couldn't get past the steel trap that was Iris's mind...or heart. Yet touching was too much of a habit for Esme to break. The more stressed she was about something, the more touching she did, sometimes to get a read on the person, sometimes to send them calming energy.
"I've questioned dozens of children while their hurt was fresh," she assured Esme. "I'm not going to be any less gentle or careful because they are shifters."
Esme shook her head, her grip tightening enough that Iris had the sensation of a handcuff locking around her wrist.
"It's not that," Esme whispered. "Cade is here."
Ah, there it was -- the source of the witch's concern that Iris would bolt. She lifted a brow, studying Esme's face for any other surprises in store. Finding none, she shrugged.
"He doesn't need to be," Iris said. "There's not a thing he can do to help the process...only inhibit it."
A nervous lick of her top lip preceded Esme's smile. "I think he's here to protect you from Dana."
"Oh, well..." Iris laughed. She had expected the clan leader to be present, his interest heavily weighted on the personal side. He had stalled today's interview as long as he could, even using baby Asa's birth as an excuse to delay.
With Esme's fingers still circling her wrist, Iris rubbed her free hand along the witch's forearm, using the contact to direct a little calming energy in the witch's direction. The gesture provoked both a smile and a soft chuckle from Esme.
Temporarily releasing her hold on Iris, Esme wrapped her arms around the she-wolf's shoulders as she whispered in her ear. "You're the only person other than Leah to try that. Thank you."
Soaking in the physical comfort of being hugged by the only person in the clan she considered a true friend, Iris didn't fight the tears. Esme squeezed more tightly as she promised Dana wouldn't be a problem.
"I've been gradually working on him all weekend," she confessed, the words not even a whisper and spoken directly into Iris's ear. "His favorite foods, charms, spells, anything to slowly build layers of calm."
Gently breaking contact with the witch, Iris erased the evidence of her tears. "You're exactly what that big, bad wolf needs," she joked. "He seems to have spent too much of his life opposing and mistrusting everyone that he wouldn't know how to stop even if he wanted to."
Esme breathed in, her head bobbing lightly in agreement. "And yet so much of his behavior can be justified."
Iris caught the meaningful look the witch cast in her direction. Part of her rushed to acknowledge Esme's unspoken point, the other part of her chewed at her lip to keep the admission from coming out. Yes, she mistrusted those around her, even Esme at times. She had no doubt the witch would ultimately put the clan's needs first. And, yes, Iris needed to learn how to stop, to keep the suspicion and
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