Where There is Hope [Taos Wolven Mates 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Tianna Xander Page B

picked up the plate and headed for the table where Braxton sat.
    “You didn’t get a drink.” Braxton leaned to the side to look around her at Joran, who was headed back to the machine to get his own lunch. “Get Hope something to drink while you’re up there, will you?”
    “I’m on it,” Joran replied from behind her.
    Braxton winked at the other man and Hope frowned. What was going on between them that she didn’t understand? She was sure there was something. She just didn’t know what it was.
    Joran returned carrying a tray with his lunch and three drinks. Theirs looked a lot like cola. Hers looked like champagne. It was a pink, fizzy liquid in a frosted glass. Whatever the drink was looked delicious just because it was cold.
    Hope picked up the glass, took a sip and closed her eyes. “This is heavenly.” She set the drink down and looked at her sandwich. “I really don’t eat like this.” Her face grew warm. How could she eat this big, greasy sandwich in front of these two? Here she sat with her doughy belly and too-wide hips while both of them were so ripped she could feel the ridges on their stomachs through their shirts.
    “I’m not sure I can eat this,” she said as she looked down at the cheesesteak and wished she hadn’t ordered it. “It’s not good for me and it will go straight to my hips.”
    The two men stopped chewing and looked at her. “What do you mean it will go to your hips?” They both asked the question at the same time.
    “I mean it will turn to fat.” She rested her hand over her belly. “It’s not like I need any extra. I have enough already.”
    “Baby,” Joran said as he reached over to pat her hand. “Believe me when I say that you aren’t fat.” He looked at Braxton. “Just ask him.”
    “We like women with a little meat on their bones, Hope. You won’t find a wolf anywhere who wants a skinny mate.” He grinned. “They’re too easy to break.”
    Hope sat staring at the two men for a moment, her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m dreaming. That’s the only answer for what’s happening to me. I’m dreaming.”
    Braxton took a deep breath through his nose and groaned. “I’ve been thinking that every moment since we found you.” He smiled again. “Now eat. I have a feeling you’re going to need the energy.”

Chapter Eighteen
     
    Braxton watched as their mate slowly took a small bite of her meal. He knew she still worried about the things she ate and how it would make her look and wanted to go back to her time for just a moment and beat the shit out of the man who could undermine her self-confidence in such a way.
    There was nothing wrong with a woman having curves. Women were genetically programmed to carry more fat to care for their young. The more fat a female carried on her body, indicated the more cubs she could have and care for at one time without starving to death.
    His people had no prejudices about size, especially toward a female’s predilection to having curves in all the right places. That was a human disease apparently, though he hadn’t seen it much here, in this time. He had seen a few large signs in the future with women so skinny they looked nothing like the curvy female nature intended, but a skeleton with skin stretched tight over its bones.
    He took another bite of his fried chicken and frowned when she stopped eating after three or four bites and a couple of the strange-looking fried potatoes on her plate. He would have to try that the next time they came to the ship. It smelled delicious.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Hope looked up at him. “Nothing.” She picked up her glass and took a sip of her drink.
    “Then why have you stopped eating?” Braxton set his fork down and Joran did the same as they both looked at her. “If there’s something wrong with that, you can recycle it and ask Carella to make you something else.”
    “It’s fine.” She shook her head, pushed her plate away and rested her crossed arms on the