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"Bless you, dear. Don't know what I'd do without these miracle salves." Mrs. Abner peered closely at Iris then, brows pinching. "But look at you. You're pale as milk. Everything all right?”
Iris huffed a small laugh at the concern. “Oh, I’m fine. Just getting used to some big life changes lately.” She tried waving it off, but Mrs. Abner was not deterred.
“Let me guess, man trouble?” Mrs. Abner raised one snowy brow. When Iris flushed, she cackled. “Written all over your face. Well, dish out the details then.. …”
Despite herself, Iris smiled, allowing the motherly nudging. Mrs. Abner's steadfast care for her emotional well-being was a balm in itself.
“Now, what’s put that worried crease on your brow, child?” she clucked.
Iris huffed a small laugh, waving it off. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just some things brewing that I’m not quite sure how to navigate.”
At Mrs. Abner’s intent look, she sighed and elaborated slightly. “An … unexpected partnership. Which affects my work here, my lifestyle, everything.”
Mrs. Abner patted her hand comfortingly. "Well, I always knew you were bound for bigger things, my dear. Too talented and spirited to stay cooped up here forever."
Iris ducked her head, equal parts warmed and unnerved by the observation.
"Oh, I don't know about all that …"
As the door swung shut behind her departing patient, Iris bit her lip, contemplating Mrs. Abner's sunny predictions. She really didn't know what future this unexpected mate bond held. Could she trust Derek to make space for her needs despite overseeing a demanding pack? Would her lonely little clinic have any chance to remain open with her new duties as Luna?
Iris wrung her hands, suddenly overwhelmed to picture beloved patients like Mrs. Abner seeking care elsewhere should this practice fall by the wayside. These people depended on her skills and counseling as much as the remedies themselves.
Would Derek understand her ties here went soul deep, that she couldn't simply walk away? Iris wrapped her arms around her middle, taking deep breaths. So much uncertainty still swirled despite Mrs. Abner's staunch confidence.
She wished some of that sunny belief would sink into her own uneasy heart now. She longed to fully embrace this new chapter with her intriguing mate. If only the shadows of past trauma didn't cling so tenaciously, urging caution still.
Iris finished updating the last patient file of the day with a weary sigh, ready to lock up the clinic. As she tidied the front counter, the door unexpectedly opened. She looked up to see Derek sauntering through, a roguish grin on his handsome face.
"Hello, gorgeous," he purred, leaning casually on the counter. "I missed those bewitching green eyes of yours today.You’ll be happy to know I sent the guards home and am here to take their place."
Iris laughed, the flirtatious compliment easing her tension. "Is that the best excuse you could come up with to check up on me?" she teased.
"Maybe, maybe not." Derek winked playfully. "I really did volunteer us to help with supper duty tonight. But I won't pretend I didn't jump at the excuse to whisk my lovely mate home."
Iris rounded the counter, allowing Derek to pull her close and nuzzle her throat. She exhaled, feeling the day's worries fade in his protective embrace.
"Well then, kind sir, take me home and show me these famous cooking skills," Iris tossed back as she locked up.
Soon, they stood hip to hip in the pack's expansive kitchen, chatting and laughing easily as they prepared a hearty vegetable lasagna. Playfully flicking sauce at each other eased deeper into affectionate touches and stolen kisses over the bubbling pans.
Iris marveled at how quickly her guarded nature unraveled around this attentive, occasionally roguish mate that Fate had dropped in her path … Perhaps their future held brightness instead of shadows after all.
She lingered in the kitchen doorway a moment, lips quirking as she watched Derek gather ingredients with smooth assurance. He moved confidently amid various pots and pans, seeming utterly in his element.
"Well, now, aren't you full of surprises?" Iris commented as he briskly diced vegetables. "Should I be concerned my big bad Alpha is actually a secretly aspiring chef?"
Derek flashed her an amused glance without breaking stride in his preparations. "Hardly. But after one too many charred attempts at feeding myself, I finally let our former Luna give me some pointers."
He deftly spun the sizzling pan, raising a teasing brow at Iris. "Besides, to charm prospective mates required actual edible fare in my repertoire."
"Mmm, is that so?" Iris sidled closer, bumping him gently aside to sample a spoonful of sauce. "Well, consider me impressed … and very charmed."
She nudged him playfully until Derek pinned her against the counter, eyes glinting.
"Oh, good. I do aim to please …" he murmured, head dipping lower.
“Well, consider me pleased … Can’t wait for dessert.”
