Carpathian Wolf: A BBW Wolf-Shifter Romance (Shift Your Fate Book 0.5) by Cara Wylde Read Free Book Online Page A

some in college, and then two or three years after that, when I was still working, but after I got married and become part of the Castell family, things changed.”
    “How so?”
    “Well, for one, the Castell women don’t work. Ever. It’s like a family tradition or something.”
    Rebecca’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “That’s so…”
    “Unfair?” A bitter smile graced Amber’s features. “They don’t see it that way. The Castells have always been rich and powerful. Their lineage goes back to medieval Germany or something… They branched to America over 200 years ago, but they still own a couple of businesses in Europe. I haven’t even met all my husband’s relatives, if you can believe that!”
    “So… how did you two meet?”
    Amber smiled, her eyes fixed on an indefinite spot behind Becca. “At a school conference. I was an English teacher, and the school organized a career event and invited a couple of successful people to talk to the kids, tell them about their field and business. Stephan was there to represent Castell Technologies. He swept me off my feet, invited me to dinner, and the rest is history. Things moved really quickly. Before I knew it, we were married and I was pregnant with Ava.”
    Rebecca waited for Amber to continue. Her story had taken her mind off Emil completely, so the trick had worked. Now, if she could help Amber in some way, if listening to her made her feel better, Becca was ready to spend her whole day at that table.
    “Everything was great the first year. We went on an amazing honeymoon in Thailand then I quit my job when everyone convinced me it was better to stay at home for Ava. At that time, I too thought it was a good idea. I mean… why not? I would have time to spend with my daughter, keep an eye on the house and the maids, and make sure everything went well. Stephan worked a lot, so there had to be someone home to take care of everything. I thought I would also have more time for my hobbies. Reading, writing, doing various DIY projects with Ava… It sounded great, actually. What woman wouldn’t want that kind of life? I considered myself the luckiest woman alive!”
    “I wouldn’t want that,” thought Becca, but didn’t say it out loud. Yes, she did want a family and she would make time for her children, but she’d never give up on her job and financial freedom.
    “But things changed after Ava was born. Stephan changed.” The pain in Amber’s voice was evident. “He didn’t look at me the same. Truth is, I could never get my body back after the pregnancy. Believe me, I tried. Went to a nutritionist, followed diets, exercised… It just didn’t work. Not entirely. At first, he didn’t say anything. When I insisted, he told me it was a problem for him. My weight had become a problem for him.”
    “Jerk…”
    “I don’t know…” Amber chewed on her bottom lip then sipped her coffee. “I’ve been struggling with my weight for 8 years. Sometimes I manage to lose quite a lot, then something happens that makes me stressed or depressed, and I gain a lot more in a matter of weeks. I’m trying to deal with it. He’s trying too.”
    “Is he, though?”
    “Yeah… He was the one who suggested we should take a one-week vacation. Take some time for ourselves to work on our marriage, you know… But we’ve been here for three days and he spends most of the day locked up in our room, on the phone or on his laptop. Yesterday, we visited the Weapon Museum, he got a call, said he had to get it, and spent one hour outside, on the phone, while Ava and I visited the museum by ourselves. I just… I don’t know what’s happening. Our marriage seems to be dying a slow death, and I have no idea how to fix it.”
    “Do you…” Rebecca swallowed heavily and cleared her throat before finishing her sentence. “Do you think he’s got someone else?”
    A flicker of pain and uncertainty danced in Amber’s beautiful eyes. “I… I don’t think so. He’s