Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,50

to know how you prefer to handle this."

"No, I want to tell them," I promised. "I actually hate that I can't say anything about the betas, but I want to at least tell them about you."

"Then let me handle it," he said.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop my nerves from screaming at me. I knew that something would go catastrophically wrong today. It was impossible to make an event like this truly perfect, yet I knew we'd handle it. Ian, Trent, Pax, Lane, and Seth always found a way to step in just when I needed them. Plus, the Sisterhood of Being Too Old for That Shit had my back. I wasn't doing this alone, so we'd make it perfect for Gabby.

We arrived to park right in front. There were temporary signs posted in front of the best parking spaces. One of them said, "Mother." Another said, "Abuelos." The last one, however, was the cutest: "Princesa." That was for Gabby, and I had a feeling she'd love it. The only problem was that my parents had managed to beat us here.

Ian opened my door and then offered his arm, so I let him escort me inside, but I hadn't yet seen the actual room. The guys had promised that they'd handle it, and I'd simply believed them. And they definitely had. Our community center looked like it had been turned into a wedding reception. Tables were placed around the edge of the massive room. White tablecloths were accented with turquoise and gold. From the flowers to the napkins, everything just worked, and it was gorgeous.

"Wow," I breathed. "Ian..."

"That wasn't just me," he admitted, gesturing to where Ashley was talking to three very large men in suits. "Ash!"

"Elena!" she called, seeing me. "Are you losing your mind?"

"Close," I admitted, letting go of Ian to give her a hug. "Pax and Trent are helping me be in two places at once."

Then Vic stepped up behind her and offered his hand. "Elena," he greeted me. "You look beautiful."

Ian's eyes narrowed. "Mhm," he said, the sound an obvious warning.

"So far, I've seen her in sweats more than dresses," Vic reminded him. "Nothing inappropriate, sir."

Jax chuckled behind him. "Already in trouble, Vic?"

"Just trying to be nice," Vic promised. "And I think I'm going to go back in my corner."

"You're fine," Ian assured him. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Have your friends shown up yet?"

"Not yet," Vic said. "I told them to come later so the family thing wouldn't get awkward."

"Well, let me know when they do," Ian said. "And now, I get to meet my girlfriend's parents." He lifted a brow and looked at the guys. "If you see my, um, roommates? Let them know I might not make it through the day."

Vic chuckled. "Don't envy you at all. Meeting the parents is always the worst. Good luck."

Then Ian offered his arm again. I took it, but this time I was the one leading us around the room. Soon enough, I spotted my parents at the side, huddled together because they didn't know anyone else. I pushed out a tense breath, lifted my chin, and decided that I might as well get this over with.

"Mama," I said when we were close enough. "Papa. I'd like to introduce you both to Ian, my boyfriend."

Surprise took over my father's face. "Boyfriend?"

"Yes, sir," Ian said, offering his hand. "My sister and Elena have been best friends for a while. When she started working here - "

"You work here too?" my mother asked.

Ian ducked his head and chuckled. "Technically, yes."

"Technically?" my mother asked, an accusatory note in her voice. "And what exactly does that mean, young man?"

"It means that I don't really get paid for it because my family owns Wolf's Run, Mrs. Flores. So, yes, I work." He let go of me to offer his hand to my father. "Mr. Flores, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"How old are you, boy?" my father asked.

"Thirty," Ian admitted. "I know, I'm younger than your daughter. It's the first thing everyone says, including her."

"And Gabriella?" he asked. "You do realize that you don't get one without the other."

Ian's lips curled into a smile. "Trust me, Elena made that very clear the first two times she turned me down. I happen to like that little girl, though. Well, usually. She's a handful, but she's also amazing."

My mother just turned her glare on me. "Why didn't you mention a boyfriend last night?"

"Because we were discussing Gabby's quinceañera and catching up." Then I