Page 56 of Accidentally Wedded To A Werewolf

“ForOliver? God, no. He’s still that same rude jackass who snarled at me that first night.He’s good in bed, but that’s pretty much all he’s good for. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Okay,” he said, relieved. Glass clinked again, and Luna imagined ice against his sun-warmed mouth. “That would’ve been depressing. Everybody already has their flights booked for our wedding, babe.”

Luna almost said something about how everyone would make the trip anyway. If a destination wedding got canceled and the flights were still booked, their guests would turn it into an impromptu holiday. At least, that was what Luna and Hector did when their college friends broke up the day before their destination wedding in Hawaii. Luna and Hector had spent two days sprawled out on a beach drinking rum out of coconuts.

I’m kind of glad they broke up,Luna had told him as she rested shirtless on a beach chair.This is way nicer than that awful vegan spread they told us about. Seriously, who has zoodles at a wedding?

Carbs or bust,Hector had agreed.

Then they’d toasted to it with the $1,200 bottle of champagne they had been planning to give to the not-so-happy couple.

There was a knock on the door.

Luna jumped up. “That might be them now! That was fast. Love you, bye!”

“Have a good divorce!”

Luna hung up and raced for the door. She flung it open to reveal Oliver, even more steely-faced than usual. He wouldn’t look at her.

Her heart dropped into her stomach. Did he hear her trashing him on the phone?

“You look stormy,” she said, her smile strained. “What happened? Did you lose the flower?”

His jaw clenched. He finally met her gaze, eyes flat and guarded.

“Come with me.”

Sixteen

He didn’t bother slowing down as he strode down the hall.

“Wow, okay, we’re in ahurrythen,” Luna said, jogging to catch up. “What happened?”

“Don’t know,” he replied, not looking at her. “Grandmother said to meet her in the common room. She said it’s about the flower.”

“What, is it defective? Did we grab the wrong one?”

He ignored her. If he looked at her right now, she might be able to see the idiotic hurt on his face. He should’ve known better, he berated himself as they headed for the common room. This was why he didn’t trust strangers. You never knew what they were really thinking. He’d been stupid enough to think they were letting their guard down around each other, that they knew each other, that they might evencareabout each other. And all along, Luna thought he was that samerude jackass who yelled at a woman for trying to find a place to stay during a snowstorm.

“Um,” Luna called behind him, still jogging. “Hello? Am I going to be able to make my wedding next month or not?”

“You’ll make it,” he snapped.

His claws popped out. He forced them back into his nail beds, gritting his teeth. Was she lying to him when she said she thought he’d be a good alpha? Was thereanythingtrue about her, or was she really only helping Musgrove Inn because she was bored?

He stalked into the common room. It was empty apart from Grandmother Musgrove, who was standing in the middle of the room with her shawl pulled tight around her despite wolves’ hot blood and the heater on full blast.

“Hello,” she said as Luna ran in behind Oliver. “The door, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Luna closed it. Oliver could feel her questioning gaze on his face. He didn’t look at her.

Grandmother cleared her throat. She stroked a hand down her shawl, a thick multicolored garment that had been around since before Oliver was born. It was one of the only things they managed to salvage from the fire back at their old home. Grandmother had dug it out of the rubble, covered in ash but otherwise unscathed.

“The flower was unfortunately destroyed,” she started. “During the preparation process. I’m so sorry your hike was a waste. Next time will surely be a success.”

Oliver waited. He couldn’t have heard thatright.

“Wait,” Luna said. “Thewholeflower got destroyed? I thought you only needed a bit of it!”

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