Page 79 of Accidentally Wedded To A Werewolf

“Um,” Luna said quietly, voice climbing several pitches. “That’s—that isn’t?—”

She shook her head, leaning up. She slid her hands up his shirt again.

“How about,” she started, “we don’t talk about my fiancé when we were obviously just about to— Whoa, hey, why are you so tense?”

He shook his head. Someone was coming toward the basement door. He didn’t recognize his scent, but there was an uncanny feeling sinking into his bones as the footsteps approached.

“Seriously,” Luna said. “Is someone holding the front desk at gunpoint, or are you just still weirded out every time I talk about?—”

She cut off with a gasp as the door swung open.

“Hector!”

Twenty-Four

Luna blinked hard.

Hector was still there. Cleft chin, tanned skin, and a heavy jacket, which he definitely bought at the airport when he realized that his suit jacket wouldn’t stand up to Alaska in the spring. He was grinning on the ramp, arms raised like he was waiting for Luna to run into them. They did that when they met at airports. They’d turned it into a game, with one of them yelling “YOU’RE FINALLY HOME FROM WAR” or “YOU CHEATING BASTARD” or something equally silly before running into the other’s arms. They’d devolve into a shouted reunion full of fictional garbage until they got the giggles. It was one of Luna’s favorite things in the world. And yet she stayed rooted to the spot, staring like she’d never seen her fiancé before.

“Hector,” she said faintly. “You’re— Hi! You’re here! Why are you here?”

Oliver cleared his throat. Luna realized too late that she still had her hands all over his muscled chest. She stumbled back, hoping she didn’t look too guilty.

“You said it was happening today,” Hector said. “For real this time. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh,” Luna said as he descended the steps and walked over, pressing a kiss to her red cheek. “That’s—wow. So thoughtful.”

Hector squeezed her shoulder. The silence stretched as Luna tried to think of something,anythingto say.

Hector laughed. “Is this a bad time?”

“No,” said Luna and Oliver in unison.

“Right,” Hector said. He let out another laugh, raising a hand toward Oliver. “I’m hoping you’re the husband.”

“I’m not,” Oliver said. “Not in any way that matters.”

“But you’re the bond guy, right? Oliver? You’re pretty much how she described. Tall, dark, and scowly.”

“Yeah,” Oliver said. “That’s… that’s me.”

Luna tried to check if he was offended.Tall, dark, and scowlywasn’t that bad, right? He’d heard way worse when he was eavesdropping on her phone call the other week. The bond in her chest fluttered. She couldn’t get a sense of what Oliver was feeling, even when she secretly tried to reach him through the bond. It was like touching a brick wall. He’d closed himself off.

“Wow,” Hector said. He punched Oliver’s shoulder, a self-conscious grin widening when Oliver didn’t evenrock back with the motion. “Okay! Uh, there was an old lady following me, and I don’t know where—” He jumped as Grandmother Musgrove appeared on the ramp. “Jesus!”

“Hello,” said Grandmother Musgrove politely. “Would you like a tour?”

Before he could answer, Leo squeezed onto the ramp behind her and yelled, “DINNER’S READY!”

Grandmother Musgrove’s smile didn’t even flinch as she corrected herself. “Would you like dinner?”

Hector stared at her, then at Leo, who was beaming at him with the excitement of a kid who had been watching a spark crawl up a line of dynamite for a long,longtime, waiting for the fun to finally begin.

Luna had never heard the dinner table so silent. Even on that one night when Sabine bet the kids ten dollars they couldn’t stay quiet for a full minute and everybody else joined in; there was still the ever-present snicker of Vida trying desperately not to laugh as Darren made faces at her across the table.

Leo kept looking at the other adults like he was waiting for someone to say something. Whenever he opened his mouth, Vida pinched his elbow and gave him a stare so pointed that Luna got the feeling she missed an important conversation.

“So,” Hector said finally. “It’s great to meet the family who’s been taking care of Luna! You guys reallyown an inn, huh? Like, yourunit. Fetch towels and man the front desk and all that jazz. That’s adorable.”

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