Page 94 of Accidentally Wedded To A Werewolf

“No,” Grandmother replied from her place on the stump, right next to the water bottle. “He needs to get in touch with his wolf. Being in the forest will help.”

“I don’t know,” Sabine said in that dubious tone that made Oliver remember she grew up in a human family. “He looks pretty sick. This seems like a blankets and cocoa situation.”

Grandmother shook her head. “The same thing happened with Cousin Chester. Embracing the wolf will help him cure the bond sickness faster.”

Oliver shuddered as another icy spasm wracked his body. He pulled the sleeping bag tighter over him. Werewolves ran hot. Before the bond, he’d never felt cold so deeply in his life. But he’d never felt so warm either. Lit up from the inside out. He’d probably never feel it again.

A shaft of moonlight fell through the trees and onto his face. The wolf inside him rumbled, trying to rise to the surface. But the moment Oliver tried to reach back, it shrunk away. He could feel its hot breath. It was soclose.

“It doesn’t trust me,” he gritted. “I can feel it, goddamnit—it’s RIGHT there. Little bastard.”

“Don’t call your wolf a bastard,” Grandmother said. She offered him the water bottle. He knocked it away, striking out harder than he meant to.

Uncle Roy growled, fur sprouting along his neck. “This is a waste of time. Just let him sweat it out, and we can get to running.”

“We’re not gonna leave him here while werun,” Leo said, small face twisting in disgust at the concept. “Not ‘til later, anyway. It’s barely dark!”

“It’s the full moon. If he’s going to reclaim his wolf, it will be tonight.” Grandmother placed the water bottle back beside her on the stump and looked over at Uncle Roy. “Just because your wolf didn’t return for years doesn’t mean your nephew should suffer that same fate.”

Uncle Roy growled again, and more fur prickled up his arms. If he ever had a problem summoning his wolf, it was long gone now. If anything, he was having trouble keeping his wolf contained.

Leo squirmed out of his mother’s arms and got on the ground next to Oliver, taking a deep breath to scream in his ear, “GO TOWARD THE WOLF, UNCLE OLLIE!”

“I’mtrying,” Oliver snapped. He looked up at Sabine pleadingly. “Can we get the kids out of here at least?”

The crack of twigs made him look over. It was Ben, striding through the trees with a churro in one hand and a hedgehog plushie tucked under his arm.

“You heard him,” Ben told Leo, nudging him gently with his shoe. “Move it.”

Leo pouted but scrambled up. He did a half-hearted jump to try and reach the churro, but Ben held it out of reach before relenting and breaking off a piece. Leo took it and scurried into the trees, waving goodbye to his mom as he went.

“Hey bro,” Ben said, sitting down on the space Grandmother had cleared for him on the stump. “How’s it going?”

“A-awesome,” Oliver replied, teeth chattering. “What’s that?”

“Churro,” Ben said, mouth full of the last of the aforementioned churro. He held up the plushie next, dangling it in Oliver’s face. “Hedgehog. Beth’s handing them out. Want me to grab you one?”

Oliver batted it away. “No. Is the fair still going?”

“Uh-huh.” Ben bent down, wedging the plushie under the blankets with him. “There we go. Have a little buddy.”

Oliver thought about throwing the plushie in his face. But Grandmother was right there. Also, he couldn’t be bothered lifting his arms.

Ben opened the water bottle meant for Oliver and took a sip. “We should get Luna to come back.”

“Go to hell,” Oliver croaked.

Ben ignored him and looked over at Grandmother. “It helps when they stick around after, right?”

“She’s busy,” Sabine said gently, her face so full of sympathy Oliver had to avert his eyes. Everybody had been handling him with kid gloves since Luna left. He’d been getting better at not snapping at them, but it was more difficult when he was weak and shivering on the forest floor.

Ben grunted into the water bottle. “I don’t know. I kind of expected her to show up anyway. She could still make the wedding.”

Sabine’s eyes went wide, gaze darting pointedly to Oliver. He almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. He’d been counting down the days with increasing dread. He knew it was the day before the wedding. It had been impossible to think about anything else. Hethought about it while he was brushing his teeth, while he was doing paperwork, while he was out for a run or changing guest’s beds—Luna in another man’s arms, giggling at his jokes, partying up a storm. She was never going to stay. They both knew that. So why did Oliver feel like he’d lost something?

Something flared deep in his chest. An echo, he told himself as the wolf’s ears perked up inside him.

“What?” Ben asked as Sabine stared. “Heknows. Hey Ollie, your ex-bondmate is getting married tomorrow.”

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