Chapter 7
Seven
G uys had run out on Luna before.
She was a lot . In the best ways, obviously. The fun, entertaining ways. Even so, some guys couldn’t handle it. There had been her high school boyfriend who didn’t like that she danced on tables at parties. Then her college boyfriend, who had gotten mad at her for accidentally throwing out his granddad’s ashes so she could have a free vase for the beautiful bouquet she bought herself as a half-birthday present.
But she’d never made a guy chase guaranteed agony just so he didn’t have to be in the same room as her. She couldn’t help but feel a little bad as Ben came striding into the living quarters with Oliver hanging over his shoulder, still unconscious.
“Sooo,” Luna said as she stared at Oliver’s limp form. “When you say ‘in pain’…”
“It’s a very vulnerable time,” Grandmother Musgrove said .
She stood back to let Ben get past her. Luna was relieved it was just her, no weird uncles or prying aunts or boisterous kids. She was a little sad Sabine wasn’t around. She’d joked with Luna last night while they were getting clothes from her room. Luna could use some jokes right now to offset the annoying and baseless guilt. It wasn’t her fault, obviously . But she couldn’t help but feel a little bad as she watched Oliver’s limp body bounce against Ben as he carried him to their quarters.
“Pain is only the most immediate symptom,” Grandmother Musgrove continued. “If he stayed away, he would get sick. Perhaps die.”
Luna stared at her. “Oh my god, seriously ?”
“In rare cases.”
She started down the hall. Luna trailed after her, wincing when Ben banged Oliver’s head on a doorframe.
“You can stay with us free of charge,” Grandmother Musgrove announced, adjusting her thick sleeves against her tattooed wrists. “I’m sorry this happened now, and not a year ago. He was different before. Sweeter. More open. Less prone to snapping at things that didn’t require teeth. You would have liked him.”
“Before,” Luna repeated. “Why, what happened a year ago?”
Grandmother Musgrove stopped, staring down the hall at the closed door that Ben had carried Oliver through.
“You should go to see him,” she said. “The closer you are, the less he hurts.”
Luna squirmed. The door to her room lay behind Grandmother Musgrove, empty and tempting.
“I totally will,” she said. “After I call Hector.”
She rushed into her room, closing the door behind her. The ice in her chest was small, almost unnoticeable. Oliver would be fine until she got back. She could still sense him through the bond, dead to the world in the Musgrove’s common room.
She twisted the phone cord around her finger as it rang. The closer you are, the less he hurts . Grandmother Musgrove made her sound like morphine. A soothing balm. A warm shower for a shivering traveler. She’d never been that for somebody before. It felt like a lot of responsibility.
She wasn’t a balm to Hector, she was… fun to have around. Arm candy. Something adorable and pampered and delightful, like a purebred puppy who very rarely peed on the carpet. Hector never wanted anything else, and neither did she.
“Stranded fiancée,” came Hector’s greeting down the crackling line. “How goes the snow? Melted yet?”
Luna glanced out at the thick snow outside the window. It wasn’t actively snowing yet, but the sky was looking worryingly overcast.
“Not yet,” she said. “Hey, did you know about the werewolf bond… proximity thing? Like, it hurts them if their… ugh. Bond mate, spouse, whatever. It hurts them if they get too far away. ”
“Shit, really? I thought that was just Hollywood.” There was a slurping noise, and Luna sighed.
“Are you drinking on the beach right now?”
“Toes in the sand, baby.”
Luna groaned, flopping back against her cold bed.
Hector laughed. “What happened? Did you go for a walk, and he freaked out?”
“We, uh…” Luna coughed. “He flipped out at me over nothing and stormed off. Then his brother had to go after him and carry him back because he, um, passed out.”
Hector whistled. “He passed out? That’s intense. So, what, you gotta hug him once a day, or he gets sick? That’s what happened in the movie I saw. What’s he like, anyway? Your new husband.”
“Ha, ha,” Luna said loudly. “We’re not married -married, just wolf married. They do separate marriages for the human paperwork; we haven’t signed anything . And he’s a jackass. He’s rude and he argues about nothing , and he’s so stubborn about the stupidest shit.”
“Uh-huh.”
More slurping. Luna sighed, eyes dropping closed as she imagined a golden beach, her toes wriggling through gloriously warm sand.
“Is he hot?”
Luna’s eyes flew open. “What? He’s—he’s fine.”
“Oookay.” Hector paused. “Not used to you playing things down .”
“Well, what am I supposed to say? Yes, beloved fiancé, the guy I’m magically bonded to is smoking hot . He’s still a jackass! I mean, apparently, he’s going through a lot right now, but who isn’t, right?”
There was a long silence. Luna toyed with the scratchy sheets, looking longingly over at the bags of clothes she had yet to unpack. Her hair straightener was still in its box, waiting.
“And you two have to be close, or it hurts him,” Hector said. “And it’s bond magic .”
“Ye-e-es,” Luna said. She squinted up at the ceiling, which was the same hideous color as the walls. They really needed to hire an interior designer.
“You know our rules,” Hector said. “As long as you don’t fall in love with him, it’s fine by me.”
“I’m not going to sleep with him,” Luna said. She rolled over on her bed, ignoring the excited little flutter in her stomach. A hundred images rushed into her mind—Oliver’s strong legs, his broad shoulders, his dark stubble. The biteable line of his chin and the constant strain of his pecs through his too-tight shirts.
Hector had proposed an open relationship six months into their dating after Luna had mentioned liking a waiter’s hairstyle. I’m not a jealous guy , Hector said when Luna had gaped at him . If it’s just sex, I don’t really care. If you start to fall for him , that’s another issue.
She’d asked if he wanted to sleep with other girls. He’d shrugged, saying he did but wouldn’t if she didn’t want him to.
Luna had thought about it overnight and realized she didn’t really mind if Hector slept with other girls, as long as he let her know and it didn’t turn into anything deeper. It had surprised her. She’d always privately assumed she would be possessive about this kind of thing, the same way she didn’t let her brother play with any of her toys growing up.
I have your heart , Hector told her when they talked about it later. That’s what matters.
It was the sweetest thing he’d ever said to her. Luna still thought about it whenever she got cold feet about the wedding. Not that she did often. They were a good match. It was just daunting to consider being with one guy forever. She’d feel that way about any guy, she was sure.
“Sure,” Hector said, in that exact tone he’d used when she said she wasn’t going to sleep with that waiter with the good hairstyle. She had, but mostly so she could joke about it with Hector afterward. The waiter had been pretty disappointing in bed.
“So,” Hector continued. “When you said you weren’t going to get eaten in Claw Haven…”
Luna laughed louder than she had done since arriving in this freezing, admittedly picturesque little town as she imagined Oliver’s head between her legs. Those dark eyes on hers as he licked at her, stubble rasping against her thighs.
“And I stand by that,” she said, still giggling to distract herself from the heat pooling at her core. “I’m going to go.”
“Tell him hi from me,” Hector said, amused.
Luna was still giggling about the phone call as she headed into the Musgrove living quarters. They had fun together, her and Hector. They so rarely fought because they never bothered dwelling on things that would lead to a fight. Life with Hector was one long holiday. And when she married him, that would be the rest of her life: fun and jokes and mai tais on the beach, never lingering on the serious stuff. What kind of guy told his fiancée to go sleep with the hot werewolf she was accidentally bonded to? Hector, that was who.
Not that she was going to. Probably. Maybe. Definitely not if he still hated her.
She raised a hand to knock on the door to the Musgrove common room.
It flew open. Ben stood behind it, already waving.
Right , Luna thought, dropping her hand. Werewolf hearing.
“Great, you’re here,” Ben said, leading her over to the couch where he’d dropped Oliver facedown. “I’ve never actually been around a case this bad before; everyone usually sticks close to each other after their bonding. You know?”
Before she could decide if his tone was accusatory or not, he held out a paper bag.
Luna took it and looked inside. A cluster of chocolate wolves sat at the bottom.
“Give him a few, get his blood sugar up. I’ll be in the laundry room doing lazy boy’s chores.” Ben gave Oliver an exaggerated look like they were both in on the joke. “Yell if you need us. This room isn’t soundproofed. ”
“Got it,” Luna said. Then she frowned. “Wait, are the other rooms soundproofed?”
Ben laughed, heading for the door. “At our end of the inn? Are you kidding me? We got it put in with the insulation. I don’t know how any wolf survives without it. We’d have to live in different houses otherwise, and who wants that?”
He ducked into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
Luna stared down at the unconscious werewolf lying facedown on the couch. It was too small for him, and his wet sneakers dangled off the edge. He’d never looked less menacing. And she realized as she sat gingerly on the couch arm next to his head, he’d never looked more at peace. Other than a wrinkle in his brow, his face was lax.
The closer you are, the less he hurts .
Luna paused. Then she reached out and cautiously touched his hair.
The wrinkle in his brow smoothed.
Whoa , Luna thought as the warmth in her chest expanded. It’s actually working.
She stroked his hair away from his forehead.
His eyes snapped open.
“Oh my god!” Luna snatched her hand back, the paper bag rustling in her lap.
Oliver’s head twisted, staring up at Luna groggily. He wore a look of deep relief, but there was confusion behind it. Like his body was telling him something and his brain was taking a second to wake up.
“You’re safe,” Luna said hastily. “You’re on your couch. Ben carried you back.”
He squinted up at her. Then his expression lapsed into exhaustion, slumping back down against the couch.
“Oh my god, you’re such a drama queen.” Luna took a chocolate wolf out of the bag and tossed it at him. “Eat this.”
The chocolate bounced off his cheek. He picked it up, squinting incredulously. She waited for him to scoff, but he just heaved himself up and stared at the chocolate, so tiny in his large hand. Then he ate it in one bite.
“Surprised you’re not allergic,” Luna tried.
“’S wolf-safe,” he said, still chewing.
A strand of dark hair fell over his forehead. Luna’s fingers twitched around the bag, itching to push it back like she’d done before. The warmth in her chest was tugging in little lurches. It wanted her to touch him even more than she did. It was strange, being able to sense something else’s wants on top of your own. The less she focused on it, the less she could tell them apart.
“Sooo,” Luna said. She shifted down so she was sitting on the actual couch, not just the arm. Leaving a sensible distance between them, of course. “Nobody told me about the proximity thing. Any other bond crap I need to know about? I thought it just meant I was on a magical wolf registry and would have a little Tinkerbell warmth in my chest.”
Oliver sighed. “It varies from couple to couple. Some people can feel each other’s emotions. Some of them read each other’s minds?— ”
“Read each other’s minds ?” Luna laughed shrilly. “You are not getting into my mind, wolf boy.”
“Back at you,” Oliver snarled. He had a very expressive face. Like someone had designed it purely to reach optimum scowl.
She threw the bag of chocolate into his lap. “Okay, rude. I’m not disgusting , you know. I’m fun, I’m hot. I’m a riot at parties. One time, I was auctioned off at a charity dinner, and a woman paid twenty-five thousand dollars just to have lunch with me. And that was just lunch . Do you know what people would pay to be married to me?”
He gave her an unreadable look like he wanted to say something, but he had too many ideas to settle on one.
“I don’t,” he started. His hands flexed around the paper bag. “I don’t know you.”
“Yeah, I don’t know you . That doesn’t mean we have to scream at each other about it.”
“ And you have a fiancé,” he continued like she hadn’t spoken. “ And I don’t want to bow to the whims of bond magic just because it wants us to…”
He trailed off, rubbing his chest. He looked exhausted. Maybe he hadn’t wanted her before the bond, Luna realized with a sinking stomach. Maybe her attraction to him had been one-sided. She’d met a few guys who were immune to her charms. Most of them were gay, but there had to be some straight ones out there who weren’t into her brand of cool, fun, and hot. Maybe he could only get off with tall, dark-haired women. Maybe he was only into MILFs. You never knew.
“Okay,” she said, squeaky. She cleared her throat, flashing him a winning smile. “What do you want? Not the magic. You.”
She meant it as a getting-to-know-you question. Then he turned to look at her, eyes dark and half-lidded. Any notion that he wasn’t attracted to her before the bond was wiped from Luna in an instant.
Luna’s mouth went dry. Her smile faded, forgotten, as the warmth in her chest started to pulse. Neither of them spoke.
Then Oliver looked away, and the moment was broken.
“I want my pack to be safe and cared for,” Oliver said. “I want… I want to fix the roof in the damn lobby.”
“You said you wanted an inn when you were younger,” Luna said. “What, does the reality not live up to your expectations?”
He gave her a sideways look.
Luna rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, is that too personal? Excuse me for trying to be polite for five seconds.”
His mouth flickered. He scratched it, but Luna glimpsed the curious smile he was hiding behind his hand. Even if it was gone when he dropped his hand back into the bag of chocolates.
“I didn’t think about all the upkeep when I was younger,” he said, popping another chocolate into his mouth. “I just… I don’t know. Liked the idea of offering a safe harbor.”
Luna couldn’t help it: she cooed, bright and teasing.
“Shut up,” Oliver said with the automatic reflexes of someone who had grown up in a big family.
“What? That’s sweet. That’s the first time you haven’t been a complete asshole around me. A girl could get used to this.”
She rocked sideways and bumped their elbows together. They both went stiff, Luna’s arm blooming with delighted warmth. She looked over to see the muscles in his arm working where she’d touched him.
She leaned back. “Sorry. Or… not sorry?”
“I don’t want to drag you into this,” he admitted. “You did get yourself into this mess?—”
“Okay, if we’re going to blame somebody, let’s blame the guy who started drinking mystery booze at work?—”
“But you didn’t actually ask to be stuck here,” he said over her. “Especially not with some… asshole who passes out if you get too far away. My point is I won’t interfere. You’re already with someone, no matter what our magic says.”
She risked another look over and found him staring determinedly at the wall, jaw flexing. She wondered what the bond was doing inside him. Was it pulsing like hers? The others said it was more intense since he was a wolf. Maybe it was churning. Burning. Calling out. She could still sense a faint yank inside her own chest, drawing her toward him.
She watched him, considering. She was stuck at an inn until the snow melted. This was basically a holiday. Her last holiday before she got married. Hector had already given her his blessing, and if it was for the guy’s health …
“About that,” Luna began. “Hector actually said he was fine with it.”
Oliver stopped, his hand still in the chocolate bag. “Fine with what?”
Luna hesitated. Then she put a hand on his leg, which was warm and bare below his shorts. Her hand tingled, unable to stop herself from squeezing the firm muscle there.
A groan cut off in his throat. He blinked hard, collecting himself. “Seriously? He’s fine with his fiancée sleeping with another man right before their wedding?”
“We have an arrangement.”
Oliver shook his head. His leg shifted under her touch, but Luna could feel the heat in her chest getting warmer. Shifting. Curling outward, wanting closer.
“I can’t imagine being fine with giving what’s mine to someone else,” he said.
Luna snorted. “Okay, some people aren’t territorial, wolf boy.”
“It’s not a wolf thing,” he argued. He made a face. “It really isn’t. I know way too much about my cousins’ love lives.” He shuddered. “Let’s not get into it. My point is we’re not all territorial like that.”
She dropped her voice a few octaves, letting it go soft and sultry. “Just a you thing, then.”
He didn’t say anything, looking down at her palm on his thigh.
She squeezed it again, enjoying how his muscles jumped underneath it. It had been a long time since a guy had made her feel this delicious anticipation. Some of it was even from her, she was pretty sure. At least half of that want was bonafide Luna Stack—no bond required.
“You’re not disgusting either,” she told him. She shuffled closer until their legs were touching. “Actually, I thought you were kind of hot when I met you. Before I knew you were drunk and super rude.”
“I was having a bad night,” he said. His gaze dropped to her mouth. His pupils were huge, almost drowning out the dark brown surrounding them.
Luna grinned. “And it only got worse.” She reached up, tweaking that piece of hair she’d stroked off his forehead earlier. “We could make the best of a bad situation. What do you say?”
He blinked. He still looked disbelieving, but it was rapidly being taken over by a haze that Luna knew all too well. She could feel it, too, making the world narrow down to the two of them on the couch, their legs touching.
She leaned in.
“Wait,” he said.
Her heart fell, the golden warmth behind it coiling in protest.
“Not here,” he continued, standing up. “No soundproofing.”