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“Okay,” she said. “But it wasn’t your fault. You’re acting like you did something. You didn’t do anything, that crazy lady did.”

He looked over at her. “Where did this come from?”

“I just…” Luna paused, trying to remember how Grandmother Musgrove had phrased it during one of their breakfast talks a few days ago while Grandmother sliced a tinned peach into pieces. “I want you to get out of your own way.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

She groaned. “I mean you have these moments where you’re this cool guy who loves his family and can actually make jokes! Then you smother it in your stupid grumpy shit. You don’t need to blame yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. Let yourself be happy. It’s easy! I’m happy all the time.”

She finished with a dazzling grin, propping up her chin with her hands and fluttering her eyelashes.

He barked a laugh. His eyes were still guarded, but some of the tension leaked out of his shoulders.

“You arenot,” he said.

She stabbed a finger at him. “You’ve only seen me outside my normal life. I’msohappy when I’m not here.”

He snorted. It was less dismissive than she expected. If it was anyone else, she might call it fond.

“You like Claw Haven,” he said, tugging at the frayed cuff of his battered shorts.

She thought about denying it. She’d spent the first few days bemoaning everything about this tiny town, especially on her phone calls to Hector or her little brother. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she’d been singing the town’s praises for weeks. Not just because it could make a pretty penny for tourists, but because shelikedit here. The beautiful scenery, the quaint streets, the eccentric townsfolk who wouldn’t keep their noses out of your business: minotaursin the grocery aisles, dragons baking bread, succubi flicking through greeting cards. Merpeople pushing themselves around in wheelchairs and fairies flitting around crosswalks. Vampires in coffee shops and adorable hedgehog women running chocolate stores.

“I do,” she admitted with a sigh. “Okay? It’s sweet. Sue me for likingsweet.”

She looked over to find his face was closer than it had been before. He still had that fond look on his face.

Luna shivered. The bond tugged inside her chest, wanting her to lean in and be filled with warmth. Luna was finding it hard to figure out where it ended and she began.

His fond look collapsed into a frown. “Are you cold? We can get some of the blankets.”

He reached down to tug at the blankets under them.

Luna put a hand over his. “It’s fine. It’s just the, um…” She dragged up a flimsy smile, trying to make herself sound just as peppy as before. “I know a way to keep warm,” she said, sliding a finger under his shorts. “I’ll have to ride you, though. Keep that ankle out of the action.”

He made a low rumble in his chest. He started to lean in, but Luna caught his chin.

“Do you have condoms?”

He scoffed. “Of course I have condoms.”

The incredulousness in his voice made her pull back even further. “You brought condoms on our day hike?”

“Always be prepared,” he said, eyes dark and full ofintent. He caught her around the waist and pulled until she was straddling him.

Luna’s breath hitched in her chest. She forced the strange vulnerability down and grinned down at him. “How’s that ankle?”

“Fine,” he said, only a little strained. He’d obviously jostled it while he was hauling her over him. He slid a hand up her shirt, then paused. “Are you sure you won’t be too cold?”

She shot him a wry look and yanked her shirt over her head, gratified when his eyes went half-lidded. She pressed her chest against his. His skin was hot, but the bond was hotter, lighting her up inside.

She ran her hands through his hair, reveling in the heat. “What were you saying about keeping me warm?”

Fourteen

The next morning rolled around surprisingly fast and, thankfully, snow-free.

Oliver told himself he wasn’t disappointed.Lunacertainly wasn’t, whooping in celebration as she clipped her bra back on.