Page 54

“Fine,” said Luna and Oliver in unison.

Sabine and Ben traded a knowing look. Luna grimaced, trying to imagine how she smelled to these wolves after a night of sex and hours of being plastered against Oliver’s back.

Ben asked, “Did you get the flower?”

Oliver rummaged in the side pocket of his backpack, resurfacing with a squished but still perfectly intact flower.

Ben grinned. “Sorry to see you go, Luna. But it looks like you’ll be unbonded tothis lug by dinner.”

“Promises, promises,” Luna said dryly. She rubbed her arms harder, goosebumps standing up on her skin. It had been warm when she’d clung to Oliver’s back. It was so much colder without him. It had been freezing last night, but she’d barely felt it. Oliver hadn’t let her go that whole night. She’d fallen asleep to him absentmindedly nuzzling her neck, the way he’d seen Ben and Sabine do to each other.

Oliver frowned. “She can really make the spirit so fast?”

“That’s what she said before we left.” Ben opened the passenger seat door, ready to climb back in. “Said she needs a few hours and some privacy. And the ritual tools, obviously. Otherwise, yeah. Unbonded by dinner.”

A knot tightened in Luna’s chest. She couldn’t tell if it was the bond rebelling or just her own body. Shewouldbe relieved to get back to her life. But she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t miss Claw Haven and everything that came with it.

She looked over at Oliver, pulling up a smile. She was about to say it had been arguably nice knowing him, but a wet spot on his cheek made her stop. Was hecrying?

Oliver frowned, looking up. Another wet spot landed on his forehead.

It was snowing, Luna realized. She held out a hand. A snowflake landed on her palm and melted down her wrist.

Sabine hummed, a snowflake hitting her face and running down the thick scar over her eye. “It’s earlier than the forecast said.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Oliver replied, shielding the flower from the snow. “We have what we came for.”

Ben whistled. “Hell yeah. That’s enough for a generation of divorces. Let’s go!”

Luna followed Oliver to the car. He handed her the flower, and Luna laid it carefully on her lap.

“A generation of divorces,” she said as they drove toward the inn. “Really? This little thing?”

She poked its tiny white petals.

“Quit picking at it,” he said, eyes still on the road. He flicked on the windshield wipers, snow smearing over the glass. “That’s what Grandmother says. A small pack only needs one flower to last a lifetime.”

Luna rubbed her cold arms, staring down at the flower in her lap. Tried to picture Uncle Roy’s wife, who called maybe twice a year. She couldn’t imagine walking out on this family. Being a part of it—reallybeing a part of it, not her accidental visit—and then leaving. If she was married to Uncle Roy, sure. But if she had someone else…

“What?”

Luna startled. They were stopped at a red light, Oliver watching her as snowflakes fell around the car.

“Nothing,” she said hastily. She touched the flower again, more gently than she’d ever touched anything. “It’s beautiful. For something so sad.”

He didn’t reply. She looked over at him, expecting him to be watching the flower. But he was still staring at her, his expression unreadable.

Luna swallowed. “Thelight’s green.”

“Huh? Oh.” Oliver stepped on the accelerator. The car lurched forward. Luna fell back against her seat with a shiver, thinking of Oliver’s molten arms around her all night, keeping her warm.

Hector answered on the eighth ring. “Stranded fiancée? Did it work?”

“Minor setback,” she told him, drumming her chipped blue nails on the handset. There was no way she was coming back from that ordeal with perfectly polished nails. “So, we’re only getting back now?—”

“What? Did you stay overnight on the mountain? I thought you said there wasn’t a hotel up there.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” she said quickly. “Anyway, we’re back! Yay! His grandmother is getting the breakup ritual ready now. I’ll be yours again in no time.Onlyyours, I mean. Obviously, I was still yours through all this.”