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“Oliver,” Luna called.

The bond inside his chest spasmed. Wanting him to go back.

He kept walking.

Seventeen

If Luna was the type of person who enjoyed ASMR, she might’ve found the current atmosphere soothing. A snowstorm was raging outside, and she could hear the soft sounds of people chewing Prickles chocolate as everybody stared silently at the lobby carpet.

But she wasn’t, and if somebody didn’t speak in the next ten seconds, she was going to flip her shit.

“So,” Luna said around the chocolate minotaur she was chewing. “I told my fiancé it would take a few more days. Do we think that’s realistic?”

The snowstorm howled outside. The roof vibrated, and everybody stopped chewing to stare up at the repaired patch of wood.

The howl died down. The wood stopped shaking.

“Maybe a week,” Ben said.

“Itisquite late in the year for snow,” Sabine added. She held out a hand for more chocolate. Ben tipped another minotaur into it.

“How did Hector take it?” Sabine asked, covering her mouth while she chewed.

Luna shrugged. “It’s Hector. He can takeeverythingin stride.”

Ben nosed at Sabine’s jaw. “If this happened beforeourwedding, I’d be camped out in your room with you. Not on some beach?—”

Sabine nudged him, giving him a severe look that made Luna think they’d talked about this before.

“I mean, that’s cool,” Ben said hurriedly. He turned to shoot Luna a wide grin. “We love a guy who rolls with the punches. Sounds like a cool, cool dude.”

Grandmother Musgrove sighed. She was leaning against the front desk, gripping her shawl so tight her fingers were white with pressure.

“I think it’s been long enough,” she announced. “One of us should go talk to him.”

Luna looked over at Ben. Everybody else looked at her.

Luna laughed. “Me? Not, I don’t know, hisbrother? No, send one of the kids! He can’t yell at Leo! Not without feeling really bad about it later.”

“I’m adorable,” Leo agreed, stuffing another chocolate minotaur into his mouth.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Uncle Roy offered. He shot Luna a dirty look. He’d been shocked by the revelation in the hall, but there was something triumphant in his twisted expression. Like all his suspicions had finally been validated in the worst way.

“I think it’s best if he talks to someonewho wasn’t directly involved in…” Grandmother Musgrove trailed off.

“Why?” Uncle Roy glared at her. “He doesn’t trust her. And he shouldn’t! She’s not pack.”

“She sure as shitsmellslike pack,” Ben muttered.

Uncle Roy sneered. “Thatbondis about as real as Althea’s gold tooth. It never should’ve happened, and you had no right to stretch it out.”

“I thought it would be good for him,” Grandmother said quietly. She rubbed her forehead, leaning back against the front desk once more. She looked exhausted.

Ben frowned. “Grandmother? Can I get you something?”

“No. I’m fine.” She gave him a faint smile, then turned back to Luna. “You don’t have to. You’d be fully justified to not do anything I ask for the rest of your time here.”

Part of Luna wanted to agree. Wanted to stamp her foot and leave a bad review on Yelp. But it was a surprisingly small part. Everything else in her felt nothing but sympathy for this woman who had to watch her grandson close up on himself and not know why. Of course, she wanted to see him open up again. Even if she had to use a blonde heiress who was getting married to another man.