Page 8 of Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf (Claw Haven #1)

There was a chocolate wolf on the pillow the next morning.

It would’ve been sweet, Luna considered as she waited for Hector to pick up, if it didn’t mean that someone had snuck into her room while she was sleeping.

The landline clicked. “Stranded fiancée?”

Luna laughed, twirling the cord of her bathrobe. “Are you just answering every unknown number like that?”

“Every landline number with an Alaskan area code,” Hector said. “How was the night? No nibbles?”

“No one ate me,” Luna replied, turning the wolf chocolate over in her hands. She popped it into her mouth and chewed. “Oh wow, that’s delicious.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing.” Luna swallowed, already missing the bitter taste. She didn’t usually like dark chocolate, but this was delightful. “Do you remember that time you invested in those terrible cheese graters—”

“There’s still a market for graters that scream when you grate things, babe.”

“My point is,” Luna said, licking chocolate off her teeth. “I didn’t laugh at you that hard. Because I love you.”

“Alright,” Hector said. There was the sound of a glass clinking on his end of the line, and Luna groaned as she imagined him sitting on some beach in the Bahamas. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Luna bit her thumbnail, wincing when it pulled a strip of pink manicure off. “But say I stumbled into a totally unwanted, unconsummated marriage with a werewolf who hates me almost as much as I hate him. Would you be mad?”

There was a long silence. Then Hector snorted.

“I said not to laugh,” Luna whined. “This isn’t funny!”

“Clancy will find it hilarious,” Hector said. “And your dad’s going to laugh and then tell you to sue the hell out of them.”

“I’m not going to sue them,” Luna argued, fitting her feet into the snow boots Sabine had given her last night.

“They’re nice. Weirdly nice, actually. Not the guy I’m stuck with, but everyone else.

Also, are wolves super affectionate with each other?

Because I spent ten minutes around them, and they are constantly touching.

I thought that was just when they were in full wolf form? ”

“Nope, even when they’re in human form,” Hector said confidently. “Wait, back up. What the hell happened at that party?”

“I didn’t even make it to the party. The roof caved in.”

“What?”

Luna sighed and explained the rest of her night. The mystery booze, the snow, the roof. Her scowling, closed-off husband, who seemed just as enthused about the situation as she was. His sweet family, who had treated her alarmingly nicely, even if the uncle was super goddamn creepy.

“And they dragged my car out of the snow and fitted the wheels with chains, and I think they want to take me to buy warmer clothes,” she finished. “And they keep joking that I’m family! At least until the snow thaws and they can go up the mountain to get the weird divorce flower.”

Hector started giggling.

“Shut up,” Luna told him. “I’m suffering!”

She rubbed her chest. Sabine had mentioned that when they were in her bedroom gathering clothes. You’ll be able to feel him, she’d said. It won’t be as powerful since you’re not a wolf. But you’ll be able to feel him a little. Right there in your chest.

And there it was. It had been warm when they’d been in the same room. Now it was cold, a small sliver of it right in the center of her chest. Trying to make her go toward him. He wasn’t far. Still on the property. Wait, why did she know that?

“So,” Hector said when his laughter trailed off. “When you say unconsummated—”

A knock on the door drowned the rest of his words out.

“I have to go,” Luna blurted. “Love you. Hope the mai tais are tolerable!”

She threw the landline back into its cradle, relieved by the distraction.

Any other time, she would’ve welcomed Hector’s teasing, but for some reason, she didn’t want to hear him make fun of her for this.

It felt weird. Like she was doing something wrong.

Which she hadn’t, obviously. She’d never even touched the guy, let alone slept with him.

And still, she had this strange guilty feeling as she flung the door open.

Sabine waved a thick jacket at her. “Hey! Just wanted to drop this off.”

“Thanks,” Luna said, pulling on the jacket. It was heavy, perfect for the Alaskan weather she hadn’t packed for. “Oh my god, this is amazing! Thank you.”

“No problem.” Sabine brushed her hair out of her eyes, and Luna made sure not to stare at the deep scar that rode over her left eye. She pulled it off, at least. Luna had been taught young that if you were confident, you could pull almost everything off. Sabine wore quiet confidence in spades.

“Was that your fiancé I heard?” Sabine asked. “He sounds cute. What’s he like?”

“He’s great,” Luna said. “His family makes kitchen appliances.”

Sabine waited. “But what’s he like?”

Luna tried to remember what his most recent magazine interview had said about him. She didn’t often have to tell people what Hector was like; they already knew who he was.

“He’s cute and funny,” Luna said. “And so, so fun. That’s why we’re perfect together. He found out that his fiancée got accidentally werewolf hitched, and he laughed his butt off.”

“Wow. Sounds like a laid-back guy.”

“He is. He’ll be on a deck chair in the Bahamas right now, soaking up the sun. Or moon. I don’t remember what time it is over there.”

She headed into the hall. Sabine fell into step beside her easily.

“I can take you into town after I drop Leo off at school,” Sabine offered. “Or an aunt can take you. They have knitting club with the minotaurs later.”

“I was actually looking forward to some me time,” Luna said, trying to wince as cutely as possible as they headed through the lobby. “Thank you, guys, so much for snow-proofing the car. And lugging it out of the ditch. I’ll throw in a tip when I pay for the sign!”

“Thanks,” Sabine said slowly. “Are you sure? Californians don’t have the best luck on Claw Haven roads in the winter.”

“I’m sure,” Luna said as she opened the front door, shivering at the slap of cold air. At least it wasn’t snowing anymore.

“Wow, that’s icy. This jacket’s a lifesaver. Well, bye!” She closed the door in Sabine’s hesitant face. She didn’t even make it down the snowy ramp before a familiar voice stopped her.

“—can tell me how to do it,” Oliver said from above her. “But I’m gonna be the one doing it. Alright?”

Luna strode out into the driveway and craned her head.

Oliver stood on the snowy roof, looking far too assured for someone standing on a holey roof in the snow.

In ripped jeans, no less. Luna eyed his toned, hairy thighs through the gaps in the denim.

She wanted to squeeze them. She was pretty sure most of that want was her own.

The bond in her chest pulsed with heat, melting the ice that had been building up while she’d been apart from him.

“’Course,” said a voice to Luna’s left. She looked over to see a dragon standing in the driveway, smoke drifting up from his scaly nostrils.

She was almost tempted to take a picture—she had never seen a dragon so close before. They were the most common kind of monsters: the kind that stayed in the same form their whole lives. There was no getting rid of his tail, or his snout, or those strong wings tucked tight against his back.

“Just want to save you trouble down the line,” the dragon continued, thumbing his belt. “Not worth fixing anything properly until the snow melts. Too damn slippery up there.”

“Werewolves heal fast, Jackson,” Oliver reminded him, frowning at the tarp he was nailing down over the hole.

The dragon’s wings twitched like he was expecting to have to use them soon.

“I know. Still doesn’t mean you should give yourself a broken leg when you go tumbling off—” He noticed Luna and stopped. “Well, hey, stranger. You must be the wife. I’m Jackson. Heard you’re stuck here until the snow thaws. Luckily, you got here just before spring. How’re you doing?”

He stuck out a hand. Luna shook it, surprised at how smooth the underside of the dragon’s palm was. No scales, just supple, leathery skin.

“I’ll be better once I’m someplace where they don’t know how to put snow chains on car tires,” Luna told him, trying not to glance back at Oliver’s toned thighs. “I’m an LA girl at heart.”

Jackson laughed. “Well, let us know if we can make your stay more enjoyable. The Musgroves are a good bunch, but they don’t know all the spots us locals know.”

Luna’s eyes lit up. If she was stuck here until the snow thawed, she’d need to kill time until then. “That would be amazing! Do you guys have a spa around here? The inn doesn’t do massages.”

“No spa,” Jackson said after a moment. “We have restaurants, cafés, a bakery, a flower shop. Movie theater. Bookstore. We got a lot of beautiful spots if you’re willing to walk.

Mountains—great for hiking once the snow clears.

The ocean’s right over there… I guess that’s too cold for humans right now. ”

Luna kept her smile intact. Hopefully, this guy was just bad at pitching. There had to be something worthwhile to do around here.

“Everything except the freezing ocean sounds great,” she chirped. Then, because she was still shivering despite her thick coat and her skin could really use some soothing, she added, “So, like…not even a mud pool? Somewhere that does body wraps? Facial treatments?”

“We have a skincare store,” Jackson replied.

Luna clenched her teeth. “Alright! Well, thank you so much. I’ll keep that in mind. So nice to meet you, Jackson!”

“Nice to meet you, Luna,” he replied. He tipped his head up toward the roof again. “Oliver, sure you don’t want to escort this young lady into town? You did say you were going in for supplies.”

“I’m sure,” came the immediate reply.

Luna made sure Jackson couldn’t see her as she rolled her eyes. She strode toward the parking lot, ignoring the warmth in her chest. It ebbed with every step, replaced by a numb cold that the car heater did nothing to help.

* * *