Page 8 of Accidentally Wedded To A Werewolf

“What?”

“The sign outside the parking lot,” Luna explained, wringing out her wet blonde hair. She’d only been in the snow thirty seconds, and it had already drenched her. “I crashed my car into it. I can pay for it?—”

But Hot Jackass was already groaning, kneading his forehead with his hands. Big hands, Luna noticed with annoyance. Long fingers, big veiny palms connecting to toned arms?—

“Tonight is theworst,” Hot Jackass complained.

“IsaidI’ll pay for it,” Luna snapped, irritation cuttingthrough the Cute Girl persona that got her backstage passes and free drinks and that one guy to watch her car for five hours even though he wasn’t even the valet. “Calm down!God. Also, do you have a phone? Mine’s not getting any bars in this crappy—sorry—I meanquaintlittle town.”

“Sure,” Hot Jackass said, taking another swig of mysterious spirits. “Want anything else? A foot massage? My kidney?”

Luna let out another laugh. Who did this guy think hewas?

“Look, asshole,” she started. “I just got into a car crash; I’m wet, I’m freezing,andI just said I’d pay for your stupid sign, which doesn’t even have a logo. Newsflash: signs are supposed to beeye-catching.”

Hot Jackass stiffened, looking behind her.

Luna turned.

A tall, elderly woman with an envious number of layers smiled at her. Tattoos peeked out of her thick sleeves, winding down to meet her knuckles. She had this incredible air of calm about herself like she’d already been through everything and would gracefully offer you the solution if you asked.

“I’ll show you to your room,” the woman said. “Follow me.”

She started down one of the hallways.

“Oh,” Luna said. “Yay! Thank you!”

She grabbed her suitcase and stumbled after the mysterious woman, dripping on the carpet.

“I’m so sorry about your sign,” she continued. “Seriously, I have five hundred in cash on me right now, you can have it?—”

“You can worry about everything else later,” the woman said, looking back toward the front desk. “Oliver, could you fetch another bucket for the leak?”

Luna expected Hot Jackass—Oliver—to sneer at her. Maybe roll his eyes. Something to match the overall vibe he’d demonstrated so far.

But he straightened up, placing the mystery booze on the desk. “Of course, Grandmother.”

“Grandmother,” Luna repeated as the woman led her down a beige hallway. “So, this is a family business? That’s cute. I’m in one of those myself; you’ve probably heard of it?—”

Her soaked boot caught on an uneven rug. She fell forward with a yelp only for the woman to grab her and haul her up effortlessly.

Luna blinked. Right. Werewolves. Super strong with killer reflexes.

“Thanks,” Luna said, picking her suitcase back up. She shook her wet hair out of her face, trying to stop shivering long enough to give a good first impression. “I’m Luna. Luna Stack.”

The woman gave her a curt nod. “Good to meet you, Luna. You may call me Grandmother. Everybody does.”

She pulled open the door across from them. “I’ll put you here. This hallway is for guests, and everything down that way are the family rooms.”

Luna stepped into the room. It was… small. Plain. More peeling wallpaper. One twin bed, a bedside table, and not much else. At least it had an en suite bathroom, though what she could glimpse from here looked equally unimpressive.

“Go get changed, warm up,” Grandmother Musgrove continued. “Then, if you’d like, you can come and join the housewarming party. It’s around the corner. Follow the noise.”

Luna sniffed. The room stunk like mothballs. If she could smell it, how could the wolves stand it?

“Thanks,” Luna said. “I’ll see if I feel like it.”

Grandmother Musgrove nodded. Before she could turn around, Luna gasped.

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