Four Weddings and a Werewolf

“No, Logan Black is not a wolf.” Leah was smiling as she talked. “Now let’s talk about something a little more upbeat…how’s our wedding coming along?

…

“This is all your fault, you know.” Logan put down his tray of fish and chips and straddled the picnic table bench. He popped two allergy pills and chased them with a long drag of water. “I may be a sneezing wreck, but you are one manipulative woman. For a while there I thought you were going to chain me to the fridge holding all the flowers.”

Veronica took a bite of her fried fish and watched the ships go through the locks into Salmon Bay. “Yeah, well, you should’ve told me that Jake hired you. You deserved whatever you got.”

“Deserve is a harsh word,” Logan said with a mouthful. “I think this situation will go much more smoothly this week if we forget about what happened last night. Wipe the slate clean.”

“I agree,” Veronica answered too quickly, then took another bite of fish. “What happened was a mistake. I’d take it back if I could.”

Logan nodded and stared into the channel as a barge passed through. Veronica thought he wanted to add something to what she’d said, but she gave him a few minutes, and he remained silent.

She still didn’t know how she was going to handle this. Every time she glanced at Logan, images of him doing dirty things to her on her living room floor flashed through her mind. And every time he brushed against her, chills scampered up her arms. Hopefully he was as good as Jake insisted he was, and he’d find the wolf responsible before too long…

One major bonus: Logan had offered to take Veronica to her car after lunch, which meant she’d save cab fare.

“After I got off the phone with Leah,” Veronica said, watching Logan carefully, “she shot me a text telling me not to report the stalker’s behavior to the police.”

“She’s right.” He wiped crumbs off his mouth. “Going to Seattle PD isn’t an option. I’ll send the latest note to a friend of Jake’s who’ll analyze it. We should know if it was penned in blood or ink by the end of the day.”

“But why not go to the police? That seems like the natural thing to do.”

“Jake wanted to keep this whole thing from you for two reasons: so you wouldn’t hate wolves more than you already do, and so the police wouldn’t start sniffing around where they don’t belong. He doesn’t want them getting close to discovering his pack.”

Veronica finished off her chips. “They wouldn’t know the guy is a werewolf. I’d report suspicious behavior and they’d make reports on what they found. At least there’d be a paper trail. If something happened I could call 911 and they’d come pick him up.”

“What if your stalker leaves another box of wolf hair? The police could start asking questions, and piece things together with other wolf sightings I’m sure they have on record.”

“Yeah,” Veronica said on a laugh, “I’m sure the cops will look at the hair and jump to the conclusion that there are werewolves in Seattle. Yeah, uh-huh. They’ll probably think Bigfoot lives in Wenatchee Forest, the Loch Ness Monster swims around in the Puget Sound and vampires roam Pike Place Market after dark. Not freaking likely, Logan. They’ll probably dismiss it as dog hair and do their job: search for the stalker.”

He leveled her with a humorless stare. “And when they find him?”

“He goes to jail and you’re free to guard, protect, and serve, or whatever it is you do, to the next damsel in distress.”

He leaned across the table. “Do you really think we want to take a chance that your stalker plays by the rules? That he gives half a shit about keeping the wolf pack’s secrets? He’s broken pack law and as such, has gone rogue. At least that’s what Jake told me.” He cleared his throat. “The guy could shift into a werewolf while in custody. Tear through the department. Start widespread panic. The entire wolf pack would have to uproot.”

“I think you’re being extreme.”

“Jake wants to be cautious, and for good reason.” He leaned back and shoved a chip into his mouth. “It’s how the Seattle Wolf Pack has remained in secret for this long. It’s the way they do things…from what I understand, anyway. Secrets are a part of the game.”

Veronica supposed that she understood. And now that Leah was a part of the wolf pack, she wouldn’t want them to have to move to keep their secret. Veronica stared at her half-eaten lunch, wondering how many more things Jake and Logan weren’t telling her.

“Speaking of secrets,” he said, “when you talked to your sister, did you mention…anything?”

“If you mean did I mention you, of course I did. But if you mean about what happened between us last night, I didn’t. Like I said, I’d rather forget all about it. If I mention what happened to my sister, it’s liable to be immortalized in one of her books.”

“Just checking.” Logan finished off his Coke and straddled the bench to face her. “Did she ask about the wedding planning?”

“Yeah, but she wasn’t asking because she really cared. She was changing the subject.”

“She must really trust that you’ll take care of everything.”

“That’s not it.” She bit off a chunk of fried fish. “It’s because she always pushes everything off on me.”

It’d always been this way. It didn’t take long for their parents to realize Veronica was the responsible one, the one they could trust to get things done right the first time. Guess it was easier to have Veronica clean and cook than it was to fix Leah’s mistakes time and time again. When they were in high school, Veronica was always stuck “helping” Leah with her homework. Translation? Leah got straight A’s, but if it hadn’t been for Veronica’s fancy handiwork—and texting answers to her from the bathroom during finals—those grades would’ve been in the toilet. Leah was too busy flirting with the quarterback of the football team to care about homework…so her parents had asked Veronica to help her out. It was no surprise that Leah pawned off the details of her wedding onto Veronica. Especially since Veronica owned the company. Bottom line: Veronica loved her sister, and since they’d lost their parents, they only had each other.

Logan crushed his napkin in his fist. “Tell me, Veronica Vale of Veronica Vale Weddings, you surround yourself with bridal bliss all day long, every day of the week. Why haven’t you locked your chain around a groom’s ankle yet?”

She shrugged. “Guess I haven’t found the right guy.”

“Must not have been looking very long.”

Was that a compliment? Was he saying she could find someone easily? “That’s not true. I’ve been keeping my eye open. I’ve always wanted to settle down and have a family. My sister, on the other hand, never wanted to get married. In two weeks, she’ll be off the market.”

“Funny how things change when love gets in the way. Don’t worry, you’ll find someone soon enough. You can’t be more than…what? Twenty-two? Twenty-three?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Ah, you’re still a pup.” Logan tensed. His shoulders pulled back, his jaw clenched, and he took deep breaths of air through his nose. Bizarre. He brushed crumbs off his hands and didn’t touch the rest of his lunch. He should’ve been starving—sneezing fits were sure to work up an appetite. “How long have you been in the wedding business?”

“Five years.” She spun her empty Coke cup in her hand. “I started as an assistant for another local company, and built my client list off of recommendations.”

“I’m sure you’ve got your wedding all planned out by now.”

“Oh yeah,” Veronica said, as a family of four passed by their table. “I want it all: the big puffy dress, the cathedral train, the church, five hundred guests with table assignments. I’m ready.”

Logan didn’t meet her eyes. “All lies.”

“How would you know? I do want those things.”

“Nah, you won’t have any of that.”

She was lying, but how did he know? “If I’m planning weddings every weekend all year long, my own wedding should be spectacular—one to top them all, shouldn’t it?”

When he finally met her gaze, his gray eyes burned hot. “I think that’s precisely the reason you’d want something small and intimate. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve had thoughts of eloping.”

She had. How did he know that about her? She’d never told anyone. Logan’s insight drew Veronica’s stomach tight. “I don’t think you know me, or what I want, at all.”