her shadow, without revealing that he’d been hired to do those things. Usually, the people he protected knew that they were being tailed. They were aware of his presence and knew he was being paid for the job. He didn’t like following her around without her knowing it.
The way Jake had put it, they didn’t have a choice.
If Veronica found out she was being stalked, or that Jake, her future brother-in-law, had hired someone to protect her, she’d probably run to the police. They’d start sniffing around, and if the stalker was a loose cannon, he could shift in front of them. The last thing the pack needed was Seattle PD knowing werewolves existed.
After walking around the edges of the reception site to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, Logan stood just outside the grassy clearing and watched Veronica carefully. She’d caught him staring on more than one occasion, but what else could he do? He had to admit she was stunning. The short hemline of her skirt showed off a pair of toned legs that led to a dainty waist, lean back, and smooth, petite shoulders. At first glance, he’d thought Veronica was plain, but he’d been wrong. She had almond-shaped eyes, round cheeks, and straight brown hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail. If she was mistaken for being plain, it was because she wasn’t looking to catch someone’s eye. She was all business, and had a serious-set mouth. Logan bet she was often glanced over as being too uptight. He saw through it…
“Why aren’t you dancing?” The old man sitting nearest Logan swiveled around and draped his arm over the back of his chair. “If my legs were as young as yours, I wouldn’t waste a single song.”
“I’m not here for the music,” Logan said, losing sight of Veronica behind one of the giant white tents. Time to run. “I’m working.”
“You’re part of the wedding staff?” The old man shrugged his shoulders to his ears. “You don’t look like everyone else around here.” He winked. “You must be a spy.”
Logan laughed as he made his way around the old man’s table. “I’m not a spy.”
“If you work for Bond, you can tell me.”
“I may not be all that I seem, but I’m no spy.”
The old man nodded like he understood. “Right…right. Because you’d have to kill me if you said so.”
Logan bit his lip to keep from bringing up the topic of
“If you’re not a spy…” The old man winked. “Then you must be working on finding the right lady to take home tonight. Can’t fool me; I remember those days well enough.” The old man pointed a crooked finger into the air and wagged it around. “You’ve come to the right place. Single ladies flock to these things. They hope all the love talk will snag them a man.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, sir,” Logan said, leaning closer. “But weddings aren’t my thing. I’d rather saw off my finger than let a dame put a ring on it.”
“That’s horribly depressing,” a soft voice said from behind him.
He spun around and laid eyes on the most gorgeous woman at the wedding: Veronica Vale.
“It’s the truth.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to feign a sense of calmness, and backed away from the old man’s table. “And you are?”
Isn’t that what he would say if he was meeting her for the first time?
“Veronica Vale.” She cocked her hip to the side, and her heel slipped into a hole in the grass. Laughing it off, she stepped onto solid ground. “I’m the wedding planner.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, but he was thinking something entirely different. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Logan was hired to discover who was stalking Veronica and drag that creepy werewolf’s ass back to their Alpha to answer to pack law without clueing her in. He’d have to be more careful when following her around.
Now that she’d met him, she would notice him again.
“And you are?” she asked.
“Related to the groom.”
Veronica suddenly looked awkward in her own skin, her feet shifting over the grass, and the edges of her lips shaking when she talked. What had her so nervous, when she was the one who’d approached him?
She detached her dark eyes from his and gazed across the dance floor. “So tell me, Mr. Grady’s cousin, what do you think of the wedding so far?”
He followed her line of sight: a blonde in a blue dress was standing against the bar, watching their encounter very carefully. When she noticed Logan’s attention shift to her, she quickly spun around, sloshing her drink to the floor in the process.
“A friend of yours?” he said, nodding in the woman’s direction.
Veronica seemed to stiffen. “My wedding assistant, Heather. Listen, I only came over here because she bet me a pair of shoes that I wouldn’t do it.”
“Talking to me…for a pair of shoes?” Logan laughed. “How much is the losing bet going to put her out?”
“About two hundred dollars. Her entire commission for the night.”
“Seriously? Am I really that intimidating?”
“No, it’s just that I’m not supposed to be socializing while I’m on duty, and I take my work seriously. And Heather thought…well, I don’t know what Heather thought.”
“That I’ve had my eye on you all night, so you might as well come say hello.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s what it was.” His frankness made her cheeks blush a sweet shade of pink. She grasped the end of her hair and twiddled it around. “I should get back.”
She walked away, her heels sinking in the grass, her long, toned legs flexing as she fought for stability over the uneven earth.
“Better make those Nikes,” Logan called after her.
Stopping, Veronica looked back. “Excuse me?”
He smiled slowly and trailed his gaze down her body. “Wouldn’t want you to twist one of those delicate ankles.”
Her blush deepened and she turned away.
Chapter Two
“Come on, you stupid thing.
She gave the key another hard turn, then smacked her hand across the steering wheel.
The wedding had ended two hours ago, and she’d just finished micromanaging the breakdown. The last of the half-drunken wedding guests had been taxied home, and the cleaning crews had just filed out. The Seward Park parking lot was empty with the exception of a beat-up Chevy pickup truck, and the night was black, thanks to the new moon.
Heather had offered to stay until Veronica left, but she’d assured her she was only going to make a few notes before heading home. It was her routine. What she always did before leaving the job site. Somehow, jotting down her thoughts right away made the event seem clearer in her mind. Solutions to problems came for the next wedding, and things she did well were emphasized.
The thing that peeved her the most was that her car was brand-new. She’d bought it two weeks ago, and had been so proud to trade in her previous heap for the new pearly white Lexus of her dreams.
“Let’s go!” She said, leaning over the wheel. “1—2—3—start!”
With a sigh, she flopped back against the seat. She’d have to wait forever for a tow to come way out here.
“Suck a duck.” Veronica jerked her purse onto her lap, fished through it and pulled out her phone.
Two loud knocks rapped against the passenger window.
Veronica’s breath caught as fear paralyzed her. She slammed the door locks into place and clutched at her purse.
“Need help?” A shadowed face peered through the passenger window. She couldn’t make out any features,
