He brushed his hand up her back, sending shivers racing up her spine. “During the reception, then.”
“You’re up,” Leah interrupted, nudging Veronica in the back with her bouquet. “Lead the way.”
Logan escorted Veronica down the aisle, brushing his thumb over her hand as they went. How could he be so tough—one of the deadliest wolves in the pack, Jake had said—yet so gentle with her? And why did he have to be closed off to the idea of having anything long-term?
The packmates nodded and smiled as they strolled between the rows of chairs, making their way to the altar covered with pink and white roses.
“Why are they staring at me?” Veronica whispered without letting her smile falter. Was the stalker there, watching her now? Was the back of her dress tucked into her pantyhose? “Is there something wrong?”
“No.” Logan looked down at her then, his chest puffing out proudly, his steps slow and sure. “They simply recognize when something is right.”
As she continued their walk, the pack smiled sweetly, their gazes flipping from her to Logan. The pack’s approval was wonderful, but she didn’t need it. The one thing she’d always wanted was family, and here they were. They might not have been related, but family wasn’t always associated by blood. It was a group of people who loved one another unconditionally and wanted the best for one another. Veronica hadn’t felt the joyous warmth of a family’s embrace in a long time. Years. Too long.
“I want this,” she whispered as they approached Pastor Bennett. “All of it.”
Logan beamed. Lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
Why couldn’t he want this…no, she corrected, as sadness filled her. Why didn’t he want her the way she wanted him?
Veronica dropped Logan’s hand, and they parted ways.
…
Logan had been so focused on slowing his racing heart, he’d nearly forgotten to keep an eye out for Veronica’s stalker. Complacency wasn’t something he normally accepted, but they were in a room full of his friends and family. The Alpha and his private security team were here. This was the safest place for Veronica to be.
During the ceremony, Logan couldn’t take his eyes off Veronica. He’d been so distracted that he’d forgotten to hand Jake the ring and had to be smacked square in the chest to remember to dig through his pocket. So much for subtle cues. Then, during the vows, Logan had almost said his own. At one point, Logan must’ve been mumbling something aloud, because the pastor glared at him and told him to
Logan still couldn’t believe it.
What exactly did that mean? Hell, who cared? She didn’t hate being among his family.
Her words were a game changer. He had to talk to her. Tell her everything that he’d been feeling since she walked into the hotel last night and left him sitting in his truck. He’d been up all night. Came to some crazy conclusions. His heart ached to be with her. It didn’t matter how long it’d take to convince her that he wouldn’t hurt her. That he could keep the wolf part of him on lockdown.
He was bursting out of his skin.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the pastor said, breaking Logan from his reverie.
It was finished. How had it ended so quickly?
During the reception, Logan’s palms went slick as he watched the wedding guests chow down on chicken Parmesan. His stomach cramped at the thought of eating. He fiddled with his fork, then dropped it beside his plate. It was no use; he couldn’t even pretend to eat.
Logan couldn’t wait to get Veronica alone.
A series of high-pitched
“First, we’re going to hear from Drake Wilder and his wife, Emelia, two very important people in the groom’s life,” the bandmaster announced.
Drake took the microphone and stood in the center of the room, his lovely wife, Emelia, at his side. She was a class act—something she’d undoubtedly had to learn since transitioning into a werewolf and becoming an Alpha’s wife. Playing peekaboo from behind her mother’s leg was a two-year old girl with blue eyes just as bright as her mother’s. Their child had grown fast, and was slated to take the Alpha seat as Drake’s successor. Thanks to the new rules that Emelia had helped instate, their daughter would be the first female Alpha in Seattle Wolf Pack history. Their ancient tradition had deemed that only male heirs would rule, but Emelia had thought it was time for a change. She was a strong, independent woman, reminding Logan of Veronica.
Damn it, he’d been so lost in thought, he missed the first part of Drake’s speech.
“When you look at a couple like Leah and Jake, it’s easy to believe that finding true and great love comes quickly and without conflict,” Drake said, pulling Emelia against him. “Falling in love might be easy, but staying in love takes work. You must cherish each other, no matter what.”
He paused, and the guests nodded almost in unison.
“Leah,” Drake continued, “when Jake leaves his underwear scattered over the bedroom floor, remember that although his aim may be off when it comes to throwing his clothes in the laundry basket, his aim was spot-on when it came to finding your heart and knowing what makes you happy.”
The guests moaned in a collective “aww.”
“And,” Emelia said, grabbing the microphone and leaning over to speak into it, “Jake, when she goes shopping and spends hundreds of dollars on things you may think she doesn’t need, remember that she’s buying those things to look good for you. Hair, nails, skin treatments, jewelry…all of that is for
“I’m still not sure I follow that logic,” Drake said, taking back the mic. “But I know that in this life, you’ll walk through fire together, and only together will you come through the other side stronger than before.”
The guests clapped, and as Drake dragged Emelia against him and planted a kiss on her lips, the applause increased. The child wrapped around Emelia’s legs looked up at her parents and scrunched up her face. It was the funniest thing Logan had seen in a long time. He laughed, then glanced at Veronica.
He never thought he’d wanted children, but watching the cutie-pie making a stink face at her parents’ feet, Logan couldn’t help but think about the hypothetical stink faces that his own children would make when he kissed their mother that way.
“Logan,” Jake said, punching him in the leg. “Wake up. He’s said your name twice already.”
“Oh, damn.” There he went, zoning out again. He took the mic from Drake, who gave him a stern nod before taking his seat near the head table. “I don’t know how I’m going to follow that, but I’ll try.” His heart pounded fiercely against his rib cage, but it wasn’t out of fear for his toast. He knew what he was going to say from memory. “Jake and I were in the Marines together. Some of the missions we’ve been on were dangerous, and others might say we were brave to take them on. But I think the most dangerous situation I’ve ever seen Jake in is the one he’s in right now. It takes courage to put your heart in the hands of someone else, and I commend you for it.”
Although the guests laughed softly and smiled to assure him that he was saying the right things, Logan felt like his words were falling flat. He meant them, though, didn’t he? He’d sure as hell meant them when he wrote them a few months ago. Committing oneself to a relationship
He stared over Jake’s and Leah’s heads and caught Veronica’s gaze. The tenderness in her eyes reached through the space between them and clutched at his heart. He stuttered and stared at his feet.
“But that’s not what I want to say at all,” he said, keeping the mic close to his lips. “Jake and Leah…before you met each other, you might’ve been happy. You might’ve lived your life the way you wanted, living by your own rules. But there is no greater happiness than finding the person you’re meant to be with. Your spirit lifts, your heart soars, and you’re taken to another level of happiness that you didn’t know existed before.”
