Four Weddings and a Werewolf

Chapter Twenty-One

The instant the processional music cued up, Veronica’s rattling nerves quieted. Logan pulled her against him and gave her arm a squeeze.

He shouldn’t touch her this way…

It only made things worse.

“What took you ladies so long?” he asked.

He looked so striking in his tux, she could barely speak. “We had a little mix-up, but I think it’s going to work out right in the end.”

His lips curved into a mysterious smile. “I think so, too.”

Focus on Leah and making her day special.

Veronica looked back at her sister, who was dressed to kill in a fluffy white ball gown that cinched her waist, making her figure resemble Barbie’s. She’d never seen Leah more beautiful, with her hair drawn up and the veil flowing behind her. Her lips were colored deep red and her eyes were lined with dark shadow. She was gorgeous. Flawless.

“You ready?” Veronica asked.

Leah nodded, and didn’t have to smile. Happiness radiated from her, making her glow. She glanced up at Seattle Wolf Pack’s Alpha, Drake Wilder, who was holding on to her arm like a proud father. He stood well over six feet tall with square-set shoulders and short, razor-cut hair. Since their father couldn’t do the honor, Leah had asked Drake to stand in. He beamed with pride, the sharp angles of his face softening when he looked down at her.

“We need to talk,” Logan whispered, his cheek brushing her shoulder.

“Not now,” she bit out. “We’re about to walk.”

“This can’t wait.”

“Seriously?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “No. Later.”

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 shh.

Logan still couldn’t believe it.

She wanted this…

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 clinks echoed through the room, signaling the beginning of the toasts. Out of instinct, Logan scanned the room for anyone out of place, anything that didn’t seem right. Everyone seemed so genuinely happy for Leah and Jake. He didn’t pick up a single threatening scent.

“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 you. Hard to believe, but it’s true.” She winked.

“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.

Don’t get ahead of yourself. She may not be as gung ho about the werewolf dynamic as she let on. It may take some time…

“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 was risky. Loving someone else and trusting that they’ll love you back did take courage. For some reason, doing those things didn’t carry the same negative connotations that they had when Logan had scribbled the note on a bar napkin.

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.”

Logan could hear nothing but heartbeats as the unmistakable scent of adoration swirled through the room.

“I raise my glass to you both and wish you every happiness in the world.”

Veronica smiled and averted her gaze to the guests. They went wild, clinking their glasses, applauding and “oohing” when Jake planted a kiss on his bride’s mouth.

As the happy couple tore their lips apart, Veronica took the mic. “I don’t have much to say, other than I love you both so much. You’ve shown me what true love looks like, and I can only hope to be as happy in my own relationship as you are in yours. Although it’s crystal clear how much you love each other in this moment”—her gaze set upon Logan—“when you look back on this day twenty years down the road, may you find that today is the day you loved each other the least.”

Those were his words. The ones he’d spoken to her on the dance floor last weekend.

Tearing up, Veronica handed the mic back to Jake and embraced her sister. When they separated, Jake tugged her into his arms.

“You’re my sister now, too,” he said. “I’m honored to be a part of your family.”

Veronica pulled back and smiled, her expression glowing with happiness.

As the room began to flutter with table talk, Logan stole behind the head table, took Veronica by the hand and led her to the elevator. The doors swept open and he pulled her inside.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring you right back.” Logan held on to Veronica’s hand. He couldn’t let go. Not now.

“I guess I can leave for a few minutes.” When the elevator doors peeled apart and she set her eyes upon the rooftop, she gasped. “Holy crap, it’s gorgeous up here!”

Guiding her by putting his palm to her back, Logan ushered her onto the roof. “It’s great, right?”

Great wasn’t the word to describe the rooftop. At least not in Logan’s book. It was magical. Lining the edges of the roof, plate glass had been erected to act as a wind buffer. In the center, a hollowed-out half-domed building allowed people to lounge and gaze out over the city. A couch was nestled inside it. Candles covered the floor. Overhead, branching from the structure to the plate glass and back again were strands of tiny white lights. The setup was cut straight from The Bachelor, not that he watched it.

“It’s more than that,” she said, walking beneath the lights. “It’s breathtaking. Starlight Tower must set it up for guests.”

“Yeah.”

It’d only taken six of Starlight Tower’s staff to string the lights and strike up the candles. They did superb work, considering the short notice he’d given them. When he first requested the roof to be set up, he thought it might’ve been for nothing. He simply wanted the chance to talk with Veronica alone, away from the worries of the wedding and the stalker who was still out there. From the cold shoulder she’d given him the past week, Logan wasn’t sure she’d even join him. But after the words she’d spoken at the ceremony, he knew he’d made the right call.

She cared for him.

He wasn’t going to lose her.

Veronica wandered to the edge of the roof, went elbows-down on the flat ledge of glass, and looked out over the city. Logan took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. She flinched at first, but when a cool gust of wind hauled over the top of the building and nailed them, she nestled deeper into the coat.

“It’s not very often I get to see the city this way,” she said. “I’m used to looking up from down there. Look at all those lights…seeing the whole picture like this…it really is beautiful.”

“It’s all about perspective.” Logan stood beside her, watching a helicopter land on a rooftop a few blocks away. “You did well tonight. I liked your toast.”

“You would.” She laughed nervously. “It came from you.”

Turning, Veronica sauntered to the half dome, then took a seat. Logan waited, his back to the plate glass, unsure whether she would want him sitting beside her. The last thing he wanted was to spook her when she had finally opened up enough to be close to him. She patted the cushion beside her. Logan made himself walk slowly to her side, but his nerves were leaping.

“I think I owe you an apology,” she said, as he plopped onto the plush couch. “You’re not the wolf who attacked my sister. I shouldn’t have taken out my anger on you. That wasn’t fair.”

He leaned back and slid his hips out, making himself more comfortable. “That must’ve taken a lot for you to say.”

“It did.”

“I should’ve told you what I was from the start,” he said.

“Either way, I would’ve had the same reaction.” Veronica stared into the sky, her gaze jumping from one twinkling star to another.

“Your sister and Jake are really happy together,” Logan said, putting his hands in his lap. “The wedding was perfect. Under the pressure you’ve had this week, it was a miracle.”

She glared. “I thought you hated weddings.”

“Not all of them. I don’t have a problem with Jake and Leah getting hitched, not when it’s so clear to see how right they are together. And I thought my Alpha and his mate should’ve bonded before they actually did. When a couple are truly made for each other, you can tell.”

“So you aren’t against marriage in general, just not interested when it comes to you?”

“I think big, elaborate ceremonies are designed to distract the guests from seeing the blemishes in the couple’s relationship.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.

It was time he answered every question in her head, and her heart.

“I’ve never wanted to get married. I’ve always looked at weddings and seen two people who are pretending to be happy. My mother was never happy. Never. Not when she planned one wedding after another. Not when she finally met her Luminary, her fated mate.” Logan shrugged, and his hands started to clam. “I bet she’s still unhappy.”

“Just because your mother got married a handful of times, found her Luminary, and still wasn’t happy doesn’t mean that you’re going to follow in her footsteps. It’s just like the wolf that attacked my sister is one wolf out of the pack. It’s easy for me to think that you’re all the same, but when it comes down to it, there are crazies in every race, every breed.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

Before he’d met Veronica, Logan never wanted anything serious with his previous girlfriends. He’d never wanted someone to greet him when he came home from work or someone to hog his half of the bed. But when he thought of Veronica filling those places, it seemed right. Like he’d miss those things if he didn’t have them. To keep her in his life, he would gladly stick with the bodyguard role for his pack and ditch the hit man status. It was probably time to pass the torch anyway. Thinking of the change in occupation didn’t bother Logan as he thought it would. Actually, it didn’t bother him at all.

Say it. His heart clenched. Don’t let her walk away again.

He squeezed her hand and took the leap he’d been aching to make since he met her. “Veronica, I know how you feel about my kind, but I can’t keep quiet any longer. I don’t know what you’ve done to me the last few weeks, but I’ve felt myself changing. Little by little, you’ve wrapped yourself around me and now I’m not sure what it’d feel like if you let go.”

“That’s sweet,” she said. “Especially coming from a friend.”

She didn’t understand the gravity of what he was saying.

“I never wanted anything long-term because I didn’t think the trouble of a relationship was worth the fleeting glimpses of happiness it brings. I was wrong.” His stomach flipped. It’d been Veronica all along. “I want to be with you, and I want much more than your friendship.”

She shook her head and scooted back on the couch.

“Look at me,” he whispered.

“Keep talking.” Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. “Don’t stop.”

“I don’t have much to offer.” He ghosted his hands over her hair. “I drive a beat-up pickup truck and come with a dog who drools when you scratch his belly. I belong to a pack of wolves who’ll become the best and worst family you’ve ever had. If you give me a chance, I think you might come to realize how great we could be together.”

She opened her eyes and gazed at him, through him. “When I said I wanted this, that’s exactly what I meant. It’s clear how much your packmates care for one another. I’d kill to feel that type of protective dynamic surrounding me. More than anything, I long to feel safe and loved and treasured. You make me feel like you crave me, like you’d protect me with your last breath, and I’ve never felt that with anyone before. But I didn’t think you saw me living in your world. I wasn’t sure you wanted something serious.”

“Let me prove to you how serious I am,” he said, pulling her into a tight embrace against his chest. Her body was warm, and a perfect fit in his arms. “I can’t promise you a big white wedding, two-point-five children and a house with a white picket fence, but I swear that I’ll give you all of me, for as long as you’ll have me.” He paused, waiting for her to respond. “Do you think that’ll be enough for you?”

“You”—she kissed him, slowly, softly, melting his worries away—“are more than enough.”