“I don't remember the children’s names,” he whispered into her ear. “There's just so many of them.”
“There are only six,” Juliana said.
And then the next several hours passed in an absolute blur of activity and talking and noise.
“That was fun,” Lily said to Garrett as their guests all headed back to their rooms.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said.
“Did you?” she asked.
“Yeah. I did.” He kissed her nose. “It reminded me of home. And how many good things there are about it.”
As they got ready for bed, Lily realized they’d never contacted Garrett’s family. She hadn’t adjusted the guest list to include them at any of the events.
“What are you going to tell your family?” she asked him.
“I'm going to tell them the truth. That way they won’t feel left out.”
“The truth?”
“Yes. I’ll tell them we planned for this to be fake, but that we’re going to give dating a shot. They’ll be so happy to know I’m actually trying a relationship that they won’t get mad that I didn’t invite them.”
Lily thought that sounded like a great plan. She was not prepared to lose Garrett, and getting his family behind them was a good place to start.
18
Garrett
Finally, they were getting closer to the big day. The rehearsal dinner was just hours away, and Garrett’s stomach was a twisted mess.
The wedding might be fake, but for Garrett’s dragon, it was intensely real.
He’d asked Lily out for real, and she’d agreed to date him. Now it was time for him to meet the family. On his fake wedding day. She’d met Davi and Carolina, as well as Texas shifters, but she hadn’t met any of his biological family yet. Except for Jackson. But that would happen soon enough.
The whole thing was so crazy he could barely wrap his mind around it.
Lily had called her family last night, and told them she was marrying Garrett Hudson. They had been only mildly interested. He’d expected some full-on freakouts, based on what he’d experienced from fans in the past, but apparently her family were not fans. They seemed… amused, maybe. But ultimately they didn’t care. Lily reminded him that her parents were often at charity galas with high-level politicians and Hollywood stars, so they wouldn't be fazed by his celebrity status.
Lily’s bridesmaids were a different story. Her maid of honor, Carmen, was the only bridesmaid who knew the truth—she was the only one who’d ever met the ex in person.
The other bridesmaids all spent varying amounts of time screaming over the phone in excitement about Garrett. They all wanted to meet him. Not as a singer at a private concert, but as their friend’s fiancé. Some of them were even mad that she hadn’t told them the truth before now.
But none of them thought the story was a lie. Like her mother and stepfather, Lily was rich enough and spent time around celebrities enough that their dating in secret wasn’t far-fetched.
The rehearsal dinner was at the restaurant Twist at the Waldorf Astoria. Lily had told Garrett already that Carmen had chosen the venue because she liked the French Nouveau cuisine.
Lily’s parents were staying there, so they were going to meet them at the restaurant before the other guests arrived.
Lily looked gorgeous as usual in her dress. It had a short hem that showed off her tan legs. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her shapely calves as he followed her into the dining area.
“They’re here,” Lily said, reaching back to take his hand. “Come on.”
Garrett stopped, grabbing her wrist. He wasn’t the only non-human in the room.
Wolf, his dragon said.
There was a wolf shifter in the Waldorf Astoria.
Why the fuck had that piece of shit decided to show his face here? Did he think he was going to interrupt the wedding?
Lily turned around. A frown marred her pretty face. “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Have you seen your ex anywhere here today?” She’d have told him if she had, he just knew it. Garrett kept searching, looking all around the room. But he did not see the wolf.
“Here?” she asked. Her voice was incredulous. “After your encounter with him, I don’t think he’d have the nerve to come back here.”
He nodded and pulled Lily in close to his body. “No. I haven’t seen him,” she said. “I’d tell you if I had.”
“Good. I’m glad,” he said. What would possess the ex to come back here? Maybe it wasn’t him after all. Maybe he had sent one of his pack, which was even more cowardly in Garrett’s book.
Now Lily’s parents had stood up and were coming toward them. Lily nudged his arm. “Quit looking around like a maniac. Act normal.”
He could have laughed. Normal might not be possible with him.
As he stepped forward, he took in the sight of her parents. Lily’s mother looked like an older version of her daughter. She hugged him and kissed his cheek, and gave him a wide, genuine smile.
Next, her stepfather held out his hand for Garrett to shake. Lily's stepfather was around fifty-five years old. He was tall and broad, with gray hair and icy blue eyes.
As soon as he held his hand out, Garrett knew the truth about what was going on.
To Garrett, another dragon shifter felt like a bright spot in his mind. The closer the proximity, the brighter the spot. The presence of a wolf appeared in his mind in a similar way. But the spot was not bright. It was a dull, pulsing needle. He spared a moment to wonder if wolf shifters and dragons traditionally got along, or if they were enemies.
But he didn’t have long to ponder that issue.
Lily’s ex-fiancé had not come back. He was probably still hiding in Virginia.
What Garrett had sensed when he stepped into the Waldorf-Astoria restaurant was her stepfather.
Lily's stepfather was not human.
He was the wolf shifter.
Garrett had to tell her the truth. He would not be the one to keep her in the dark. Although she had claimed they didn't know each other, there had to be a connection between ex and the stepfather.
Should he tell her? There were several reasons not to reveal the secret. Her stepfather had raised her—he loved Lily, and she loved him. During all those years while she lived in his home, he had managed to keep his secret.
Maybe it wasn’t his place to reveal the stepfather’s true nature. But if he and Lily were ever going to have a true connection, he had to be honest with her. Concealing the truth about her stepfather would doom any attempt they had at being a couple, and it would eventually blow up in his face.
So yes. He would tell her; he would not tolerate any more secrets between them.
Garrett wished he knew more about wolves. Did the man know that Garrett himself was not human? It didn't really matter. He had to tell Lily. Immediately.
Garrett reached into his pocket and then looked at his phone, pretending to read a text. “I apologize for the interruption, but there’s something Lily and I have to handle right away. Excuse us please.”
He took Lily by the elbow and guided her out of the dining area. “What's going on?” she asked. She turned back to look at the entrance to the dining area, where her family and friends were beginning to enter. “People are arriving. We should be there to greet them.”
“They’ll be fine. There's something I have to tell you. I’m assuming it’s going to be a shock.” He kept tugging at her until he found a small conference room.
Her brows drew together. “It must be bad news. What's happened?” she asked in a hushed whisper.
He had no idea how to tell her this.
“Garrett.” She tugged on his arm. “What is it? Just tell me.”
He leaned in close. “Your stepfather is a wolf. Like your ex.”
She pulled back and blinked up at him. “You’re joking.”
“No. I wouldn’t joke about that.”
Her eyes searched his face. All the color drained
from her cheeks. “No. You wouldn’t.” She pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I wish I had some answers.”
“You don’t know?” she snapped.
He stepped back. “I don’t have a clue.” Maybe if he’d stayed more in touch with the supernatural world over the years, he’d have some idea, but he hadn’t.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.” She pulled her phone from her small purse. “I’m going to call my stepfather. I’m getting to the bottom of this.”
Garrett’s heart sank. “Now? Shouldn’t we get back to Twist? Like you said, everyone should be there now.”
“Now you’re worried about the guests?” She rolled her eyes.
He supposed she had a point. He ran his hands through his hair. This was her wedding, her family, and her stepfather. He was not going to prevent her from calling him. He paced the room while she spoke, and before long, she was done.
“He’s coming,” Garrett said.
Her stepfather entered the room and closed the door behind him.
“Is it true?” she asked. “Are you a wolf shifter?”
Surprise registered on his face, but not shock. He looked at Garrett. “You told her?”
“I did.”
“So she knows what you are as well?”
“She does.”
Lily waved her arms. “Hello. You two can posture later. I want some answers.”
“I am not sure what you want, but I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Does my mother know?” Lily demanded.
“No. She does not.”
Lily nodded. She seemed fine with that answer. “How do you know my ex?”
Her stepfather frowned. “Your ex?”
“Yes. My ex-fiancé. The guy I was about to marry. He’s a wolf.”
Her father pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “I’m afraid you’ll have to explain. I thought Garrett was your fiancé.”
The three of them sat down at a table, and Lily began to explain once again all that had happened to them in the last few days. Her stepfather seemed genuinely stunned by the fact that her ex was a wolf.
“Do you have a photo of him?”
Lily pulled her phone out. “I deleted most of them. But they’ll still be in the trash folder.”
She slid her phone over to her stepfather.
He rocked back in his chair. “This man? He’s your ex?”
“Yes.”
Her father put his hand to his forehead and rubbed it. He was silent for a long time. Then he looked Lily in the eyes. “I fear this entire situation is my fault.”
“Please explain,” she said.
“I have seen this wolf before.”
“How?”
“Let me give you a little background first. I am from an ancient line of wolves. My pack is from Estonia originally, and we settled in Ontario, Canada, two hundred years ago. I cannot reveal the exact location; we are bound to secrecy. But my pack has been sending members out for many years to live among humans and gather monetary wealth. I was one of the members chosen, because I had a mind for numbers, and I was good at finance.”
Garrett interrupted. “Why did your pack need monetary wealth? I’m guessing wolves are much like dragons—we can survive without much as long as we have a place to fish or hunt.”
“You are correct. We can survive like that too, and we have. But fifty years ago, when I was a young pup, our clan was attacked. I won’t go into details, but many of our members were killed. We were defenseless. We had no weapons other than ourselves. So our Alpha decided that we would have a fortress of sorts, a place where we could escape if needed.”
Damn. Garrett exhaled. Was his clan the only one that had avoided the trauma of being attacked? He felt even more lucky than he had before.
“I am really sorry that happened to you,” Lily said. “But what does that have to do with my ex?”
Her stepfather got up and went to sit beside her. He took her hands into his. “Lily…” He looked over at Garrett, as if he was asking for help.
But Garrett turned his hands up and shrugged, because he had no clue what her stepfather was trying to imply.
“I’m afraid this will be difficult to hear.”
“I can handle it,” she said emphatically. “In the space of fourteen days, I’ve caught my ex cheating, fallen off a cliff, been rescued by a rock star, and found out the rock star is a dragon shifter.”
“That is true,” her stepfather said. “You’ve had a rough week, and I hate to burden you further.”
“If it’s something about my ex, then you don't need to be careful. Just say it.”
“Your ex applied to be part of my pack.”
“Applied?” Garrett asked. “How do you apply to be part of a pack? In my clan you’re born into it.”
“My pack is large. We have over ten thousand members. We accept wolf shifters that do not otherwise have a home or a pack.”
Garrett had more questions. He wanted to get specifics, but when he looked at Lily's face he shut his mouth.
She was sitting there with her mouth open, and she had not said a word. “Lily? Are you okay?”
She snapped her mouth closed. She pulled her hands away from her stepfather and crossed her arms over her chest. “Was he dating me to try to get into your pack?”
Garrett had not considered that.
“I can’t say for sure,” her stepfather said. “But that seems likely. He came to me about three months ago, when his application was rejected. He asked if there was anything he could do. I told him no. The board’s decision was final. Then we didn’t hear from him again.”
“And that’s when I met him,” she said. “He always had a reason why he couldn’t meet you guys. He always had a reason why he didn’t want to be in photos.” Her voice broke. “What did he have to gain from your pack?”
“Money. Security. We make sure all of our pack members are well-employed. And also protection.” He spread his hands apart. “Some members are in debt. Others are on the run. They can find help with their burdens in my pack.”
Lily seemed to consider that. “Can you tell me why he was rejected?”
“Normally I would not. But this is an extenuating circumstance. The simple truth is that he is a liar. He lied on his application and he lied in his interview.”
Lily muttered to herself. Then she stood suddenly, shoving her chair back from the table. “Thank you for being honest with me,” she told her stepfather. She looked at Garrett. “And thank you for everything you have done for me.”
Then she turned her back to them both and walked out the door.
Instantly Garrett was on his feet and chasing after her. “Lily. Wait. Let’s talk about this.”
“There is nothing to talk about.” She waved her hand, indicating the hotel. “We were getting married here because it's what my ex wanted. And I continued on with the deception for my family, so they could see me in a wedding dress and come to Vegas.” She stopped walking just before they reached Twist. “Now there’s no point.”
“What do you mean there’s no point? There’s a room full of people in there right now who want to have dinner with you, and then tomorrow they want to watch you walk down the aisle.”
“Yeah and those same people are here under false pretences,” she said with a tremor in her voice.
He wanted to take her in his arms, but he didn’t dare. “That was also true yesterday. But you were fine with it.”
“I didn’t know the truth then. I thought my ex cheated on me. It happens to thousands of people everyday, right? It didn’t make me weird. But this?” She slashed her hand through the air. “This is not normal. It is weird. My ex seduced me so he could be close to my stepfather. Because he’s a wolf. He used me. Every single day that we were together.”
With that, she turned on her heel and kept walking, right into the doorway of the restauran
t. Garrett grabbed for her arm, but she tugged her arm away. “Please don’t touch me. I really do appreciate all you’ve done, but it’s over.”
“Lily, please.”
“Garrett, I can’t go through with this if it’s not real. I just can’t.”
She marched into the dining area, where dozens of her friends and family were waiting. All of them were smiling, and chatting happily while sipping their wine and eating their appetizers.
“Excuse me,” she called out.
Everyone in the room fell silent. All eyes were on her. “Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoy your meal. The wedding is off,” she announced.
19
Lily
When she had walked in on her ex with those four women, she’d thought things couldn't get any worse.
She had been wrong. So very wrong.
At that point, she hadn’t known what it would feel like to find out the man who proposed to her had done it to get into her stepfather’s good graces. Now so many things made sense. How her ex wanted to get married quickly. How he claimed to have fallen in love with her so soon. How he refused to let his photos be taken or posted on social media.
Lily pressed her back into the seat of the taxi.
She wanted to know how it all transpired. Had he found out her stepfather had a single daughter who wasn’t dating anyone?
Had he arranged to be there in the library of her college that day, right when she was there to study? Had every bit of it been a contrived plan?
She would guess that it had.
She doubled over as a blinding pain shot through her stomach.
Why the hell was this hitting her so hard? She knew her ex was a piece of shit. So why did it hurt to find out that none of it had been real?
And why was she running away again? She’d seen the look of hurt in Garrett’s eyes. She’d run away when she found out he was a dragon shifter. Now she’d run away again.
Would Garrett come after her again, like he had after she ran before?
Would he sit outside her hotel room again? Or had she pushed him away too hard?
Was having him sit outside her room something she even wanted?
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