Page 25 of The Reluctant Wolf and His Fated Mate
“And did you grow up around here?”
How much should he tell her? He rubbed one hand along his thigh. “Yes.” She peered at him as if waiting for more. “The area has undergone much development since the CEO, Rafe Castillo, took charge.”
Rafe purchased the resort a decade ago after making a fortune in real estate. Before then, their pack lived in small cabins in the area. Although the Sacco pack was originally happy to have the humans who’d owned the land gone, they hated the additional development under Rafe’s direction.
“Rafe is the visionary, and Grayson is the brains to bring the ideas to fruition,” Damon added. “I’ve played my small role in helping to build some of the structures, including this cabin.”
Her eyes widened as she scanned their surroundings. “You built this?”
“With help from my pack.” Shit, he shouldn’t have said that. He cleared his throat. “We call our family here a pack.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t exactly truthful either. He squirmed in his chair.
“That’s amazing.” She gazed up at the beams in the ceiling. “I’m impressed.” She brought her gaze back to him and gestured with an open hand. “Since I skied here when I was younger, who knows—maybe we ran into each other back then?”
Would his wolf have recognized her as his mate back then?
Yes,his wolf noted.
To avoid thinking more about the mate problem and avoid revealing any possible secrets of his pack, he shifted the conversation to her visits when she was younger. While she told him about trips coming up skiing with her family, her face lit up.
“I generally come up once or twice a year now,” she noted.
Not enough. “You should come up more often.” He arched his brows. “You could stay with me.”
She gave him a prolonged glance as if assessing if he meant what he said. “Maybe.” Then she took a long sip of water.
A half an hour later,they were at a trailhead at the base of the mountain, equipped with their cross-country skis and outerwear. The afternoon sun shone bright with only a few clouds in the distance. The February air was cool, but they’d soon be warm after they exerted energy skiing.
He motioned for her to start. “After you.”
She hopped onto the trail ahead of him and he followed her. As they progressed down the path into the woods, the snow-covered trees that surrounded them slipped from his vision. All he could focus on was how her body moved from behind. Her full lush ass. Her scent wafting back and bewitching him.
Take her. Claim her now, his wolf urged.
Damon sighed.That’s not how it works. She’s human.
Still, as he pursued her down the trail, the instinct to pursue and claim his mate rose. Damon struggled to restrain himself.
Sophie glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “How are you doing back there?”
If she only knew the battle roaring inside him. “Enjoying the company.” He raised one brow. “And the view.”
After a coupleof hours on the trails where they skied along the river and over to a small lake, they returned to his cabin. He walked over to his stereo system and put a Beatles playlist on low for background music. It started withWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps.
“Is this okay with you, Sophie?”
“Sure. Who doesn’t like the Beatles?” She relaxed on the sofa with a cup of Earl Gray tea and a worn paperback with a black cat on the cover.
“What are you reading?”
“A mystery. I devour these.” She glanced at his bookshelf in the living room. “You seem to like nonfiction.”
That was true. His bookshelves were filled with nonfiction adventures and travel stories, as well as countless guides and maps of the region. “When I read, I typically search for something practical.”
Her eyes widened. “You never want to escape into a story?”
He motioned to the books on survival accounts. “I escape into stories, only it’s something that happened.”
She made a sound of acknowledgment. “Truth is often stranger...” She took a sip of tea and returned to reading.
