BECOMING
A Reverse Harem Tale
Mountain Magic
Book One
by
Dakota Brown
BECOMING
A Reverse Harem Tale
Mountain Magic, book 1
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2020 by Dakota Brown
Cover Design © 2020 by Camila Marques
All rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination and or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published by Untold Press LLC
114 NE Estia Lane
Port St Lucie, FL 34983
www.untoldpress.com
PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dedication
For Lizzy
Go Scorpio Power!
Acknowledgements
Shoshanah, thank you for an amazing brainstorming session that no doubt made the characters and this series way deeper than I would have managed without your insight. Lizzy, thank you for the inspiration and encouragement while I wrote. Justinn, thank you for all the conversations. I think you know which ones. Jen and Sean, thank you so much for believing in me.
Every book is an adventure, and every time I write one the process is a little different. This one poured from my fingertips so quickly I think I lit my keyboard on fire. I think my characters lit my keyboard on fire too. I'm in love with the series, the world, and the genre. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did writing it.
Chapter 1
Sofia
While I still had doubts about attending a small liberal arts college in the middle of the mountains in Sunnyglade, Colorado, the first breath of the local coffee shop reassured me of this choice. The aroma of coffee mingled with bergamot from the earl gray, and both caressed the buttery scent of coffee cake. Sugar tied all the scents together and caused me to stand, just inside the door, and inhale a few more times than necessary. It was a spiritual experience.
A short line of people, young and old, waited at the counter to order. A few more stood waiting for their drinks. The rest sat at tables, reclined in comfortable armchairs, or sat on couches and talked with friends. Many worked at computers, some read, and others stared out the large glass window at the front of the store and admired the snow-peaked mountains in the distance.
Once I had a chance to properly appreciate the ambiance, I got in line and studied the menu. They had a lot of options that I wanted to investigate in the future. This time, I decided to go with my old standby to start with. It would give me a good idea as to if the food and drink was as good as it smelled.
"What can I get for you?" the barista–a shorter woman with bright blue hair and a friendly yet slightly sarcastic smirk–asked.
"I'd like a vanilla latte and some of that coffee cake, please." I smiled.
"Whip?"
I nodded. "Thanks. Whole milk, and to go please. I need to get up to the college."
"No problem." She rang me up.
I paid in cash and dropped a tip into the bucket, then went to the other end of the bar and waited. Not exactly trying to eavesdrop, but wanting to get a feel for the town that would be my home for the next few years, I listened to the various conversations within earshot. One couple spoke of the best ski pass deals. Several younger people were talking about the semester starting shortly, and a few others tried to guess how much snow they would get that winter. Felt pretty standard.
"Latte for Sofia."
I turned at my name and collected my drink and the paper plate that held my coffee cake. They had put plastic over it and included a plastic fork. Inhaling the wonderful coffee scent that came out of the cup, I turned and ran smack into someone. Yelping as coffee sprayed out of my cup, I tried to back up, but it was too late. My coffee cake had vanished from my hand, and the stranger was wearing most of my drink. He had quickly pulled his white polo shirt away from his chest and the hot liquid soaking it.
My cheeks heated. I wanted to melt into the floor, run away… something. "I'm so sorry." I looked up, and my cheeks heated more. Sapphire blue eyes, framed by short, curly blond hair and raised eyebrows met my horrified gaze.
"It's…" He hesitated. "I'm okay. Are you?"
"Oh, um, I missed myself." I couldn't believe I had run into the guy. He was about my own age, unbelievably handsome, and hopefully not burned by my coffee. Mortified, I dropped my gaze and looked for my coffee cake.
"It's my fault. I was standing too close." He gestured at the small crowd that had gathered while I waited for my drink. It looked a bit more crowded than when I had first come over. And of course, they were now staring at me while I fumbled around for my missing coffee cake.
One of the women standing near us, hopefully out of splash range, realized what I was looking for. She handed over the coffee cake, only slightly damaged.
"Thanks," I said, just loud enough for her to hear. "I'm really sorry. I'd, uh, better go." I tried not to run out of the coffee shop, but I left much faster than I had entered. I didn't slow until I made it to the end of the block, short of breath. I'd lived at a lower elevation, so it would take a bit of time to adapt to living at seventy-five hundred feet.
Once I had my breath back, I continued more slowly. The sun beat down on me, and I found a bench to sit on. I needed to finish the tiny amount left in my coffee before it cooled too much. My view overlooked the valley with a mountainous backdrop that took my breath
