“Next time, maybe we can come up for longer. Like five days. Or even a week.”
“Sure. That sounds like a good idea.”
Tara cocked her head as she stared at Sophie. “What are you going to wear for dinner tonight? Something sexy, I hope?”
Sophie groaned. “I didn’t bring anything sexy. It wasn’t as if I was expecting to have a date this weekend.”
“Well then, if you’re up for it, we should go shopping in the village.”
“Sure, I haven’t moved in hours, and it’s only a short walk from here. But just a quick outing.”
“We’ll be quick. There are super cute stores where I’m sure you can find something perfect.” Tara scanned Sophie’s outfit. “You weren’t planning on wearing that out today, were you?”
“No, of course not.” She motioned at her clothing. “These are my pajamas.”
Tara covered her heart and laughed. “Oh, good. I thought you were going for some casual mountain look or something.”
After Sophie changed into leggings and a long sweater that Tara approved, they walked from the condo through the village. Besides a number of restaurants, pubs, and even a chocolate haus, there were plenty more shops and boutiques that had popped up since Sophie had last visited the mountain as a teen. The village appeared to flourish, and not with chain stores that appeared everywhere, but with what looked to be mom-and-pop small businesses—shops, cafes, and even a small real estate office for sales and rentals. The scents of food wafted in the crisp mountain air.
In front of a small cupcake shop with a pink awning, they stopped to peer inside. Trays of cupcakes mounded with various colored frosting looked like works of art.
“We have to go in,” Tara insisted.
After she picked out a mint chocolate chip cupcake and Sophie chose a red velvet one, they continued on their way.
In a small boutique that featured women’s clothing, Tara pulled out a soft maroon sweater dress. “This would look great with your coloring.” She handed Sophie the dress. “Go try it on. With a pair of boots, you’ll look sexy as hell.”
While Sophie tried on the dress, she said, “I feel bad leaving you on your own for dinner tonight.”
“Me?” Tara scoffed. “I have no problem going someplace to eat alone. That’s the best way to meet new people.”
“True,” Sophie agreed. “You never have a hard time finding new friends.” She pulled the dress on and examined herself in the mirror. It flattered her breasts and hips rather than accentuating her flaws.
She turned and glanced over her shoulder, expecting to cringe at how her ass looked in it since this dress was not slimming black. To her surprise, it wasn’t bad. She swirled the skirt. The line had a feminine flow.
Sophie opened the door to show Tara. “Well?”
Tara scanned her from head to toe. “The dress looks super hot. But with those boots?” She shook her head. “You need something with heels. You have a hot date tonight.” She gestured with her hands. “So you need to look hot.”
Tara was right. The boots with the fluffy tops were cute and functional, but not sexy. “After skiing, my legs might not be up for sexy boots, but we’ll see.”
At their next stop, she picked up a pair of boots with a wedged heel that was both comfortable and Tara approved.
“Better,” Tara noted. “Every guy in this place is going to be drooling over you tonight.”
Sophie didn’t care about that. She only wanted to impress one guy in particular.
She pictured Damon’s amber eyes. They were so intense and penetrating. She remembered their first encounter at the club and a ripple of excitement shot through her. Anything could happen tonight.
Chapter 6
Damon
Shame weighed Damon’s booted steps through the snow as he responded to Rafe’s call for a pack meeting. No doubt it concerned Damon’s transgression.
Snow had begun to fall during his walk down the mountain. Fresh snowfall was always celebrated by the pack as it meant for good ski conditions, but Damon felt little reason for joy. He arrived at the octagonal lodge where they managed resort operations business and handled pack matters. The meeting space had benches arranged in the same octagonal design as the room. Rafe prowled through the space while the pack’s beta, Grayson, stood at parade rest.
Within a few more minutes, over a dozen members had arrived, most of whom served in some capacity in running operations of the resort as well. Valen, an enforcer who Damon often shared ski patrol shifts with, nodded in welcome.
Despite that, Damon felt the eyes of the pack on him. Had they all heard of the incident? Or was he just imagining their scrutiny?
Rafe stopping pacing and faced the pack. “We’ve had an incident with the Sacco pack. I want you to be on higher alert.”
“What happened?” Sebastian, one of the pack’s healers asked.
Rafe exchanged a glance with Damon, a silent question asking how much he wanted to reveal.
Damon nodded and stepped up. It was his fault, and he had to own up to it. “While on patrol, I tracked a woman who had gone off trail. I feared she might be in trouble.” He snarled. “My wolf thinks she’s our mate.”
“Congratulations,” Victoria, a red-haired shifter in her twenties, said. She stole a glance at Grayson, never hiding her feelings towards him. She wanted to be his mate, but he hadn’t reciprocated her interest.
Damon grunted. “I’d hold off on the congratulations.” He exhaled. “I tracked her into Sacco territory where I found her. Unfortunately, so did the Sacco enforcer, and he lunged at me.” After summarizing the fight, he added, “I know I have endangered the peace between packs and will do whatever it takes to undo that damage—even if that means being banished.” He lowered his head before his pack.
More mumbling ensued. Grayson stepped over and placed
