“Oh, I definitely agree.” She grinned. “I’ve realized that we weren’t a good match in the long run.” She hunched both shoulders and then released them with a heaving sigh. “The betrayal is what stung the most. I caught him in bed with my cousin.”
Oof. That must have stung. To have family betray her as well. “She doesn’t sound very loyal.”
Sophie clucked her tongue and gazed off beyond him. “I thought we were close. Guess I was wrong.”
“They don’t deserve you then.” What kind of ass would cheat on a woman like Sophie?
Her expression shifted to one he couldn’t read. Perhaps a bit of gratitude or appreciation? “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time. My college boyfriend cheated on me, as well.” She scowled. “A part of me wonders—is it something about me?”
“No,” Damon all but bellowed. “They’re obviously fools who didn’t realize what they had. They’ve probably regretted it every day since.”
“I don’t know about that,” Sophie replied. “And there’s no way in hell I would ever take either one of them back.” Her face hardened with bitter determination, a look he’d never seen on her before. “I can’t tolerate lies. Betrayal. I could never forgive someone who deceived me that way.”
Guilt engulfed him like a dark cloak. He took a swig of beer and swallowed hard. “I can see that. But sometimes deception is necessary.”
Sophie arched her brows with a skeptical glance. “Like when?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “If it’s essential to protect others, for instance.”
“Okay, maybe there.” She motioned with her hand in his direction. “But why the secrecy? Why not trust whoever you are trying to protect?”
Damon shifted in his seat and moved a few chips around on his plate. Keeping his true nature from her was a form of deception. But it was for the safety of his pack—and if he was truthful, to protect himself. She made him vulnerable, slipping under the protective shield he’d erected to keep from getting too close to anyone.
It scared the shit out of him.
Sophie didn’t realize the factors involved. She didn’t even realize a species like his existed.
Time to steer the conversation away before he revealed something that he shouldn’t.
“I can’t think of one,” he lied. “Situations are usually more gray than black and white. I think they should be considered on a case-by-case basis.”
Sophie narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. Then she sipped her beer and glanced away.
Before seven that evening, Damon walked with Rafe, Grayson, and two other enforcers, Valen and Caleb, over to the invisible border line that separated pack territory. The moon loomed almost full over the mountain, hovering with an ominous, reddish glow. Was Damon imagining it? Or was it a foreboding sign since the moon had been a silent witness to countless other violent situations in the world?
His muscles were taut as he treaded through the snow. Leaving Sophie alone stirred a new form of agony. At least the Sacco wolf who had infiltrated his space should be at the meeting and therefore, nowhere near his cabin.
A wistful sensation passed over him. This had been where he’d scented Sophie last weekend and tracked her. Had it only been days since that happened? He’d grown so close to her during that short amount of time that it seemed more like months.
Five Sacco wolf shifters approached the border minutes later. Although all were in human form, he recognized the wolf who had spied on him by his scent and the hate-filled glare.
While Rafe and the Sacco pack’s alpha, Kane, initiated the meeting with cool greetings, Damon prowled behind his alpha, staring at the Sacco wolf, who also paraded along the borderline as if itching to break across the line and into battle. Damon would welcome that. He wanted nothing more than to tear into the bastard who had spied on him being intimate with Sophie. Her breasts had been bare. Had he been ogling her as Damon kissed her?
“Kane, we’d agreed to peaceful discussions on this matter,” Rafe declared. “Sending one of your wolves to spy on us doesn’t fit that agreement.”
“How do we know that your enforcer wasn’t spying on us?” Kane spat.
“Why would you say that?”
“The excuse of protecting his mate sounds like a cover. A reason to trespass and spy.”
Rafe snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”
Kane raised his index finger. “You must think we’re fools to fall for that.”
Oh hell, it was worse than Damon had anticipated. He rolled his shoulders back The Sacco pack wasn’t buying his explanation.
“And what reason would we have to spy on your pack?” Rafe scoffed.
“To expand your development by encroaching into our territory.” Kane’s eyes bulged and spittle shot from his mouth.
“We have no interest in your lands,” Rafe denied.
It didn’t matter. The long-standing feud between the packs resurrected with neither side budging. The Sacco accused them of exploiting natural resources and destroying the wolf habitat by developing the mountain. The only thing that Damon learned was that the enforcer who he’d fought with was named Alex.
While Rafe and Kane argued, Damon groaned inside. It confirmed what he’d always believed—that mates were trouble. They led a wolf to act out of character and against all reason.
And here that meant trouble for his pack.
But after spending time with Sophie, it was too late. He’d bonded to her. No way would he turn back now.
After the meeting ended without progress, Damon discussed the issue with his pack back in the lodge. They then went out for a pack run through the mountains to burn off the anxious energy in the darkness, hunting rabbit and other small prey.
While they prowled after the hunt, Grayson asked Damon, Have you told her about us?
Damon bristled. No.
Why not? You don’t think you can trust her?
That’s not it. I don’t know where to begin. And the deeper secret—he was afraid of her reaction.
When Rafe dismissed them, Damon rushed back to his cabin, eager to return to Sophie. When he entered, her bedroom door was closed. It was
