“Oh, good. Maybe I’ll be waiting for you in the hot tub,” she suggested with a saucy grin.
“No, Sophie. Wait for me in here.” His expression turned serious.
Another odd reaction. Why did it matter if she had a head start? “Okay.”
After he left the cabin, she picked up her book. Less than a minute had gone by when she noticed he hadn’t taken his coat or his gloves.
Another question piled on top of her growing mountain of uncertainties. Why would Damon go outside without his outerwear? Yes, he’d told her that his body temperature ran hot, but it was still cold out, and snow had begun to fall.
Sophie put her coat and boots on and grabbed his coat and gloves. He’d only just left so he shouldn’t be far.
She stepped outside and searched for him. “Damon?”
Where was he? She should have been able to see him walking down the mountain. His car was still parked outside, so he hadn’t driven.
She spotted fresh footprints in the snow leading onto the forest trail. It had to be Damon. Why would he head in there while it was snowing?
Her breath quickened. Maybe this was related to whatever he’d been keeping from her. Her skin tingled with excitement.
She groaned. More likely it was a work situation, such as rescuing a skier like her who’d gone off trail.
Still, he was sure to appreciate warm clothing, right?
As she stepped toward the darker terrain encapsulated by the woods, her pulse jolted. She couldn’t help but think of when she’d been lost and confused in the woods at night last weekend. So much had changed since that night that Damon had found her.
Right, it had led to good things. Refusing to be permanently scared of the forest and mountains—nature visits she’d cherished her entire life, she nodded to herself and ventured into the trees.
Soon after entering, the skies appeared so much darker. She glanced up at the massive pine trees that swayed slightly with the wind and peered at the nearly full moon above.
The sound of movement through the brush made her snap around. A twig broke. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the outlines in the darkness.
In her peripheral vision, she spotted movement through the trees. She whirled toward it. At first, she thought it was a deer. Then she peered closer. It had to be Damon. Although he wasn’t facing her, she was certain it was him. He’d removed his shirt, boots, and pants.
What in the world? Why would anyone undress out there and stand barefoot in the snow?
When he took off his jeans, she caught a glimpse of Damon’s profile, confirming it was him.
She walked toward him. As she approached, his body appeared to—vibrate.
No, that wasn’t possible. She blinked.
Thinking it would clear her vision, she was mistaken. His body enlarged and shimmered. Her heart pounded and throat clammed up. In the next second, Damon was gone. In his place was a gray wolf.
A wolf!
She gasped and dropped his coat and gloves. No doubt this massive creature was not some freakin’ coyote!
Sounds of movement from behind had to mean the wolf was chasing her. Her heart wrenched up to her throat. She ran as fast as she could through the snow, and then the worst thing happened—she slipped.
Pushing her hands forward, she broke the fall.
"Sophie."
Massive tree-trunk arms wrapped around her and she shrieked, writhing to escape the grasp. “Get off me!”
“It’s me, Damon.” After he helped steady her on her feet, he released her.
She turned over her shoulder, half-expecting to face a wolf lunging at her. Sure enough, it was Damon, stark-ass naked.
She drew in a sharp breath that felt like shards of ice in her dry throat. “What’s going on?”
He raised a hand, palm facing her. "I can explain."
She covered her chest and stepped backwards, heart and lungs still pumping at downhill speed. “What the hell did I just see?” She shook her head. “No, wait. I don't think I want to know.”
He exhaled and his broad shoulders sagged. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
“Find what out?” Her mind raced, questions churning at a manic speed. She scanned him from head down. "Why would anyone strip naked in the snow like this? It's crazy.” She raised her hands to her temples and shook her head. “Wait—are you crazy or has someone drugged me?”
"You're not drugged, and I’m not crazy.” His voice was low and slow, like he was trying to calm someone who was irrational. “I can explain why you’ve seen wolves."
She released a slow exhale. "Okay, why?" She pursed her lips.
"Because—" he began. "Because—I’m a wolf shifter."
“A what?” Sophie threw her hands in the air and snorted. “Crazy it is, then.” She motioned between them. “I think fourteen gray hairs just popped out of my skull.”
“I’m not crazy, Sophie. My pack lives here on the mountain. Another pack lives over there.” He pointed across the range.
“Pack? As in a wolf pack?” Her eyes bulged. Her gut hollowed. Devastation dug deep. It was like the shock of finding Bobby with her cousin all over again, only this time, it felt a thousand times worse because it was Damon.
Although she’d only known him for such a short time, she’d sensed something between them. A connection. One that was deeper than anything between her and Bobby, which now seemed shallow in comparison.
“It was you that I saw fighting the other wolf. You lied to me. Tried to convince me I’d seen coyotes.” Her voice was uneven. His deceit cut like shards of glass exploding from her chest.
“I didn’t.” He rubbed his jaw. “Yes, it was me, but it’s not like what you think.”
“Well then, what do you want to call this—leaving out the fact that you are a wolf?” Wait, what was she saying? It wasn’t possible. Yet, she’d seen him change. She rubbed her eyes. Exhaustion suddenly weighed on her as if she’d spent the entire day skiing the trails and had returned home on jelly legs.
Damon’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry.
