“What?” Silke’s mouth opened. “No, there’s never been anything between us. I mean, he’s hot, c’mon, I’m not blind. But he saved my brother’s life, and I’ll be grateful to him forever.” There was a strained look on her face. “Besides, I’m done with love and men. I’m flying solo from now on.”
Though she itched to ask Silke more, she restrained herself. It was obviously a painful subject, so she didn’t want to bring it up.
The truck ambled through the hills and valleys, and Sabrina took a long, deep breath. When was the last time she’d been outdoors for an extended period? She couldn’t even remember. Definitely more than three years ago, and even then, she’d never really been the outdoors type, except maybe to paint landscapes. But it seemed being out here in the mountains of Kentucky had washed away her anxiety and fears.
“We’re here.” Silke announced as the vehicle slowed down, and they stopped outside a large, log structure. Though it was very similar to the guest cabin Sabrina was staying at, it was expansive, taking up what was probably the equivalent of half a city block in New York and had multiple stories. There was a beautiful painted wooden sign outside that proudly proclaimed Seven Peaks Mountain Lodge and Cabins.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said with awe.
“That she is,” Silke said as she exited the truck. “The real love of my life.”
Sabrina didn’t blame her. The lodge was impressive—made of reddish-brown pine logs topped with a green steep-sloped roof, stonework pillars, and surrounded by lush pine trees. She followed Silke inside, and they entered the rustically decorated lobby, waving at Arlene who was waiting behind the front desk. The interior wasn’t fancy like the four-star hotels in New York, but it was obviously lovingly done and fit the rustic feel of the place.
“I grew up in the main cabin in the MC part of the land,” Silke explained as they walked down the hallway. “Ransom lives in it, and although I still keep a room there, I prefer to stay in the manager’s suite upstairs.”
They entered the dining room, and there was a table in the corner set up with sandwiches. “It’s nothing fancy, but our chef’s still prepping for dinner.” They sat down and ate their lunch, chatting amiably.
“Thank you for inviting me,” she said when they finished.
“No problem. Besides, it’s nice having another woman my age around. I’m always surrounded by guys, and it can be tiring. I feel like their mother most of the time.” Silke pushed her plate away. “Do you have any more plans for the day? I rarely get any time off, but since we only have one check in today, I thought I’d take advantage. Maybe we could do something fun?”
“I don’t have any plans or anything. Cross left, and he says he’ll be back, but I’m not sure what time.”
Silke’s face brightened. “Oh, do you want to see the horses? The stable’s just out back.”
“Hmmm … I’ve never been around horses. Or animals, actually,” she admitted sheepishly. “Horses seem so … intimidating.”
“Our horses are very gentle,” she said. “I promise. We don’t have to go riding or anything.”
“All right.”
After clearing up their plates, Silke led her outside and to the back part of the property. She pointed out a structure in the distance and the fenced corral around it. “It’s right over there.”
They walked together, and it didn’t take long to reach the small building. “Logan’s probably out patrolling still,” Silke said as she opened the door. “He’s pretty territorial when it comes to the horses. You’d think he owns this place from the way he acts. It’s strange, really, how the horses seem to like him. None of the other Lycans can even come near the animals, which is why I tolerate Logan’s poor manners.”
“They can’t come near the horses?” she asked. “Why not?”
“Hmmm, well I’m human, so I don’t really know how it works,” Silke began. “But see, for Lycans, they share their bodies with their wolves. It’s always there, like having another consciousness in their thoughts.”
“Huh.” She never realized that was the case.
“And, well, Logan says the horses can sense the wolves. It’s like, they have a sixth sense that there’s an aggressive, dominant animal in all of them. He says they can even sense when there’s something bad around. I’m still not sure how Logan manages them, but that’s one reason why I can’t fire him. No one else would be able to do his job.”
They headed inside, and the smell of hay, leather, and animals assaulted her senses. From the entrance, she could see several horses sticking their heads out of their enclosures.
Silke gestured to follow her as they walked along the stalls. “Horses aren’t our bread and butter, but it’s nice to have that option for the guests. We have twelve horses in total, none of them are from any fancy bloodlines, but we love them just the same.” A friendly white horse neighed at Silke, and she caressed its nose. “Hey, Daisy, how’s it going? Sorry, no treats today.” The mare blew out a breath, making Silke laugh. “I—” A ringing sound interrupted her and she fished out her phone from her pocket. “Hey, Arlene, what’s—” Her pretty face drew into a frown. “All right, all right, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’ll take care of it. Gimme a few minutes, okay?” With a shake of her head, she turned to Sabrina. “Sorry, I need to run up to the lodge. There’s a problem with our check-ins.”
“Oh, no worries, we can go back.”
“No, no,” she said, putting her phone back in her pocket. “You stay put, sugar. Won’t take me too long. I’ll be back in two shakes of a tail feather.”
Before she could protest, Silke strode out of the stalls. Sabrina sighed, wondering if she was meant to stay put inside the stables or wait outside. Shrugging, she
