“I hope you have pleasant dreams.”
“You, too.”
“Oh, I will indeed.” He smiled. No doubt he would be thinking about her tonight, replaying that kiss, and thinking about all the possibilities for the nights to come.
“Thanks for dinner.” She raised her painting and smiled with an appreciative expression. “And paint night.”
“I enjoyed it immensely.” He nodded. “How about lunch tomorrow?”
“Yesss,” she replied, and it sounded like a purr. “See you then.”
After she turned and headed toward the entrance of the hotel, Rafe watched her walk away, forcing his feet to remain in place while every instinct in his body encouraged him to go after her.
Tomorrow, he promised himself. Their third night together would be one to work his charm.
He would not be a gentleman tomorrow.
Chapter 9
Mila
What the hell had just happened outside? That majestic bed tempted her with images of what she could be doing there and with whom.
Sleeping with the enemy.
If that information made it to her pack, that would not go over well. Spying on their rivals was one thing, sleeping with them, not so acceptable.
She ran her fingers over her lips as she stared out of her hotel window, searching for Rafe. He was no longer visible out there in the snow. Where did he go? Live? Sleep?
More questions about him rose, and they had nothing to do with her obtaining information for her pack. When he’d kissed her, the reaction inside was nothing sort of explosive. She’d never experienced such fiery desire.
Conflict twisted her gut. She was setting him up to bring him down. She’d share the information she learned with her father. He might use it to attack Rafe and overthrow his pack. But Rafe had been treating her so well. She wrung her hands together as her duplicity distressed her mind.
Was she any better than Victoria?
Wait a minute. She hadn’t even been here two nights. How could she have doubts about her mission already?
After a restless night, Mila woke to the phone ringing. It was Rafe.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
“Fine,” she lied and then glanced at the clock. It was later than she usually woke, a byproduct of her troubled sleep. “You?”
“With the sweetest of dreams, Mila, since I met you.”
Her cheeks reddened. Hers weren’t exactly innocent either. Soon after she’d climbed into bed and had closed her eyes, she’d fantasized about him. It was as if her mind unleashed all the desire she’d repressed through the day.
“Would you be okay with us meeting up with others tonight?”
“Who?”
“Grayson and Aurora.”
“He’s your beta, right?”
“Yes. And Aurora is his mate.”
Mila furrowed her brows. “Isn’t she the mediator? The witch who went between packs that we had issue with.”
Rafe nodded. “Indeed.” He eyed her. “I’m hoping that you’ll let them tell their version of the story.”
Mila sighed. “It sounds more like a meeting.”
“We are trying to work together, are we not?”
He had a point. That was the reason she was supposed to be here. Besides, maybe she could glean more information from his beta. Yet, what she wanted most of all was to spend time alone with Rafe.
“True,” she agreed.
“Look at this as a little work before play.”
Her ears perked. Intrigued, she leaned forward. “What kind of play?”
“You might find out tonight.” His tone was edged with decadence.
She pictured a mischievous grin to match it on his face.
* * *
At six, Mila headed down to the lobby. When she saw Rafe prowling through the lobby wearing dark clothing that fit his muscular body so well, her mouth watered. Would she ever not have that reaction around him?
He assessed his surroundings with a stern expression, but when he met her gaze, it softened. He strode over to her and glanced at her outfit, a light gray sweater dress with darker gray tights and boots that they’d purchased together, he said, “You look beautiful, Mila.”
“Thanks for the outfit. You’re living up to what you’d mentioned about spoiling me.”
His brilliant blue eyes fixed on hers. “You deserve to be appreciated.”
Wild tremors of excitement pulsed through her. She couldn’t picture anyone in her pack saying something like that to her, least of all Lars.
“Do you like Greek food?” He gestured toward her.
“Sure.”
“Great. Grayson and Aurora are getting a table for us.”
“Sounds good.”
He hooked his arm out. “Ready?”
“I am.” She took his arm.
* * *
Once inside the restaurant where music played softly in the background, Rafe led her to a table with a couple sitting. The man had dark hair and was clean-shaven. The woman appeared familiar.
He greeted them and then turned to her. “This is Grayson and Aurora.” Rafe then gestured toward her. “And this is Mila.”
After they all greeted each other, Grayson asked Rafe for a moment in private.
Great. Now Mila was stuck alone with this witch.
“Between the pack and the business, they always have something to talk about,” Aurora said with a smile. It appeared to be genuine, but Mila wasn’t buying it. Instead, she took a sip of her water.
“I know what Victoria said about me, but it’s not true,” Aurora added.
Mila wasn’t crazy about that shifter who sauntered around, but still, at least she’d revealed the Franconia pack’s true intent.
“So you say,” Mila replied.
“She twisted a story about my intentions,” Aurora added.
Mila clasped her hands together on her lap. “How can it be a twist if you and Grayson admit you are mates?”
Aurora stared into the distance before bringing her gaze back to Mila. “Neither of us knew that when I came up to the White Mountains. And even after Grayson recognized me as his mate, he tried not to let it interfere with my mediation efforts.”
Mila eyed her, assessing for signs of dishonesty, but found none.
Aurora continued, “Victoria wanted Grayson as her mate. Getting me out of the picture was one way for her to make that happen. She set me up and tried to kill me.” Aurora clasped both hands on the table. “I hope you’ll listen to our side of the story.”
Mila stared at the witch. Wolves and witches weren’t enemies, yet they weren’t buddy-buddy. Their relationship was better described as tolerating each other’s existence. She tipped her chin up. “Why not? I’m here.” Her frosty tone showed her disinterest.
Aurora took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yes, it’s true that Grayson and I are mates. But that wasn’t the case when he requested a mediator to come deal with the issues between your packs. He didn’t know that until I arrived—and once he did, he attempted to ignore what his wolf was telling him to not interfere with the talks.” Aurora gestured at Mila. “You know better than I do what that must feel like—with your wolf recognizing his or her mate.”
Mila uncrossed her legs, adjusted in the chair, and crossed them again. “Well, I am a shifter.”
“What I am saying,” Aurora continued, “Is that he did his best to fight the call for as long as he could in order for me to be able to finish the assignment. What he wanted above all else is for peace between the packs.” She frowned and stared at the salt shaker on the table. “We were coming close to a settlement before Victoria lashed out in her jealousy and turned on us.”
“What settlement?” Mila leaned forward. Her father and Lars never gave her details of anything when it came to pack matters, which they thought was better left to them as leaders.
“Rafe and Grayson offered a very attractive and large parcel of land to your pack to accept some responsibility in what happ
ened to your enforcer.”
Mila straightened her posture. “As they should. A shifter’s death isn’t one to be dismissed.” Their enforcer, Alex, had been killed during a fight with a Franconia.
“Of course. And I came here to work with both packs to avoid any others,” Aurora added. “Although your father and Lars sent me off, I’d be more than happy to work with you and Rafe if you’d like.”
“Thank you, but Rafe and I have it covered,” Mila replied with cool detachment.
“I understand.” Aurora nodded. “Well, thanks for letting me talk. I hope you can work something out. And like I said, I’m here if I can help.”
Mila forced a smile. When she spotted Rafe return with Grayson, the grin that spread across her face was purely genuine.
“Did we miss anything exciting?” Rafe asked with a playful expression.
Mila flipped her fork. “Aurora was just telling me how she and Grayson didn’t know they were mates until she’d arrived to mediate.”
Grayson and Aurora exchanged a glance. “Yes, that’s true,” Grayson replied. “Whatever version Victoria twisted is false. She’d been trying to convince me that we should be mates. Although I’d told her it would never happen, she became incredibly jealous when she saw me with Aurora. She took that anger and ran to your pack, eager for vengeance.”
Before Mila could respond, a server came by to take their drink orders. Mila pieced what she was learning with what she already knew. Although she hadn’t been part of the conversations with her father and Lars, she’d knew that Victoria had warned them about the handling negotiations. She’d said that the witch was secretly Grayson’s mate and coaxing the Saccos to agree to a bad deal.
After the server left, Aurora added, “I came to your pack as a neutral party. Although I developed feelings for Grayson while I was here, I truly believed in finding a solution that both packs were happy with. I believe your father and Lars were seriously considering the land offer before Victoria destroyed negotiations out of petty jealousy. She lashed out when Grayson turned her down and hunted me down, wanting me dead.”
Mila considered that. Rafe had mentioned some of what Aurora had explained on day one, but Mila had been too closed off to listen.
What Grayson and Aurora said sounded truthful. Was Victoria the one who ruined peace between packs after all?
“I didn’t know that Aurora was my mate until she stepped into my office,” Grayson said. “I attempted to ignore what my wolf was telling me.” Grayson shrugged before glancing at Aurora again with admiration. “But I admit, I couldn’t stay away. When you find the right one, it’s almost unbearable to ignore what your wolf wants—even before you’re ready to accept it.”
Mila glanced away, yet felt Rafe’s gaze on her. Did Grayson know about the two of them? With them caught in a similar predicament, was it only a matter of time before they gave in to what their wolves recognized?
The server arrived with their drinks. Mila took a large sip of Greek wine as soon as possible.
“Aurora had made much more progress with our packs than I ever could with Lars,” Grayson said. “Before Victoria ruined it.”
Getting Lars to compromise on anything would be a challenge. She stole a glance at Rafe. He smiled at her as if appreciating her taking part in this conversation.
She swallowed and then brought her gaze back to Grayson. “What did you talk about with Lars?”
“In addition to blaming us for Alex’s death, he accused us of exploiting the land,” Grayson replied. “I understand your pack’s perspective on that. But I doubt we are guilty of all that we’ve been accused.”
Mila raised one brow. “Pul-eaaze. I’ve seen all the developments around here. What you’re telling me contradicts what I see with my own eyes.”
Grayson exhaled. “Yes, we’ve developed the land, but remember, we’re wolves. We’d never destroy our environment. We use green practices to minimize our impact and are striving toward zero waste.”
“Rafe has mentioned this.” She glanced at him and then took another large sip of wine.
More cracks formed in the foundation of her pack’s beliefs. Has she been misled by not hearing the perspectives of both sides? Perhaps there was something to be learned there. As Rafe had suggested, she should hear all the facts before she made her own decisions rather than blindly following what her pack told her.
Mila glanced at the three of them. “Assuming what you are telling me is true—which I am not saying that I’m buying—why are you telling me?”
“None of us want war.” Rafe squeezed her hand. “There is no reason to spill more wolf blood over a misunderstanding.”
Mila nodded. “I agree with that.”
He pierced her with searching eyes. “So it’s up to us to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
That wouldn’t happen with what she had planned. She swallowed the guilt.
“Tell me something, Mila,” Rafe said. “If you had your say in how we fixed the situation, what would you like to see?”
She jerked her head back. No one had asked her opinion on pack relations before, let alone one as big as this. She chewed her bottom lip and then stared into Rafe’s eyes. “Part of me thinks the arbitrary border line with the mandate to stay off each other’s land is a factor.”
Rafe eyed her with a serious expression as he listened.
Emboldened by his attentiveness, she added, “Wolves should be able to run free.”
Rafe
“Sorry about that,” Rafe said after they left the restaurant. “I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable for you.”
Mila rolled one shoulder. “I’m trying to piece together the truth from what I’ve been told. I know you’re trying to convince me to see your side of things, but of course it’s skewed.”
“As is your pack’s view. That’s why we’re trying to see your perspective as well. Isn’t that what compromise is all about?”
Mila blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know. I’m confused.”
“About what? What you said about the borderline issue made a great deal of sense in there. It’s something we should consider.”
She shook her head. “What do I know about running a pack? I’m not an alpha. And being here has just perplexed me more about everything. What I want. What I don’t want.” She motioned toward him. “Aren’t you somewhat conflicted?”
He grunted. “If you mean about wanting you while being incredibly wary about trusting you, then hell yes.”
She peered at him. “You don’t think you can trust me?”
He fixed a stare on her. “Do you trust me?”
Their eyes locked for several seconds. “No.” She broke the gaze.
He chuckled at the ridiculousness of their situation. “Well, that’s not going to change in one night.” He took her hand and swung it. “How about we shift to a lighter topic?”
She tilted her head and peered at him with interest. “Like what?”
“As I’d promised, something fun tonight.”
Her eyes flickered wider. “Do we have options to choose from?”
“We could walk the trails, go ice skating on the pond, go snow tubing.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s when you sit on an inflatable tube and slide down the mountain.”
“You don’t have to learn anything, like with skiing, do you?”
“No, it’s more like sledding as you sit on a tube. You don’t even have to drag it up the mountain since we have a lift.”
She nodded and smiled. “Yes, let’s try that.”
Rafe chose a double tube so they could ride up together. It gave him a chance to hold her close as they rode up the towline. When they reached the top and stood, walking over to where they would descend, Mila glanced at him with an excited glint in her eye.
“Everyone’s going down so fast. And it’s so steep.”
“Trust me, it’s fun.” He put the tube down and sat before encouraging her to climb in and lean against
him once more. Besides, I’ll be holding you."
One side of her mouth curled up any grin. “Does that mean we will tumble down the hill together?”
He chuckled. “We won’t fall. Don’t worry.”
When she climbed in and leaned against him, he inhaled her scent once more and his world felt right once more. How could he grow so addicted to her presence so quickly? Especially since any future between them beyond this week was uncertain?
Now wasn’t the time to think about it. They were there to have fun. She’d been riled up after the conversation with Grayson and Aurora, and Rafe had to strike a balance between their business negotiations and pleasure. In his role as alpha and CEO, he definitely made business the priority for the past decade, but maybe it was time for him to enjoy his life a bit.
At least for seven days.
He leaned forward in the tube. “Ready?”
She squirmed and leaned against him. “Yes.”
He pushed them forward and their tube moved slowly at first, but once they gained some momentum, they sped down the hill. Mila squealed and laughed. Oh how he loved to hear that sound. He held her closer to him, aware of the huge grin on his face. How did he never know how much fun this was?
Because he’d never done this with Mila.
As they approached the bottom of the hill where it leveled out, their tube slowed and eventually came to a stop.
Mila climbed out and turned. “That was so much fun.” Her cheeks had a pink tint, and her eyes gleamed with excitement. She offered him a hand, and he took it before he climbed out.
“Glad you liked it.” He grabbed the tube. “Want to go again?”
She clasped her hands together. “Yes!”
An hour or so later, Rafe suggested returning the tube. Mila was reluctant to stop, but the winds had risen. Her cheeks turned red and her teeth chattered.
“You’re freezing,” Rafe said. “Come here.” He opened his arms and wrapped her in them. Holding her this way, keeping her warm, filled him with a sense of purpose. Aside from his desire for her, something deeper bloomed within. He wanted to care for her.
The Alpha and His Enemy Wolf: White Mountain Shifters 3 Page 8