“Where are you going, little Red?”
The man’s voice wasn’t familiar. The underlying danger in his tone crept under her skin.
She stopped and peered over her shoulder in what seemed like slow motion. A man with shaggy brown hair sneered at her. Barrel-chested and with his upper body bare, he stood in a parade stance in low-slung sweatpants and boots.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Just one of the big bad wolves.” He arched his brows and sniffed at her. “And you smell good enough to eat.”
Shit. Sophie dropped her bags and turned to run back toward the safety of Damon’s cabin. Before she’d gone three steps, the strange man lunged at her and knocked her face first into the snow.
While she gasped for breath, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as if she’d weighed no more than a snowball.
She beat her fists on his back, screaming, “Let go of me!”
He laughed and didn’t even flinch. He walked her away from Damon’s cabin.
“Damon! Damon. Help!”
The man laughed. “That’s right, little Red. Call him. That’s exactly what I want you to do.”
Her gut hollowed. Maybe she had more to fear than just her fate. This stranger wanted to get to Damon.
Was she just the bait?
Chapter 16
Damon
As Damon patrolled along the borderline between packs, he dreaded returning to his cabin later. Sophie would be gone.
It would be cold and empty without her there, cooler than the mountain air that ruffled his fur.
A scent stopped him. He sniffed at it and growled.
It was the Sacco wolf, Alex, that he’d engaged with. His muscles coiled and all his fur stood on edge.
Another scent—one that would soothe him at any other time—stirred more unease.
Sophie was with the Sacco wolf.
We have to find her, his wolf demanded.
I know. For once, they had the same agenda.
Damon sniffed at the scents, tracking them through the snow. It was fainter back toward his cabin. The Sacco wolf must have come to get Sophie. No way she would have gone with him, not willingly, especially after being so scared about what she’d discovered about wolf shifters tonight.
But she wouldn’t have known if he was in human form.
Why did the Sacco wolf take her? Why?
Through all the chaos in his mind, one answer was the most obvious—retaliation.
The wolf wanted to get back at Damon for besting him at a fight. The way to hurt him most was through Damon’s heart, which meant kidnapping his mate.
Damon roared, tracking their scents as his paws struck into the snow while he ran toward the Sacco territory. En route, he quickly communicated to Rafe and Grayson.
The Sacco wolf took her. He took Sophie.
How do you know? Rafe asked.
I’m tracking them. I caught their scent outside my cabin.
Grayson groaned. Stay calm, Damon. Don’t do anything rash.
We’ll come to you, Rafe added.
I can’t wait. I have to find her! Damon ended communication.
He had to focus on the trail. Nothing else mattered but finding her and making sure she was safe.
He leapt across the boundary line and across the mountain. He pushed himself as fast as he could go while tracking their scents. His lungs burned, but he wouldn’t stop.
Up ahead, he spotted movement through the trees. He peered through the branches.
Yes, it was Sophie. His heart swelled with relief until he noted the wolf holding her. He’d thrown her over his shoulder, and she pounded at his back. His bare back. Rage roared through Damon. How dare that wolf force his mate to touch his filthy skin!
An urge to lunge forward and knock the interloper to the ground spurred him on. That wouldn’t work, though, not while the shifter held Sophie. She could get hurt in the fall.
Through the red mask of vengeance clouding his vision, Damon’s claws itched. He yearned to pierce the Sacco shifter’s flesh and tear his beating heart from his chest. Only that wouldn’t come anywhere near the physical agony of Damon losing his mate. The mental anguish couldn’t be quantified.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to think, not react. It was much easier in human form, when he could better deal with thoughts rather than function on instincts. That might be a better way to approach Sophie, as well, and not terrify her further.
Damon shifted to human form, not giving a damn that he stood naked in the snow. A warning growl bellowed from his chest before he commanded, “Put her down.”
Sophie gasped and looked up. “Damon!”
Alex turned, dropped her into the snow, and laughed. Another surge of violence roared through Damon that it took all of his self-control not to rush the shifter.
He glanced at Sophie. She didn’t appear to be hurt. “Are you all right?” Although he yearned to care for her, he first had to neutralize this threat.
She pulled herself to her feet and brushed off the snow. “Yes.” She walked toward him.
He didn’t dare take his eyes off the threat. “Why did you take her?” Damon spat at the Alex. “Why are you trespassing on our lands?”
“To get you here.” He sneered and parried before Damon. “And have my revenge.”
He adjusted to a defensive stance, noting that Sophie was now behind him. “Our packs are dealing with this disagreement,” Damon spat.
Alex’s glare turned fierce. “This is no longer pack business, it’s personal.” He beckoned with a sharp wave. “Let’s go.”
He shifted into wolf form and lunged at Damon.
Sophie
Sophie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The stranger who had kidnapped her had shifted into a white wolf with bright blue eyes and a vicious growl. She swore it was the same one she’d seen last week.
Damon was naked. He ran at the white wolf. When he lunged, he transformed into an enormous gray wolf with amber eyes. The two wolves met in the air, a furious clash of fangs, claws, and fur. Vicious howls pierced the otherwise tranquil mountain.
Each landed back on four paws in the snow. They circled each other, eyes intent to kill.
Her eyes widened as she started moving farther behind Damon. Two deadly predators assessed each other as if intent to kill. The white wolf barked, drool lashing at the snow. The gray growled a warning. It was like they were speaking some secret language, which she supposed they were.
The white one lunged at the gray one. Sophie shrieked. It wasn’t just a wolf, it was Damon.
“Damon, be careful,” she cried.
Her words were useless. The two wolves were embroiled in what appeared to be a fatal embrace. Streaks of red slashed across the white snow. Snarls and howls echoed in the air. With the way they lashed at each other with fangs and claws, she was certain that only one would survive.
That meant Damon could be killed.
Killed!
No. She ached for him with all her being. That couldn’t happen. Not this extraordinary man who’d made her feel like the most adored woman in the world. He was so considerate and protective, and he’d cared for her like nobody had before.
Her pulse shot up to panic mode. Dear God, he was here to protect her, same as last week. He’d done nothing but protect and care for her. Maybe she didn’t understand everything about what he was, but she knew in her heart he was willing to sacrifice his life for her. That was clear as day right before her eyes.
And she’d pushed him away.
He couldn’t die!
She’d been falling in love with this man. No, he was beyond a man, and far more extraordinary.
She was a fool, overreacting because he’d kept a secret from her until he was sure he could trust her. The reason was clear before her—he was part wolf! No wonder he didn’t tell her. Confiding in the wrong person could endanger his way of life here on the mountain.
The wolves feral growls thundered in her
ears. A shiver of icy fear trickled over her spine.
His world was so different from hers. It was more than just the natural, serene beauty, but also a wild struggle to survive in the animal kingdom. The duality of the environment was as vast and complicated as the man himself.
If they both survived this fight, could she learn to understand his dual nature?
And all she wanted to do was help him. But how? She was human, weak compared to those massive predators intent on destroying each other.
The white wolf gained the upper hand, pinning Damon down. As fangs aimed for the vulnerable flesh of Damon’s throat, she squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to see that fatal blow.
The sounds of more growling made her snap them open. Damon evaded that mortal blow and grappled with the white wolf, scattering snow far enough that it reached her.
The cool flakes on her skin warned how close and imminent the danger was. She had to do something.
What could she do?
A yelp of pain turned her blood to ice. She forced herself to ignore it so she wouldn’t remain paralyzed. She scanned the terrain as they circled around her. There was nothing out here to help her. Nothing!
What could she use to help Damon?
Maybe she could run into the woods and search for a branch or a rock that she could use as a weapon. She snorted. What a feeble idea that was to stop a wolf.
Still, it was the only option she had. She ran toward the woods, but slipped and fell on her butt in the snow.
Ice. That crap had thwarted her since the first night that Damon had rescued her.
But it was hard. And sharp. And it might be a better option than a breakable branch.
She dragged her fingers through the snow where she’d fallen, reaching around the uniform sheet of ice. It would be impossible to break through without a shovel.
Nearby, she spotted some bits that sparkled like diamonds in the surrounding snow. She grasped a handful of packed, icy snow. After shaping it into a snowball, she stood and fixed her gaze on the fighting wolves.
More gashes of crimson blood streaked the snow. The gray wolf had a gash on his left side. She refused to stare at Damon’s wound as it might make her balk at her half-assed mission. She attempted to aim at the white wolf, but Damon was engaged with him. They bit and yipped at each other. She couldn’t get a clear shot.
She took off her glove, put her fingers into her mouth, and whistled—a wolf whistle. She groaned at even noticing that at such a time.
The wolves broke apart and turned to face the source of the noise. She hurled the icy snowball with all the strength she could muster at the white wolf’s head.
It hit the mark, smashing his face. The wolf recoiled and howled, but it wasn’t enough to knock it down.
Instead, the white wolf snarled at her and released a menacing growl that iced her veins. Bloody saliva dripped into the snow.
Damon’s blood…
Her heart thundered, ribs clenched her lungs. She swallowed. Mistake. Bad mistake.
The white wolf lunged for her and she stumbled backward through the snow. That mountain of fangs and fur blocked out the sky as it lunged at her. She shrieked and raised her arm to brace herself.
A painful howl followed. The expected blow didn’t come.
The gray wolf—Damon—knocked the white wolf into the snow. His fangs pierced the white wolf’s throat. It struggled and tried to escape the deathly grip, but Damon held on. More blood painted the snow. The white wolf’s limbs twitched spasmodically. A dozen more heartbeats ticked by before it stopped moving completely.
Damon released the body of the dead wolf and turned to face Sophie. The fur on his face was covered in bits of flesh and blood, which dripped from his fangs.
Bile rose in Sophie’s throat. She turned and vomited into the snow.
After she felt better, she lifted her head. Damon, in wolf form, had been watching her as if ensuring she was okay.
“Damon,” she cried. “Are you okay?”
The sound of his name coming out of her mouth as she addressed a wolf rang so peculiar in her ears. But it was Damon. She knew it was him. Although she might not understand it all yet, she understood both he and the wolf were the same.
He turned and stared at her. In the next second, his body vibrated, and he shifted to his bare human form. Would she ever get used to seeing that magical transformation? So much blood marred his beautiful skin. The gash was now visible on his side.
“Oh my God, Damon. You’re hurt!”
“I’ll heal soon.” His eyes raked over her. “What about you? Do you need medical help?”
She blinked, fascinated by him, and then took a quick look at herself. She might be a little sore and have a bruise or two, but nothing major. “No, I’m fine.” She gazed back at him with appreciation. He’d saved her life. “Thanks to you.”
He walked over to her and offered a hand, helping her up. “I should say the same to you with your quick thinking.”
“How so?” She stared at the dead wolf. “That might have been the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.”
“And bravest. It worked. You distracted him enough that I was finally able to get a good grip on his throat.”
She’d actually helped in a fight between two wolves? More surprising developments barreled into her strange new life. “I’m just relieved you’re okay.”
Damon bowed his head. “I was wrong to keep things from you. I’m sorry.”
She closed her eyes for a moment as she rushed through all that had happened. “I kind of understand why now. Well, not entirely.” She shrugged and then dropped her hands to her sides. “Maybe you can explain things more?”
He nodded. “Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”
She sighed and glanced back across the mountain to where she’d left Damon’s cabin earlier that night, thinking it was for good. Now she wanted nothing more than to return there with him.
“Can we go back to your cabin and sit for a long time? Maybe we can warm up with some hot chocolate and I can start to process everything. And then, you can tell me—well, everything?”
His expression turned solemn. He placed his hand on his bare chest and leaned forward. “Everything.”
Chapter 17
Damon
Damon was certain that he’d lost Sophie forever, but here she was back in his cabin, the way it should be. She sat curled up on the sofa, legs curled up beneath her, and stared out at the mountain. Was she still in shock? She hadn’t said a word and barely moved. Every so often, she’d sip from the Bailey’s hot chocolate that he’d made her.
He didn’t dare interrupt her. Just having her there was enough to give him a sliver of hope that he hadn’t yet destroyed everything between them. His wolf remained aware, but content just having her back with them—at least for the moment.
After Damon cleaned his wounds, which were almost healed due to shifter magic, he put on a pair of shorts. He kept himself occupied to keep from pacing before her, desperate to know what was on her mind. He put dishes away and wiped down counters. He’d communicated to Rafe and Grayson what had happened, but said he couldn’t leave the cabin. His primary concern was taking care of Sophie, and she needed him right now.
Or, maybe it was more accurate that he needed her.
After several more minutes passed, Sophie put down the mug and turned to him. “Tell me about your family.”
He covered his heart as he walked into the living room. “You go right for the wound.” He gave her a weak smile.
She tilted her head. “What does that mean?”
“Because my parents are the reason why I swore I didn’t want a mate.”
Her lips parted. “What happened with them?”
He gazed out the picture window. “We all lived here in the region as part of the Franconia Pack, but didn’t move to the mountain until Rafe purchased the resort. When I was nine, my mother said she was leaving. I asked her to take me with her, but she said I was bett
er off here with the pack. I didn’t understand why. I still don’t.” He choked on those words as a lump in his throat stole his voice. He sipped his hot chocolate.
“Are you all right, Damon?” Her voice was soft and concerned.
He took a deep inhale before facing her. “From now on, Sophie, no secrets. I’ll tell you everything. No matter how painful.”
“Your mother leaving you—that sounds incredibly painful.”
“It was. She left us.” His body trembled and his voice sounded strangled. “She left me. Her only child.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sophie covered her heart and then motioned to the space beside her. “Do you want to sit?”
There was nowhere he’d rather be than near her. He sat at her side and inhaled her fragrance. “Your scent. It calms me. That’s one of the signs that you’re my mate.”
Her lips parted. “One day I hope to understand that.”
He took her hand in his. “It means you’re the other half of my soul. The only one for me.”
She exhaled with a shaky breath. “That sounds so intense.”
“It is. It means—everything to a wolf.”
Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm as she stared at him. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I just want you to know how I feel.” His heartbeat drummed in his ears. “You asked about my family, and I need to tell you what happened. Despite how bad it was when my mother left, it was worse for my father. You see, when a wolf is rejected by his or her mate, it’s brutal agony. Some describe it as losing a part of your soul. My father went downhill, slowly unraveling. He went mad and left the pack.”
“Where did he go?” Sophie’s voice was gentle.
Damon rubbed the bridge of his nose. “He ran off into the forests, living alone—a lost, broken-hearted wolf rejected by his mate.” Damon swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. “His body was found by another pack. He died alone.”
The Reluctant Wolf and His Fated Mate: A Howls Romance (White Mountain Shifters Book 1) Page 12