Her heart jolted. She furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”
“You said being together might get that itch out of our systems. It did the opposite for me. Because all I want to do is scratch and scratch and scratch.” The mischievous grin returned.
She laughed. Damn, he nailed her feelings dead on. She bit her lip before admitting, “I know what you mean.”
He leaned forward and pinned his intense blue eyes on her, appearing far more serious than he had a moment ago. “Did you feel it between us last night?”
She shifted in her chair. “Feel what exactly?” She asked, although she guessed she knew what he meant.
He swallowed. “This.” He motioned between them. “The magic that connects us.” He cocked his head and lowered his gaze to her mouth. “I saw your fangs, and I’m guessing you saw mine.”
She averted meeting his gaze. Her lips twitched as she recalled that almost uncontrollable desire to claim him as her mate. “Yes, I did.” she admitted. She crossed her legs and then uncrossed them.
“You know what it means.” His voice had a low, sensual undertone.
She raised her gaze to meet his. He watched her with his intense stare.
Her lips parted, and she sighed. “But what can we do about it?” She raised her hand palm up. “We only have this short week together. Anything beyond that is impossible.”
He shook his head. “I disagree. We’ll find a way.”
Doubtful, she frowned and asked, “How?”
He stared out the window and then cleared his throat. “We convince your father that we’re all better off living together without forbidden borders. You’re right—all the lands should be free for us to roam, not just limited to territories.”
A wave of guilt swelled within her. She was supposed to be working with Rafe on a peaceful resolution from the beginning, not deceive him. Things had changed, and she now wanted what he did. Being able to accomplish that task was a far bigger challenge.
She sighed. “Yes, of course I’ll try, Rafe, but I don’t know how much impact I’ll have on him,” she admitted.
Rafe leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. “Together, we can do great things, Mila. I’m sure of it.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “We’ll think of something.”
By the moon and stars, she hoped so.
After he left,Mila roamed around his cabin while the soft sound of classical music played in the background. He’d said he liked to listen to energizing songs in the morning to get him moving and gentler ones at night as it helped him unwind.
Although he’d said he didn’t trust her, he had to be starting to do so. Otherwise, why would he invite her here and let her stay alone? She could already be searching through all his things, discovering vulnerabilities to help bring him down.
Instead, she padded barefoot over the hardwood floors and bright scattered rugs to learn more about him. She ran her fingers over books on the large dark wooden bookshelf in his living room. He had a wide array of books on many subjects. The ones that intrigued her most were those focused on the trees, plants, and animals found in the White Mountains. He also had a number of them focused on hiking trails in the region. This collection gave her more insight into him, further breaking the impression painted by her pack of him being a ruthless developer. He clearly had an interest in nature and hopefully a respect for it as well.
Mila sat down with a few of those books and flipped through them for the next hour. The book on hikes inspired her to take one. She found a guide to the resort on his desk and noted the hiking trails. She left his house and found one nearby that led up the mountain, cutting through various pines, spruces, birches, and oaks. The aromatic scent of the forests soothed her as it always did. She thought through their predicament, seeking an answer.
She’d fallen for the alpha of an enemy pack. There was no doubt he was her mate. The only problem was that her pack—and especially her father—would never, ever permit that.
Rafe returnedto the cabin for lunch. While they ate delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup they’d prepared together, they chatted about their morning and their troublesome situation.
He gazed at her with admiration in his intense blue eyes. “I think you’re key to bringing our packs together.”
“How?”
“You have a relationship with both alphas.” He gestured toward her and then himself. “Maybe you can get us to see sense.”
A lightness spread in her chest. Rafe trusting that she could have an impact on something so monumental meant something—he believed in her.
She grinned. “You want me to deal with two stubborn alphas? Talk about pressure. That won’t be easy.”
He laughed. “I think we need to start at the beginning. Maybe if we go back to how this rift began, we can come to some sort of understanding between our packs.”
“What exactly do you have in mind?” she asked.
