The other Lycan’s eyes flashed with his wolf the moment they landed on Eli, and the wolf practically slammed its body into his human host, fighting to break free and lunge at Eli. His own inner wolf, on the other hand, reared back, fangs bared, ready to defend them and their mate.
“Logan, right?” Olivia’s sweet voice broke through the tension. “Silke sent us. She said you could help us with the horses? We’d like to go on the trail.”
Logan kept his eyes on Olivia. “You ride?”
“Here and there.”
He grunted and pushed off the fence. “I’ll saddle up Biscuit for you. She’s gentle but she’s got stamina for the longer trails.” He was already moving toward the stable doors. “The ridge trail ends at the lake. About an hour each way.”
“What about me?” Eli asked.
Logan stopped but didn’t turn around. His shoulders were locked tight. “Duke. He’s steady. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, he won’t dump you.” He paused. “Horses don’t like Lycans. They can sense what we are. I’ll introduce you so they don’t spook.”
“Is that true?” Eli asked Olivia once Logan disappeared into the stables.
She nodded, then bit her lip. “Hmmm, maybe we shouldn’t ride. If you’ve never been around horses, then I don’t want you to get hurt.”
But he saw the disappointment in her face so he said, “I’ll manage.” Then added. “Any tips?”
“Well, Uncle Jackson—that’s the Shenandoah Alpha—told us that the first few times we were around horses, we had to keep our Lycan side suppressed. Not held back, mind you because then that would make your inner wolf nervous or angry and then you’ll have two wild animals on your hands. He said just relax, put your wolf deep inside you until it’s nearly asleep.” She inhaled long and deep, closed her eyes briefly, and then exhaled. Sure enough, Eli sensed her wolf lay down, its presence fading away. Not quite gone, but deep inside of her.
“Try it.”
Taking a deep breath, he did as she said. His inner wolf bristled, still wary with Logan in the vicinity. Eli urged it to stay calm and assured it there was nothing to worry about until it lay down and placed its head on its paws.
“There,” Olivia said. “You did it.”
“I did.”
Logan returned, bringing the horses out one at a time. Eli observed him carefully, as for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how the horses weren’t spooked by Logan’s practically feral wolf. He placed his hand on each animal’s neck and murmured words Eli couldn’t hear, and the horses settled. Whateveragitation they felt at having Lycans nearby, Logan smoothed it out with a touch.
He helped Olivia mount first. She swung up into the saddle with an ease that surprised the unflappable Logan. Obviously, the other Lycan wasn’t expecting Olivia to be an expert horsewoman. Eli, on the other hand, couldn’t help but admire her confidence and of course, her slender form as she sat atop the horse, gathering her reins and adjusting her seat.
For Eli, getting on Duke was less graceful. The horse gave him a look of disdain that Eli probably deserved. Logan showed him how to hold the reins without yanking on them.
“The trail’s marked,” Logan said, addressing Olivia. “Stay on it and you’ll hit the lake. Don’t let him pull the reins.” That last part was directed at Eli. “He’s smarter than you.” Then he trudged back to the stables without another word.
They rode out along a trail that wound through the pines and up a gentle ridge. Olivia took the lead, and Eli was content to follow, watching the way she moved with the horse, her silver hair catching the light. She looked happy. Actually happy. Her smile was easy, her body relaxed in the saddle, and she laughed out loud when Biscuit broke into a trot and Duke refused to follow.
“You’re a natural,” he said when she dropped back beside him.
“You’re a natural—disaster that is,” she said wryly. “But Duke seems to like you anyway.”
The trail opened up after about forty minutes, the trees thinning to reveal the lake below. The water was still and blue-green, with a wooden dock jutting out over the surface. The mountains were like a painted backdrop in one of Sabrina’s canvasses, perfect in every way.
They tied the horses to a post near the tree line where they could graze. Olivia walked out onto the deck and stood at theedge, facing the water. The breeze blew through her hair and she closed her eyes. Eli watched her for a moment, then directed his gaze out at the forest surrounding the lake. His wolf stirred, restless.
“When’s the last time you shifted?” he asked.
Olivia’s eyes flew open. “Months. My jobs are always in cities. Paris, Hong Kong, Milan. There’s never any space.”
“There’s lots of space now.”
He saw it hit her, the realization of what he was offering. “Are you serious?”
“No one’s around for miles.”
She grinned at him. “Last one to change is a rotten egg!”
