Bo picked them up twenty minutes later and dropped them off at the lodge. Hawk and Ink were on the front deck with power tools, replacing some warped boards, and Snake was hauling lumber from the back of a truck. Inside, Silke was at the front desk with a clipboard and a pen tucked behind her ear. Her face lit up when they walked in.
“Welcome to the Seven Peaks main lodge.” She gestured around her like a proud parent.
“Silke, this place is amazing,” Olivia said, and she meant it. From the outside, it was all rustic charm—reddish log walls, stone chimney, and lush pine trees surrounded the building. But inside, it opened up into a sprawling lobby with high ceilings, exposed beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the mountains. A massive stone fireplace anchored one end of the room, and handcrafted settees and sofas piled with comfortable cushions and flannel blankets surrounded it invitingly.
Even Eli let out a whistle. “This is special.”
Silke glowed under their praise. “She’s my baby,” she said. “But this baby’s getting some much-needed TLC.” She gestured vaguely at a light fixture hanging at an angle. “And since we’ve been at capacity for guests and events the past couple of months, I thought we could all use a breather. We’re gonna have a barbecue on the deck later, once all the work is done.”
“Can we help with anything?” Eli offered.
“Pshaw,” Silke said with a wave of her hand. “You’re guests here. Now, you should come and have our famous breakfast. Since we already planned the menu for the week, I just asked our kitchen staff to prepare everything like they usually do if we had guests, since the crew will need the energy.”
Silke led them into the restaurant, a warm, paneled room off to the side of the reception area with checkered tablecloths and a view of the front deck. The buffet table was heavily laden with all kinds of breakfast food, from baskets of rolls, croissants, and sourdough to piles of eggs, bacon, and sausages warming under heat lamps. Olivia made a beeline for the waffle station, piling her plate with a full stack. Eli let out a sigh, then added an extra helping of fries on his plate. She smiled to herself as she walked back to their table.
Oh God, I love him so much.
She stopped short, the waffles nearly sliding off her plate from the momentum.
I do?
She blinked, glanced over her shoulder at him as he carefully picked at the pile of crispy bacon.
Yes, I do.
“Everything okay?” Silke cocked her head to the side. “You seem … I don’t know. Shocked or something. Like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“M-me?” she stammered. “I’m fine. Just fine. And hungry.” Sliding past Silke, she headed to the table and put her plate down.
I love him. I love him.
“Olivia?”
Eli’s voice jolted her from her reverie. Her head snapped up. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
I love you.“Yeah, I’m fine. Just hungry.” She attempted to sound casual, but her words ended up sounded singsongy. Panic rose in her. What was she going to do now? Should she tell him? What if he didn’t feel the same way?
Her wolf, on the other hand, remained cool and calm. Smug even, as if it had known before her.
“I don’t know how you True Mates pack away so much food,” Silke declared as she sat down on the chair next to Olivia. “If I wasn’t busy running around the place, this French Toast would go straight to my—” She clamped her mouth shut, as something by the entrance caught her attention.
The main lodge doors opened, and three women entered. The first was older, perhaps sixties, with steel-gray hair swept back from an angular face. She wore a long charcoal coat despite the mild weather, and her posture was rigid and steel-straight. The two others were younger, one blonde, one dark-haired, early to mid twenties, if Olivia guessed correctly.
“Ah,” Silke said under her breath. “That’s Margaux Featherstone, the coven’s matriarch. Give me one second. Ransom’s been waiting all morning in the back office, I’m sure he wants this over as soon as possible.”
She crossed the restaurant before the group made it past the lobby, intercepting them with an easy smile. From where she sat, Olivia couldn’t hear what Silke said, but the matriarch gave a curt nod and allowed herself to be steered down the hallway toward the back office where Ransom was presumably waiting. The two younger women were left standing in the lobby, looking around.
“All right, that’s taken care of.” Silke reappeared moments later, slightly out of breath. “Let me introduce you to the girls. They’re really nice.” She waved a hand to catch their attention, then gestured for them to come over. Only the blonde one teetered over, her spiky heels clack-clacking on the hardwood floors.
“Hey, Silke,” she greeted. “I love what you’ve done in here.”
“Thanks, Tabitha.” Silke beamed. “Would you like to have some breakfast?”
“No, thank you, we ate before we came here. Though I do love your croissants.”
“I’ll tell the chef. By the way, this is Olivia and Eli. Friends from out of town. They’re staying with us for a bit. Guys, this is Tabitha Featherstone.”
