After a cup of steaming tea, I’ve grown warm enough to shed a few layers, too. I shrug off my coat but leave the scarf Tabitha gave me, loosening it and draping it just so about my shoulders, the way my mémère always wore hers.

“That is a lovely scarf.” Gabriel says as he sets a cookie tray closer to me. “Do you mind if I inspect it?”

I frown. Inspect it? Okay, this guy is definitely a little weird. Still, I can’t see any harm in it, so I unwind the scarf and hand it to him. He brings it to his nose and inhales. “What a beautiful scent. How disappointing it’s not yours.”

This guy is definitely a little strange.

“Oh, is there a scent? It must be my friend Tabitha’s perfume. She gave it to me.”

“Tabitha,” he murmurs. “Lovely name.”

Time for some not-so-subtle probing. “The name ‘Dieter’ is German, correct?”

“And ‘Fabre’ is French. Although you can never tell if someone is actually French or German by their last name. This America was populated by all sorts, as I have found. I’m new to the country as well, as I’m sure you can tell. My accent holds me apart.”

“No, no,” I rush to say. “Your English is very good.”

Gabriel sits back, toasting me with his tea. “I am from many places. I've had a long and varied life. Right now my favorite home is in Italia. Lario. You would say Lake Como. You know it?”

“Lake Como,” I repeat. “Yes. ”

“Have you been there?” he perks up.

“Uh, no.” I nibble a tea biscuit to buy me some time to remember what I know of Lake Como. Wasn't a recent James Bond movie set in a mansion there? “I've heard it's very nice.”

“Oh yes, you must visit.”

“I think my friend Tabitha actually has been there.”

He leans forward. “Has she?” He brings the scarf to his nose again. “That would make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is of no matter.” He adjusts his glasses.

A dark shape between the trees makes me start. Gabriel’s head whips around.

A man clad all in black marches up to the tea house, stopping in front of the steps. He doesn't look like a resort staff member, even though the black military pants and black flak jacket looks like a uniform of sorts. “Sir,” he says with a crisp nod.

“Ah, excuse me,” Gabriel says to me, rising and giving me a small bow. “I must confer with my employee. A small matter.”

“Of course.”

Gabriel bundles up again and heads outside to speak to his employee. I pretend to ignore the two men’s conversation, but can’t help hearing the rapid waterfall of Gabriel’s commanding voice. He speaks another language, but it doesn’t sound like German. Maybe a dialect? Definitely not Italian.

I eat two more bites of cookie and crumble the rest onto my plate. Gabriel ends the mostly one-sided conversation with a series of what sounds like strict commands.

I smile up at him as he returns and gives another bow. “Forgive me for the interruption.”

“It's all right. I should probably get back to the house.”

He sails to my side and pulls out my chair. He even holds up my jacket for me to easily shrug into it.

“I shall walk you home,” he announces, taking up his gloves and coming to my side. He sweeps out a hand. “Shall we?”

There’s no reason to refuse, so I head back down the path, and he falls into step beside me.

When we come to the fork of the path, I slow my steps. “This is where I got turned around.” I admit. “I expected to find the ski lift.”

“It’s that way.” He gestures, and we continue down the proper path, following my boot prints.

Something occurs to me. “That tea house… was it part of the ski mountain?” I assumed it was.

“Not exactly.” Dieter says. He points to a tree marked with a small pink tag I didn’t notice before. “This is the boundary of my property.”

“You own all this?” I blurt and recover my surprise. “It's beautiful.” I’m filing away things to tell Tabitha.

“You are too kind. The place where you are staying, it is beautiful as well?”

“Definitely. It’s up there.” I nod to the mansion’s watchtower, which we can see through the trees.

“Oh yes. The place owned by the King conglomerate. Of course. Wolf’s Rest, I’ve heard it called.”

“Wolf’s Rest. That’s nice. My…friend…and I are visiting while they are away.” For some reason, I blush.

“A private getaway. It is very romantic, no? The snow?”

Gabriel isn’t looking at me, but I get the sense that something's off. I’m not afraid, but my skin pickles.

I clear my throat. “You don't have to walk me all the way. I can find my way from here.”

“Are you sure? I’d love to meet your friend. The wolf of Wolf’s Rest.”

“Uh,” I say because I’m not sure when Rafe is getting back. And did Dieter just call Rafe a wolf?

Tags: Lee Savino, Renee Rose Shifter Ops Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net