Protected Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #1) (13 page)

Chloe shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t do bored well.” She paused, her eyes narrowing on him. “Did you talk to the police chief?”

“Yup. He’s got plenty to work with from Jake’s online snooping. In the meantime, he’ll be able to hold Seth and Randall on felony charges for the kidnapping, so you won’t need to worry about that. In the meantime, we wait. I’m sure you’ve noticed most of the town is freaking out. The news about Callen is ugly.”

Chloe nodded soberly. “I know. I wish we knew everything, like who was behind it, who Callen knew and so on. He put all of the shifters here at risk. It scares me we don’t know more yet.”

Dane’s throat tightened at her words. He hadn’t doubted she planned to stay in Catamount, but to hear her concern meant more than he could say. She’d accepted him and the other shifters—their safety, and by extension, their very future, mattered to her. He met her eyes, bringing his focus to the moment again.

“You and me both. We’re working on it. In the meantime, we haven’t talked about it, but I’m wondering what your plans are for Thanksgiving? I’m hoping you’ll stay here, but I know you might want to go visit your family.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of it.

She smiled softly. “I was planning to ask you. I mean, I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere, but I didn’t know what you usually did at the holidays. I thought maybe we could have Thanksgiving here, and I could take you to meet my family later.”

Dane’s heart thudded against his ribcage, the lion inside him purring. The idea of having her here with him during a time that represented family and blessings meant so much, his heart clenched. He smiled at her. “Sounds great.”

When they walked outside a few minutes later, snow was falling softly. Giant flakes fluttered down from the sky, sparkling in the streetlights.

Epilogue

Chloe walked across the street to Roxanne’s store. Snow blanketed the ground. A few lingering bright fall leaves swirled in the air, dotting the snow with splashes of color. As she walked up the stairs to the door, it swung open, Roxanne’s smiling face behind it.

“Hey there, you’re early. Let me get that,” Roxanne said, removing a warm casserole pan from Chloe’s hands.

Dane had explained that even before his parents passed away, they usually spent Thanksgiving dinner at Roxanne’s store with a few other local families. The tradition had been established before this generation, but it continued without interruption. Dane was meeting her here after a quick stop at his office to set a broken arm for a little boy who thought riding his bike on the icy street was a good idea this morning.

Chloe followed Roxanne into the store, weaving her way through the aisles. When she reached the deli and coffee shop area, she discovered it had been transformed. The small round tables had been stacked against the wall and two long tables had been pushed together with enough seating for over twenty people. The entire store was scented with delicious food. Roxanne quickly set Chloe to work ladling fresh brewed hard cider and slicing loaves of herbed breads as Roxanne pulled them out of the oven.

Within the hour, the area was filled with people. Chloe had met most of them. Roxanne made sure she was introduced to anyone she didn’t already know. Chloe thought back over the last month and found it hard to believe she felt so at home in Catamount. She simply did and didn’t care to question it. When she was with Dane, her heart thrummed with joy and desire every moment. As she’d known that evening in the woods when he found her in the cave, the connection between them was so powerful, it spoke for itself. The community had gone from being polite and somewhat reserved to welcoming her with open arms. The aftermath of the kidnapping lingered in town and within her, but the event seemed to have brought the community to rally around her. The shifters knew she accepted them.

The only blot on her happiness was the undercurrent of fear and sadness around Callen, his death, and what the town had since learned about him. Betrayal and fear ran high when his name came up. Chloe had a few opportunities to spend time with Shana and felt deeply for her. Though she couldn’t say she understood Shana’s experience entirely, she understood what it was like to find out someone you trusted was not the person you believed them to be. She hoped for Shana’s sake that she would find a way past it. As for the shifters, the investigation continued into who else was behind Callen’s planning. Dane kept her up to date and had explained the investigation had tentacles reaching from Maine to South Dakota and Montana. Time would tell what they learned.

Chloe glanced up when she heard her name. Dane was weaving his way through the room to her side. The faint scent of wood smoke clung to him. She leaned up to kiss him, flushing when he pulled her close and swept his tongue into her mouth. He never did anything halfway, and one kiss took her breath away.

“How many times do I have to remind you to take it easy?” Roxanne’s question broke through the haze of passion.

Chloe flushed when Dane pulled away. Dane shrugged with a grin, entirely unrepentant. “I’d say I was sorry, but I’m not.”

Roxanne swatted him on the shoulder. “Be glad I like her, or I might make it much more awkward for you.”

The next few hours passed in a blur of food, wine, cider, and an overwhelming sense of belonging. After Thanksgiving dinner had been served and everyone stuffed beyond reason, Chloe rode beside Dane as he drove home through the quiet night. Leaves blew across the road in the path of his headlights. When they walked inside, Dane started a fire in the fireplace in his bedroom. Chloe sat on the small couch by the fire, her legs resting across Dane’s lap.

He turned to her, his blue-gray eyes intent on her. Holding her gaze, he reached for a small wooden box sitting on the table beside the couch. He held it in his palm, his eyes pinned to hers. “I knew it the night I met you. There is no one for me but you. I considered waiting, but I don’t want there to be any question about my intent. If you tell me you’re not ready, I’ll wait.”

He handed her the box, warm from his touch. Her heart beat wildly—joy and anticipation laced with uncertainty flashed through her. The box was old, the wood a deep, rich brown. Carvings covered its surface. She held it closer and saw intricate carvings of mountain lions on every face of the box. She lifted the lid and gasped. A gorgeous ring set with emeralds and diamonds was nestled inside.

Her eyes flew to Dane’s. For the first time ever, she saw the slightest hint of uncertainty in the depths of his gaze. “I chose the emerald because it reminds me of your eyes.”

“Oh, oh…” Tears sprang to her eyes. Her mind went wild for a split second, the planner in her ready to point out how rash it would be to agree marry Dane so soon. But her heart knew the truth and calmly told her mind to stop worrying unnecessarily.

“There’s no need to wait,” she said simply.

Dane’s breath came out in a rush. He tugged her onto his lap. “Even though I’ve known you were meant for me the moment I met you, I didn’t know what to do if you weren’t sure. I’d have waited…”

Chloe’s heart flew with joy, so full she could barely contain the feeling. She cut his words off with a soft kiss. “But you don’t need to.”

Dane’s forehead fell to hers, his lips landing on hers in the softest of kisses.

~The End~

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Please enjoy the following excerpt from
Chosen Mate
, the next book in the Catamount Lion Shifters Series!

(Excerpt from CHOSEN MATE, CATAMOUNT LION SHIFTERS, BOOK 2 by J.H. Croix; all rights reserved)

Chapter 1

Jake North woke with a jump when the door to his office opened. “Huh?” he said groggily.

“Seriously, Jake? Did you sleep here last night?”

Jake rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, looking up to find Phoebe Devine standing beside his desk.

“I guess so,” he said. He sat up straighter and rolled his neck from one side to the other, a weak effort at easing the tension from sleeping in his desk chair. Glancing at his computer, he saw it was still on. Multiple screens were loaded with the searches he’d been working on last night.

Phoebe smiled softly and handed him a cup of coffee in the distinctive bright blue takeout cups from Roxanne’s Country Store. He gratefully took it, immediately taking a swallow, the rich flavor welcome.

“Thank you,” he said. “To what do I owe this morning gift?”

Phoebe plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. “I thought I’d check in since your car is covered in about a foot of snow. I figured you’d stayed late and fallen asleep.” She paused, her dark brown eyes concerned. “You’ve been working so hard on this investigation since Callen died. I know how important it is, but I’m worried about you. It wouldn’t hurt to take a break every so often,” she said softly.

Jake took another sip of coffee and looked across his desk at Phoebe. She was a good friend. One of the few friends he could trust in the aftermath of the bombshell that had dropped in Catamount, Maine, a community along the vein of Maine forest through which the Appalachian Trail traversed. Just over a month ago, a mountain lion had been killed on a highway in Connecticut. Turned out, the mountain lion in question was a shifter from Catamount – Callen, a shifter from an old family of shifters. Jake’s family was as old and storied as Callen’s. Both were founding families of Catamount, one of the oldest and most well-protected shifter strongholds in the East.

As if Callen’s death weren’t devastating enough, Jake had started sleuthing in Callen’s email accounts at the request of Callen’s brother-in-law, Dane who also happened to be Jake’s closest friend. Jake’s expertise was computers, specifically writing code and hacking. Most of his hacking was above-board, but when needed, he could chase down almost anything. In this case, he wasn’t so sure if that was a good thing or not. Though he still didn’t know why Callen died on that highway, he knew Callen had been coordinating for Catamount shifters to be used for drug smuggling activities by someone out West. That nugget of knowledge had exploded into public view after Dane’s new fiancée, Chloe, had been kidnapped to use as leverage last week. Chloe was safe and sound now, but no one knew who to trust because it was clear Callen hadn’t been working alone.

While the shifter community had been reeling from Callen’s death, they now had to grapple with an overwhelming sense of betrayal and fear. In the secretive world of shifters, trust was hard enough to come by. With shifter safety and existence at stake, Jake had been working relentlessly the last few weeks. Centuries of protection were at risk due to Callen’s betrayal. Jake looked at Phoebe, taking in her dark eyes and long dark curls. Concern shone in her expression. He sighed. “I know, I know. I should take a break, but we have to get to the bottom of this. After what happened to Chloe…”

“Stop it,” Phoebe ordered, cutting him off. “We all know Catamount shifters are in danger right now, but a few hours of sleep isn’t going to change that. Plus, you’re not much good to anyone if you can hardly keep your eyes open.”

Jake grinned. “True. Well since I missed a good night’s sleep last night, will you take my word for it that I promise I’ll leave the office tonight by seven and go home?”

Phoebe shook her head. “Nope. I’ll meet you here and make sure you leave. You’re having dinner at my place tonight. After you have a decent meal, then I’ll make sure you go home.”

He chuckled. “You don’t even trust me to go home afterwards?”

Phoebe smiled broadly. “Definitely not. I know you. You’ll talk yourself into driving back to the office because you’ll feel better after a decent meal. You need sleep, and I’ve decided to make sure you’re going to get it. That’s what friends are for,” she said firmly.

Relief and appreciation washed through him. He’d been pushing himself so hard, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a decent meal. He’d even skipped Thanksgiving dinner yesterday because he’d been deep in the files of one of Callen’s contacts out in Montana.

“Is Shana still staying with you?” he asked.

Shana was Dane’s younger sister, Callen’s widow, and Phoebe’s best friend. She was completely devastated to learn about what Callen had been planning. Shana was a shifter as well, also from a founding family in Catamount. She was struggling to adjust to the knowledge that the man she loved had put the entire shifter community in Catamount at risk by revealing who, what, and where they were. Even worse, he’d planned to make money off of them. Shana had been staying with Phoebe since they discovered what happened to Callen.

Phoebe shook her head. “She said she felt like she had to face what happened. She moved into the old guesthouse on Dane’s property. She’s been over almost every day, but she’s not staying with me anymore.”

Jake nodded. After another swallow of coffee, he stood and stretched. “How about I take you to breakfast?”

“Only if you promise to meet me for dinner tonight and go home afterwards.”

Jake couldn’t help but smile. Phoebe was nothing if not protective of her friends. “I promise,” he said firmly.

***

Phoebe absently ran her finger around the rim of her wineglass. “Well do you think the Fish & Wildlife guy in Montana is bad news or not?”

Jake arched a brow. “The problem is my gut tells me he’s a good guy, but the computer trail isn’t pretty. He was a main point of contact for Callen out there.”

“So why do you think he’s a good guy?”

Jake shrugged. “No good reason.” He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the man in question seemed to have discouraged Callen from something he was planning. The details were vague, but Jake just didn’t get the sense the guy was in cahoots with Callen.

Phoebe pursed her lips. “Well, you can’t trust him then.”

Jake chuckled. “The list of people I trust is very short right now. I won’t be adding anyone without extensive checking first. Aside from you, my parents, my sister, Dane, Shana, and Roxanne are about the only people on it.”