The Cougar's Timid Little Lynx (Sweet Water) (4 page)

A lone tear slipped down her cheek
, and she hastily wiped it away. It was humiliating that others were seeing her reactions, and she didn’t know why she was breaking down over an office visit, but looking into the cougar’s blue eyes showed Alice that he understood what was going through her at this exact moment. Alice didn’t even try masking it, because there really was no use in hiding it.

“Thank you.” With that she turned and walked back to her car as fast as she could
. The very world was crashing down right around her, and she didn’t know if that was good or bad.

Luke sat in front of his television, but it wasn’t on, and he had been staring at the black screen for the past hour. He had left the office for the day hours ago, and the sun was starting to set. The glow of orange and pink
from the setting sun washed through the picture window to his right, and despite the fact he had no lights on, the room was aglow. All he had been able to think about was Alice Stratton. Once she had left he had gone back to his office, sat in his chair, and forced himself not to tear the fucking office apart. Her pain had been so tangible that it had wrapped around him like a thick, suffocating cloak, strangling him until he hadn’t even been able to breathe. Her emotions had been so open as she stared into his eyes, that he had felt everything. That included her degradation, fear, horror, and sadness. A male had hurt her, that much his animal had gathered from the short time he had been in her presence. He had also scented that her lynx was inside of her, and that the animal was strong, but that it was frightened. What had happened to her that her lynx didn’t have the strength to fight back, to unsheathe its claws and show the world that it existed? And then she had started to cry, and his fucking cougar went ballistic. He was still shaking from the intensity with which he wanted to go to her, wrap her in his arms, and make sure no motherfucker ever came near her again.

His whole body was tense, and his muscles clenched and unclenched with the force it
took for him to not shift. He needed to, though, needed to run through the forest that lined his property, and destroy something, whether it was a thick oak or a deer, he needed someone tearing under his claws. He was a fury of emotion and rage, and he didn’t really think going to Alice would make the situation any better. She may have allowed him to see her soul bared, but that didn’t mean he still didn’t frighten her. Hell, he was scared of finding his mate as well, and didn’t think it would ever happen to him. He didn’t have any kind of trust left in himself, had given up hope that he would ever find
his
female, but then she had literally walked into his life, and every uncertainty inside of him had vanished. The physician inside of him wanted to heal her the only way a mate could, but his human and cougar both wanted to take her close, whisper that everything would be okay because he would fucking make sure it was, and never let her go.

At first he hadn’t known how to feel about finding out she was his mate, or that she had a child with another male, but none of that mattered, because he would make sure he was the best fucking mate to her, and be the male figure her little girl needed in her life.
He just needed to figure out how to win her over, and how to show her that he only meant good. Luke knew it would be hard, didn’t know how well it would work out in the end, to be honest, but he also knew with every part of his soul he was willing to try. There was no jealousy or animosity that she had been with another male, and that relationship had created a little girl, because he just wanted Alice, and with that came everything else in her life. But how could he show her that, and make her see that she had nothing to fear from him? How could he make her believe him when he told her he would do everything possible to be the male she and Joey needed?

He had spent far too long living in this cave inside of himself, and erecting this wall around his emotions, but all it had taken was the scent of honeysuckle to have his wall cracking, and him emerging from that dark cave.

He needed to run and get rid of this energy and rage inside of him. He stood and took off his button-down shirt, pulled his belt free from his khakis, and pushed his pants and boxer briefs down. He could have just gone into the basement and worked out all of this wild frustration, but shifting and running free would help ease him a hell of a lot better than some weights ever could. He pushed open the sliding glass doors and stepped out onto the deck. The wind blew over his naked body, and he let his cougar come forth and take control. The power that surged through him was a heady sensation, and once he was standing on all four legs, he let his low growl of pleasure spill from him. It felt fucking good to be in his animal form, and although at this moment his cougar was the one in control, he let his human side revel in the fact that all he needed to worry about was where his instincts took him. That was what he let guide him off the deck and into the thick woods that he owned right outside of his backdoor. He ran as fast and hard as he could, loving the way his muscles warmed and constricted every time his paws slammed onto the ground. The smell of small animals scurrying away, sensing the predator in him, had him moving harder and growling out in satisfaction.

The wind picked up, blowing from the north and he faltered in his step as the scent from
the object that had consumed his thoughts all day filled his nose. He abruptly stopped, lifted his head in the air, and inhaled deeply. A low rumble left him at the sweet smell of Alice, and he couldn’t help but follow the arousing aroma. The smell was faint, but he was her mate, and therefore more attuned to everything that was her, even if they had only realized each other’s existence hours before.

The land started to slope down
, and then he was standing right on the edge of the tree line, and staring at the small cottage style house that he knew his mate was inside of. As if to further solidify the fact she was in there, he spotted her walk by the kitchen window. She stopped, but her head was downcast. As if she sensed his presence, she lifted her head and started scanning the forest. He was deep within the forest, hidden by thick tree trunks and shadows. The scent he smelled was residual, and all he wanted was for her to walk outside so he could see and smell her better. The wind was blowing the wrong direction for her to smell his animal, so when she opened the kitchen window just enough that the breeze kicked over her, he knew she wouldn’t be able to sense him in the physical sense. Regardless, he took another step backward, knowing watching her like this was wrong on so many levels, but not able to pull himself away.

Fate was a clever bitch. Not only
did his mate walk right into his practice when he had all but given up hope on finding a female, but now he had just found out Alice was his fucking neighbor, and only a mile from his home.

She closed the window when it was clear she couldn’t pick up on his presence, and turned away from the window. It was only then that he allowed himself to head back home, intent on going to her and explaining that he wasn’t going to walk away, like he was sure she was hoping for
, and that he would never harm her or Joey. Even if it took him the rest of his fucking life to prove he was worthy of her, he would do it until his last breath.

****

Alice brought her coffee mug to her lips and stared out her back window. The woods that lined her yard weren’t owned by her landlord and were private property, so the option to take a run or even a hike with Joey was not really an option, not unless she wanted to trespass. The wilderness called to her on a primitive level. It was a new feeling to her, because Joshua had beaten her mentally, physically, and emotionally so that she was nothing but a female that went about life like a robot. She gazed upon he daughter as Joey played on the grass, and a smile curved her mouth. Her little girl may have been the product of her husband taking her forcefully and against her will one night, but Alice would never regret that night, not when she had this beautiful little girl that she could hold onto every day. Joey had all the love Alice had been denied when she was younger, and even when she was with Joshua.

Joey glanced up and waved at her enthusiastically, and a grin broke out over Alice’s face.
Joey had been the only one to ever make Alice smile since she had let her life be over. It had been several days since she left the doctor’s office, and Joey was doing much better. She had expected the doctor to come looking for her, but when he didn’t come for her the next day, or the day after that she found herself relaxing. Maybe he didn’t want her? Maybe she had gotten herself worked up for no reason, and she didn’t have to contemplate actually leaving Sweet Water? It seemed running away from her problems was what Alice was good at, and despite the fact she didn’t really want to leave, didn’t want to have to uproot Joey once again, she also had a lot of fear of the unknown. Joey went back to playing with her toys, and just as Alice went to join her daughter outside the doorbell rang. Her heart immediately started to jackknife in her chest. Had she spoken too soon about the cougar leaving her alone? Aside from taking Joey to get checked out, and running a few errands for food and other supplies, she had kept to herself.

Knocking on the window and gesturing for Joey to come inside, she waited until the backdoor opened and closed and her daughter was running into the kitchen
, before she went to the front door.

“Momma, I was playing.”

“I know, sweetie.” Her paranoia stemmed from her abuse with Joshua, and she hoped she could overcome that with time, but right now she was ever alert. “Go wait in the living room.” She went to the door when Joey was seated on the couch, and looked out the side window. A man in a florist’s uniform stood on the other side, a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms. A frown puckered the area between her eyes. She opened the door and stared at the vase filled with bright colored flowers, and then lifted her eyes to the young guy who held them.

“I have a delivery for Ms. Alice Stratton.”

“I’m Alice.” He handed her a small electronic pad, and she signed her name before taking the flowers. She shut the door and stood there for a moment just staring down at them. When she was able to snap herself out of the haze of stunned confusion over someone having sent her flowers, she carried the overflowing vase to the kitchen. Joey ran after her, jumping up and down and a look of excitement on her face.

“Are those for me,
Momma?” She was still jumping up and down, her twin pigtails bouncing around. Alice couldn’t help but laugh at her daughter’s enthusiasm.

“I have a feeling they might be.” She smiled down at Joey. “Well, let’s see who they are from.” Alice already knew who had sent them, even before she had the small card in her hand
and was reading it.

I didn’t mean to offend you at the office, and hope these flowers help to rectify my stupidity. I’d like to start over, and take you and Joey out one of these days. We do have a lot to talk about. I won’t rush you, but do hope you’ll call.

Luke

She read the note three different times, and all but memorized his number that was scrawled at the bottom. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and the part of the note that stuck out the most was where he said he wanted to take her
and
Joey out. Her damn tears threaten to spill again, because there had been very few people that had been this kind to her. But despite Luke being her mate, they didn’t know each other, and surely he knew that nothing could come between them. He sensed how ruined she was, and what sane male would want to be strapped with that? But Luke did seem different from anyone she had ever met, and he was extending that genuine kindness to her daughter as well.

“Momma, who are they from
? Who are they from?” Joey repeated herself a few more times, and Alice ran the hand that wasn’t holding the tiny card over her daughter’s hair. She couldn’t stop looking at his phone number, but when Joey started tugging on her shirt Alice drew her attention away from the masculine scrawl and looked at her daughter. “Who are they from, Momma? Can I have that pretty red one?”

Alice looked at the flowers, ones that had to cost a fortune, and picked out a beautiful red rose for Joey. She handed her the flower
, and her little face lit up.

“Doctor Landon sent these pretty flowers
for us. Wasn’t that nice of him?” The last part came from her in a whisper, but Joey was too enamored over the rose, and didn’t pay attention anyway.

“Momma, can I go back and play now?” Joey tugged on the hem of her shirt until she was looking down at her again.

“Yeah, sweetie.” Alice set the card on the table, took one more look at the flowers, and sighed. What was she doing? Was she actually contemplating calling him, or would she just ignore the olive branch he was handing her, and hope that she could forget about Luke Landon and everything that came with being his mate? Did she also want to hope that he did the same?

Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked out back to spend a little time with Joey. There was always tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, to decide how she was going to proceed. A relationship was not what she wanted, but that didn’t mean a friendship
had to be out of the question, right? But could she actually just be friends with the male that was her mate, or the better question was, could he? She just hoped that whatever decision she came to would be the best one for her and Joey, and that Luke would understand.