Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2)

by J. H. Croix

  Jake held still for a long moment, his eyes locked to hers. He leaned on his elbows and laced his hands in hers and began to move. In slow, tantalizing strokes, he notched her higher and higher into an arc of pleasure. His hot length filled her again and again. She curled her legs around him, pulling him so close against her, they moved as one. His hands pinned hers by her head as he rocked deeper and deeper into her. She felt surrounded by his body, encompassed in dizzying passion and intimacy at once. Shudders began in her center and spiraled outward until she finally tumbled over the edge again, climaxing around him. His back arched as he surged deeply into her one last time. She felt the pulse of him inside her, her channel throbbing with her lingering climax as his brought his body to a tense arch before he collapsed against her with a growl.

  They lay still in the quiet, breathing in rhythm. As reality settled into her awareness, Phoebe couldn’t believe she was lying here with Jake inside of her, skin to skin. He shifted his weight to the side and leaned on one elbow. She opened her eyes to find his locked on her. He stroked a stray lock of hair away from her forehead. Uncertain what to say, she simply watched him. She wasn’t ready for this moment to end, but was afraid if she said anything, it would shatter the bare intimacy between them.

  Jake took a deep breath, his mouth curling in a small smile. He leaned forward and brought his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, he gave her a long look as his palm rested warm on her belly, his thumb idly stroking her. Without a word, he untangled himself from her and lifted her in his arms, striding down the short hallway off the living room into her bedroom.

  Moments later, they were cocooned in her down quilt after he’d stepped into the bathroom and disposed of his condom. His warm heat surrounded her. She thought she should say something.

  “Jake?”

  He was resting against the pillow with her tucked close against his side. He opened his eyes, meeting hers. “We can talk, but only if you promise not to start questioning what just happened.”

  “But…”

  “But what? We already had the discussion. I’ve wanted you for years, and I’m tired of denying it. If you’re about to tell me what happened isn’t what you wanted, I won’t believe you,” he said flatly.

  Phoebe looked at him for a long moment. She couldn’t lie to him, but she still couldn’t quite wrap her brain around what he was saying. For once in her life, she decided to stay in the moment. In the soft quiet, she nodded slowly and rested her head on his shoulder. They fell asleep like that—her legs tangled in his, his palm stroking up and down her back slowly until it stilled when he fell asleep.

  Chapter 4

  Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and tugged the hood from his jacket over his head. He was walking through the hospital parking lot and the early winter wind whipped across the wide-open lot. He stepped into the rotating entry door, relishing the warmth once he stepped into the hospital. No matter the time of day, the hospital buzzed with activity. It wasn’t even eight in the morning and the place was bustling. Jake headed to the elevator to the nurses station on the second floor. Phoebe and Shana worked in the general area where patients who came in through the emergency room needed to stay longer, but didn’t meet the criteria for the specialized units.

  He intended to pose as a repairman and would pretend to do some basic repairs on the windows in the room for the man Phoebe and Rosie thought was a shifter and at the hospital on false pretenses. Rosie met him when he stepped off the elevator. She smiled brightly, her blonde curls and warm blue eyes instantly eliciting a smile in return.

  “Hey Rosie.”

  “Perfect timing,” she said, quickly escorting him to the break room where Phoebe had stored a toolbox for him. He’d gone over this plan yesterday with Dane and Hank and reviewed it with Phoebe. They’d collectively agreed it was best if Phoebe wasn’t anywhere near him when he came to the hospital. Jake didn’t know if he could hide the effect she had on him, particularly if the man was a shifter. Mountain lions were territorial when it came to mates. Jake’s feelings for Phoebe would be apparent without a word being spoken. That ran the risk of the man immediately sensing Jake was a shifter and how important Phoebe was to him. If the man didn’t already know Jake was a shifter, there was no sense in making it easy for him to find out. The plan was for Rosie to escort him around. They were holding firm to the agreement that whoever this man was, no one would be alone with him.

  After Jake tucked his jacket into a locker, he was ready to go. Phoebe had already procured one of the uniforms the hospital maintenance staff wore for him, so he was set. Rosie gestured for him to follow her. They proceeded to move through the rooms, him checking the windows in every room and adding insulation tape anywhere needed. Maine winters were long and cold, so this was a routine repair that no one would question. When they finally entered the room of Paul Malone, Jake moved to the window first, nodding quickly at Paul while Rosie went through the motions of checking his vitals.

  Rosie had taken the liberty of tearing off the leftover insulation tape from last winter while Paul had showered yesterday. This gave Jake plenty to do. As Rosie chatted with Paul, Jake casually joined their conversation. Jake knew instantly Paul was a shifter. On the surface, not much gave it away, but the lion in him knew the lion in Paul. And Jake didn’t like what he felt. Paul’s energy was tight with a tinge of malevolence. Jake didn’t know precisely what Paul was after, but he didn’t trust his presence in Catamount, and more specifically, in the hospital.

  His gut coiled tight with worry for Phoebe. Paul didn’t give much away without ever seeming to hide anything either. He casually reported he was from “nowhere and anywhere,” claiming he’d been a military brat and never settled anywhere. After Jake maxed his time in the room and it was more than clear they’d get next to nothing out of Paul, he and Rosie headed onto the next few rooms before he returned the toolbox to the break room and made his way out of the hospital.

  He’d gotten one glimpse of Phoebe on his way out, which emphatically reinforced why she couldn’t have been in the room with him around Paul. The sight of her dark curls, pulled up in a ponytail on top of her head, swinging as she walked around a corner in the hall ahead of him made his heart clench. The sway of her lush hips brought a surge of lust. Years and years of bottled up desire ran wild inside of him. He generally considered himself to be in control when it came to women. With Phoebe, holy hell, he’d lost all control. It had taken all of his willpower not to chase her down the hall and pin her against the wall for a kiss.

  ***

  Phoebe pushed through the door into Roxanne’s Country Store, cold air swirling around her in a rush as she quickly closed it. She headed straight for the deli in the back. The scent of fresh baked bread wafted in the air. Roxanne stood behind the counter, pouring a cup of coffee with one hand and taking an order with the other. Roxanne’s was a fixture in Catamount. Roxanne’s grandfather founded the store and named it in honor of Roxanne shortly after she was born. Roxanne had gone on to inherit it after her parents passed away. Being run by one of the founding shifter families in Catamount had likely helped the store get up and running though its popularity stayed strong as the town grew and included many more residents who not only weren’t shifters, but hadn’t a clue that shifters existed. Roxanne’s ran a thriving business due to good food, good atmosphere and occupying the unique slot of a store that served multiple purposes—grocery store, odds and ends, gas station, and a thriving deli and coffee shop that transformed to a friendly neighborhood bar once the sun went down.

  Phoebe was meeting Shana here for a late afternoon coffee break. She leaned against the counter, perusing the specials list on the chalkboard. Roxanne turned to her after she rang up someone else.

  “Hey girl, how’s it going?” Roxanne asked with a smile. She adjusted the pen tucked into the loose knot of her blonde hair. Roxanne had a sturdy build and exuded common sense. She had a small circle of close friends, of which
Phoebe felt blessed to be a part. By virtue of her work and personality, Roxanne also knew more gossip than anyone in town. Her wide smile and warm manner had the side effect of dropping people’s guard.

  “All in all, pretty good, though the bar is low for good these days,” Phoebe replied, her comment a reference to the turmoil in Catamount. Roxanne was on the short list of people Phoebe trusted right now. She was a shifter and intensely loyal.

  Roxanne’s eyes grew serious. “I’ll say. Any news on our friend at the hospital?”

  Phoebe shook her head, recalling Jake’s ‘repair’ visit yesterday, which had yielded little information beyond that he shared her opinion the man was a shifter.

  Roxanne nodded. “So, what’ll it be for you this afternoon?”

  “Straight coffee for me.”

  Roxanne nodded and quickly poured her a cup. After paying, Phoebe sat at a table in the corner. Shana arrived minutes later and joined her. Shana’s tawny golden hair hung in a silky fall down her back. Her soft gray eyes held a sadness that had been constant since Callen had died. The news of Callen’s betrayal of Catamount shifters had devastated Shana. Shana had been one of Phoebe’s closest friends since elementary school. Phoebe wanted to wipe away Shana’s pain, but she knew it wasn’t possible, so all she could do was try to be there for her.

  “So today was crazy at work,” Shana said by way of greeting.

  Phoebe nodded. “I know. It seems like things have been relentless at work the last few weeks.”

  Shana nodded and turned to Roxanne who’d approached the table with a cup of coffee.

  “I figured I’d just not bother with your order and bring your coffee. You always get the same thing,” Roxanne said with a warm grin.

  Shana’s return smile was small, but genuine. “Thank you.”

  Roxanne set Shana’s coffee down and was off to the next customer when her name was called from the deli counter.

  Shana took a sip of coffee and looked over at Phoebe. “Okay, spill it.”

  “Spill what?”

  “Who’s staying in the room at the end of the left wing? You and Rosie practically tripped over yourself making sure I didn’t get assigned to rounds for that wing. It’s high time everyone stopped tiptoeing around me.”

  Phoebe eyed Shana, whose expression held a touch of defiance. Everyone close to Shana had been doing all they could to shield her from the constant murmurs about Callen. Phoebe knew it had to stop at some point, but she didn’t want to see Shana hurt anymore than she already was. “Shana, no one wants to make this any worse than it has to be. Especially after what you’ve been through the last few weeks.”

  Shana straightened in her seat and held Phoebe’s gaze, her eyes clear though weary. “It’s been hell, but maybe I can help. I had no idea what Callen was up to behind my back, but he was my husband. Maybe I can help figure some of this out.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Phoebe asked, skeptical it could help her friend to delve into the level of betrayal her late husband had been responsible for before his death.

  Shana nodded firmly. “Yes. I’m sickened with what we’ve learned since Callen died. It doesn’t change the fact that I loved him, but I didn’t love the man who did what he did. So in a weird way, it’s almost easier to accept that he’s gone when I realize the man I loved was a façade. What’s driving me crazy now is facing what he did and the fact that I was too oblivious to see it. I’d like to help for more reasons than one. I want to make sure Catamount shifters are safe, and I think it will help me get over this if I can be a part of finding the truth.”

  Phoebe nodded slowly. “Okay, I can see your point. Maybe you should talk to Dane about it if you want to help.”

  Shana rolled her eyes. “My big brother isn’t about to agree to let me be involved. He’s in overprotective mode after what happened to Chloe. I have to start somewhere else and then he’ll have no choice but to deal with my involvement.”

  “I’m not sure how you’re going to have anything to do with the investigation without Dane knowing about it.”

  “If you let me help, I will.”

  Phoebe stared at her incredulously. “And how am I supposed to let you help?”

  “For starters, maybe you and Rosie could clue me in on who’s hiding out on the left wing, and why Jake was in the hospital yesterday pretending to be a repair guy.”

  Phoebe sighed and shook her head. She couldn’t help the small smile that followed. Though she had her doubts, she didn’t doubt Shana would do whatever she could to help. Not to mention that hiding things from Shana, one of her closest friends for years, was next to impossible.

  Within the half hour, she’d filled Shana in on her and Rosie’s suspicions about Paul, and Jake’s repairman gambit to assess the situation himself. Though Shana argued to be allowed to check Paul out herself, Phoebe was against it. She had her own worries about Shana, but she also knew Dane, and by extension Jake, would have a thing or two to say about it. In the back of her mind though, she knew Shana had a right to speak for herself and not be subject to the shield her overprotective brother and others wanted to keep around her.

  “No way,” Phoebe said, shaking her head firmly. “We have no idea what his plan is, but if you’re a part of it, we can’t have you risking it.”

  Shana threw her hands up. “Look, if he knows who I am, he already knows what I look like. I’m sure he knows I work in the hospital. I say we live by the rule of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.”

  Phoebe eyed her, twirling a curl around her finger. “Okay, you have a point. But what’s the idea? We’re already doing the usual rounds to his room. He somehow manages to keep coming up with vague symptoms that prevent him from being discharged. How will it be different to add you to the cycle?”

  Shana shrugged. “No idea, but the more of us he encounters, the more chances we have for him to eventually slip up.”

  Phoebe nodded. “Fair enough. But you have to stick to the same rules the rest of us have: no going in there alone.”

  Shana nodded vigorously. “Promise. Okay, that’s enough for now. After I see him, I’ll tell Dane. He’ll freak out, but then he’ll back off.” She sighed. “I know why he’s worried, but I can’t just sit at home and wait this out.”

  “I know. How about you stop by for dinner tonight?”

  Shana quickly agreed. They returned their empty coffee cups to the counter and headed outside. Phoebe was walking to her car on the far side of the green when she heard her name. She looked up to see Jake leaning against his truck, which was parked in front of her car on the street. Her heart flew inside, wild with joy no matter how hard she tried to keep herself from hoping. Longing for Jake, loving him for years, and keeping her feelings so tightly under wraps made it decidedly difficult to loosen the hold she had on her hopes and dreams about him.

  Jake’s tawny hair glinted under the holiday lights circling the green. It had been late afternoon when she’d walked into Roxanne’s. In the short time she’d been inside, the sun had slipped further down the sky. The town lights flickered on while a half-moon rose above the trees. The sharp scent of balsam cut through the cold air. Phoebe walked across the green, the snow muffling her footsteps.

  Jake’s eyes held hers every step of the way, his blue gaze bright in the fading light. Her heart drummed against her ribs, butterflies thronged in her belly, and she kept walking to Jake. She came to a stop a few feet away from him. His eyes crinkled at the corners when he reached out and hooked a finger over her belt. She hadn’t bothered to zip up her jacket. He pulled her forward in slow motion, tugging her right into his arms.

  She didn’t know how to deal with this sudden shift in him—not treating her as his platonic friend, but as a woman who was much more than that to him. Her brain couldn’t compute it. But she couldn’t have pulled back if her life depended on it. To be wrapped in his warm, strong embrace at the end of a long day at work and under the constant strain
of worry was pure heaven.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice muffled against his fleece jacket.

  His chest rumbled with a laugh. “Hi yourself.” He leaned back against the truck. She lifted her head and looked up at him.

  “How was your day?” she asked.

  His eyes sobered. “Busy. No new leads. Just dredging through what we have. How was your day?”

  Phoebe shrugged. “It’s been busier than usual at the hospital, but nothing new. What are you doing here?”

  His eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile. “I saw your car and decided to wait for you. I was hoping I could persuade you to have dinner with me.”

  Phoebe thought she might melt on the spot, but she had to shake her head. “I invited Shana over for dinner tonight. You’re welcome to join us though.”

  As soon as she spoke, she felt self-conscious. She couldn’t even adjust to what Jake insisted—that he’d wanted her for years and what was happening between them was only the beginning—but she certainly didn’t know if he wanted anyone to know about them. Nor did she know the parameters of what there was to know. Were they having a fling? Was it something more, much more? She didn’t know and knew it wasn’t healthy for her to keep moving into this without clarifying these issues with Jake. But she couldn’t quite do that now in the middle of Catamount.

  Before she could take back her invitation, Jake was nodding. “I’d love to. I haven’t seen Shana for more than a few minutes at a time the last few weeks. Should I bring anything?”

  “Wine, if you want. I don’t know what I’m cooking yet, so I hope you don’t mind a surprise there.”

  Jake grinned. “You’re one of the best cooks I know. Anything you make is guaranteed to be good.”