Protected Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #1)

by J. H. Croix

  Jake nodded. “You got it. Just give me a call.” Jake turned to Chloe. “Nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy your stay here.” With that, he turned and left.

  Once their food was ordered, Dane looked across the table at Chloe. “So what made you decide to hike the Appalachian Trail?”

  Chloe tilted her head and remained quiet for a moment. “Not to sound corny, but I needed to challenge myself. My dad used to take me hiking all the time when I was a kid. He died a few years back, and when life…happened, I decided a good, long hike might help me get back on track.”

  Chloe’s eyes clouded while she spoke. He sensed there was far more to the story. “Life happened?”

  Chloe bit her lip, making Dane desperately want to kiss her again. He forced himself to stay focused. She sighed and shrugged. “I’ve told half the hikers I met on the trail my story, no reason not to tell you.” She looked up with a tired smile. “It’s funny on the trail. Everyone has a story of why they’re hiking over two thousand miles and usually it’s something that has nothing to do with hiking. For me, I thought I did everything right up until a year ago. I was the good girl—straight A student, graduated from high school and then college with honors, got engaged to my college sweetheart and so on.” She paused and took a sip of water, bitterness followed by sadness flashing through her eyes. “I found out my fiancée had been screwing around on me the whole time we were dating. It was kind of an accident that I even found out. I used to manage a clothing store and a woman he was dating on the side shopped there. Anyway, she showed me a picture on her phone—of her boyfriend who happened to be my fiancée. She had no idea who I was.”

  A fierce, primal flash of anger raced through him. He had to beat back the cat in him, which rose to the surface when he was angry. He schooled his expression to calm and glanced out the window for a moment, needing to gather himself. Reined in, he turned back to her. “Chloe, I can’t believe you had to go through that…”

  Chloe shook her head quickly. “It’s okay. It was awful, but I’m glad I found out before we got married. I was just kind of going along in life. I thought if I did everything I was supposed to, I would be happy. Even before that, I wasn’t. So yeah, it sucked and it hurt like hell. But in the end, it was for the best. I’d gotten a business degree and was bored out of my mind trying a run a store where I had no say in what we sold. I quit, took my savings and planned this hike. Here I am,” she said with a grin.

  Dane wanted to find her former fiancée and punch him. How could anyone not realize how amazing she was? But then, he supposed perhaps he should thank the guy. If he hadn’t been such an idiot, Dane might never have met Chloe. “And so now that you’ve hiked all the way to Maine, what’s next?”

  Chloe grinned sheepishly and glanced up as their waiter approached the table. After the waiter set their sandwiches down in front of them and filled their drinks, Dane waited while Chloe took a bite of her sandwich. “Oh wow, this is so good!”

  Dane chuckled. “Yeah, the Trailhead knows how to make a good sandwich.”

  Chloe nodded vigorously. “I mean, this is gourmet—in the middle of Maine.” She’d ordered a Portobello mushroom sandwich with sundried tomatoes and a spicy aioli spread.

  “Maine’s got amazing food. Have you been to Portland?”

  Chloe shook her head as she took another bite of her sandwich.

  “Portland’s the ‘new’ New York City when it comes to restaurants. Big on the whole fresh, organic, locally sourced kinds of food. It’s not too far from here. We could head down for a day or two,” Dane said with a smile, realizing that might be a perfect way to have a few days to himself with Chloe.

  Chloe took another few bites as she nodded before finally pausing for a breath.

  “So back to you, what were you planning to do when you finished the trail?” Dane asked.

  Chloe shrugged. “That’s the thing, I purposefully didn’t make any plans. I’ve always been a planner. I planned every step of my life up until I broke up with Tom. Look where it got me? In a job that bored me silly about to marry a man who’d spent most of our relationship with other women on the side.”

  “So you’re almost done with the trail, you sprained your ankle and the snow’s about to fly any day now?”

  Chloe nodded and grinned. “I guess so. I have some savings left. Being a planner, I had a nice little bundle saved up. Hiking is pretty cheap, so I’ve spent hardly anything. For now, I’m planning to enjoy lunch with you and see what happens next.”

  Dane looked across the table at her, his eyes locking onto hers. Heat sizzled between them. He didn’t want to scare her, but he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone. He’d found her and wasn’t planning to let go. The wheels in his mind turned as he contemplated how to convince her Catamount was the perfect place for her…and that she was meant to be his mate. The human half of his brain kicked in. Seriously? Your cat thinks this is meant to be, but that’s all primal instinct and testosterone. Slow down. You don’t even know if she can accept who you are. Let’s take this one step at a time.

  Dane forced his eyes away again, following the path of a leaf twisting on the breeze as it drifted to the ground. Right, one step at a time. Easier said than done when lust streaked through him every second he was with her.

  Chapter 4

  Chloe sat down on her hotel bed and looked around the room. The inn where Dane had brought her was cozy and luxurious. He’d refused to let her pay. After almost six months of hiking and camping, the quick hot shower she’d taken earlier had been sheer heaven. She decided a bath was in order. Dane had shown her how to remove the air brace, so she carefully removed it while waiting for the tub to fill. The scrapes on her leg were sore, but she was tired, worn out and wanted the comfort of a long bath.

  Dane’s questions about her plans had made her wonder what she was going to do. She’d been truthful when she’d told him she didn’t have any plans, but now that she was face to face with what it meant, part of her was terrified. She’d hoped the sense of accomplishment she felt from finishing the Appalachian Trail would buoy her onto whatever would happen next in her life. Somehow, ending her hike with a sprained ankle fizzled those dreams. Strangely though, she felt a sense of fate when Dane had found her in the cave last night.

  When he’d told her he wanted to kiss her, Chloe’s heart beat to the resonance he evoked. And then there was the kiss, which pretty much blew her mind. She couldn’t even think about it without blushing, and all they’d done was kiss. With a shake of her head, she stood and limped to the bathroom.

  Moments later, she carefully climbed into the tub, keeping her ankle propped up on the side. The hot water relaxed her. Resting her head against the edge of the tub, Dane filled her thoughts. When she was near him, there was a constant current between them. It went beyond mere attraction. After her engagement was in shambles, Chloe had wondered if she’d ever trust again. Though her mind resisted, her heart completely trusted Dane. And if her body had any say in the matter, well, she’d never have hesitated at his offer to stay with him. Her mind had to raise its voice to be heard in that little internal disagreement. Just thinking about his smoky blue-gray eyes and the feel of his lips on hers and heat unfurled in her body. Her hand unconsciously toyed with her nipples, imagining Dane’s hands there.

  The aftermath of her engagement falling apart and months of hiking had taken her to a chaste place, which she’d needed for a while. But now, Dane’s touch had flicked a switch. She was hot and bothered—all by herself in the bathtub. She slid a hand down her abdomen and into her moist folds. She was swollen with desire. Teasing herself, all she could think about was Dane. She abruptly sat up. She was so close to the edge, but she didn’t want to tumble over by herself.

  Swearing at how slowly she had to move, she got out of the tub and dried off. Tugging her phone out of her purse, she opened her contacts. She’d added Dane’s number earlier today after he dropped her off.

  Swatting her rational though
ts away, she called him. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey Chloe, is everything okay?”

  The sound of his low voice amped up the desire humming through her. “I want to see you,” she said, her voice raspy.

  “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be there,” Dane said swiftly. Before she could reply, he hung up.

  She sat on the bed wondering what the hell she was thinking. She’d met him in the dark in a cave in the middle of the woods. She knew almost nothing about him, other than that he was a doctor, he had a sister, and he lived in Catamount. Everything she felt didn’t make sense. She felt as if she’d known him for years. Her heart hammered against her ribs, anticipation fluttering in her veins.

  ***

  Dane careened down the hill toward town where Chloe was staying. Her voice had set him on fire. After lunch, he’d reluctantly dropped her off at the inn and returned to his office. He’d spent the next few hours doing some online digging with Jake’s help. He didn’t like prying into Callen’s email accounts after he died, but he had a suspicion if there were any clues that might tell him why Callen was in mountain lion form weeks after he’d flown out West, they might be there. Callen had been one of the alphas in their mountain lion clan, his family along with Dane’s and two others the founding families of Catamount, the name selected because it was an old nickname for mountain lions.

  Centuries ago, the dwindling mountain lions in the eastern United States kept pushing further north as humans spread into their territory. During this precarious time, litters of mountain lions began to be born with the ability to shift from cat to human. This became their last line of defense against extinction. Before mountain lions became shifters to save themselves, they’d had a loose hierarchy with alphas claiming the broadest swathes of territory, but otherwise living solitary lives. After being driven to smaller and smaller corners of the wilderness and developing the ability to shift, alphas functioned more as leaders among their clans and were fiercely protective of their families.

  For as long as eastern mountain lions had been shifters, rumors had swirled there were shifters in other parts of the country. Though the West had bigger populations of wild mountain lions, it was rumored they were so established because there were hidden shifters among them. Callen had been determined to find them. He reasoned the eastern species needed to grow and wanted to connect with their counterparts elsewhere. Dane, just as alpha as Callen but less interested in throwing his weight around, had disagreed and repeatedly shared his concern that Callen was risking their safety with his research. After plowing through way too many emails, he and Jake had flagged a series of emails with a man who worked for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and lived in Montana. Dane’s stomach churned with worry that Callen may have accidentally revealed their presence to the government.

  The potential ramifications of that were disastrous. As it was, mountain lions were relegated to mere fractions of the territory they once roamed. If the government discovered the existence of mountain lion shifters, they faced the threat of regulation, being fenced in, being forced to report their whereabouts, or even worse, being rounded up and studied. The possibilities were horrifying. Catamount shifters had protected their existence for centuries. The trait to shift from human to lion and back again was the key to their secret and to their safety. If Callen had put that at risk…the mere thought of it sickened Dane. Jake had left moments before Chloe called, promising to get to work tomorrow and try to hack into the man’s computer.

  Chloe’s voice had been music to Dane’s ears. Not only did he want to get his mind off of his worries about what happened to Callen and what it meant for his kind, he desperately wanted every minute he could have with Chloe. He didn’t know precisely why she’d called and so bluntly stated she wanted to see him, but he didn’t even consider saying no.

  He knocked quickly on her door. Chloe opened it, and Dane’s blood heated at the sight of her. Her honey blonde hair was damp with soft tendrils framing her face. Her green eyes were bright. She was wearing nothing other than a robe. He swallowed at the realization that she was likely bare underneath it. Her skin was flushed.

  “Hey,” she said simply, her voice low and husky.

  He stepped through the door. She remained standing just beyond where the door swung open. Realizing she couldn’t move quickly because of her ankle, he moved out of the way and closed the door, never taking his eyes off of her.

  “Hey,” he returned, standing in front of her and brushing a loose lock of hair away from her cheek. A mere touch and lust streaked through him, his cat arching and stretching inside. He forced himself to hold still for a moment, trying to read her eyes. He saw vulnerability and uncertainty mixed with heat and desire. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and he was gone. “Tell me if this is too much,” he whispered right before his lips came against hers.

  Dane’s blood pounded in his ears, desire thundering through him. Chloe’s lips were soft and luscious. Her mouth opened instantly to his, her tongue tangling in a slow dance with his. He stepped closer, barely able to remember he needed to be careful of her ankle and leg. He slipped his arms around her, bringing her against his body. The feel of her curves against his hard muscles wiped his mind clear of all thought. Instinct driving him, he slid one hand slowly down her back to cup her bottom, so soft and round. His other hand traveled down her neck, coasting across her pulse and curling around her breast, so heavy and hot in his hand. A soft sound escaped her throat, and his cock pulsed against the cradle of her hips.

  He forced himself to gentle his lips and still his hands. He was about to take her—right here, right now.

  “Chloe,” he whispered urgently.

  She opened those green eyes, misty with desire. Her lips were swollen and she strained against him. Her breath was ragged. “I wanted to see you because I…” She paused, a flush washing her face. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I just needed to see you,” she said simply. She broke away from his gaze, her eyes unfocused. She bit her lip.

  “Don’t be nervous,” he said gruffly, sensing she was. “It’s the same for me.”

  Her eyes flew back to his, a furrow forming between them. “It is?”

  He nodded. He tried to think of how to slow this down and find a way to tell her what he was. His brain could barely function. When Chloe took a few steps back and untied her rode, letting it fall open, his knees buckled. He was lost.

  “Before you got here, I couldn’t stop thinking about you…” she whispered, lifting her hands to cup her breasts. “I decided I didn’t want to be alone, to only think about you.” Her eyes were bold and shy at once.

  Dane took two strides, stopping abruptly inches away from her. His entire body vibrated with need, the force so powerful, he could barely restrain it. He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. When he opened them, meeting her soft green gaze, her eyes intent on him, he had to shake his head to focus. “You have to know I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone ever. But I don’t want to rush you…”

  She placed her finger against his lips. “You’re not rushing me. I’m rushing you. I can’t not do this.” She dropped her hand, eyes on him, expectant and waiting.

  He let his forehead fall to hers. They stood like that for a long moment, time suspended, before he took her lips. An incremental step closer and he finally felt her soft curves against him. That itself was such heaven, the memory would stay with him for a lifetime.

  ***

  Chloe thought for a moment Dane wouldn’t give her what she wanted. She couldn’t explain what she felt, only that she wasn’t going to let her old, tired planning mind talk her out of this. Her body came to life like a tuning fork around Dane. Desire rushed through her in waves. All she wanted was to feel his bare skin against hers and to let the passion that sparked and flickered burst into flame.

  He kissed her softly at first until she reached up and tugged him closer, stroking her tongue against his. Their kis
s went wild, deep strokes, nips and nibbles. Their breath mingled in gasps. She pressed into his hard body, glorying in the feel of the planes of his muscled chest and abdomen against her breasts. Dane’s lips left hers with a groan. His eyes pinned hers, the blue darker and deeper. He took a step back and carefully lifted her.

  “We have to get you off your feet,” he said, his voice raspy.

  In a few strides, he reached the bed and carefully set her down, tugging the pillows to prop behind her head. Her robe fell further open. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she felt no modesty around him. She shifted her shoulders, and the robe fell away from her breasts.

  Dane’s breath hitched. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he bit out.

  “I want to feel you against me.”

  Dane tore his shirt off, revealing a chest that exceeded her fantasies. He was all muscle, lean and sinuous. He kicked his shoes off and carefully lowered himself on the bed beside her. The bed dipped with his weight, and she didn’t resist the roll of her body right into his. The feel of his skin against hers was electric.

  Dane closed his eyes and groaned, rolling to his side and lifting a hand to caress down her shoulder, curling around the curve of her breast, into the dip of her waist and coming to rest on the rise of her hip. He took a shuddering breath when she arched against him.

  “Chloe…we have to slow down…” he rasped out.