A Mate's Wish (Ouachita Mountain Shifters 0.5) by P. Jameson Read Free Book Online Page A

college.
    Sinking down to the cold, damp ground, she let her head fall to her gloved hands. She needed a break. Maybe a spa day of her own. Have someone work out all the stress kinks. She imagined her troubles with Josie, her run-in with Renner, her job situation, all of it, just slipping away under someone’s skillful hands. Christina or Mason would surely fit her in.
    There was a flurry of activity at the edge of the woods just past the circle of light from the lodge lamps. Someone she didn’t recognized yelled, “Get Doc Davis!”
    Who the hell was Doc Davis?
    Beth stood to her feet, looking for anyone who could help. “What’s happened?”
    “We need Doc now,” the stranger growled. “Find her. Send her to cabin 12. Hurry.”
    Shit.
    Beth ran down the path back to the lodge. Bursting through the main door, she gave a good scare to a few visitors sipping hot cocoa in front of the grand fireplace. She skidded to a stop at the front desk and tried to catch her breath.
    “Doc Davis,” she blurted.
    The girl manning the desk—she was new—shook her head in confusion.
    “What is it? What’s wrong?” Layna’s voice snapped from behind Beth.
    “I don’t know. I-I heard a shot. Hunters. Someone said to get Doc Davis, send her to cabin 12.”
    Layna’s face paled. Like winter falling over autumn. She dug in her pocket, retrieving a cell phone and handing it to Beth. “Speed dial 2. Tell her what you just told me.”
    She was out the door before Beth could ask her where cabin 12 was.
    Quickly, she dialed the doctor and relayed the information. Then she stepped behind the counter and shuffled through a stack of maps. But there was no cabin 12 listed.
    “Damn it.”
    Minutes later Christina ran through the lobby with a large pack on her back. Doc Davis?
    Beth hurried to catch up to her, but she was fast. She was already jumping on a four-wheeler as Beth came down the stairs. She ran across the yard and into the dirt road, causing gravel to spit as the vehicle came to a stop.
    “What the hell, Bethany?” she roared.
    “I’m coming with you. I can help.” There was something off. The rotten feeling in Beth’s gut hadn’t let up since the gunshot. She couldn’t help feeling like this was important. Like it could impact her in some way. It was a sixth sense sort of thing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention.
    “No.”
    “Who’s hurt? You know, don’t you? Who’s in cabin 12?”
    “We don’t have time for this.”
    “Then let me come with you.”
    Christina slammed her hand into the handlebars of the four-wheeler. Beth had never seen her look so angry. In fact, normally she was zen to the Nth degree.
    “Damn it. They’re going to kill me for this. Get on. Hurry.”
    Beth climbed on the back of the ATV and held on to the rack as Christina gassed it and took off into the trees. It was only a matter of minutes—maybe seconds—before they were pulling up to a tiny log cabin tucked away off the road.
    Christina cut the engine, hopped down, and pulled her pack off. “Listen, this is going to be crazy and I don’t have time to prepare you. So, put your big girl panties on and hold your shit together. Understand?”
    The hell ?
    Beth nodded.
    “Let’s go.”
    As they approached the small house, Beth could hear the low rumble of a miserable growl.
    “Who’s cabin is this?” Beth asked just before Christina opened the door.
    The doctor paused, looking uncomfortable. “Renner’s” Then she disappeared through the opening leaving Beth gasping for air.
    Inside, the scene wasn’t anything like Beth had anticipated. Magic, Eagan, and the man she didn’t recognize, held down a large animal with black fur. Layna knelt at the animal’s head petting and trying to calm it. The pained sounds coming from what looked to be a big mountain cat, tore at Beth’s heart. The poor thing had obviously been shot by the poachers.
    She let out a huge breath of relief, knowing Renner wasn’t