Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) by J.H. Croix Read Free Book Online Page A

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