Redeemed by Becca Jameson Read Free Book Online

she was. They went to counseling almost as often. They would forever beat themselves up for not finding her sooner, trusting their instincts, rescuing their only daughter.
    Instead of opening wide the line of communication with her mother, Ashley chose to keep most thoughts to herself. She was broken enough as it was. There was no need to drag her mother down with her.
    So she put forth a strong fake front most days, smiling and insisting she was doing fantastic, when really inside she was a ball of nerves with the nightmares to prove it.
    “Evan seems nice,” her mother said as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped, but Ashley’s mother didn’t set a hand on her. She knew by now that any contact with her daughter had to be initiated by Ashley.
    She hated that about herself. But direct contact with anyone made her flinch involuntarily every time, no matter who it was.
    It was amazing she had allowed Evan to take her arm and guide her toward his car earlier. Perhaps the layers of clothing and coat had provided enough protection to help her disassociate from what was really happening. Someone had been protective, caring, thoughtful.
    She didn’t do those emotions these days. She didn’t trust.
    “Yeah.”
    “He’s coming for brunch tomorrow.”
    Of course he is .
    “Just… I won’t tell you what to do.” Her mother’s tone was gentle.
    “Thanks, Mom.”
    Instead of speaking another word, her mother reached for the comforter at the end of the bed and laid it over Ashley, and then she silently left the room.

Chapter Seven
    Evan pulled into his garage and set his forehead against the steering wheel. He hadn’t stopped breathing rapidly since he left Ashley at her parents.
    This wasn’t how mating worked. It was nearly unheard of for mates to separate after meeting. It was bad enough he’d gone half a year knowing about Ashley, but now that he’d been in a confined space with her, the game had changed.
    He needed her like he needed his next breath.
    Instead he hauled himself into the house, dropped his keys on the table, and took off his coat. He was tired. Exhausted, more mentally than physically.
    Ignoring his rock-hard cock, he crossed the room and turned on the coffee pot. All his nights went like this. He hadn’t slept well since locating Ashley. His routine always started with a pot of coffee.
    A flashing light to his left drew his attention to the answering machine. He pressed the button and listened to the only message with a smile.
    “Evan? You okay? I’m worried about you. I had intended to ask you to start hunting for Parkfield for us again.” Evan chuckled at the machine. “Guess that would be rather inappropriate under the circumstances. Call me.”
    Josh. Of course. He’d avoided the man for weeks and now the cat was out of the bag. If Josh only knew the truth…
    At least Josh wasn’t angry. It wasn’t as though this mating were something Evan controlled. It was the nature of shifters. It just happened. Nature didn’t take convenience or timing into account.
    Evan erased the message and turned back toward the coffee. He watched it drip into the pot, mesmerized by the steady slow stream of liquid that started out dark and turned gradually lighter.
    He gripped the edge of the counter and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling. From one beat to the next, he made a decision. Ignoring the last slow drips falling into the pot, Evan grabbed his coat, stuffed his arms back inside, and swiped the keys off the counter.
    Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier?
    In minutes he was speeding down the highway toward his favorite spot on earth. He didn’t breathe fully until he’d parked the car in a thick patch of trees and exited. He shed his coat, dropping it on the front seat, followed by the rest of his clothes. It was cold, but he barely noticed. He only needed seconds.
    On a deep breath, he shifted. Almost before his front paws hit the ground, he took off running. He