Chasing Paradise Read Online Free PDF Page B

had with Ethan, either.
    The late hour encouraged her. He’d probably gone downstairs to get something to eat. Wolves weren’t the most patient shifters, especially when it came to food.
    Chuckling to herself, Gwen quickly flung the covers aside and jumped out of bed. If she hurried, she might be able to catch him in the hotel restaurant and share a meal. Another giggle escaped as she pulled on some clothes. She was so damn happy.
    How lucky was she? Just as she despaired, wondering if she’d ever find her mate, he strolled right on through the doors of her resort and straight into her arms. He hadn’t been able to resist her any more than she had been able to resist him.
    Her otter cooed in contentment within her chest as her future with Ethan played out in her mind. There would be children and love and affection. Everything she’d ever dreamed of.
    Eager to join her new mate, Gwen hurried through her morning routine and rushed out the door, turning down a shortcut that would take her through the staff kitchens and hotel bar.
    * * * *
    Ethan sat at the resort bar with his head in his hands.
    “What would you like, sir?” He looked into the cheerful face of the male otter and had to resist the urge to growl. What was wrong with him? He hadn’t felt like himself since leaving Gwen this morning. The urge to lash out at those around him, to fight with any male in the room, kept rising up. Every second he stayed away was a fight with his wolf.
    “Ugh, something strong.” Ethan groaned, hoping a drink would take the edge off his nerves.
    The bartender’s eyebrows rose and he glanced at his watch before moving to pour the drink. Ethan’s wolf tried the whole time to pull him back to Gwen’s room, but he refused to give in. His wolf would thank him one day. Until then, he needed something to dull his senses.
    Although he was only a couple years younger than his brother Jason, unlike him, he wasn’t ready to mate. Yes, his wolf would understand someday. But in the meantime, it felt as if his body was being torn in two.
    A long growl grew in Ethan’s chest, causing the bartender to stare at him warily as he set a glass of straight whiskey in front of him.
    “I saw you with Gwen last night, didn’t I?” the man ventured. Ethan looked at him, wondering where this conversation was going.
    “Yeah?”
    “She never sleeps with guests, you know? You must mean something special to her.”
    There was a calculating gleam in the man’s gaze that set Ethan on edge. The bartender better be careful. With his wolf this close to the surface, Ethan didn’t have as much control as normal.
    “It was just a one night stand. It didn’t mean anything for either of us.”
    “You sure? If I know Gwen, she wouldn’t have behaved that way for anyone but her mate.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. She’s not my mate.” His wolf cried inside him as the words left his mouth, fighting hard for control. But for good measure, he went one step further to hammer the point home. “Besides, she isn’t the kind of woman I’d choose for my mate. A jaguar or a coyote is a good mate for a wolf.” Ethan didn’t believe a word he was saying. The woman he’d just left would be a perfect mate for him.
    “Mating is a long way off for me,” he muttered.
    * * * *
    Gwen leaned against the wall in the kitchen behind the bar listening as Ethan discussed the reasons she was ineligible for his mate. A small mewl of distress escaped her before she could contain it.
    A jaguar or a coyote is a good mate for a wolf… Her heart almost burst. No matter how hard she tried to put a positive spin on his words, nothing came to her. Ethan didn’t want her.
    Tears tracked down her cheeks but, even though they were silent, she still caught the sympathetic gazes as the staff milled around her. All her hopes and dreams for the future crashed around her in jagged shards, cutting into her on the way down. No matter what Ethan claimed, she knew the truth. Ethan’s wolf