Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

and enjoying the superficial pleasure derived from feeling like her hero. In a haze of hormonal overdrive, convinced they were meant to be together, he’d told her who and what he was. She’d promptly gone into drama central mode and flipped out. He’d spent months clearing up rumors and feeling like a complete idiot. The saving grace had been she’d transferred to another college in the aftermath. To this day, he didn’t know if she’d done so because she was legitimately afraid of him because he was a shifter, or because she hadn’t counted on how many friends he and the other shifters had who were willing to close ranks around them.
    He’d stayed true to his commitment to only get involved with shifters since then, but he’d yet to find anyone who called to him. Except Phoebe. She’d always had a straight line to his heart. When he was younger and watched her grow into the beautiful woman she’d become, he’d told himself he couldn’t take advantage of her. She was four years behind him in school. The yawning gap between their ages then was nothing now with him at thirty-four and Phoebe at thirty. Between the time he tried to keep from fawning all over Phoebe and his messy brush with Naomi, he never managed to wipe out the shimmering electric connection that hummed to life every time he was near Phoebe.
    He might not be thinking too clearly right now, but he was damn tired of denying himself what he wanted. Especially when, in the midst of the suspicions running high in Catamount, Phoebe was one of the few who held his absolute faith. He turned into the driveway to her house in the wispy light of dusk. Her house was a cape style home, painted a soft cream with the whimsical touch of purple trim and a matching purple steel roof. Snow was falling more heavily now, coating the landscape. Phoebe’s car wasn’t in the drive yet, so Jake texted her quickly asking when she’d be home. Moments later, she replied to report she was on her way. He leaned his head back and watched the snow float down over the field beside her house. A small creek meandered through the field, the dark ribbon of it glimmering under the last rays of sun.
    Phoebe’s holiday lights came on. Jake chuckled to himself, realizing she must have them set on a timer. Her home was laced with holiday lights along the roof with two bare trees flanking her front walk decorated as well. Phoebe pulled up and waved at him from her car. He climbed out and followed her down the snow-covered slate path to her front entrance. When she reached the door, she turned to him. Her dark hair was flecked with snowflakes. One caught on her lashes, glittering bright under the lights by the door.
    “I didn’t know you were stopping by,” she said, a question in her eyes.
    She blinked and the snowflake on her lashes disappeared. Her dark eyes met his, and his breath hitched.
    “I hope you’re not planning to ask me to leave.”
    She shook her head and tugged her keys out of her purse. “Of course not. Come on in.”
    She nudged the door with her shoulder once she unlocked it. Jake’s eyes fell to the flimsy lock on her door. He needed to beef up the locks on her house. In Catamount, it had never crossed his mind to worry about the state of anyone’s locks. He hated that he had to think this way, but right now all he wanted was to make sure those close to him were safe. They’d gotten lucky with how quickly they’d been able to handle Chloe’s kidnapping. He didn’t want to be caught blindsided again.
    He shut the door behind him and locked it. Phoebe dropped her purse and bag on the couch as she walked into the kitchen, flicking on lamps along the way. The air was cool. He glanced at the woodstove in the corner of her living room.
    “I’m going to start a fire, okay?” he called out.
    She leaned her head around the archway leading into the kitchen. “Please do,” she said with a grin.
    Jake eyed the small wood rack nearby and turned to head outside. In