A Catamount Christmas

Chapter 4-2

Dane careened down the hill toward town where Chloe was staying. Her voice had set him on fire. After lunch, he’d reluctantly dropped her off at the inn and returned to his office. He’d spent the next few hours doing some online digging with Jake’s help. He didn’t like prying into Callen’s email accounts after he died, but he had a suspicion if there were any clues that might tell him why Callen was in mountain lion form weeks after he’d flown out West, they might be there. Callen had been one of the alphas in their mountain lion clan, his family along with Dane’s and two others the founding families of Catamount, the name selected because it was an old nickname for mountain lions.

Centuries ago, the dwindling mountain lions in the eastern United States kept pushing further north as humans spread into their territory. During this precarious time, litters of mountain lions began to be born with the ability to shift from cat to human. This became their last line of defense against extinction. Before mountain lions became shifters to save themselves, they’d had a loose hierarchy with alphas claiming the broadest swathes of territory, but otherwise living solitary lives. After being driven to smaller and smaller corners of the wilderness and developing the ability to shift, alphas functioned more as leaders among their clans and were fiercely protective of their families.

For as long as eastern mountain lions had been shifters, rumors had swirled there were shifters in other parts of the country. Though the West had bigger populations of wild mountain lions, it was rumored they were so established because there were hidden shifters among them. Callen had been determined to find them. He reasoned the eastern species needed to grow and wanted to connect with their counterparts elsewhere. Dane, just as alpha as Callen but less interested in throwing his weight around, had disagreed and repeatedly shared his concern that Callen was risking their safety with his research. After plowing through way too many emails, he and Jake had flagged a series of emails with a man who worked for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and lived in Montana. Dane’s stomach churned with worry that Callen may have accidentally revealed their presence to the government.

The potential ramifications of that were disastrous. As it was, mountain lions were relegated to mere fractions of the territory they once roamed. If the government discovered the existence of mountain lion shifters, they faced the threat of regulation, being fenced in, being forced to report their whereabouts, or even worse, being rounded up and studied. The possibilities were horrifying. Catamount shifters had protected their existence for centuries. The trait to shift from human to lion and back again was the key to their secret and to their safety. If Callen had put that at risk…the mere thought of it sickened Dane. Jake had left moments before Chloe called, promising to get to work tomorrow and try to hack into the man’s computer.

Chloe’s voice had been music to Dane’s ears. Not only did he want to get his mind off of his worries about what happened to Callen and what it meant for his kind, he desperately wanted every minute he could have with Chloe. He didn’t know precisely why she’d called and so bluntly stated she wanted to see him, but he didn’t even consider saying no.

He knocked quickly on her door. Chloe opened it, and Dane’s blood heated at the sight of her. Her honey blonde hair was damp with soft tendrils framing her face. Her green eyes were bright. She was wearing nothing other than a robe. He swallowed at the realization that she was likely bare underneath it. Her skin was flushed.

“Hey,” she said simply, her voice low and husky.

He stepped through the door. She remained standing just beyond where the door swung open. Realizing she couldn’t move quickly because of her ankle, he moved out of the way and closed the door, never taking his eyes off of her.

“Hey,” he returned, standing in front of her and brushing a loose lock of hair away from her cheek. A mere touch and l**t streaked through him, his cat arching and stretching inside. He forced himself to hold still for a moment, trying to read her eyes. He saw vulnerability and uncertainty mixed with heat and desire. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and he was gone. “Tell me if this is too much,” he whispered right before his lips came against hers.

Dane’s blood pounded in his ears, desire thundering through him. Chloe’s lips were soft and luscious. Her mouth opened instantly to his, her tongue tangling in a slow dance with his. He stepped closer, barely able to remember he needed to be careful of her ankle and leg. He slipped his arms around her, bringing her against his body. The feel of her curves against his hard muscles wiped his mind clear of all thought. Instinct driving him, he slid one hand slowly down her back to cup her bottom, so soft and round. His other hand traveled down her neck, coasting across her pulse and curling around her breast, so heavy and hot in his hand. A soft sound escaped her throat, and his c**k pulsed against the cradle of her hips.

He forced himself to gentle his lips and still his hands. He was about to take her—right here, right now.

“Chloe,” he whispered urgently.

She opened those green eyes, misty with desire. Her lips were swollen and she strained against him. Her breath was ragged. “I wanted to see you because I…” She paused, a flush washing her face. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I just needed to see you,” she said simply. She broke away from his gaze, her eyes unfocused. She bit her lip.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said gruffly, sensing she was. “It’s the same for me.”

Her eyes flew back to his, a furrow forming between them. “It is?”

He nodded. He tried to think of how to slow this down and find a way to tell her what he was. His brain could barely function. When Chloe took a few steps back and untied her rode, letting it fall open, his knees buckled. He was lost.

“Before you got here, I couldn’t stop thinking about you…” she whispered, lifting her hands to cup her breasts. “I decided I didn’t want to be alone, to only think about you.” Her eyes were bold and shy at once.

Dane took two strides, stopping abruptly inches away from her. His entire body vibrated with need, the force so powerful, he could barely restrain it. He closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. When he opened them, meeting her soft green gaze, her eyes intent on him, he had to shake his head to focus. “You have to know I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone ever. But I don’t want to rush you…”

She placed her finger against his lips. “You’re not rushing me. I’m rushing you. I can’t not do this.” She dropped her hand, eyes on him, expectant and waiting.

He let his forehead fall to hers. They stood like that for a long moment, time suspended, before he took her lips. An incremental step closer and he finally felt her soft curves against him. That itself was such heaven, the memory would stay with him for a lifetime.