Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2)

by J. H. Croix

  Daniel’s return to Painter had shaken things up and cast a spotlight on Nelson. He’d evaded capture by purposefully diving over a waterfall last summer. It was a risky gamble, but they’d yet to find a body—man or mountain lion—so he was presumed alive and in hiding. Today, Heath and Daniel were continuing the searches they’d started months ago. They kept in touch with the local police and were going property by property to search for any signs of Nelson. They were headed to one of the few areas left that they hadn’t searched before.

  “Any more news from the police?” Heath asked.

  He glanced over to see Daniel shrug. “Not really. I check in with Roger every few days. It’s more of the same every time. They’ve searched almost every property now. They’ve found storage everywhere and even hauled in a few drug stashes. Seems like they were mostly running pills and heroin. Roger thinks one of the stashes closer to the Montana border came from that massive theft from the pharmaceutical company there. You remember hearing that on the news?”

  “You mean those guys who cut a hole in the roof at one of those places and dropped in to pull out a couple million dollars worth of pills?”

  “That’s the one. Straight out of a movie. Anyway, Roger said they turned the stash over to the local authorities—the plan everywhere—and that’s what they suspected. They’ll report back after they sort it out. Can’t believe the kind of money to be made from those.”

  Heath shook his head. He was sadly familiar with the kind of money to be made because he’d been so desperate for painkillers, he’d tried to score his own drugs. He still couldn’t believe he’d fallen that far. A car accident and excruciating pain for months led him to a place he’d never imagined. Finally back on his feet, his mind clear and his body healthy, it was hard to imagine even now. In hindsight, he was relieved he’d gotten caught trying to score the pills because that’s what put him back on track.

  Daniel’s voice nudged his thoughts back to the present. “Hey, I think we just passed the road.”

  Heath slowed his truck and eased onto the side of the highway to turn around. ‘Really? I didn’t see a damn thing.”

  “When I said it was an old logging road, I meant it was half-hidden in the trees and almost completely overgrown,” Daniel said with a laugh.

  Heath backed up and quickly angled the truck to turn around. In seconds, he saw the barely visible road Daniel mentioned. He turned into it, the tree braches giving way as the truck pushed through the opening. Once they were past the start of the road, it was less overgrown. The truck rocked as they rode along the bumpy gravel road. “How far in do you want to drive before we start scouting?”

  “Maybe another mile or so. If Nelson’s out here, he’s not going to hang anywhere close to the highway.”

  “Of course. The police have already covered this area, right?”

  Daniel nodded. “Yup, but it was over a month ago. They cleared out the storage, but they left the buildings intact. They’ve been trying to do that on the areas nearby because they figure Nelson’s more likely to try to camp out close to Painter. Even though they’ve arrested most of the locals involved, he’s still got a few friends who would help him around here.”

  “I’m sure he does.” Heath glanced ahead to a clearing on the side of the road. It appeared to be a section of forest that had been logged within the last decade. Smaller trees were already filling the area, but there was room to park and turn around. “I’ll park up ahead.”

  Moments later, they walked to the edge of the semi-cleared area and entered the thicker part of the forest. In silent agreement, they shifted. Heath let the power of the shift roll through him. His skin prickled as fur rippled over its surface. Once he was in full lion form, he lifted his nose and sniffed. Scents could be distinguished from great distances for mountain lions, as compared to humans. He was searching for the mingled scent of human and mountain lion. At the moment, all he got was the earthy scent of the forest and a cluster of deer somewhere in the vicinity. The deer would scatter once they sensed the presence of two shifters. Lion shifters rarely hunted the way wild mountain lions did because they had no need. Able to shift between human and lion form, they tended to only hunt in the wild if their survival depended on it, which was rare.

  Daniel stretched beside him before he bolted off at a run. Heath had come to enjoy scouting with Daniel. For one, whenever Heath was in lion form, he felt stronger and stronger. It brought him back to the man and shifter he once was before his almost crippling car accident—powerful, dominant and proud. For another, it fed his cat’s instinct to investigate and hunt. He didn’t need to eat to satisfy that instinct. Lastly, getting to know Daniel’s shifter side cemented Heath’s confidence in him as his sister’s mate. Heath didn’t consider himself overbearing as an older brother, but he’d tear apart any man who hurt her. With Daniel, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

  When they’d started scouting together after Nelson disappeared, they agreed to stay together at all times. While they were both strong, dominant mountain lions, they weren’t stupid and knew Nelson wouldn’t hesitate to fight dirty. Nelson had almost sent Daniel and Sophia tumbling over that waterfall behind him, and Heath didn’t doubt for a second it had been on purpose. For now, Heath and Daniel roamed through the forest, climbing higher and higher into the mountains surrounding Painter. Painter’s location in the Rocky Mountains afforded a nearly ideal territory for mountain lion shifters, the ghost cats of the forest. The mountains were immense and created only pockets of land suitable for human dwelling. As such, there were massive tracts of rocky forest scattered along the mountain flanks. Shifters could live nearby and roam for days safely if they so chose.

  For now, Heath and Daniel wove through the forest. They eventually came across an old cabin. The faded scent of human and lion lingered in the area. The cabin was empty, however faint tracks were visible in the dusty floor. They circled the nearby area. Heath froze when he sensed motion in the distance. Daniel came to his side and they backed into the shelter of a cluster of fir trees. In silence, they waited.

  After several long moments, they saw a mountain lion padding quietly through the trees. Even though their view was limited, Heath didn’t think it was Nelson. However, he knew by size and scent it was a male. The lion moved slowly and purposefully. Heath caught Daniel’s eyes and shook his head. Daniel’s return nod was imperceptible, but he confirmed Heath’s opinion—this lion wasn’t Nelson. For now, they simply watched. When the lion made it past them in the distance, they waited a few more moments before moving to follow him. The light was fading as the day turned to dusk. The trees cast long shadows in the forest with the lingering light from the sun falling in slants through the trees. The lion made his way toward the cabin. When he approached the small clearing, he paused and lifted his nose. In a flash, his head swung around and he bolted. Heath and Daniel leapt in unison, racing after him. He had just enough distance from them to disappear from view almost immediately.

  The cool air ruffled through Heath’s fur as he raced alongside Daniel. They threaded in and out of the trees. The lion cut a winding route through the forest, which they followed on scent alone until they reached the river—the same river Nelson had followed over the waterfall from miles away in the mountains. The lion’s scent was lost once they crossed the river. Without a sound, they turned and made their way back.

  Once they were back in Heath’s truck and headed toward the farmhouse, Heath glanced over at Daniel. “That blows. Whoever that was, now he saw us, he’ll probably move on.”

  Daniel shrugged. “I’m not too worried. Whoever we saw will show up again somewhere nearby. My bet is that shifter we just saw is helping Nelson. No reason to run unless he’s got something to hide. Nothing I know about my uncle tells me he’ll do anything the hard way. The hard way would be for Nelson to try to surface somewhere far away and start over. Nelson’s lazy. He’d rather risk staying a little close and calling on the few friends he has left to
get supplies to him.”

  Heath bit back the growl that rumbled in his throat and shook his head sharply. “Dammit! It would’ve been nice to at least catch up to that shifter and see if we could get any leads.” He circled his hand on the steering wheel as he rounded a curve. Cresting a hill, the view opened up. Painter lay nestled in a valley. A mountain ridge rose behind the town. The sun was sliding behind the mountains, sending rays of gold mingled with orange and red into the sky above the mountains.

  “Yeah, it would’ve been nice, but not likely. Nelson didn’t stay hidden this long without being savvy, and the same goes for anyone helping him. I’m surprised that shifter didn’t scent us sooner. If it weren’t for the breeze blowing away from him, he probably would have.”

  “Right, right.” Heath sighed as he turned onto Main Street. “Guess I was hoping for too much.”

  “Wasn’t like I wasn’t hoping either, but I’m relentlessly realistic. Or maybe pessimistic,” Daniel offered wryly. “Don’t forget to drop me off at the farmhouse.”

  Heath slowed abruptly as he was just about to pass the side road that led to the farmhouse. After dropping Daniel off, he headed toward downtown Painter. He was irritable about seeing that shifter and losing him like that, but he knew Daniel was right. Even once they narrowed down where Nelson was, he wasn’t going to make it easy on them and nor would anyone helping Nelson. Heath made his way to Quinn’s. He wasn’t up for dinner alone tonight in his apartment. He parked across the street from Quinn’s and headed inside. As usual, the place was bustling. A waitress racing by him caught his eye and nodded toward the bar. “Unless you want to wait a while, you might want to grab a seat at the bar.”

  There was a cluster of customers waiting to be seated in the front area. Heath threaded through them on his way toward the bar. He slid onto a barstool in the corner by the wall. He was content to eat in peace tonight. He snagged the menu tucked in between the condiments on the bar and perused it. At his name, he glanced up—straight into Vivi’s bright blue eyes.

  Chapter 6

  Vivi stood across the bar from Heath, trying and failing to keep her body under control. His green gaze locked onto her, sending a rush of heat tumbling through her. She grabbed a towel and pointlessly wiped down the bar in front of him. “Here for dinner or just a drink?” she asked.

  “Both,” he replied, his voice gruff.

  “You want the house draft?” Since she couldn’t ignore small details about him, she remembered that was his usual order.

  “Sure. That and a Quinn’s burger.”

  She turned to the register by the wall and started to enter his order, only to have to re-enter it when she fumbled while she was typing. Her eyes collided with his again when she turned around, sending the heat simmering inside of her into a flash of flames. “Should be just a few minutes. I’ll get your beer.” She scurried away and quickly pulled a beer for him, only to forget to turn the tap off and spill beer on her hand. She swore to herself and grabbed a towel to wipe off her hand and his beer glass. Get it together. Heath shows up and you turn into a bumbling fool. She gave herself a mental shake and turned to hand his beer to him. When she was sliding it across the counter to him, another customer called her name, so she swung away immediately. The next little while passed in a blur. The customers just kept rolling in, which kept her busy. She didn’t particularly like that she needed the extra cash from a few shifts a week at Quinn’s, but she appreciated how the tips piled up and that she stayed so busy, she rarely thought about the time.

  Tonight however, Heath’s presence in the corner of the bar kept her skin prickling with awareness and her body suffused with heat. By the time her shift was about to end, she was in an all out war between her mind and body. Rationally, she just didn’t know if letting much more happen with Heath was a good idea. He wasn’t the kind of guy she could date and walk away from. He represented too much—she felt too much for him. He was her once upon a time high school crush from afar and a man she couldn’t keep compartmentalized if things went sideways between them. That was her mind. As to her body…well, her body had all kinds of other ideas, most of them involving getting her hands on his sculpted body and diving into the desire shimmering around them.

  She stepped into the back room behind the bar and snagged her jacket and purse. Dan, the bar manager, was busy stocking shelves with wine. He glanced up. “You outta here?”

  “Yup. You need me to cover any nights next week?”

  “If you want to cover the early shifts on Wednesday and Friday, they’re yours.”

  “I’ll take both nights.” She started to turn and head out front, but she paused by the door and looked back to Dan. “Thanks for being so flexible with the schedule for me.”

  The clink of bottles continued as Dan set one bottle after another on the shelves. He shrugged and looked over his shoulder at her. “My mom raised me by herself, just like you’re doing with Julianna. I get it. Whenever I have shifts open that work for you, they’re yours. Plus, you work your tail off. No need to thank me.”

  “I get to thank you if I want, so deal with it.”

  “See you next week,” he said with a wave and a chuckle.

  Vivi pushed through the door back into the bustling bar. Her eyes automatically swung to the corner where Heath had been sitting. He wasn’t there. Her heart sank. With her emotions a tornado inside, it was probably best he’d left. And yet…she’d been so damn hopeful she might have a few minutes alone with him tonight. She swallowed her sigh and tossed her fleece jacket over her shoulders as she threaded her way through the tables and customers to reach the door. She pushed through, the cool autumn air a contrast to the heat from inside the bar. She took a few steps beyond the door and paused on the sidewalk. The noise of the bar was muted now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the hint of wood smoke drifting from a nearby home.

  “Hey there.” Heath’s voice was unmistakable, low and clear in the crisp night air.

  Vivi opened her eyes and swung her head sideways to find Heath leaning against the building. His hands were tucked in the pockets of his jeans, tugging them low on his hips. Her heart gave a swift kick, jumpstarting her pulse. Heath pushed away from the wall, at which point she realized she’d yet to reply to him.

  “Hey.” One word was all she managed.

  “I thought maybe I could give you a ride home.”

  The hope she’d knocked aside a few moments earlier came roaring back. As usual, she’d walked into work after she’d dropped Julianna off at her mother’s for the night. A ride home with Heath would mean she’d get far more than a few minutes with him. Her body took over, shoving her doubts out of mind. She nodded before she even realized it. Heath took another step closer to her. The streetlights glinted off his dark curls. His presence was potent, and she could feel the heat emanating off of him. He stood a mere foot or so away from her. The air felt electrified. She thought maybe she should move, but she couldn’t.

  He took another step closer. Her breath hitched and her belly clenched. “Is that a yes?” he asked, the rough edge of his voice sending prickles along her skin.

  “Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  For a long, sizzling moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Her body nearly vibrated with tension. He didn’t. Instead, he reached for her hand, curling his around it. Her breath came out in a slow sigh at the feel of his warm, strong grip. Without a word, he turned and walked toward his truck. She strode alongside him, her pulse pounding and need thrumming through her. Moments later, he eased his truck away from the curb. The short drive down Main Street to her home was quiet, the small space in his truck taut and the air fairly snapping with the currents between them.

  Vivi glanced to Heath. His profile was silhouetted in the shadowed light, the angles of his face strong and clean. His nose had the barest jog along its bridge. She recalled he’d broken his nose when he fell off his bike in high school. His eyes cante
d to her, catching hers for a moment before he looked back at the road. In that tiny moment, liquid need swirled within her. Within minutes, they were at her house. Restless and jittery, she fumbled with the door handle. She felt Heath’s palm curl around her arm.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “You okay?”

  She let go of the handle and shifted in her seat, angling toward him. “Yeah. I, uh, I… Ugh. I’m a mess. I don’t know what we’re doing. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know…”

  “Vivi.” Heath said, his voice gravelly.

  She whipped her gaze up, colliding with his. Her heart clenched. She bit her lip and tried to take a deep breath. Her pulse was racing, and she couldn’t seem to get her body under control. Currents of need tossed wildly inside of her. Heath’s hand eased its grip on her arm and slid up. She could feel the heat of his palm through her jacket.

  Heath moved swiftly. Before she quite realized what was happening, he was opening the passenger door and helping her out. The door clicked shut behind her. Heath was right there in front of her. His eyes flashed in the light cast from her porch before his lips crashed against hers. In seconds, she was nearly on fire. His tongue tangled with hers in bold strokes. Their kiss went on and on. By the time he broke away, she was out of breath and surprised to discover she hadn’t actually melted into a puddle.

  He took a step back, the chilly air filling the space between them barely cooled the heat coursing through her. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her. She almost stumbled racing up the steps. His palm curled around her hip, steadying her. “Easy.”