I exhaled.
“Good morning.” Instead of Meg herself, a receptionist with wire-framed glasses and about forty-seven bracelets handed me a pen. “You’re Easton Raines.”
“That’s me.”
I was used to being recognized in Breckenridge, thanks to all the press Steve had gotten me over the last couple of years, but in this town, I was more wary than flattered. This chick could know me for my boarding or for my father.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” she added, smiling.
Shit. Had we met before? She looked to be around my age, but I couldn’t place her.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“Leslie.” Her smile became more of a wince. “We had English together junior year.”
I frowned.
“We ran cross country together.”
Recognition finally hit me. Leslie had been five-foot-nothing and flat-chested, not a curve in sight last time I’d seen her. She hadn’t even triggered her wolf yet if memory served. Now, she’d definitely filled out and grown up. Curvy and cute. And married if the ring on her finger was any indication.
“Oh, of course. Wow, you look…”
She turned away with a sheepish smile. “Different, I know. I have three kids now.”
“I was going to say amazing.” I flashed a smile at her that covered up the pain I was in.
“Aw, you’re sweet. Thank you.” She reached for some papers, and I could tell by her wolf’s scent that I’d flustered her. “Anyway, you can fill these out, and we’ll get you all set up.” She thrust a clipboard at me, all business now.
“Is Meg around? I’d love to say hi,” I said.
Her expression fell. “Meg and Gene passed away about a year ago.”
Her words nearly knocked the wind from me. “I didn’t know. What happened?”
“Car accident up on the pass, end of last season.”
Her eyes filled with tears and I stared back at her, completely lost. My mom had never said anything. But then, we barely spoke these days.
“They were good people,” I said finally.
“Yes, they were.”
Offering a nod, I took the paperwork and limped to the nearest chair.
For the next few minutes, I slogged through the mountain of forms. My phone went off, but I ignored it. Then it dinged with a text. From my mother.
Your father says good luck today.
I scowled and slid my phone away. So we were still playing the denial game then.
“I’ll take that if you’re finished.”
I looked up to find Leslie standing over me, her hand held out. I passed her the clipboard and mumbled a thanks. She smiled and retreated.
Another few minutes passed. I tried hard not to think about Dad. Or Mom. Or anything resembling my old life here.
Breckenridge was home now.
Steve was my family.
Frowning, I remembered the way he’d taken my injury. Disappointment over losing his “star” competitor as he liked to call me, sure. But it was more than that. He’d been after me for years now to go pro. My refusals had meant nothing. If anything, he’d seen me as more of a challenge. But this injury had convinced him that would never happen. His distance from me as a coach made sense. As a friend, it stung. Some family.
“Easton Raines.”
The sound of my name pulled me from my thoughts. The voice that said it pulled my inner wolf to attention.
My head snapped up, and my eyes locked on the girl standing in the doorway. Not girl. Woman.
My wolf practically growled the correction.
For nearly a month now, the damn beast inside me had been utterly silent. Now, it was all I could do to contain him.
Slowly, I rose, walking toward her as I studied her features. Sexy. Gorgeous. Familiar.
Her deep brown eyes landed on mine, and recognition hit me like a wave taking me under.
My wolf nearly howled.
My heart thundered.
Something inside me—a missing piece I didn’t even know I was looking for—slid into place. Like a key into a lock.
What the fuck?
Just like that, after ten years, I was face to face with Cat Bequette, my high school sweetheart. And just like that, my wolf had chosen her for its mate.
4
Cat
Holy. . . Was this real?
I’d read the name as I’d said it with no time to realize who the patient was until the words were out of my mouth. Now, all I could do was stare as he limped over to where I waited. My heart thudded against my ribs. My mouth went dry, and my tongue—shit, I couldn’t feel my tongue! Get it together, Cat.
“Cat? Is it really you? You look fantastic.”
His dark hair was a bit longer now, sweeping down his forehead nearly to his eyes. I studied his sharp jawline and those blue eyes the color of an icy ocean. East had always been way too handsome for his own good, but ten years had only made it worse. Or better. He was still the sexiest thing on two legs. And I was still clearly hung up. Damn.
“Hello, East.”
He scanned the length of me, and I pressed my toes against the bottom of my shoes to keep them from curling. The room spun.
I did not need a distraction like this right now. Not on top of everything else.
His gaze caught on my nametag which also listed my job title as therapist.
“You’re a physical therapist.”
“Among other things.”
Owner and manager wouldn’t fit on the plastic. But I wasn’t about to get into all that now. None of his business anyway.
His mouth lifted slightly. Not a smile but something resembling interest. “Are you my physical therapist?”
God, why did it sound dirty when he said it? So possessive?
“I am. Why don’t you, uh, follow me?”
Before he could turn that into an innuendo, I turned and led the way back to the intake area, heart pounding. Maybe I could ask Karen to swap. But no. Then East would know I bailed. And he’d know why. I refused to let him know he could still affect me—especially after how he’d ended things between us. Better to push through this.
Damn, I wish I’d read the patient file ahead of time.
But Rudy’s nagging had made me late, and now—
“You look the same as the last time I saw you.”
His voice, the deep, rich timbre of it, still made my insides heat.
I led the way into the new patient area and dropped his file onto the counter. “You mean the day you left.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” He tilted his head as my tone registered. “Is something wrong?”
I channeled my inner Rudy and mustered every shred of New Age Zen I could find. Forcing cheer and lightness I said, “Not at all. Just a busy morning. It’s good to see you again.”
“Good to see you too.” A shadow passed over his features. “I just heard about your parents. I’m sorry.”
Grief welled up, hitting me harder than expected. Something about those words coming from East made the wounds feel fresh again. “Thanks. It’s been a hard year.”
“I can’t imagine. They were amazing people, Cat.”
“They were.” I forced back the urge to let a tear slip. Crying on my ex’s shoulder was not an option. Especially when he hadn’t so much as called or texted last year when it happened.
I cleared my throat. “Why don’t you tell me what brings you in today?”
He looked like he wanted to say more about it. I was relieved when he let it go.
“Snowboarding accident. A month ago, I went up for a supercat—no pun intended—and didn’t so much land it as succumb to gravity’s laws.”
I ignored the pun on my name—and the smirk that came with it. “And for those of us who don’t know what a supercat is?”
“A double wildcat?”
I shrugged.
“A wildcat is sort of a backward cartwheel. A supercat is two of them.”
“Two backward cartwheels,�
� I repeated, impressed despite my best efforts to resist. “In the air.”
“Guess I’m a bit of an adventure seeker.”
“Or an idiot,” I mumbled.
He grinned then continued, “Anyway, I came down hard on my left leg. Not enough weight dispersion, I guess. My knee popped, and I’ve been in pain ever since.”
“Yes, I remember your mother saying you were working for some fancy resort. Do you compete now?”
He shrugged. “The owner put a team together, using his instructors. We do local stuff, mostly. Sponsored competitions, charity events, instructional workshops for celebs.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Pays the bills.” He grimaced. “Or it did.”
I listened while I scanned the notes his doctor provided. Two of the four ligaments in the knee had torn. It would have taken surgeries and months of physical therapy for a normal human to come back from this. But Easton wasn’t a normal human. So why hadn’t he healed yet?
“This happened one month ago, you said?”
I checked the date on the report as he nodded.
“You’re thinking what I’ve asked myself every day since,” he said, lowering his voice. It wasn’t necessary. Everyone in the clinic was aware of the supernatural residents in this town. But East didn’t know that, and I wasn’t inclined to offer it up.
I looked up at him. “You don’t know why you haven’t healed.”
He shook his head. “No idea.”
I hesitated. Not many people here knew the real reason Easton had left. Hell, Easton probably thought no one knew. But I’d learned from the gossip train about his dad’s drinking problem, which meant the pack knew it too. And once the powers-that-be heard he was back, there’d be certain expectations. Even as a human, I knew how these things worked. “No offense, but shouldn’t you go see Tobias? Or one of the witches? They’d know better what to do with an injured shifter than I would.”
“I’m not a member of the pack,” he said in a clipped voice.
“But your dad is,” I pointed out.
His mouth flattened, and something hard flashed in his blue eyes. “The pack’s not an option.”
“I see.”
Tension layered the air between us. Finally, he blew out a breath and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. I hated that it still looked inviting. My fingers twitched to reach for it. For him.
“Besides,” he said, that flirtatious gleam returning. “My mom says you’re the best in town. So, work your magic on me, Kitten.”
I faltered at the use of my nickname. My body’s response was an immediate internal YES, GIRL, GET IT that I was not prepared for. My body had always been a fan of Easton Raines. So had my heart. And that was the trouble.
I rolled my eyes, shoving aside the old wound. “You’re still a shameless flirt.”
“You’re still a knockout.”
I laughed, unable to catch it before it slipped out. But it was brittle. Cynical. Some knockout. He hadn’t bothered to stick around after graduation long enough to break up with me properly. Asshole.
East’s eyes sharpened. “Tell me about you. What have you been up to?”
I arched a brow. “You want me to fill you in on ten years?”
He shrugged. “Give me the highlights.”
The highlights? Seriously? After completely walking out on us, this town, and his entire life, this asshole wanted the highlights?
“How about I give your knee a workout instead.”
His lips twitched, and I could practically hear the innuendos blaring from his brain. “Okay, Cat. Work me out.”
Despite my attempts to remain disengaged, heat flooded my face as I pictured what it would be like to get sweaty and naked with Easton. We’d never made it that far in high school. Easton had been too scared of losing control of his wolf, but now. . .
Hell no.
I was not letting my heart get broken twice by the same guy.
Rising quickly, I went to adjust the first machine before the object of my not-so-subtle fantasies could notice my reaction. And here I’d thought cold nipples would be the biggest hardship of my day.
That didn’t even come close. Especially when my nipples were currently hard for completely different reasons. Wait until Rudy heard about this. He was going to have a field day. Probably read my horoscope or birth chart or some shit. Then again, considering my way-too-sexy ex-boyfriend and first love, Easton Raines, was suddenly my newest patient, I needed all the help I could get.
5
Easton
My wolf had chosen Cat Bequette as its mate, and it was killing me. More than once during our appointment, I wanted to blurt it out. Or, my wolf did anyway. But the part of me that was just Easton Raines—the human male who wanted nothing to do with this town and least of all a person who could tie me here—resisted.
Cat had always been a small-town girl. Not in the way movies portrayed where a small town meant a small mind. Cat was all about family and home and roots. She was bonfires and Friday night football and Sunday fried chicken. She felt safe for me when nothing else was. Her parents had fed me and welcomed me as one of the family. It had meant everything, especially when my own house was so damn lonely. Or dangerous. Depending on the day.
Even in high school, I’d known Cat would make a life here. I’d also known I wouldn’t.
Couldn’t.
Not with so many demons constantly following me around.
And now, my wolf wanted to claim her.
Damn, the Universe had a wicked sense of humor.
But neither part of me could deny Cat was gorgeous—sun-kissed skin that begged to be touched if only to prove it felt as soft as it looked, a quick smile and sharp eyes. Hands that knew exactly how to handle my aches and pains—and damn if there wasn’t a special sort of ache forming in my jeans right now.
How had I ever walked away from her?
Right.
Because the idea of mating with a human woman had scared me shitless. It hadn’t been about her. Not really. Back then, staying in town and watching my werewolf father continue to treat my human mother like trash had disgusted me.
My wolf would have killed him.
I’d left to keep from committing murder. Leaving Cat had been the icing on the shit-cake that was my life. Judging by the hot-cold way she was acting, she hadn’t forgotten it either.
“Okay, considering your mobility and pain levels, I’m going to draw up a treatment plan for us to get started.” Her tone was all business.
I forced my thoughts to follow her words.
My knee.
I was here to heal, and that was it.
My wolf would just have to get over it.
“Based on what I’ve seen here today—” Her voice grew serious, “and the fact that your body should have healed itself by now—” We shared a knowing look, and I winced because she was right. “—I suggest three sessions a week with some exercises at home for your days off.”
“An athlete never has days off,” I said, mostly to remind myself who—and what—I was. A snowboarder. And more importantly, someone who no longer lived in Midnight Falls.
“Then this should be easy for you.”
“Do you think this will be enough to heal me?” I asked.
“If you follow the plan I’ve laid out, I don’t see why not.”
“Good. With the season opening in a few weeks, I don’t want to leave my boss down an instructor.”
She stiffened. “You’ll be out of here in no time,” she said, turning away to finish writing notes in my patient file.
Well then.
Apparently, time didn’t heal everything.
Guilt pricked at me as memories flooded in. Images I’d worked hard to force out for the past decade. My chest grew heavy.
I looked down at my hands, familiar regret warring with what had been a teenager’s desperation.
“Cat, listen, if this is too difficult, working together—” I began, but she cut
me off.
“Why would it be difficult?”
Now that I’d brought up the elephant in the room, her tone had gone frigid. To her credit, she was facing me now with full eye contact. Like a prizefighter more than willing to go head to head.
I drank it in, surprised and intrigued.
The look in her eyes—the fire, the heat—was new. The old Cat hated conflict. She would have been polite above all else. This version was braver. Sassier. And damn if it didn’t turn me on.
“The way we left things wasn’t exactly friendly,” I said, choosing my words carefully now.
“I don’t need any more friends,” she said. “Besides, this is my job, and I’m a professional. What happened between us is in the past. We’re not the same people, and I’ve certainly moved on.”
It was a challenge—or at least that’s how my wolf took it. One I would have gladly risen to if not for my wolf strangling my attempt to lie right along with her.
Fuck.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
“All right,” I said slowly, my voice hoarse in my ears. “Three times a week. What do I do at home?”
She thrust a few papers at me. “Instructions for the exercises are here. It works best with a partner.” A shadow passed over her expression. “A girlfriend maybe.”
“Don’t have one.”
“A wife.”
I snorted. “Don’t have one of those either.”
Her eyes narrowed like she didn’t believe me. But she only said, “A friend then.”
I shook my head. “Short on those too.”
She frowned. “There must be someone. Ask your mom.”
“My mom would do it if I asked, except that would require me going home.” I looked away.
“You’re not staying at home?”
Her question was quiet—and knowing. I realized with a start she hadn’t suggested I go to my dad for help.
Did she know?
Had word gotten out in the years I’d been gone?
“I’m renting a room over at Nicole’s,” I said quietly.
She nodded then glanced down at the papers in my hand.
There was a long silence. I could feel her debating something with herself. Finally, she looked up at me. The fury from earlier was gone. “I could come by. Check on you. Just until you find someone else.”
Midnight Mate: A Paranormal Romance Standalone Page 2