Cougar's Mate by Terry Spear

time. She could run there and lose them in the forest. She would have it made.
    Until a man ran out of a house with a rifle in hand. An SUV wheeled onto the road she was running next to and headed straight for her. Two vehicles raced along the street behind her.
    Change of plans. She did the only thing she could do, ran for another backyard and leapt over the fence. But that wasn’t the direction she wanted to head in!
    At least the men chasing her would have to regroup.
    They had to know she was trying to reach the forest. Which meant she needed to change tactics.

Chapter 5
    “What do you mean you lost her?” Chase said into his cell phone, not believing this, as he drove one of the nurse’s cars to where Dan was waiting.
    “Dottie has called everyone on the alert roster who can track down the she-cat. Everyone who is free is searching for her.”
    “The woman was last spotted at your location?”
    “Haverton’s backyard.”
    “Why aren’t you there?” Chase was getting a bad feeling about this.
    “Let’s just say she is one hell of an ambush predator.”
    Instantly getting the picture and his head aching in sympathy, Chase frowned a little. “Are you okay?”
    “I think I feel like you did. I’m getting a ride over to the clinic in a minute. Your vehicle’s here, keys in the console, parka on the seat. Got to say she sure is hot to look at. But dangerous. You can go to Haverton’s and pick up her trail there. The other guys have lost her.”
    “Hell.” Chase had hoped they were still chasing her down.
    “Watch your back. And front. At least she left your car in one piece.”
    “Thanks, I’ve got you in sight now.” Chase studied Dan as he held his head between his hands, elbows resting on his knees as he sat on the driveway. He didn’t look good, most likely had a mother of a headache like Chase had. Nausea, the whole works. He thought for sure Dan would have already nailed her and been bringing her in. He never expected she’d best him, too.
    Another man arrived in a truck. “I’ve got the sheriff. I’ll get him to the clinic,” he said as Chase hurried out of the borrowed car.
    Chase took hold of Dan’s arms and eased him up. “Are you seeing double?”
    “Hell yeah. I could have sworn there were two of her when she ran off.”
    Chase patted his back. “You get better. I’ll keep you posted.” He handed the keys to the borrowed car to Dan. “Give these keys to Elsie when she checks you into the clinic. I’ll take my own car.”
    “Take my rifle. Catch her before she hurts someone else or someone kills her.”
    “Will do.” At least Chase sure the hell hoped he could. He knew she was plum scared, and he wanted to give her a chance to tell them what was going on, before it was too late.
    He parked at Haverton’s place, leaving the rifle behind. He hoped he could reason with her. No matter what, he wouldn’t shoot her again. Part of him was ready to let her go. To just let her fend for herself—but only because he worried that she truly had done something wrong, and he didn’t want to be the one to have to bring her to justice. Part of him wanted to take care of her and protect her from whatever she was so scared of.
    He opened the gate to the fenced-in yard and took a deep breath. He followed her scent all the way across it. She’d run to the back fence, but she hadn’t climbed over it. She’d raced across the yard at an angle and straight to… the house . Hell, she was in Haverton’s house. Or had been.
    One of the windows was open. He ran to the window and listened. He couldn’t hear anyone moving about in the house. He’d been so hopeful she was still here.
    He climbed inside the bedroom. Hal Haverton didn’t have a wife, so if the she-cat had grabbed some clothes, they would be men’s clothes. Packing boxes were stacked everywhere. Which reminded Chase he was supposed to be helping Hal move in a couple of weeks to his new ranch. He guessed that was out while he tried