Merrily Mated (Ouachita Mountain Shifters 3) by P. Jameson Page A

man,” the cat murmured. “You good?”
    Ryan nodded although he was nowhere near good.
    “Alright, I’ma let you go, and you getcha ass inside. Do not pass ‘go’, do not collect two hundred dollars.”
    Ryan shoved out of Mason’s hold, ignoring his sister and the raging shifter he’d attacked. On trembling legs he made for the front door as fast as he could go, tripping over the top stair when he got there. Luckily he caught himself on the log-shaped handle and pushed through into the lobby. The candy cane decorations caught him off guard and made it feel like he’d been gone for more than a week. Clara sat behind the counter Layna usually occupied, looking frazzled and confused. But he couldn’t check on her now. Someone else would have to.
    He clipped the corner and stumbled down the employee hall toward his old room. Correction: his room. He was back and he wasn’t going anywhere.
    When he reached the door, he paused to draw in a deep breath. He knew he needed to calm down, but waiting even long enough to breathe only left him feeling more anxious.
    With a crank of the handle, he eased the door open and the first thing he saw was the back of Doc Davis’ blond head as she leaned over the bed. The shifter female was arguably the most important member of the clan. The entire lodge really. She’d patched up guests and cats alike, and most recently had come through in a big way when Josie transitioned from human to werecat. He had complete faith in her abilities to care for Layna.
    Her head whipped around, sending tendrils of hair that had come loose from her bun into a frenzy. “Oh, good. You’re here,” she said, sounding relieved. But then she frowned, staring at him in the way one does when they’re assessing a threat. “Are you okay, Ryan?” She stepped toward him, hands outstretched as if she might need to support his weight. He tried to look around her to his female, but Doc’s face took up all his narrowing vision. “It’s shock,” she said calmly. “You just need to breathe. You’re in shock.”
    “Please,” he rasped, trying his damndest not to throw her out of the way. “Just let me see her.”
    Doc seemed to get the urgency, and quickly stepped aside.
    The breath in his chest stalled when he spotted the cougar lying limp on his sheets. He couldn’t feel his feet as he made his way forward.
    “She’s sedated,” Doc murmured. “It’ll be a few hours before she can wake, and even then, shifting will depend on how much she’s able to heal before then.”
    “It’s fine. She’s fine like this.”
    Quickly, Ryan kicked off his work boots and shrugged off his hoodie. Careful not to jostle her too much, he knelt on the edge of the mattress and crawled to her body, his open hand leading the way. He touched her face first and it was like a jolt of valium. The clench of his muscles around his bones eased a fraction, and he was able to breathe freer.
    Gently, he ran his hands all over her body, happy that she felt warm even if she was still as the dead. The fur on her feet and legs was matted with blood and mud, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to touch her, and hopefully start the healing process.
    “We brought her here because Owyn thought it might help if we put her where she could smell your scent.”
    Ryan squeezed his eyes closed. Would that help? What if she didn’t want to be here, close to him like this?
    He stared at her face, her long cat eyelashes resting against the fur of her cheeks, and a spark of anger lit in his chest.
    What she wanted didn’t matter right now. She needed him to heal, and he wasn’t leaving her alone until she was strong enough to push him away again.
    Maybe not even then.
    “Can I lift her? Is it safe? I’d like to hold her.”
    Doc nodded. “I think it would be fine. Her tail is cut in two places, so be mindful of that. I had to stitch both spots. Here and here.” She pointed, but he couldn’t see the wounds through the thick wad of