Moon Shifter 02 - Primal Possession

forward to it. As she rounded the last bend before the turnoff to Fontana Lodge, she noticed the same gray truck tailing her that she’d seen as she’d left the literacy center.
    Her fingers tightened around the wheel as alarm jumped inside her. It could be nothing, but after she’d been kidnapped a few weeks ago, she paid extra attention to her surroundings. Hell, she still couldn’t believe those two monsters had managed to surprise her outside the grocery store. She’d let her guard down since moving to Fontana. In Miami that never would have happened. In Miami she hadn’t been allowed to go anywhere without one of her father’s bodyguards. Well, until she’d met Jayce. Then she hadn’t been allowed to go anywhere without him. Sadness welled in her chest whenever she thought of him. He’d been her first love, her first…everything. Her throat tightened and she tried to block out memories of him. She couldn’t allow herself to travel down that emotional minefield.
    For as long as she could remember, the men in her life had always been so annoyingly protective. She’d never missed that overbearing presence until she’d been at the mercy of two evil assholes. If it hadn’t been for Connorand Liam Armstrong…She shuddered and locked those thoughts up too. There was no sense thinking about what might have happened. It would only drive her insane. After the cops had started digging around the shed she’d been held in, they’d discovered “mementos” from other victims. And body parts. So far they’d found at least five female victims, but Kat didn’t doubt there would be more on that property.
    She swallowed back the bile in her throat. Thanks to two strangers that saved her life, she now had two new friends and an entire pack of shifters she wouldn’t hesitate to call on for help. The fact that her friend December was obviously involved with one of them made her feel even better about them.
    As she neared the turnoff, the truck behind her sped up even faster. Her unease turned to worry. She gunned the engine and took a sharp turn. Even with the chains on her Jeep her vehicle swerved slightly against the slick, icy asphalt. Keeping her eyes on the road and her rearview mirror was difficult. When she saw the truck continue past the turnoff, she still couldn’t allow herself to relax.
    Instead of heading for the main parking lot, she zoomed straight for the valet. As an employee she wasn’t supposed to use it, but one of the guys had a crush on her and usually let her get away with it. She was probably being paranoid but she didn’t care. Better safe than sorry. Especially after what had almost happened to her.
    Pulling to a stop, she pushed out a relieved breath. Her heart pounded erratically and she knew she was likely overreacting. The truck hadn’t been following her. She was just letting her imagination run wild. As she grabbed her purse and pastry bag, her loud ringtone sliced through the air. She jumped and let out a startled cry.
    When she saw the number, all thoughts of gray trucksand kidnappers dissipated. It was Jayce. She swallowed hard as she stared at the caller ID, a knot forming in her throat.
    Kat missed talking to him. So much so that she actually ached to hear him say her name once more in that gravelly, sinfully sexy voice. It was so distinctive she’d know it anywhere. But she knew she shouldn’t. After she’d ended things, he’d called her a dozen or so times. She’d been strong eight months ago. She could be strong now.
    She silenced her phone and shoved it into her purse. When Randy waved at her from behind the valet stand, she plastered a smile on her face and opened her door. She still had time to scarf down some food before she made it to the bunny slopes.
    Shoving thoughts of Jayce’s gray, hungry eyes from her mind, she reminded herself
why
she’d walked away. He didn’t have a place in her life anymore. He’d given that up when he’d decided she wasn’t good enough for him.
    December felt Liam glance at her as she steered in front of the lodge’s valet. He’d spent all day with her at the bookstore and
still
couldn’t take his eyes off her. It might put her a little on edge, but it was incredibly flattering to have such a sexy man like Liam so unequivocally focused on her. And she was grateful he’d unloaded and stocked her new shipments today. While she’d had to get used to his unfamiliar presence, having him around hadn’t been that bad.
    “We