EPILOGUE

 

"Seriously, thanks again," Susanne said for about the fifth time as they gently lowered her down to sit on a large rock. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"Don't worry about it." Cora stretched her aching back and wiped the sweat from her brow with the side of her hand.

"I'm just glad we happened to come across you by accident," Eric said, not very convincingly; he was a terrible liar.

Cora rolled her eyes at him behind Susanne's back. They hadn't just stumbled across her by coincidence, of course. But they couldn't exactly explain how it was they had found Susanne, after the call had come in about a lost hiker: Eric had shifted to his mountain lion form, and they'd spent hours tracking her scent trail.

They'd gotten her down pretty quickly, even though Susanne's twisted ankle was swelling up so badly she couldn't put any weight on it, and they'd had to support her the entire way down. They'd gotten pretty good at this.

Cora and Eric had been travelling together for almost three months now. Eric had seamlessly fitted himself into Cora's guided tours. He helped with logistics, cooking and first aid like he was born for it.

But that wasn't all they did.

She hadn't quite realized, at the time, what Eric meant when he'd said he could help people from anywhere. As it turned out there was usually a shifter, or at least someone who knew they existed, in the emergency services most everywhere in the world; and they were only too happy to call in a fellow shifter for help when someone needed to be found in a hurry. Eric usually let his contacts know where they were travelling, and the two of them had already gotten a bit of a reputation for being the people to call in an emergency.

Susanne was the sixth unlucky hiker they'd gotten off a mountain in the past three months. This was the first time it had happened in the US, though. They'd only just come back to Colorado a few days ago.

Eric had walked a few steps down the road. He squinted at a weathered mile marker as he called in their position to 911.

Ten minutes later, an ambulance came roaring down the road to take a shaky and grateful Susanne off their hands.

"This is becoming a bit of a habit," Cora said, swinging her pack back onto her shoulders.

"Do you mind? I know this keeps getting in the way of our plans." Eric frowned worriedly.

"No, are you kidding me? I'm glad we're helping people. I'm just sorry we didn't get to see your waterfall. I know this was important to you."

They were only back in Colorado for a few days, just a quick layover to stock up on some supplies and check in with Eric's pack. But Eric had wanted to take her up to Rainbow Falls. He'd been weirdly intense about the preparation for a hike that was, by their standards, not more than a Sunday stroll. He'd checked and re-checked their supplies, making sure everything was perfect, alternating between anxiety and excitement in a way that wasn't like him at all.

"Don't worry about it. We can go the next time we're here," Eric said. But she could hear the disappointment in his voice, and his shoulders were slumping.

Cora didn't really know why this particular trip had mattered so much to him. Maybe he missed Colorado more than she'd realized.

Or maybe it wasn't their travelling that wasn't the problem.

She'd spent enough time with Eric's family to realize that shifters usually dated other shifters, and that there was something about shifter marriages that no one seemed to want to talk about in front of her. Maybe Eric was starting to regret getting involved with a human woman who—

"Cora?"

Eric's tone suggested this wasn't the first time he'd called her name. He gathered her close with an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, you okay? You were a thousand miles away just now."

His voice was tender, and there was a smile on his face. The smile he reserved just for her.

Cora shook off the dark thoughts with an effort. She was being ridiculous. Eric had given no sign that he was anything other than happy with her.

She let her thoughts drift until she could reach for the place inside her that held all her feelings for him, the origin of that warm thread that linked them inside her thoughts. The whole thing had grown weirdly real for something that was just a metaphor; sometimes she thought she could almost physically feel it, a warm living thrum inside her chest, a steady knowledge of Eric's presence that never quite went away. It felt especially bright and strong right now, with him directly beside her. But the feeling hadn't gone away even the time Eric had had to take a different flight and there'd briefly been an entire ocean between them.

The entire time, she'd felt as if she only had to close her eyes to be able to point right where Eric was.

It probably meant she was going a little bit crazy, going from spending so much of her time alone in the wilderness to spending all of it wrapped up in another person. But if this was madness, she liked the way it felt.

"What do you think of this place?" Eric asked.

Cora startled. She'd gotten caught up in her thoughts again.

They'd reached a small clearing in the middle of the woods. It was covered in soft grass. A small stream burbled over some rocks and splashed down into a clear basin. It'd be a nice place to spend the night.

"Looks good to me."

They put up the tent and lit a fire, safely contained inside a ring of stones. They didn't talk much while they had their dinner, sitting in companionable silence with their shoulders brushing. Cora fished her phone out of her pocket after they'd finished their meal.

"We can't really come back before the beginning of November," she said, paging through her calendar with a frown. "We've got that expedition with Colleen and Deborah booked already, and then China—"

Eric took a deep breath. "Oh, hell."

He looked around the clearing. The sky had turned a deep purple. The last rays of the setting sun shone through the trees, turning the water to gold.

"This is nice, isn't it? There's even a little miniature waterfall. That's romantic, right?"

He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself.

Cora turned to him, confused. Eric looked at her hopefully, anxiously, as if he was genuinely worried that she might disagree. As if camping in a beautiful clearing halfway up a mountain, at sunset, with the man she loved, wasn't everything Cora had ever wanted out of life.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I mean, I'm not sure it's really up to my high standards, though. I could be freezing my butt off in some godforsaken snow cave right now—"

She'd only meant to tease him to diffuse a bit of the strange, sudden tension she could feel emanating from Eric, but when he laughed, he looked like an enormous weight had dropped off his shoulders. There was a glint of tears in his eyes.

"God, I love you," he said.

Cora's breath caught in her chest when Eric went down to one knee in front of her. He pulled a little box out of his jacket pocket and opened it to reveal the glint of a ring. "Cora—"

"Yes."

Eric laughed when she flung herself into his arms.

"Yes! Yes, oh my God, yes!"

He picked her up with effortless strength and spun her around while she clung to him, both of them laughing now.

"Is that what you were so worried about? Of course I want to marry you, Eric, yes—"

He kissed her until she was breathless, kissed away the tears of joy streaming down her face. Finally he set her gently back on her feet.

Cora held out her hand for the ring, and Eric slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

"I picked a cut for the stone that shouldn't catch on anything, so you can wear it while hiking, and there's a necklace to go with it so you can wear it around your neck when you're climbing."

"You know me so well." Cora beamed down at the glittering beauty of it.

"I had a whole speech prepared, you know," Eric said.

"Really? Let's hear it!" Cora sat down with her legs crossed, grinning up at him. It felt like she'd never stop smiling ever again.

Eric, on the other hand, suddenly looked serious again as he lowered himself down to sit beside her.

"There's something you should know about—about me," he said. "About shifters. It's—we mate for life."

"I'd sort of picked up on that, yes." Eric's pack had been careful to avoid the subject of marriage in front of her, but there were a few things she'd put together from what she'd seen or overheard.

Eric took a deep breath. "There's a reason for that. For most of us, there's only ever one person—one soul mate. I'd almost given up on ever finding mine. But then I met you."

"So I'm your—your soul mate? It doesn't have to be another shifter?" That thought had hung over her head like a cloud for months now, and she hadn't even realized how much it had weighed on her until its shadow was suddenly lifted away.

"No. A lot of people in my family are married to other shifters, but not everyone is." He took a deep breath. This was the thing he'd been bracing himself to say, Cora realized. "Once you find your soul mate—if your soul mate accepts you—there's a bond that forms between you—"

"So it's real!"

Eric looked at her, startled. "Sorry?"

"The—the thing. The thread." She touched her own chest, feeling the deep thrum of the connection between them, the golden thread that bound them together. "I thought I was imagining it, but it's real!"

Eric looked at her, wide-eyed, his face awed. "You can feel it, too?"

"Yeah, it's—" She closed her eyes and focused, imagined wrapping her hands around that thread and giving it a gentle tug. Eric jerked as if he'd physically felt that, his hands going to his own chest.

"Yes. That's the bond."

"Oh wow. It's real." She stood up and spun in a slow circle, arms outstretched and eyes closed. The connection didn't waver, the thread leading steadily to Eric no matter how much she turned. "I wanted it to be real. I thought I was going crazy." She let the thread guide her back to Eric's side and sat down beside him, her eyes still closed. "This is going to be so useful."

Cora had learned the hard way how easy it was to lose your partner on a hike when conditions went bad. In a snowstorm or a bad fog sometimes you could barely see your hand in front of your eyes, never mind a person a few feet in front of you. They'd never have to worry about that again.

She opened her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Eric winced. "It didn't really seem fair to put that on you. I couldn't just go telling you you're the only one for me when we'd only just met. I wanted you to have a chance to—to make your own choice."

And she'd chosen. She'd chosen months ago.

"I was going to take you up to the falls and ask you there. It's beautiful up there. I wanted it to be special."

Cora looked around their little clearing, to the water glittering crystal clear in the pond. "It was. But you could have asked in a snow cave. The answer would've been the same."

Eric laughed, his face clear and happy. "You just like snow caves."

"I kind of do." Or, well. She liked sleeping in comfort as much as the next person, she just didn't like it as much as she liked to challenge the elements and win. "So do you."

Eric caught her hand in his. "Sometimes I almost didn't want to find my soul mate. I thought, what are the odds I'll find someone who likes it out there as much as I do? I spend half my life sleeping on a mat on the ground somewhere, who's going to sign up for that? I didn't think finding my soul mate would be worth giving up everything else I love."

"But you found me." Cora squeezed his hand. She'd had those same worries herself. It had never seemed worth it to give up doing what she loved just to find a man.

She'd never known marriage could be like this: the two of them, doing what they loved, together, forever.

THE END

 

 

 

A note from Zoe Chant

Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit, or follow me on or.

Please consider reviewing Mountain Rescue Lion, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

Page down to read a special sneak preview of my book .

The cover of Mountain Rescue Lion was designed by Augusta Scarlett.

 

More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant

 

. (Honey for the Billionbear #1) BBW with a broken heart + mysterious billionaire bear shifter + an unexpected storm = one sweet and sexy story!

Page down to read an excerpt from this story!

(Honey for the Billionbear #2). A BBW in danger + the hot bear shifter who'll do anything to protect her + a dangerous fight with the mafia = one thrilling romance!

(Honey for the Billionbear#3) An overworked lawyer in need of a break + the sexy bear shifter who'll do anything to protect her + kidnappers hired by an unscrupulous oil company = one heart-warming romance!

. A BBW librarian in financial trouble + a billionaire dragon shifter in need of a mate + a dangerous power struggle = one passionate forbidden romance!

A BBW doctor with no time for love + a protective alpha jaguar shifter + a kidnapping = one sizzling hot love story.

 (Fire & Rescue Shifters # 1). A curvy archaeologist with the find of a lifetime + a firefighter dragon shifter battling his instincts + a priceless artifact coveted by a ruthless rival = one blazing hot adventure!

A brave woman in deadly danger + a bear shifter police detective who will protect her with his life + a frightening foe = one thrilling romance!

(Shifting Sands Resort #1). A unique shifter in search of her past + a tiger shifter spy on an undercover mission + a shifters-only resort with secrets to hide = a dangerous and thrilling romantic adventure

A sexy lion shifter sheriff + an independent BBW who runs a diner + trouble with a local gang = one red-hot romance that will leave you breathless!

 

Zoe on Audio

- Workaholic wildlife photographer + loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.

- A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!

 

 

If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books

, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past.  But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.

, by Jorrie Spencer. The arrival of a young fugitive wolf is nothing new for Angus, the alpha of Wolf Town. But Mala, the dreamwalker following the boy, is extraordinary. He’s not only drawn to the dark-eyed beauty, he’s driven to protect her.

, by Jorrie Spencer. Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie.

, by Honey Dover. Beauty is a paranormal investigator. Whatever her job throws her way – ghosts, zombies, or werewolves - she can handle. Until she's hired to deal with a man cursed to become a monstrous beast. Helping him recover his humanity will change her life.

, by Nora Eli. Curvy Katie knows exactly what she wants, and it's not a bear shifter. After a sizzling one night stand with Jake, Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.

, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was always warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha wolf of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending? A full-length novel.

, by Terra Wolf. After curvy Gabriella loses her husband, she never expects to find love again, especially with sexy leopard shifter Landon Bishop. Will they remain stuck in the pain of the past, or find joy and love in the present?

 

Honey for the Billionbear

by Zoe Chant

Special Sneak Preview

The main gate will be unlocked, Sally had said. Just leave the honey on the front steps and ring the doorbell. Don’t expect to see him, though. He never answers his door. I’ve been delivering his honey for two years now, and I’ve only seen him once.

Still, Isabella couldn’t help but hope to catch a glance of the elusive billionaire.

As Sally had said, the main gate was unlocked. It swung open soundlessly. The way to the old stone mansion was lined with big elderberry bushes. Large, gnarled trees hung their sheltering branches over the path. Ivy wound around them, swaying gently in the breeze. With every step Isabella felt more and more like she was entering some kind of forgotten fairytale castle.

She left the little box with its two jars of honey on the front steps and rang the bell, like Sally had told her. She waited a couple of minutes. Maybe someone would open the door after all?

But the door stayed firmly closed. Disappointed, Isabella started walking back towards the gate.

Halfway back to the front gate, she heard a loud splash from the direction of the woods. There was a pond there, she knew. A small waterfall fed into it from a river running out of the woods. As a kid, she and some of her friends from the village had explored every inch of the deserted grounds around the mansion, sneaking around and giggling, feeling like daring explorers. On hot days, they’d bathed in the little pond. There was an overhang you could jump off into the deep end of the pond. That was probably what that splash had been. Someone was bathing in the pond. Could it be Mr. Steele?

Curiosity overwhelmed her. Isabella ducked between the tall bushes that lined the path and snuck into the woods, trying not to make a sound. A veil of ivy parted in front of her. There was the pond, right where she remembered it, and—

Her breath caught. It really was Ryan Steele. He was swimming in the deep end of the pond, his powerful muscles flexing. He was naked. Isabella stared, wide-eyed, as Ryan reached the shallow end of the pond and stood up, water sluicing off his broad shoulders.

He was one of the tallest men she’d ever seen, well over six feet, and powerfully built. Drops of water glistened on his golden skin, running down the smooth expanse of his strong chest and his long, long legs. The water only came up to the middle of his thighs, revealing his firm, muscled ass and, when he turned a little—Oh boy.

Isabella pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle an ill-timed giggle. Ryan wasn’t hard, but even so Isabella could tell that his cock was perfectly in proportion with the rest of his large, powerful body.

She shouldn’t be watching this, as breathtaking a sight as it was. Isabella reluctantly tore her eyes away and turned back towards the trees. A branch cracked loudly beneath her foot.

Isabella froze, but no angry shout let her know that her presence had been detected. Phew! That had been close. Best get out of here before she got discovered and banned from the grounds for life. What Sally would say if she managed to lose their most regular customer, she didn’t even want to imagine.

Isabella hastily made her way back to the road, her heart still fluttering in her chest. She probably shouldn’t have done that, she thought. She was a grown woman, much too old and sensible to get caught sneaking around other people’s properties!

On the other hand… At least she’d gotten to see the elusive Ryan Steele in person. And what a sight he’d been!

Want to keep reading?