James

By Crystal Dawn

James was headed home with his two youngest kids. Mom had always been his greatest supporter and he knew she would help him now. His wife, or rather his ex-wife had left without a warning. She’d taken every dime and everything of value they had and even managed to somehow sell their house and his SUV without his permission. Now he was back in Arkansas running a construction crew for his cousin Ariel. He was building the chain house when he met the alpha. He’d had enough of females, but she was amazing, and he’d met her before.
Latoya had stepped up taking a job no one wanted. She would be alpha of the chain of lynx at a crucial time. They were moving to Blue Eye, a little spot on the road in Missouri right on the Arkansas border. Everything was going well until she met the construction supervisor of her chain house for the second time. The male was everything she could want at a time she needed her head wrapped around her people and their new lives. Mates could wait.
Two people, both with their minds on their new lives. Could they share those lives, or would they have to go their separate ways?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crystal Dawn
• Release date: Mar 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463305317

Crystal Dawn

When she’s not out hunting rogue vampires and werewolves, you can find Crystal Dawn out exploring the galaxy. She can do it all without ever leaving her computer. She kicks ass, takes names, and puts it all down for the enjoyment of her readers. At least that’s what I think she told me. Writing came as a natural outlet for her overly creative mind. She has always told stories and even written some but publishing books didn't start until 2012 with The Rebirth, was the first of the Planet Amazon books. Crystal has also been lucky to have some wonderful beta readers who keep her on track and help inspire her.Secretly, she crushes on all her sexy heroes because all her stories end happily. That is one of the things that makes writing such a joy. Knowing that it makes her reader's day a little brighter. Not that she doesn't read sad books sometimes. While still in school, she read Where the Red Fern Grows and cried like a baby. It was a wonderful book and sometimes a bit of sadness has to be put in books because that's part of life. While she reads all kinds of books at some time or another, PNR and SFR, which she writes is what she reads the most for pleasure.When she started writing, she decided on going Indie after the first two books because an author has more control. She believes Indie will compete well and continues to grow. The need to give pleasure to her readers keeps her going and she sees a long career ahead. Growing up mostly in the NW Arkansas area, it has given her a good place to set some stories and many of her characters come from there or nearby SW Missouri.The start of her stories is the easy part. Finishing them is a little harder when all the stories are in there trying to get out. She loves reading, chocolate, fine sweet wine, and traveling among a large list of pursuits. Her favorite people, after her family and close friends, are her readers who she says are some of the most wonderful people in this galaxy and the next.

Book preview

Big Cats series

Book 7

James

By Crystal Dawn

Cover by Cyntillating Graphics and Design

Editing by Eagle Editing

2019 Copyright by Crystal Dawn

This book is a work of fiction. All contents, including

names, places,

and events are the product of the author’s imagination

or used in a

fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or

deceased,

businesses, locations or events are completely

coincidental.

None of this work may be used, reproduced, exchanged

or

transmitted by anyone but the person the book was purchased for.

Any reproductions of this book in any part or any form

must be

done

with the express written permission of the author or not

at all.

Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

Dedicated to cancer patients of all kinds everywhere.

May they find a cure for all of them soon.

Note* this book is set in the world of the white wolf.

Legend of the White Werewolf book 1 is free on most

sites and this series is a spin off from it.

Big Cats

Book 1

Sebastian

Sebastian is moving his pride headquarters to what he hopes will be a permanent home. Seven groups of big cats will be forming an alliance for mutual defense and to aid in the growth of all their groups. The last thing he needs right now is a mate. Too bad the goddess does things her own way.

Andi is busy building her flower shop into a prosperous business in a town the size of a shoe box. She gave up on men, who has the time for them anyway? If only a certain arrogant alpha would get the message. Things get even worse when she's attacked repeatedly by mercenaries looking for a potential white wolf mate to sell to a customer. Will her life ever settle down?

Big Cats series

Book 2

Titus

Titus supposed he should feel honored that Sebastian had put him in charge of the private school for their children. He didn’t. It was one headache after another with the interviews being the worst until Beth came in. His tiger roared in approval, she was his.

Beth had a bad history with males. If she didn’t, the sexy tiger might appeal to her. She was tired of supernaturals trying to mate her because of her bloodline. This would be just another one, so she intended to steer clear of him.

Big Cats

Book 3

Ciaro

Life was all about change and since he’d met Mairi, his opinion about mating had changed. He was ready for her whether she was ready or not.

So Ciaro was handsome and could be charming when he wanted to be. That meant almost nothing to her. She didn’t want a mate and he couldn’t have her.

Two beautiful people with a fate in common. One fought it while the other was ready to embrace it. Those things always turned out good, right?

Big Cats series

Book 4

Azrael

He’d entered this feline nation thing, or whatever they planned to call it, for one reason. Azrael wanted to save his kind. There was no way he was looking for a mate, but if he found the right female leopard or maybe any female cat, he might settle down. The old human female was just not his type.

Maddie Hawkins was not happy with her cousin Ariel. She’d agreed to help the leopard shifters for Ariel, but Azrael just pissed her off. Sure, he looked like a fallen angel like his name hinted, but he was an asshole, plain and simple.

Do opposites attract? It looks like it when you see the sparks fly between these two very different people.

Big Cats series

Book 5

Channing

Viv was confused now that she had met Channing. Glen was trying to charm her, but it already wasn’t working and now she’d been hit in the heart by Channing the cheetah leader. It was too soon, and her mother had recently mated. There was enough excitement. Besides, Channing didn’t seem to care for her.

The woman drove him nuts. He had worked hard to organize his people and mating would have to wait. She didn’t look like the kind that could handle that. He’d just keep her at a distance until he was ready. Whenever that would be.

An emotionally wounded woman and a man that put his people first. How the hell was that going to work out?

Big Cats

Book 6

Lincoln

The new leader of the cougars got a hell of a shock when he met Hazel. When he carried her away, she got a shock too. Now he’s doing whatever he has to in order to claim her, but she keeps resisting him.

This guy is just crazy as far as she’s concerned and she’s never giving in. The cat is hot, but he wants more than sex, so her answer is no.

A new leader with a lot of responsibility who finds his fated mate and a woman that doesn’t want to be tied down. Can they work things out or will someone end up unhappy?

Big Cats

Book 7

James

James was headed home with his two youngest kids. Mom had always been his greatest supporter and he knew she would help him now. His wife, or rather his ex-wife had left without a warning. She’d taken every dime and everything of value they had and even managed to somehow sell their house and his SUV without his permission. Now he was back in Arkansas running a construction crew for his cousin Ariel. He was building the clutter house when he met the alpha. He’d had enough of females, but she was amazing, and he’d met her before.

Latoya had stepped up taking a job no one wanted. She would be alpha of the clutter of lynx at a crucial time. They were moving to Blue Eye, a little spot on the road in Missouri right on the Arkansas border. Everything was going well until she met the construction supervisor of her clutter house for the second time. The male was everything she could want at a time she needed her head wrapped around her people and their new lives. Mates could wait.

Two people, both with their minds on their new lives. Could they share those lives, or would they have to go their separate ways?

Prologue

James the unwanted or that was the way he felt. He’d thought he’d hit bottom, but Latoya had made him sink even lower. Maybe he should be happy he was a supernatural now like many of his family. His cat kept him company and they were miserable together. A new problem it had caused was he and his cat wanted to deal with the problem in different ways. His plan was to just move on and put her in the past while his cat wanted to hunt her down and throw her over his shoulder and haul her away somewhere until she realized she was theirs.

He’d admit the plan had some merit, but she’d been a one-night stand and he wasn’t even sure she’d given him her real name. She’d been in a hotel room she’d invited him to and when he woke, she was gone. Everything had gone as expected, except the bite that changed everything. Now what was he going to do?

Chapter 1

The Clutter House

Sometimes being him just sucked. He had the typical family luck, or maybe it was just their overblown sense of responsibility. Things had gotten better when his mom and her mate, Azrael, had come to help him. Lucky for him he’d signed no agreements. Not so lucky for the bank or those who had bought his home without his agreement.

That bank ended up stuck with the loan their bank loan officer had given his ex-wife. They’d get their money from her or not at all. That had been a big relief, but mama had gotten his sister, Viv involved with his house and car. The sales were invalid since the judge had given him both in the divorce. The company wanted to buy them anyway, and his mom had set fair market value. At least he would now have the money to buy a house back home.

He’d finally started his job with Ariel even though it was halfway done. It had shocked him when he’d seen Latoya. Had she changed her mind and somehow found him? No, she was the lynx leader and only concerned about her house. She didn’t care about him at all. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, but she sat on the picnic table watching them work whenever she could.

His two youngest worked with him most of the time and in two weeks or so, they would finish. Then he wouldn’t have to put up with her anymore. His cat pouted. She was theirs and he didn’t like to hear that kind of talk. Too bad. The female had decided she wanted nothing to do with them. If only some of the other females on the crew felt the same way.

Getting hit on by attractive females was now his way of life. Now that he had no interest in any of them. He walked out to check the supplies and his eyes were drawn to the picnic table that Latoya sat on. She was looking right back at him.

Damn! Why didn’t she go somewhere else so he could try to put her out of his mind? The work was going well regardless of her distracting him. They were perfectly on target and would get done as expected. He’d be thankful when that day came. It was clear he’d never have another female in his life, but at least he could get on with the other aspects of it.

By the time the day was over, he was ready to go home, eat, clean up, and go to bed. Too bad they couldn’t. He had an appointment with Roger and three homes to look at. Ariel had already given her opinion on them, and he was sure he would follow her suggestion. The kids wanted to give them a look so that’s what they would do.

Roger pulled up just as they were headed for the car. Rolling his window down, he motioned them over. Why don’t you get in and we’ll go in my SUV?

Why not? He and the kids piled in. Ben was fifteen and Maddie, named after his mom, was sixteen. They were old enough to work all day and they enjoyed the money they made.

Once they were in, Roger took off. James would admit he was relieved to be out from under Latoya’s watchful eyes. Why she stayed there all day, he couldn’t imagine. The other leaders had done that too or, so he’d been told. But they’d all mated their construction bosses and Latoya had already mated him and rejected him. No point in her hanging around now.

James, we’re here. This is the one Ariel thought you’d be most likely to want. It’s a good price with a motivated seller. Owners died and their kids just want the money. There is a small loan owed and they are having to make payments. The price has dropped three times. Roger explained.

James looked around at a two-story farmhouse. It had been remodeled several times and had a big add-on in the back. It needed work and there were no appliances. He stood there staring at the empty spots where they had once been.

They tried renting it out, but the renter took everything not nailed down when they left. The appliances were old, but still worked. You would have had to replace them soon anyway. Roger pointed out.

The kitchen was where most of the work needed to be done. Judging by the spaces, the appliances had been small. He preferred the large ones, so he didn’t have to go shopping every day or two. The bathrooms needed a bit of work too. They would be okay for