Changing Focus Read Free Page A

the cold air made him wish he could fly but this was the closest he came to that sensation. Micah hit the ground hard, his front legs absorbing most of the shock, but he still felt it all the way to his tail. It wasn’t painful but it definitely rattled his bones.
    Loping toward the woods gave him a sense of freedom like no other. The wind still blew, shaking snow from the treetops to land in wet clumps all around him, but this coat kept him warmer than the wool one ever could. When one of those clumps hit him near the base of his tail, Micah spun around, teeth bared, ready to fight. Realizing what had happened, his human side laughed.
    Trotting easily through the darkness, Micah reached the edge of the lake that bordered his property. He knew the base would be hard frozen at this time of year, at least three feet thick. It would stay that way for some time.
    There were a few ice-fishing houses out in the very middle of the lake. He paused before stepping out into the moonlight. No sense in annoying any late-night fishermen. Twitching his ears and nose, his quick sensory survey of the area let him know the fishing shacks were unoccupied.
    Running along the edge of the lake, he bit at the snow, slaking his thirst, and as different scents caught his attention, he stopped from time to time to mark his territory. Finally, he flopped full-length into a snowbank. Micah rolled in the snow until the powdery stuff covered him from nose to tail. Getting back to his feet, he shook vigorously. Snow flew all around him as he jumped into the air in sheer enjoyment at being alive, whole and home again.
    After he’d run the entire perimeter of his property and assured himself that everything was as he’d left it, Micah turned back toward the lodge and his waiting bed.
    He noted fresh tracks. Plunging his nose into the snow around them, he picked up that oranges and female smell again. His ruff raised in anticipation of meeting her. The snow had stopped now and he sensed that it wouldn’t be very long before the sun started to rise.
    Just as he reached the clearing by the lodge, he stopped. An unfamiliar feeling washed over him. It took him a moment to identify it. Someone watched him. He stood in the soft light, staring at the main lodge. A light burned on the third floor in his apartment but the rest of the lodge remained dark.
So where?
    Movement on the second floor alerted him. A silhouette against the curtains in one of the guestrooms. He lifted his head, staring at the window, nearly willing her to move. The female shifter, the woman known as Olivia Decatur, watched him. He wondered if she stood naked at the window or if she gave in to the human notion of sleeping in clothes. Now he wanted her to acknowledge his presence.
    In spite of the fact that he’d never had to work to attract any female, Micah started to jump through the snowdrifts. He felt quite sure he looked like an idiot, but he wanted her attention. He wanted her to open the curtain and watch him. Hell, he wanted her to come outside and play with him in the snow.
    For nearly thirty minutes he frolicked. He did what any male would do in the presence of a female he wanted to impress. He showed off.
    When she didn’t move or show any sign of coming out to join him, Micah gave up…for now. His jaw dropped into a grin. The possibility that she might already be mated flitted through his mind, but he shook it away. Her scent had been pure female, no blending with another’s mark.
    His belly tightened at the memory of that sweet female fragrance. He moved into the shadows near the lodge and around the corner toward his private entrance. Shifting at the base of the hidden staircase, he ran quickly up the stairs, entering his living room before the chill could reach his bones.
    Grabbing a fleece blanket off the couch, Micah settled in front of the fireplace, poking at the embers before placing another log on the fire. His blood still ran with the warmth of the South he’d left