Jared: Mating Fever (Rocked by the Bear Book 5) Read Free Page A

human world so well that we’ve become weak. While we’re good about keeping what we are a secret, we’ve also strayed from our territories.” Silverware rattles as he takes my plate to clear the table, and as he stands he says, “And that leaves us vulnerable.”
    I ask, “So it’s only the two of you here?”
    “Not usually,” says Jared. “When the Lindquist brothers and their mates are here, we’re not alone.”
    Olivia? Oh my god. My college roommate fell hard and fast for Aaron Lindquist last spring, and she’s currently on tour with him and his rock band. I ask, “So what happens now?”
    Jared reaches for my hands and squeezes my fingers gently. “In order to keep you safe, I may need to make you a werebear, and that means biting you.”
    I remove my hands from his grasp and sit back. “Bite me. Sink your teeth into my neck and suck my blood kind of bite?”
    Jared frowns. “We’re not vampires. But yes. My teeth will sink into your skin.”
    I’m open to adventure and change more than most, but this idea makes me pause. I’m not sure I want to become a bear. “Wouldn’t the police be easier?” I ask.
    “No,” says Jax. He leans forward to gaze at me with intensity. “People can’t know what we are, Courtney. You need to understand that we’d be in more danger if they did.”
    I nod. “Right. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
    Jared growls at Jax and says, “Don’t be sorry. I’m sure this is overwhelming.”
    “I need time to think about this.”
    Jared says, “You don’t have to make any decisions yet. I didn’t plan on changing you tonight.”
    If I become involved in Jared’s world, mine will change drastically. I think about the children I teach and recall the mural we’re working on. While it’s not the sculpture I’d intended, it’s a meaningful project the kids will be proud of for years to come. I need to get my curriculum done, but it’s in my car. I ask, “Can I borrow a computer? I need to get a document done for my principal, or I won’t have a job Monday.”
    “Courtney,” says Jared. “The hunter saw you save me. I’m not sure you should return to work.”
    Oh god. I bet the killers went through my things and know way more about me than I’d like. What if they try to find me at the school? I inhale sharply at the thought of men storming in to get me and the devastation they’d leave on the way. I say, “I need to quit my job right away. The children aren’t safe if I stay there.” Tears prick at my eyes as I imagine the killers looking for me anyway. “Oh my god, they’re not safe either way.”
    Jared shakes his head. “They’ll be fine. The hunters aren’t about to kill human children. If you stay away, the only people in danger are us.”
    The dinner I just ate is now a hard lump in my stomach as the sound of a gunshot rings in my memory. If I’m not safe at work, I’m not safe anywhere. I stare at Jared as I ask, “I can’t go home, can I?”
    Jared says, “Not tonight. I’ll take you there tomorrow. It’s going to be dangerous, so you’ll only be able to take what you absolutely need.”
    I gaze at the guy that has dominated my fantasies for more than a year. None of them included this version of staying at his place. Or the reason I want him to hold me right now. I drop my gaze as tears fill my eyes, but I’m not ashamed to admit I’m scared to death. And when Jared reaches over and lifts my chin, I let my sob escape.
    “Hey,” he says as he stands to pull me up. Jared tugs me against his chest as my body shakes and the tears flow. His hand is warm on my head as he pats my hair. “Shhh, I’ll keep you safe, Courtney.”
    I want to believe him, but how does one stay safe from men with guns who want to kill you? Especially when you can’t go to the police? I pull away to gaze up at him and ask, “How? Do you have guns? Guards?”
    “I’ll hear them before they get too close.”
    I scowl. “That didn’t work out so well for you