Jared: Mating Fever (Rocked by the Bear Book 5) (2 page)

I
’m
ravenous by the time I sit at the table with Jax and Jared for dinner. Jared draped a blanket over my shoulders before I sat down, and it must have come from his room, because the scent of him wraps around me as I eat. Spaghetti never tasted so good to me, and I’m glad my second helping looks small compared to the three or more Jared and Jax consume.

I sigh with contentment and lean back in my chair to ask, “Now that I’m fat and happy, can I ask how it is that I’m a werebear?”

“One of your parents is one,” says Jared.

I grew up without a father, and I wonder if that’s why. “Are people like me common?”

“We’re not sure,” says Jax. “It used to be that mixed relationships weren’t allowed.”

I imagine my mother having a secret affair and smile. She’s a lot like me, and I think she would have found it exciting. But my heart aches when I wonder if she met her true mate and couldn’t be with him. “And now?”

Jax and Jared glance at each other as Jared says, “Did you ever dream about bear?”

I nod as I recall the dreams I started having in high school. For a while they were intense, but once I got to college, they became sporadic.

“It’s a long story,” says Jax, “but we’ve discovered that half-werebear females can be quite an asset to our clan. Our alpha, Tori, is one.”

Jared reaches over to touch my arm. “Your gifts are very valuable, and when Tori finds out about you, she’ll be pleased.”

I sip my glass of water and swallow more loudly than I intended as I imagine what she’ll expect me to do. “I’m not a hero.” I lick my lips as my heart rate increases. “I don’t save people. They save me.” I glance at Jared. “Like in the woods. If you hadn’t shown up—”

“Courtney.”

Jared reaches for me again, and I flinch back as I ask, “Who was shooting at you?”

Jax mumbles a string of profanity, and his plate scrapes on the table as he shoves it out of the way.

Jared says, “There are humans that think we’re dangerous. For decades it wasn’t much of a problem, but lately...”

“Our generation has never had to deal with the danger,” says Jax. “We’ve mainstreamed into the 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 today, did it?”

Jax exhales as if he’s surprised by my words and says, “Bro. Destiny’s a bitch.”

Anger I don’t understand simmers in me, and I pull out of Jared’s embrace to face his twin. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He holds up his hands. “It’s not a bad thing. You don’t take his shit. I like it.”

“And other people do?”

Jax grins at me. “My brother likes to date the pretty girls that never question what he says. You’re not that kind of woman.”

I squint my eyes at him, and he quickly adds, “Not that you aren’t pretty. You’re gorgeous. I meant that you don’t believe everything he says.”

I don’t want to explore what that means right now, so I turn back to Jared and cross my arms. “Tell me again how you’re going to keep me safe.”

Jared takes my arm and leads me away from Jax as he says, “Let me explain more about werebear.” He tells me about super senses and the warrior training all werebear experience during their teens. Apparently it’s even hard to kill one because of the quick healing process. When he’s done, I feel a little better about my mate’s ability to protect me.

I’m not thrilled that my safety is dependent upon someone else, so when Jared insists sleeping in his bed with him would be safest, I refuse. Even though I’m physically attracted to him with an intensity I’ve never felt before, I need space.

The sofa bed creaks as Jared yanks on it, and it thuds on the floor. I take the linens from him and say, “I’ve got it. If you don’t mind, I’d really like to be alone now.”

Jared steps close, and the true-mate attraction between us practically sings. When he takes my arms, I lean my head back as if we’re already familiar lovers. He closes in for a kiss. For a moment, I experience bliss as we taste each other’s intoxicating elixir, and if he led me to his bed, I’d go. But Jared respects my boundaries, and he releases me before we get carried away. He says, “I’m sure this is hard for you to understand, but I’ve been waiting for you all my life, and I’m very happy to have found you.”

I smile up at him, but I don’t know what to say because while the idea of a forever love makes me happy, it comes with a hefty price.

I
’m not a morning person
, and the bright sunlight burning through my eyelids makes me wake annoyed, especially when I realize it’s Saturday. I groan as I tug a pillow over my face and inhale the scent of laundry detergent.

“Good morning,” says Jared as the mattress sinks beside me. I whip the pillow off to glare at him, but when I notice he’s holding a cup of coffee, my anger fades. He says, “My guess is you drink it black. Am I right?”

I slide back to sit up, and the mug is hot in my hand when I take the drink from him. “Yes. How did you know?”

He smiles, and my insides tingle in response.
Wow.
Maybe I should have slept in his bed. He takes a moment before he answers, and I wonder if he’s trying to be tactful when he says, “You strike me as a no-frills kind of girl.”

I sip the bitter liquid before I offer, “How about I’m a hot mess that never has cream on hand and is usually late?”

Jared grins. “Self-aware. I like it.”

I ask, “So what’s the plan today?”

“Donuts and a recon mission to see if it’s safe for you to get your things out of your apartment.”

“And my car?”

“We’ll swing by to get that on the way home.” He gazes at me with a hungry look that makes my heart skip a beat, and I gulp down more coffee to resist kissing him with my morning breath.

Jared sighs before he stands up. “How soon can you be ready?”

“Five minutes.” Air is cool on my bare legs when I climb out of the bed wearing one of Jared’s T-shirts. He takes a shaky breath as he watches. My desire burns in my belly at his reaction to me, and I pause as our eyes lock.

Something flashes in Jared’s eyes before he swallows hard and says, “We have things to get done.”

I find my resolve when I let yesterday’s near-death experience replay in my mind. “We do.” My mug thumps down on the small table next to the sofa, and I gather up my clothes from yesterday before I make my way to the bathroom to get dressed. Once I’m ready, Jared and I rent a minivan so his car won’t be recognized, and stop for a large box of donuts and coffee before we drive over to my apartment.

The engine of the rental ticks when he turns it off, and he says, “Don’t get out. We’ll climb over the seats to get in the back, where the windows are tinted and nobody can see us.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re on a stakeout.” Jared grunts as he squeezes into the back, where the seat has been lowered, and he turns to me. “Hand me the coffees.”

Dark-roast aroma floats to my nose as I give him the food. “So we’re going to watch until someone shows up to kill me?” I climb over the seat to join him.

“We’re watching to make sure it’s safe for us to go inside. Do you know everyone that lives in your building?”

I nod.

“Then we’ll see who goes in and out for a while until we’re sure anyone that might have gone into your apartment has left.”

“Okay.” I take a donut that Jared offers me and bite into the sugary goodness. We’re sitting next to each other, and I notice he moves his leg to touch mine, because my body hums from the contact.

I stare forward as Jared says, “I’m sorry you got dragged into this. Do you hate me?”

I glance at him. “Hate you? Is that even possible with true mates?”

“No. I suppose not. But you got slammed with what you are, what I am, and the danger we’re in. Plus I almost got you killed.” He lifts his coffee. “Thanks again for saving me. You were courageous.”

“Actually, I’m a chicken.” I glance down at my ripped pants, and the frayed edge is soft on my finger as I touch it. “I have no idea why I shoved you out of the way. I saw what was going to happen in my head, and I just reacted. Seriously, that’s not like me.”

“Maybe it’s a side of yourself you’ve never seen. You might come from warrior blood.”

I chuckle before I say, “I doubt it. I trip over things because I’m too distracted to see them.”

“Hmmm,” he says. I watch my neighbor Mr. Olin jog down the steps of my building and walk down the street toward his car. Jared says, “Then maybe your bear is, and she came out when you needed her.”

I think back to the way I sprang into action as if it were natural and wonder if he might be right. I change the subject and ask, “How long have you played cello?”

Jared and I talk about his music, and he tells me how he and Jax had a garage band before coming to college. I then tell him about my painting until the coffee is gone and we’ve eaten all the pastries. My thigh flexes as I stretch out my leg and ask, “How much longer do we have to watch?”

“I think we’re good.” Jared reaches for the hatch to open the back, and we step out into the bright sunlight. As we walk across the street, he speaks quietly while he glances around. “We need to be fast. Get just what you need for a few days.”

Our feet thud on the wood stairs that lead to the second floor where my apartment is located. Because I left my bag back at the park, I don’t have my keys, but I keep a spare over the doorframe of my neighbor’s apartment, and I stand on my tiptoes to get it.

The lock clicks open, and I let Jared enter first. He glances around my small space. It looks more like an artist’s studio than a place to live, and I gaze at the easel set up with a painting in progress. More canvases are leaning against the walls, making my living area feel cramped. I say, “I don’t usually have guests.”

Jared walks over to a group of paintings and asks, “May I?”

“Sure. I’ll just grab some stuff while you look.”

I go to my room and grab a large duffel bag. Hangers rattle as I yank down a few shirts, and I choose enough clothes to last a week. When I return to the living room, Jared is holding up a painting. It’s one I painted from a photograph of his orchestra, and my cheeks heat up with my blush because the focus is on him playing the cello.

Jared turns to me. “I really like this one.”

“It’s you. Take it.”

“You painted me?”

I shrug. “Yeah. Just because you didn’t know who I was doesn’t mean I hadn’t noticed you.”

He walks closer to me with that hungry look in his eyes that makes me think I’m seeing his animal side. Jared grips my arms lightly, and the bag I’m holding slips from my fingers to thud on the floor. He says, “I can’t believe I was so blind.” He leans down and kisses me tenderly. When he pulls away he asks, “Ready?”

I lick my lips to savor his flavor and say, “I still need to change and get my toiletries.”

“I’ll take your bag and my painting down to the car while you do.”

I watch Jared as he leaves, and I recall how he looks without a shirt. An evil smile forms on my face as I imagine the rest of him without clothes before the snick of the door shakes me from my fantasy.

Once I change into jeans, I make my way to the bathroom to get my cosmetics. A drawer scrapes open as I search for makeup. When my apartment door swishes open, I assume it’s Jared until a vision flashes in my mind of blood on my bathroom floor. Ice runs in my veins.
The killer is here!
I turn and slam the bathroom door shut, and the metal of the knob is hard in my fingers as my hand shakes while I fumble with the lock. The handle twists in my palm as I yell, “No!”

When the door opens, I scream and throw my body against the wood to keep the man out. Bones crack, and I glance down to see his fingers are trapped. The guy yells and shoves hard enough that I’m thrown back, and items clatter into the sink when I hit it. Pain radiates through my lower back from the impact as I call out, “Ja—!” A beefy hand slaps over my mouth to stop me, and I gaze up at a dark-haired man with a big nose.
Oh god.
He snarls at me as he shoves my head back, and it cracks against the mirror to shatter it. Glass rains down as I blink in shock. My head throbs as if someone’s hammering on my skull.

He growls out, “Not so quick on your feet today, are you?” I realize he must be the one that shot at Jared. When the man grabs my arm, his fingers dig into my flesh, and I lift my knee as hard as I can to make contact with his groin. But I miss and hit his thigh. He chuckles as he presses his body against mine. The scent of his musk turns my stomach as hard porcelain digs into my bottom, and I squirm to get away. He wraps his free hand around my neck to squeeze. Skin is greasy under my fingers as I scratch at his face and kick at his shins.
I can’t breathe.
Stars float before my eyes as a roar sounds.

The pressure on me is suddenly gone, and I slump to the floor like a rag doll when the man is yanked away from me. The men tumble backward, and the hunter jumps up to his feet. A glint of sunlight flashes off something in the man’s hand, and I realize it’s a knife.

Wait!
I scramble to my feet as the guy rushes toward Jared. Blood rushing to my head makes my pulse pound in my ears like a drum, and I launch myself at the guy to land on his back. Reaching around to his eyes, I jam my fingers in the sockets as Jared yells, “Stay out of this!”

The man screams, and the knife clatters on the floor as he drops it to grab my arms to throw me off. The floor is hard, and the impact of my fall radiates through my spine. I yell as I get up, “What do you mean stay out of this?”

Jared yanks the man’s head down to smash him with his knee, and bone crunches before the guy collapses to the floor with a thud. We both stare at the man for a moment, and I wonder if he’s dead. I glance up to find Jared glaring at me as his chest heaves. He asks, “What was that?”

“That was me taking care of things.”

Jared sighs in exasperation as I reach up to the back of my head to find my hair is matted with a sticky substance I assume is blood. I stroke my sore neck gently as I take a deep breath to make sure I still can. The reality of the situation hits me. I glance at the still form of the guy that tried to squeeze the life out of me and ask, “Is he dead?”

Jared speaks quietly. “Yes.”

I stumble back as I begin to tremble. “Oh my god. What the hell
was
I doing?”

“Courtney,” Jared says softly as he holds out his hands and approaches me slowly. I reach back and notice I’m shaking as he squeezes my fingers gently and says, “You were protecting your mate.”

“But you killed him.”

“If I hadn’t, he would have killed us.” Jared takes me by the arms and leans in close to say, “These people have no intention of letting us live. We have no choice.”

I gaze at him as another vision flashes in my mind. It’s me with claws growing out of my hands, and I glance down quickly to make sure it isn’t really happening.
Oh my god.
My bear side is trying to take over and make me a killer too. I shake my head as I whisper, “No.”