Page 27 of Bound to Two Bears

Yep. Just as I suspected. No alone time.

If Carson was honest with himself, he didn’t want to be apart from them. He wasn’t in the mood for honesty, though.

Jared eyed Carson. “I won’t let him out of my sight.”

Heat swept over Carson from the look in Jared’s eyes.

Royce hugged him again and brushed his lips over Carson’s forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Carson nodded, unable to answer. The need had been sparked within him and if he spoke, he feared he’d beg Royce to stay.

Once Royce had shifted and raced down the mountain, Jared turned to him. “Want to finish that hike?”

Carson eyed Jared. “If you put some clothes on.”

Jared looked down before lifting to meet Carson’s gaze. “Don’t like my birthday suit?”

Carson scanned the man. Unfortunately, he liked ittoomuch. “Just put some clothes on.”

Jared smiled and sauntered closer. “Finding it hard to concentrate?”

Carson rolled his eyes. “Just put some clothes on.”

“If you insist.” Jared strutted down the mountain path a ways before turning to look over his shoulder. “You comin’?”

Carson eyed Jared’s firm ass and his fingers itched to squeeze that tight flesh.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

7

Jared loved the mountain. He had since he was a boy. It was but one of the many that surrounded and protected the valley below, but it was the one he’d spent most of his life on. Showing it to Carson and seeing it through a new set of eyes made him appreciate the beauty surrounding him even more. He began whistling as they climbed one of the set trails, enjoying the time spent with their new companion. Looking over his shoulder, he checked that their human was keeping up.

“We need to break off the path up ahead. I’ve got somewhere special to show you,” Jared murmured. He was about to take Carson to one of his favorite spots, one he rarely shared with anyone.

Carson glanced up before looking back down at his footing. “Are you sure we should go off the trail, considering what happened earlier?”

“No one’s going to mess with you, not after we made it known you were ours.”

“How many other bear shifters live up here?”

“They’re all over this valley and in the mountains surrounding it. We own this mountain, as well as the land around the lake, but there are a handful who have long-term leases for spots on the opposite side that Royce’s grandfather let out to raise the cash to open the inn. Unfortunately, some of those include assholes like the McCreary family. Down in the valley, there’s a town. It’s completely inhabited by bear shifters.”

“A whole town?”

“We’re about a thousand strong, give or take,” Jared replied, turning back to see the look of surprise on Carson’s face. “And we’re not the only shifters out there. Just one of the many hidden spots filled with them all over the world.”

Carson blinked a few times. “And no one knows what you are here?”

“There are humans here, too. Mates like you, of course. But no, other than our mates, no one else knows. From the outside, we look human. We keep to ourselves and together own the land for miles. The whole county.” Jared paused and turned to Carson. “We need to break off here. Follow me.”

Jared grew excited as they rustled through the pines on the half-assed trail he’d made during his many visits. As far as he knew, the only other beings who knew of this spot were Royce and Paul, and the three of them had an agreement to keep it a secret. If too many folks came in, it would ruin the natural beauty.

When they strode through to the clearing, he spun to face Carson. He wanted to see the look on the human’s face when he saw what he was sharing.

Carson looked around, pausing to take in the view. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened as he stared at the sight.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed.

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