Page 7

“No human can tell, except our human mate.”

Carson narrowed his lids. “You mate with humans?”

“We do. Two bears with one human.”

“And how does a human know you’re bears?”

Jared smiled slightly. “Well, he wouldn’t necessarily know we’re bears. Our mate would be attracted to us, more so than he’d ever been attracted to any other person. They’d become aroused in our presence. They’d even become aroused by us… in our animal form.”

Carson’s face and neck grew a deep shade of red. “That’s ridiculous.”

“It would help explain your reaction earlier,” Jared said softly.

Carson stared at him, shaking his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure there are a lot of questions running through your mind. Why you feel drawn to us. Why you suddenly have an attraction to two strangers—especially when you identify as straight.”

Carson eyed him. “I’m not your mate.”

It was Jared’s turn to take a deep breath. “You are,” he whispered.

Carson chuckled, shaking his head. “You guys have it way off. You can stop whatever voodoo you’ve got going on here. I’m not gay. I’m not a mate to anyone, let alone two bear… people.”

Jared leaned his head back. “There’s no voodoo. We don’t choose a mate. Fate brings us together when the time is right.”

Carson climbed off the bed and tossed the debris away.

He pulled the sheet up over Royce’s naked, blood-splattered body, neither agreeing nor denying what Jared said.

Once he was done with his nursing of Royce, he leaned back against the opposite wall and looked down at himself.

“I’m covered in his blood. I need to shower.

Can you keep an eye on him without trying to kill him again? ”

Jared cringed and then nodded. The need to push, to force Carson to see the truth roared within him, but Royce’s voice also sounded in his head.

He let the human go without argument. To give him time to think.

As Carson disappeared into the bathroom, he gazed down at his own blood-splattered body.

What the hell had gotten into him to lash out like that?

He lifted his gaze to the bed and felt a wave of shame.

He's never going to forgive me.

Royce’s eyelids fluttered and he lifted a hand.

Jared rushed to the side of the bed and saw his brother bear’s eyelids trying to lift. “Royce?”

Royce’s eyes soon opened wide, fully glowing. Jared had never been so glad to see those eyes open. Royce growled at Jared and sat up in the bed.

Jared lifted his hands in a sign of surrender. “Be careful. You’re still healing.”

Royce glanced down at the bandages Carson had so carefully placed. He peeled them back and Jared saw the wounds were only thin pink scars at that point. Royce removed the bandages and then glared up at Jared, rage in his stare.

“I didn’t mean for it to get that out of hand,” Jared said, lowering his stare. Another wave of shame rolled over him. “I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry.”

Royce didn’t answer, but his gaze drifted to the bathroom. He looked back at Jared. “No… I’m the one who needs to apologize. I’ve been a dominant asshole and needed to have my ass kicked.”

Jared rested back on his haunches, shocked Royce wasn’t mad as hell.

“Had you not pushed, we wouldn’t be this close.” Royce sat up a bit more, cringing slightly. “I felt his hands all over me… and it was amazing.”

“You were awake?”

“No. I was moving in and out of consciousness for most of it. You dug in pretty deep.”

“I didn’t mean to, Royce. We’ve been arguing and I… I guess I had a lot more pent-up rage than I realized. I let it out and I went too far.”

Royce turned to look at Jared. “Honestly, I think we almost needed that. I don’t feel quite so on edge now.”

Jared snickered. “I don’t either.”

“Who knew a little bloodletting could calm our beasts, hmm?”

Jared chuckled.

Royce met Jared’s gaze. He lifted a hand to caress Jared’s cheek.

“I sometimes forget how strong you are. And how much I need you at my side. My entire life, my father has beat it into my head that I was born to lead. That I needed to be the strongest. That I needed to take control.” He dropped his hand.

“I guess I’m not as strong as I thought I was considering how easily you dropped my ass. ”

“Bottled up anger.”

“That I caused,” Royce whispered.

“If you’d listen more—and discuss major life choices with me—maybe we can avoid this happening again.

” Jared scrubbed his face. “I sensed we needed action. Not restraint. Carson’s too important to us to let him slip through our fingers.

I tried to tell you that, but you wouldn’t listen. It was your way or no way.”

“You’re right. We need to work together.” Royce rubbed his chest. “Next time I don’t listen to you, maybe just a solid punch to the jaw instead of tearing a hole in me, hmm?”

Jared rose to his full height fighting a grin. “Depends on how big of an asshole you’ve been.”

Royce tilted his head back and stared up. “I love you. You know that, right? Even when I’m tired and an asshole, I still love you.”

Jared stood straighter. It had been too long since Royce had said those words. “Who knew it would take a deadly fight for you to say that.”

“It’s been that long?”

Jared nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Royce murmured.

Jared placed a mock punch to Royce’s chin.

Royce growled, but there was no menace in it. “Don’t push it. You still owe me for this wound, beta.”

“I’ll never live it down, I assume.”

“Never,” Royce said with a slow grin crossing his face. He slowly rose from the bed and stretched, wincing as he rubbed at his still healing wound. “How about we test your theory and join our mate before he’s done in that shower?”

Jared smiled widely. “We better hurry. He’s been in there awhile already.”