Read Bear Lake for Free Online Page B

he’d screwed up
again.
    “No, I just meant…”
Jackson could have kicked himself.
    “We decided to cookout
and wondered if Alex was hungry.” Jackson’s head spun on his neck and his eyes
narrowed on Shane.
    “No.” Jackson
answered.
    “Yes. It smells
great.” Alex piped up and Jackson’s head snapped back towards her.
    “You are? You
weren’t…” He narrowed his eye on her.
    “And now I am.” Alex
gave him a quick smile as she started forward with a wince and a twitch of her
top lip.
    “Do you want me to
help you?” Shane offered and Jackson growled long and hard. “I mean him to help
you.” Shane chuckled as he turned and strolled away before his alpha ripped his
head off.
    Jackson didn’t move
and neither did Alex. She’d been pretty much fighting against his help the
whole time and he didn’t want to piss her off again by rushing to her side, not
unless she was about to fall or she cried out in pain. Alex looked as if she
had something to say. Then she nodded her head just once.
    “Yeah. I’d like you to
help me.” Jackson was at her side in a heartbeat. His beast roared with pride
that she’d asked. Jackson growled gently as he scooped her up into his arms and
started off for the door. “Not what I had in mind.” She chuckled again and it
was the sweetest sound that he’d ever heard in his entire life.
    “Why half arse it. If
you are going to do something then do it properly.” Jackson grinned down at her
and her smile was like sunshine.
     
     
     
    ~^~
     
     
    Jackson had never seen
his clan like this. Gathered around the fired with the scent of good food in
the air, chatting and getting on without anyone taking offence and swinging for
anyone else. It was a minor miracle in his book and he guessed that it was all
due to Alex being there.
    They all saw her as
part of the clan now. Even if she wasn’t yet mated to the alpha, she was still
one of them, and each man would do his bit to protect her. Jackson was glad of
it, because if anything were to happen to him, then she would always have a
place to be and someone to protect her.
    The best thing was
that she was eating. He was more than grateful to his clan for that. The second
best thing was the fact that the light had come back to her eyes, and even if
she did forget herself every so often and remember what had happened the night
before, well one of the idiots gathered around the fire seemed to jog her right
back out of it.
    Chance was the biggest
idiot of them all. His hot potato between his two large hands had her chuckling
with tears in her eyes and he wondered just how much of that show had been put
on for her benefit. Chance had been the one who had tried to stop her leaving,
and he still needed to kick his arse for such a damn stupid thing to do,
especially when his bear was uncontrollable at times, but the big man had shown
that he was alpha material. Now all he needed to do was get his bear sorted
out.
    Shane pushed up to his
feet and nodded with his head towards the woods. He was signalling that he was
about to go back and spell Marcus so that the man could eat. Jackson nodded as
he noted Alex’s curiosity.
    “Bear’s gotta shit in
the woods?” She asked and then winced at her possible mistake. Jackson’s
laughter rumbled through him followed by everyone else around the fire.
    “The great outdoors, a
bathroom behind every tree and bush.” Shane offered back and Alex grinned.
    She knew exactly where
Shane was going. The same place that Marcus had been for the last few hours. She
didn’t question it, there was little point. Not one of these men was ever going
to let her stand against Blake.
    “Don’t wipe with the
poison ivy.” She offered as she broke off another piece of roasted pineapple
and popped it into her mouth. Shane grinned down at her as he strolled on by.
    “But finding a nurse
to tend to my arse would be fun, no?” He chuckled to himself as he pushed his
hands deep into his pockets and strolled away