Read Bearly A Squeak for Free Online Page A

carrying Tara's dress, shoes, and bag. Either Tara was hiding in the bathroom, butt naked, or else she'd shifted into her mouse and scarpered. Dammit. He wished he'd known running from his mother was an option. He'd have gone with her.
    “She's not in there, is she?” he asked with a sigh.
    “No,” his mother said. “I hope nobody saw her. I like this place. It'd be a shame if the health department shut it down because someone saw a mouse.”
    Alex took the clothes with a sigh. His mate was developing a habit of running from him. At least now he knew where she lived. He paid his bill, picked up some more cheesecake to go, and went looking for his mate. Again.
     
    ***
     
    Tara scuttled around outside her front door. It was entirely possible that she hadn't thought her plan through. Not that 'run away' really constituted a plan. Anyway, she was now in mouse form outside her house and completely unable to get inside. Her keys were in her bag which was still at the restaurant. Which was also where her clothes were. So, she could hang out in her front garden as a mouse or as a naked woman, but she couldn't get inside unless Sara came home. Still, scurrying around was better than having to deal with Barry. Or Alex's mother. Maybe she could just keep this form permanently. She really needed a mouse-flap in the door though.
    She huddled under a bush for protection. Hopefully no cats would come sniffing around. She wouldn't get eaten since she could always turn back to human form, but she'd rather the neighbours didn't see her naked in the garden.
    She wasn't sure what scared her more, Alex's mother or Barry. Both at the same time was more than she could handle. Even in mouse form, she sighed. She really shouldn't allow herself to be intimidated so easily, she was a grown woman and more than capable of dealing with Barry. It was just that every time he got close to her, she seemed to forget that and went straight back into cowering victim mode. She was disgusted with herself but she just couldn't stop that reaction to his presence.
    As for Alex's mother, well... to be fair, Alex had looked pretty terrified himself, so maybe she had that effect on everyone.
    “Do I even want to know?”
    Tara looked up to see her sister crouching down beside her. She squeaked pathetically and scurried over to wait by the door.
    Sara sighed and opened the door, waiting for Tara to enter first. Once inside, Tara shot for the little cage in the corner of the room, getting inside and closing the door behind her. She dived into her little pile of sawdust and pulled it over herself, one eye peeking out at her surroundings.
    “That bad, huh?” Sara said, squatting down by the cage. “Do I need to go psycho on a certain hot bear?”
    Tara squeaked a sad little “no” at her.
    “Good, because his car just pulled up.” Sara straightened up and went to open the door.
    Fabulous. Could this day get any worse? It didn't matter. She wasn't getting out of the cage, not even for hot bear dude. Besides, what if he'd brought his mother?
     
    ***
     
    “Is she here?” Alex asked when Tara's sister opened the door. They really did look remarkably similar for non-identical twins, but his bear always knew. Only one of them made his heart beat faster.
    “Yeah, she's in her cage.” She waved him in.
    “Her what?” Alex entered the room and looked at the cage. “Is that a hamster cage? Why is she in there?” He hadn't even noticed it earlier.
    Sara shrugged. “It's a safe place to let her mouse out. It seems to calm her when she's stressed out. Give her a while to calm down and she'll come out.”
    “Is that normal?” Alex asked, crouching down to look at the little mouse burrowed under the sawdust. “Do you have a cage?”
    Sara snorted and gave him a strange look. “No.”
    Tara peeked up at Alex but stayed mostly hidden.
    “Hey, sweetheart,” he crooned to her. “I'm sorry tonight didn't go well. Do you need anything in there? Some cheese,