Bear Exposure (Highland Brothers 3) by Meredith Clarke, Ally Summers Page A

that we have food I can get you anything you want.”
    She bit the strip of bacon in half. “Mmm…food is good. Very good.”
    He sat next to her at the bar, his breakfast in front of him. “Did you sleep?”
    She nodded. “I didn’t think I could, but I did. It was the deepest sleep I’ve had in a week.”
    “You needed it.” He took a sip of coffee.
    She didn’t know how to start this conversation. She had questions. Crazy questions. Like how did Striker know where she was last night? Why did he walk in naked and covered in blood? How did he know about the wolves? Where did the bear go?
    She looked down at her plate. It was empty. She knew she could eat another serving of everything. She stood to add another piece of bacon.
    “No, no. I’ll get it.” Striker jumped up.
    “I can get it. I’m fine. Really.” She didn’t want him walking on eggshells around her. Waiting on her. Acting like there was something wrong.
    “I insist.” He stared at her hard and she sat back on the barstool.
    “All right.”
    She watched as his muscles rippled under his T-shirt. He moved in the kitchen, adding fruit and bacon to her plate.
    The air was growing thick with everything they weren’t saying. The elephant in the room was a pack of dead wolves. It was driving her crazy.
    “Striker, we have to talk about last night,” she blurted it out.
    His forehead creased. His eyes softened. “Yes, we do.”
    “I-I should have told you about the pack.” She dropped her eyes to the floor.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “When my car crashed the other day it was because I was running from them. I found out that these were shifters wanted me. I completely freaked out and took off. That’s when you found me.”
    She lifted her eyes to his.
    “You knew that pack?”
    She shook her head. “No. I mean one of the guys. I had been on one date with him. That’s all and then he told me I would make an excellent mate and he told me what he was. I ran. I couldn’t stay. I was terrified.”
    Striker’s hand was warm on her shoulder.
    “But he didn’t hurt you?”
    “No. He scared the shit out of me. But nothing happened. Although, it was about to.” She closed her eyes. She hated thinking how close she had been to becoming a wolf shifter. “A bear saved me.”
    Striker swallowed hard. “Yes. That’s true.”
    She felt the lump in her throat. She looked in his eyes. “Did you see the bear?”
    He shook his head.
    “How is that possible, Striker? You were there with the wolves. How did you miss the bear? He was there when I ran from the room.”
    “Presley…”
    “Tell me. Why didn’t you see the bear?”
    She almost fell off her stool when he answered.
    “Because I am the bear.”

20

Striker
    H e gripped her shoulders to keep her from falling out of her seat. “Presley?”
    He searched her eyes.
    “You?” She staggered from the bar and walked into the living room. “No, no, no. Not you too.”
    He followed her. “I was going to tell you.”
    “That you’re a fucking bear?” she yelled.
    “I didn’t think it would matter to you after the other night.”
    “Not matter?” She braced her palms on the back of the couch. “I was running from a pack of wolf shifters and hid out with a bear shifter instead?”
    “You didn’t exactly tell me about the pack. I didn’t know.”
    She threw her hands in the air. “I didn’t think you’d believe me.”
    “Kind of ironic.” He hid his smile. She was clearly not in the mood to joke.
    “Oh, God.” She paced the room. “This is insane. So insane.”
    “Pres, calm down. I don’t want you getting worked up.”
    She spun and glared at him. If he didn’t know better, he would think she had a little she-bear in her.
    “I slept with a bear.” Her voice squeaked. “I had a one-night stand with a bear.”
    He crossed the room to her. He couldn’t let her keep talking like this. “Look, it doesn’t matter how you got here. You’re here now. You’re safe. I