Read Online Ethan (Blackbeary Creek 1) by Ruby Shae - Free Book Online Page A

eggs, sausage, pancakes, and fruit. She attacked the plate like a wild animal, and finished before he even had a chance to sit down with his own.
    “More?” he asked, watching her shove the last piece of bacon into her mouth.
    Normally, she wouldn’t want him to see her eat so much, but right now she didn’t care. It had nearly been a day since she’d last seen food, and the fuel quickly pushed the migraine away, and dulled the ache on her cheek and forehead.
    “Yes, please,” she nodded.
    “Good girl,” he said, taking her empty plate and handing her his full one.
    His praise made her smile, and after all she’d been through in the last day, she refused to allow herself to feel guilty for eating so much.
    They ate in comfortable silence, and her eyes grew heavy as she watched Ethan fill his plate a third time. She’d grown up watching him eat, especially as a teen, so the fact that they finished nearly all of the food he’d ordered didn’t surprise her. Bear shifters ate a lot.
    “I’m tired,” she said, when he got up to put his tray on the cart. “I’m going to use the restroom and go back to sleep.”
    “That’s a good idea,” he said. “Let me get this cart out of the way, and I’ll help you.”
    “No, I feel better,” she said, honestly. “I think I can make it on my own.”
    “Okay,” he nodded, “I’ll be in the other room if you need me. I need to call Tristian and give him an update.”
    Of course he did.
    “Okay.”
    She slowly walked to the bathroom, and gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her cheek and eye were covered in a dark purple bruise, and the bandage taped to her forehead on the opposite side had a hint of red seeping through. She knew head wounds bled a lot, but she hadn’t expected to see anything there, especially since Ethan had just changed the dressing.  
    As if those things weren’t enough, her long, layered, brown hair was ratted and poked out in all directions. It looked like she had a bird’s nest hidden between the strands.
    For some reason, the generous, fuzzy hotel robe was gone and she wore one of the sleep shirts from her suitcase instead. The thought of Ethan seeing her naked left her mortified, but there was no other explanation. He had to have been the one to change her clothes.
    She tried to comb out her hair with her fingers, but after realizing Ethan knew exactly what she looked like without clothes on, her hair seemed insignificant.
    He’d seen her at her worst, and there was no way to hide from that.
    She exited the bathroom, and started back toward the bed, but Ethan’s words to Tristian made her pause.
    “No, I haven’t told her yet…these things take time, and she needs more rest…tomorrow for sure…okay, I’ll keep you posted.”
    What the hell was going on?
    If Ethan and her brother thought she was going back home because of one little incident, they had another thing coming. She sat on the edge of the bed, and waited for Ethan to return to the bedroom.
    “Everything okay?” he asked, moving toward her side of the bed.
    “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me? What were you and Tristian talking about?”
    “Nothing bad, baby, I promise,” Ethan said, grabbing two of the pillows, and tossing them into the nearby chair, “but it’s nearly five in the morning. I’d rather talk tomorrow when we’re both not exhausted, and your body has had some time to heal.”
    He tossed a third pillow to the opposite side of the bed, held open the covers, and waited patiently for her to give in and lay down.
    Tegan didn’t want to sleep, but her eyelids refused to stay open.
    Ethan was right, it wasn’t the time for talking. In fact, she didn’t see the need to talk at all. It didn’t matter what he said anyway, because she was never going back to Blackbeary Creek.
    End of story.
    With a plan in mind, she surrendered, and put her head on the pillow. Ethan pulled the covers over her, tucked her in, and kissed her on the