Read Online Heart of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 5) by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online Page B

They’d been more open with her than anyone else since she’d arrived yesterday. If they were clamming up, they probably had a good reason.
    “A couple of months. Jesse is actually the one in charge of handling new recruits. He was the one who trained me.”
    “Really?” Hmph. She’d seen Jesse funny and serious and angry, but she’d never imagined he was a teacher—a leader.
    “Jesse’s important in the Seven Devils clan,” Reese explained. “After the war with the lions, Ethan has been pushing even harder for him to become his second. One more fight, and he’ll have it. Jesse has bled for his clan. He didn’t want the position because he didn’t think his bear was dominant enough, but he’s got heart. That man has fought tooth and nail for Ethan, trying to be good for the clan.” Reese’s voice dipped to a whisper. “He fought Rieland, Trent’s murderer, who had a bear much bigger than his, just to give me a chance to be closer to Ethan when I was trying to figure out if he was as important to my life as he felt. Jesse’s good people. He’s a good friend.”
    Maybe Jesse was good, but he wasn’t good with her. Rae didn’t want to argue his virtues though, so she nodded and smelled Samuel’s hair for the fifth time in an hour instead. He puckered his little lips and made a sucking motion as his sleepy eyes closed.
    “Rae?”
    Startled, she looked behind her to the front door.
    Jesse pushed the door open wider and leaned on the frame. The sunlight shone behind him, highlighting and shadowing the gray sweater that clung to his defined shoulders and chest. Dark jeans hung just right on his hips, and his hair was bound at the nape of his neck. He had draped a leather necklace around the thick cords of his muscular throat, and his jaw sported scruff that shone gold in the saturated noon light. Tall and lean, muscles rigid against the fabric of his shirt, Jesse looked like a damned model out of his forest ranger garb. His chest rose as he searched the women’s faces around her. “Do you mind if I talk to Rae alone?”
    “We were just leaving,” Samantha said.
    “No, no. You ladies stay and enjoy your time together. I want to take Rae with me.”
    He was taking her back home. She was sure of it. He’d talked Ethan into trusting her, and now he’d be rid of her forever. Choking sadness filled her throat as she passed Samuel to Breshia and hugged the women goodbye, one by one. She was going to miss Reese’s celebration.
    She was going to miss everything.
    Jesse massaged the inside of his thumb as she followed him out, as if he was nervous to tell her to get lost.
    “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I understand.”
    “You do?”
    “Yeah.” She understood he needed to get back to his life and stop complicating things for both of them. She understood he didn’t have time to babysit a one-night stand. She understood that he didn’t feel the same about her, and that last night had been different—less special—to him.
    “Well,” Jesse said, frowning. “I had a speech planned.”
    “No need, chap,” she said, clapping him on the shoulder and avoiding eye contact. “I get it. Let’s do this.”
    “Really?”
    “Yep, really.”
    “Okay, then.” He grinned, the ass. He grinned! And then he nearly skipped to the passenger side of his truck to help her up into it, as if he’d dodged a bullet dipped in acid.
    She wanted to stab him with those little scissors all over again.
    Oh, she was boiling. Inky tendrils of fury crept through her, and she crossed her arms over her chest as he slid in behind the wheel, lest she get the temptation to claw him.
    She was not going to cry again. Nope! Not one single, tiny, little miniscule molecule of moisture was going to be spared on account of Jesse fuck-em-and-leave-em Hayes.
    With a tiny growl, she glared out the window and watched the dirt road turn to paved. He kept looking at her, casting her little glances as he drove, but she ignored him like he