Free A Pair of Bears: Bear Shifter Menage Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant Page B

in an instant. Seconds later, she was fully dressed. Paisley crammed some of the armor into the backpack and scooped up the rest. She was straightening up when Eli and Jackson came out. Eli wore his own backpack and was supporting Jackson with an arm around his waist. Jackson had one arm over Eli’s broad shoulders.
    The door closed behind them. Jackson said, “It’s soundproof. We can talk now.”
    Immediately, Paisley said, “ Do you need to go to the hospital?”
    Jackson shook his head, then immediately winced, his free hand lifting to touch his blood-smeared temple. “Whoa, bad idea.”
    “Let’s get out of here first,” Eli said. “We rented an apartment. I can check him there. I’d rather not have a record of us showing up at a hospital right after the break-in at SmartDefense. And like I said, shifters heal better than humans.”
    That reassured Paisley. And at least Jackson was walking, even if he did need help.
    Two steps later, Jackson’s eyes slid shut and he sagged against Eli. Paisley dropped the armor and caught his shoulder, but it wasn’t necessary; Eli didn’t let him fall.
    “I got him.” Eli easily hoisted Jackson over his shoulders. “Don’t be scared, Paisley. I really think he’ll be fine. When we were cubs, I dared him to climb a cliff with me. He slipped, I tried to catch him, and we both fell and knocked ourselves out cold. Our parents found us, put us to bed, and made us some soup. We were both fine in the morning.”
    Paisley picked up the armor. “I don’t know how to make soup. I only do take-out. Would he rather have wonton, or hot and sour?”
    An unexpectedly sweet smile lit Eli’s face as he started walking again. “He’d rather have chicken noodle. But I’ll make the soup. You can curl up next to him and purr.”
    Paisley laughed. “I can do that.”
    They made it to the service entrance of SmartDefense without any problems. Paisley scouted for onlookers, then signaled to Eli that it was safe to come out. He carried Jackson to his car. Paisley opened the back door and got in, and Eli laid him down in the back seat with his head in her lap.
    Paisley inspected Jackson as Eli drove, frowning at the cuts and bruises on his handsome face. He’d willingly taken a brutal beating rather than give her away. And Eli had tried to protect her even when he’d thought he was dying.
    It didn’t matter how long she’d spent unloved and alone. She was loved now, and she knew that Jackson and Eli would never betray her or hurt her or let her down. And all they wanted from her in return was for her to love them back.
    She’d leaped to their defense without a second thought, attacking four armed men as a housecat. But believing in love— trusting in love— admitting to love— felt so much more dangerous than that. Even now, she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to say that word aloud.
    Jackson’s eyes fluttered open. He looked confused, his gaze drifting from Paisley’s face to the back of Eli’s head. “Are we going home?”
    Paisley took his hand. “Home is with the people who love you, remember? You’re already home.”
    “Oh. Yeah, I guess I am.” Jackson squeezed her hand, then closed his eyes again, slipping back into unconsciousness.
    “Huh,” Paisley muttered to herself. “That wasn’t so hard. I said it without even thinking about it.”
    “What?” Eli asked.
    “I told Jackson I love him. I love you too, Eli.” That wasn’t hard, either. She leaned forward to stroke Eli’s stubble-rough cheek.
    He turned his head to kiss her fingers. “And I love you. There, now we’re even.”
    Eli pulled into a garage. He got out and punched in a code to open the apartment door, then lifted Jackson out of the back seat and carried him to a bedroom. Paisley watched as Eli laid Jackson down on a bed, then eased off his shirt. His chest and side were badly bruised where he’d been kicked. Jackson didn’t wake, even when Eli gently ran his hands over his ribs,