Free Laid Bear 2: The Kodiak Clan by Marina Maddix

any but wanting it just the same. The previous day had been emotionally and physically exhausting, and it seemed to take longer for her to bounce back these days. Sighing, she dunked a peppermint tea bag — not even Earl Grey! — into a tiny pot of hot water. “Fucking herbal tea,” she muttered.
    “Huh?” Max turned from the door’s peephole.
    “Max, what are you doing? Get away from that door and come eat. Do you really think the room service guy is out there waiting to shiv me?”
    He stalked over and pulled a chair up to the cart. “Can’t be too careful. We need to keep your presence here on a need-to-know basis.”
    “I hate to break it to you, babe, but plenty of people already know I’m here.”
    Max paused before taking a bite of his English muffin. “What are you talking about? Who knows?”
    This time she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Well, Paul and Kimmy for starters. How do you think I got here?”
    He nodded. “Yeah, yeah. And?”
    “The entire flight crew, every passenger on the plane, anyone who couldn’t help noticing an enormous pregnant lady waddling through the airport…excuse me, air ports . Let’s see, who else?”
    “Quit playing, Bethany. Let’s just focus on who in Kodiak knows you’re here.”
    She bit into a slice of bacon, cringing at the soft, chewy texture. She liked her bacon fried to a crisp. Maybe they don’t know how to eat after all. She tossed it back on the plate.
    “Fine. I took a cab from the airport to the hotel, but I paid cash, so no paper trail there. So really only the front desk clerk who was on duty last night has a clue. You’re not going to have him whacked or anything are you?”
    “Ha ha, funny. Do you have any idea if he was were ?”
    She gave him a look. “Really? How on earth could I know that? I didn’t even know you were a werebear until you shifted in front of me!”
    “Okay, did he give you a funny vibe or ask you any questions or…”
    Bethany smirked. “No, he didn’t ask many questions. Just gave me the key.”
    Max frowned at the lax security at the hotel. “He just gave it to you? No questions asked?”
    “Cut him some slack,” she said through a mouthful of eggs. “There was an enormous pregnant lady slouched across his counter crying hysterically so…yeah. Not too many questions.”  
    She was quite proud of that performance, but she kind of felt sorry for the poor kid. He must have been traumatized.
    “Shit, scenes like that get you noticed, Bethany.” His hands roughed across his stubble as he worried. “But giving you the key could get him fired so hopefully he didn’t tell anyone — especially the manager, who is a werebear. Do you remember his name?”
    She sipped some tea as she tried to recall the kid’s name. “John? Jim? Something like that. He was a ginger.”
    “A ginger?”  
    “A redhead. Freckly. Skinny.” She snorted. “Easily terrified by crying women.”
    Max sighed. “Bethany, this isn’t some game. The fact that anyone knows you are connected with me could put us at risk from the Brotherhood.”
    Bethany was conflicted by feelings of guilt for putting Max in an awkward position and irritation that he didn’t seem to appreciate the effort she made to mend their relationship. But instead of arguing, she decided to be as sensitive to his concerns as possible.  
    “Okay, Max, okay. I get it. I’ll be a good girl from here on out.” She emphasized her point by taking a bite of French toast.
    His brow furrowed, his voice getting tight. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, I’ll be extra careful so that no one knows we’re together while we’re here,” she said, licking a stray drip of maple syrup from her thumb. “Okay?”
    “No. No, I don’t think that’s okay at all.” He stood in a huff and walked to the window, peeking out of the blackout shades. Turning to her, he crossed his arms. His no-nonsense pose. “I changed my mind. You need to leave today.”
    Bethany was stunned.