Bearing Secrets by Marissa Dobson Read Free Book Online Page A

fighting for a better world for future generations.
    At least that was what he had
thought up until now. In that moment, he wondered if living in secret was such
a bad thing. He had grown up happy and healthy on the island, never longing to
mix with humans on the mainland. Being on the island had given him a childhood
he knew many didn’t have. He’d been safe and there were no hunters trying to
eliminate them. Bear shifters were different from others; normally they were
able to shift by their first birthday whereas tiger shifters had to pass
through a transition phase normally in their early teens. At that age they
didn’t understand the risks, and they needed a safe place to be raised in case
of an accidental shift.
    While watching his family
celebrate, he leaned forward on the wooden banister and wondered if all the
fighting was worth it. Was all the blood, death, and risk really worth it in
the end? What would happen when they came out to the world? Would there be more
threats? Instead of just having to worry about Randolph and the rogues, would
there be hunters trying to win a shifter skin for their trophy room?
    Behind him, the screen door
creaked and the thump of boots neared. Even knowing Trey was standing behind
him, Turi couldn’t pull his gaze away from the party. He didn’t know what to
say to his brother. The anger that flowed through him over finding their mate
now wasn’t Trey’s fault, it was destiny.
    “She’s finally resting.” Trey
came to stand next to Turi, keeping his back to the party. “I’m sorry.”
    “This isn’t your fault.” Turi
ran his hand through his hair. “This is supposed to be a time of celebration.
If finding your mate is supposed to be joyful then why do I feel so anxious?”
    “You’ve always been the
worrier of the family.” Trey took a swig of his beer before looking at Turi.
“Mating will help eliminate some of the unease.”
    “It’s not just about mating.
Do you ever wonder if what we’re doing is really worth it? Maybe we’re doing
more harm than good. All the blood and death…what kind of life is that for
her?”
    “It’s the only life if we want
to make this a better world for our children.”
    “Why? So hunters can start
collecting our skin, instead of actual bears? Or maybe so our mates and
children have to live in fear that we won’t come back from the latest goddamn
mission?” He slammed his beer bottle down onto the banister sending liquid
sloshing around inside. “Look at them down there celebrating, but we’re not
celebrating mating…we’re actually celebrating that we’re still alive. That the
only one who was killed by this stupid war was Travis and that was due to his
own betrayal.”
    “What happened to you? You’ve
always believed in the cause.”
    “Maybe I’ve seen too much
blood and death to believe any longer.” Turi had to loosen his grip on the
banister, or leave grooves from his fingers in the handcrafted wood.
    “I think it might have
something to do with that beautiful blonde that just strolled into our lives.”
    Turi wanted to beat the smirk
right off Trey’s face, but he was partially right. “All this danger was fun
when we had nothing to worry about, but now all of us except Theodore are
mated. If something happened to us, we’d leave behind a widow.”
    “That’s the risk we all take,
including the tigers.” Trey set his beer aside. “Think of the good we’ve done
and the lives we’ve saved. That’s what should keep us getting up each morning
to fight another day.”
    “Don’t forget the lives we’ve
lost. The innocents we were too late to save.”
    “Turi, why are we having this
conversation? You and I both know that little woman in the house is going to
keep us fighting. If we don’t then how will we keep her safe? We have to
eliminate Randolph and deal with the other rogues.”
    “After Randolph there will be
another one. It will never end. Our battle for freedom from the shadows has
only just