Guardian Bears: Karl by Leslie Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

her. On the other hand, he had to admit that right now neither of them seemed up for a conversation about it. She had every reason to be frightened of a man pressing her about her secrets, and he was too distracted by her presence to think straight.
    It’s this damned heat , he told himself. I can’t focus. Why couldn’t Marcus or Lucas take this job instead of me? But his two partners were too busy with their new love-lives, having found their fated mates. Besides which, Karl was the one who owed Harper a favor, and a man should pay his own debts.
    Thinking about his partners made a connection in Karl’s mind and he felt his hand tense on the glass. Forcing himself to loosen his grip before he smashed it, he looked at Allison again. This time he let his instincts lead him instead of forcing himself to focus on the job.
    His bear was almost purring as he stared, and Karl knew why he was so distracted by her. She’s my mate! How could I have missed that? He had known straight away, of course, deep down – he just hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, not when it would get in the way of work. But now that he was aware of it, he couldn’t hide from it anymore. He didn’t want to, either, but he needed to work out how to deal with that. She was watching him, waiting for him to say something, and for once he had no idea what to say.
    Hello, I’m your fated mate? How would a woman who knew nothing of shifters respond to that? Especially one who had good reason to be afraid of strangers right now. Karl knew he had to find a better way to start the conversation than that.
    The moment had already dragged on too long, and he could see a spark of fear in Allison’s eyes. Fear she covered with anger.
    “They had a reason to think you knew something,” he told her, holding up his hand to stop her response. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not going to press you for anything you don’t want to talk about. I’m here to help Mayfair deal with the monster, but the important thing is that I’m here to help . Not like those guys, who’re here for themselves.”
    Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a card and put it on the counter, scribbling on the back before pushing it towards Allison. “Here. That’s got my number, and the room I’m staying in. When you decide you can share what you know, contact me. Or if you want anything else, feel free to call.”
    She took the card a little dubiously, looking at it. He could see the conflict playing out in her eyes as she tried to decide what to do with it, and then she nodded.
    “I’m not promising anything,” she warned.
    “I’m not asking you to,” he assured her. “There’s no pressure here. I’m here to help – call me if you need me. For anything.”
    She blushed at that, and he wondered what exactly she was thinking about. The way she looked at him, he knew that she liked what she saw. Smiling, he raised the glass to his lips and drank the melted ice water before putting it down. Time to get moving, even if he had to drag himself away by force.
    “Now, I’ve imposed on you enough for one afternoon,” he told her, turning towards the door. Before he could take a step, her hand landed on his forearm.
    The contact was like a jolt of electricity, sending a shockwave through his body. He froze for a second before looking around, moving slowly so that he didn’t lose contact with her hand.
    Allison looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a determination that moved him. Her face was flushed, and there was a mixture of fear and need in her. They looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment before she spoke.
    “What will you do?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I mean, if you do find a monster here?”
    He matched her gaze, showing her his own steely determination. “I will keep you and the town safe, Allison. Whatever that takes, I promise I can protect you and get rid of the monster for you.”
    It was as though steel shutters slammed