Chasing Tara (Bryant Station Curves) (7 page)

Jason stared at his mate. His heart broke.
I’ve missed you so much. Why did you have to leave? Ben needs you. I need you.

Allison stepped closer and touched Jason’s cheek with her hand.
I miss you too, but our time is over.

I
don’t understand.

Allison smiled.
We were mates, but my time with you was borrowed.

How can you say your time
was borrowed?

Because it just was. I should have died long before we met, but Great Mother Bear knew
you needed me. She knew the family needed Ben.  She gave me a bear spirit, but the spirit didn’t belong to me. The bear and I knew we weren’t made for each other, but we had a purpose. Mother Bear knew I loved you. She knew it would be several years before Tara came into your life.

Are you saying we
weren’t mates?
Jason felt like someone had stuck a knife into his gut.

Through the bear, we were mates. You always said I had a slight lemon scent.

Jason frowned
. You were carrying Tara’s scent.

Allison nodded.
It was because I was borrowing Tara’s bear. We were mates, but Tara is you true mate. She is the one who completes your soul. Give her your love. Don’t hold back. You need her just as much as she needs you. My time with you was limited. I knew that. If the car wreck hadn’t of killed me, the cancer would have and there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it. I’m thankful Ben wasn’t in the car with me. He has so much to do—so much to live for.

How can I let go of you?

You’re not letting go of me. You have found your true mate, and you must protect her, her cub and the cub she carries. You need to mark her so others will see she is your mate.

Tara’s
pregnant?

Your family will grow, if you pull your head out of your ass. I believe Tara called you a Neanderthal.
Allison grinned.
I like her. She’s tough because she had to be, but she’s not stupid. She knows the significance of your mark and that you didn’t mark her when you should have.

I
couldn’t do it. I wanted to mark her, but I couldn’t do it.

You’re
not betraying me. You’re betraying Tara. You have to protect her. The evil following her will destroy her in more ways than one. Tara will not ask you for help. She will do what she thinks is necessary to protect her cubs.

She
doesn’t know about the one growing inside her.

Did you?
Allison raised an eyebrow
. Take care of Tara. You are not betraying me, or what we had together. Protect Tara and love her. She is your true mate.
The light around Allison grew dim.

Please
don’t go.
Jason held out his hand to Allison.

I love you and I cherish the time we had and the child we created, but my time is over. You have to live. You must be strong. Protect Tara. Protect our family.
The light faded.

Jason looked around the darkened room. He took a deep breath. Tara’s lemon and honey scent immediately filled him. It called to him. He looked over where Allison had stood. “I will always love you, Allison.”

He felt something cold touch his lips.
And I will always love you, but you must embrace your future and give you heart to Tara. She understands more than you realize.

The cold was gone, and Jason knew Allison was gone. He stood there for a few minutes, processing what had happened.

Jason looked at Tara. Her wavy red hair fanned out over the pillows. The bruises on her cheek were visible even in the dark. Someone dared to hurt his mate.

His mate.

As much as he loved Allison, she was right. Tara was his true mate.

Tara sighed and rolled over. The blanket slipped down revealing her huge round breasts.

Jason’s cock stood up.

Want my mate,
growled his bear.

I want her too.
Jason slid back into bed next to Tara. He stared at her for a minute. “You are mine.”

He pulled Tara closer to him. His heart tightened when she snuggled up against him. She was his. Even she knew it. Jason’s hand trailed down her body until it reached the lips of her pussy. He slipped his fingers between her folds. Finding her clit, he rubbed it. Tara’s moans spurred him on. He pushed a thick finger into her wet depths.

“Take me now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tara caressed his cheek. “You won’t, but if you don’t take me now, I might hurt you.” She kissed his lips.

Jason flipped her over and pulled her up onto her hands and knees.  He paused. His cock teased the lips of her pussy, causing Tara to groan.

“Take me.” Her voice was filled with the same lust and desire he felt.

“Mine,” growled Jason as he entered her.

Tara thrust back as soon as he entered her, pushing deep into her depths. “Yes!”

Jason pounded into her. This was not slow lovemaking. This was hard and fast. This was a bear shifter claiming his mate.

Harder and harder, he pounded into her sweet pussy. “Come for me,” he demanded.

Tara’s womb clenched sending spasms through her as the hardest orgasm she had ever had claimed her.

Jason felt his own release nearing. He pulled Tara to him. He felt her trembles. “That’s it. Come for me, baby. Come for me.” He licked the soft spot where her neck and shoulder met.

Tara tilted her head, giving him full access to the neck.

“Mine.” Jason bit into the soft skin he had just licked.

Tara screamed out his name and bucked against him as another orgasm crashed over her.

Jason clung to her shoulder as he found his release.  Tara’s muscles clamped down on his cock, locking it deep in her. Jason filled her with his seed and his essence. She was his. He licked the wound on her shoulder. She belonged to him.

They collapsed on the bed. Jason rolled to his side. Tara’s pussy refused to let him go, but he
didn’t care. He tucked her close to him. His hand moved to her soft, round belly. His cub was growing there.

“You are my mate,” he whispered into her ear.

Tara snuggled closer to him and sighed.

Sleep claimed both of them.

CHAPTER 7

Tara rolled over and reached for Jason. His side of the bed was cold. Tara pulled his pillow to her and rested her cheek on it. Jason’s cinnamon and sugar scent tickled her nose. Memories of what they did last night made her blush and wet at the same time. Tara touched the sore spot in the curve of her neck.

Jason bit her.

He had marked her as his mate.

She knew the bite would leave a scar. Her mom had a matched set from her mates. Tara moved her shoulder. The area was definitely sore, but it would be gone in a day or two.

Tara sighed.

Where was Jason?

Tara sat up, pulling the blanket with her to cover her body. Even though for the most part, she was comfortable with her body, it
didn’t mean everyone else was.

She looked around the room. For a master bedroom, it was sparsely furnished. The essentials were there, but none of the little stuff that gave it a homey and lived feeling. Tara
didn’t see the clothes she had on yesterday, but her coat was draped over the back of a chair, and her boots were on the floor next to the chair. Her bag was on the chair. Tara smiled. At least Jason thought about her.

Tara let the blanket drop to the bed as she got up. She needed to take a shower and get dressed so she could face the day. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. In one of the side pockets, she pulled out a matching black bra and boy-cut panty set as well as a pair of thick socks and added them to the pile.

She turned and looked at the only two doors in the bedroom. One, she knew, opened to the hallway. The other had to go to the en suite bathroom. Tara crossed the room to the door and opened it. She flipped the light switch and discovered a beautiful bathroom with both a huge soaking tube and a large walk-in shower. Tara put her clothes on the counter and found a towel in a small closet. She turned on the water and stepped into the shower as soon as the water was hot.

Thirty minutes later, Tara, clean and dressed, left the bedroom. She
didn’t hear any noise in the house. Biting her bottom lip, Tara went downstairs. The smell of coffee led her to the kitchen. It was empty. An empty coffee mug in the sink was the only evidence that Jason had been there.

Tara shrugged her shoulders

She opened a cabinet over the coffee pot, hoping to find a coffee mug. Three cabinets and two drawers later, Tara found the coffee mugs and utensils. She poured herself a cup of coffee and put a spoonful of sugar from the bowl sitting by the coffee pot into her coffee. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.

Tara shook her head.

Other than a couple bottles of beer, a gallon of milk and a carton of cream, the refrigerator was empty. “Guess we will have to make a run by the grocery store.” Tara grabbed the carton of cream. She opened it and sniffed. A smile flickered across her lips. The cream was good. Tara poured some of the cream in her coffee and put it back into the refrigerator.

Taking a sip of the sweat, creamy coffee, Tara sat down at the table. The kitchen and
dining area were cute and cozy. She loved the white cabinets and black countertops. It was perfect.

It was too perfect.

Tears threatened to fall. Tara wiped both of her eyes to stop the tears. How could she have dragged Jason and his family into her problems? Donald was her problem.

The backdoor opened causing Tara to jump.

Jason walked in and closed the door. He looked at Tara and grinned. “Good morning.” He walked over to her and kissed her.

Tara sighed and leaned into the kiss. The taste of cinnamon and sugar flooded her tongue. Desire rippled through her body.

Jason broke the kiss. “Nice.”

“Not so bad yourself.”

“Where were you?” asked Tara.

“A blue
norther will be to be here in an hour or two. I was making sure there was enough wood piled up by the backdoor.” Jason pulled off his jacket and hung it on a peg by the door.

“It’s going to be that cold?”

“The weatherman is predicted freezing temperatures by this afternoon, and possibly some sleet. I figured it would be a good idea to have the wood ready. I doubt we’ll need it to warm the house, but sitting in front of a roaring fire might be romantic.” Jason gave her a huge grin. His eyes twinkled.

Tara blushed.

“And if the electricity does go out, we’ll have heat.”

Tara sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

Tara shook her head.
“Nothing that matters. I was thinking about the winter dad left us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. His leaving was the best thing that happened to mom and me. It was just the timing that was the problem.”

“What do you mean?” Jason poured himself another cup of coffee.

“We were living up in North Texas, somewhere on the other side of Fort Worth. We were renting a small house out in the middle of nowhere.  We didn’t have a lot of money. Dad liked his alcohol better than food, so by the time he came home on Friday, if he came home at all, his paycheck was usually gone. Anyway, he came home angry, and it didn’t help that there was no food on the table and the electricity had been disconnected for nonpayment. He and mom argued and the next thing I know, the door’s slamming and he’s gone.”

“He wasn’t much of a father or a man.” Jason’s eyes turned silver.

“It was like a weight had been lifted from the house, but that night a norther blew in. We didn’t have any wood for the fireplace and there wasn’t anything around the house we could use to chop any wood. The kitchen table and chairs were wood, so mom broke them up and burned them to keep us warm. Mom burned a lot of thing those three days.”

Jason
didn’t know what to say. He had never been in that kind of situation. It hurt him knowing Tara had gone through it.

“Mom managed to scrap some food together. Three days later, the
landlord came looking for his rent. He took us to town to a shelter.”

“Your mom must be some kind of lady.”

Tara smiled. “She’s tough. I’ve learned a lot from her.”

“After you finish your coffee, go get your jacket.” Jason drank his coffee and put the mug in the sink.

“Why?” Tara raised an eyebrow.

“We’re going over to Mom’s to have breakfast and check on the kids. Then you and I are going shopping. We need groceries and some other things.”

Tara swallowed. “Jason, it’s not necessary to spend money.”

Jason stepped back. “Yes, it is. We need food and you and Haley need clothes.”

“Haley and I can’t stay here.”

“And where else are you planning to stay? You are my mate. This is your home.”

“And Donald will follow me. I don’t want him harming you or Ben.” Tears threatened to fall again.

“Do you think I can’t protect you?”

“I never said that.” Tara raised the volume of her voice.

“Then what are you saying?” yelled Jason, matching Tara’s volume.

“I don’t want you or your family to get hurt because of me. Donald is my problem.”

“No! He is our problem.” Jason saw the tears glistening in Tara’s eyes. “Why are you so afraid of him?”

Tara stared at the wall.

“Tara?”

Tara shook her head.

Jason kneeled down next to her. “You have to tell me, so I know what I’m up against. Why is he after you? What does he plan to do?”

Tears rain down Tara’s cheeks. “Do you want to know his plans before or after he rapes and tortures me?”

Silence filled the kitchen.

The muscles in Jason’s jaws twitched. He stood up and moved away from Tara. Anger rolled off of him in waves strong enough that even Tara could feel them.  Jason ran his hand through his hair. “And his plans after?” His voice was cold and hard.

Tara’s body trembled. She
hadn’t told anyone about Donald’s plans, not even Noah, her stepdad. “He’s in serious debt with a loan shark. Donald doesn’t have any money. He has stolen everything he can from his company. He forged several documents and was able to sell the condo.” She wiped her eyes and face, but the tears kept falling.

Jason waited for her to continue. He and his bear wanted to hunt down the bastard and rip him to pieces. He was having a hard time keeping his bear under control, but he needed Tara to tell him what was going on. He needed to hear it in order to know what he was
up against.

“Donald’s on the verge of losing everything.”

“Don’t make excuses for him,” growled Jason.

“I’m not, but you need to understand how desperate is, so you will understand what he’s willing to do to get what he wants.

“What are his plans?” Jason tried making his voice not sound so harsh.

Tara swallowed. Her hands shook. “After he’s done with me, he plans on turning me over to the loan shark so I can pay off his debts as a prostitute.”

“And Haley?”

Tara shook her head. She
couldn’t speak.

Jason slammed his fist into the wall causing Tara to jump.

“I can’t stay here. I have to keep moving.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Jason turned and looked at Tara. His bear paced and growled.

Settle down,
Jason told his bear.

Want to rip his throat out.

So do I, but we need to take care of our mate.

His bear snarled, but settled down a little bit.

“You aren’t going anywhere. You are my mate. You and Haley are staying here.”

“Would you quit being a Neanderthal and listen to me?” Tears ran down Tara’s cheeks.

Jason walked over to Tara and pulled her into his arms. “I know you’re scared of what he could possibly do, but you are my mate and I will do everything in my power to keep you, Haley, and Ben safe. He didn’t say anything about the cub she was carrying, because he didn’t want to burden her with anything else. She had enough worry on her shoulders. Tara was tough, but he hoped she would realize he wasn’t going anywhere and let him take some of the burden. It was his job to protect her.

Tara frowned. “What are you not telling me?” She pulled back so she could look into his face.

Someone pounding on the backdoor saved Jason from answering Tara’s question. “I had better get that.” Jason released Tara and walked over to the door.

The pounding continued even after he had opened the door.

“Eddy, what are you doing here?” Jason frowned.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but is Mrs. Wilson here?”

“I’m here. Is there a problem?” Tara pushed her way around Jason and elbowed him when she heard him growl.

“I was making a list of things the car needed your cellphone starting buzzing.”

“My cellphone?” Tara’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah, it startled me. You know, I
wasn’t expecting it. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind, but I answered it. It was your husband, Mr. Wilson. I told him you were okay, and you staying with the Andersons.”

Tara turned white. Her heart skipped a beat. “You spoke to my husband?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“He said for me to tell you he will be here real soon to pick you up.” Eddy held out the small, black cellphone.

Tara took it and stared at it.

“Are you okay, Mrs. Wilson?” Eddy looked concerned.

“Everything‘s fine. Go home. You don’t want to get stuck out in the weather,” said Jason.

“All right, I’ll see you later.”

Jason closed the door even though Eddy was still speaking. “Tara?”

Tara looked up from the cellphone. “This isn’t my cellphone.”

“Are you sure?” Jason prayed she was wrong.

“Don’t you think I would know my own cellphone from someone else’s?” Tara snapped.

“That’s not what I meant.” He wrapped his arms around her.

“Donald’s here. He knows where I’m at,” whispered Tara.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” Jason whispered into her hair.

“I know you…Haley!” Tara pushed Jason, trying to make him let her go. “I have to get to Haley.”

“Haley is with Ben at my parents. She’s safe there.”

“You don’t understand. If he can’t get to me first, he’ll go after Haley because he knows I’ll come after her.”

Jason wanted to tell Tara her fears were irrational.

Get to cubs.
His bear swiped his ribcage.

Jason decided to trust his bear’s instinct, something he
hadn’t done when Tina and her sister, April. “Go get your jacket.”

Tara
didn’t give him a chance to change his mind. She slipped the cellphone into her back pocket as she raced upstairs to get her jacket. She prayed she was wrong. She prayed Haley and Ben were safe.