Mary and the Bear by Zena Wynn

would have done so by now. Is that why Hugh left?"
    "Yes. He went to ensure she makes it home in one piece."
    "Well, she should be okay. Mary Elizabeth's a smart cookie. I don't know why ya'll are so worried.
    "Maybe not,” Kiesha said slowly, a pensive look on her face.
    Her tone got both Shannon and Alex's attention. “Why do you say that, honey?” Alex didn't want any more bad news. He was just starting to relax.
    "She liked that drink so much that she got another one on her way out the door."
    * * * *
    Mary Elizabeth arrived home, drink in one hand, and purse in the other. What a night! She tossed her purse onto the coffee table and sat down to unlace her boots. With a sigh of relief, she wiggled her toes. That was much better. She took off her jacket, propped her feet on the coffee table, and sat sipping her drink. She had an excellent time at the party, but now she was tired.
    Enough reminiscing. She'd better move, otherwise she'd wake up on the couch. She finished her drink and tossed the cup on the table. She'd get it in the morning. After turning off the lights, she headed for her room, stripping as she went. At the last minute, she detoured to the bathroom. She was sweaty from all of the dancing and needed a shower. The abrupt change of direction caused her to stumbled, and she fell against the wall, feeling a bit woozy. The sooner she laid down the better. She was so tired, she was dizzy.
    She intended to rush through her shower, but the hot water felt so good beating on her weary muscles that she lingered. Another wave of dizziness hit and she decided she'd better finish. She rushed through the rest of her shower and almost fell over trying to wash her legs. Man, she better get to bed quick. She turned off the water, and left the towel on the rack. No sense drying off. She'd just fall on her face. No one could see that she was naked. She opened the door, her mind focused on getting into bed and stopped liked she'd run into an invisible wall.
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Chapter Six
    Hugh left the party in a controlled panic, trying not to think of all the things that could happen to his mate before he got to her. Alcohol poisoning was just one of the few things to cross his mind. He drove slowly, scanning both sides of the road just in case she'd lost control of her vehicle and run off the road. With all these trees, it would be too easy to drive right by the site of an accident and not see it until it was too late.
    His nerves hadn't been stretched this tight since his last mission. He'd given Uncle Sam twenty years of his life, going on missions and putting his life on the line for his county. In a way, he could understand Mary Elizabeth. He knew what it was like to have other people controlling your actions, always having to answer to someone other than yourself. While he understood how she felt, it didn't change a thing. She was his mate. She'd just have to adjust.
    If he'd had doubts before, he didn't now. His beast was straining at the leash, urging him to hurry. Its mate was in danger and it wanted out. He controlled it, knowing patience was the key. He couldn't afford to screw this up by rushing. It might cause him to miss something he needed to see.
    To calm himself, he thought back to his conversation with Alex. The thought of her leaving caused a growl to rumble out of his chest as his beast rattled against its cage. He and his beast were in perfect agreement. His mate was going nowhere, not if he had anything to do with it.
    His thoughts returned to the mysterious Charles. Why had she mentioned him? Did she have something going with her brother-in-law? She didn't seem like the type to do something like that. Maybe she was referring to someone else. It didn't matter. She belonged to him, no matter what anyone else thought. He wasn't sure why, but something about this woman brought out the caveman in him. He wanted to grab Mary Elizabeth by her hair and drag her into his cave, using his club on