Rancher Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Bear Haven Book 2) by Terry Bolryder Page A

unfortunate than the myriad of other unconscious and groaning men surrounding the booth where Bonnie was seated.
    “You. You’re coming home with me,” he commanded, pointing to her.
    She wasn’t sure how to respond. The more feral, primal part of her was stunned and turned on by the display of strength and wanted to be in bed with him this very instant.
    But the woman that had spent her entire life controlled by others and had been deeply hurt by this man was still angry, still hesitant to trust him again.
    “I’m not sure I want to,” she replied, stalling for time in the hopes that her heart and mind would agree for once.
    “It wasn’t a question. I want you safe where I can see you. You’re my mate, and I’m not going to beat around the bush about it anymore,” he said, his voice deep and powerful. 
    Bonnie wanted to disagree vehemently but felt herself hoisted from her seat in the booth onto his wide shoulder. She struggled against him but felt his impossibly powerful arm surrounding her, holding her there.
    “Put the bill on my tab, Joe,” Jesse said, turning and speaking to the quiet man behind the bar, then walking outside, Bonnie still firmly perched over his shoulder.
    The bartender just nodded and went back to wiping off shot glasses.

Chapter 9
    J esse knew he’d just blown it all again.
    He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he couldn’t just sit and watch while his mate was surrounded by other males. Even if he knew she was a wildcat who could probably take all the humans on without issue.
    She was his. His.
    It kept pounding through his brain, whether it was right or wrong. His bear was screaming it. He should have stopped them somehow. Should have realized how much it meant to her to stay independent.
    He could only think of one option. Get away from her and give her space from the possessive bear screaming inside him. He didn’t know how else to go back to the man he was before she’d come into his life.
    And she didn’t seem to want him around at all.
    He’d loaded both her and the totally drunk Seth into his pickup and headed out, and she was fuming quietly and leaning on the window as he zoomed up the curvy roads toward the ranch.
    When he’d seen Seth stumbling out of the bar, he’d immediately gone on red alert. He hadn’t thought he could be more disgusted by the man, but he was wrong.
    So he’d crept up to the window, just to see what was happening. And when he’d seen one of the men shove Bonnie into the booth, he saw red.
    The next thing he knew, Johnny was in a trashcan and he was in the bar, ready to tear heads off.
    Mating was a dangerous thing.
    He should have known it from the start. Maybe he should have just told her right after it happened and then left to give her space to deal with it, instead of driving around all day, trying to buy presents and giving room for another man to move in.
    Even if the last trip of the day, the one that had taken him until after dinner to complete, had been to buy her a ring so he could propose. The ring was still sitting on the dinner table at home, and he wondered if he should move it before he took her back.
    But he didn’t want her staying at the main lodge. Not with Seth there, drunk.
    Even if the grabby dude seemed a little more interested in harassing Jesse at the moment.
    “Bonnie, he’s hotttt…” Seth mumbled, reaching around the front seat to feel Jesse’s shoulders.
    Jesse shrugged him off, only slightly annoyed, but a harsh hiss from Bonnie’s direction made him jump in his seat.
    “Get your hands off him,” she snarled at Seth, who immediately removed his hands and sat back.
    Maybe his little wildcat was a little more mated than she thought.
    Hm…
    “I don’t know,” Jesse said, palming the wheel as they took a hard turn. “I’m not taken, so I guess I don’t see any reason Seth can't do what he wants with me.”
    He saw Seth’s eyes widen hopefully in the rearview mirror and stifled a