Free Devil May Care (The Grizzly MC Book 12) by Jenika Snow

felt his beast rise to the surface. Fur replaced flesh, he grew to his massive height of ten feet tall when on his hind legs, and his hands and feet became paws tipped with massive, deadly claws. When he was before her as a grizzly, he inhaled deeply, and sensed her wonder, but also her fear. She examined him, but took a step back, as if on instinct. Her fear still lightly coated the air. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him.
    Fuck, that’s the last thing I want.
    He dropped to his front legs so he wasn’t so tall standing over her, hoping that might alleviate some of her worry. But she still moved back another step, and the low sound that left him was unavoidable. His bear didn’t like her afraid of them. He huffed out again and moved closer to her. Butting his head up against her hand, he made another low sound when she finally ran her fingers through his fur.
    Her fear slowly started to fade, and he loved that, grew pleased about her accepting him. “Your fur is so soft, and you’re so big I can’t even comprehend it.”
    He rubbed his head against her again, and if he were a feline he would have been purring at how good it felt for her to be touching him right now.
    She speared her hand in his neck fur. “Does your human side understand what’s happening right now?”
    He made another low sound as his answer. Lifting his massive head and looking into her eyes, he saw her smile, and his pleasure grew. He knew this woman would be it for him, that she would be the light he’d been searching for, that brightness to wash away the depressing, soul sucking darkness inside of him.
    She was theirs whether she knew it or not .
    He closed his eyes, just reveling in the feel of her running her hands through his fur. For several minutes all they did was stay like that, with her breathing steadily, the sweet scent of her acceptance filling him. She finally rested her face against his neck, the scent of her contentment, of her pleasure consuming him. She felt safe with him right now, and that’s what he’d wanted her to know.
    “As strange as this sound, I could stay like this, Jakob.” Her voice was soft, relaxed. “You make me feel like nothing can hurt me.” She looked up at him, and for just a second they were locked in this kind of trance. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t want to push anything.
    And that’s what I want you to know, Saya. Nothing will hurt you, because I’d rather slit my own throat than let you go, or let someone fuck this up … myself included.
    She’d already seen him and his aggressive bear side, but he supposed she needed to see that side of him to know who and what he was really like.
    He closed his eyes and let the shift overtake him, transforming back into his human form. After getting dressed so as not to make her uncomfortable, he went back over to her.
    “Jakob?” she said his name softly.
    “Yeah, Saya?”
    “Tell me I’m not the only one feeling … this.”
    He was silent for a second, and then exhaled. “No, you’re definitely not the only one.”
    Another moment of silence passed.
    And then, surprising the hell of out him, she leaned forward and kissed him.
    It was as if the fucking world stopped, just ended right there for him, and it was all because this female had her lips pressed to his.
    Yeah, this female was it for him, and he knew that without a damn doubt.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    “So?” Bodhi asked, his expression hopeful and nosy as fuck.
    “So what?” Jakob responded, looking at his brother across their parents’ dining room table.
    Bodhi shoved a forkful of pie in his mouth, and when he had it swallowed and washed it down with a beer, he smiled. “So, what’s up with you and the girl? I haven’t heard anything, and you seem in a better mood.”
    Jakob leaned back in the chair and pushed his plate away. “It’s none of your business,” Jakob said but grinned, too. He was feeling good, really fucking good, in fact.
    “Bro, you had no problem