River Bear (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Blue Bear Rescue) Read Online Free PDF Page A

shifted, his fury pinning the man with beard where he stood. “Lyle. Is there a problem?”
    One by one, Xavier and the rest of the crew filed in behind Jake. None of them moved to stop him or take over. They all stood back except for Harley, who came over and stood beside her with arms crossed.
    “Please say there’s a problem,” Harley murmured.
    “No problem,” Lyle said, casting a glance at Jake, then the door, and then back again.
    “Rita, they owe a tab?” Jake called.
    “Damn right they owe their tab,” called the older woman behind the bar.
    Lyle motioned to the skinny man next to him. “Pay the damn tab, Tim,” Lyle snapped as if the whole thing was Tim’s fault.
    Tim produced a small wad of cash and handed it off to Rita. She pocketed it without counting. “Where’s my change?” Tim asked, and Lyle smacked the back of his head.
    “Time to go,” Jake said.
    Delilah held her breath as the men walked past Jake. Even from here, she could feel the air charged and heated. She didn’t have to be a shifter expert to know he was close to changing. She could smell the animal scent in the room. But Jake didn’t back up or move an inch as Lyle, Tim, and the other two scrambled out.
    The moment the door shut behind them, the silence broke.
    Half the bar cheered, and the other half turned right back to their conversations and drinks. Delilah didn’t miss the handful of glares Jake and the others earned, but she decided to let it go for tonight. Made a mental note of their faces for later.
    Harley spun on his heel and disappeared back to the deck.
    Jake came toward her and stopped short just before reaching for her arm. He seemed to change his mind and instead, gently pried the broken mug from her hand. “You’re all right, really?” he asked, and she could hear the worry in his voice.
    “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Are you okay? I thought you were going to kill him.”
    “Considering it,” he said, and she could see he meant it.
    “You smell like an animal,” she blurted and then scrunched her face. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”
    “I know what you mean. My bear was about three seconds from smashing some heads.”
    “But you stayed calm,” she said and cocked her head at him. “Impressive.”
    “If I’d shifted, I would have hurt you too,” he said quietly.
    “Nah, I doubt it,” she said, but he didn’t meet her eyes.
    Jake set the mug aside and held her wrist up gingerly. “He grabbed you.”
    “It’s nothing,” she said, yanking her arm away. Mostly because she was enjoying his fussing over her way too much. She could definitely get used to having someone to worry about her.
    Jake looked like he was about to argue, but a girl appeared beside them. Their waitress. She handed Delilah a beer complete with a chilled mug. “This one’s on the house. Rita says you handled that asshole Lyle like a real badass. She said you could hang out here with the Wilde Crew anytime.”
    Delilah took the beer and smiled. “Thanks.” She caught Rita’s eye from behind the bar and raised her mug in silent cheers. Rita nodded back. The waitress walked off, and Delilah turned back to find Jake staring at her with a strange look.
    “What?” she asked, sipping the beer gratefully.
    That altercation had made her extra thirsty.
    “Nothing, I—” He ran a hand through his hair, sending it into disarray. Delilah caught herself staring appreciatively at the way his bicep flexed with the movement. “You’re tougher than I expected,” he said finally.
    She arched a brow. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
    “Well, you’re still human, obviously, so you’re fragile as hell. But you’re tougher than most.”
    She scrunched her brows, totally confused by his words and his tone. He sounded hopeful, though she had no clue why. “Again, are you complimenting me or insulting me?”
    Jake stared off at some spot on the wall behind her. She resisted the urge to shake him. He looked so caught