So Much To Bear: Shifting Devotions (Werebear Erotic Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

woman, at the sheer level of noise that surrounded him. Cars honked, tires screeched, there was a constant babble of conversation from people walking past. At first it had seemed like an exhilarating change from the quiet of his previous life—but the novelty was starting to wear thin, and Damon’s supernaturally-sharp hearing didn’t make it any easier to deal with the cacophony of city life. At least in the motel, he thought wearily, there was a little quiet in the late hours of the night.
     
    When he shuffled onto the steps of the bus, Damon made a second mistake; he went to insert his pass into the reader and almost folded it over onto itself, making the driver groan. Taking a deep breath, Damon pulled the card out and tried again, pushing it in more gently, gradually coaxing the machine to take it. Why the driver couldn’t just look at the pass and verify that it was valid, Damon didn’t know; but he finally got the permission to take a seat and stepped through the cab with relief. There were only two seats open and Damon looked around to make sure that no one else might have priority before taking one of them, sitting down heavily. Only fifteen minutes out of the hotel, and he had already messed things up twice, he thought ruefully. Jennifer had been right in her assertion that city life was more difficult than it seemed.
     
    He rode the bus all the way through the rest of its stops, getting off when the driver pulled into the station with the few people who had remained until the end. He had no real idea where he was, and his lack of ability to navigate the complex honeycomb of streets added to his growing sense of irritation. He realized as he waited for another bus to load up with passengers that part of the source of his annoyance was simple hunger. Damon shook his head, smiling to himself. He had eaten breakfast with Jennifer; they’d bought some groceries that would fit into the limited space the hotel provided in a mini fridge and a cabinet. But he hadn’t eaten since.
     
    So Damon climbed onto another bus, and watched through the window, watching the different shops and buildings flash past. He spotted a diner—familiar to him from when Jennifer had brought him there days before. Damon smiled to himself again, reaching up and tugging the cord to request a stop. The bus passed the diner, but stopped only a block away, and Damon hurried off, jumping nimbly from the last stair. He tried not to feel conspicuous as he looked around, regaining his bearings. The sign for the diner was in clear view and he walked back towards it, dodging oblivious pedestrians absorbed in their phones or their tablets.
     
    It was a relief to sit down at a table, even if he felt a little lonely by himself. Damon perused the menu, considering what he wanted. He had to admit that as baffled as he had been by the fact that everyone seemed to trust other people they didn’t even know to make their food properly—the concept of restaurants had always seemed strange to him—he had had very good food with Jennifer at all of the places she had taken him. “In all by yourself?” Damon looked up quickly from the menu to see the waitress approaching his table, a smile on her face.
     
    “Ah, yeah,” Damon said, reminding himself that not everyone in the world was someone he should distrust. “My girlfriend’s in class right now, and I’m starving.” The woman’s smile faltered slightly but then came back just as quickly.
     
    “Well, we have the beef tenderloin sandwich on special today—it’s always good.” Damon found the item on the menu; it sounded as good as anything; hungry as he was, he would have been willing to eat whatever was recommended to him.
     
    “I think I’ll have that, then, with a water.” He handed the menu back to her; the waitress’ gaze traveled up along his arm as the movement shifted his sleeve upward, showing the coiling bands of his tattoos.
     
    “Oh man, those are great!” she said,