Read For Shift's Sake: Paranormal shapeshifter alpha werebear soldier BBW romance for Free Online Page B

Jackson. He was the archetypal all-American, jock type. Handsome. Blond. Well-built… At least that’s what everybody saw. That’s what Conrad wanted everybody to see.
    This close though, she could see the slight softening around his jaw, the result of too many nights drinking and partying in the numerous clubs he owned. She could see the red around his eyes, possibly drink… Probably something else. It was no secret Cole Riley used Conrad’s clubs to peddle his wares. Not in person of course, he was too clever for that, and had a network of minions dealing for him. Both of them had fall guys, their own hands lilywhite.
    Not that it mattered. Banford’s sheriff, Jack Hall, was nearing retirement. He didn’t have the energy, nor the drive to take on the rot slowly killing the town. All he was interested in was his coffee and donuts in the morning, making it through the next three months until he could hang up the badge.
    “Not so much forgot, but claiming what’s mine.”
    Her skin crawled at his touch as he leaned forward and tried to press his lips to hers. Bile rose and she turned her head, twisting her shoulders with a sharp jerk to slide out of his hold. He didn’t have a good grip, and wrestling with her brother when they were kids had taught her to take advantage of that.
    “Conrad, what the hell are you doing?”
    Quickly, she stepped away, putting distance between them. The problem was he was between her and the door. The look on his face made her suppress a shudder. And not of the fun, happy sexy times, sort of shudder. Threat and danger hung in the air. Even though his muscular body was starting to soften from driving a desk, he was still much bigger than she was.
    This could get ugly fast.
    His smile turned smug. “You’re mine, Bobbi. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
    Rage welled up from her core, bursting from her soul to fill every cell in her body. She ached to launch herself forward and slap the ever-loving shit out of the guy. Where the fuck did he get off, assuming crap like that?
    “I’ll never be yours. Ever. Did your mother not teach you the difference between yes and no?”
    He studied his fingernails, plucking at an imaginary speck of dirt. It had to be imaginary. She doubted he’d ever done an honest day’s labor in his life. He looked at her, still smiling, but the expression behind his eyes was flat. Empty. Like a shark.
    “I’d advise you to play nice, Bobbi. So far I’ve been very patient with you, and believe me, you don’t want to try that patience.”
    Without another word, he turned to go, the heels of his expensive Italian leather shoes ringing out against laminate that had seen better days. As soon as the door shut, she darted forward, flipping the sign over to say closed and slamming the lock into place.
    Alone. As secure as she could be, she slid down the wall by the door into a tiny ball and did her best not to cry.
     
    ***
     
    Darkness surrounded Reese as he rode through town on his way back to the motel. The hum of the powerful machine beneath him was soothing. Although he rode a bike, he would never consider himself a biker, too many aches and pains from old injuries for that.
    Sure, he was a bear, and his nonhuman nature meant he could heal injuries that would bring a human to death’s door. A lifetime of military service and combat insured those injuries were not run-of-the-mill, and even a bear’s physiology couldn’t handle being blown up repeatedly. His knees ached, and his left shoulder clicked a lot, and getting his shit together in the morning required a lot of coffee before he felt even halfway human…bear…whatever.
    He leaned into the corner as he turned down Main Street. A local out walking his dog stiffened and turned at the sound of the bike engine, then visibly relaxed as he saw Reese. Dressed in cargo pants and a utility jacket as he was, no one could mistake him for a member of the motorcycle gang that plagued these parts.
    He