Grin and Bear It Read online

  He inhaled deeply, smelled her fear, but also her curiosity.

  “Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you, Ryeissa.”

  She nodded again and licked her lips.

  “My bear wants you, wants to let you see him, touch him, know that he’s here to protect you, the same as my human side does.”

  “I’ve never seen a shifter in their animal form,” she said softly.

  “I’m showing you him because I want more from you. I want to be with you, Ryeissa, make you mine.” He moved an inch closer. “I want to make you my old lady, my mate.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She wasn’t part of his world, and didn’t know what it meant to be an old lady.

  “It means you’re mine, you’ll only ever be mine.” He reached out and pushed a strand of her hair away. “It means I won’t let you go, that you’ll be it for me, forever, Ryeissa.”

  “I want that, too, Mason,” she said without hesitation, and he growled low, more bear than human right now.

  He moved back, breathing in and out as he felt the shift try to overtake him. He needed this, and he needed his woman to see it. Mason needed to shift for the first time since his accident, and he wanted Ryeissa to see it, to watch him.

  He took off his cut and shirt, removed his pants and briefs, because if he was going to do this he’d need his clothes to get dressed into afterward.

  She looked at his body, her eyes widening when she looked at his cock. He was hard, there was no getting around that, and as much as he’d wanted to be like this when they were in a bed and he was worshipping her body, this took precedence.

  There he stood, naked, ready. His body started to shift, his bear coming forward. Skin tore, his muscles stretched and expanded, becoming bigger, more powerful. He let the feral side of him come forward. Fur replaced flesh, and he grew to a staggering height of over ten feet tall once on his hind legs. His hands and feet became paws, his nails deadly claws. He stood before her, his bear now in control.

  Mason focused on Ryeissa. Her eyes were still wide, and he watched as she took several steps back, her fear coming forward. He stood there, wanting to go to her, but letting her examine him, get used to this side of him. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. He never wanted that, but he was a massive animal, his bear eliciting fear from everyone it came in contact with. It was natural for her to be afraid, but he’d show her she never had to have that reaction with him. He’d protect her at all costs.

  When she didn’t run off screaming in fear he lowered himself to all fours, still stayed where he was, and kept his gaze on her. After a few moments of her just watching him, looking him over as if trying to memorize every inch of him, she took a step forward. She took another, and another, and when she was only a foot from him he inhaled deeply. His human side was still there, still conscious of what was happening, but it was his bear that had the power now.

  He huffed out and glanced down at the hand she slowly started to lift toward him. He moved that foot that separated them, came closer to her, and moved his head under her hand, butting against it.

  “God, Mason. Are you still in there?” She looked amazed, sounded like it as well.

  He made a sound deep in his throat, trying to let her know he was. Her fear slowly started to fade, and he loved that she was accepting him.

  “I didn’t think you’d be this big, this powerful.” She speared her hand in his neck fur and tugged lightly at the strands. “You’re so soft, Mason,” she whispered, but smiled. “This is kind of crazy, you know that, right?”

  He would have smiled at her if he could. She sat down on the ground, and he lowered his big body beside her. For several moments they just sat there, with Ryeissa smoothing her hands over his fur, moving her head closer to his, and resting her cheek against his back.

  “I could stay like this, Mason, just letting all this power that comes from you seep into me.” She pulled back from him, looked at him in the eyes. “I really do care for you, Mason,” she said the last part softly.

  He’d protect her with his last breath, with everything in him. He growled out low, ran his tongue along her opened palm, and before he couldn’t control his bear, control his need to mark her in this form, he shifted back into a human.

  They sat there, both staring at each other, her breathing hitching. He watched her as he got dressed. When he was dressed again and sitting in front of her he knew he had to have her, but he wouldn’t push Ryeissa, especially not after she just saw him shift.

  “Kiss me, Mason.”

  He groaned, thankful she’d brought it up, because he was going to do just that.

  Chapter Nine

  It had been such a short time since she’d fully realized that she and Mason could actually be together in the way she wanted. It was crazy and strange, but felt so right all in the same breath. Ryeissa didn’t want this to stop, not even when she’d seen the massive bear that Mason housed inside. She couldn’t lie and say that it didn’t frighten her, because it did. But she’d also felt this warmth fill her that his animal had been gentle, soft with her even.

  “Touch me, Mason, kiss me,” she said softly, needing him right now like she needed to breathe.

  He was right in front of her in the next second, grabbed her nape, and pulled her toward him. She braced her hands on his chest, feeling his hardness, needing it pressed up against her.

  His body was hard, defined, even more so than when he was in the hospital, it seemed. His tattoos made him look dangerous, violent, but she knew he’d never hurt her.

  “Kiss me, Mason,” she whispered so low she didn’t even know if he heard her, but a second later he had his lips on hers. Ryeissa tilted her head and kissed him back with all the emotion he conjured inside of her. He kissed her, licked her lips, her tongue. It was fierce and strong and had her heart beating so hard it hurt. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his fully, needing to be as close as she could. The feel of his hard chest, of his big erection probing her belly, sent a fresh wave of wetness from her pussy.

  He used his upper body to press her to the ground, the grass beneath her soft. She didn’t are that what was happening right now might be considered animalistic, primal even. It felt incredible.

  Once he had her fully on her back, Mason rested his big body on hers and put his hips between her thighs. He had all his clothes on, to her disappointment, and the hard, steel-like erection pressed against her jean and panty covered pussy. A moan spilled from her at the intimate contact, and at the fact he was kissing her like a man possessed, that he was fucking her mouth with his lips and tongue.

  What would it feel like to have his bare flesh against hers, dominating her, using all that strength? She lifted her hands and speared her fingers in his short dark hair, pulling him closer. His warm, wet tongue slid along hers, stroking, mimicking the exact sexual act she wished they were doing right now.

  And when he started a slow and steady thrust of his hips against hers she thought she’d lose her mind. Panting against his mouth and lifting her hips, Ryeissa wanted to get closer, as close as two people could get.

  “You feel so damn good beneath me,” he said against her mouth, and then started kissing her harder. “I want to feel every part of you, want to own you.”

  “I want that, Mason.”

  He slid his hand down her side, never stopping the kiss or pulling away. And as he fucked her mouth, which there was no other way to describe what he was doing, he started unbuttoning her pants. She held him tighter when she heard him undo the zipper of her jeans, and she lifted her ass to help him pull them down and past her knees.

  He was so hard, like he had a steel rod behind the fly of his pants.

  “Are you sure you want me to touch you?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything, Mason,” she said against his mouth, and then started kissing him harder.

  He groaned and moved his hand down her leg, and pushed her pants and
panties down a little further. Then he trailed his fingers back up her leg, but moved back down again so he could help her take off her pants. One of her legs was still in the pants, but not being obstructed in her movements anymore she was able to spread her legs as wide as they could go.

  She gasped against his mouth when she felt his erection against her thigh and his fingers on her bare mound.

  He brushed his finger along the crease where her leg met her pussy, teasing her, but tormenting her all in the same breath. Heat surrounded them, causing rivulets of sweat to bead between her breasts and on her forehead. They tilted their heads at the same time, their tongues delving against the other, deeper, with more passion.

  “You taste so good, baby. I could get lost in you.” He trailed his lips over her jaw and down her neck to where her pulse beat frantically at the base of her throat. Removing his hand from between her thighs and placing it by her head, Mason rested his body back on hers. The bulge of his cock pressing against his jeans, nudging at her pussy, had another gasp leaving her.

  He started a slow, steady press of his hardness against her, dry humping her until she felt her pussy become so wet it was unbearable.

  “Touch me again.” She tugged at his hair. “Kiss me again, Mason.”

  He groaned against her neck, his body tense, his cock jerking against her pussy, and his breathing ragged.

  She lifted her hips, hoping he would appease her, and stop tormenting her with this pleasure/pain. It didn’t matter that she begged him for this, because she was past the point of being shy and embarrassed by her actions and words. Ryeissa rose up slightly and pressed her breasts harder against his chest, her nipples tight and sensitive, and rubbing against the fabric of her bra and his hard muscles.

  “I should stop.”

  “No, you shouldn’t, Mason.”

  He groaned.

  He moved his hand back between their bodies, touching her thigh, right beside her pussy, but not giving her what she desperately needed. It was like he held himself back, maybe thinking he was going too far, too fast?

  “Touch me,” she moaned, begging.

  When he finally let his fingers slip along her wet slit she bit her lip and moaned loudly, so loud she knew if anyone was close they could have easily heard it. The force of his shaking body atop hers could have rivaled an earthquake, and the low growls he made told her his bear was still right there.

  Sliding his fingers up her cleft to her clit, he rubbed the engorged bud back and forth, causing her to cry out in ecstasy. She bit her lip harder until she tasted blood. Maybe Ryeissa should have felt humiliated by the way she twisted her hips up against his hand, fucking herself, grinding her pussy on him … but she didn’t. The pleasure was too intense for her to care about anything but right here and now.

  Never had she felt anything like this, and he hadn’t even penetrated her yet. She wasn’t a virgin, but she’d never been with a man like Mason. What would it feel like when he pushed all those hard inches into her? Could she handle it, take all of him? Even if she couldn’t she’d sure as hell try like a champ. All she could think about was his dick pushing into her body. It would hurt, she was sure, but she didn’t doubt the pain would morph into a pleasure she’d never felt before.

  “You’re so wet for me.” He moved the digits down her slit and teased the pad of his thumb along the opening of her body.

  “I have never been this wet,” she groaned the words out. Her legs shook as she braced her feet on the ground.

  “Good. You’ll only ever be like this for me, baby.”

  She nodded.

  He licked and bit at her throat, the sting from his teeth and slightly elongated canines causing a wave of pleasure to slam into her. When he dipped just the tip of his finger into her pussy she cried out against the side of his face.

  “God, yes, Mason.”

  He grunted.

  He only pushed inside of her to the first knuckle, but the intense sensation of that had pleasure coursing through her.

  “You’re so fucking tight and hot, Ryeissa.” He didn’t push any further into her, just held poised at her entrance, as if he wanted to tease her until she lost her mind. Her inner muscles clenched down on him, and he growled.

  He turned his face and captured her lips in a hot, wet, and possessive kiss. He slid his tongue into her mouth at the same time he pushed his finger to the next knuckle inside of her. A small sound of need left her. In and out he moved his finger in her pussy and his tongue in her mouth, fucking her in both places until she knew she could come from this alone. With a twist of his wrist he moved his thumb to her clit, and while finger-fucking her he rubbed the hardened bundle of nerves.

  Back and forth he rubbed her clit, making that nub of tissue swell even further and her imminent orgasm churn inside of her. It was so intense that she knew if he kept it up she would climax right underneath him before he even penetrated her with his cock. Holding off the inevitable because she didn’t want it to end, she focused her attention on the feel of his scruff along her cheeks, at the harsh sounds leaving him.

  “Let go, Ryeissa. I don’t want you to hold back. I want you to come with my fingers inside of you.” His voice was a rough growl, slightly distorted from his bear. He moved his thumb faster and faster on her clit and lifted his head to stare down at her. His pupils were eating up his irises, the color now a pitch black that looked supernatural.

  Her mouth parted as she felt her climax rise. Gripping onto his massive biceps, Ryeissa tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and felt her entire body tense as she came. She dug her nails into his hard flesh and cried out, unable to hold in the sound. Pleasure coursed through her, starting from the tips of her toes, stealing her very breath, sanity, and finishing at the top of her head so she couldn’t even think straight. Never once did he stop teasing her pussy, and that had her pleasure soaring higher.

  When she started returning to earth, the pleasure a tremor through her, it was to see Mason braced above her, his hands on either side of her head now. He was tense, his muscles standing out in stark contrast to his tattooed flesh, his eyes still that onyx color. Even now her body ached for more, tingled for another taste of him, of what else he could give her. What she wanted was to feel was his cock deep inside of her.

  She lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, her sanity. She finally pushed herself up slightly, but before she could say anything, or kiss him, he had his mouth on hers. He gave her a slow, drugging kiss that had her toes curling, her pussy creaming again, and had a wave of ecstasy moving through her. He moved his lips down to nip at her collarbone, to lick away at the sting.

  Not thinking, just knowing what she wanted to do, Ryeissa reached between them and tried to undo the button of his pants. She wasn’t easy, had only been with a few guys in her twenty-three years, and certainly wasn’t overly wanton, but she felt like a vixen with Mason. She felt like she could be this way with him, because he was just as needy for her as she was for him.

  But he stopped her from going any further with a hand on top of hers.

  Looking away from his jeans she felt this wave of confusion fill her. Surely he wanted her? She could see he was hard, felt the heat come from him like a furnace.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Resting his forehead against hers, Mason breathed out, his body still tense. “Nothing’s wrong, believe me I want this.”

  “Then why did you stop?”

  He opened his eyes and looked into hers. “As much as I want my cock buried so deeply inside of you that I can’t see straight, I can’t do this here. I want to take you on a bed, without sticks and rocks digging into us,” he said and smiled down at her. “Believe me when I say I want you really fucking badly.” To emphasize his point he took her hand and pushed it lower so it was right over his straining erection. He pressed his lips against hers again, and she felt his erection jerk behind his jeans, right on her hand. Her heart pounded fast and hard, and although she wanted this, with him, he
was right.

  “You’re right, Mason.” That was harder to say than she thought.

  He pushed back, smoothed his thumb over her cheek, and kissed her again. He moved back and helped her with her panties and jeans, and then pulled her onto his lap. There he just held her, and it was nice, really nice in fact. Oh, she was still insanely aroused, but just being in Mason’s arms, the aftereffects of her pleasure still moving through her, had this warmth and contentment filling her.

  “Does it scare you that I won’t let you go?”

  She pulled back enough she could look in his face. For a second she didn’t say anything, but then she shook her head. “No. Does it scare you that I don’t want you to let me go?”

  He looked so fierce right now, so hard and unyielding. He shook his head and pulled her close again. “Fuck no.”

  And it seemed just like that they were not going anywhere. That was more than fine with her.

  Chapter Ten

  He ran through the woods, feeling that freedom, that wildness that had been so lost to him since his accident, rush through his body and claim him. He was a massive animal right now, his giant grizzly bear, a beast that could take down anyone and anything. All of the other males in the club ran beside him, in front of him, and even behind him. They were a clan, a group of men that had bled for each other, fought with tooth and nail to make sure they were all whole, and they’d continue to do that until they couldn’t anymore, until they could no longer breathe.

  Nico, Lucas, and Cain were on his right. Jakob and Bodhi were on his left. Ben, not a Grizzly Patch, but still family, was running behind him. Odin was up front, his big body moving with power, as were all of theirs.

  The only next generations missing were Ben, Stinger and Molly’s son, and Colt, Drevin and Allie’s son, and the twin to Cami. But Colt was far too young to shift yet, and Ben was busy doing medical shit since he wanted to be a doctor. Out of all the Grizzly kids, Ben had never been deep in the club, instead focusing on academic things. But he was still family, no matter what, even if he had no desire to be a Patch.