“He broke up with you?” He frowned at the upset bear now pacing around on the plush cream carpet. “Why would he do that? I thought things were going well?”
Michelle shot her boyfriend an annoyed glance and growled softly, shaking her big burly head and pawing at the carpet, though it didn’t make her feel much better. James wandered into the bedroom and left her to her upset, eventually returning in a pair of skinny jeans and an overpriced v-neck t-shirt. His long black hair was still wet and he’d twisted it up into the towel. He crossed his arms and frowned at Michelle as she paced.
“C’mon, baby,” James said. “Talk to me?”
Michelle finally shifted back into her human form and glared at James. “He said he doesn’t feel whatever you’re supposed to feel! I was so close! Gah!” She clenched her fists, using every bit of her will power to contain herself.
It wasn’t easy.
She wanted to kill Eric Strauss so badly she could spit, which was entirely the point, except that she should really be married to him first in order to lock down his fortune. Otherwise it would only be fun, but there would be no real profit in it.
“Did you uh...get upset?” James reared back a little, hesitant.
James looked downright afraid of her. Michelle preferred it that way. James should be afraid of her.
“No.” Michelle took a deep breath. She needed to go on a hunt, she thought. That would make her feel better. If she couldn’t rip Eric Strauss’s throat open, she could at least rip open the throat of a deer or two, maybe some lone stranger who wouldn’t be missed… Humans were so much more fun to kill. Just the thought alone was making her mouth water. “I was very calm and collected. I told him we just needed to take some time. Shoot...I should have said space. That’s what people say. People are always talking about space.”
“That’s good,” James said hopefully. He looked at himself in a mirror on the wall and dried his hair with his towel. “I believe in you, baby. You’ll catch this fish, no problem. Then you can get married and then bam.”
“Bam.” Michelle took a deep breath. “I’ll have his stake in the lodge. Then once he’s dead, I’ll take over. Get rid of the others. And Black Bear Lake will be mine. This place is a gold mine.”
“Don’t you mean…” James spun around and winced, looking sheepish. “Don’t you mean it will be ours?”
“Dream on,” Michelle mumbled.
James cleared his throat and said, “Uh, sorry.”
She rolled her eyes. Sometimes James could really be pathetic. But she had sought out a weak man deliberately. It just made things easier. He did what he was told and he was also good in the sack, which helped.
She had promised him he would be the one man she wouldn’t scam and murder. That would remain true...for as long as she meant it.
“Hey, baby?” James said. “You want to look at your vision board?”
“Yes,” Michelle said. “Bring up my Pinterest page. I need the visual motivation.”
“Have a seat,” James said knowingly. He found her laptop in her suitcase and set it on the dining table. “I’ll pour you a drink. Don’t worry, baby. It’s not over. If anybody can pull this off, you can. I believe in you. Before you know it, you’ll be covered in Eric Strauss’s blood.”
“Oh, James.” Michelle couldn’t help but smile and her heart softened just a fraction. “You always know what to say.”
“Good,” James said, but his voice was just a little shaky. He was chastened. Hell, he even sounded scared when she told him he was doing a good job. He was really a perfect toady. “That’s good. I want to please you.”
They had been through a lot together. He’d helped her hide more than one body. Some of those killings had been premeditated and some of them had been more...spur of the moment.
“You should want to please me,” Michelle said, as he handed her a drink. She took a sip of the bourbon and it burned pleasantly on the way down. “Everyone should.”
She felt a shiver of a familiar dark feeling run through her. It was a feeling she’d possessed since she was a child. It was the urge to conquer and make the world hers, one weakling at a time. She deserved the best and she would have it at any cost. It was the magic itself too that hummed in her blood. It was dark magic. She had always had the potential for great power. But she had also deliberately called on the forces of evil to assist her. She had given a lot of her own blood as well as that of innocents to get this far and she had the diamonds and designer wardrobe and life of luxury that went with that kind of ability.
It had changed her. It had even warped her. She was angier than she used to be and more prone to spill blood even when she didn’t need to.
And she liked it.
16
Eric
Please meet with me. I’d like to talk.
The text from Michelle had come while Eric was talking to Lydia. It made his stomach tighten. It also made him feel guilty, and he wasn’t sure if that was justified or not.
Eric left Lydia to her spa treatments and her shopping spree and as soon as he’d left her, his head had started swimming. He wasn’t used to this much drama in his life. Connor and Cody were often the ones getting into romantic entanglements with women. Then, there had been Nathan’s recent romantic fiasco. Now Nathan and Alanna were happy as clams. Nathan had found his mate and she was pregnant on top of it. Eric hardly saw his brother, who worked as the lodge’s handyman these days. When he wasn’t working, he was doting on his mate, waiting for his new cub to come.
Eric didn’t even date much. He had always just hoped the fates would bring him a mate and he’d know. Michelle had been an outlier. When he’d met her in the lounge one night, she’d been so attractive and confident, he’d found her hugely appealing. He wished he knew why things had never felt right between them but why they seemed so right for her. That was just the mystery of romance, he supposed.
Still, he couldn’t refuse to talk to her. She was clearly upset and he wanted to be a gentleman about things. She deserved explanations if she wanted them.
He texted Michelle back once he’d left Lydia.
Sure, we can talk.
He’d just have to be careful with Michelle. He didn’t want to make her think there was a chance if there wasn’t.
She seemed a little fragile.
“Don’t jerk her around,” Eric muttered to himself.
He shook his head and headed back to the front desk in the lobby. He clearly needed one of his brothers to kick his ass. Maybe that would straighten him out.
Eric decided it would be best to put Michelle off just a little bit. He agreed to meet her the next day, hoping he’d be able to dodge her around the lodge in the meantime. This was why, Eric thought, Connor had a rule about not getting involved with guests. Things could get awkward, at best, if they went sour. He found himself ducking away when he saw her pass through the lobby, hiding in the office behind the front desk so he wouldn’t have to speak to her before they’d put a little time between them following the break-up.
The next day, he planned carefully. He’d meet with Michelle that afternoon and get through that difficult conversation and then...then, he’d take Lydia to dinner. That wasn’t going to be easy either. There was a lot of hurt there and they needed to talk. But even as the injured party between the two of them, the thought of sitting across from her at dinner - much less going on a run with her in the woods just like old times - made him smile to himself.
Lydia…
“Hey.” By the time Eric sat down with Michelle, he was tired.
The lodge was booked solid. It seemed as though everyone wanted a piece of Eric. Guests wanted concert tickets, reservations at exclusive restaurants, fancy car rentals, or they had general complaints that had to be addressed. He was on edge and more than anything, he wanted another one of those high end bourbons to take the edge off. But, instead, he just took a deep breath as he sat across from Michelle in one of the cozy parlors of the lodge where he hoped Lydia m
ight not see him.
“Hello, Eric.” Michelle smiled beatifically. Every time she was sweet and seemingly flawless, he felt a little worse for breaking up with her. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“Well, I know sometimes these things can take a while to process,” Eric said, “Sometimes you need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk, Eric.” Michelle reached over and covered his hand with hers where it rested on his knee. They were sitting in plush club chairs in the low light of the parlor and Michelle scooted up closer, leveling him with an intense gaze that made him feel as if he were stuck in his seat. “Do you know what I think?”
“Uh...what?”
“I think you were scared,” Michelle said quietly. “And I get it. It’s always scary to meet the right person, someone who knows you so intimately, someone you can laugh with and be your truest self with…”
Lydia, Eric thought
No, a more rational part of his brain said. That had been what Lydia used to be. That was something he wanted back, but it was most likely gone. They were probably destined to be distant adult-type friends. There had been a time when they could literally read each other’s minds. But that was all gone now.
Eric clenched his jaw and shook off the dark thought.
“I see you’re struggling with this,” Michelle said. “Please let me in.”
She gazed into his eyes, her brow furrowed. But Eric didn’t see the warmth and kindness he’d expected there. Instead, he saw...nothing. She sounded like someone who cared and her mouth formed a soft smile. But none of it reached her eyes.
It felt oddly like a lie and Eric got that creepy feeling slithering up his spine again and pulled away. “This isn’t what you think it is,” Eric said, pushing her hand away. “If you need to ask me questions, I get it. I’m really sorry if I hurt you. But I’m… This is over.” He had to be firm, he decided. Even if it felt cruel. “It just doesn’t feel right. So...if you don’t want to talk.” He got to his feet and he saw a flash of hot anger in those formerly blank eyes. “I should go.”
“Why are you throwing this away?” Michelle leapt to her feet. He was already halfway to the door but it was hard not to think he was being unfair. He clenched his jaw and turned to face her. “This is not part of the... “ She took a deep breath and her increasingly agitated demeanor disappeared suddenly. She sauntered up to him and her eyes widened. “Don’t you see how good we are together? I know you do. What is it you’re looking for? I can prove to you it’s me.”
She started to wrap her arms around him and inwardly, he dug his heels in. “It’s...it’s not you, it’s me.” He winced even as he said it. “It’s over. I really wanted it to work. I tried. But I don’t feel the same. I really am sorry. If you’re not going to accept this, I have to go.”
“Eric, I won’t accept this and someday you’ll thank me for that!”
She was like an octopus. Her arms seemed to be everywhere and it took him an awkward few moments to extricate himself before he made it out the door, leaving her glaring at him.
He was starting to think there might be something wrong with Michelle.
“Good thing I’m out of it,” he muttered, checking his phone.
Another hour, and he would see Lydia again.
Something about Michelle gave Eric a bad feeling. It was hard not to think that as much as he wanted things to be over, they were not quite over.
But he refused to think about it now as he waited in one of the private dining halls for Lydia to show up. All his happiest memories of their past together swam through his head; all the times they’d spend days together as bears off in the woods when she wanted to get away from her family and he wanted to get away from his brothers for a while. Or, when they’d helped each other get better at fishing in rivers because Eric’s brothers joked he couldn’t fish to save his life. Wrestling in the snow. Sneaking off to see movies. All the times he’d treated Lydia to this or that because she was dirt poor. She never wanted to talk about it. He knew that was a reason why she preferred to hang out with him in bear form. When they were bears, the money didn’t matter. But when they were kids in human form, he could see the holes in her shoes and the patches on her coat.
From what he could tell, she was no better off now. He was relieved that she’d taken the suite and the gift cards. At least, she could get herself some nice new clothes and treat herself for a while.
“Eric!” Lydia's voice rang out, light and sweet. He took a sip of his highball and looked up at her as she approached their table. He lost his breath a little.
Eric had not thought that Lydia looked bad when she’d shown up at the lodge. He had thought she seemed tired and a little sad, but it was hard to tell that from the awkwardness he’d fully expected.
But now she was striking. She’d clearly taken full advantage of the lodge’s spa and salons. Her thick, dark hair fell in soft, glossy waves around her shoulders and her eyes seemed bigger and brighter.
Make-up, you dummy, Eric thought.
But she wasn’t wearing very much of it, just enough to highlight her natural beauty - a little gold dusting on her eye-lids and cheeks, her lips a glossy peach. She wore a smart and sexy black cocktail dress that skirted the tops of her thighs, her long legs stretching seemingly forever beneath it and ending in a gorgeous pair of strappy heels.
His mouth was open and he was staring. He shook his head and managed to say, “Hey. You look fantastic.”
“Thanks!” Lydia tossed him a little wink and fluffed her hair, and for a moment he saw that playful younger Lydia he had known as a boy. “It’s all your lodge’s doing. You have good people there. Made me look nearly half human.”
“Oh please,” Eric said with a snort. He finally got to his feet, gesturing for her to sit down. “As if you aren’t already stupid pretty.”
It was something she used to say about him when they were young.
You know you’re stupid pretty, Strauss.
He could see her now with a rounder face and more innocent eyes, grinning at him as she tossed the comment over her shoulder before shifting into her bear form and bounding off into the forest, the redwoods of Oregon looming over the both of them.
She laughed at him as she took her seat and he saw that young girl again. “What are we drinking?”
“Well, we have some great Cabernets,” Eric said. He knew all the wines of the lodge by heart. People were always asking the concierge about good wines to have sent up to their rooms. “I know they’re your favorite.”
“Well…” She chuckled and shook her head. “I ordered Cabs because they sounded fancy and you had them. It was fun to swipe one from your parents’ wine cellar once in a while is all. I wasn’t exactly a connoisseur. I never saw my mother drink wine that didn’t come out of a box.”
“Anything you like then,” Eric said, as they got comfortable.
Their table was more romantic seeming than he’d intended. He’d wanted a private dining room to avoid any prying eyes, either Michelle’s or his brothers. The room was small and dimly lit by stately candles that stood on the cream colored table cloth. He’d pushed apart the curtains at the large window so they’d have a nice view of the slopes and they had a button they could push to alert servers. Only VIPs got dining experiences like this one.
Eric leaned on his hand and watched Lydia’s eyes dance in the amber of the candle light as she made up her mind what to drink. “I think I’d like something a little harder but also light. Maybe like...vodka and soda with lime?”
“Great.” Eric pushed their server button and Jeffrey, a fox shifter server with a towel over his arm, appeared seconds later and took their order.
Their drinks came and there was some meaningless chatter about the order and Eric felt edgy as he tossed out his advice on the best dishes. They ordered their food and the chat took a dip as they ran out of small talk.
Increasingly, he felt the weight of their past sinking down upon them
Why di
d you leave, he wanted to ask.
As clearly as he could see her young face looking jubilant, he could remember the last time he saw her before she had run away.
He’d told her he thought she was his mate...after which she’d vanished from his life without so much as an ‘I’m sorry.’
He still wasn’t sure if he had been wrong or not.
17
Lydia
Lydia still thought of Eric as the rugged type. It wasn’t just because he was a bear. Though it might have been because he was a Strauss. All four Strauss brothers were tough fighters when they had to be (sometimes when they didn’t have to be). Any one of them could’ve been the alpha, to Lydia’s mind, including Eric. Connor just happened to be the oldest and the biggest.
So it was a little strange to see Eric in his snazzy suit with his perfect haircut; instead of him sporting some beard growth and running around in jeans before shifting to go roll around in the mud. He had always been insanely rich like all the Strausses. But he’d never seemed like it.
He was sophisticated now.
It made her feel even more out of place talking to him, even with her hair done and her fancy cocktail dress bought on his dime.
But she could fake it. For now. For Eric.
She summed up a carefree grin and said, “Do you remember when we had that tree house for a while? Before we destroyed it?”
“We probably shouldn’t have shifted inside it,” Eric said, sighing. “It really couldn’t hold two bears. Even young ones.”
“We also shouldn’t have built it over a giant mud puddle,” Lydia said.
“What are you talking about?” He smacked her shoulder, taking a long drink of his bourbon to hide what looked like a giddy smile, she thought. “Falling into that puddle was the best part of the whole thing.”
“We had a lot of fun together.” Lydia felt wistful and that was a dangerous way to be.
Billionaire Bear Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset Page 14