Crossing Paths: A Brooklyn Shifters Romance Book 1

by Daphne Snow

  They were all people Alexander never got involved with. He was happy being left alone on a personal level. On a more business scale however he would be lying if he said his neighbors hadn't come to him on a number of occasions needing money or information he could provide.

  Benson just did what he was trained to do.

  Being lucrative yet absent was what his father had called him. A machine more so, Alexander had thought.

  Carl pulled into the drive, outdoor lamps lighting up the way. A large metal gate closed behind them. Several bear shifters were waiting on the inside of the small complex for him. They approached the car stiffly. They held guns on their hips and their stern expressions told him they were still in attack mode.

  One of them went to open the passenger door for him. Benson stepped out and saw as they visibly relaxed at the appearance of him. He appreciated his men always being on guard.

  Costas, a shifter who had stuck by him the last few years approached him. He trusted Costas to get things done while Benson was away. The man was as deadly as they came but still had a boyish charm to him. His crew cut brown hair and easy smile making him a hit with the more skittish people they encountered.

  "Anything?" Alexander asked his gaze locked on the front door as he approached it, two more shifters guarding it.

  In a slight greek accent Costas started. "All payments have been collected for you. Still nothing from the Regios and Fallons. As well as a Wilfred Kaiser wants to set an appointment for tomorrow a proposal for a business opportunity he’s calling it. Other than that the schedule is still set from before you left. " He nodded understanding.

  The Regios and Fallons not paying up wasn't a surprise. They were poorer class shifter families who needed money and he was happy to oblige. But they weren't repaying him, the Fallons hadn't in several months but the Regios hadn't in over a year.

  He continued walking up the stone path, the snow already having been broomed away.

  "Send a unit to the Regios and Fallons. Just a reminder, nothing serious." He told them emphasizing the words 'nothing serious'. He was a businessman, not a gangster. At least that's what he told himself at the end of the day. It helped to keep his head on straight even if it was a lie. "What about Wilfred Kaiser sir?" The man's greek accent became more apparent as he tried to pronounce the name.

  "Tomorrow at three. Remind him he needs to come with a full proposal or don't come at all. He needs to set up a secondary as well. I won't have time for a full meeting tomorrow." Alexander walked through the door being held open for him and all but darted towards the back of the house. He hadn't even bothered to turn the lights on. "Anything else can be addressed tomorrow morning." He said to the man clearly still walking behind him. "Yes sir. And sir?"

  Benson turned his eyes boring holes into the man's face if he didn't let his beast out for a bit this man was going to lose his head. "Yes?".

  "You look like you're glowing. It's a good look on you. Like in a healthy skin kind of way, not a radioac...tive...way." His tone slowed as Bensons' face remained cold and distant.

  For a moment he considered throwing the man out the window to teach him a lesson in when to make jokes. The man simply backed away seeing his compliment was going to do nothing but anger his boss. "You know what nevermind I'll get right on that stuff for ya." He chuckled dryly as he backed up.

  The sound of his footsteps soon retreating was followed by the sounds of luggage being gently placed on the floor in the foyer. Benson disregarded it all and headed towards the back of the house. The sound of his expensive shoes echoing off the marble floor.

  Passing the grand staircase and not even glancing at the kitchen the best chefs would die for, he found his way to the back door looking out to what looked like a small forest.

  Anyone who had ever lived in Brooklyn knew it was difficult to come by a nicely sized backyard. This Particular street happens to be filled with nice houses that have good back yards. That's why as soon as they went on the market all the shifters bought them up.

  Benson had made use of his space. Hiring the best arborist he could find to make his backyard into this miniature forest. Tall trees his neighbors couldn't look through and high grass felt great under Axls' bear paws. It even had a small pool in the back for his Axl to wade in.

  Benson got to work undressing, carelessly tossing his expensive suit to the snowy ground. He didn't care for it, it was all for appearance's sake anyway. In his nude pride, his cock still ached for Francesca. If running his bear wouldn't kill it then a cold shower was the next idea he had.

  He stepped barefoot into the snow covered ground and freed his mind. Unlocking the torn mental cage he kept Axl in and allowing him to reach for the surface. His bones cracked and melded together in another form.

  His legs became larger and covered in dark thick brown fur. It was a painful process but he had gone through it enough times to know soon he would feel the pure bliss and freedom of being in his bear form. He grunted out the pain carefully to not make too much sound.

  His hands soon turned to paws larger than a man's head and claws that could rip out someone's throat with a small swipe. Finally, as he shook his head in pain his bear roared through him taking over completely. Tearing the skin from his face and thick grizzly hair bursting through. His green eyes shone even brighter in form like brilliant emeralds.

  Axl stretched at first and acted as if he had been cooped up in there for months. When it was truly just a matter of hours. The bear then peered around pacing in a circle. This is home where is our mate? He asked and Benson did his best to explain to him why they needed to wait.

  The bear just roared in anger. Benson could see his neighbors turning on lights in their bedrooms and peering out. His bear was upset. He couldn’t change that now. He just encouraged the massive beast to run through the small woods and tire itself out as best it could.

  Benson had been proud of how large his bear was. Grizzly bears were already the largest of the bear kind but Axl was enormous, almost doubling that of a normal male grizzly. But that meant he was all the harder to control at times.

  He had still been tired from their trek through California's mountains so it hadn't taken him long to wind down. He raced through the trees attempting to climb a few and then snarled as he continued to run himself ragged for a couple of hours.

  Once where the dark brown grizzly stood, Now a man collapsed in the snow breathing heavily. The sun started to peek through the clouded sky.

  As he lay there and looked at the sky changing colors from dark blue to light purple and then a soft orange, he realized the bright morning sky would never compare to how bright and beautiful she was to him. He would never look at light the same and not think about her smile and the amber fireflies in her eyes.

  He tried to erase her from his mind, telling himself she wasn’t his, Francesca Bianchi would never be his. His bear was just out of sorts; he would be better tomorrow, they would both be better tomorrow.

  Chapter 3

  “Do you care to explain? Who was that? How do you know him? Does he have a brother?” Mina was practically jumping up and down on Frannie's arm as she spoke. All smiles and teeth as she impatiently waited for Frannie to answer.

  “He's just some guy, he offered me a ride. That's all.” Frannie knew it was more complicated than that. He was much more than ‘some guy’. However, she was not about to divulge her secrets just yet. It felt nice to have something to herself for the moment.

  It was undeniable the two of them had chemistry, and Fey was acting raunchy around him. She had never seen or felt Fey act like this before. Frannie had no other choice than to assume that the anxiety and stress were causing her bear to go insane.

  Nevertheless, it felt natural to be around him. Speaking to him was surprisingly easy despite her awkwardness. Though she had to admit he was a little too interested in her personal life for a stranger. Still, she had nearly given him an essay for every question he asked. It's not that Frannie was closed of
f but she just didn't start spilling the beans to everyone. At least not like that. But the way he regarded her made being secretive almost impossible.

  “Oh, no girl, do not even try to tell me that bullshit. That man looked like he was about to eat your face off on my porch. Not that I woulda mind but just think about how poor Ya-Ya would have handled that!” Frannie laughed as Mina pondered for a moment, her dark eyes shining in amusement.

  “On second thought she probably would've liked to see that as well.” She laughed and an old croaking voice with a thick accent came from up the staircase.

  “Ya damn right.” They laughed harder. The old woman never did hide her frisky nature. Then Ya-Ya started shouting back something in Yiddish Frannie didn't understand.

  “Fine, we're going, calm down.” Mina shouted back grumbling a bit under her breath. Frannie couldn't help but laugh some more. It wasn't how this night should have gone at all. But hey she couldn't complain about some eye candy and seeing her best friend again after three years. Sure they video chatted but the Mina experience was something better served in person.

  “So you're gonna tell me everything that happened!” She stated no questions asked as she took Frannie by the wrist and all but dragged her to her room. The leopard shifter was always a lot stronger than she looked, nearly taking Fran off her feet.

  Frannie then noticed she still had Benson's gloves. She had stuffed them in her pocket when they got into the car earlier. She would have to find a way to get them back to him. Or maybe they could be a fond keepsake, one she didn't have to give up quite yet.

  Mina's house was a brownstone with four bedrooms. Though Mina preferred the smaller room in the back and left the upstairs to her grandmother and older brother. As vocal and exuberant as she was she treasured what privacy she could get. The back end of the house was all hers and her brother and grandmother never dared to step into any of the rooms except the living room and kitchen. Frannie of course had been back here several times over the last decade and it was like a second home to her. Or really a first as she didn’t really consider her parents house a home anymore.

  Mina's family were leopard shifters, not unlike many shifters in Crown Heights. But her family was different. Frannie didn't know for sure and was too afraid to ever ask but she had always heard they were in some unsavory bit of business around Brooklyn. Mostly her brother and her father when he was still alive. It didn't matter to Frannie though. Mina was her best friend and it didn't mean Mina was involved at all.

  Even if she was, Frannie would find a way to bend her moral compass in her best friends favor. She loved her and never wanted to lose the bond they created over the last ten years.

  Mina dragged Frannie into her room in the back of the house. Fairy lights lined the floor and ceilings. The walls were painted maroon and various pictures of islands and major international cities were speckled about. Like other people in their twenties, Mina wanted to see the world but unfortunately, she would never get to, at least not yet. So this was the closest she could come.

  Frannie knew the room well enough and put her belongings in an unused corner and flopped down on the bed exhausted from the day. She unbuttoned her coat and heaved a sigh of relief. God, she just wanted to sleep at this point. All the physical excitement sent Fey into a bit of a hibernation. She was surely soon to follow.

  Frannie assumed the bear had been upset with her for not pouncing Mr.Benson or Alexander as he wanted her to call him. The sound of his name on her tongue had felt too intimate though.

  Don't get her wrong she certainly had wanted to with every fiber of her being. She wanted to hop onto him and give Carl a show he would never forget.. But she wasn't the type to just ride a man in the back seat. She was classier than that, not by much but she still was.

  She hated the fact he pulled away and his sudden regression of her hurt like hell. But Frannie was grateful for it nonetheless. She wasn’t ready to lose her virginity and on top of that she didn’t even know him. He must've thought she was looking for a handout or something. She didn’t say no and the moans that had escaped her were basically pleading him to fuck her.

  As she slightly regretted not giving the man a whorl she looked over to see Mina had pulled up a velvet beanbag and sat there. Her fist clenched tight in anticipation. Mina was an avid romance reader and jumped at the chance to hear the slightest cringiest thing.

  “Can't we go to sleep first, I'm exhausted.” Fran said dramatically, throwing her head back onto the pillows. Even now the bear was slumbering within her. They were both tired as hell.

  “Absolutely not! You gotta tell me everything first!” Mina was so excited Frannie couldn't deny her a good story. She groaned but sat up and crossed her legs on the bed. Frannie herself was pretty excited to share. She wasn't one to normally have such fun stories or really any stories to tell. She wouldn’t say she was boring but a wholly uneventful person.

  “Okay, but just the short version.” Mina nodded emphatically. “So he accidentally took my bag from the luggage thingy. You know the thing that goes in a circle. And I had to chase him down.” Frannie grabbed up a nearby brush and started to brush the slightly tangled mess. Remembering his hands so warm on her scalp made her shiver a bit.

  “Ooo I like a good hunt! Don't use that one it snags. Here.” Mina grabbed up another hairbrush nearby handing it to Fran and wiggling her eyebrows frantically. Mina understood Frannies thick hair woes. Though she didn't have the same tight ringlets her hair was thicker than most and the waves had a mind of their own.

  “Anyways, he gave it back and I left. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see him again. I called mom and she wasn't exactly in the best condition to get me-.” Fran admitted as she ran the brush through her hair.

  “Again? This happened the last time you visited. You spent the night at the airport that time. That still makes me so fucking mad to think about. I'm glad you texted me this time.” Mina interrupted.

  Francesca had known her parents had a drinking problem especially her mother after her father had passed.

  “Yea they were uhm celebrating.” Mina rolled her eyes. “ So he saw me nearly freezing to death and offered me a ride. That's all.” Frannie wanted to end it there but Mina clearly looked skeptical. Frannie darted her eyes around the room refusing to meet her best friend's gaze.

  “I could smell that man a mile away and I can scent him on you. I don't buy it. He wanted you Frannie, what else happened?” Mina's eyes were cocked in a way that Frannie better fess up the details before Mina beat them out of her.

  “Fine fine.” She said exasperated. She quickly braided her hair and swung it behind her, it falling in the crook of her back. Again flashes of how close he came to kissing her, his hot breath on her skin like nothing she had ever felt before. Before he had killed it by stopping. Now she was feeling needy and annoyed.

  "I can smell there's more come on spill it. You've never been this worked up." There was no getting past the watchdog of romance.

  “We touched just for a moment but Mina I swear I had never felt anything like it.” She nearly gasped out. She would save the part where he called her a ‘good girl’ for another time. As well as the part where he made her admit she thought he could rock her world. She still wanted those for her own memory for now. Those words had made her unbelievably aroused at the time.

  “Like better than that time you thought you were in love with Charlie from Flatbush?” He had been just a teen boy she had run into time and time and again. In truth, it was a crush and he just wanted to feel her up in an alleyway. Let us just say when Frannie told Mina the next time Charlie came around, he had a black eye and a cast on his arm. They were sixteen but Mina had Frans back even then.

  “This is lightyears away. Charlie was a piece of dust compared to this whole damn meteor. By the goddess, fuck I wanted to rip his clothes off and ride him like a bull. ” Mina looked surprised and chuckled out an exasperated breath.

  “Oh damn. Okay girl." She blinked a few
times in surprise at Frannie's words. Frannie was just the goody two shoes who didn’t swear...ever.

  "Maybe it's something Fran, I mean you were never really the dating type but this guy comes around and blows your mind. He could be your mate. What's Fey say?” She raised her arms and stretched. She started grabbing some extra blankets and pillows from her closet and setting them out on the bed. Frannie was a bit of a blanket hog though Mina never said anything outright.

  “She went crazy. Wanting me to do things to him. Not that I didn't want to but still. She was outta control really. I mean how am I even supposed to know if he's my mate or not?” She had been nervous the entire ride, afraid if she looked at him Fey would end up forcing a turn right there in the car.

  Bears were not really known to fit nicely into the backseat of cars.

  “I don't actually know either. We could ask Ya-Ya tomorrow. And you know Fey has always been a bit of a testy bear. Remember that time she almost took a chunk out of Mya.” Oh, she remembered.