by Vivian Wood
“I don’t want to be some wayward child again, Gregor. Our father knew about me. My birth mother told him everything, even the fact that she wasn’t ready for a child and planned to give me up for adoption. He let me sit in foster care for the first seven years of my life. If it wasn’t for my adoptive parents, who knows where I’d be now?”
“Alex… I’m sorry that happened to you. If it helps, I know that he kept an eye on you, made sure you were provided for.”
Gregor couldn’t quite meet her gaze as he said the words. A nasty laugh escaped Alex’s lips, and she shook her head.
“I don’t think anyone was watching out for me when Ms. Legens fostered me. She used to beat me with a wooden spoon if I used improper grammar. And the Sharpes…” Alex shuddered. “It’s a lucky thing that I was adopted by my parents when I was, because the Sharpes were bad people. God, why are we even talking about this!”
Alex swallowed, pushing her anger down until she could breathe again.
“I really don’t know what to say, Alex. I wish I had known. And our father… He doesn’t say much about it, but I know he feels guilty.”
Alex looked at Gregor, really looked at him. She’d gotten her looks from her birth mother, it seemed, because Alex and Gregor looked nothing alike. She was pale, redheaded, and curvy. He was olive-skinned, dark-haired, and as athletically built as any Berserker man. Their only commonality was their eye color, a glinting navy that spoke of the currents flowing in the deepest part of the ocean.
“Let’s not do this,” Alex said.
“I wish I could just claim you as part of my line,” Gregor sighed. “Our ages are almost right… We could skirt Father’s approval entirely.”
Alex snorted.
“Only if you knocked some girl up at thirteen or fourteen,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Besides. We barely pass for half-siblings, much less father and daughter. No one would believe it.”
Gregor nodded and shrugged.
“ A nice idea. No, I guess it wouldn’t work. That leaves you with two options. Go to Father and ask for him for his blessing, or…”
“Or marry an Alpha,” Alex finished for him.
“Mate, not marry. You’ll offend someone with that eventually. The two concepts aren’t remotely similar.”
Alex waved away his words, trying to focus.
“What would it mean if I got his blessing?”
“You’d be part of the clan, given access to our compound upstate. You could run in your bear form without fear. You’d have community, instantly. Given who your father is, you’d be inundated with offers of friendship. More than friendship too, I’d bet.”
Something in Gregor’s expression said that he’d received plenty of offers himself. Rejected them just the same, if Alex correctly read the disapproval in his eyes.
“And on the other hand…” she prompted.
Gregor blew out a breath.
“You’d be subject to our laws. You’d also be required to find a mate and produce heirs. Soon.”
“So if I want to get the attention of the Alphas’ Council, I basically have to do all the things I’m trying to fight against,” she summarized.
Gregor shrugged.
“If you choose to see it that way,” was his only response.
“Are they making you take a mate?” Alex asked, curious.
“You bet your ass they are,” he said, his expression tightening. Alex paused, unsure how to phrase her next question.
“Gregor, I don’t mean to intrude, but aren’t you…”
“Gay?” he supplied. “Yep. Guess what, the laws don’t favor me, either.”
“Jesus,” Alex sighed. “What are you going to do?”
“Find a lady with the same inclinations. Or opposite, I should say. Someone who will keep my secrets as long as I keep hers.”
Gregor lifted a brow, challenging her to continue the conversation. Alex pursed her lips, but let the matter drop. If Gregor didn’t want to fight for himself, that was his own decision.
“I don’t want to involve our father unless things get desperate,” Alex said, changing the topic. “So… assuming that I want to go the other route, how do I meet Berserkers?”
Gregor gave her a sudden, wicked grin.
“I think it’s time that you met your cousins. They’ll know where to meet straight guys. I just hope you know how to hold your liquor.”
Wide-eyed, Alex climbed into a cab with her brother, listening as he filled in all the dirty details.
72
Two
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with us?” Alex asked Gregor, throwing an arm around his shoulders as their group left The Drawing Room, the place Gregor had designated for Alex to meet the cousins. The cousins turned to be a gaggle of tall, modelesque women in their 20s, and they were really something entirely outside Alex’s experience.
Alex had always been quiet and intense, even back in college. She could party around her close friends, but she’d never been a party girl. That phrase might have been coined specifically to describe any one of of her cousins. Each one was loud, excitable, and more hip than Alex could ever pray to be. Stephanie, Miranda, Bette, Jenna, and Sammie were all dressed to the nines, and by god, they were ready to have F-U-N.
Five minutes into meeting them, as soon as the hugs and proclamations of delight were over, Alex was already oversaturated with gossip and talk of cute men. Gregor had secured them a table at his favorite restaurant, and he was quick to sandwich Alex between himself and Bette, the most reserved of the bunch. If that was even applicable, since Bette was quick to give Alex the lowdown on every attractive man that walked in the restaurant’s broad entrance door.
“Let’s see…” Bette was telling Alex. “Human, human. Oh, that one over there, the hot Spaniard? Also human, but he is fire in bed.”
“I— Okay,” Alex said, taking a big gulp of the martini that Gregor had pressed into her hand.
And that was only been the start of the event. The meal had gone on for over three hours, and there had been far more drinks than food. Alex wasn’t a huge drinker, so she’d held back a little, but she was definitely tipsy as they walked out into the heat of the Chicago summer evening.
“It’s already ten thirty. I’m afraid I have a commitment early tomorrow,” Gregor said, giving Alex an apologetic glance.
“Bullshit,” Stephanie said, mimicking Alex’s pose and throwing an arm around Gregor. “He’s got to go see his man friend. What’s his name, Ralphio or something?”
“And with that, I will leave you ladies to… whatever you’re going to do. Just be safe,” Gregor said, shrugging out of their embrace. “Miranda, Bette. I expect you to make sure Alex doesn’t die in a bar fight or anything.”
Alex goggled at him, but Gregor just winked and headed off, leaving her with the cousins.
“Onward to drinks!” Jenna bellowed. The cousins cheered and grabbed Alex by the waist, hugging her as they dragged her toward their destination.
“Omigod, you are going to love The Bronze Throne. It’s like, the best bar ever. The drinks are awesome, the music is bumpin’, the dudes are mega hot… and almost everyone is a shifter. Just stick with us, make sure you don’t end up sucking face with a lion or a wolf or something,” Bette declared.
Twenty minutes and two shots of tequila later, Alex had to agree with Bette’s assessment. The bar was gorgeous, if a bit dimly lit, the music loud and dance-able, and the men… Well, they were plentiful and good-looking.
“Next round’s on me!” Alex said, getting caught up in the excitement. The cousins squealed with delight and pointed her toward the bar, a gleaming sheet of bronze stretching out before an impressive wall of liquor bottles.
Alex worked her way up to the bar, stopping briefly to adjust her knee-length cream-and-black lace dress. The bodice was tightly fitted, smoothing out her curvaceous hips and pushing her E-cup breasts up to form mouth-watering cleavage. Alex wasn’t model-thin like her cousins, but she knew her
charms. She’d dressed her hourglass figure to the fullest effect, matching her fuchsia heels to her lipstick and accessorizing with a diamond bracelet and ear bobs. A gift from her parents when she’d graduated college, the set was something she wore regularly to add a splash of feminine grace to her wardrobe.
When she stepped up to the bar, a handsome blond bartender caught her eye, looked her up and down, and came right over.
“What can I get you?” he asked, giving her a rakish smile.
Alex’s lips twitched. He was handsome, all right, but all too human. She was here to meet single Berserkers, not drown herself in some handy hunk that she’d never see again. Too bad, really…
“Kamikaze shots,” Alex said, leaning in and raising her voice to make herself heard over the music. “Six of them. No, twelve. Do you have a tray?”
The bartender laughed and nodded, moving off to make her order.
“Some kind of party you’ve got going.”
The fine hairs on Alex’s neck rose as she pulled back from the bar, acutely aware that her leaning position made her ass stick out in a suggestive way. She turned her head to look over her right shoulder, and there he was.
The most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her entire life.
She turned toward him, unable to control the movement, even as she looked him up and down. He was at least six and a half feet tall, muscular without being overdone. Dark hair, stylishly cut to be longer on top and closely cropped on the side, stunning aqua eyes, lightly tanned skin.
He wore a light blue button up, sleeves rolled to the elbows, and dark jeans that fit so well they must have been tailored. Alex knew clothes, and this man wore them perfectly. He also had some intriguing-looking tattoos, fierce black lines slashing over his exposed forearms. Something about those tattoos made Alex shudder and lick her lips.
“Uh…” she said, her confidence faltering for a moment as she stared at him, her stomach fluttering. “Yeah, I’m here with some girls.”
She gestured vaguely over her shoulder, not wanting to point out the table of stunning women who were no doubt eyeing the guy of her dreams with great interest. Who wouldn’t, when he was so divine? He was so gorgeous that Alex suddenly had a reality check, wondering if she was a lot more drunk than she realized. She did tend to have terrible drunk-goggles when she scoped out men at bars.
“Nice. Maybe I can get this round for you?” he asked.
“Oh… Uh, that’s okay. I mean, thanks for the offer. Maybe you can get me a drink later, privately.”
Alex couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, but the man’s eyes lit with amusement. He seemed to like it, so she held her ground.
“I’d enjoy that. Perhaps I’ll find you on the dance floor,” he said. He gave her a last look, then turned and strode off into the crowd. Alex couldn’t help but ogle him as he went, his perfect ass moving in his perfect jeans…
“Alright, twelve shots!” the bartender shouted, making her jump when he slammed down a small plastic tray with her order.
“Thanks so much,” Alex said. She paid and scooped up the tray, heading back to her cousins.
Two kamikazes and two vodka-tonics later, Alex let her cousins pull her onto the dance floor. She was soon surrounded by gyrating bodies and pulsing music. She swayed and flirted and sang along to the music, long since having passed from tipsy to full-on drunk. She danced with several men after her cousins slunk off to find their own partners, her head swirling as she laughed and rocked out.
And then it happened again. The hairs on her neck rose, and she just knew it was the same guy. She turned with a grin. There he was, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Bedroom Eyes. He held out a hand in invitation. Alex didn’t hesitate, sashaying right into his arms. One of his big hands landed on her hip, the other on the small of her back as he drew her near.
She noticed those tattoos again as he tugged her until she was pressed against his body, all hard, muscular heat. Alex slid her arms around his neck, flicking her hips as she followed the easy rhythm he set. He moved with perfect ease, no awkward dancing here.
Alex chuckled as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her world seemed to tilt, liquor and blood rushing in her veins at the taste of him, the feel of his touch against her skin.
They danced and drank and kissed late into the night. And then, suddenly, they were outside in the cooling night air. There was a cab, and a doorman… Everything was shining and glorious, sliding past Alex as she followed her mystery man out of an elevator.
His lips were hot on hers, his touch freed her body from the strict confines of her dress. He groaned as he cupped the heavy weight of her breasts, freed her hair to cascade down her back, gripped her hips. His mouth and fingers were everywhere, making her burn, making her cum over and over before he was even undressed. When she stripped him bare, touching every inch of smooth muscle that her searching fingers could find, he growled and caged her in, his eyes hungry. He took her up against the wall, sliding deep and making her cry out with hunger.
Alex raked her nails down his back and bit his shoulder as he claimed her body, wringing every sigh from her lips even as he burned her alive. When he finished, roaring his satisfaction into her neck, Alex felt branded. It was only after, as they lay side by side, their breathing still heavy, that Alex realized just how ridiculously drunk she was.
He must have been every bit as drunk, because when she rose and dressed, he didn’t move or make a sound. She gave him one last perusal before she left, thinking that she must have terrible drunk goggles, because he was every bit as handsome as she’d first thought.
Sighing at her own poor decision making, Alex stumbled to the elevator and hailed a cab.
73
Three
“In summation, we’ve met every financial goal you set four years ago when you first walked into Jones and Simon Investments,” James Aldrich said, leaning back in his seat with a pleased expression.
Cameron Beran drained the last drops of an oversized glass of water, his third since they’d arrived at the restaurant. James was not only his investment adviser, but also a friend from college, so their meetings were usually casual and friendly.
“Uh huh,” Cam said, scrunching his eyes against the bright light pouring in the restaurant’s broad plate glass windows.
“Dude, what’s up with you? I’m telling you that you’re rich as hell, and you’re not even listening,” James said, looking a little hurt.
Cam eyed James’s perfectly-fitted dove gray suit and neatly groomed blond hair, knowing that they were currently a study in contrasts. Cam had barely managed to jump in the shower before their meeting. He hadn’t had time to shave or dress in anything nicer than jeans and a t-shirt. He knew he stood out amongst the business crowd that patronized this restaurant, a white linen tablecloth and crystal water glass kind of place.
“I’m so hung over,” Cam admitted. “I don’t even remember half of what I did last night.”
“It’s a Wednesday,” James said, raising a brow. “Aren’t we a little old for that?”
“I know, I know,” Cam said, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m paying for it today, that’s a fact.”
“Ohhhh,” James said. “I recognize this look. There was a girl, huh?”
“Isn’t there always a girl?” Cam said, heaving a sigh.
“Well, we have an hour’s worth of graphs and paperwork and signatures to get through right now, so I hope she was worth it.”
Cam considered for a moment before nodding.
“Definitely. A redhead. Busty, too. Oh, and she was a damned wildcat when I got her home,” he said. Lifting a hand, he signaled the waiter for another glass of water. “At least, I think she was. I’ve got scratches all down my back.”
“Nice,” James said appreciatively.
“Yeah. Now let’s get this rolling, because I have a coffee date after this.”
“Another redhead, I hope?”
“Hardly. My mother is in town for the d
ay. Shopping for wedding dresses for my brother’s fiancee,” Cam said.
“Which brother? Luke?”
“No. He eloped, actually. No, Gavin’s the next victim,” Cam joked. James knew his brothers well enough that the humor wouldn’t be lost on him.
“Ah, makes sense. He was always kind of a pussy,” James said with a laugh.
“No doubt about that. She’s a nice girl, though.”
“Where do you even meet nice girls these days?” James wondered aloud.
Cam laughed, wishing he could tell James the story. Well, her family is sort of a cult, and we met them on a werebear match-making retreat…
“Hard to say. Not my type of girl,” he said instead.
“No. But now that you have your finances and properties straightened out, and you started your own IT company, you can probably manage to snag yourself a lady,” James said. “If they can stand to look at your ugly mug, that is.”
Cam smirked. He was attractive, and he damned well knew it.
“Alright, enough flirting. Let’s get down to business,” he said.
With a wink, James pulled out a ream of paperwork. The paperwork that would cement all of Cam’s goals and dreams, clearing the way for him to move onto the next phase of his life. He’d buy a house, pick a strong female for a mate, and then, finally, he’d be in a prime position to become the heir to the Beran clan. Luke wasn’t coming back anytime soon and Wyatt would never settle down, so that left Cameron as the best candidate to succeed their father as Alpha.
The goal he’d been single-mindedly working toward since his teen years, the one thing he truly felt he both deserved and needed. Alpha. He daydreamed through half the meeting, nodding and signing as he schemed. He trusted James implicitly, so slacking off just this once wouldn’t hurt anything.
When Cam slid into a seat at his favorite independent coffee shop two hours later, he felt completely recovered. Endless glasses of water and a solid lunch had banished ninety percent his hangover, and the first sip of his favorite latte was just the thing to boost him the rest of the way.