Alpha Bear Princes Box Set Read online

  "I don't know for sure. But I can't think of another plausible explanation. They got in efficiently and it seems they left pretty fast when they realized you weren't there."

  "Call Larry and have him bring the chopper to the hotel," Hudson said. "I need to check on Ellen and Steve."

  "Right away, sir. I contacted your stepparents before I called you, and they're okay. I've called in a couple of guards just to be safe, though. They're on their way now. Should be there in ten minutes or so."

  "Thank you, Brady," Hudson said, grateful for the man's foresight. "I'd still like to go out there, though."

  "Of course, sir. Helicopter is on its way."

  Hudson showered and dressed quickly. Then he rode the elevator to the roof, where Larry, his pilot, was already waiting with the chopper. They flew toward the lake house at top speed and made it there in forty minutes. His Uncle Steve was waiting for him near the helipad when they landed.

  "We're fine," Steve said before Hudson had a chance to speak. "You didn't have to come all the way out here."

  "Like hell I didn't," Hudson said. "Where's Aunt Ellen?"

  He'd called his stepparents Aunt and Uncle since before he could remember, even though they all knew the title wasn't accurate. Ellen had been his father's cousin, not his sister. But his parents had been good friends with Ellen and Steve before they'd died in a car crash when Hudson was very young. He was too young to even remember them, though he'd seen pictures of them on vacation somewhere snowy. He thought his stepparents had felt wrong assuming the titles of "mom" and "dad" after the tragedy, and so they'd all settled on Aunt and Uncle instead.

  "She's in the kitchen making you monkey bread, of course," Steve grinned. "Started it as soon as she heard you were coming."

  "The kitchen is practically all windows," Hudson protested.

  "Calm down, son. We've got five armed guards out here, and one of them's in there with her while she chats his ear off. Besides, she can hold her own and you know it."

  Hudson couldn't argue with that. Both Ellen and Steve shared his rare ability to shift into a bear. If it hadn't been for them, Hudson might have thought he was the only one. He'd never met another shifter, though he liked to believe others existed.

  Even better, he liked the idea of making more shifters. Lots of little ones. Which brought his thoughts back to Kay. Why had she taken off this morning without saying goodbye? It angered him, and he didn't like the feeling of being angry with his mate.

  "Come on," Steve said. "You're all riled up. Let's go for a swim before your Aunt gets ahold of you."

  "All right," Hudson relented.

  After telling the nearest guard they were going on a walk alone, the two wandered down to the shore of Lake Michigan, left their clothes in a shed, and then shifted.

  Hudson felt the familiar snap of pain--fast but sharp--as his bones thickened and stretched. He felt the prickle of his hair growing course and dense on his back. He felt his hands toughen to pads and felt his senses grow sharper. It seemed like he could smell everything all at once--the pine trees and the lake and the air still holding the last kiss of summer.

  Hudson's bear was huge, nearly twice the size of his uncle's, though the two were similar in size in their human form. He'd once tried to identify his species from pictures, but couldn't find a match. He was a black bear--all black from tail to snout--but no black bear he'd found was anywhere near his size. From what he could tell, no bear alive was.

  Steve barreled into the water and Hudson followed. The lake felt cool and clean on his fur. It was his favorite place. They paddled out deep together, until the shore was barely visible.

  All the while, Hudson thought about Kay. Had it just been a one-night stand to her? Did she really think he was the sort of man who would treat her like that? Or maybe he'd misread her signals. Maybe she had only wanted sex, but nothing else. Maybe she was like all the rest--someone who wanted to say they'd fucked Hudson Royce, and nothing more.

  The idea stung. He'd been hurt by women before--had had women do everything from take selfies of themselves next to him while he was sleeping to outright stealing from him with the brassy explanation of "it's not stealing if you can afford it"--which is why he was slow to trust them. He'd made an effort to keep women at arm's length until he could be certain about them.

  So far, no one had passed. And so he'd kept things strictly physical, warning the women beforehand that it would likely stay that way. Most of them seemed happy enough to be in his bed as long as they could accept his gifts. The prestige of bedding Chicago's most eligible billionaire was enough. Then they'd flit off to someone else once they got bored or finally realized he was serious about not getting serious.

  But with Kay, it was different. Her rejection felt so much worse--more raw and more personal. She was his mate. She was supposed to be his. Hadn't she said as much last night? Leaving after they'd shared such an intimate moment was more than hurtful--it was insulting. He felt anger bubble up in his chest, and dove deep to let out an angry roar.

  Maybe they were just words to her, but he had meant them. He still meant them, however painful her leaving had been. He wished to hell he didn't care, but he did.

  There was only one option. He had to talk to her and demand an explanation.

  It was then he realized he didn't know her last name. In fact, he knew very little about her at all. Had that been intentional? Had she only told him the barest of facts to keep the conversation going, never intending to even give him a chance? The thought set off his anger yet again.

  Maybe he didn't know much, but he knew enough. She was interviewing for his company sometime this week. He could be patient if he had to be. He had promised not to interfere--and he wouldn't--but he could easily ask to see all the resumes of the Jr. VP candidates. And when she arrived, he'd be ready to confront her.

  Chapter Seven

  Kay

  "I'm here," Kay said. "So talk."

  She was sitting across from Chase at a sidewalk cafe downtown, the hustle of the streets noisy around them.

  "Come on, Kay-Kay," he said. She'd only just realized it, but she'd always hated that nickname. "Don't be like that."

  Chase was dressed in jeans and a blazer, his dirty blond hair slicked back. She still remembered the first time she'd seen him--remembered thinking what a prize he was. The All-American boy.

  "How would you like me to be, Chase?" she asked. "The last time I checked, you'd cheated on me with over a dozen girls. Then you convinced my dad to give you the promotion I'd been working toward for two years. Has history changed?"

  "You can blame me for a lot of things, but the promotion's not one of them. And you know it."

  He was right. Sort of.

  Her dad had never been truly comfortable with the idea of passing on the family business to a girl. The problem was, she was his only child. So, of course, he'd latched on to Chase when they got together. But Chase had done nothing to discourage it either.

  "You could have turned it down," she said.

  "Come on, Kay-Kay. You wouldn't have. It's a career-maker."

  He was probably right about that too. But she'd worked harder than he had. She'd earned it. She was the one who was supposed to have that job.

  "Besides, your dad's been weird toward me ever since you left. I think he regrets it."

  "He should regret it. I'm his damn daughter."

  "Look," Chase said. "I didn't come here to fight. I came here to make you an offer."

  He reached out and took her hand in his. The memories came flooding back--the good ones. How excited she'd been when he'd asked her out. Their first date at the movies, how he'd held her hand. Had he been cheating on her even then? Had he chosen a dark theater because he was embarrassed of her? That was the thing. She never knew now, never would know. All her memories were tainted. She pulled her hand away.

  "An offer?" she asked, sipping her coffee. "What kind of offer?"

  Chase dug into his pocket and pulled out a sma
ll box. "I think we should get married, Kay."

  Kay nearly choked on her coffee. "Excuse me?"

  "Just hear me out. Like I said, your dad's been hinting that he's not happy with the decision he made to promote me. But if you were back in the picture, I think that would change. We could be a power couple, Kay-Kay, and you know it. We'd dominate."

  "I thought I didn't look like a CEO's wife?" Kay asked, anger lacing her voice.

  "I'm ... I'm willing to look past that."

  "How generous of you."

  "Come on, Kay-Kay. I know I was hiding some things from you before--about the way I really felt--and I'm sorry about that."

  "Hiding some things? That's an interesting way to put it."

  "But you know all my secrets now. You'd know exactly what you were getting into. How many people can really say that about the person they choose to spend their life with?"

  "Hold on," Kay said, barely believing what she was hearing. "What exactly are you saying?"

  "I'm saying we should get married."

  "So what's all this about 'knowing what I'd be getting into?'"

  He looked off into the distance. "Nothing has changed about the way I feel about you. I'm not going to lie to you about that."

  Which meant he still didn't love her. Which meant he still wasn't attracted to her physically.

  "Look at it like a business arrangement. You could be with other guys too. I wouldn't care. As long as you were discreet, of course. And we could still, you know, in order to have children."

  "So you're saying you want to marry me, but you still want to sleep with other women?"

  "Yes."

  "You're kidding, right?" Kay couldn't believe it. Had she really thought only a couple days ago that he might want her back?

  "I know it sounds shitty, but at least I'm being honest with you. Another guy might not have the guts to tell you the truth to your face. He'd just be miserable with you and have a mistress on the side. This way, at least you'd know," he said. "And I'd be careful. You wouldn't have to worry about diseases or hidden pregnancies or your friends finding out."

  "No," Kay said. It was the only thing she could manage. Her whole body was shaking.

  "Let's get real for a second, Kay. You don't exactly have a lot of guys beating down your door. I'm guessing no one's asked you out since we broke up, right?"

  She couldn't speak. She could barely breath.

  "And you're getting older. Nearly all our college friends are already married. I might be your last chance. And I'm a good catch. Your family certainly thinks so. They would be psyched," he said.

  She wanted him to stop talking. She wanted to hide under the table.

  "Which is why I'm asking at all. Like I said, your dad's been different with me ever since you left. I think he always wanted us as a package deal. And he's so close to retiring. I know he is. If we get married, we solidify our position at the head of his company."

  He reached out for her hand again and she pulled away from him instantly.

  Chase's features turned icy. "I know you're probably disappointed. But the facts are the facts, Kay. Maybe our union wouldn't be one of love. But power can be just as enticing, can't it? And who knows? Maybe it could grow into love one day."

  Kay shook her head, not even able to look him in the eye. She was afraid that if she did, she would start crying, and that would only make this worse. "No," she said.

  "Just think about it. I don't need an answer right away."

  "No," she said again, more firmly this time. "Absolutely not. How could you even think I would--you know what? Never mind. I have to go."

  "Kay," Chase said, sounding annoyed. "Jesus. You don't have to be such a baby about this."

  She didn't say another word. She just grabbed her purse and nearly ran out of the cafe. She couldn't stand to be there even one more second.

  The minute her back was turned, the tears started to flow. She didn't think it was possible for Chase to hurt her more than he already had. But he did. At least he could always come through where that was concerned.

  But as angry as she was--as hurt and humiliated--a little voice in the back of her mind kept saying he might be right. Why would anyone want to be with her?

  #

  Kay spent the next two days hiding from the world. She didn't answer phone calls. She didn't check emails. She stayed in bed and wrestled her demons.

  In that time, she managed to come to two conclusions:

  She would not marry Chase. Even if he was her last chance at marriage and family, she couldn't bear to be in a relationship that wasn't based on love. She'd rather be alone.

  If she couldn't have love in her life, then she damn well was going to have success instead. Chase had been right about one thing. Power could be enticing too. So she wasn't going to just sit around wishing for things that were impossible, wishing for something she could never have. She was going to make something of her life that she could be proud of.

  With this last realization, she got out of bed. She took a shower and made herself breakfast. She got out her laptop and reviewed the interview schedule she'd set up for herself. Then she doubled-down on research.

  She had decided. She wasn't just going to get one job offer. She was going to get ten.

  Which, unfortunately, meant she was going to have to go to Royce Capital. But, she assured herself, that didn't mean she'd have to see Hudson. He'd probably already moved on to his next conquest. And besides, he'd promised not to interfere.

  #

  "Thank you so much for coming in, Ms. Hennessey," Trey Jenkins said, holding out his hand for her to shake. He was in his sixties and the Sr. VP of Property Acquisition at Royce Capital. Kay had just nailed her interview with him.

  Kay shook his hand firmly. As she'd suspected, there had been no Hudson. He'd either kept his word or forgotten about her completely.

  "I must say, I'm very impressed," Trey said with a warm smile. She'd liked the man a lot. "We'll definitely be in touch."

  Kay looked at him with a frank but friendly face. "I should let you know that I do have three pending job offers so far, and intend to make my decision in the next two weeks."

  "With who, might I ask?"

  "Gregory and Price, Leeland Financial Group, and Summit Partners." Each of them was at least twice the size of Royce Capital, and had been in business three times as long. "And if I'm honest, I expect an offer from Drake, Porter, & Fields by the end of the day as well."

  Trey whistled, impressed. "Then I'll make sure we get in touch sooner rather than later."

  "I'd appreciate that, thank you."

  She stepped out of his office with a wide smile on her face. The interview had gone well. In fact, all her interviews had gone well so far. She was more than halfway through her docket and already knew she had a job lined up that was better than anything her father had been willing to offer her. But there was something about the position at Royce Capital that appealed to her. It seemed like there was more opportunity here, a better chance to make her mark. They were successful as hell, but she saw holes in some of their strategies, and had a ton of ideas of how to fix them.

  The realization was actually annoying. She'd hoped it would only be a safety option. She didn't like the idea of working for Hudson. Even though it had only been one night, she knew a part of her would always hope to catch his eye in the halls, just like those women who'd been circling him the night they'd met. It was pathetic, but it was true.

  That alone might be reason enough to turn down the job and accept something she wasn't quite as interested in somewhere else. She had seen opportunities with several firms, after all. There were many ways she could improve all the businesses she'd interviewed with. But as a younger company, Royce Capital had the most issues--and that made her excited to dive in and get her hands dirty. She supposed if Hudson could forget about her, then she could forget about him too.

  She rounded a corner in the hall and her breath caught in her throat.

&n
bsp; It was him. Hudson. He was standing in the middle of the hallway like he owned it--which she supposed he did. His hands were in his pockets and he was staring straight at her as though he'd been waiting for her to arrive.

  And damn, he looked good. His suit was, again, tailored perfectly. With his wide stance, the pants pulled a little at his groin and she could just barely make out the shape of his cock.

  Stop looking, stop looking, stop looking, she told herself as memories of their night together flooded her mind. She felt her cheeks flush, felt her core tighten just at the sight of him.

  "I'd like to speak to you in my office," he said. His tone was stern, unfriendly.

  Dammit. He seemed pissed. Why? He was the one who'd convinced her they could handle this like adults.

  "Kay? My office, please," he repeated.

  She could hear the approach of someone not far away. Offices were abuzz with activity around them.

  "Okay," she said, not wanting to cause a scene.

  He turned on his heel and marched away without another word. Apparently, that meant she was supposed to follow.

  They arrived in his office and he closed the door behind her. It was a big space--at least a quarter of the entire floor--and had a great view of Lake Michigan. The furniture was modern--lots of white and steel with pops of green here and there.

  "Are you going to explain yourself?" he asked.

  "I already told you I had an interview at your company. I was upfront about it. You said you weren't going to interfere."

  "I didn't. I kept my word. Which is apparently more than I can say for you."

  "Excuse me?" she said, offended. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  "You left without so much as a goodbye," he said.

  "You mean after you tricked me into going up to your little sex pad with you?"

  "Tricked you?" he said, his voice deep and thunderous. "You seemed pretty willing from what I can remember."

  "Well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was just another conquest to you. I didn't realize it was a game. How many girls did you try to seduce that night before I showed up?"