Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,55

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 might 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