He and Willow dished up their food and sat together across from Lily and Shane. Guilt still churned in his gut for what he’d said about Lily. It wasn’t any of his business, but Corey felt bad for Lily. She reminded him of his mom. Now that she and Shane were together, she seemed as happy as could be.
Lily was a bear shifter now, and Corey knew it helped with a lot of her and Shane’s communication problems. He wondered if he should ask Willow if she wanted to be changed. Maybe that was what he could give her. Lily and Maisie seemed to like being bears. But humanity was something in itself. He didn’t want to take that away from her.
He’d have to keep thinking about the perfect thing to give her. He knew they couldn’t stay in the cabin forever.
He could marry her. That was a given. But that wasn’t all he wanted to do. He wanted to make a fundamental change in how he was living his life. He wanted to contribute something to the community. Like the community had for him when he was young.
He wanted to help shifters and humans alike. Willow squeezed his thigh under the table. He smiled and winked at her. She giggled and squeezed again before moving her hand up to hold his hand. She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.
“This is great,” she said. “I feel right at home here.”
“With the crew’s mates and cubs, we make a clan. Now you are a part of it too.”
“I can feel that. It’s like it’s glowing inside me, making me warm and relaxed.”
“Living with the Rescue Bears has been amazing,” Maisie said, rubbing her rounding tummy. “The clan has really helped me find my way as a new business owner. I’ve got a great staff now. It couldn’t be better.”
“So you’re a romance novelist,” Poppy said, leaning over the table. “Angus told me. I love romance novels.”
“Romance novels?” Lily said, perking up.
“What have you written?” Quinn asked.
“Wasn’t it Sandra Collins?” Juliet said.
“No,” Poppy said. “She’s my all-time favorite author.
“I’ve decided not to write for Sandra Collins anymore,” Willow said. “I’m done with my publisher. I’m just a ghostwriter now, but I’m going out on my own. Somehow. I’ll make it work.”
“Your books are amazing,” Poppy said. “You’ll be just fine.”
“I hope so. Currently, I have no car.”
Corey gulped. He’d been so busy drinking in Willow’s beauty over the last few days, he’d neglected taking care of her needs. He knew she’d been on the phone with her insurance company. But Willow needed more than that. Hearing her talk about her publishing company and her car made him realize he hadn’t been paying enough attention to those things.
He had means to snap his fingers and make all her problems go away. Yet he hadn’t done anything. He didn’t know the right way to do it. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. He didn’t want his billions to become a thing between them.
Right now, she had no idea of the extent of his wealth. He knew he needed to come clean sooner or later. He just didn’t know how. He’d hoped to do it with a grand gesture like buying a million acres of land to preserve, starting a massive tech company or charitable foundation.
But what Willow really needed was much simpler than that. He was always looking so far into the big picture that he missed the small things. But how to take care of these small things for Willow also presented a problem. He couldn’t just impose himself on her life.
Corey had to admit to himself that even with the mate bond between them, part of him still felt unworthy of Willow’s love. Hurting her was the biggest mistake of his life.
He had to navigate these emotional waters without a life vest. Corey just wasn’t good at feelings. His instinct was to go to his computer and use his tech to buy his way into Willow’s heart. He’d buy out her contract, build her a publishing company, buy her a car, buy her a house, and give her any other million things she could possibly want.
But how would she take that? She looked up at him as he was lost in these confused thoughts. Their mate bond pulsed between them, and she squeezed his hand.
She slid her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. Corey felt a rush of gratitude and stood to speak.
“I just want to thank Zach for putting on such a kick ass barbecue,” Corey said, lifting his beer.
He had so much gratitude to his crew for bringing Willow to him so that he could take care of her forever and love her until he died.
“Thanks man,” Zach said, lifting his own bottle of beer.
Corey swigged his Fate Mountain Lager and sat back down. A warm wash of happiness flowed over him.
“And to Corey and Willow, congratulations!” Levi said, standing and holding up his own bottle.
“We never thought we’d see the day,” Juliet said, sitting beside Levi with their baby girl Sunshine in her arms.
“We knew it would happen,” Shane said, gazing at Lily before he looked up at the group.
Lily giggled and pinched Shane’s cheek. “We’re happy for you, Corey.”
“I just wanted to apologize, for everyone, for what we did,” Angus said, tilting his bottle to Willow and Corey.
“There’s no need to apologize,” Willow said.
“I should be thanking you. If it hadn’t been for the crew, I’d never have found my beautiful mate. You did me a huge favor. Something I can never repay.”
Willow squeezed Corey’s hand. He saw a tear in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away, and he leaned in to kiss her softly on the cheek.
“You have all made me feel so welcome and at home,” Willow said. “I know my life on Fate Mountain is going to be amazing.”
“You definitely won’t lack for inspiration for your stories,” Poppy said. “There are new love matches every day from Mate.com. Shifters and their lady loves are hooking up every day.
“Even a few female shifters have gotten in on the action. It’s a new day for the shifter community. For all of us and for you, Willow. I know everyone would love to read your books if you wrote about shifters.”
“What I want more than anything is to connect with my fans and create great characters.”
“I can help you publish them. If it happens on a computer, I know how to do it,” Corey said.
“Really? You could do that?” Willow asked.
“That and much more. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of anything you need.”
“Corey,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again.
As the party wound down, Corey and Willow said their goodbyes to the crew and their mates. It had been a fantastic day and Corey had finally been able to get some things off his chest.
It felt great to be back on good terms with his friends after how he’d acted about them bringing Willow to Fate Mountain. Now that he and Willow were together, he’d needed them to know that he was grateful. Especially after they’d all come to the rescue when Willow was lost.
As he drove home in his compact truck, he felt that his life was about to become much bigger and better than he’d ever imagined.
They walked inside and sat down in their sitting area together. Corey opened a few bottles of Fate Mountain Lager and they both drank a few sips before setting their bottles down on the coffee table.
“Willow,” he started. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“You know how I invented Mate.com?”
“Yeah.”
“And you know how I said I didn’t want you to like me for my money?”
“How could I forget?”
“The thing is, I need you to know what I’m working with here. I need there to not be any secrets between us. And, I need your help.”
“Corey, you know I don’t care about money. All I want is to be able to write my books and live in peace.”
“That’s why I love you so much, Willow,” he said, leaning in to claim her lips in a sweet kiss.
“How much a
re we talking here?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “Seven billion,” he croaked.
“Seven…billion. Holy shit, Corey. That’s not even real world money. That’s like fantasy money.”
“I realize that.”
“How did you get all that?”
“My work. Good investments. It just sort of happened over time. It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re embarrassed of seven billion dollars?” she asked in a voice that was between a gasp and a giggle.
“Well, the rest of the guys are pretty middle class. Levi’s got a few bucks in the bank, but his family was always wealthy. The guys are used to it. No one knows I’m worth so much.”
“You share everything with your crew but not that?”
“I don’t want them to treat me differently. I’m already the geek bear of the crew, I don’t want to be the rich asshole of the group too.”
“They’d never think that of you, Corey. The clan loves you. The Rescue Bears love you like a brother.”
“I know that. I just never wanted it to get between us.”
“I’m glad you told me. Did you need my help telling your crew?”
“No, that’s not what I need help with. I need help figuring out how to spend it.”
“I am partial to diamonds. I wonder what seven billion dollars of diamonds looks like,” Willow teased.
“When I was a cub, the shifter community rallied around my mom and helped her get on her feet after my dad left. Then I got a scholarship to college from the Great Shifter Council. I’d like to give back to the community.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“That’s what I need you to help me figure out.”
16
One year later
Willow held Corey’s hand as they walked up the front walk of their new building. The Bright Institute for Shifters would soon be ready to open its arms to shifters who needed assistance, training, and education.
The five-hundred-thousand-foot building would house living facilities and educational spaces for the shifters who lived there.
The mission of the institute was to help shifters succeed. After thousands of years of secrecy, followed by two decades of persecution and war, shifters needed a hand making their way up in the world.
Many of the men who’d come back from the war had hit the ground running. But many others hadn’t had such a good time of it. Even with the benefits shifters received after the war, many shifters were too wounded by their pasts to move on. Many were unready to navigate the world that awaited them at home.
Corey and Willow had talked for long hours about how best to serve the world after he’d finally revealed how much money he had. After her shock of learning the number, they’d come to the decision to start the institute.
Corey had found the best instructors in the nation to come work at the institute. They had everything from machine shops to computer engineering labs. And the students could then move on to work for the institute in service of the community and the world to earn their education and board.
By the time they were done, they’d have a nest egg and an education. Or they could stay on to work and teach new students.
Willow and Corey had figured this all out together. They’d also decided to name the foundation after them both since she’d taken his last name when they married.
They walked through the hallways of the new building. It had been designed as a cross between a traditional university and an ultramodern Silicon Valley tech company. The spaces were open and airy and the entire place felt alive with possibility.
Willow’s life had been transformed since she and Corey had mated. Getting out of her contract at her publishing company had been a snap. She’d even been paid double for her manuscript.
She now wrote under her married name, Willow Bright. The lives and loves of shifters on Fate Mountain gave her plenty of stories to write about.
The first students started walking past them, moving toward the introductory presentation for the very first group of students at the institute.
Corey walked into the airy auditorium, and she followed him to the small stage where they joined the faculty. When the students were all seated, the principal of the institute stood to give his speech.
The instructors all spoke in turn, giving the new students a good idea of what they could expect in their first year at the institute.
Most of the shifters who sat out in the audience were between twenty-five and thirty-five years old. Most were men, although there were a good number of female shifters as well.
Willow gazed over at Corey, her heart full of pride and admiration for what he’d done. He gave her tons of credit for creating the institute, but the truth was, he’d done it. She couldn’t even begin to tackle the complexities of creating this place while trying to write. But he’d done it in a little under a year.
It was amazing what he could achieve if he put his mind to something meaningful. Corey looked into her eyes and smiled, squeezing her hand. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“This never would have happened without you,” he said.
She let out a deep breath, feeling their bond radiate between them.
When all of the instructors had finished their speeches, Corey stood to give a talk of his own.
Willow watched him as Corey took the podium. He had overcome so much to get here. And he’d done it all with hard work and unparalleled genius. She gripped her hands together, feeling his love deep in her heart.
“Welcome first year students of the Bright Institute. As most of you know, I’m Corey Bright.” The audience applauded before he could continue. “This is my wife, Willow Bright. When she and I first came up with the idea for the institute, people thought we were insane to try to build a place like this. Especially in a small town like Fate Mountain.
“But the two of us believed that we could make a real difference. To help shifters of all types and all ages find their way in this challenging new world. We are building the future. Together.”
The crowd shot to their feet in a standing ovation. After the applause died down and everyone began to file out, Corey and Willow walked out among the new students. They made their way out to the reception in the sunny lobby.
Willow lifted a champagne glass off a tray passing by. They were dressed in semi-formal clothing and looked amazing. He turned to her, lifting his own glass.
“Well done, Mr. Bright,” Willow said.
“Well done, Mrs. Bright,” Corey replied. They clinked their glasses and leaned in to kiss each other on each cheek.
“I didn’t believe it when they told me. My brother…mated and married!”
“Zoe,” Corey said, looking shocked.
Willow turned to the girl. She was dressed in a form-fitting black dress that hugged her young curves.
“How have you been, brother dear?” Zoe asked, walking up to Corey.
“What do you think of the gala?” Corey asked her.
“It’s fantastic. You really went all out for us students.”
“You’re a student here?” Corey asked.
Willow could feel his emotions spiking as he stood there next to her. She stepped forward.
“I’m Willow. It’s so great to meet you. We missed you at the wedding.”
“I was in Bali at the time,” Zoe said, flipping her black hair over her shoulder.
“Why did you apply to the Bright Institute?”
“I need an education. You know. I want to learn a trade.”
“You want to learn a trade. Like carpentry?” Corey made a laughing sound that was more like a cough.
“Why not?”
“Hey, sis, if you want to learn carpentry, I think that’s great. But I don’t buy that it’s why you’re really here.”
“You got me. I’m really here because I missed you, big brother.”
“Okay. I’ll go along with it. I missed you too, kid. It’s good to see you turning a new leaf.�
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“Thanks. I’ll just get going to my new accommodations in the housing wing.”
“Good luck with your studies,” he said as she walked away.
“So that was your sister?” Willow asked.
The curvy girl slinked off into a crowd of men, flicking her black hair over her shoulder.
“I love her dress,” Willow said.
“That was Zoe Bright. My kid sister. What the hell is her game?”
“Why do you think she’s playing a game?” Willow asked, sipping her campaign.
“Learning carpentry. That’s not Zoe. She has another reason to be here. It isn’t money. I send her plenty for her lifestyle or anything else she wants to do. She’s been on a dance party tour for the last five years, just following the music. I don’t believe she’s here to learn a trade.”
“Why not? Why think the worst?”
“Zoe is cagy. We’re siblings. I know her.”
“Well. It’s nice to have her back in your life. Don’t you think?”
“Sure. I love my kid sister. We used to be pretty close, despite the age difference. We always took care of each other and our mom.”
“I just want to help her with whatever she needs,” Willow said.
“I love you, Willow Bright. So wise.”
He kissed the top of her head.
“Let’s get out of here,” Corey said, taking her hand and leading her to the door.
They strolled along the path in the warm mountain air. She laughed when he tugged her under the fir trees. They kissed in the fragrant grove, feeling the heat of love between them as they embraced in the summer air.
“I need to get you home,” he said into her ear.
“Take me there,” she said.
They continued along the path until they came to their new private estate. The house was tucked behind a line of poplars.
The whole front face of the house was a wall of windows that took in an expansive view of the mountains and lake. The big patio wrapped around the house and was perfect for Willow to write on. She even liked to watch the rain when it poured down over the massive windows.
The house was the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. It would be great for when they decided to have cubs down the road. Everything was finished nicely, from the floors to the countertops.
Geek Bear Page 10
