Alpha's Second Chance_Shifter Nation_Werebears Of The Everglades

by Meg Ripley

  An intern turned out the lights, and a huge blue dragon lit up the center of the screen, along with the Cobalt Computers logo. Ethan had found it amusing at first; ironic. He could flaunt his true identity and nobody would know it, thinking he was just a fantasy nut or that the dragon was a marketing ploy.

  Certainly, the scaled beast didn’t hurt sales. People were constantly buying t-shirts with their logo, and their software sales were through the roof. He had housed the company in one of the biggest buildings in the city, and it deserved it. Every floor was full of marketers, graphic designers, engineers, testers, interns, secretaries and analysts. Ethan had even agreed to open up the first floor to the public as a flagship store to showcase their newest products and offer merchandise directly without having to go online. Of course, plenty of people were still happy to shop on the internet. The store was more of a tourist attraction than anything.

  The game began. Kyle was first-player as a bright blue dragon, the same one from the logo. He swooped over mountains and valleys toward a small village, where he used his fiery breath to burn cottages and chase a herd of sheep out of the village green.

  “This is just the first level, where the player gets to practice their flying and build skills. They earn points and energy for every sheep they eat, and gold coins for the houses they burn. Eventually, the dragon will be strong enough to storm the castle and take the hoard of gold coins back to his mountain lair.”

  “Does the dragon have a name?” Ethan asked quietly.

  “Not just yet. A few ideas have been kicked around.” Kyle didn’t turn away from the screen as he rapidly clicked buttons on the controller. “We think it would also be great to have a few different dragons to choose from. Players like anything that can be customized. This guy can already be equipped with several different types of armor. He can earn equipment like claw sharpeners and dragon stones that increase his fire power.”

  “Of course.” Ethan wondered when he had become so jaded. Five years ago, or maybe even less, this would have been great. He would have loved to see a dragon on the screen in all its glory, chasing villagers and wreaking havoc. It was the kind of thing he could never do in real life, but it was something he wouldn’t have minded playing at for a while. But Ethan knew that dragons were nothing like this monster on the screen. They didn’t hurt humans or take anything from them. Any kind of meat was delicious to he and his fellow shifters, but it didn’t have to be sheep or even on the hoof. It was just the stereotypical stuff that people routinely bought into and gladly paid for.

  “We’ll skip to the boss level.” Kyle pushed a few buttons and the screen changed. The blue dragon was now inside a castle. There wasn’t enough space to fly, so he had to walk from room to room. Occasionally, knights would pop up and challenge him. Kyle defeated them easily.

  Olivia, the marketing director, cleared her throat from across the table. She had dark hair pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head, and she glanced nervously at Ethan through her thick glasses. “With the research we’ve been doing, we think we have a pretty good marketing plan in place,” she said. “I’ll pull it up on the screen for you when Kyle is done, but it includes midnight releases at all the popular chain stores with giveaway merchandise for the first ten people at each store. We’ll also have an exclusive download of special edition armor available for those who buy it on launch day.”

  “Sounds good. Looks good. Just finish up what you’re doing with the customization and make sure everything runs smoothly. I don’t want any bugs this time. It only takes a tiny glitch to make people freak out and leave a bad review. Let me know if you need anything else.” Ethan stood up, and someone flicked on the lights. He headed back to his desk as Kyle put away the gaming console. The other employees gathered their laptops and folders and headed toward the door.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Beaufort.” Kira had come in again. She approached his desk slowly, her tight dress hugging the curves on her tall, slim figure. She watched him with half-lidded eyes, waiting for him to pay full attention to her. It was a game she liked to play, but one Ethan didn’t particularly enjoy.

  Still, he couldn’t exactly fire her for it. He was fairly certain that his human resources team hadn’t put anything in the employee handbook about subtle, but determined, flirting. “Yes?”

  “There’s a woman here to see you, a reporter from The City Chronicle. She says she made an appointment with you, but I don’t have it on my calendar.” Kira leaned against the edge of his desk and let her long, manicured nails tap gently on the surface.

  Ethan tipped his head back and ran a hand over his face. He vaguely recalled the matter. “Yes, I think the call came in last week while you were on your lunch break. I didn’t realize it was today. Can you get rid of her for me?”

  “What’s she here about?” Kira asked, stepping closer. She had a nervous look on her face, no doubt feeling intimidated about intruding on her boss’ conversation.

  “I don’t really know,” Ethan said dismissively. He felt bad that his employees had come to fear him so much. He had made sure there was always free coffee and doughnuts in every breakroom, he offered plenty of paid vacation and sick time, and he never made them work late unless they were on a deadline. Over the last year or so, he had become more irascible and withdrawn, and it was beginning to affect his company. “Something about wanting to do an interview with me. I had agreed just to get her off the phone, but it’s not something I really want to do.”

  Olivia, the marketing director, adjusted her glasses anxiously, “If you don’t mind my saying so, this could be really good for business. There’s plenty out in the media about our games, systems, and software, but there really isn’t much of anything about you.”

  “Why should anyone care?” Ethan sat down behind his desk. He was ready for quitting time and a trip to The Club. Even if Mr. Cross wouldn’t help him with the hunters, and even if Wade Emerson refused to infiltrate enemy lines, he could still use a drink. “I’m not special.”

  “The public would probably disagree. I’d be happy to track any spike in sales after the interview is run in the paper.”

  Ethan looked at Olivia with a scowl, but it slowly transformed into a smile. She had him. “Okay, okay. Let her in. But I’m not making any promises to be nice or sociable.” He shooed the rest of his employees out of his office and nodded to Kira to let the reporter in. Ethan stepped over to the massive windows in his office and took a deep breath, preparing himself.

  He heard the door open, and he turned around with a smile on his face. He reminded himself that this was all for the company, and for the people who worked for him. Sure, there were plenty of times when he hated humans, but he genuinely cared for his employees. If he had to spend five minutes with some hard-hitting reporter, then so be it.

  But he immediately recognized the young woman who stood in his doorway. Her dark hair was pulled back from her heart-shaped face, a hint of blue at her neck that almost looked like a shadow. Her eyes were wide and dark, her mouth small with lips of an unusual shade of deep pink. He didn’t miss the tiny crystal stud above her lip. Ethan might have been attracted to someone like her, with her beautiful face and her curves, except that he knew exactly who she was.

  “I suppose I should have paid more attention when you called me. You’re Resa Robinson, aren’t you?” He gave a small smile, knowing it would disarm her. He knew humans all too well.

  Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she came forward with her hand out. She had taken it as a compliment. “I am. You’ve heard of me?”

  Ethan shook her hand, trying to ignore the way it sent a jolt of electricity through his palm. He was just nervous. No, that wasn’t the right word… “I have. I’ve read several of your blog posts.”

  “Oh!” The whites of her eyes flashed at him. “That’s good to hear. I see the views tick up on my counter, but I don’t usually get to meet my readers.”

  “Perhaps that’s a good thing, because then you don’t have
anyone telling you to your face what a load of crap it is.”

  Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him. “Excuse me?”

  He had felt such rage when he had shown that article to Wade back at The Club. It seemed impossible that a gorgeous young woman like Miss Robinson could affect the way he felt even before he had met her. He almost wished that he could take his words back, solely so he could hold onto them until the moment was completely right. Ethan knew he should have waited, let her feel that things were going well, and then crushed her dreams. That’s what someone like her deserved. Instead, she stood before him, her hand still on the top of her laptop bag, waiting for an explanation.

  “I’ve read your blog,” he repeated, “and it’s nothing but complete and utter nonsense. How can you call yourself a serious journalist when you spend your free time frolicking about and looking for dragons? Does the boogey man give you hints? Or maybe there are a few friendly vampires you know who contribute.”

  The reporter quirked one perfect eyebrow at him. “I call myself a serious journalist because I’m constantly in search of the truth. If you don’t agree with that, then I feel sorry for you. But I’m here on behalf of The City Chronicle, not my website. If you care to go ahead with the interview, then I’m happy to set your rudeness aside and do so. Otherwise, it would be just as easy for me to write an article for my own pleasure about what a dick you are.”

  She had fire in her, Ethan had to give her that. It was far more than what he got from his staff, who constantly groveled before him. Resa was a challenge. Maybe that was what he needed. “Go on, then,” he said with a wave of his hand.

  15

  Resa was pissed. There was no getting around it.

  She had thought it would be impossible to set up this interview. People like Ethan Beaufort were supposed to be aloof and removed from society, like demigods who couldn’t be touched by the normal populace. It had shocked her when he had answered the phone himself, and she had danced all the way to the break room once her appointment had been secured. She figured he must be one of those billionaires who works in bare feet and believes that everyone in the company should be equal.

  Clearly, though, Mr. Beaufort was not as easy-going as Resa had imagined. It occurred to her that he might have agreed to the interview solely for the opportunity to tear her down, but she couldn’t pass up her chance at a bigger story if he would still give it to her. She could take the heat. She had to.

  Resa cleared her throat. “Very well. If you don’t mind, I’d like to record this interview for accuracy.” She pulled a small digital recorder out of her bag and set it on the desk in front of her, noting how neat and orderly it was compared to her own, and especially compared to that of Mr. Stephenson.

  “Fine.”

  She looked away from him to pull her laptop out of her bag. When Resa had imagined the owner of a big software company, she had thought he would be some aging nerd. He would have a big belly that butted up against his keyboard, thick glasses that warped the way his eyes looked, and greasy hair that he hadn’t bothered washing in a week because he had software to make.

  But Ethan Beaufort was nothing like that. His short, pale brown hair was cut close to his head and matched the stubble that clung to his chin. It was a nice compliment to his azure eyes. The software mogul was lean and muscular, a form that showed through his button-down shirt. He had left the top button undone and turned back his sleeves nearly to the elbow, exposing a solid black tattoo of a dragon.

  “What’s so funny?” he suddenly demanded.

  Resa hadn’t even realized she was smiling, but she tipped her head at him and laughed openly. “I don’t know if you just have some weird sense of humor or if you’re just a hypocrite.”

  “I can have you kicked out of here any time, you know.”

  Her career could be riding on this interview, but she didn’t care at the moment. “Everybody in the country knows that the logo for your company is a blue dragon. And you’ve even got a tattoo of a different dragon.” She pointed to the inkwork. “It’s a little more severe than mine, but it’s still a dragon.” Without thinking, she lifted her foot and pulled back the leg of her trousers. She had gotten the tattoo as soon as she was old enough, having decided a long time ago what the creature of her dreams must really look like. Its body was black, just like the one that graced Mr. Beaufort’s skin, but it’s wings were brilliant shades of green, pink and red.

  “You have to admit that a marketing ploy and a tattoo aren’t the same as believing. I could get a tattoo of Santa Claus on my ass, but that doesn’t mean I believe he’s going to give me presents at Christmas time.”

  Resa clicked on the recorder. “You seem bitter, Mr. Beaufort. Is that because you work long hours? Or is it because your employees just don’t appreciate your sweet manner?”

  He was a handsome man, and the way he had smiled at her when she had first walked in had made her heart flutter. But the look of utter rage that now took over his face made Resa feel completely different inside. Mr. Beaufort kept his teeth clenched together as he spoke. “I’m going to give you one last chance to do this, and that’s only because my marketing director thinks it’s a good idea. If you say anything else to piss me off, you’re leaving.”

  Taking a deep breath, Resa tried to compose herself. She had been rude. Even though he had been the one to start it, that didn’t mean she should continue it. “Very well. Can you tell me a little bit about what got you interested in computers?”

  Mr. Beaufort tipped back in his chair and watched her for a moment before he finally spoke. “My family moved around a lot when I was a child. That didn’t give me any opportunities for making a lot of permanent friends or joining sports teams. The computer, on the other hand, was always there.”

  She nodded and glanced at her screen for the next question. Resa had been up half the night creating questions, deleting them, and adding them again. It was hard to know what to ask such a prominent person, and this was her one chance. Now that they had gotten off to such a rough start, she knew he would never answer her request if she thought of another question later. “Your company creates a diverse array of products. What’s your favorite? The video games? The software? The tablets and computer systems?”

  He scratched his chin impatiently. “I’m really not much of a gamer. That’s going to disappoint some people, but I don’t have the time to sit around and play games. I certainly support the fact that we put them out, though. If I had to pick, I would say our e-reader application, Wyvern Works. I’ve always been a big reader.”

  Resa had other questions ready for him, but she allowed herself to dive into more depth. “Do you have a favorite book?”

  Ethan shook his head. “Not really. I read a lot of classics, and a lot of diverse genres. I can’t really pick one.”

  She frowned. This wasn’t going all that well; there was nothing interesting to say about the man or his company. “Where do you see your company going in the future? Do you have any specific projects in the works that you can discuss?”

  He glanced at his computer, the corners of his mouth turning down more than normal, but she shook his head. “Just what you would expect. There’s a new game that will be out at the end of the month, and we’re releasing an updated version of our accounting software.”

  Okay, time to try a different tactic. “What do you do differently than anyone else that has made you so successful?” Resa leaned forward, waiting to hear about how Mr. Beaufort got up early every morning to do yoga, engaged in intermittent fasting or how he only slept in twenty-minute intervals.

  But he shook his head once again. “I show up to work every day, and I stay focused. I’m passionate about what I do. There’s really nothing more to it than that.”

  She felt her shoulders slump as she skimmed through her list of questions. Mr. Stephenson had liked her idea, but he was going to be disappointed when he read the final article—if she even actually turned it into an article, that was. “Fi
nancial magazines estimate that you’re worth quite a bit of money. A lot of other wealthy people in your position give that money away. Do you have any charities or foundations that you work with?” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, like he was going to eat her alive. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so unnerving if he wasn’t so damn good looking. Resa had seen a few pictures of him online, but they did nothing to communicate the animal magnetism that he exuded from every pore.

  “I do have a few things I’m working on, but it’s really not something I’d like to discuss,” he said quietly.

  “Well then, is there anything interesting about you at all?” she demanded, finally frustrated enough to say something. “Do you have any weird habits? Did your parents hug you when you were a child? Do you dream at night about blowing up the other software companies?” Resa pounded her fist on the edge of the desk.

  Surprisingly, the executive remained calm. He pursed his lips as he watched her, but she thought she saw a spark of amusement in his eyes. Or maybe something else. “Sorry, I’m just a normal boring guy. Like they say, I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. I get up, I come to work, I do my job and then I go home. I’m afraid I’m not much of a story.”

  Resa sucked in a breath and let it puff up her cheeks as she let it out. “I would apologize for wasting your time, but I think I’ve really only wasted my own.” With quick, snappy movements, she packed up her digital recorder and her tablet, which she wanted to smash over his smug face.

  “I guess I’m just not good enough for you. That’s okay; I’m not surprised. You’re always looking for something more interesting, but I think it’s time you learned that it isn’t always there. The world is a boring, ordinary place, and you’re stuck in it.” Mr. Beaufort steepled his fingers in front of him.