Billionaire Bear Brotherhood Box Set

by Lily Cahill

  "I want to take care of you, Skye. I can give you whatever you want."

  He was so earnest, so determined. So certain that he could swoop in and she would simply allow him to carry her away. Her heart was aching, but she managed to speak. "Give me my freedom."

  His face closed, but not before she saw the hurt in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was so clipped and harsh she barely recognized it. "Fine. Do whatever you want."

  He turned and, in a blink, had shifted into a bear. He ran off into the woods before she could call his name.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Marcus

  Marcus had known some dark days in his life. He'd been wracked with grief when his mother died, deeply shamed when his father was kicked out of B3. But nothing compared to the emptiness he felt after Skye rejected him.

  He had offered her the world. And she had asked to be free of him.

  He didn't spend much time worrying about what she would print in the article. If she did have pictures of him shifting, she could ruin him. He doubted she could have any impact on B3--there was nothing that directly tied him to the Brotherhood--but if he was exposed as a shifter he would become an object of curiosity and fear. B3 would have to distance themselves from him, and his business would almost certainly be ruined. Still, he couldn't bring himself to care. Without Skye, nothing seemed to matter.

  Still, life continued. Marcus purchased the land for B3 and began construction on the retreat. As the tree houses began to go up, Marcus thought of Skye's delight when he had showed her the designs. Every time he walked the construction site, he passed through the meadow where he had mated with her. His yearning for her followed him everywhere, leeching the world of joy and light.

  He sold his four-story condo. It had always felt empty, but without Skye it felt cavernous. He had taken to living in the Ursa Boreas, the luxury hotel owned by a member of B3. It suited him. He could lose himself in the hustle and bustle of the busy hotel. It was only at night, when he lay away in the dark, that he felt the depth of his loneliness.

  For the first time in his life, he understood what his father must have gone through when his mother died. He felt the loss of Skye like part of him had been cut away. He hadn't realized that there was an inevitable counterpoint to the rightness he felt when they were together. It was the wrongness he felt now they were apart.

  That was why, when his father called, Marcus answered.

  #

  When Marcus got to the coffee shop, his father was already sitting at a table outside. It was a balmy day, midsummer, three months after he had walked away from Skye.

  His father stood when he saw Marcus. The older man looked fit and tan. "Thank you for seeing me. I hated the way things ended between us, Marcus."

  "Me too," Marcus said honestly as he sat down. "How have you been?"

  "Eight months sober," Peter said, answering the question Marcus hadn't asked. "I started running. And I've been volunteering with the cancer society. I wanted to give something back."

  Marcus was taken aback by the rush of information. "That's good," he said finally. "Are you seeing anyone?"

  Peter's mouth thinned. "Would it be a good or a bad thing if I was?"

  Marcus thought about it. This new version of his father didn't seem like the same man who had left a trail of floozies in his wake. "I'm not sure."

  Peter seemed to accept that. "I'm not. I can't replace what I had with your mother. You only get one fated mate."

  Marcus sighed. "That's why I came today. I think I have a better understanding now of how it feels to live without your mate."

  Peter started. "Why? Did something happen to Skye?"

  "She refused to be with me. She asked me to leave her alone."

  "Oh, son." Peter put a hand on Marcus' shoulder. "You let her walk away from you?"

  Marcus nodded miserably. "She asked for her freedom."

  "She can't have freedom and have you?"

  Marcus blinked. "I offered her everything. All that my money can buy. But she refused."

  "Did you offer her those things, or did you demand she take them?"

  Marcus shook his head. "You don't understand. She lives in this terrible apartment, it's unsafe. She doesn't even own a car. Her salary must be pathetic. I told her that since we were fated, she should quit working and move in with me."

  "And that's the only reason she should move in with you? Because her apartment is unsafe and she doesn't have a lot of money?"

  "No. We're fated to be together. I want to be with her every second. I want to give her all the luxuries I have to offer."

  Peter sat back. "You know, I never really talked to you about our fated mates. It's one of the most significant aspects of being a shifter, and one of the hardest to explain."

  "I never believed it was real," Marcus said. "You and Mom were supposedly fated, but...."

  Peter's mouth twisted. "But I made you doubt your heritage by drowning my sorrows in other women. I'm sorry, Marcus."

  Marcus didn't know how to reply.

  "The thing you need to understand about fate," Peter continued, "Is that it's only half the battle. It's not enough to say you belong together. Then you have to make it work."

  "She thinks we're too different. I don't understand why she won't let me take care of her."

  "But how will she take care of you in return?" When Marcus frowned, his father went on. "Skye struck me as a strong woman. Strong women don't want to sit back and let someone make choices for them. She wants to be an equal partner."

  "Financially, that's absurd. Why shouldn't she share in my wealth?"

  "Is your money worth more than her love?"

  The words left him breathless. "No. No, of course not."

  "I'm only going to give you one piece of advice. Stop thinking about the things you can buy her. Start thinking about how she needs you to love her."

  For the first time in months, the darkness in Marcus started to lift. "Do you think she'll give me another chance?"

  Peter laughed. "She ran into the middle of a bear fight because she was afraid of what might happen to you. That's not the act of a woman who doesn't care. But I think the article is the best proof."

  "What article?"

  "Didn't you read today's Gazette?"

  He shook his head. He had stopped following Skye's paper because it was too painful to read her words. "What article?" he repeated.

  In response, his father handed him the copy of The Daily Gazette that was laying on the chair beside him. "It's her first feature piece. Front page, above the fold. That's a big deal."

  The headline read "Environmental Tech Makes Strides in the Private Sector." Intrigued, he started the article. "The mysterious conglomerate known as B3 has made significant advancements in green building and sustainable architecture. In the past five years, experts say, B3 has created and installed more LEED-certified products than any other company."

  Marcus looked up at his father. "She wrote an article about the Brotherhood's environmental impact?"

  "The Brotherhood won't like it," Peter predicted. "Even though it's a rave. They don't like any kind of attention. But I don't think Skye is concerned about that."

  "No?"

  "I think she's reaching out to you."

  Marcus dropped the paper. Memories fluttered through his mind. Skye's insistence on paying for her own dinner. The pride she took in her tiny apartment. The way she had looked him in the eye and told him she was choosing him.

  Marcus stood up suddenly. "I have to go."

  Peter nodded. "Marcus ... will I see you again?"

  Marcus stared at his father. Maybe, with enough time, they would have a chance to rebuild what had been lost between them. "Yes. I'll see you soon."

  Chapter Twenty

  Skye

  Skye dragged herself home from the El train. It was a beautiful summer evening, but she couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the walk. Nothing had piqued her enthusiasm since Marcus.

  Today, of all
days, she should have been thrilled. Her first feature piece had appeared on the front page. She had been working for this moment her entire life. But the achievement felt hollow. She was the only one who knew why she had really written the article. It wasn't to praise B3; it was her way of honoring Marcus.

  Not, of course, that he deserved it. After everything he had said about being meant for each other, he had backed away when she asserted herself. A man who couldn't understand her dreams certainly wasn't the kind of man she wanted. Even if everything in her still wanted Marcus.

  She had never intended to write a story about bear shifters. Who would believe her? Besides, Marcus was right--they did deserve their privacy. How would the world react if they knew there were men who could shift into animals? She didn't want to find out.

  Still, there were a million questions she wanted to ask Marcus. How he felt when he shifted, what it was like when he was a bear. Would his children be shifters? She placed a hand to her belly. His child wasn't growing there, but it surprised her how much she wished it were.

  It didn't help that Maddy had just given birth to another beautiful boy. Skye wanted that happiness. She could have had it with Marcus. Her career hardly seemed worth giving up the man she loved.

  She turned onto her block, wanting nothing more than to collapse into bed. She looked up toward her place and saw that the metal staircase leading to her attic rooms was shaking.

  Skye rushed down the street. Had the old staircase finally collapsed? How would she get to her apartment?

  As she ran toward her house, the entire staircase sheared off the side of the house. "Thattaway, guys!" someone shouted. "Haul that thing to the dump!"

  "What the hell is going on here?" Skye yelled.

  A man turned, and Skye felt her stomach drop. Marcus.

  He walked to her quickly, but it seemed like she had hours to take in his thick hair, his tall frame, the emotion in his eyes.

  She thought he might sweep her up, claiming her body like he always did, but he stopped short of touching her. "What are you doing?" she asked, stunned.

  "Fixing these stairs," he said, gesturing to the side of the building. "I'm not going to live here unless they are up to code."

  She was so floored it took a second for her brain to engage. "You're going to live here?"

  "Yes. If you want me, that is." He grinned, but his eyes stayed anxious. "I'm good for half the rent and utilities."

  It surprised a laugh out of her. "Did you ... did you go bankrupt?"

  "No. I'm richer than ever. But the money means nothing if I don't have you."

  Skye thought her knees might buckle. "But why would you want to live here?"

  "You're here," he said. "I want to be wherever you are."

  "You haven't even been inside," she said, incredulous.

  "It doesn't matter," he said. "We'll make it work."

  "Because I'm your mate?" She had meant for the words to be sarcastic, but the hope in her tone was clear.

  "Not just that. Because I love you. Because I need you. God, Skye ...." One of his hands lifted involuntarily before he forced it back to his side. "I miss you so much. Nothing matters without you."

  "Marcus." His name came out as a whisper.

  "I won't try to control you. If you want to work, work. You're a great journalist, you should work."

  "Did you read my article?"

  He took one step closer. "I did. You found out about B3 projects I hadn't even heard of."

  For the first time, she felt some satisfaction with her work. "I wanted to make it up to you. I shouldn't have accused you of abusing the environment."

  He shook his head. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I tried to push my lifestyle on you, and I didn't think about what you would want. But all that is going to change," he promised. "I'll sell my cars and you can teach me how to take the El. I won't try to take care of you. Except, I want to cook for you, and make sure you get plenty of time to relax."

  "And a safe place to live?" Tears were welling in her eyes. There he was, in his hundred-dollar haircut, vowing to cook for her.

  He glanced back at the house. Workmen were dismantling the old stairs and throwing the parts into a roll-away bin. "They'll have the new ones installed within a couple of hours. I'm sorry, maybe I should have asked you first. But even if you don't want me, I still want you to be safe."

  "Oh, Marcus. This is ...."

  "Don't say it's too much," he pleaded. "It's not enough. I love you. I'll do anything you ask."

  "I love you too," she said, laughter bubbling up even as tears poured from her eyes. "I love you so much."

  Marcus lit up as if a firework had burst inside him. He managed to say her name before he pulled her to him.

  This single kiss blew away three months of misery. Skye felt as if all the dark places inside her were brimming with light. His body was home, his mouth pure solace. Everything she had ever wanted was in her arms.

  Gradually she became aware that people were cheering. She pulled back from Marcus and found that the entire work crew was whistling and shouting encouragement.

  She felt her cheeks heating, and Marcus groaned. "You have the sexiest blush. Like black cherries in your cheeks."

  She blushed more, but this time it was with pleasure. "How long did you say it would be before we could get upstairs?"

  "Two hours at the least. In the meantime ...," he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I've got a hotel room. I've thought about fucking you on every surface, and I'm anxious to see which is best."

  Heat pooled between her thighs. "Well, that sounds like something worth investigating."

  Part Two: Secretly Desired

  Chapter One

  Everett

  Just like always, Everett's coffee was waiting for him at his desk when he got into work. His office sat in the corner of the twentieth floor of a New York high-rise. The floor-to-ceiling windows provided a spectacular view of the city, but could also cause a panic-inducing vertigo if you caught a glimpse of the distance from the office to the pavement below without mentally bracing yourself for the image.

  Though Bowen Enterprises owned the entire building, the company only kept offices on the top three floors, saving the very top floor--the one above Everett's office--for a massive greenhouse. Keeping with the company principles, Everett liked growing the food that they used in the cafeteria. Everywhere they could increase sustainability, they did. But that wasn't the main reason for keeping the greenhouse. He needed the space as an escape. It was the only place in all of New York where he felt he could really be himself.

  Everett glanced up at his ceiling, longing for just such an escape right then--he could sense the animal in him stir at the thought--but there wasn't time. Instead, he grabbed the black mug full of expensive, sugary coffee and made his way to Catalina Flores' office. It was smaller than his, but he sometimes preferred it to his own office. He was better with an audience, and Catalina was the perfect person to bounce ideas off of. He wasn't the type of guy who could sit alone in an office all day, talk to no one, and still get his job done. He thrived off of human interaction, and Catalina was like a good luck charm. He had his best ideas and did his best work with her around.

  Catalina's office was directly next to his, yet it lacked his view. Her windows looked out at the next office building. He barged in without knocking, but she didn't look up from her computer. Everett had made a habit of barging in on Catalina, and she was used to his interruptions.

  He smoothly slid open the bottom button of his slim charcoal gray suit coat and sat across from her, kicking his feet up onto her desk and slurping down a sip of his coffee. She continued to ignore him.

  The liquid blazed a warm path from his mouth all the way down to his stomach.

  "Oh man, that's good. What's in that?"

  "Some sugary, seasonal crap that you love. Cinnamon Solstice or something." She still hadn't looked up at him, she was just clacking away on her keyboard.

  "Cata
lina, you have to try this. It's amazing."

  He switched his mug out with hers and motioned for her to try a sip. She stared at the new coffee mug for a second, then obliged, jutting out her jaw as she swallowed it in one gulp, her brow wrinkling.

  "God, it tastes like candy." Catalina grimaced, but didn't look away from her computer.

  "Yeah," Everett said with a nod. "It's great."

  "I prefer that my coffee taste like coffee, thank you very much." She finally stopped typing and glanced at him to switch the mugs back. She took a deep drink of her black coffee, apparently chasing away the sweet. After a moment, she said, "I'm glad you like it."

  "What are you working on that has you so focused over there?" Everett got up from where he was lounging and came over to Catalina's side of the desk, propping himself up against the L-side next to her chair so he could see her computer.

  "If you must know, I'm finalizing the press circuit for the next month to make sure we're hitting all the channels we need to be and not overlooking anything."

  "Isn't that someone else's job?" They had a head of marketing, but if Everett was honest with himself, he was glad Catalina was looking over the plan one last time. This launch was the biggest thing Bowen Enterprises had ever done. They'd been talking about their H2 solar roof tiles for years, but now the main showcase of the company was finally ready to be sold to the public. The revolutionary panels were a real energy solution--economical tiles that looked like any other roof tile. They meant no more huge panels that people were reluctant to put on their homes even if they could afford them. It was the culmination of Everett's life work. His stomach twisted at the thought that this was all happening. If it didn't go perfectly ... he couldn't even finish the sentence.

  Making solar energy a real, affordable alternative to oil and gas was Everett's passion. He and his brother had put everything they had into it, and the result was Bowen Enterprises, a well-funded, if risky, start-up on the verge of transforming into the leading alternative energy company. Everett may have lost his twin brother when Liam Bowen left the company, but that hadn't deterred Everett. And now, they were nearly at the finish line. All of their years of hard work could pay off. If this solar panel launch went well, the company would have worldwide recognition. If it didn't, Bowen Enterprises would be another very expensive, failed attempt at solar power.