by Lily Cahill
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Part One - Prince Hudson
Prince Hudson
Chapter One
Kay
Chapter Two
Hudson
Chapter Three
Kay
Chapter Four
Hudson
Chapter Five
Kay
Chapter Six
Hudson
Chapter Seven
Kay
Chapter Eight
Hudson
Chapter Nine
Kay
Chapter Ten
Hudson
Chapter Eleven
Kay
Chapter Twelve
Hudson
Chapter Thirteen
Kay
Chapter Fourteen
Hudson
Chapter Fifteen
Kay
Chapter Sixteen
Hudson
Chapter Seventeen
Kay
Chapter Eighteen
Hudson
Chapter Nineteen
Hudson
Chapter Twenty
Kay
Chapter Twenty-One
Hudson
Part Two - Prince Samuel
Prince Samuel
Chapter One
Samuel
Chapter Two
Francesca
Chapter Three
Samuel
Chapter Four
Francesca
Chapter Five
Samuel
Chapter Six
Francesca
Chapter Seven
Samuel
Chapter Eight
Francesca
Chapter Nine
Samuel
Chapter Ten
Francesca
Chapter Eleven
Samuel
Chapter Twelve
Francesca
Chapter Thirteen
Samuel
Chapter Fourteen
Francesca
Chapter Fifteen
Samuel
Chapter Sixteen
Francesca
Chapter Seventeen
Samuel
Chapter Eighteen
Francesca
Part Three - Prince Elliott
Prince Elliott
Chapter One
Elliott
Chapter Two
Laila
Chapter Three
Elliott
Chapter Four
Laila
Chapter Five
Elliott
Chapter Six
Laila
Chapter Seven
Elliott
Chapter Eight
Laila
Chapter Nine
Elliott
Chapter Ten
Laila
Chapter Eleven
Elliott
Chapter Twelve
Laila
Chapter Thriteen
Elliott
Chapter Fourteen
Laila
Chapter Fifteen
Elliott
Chapter Sixteen
Elliott
Chapter Seventeen
Laila
Chapter Eighteen
Elliott
Chapter Nineteen
Laila
Part Four - Prince Maxwell
Prince Maxwell
Chapter One
Maxwell
Chapter Two
Annika
Chapter Three
Maxwell
Chapter Four
Annika
Chapter Five
Maxwell
Chapter Six
Annika
Chapter Seven
Maxwell
Chapter Eight
Annika
Chapter Nine
Maxwell
Chapter Ten
Annika
Chapter Eleven
Maxwell
Chapter Twelve
Annika
Chapter Thriteen
Maxwell
Chapter Fourteen
Maxwell
Chapter Fifteen
Annika
Chapter Sixteen
Annika
Chapter Seventeen
Maxwell
Chapter Eighteen
Annika
Chapter Nineteen
Annika
Chapter Twenty
Maxwell
Chapter Twenty-One
Maxwell
Chapter Twenty-Two
Annika
Part Five - Bonus Content
Prince Hudson
Prince Samuel
Prince Elliott
Bonus Offer
Part Six - Sneak Peak
Sneak Peak
Chapter One
Skye
Chapter Two
Skye
ALPHA BEAR PRINCES BOX SET
Lily Cahill
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, are entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Nameless Shameless Women, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Part One: Prince Hudson
Chapter One
Kay
Kay walked into the stately bar at the Glenarm Hotel looking like a million bucks. She'd spent the last two hours making sure of it. Her berry-colored dress was selected specifically for the way it hugged her curves without revealing too much. She had on her highest heels to make her seem as tall and thin as possible and her hair and makeup were done to perfection.
She wanted Chase to regret breaking up with her. She wanted it to hurt.
If she was being honest with herself, she wanted even more.
Kay had thought Chase might call when she arrived in Chicago, but she hadn't expected her phone to ring practically the minute she landed. Though she tried to restrain her hopes, they kept rising like a helium balloon.
It's just a friendly drink, she chided herself. Nothing more.
But was it? Maybe over six months apart had given him time to reconsider.
She did a quick scan of the bar, looking for Chase.
Her eyes landed on a tall man sitting alone at a table, engrossed in his smartphone. She recognized his face, but only from magazines. It was Hudson Royce! It didn't seem possible, but he looked even better than he did in photographs.
He was a hard man to miss--big and tall, all muscle and chiseled jawline. He looked more like a pro football player than the successful CEO he was. Kay felt wave of heat pass over her just at the sight of him. Which, she supposed, was natural. He was the most eligible bachelor in Chicago.
Then something else struck her about him. He looked a lot like someone else she knew--a man named Elliott who was pursuing her best friend, Laila. The resemblance was actually uncanny. The two men were both large--tall and broad and muscular. They both had deep blue eyes and a strong chin.
But Hudson was much more tailored than Elliott. Elliott's hair was a mop of unruly waves--much like his carefree personality. Hudson's hair was cut shorter and brushed smoothly back, giving an impression of control and intention. And he was so damn handsome she had to force herself to stop looking at him.
She was here to meet Chase. But, looking around more, she saw he wasn't here yet.
Damn.
She'd shown up a few minutes late hoping to make a grand entrance. Oh, well. She'd freshen up in the ladies room and give him a few more minutes.
Kay stepped inside the restroom and immediately felt un
comfortable. Three women--tall, blond women who looked enough alike that they could be sisters--were huddled together, arguing in whispers.
"We both talked to him. No luck." one of the girls said. "Just do it, Annika,"
"Why?" the woman who must be Annika asked. "He saw me already. It didn't work."
"We need to be sure. Walk past him one more time."
"This is pointless," Annika protested. "And humiliating. He's obviously not interested."
"So make him interested."
Their voices quieted the moment they realized she was there. She stepped into a stall to give them some privacy, but soon heard their heels clicking on the marble tile and the door swinging shut behind them.
What was that about?
They were probably trying to get the attention of a man--maybe Hudson Royce, but why? They hadn't seemed giggly like it was a dare. They'd seemed serious, like it was life or death. Kay was probably reading too much into it. Whatever was going on, it wasn't any of her business.
She left the stall and checked her appearance one last time. The thoughts started to rise in her again, as they did every time she looked at her reflections. Chase's old words still rang in her ears:
"I'm sorry, but what did you expect? You just don't look like a CEO's wife."
Who was she kidding? Nothing about her had changed. This dress wasn't going to magically turn her into the stick-thin model-type Chase had always wanted--the kind of women he'd slept with behind her back while they were together. She'd tried to lose weight, but she was no different than she'd always been. So why would he change his mind?
But maybe it had taken her leaving. Maybe, once she was gone, he had realized he missed her enough to look past her flaws.
Then she remembered the way he'd looked at her the last time he'd seen her. It nearly sent her back to her car.
He called you, she reminded herself. He called you.
There had to be something he wanted. And maybe what he wanted was a second chance. So she would try to be strong. She would try to forget the words he'd said to her during their fight and listen to whatever it was he had to say tonight.
She touched up her lipstick one last time and headed out into the bar.
Chase still wasn't there. He was fifteen minutes late now, and hadn't so much as called.
"I'm sorry, but what did you expect? You just don't look like a CEO's wife."
Why was it that every time she met a little hiccup, even a tiny rejection, those words came thundering back to her as the only possible explanation?
She had to get better control of herself.
There were so many other things about her that should matter more. She had an MBA from Princeton. She had ten interviews lined up at the most prestigious companies in the city. She had just produced a feature film for her best friend as a favor. For fun. She could handle Chase being a little late without letting her mind drown in all her inadequacies.
She looked around to find a table. Ordering a drink would calm her nerves.
In the distance, she spotted the three women who had been in the ladies room with her. Two of them were seated at a table as the third--the girl who was probably Annika--practically circled Hudson Royce. He wasn't paying her the least bit of attention. He was on his cell phone, and only glanced up briefly as she passed, then glanced back down.
At that moment, Hudson put down his phone and looked up, searching the bar. He made eye contact with Kay, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.
God, those eyes. Sapphire with flecks of onyx. She wanted to dive right into them.
He stood, holding her gaze. He wore what she was sure was a bespoke suit. There was no way something that impeccable was available off the rack in that size. The guy had to be at least 6'7". The suit was charcoal gray with a dark blue tie that brought out his eyes.
Again, she locked on his eyes. They were absolutely stunning. So stunning, in fact that Kay realized she hadn't moved since she'd seen them.
But it didn't matter, because he was walking toward her. He walked directly to her as if he'd been waiting for her all along.
Chapter Two
Hudson
Hudson stared at the woman who had just walked in. It was happening, he knew it was. His heart felt like it was beating at five times its normal speed. He felt light-headed and simultaneously more focused than he'd ever been in his life.
It was her. His mate. It had to be.
He'd never felt this way about anyone before--much less someone he'd only just seen. It was just like his Aunt and Uncle had described it to him.
Hudson let out a soft huff of disbelief. He had wondered if it would ever happen to him. He'd hoped, but knew it wasn't a certainty. And now it was happening.
He studied his mate, and immediately felt like the luckiest man alive. She was fucking gorgeous. Petite in height, but curvy in all the right places. If he'd ordered her out of a catalogue she couldn't have been more perfect. Light-brown skin and long, dark hair and beautiful, full lips. He had an immediate instinct to pick her up and carry her to his bedroom.
Slow down, captain, he told himself.
There would be time enough for that later. Right now, all he wanted was to hear her voice. What would it sound like? Birds? Bells? Or maybe it was deeper, fuller--sultry like a slow symphony.
He stood and walked straight toward her. She seemed a bit startled at his approach. Could she feel it too? Women weren't supposed to feel it, he knew, but he thought he spotted recognition behind those deep brown eyes.
"Hello," he said. "I'm Hudson Royce. And you are?"
"K--Kay," she stuttered. Honeysuckle, that's what her voice sounded like. Light and sweet and fluttering on the vine.
"Would you have a drink with me, Kay?"
"Actually, I'm a--" she said. "I'm supposed to meet someone."
His bear let out a possessive roar in his chest, one that he had to fight to suppress from making it to his mouth.
"Who?" he asked shortly, knowing his face had gone stoney but unable to change it. He'd chase the poor sap off. He'd eat him for dinner.
"Um, my ah--" she stammered. "My friend."
"Just a friend?"
"My ex," the woman said.
"Your ex?" Hudson scoffed. Under his breath he muttered, "He must be the stupidest man alive."
"Excuse me?" the woman laughed. There were the bells--full and clear and wonderful.
Hudson raised one eyebrow. "Any man stupid enough to let you leave him is an idiot who's not worth your time," he said, drawing on all his charm.
The woman rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "And what makes you so sure it was me who wanted to get away?"
Was she being serious? Hudson growled, "Any other possibility is simply ludicrous."
She laughed again and it sent a thrill of warmth up his spine. He couldn't help but grin at the sound of it.
He took her hand and placed it on his elbow, leading her to the bar. "Come have a drink with me. Best case scenario, your ex gets hit by a car on the way over here. Worst case, you'll make him a little jealous, which I expect is the point of that dress."
The woman looked down at herself and blushed. Damn, that was sexy. He could think of about a million other ways to make her blush. He wanted to try all of them.
"What if it was the point?" she asked as he offered a hand to help her up to the stool. She was a tiny little thing.
"Well, unfortunately for me, that dress will do its job," he said. "Which is why I'm hoping for the hit-and-run option."
Hudson motioned for the bartender and ordered their drinks: an old-fashioned for him and a vodka soda with extra lime for her. The drink annoyed him. No one actually liked vodka sodas with extra lime. They were disgusting. It was the sort of thing women who were watching their weight ordered. She didn't need to be doing that. Her body was perfection. If anything, she was a little on the small side. If she were his--hell, when she was his--he'd put a stop to that nonsense immediately.
"Do you
have any brothers, Hudson?" she asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"My best friend Laila is dating someone who looks a lot like you. Well, technically, she's trying her best not to date him, but that's beside the point."
"No brothers. No cousins either. Do you and your friend try not to date people who look like me as a rule?"
Kay laughed. "No. Laila tries not to date anyone at all. Not just people who happen to look like you."
"And you?" he asked.
Again, that blush. It made his groin stir.
"I have no opinion on the subject," she said. Though from the flush of her cheeks, he knew it was a lie. "I have to admit," she said. "I know who you are."
"Oh?" he asked, cringing inwardly. Why had he given her his last name so quickly? Maybe they could have spent their first night together without that hanging over his head.
"You're the Hudson Royce of Royce Capitol Group, correct?"
"That's me," he said. He wished for about the millionth time in his life that he could don a secret identity when it came to women. It always clouded things, polluted them. It always made him wonder if a girl was really interested in him or just his money. Most of the time, it had been his money. He couldn't stand for that to be the case now. Not with his mate.
"Then you should definitely not be buying me a drink," she said. "I have an interview with your company this week."
"Really?" he asked. "What position?"
"Junior VP of Property Acquisitions," she said.
"You have a background in PA?"
"Are you going to interview me yourself?" she asked with a laugh.
"No," he smiled. "Just intrigued. You're beautiful and smart. It's a rare combination."
She blushed again. He'd suspected she would, which is why he'd said it.
"I should probably get a table," Kay said. "My friend will be here soon."
"What's the rush?" Hudson asked.
"I don't mean to be rude," Kay said. "I really don't. You seem so nice and if you were anyone else I'd love to have a drink with you, trust me. But I don't think this is a good idea."
"Because of the interview?" Hudson asked.
"Because of the interview," she said, moving to slip off her stool.
Hudson stopped her. "What if I promised not to interfere? No matter how our conversation goes tonight, no matter who you leave this bar with, I'll stay out of it completely."
"Aren't things a little awkward already?" Kay asked.
"They don't have to be," Hudson said. "We're both adults, right? And we're just spending a little time together. It doesn't have to bleed into our professional lives."
