The Billionaire's Burden (Key to My Heart #2) (11 page)

The light flipped on, blinding me momentarily.

I covered my eyes in surprise, blinking away the dark spots.

When I finally was able to peer before me, I found the dog.

Though, this was no puppy like any I'd ever seen.

He stood on two legs, heavy silver chains wrapped around his waist, legs, and wrists, binding him to the wall. He snapped at me, growling heavily, his muscled chest heaving. Under the fluorescent lights, his fur shimmered like yellow dusted darkness.

It was the creature's eyes that struck me the most though.

I knew those straw colored orbs, I knew that golden gaze that pierced right through me.

Chapter Eight

A scream filled my throat at the sight of the salivating, growling beast that was once Eli Hunter.

I stumbled backwards, falling over another heaping pile of chains on the ground. I skittered backwards, startled shriek dying before it could reach my gaping lips.

He gnashed his teeth at me, straining against the silver binds around his body. Somehow, I managed to flip over onto my hands and knees, careening straight out of the apartment and into the darkness of the cool night.

I ran and ran and ran. I ran through the burning in my ribs and lungs, I ran through the ache of my feet, I ran through the blinding tears in my eyes.

I had no idea where I headed, all that I could hear was my breath ragged in my lungs, my heart pounding against my ribs, and my brain buzzing.

Desperately, I tried to make sense out of what I saw.

Eli was some sort of human dog hybrid? Or was it wolf?

None of this made any sense at all.

I shook my head, hot tears prickling in my eyes.

I couldn't go back home, I couldn't put Lucy at risk of the beast. It wouldn't be fair to her.

Would Eli come after me? Was he dangerous?

He certainly looked dangerous. I'd never seen teeth as long and sharp as his own, though he looked part animal, his muscles had bulged threateningly.

A shudder ran up my spine as I turned sharply down a side road. A jogging path split through a forest, leading to a small children’s playground.

Around me, the owls hooted curiously, each sound of the trees rustling and the wind blowing making me practically jump out of my skin.

As soon as I reached the playground, I threw myself underneath a bright orange, plastic covered dome where children played hide and seek in. Inside of it, I was sheltered from any beastly eyes.

It was a pitiful place for a grown woman to hide, but I was desperate. Eli could come after me at any moment. Though the chains looked strong, he looked stronger.

Burying my face in my hands, I desperately tried to calm the sharp breaths that jabbed through my lungs.

This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be real.

My neighbor was some kind of beast creature. I'd been living next to him the entire time and never realized it.

Those stupid parties weren't parties at all, it was all just a cover to hide the sound of his howls.

I moaned at my stupidity, curling into a ball on the rough ground.

Was this my home now? Could I ever return? Would Lucy worry about me?

Surely, she would notice sooner or later that I was missing. She wouldn't be concerned tonight, she'd just think I was shaking up with him, but what about later?

Would she try and talk to him? Would Eli attack her? He’d never shown any bit of aggression, he’d never seemed dangerous in the slightest. Was he a danger? Should I be scared?

I shuddered, squeezing my arms. This was too much, I wasn’t even sure where to begin making sense of this whole messy ordeal.

All that I knew was I had to go back. I couldn't leave Lucy alone and defenseless next to some monster.

Going back right this minute would be useless, though. I had to wait until morning, when I would feel safer again. Lucy would be fine alone tonight.

Leaning against the cool plastic of the dome, I rested my forehead against my knees.

My heart still thundered on, my brain still desperately tried to pull some logic out of the situation.

At some point, both gave up, leading me into a very restless sleep.

The sound of footsteps tracing the outside of the dome jolted me from my uncomfortable slumber. Every inch of my body was numb and tired and stiff. From the pinpricked holes up top, I could just barely see the light of morning shimmering through tiredly.

Though, I didn't have my watch, I would have guessed it to be seven or so in the morning. Lucy would be up now, sipping her gross coffee and smirking to herself about how I never made it home.

What was Eli doing? Was he plotting to get rid of me now that I knew his bewildering, terrifying secret?

A soft rap on the plastic twisted my head. I covered my mouth, desperately trying to hide the sound of my ragged breathing.

The footsteps circled around, heading for the small hole in the front where I'd climbed through.

I was done for, it was all over now.

The brunette head of a small child poked in, gap toothed grin on his face.

"Well, hello!" He cheered in his shrill little voice, slowly dipping onto his hands and knees.

Relaxing against the plastic, I shook my head with a laugh, "Hello." I murmured quietly.

"Are we playin' hide and seek?" He whispered back curiously, peering out of the hole.

From outside, I could hear his mother turning pages in a book to entertain herself.

Silently, I nodded.

I was safe here, there were people out and about. I needed to get back to Lucy.

The little boy squealed suddenly, bright grin on his face as he peeked out of the dome, "She's here!" He called, "I caught her!"

Frozen, I watched as a strawberry blond head hung down in front of the dome.

"Jade." Aubrey said calmly, "We need to have a chat. Thanks Joseph." She added, smiling sunnily at the little child who giggled.

Though it was early, Aubrey had already done her bright makeup. Her lips were a shocking shade of rose, eyeshadow purple.

"I won!" He cooed excitedly, "I won the game!"

I swallowed, for a moment, pressing back against the plastic wall in mule like stubbornness.

The safety I'd felt just moments before vanished into smoke. I couldn't breathe.

Aubrey patiently stared at me, sticky pink lips pursed harshly. Her eyes darted towards the child as he began digging in the sand.

For his sake, I crawled out of the dome.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder, giving a light wave to Joseph's mother as she boredly glanced up. To anyone looking, Aubrey and I were just friends on a walk. No one could tell how hard she grasped my shoulder, her painted nails digging into my skin.

"I spoke with Eli this morning." She said quietly, “He is quite upset.”

Her tone, usually perky and light, was heavy, threatening.

I stared straight forward, desperately wishing I wasn't trembling like I was. I knew she could feel it, my fear.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked quietly as she led me down the road. We were not heading towards my apartment, towards where Lucy waited.

"We have much to discuss." She responded through pursed lips, "You now know things that you never should have learned."

"I didn't mean to." I blubbered, the feeling of her tight grasp on me coursing fear through my veins, "I didn't mean to!"

Aubrey's eyes closed for a moment, slight shake of her sending her rosy curls gliding over her shoulders, "This wasn't your fault, little one." She whispered sincerely, "This was all Eli's fault. Whatever happens to you will weigh on his shoulders, I can at least assure you of that. He will never make this mistake again"

My heels dug into the ground, terrified obstinacy overwhelming.

Aubrey was stronger than she looked however, her lithe tan arms carried me forward effortlessly.

"Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Jade." She sighed.

By the time we turned the corner to her little coffeehouse, tears streaked my face, dirty from my night spent on the playground floor.

Her cafe looked as cheery as ever, morning sunlight dappled along its pink, cheery roof. I recognized one of the cars out front, a familiar red jeep.

The very sight of it all filled me with dread.

As she pulled me through the doors, the rumbling of chatter from the people within dropped off into silence.

I stood among them, my entire body shaking, as they stared at me.

Though they each looked different, they were very much the same.

The men and women gazed at me indifferently with different shades of golden eyes, their bodies were lithe and strong.

They were all beasts too.

Eli sat alone in the very booth we'd flirted in together only weeks before. The seat before him was empty.

One of the men stood, pulling a wooden chair and gesturing me to it, Jade pushed me forward to sit down.

"This is the human girl." Aubrey began, glancing around at the men and women.

Eli tensed, his hands curling into tight balls, his back rigid as a plank. Slowly, his eyes turned back to me, gazing at me sorrowfully. While hours ago he had terrified me, now, his stare only filled me with sadness.

"This is the girl who knows our secret." Aubrey murmured as the small crowd of fifteen or so burst into questions all at once.

"What do we do with her?" One woman called, "Who will she tell?"

"I told no one!" I cried, almost jumping to my feet.

Aubrey's hand clasped on my shoulder, one warning look telling me to stay seated.

"The werewolves in this town are no longer safe." Another man added, slamming his hands on the table, “We must protect our pack at all costs.”

Werewolves.

These people were werewolves.

I had a werewolf next door.

Chapter Nine

"Werewolves?" I choked out, trying to blink away the dark spots that suddenly floated in front of my eyes.

The hell? Werewolves didn't exist.

Then again, I had seen one right in front of my face. There was no denying that.

Eli suddenly leapt up to his feet, every golden eye in the cafe following him.

He walked over to me, standing in front of Aubrey. Though his jaw was firm, his hands clenched so tightly that they trembled faintly.

"Jade is trustworthy." He said, voice gruff but firm, "She's not the type of human to go running around telling everyone what she saw."

Aubrey's eyes shifted towards me, faint scowl on her face, "Eli, you know the rules. No humans are to see us in wolf form. You made a mistake young one, a mistake that your pack must now fix."

“You are young, Eli,” Another in the pack spoke, “You do not yet know what humans can be capable of.”

Eli's blond brow creased heavily, deep frown on his full lips, "I wasn't careful enough, that's true, but Jade is-"

The strawberry haired woman held up a hand, silencing him swiftly.

"She needs to be dealt with." She said quietly, though sadness tinted her tone. She didn’t enjoy this part of their life.

Aubrey knelt down in front of me, taking my hands in her own as she stared up at my face.

"You understand?" She sighed, "Don't you? Our safety is predicated upon your race never learning of our true faces. To have even one human aware of our difference is just too much."

"...what will you do to me?" I asked, the words having to claw themselves from my throat.

I didn't want to know.

Eli grimaced, his eyes squeezing shut.

My eyes flickered out among the people. I recognized some of them. There was Marty, from the car dealership. Owen, a police deputy. Even one of my old professors sat in the crowd, her bright eyes dreary this morning.

"Sweet girl, we have to get rid of you." Aubrey said delicately, "Don't worry. It will be fast and easy." She smiled at me, as though she were offering me ice cream.

I shook my head, trying to draw back away from her, but her burning hands remained tight on my own.

"You can't hurt her." Eli suddenly said, "We shared a spark."

If the situation was different, I would have laughed. Here he was trying to save me some with corny romantic comedy cliché, the illusive spark of love.

Aubrey's face however, whipped to face him, a slight gasp coming from the people.

Apparently the werewolves were romantics, deep down.

"What are you talking about, whelp?" She asked, voice almost hissing.

"Eli, that's impossible." Owen, the deputy said gently as he stood. He was still in his uniform, no doubt getting ready to head off to his afternoon shift. They would easily get away with my disappearance, "Humans have no spark."

"She does." Eli responded firmly, "Aubrey saw it, most of you were there."

The eyes shifted slowly to the woman in front of me as she stood, "That was no spark, she was ill from dehydration." She spoke quickly, glancing back at me, "There was no way she could have felt it."

"...Felt what...?" I asked quietly, confused.

The sexy blond man moved closer to me, taking my hand in his. Even in these dire circumstances, I found myself lost in his eyes. Though his fingers were as warm as Aubrey's his touch was much more comforting. Despite the fact that under the full moon he turned into a ravenous beast.

"Do you remember the day I brought you here?" He asked gently, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

I leaned into his touch, nodding. Amongst all of these people who wished to 'get rid' of me, he was the only one whose eyes remained gentle.

Though I was still fearful, he calmed me. The feeling of completion in my soul that I felt when he was near settled me.

"What did you feel?" He asked, "I need you to tell us in great detail exactly how you felt."

My eyes once again swept over the people. Aubrey's arms stiffly folded over her chest, fingernails leaving pale marks on her own tan flesh.

"It felt like I was on fire." I said quietly, "Like every ounce of my blood had turned to lava."

The eyes of the werewolves flickered to each other pensively, frowns on some of their faces.

"And when did you start to feel that way?" Eli pressed.

Aubrey shook her head, rolling her eyes, "It was a caffeine rush, nothing more." She said tiredly, "This is absurd."

"...when you touched me." I whispered, "It was the first time our hands touched."

Eli silently looked out at the people around us, "The spark." He said defiantly, "She is mine and mine alone, I am hers and hers alone, to be rid of her would be the greatest offense to our people."

"This is impossible." Owen whispered again, but he sank back down into his chair, "How has this happened?"

"We're leaving." Eli said, leaning down and pulling me up into his arms.

I clung to him, glancing towards Aubrey, who stood by the door. For a moment, it looked as though she were going to stand in our way.

"How can we be sure that we can trust her?" Aubrey asked, hands moving to her hips, "As soon as she leaves, she could contact the news, she could call the police, she could start a war!"

"I won't." I said sincerely, glancing out at the werewolves.

They had no reason to trust me, and though I had little understanding of what had just occurred between us and them, I could only hope that it was enough to gain temporary favor until I could prove my trustworthiness to these strangers.

"We have to let them go." Owen spoke, "Aubrey, you have to let them leave."

"I need to explain this all to her, we need time." Eli said quietly, "You can trust her. I will watch her, when she understands, she won’t speak a word."

Aubrey finally moved from the door, shaking her head viciously, "This is a mistake." She snapped, "This all a huge mistake."

As the door to the coffeehouse swung shut, the last image I saw was Aubrey's dark glare.

Silently, Eli placed me in his bright red jeep, climbing into the front seat.

For a moment, he didn't even move, just holding the steering wheel and staring forward, as though he were in the middle of a dream.

"We have a lot to talk about." He finally whispered, as he started the engine and chugged along the road.

Though we did have much to say, the car ride back to the apartment complex was silent.

Chapter Ten

We sat together on opposite ends of his wide bed, simply staring at each other, surrounded by silver chains and crimson sheets.

He’d insulated the windows and the doorways in an attempt to hide his monthly transitions.

“So,” I began casually, “You’re a werewolf.”

Eli nodded glumly, eyes shifting away in deep shame, “I’m sorry.”

“Err, it’s okay?” I whispered, unsure if that was the appropriate response one should say in this situation. Couldn’t say I’ve ever been in a position like this before.

A smile almost twitched on his lips.

“And Aubrey’s a wolf too.” I mused.

Funny, how sometimes secrets are kept like that.

“Aubrey is the pack leader.” Eli corrected, “She’s 
the
 wolf.”

“Ah.” I responded, the only response that I could come up with.

Then, once more, we were plunged into silence.

“They were really going to kill me, weren’t they?” I suddenly asked, my palms going clammy.

I’d been so close to death that I could almost feel it. How was it possible that yesterday morning, I’d been thinking about wine and Netflix, and by this morning, I was facing my own demise? I wonder if that’s how life with a werewolf would always be.

“Preservation of your species is a strong instinct, especially when you’ve been hunted your entire life.” Eli said softly, “Aubrey is strong, quick, and smart. She was thinking of her pack, those that she has even sworn to protect.”

“Not that I wanted you or anyone else to die.” He added quickly, holding his hands up in a flustered type of way, “We’ve never had anyone find out our secret before. At least not since I joined the pack.”

“How did you join it?” I asked, “Were you attacked by a rabid wolf on your walk home from school one day?”

A giggle almost left my lips, but I was still recovering from almost dying.

He smiled weakly, shaking his head, “I was born this way.” He sighed, “Though my parents died when I was young and I had no biological siblings. I had no pack to run with until I came to this town for college.”

“And then you met Aubrey?” I asked.

He nodded, “They join together for a run under the moon each month, but I…I like to be on my own. I’ve always been on my own. I feel the most comfortable that way.”

“Is that why you keep to yourself so much?” I asked quietly, “You’re afraid of getting too close.”

His eyes flickered over to me, searching my own gaze. There was more he wanted to say, but he could not bring himself to speak.

“The spark?” I pressed quietly, “What does that even mean? Did you make it up to free me?”

Eli shook his head, blond locks hanging into his eyes.

“The spark…the spark is an ancient blood bond.” He murmured, running a hand through his hair. His lips parted then pressed shut, unsure of how to continue his speech.

It must be so strange to explain these wolven natures to a human woman who had zero clue. Did he feel like a traitor, betraying his race’s secrets?

“Werewolves bond for life.” He finally said, “You know you’ve found your bonded one when you feel the spark.”

“…and you felt it with me?” I whispered.

“And you felt it with me.” He retorted, “And it knocked you right out. Humans aren’t supposed to be capable of feeling it. It’s much too strong and intense for your bodies to handle.”

“Apparently not.” I scoffed, arching an eyebrow.

Eli hummed, chuckling, “I suppose you’re right.”

“So we’re, like, soulmates?” I asked hesitantly, trying not to bust out laughing.

Sure, I liked Eli a lot. More than a lot. The weeks I’d spent with him had made me happier than I thought I could ever be.

But, even still, it was only mere weeks.

The handsome beast man across from me stared into his lap, “Typically. Yes.” His voice was sad.

“Typically?” I asked, confused.

“Well, we’ve never seen a wolf share a spark with a human. We don’t know how it will be different.” His eyes creased with pain.

“What’s the matter?” I asked quietly, scooting forward.

I rest my hand against his warm flesh, feeling the warmth begin to swell inside of me. Even just touching him made my heart began to beat faster.

His golden eyes reluctantly shifted to face me, “The spark for myself will never fade. It doesn’t not release its grasp on the wolf’s heart once it flows. I will desire you forever, I will want you forever, I will be unable to hold anyone but you in my heart and in my arms.”

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat, body trembling from his words.

Never before had anyone spoken such words to me.

“But,” Eli continued solemnly, “It may manifest differently in a human. You may not feel it as strongly, you may not be as consumed, it may not direct your path as it directs a wolf’s.”

The grief behind his eyes was almost tangible. This was a painful sentence for Eli. He would be devoted to me forever, yet it was yet to be told how I would feel.

“That day, when you brought me the book…” He said slowly, “I was compelled to ask you out with me. I was compelled to bring you back to the place my pack resides. It was no mere coincidence that we chose apartments next to one another…”

Eli trailed off, biting his lip and looking away. This should have been the happiest day in a werewolf’s life, the day he found his mate, the day he had his bonded one in his arms. The bittersweet aching in his heart was more than he could handle.

Unlike him, I had no sage words to whisper in this moment, I had nothing to offer him.

Then again, that wasn’t quite true. While, I couldn’t say how I truly felt, I could still show him how I felt. I’d never been good with words. I rambled too much, lost track of what I tried to say, laughed at awkward times.

I would just have to do what came naturally, I would have to show my feelings for this beast of a man in a way that he could appreciate, in a way that showed how much I appreciated him.

Slowly, I moved forward, my hands pressing into the bed. He watched me, cautious and unsure, as I slid closer and closer to him. He was afraid to touch me, afraid to scare me away, afraid of the power that I held over him.