The Alpha's Prize (2 page)

Connor scratched at the stubble shadowing his jaw. "You realize that your daddy is probably saying this because he hates my family, right?"

Erica nodded. "I do...but your family hates mine as well."

Connor stared at her. "But that doesn't mean I hate your family."

"I know that."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "But?"

Erica licked her lips. "But did you do it? You can tell me. I won't be mad if you did."

Connor crossed his armed and scowled. "No, and it pisses me off royally that you would even entertain the notion."

See
, Erica thought with despair.
I knew this it would happen.

Connor
continued glaring at her, making her want to go hide behind a stack of wood. "Here I am, extended an olive branch by offering to repair your father's damage for free, and you have the nerve to accuse me of stealing an heirloom of his?"

"I did not accuse you," Erica said defensively. "I just asked you. I think my dad misplaced it even though he claims it hasn't been touched in years. And trust me, I don't think you did it at all, it's just my dad was going ballistic this morning that I had to make an effort or else."

Connor paused, studying her with suspicion. "Or else what?"

Erica sighed. "He said he was going to call the cops on you."

Connor shook his head and made a disgusted sound. "Wow. Just wow."

"Please
Connor, don't be mad," Erica pleaded. "I just had to come here to let you know in case something happens."

Connor
grabbed his glove and put it back on. "Good, now you told me and now you can go, because," he nodded off to the stack of wood sitting the middle of the floor, "I got a real job to do."

"
Connor-"

Not letting her have another word in,
Connor spun on his heel and stalked back over to the pile of wood and began loading it onto the forklift.

Erica watched him for a few minutes before letting out a frustrated sigh. Then she left the store, feeling like absolute crap.

Erica arrived at her father's antique shop in a foul mood. As soon as she stepped foot in the place, she was greeted by an antsy Elizabeth.

"It took you long enough," her best friend said, standing at the counter with her hands on her hips and scowling like someone had stolen her lipstick. Elizabeth was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt that read, "I'm that bitch", her hair pulled back into a messy bun. "I thought I was going to have to go ham on these geriatric grandmas strolling up in here. I don't know how you put up with those old hags. All they do is come up in here and talk about local gossip and their bad ass grandchildren." She paused and studied Erica closely. "What's wrong, Erica? You look like you've been told that they stopped serving the McRib at McDonalds."

"
Connor hates me," Erica sighed, walking over to the counter and depositing her purse and Gucci glasses on it. "I knew I should have never gone there, but I wanted to warn him that daddy has lost his mind."

Erica was not going to mention the fact that she had gotten jealous of seeing the sexy
Connor with that skinny tramp and had let her emotions get in the way when questioning him about her father's brooch.

Elizabeth leaned forward, propped one elbow on the counter and placed her chin in her palm. "What's so special about this damn thing anyway?"

"If I only knew," Erica muttered.

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow.
"Does it come with batteries?"

"
That's not funny, Liz," Erica scolded. Then she scowled. "It wouldn't matter what it came with. Daddy is crazy about all his personal stuff. I mean, look around you. Holding on to old things is how he amassed his fortune."

Elizabeth drummed her fingers on the counter. "Speaking of which, I got a car note payment due. Think your dad could loan me some
mula?"

"Get real."

Elizabeth made a face. "Can't blame a girl for trying."  She pushed herself up from the counter. "So what did you say to Connor that has him hating you?"

Erica quickly went over what happened, leaving out the part about the skinny blonde.

"That's not good," Liz said with a shake of her head. "Sounds like you're in a very bad spot, Erica. Your dad or super hot sexy, hunk Connor."

Erica groaned. "I know. I don't know what to do."
             

"I know what I'd do."

"What?"

"Show
Connor my ta-tas and then ask him to motor boat them."

"Liz!"

"Just kidding." Elizabeth's expression turned serious. "But seriously, Erica, I know how you've had the hots for Connor since we were little-"

"I do not have the hots for
Connor-"

"And I would be shitting bricks too if I were in your situation." Elizabeth grabbed up her purse that was sitting on a ledge behind the counter. "What I would do is when you go back, tell your dad that you asked
Connor if he stole the pendant and that he swore that he didn't and let that be that."

If it were only that simple.

Elizabeth shouldered her purse onto her shoulder. "I mean who cares if your dad calls the cops? If Connor didn't steal it, then he didn't steal it.  And that whole family rivalry thing? I think that's why your dad is blaming Connor for his misplaced trinket."

Erica nodded thoughtfully. "I think so too."

"But I'm going to go chicka," said Liz. "I gotta get into work well before my shift starts or Harv will flip his shit." She walked from around the counter, came up to Erica and wrapped her in an embrace. "Cheer up, girl. I'm sure Connor understands the situation you are in and will forgive you."

"I certainly hope so," Erica muttered.

Then with a wink, Elizabeth walked to the front door, but stopped to turn around and say. "Remember, you owe me...BIG time."

*

It was near lunch time when the shop door chimed. Strangely enough, not a single person had come in after Elizabeth had left. Erica set down the magazine she had been reading and looked up.

A weathered face, a wide hat with feathers and a hunched body barely filling an opulent dress, greeted her. Erica relaxed. It was just old Marguerite, a regular at her father's antique shop. The old woman practically knew everyone in town, had even watched her father grow up.

Immediately, Marguerite could sense something amiss as she shuffled over to the counter, her feet dragging across the floor. "My dear what's wrong?"

I swear this old bag is psychic
, Erica thought. She had not even said a word and the woman already could sense her mood. It was a strange ability of Marguerite, she always seemed to know when Erica was happy, sad, or mad.

"My dad is angry," she found herself saying before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "He thinks my friend Connor stole his wolf pendant."

Marguerite stared, her wrinkled face twisting with curiosity. "What is the last name of this boy that you speak of?"

"Connor Greyson.
Have you heard of him?" Erica was sure the old woman had. She practically knew everyone else in Karma.

Marguerite turned pale, pressing a palm against her face.
"Oh dear."

"What?" Erica asked breathlessly.

"Some things are better left unsaid," the woman replied, her eyes haunted.

"No, tell me," Erica insisted.

Marguerite turned around, mumbling to herself. "I think I will leave now."

"Don't leave," Erica protested. "You just got here."

But the woman was not listening. She got to the door and said, "You have a nice day, Erica."

"Please," Erica pleaded. "Tell me what you know."

Marguerite paused, her hand on the door handle, staring at Erica for what seemed like an eternity. "Stay away from that boy," she said finally.

Then she turned and shuffled out of the antique shop, leaving Erica staring at the wall in confusion.

Erica was feeling sad and depressed on the drive home after work. She dreaded going back to her father with no pendant, fearing that he
was going to explode and call the cops, and also was upset that she had pissed Connor off.

She simply could not win.

It was night fall when she pulled into the Clayton estate driveway. Before she could shut off the engine of her corvette, her cell rung. She glanced at it where it lay in the passenger seat.

Should I answer it?

A second later, she picked it up and checked the caller id. It was Connor.

"Hey,"
Connor's deep voice came through, sending tingles along her skin.

"Hey," Erica replied.

"I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier."

Relief swept through Erica's breasts. The whole day she had feared that their friendship was over and it was so liberating to find out now that it wasn't.

"And I'm sorry for accusing you," Erica admitted. "I had no right to come to your job and intrude on you in that way."

"Don't worry about it."

Erica smiled at Connor's nonchalant tone. He sounded completely un-fazed about what happened.

There was a slight pause. "Do you have a moment to talk? I have something I need to tell you."

Erica glanced at the Clayton estate. Her father was probably inside, waiting for her to come back with word that she had procured his precious brooch.  "What is it?"

Connor's baritone took on a mysterious tone. "I can only tell you in person."

What in the world?

"Why?" At that moment, the moon caught Erica's eye. It was full and large, a giant luminescent orb in the sky. A sense of foreboding filled Erica at the sight of it. For some reason, she hadn't even noticed the full moon until now.

Connor evaded her question and simply said, "Meet me at the Jay Bridge on the other side of town in twenty minutes."

Then the line went dead.

Erica sat there listening to the dial tone for several moments, Marguerite words suddenly coming back to haunt her.

Stay away from the boy
.

After several long moments, Erica let out a curse and hung up the phone. Then she put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

*

"I stole your father's brooch," admitted
Connor as they stood on the Jay Bridge that overlooked Karma River. Erica had parked her car behind Connor's and now they both stood together, looking out over the rushing water that reflected the moonlight.

Connor looked sexy as usual, dressed in blue jeans and a tight t-shirt that showcased his flat stoma
ch and firm abs, while Erica was still in the pink baby doll dress that she had worn that morning.

A cool, summer breeze was wafting through the area, sending tingles and Goosebumps along Erica's arms and thighs. She had to keep her arms down at her sides to keep her dress from flying up and flashing Connor.

Disbelief punched Erica in the gut. "What?" After all she had gone through with her father, being called fat a desperate dick whore, on Connor's behalf? "Why would you something like that?" Erica demanded angrily. "I completely trusted you." She shook her head angrily. "You don't know what I've been through with my daddy on your behalf."

Connor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, sending shocks of electricity along her flesh. "Trust me, I know what Jerle probably put you through...and that's why I feel like shit."

Erica wanted to brush his hand away in anger, but she liked the feel of his strong fingers shoulder. Instead, she shook her head angrily, "You even had the nerve to get mad at me for simply asking you about it."

Connor sighed. "I know, I know, but there is more to the story, Erica."

Erica raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Connor licked his lips and eyed her nervously as if he was about to tell her something that she did not like. "The truth is
, your father stole the brooch from my father grandfather."

Erica rocked back on her heels in surprise. "What? How dare you accuse my daddy of something like that! He's a very wealthy man who's amassed his fortune honestly. He'd have no reason to do that."

While Erica thought her father could be a cruel bastard, she knew without a doubt that he was not a thief. It was an insult to her family's honor for Connor to say such a thing.

She was starting to think that maybe
Connor really did hold grudges against her family, even though he had always maintained that he was impartial to all the past drama just like she was.

"But yet, he did," said Connor.

"Why did he, then?" Erica asked with exasperation. "Humor me."

Connor took his hand off her shoulder and Erica felt a twinge of disappointment.
"Because he hates my family."

"Oh come on," Erica hissed. "You are basically saying he stole the brooch for the same reason he said you did." She shook her head. "Just give the brooch back and we can forget this ever happened." As far as she was concerned, there was no way her father had stolen the brooch from Connor's family.

"No," Connor said firmly.

"No?" asked Erica incredulously. "What do you mean no? Do you won't my dad to call Sheriff Jeffries on your ass?"

Connor laughed scornfully. "Fuck Sheriff Jeffries. If he came for me, I'd beat the badge of his old, crusty ass." Then he shook his head. "But seriously, I can't give you the pendant because it has special powers."

"Oh come on!" Erica snorted with disbelief. "Stop playing around and give it back."

Connor's handsome face was suddenly serious. "I'm dead serious, Erica."

Erica placed her hands on her hips and glared at the sexy stud. "Oh yea?" she asked sarcastically. "What's this special power?"

Connor stared at her, sending tingles up her spine. "It controls my urges."

Frowning, Erica asked with confusion, "Urges?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. I get really horny."

Erica threw up her hands, fed up. "Will you please stop playing around and just give me the damn pendant."

Connor ignored her and glanced up at the full moon. "You don't understand, Erica. I get really, really horny."

Though she hated to admit it, Erica felt desire burn through her stomach at the conviction in
Connor's words and the way he was looking at her...like he wanted to eat her.

She laughed nervously, slightly unsettled by the intensity of his gaze. "Please stop it, Connor. All guys are horny all the time."

"Not like this." Connor continued to stare at her, his eyes drifting to her large breasts. Erica's back quivered.  "And if I give the brooch back to your father, I'll be incredibly horny all over again with no way to control my urges."

"Just jack off like every other guy." Though, Erica knew that a guy like
Connor could have any girl that he wanted to jack him off, hell suck him off for that matter.

"Trust me," said
Connor. "I've already done enough of that for several lifetimes." He shook his head. "You have no idea what I did to control my urges before I got my hands on that brooch."

Suddenly, Erica noticed something strange...gold specks swirling around in Connor's eyes.

"And the pendant controls another thing."

"What?" Erica whispered, suddenly transfixed by the gold in his eyes.

"My curse."

It took a moment for the words to register. "What are you talking about? What curse?"

Connor smiled, reminding her of some predator. "The curse of the wolf."

For the second time that night, Marguerite's words came to her unbidden.

Stay away from the boy.

Erica gaped. "You cannot be serious."

"Sadly, I am. You're the first person I've ever told this."

Maybe he needs a straight jacket.
             

The thought that Connor was crazy flitted through Erica's mind, but also doubt-doubt that he could be telling the truth. The conviction in his words, the seriousness in his eyes, said that he truly believed what he was telling her. "I think you need to go see a psychiatrist."

Connor's next words caught the breath in Erica's lungs. "I can show you."

Without waiting for Erica to respond, Connor took off for the woods that were just down the road from the bridge.

Standing there with the sound of the river rushing in her ears, Erica could only hear the words,
stay away from the boy.

When Connor had made it several yards, he turned back and yelled, "Are you coming
or not?"

Erica stood there for a moment, debating. Then she sighed and began following the handsome jock, thinking,
you're going to regret this.