Billionaire Bear’s Human Mate by Alicia Banks
Chapter 23
Vivica
When Shane came back to the bedroom a few hours later, he was upset and Vivica tried to find out what was going on, but Shane didn’t want to say. He was in a foul mood and all of the promises that were made when he first got there, were all gone. It was a shame really, because Vivica had psyched herself up for all kinds of good things to happen and none of them had. It was hard for her to really imagine what was going on with him. She hardly knew him really and everything she did know, felt like it couldn’t be real. It left her in a confusing fog and once Shane was in bed and sleeping, Vivica felt all of the pent-up energy that she had been saving for him. Since he hadn’t come home in the same mood that he had left in, Vivica was convinced that she needed to go out and get rid of some of it, or she was going to explode. It was that simple.
When she got into the hallway, Vivica heard someone in the kitchen, and she imagined that it was Maria. Maria didn’t seem to ever sleep, and Vivica was hoping that Maria could show her where the tea mix was that she liked so much. It was all she needed to help her get back to sleep. If that didn’t happen, Vivica was going to have to take a walk or something. There was no way that she was going to be able to go to sleep in her current frame of mind.
It wasn’t Maria though. Vivica got to the kitchen and saw Shane’s father standing there. George didn’t smile at her and Vivica didn’t smile back. She knew what the father thought of her, and Vivica was convinced that she was really going to have to get away now. Just being around him, knowing what he thought of her kind, put Vivica right back on edge, like when she had heard him rant about how bad it was that Shane was with her.
“It’s you.”
Vivica agreed and said that she thought he was someone else. “Who else would I be?!”
His words were short and bitter, practically being spit at her and Vivica had to press her lips together, to stop herself from losing her nerve. It was impossible not to say anything, especially when he was goading her on. That’s all it was, Vivica knew it and once George got a smile out of her, she knew he’d already won. She couldn’t stand him, and she couldn’t even stand to be around him. He liked that and Vivica forced herself to talk to him.
“I was hoping for Maria, she has a pleasant demeanor. Everyone in this household does.”
Vivica wished she hadn’t said that last part. She once again forced an animalistic response from one of the shifters, and Vivica was scared. Shane’s dad was huge and just as much a bear as his son. Vivica thought differently of Shane though. Shane wasn’t going to hurt her. She didn’t have to worry about that. All she had to worry about was losing control. George wasn’t like Shane at all. She most definitely did believe that he would do something to her if given the chance.
She kept backing up, but George kept moving forward. She could sense his anger, and he was about to attack, when he stopped and sniffed the air around her.
George pulled up abruptly and turned back into his human form.
“You're pregnant?”
Vivica didn’t want to answer. She was shaking all over and he shouldn’t have been interested in the child. But at the same time, a second ago he was about to rip her throat out. She really needed to get away from him, and Vivica was trying to figure out if he wanted her to be pregnant or not. Whatever it was that he wanted, she would say it and then go back to Shane’s side as quickly as possible. Shane would make sure that nothing happened to her.
“Yes. Yes, I think so. Your son thinks that I am.”
“You don’t know?”
Vivica bristled with the questions and the whole conversation. George hated her, so why would he be happy about that? It was all none of his business. She wanted to be anywhere else, but George was standing in the way of her escaping.
“No, because I don’t have your senses and what-not.”
“Of course, you don’t. You’re human.”
He said it like it was the worst thing ever and Vivica just sighed inwardly. This guy was the worst.
“So, how does Shane know for sure?”
Vivica could feel her face getting heated, thinking about the first time. She really didn’t want to have this conversation with George. She wanted to go hide in a closet somewhere. That’s what she wanted.
“He thinks that because he said I was chosen. That his bear chose me, so it was a guarantee.”
Now she got even more attention from George and Vivica didn't feel like it was good attention. He was eyeballing her, looking at her like she was money or maybe it was something more. George was very volatile and since he didn’t like her anyway, Vivica just wanted to get out of there. She felt like her child's life was in danger, though she wasn't sure how or from whom. It was just an understated feeling that she couldn't shake. Vivica wished she knew why George was interested in her all of a sudden. It would have made things so much easier.
“So, his bear chose you?” It was said with resentment and incredulousness. Neither sentiment made her feel all warm and fuzzy.
“You don't have to believe me if you don't want to.”
That just made the old man laugh and the sound was dry and cackling. Vivica definitely did not like the sound of it. It did not give her the same feelings that Shane’s laughter always had. With Shane it made her feel good inside, but with George it all felt hollow and insincere. It was strange to think that she had been convinced they were so alike when she first met him. It hadn't taken long to realize that they were nothing like each other.
“Well, I guess you're not as worthless as I first thought. Bringing magic into the world is at least something. It is probably the best thing that you will do with your pathetic human life.”
Every word he uttered made her hate him even more. There was really nothing to say. The guy was horrible, and she just wanted to get away from him.
“I didn't realize that you were going to carry my grandchild.”
“We haven’t told anyone yet. It’s still new.”
“So, you just found out and now you’re processing it. You can’t sleep I take it?”
“Can you read minds too?”
George chuckled. “Surely not. It doesn't take much to imagine what a human is thinking though. Your brains are so much smaller than ours, so there are only a few options.”
“Is there always an insult with every word that comes out of your mouth? Do you really believe all that you say about me and my kind?”
“Yes, every word.”
“Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t care about you, Vivica. I just want my son to do the right thing. He isn’t when he is around you. That needs to change, so you need to go.”
Vivica sighed loudly, not able to take the back and forth with him any longer. She told George that she was going to go lay down, but he refused to let her pass. He said that they had much to talk about, but Vivica was done talking to him.
“I want to show you something.”
Vivica knew that whatever that something was, she didn't want to see it. The guy was completely freaking around, and it felt like he was doing it on purpose. Nobody was that awful.
Vivica tried to get around him several times, but since he had her blocked in, she had to finally go with him. That was the only way that she was going to get back to Shane, and Vivica wasn't going to feel safe until she was by his side. At the moment, Vivica felt more afraid than she probably had in her whole life.
When they didn't immediately go to the room that he was staying in, Vivica should've known better. She should have walked away right then, stopped trying to be nice. She was trying to be pleasant, even though George himself was not pleasant. Vivica was trying really hard because of Shane. While he may not care for his dad in some sense, Vivica knew that there was a strong father-son bond that she didn’t want to get in the middle of. What she wanted was for him to leave her alone.
George was about to take her outside and she asked him where they were going. Vivica didn’t want to go anywhere with him.
“Don't you trust me?”
Vivica thought that it was a funny question to ask. She would have liked to have answered yes, but that would have been a lie.
“I can't say that I know you enough to trust you. I trust that you don't care one way or another what happens to me, so it’s kind of hard to trust you in any meaningful way.”
She thought that it was going to make him upset, but he just started laughing like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.
“Well, I will give it to you, Vivica. At least you aren’t one of the dumb ones and I might even sense some humor in you. Good that you’re not so bland.”
She tried to resist saying something smart. It was practically coming from all sides, but Vivica knew that she had to fight it. Vivica kept telling herself that she would be out of there soon enough. She just had to get away from George and back to Shane. She didn’t want to cause more trouble, so Vivica was still trying to be nice about it and let it end without a huge issue.
George turned around all of a sudden and said that he was sorry. It didn’t sound real, just words, and there was that sinking feeling in her stomach again.
“Sorry for what?”
He didn’t answer, but Vivica saw something in his hand right before he hit her in the head with it. She remembered thinking that she really shouldn’t have gone with him. Of all the things that she would have imagined happening, Vivica didn’t think he would actually attack her. She was wrong though. It appeared that he would and did.
