Billionaire Werewolf (Print)

Billionaire Werewolf (Print)
Crymsyn Hart
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2024 Crymsyn Hart

Sadie set her bag down at the counter and waited for the clerk to notice her. The lobby screamed the place only catered to the rich and powerful. Why the hell am I here? This is not my style at all. Why did I let Mel talk me into this? A light lavender scent tickled her nose. It took all she had to stop from sneezing. Five containers filled with water and an array of different fruits suspended between the ice cubes were displayed on a table next to the check in desk. Glass tumblers sat by them, glistening under the track lighting. Faint instrumental music played in the background. The environment radiated warmth and a welcoming atmosphere.

However, she felt anything but welcome. Something about the place felt a little off. Sadie just couldn’t put her finger on it.

A few brochures lay on the counter for outside attractions. Laughter floated down a hallway as the clicking of heels got closer. She rubbed her hands together at the chill from the overly cold AC blowing down on her. Her stomach tumbled as she worried her lip about why she had agreed to come to this place. She felt completely out of place. A group of women wandered by. All were dressed in fluffy white robes, smiling and smelling like they bathed in expensive lotion, all with perfect, glossy straight hair that cost more to maintain than what she made in a month.

“Hello. Can I help you?” The receptionist finally addressed her.

The words caught in her throat as she turned back to the man. His white teeth nearly blinded her. “Checking in.”

He gave her the once over with a little smirk. “Name, please.”

“Sadie M-Matthews.” She fought the urge to run back to the car that dropped her off. Melissa would be pissed because she had arranged for her to come to this special resort in the middle of no-fucking-where. The last hour of the ride all she saw around her were trees. No signs along the road signaled a high-end hotel was off in the distance. Just more trees as far the eye could see. It almost felt like she was entering into a horror movie. Melissa said she needed a week to relax, unwind, drink in the fresh air, and go along with being pampered. Sadie hated the idea.

“Oh yes, we have you right here,” the desk manager told her. His eyebrows shot up as he looked at the computer screen and then back at her. “Someone decided to go all out.”

Her cheeks burned as she studied the marble countertop shot through with veins of gold and flecks of black. The deep mahogany wood of the desk gleamed. Maybe some felt welcome here, but the whole place screamed of opulence and rubbed her the wrong way. Probably the handiwork of some billionaire who doesn’t know his head from his asshole. He planned out this whole thing for his buddies to send their wives while they are out screwing their secretaries. Melissa had talked up the place, told her she needed a break, and she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Her friend meant well, but there were things Melissa didn’t understand. She was still processing what happened. She wasn’t ready to do some scream therapy shit and then get a mud bath to help her feel better. “Yeah… well…”

The desk clerk stood up and waved her comment away as he held out a red plastic keycard. “Honey, you got the all-access pass to this place. This one gets you into all the secret places that the regular guests don’t get to see.”

She went to take the key from him wondering what on earth he meant about some all-access pass when he grabbed her wrist. What did Melissa get me into? “This isn’t going to open some door that leads me to a sex dungeon, is it?”

The twinkle in his eyes died. His plump lips set in a straight line making her stomach tie into even tighter knots. “With this comes great responsibility. Don’t let it out of your sight. Let me give you a word of warning, since this is your first time with us. You might see or hear certain things here. We request you don’t make a big scene if you happen upon some of the other guests engaging in something you might not think is normal.” He released her hand.

“What do you expect me to find? Someone fucking in the middle of the pool?” Sadie’s mind whirled at the information and it raised a few red flags.

“Nothing like that. Ma’am, you do know where you are, correct?” He looked at her like she had four cats sitting on her head.

“It’s a place where I’m supposed to relax. Am I missing something besides the 24-karat gold inlay in the ceiling?” She was about ready to say the hell with all this. Melissa would have a coronary, but this was getting ridiculous.

The receptionist sniffed her. Sadie wasn’t sure what she had just experienced. It took her by surprise. He actually leaned over the desk and took in another long breath like she smelled bad. His expression turned grim. “Forgive me, I thought… never mind. Let me get the manager out here.” He pressed a button on his earpiece and spoke into it. “Mr. Watson, I need your assistance please.”

“This whole thing is already paid for. What’s the big deal?” She tried to keep her cool. This wasn’t the best start to her relaxing week. So far, she was late on getting there because the limo service picked her up late. Then he had a flat tire. Thankfully he had a spare, but it didn’t seem like this was going to be the getaway vacation her friend wanted her to experience. She glanced down at her attire. Sadie wore blue jeans and one of the nicer blouses she owned. It might not scream rich, but she didn’t look like a slob. Her feet ached. She wanted to sink into a warm bubble bath, drink a glass of wine, and then forget about the rest of the world for a while. If nothing else, shut out the noise in her head and in her heart. “I should be permitted to whatever that little piece of red plastic entitles me to.”

“Miss, I am so sorry. There seems to be some kind of mix-up when the reservation was made. We can certainly accommodate you, but I would need that back.” He reached across the desk for the keycard but snagged her wrist instead.

Sadie yanked her hand away, making him lose his grip on her. His nails dug trails in her flesh as he tried to get the keycard back. She hissed at the sharp pain, but the man’s expression twisted into one of determination. He moved a little quicker and caught her once more. This time his grip locked around her and he tugged as though he would rip her arm out of its socket. The little guy’s not going to get the best of me. I don’t think so. She set her teeth on edge and jerked back as they played tug-o-war over the little red keycard that was supposed to open magical doors for her. “Look, buddy. I’m not giving this thing up.”

“Ma’am, it would be best if you did. Believe me.” He pulled back, bringing her over the counter until the edge of it pushed into her stomach.

The quick stab made her grunt. This whole thing shouldn’t have been such a big deal. Normally, she would have acquiesced and let them upgrade her or whatever they had in mind to rectify the situation. However, this was different. After losing so much, she needed to hold onto whatever she could. Nothing was getting past her, not even this fucktard who kept telling her she couldn’t. He dragged her up again. This time she felt her feet lift off the floor. Sadie grasped the other side of the counter and pulled back.

“I want to speak to your manager,” she said through gritted teeth. A sting of sweat hit her eye from the exertion.

He took both hands and tried to get the key from her. This time Sadie couldn’t hold onto it with her sweaty palms. The desk clerk took one more tug and she lost her grip on the keycard and the counter. The momentum of him releasing her so suddenly sent her flying backward. Her right shoulder, arm, and hip took the brunt of her impact on the tile floor. The plush carpet cradled her head, so it didn’t crack open. The desk clerk had sent her halfway across the hotel lobby and left her seeing stars. Sadie took a few seconds to listen to the thunder in her ears and focus on the highly golden lobby ceiling. When she tried to lift her head, the world spun so she let it rest once more.

“Are you okay?” Her eyes focused and she peered into the most startling honey-gold eyes she had ever seen on a man. A closely cropped reddish brown beard accentuated his strong jaw line. He appeared completely upside down and out of proportion, but she realized her vision was still realigning after having her bell rung. “Here. Let’s get you off the floor.” He offered her his hand.