Chapter 4

Alec

When I wakeup the next morning, I'm half expecting to have a text message from Morgan saying that she changed her mind and is calling the whole thing off. I dread looking at my phone and sag in relief when I see that the only message is from Ash, asking me if I can go in early for my shift tomorrow to cover for him for a bit. I reply, saying no problem and then climb out of bed.

Morgan and I had spent most of last night hanging out and discussing our marriage. We plan to meet for lunch today and then head over to City Hall to apply for our marriage license. I glance at the clock and see that I still have another hour until I need to meet her.

I head for the shower, ignoring my bear prowling back and forth inside of me. He wanted me to sleep outside of her hotel room last night, and it was a fight to head home instead.

We should be with her,he growls at me. What if her parents try something?

My stomach cramps at the thought but I shrug it off .

If she was in trouble, she would have texted or called me.

Maybe,he agrees.

I step under the hot water and hurry through my shower. Now I'm worried about Morgan, and I know that I'm going to swing by the ski resort early to check on her.

I get out and wrap a towel around my waist. I grab my phone and send Morgan a message.

Alec: I'll swing by the resort and pick you up in twenty.

Morgan: You don't have to. My parents are headed into town to look around.

Alec: I don't mind.

Morgan: Okay, see you soon.

I headinto my room and get dressed, pulling on a pair of dark jeans and a flannel. It's supposed to be cold and windy today, and I know that I'll need to dress for the weather, even with my bear keeping me warm.

I grab my phone and keys and head for the door. My truck is parked in the garage next to the house, and I hop in and take off down the road towards the ski resort.

By the time I get there, Morgan is already waiting for me out front. As soon as I wave at her, she runs over and hops into the truck.

"Go!" She says, ducking down, and I take off.

"Who are we running from?" I ask, glancing in my rearview mirror, but I don't see anyone chasing us or looking suspicious.

"My parents and Randolph," she groans, sitting up in her seat.

See?My bear snarls. We shouldn't have left her last night. Just drive her to our house. She can hide out there and we can make her ours.

"Why are we running from them?" I ask, ignoring my grizzly bear.

"They're trying to get me to go with them to town. I'm pretty sure that it was to get the marriage license. They need the bride and groom there to do that," she says, and I growl under my breath.

"What will they do when they can't find you?"

"I mentioned wanting to poke around the resort. Hopefully they'll just assume that I'm there and they keep missing me."

"Won't they go looking for you?"

"No, that would be too much effort," she says, sounding so resigned.

I can't imagine growing up so alone. It sounds like her nanny raised her, but that still has to be lonely.

I grew up in a small pack inMontana. My parents and I were tight. We went on pack runs each week together. They were always there for me, helping me with homework and finding my first job. They were sad to see me join the Marines, but I know that they were proud of me too. It sucks that they passed, and I miss them every single day.

I hate that my mate didn't have that kind of childhood. I wish I could fix it for her, but I can't.

My bear whines inside of me, and I clear my throat as I turn my truck toward town.

"Should we be worried about your parents' spotting you in town?"

"Depends on where we're going."

"There's a diner that's good. Or we could head out of town a bit to this café."

"The diner is fine. They won't set foot in there."

"Why not?"

"They're snobs."

I nod and turn to head towards the Full Moon Diner. The place is quiet when we pull in, probably because it's not quite noon yet.

I park close to the door and hop out, hurrying to open my mate's door and offer her my hand.

"Thanks."

"Sure… baby," I say, testing out the nickname.

Morgan raises an eyebrow at me, and I grin, shrugging at her.

"Just testing it out."

"Keep testing," she suggests, and I smile as we head inside.

"Sit wherever!" A waitress calls, and I lead Morgan to a booth in the back, away from the windows, but close to the emergency exit, just in case her parents do stop by and we need to sneak out.

"We'll go to City Hall after this, right?" She asks, and I nod.

"Sounds good. We'll have to wait three days," I tell her.

"I know. I should be able to lay low and avoid my parents for that long."

"Let me know if you need help hiding out."

"I will," she promises.

We both reach for a menu, and I study her as she scans the menu. She looks so pretty today. Her long black hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, but a few strands have come loose, probably from when she pulled her hat off.

She's wearing a light pink sweater that looks so soft. I want to reach out and touch it, but I'm not sure how she's react to that.

Don't scare her off,my bear snaps, and I grit my teeth.

I'm working on it.

The waitress comes over and I order a water and a cheeseburger.

"I'll have the BLT and a water, please. Thanks," Morgan orders.

Once we're alone, I turn to her.

"So, let's talk about our wedding," I start, and she grins.

"What about it?"

"You haven't had your wedding planned since you were a little girl?" I ask, and she snorts.

"God, no. I've never even dated before, let alone thought about getting married."

"Well, now you are."

We share a short look and then I clear my throat.

"How do you want to get married? A little ceremony? We can fly in some of your friends," I offer.

"No, I think just a simple courthouse wedding is fine. You can invite your friends if you want," she offers, and I nod.

"Okay. What about rings?"

"We don't have to do all of that," she protests.

"I want to."

"Surprise me," she says as the waitress drops off our waters.

"Alright."

We both take a drink of water and stare at each other.

"You want to go look at wedding dresses? There's a small boutique one street over. They have wedding, prom, and bridesmaid dresses. That sort of thing."

"I'll think about it," she says.

Our food is dropped off a minute later and we both dig in. I know I need to talk to the guys at Mountain Rescue and figure out a plan. I think things are going well between us, but I only have a few days to prove that getting married for real is a good idea, tell her about shifters and fated mates, and convince her that we're meant to be. That's a lot to cover in not a lot of time.

We finish eating and I pay the bill, much to Morgan's annoyance.

"I should have paid. You're doing me a favor," she grumbles as we head back to my truck.

"I wanted to take you out. It's almost like a date, like the one you still owe me for the ski lessons," I tell her, and she tries to hide her smile.

"What ski lessons?" She asks, and I grin.

"The ones that I'll give you whenever you're ready."

"So, dinner tonight?" She asks as I slide behind the wheel.

"Yes. I'll pick you up at six?"

"That works."

We make the short drive over to City Hall and hurry inside. I can see Morgan looking around for any sign of her parents as we make our way over to the county clerk office.

We stand in line, waiting for our turn, and I check in with my bear. He's been quiet since we picked up Morgan. I think it's because he's happy that we have our mate near us.

We step up to the counter and then sign the forms. I pay the fee, and Morgan glares at me playfully.

"Come on."

I take her hand and pull her out of the City Hall and back to my truck. Her cheeks are red and wind burned as I turn the truck on and aim all the vents her way.

"I don't think I'll be skiing today," she says, shivering.

"I don't blame you. I don't think anyone will be out on the slopes today."

"I don't know how you can live up here," she says, and I tense.

"It's not so bad. You get used to the cold. Buy better winter gear, spend some time inside."

"Maybe."

"Where to now?" I ask her as I pull out of the parking lot.

"Back to the resort, I guess. I need to play nice with my parents for a bit, especially if I'm going to skip out on dinner tonight."

I hate driving her back to them, but I nod, doing as she asks.

She'll be back with us soon enough,I reassure my bear before he can start to argue.

We make small talk on the drive back, and I have to force myself to let her go when we pull up in front of the resort.

"I'll see you in a bit," she says as I open the truck door for her outside of the resort.

"Yep. Six o'clock. I'll pick you up out front," I confirm.

"See you."

She leans up, brushing a kiss against my cheek and I grip the door of my truck tighter so that I don't grab her and drag her against me for a better taste.

Then she's turning and walking into the resort. I watch her go before I hop into my truck and head to the Mountain Rescue Headquarters.

It's time for me to come up with a plan to win my fated mate.