Chapter 6

Alec

We should have made plans with her,my bear snarls at me for the millionth time since we dropped Morgan back off at the Ski Resort.

He's been so anxious since last night and I can't blame him. I'm nervous about our mate being alone with her parents and that Randolph prick too. I had let him out to run last night, hoping to burn off some energy, but it hadn't really worked. We ended up running over to the resort and watching it for a while before we ran back home.

We should call her,my bear says, prowling back and forth inside of me.

We're on duty,I remind him.

"Alec? You with us, man?" Niko asks, and I blink.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"You want the resort again today?" He asks, and I nod.

"Yeah, that would be great."

"Go get your girl," he says, and I feel relieved as I hurry out to my snowmobile and take off.

I park in my usual spot behind the building and hurry to check in with the front desk.

"Any calls?" I ask distractedly.

"No, not yet. We had a few guests say they wanted to check out the North Pine trail. You might want to check it out."

"Got it," I say.

I scan the lobby as I head back outside, but don't see Morgan anywhere. I hope she's up in her room or out on the slopes. Anywhere but with her parents and their friend.

I head over to my snowmobile, and that's when we smell her. I look up sharply and spot Morgan trudging across the parking lot.

"Morgan!" I call, and she smiles when she spots me.

"Hey! Are you on patrol here again?"

"Yeah, I just started my shift," I tell her. "What are you doing?"

"Avoiding my parents."

"Ah. Well, want to come with me on my shift? I'm headed up to check out some trails and then the slopes. I might be able to squeeze in that ski lesson that I owe you."

"Alright," she says in a hurry, and I wonder if something else happened this morning to have her so upset.

I climb onto the snowmobile and offer her my hand to climb on after me. She wraps her arms around my waist, and my bear sighs. We're at peace for the first time in the last eighteen hours.

"Hold on!" I call to her before I start the snowmobile and take off toward the North Pine trail.

I drive slower than I would normally and scan the trail. We pass a few tourists, but no one needs help on that trail. I take another path, traveling further up the mountain. A few people stop us to ask for directions, but no one needs any other assistance.

It's nice to just be with Morgan like this. I can feel her anxiety and stress melt away as we explore the different trails. I'm just happy that I could help her in some small way. Just happy to be around her.

"Did you want to hit the slopes? I can probably sneak in a quick lesson before I have to get back to work," I offer.

"No, I'm too tired today," she says. "Can we just keep driving around?"

"Sure. I'm going to head back to Headquarters to check in really quick. Did you want to come with me, or can Idrop you off somewhere?"

"I'll go with you."

I nod, and we take off towards the Mountain Rescue Headquarters. The trip is over quickly, and I help my mate off the snowmobile before we head in.

"Lunch time!" Davis calls as he carries a few pizzas in from his truck.

"Need a hand?" I ask him, and he nods, passing me a few boxes.

"Hey there," he says to Morgan, and I smile.

"Morgan, this is Davis. Davis, Morgan."

"It's nice to finally meet you. This one has been talking about you for the last few days," Davis tells Morgan.

I see Morgan duck her head, trying to hide her blush, and I grin.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to the other guys."

We head inside, and I set the pizzas down and then wrap my arm around Morgan's waist, tugging her into my side.

"Guys, this is Morgan. Morgan, this is Niko, Gunner, Ash, and Flint."

"It's nice to meet you," she says, and they all nod, giving her friendly smiles.

"Sit down and eat. We all have to be back on shift soon!" Niko says, and we do as he orders.

"You guys were all in the military too?" Morgan asks as I grab her a few slices of pizza and pass her the plate.

"Yeah. Niko, Gunner, and I were Army, Flint and Ash were Air Force, and Alec here was a Marine. We met a few times when we were stationed overseas together," Davis explains.

"It's cool that you all still get to work together," Morgan says as we all dig in.

The guys ask Morgan about herself, and I eagerly listen to the answers. I notice that she glosses over her family, and I know that I need to remember to ask her what happened this morning to have her looking so glum.

We finish eating and the other guys all get ready to head back to their shifts.

"Ready to go?" I ask Morgan, and she nods.

"It was nice to meet all of you!" She calls.

"You too!" The guys yell.

"We'll see you later. I'm sure that Elle will want to invite you guys over for dinner soon," Niko says as we head out.

We drive back to the ski resort, and I park behind the building and help her off.

"What's your plan for the rest of tonight?" I ask her, and she shrugs. "Hey, what's wrong?"

I pull her into my arms, and she rests her forehead against my chest.

"It's been a long day," she admits. "My parents made me go into town to file for the marriage license this morning."

"But—" I start, and she looks up at me.

"I wrote the wrong birth date and social security number down. It won't be approved," she assures me.

"Why don't you go inside and order room service? Or I'll book you some spa services. The place here is supposed to be great," I assure her, and she gives me a small smile.

"That sounds great, but I'm sure they're booked. I think I'll order the room service, though, and maybe just read a book tonight."

"That sounds good. Try to relax," I encourage her. "I'll see if I can book you for the spa tomorrow. It will help you avoid your parents and get you all relaxed for our wedding the next day."

She grins and wraps her arms around me.

"I wish we were together for real," she whispers, but I hear her.

My bear roars in victory inside of me, and I want to tell her that this is real to me, but then I remember that I still need to tell her about shifters and fated mates.

"Go to the spa tomorrow and then have dinner with me. We should talk before our big day," I tell her, and she nods.

"Okay."

"I'll text you."

She nods, and I lean down, brushing a kiss against her cheek. I hesitate, and Morgan turns her head, our eyes locking before hers drop to my lips. I can't resist and I close the distance between us, sealing her mouth with mine.

Her grip on me tightens, and I reach up, cupping her face as I deepen the kiss.

Bite her!My bear yells at me, and I ignore him.

Not yet. The full moon is in two days. She'll be ours then.

Some kids scream nearby, and Morgan jumps in my hold, pulling back.

"I should go in," she says reluctantly, and I nod, licking the taste of her off my lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

She waves as she heads into the resort, and I head in the other exit and go to the spa. I have to pull a few strings, but I manage to get Morgan in for a full spa day tomorrow. I text her the details as I head back to the snowmobile.

Morgan: Thank you so much! You're the best. I don't deserve you.

Alec: You deserve the best of everything. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. I'll see you tomorrow.

I hop backon my snowmobile and get back to work, but all I can think about is the talk I need to have with my mate tomorrow.

It's time for me to lay everything out for her. She deserves to know the truth before we tie the knot.