“You don’t have a choice,” Kurt said. Cash opened his mouth to argue, but Kurt stood taller and stared into Cash’s eyes. It was no longer a request. It was an order straight from his Alpha, and as much as Cash wanted to, there would be no way that he could ignore it.
Chapter 4
Lani
Lani rolled over and wrapped her arm around Michael’s chest. She nuzzled her face against his skin and breathed in his scent. With a smile, she slowly lifted her face to his. She pressed her lips to his cheek and whispered in his ear.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she said.
Michael’s eyes opened and found Lani’s. He smiled sleepily and pulled her in for a kiss. They kissed passionately for a few minutes before Michael pulled away. He sat up quickly.
“Where are you going?” Lani asked as Michael climbed out of bed.
“Shower,” he said. “I’ll be late for work if I don’t hurry.”
“So be late,” Lani grinned mischievously. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I wish I could, baby,” Michael said. “You know I can’t.”
“I know, I know,” Lani said. “Go on.”
Michael leaned down and kissed her one more time before he disappeared into the bathroom. Lani rolled over and grinned into her pillow. After dating one bad guy after another, she was so happy to be with someone great. Michael was sweet and honest. He had an excellent job, and he made sure he called her throughout the day. Lani was happier than she’d been in years.
The shower turned on, and Lani could hear Michael climb inside. She thought about joining him, but a loud ringing grabbed her attention. Lani got out of bed and searched for her phone. She found what she thought was it lying under Michael’s shirt.
“Hello?” Lani said as she put the phone to her ear.
“Um…” A woman’s voice answered. “Hi, who is this?”
“This is Alani,” Lani said. “May I ask who’s calling?”
“I’m looking for Michael,” the woman said. Her voice was short. Lani frowned and pulled the phone away from her ear. Looking at it, she realized it wasn’t her phone after all. She had accidentally grabbed Michael’s.
“I’m sorry,” Lani said as she put the phone back to her ear. “He’s in the shower right now. Can I take a message? Is this about work?”
“No,” the woman said. “It’s not about work.”
“Okay…” Lani said. “Then, um… Would you like…”
“Just tell him his wife called,” the woman spat. She hung up quickly, leaving Lani staring in shock at her closed bathroom door.
***
Lani shot up in bed covered in sweat. She looked over at her alarm clock and realized it was five o’clock in the morning. She let herself fall back into her pillow, and she let out an audible groan. She hated this nightmare. Lani seemed to have it every couple of weeks. What made the nightmare even worse, was that it was all entirely accurate. Lani brought her hands up to her temples and slowly started to massage them. She couldn’t believe how stupid and naïve she was. Lani closed her eyes as her mind wandered and her memories of taking the job at Bear Ridge Resort filled her thoughts.
After receiving that phone call, Lani immediately left, and she has never once looked back. When she got back to her apartment, she started to pack her things because she knew that she needed to get out there. She desperately needed a change a scenery to help force herself out of this horrible funk she had fallen into when it came to guys. No matter what, she always ended up with someone that was completely wrong for her, and she never realized it, until it was too late.
Lani’s luck changed as she turned on the television while packing and heard a commercial that Bear Ridge Resort was hiring. With no other options or ideas on how to get herself out of Chicago, Lani decided to submit an application. She heard back within a few hours and booked herself a plan ticket.
Bear Ridge Resort was bathed in sunlight when Lani first stepped off the plane. She looked around and saw palm trees and blue skies stretching in every direction. Without seeing it, Lani knew the ocean was close. She could smell the salt water in the air. She smiled as she walked across the tarmac and into the airport.
Lani wasted no time getting her bags and finding her room. The island was small. Tiny compared to Chicago, Illinois. Lani grew up in Chicago and lived there her entire life. It wasn’t until she broke up with her married ex-boyfriend that she realized she needed a change. After finding an ad online looking for an experienced bartender, Lani jumped on a plane and flew to Bear Ridge without a second thought.
Her first day on the island was spent exploring. She was set to interview at the bar later in the evening, and she wanted to check out the sights before. Lani found waterfalls and mountains. She took pictures of everything she saw. It had been years since she last ventured outside of Chicago and she’d never gone as far as Bear Ridge, which was somewhere in the Pacific. It was a whole different world there. Lani fell in love with her surroundings immediately. The island was so small that she could hike around the entire thing before heading back to the hotel. She had a quick lunch and went up to her room.
Lani had dressed quickly for her interview. She chose a simple outfit that highlighted her curves. As much as she detested using her body to get a job, she loved the way her body looked in that outfit. She pulled her long, brown hair into a ponytail and added a touch of makeup to her face. Her green eyes were slightly red from exhaustion, but she felt confident all the same. She smiled at herself in the mirror and hurried downstairs. Butterflies filled her stomach as she entered the lobby. She needed to land this job because there was absolutely nothing waiting for her back in Chicago.
Lani walked up to the bar and looked around for someone in charge. She was supposed to meet with Bryce, the manager.
“Alani?” a voice said behind her. Lani turned around and smiled.
“Hi,” she said. She extended her hand. “You must be Bryce?”
“Yes,” Bryce nodded. “That’s me.”’
“It’s nice to meet you,” Lani said. “And you can call me Lani.”
“But Alani is such a beautiful name,” Bryce said playfully. Lani’s smiled faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. Alani was her full name, given to her by her father that had Hawaiian heritage. Since he passed away when she was younger, she never liked anyone to call her by her full name. It hurt her too much to hear because memories of her father would come flooding back.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Well,” Bryce said. “Shall we sit?”
“Sure,” Lani said.
Bryce led the way over to a group of tables and gestured for Lani to sit down. The interview was quick and painless. It seemed that Lani had the job before she even arrived on the island. When Bryce told her about the pay and benefits, her excitement peaked.
“That all sounds amazing,” Lani said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Within a week, Lani was in a rhythm at the resort. She worked most days and almost every night. She made great tips and spent her free days running around the island.
Lani turned her body towards her nightstand and glanced at the clock again. It was only five thirty in the morning. Lani rolled back over onto her back and let out a long sigh. She hated when her mind would race and not allow her to fall back asleep after one of her nightmares. She shut her eyes again hoping to magically fall back asleep however her mind continued to race.
The clientele at Bear Ridge wasn’t what Lani expected. She knew about the bear shifters, of course, everyone did, but she’d never met one before. In her mind, she thought that they would be human, but with unnerving animalistic mannerisms. She couldn’t have been more wrong.
The men at Bear Ridge were just like every other man she’d met back home. They looked and acted human. All of them were unbelievably good looking. She wasn’t sure if that was trait of being a bear shifter, but she was sure as hell not going to complain about the eye candy she got to watch day
in and day out. They flirted with women, and they drank a lot of beer. They were completely, and utterly ordinary. After several weeks of working at the resort, Lani never once saw a transformation.
“I’m beginning to think it’s all fake,” Lani said to Bryce one night. They were washing the bar glasses at the end of the evening and getting things ready for the morning shift.
“What’s that?” Bryce asked.
“The bear shifters,” Lani explained. “This whole resort was made for them, right? So, they could find their mates?”
“Right,” Bryce nodded.
“But I haven’t seen anyone change,” Lani said. “I thought I would see… something. Some sign that they weren’t fully human.”
“Do you want to?” Bryce asked. His voice was tight, and Lani wondered if something happened to Bryce before.
“Well no,” Lani laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. “I guess not. It’s just strange. They all seem so human.”
“They aren’t, Alani,” Bryce snapped. “You need to remember that.”
“What?” Lani asked. She took a step back and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You read the rules when you were hired,” Bryce reminded her. “You can’t fraternize with the guests.”
“Fraternize?” Lani laughed. Who said anything about fraternizing with any of them?
“You know what I mean.” Bryce’s voice was firm. Almost angry. “They may look and act human, but they aren’t. They’re dangerous. Serve them and be friendly, but stay away from them.”
“I’m not interested in dating them,” Lani assured him. “I’m not interested in dating anyone. I was just curious. I mean, aren’t you?”
“I’ve worked here long enough that my curiosity is gone,” Bryce shrugged. He calmed down quickly once Lani said she wasn’t interested in dating the guests.
Lani noticed Bryce’s change in demeanor and quickly changed the subject. She talked about work and silly things until they finished washing dishes. When they moved to the front of the bar, Lani kept a good amount of distance between herself and Bryce.
Ever since he hired her, Bryce had become slightly territorial of Lani. She tried to ignore it. She told herself he was just a friendly and protective boss, but now she was starting to see that it was more than that. Not a day went by without Lani noticing Bryce’s lingering stares.
Lani shuddered at the thought of Bryce. Maybe it was dealing with his flirtations on constant basis was what was causing her nightmares to happen. When she first started at Bear Ridge, she felt that she could deal with him by just ignoring him. But he always found a way to be alone with her and talk with her.
“So,” Bryce said as Lani wiped down tables. “What did you mean before? About not wanting to date anyone?”
“Just what I said,” Lani shrugged. She felt the back of her neck turn red. This was not a conversation she wanted to have, especially with Bryce. “I’m not looking for anything right now. I didn’t come here to meet anyone. I came here for me.”
“Why is that?” Bryce asked.
“It’s personal,” Lani said. She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice was firm. Bryce looked at her intensely.
“You can tell me,” Bryce pressed. “I mean, we are friends, aren’t we?”
“Sure,” Lani lied. “It’s just private. I haven’t known you for very long. There are some things I don’t want to share.”
“He must have really hurt you,” Bryce said knowingly. Lani tensed.
“Who?” she asked.
“The guy you came here to get away from,” he said. He looked at her with a small smile that made Lani’s stomach churn.
“I didn’t come here to get away from anyone,” Lani snapped. “And no one hurt me. I just don’t want to date right now. Besides, didn’t you just say dating is off limits here?”
“Only between the employees and the guests,” Bryce reminded her.
“Well then, that doesn’t leave very many options,” Lani said. She forced a laugh, but she knew Bryce could tell it was fake. “Unless I want to date Allie.”
Bryce opened his mouth to speak but quickly thought better of it. He turned his attention to the credit card receipts in front of him.
“I’m all done here,” Lani said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Alani.”
Lani waved and hurried out of the bar. She couldn’t wait to disappear into her room. Her shoulders tightened as she felt Bryce’s eyes on her the whole way out of the bar.
Lani slapped her arms down in frustration on the bed. There was no way she was going to fall back asleep now that her mind was so set on thinking about Bryce. Lani pushed herself up out of bed and decided to go and explore more of the island.
Chapter 5
Cash
Cash sat on the plane watching the clouds skirt past. He stared out the window, trying not to think about Bear Ridge Resort. The resort was the last place Cash wanted to go. As adamant as Kurt was that Cash finds a mate, Cash didn’t believe a resort was the place to do it. He didn’t say it, but he felt confident his true mate wouldn’t be on a tropical island. Cash was more lumberjack than tropical.
Still, Kurt was the Alpha, and his word was law. Cash didn’t have a choice. He boarded the plane that morning along with six other clan members. Together, they headed for Bear Ridge. When the guys caught wind of the fact that Cash was going, plenty of them wanted to join. The effects of needing a mate weren’t as strong for the other clan members. However, they still felt them. A few of them jumped at the chance to find their mate and be rid of the effects once and for all.
“We’re here,” Jackson, one of the guys, said as the plane touched down on the tarmac.
“Damn, this place is beautiful,” Zander commented. He was straining his neck to look out the window.
“You can barely see anything,” Cash grumbled. He rolled his eyes. The plane ride just ended, and he was already ready to go home.
“I can see enough,” Zander argued. “The sky is so damn blue.”
“It’s blue at home, too,” Asher said. “Look at those mountains, though!”
“We have mountains in Colorado,” Cash mumbled, but no one heard him. The guys were too excited. They all grabbed their bags and got off the plane quickly. Cash took his time. He reached up and pulled his suitcase down without much enthusiasm. The flight attendants waited for him to amble down the aisle. They smiled at him brightly and thanked him for flying with them. Cash nodded and tried to force a smile. The flight attendants’ faces fell slightly, and Cash could tell his smile looked more than a scowl.
“What should we do first?” Jackson asked once Cash’s feet hit the ground.
“Whatever you want,” Cash said. “I’m not here to babysit you.”
“You should change before you do anything,” Zander said with a laugh and gestured to Cash’s outfit.
“What?” Cash asked. He glanced down at his attire with a frown. He was wearing a red and black flannel button up top and jeans.
“Flannel?” Zander asked. “We’re on an island, man.”
“Whatever,” Cash said and rolled his eyes. He wasn’t about to change the way he dressed just because he was on vacation. “I’m going to check into my room. You guys do whatever you want.”
Without another word, Cash worked his way through the airport. He stepped back outside onto a street that led right to the front of the resort. There were palm trees everywhere, and while he wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, he did think that they were beautiful. The sun was scorching as Cash walked down the street towards the hotel. It wasn’t long before the back of his neck was sweating. Not for the first time, Cash wondered why a resort for bear shifters would be on a tropical island. Their body temperatures were naturally higher than normal humans, which made them get hot quicker. He wished they could have built the resort somewhere in Canada. With shade. And snow.
“Hello!” the receptionist said as Cash walked up to the check-in counter. “Welcome t
o Bear Ridge Resort! We’re excited to have you here.”
“Thanks,” Cash mumbled. “Name’s under Andrews. Cash Andrews.”
“Mr. Andrews,” the receptionist said. “Yup. I got you right here. You’ll be in room 402. It has a great view of the island!”
“Sounds just wonderful,” Cash said. He hoped the sarcasm wasn’t too obvious in his voice.
“Enjoy your stay.” The receptionist handed him his key. “Just let us know if there is anything we can do to make you more comfortable.”
“I’ll do that,” Cash said. He took the key and picked up his suitcase. With a deep sigh, he made his way over to the elevators and pressed the button. He stood back and waited for the doors to open. When they finally did, there was a couple inside. The man had his back to Cash. His hands were around the woman’s waist, and he was kissing her fiercely. Her body pressed against the back of the elevator. She had one leg hiked up around the man’s waist, and slight moans were coming out of her mouth. Cash’s mouth fell open in surprise.
He waited a few seconds for the couple to come to their senses. Surely, they would notice that the elevator doors had opened. When it became apparent that they hadn’t, Cash stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly. Even in his human form, Cash’s voice was low and sounded like a growl. The woman jumped at the sound and pushed the man away from her. She blushed and hurried out of the elevator. The man took his time, stopping to grin at Cash as he passed.
Cash rolled his eyes and stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited for the doors to close. Just before they did, a young woman stepped inside. She smiled politely at Cash before pressing the button for the sixth floor. Her hair was strawberry blonde, and it fell down her back. Cash watched the elevator lights reflect off it as the doors finally closed. The elevator began to rise, and Cash considered saying something to the woman.
Furever Always (Furever Series) Page 10