Unbearable Arms (The Grizzly Next Door 4)

by Aya Morningstar

  “Sure thing,” he said, looking up and down her body. “As long as you wear that dress.”

  The restaurant was famous for their desserts, but the main courses blew her away. She had a king salmon shipped in fresh from Alaska, and Asher had something that Violet couldn’t even pronounce.

  “So tell me again about these chocolate balls,” she said.

  “You’ve gotta see it,” he said. “If I describe it, it won’t be as cool when you see it.”

  She was stuffed and hadn’t saved room for dessert, but that wasn’t going to stop her.

  The waiter brought over two plates, each topped with a white sphere.

  “That’s it?” Violet said. “I thought—”

  “Shh!” Asher said “Patience!”

  The waiter nodded and then lifted a small, spouted container above the sphere. The sphere itself looked like white chocolate.

  The waiter poured heated chocolate—regular dark-colored chocolate—over Asher’s sphere in a cross-hatching pattern. The chocolate formed lines all along the sphere, and then it began melting through, cutting open the sphere.

  Suddenly Asher’s sphere fell open like a blooming flower, and inside were two scoops of ice cream topped with fresh fruit.

  “Woah!” Violet said. “That’s amazing.”

  “Wait till you see yours,” he said, and then nodded to the waiter.

  Violet watched, transfixed. Even though she knew exactly what was going to happen after watching Asher’s, she was no less excited to see it again.

  The waiter poured the chocolate over, and it melted through and began to pop open.

  There was no ice cream or fruit inside. There was just a big, glimmering diamond ring in the center.

  She looked over at Asher with wide eyes and saw that he was kneeling down on the ground.

  “Violet,” he said, “will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” she shouted, and she bent down to hug him.

  She heard the other guests in the restaurant clapping and whistling as she held him tight. Her big bear, her mate.

  EPILOGUE

  “Dad!” Bastian said. “Why did the talking bear in the movie never shift?”

  They were walking from the theater to the parking lot. Violet had her arm around Asher, and he held her tightly, protecting her and their unborn child—Bastian’s future sister—from the cold.

  “You’ve got to make sure you don’t tell your friends at school that—”

  “I know, Mom! I know! I know I can’t tell anyone...except for Uncle Laurence, Uncle David, Aunt Lina—”

  “They signed NDAs,” Asher said, winking at Violet.

  “But why didn’t the bear shift! You designed it, didn’t you dad?”

  It was the first character design Asher had done that had made it into a movie. He had been so excited that it was a kids’ movie and not some horror flick that Bastian couldn’t see, but now Bastian didn’t understand why the bear didn’t shift.

  “The character is a talking bear,” Asher said, “not a shifter. He doesn’t have a human form.”

  “So it’s like if the bear in my head got out of me somehow and lived on its own?”

  “Um,” Asher stammered as Violet laughed. They were both thinking of what Asher’s bear would do if it were on its own. “Yeah, Basti. Something like that.”

  “Can we go to the museum again next weekend?” Bastian asked.

  ***

  “It’s good that he likes to go to the museum,” Asher said. “He looks up to you.”

  “I know,” Violet said. “And it really warms my heart...but it’s like going to work on the weekend!”

  “Would you rather he be an archeologist or a Navy SEAL?” Asher asked.

  “Okay,” she said, “point taken.”

  CHAPTER 31

  ALEX

  “You’re a badass fucking dragon,” Alex said to himself, clutching the steering wheel. “A badass fucking dragon...in a rental car.”

  He could fly, yes, but revealing he was a dragon probably wasn’t in the cards for the first date. Though he had to wonder, when was the right time to let that out? Too early and she might run away forever, and too late and she’d wonder why he’d kept a secret from her.

  He’d been talking to Lana on Facebook for weeks now, and things had heated up quickly—or had heated up as much as things could heat up through a computer screen.

  They both had seemed to think it was a bit weird doing the whole internet dating thing, and for some reason rushing their first meeting felt like something that wasn’t acceptable. But Alex had felt such a strong connection, and he could tell Lana felt the same, so to hell with convention: They’d meet each other in real life after only a few weeks.

  She lived across the country, but Alex could fly.

  They were meeting at a coffee shop, which felt like a good first-date-from-the-internet location. Since they’d known each other in school—even if it was almost twenty years ago—it wasn’t technically from the internet, was it?

  He walked toward the restaurant—he was like twenty minutes early—but figured it would be better if he was there first. He decided not to ask the host for a table yet, as he didn’t want Lana to know he’d been waiting long.

  He walked inside and she was there, in the flesh. She was wearing a plaid skirt and a yellow blouse that hugged her full curves. She hadn’t even noticed him yet, so he drank her in and stood up straighter.

  Finally she looked up at him, and her eyes widened, and then she smiled.

  He smiled back, feeling a rush of heat expand in his chest.

  The flight was worth it, his dragon said. When do we mate?

  More from Aya Morningstar

  Buy or read FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

  Click here to read a free preview, or just turn the page three times, it's already inside this book!

  Ren has no future…

  Curvy Ren Vogelsang is best friends with ex-MMA fighter Cage Castor’s sister. She hates her job, and she hates Cage for running away, but when he rescues Ren from a mugger, she starts to wonder if the sexy shifter isn't all bad.

  Cage is on the run from his past…

  Cage Castor’s sister is in a wheelchair--all because he refused to throw a fight. But now his archrival Malachai Metzer is back, and so is Cage. He doesn't know if he can resist getting close to Ren, but her curves are calling out to him, and his inner bear is hungry for a mate.

  They’ll have to fight to be together…

  Malachai Metzer is out for blood, and he pulls Cage back into the ring. To keep his loved ones safe, Cage must claw his way through his opponents. Can Cage defeat his archrival while earning Ren’s forgiveness?

  A sizzling paranormal romance packed with action, humor, a HEA, and no cliffhanger!

  Click HERE to receive notifications when new books are officially released on Amazon, or HERE to receive Advanced Review Copies. I'm very much in need of people who are willing to read the books early and leave reviews on release, so if you think you'd be interested, please don't hesitate to sign up.

  About the Author

  Aya Morningstar lives in Denver, where she toils her days way in a drab office.

  By night, Aya brings to life sizzling characters who will make you squirm.

  She writes with a hot cup of early grey and her loyal werecorgi by her side.

  CHAPTER 1

  CAGE

  Zane, Cage’s new boss, eyed him up and down. “Usually the first thing I ask a new bouncer is whether they think they can handle a guy who’s bigger than they are.”

  Zane was no small man, but Cage towered over him, and his shoulders were at least twice as wide.

  Zane pressed a finger into Cage’s abs. “Damn, all muscle too. I think what I’ve gotta ask you is whether you ain’t gonna tear apart a guy who’s smaller than you—which is pretty much everyone.”

  “Don’t worry,” Cage said, “I don’t like fighting. Last resort for me.”

  Zane grunted, as if he dou
bted the truth of that. “Well, just follow the rules and you’ll do fine here. No drinking on the job, and try not to look at the girls too much. Part of your job is to limit the number of guys we let in—we don’t want it turning into a sausage fest. It’s all for nothing if the customers feel they’re competing with the bouncer.”

  Cage nodded. He wouldn’t be interested in the women that came here. Rail-thin girls plastered in makeup and propped up on three-inch heels. He wanted a girl with more meat on her bones. He’d even had one in mind, long ago, but after everything that had happened, he no longer deserved her.

  ***

  Cage stood in front of the door. The music boomed behind him even through the thick door, and at least thirty people were lined up outside. Despite the cold, the women were wrapped in tight and tiny dresses that left nothing to the imagination. Luckily for them, Cage could let almost all of them in with little to no wait. The men, on the other hand, weren’t so lucky.

  One of the men closest to the door had on a white coat with a faux-fur collar, and it was two sizes too big for him. It looked like it was swallowing him.

  Fake fur? Cage’s inner bear said. Does he wish he could shift? Or do human women just love fur? We’ll show them real fur!

  The man sauntered up to the door, not even making eye contact with Cage. He adjusted his flat-billed hat so that it was properly crooked and then looked up—way up—at Cage. “Hey? Gonna let me and my boys in?”

  His boys were like a flock of peacocks, all in too-large coats with hats tilted at slightly different angles.

  “No,” Cage said.

  “Fine,” the man said. “I’ll let myself in.” He grabbed hold of the door handle, but Cage took one step in front.

  “Back up,” Cage said.

  The group of men all flashed each other doubtful looks. One said, “Jessie, let’s bounce. This place is shit anyway.”

  “No,” Jessie said. “You seen all the hot bitches going in there? Dumbfuck here’s just cockblocking us.”

  Who is dumbfuck? Cage’s bear asked. Not us, right?

  Jessie could call him whatever he wanted. Cage wasn’t going to move. One nice thing about being so big was that you rarely needed to do anything but stand there and look menacing.

  Jessie took a step closer to Cage, which only made it more obvious to everyone how much bigger Cage was.

  “Yo, man, we’ve been waiting for like an hour. What the hell? You’re new, right? Our boy, Jay, he always lets us in.”

  “Jay got fired,” Cage said, “for not keeping guys like you out. Now I work here. Step back.”

  Jessie stuck out his bottom lip—was that supposed to look tough?—and looked up at Cage.

  Jessie made a move as if he were going to punch, but Cage knew it was a feint. Eight years as an MMA fighter made it easy to know a real punch from a fake. Cage didn’t even blink, and Jessie cocked his head and mumbled something as his fist dropped.

  “Yo, Jessie,” one of his buddies said, “let’s just wait. Maybe we can get in later.”

  “Nah,” Jessie said. “This place is shit, you’re right. Let’s roll.”

  The other men muttered their agreement, adjusted their coats, and walked down the street behind Jessie.

  “This is why we came home?” his bear asked.

  Cage shook his head. This was just to pay the bills. He was home for one reason, and he’d have to get it over with sooner rather than later.

  CHAPTER 2

  REN

  Andrea appeared at the entrance to Ren’s cubicle. Andrea was rail thin and jittery, reminding Ren of a nervous bird. Her bracelets—weighed down with dozens of charms—clinked and clattered as she walked.

  “Ren,” Andrea said, “I was looking at your hours and sales from last week and noticed an itsy-bitsy problem. It looks like you only had twelve sales on Friday, but you entered twenty-eight.”

  “Yeah,” Ren said, “because I made sixteen sales on Saturday when I covered for you.”

  Andrea pursed her lips and fidgeted. “Ah, well, thank you for covering for me...but you know you can’t take credit for those sales. I can’t enter that I worked on Saturday but didn’t make any sales, now can I?”

  You didn’t make any sales, Ren thought. I covered your skinny ass for the time, but they are my sales.

  “What do you want me to do then?” Ren asked. “Just give you my sales?”

  Andrea cocked her head and said, “You wouldn’t just give them to me,” Andrea said. “See, when I cover for you, I’d give you any sales I make. That way it’s fair, yeah?”

  “So,” Ren said, “can you cover for me next weekend then? I’m scheduled for Saturday.”

  Andrea frowned. “Come now, Ren, you know I’m busy with my family. I have two kids. Do you really think it’s fair to ask me to work on the weekend? You’re single, so that’s why I scheduled you to work on Saturday.”

  Ren felt anger burning hot in her chest, but she was afraid to say anything. Andrea was her boss, and she was petty. If Ren just worked this Saturday, she could at least take commission for the sales she made. And maybe—just maybe—Andrea wouldn’t ask her to cover for her again, for a while at least. Ren forced her anger down and nodded.

  “You know, Ren,” Andrea said, “I can probably get you a discount at my gym, or I can send you some articles you may be interested in.”

  “What articles?” Ren asked, anger leaking into her voice.

  “Ah,” she said, “just some, erm, recipes.”

  “No, thank you, Andrea,” Ren said.

  “It’s just that,” Andrea started, “I don’t want you to be single...and if you take care of yourself better you can—”

  “Thank you, Andrea! I’ll fix my sales numbers.”

  Andrea licked and bit at her lips and seemed about to scold Ren further about her weight, but she finally shut her mouth and pressed her thin lips together. She nodded and walked out.

  Ren could hear her jangling away through the cubicle wall.

  “One day,” Ren said in a low whisper, “I’m going to stop taking her shit.”

  CHAPTER 3

  CAGE

  Cage stood at the door with the copy of the will clasped in his hands. He wanted to get this over with, but still, in the back of his mind, he hoped his sister wouldn’t be home.

  He knocked.

  He listened for footsteps and then realized—guilt surging through him—that he wouldn’t hear any.

  The knob turned and the door opened up. Lisa was home. Dammit.

  She smiled up at him from her wheelchair. “Cage!”

  She reached out to hug him, and he was forced to bend down and hug her. Her body felt so frail in his hands, and as good as it felt to hug his sister, he cut it short. He didn’t deserve it.

  “I didn’t think you’d come,” she said. “I’m making tea though. Come in! I’ll get you a cup.”

  She wheeled herself down the narrow hallway toward the kitchen. It was too small. Everything was too small. The wheels of her chair were nearly touching the walls, and the kitchen was so small she could barely rotate. The tea kettle steamed and whistled, and Lisa reached up to grab it.

  Cage took hold of it and shut off the stove. Nothing in this place was designed to accommodate her. He had to get her out of here, and he would. He pulled out the will.

  “Ah,” Lisa said, “I figured that was it. You want green tea or Earl Grey?”

  “I’m not here for tea,” Cage said, slapping the will down on the table.

  “Right,” Lisa said. “Straight to business.”

  “This place is shit, Lisa. You can’t even reach the stove.”

  “I make do,” she said, pouring him a cup of tea.

  She slid him the cup, and he rolled his eyes but fiddled with the bag as it steeped just to give him something to do with his hands.

  “So how long have you been back in town?” Lisa asked.

  “Three weeks.”

  Lisa scoffed. “This isn’t what Dead meant, you re
alize?”

  “The will says we get the house if I move back into town. It doesn’t say I have to live in the house. I checked with a lawyer and everything. I live in town now, so we get the house.”

  Cage pulled out another paper and put it down next to the will. “And my lawyer has drafted this up. Just sign where it’s highlighted and the house is all yours.”

  “How long do you have to stay in town?” Lisa asked.

  “Sixty days after closing,” he said.

  She took a sip of her tea and then said, “Of course you figured that out. And if I sign this, I’m sure you’ll be gone again on day sixty-one. So I won’t sign. If I have to choose between you and the house, I choose you.”

  Cage gritted his teeth.

  See, his bear said, she still loves you! Everything is okay!

  Fucking bear. If only life were that simple.

  “I’m not even your real brother,” Cage said. “Don’t be an idiot. Take the house.”

  “You are my real brother,” she said. “You may be a blond-haired bear, and I may be a brunette human, but we are siblings all the same. Blood doesn’t matter.”

  If only she had been a shifter. She could have healed after the crash.

  “Stop feeling sorry for me, Cage,” she said. “I’m a court recorder, not an Olympic hurdle jumper. It sucks that I’ll never walk again, but I have a good life. I’m lucky to be alive.”

  “I don’t feel sorry for you—”

  “You blame yourself for what happened,” Lisa said, “and if you didn’t feel sorry for me, then you wouldn’t let this eat you up so much. I’d say I forgive you, but I don’t blame you, so there’s nothing to forgive.”

  Cage stood up, stabbed a finger onto the paper, and said, “Lisa, just sign the fucking paper.”

  He started toward the door, and Lisa called to him from the table. “You better tell Ren you’re in town. I haven’t said anything...because I didn’t know if you were going to stick around.”

  Ren. God dammit.

  Six Years Earlier