Page 2 of Saved By the Grizzly Bear

It feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach and all of the air has left my lungs.

“My wedding,” I shriek, and they both shush me.

“Yes, now that you’ve finished school, it’s time to settle down.”

“I’m twenty-one,” I say, and then laugh.

I’m not sure where that thought came from. I mean, how ridiculous to force marriage onto your daughter as if she’s an old maid.

Suddenly, this trip to the middle of nowhere, Alaska, makes sense. I’m trapped here and they know that. This is their way of ensuring that I go through with the wedding. Back in California, I have resources. I have friends that would let me stay with them. I have money socked away there. I could have left and gotten away. Here, though, I’m trapped. They paid for this trip. I doubt that I could afford the return flight.

Besides, if I try to leave, I know that my parents will threaten to pull the funding for Susan’s nursing home. She was my nanny growing up, and now that she’s too old to work, my parents have been funding her care. I know they only did it to look good and charitable for their friends, but I still appreciated it. If I run away, then what will happen to Susan?

I start to panic. I’m not marrying Randolph, that’s for damn sure. So, what can I do?

“Go get cleaned up,” my mom orders, and I nod, heading to my room next door in a daze.

The door closes behind me and I lean against it, trying not to let the panic swallow me whole. I can feel the hysteria building up inside of me and I take a few deep breaths, but it doesn’t help.

I can’t leave. I only have a few hundred dollars on me, and I know it would cost at least that much to get back to the airport. I could try to get a new credit card, but it would take me a week just to get the actual card, and I need to be out of here before then. All of my friends are recent college graduates who are just as broke as I am, so I know they won’t be able to help me out either.

So, what can I do? How can I get out of this?

An idea starts to form in my head and I laugh as I think about it more.

If it’s a wedding that they want, then that’s what I’ll do.

Now, I just need to find myself a groom.

TWO

Alec

“Alec, you’ve got the ski resort today,” Niko tells me, and I nod, already pulling my jacket back on.

Niko continues to give out orders, and the other guys start to get ready to head out too. I met everyone who works for the Aspen Ridge Mountain Rescue when we were in the military together. I’m the only Marine out of the bunch and I was the last one to join the team here. I’m also the last of the guys to find their fated mate.

I listen in as Flint and Ash talk about their plans for tonight with their mates and I swallow down my jealousy. My bear paws at me and I try to ignore him. I already know what he wants. I want the same thing.

Our mate.

I was in the Marines for only four years before I got out. I had watched too many of my friends be injured or killed and I knew that I needed to get out while I still could. When Niko called and offered me the job here, I jumped at it, especially when I found out about my friends also joining. All of us were close when we were deployed, probably because we were the only shifters at that base. We’ve only grown closer since we all started working and living here in this small town.

I’ve been here for about six months now and I’m making Aspen Ridge and the pack here my home. The only thing missing is my fated mate.

We all head out, and I hop on my snowmobile and take off down the path towards the ski resort. It’s not far and I park my snowmobile out back at the resort and head in to talk to management.

A loud gasp catches my attention and I turn as someone comes barreling my way on skis. I reach out, catching the woman before they can plow over me. I react, lifting them up, off the skis and stopping their momentum.

“I’m so sorry!” The girl says right away, and I set her back down.

“No harm,” I tell her.

She reaches up, pulling down her scarf and panting.

“You saved me! It’s my first time skiing and I probably should have started on an easier hill. I was just desperate to get away from my family and…”

She’s still talking, but all I can think is mate. I’ve just found my fated mate. My bear is going crazy inside of me, screaming at me to claim her, and I look around, noting all of the witnesses.

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