by Milly Taiden
She glanced at both men. Ash waited for what she had to share with them.
She smiled. “Are you two serious about not knowing what’s happening to the island?”
Ash glanced at his beta, who shrugged and shook his head. In unison, they said, “Yes.”
Isa’s eyes widened. “Your parents didn’t tell you how the island’s magic worked?”
“Island’s magic?” Smoke questioned.
Ash searched his memory banks. “I remember something from a long time ago. Mom said the magic was related to the alpha and beta, and I didn’t have to worry about anything until it was my time.” That conversation came back to him. He was kid at that time and hadn’t paid much attention to the older people, including that conversation. He had been too busy trying to be leader among his friends.
“Anything else?” Isadora prompted.
“Yeah,” Ash said, “there was a lot of that talk when I was a kid.”
Isadora sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, there was.” She shook her head, and Ash heard her mumble something about men and paying attention. “As the story goes, your ancestors fled the European continent during the early medieval times to escape the slaughter of dragons.
“They landed here as the volcano had just erupted, and they needed a place to incubate the eggs about to be born. Of course, at that time, the Caribbean wasn’t the Caribbean we know today. Back then it was only the indigenous groups.” She waved a hand in the air. “You know the rest of that story, but what you’ve forgotten is that your kind has been here so long that your magic has seeped into the ground.”
Smoke’s eyes opened wide. “You mean the island’s taking our powers?”
“Seriously?” Ash wanted to slap Smoke up the back of the head. “No,” Ash grumbled. “It means that our magic has soaked into the island itself, and it’s what is keeping everything so perfect here.” That made complete sense to him. He hadn’t thought about it much, since the whole Caribbean was pretty much ideal in climate and amenities. But Costa Bonita had always been a step better than any other place.
From the corner of his eye, he caught his beta winking at their assistant to make her blush. He held in his sigh. That was typical of his second-in-command. Always trying to make the ladies smile and irritating the hell out of him—on purpose.
“Pardon me, Ash,” Smoke said, putting on an air of royalty. “You are correct. I had forgotten those particulars.”
“Liar.”
Both Isa and his beta laughed at his seriousness. He agreed that sometimes he was over the top when it came to worrying about things. He couldn’t help it. That was a natural thing for an alpha. His father was the same way. Fortunately, his mom—his Dad’s true mate—had been the perfect match to keep him from losing his shit completely.
“So, Isa,” Ash said, “what does that have t to do with anything right now?”
“It means dear boy, the island is tied to the well-being of the clan,” she replied.
Ash glanced at Smoke, wondering if they, or he, was out of touch with his people. No one was sick or dying. Everyone seemed happy and comfortable.
“More specifically,” Isadora continued, “the alpha triad.”
“Us,” both guys said.
“It’s time for you two to find your mate. From what I know, you’re a triad and need a third. Without her, you are not complete, and the magic is suffering.” Isadora wrung her hands together. “And by the way, the magic is losing control over the island’s natural inclinations, you better find her fast.”
Chapter Three
Later that afternoon, Ash couldn’t get the issue out of his mind. “We need a mate,” he sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “If we plan on helping our people survive and keeping the island alive, this takes priority.” Were they a true triad? How would they know? Would their dragons tell them?
He knew he and Smoke were an alpha and beta team but did that extend to everything else? There hadn’t been a trio in hundreds of years. A while back when they had traveled the world they had happily shared women. Once they’d come home, they’d chosen to do their own thing separately.
Smoke nodded grimly from his seat in their office at their resort on Fire Mountain. “I know. I’m sorry, Ash. Things wouldn’t have gotten this bad if I hadn’t been so focused on rebuilding the town after the storm.”
“It’s okay,” Ash shrugged. “I guess we just have to refocus now. Figure out what to do.”
“We’ve had no luck,” Smoke told him, and glanced at his desk. “Some friends told me of a matchmaker.”
Ash raised his brows, curious over what his beta was talking about. “A matchmaker?”
“Yes. Like a paranormal matchmaker. Gerri Wilder. She runs the PDA or Paranormal Dating Agency. She’s got a 100 percent success rate and has found mates for even the hardest of shifters,” Smoke’s voice became enthusiastic as he spoke. “Maybe we should call and give her a try.”
Ash frowned. “I don’t know. I’ve never known any matchmaker that can help in our type of situation. We might be better off doing this ourselves.”
“Yeah, how’s that worked so far?” Smoke met his gaze. “We need help. We have to try. Our people will dwindle if we don’t find our mate.”
Ash growled and slammed a hand on the desk. “Why do we have to be cursed!”
Smoke stood and grabbed him by the arm. “Bro, we’re not cursed. We’ve just been delaying the inevitable.”
“I kept hoping we’d find our mate on our own,” Ash sighed.
Smoke snorted. “We’re not going to find a mate when we’ve stopped traveling the world and meeting people. She’s not suddenly going to appear out of nowhere.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Isadora walked in with a tray of drinks. “Are you boys back to talking numbers again?” She laughed and put the tray down, glancing from one to the other. “I would think finding a mate would be more important. You did understand what I told you earlier, yes?”
“Yes, Isadora. No need to worry,” Smoke told her and marched over to grab a glass of lemonade from her.
“I might not be a shifter,” she told him, “but I’m not stupid. I heard you mention a matchmaker when I was at the door. The girls all over the resort won’t stop talking about how you two need to pick someone already.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “They’re acting like there’s some kind of battle to be with you both.” She fluffed her short, blonde bob. “If I was fifty years younger, they would have serious competition on their hands.”
Ash choked on his drink, and Smoke chuckled loudly.
Ash couldn’t see Isadora as anything but a mom to them. She was the reason they had such a thriving resort in Fire Mountain, Costa Bonita. Without her help, they would have bungled the resort takeover when Ash’s parents decided to travel the world.
“We’ll figure it out, Isadora. No need to worry about it,” Ash said. “Have you heard from your grandson today?”
Isadora shrugged. “He’s not answering my messages, so I’m not sure if he’s made it out of bed yet. He was supposed to be here an hour ago. Hopefully, he calls me back so I know what he’s got planned today.” She gave a sad smile. “I haven’t seen him much since he’s been here.”
Ash hated how Isadora’s kids had treated her throughout the years. They’d distanced themselves from the moment they’d been teenagers and chosen to live with their father’s family instead of their mother. He couldn’t figure it out. He knew Isadora well enough to know she was sweet, with nothing but kindness in her heart. So, to see her family ignore her attempts to have a relationship, made him angry.
Ash hugged Isadora. “It’ll be okay. I’m sure he’s nothing like his parents.” He hoped , but the truth was that Mark had already shown signs of only being interested in what he could get from his grandmother.
She nodded and hugged him back, her small body turning into nothing at his side. She was so fragile it scared him, but he knew better than to say anything. At eight
y, she was still strong enough to argue with them on what she wanted to do with her life and wouldn’t let anyone treat her with kid gloves.
“Thank you, Ash. I’ll see to the staff and make sure everything’s running smoothly.”
“Thank you, Isa.”
He glanced at Smoke once she was gone and sat down. “We’ll figure this out. I think we should go ahead and hire that PR person. Maybe new marketing and promotion of the island will bring new life to the land?”
Smoke nodded. “I think that it’s a good idea. Maybe Isa can help with. I don’t know the first place to look.” He sighed, looking out the door through which their assistant had exited. “She’s amazing, I just hope her grandson realizes that and makes amends.”
Ash frowned. “I don’t know. To be honest, I feel like her family doesn’t realize the gem they have as a matriarch.”
Smoke stood. “That’s their problem, not ours. Let’s talk to her about hiring someone.”
“What about finding our mate?” Ash asked. “Didn’t forget that already did you?”
“Of course not,” Smoke grumbled. “I’m just focused on what we can find easier, I doubt our mate will be easy.”
“Why do you say that?” Ash asked. His parents didn’t have a hard time getting together. “All we need to find are other dragons and ask them to visit. We can do that while the PR guy gets comfortable here. It won’t be too difficult.”
Gerri Wilder frowned and stared at her cell phone, waiting for the call to come in. Finally, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Is this Gerri Wilder?”
“Yes. Who’s calling?” she asked, knowing full well who it was.
“Hello, my name is Isadora Kenlin. I’m calling because I need your help.”
“You do?” Gerri asked with a smile. “Or someone you know does?”
There was silence for a moment. “How did you know? Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Isadora sighed. “My boys Ash and Smoke need your help. They have to find a mate, or they won’t be able to keep their dragon line alive.”
Gerri sighed. “Ash Jonz and Smoke Price?”
“Yes!” Isadora exclaimed. “How did you know?”
Gerri shrugged. “ I knew their parents a long time ago. Tell me, do the boys know you’re calling?”
“No,” Isadora said with exasperation in her voice. “They mentioned your name and then dismissed asking for help. They’re set on finding a mate on their own. But really, that hasn’t worked, and I want them to stay alive and their clan to thrive. I really want grand babies.” There was a small sigh. “My family won’t acknowledge me, they’re the only kids I have left at this point. I want to see them happy.”
“I can understand that, Isadora. What you are doing is very noble. Tell me something,” Gerri said, glancing down at a list of names. “Do you have any job openings at your resort?”
Isadora gasped. “We do!”
“Wonderful. I know just the girl. She’s worked in tourism and would be an asset to your resort. I’ll send you her resume. Look at it and let me know what position you feel she would be best for, and I’ll contact her and send her your way.”
“That’s it?”
“The rest will come all by itself,” Gerri grinned. “Trust me.”
“If you say so,” Isadora said, sounding incredulous. “I really appreciate your time and help with this. These boys need a mate, and I want to see them thrive with a family.”
“They will. You just wait.”
“If you can make it happen that they find their mate, please consider yourself a VIP guest for the rest of your life, and I hope you come to visit us.”
“I may take you up on that,” Gerri told her with a laugh.
Gerri ended the call with Isadora and immediately sent her the email with Valentina Lombardi’s resume. Less than half an hour later, she was ready to call the young woman with some news.
“Hello?” Valentina said, answering her phone.
“Valentina, Hi! It’s Gerri Wilder. We met a few weeks ago at the animal facility on adoption day.”
“Oh, Ms. Wilder! Of course. How are you doing?”
“I’m great. Remember how I told you I would let you know if I heard of any openings to help you get your career going?”
“Yes,” she said, tentatively.
“I’ve just sent you a job offer from a resort in Fire Mountain, Costa Bonita. They’d like to hire you as their Public Relations Vice President.”
“What?” she shrieked. “Are you serious?”
“I’m serious. Read the email and give Isadora Kenlin a call when you can. She’ll do a virtual interview with you, but she’s already sent me an offer which I’ve just forwarded to you. Does that look good?”
There was a moment of silence and then a scream. “Oh my God! This is a joke, right? You’re messing with me, Ms. Wilder. Why would they offer me the PR VP position when I haven’t gone past Guest Relations Manager?”
“You have the drive, education, and experience. Plus, you bring a fresh face to that position. Go forth and develop those skills.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she mumbled.
“Say yes.”
“What? Oh, yes! Yes!”
Gerri laughed. “Not to me. Give Isadora a call. She’s waiting.”
“I’ll call her right now,” she said quickly. “I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this is. Oh my God, I’m shaking. I look like a giant mountain of wiggly jelly.”
Gerri laughed. “Relax Valentina. It’ll all be fine.”
“Oh, Ms. Wilder, remember at the event when I asked you to find me a good man or two?”
Gerri grinned. “I do recall the conversation.”
“Um, I think you should forget I said that. I mean, I was kidding. Plus, It was super inappropriate of me, and you probably don’t have men knocking down doors to be matched to a curvy girl who loves cake way too much.”
“Honey, if I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me. Don’t worry about anything. Just go and do the job. The right men will come your way.”
She gave a short laugh. “Men. You’re hilarious.”
“But, I’m curious, do you not want to find love?”
“Of course I do,” Valentina sighed. “But let’s be real here, if this job pans out, I won’t have time to go on dates any time soon. And what can you do, set me up over there?” She chuckled. “That’s crazy.”
“Right, crazy.”
“Anyway, thank you so much for everything, and I’ll call Ms. Kenlin right now. You don’t know how happy I am.”
“I’m glad this opportunity is just what you were looking for.”
“Thanks so much!”
Gerri hung up and smiled at the setup. Maybe she would check out the resort at Fire Mountain. After all, she hadn’t been to the tropical islands in such a long time. And maybe she would find a few other people who needed her services while there.
Chapter Four
Valentina got off the plane and winced at the wave of heat that smacked her in the face. Crap, this place was really hot. Instantly, perspiration gathered on her upper lip, and her T-shirt clung to her as if she had blown up in those few seconds. She’d been emailing back and forth with Isadora and knew that Costa Bonita was a large Caribbean island that sat close to the Bermuda triangle, which was already enough to creep her out, but not enough for her to not take the job.
Her excitement grew the more she glanced at the tourists. Most of them wore shorts and tank tops with obvious vacation looks. She noticed most were couples and guessed a lot of them were on their honeymoon, like the two who sat across from her on the plane. She’d never ridden first class before and was surprised that Isadora had sent her a plane ticket that expensive. Still, it made for a great six-hour flight. She’d gotten to relax on her much bigger seat and feel super pampered every time the flight attendant walked by and offered her a drink or snack.
In her regular life, she’d h
ad to pay for snacks or bring something to eat on the plane and hope she didn’t get stuck next to a talker or have a kid kicking the back of her seat. But not this time, she’d had a huge seat, and only adults were in her section. Everyone was nice and quiet, and she was able to read a book, watch a movie, and even take a nap. It was like she was on a paid vacation.
When she got to the luggage pick up, a young guy with a polo shirt displaying the name of the resort caught her attention. He had a sign with her name on it.
“Hi, I’m Valentina Lombardi,” she grinned.
“Hi, I’m Mark. I’m supposed to drive you to the resort,” he said with a smile. “Do you have any luggage?”
She nodded and looked for the baggage claim number her suitcases were coming out of. The belts were already moving, and she immediately caught sight of her two orange suitcases. She’d learned a long time ago to get luggage easy to see and not confuse with anyone else’s. She’d had an unpleasant experience where a person walked out of the airport with her bag because they’d the same type. Luckily, they’d returned and exchanged it, but she did not want to go through that again.
“The orange ones are mine,” she said, and they both rushed over to get the bags before they went back around. They each grabbed one, and together they headed out of the airport.
“This is it?” he asked with surprise. “Most women have tons of suitcases full of makeup, clothes, and shoes for a weekend trip. You’re going to be here for the season, right?”
She laughed. “I’ll forgive you because you’re still young. How old are you?”
“Eighteen,” he laughed. “But it’s true. Back home, my mom and sisters never travel without tons of luggage.”
“Well, I shipped some stuff, but most of my things are in storage. I can’t fathom shipping everything here in case things don’t work out, you know?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been working here for a week, but the resort is really nice. It’s broken up into sections, depending on the type of guest we have.”
