The TV flashed to static, then began showing scenes of Aria’s life after Reid left her. Aria crying in her bed for days on end, her heart broken. The day her father took a suitcase and moved out without saying goodbye; just the sound of a slamming door as he disappeared into the early morning dawn. Aria having to drag herself out of her depression, and learning how to be her own person, without her other half. Without Reid. It had taken a long time, but she’d done it. She’d done.
The TV cut back to Ursula.
“Romance awaits you on the gorgeous white sand beaches of Bear Ridge Resort! There, you will make the massive mistake of letting a man who broke your heart take advantage of you once again. But hey, you will do it against a picture-perfect postcard backdrop!”
Now the TV displayed scenes of Aria and Reid from the night before. Their passionate sex, the way they clawed and tore at each other. But something was strange. Reid’s eyes were blinking red… an angry, terrifying red that made Aria’s skin break out in a cold, clammy sweat.
“You came to Bear Ridge to expand your love life and try something new! To relax and frolic amongst our many handsome men, and beautiful vistas! Instead, you’ve fallen back into old habits, and allowed your nostalgia to take control, leading you right back into patterns that made your life miserable before!”
All at once, Reid was standing in front of her in the bedroom of the bungalow, but he was shifting into a bear. An angry, vicious, violent, bear, and he was swatting at her with massive paws, his claws only inches from her face…
“Plus, he’s a bear, you idiot!” Ursula’s voice echoed through the room as Aria struggled to stay out of Reid’s grasp, her heart racing and tears pouring down her cheeks.
Aria flew up in her bed like a shot, soaked in sweat and panic coursing through her veins. She looked around the room, nerves consuming her, and saw she’d only been asleep for an hour. But that was long enough. Aria reached for the edge of her bathrobe and rubbed the sweat away from her forehead.
She wasn’t an idiot; she knew exactly what her dream had been trying to tell her. But that didn’t make it any easier to process. Was she really out of her mind to let Reid back in her life again? Was it a huge mistake? Aria didn’t know what to think anymore, but she knew one thing for sure…
She had to talk to Reid.
Aria jumped out of the bed and grabbed her flannel shirt and a pair of jean shorts, slipped into them, then jogged out of her bungalow and toward the main lobby of the hotel. She didn’t know Reid’s room number, but since he was one of her matches, she thought that maybe they would tell her his phone number at the very least. She walked into the reception area, suddenly aware she was barefoot and tracking sand everywhere, but not really in the mood to care. Ursula was at the reception desk, and her happy smile gave Aria flashbacks to her dream. She tried to shake it off and walked up to the desk with a forced grin.
“Good morning, Ursula.”
Ursula gave Aria a wink. “And good morning to you too, Aria! How was your first night at Bear Ridge? Did you make a connection? Our bartender Andrew was simply enamored of you. He said you might be his favorite patron of all time.”
Aria blushed and waved a hand nervously.
“That’s sweet. And yes, I may have made a connection actually, but I realized this morning I don’t know his bungalow number. Oh, thank you for that wonderful basket by the way,” grease the wheels, “I was hoping you could help me?” Not exactly a lie. She doesn’t need to know that I already know him.
Ursula continued to smile. “Why don’t you just shoot him a message via our matchmaking app?”
Damn. Didn’t think that through. Recover…
“Actually, I wanted to do something a little more personal. Maybe take him some breakfast as a thank you for being so wonderful last night.”
Ursula raised an eyebrow at Aria and smiled knowingly. “Oh?”
Aria blushed again. “I promise I won’t tell anyone it was you.”
Ursula sighed, then turned to the computer and pulled up a screen that seemed to list everyone at the resort.
“Fine, but I’m trusting you here. You better not be planning to boil his bunny or anything. I’m assuming you know his name?”
Aria laughed. “I love animals, I would never. Um, his name is Reid. Reid McAllister.”
Ursula’s face dropped, and she kept her face trained on the computer screen as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the earth. She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then the only thing that came out was, “Oh. Oh, dear.”
Aria leaned forward on the desk, trying not to be obviously nosy.
“Oh dear? Is something wrong?”
Ursula nervously twittered, as if she were avoiding telling Aria something, and Aria picked up on it immediately. “Ursula?”
Ursula stepped away from the computer, and back in front Aria, but now, her face registered a combination of sympathy and confusion.
“He was one of your matches? You connected with him?”
Aria felt her blood run cold. Was? “Yes…”
“I’m so sorry, honey. Reid McAllister left the resort early this morning.”
“What do you mean, ‘left?’ Like, he went to the mainland for the day?” Aria asked, knowing full-well what the answer probably was. Ursula shook her head.
“No, he checked out. Took his things and left. He said he had an emergency back in Colorado and needed to leave. He didn’t say anything about having made any matches or I would have encouraged him to contact them before leaving.”
Of course, he didn’t. Of course, he just left. That’s what Reid does. He leaves.
Aria felt her lip start to quiver, and then yelled at herself to stop it. You’ve cried enough over this man. Get your shit together.
“Oh. Okay then. Well. I guess I will just head back to my room and get changed for the day.” Aria turned, and tried to hide the sadness that was overwhelming her.
“Aria, wait!” Ursula ran out from behind the desk and chased after her, her short legs working double-time to keep up with Aria. When she caught up, she took Aria’s shaking hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Are you okay? Is there something I can do for you? You look… really upset. Did something happen with Reid? Do you need to talk?”
Aria shook her head, trying to keep a smile on her face. “No, thank you. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I was just being silly, I guess. Childish. I’m going to try and enjoy the rest of my trip. You don’t have to worry about me, thought I appreciate it. Really.”
Ursula watched Aria leave with nervous sorrow, and it took all of Aria’s energy to keep facing forward and walk back to her bungalow. What she really wanted to do was run back to Ursula and beg for a hug, so she could sob in someone’s arms.
How could he do this to me? Again? How could I let this happen to me again?
Chapter 16
Reid
Reid walked through the front door of the manor and dropped his bag on the floor. There wasn’t another shifter in sight, and he grumbled as he looked around.
“Hello? Is anyone here? Am I the only one in the whole damn city?” he shouted out into the empty house.
The entire trip back from Bear Ridge had been a nightmare. When Reid got to the airport, he’d discovered that the flight had been overbooked and they never should have sold him a ticket to begin with. They’d moved him to another flight, then he’d had to sit at the airport for five hours, stewing. All of that time in the cramped island airport had given him time to think. And think.
And think.
And all he’d been able to think about was Aria. With every hour that passed, the bear got more and more restless, and it had started to drive Reid crazy. It paced back and forth, growling and groaning, seemingly demanding something that Reid couldn’t give it. He didn’t understand what his bear was so worked up about, and it made waiting in the airport hell. Part of him wanted to tell the bear to cool it and leave him alone. But a bigger part of him wanted to shift and run and never be a human
again.
Everything was so much simpler when he was in his bear form. Reid was able to run and jump and just be alone without a care in the world. His bear was a simple creature, less complex than a lot of the other guys’ bears. As long as he had some water to roll around in and a tree to sleep under, he was fine. It was probably carry-over from all the time he spent camping as a kid with his dad before…
Reid really missed his dad on days when he didn’t know what to do with his life. Days like that day. His dad always had the answers, and was always quick with good, and patient, advice. He couldn’t help but think that if his dad had been alive, he would have made different decisions about agreeing to be part of the shifter experiments. Reid would have told his dad about everything they were doing, and the risks involved, and his dad would have told him he was insane to sign up. He would have said,
“Son, you don’t need to be a monster to be a man. Just be the most decent man you can be, and you will be fine.”
Reid could hear his voice in his head, and it made him choke up. It also made the bear angrier, and frustrated at the thought of not being wanted. Given its already agitated state, having the bear mad at him didn’t make controlling it any easier. Once he’d finally been able to board the flight back to Colorado, he’d spent the entire five-hour flight fighting to keep his bear from breaking out in the cabin. It had been miserable, and the bear had only calmed down when they’d gotten to Colorado and he’d been able to smell the fresh air again.
Now that he was back in the lodge, for some reason, Reid was annoyed that no one was around to talk to. Most of the time, he couldn’t so much as use the bathroom without someone busting up in his personal space, but the one time he needed someone, the place was empty.
“Not a single bear in this whole damn place?”
Reid was startled by a cough from the living room. “Can you take it down several notches, kid. I’m trying to read.”
Reid walked out of the foyer and poked his head around the corner, where he spotted Declan curled up on the couch, a book in one hand and a beer in the other. Reid snort laughed.
“Shouldn’t you be at work, man?”
Declan lowered his reading his glasses and scowled. “Shouldn’t you be at a resort in the tropics surrounded by comely lasses and umbrella drinks?”
Reid walked into the living room and flopped down in the captain’s chair with a groan. “Fair. But seriously, man. Why are you home?”
“I got a day off. Blair and I are leaving for a weekend in Martha’s Vineyard in a few hours, so I thought I would enjoy some quiet reading before the drive. However, young man, this conversation isn’t going to be about me and my plans. It’s going to be about you, and why you’re here. So, start talking before I get Kurt in here.”
Reid looked around, confused. “Kurt is here?”
“He can be in five minutes if I call him. But if I tell him you’re here, he’ll be back in three. Because by my count, you’re six days early.” Declan set down his book and gave Reid a suspicious eyebrow. “Start talking, kid.”
“Stop calling me ‘kid.’ I’m not that much younger than you. And it just didn’t work out, okay? I didn’t like it. I hate the beach. The women were too clingy. Who cares why I’m back? I’m just back. Now everything can go back to normal.”
Declan sat forward on the couch and shook his head. “Reid, nothing is going to go back to normal. You were on your way to mate frenzy before you left for Bear Ridge. That isn’t just going to reverse itself because you surrounded yourself with women for a night. The purpose of going there was to find a mate. Your mate. Kurt is going to make you go back as sure as you’re sitting there.”
Reid felt a bubbling rage start in the pit of his stomach, and then pour over, culminating in a growl that shook the living room. Anyone else would have taken off running, but Declan just sat there and glowered.
“Are you done, Reid? Finished with your little tantrum?”
Reid had to struggle to keep his bear down, but he wasn’t about to shift in the house. And if he made so much as a move on Declan, Declan would destroy him in three seconds flat. So, rather than get himself in a situation he couldn’t get out of, he took several deep breaths, then turned back to Declan.
“I’m done. But I’m not going back. I can’t go back.”
“And why,” Declan scowled, “can’t you go back?”
“Aria was there.”
Declan looked confused for a moment, and then it clicked. “How in the hell did that happen, man? Of all the gin joints, right?”
“Gin what? I don’t know what you’re talking about. But she was there. And I saw her. And I fucked up. And I had to leave. So, that’s that.”
Declan laughed. “That most certainly is not that. Do you want what happened to me to happen to you? You need to get your ass back to that lodge and find a mate. If it’s not Aria, fine. But you need to find someone, or you’re going to end up going crazy and being a bear forever.”
“I know all of this. You don’t need to tell me again,” Reid answered petulantly. The bear was getting ready to rage, and Reid didn’t know what to do about it.
“Obviously, you do need to be told again. I appreciate what you’re going through. Every dude in this place gets it. But you have to help yourself too. You have to do something to get yourself mated, or you’re going to lose it dude.”
And for some reason, that was all it took to make it happen. The bear was tired of being lectured, and something else was wrong as well, which was making it extra agitated. The anger he had been feeling poured over and left him with zero control. Which was all the bear needed to take complete power.
Reid jumped to his feet and took off for the back yard, trying to get outside before he shifted. There was no time to waste. Declan chased after him, screaming,
“Not the fence! We just fixed the…”
But Reid smashed through the recently patched section of the fence, leaving a human-sized hole in it. The last thing he heard before he got out to the trail grounds was Declan muttering, “Oh, god damnit. I just fixed that!”
Reid barely made it within the wooded confines of hiking trails when his bear took over, and he shifted. His bear was furious, and not just because of Declan telling them what to do.
You should have stayed. Aria was there. Our Aria. There is no one else for us. You’re a jerk.
Reid tried to ignore the bear’s thoughts, but he was barely in charge anymore, and it was becoming harder and harder to even stay present in the body. The bear was head straight for a lake, hidden in the trails, so it could play and hide for a while, but also so it could think, and convince Reid to do what it wanted, despite the fact Reid was the boss.
You’re the boss? Ha! You’re not the boss of anything. We’re going back to that resort and getting Aria.
Reid snarled at his bear. She isn’t our mate. You don’t know anything about her. She’s our past. There is someone else out there. Someone less perfect. Someone less kind. Someone less beautiful. Someone who doesn’t make our heart skip a beat.
The bear scoffed as they reached the lake and dove in, sinking deep into the cool clear water. Reid tried to clear his mind, but the bear wasn’t letting up.
You can’t stay under the water forever, human. We’re going back to her, whether you like it or not. We’re going to find her. And if you won’t do it, I will.
Reid could feel that the bear was serious, and he wasn’t going to let up. The only thing that was going to stop him was finding his mate, or going back to Aria…
They’re the same thing, dummy.
As he broke through the surface of the water, Reid couldn’t help but wonder…
Did the other guys have assholes for bears, or was it just him?
Chapter 17
Aria
Aria got back to her room and fought every instinct she had to punch a hole through the wall of the bungalow. She felt like she was being ripped apart by a combination of anger, devastation, and heartbr
eak. She thought for sure that she was going to completely lose her mind, right there on the island.
How could I have been so stupid? How could I have fallen for his bullshit again?
She didn’t know who she was angrier at, Reid or herself. As she stifled a scream, Aria stalked over to the bar in the back of the sitting room and poured herself a huge scotch on ice. She’d barely gotten a full sip down when a knock on the door startled her. Aria flung it open and shouted,
“WHAT?”
Ursula jumped a foot back and almost fell off the porch of the bungalow. Aria drank down the scotch and sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Please, come in.”
Ursula tentatively took a few steps inside of the room, but stayed by the door, just in case she had to run back out.
“I know you said you were fine, but you clearly weren’t fine. You looked like you were about to break down crying and tears are not something I abide on my resort. So, I was hoping you’d tell me what was wrong, and maybe I could help you.” Her voice was hesitant, as if she were a little nervous that Aria was going to blow up at her. But Aria just smiled.
“You’re right. I wasn’t fine. But you don’t have to deal with my problems. You have enough going on, running a resort.”
Ursula grinned and crossed over to the bar, then poured herself a scotch, and refilled Aria’s glass. “I have people working for me to worry about the little things. I’m more concerned about making sure my guests are happy, and you my dear, are not happy.” Ursula sat down in the chair opposite Aria’s place on the sofa, and she crossed her legs, then leaned forward like a therapist getting ready for an epic session. “So, explain to me what happened. Did you really get that attached to Reid McAllister after one night? I’ve heard of love at first sight, but that’s pretty extreme.”
“I wish it were that goofy,” Aria said with a laugh. “I’ve known Reid for most of my life. He was my high school sweetheart. He was the love of my life. And he broke my heart. Twice now, by my count.”
Furever Always (Furever Series) Page 42
