Her Arranged Alpha Husband by Alicia Banks

Chapter One: Losing It All

Maci

A loud swoosh made Maci Moynahan spin around and cover her head, almost losing her grip on the shovel handle that was causing blisters on her palms. Flames tore up a palm tree and a bright ball exploded at the top as the fronds ignited in the intense heat. This fire wasn’t like any other she had ever seen. They’d had other fires at the resort before during the dry season, but this one had come out of nowhere, completely off schedule.

Her shoulders screamed as she stabbed the shovel into the sand and lifted another scoop. She threw it on the nearest part of the fire. She almost cried when the flames disappeared, but another spot ignited almost as fast. She coughed as she stepped away.

She straightened and wiped her brow as sweat dripped into her eyes. The entire field, usually filled with bright flowers, was ablaze. The winds had unexpectedly picked up and fueled the flames until they spread in all directions. And unfortunately, the fire’s path was on a direct collision course with her grandparents’ property. She set her shoulders and sent another shovelful of sand into the flames. There was no way she was going to let the Kahiko Resort burn.

She could hear frantic voices in the distance as her grandfather, staff, and residents all tried to contain the blaze. The smoke was too thick to see them, but it was some comfort just knowing they were there. A strange scent in the smoke made her gag, and she vaguely wondered what was burning to give off the acrid smell. Every once in a while she heard the hiss of steam as someone with a water hose knocked down a burning area. I hope they’re having better luck than I am. All she had at her disposal was a shovel. And determination.

A crackling sound made her look up, just as a burning palm frond fell from the tree. She leapt to the side, but it hit her on the shoulder and the flames briefly rested on her arm before it fell to the ground. Pain shot up her arm as angry red welts appeared across the back of her hand and forearm.

That’s going to hurt. With a whimper of pain and string of cusses, she stumbled back toward the resort. Time was of the essence and in short supply, but she wouldn’t be any help at all if she was too hurt to fight the fire. She kept a tight hold on the shovel as she moved forward, not wanting to lose an important piece of equipment.

“Oh, what happened?” Kalina Kapuni rushed toward her as Maci cleared the worst of the smoke.

“I’m fine, Grandma. Stupid palm frond caught me as it fell.” Maci managed through gritted teeth. The pain worsened with every second, but she didn’t want to show it. “I just need to put my arm under cold water.”

Kalina turned the tap on to fill the kitchen sink and grabbed ice trays out of the freezer. “Put your arm under the water until it fills up. It’ll take the sting out.”

Malo Kapuni, Maci’s grandfather, rushed into the kitchen. “What happened? Liam said he saw Maci holding her arm.”

Maci shook her head as she cringed at the icy water. “Are you sure Liam isn’t like some kind of CIA agent? For a groundskeeper, he never misses anything.”

Malo pulled her arm out of the water so he could examine it. “We’ll have to get some aloe for that. It doesn’t look too bad, but it’s going to sting.”

“It’ll be fine, Grandpa.” Maci bit her lip as she plunged her arm back into the freezing water. “I need to get back out there.”

“Absolutely not,” Kalina gasped. “You’re injured and need to stay right here.”

“No, I don’t,” she argued. “The winds are whipping this fire up all over the place. All hands on deck. I’m not going to let a little burn take me out of the fight.”

“These winds are troublesome and unusual.” Malo drank deeply from a bottle of water. “Just like this fire. We never have wildfires this time of year. And while I worry for you, you’re right. We need all the help we can get.”

Tears ran down Kalina’s face. “How did this happen? There’s no storm, no lightning. No one has cooking fires in that field.”

“I don’t know, my love.” Malo pulled his wife into a tight embrace. “Sometimes there is no comprehensible reason.”

Maci frowned at the mixed expression on her grandfather’s face. She had seen every emotion known to man reflected at her from his eyes, but this...this was different. Before she could ask, Liam ran in.

“It’s getting close, Malo. We’re going to lose the outbuildings if we don’t get a miracle.”

Malo shoved a bottle of water at him. “Drink it on the way. Let’s go.”

Maci grabbed a towel as they walked out. She soaked it in the water and then wrapped it around her arm. Kalina tried to stop her.

“Sweetheart, you should stay here.”

Maci kissed her cheek. “I love you, Grandma, but you know I have to go help.”

Kalina sighed. “I know. Please be careful.”

She grabbed her shovel and headed toward the barns. Several of the employees led the horses away that the resort used for beach rides. Her heart slowed a beat knowing they wouldn’t be in danger. She watched as Liam helped her grandfather pull a hose to try and protect the building.

Maybe if I can get further away, I can slow the spread while they put out the flames between us. She made a wide berth to avoid the hot steam as the water sprayed. She started throwing sand on the flames as soon as she felt she had placed herself well.

I can do this, I can do this. Her shoulders and back screamed in protest with each shovelful. She kicked herself for not taking the time to find a pair of gloves. My blisters are going to have blisters.

She tossed the towel to the ground as the heat around her warmed it and made it more uncomfortable than helpful. She pulled the bandana that she wore around her neck up over her nose as the smoke grew thicker and darker. Her gag reflex grew weaker as the strange smell almost strangled her. Maci tried to peer through the dim light to find her grandfather, but she couldn’t see more than a few feet in any direction.

Several times she thought she heard her name, but when she stopped, all she could hear was the crackle and hissing of the fire. Tears streamed from her eyes as the smoke clouded her vision. Soon, the smoke was so thick that the thin material across her face offered no protection. Coughing wracked her body, and she turned to escape the smoke.

She hadn’t taken more than a couple steps when she found fire behind her. Despite her attempt to circumvent it, a steady wall of flames blocked her retreat. She turned back and found more fire. Panic rose as she stumbled in several directions, only to find herself completely surrounded.

I’m trapped! She fought the monster that gripped her throat in fear as she screamed for help. The coughing had reduced her ability to speak to nothing more than a dry croak. She shoveled sand as fast as she could in an attempt to clear a path, but the winds fanned the flames enough to make her efforts futile.

She fell to the ground as breathing became impossible. Pain shot through her injured arm as the burns were ground into the sand from her weight. Despair swept through her and replaced the panic as she accepted the inevitable. Fate was what it was; she couldn’t fight it.

Please keep my grandparents safe. Take me but spare them. I can accept that. She covered her head with her arms as she tried to ward off the acrid smoke. Did I tell Grandma that I loved her? I think I did. I hope so. She finally laid flat along the ground and nestled her head in the sand. Maybe if I can go to sleep, I won’t feel the flames.

A motion in the distance caught her attention. She struggled to clear the tears from her eyes and lifted her head for a better look. An angel flew toward her. She blinked several times to focus her vision. Wide wings beat almost as if in slow motion as she could only make out its silhouette through the waning light. Almost as if in a surreal dream, smoke swirled with each beat of the wings and slowly, ever so slowly, it moved toward her.

Mama, is that you? I can’t wait to meet you. Grandma had always taught her to find a silver lining in everything, no matter how bad it may seem.

She gasped for each breath as she waited for her angel of death. She smiled as a thought flitted through her head. Apparently, the afterlife has added air travel to its options, instead of just having a boat to cross the River Styx.

The flapping form grew larger as it flew closer. Maci tried to watch, but the smoke stung her eyes until she had no choice but to close them. She tried to take a breath but found she couldn’t. Before her angel of death reached her, the world turned black as she fell into oblivion.