He led me down a new hallway to a massive kitchen that overlooked the back of the house. There had to be at least twenty people, mostly men, in various stages of their morning meal.
A large, granite-topped island held large platters of breakfast foods. There were several styles of cooked eggs, a variety of meats, toast, muffins, and breakfast pastries alongside large pots of oatmeal, grits, and cream of wheat. Clear glass pitchers held a few different fruit juices and milk which sat next to a couple carafes of coffee.
“I’m seeing a mealtime pattern,” I commented dryly.
Abraham chortled next to me. “We like to eat.”
Even though I scoffed at the understatement, I wasted no time locating a clean plate, and loading it up with the delicious smelling food. Abraham was never far away, and once we had full plates, he led me over to the massive wooden table. We found a couple seats near the end, and he held out my chair for me.
Once seated, Abraham made a few introductions to the men sitting closest to us. They all greeted me with friendly smiles, and words of welcome. It wasn’t long before I caught the eye of one of the few people who’d been less than hospitable toward me.
Clyde sat on the other side of the table, a few chairs down. He sat hunched over a large plate of food, eating like he hadn’t in days. As if he felt my prying eyes, Clyde’s gaze snapped up to mine. I quickly looked away, but knew the damage had already been done.
Embarrassed, I focused all my attention on the cooling food on my plate. A few moments later, a masculine throat-clearing from behind made me jump in my seat. I spun around to find Clyde just a few feet away, hazel eyes significantly warmer than I’d ever seen them.
“Elizabeth?” His rough voice was like sandpaper against my skin.
I nodded tentatively.
“I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was rude, and I’m sorry.”
He stood there waiting for my reply, but I found my tongue absolutely useless. Instead of an actual response, I nodded again.
His jaw clenched almost imperceptibly before continuing. “I was hoping you had a minute to go through the details of your attack with me. Anything you can remember will be useful for me.”
I finally managed to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Sure.”
He smiled widely, and I swear, I could see all thirty-two of his teeth. “If you have time after breakfast, you could come to my room, and we can talk there.”
My stomach tightened at the suggestion, but before I could respond, Abraham piped up. “We’ll be in my office after breakfast having a look at her phone and camera we recovered from the scene. The camera’s damaged, but we’re hoping to retrieve something from the memory card. You’re welcome to join us.”
Clyde nodded his head a few times, his eyes focused on something in the distance. “Sure, sounds good. I’ll meet you up there in thirty?”
Abraham took a quick look at my plate. “That should be good.”
Clyde nodded once more before making a hasty exit. I watched the doorway he’d disappeared through, trying to understand the unease I felt.
“Sometimes I worry about him.” Abraham’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face him.
“Really?”
He nodded seriously. “He had a rough childhood, and it kind of messed him up. Made him real angry all the time. I put him on this case because I thought it would keep him out of trouble. Give him a purpose. Something to be proud of. Instead, it seems like he’s become almost obsessed with finding the killer. He spends night after night, combing the woods for any sign of him. It’s made me wonder if I made the right decision assigning him to this.”
The concern for his cousin was clear in his deep blue eyes. I’d bet just about anything that while Clyde had been out searching for the killer, Abraham had been here worrying about him.
“I think you made the right choice at the time. Keeping his mind off his personal life was probably helpful for him.” I was quiet for a moment while images of my own experiences with tough investigations floated through my mind. “It’s real easy to let the senseless death and violence get to you. It can change who you are if you’re not careful to compartmentalize your work, and your personal life. Maybe Clyde just needs a little break. Some time to step back, and clear his head for a while.” I laughed humorlessly to myself.
“What’s funny?”
“That’s what this weekend was supposed to be for me. A time to just relax and let all the stress of my work take a backseat for a few days.”
Abraham was quiet for a long time before he asked another simple question. “Do you regret it?”
His words struck me. If he’d asked me this two days ago, my answer would have been an easy YES. But now, that answer didn’t have the ring of truth it once did.
Did I regret it?
My life had changed irrevocably. Taken a direction I’d never planned for–never even imagined possible. I’d be a werewolf for the rest of my life. A slave to the full moon until the day I died. I’d change in incomprehensible ways.
I took a look around the beautiful kitchen, and out to the backyard. The large ring of seats around the charred logs from last night’s fire reminded me of all the wonderful people I’d met. People who’d welcomed a stranger into their fold with no questions asked. I thought about Callista and Delilah. About Evey. And lastly, I met Abraham’s true blue eyes, lit with the tiniest spark of hope.
The answer wasn’t yes anymore. But I wasn’t entirely sure it was no either. So I gave him the only response I could give with absolute certainty.
“I’m not sure.”
Chapter 15
When we finished eating, we passed our dirty plates to a surly looking Peyton. She took our dishes, and dropped them into the sudsy water, making dishwater splash her shirt. Her hands curled into fists, and she growled.
“Everything all right, Peyton?” Abraham asked.
“I’m great, Abey.” Her tone was honeyed, but her knuckles were turning white with how tightly she had them clenched.
When I thought we were out of earshot, I asked, “Why is Peyton doing the dishes?”
“As of a couple weeks ago, she works here.” Abraham’s lips pinched. “I employ as many pack members as I can to look after the house and grounds.”
My stomach clenched. I didn’t like the idea of Peyton working here, but what could I say? It was none of my business who he hired, and I really didn’t have a reason to not want her here. It just didn’t sit right with me.
We made our way up the stairs in a comfortable silence. Thankfully, my injured leg didn’t hinder our progress too much. Once upstairs, we found Clyde leaning against the wall next to Abraham’s office door. Abraham unlocked it, and we all took seats around his large mahogany desk.
“So, Elizabeth,” Clyde turned to me, “tell me what you can remember from the other night. And keep in mind, any detail might be important, so try not to leave anything out.”
With hands folded in my lap to keep them from fidgeting, I reluctantly dug up the painful memories, and laid them out for Clyde. I relayed the story in monotone, afraid that my voice would shake if I gave it any kind of inflection.
Clyde seemed entranced by my story, practically hanging onto every word. Several times, he asked me to repeat, or to go into deeper detail about something I said. I had to admit, after having worked with so many law officials, I’d been expecting Clyde to do a poor job of interviewing. But, to my surprise, he was thorough, and exact, asking great follow up questions, and even helping me remember things I hadn’t when I’d told the story to Abraham.
Clyde insisted we exchange contact information in the event I remembered anything else. I recited my number, and both Clyde, and Abraham typed it into their phones.
I would have thought spending a weekend without my phone would be torture, but I didn’t miss it. There was no one who’d be calling or texting for anything besides work, and I’d promised myself a weekend off. I was almost relu
ctant to get it back.
After Abraham finished saving my number, he opened his top desk drawer, and retrieved my phone and camera. I took them from him to inspect the damage they’d sustained.
My phone looked intact, but was powered off. I didn't know if that was because the battery had died, or the phone had. Abraham offered to plug it into his charger, so I handed it back to him.
Unfortunately, my camera hadn’t fared as well. The display on the back was shattered, and as I inspected it, a few drops of water slipped from the seams. I sighed in frustration and slid open the slot where the memory card went. It was empty.
“Huh.”
“What’s wrong? Is the memory card damaged?” Abraham asked.
I shook my head as I examined the empty slot. “No. It’s not in here.”
“Do you think it fell out?”
I shook my head again. “No, the latch was still closed, and it doesn’t pop open easily. You have to use your nail to slide this tiny piece aside to get the door open.” I held the camera up for his inspection and mimed the process for him.
“You must have forgotten to put it in last time you used it?” Abraham’s words were half statement, half question.
I shrugged and frowned as I tried to think back. “I guess so.”
“Can you turn it on and see if there are any pictures on the camera’s internal memory?” Abraham asked.
I shot him a doubtful look, but obliged. Pressing my finger on the power button, I held it for about twenty seconds before releasing it. When nothing happened, I tried it again. And again, this time for longer. With dismay, I had to admit, it looked like the camera was broken.
“It won’t turn on?” Clyde asked from beside me.
I shook my head. “Nope. Looks like it’s dead.”
Abraham sighed in frustration. “That would have been a great lead if we got a shot of the wolf.”
I nodded in agreement. “I suppose I can let it dry out, and try plugging it into my computer at home,” I offered uncertainly. “It probably won’t work, but I guess it’s worth a try?”
Clyde clapped his hands together and sprung from his seat. “Well, it looks like we’re all done here. If you need me, I’ll be on patrol,” he said to Abraham, and left.
I kept my eyes trained on the broken camera in my lap, shoulders hunched. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
I peeked up at him. “I should have kept a better hold of this,” I held up the useless contraption. “That picture could have been the big break in this case.”
Abraham’s large frame rose from his burgundy leather office chair and came around to sit on the desk in front of me. His rough fingers slid underneath my chin, lifting my face to meet his. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“But–”
“No,” he insisted firmly, and my mouth closed with a snap. “You survived. That was all you were responsible for that night.”
I sighed. “It doesn’t seem like enough,” I admitted.
He slid off the desk and crouched in front of me. His eyes were an intense, brilliant blue that tore into my chest, ripping me apart from the inside out. The pain was a delicious agony.
“It’s everything,” he assured me.
Unfortunately–or maybe fortunately–a knock on the door broke the spell between us. He stood and called, “Come in.”
Evey came bursting through the door, mouth first. “Abey, have you seen Elizabeth? I’ve been lookin’ all over, and can’t find her. She can’t have left already cause’ her things, and her car are still here. I need to ask her–”
She stopped short when her eyes reached mine. Her gaze traveled from me to Abraham and back again. A sly smile spread across her face. “Am I interuptin’ somethin’?”
I sprang to my feet. “Not at all. What was it you wanted to ask me?”
Her mischievous eyes gleamed. “Oh, nothin’. I can come back later.”
She turned to leave, and I cleared the distance to the door in record time. “No really. We’re done here. I need to finish packing, anyway.”
Evey turned questioning eyes toward Abraham who nodded. “All right then. I was just comin’ to ask if I needed to pack toiletries like shampoo, and toothpaste or if I could just use yours.”
“You’re coming home with me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Duh. You think I’d let anyone else get to go first?” She scoffed, and wrapped an arm around my waist, leading me into the hall. “It’s gonna’ be so fun. Like a weeklong sleepover!”
A sleepover? I hadn’t had one of those in decades. With a look at the bubbly brunette next to me, I knew this week was going to be an interesting one.
About an hour later, the car was packed with mine, and Evey’s belongings. Abraham snapped the trunk shut, and walked over to where me, and his siblings stood. Well, all but Beatrice of course. I hadn’t seen her since the night before and was extremely grateful for that.
Abraham reached into the front pocket of his jeans and withdrew my cell phone. “Almost forgot this.”
I took the device from his hand, threw up a silent prayer to the cellphone gods, and pressed the little power button. A few seconds later, the screen came to life. “Finally! Something that went right this weekend!”
As my phone loaded, I saw Evey shake her head out of the corner of my eye. When I turned, her expression was neutral. I took a peek at Abraham, and found him staring into the woods, a pensive expression on his face.
Missed messages, and calls flooded my notifications as I caught sight of the time. “It’s getting late. We should really hit the road,” I said to Evey. She nodded and walked off to hug her sisters goodbye.
“May I?” Abraham’s deep voice asked from close by. I looked up to find him only a foot away from me, with his hand outstretched. I handed over my cell and watched his thick fingers fly across the screen. “I’m putting my number in your phone. It’s saved under ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ so you’ll know where to look for it.”
A loud bark of laughter flew out before I could stop it. I used one hand to cover my still-grinning mouth, and the other to slap his muscled shoulder. He shot me a lopsided grin that made my heart do a quick backflip in my chest.
Delilah and Callista approached us, and each took a turn enveloping me in long, warm embraces. After this weekend, you’d think I’d be a hugging master, but I still felt a little awkward. Physical affection wasn’t something I’d had a lot of in my life.
When the last woman released me, they both retreated to the house. Evey had taken her spot in my passenger seat, and that left just me and Abraham.
I peered up into his deep blue eyes, and watched as they swirled, and undulated with a mixture of emotions. They were impossible to untangle, and identify, but strangely, it felt like if I had a mirror, I’d see a similar expression staring back at me. This man dug up feelings, and emotions I didn’t know what to do with. And frankly, had no place in my life for.
With the weekend coming to a close, I felt the pull of my life in Raleigh tugging me back. The normalcy begging for me to return. But, I wasn’t normal anymore was I?
“Please drive safe,” Abraham’s pleading voice cut through my inner monologue. “And you or Evey text me when you get there. You’re sure you’re all right to drive, right? Cause’ Evey can drive you guys back if you’re not feeling up to it. In fact, let me talk to her–”
He made a move to walk around me, but I stopped him with a hand to his chest. Well, I probably couldn’t have stopped him if he hadn’t wanted to, but he paused all the same. “Abraham. Stop worrying, I feel fine. Haven’t had a headache or any dizziness since yesterday afternoon. And the doc said I was clear to drive.”
He sighed heavily; the motion pushing my hand, reminding me it still rested on his chiseled chest. I snatched it back, and tucked it behind me.
“I wish I were going with you,” he admitted softly. “If I didn’t have so much work piled up, I would.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “
Just call me when you get there.”
I rolled my eyes. “I promise. We’ll let you know when we get to my place.”
He nodded, but his eyes were still full of concern. I placed a hand on my hip and poked him once in the chest. “You know, I got out here just fine without you. I’m sure I can make it back just as well.”
His eyes traveled from my irritated expression down to my cocked hip, and he smiled. “You know, I think I’m even going to miss that attitude of yours.”
“Attitude?” My voice was incredulous, eliciting a loud guffaw from him.
“Come here,” he beckoned. Without waiting for a response, he wrapped one arm around the back my neck, and the other around my waist, pulling me into his large, warm body. His face tucked in next to mine, and his chest expanded with a large inhale. When he exhaled, his breath blew the hair around my ear, tickling the sensitive skin.
After a few moments, my traitorous body relaxed into his embrace. I raised my arms to wrap around his broad shoulders and felt them tense for the briefest of seconds before he tightened his hold around me. It was almost too tight, but not quite.
For one long minute, I let myself drown in this man. In his scent, and his presence. In his affection, and warmth. Everything that made him Abraham swirled around me, tucking itself into the deepest darkest corners of my soul. Branding me in a way I’d never experienced before.
When I couldn’t stand the tornado of emotions inside me any longer, I reluctantly pulled out of his arms. His lingering touch said he was as averse to the separation as I was. But, it had to be done. My world had no place for sweet hugs from a man like Abraham.
Because it would never just be a hug with him, would it?
Abraham McCoy was the kind of man who swallowed you up whole. There would be no part of my heart that could be kept safe from him. He’d completely eclipse my life, and I’d be left in the blinding darkness.
No. Abraham needed to stay on this side of the state while I scurried back to mine. There was just no other way.
Shift (Southern Werewolves Book 1) Page 12
