Shift (Southern Werewolves Book 1)

by Heather MacKinnon

  I handed over my cell and watched him adjust the sound settings there too. When finished, he passed it back, and held out two little tan-colored cylindrical pieces of foam. When I looked at him questioningly, he answered, “Earplugs.” I took them and stuffed them in my ears. Immediately the conversations from down the hall quieted, and I smiled with a sigh of relief.

  “Thank you so much.” I looked up to find Abraham’s eyes on me, his expression gentle, and kind, and something else. I looked away before I could take a guess as to what it was.

  “It’s what I’m here for.” Amazingly, the volume wasn’t earsplitting, but instead sounded like it used to before my hearing went crazy. “The ear plugs won’t drown out everything, but they’ll help reduce the volume until you can acclimate to your new hearing.”

  “I wouldn’t have even thought to get ear plugs. Actually, I couldn’t think at all. The noise was too much, I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. I’m sorry I bothered you, I just didn’t know what else to do, or who else to call. I suppose I could have tried Evey–”

  “Elizabeth,” Abraham interrupted, placing his large hands on my shoulders. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to call anyone else. I’m here to help you. I always will be, no matter what it is.”

  His denim blue eyes burned with sincerity, and I lost myself in them. “I–”

  A loud knock interrupted us, followed by the door opening. I was equal parts disappointed and relieved.

  What was I going to say? How could I have responded to that?

  “Montgomery, I’m taking you out this Saturday, and I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” Ben’s nasal voice preceded him. When he saw Abraham there with his hands on my shoulders, his expression instantly changed. Where before there’d been a slimy look that I think he thought was charming, now there was one full of suspicion, and distrust.

  “Ben, usually when one knocks on a door, they wait for an invitation to enter,” I told him sternly, stepping away from Abraham. His hands fell to his sides, expression torn between looking at me with hurt, and at Ben with irritation.

  “Well I didn’t know you had company. Didn’t realize it was visiting hour. Don’t you have more important things to do now that you’re a senior associate?”

  A low growl came from behind me that I might not have been able to hear yesterday, but today was crystal clear. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. “Ben. It doesn’t matter if I was alone, or had twenty people in here. Do not come into my office again without an invitation. Got it?”

  Ben stiffened, eyes flashing with anger, but he nodded. “Of course. I just stopping by to ask to go to dinner with me this weekend.”

  “El,” Abraham growled behind me. I could feel the anger radiating off him.

  My colleague clenched his fists and squinted his eyes. “Who’s this? A new boyfriend of yours?”

  “No,” I answered.

  “Yes,” Abraham grunted.

  I turned to glare at him, but his eyes were still trained on Ben. I gave him a hard poke in the chest that probably hurt my finger more than it hurt him, but it got his attention. His angry eyes turned to me, and I raised my brows expectantly. He got the hint and relaxed the tiniest bit. I sighed. Clearly that’s the best we would do with Ben here.

  “He’s not my boyfriend, and I can’t go out with you this weekend. I have plans.”

  “With him?” Ben asked belligerently.

  “No–”

  “Yes,” Abraham interrupted, placing a claim-staking hand on my back. I wanted to shrug him off since this caveman routine was working my nerves, but I had a funny feeling he was right at the end of his rope, and that small rejection would be the last of his control.

  “It doesn’t matter what I’m doing,” I glared at the both of them, “I won’t be in town.”

  “Maybe next time,” Ben answered with a smug smile.

  Abraham growled, and I jumped into action. “Thanks for stopping by Ben,” I said as I opened my office door, and ushered him through. “See you on Monday,” I placed my hand on his back to push him through the doorway faster. Abraham’s low growl increased in pitch with the contact, and I rolled my eyes.

  When the office door closed, I spun to face the angry werewolf. “What the hell was that?”

  Abraham’s eyes were still on the door, hands clenched in such tight fists his knuckles were turning white. When he failed to respond, I yelled, “Abraham!”

  He finally snapped out of it, and his blue eyes found mine. There was still a hint of anger there, but it was quickly fading to remorse. “Sorry,” he said, his voice still a deep growl. I fought off a shiver and tried to convince myself that his gravelly voice didn’t do crazy things to my insides.

  “What was that all about?” I tried again.

  He shook his head. “I don’t like him.”

  “You just met him. You don’t know him.”

  “I don’t need to know him, I saw the way he looked at you, and I don’t like it.”

  I scoffed. “How is it any of your business how someone looks at me?”

  Abraham’s eyes flashed dangerously as he closed the distance between us. His

  large hands gripped my hips and dragged me toward him. “You’re mine.”

  I gasped and opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “You’re a part of my pack, and mine to look after,” he amended. That was slightly better, but I wasn’t thrilled with his possessive tone.

  Or was I?

  “It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of and safe, and that man,” he spat with a glare at the closed office door, “is not safe. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I work with him, Abraham. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Quit your job and come live at the lodge with me?” he asked with a million dollar smile.

  I rolled my eyes again, but a small smile slipped out. “Not going to happen, McCoy.” I pulled away from him, and my body mourned the loss of his heat.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” he proposed.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

  He took a step closer, and his clean scent engulfed my senses. “How about you make me a happy man and take the rest of the afternoon off? We can get packed and on the road to Asheville before rush hour.”

  My initial instinct was to argue. I was a lawyer after all. Arguing was what I did best. But, I swallowed my first reaction and really thought about it. Would it be such a bad thing to take an afternoon off? I knew with the increased hearing thing, the situation with Ben, and having spent so much time this close to the man in front of me, that I’d be next to useless for the rest of the day.

  “Let me check my calendar,” I conceded. “If I don’t have anything else important scheduled for the rest of the day, I’ll leave early with you.”

  His answering smile was brilliant and made my heart miss a beat. “That’s my girl.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not your girl, McCoy,” I told him as I walked around the desk to my computer.

  “Not yet,” he answered softly.

  I spun to face him. “What was that?”

  Did he really want me to be his girl?

  Did I want to be his girl?

  My rules about not dating were becoming harder and harder to follow.

  With chagrin, he raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I’m going to have to be more careful now you’ve got werewolf hearing, huh?”

  I shook my head exasperatedly. “I guess you will.” With a few clicks, I had my calendar loaded, and took a quick look at the rest of my afternoon. “Looks like you’re getting your way. I’m free the rest of the afternoon.”

  He clapped his hands together. “Sounds great. Let’s get you packed up and out of here before Ben comes back, and I need to break his legs.”

  I laughed until I saw Abraham was dead serious. I’d need to keep those two separate because I did not want to clean blood out of my new office’s carpet. “All right, Don Corleone, let
’s get you out of here before you get yourself arrested. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to assault a lawyer? Not a good idea if you want to keep your butt out of jail.”

  He scoffed. “Please. If Ben and I had an altercation, I can assure you he wouldn’t be pressing charges.”

  I stuffed my laptop in its bag and arranged some papers on my desk with a shake of my head. “I don’t think you know Ben that well then.”

  “I don’t think you know me that well then,” he countered.

  I looked up and met his serious gaze. “I guess you’re right.” Then without thinking I added, “What are we going to do about that?”

  I winced internally.

  Was I really flirting with him?

  Did I even know how to flirt?

  Was I doing it right?

  With my eyes still glued to the unimportant papers in my hands, I heard Abraham move closer until he had both hands planted on the desk. “Well this weekend is a good start.” I nodded my head. “And, you could dance with me tonight,” he added.

  “Dance?” My eyes met his.

  “Dance,” he confirmed. “We’re going to Del’s gig tonight. I was hoping you’d grant me a dance with the prettiest lady there.”

  I rolled my eyes, but felt my cheeks heat. “We’re not even there yet. How do you know I’ll be the prettiest one?” I couldn’t help asking.

  Abraham leaned down until he was eye-level with me. “Because, you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.” His eyes bore into mine for an immeasurable moment before he straightened up and smiled. “Don’t see that changin’ in one night at a dive bar,” he added with a wink.

  I shook my head, but a big smile stretched across my face.

  Damn, he was good.

  “So, what do ya’ say?” he prodded.

  Jeez, was there really a choice here?

  “I’ll dance with you,” I told him softly.

  He leaned down again and cupped a hand around his ear. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  I smiled, “I said I’d dance with you.”

  “Sorry, El, you’re gonna’ have to speak up, it’s real loud in here.”

  With a laugh I smacked his arm. “I said I’d dance with you, you impossible man.”

  His smile practically stretched from ear to ear. “That’s my girl.”

  “I’m not your girl,” I reminded him again, though the words were feeling emptier of conviction the more I said them.

  Chapter 22

  Thankfully, we got out of the building without Abraham assaulting Ben or any other colleagues of mine. I didn’t know if he’d been telling the truth about breaking Ben’s legs, but something deep inside told me not to underestimate him. If he felt I was in danger, I knew he’d have no problem taking care of the situation.

  But, was Ben really dangerous? Sure, he was annoying. And full of himself. And aggravatingly persistent. But, did that mean I should fear him? I wasn’t convinced.

  Abraham’s hand on my arm stopped both my feet and my racing thoughts. He nodded over my shoulder. “That’s your car isn’t it?”

  I turned to find my little gray sedan and looked back at him confused. “How did you know where I parked?”

  Had he followed me this morning?

  Was that weird, or flattering?

  Gah, this man was messing with my head!

  He shrugged. “I followed your scent.”

  My eyes widened, mouth falling open in what I’m sure was a really attractive impression of a fish. “Followed my scent?” I yelled, wincing at the volume of my voice.

  He pulled me closer. “Keep it down,” he reminded me. I nodded and tried to compose myself. “Yes, I followed your scent. You know how your hearing just increased a lot from what it used to be? Well, imagine how your other senses will develop in the coming weeks. Following your scent was easy. I know it so well now.”

  My brain raced at his words. I hadn’t really given much thought to how I would change. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about the whole werewolf thing at all. Nothing had been different besides the dreams. I’d almost let myself forget I’d soon be turning into a creature of legends. I’d experienced the exaggeration of one of my senses, and had another, what, four to go?

  How much different would I be at the end of all this?

  Would I still be me?

  “Hey.” Abraham grasped both my arms. “What’s goin’ on in that pretty head of yours?”

  I smiled reluctantly. “There you go flattering me again.”

  He smiled back. “It’s easy to do with you. There’s so much material.” He winked before his face turned serious again. “But, really, what are you thinkin’ about? You’ve got a look on your face.”

  “A look?”

  He nodded. “The kind you get when you’re analyzing things too deeply and getting yourself worked up.”

  My mouth fell open in surprise. “How do you know that?”

  He took a step closer until there was barely an inch between us. “I watch you,” he said with a shrug. “Now, answer my question. What are you thinking about that’s got that look on your face?”

  I sighed and shook my head. This man had me spinning.

  “I’m just thinking about all the changes I’ll be going through. Until now, I hadn’t thought much about how I’d be changing. I guess I’m worried about how uncertain my future is.”

  He wrapped one of his big hands around the back of my neck, and tilted my head up to his. “Your future isn’t uncertain.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he interrupted. “Your eyesight will get better, your sense of smell will heighten, you’ll get a lot stronger, and then you’ll shift into a werewolf on the next full moon. Simple.”

  I scoffed. “Oh yeah, simple.”

  He squeezed my neck gently. “And, even though your body is changing, you won’t change. You’ll still be the Elizabeth you’ve always been.” I nodded and tried to digest his words. “And, the other thing that won’t change,” he continued softly, “is I’ll always be right there next to you.”

  “Why?” I whispered.

  His rough thumb rubbed the side of my neck in slow circles. “Because you’re...” He paused. “Part of my pack. I’m in charge of making sure you’re always taken care of, and I’ll never let you down. You’ll always be safe as long as you’re with me.”

  “And, if I’m not with you?”

  He craned his neck until our faces were only inches apart. “Then I’ll come to you.” His sweet breath blew across my face, and I closed my eyes. The tension between us was like a rubber band pulled too tight. Any second it would snap, and I didn’t know where that would leave us. But, in this moment, I was absolutely willing to find out.

  He moved a fraction of an inch closer before squealing tires on the parking garage cement interrupted us. My eyes opened, and I took a quick step away with an uncomfortable chuckle.

  I awkwardly tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and met his eyes. “Thanks again for coming here. I guess I’ll see you back at my place?”

  Abraham’s expression was still dead serious, and his eyes blazed with sincerity. “I’ll follow you.” His voice was deep and husky.

  I suppressed a shiver and hurried over to my car. Once inside, I felt my insides unclench, and my heart slow. “That man is going to ruin me.” Deep inside, I knew truer words had never been spoken.

  His big black pickup truck followed me from the office to my apartment, and I had to admit I felt a sense of security knowing he was close by. Before I left the car, I slipped the earplugs out thinking I wouldn’t have to worry about loud noises in my apartment.

  I was wrong.

  As soon as I opened my front door, Evey was yelling, and even from the other room, it was too loud.

  “ABEY? WAS SHE OKAY? I WISH YOU’D LET ME GO WITH YOU. I CARE ABOUT HER TOO, YA’ KNOW.”

  I slapped my hands over my ears and moaned as my eardrums rang with Evey’s shrill voice.

  “Where are your earplugs?” Abraham as
ked quietly behind me.

  I dug them out of my pocket and stuffed them back in my ears with a sigh.

  “Abey? I said is she okay–” Evey stopped short when she came into view and saw us both standing in the doorway. “Hey girl, what are you doin’ here?” She reached out and pulled me into a big hug. Without thinking, I wrapped them around her small frame.

  “Your brother got me to leave early. He’s pretty convincing when he wants to be.”

  Evey pulled back with a laugh, and I silently thanked Abraham for the earplugs again. “Don’t I know it! One time when we were five, Abey convinced all of us to get in the chicken coop, and then locked us in.”

  I turned incredulous eyes to the man in question. “Is that so?” I asked with a smile.

  “Uh huh. Thankfully mama caught him walkin’ away from the coop smilin’ like the cat that ate the canary. Nothin’ got past our mom. She made him let us out.”

  “How long were you in there for?” I asked, still eyeing Abraham whose cheeks had turned a suspicious shade of pink.

  “Only a few minutes. And, I didn’t mind so much. Me, Callie, and Del were havin’ fun playin’ with the chickens. It was Bea who was spittin’ mad. You remember Abey?”

  He coughed uncomfortably. “If I remember correctly, she got me back for that.”

  Even through the earplugs, Evey’s answering laugh was hard to handle. “That’s right! Didn’t she duct tape you to your bed while you were sleepin’?” She almost couldn’t finish her sentence she was laughing so hard.

  “Oh my god, no she didn’t!” I wheezed out between laughs.

  Abraham shook his head, his face pinker by the minute. “She sure did. Taught me not to mess with her again.”

  I took a big breath, and my giggles finally subsided. “Remind me not to get on her bad side.”

  “Don’t worry, she’ll remind you herself. She’s as mean as a honey badger these days.”

  “Evey,” Abraham scolded half-heartedly. “Don’t talk about our sister that way.”