Rise

by Heather MacKinnon

 Ugh. I hadn’t been until he mentioned it.

   I shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

   This alpha thing was still really new to me and I wasn’t sure I was cut out for it. That I’d be able to rule the pack with Abraham.

   He was such an effortless leader. He exuded this authority, this assurance. You only had to be in his presence for a few minutes to know he was someone worth following. Someone you could trust.

   Did I have any of those qualities? Did my presence bring reassurance to our pack? Could anyone imagine following me like they did Abraham?

   I knew I had a lot of work to do to prove myself to them, but what if I couldn’t? What if I really wasn’t alpha material? What if I became the leader of the pack and did more harm than good? These werewolves meant too much to me to let them down.

   Abraham sighed, his breath blowing across my face. “You did so well today. Why are you worried now?”

   I turned slightly so I could see him better. “Today, the problems were pretty easy. I didn’t have to do much.”

   “El, I wouldn’t have thought of the quiet hours thing. That was all you and it’s a great idea.”

   “What would you have done?”

   The corner of his lips twitched. “I would have gone and told Brad to quiet the fuck down at night and be done with it.”

   I giggled into his chest. “I guess it’s a good thing for Brad that I was in charge of that issue.”

   He kissed the top of my head. “I guess it is.”

   I sighed and reached out to trace a pattern on the smooth skin of his chest. “You know, we never did figure out what we’re gonna do about Craig and his price hikes.”

   “Did you have any ideas?”

   I knew he probably had a solution in mind, but he wanted to hear my ideas first. Lucky for me, I’d been thinking about it all day and actually did have an answer to that particular problem.

   I took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. “I was thinking I could go and talk to Craig again tomorrow and see if he’s changed his tune at all. If not, I thought we could ask Brad if he wants the position.”

   One of his dark brows rose. “McDermott?”

   I shrugged. “We already know he works on cars. Maybe he’d want to do that for the whole pack.”

   Abraham was quiet for a long time while I chewed on my bottom lip.

   Maybe that was a stupid idea. Maybe I really didn’t know what I was doing. Maybe they were right, and I had no business being an alpha of the pack. Maybe–

   “That’s a great idea.”

   My eyes snapped to Abraham’s. “Really?”

   “Really, baby. I never would have thought of that.”

   I pulled away so I could see him clearly. “What would you have done?”

  “I would have forced Craig to lower his prices.”

   I raised a brow. “And how would you do that? Beat him into submission?”

   “Something like that.”

   I laughed and pushed at his chest. “You would not.”

   He sighed. “You’re right. I wouldn’t have beaten him. But I would have gone down there and forced him to charge a reasonable rate.”

   “You know what? You’re right. I think we should go with your plan.”

   He shook his head. “Nope. We’re doin’ this your way.”

   “But why?” I whined.

   “Because your way is a lot more fair. You’re giving Craig the choice to fall in line or lose his position. He gets to make his own decision and then deal with whatever consequence comes from it.”

   I ducked my head and traced more patterns on his chest. “You really think it’s a good idea? What if he’s a dick again?”

   His arm tightened around me. “Then you talk to me and I’ll straighten him out.”

   I was already shaking my head. “I told you. You can’t go around straightening out anyone who’s mean to me. I need to stand on my own or they’ll never respect me.”

   He sighed and dropped another kiss on my head. He was silent for a long time before he spoke again. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but I need to let you handle these issues on your own. The rest of the pack needs to see the strong independent woman I fell in love with. When they do, they’ll follow you as easily as they follow me.”

   I blew out a deep breath but remained quiet. I wasn’t as sure of my abilities as he was. Not at all. I was even less sure of the fact that the doubtful pack members would eventually come around.

   Aubrey. Craig. Paul. None of them wanted me in that position. None of them wanted me to be alpha. Hell, they probably didn’t even want me in the pack. It made me want to step back down. To tuck in behind Abraham and be the useless arm candy they thought I was. To just be the bitch he’s sleeping with like Aubrey and Craig said.

   But that wasn’t me.

   Elizabeth Montgomery never backs down from a challenge. Never lets someone else tell her what she can and can’t do. Why would I start now?

   A startling realization trickled through my head.

   I’d never wanted something like I wanted to be accepted by the pack. Never had to prove my worth as a person or a leader. I was used to being doubted professionally, not personally.

   Maybe that was why this was hitting me so hard. Maybe that was why I was having trouble sleeping. Maybe that was why I felt so insecure and out of sorts.

   There was nothing I could do but keep pushing forward. Keep taking appointments and proving my worth. Keep standing beside Abraham as a united front. Keep breezing past the doubts and questions about the legitimacy of our relationship.

   “Is there something else going on, El?”

   I turned back to Abraham and found his dark blue gaze trained on me. “Huh?”

   He smiled softly. “I can still see the gears turning in that pretty head of yours and I know the alpha appointments aren’t the only thing bothering you. What’s up?”

   I sighed and looked away from him. Sometimes it was a blessing that he knew me so well, and other times, I wished I wasn’t so transparent to him. Lucky for me, there were so many other things I was worried about, I didn’t have to even bring up the fated mates issue.

   I took a deep breath and turned to him again. “Callie offered me a position with her.”

   Abraham’s eyes widened. “When did that happen?”

   “This afternoon. She wanted me to look through some documents from her lawyer, and when I saw what a poor job he did, I just rewrote the whole thing myself. According to your sister, that means I’m qualified to work with her as an environmental lawyer.” I shook my head at the absurdity of it all.

   He nodded slowly. “Do you like helping Callie?”

   “Yeah. It’s interesting work and I like feeling like I’m doing something positive. That I’m helping in some way.”

   He smoothed some more hair off my forehead. “Then, why not go for it?”

   I rolled my eyes. “Not you too.” I took a deep breath and tucked in closer to him. “I was trained as a criminal lawyer. It’s all I know. It’s all I’m good at. I can’t let Callie hand me the wheel when I don’t even know how to drive.”

   “But you could learn, couldn’t you?”

   What was with these McCoy siblings? They all had the same response for me. They all thought it was just a matter of reading a few books and I’d be just as useful as an environmental lawyer as I was a criminal one.

   “It’s not that simple, Abraham.”

   He rolled us until I was hovering over him. “It could be, though. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. If you put your mind to it, you could be the biggest asset Callie has. You’d be phenomenal at anything you want to do, baby. I don’t know why you don’t see that.”

   I looked away, couldn’t bear to see the belief he had in me shining through his denim gaze.

   Was he right though?

 
 Could I learn what I needed to know to be helpful? Could this be a huge turning point in my professional career? Could this be the next chapter for me?

   Hope built in my system, but I tamped it down. I didn’t know anything yet. I didn’t know if I had what it took. Didn’t know if I could actually be useful to Callie’s causes.

   Was that even what I wanted to do with my life?

   I sighed and looked back down at Abraham. “I’ll tell you what I told Callie. I’ll think about it.”

   His lips pressed into a thin line. “Thinking about it is what’s keepin’ you up, though.”

   I sighed again and hung my head. “I know.”

   He kissed my forehead and slid out from underneath me.

   “Where are you going?” I asked.

   “We’re both going.”

   I sat up and watched as he slid on a pair of athletic shorts. “We’re going somewhere?”

   He nodded and tossed one of his big t-shirts at me. “Throw that on and let’s go.”

   I did as he asked, but the questions continued to spiral through my head. “Abraham. It’s past midnight. Where do you think we’re going?”

   He stopped in the middle of the room and turned to look at me. Damn, he was beautiful. So strong, and tan, and powerful, and big. I needed to keep my eyes above his collarbone or we weren’t going anywhere.

   “We’re going to my favorite place to think.”

   His words tugged at me. A memory surfaced as I shoved my head through the shirt. “Are you talking about your lake?”

   His lips pulled into a wide smile. “Our lake.”

   My answering grin wasn’t far behind. “We haven’t been there in a long time.”

   His eyes clouded, and he looked away for a moment. “I know the last time we were there was pretty traumatizing, but all that’s in the past. There’s no killer looking for you. No one stalking our woods anymore. It’s perfectly safe and I think it’ll really help you. Will you come with me?”

   He held out a hand, but I was captivated by the look in his eyes. It was so hopeful, but still hesitant. How didn’t he know already that I’d follow him anywhere?

   I crawled out of bed and grabbed his hand. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 11

  We ran across the lawn, the damp grass cool beneath my bare feet. Although, to be honest, we spent more time sabotaging each other than actually running. He’d tickle me, I’d pinch him in retaliation, over and over until we were both breathless with laughter.

   When we reached the tree line, Abraham turned to me with a smirk and dropped his shorts. I watched the black jersey material slide down his powerful legs and pool at his feet. Swallowing harshly, my eyes trailed back up his body, stopping in all the most important places until I reached his face.

   He was still sporting a lopsided grin, but now there was hunger in his eyes. “You better quit lookin’ at me like that or we’re not goin’ anywhere.”

   I swallowed again. “But this was your idea.”

   He pressed his lips together and nodded once. “Which is why I’m still standin’ over here. Come on. Let’s shift before I change my mind.”

   I shook my head to clear it and tugged the baggy t-shirt over my head. A loud crack rang through the field and I knew Abraham was already in the midst of his shift. I followed suit and soon was standing on four legs instead of two, shaking my coat out.

   “Ready?” he asked.

   Instead of answering him, I darted into the woods, dodging trees and roots as I tried to create as much distance between us as I could. Abraham was impossibly fast and the only way to beat him was to get a good head start.

   Some might call it cheating, but I called it a fair advantage.

   “Cheater!” he yelled in my head as he chased after me.

   See?

   I didn’t know if I was going in the right direction, but it didn’t matter because, in seconds, Abraham would be on me. With my last reserves, I dug my feet into the soft forest floor and pumped my legs as fast as I could.

   It didn’t make a difference because his thundering footsteps were right behind me. I leapt over a small stream, but instead of landing on the other bank, I was tackled from the side and sent rolling down the hill.

   Somehow, Abraham managed to take the brunt of our fall as we laughed and tumbled head over heels. When we finally came to a stop, we were both panting.

   “You were going the wrong way,” he said.

   I laughed, which in wolf form sounded more like a coughing bark. “You tackled me because I was going the wrong way?”

   “No. I tackled you because you were cheating.”

   “But you’re so much faster than me. If I didn’t get a head start, I’d have no shot.”

   He bared all his teeth in what was easily the biggest wolfy grin I’d ever seen. “I am pretty fast, huh?”

   I laughed again and shoved him off me. “You’re impossible.”

   He rolled to his feet. “And you’re a cheater, but I love you anyway.”

   I shook my head. Playful Abraham was a brain scrambler. He was hard to resist on the best of days, but his silly comments and wide grin would bring any straight woman to her knees.

   He jerked his head. “The lake’s in that direction.”

   “Lead the way.”

   We started off running again, but this time, it was more of a jog than a sprint.

   I’d been doing a lot more of this since I’d moved to Asheville. While I’d lived in Raleigh, it had been impossible to shift and spend time as a wolf. I limited myself to the full moon and the occasional angry outburst. Now, though, with all this land and no neighbors for miles and miles, I took full advantage.

   There was something about running on four legs instead of two. Something about the pine-scented wind blowing past me and the soft thump of my paws on the ground. It made me feel connected to the world around me in a way I’d never felt before.

   Running as a wolf allowed for a freedom I’d never experienced in my life. It was exhilarating and liberating, and I did it as often as I could.

   While we ran, Abraham pointed out the general direction of the gem mine they’d found on his property. It was where he’d gotten the blue stone to go in my ring. Even though he’d taken me to visit the mine shortly after I moved out there, I knew I wouldn’t be able to find it on my own. His property was too expansive, and I hadn’t had enough time to explore yet.

  We ran for a while longer and I smelled the lake before I could see it. Abraham led us to the rocky beach where he’d taken me on our first date.

   It wasn’t that long ago, but it felt like another lifetime. Abraham had been so sweet that day. So nervous. Back then, I hadn’t known what I do today. That it was my last first date. That I was just starting out on this journey with the most amazing man I’d ever met. That I’d fall in love and plan a future with him in only a few short months from then.

   It was crazy to think about how much had changed.

   But with that first day at our lake, came thoughts of our last time here. We’d just wanted to get away for a little while and take some time for ourselves. What we hadn’t known was the killer had murdered another woman and laid her in our path so we’d find her body on our way home. That was the last time we went there.

   That was in the past though, and I needed to let it go. Needed to stop looking over my shoulder and jumping at loud noises. I needed to remember that the monster that plagued my nightmares was gone for good. That I was safe. That everything was going to be okay.

   Abraham trotted over to the pile of rocks, and with a loud crack, shifted back into a human. He looked down at me and smirked. “Come on. Change back.”

   I looked at him incredulously. He expected me to shift into a human? A naked human? Out in the open like this? Had he lost his mind?

   He laughed and walked over so he could scratch my head.
I did my best to keep my eyes on his face, but damn, he was something to look at.

   “Come on, baby. There’s no one around for miles and I’ve never seen anyone even close to this lake before. No one will see you but me.” His voice deepened with that last sentence and a chill raced down my spine.

   I sighed and shook my head but willed myself back into a woman. When the transformation was complete, I propped a hand on my hip and shot him a look. “If someone even sneezes in a ten-mile radius, you’re a dead man.”

   He laughed again and slung an arm around my neck, pressing a kiss to my temple. “You’ll be fine, baby. I promise.”

   I huffed but let him lead me to the rocks we’d climbed up before. The other times I’d still been a human and needed his help to scale the rock face. Now, I looked forward to the challenge.

   I stepped up to the boulders and searched for my first set of handholds. I gripped the rock and heaved myself up when Abraham wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me down.

   “What the hell, Abraham?”

   He turned me around and set me down behind him. “El, I consider myself a strong man, but I know I’m not strong enough to climb up that rock behind your pretty little ass. It’s best if I go first so I don’t knock us both off when I can’t keep my hands to myself.”

   I rolled my eyes but had to bite my lips to keep the smile off them. He was so absurd sometimes.

   I watched Abraham climb up the rocks and did my best to emulate him. When we reached the top, I took a minute to admire the view again. No matter how many times I saw it, I knew it’d never stop taking my breath away.

   Even in the dark, I could see the mountain peaks reflected in the water beneath us. A small stream cut through the boulder we stood on, trickling over the side and into the lake. It was pretty quiet, but the faint rustling of forest creatures sounded from below, just soft enough to be background noise. I sighed and wrapped my arms around my middle.

   “It’s so beautiful here,” I said.

   Abraham walked up next to me and put his hand around my hip, pulling me into him. “I know. I love it here.”

   “Why don’t we come more often?”