Rise

by Heather MacKinnon

  I tipped my chin up. “I thought there was a chance you weren’t thinking straight.” I just barely suppressed a cringe at my own words.

  Abraham chuckled and wrapped his warm, naked body around me. “You do scramble my thoughts, Ms. Montgomery.”

  That made me feel a little better at least.

  “If this is a top priority project, shouldn’t you have men working weekends, too?”

  Abraham laughed again and wrapped an arm around my neck. “Look at you. Get a dose of power and now you think you’re the boss of everything.”

  I slapped his chest. “I do not think I’m the boss of everything.”

  “Okay, boss.”

  I hit him again, but my hand just bounced off his hard chest. He probably hadn’t even felt it. “Whatever, Abraham. Just put some clothes on.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  Chapter 20

   We spent more time making up that night than we did sleeping, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Without meaning to, I’d scared Abraham yesterday, and I’d have done anything it took to ease his fears.

   I was lying on Abraham’s warm chest when Charlie leapt onto the bed. He picked his way between us until he was curled up on Abraham, too. Apparently, my cat knew a good spot when he saw one.

   Abraham reached out a big hand and rubbed Charlie’s head. It might have been a little rougher than I’d pet my cat, but he didn’t seem to mind. He arched his back and pushed into Abraham’s hand.

   “You’re so good with him,” I said softly, not wanting to break the peaceful quiet of the morning.

   He grunted. “He’s a good cat.”

   I had to bite my lip to hide my smile. When Abraham first found out I even owned a cat, he’d been less than thrilled. When I started bringing him out to Asheville with me, he tolerated him, but I could tell he didn’t think of him as a pet.

   Now, everything was different.

   I think it started around the time Abraham built the magnificent cat tree for Charlie. I wasn’t sure if the cat was appreciative or if the man was just warming to him, but I’d barely been able to pry them apart since. Wherever Abraham was, Charlie was close behind, ready for a rough head rub and a snuggle.

   It was adorable, and it made me love them both even more.

   “I’ve been thinking about letting Charlie roam the house.”

   Abraham turned toward me. “Yeah? You think that’s a good idea?”

   I sighed. “Well, you and your sisters had no trouble getting along with him. He’s really a good cat, and it’s not like he’d bother anyone.” I was quiet for a moment while I thought it through some more, my teeth digging into my bottom lip. Finally, I nodded. “I don’t want him to be trapped in this room all the time. It’s not fair to him. Let’s let him roam for a couple hours at a time and see how it goes.”

   Abraham was still watching me with heavy-lidded eyes. “You know it just turns me on when you get all bossy.”

   I rolled my eyes. “I’m not bossy.”

   He rolled over and dragged me beneath his big body. “You’re so bossy. And it’s so sexy,” he grumbled against my neck.

   Thoughts of Charlie flew from my head as Abraham showed me just how sexy he found my bossiness. When we were finally sated again, I decided that if we didn’t get out of bed soon, we weren’t going to. It wasn’t a work day, but we had a pack barbecue that afternoon and we had to see if anyone needed help setting it all up.

   I reluctantly pried myself from Abraham’s arms and hopped into the shower. My fiancé would never pass up a chance to see me naked, though, so he came along too. It took me a lot longer to wash up with his hands all over me, but I managed and even had another orgasm to add to my collection that morning.

   When we were dressed, I picked up Charlie, and Abraham and I walked hand in hand down the stairs. Breakfast was close to being over, so the room was mostly empty. We said hello to Ms. Elsie and grabbed some plates.

   I set Charlie on the ground, but he stuck by my side as I got some breakfast and found a seat with Abraham. My poor cat didn’t know what to do with himself, so he hopped up on the bench next to me and took a seat. I knew it would take some adjusting for everyone, but I really felt like this was the right thing to do.

   While we ate, I got Abraham to promise to build some kitty ramps around the first floor of the lodge. That would give Charlie a place to escape if he got spooked by something. Werewolves weren’t known for being quiet, and my cat was used to the silence of just one lonely owner.

   Speaking of rowdy werewolves, one of the enforcers, Huxley, walked into the kitchen, trailed by Mathias. As soon as the first wolf made it to the middle of the room, he stopped dead in his tracks and lifted his nose into the air.

   “Why does it smell like a fucking animal in here?” he asked.

   For whatever reason, Huxley and I had an antagonistic relationship. Maybe it was because I’d never had siblings, or maybe it was because I thought he needed to be brought down a peg or two, but I never passed up an opportunity to call him out.

   “You’re probably smelling yourself, Huxley.”

   His brown eyes swung my way and to the space next to me before narrowing. “Is that a cat?”

   I nodded slowly. “So, you can identify your animals. Good job, Hux.”

   He scowled at me and pointed a finger at Charlie. “What is a fucking cat doing in the middle of a house of werewolves? Aren’t you worried someone’s gonna eat him?”

   He and Mathias laughed while I seethed. I rose to my feet, barely noticing Abraham running a warning hand down my arm. He thought I was about to lose my cool, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

   “Huxley, I don’t know what backwoods town you crawled out of, but civilized people don’t eat cats.”

   He scoffed. “Never said I was civilized.”

   I shook my head, but my lips twitched with a smile. “At least you’re aware that you’re a Neanderthal.”

   He beat his fists on his chest like a gorilla and I had to laugh. He was such an idiot sometimes.

   Huxley shot another look at Charlie. “I don’t know how that’s going to go over here.”

   I straightened my spine and shot him a look. “We’re giving it a try. If everyone makes an effort to get along, we all should do just fine.”

   Huxley shook his head and nodded for Mathias to follow. The two giant men left the kitchen through the back door and I let out a sigh of relief.

   “Well, that’s two down, and what? Ten to go?”

   Abraham wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “Are you referring to lodge residents?”

   I nodded.

   “There are nine enforcers living in the lodge. You have another seven to convince.” He said the words with a secret smile on his face and I thought he approved of what I was doing.

   I shrugged. “No problem. I’m persuasive.”

   He laughed and kissed the side of my head. “I know you are.”

   Abraham left shortly after that, promising he’d be back down soon, but he had some business that couldn’t wait. We walked back upstairs together, Charlie following us. He left for his office while I grabbed the environmental texts and hauled them back downstairs, my cat trailing me.

   I was in the kitchen, reading through the last of the books Callie lent me, when Jimmy walked through the sliding glass door. I gave him a strained smile but ignored him for the most part. I was sure I wasn’t even on his long list of people he liked.

   So, when he cleared his throat, and I turned to see he was looking at me, I was shocked.

   “Hey, Ellie.”

   I tried to keep the frown off my face, but I could feel my eyebrows bunching in the middle. "Hey, Jimmy."

   He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “You have a minute?”

   “Of course. Do we need privacy?” I asked as I stood up.

 
 He pulled a hand from his pocket and waved it. “Nah, it’s not that serious. I’m here to pay my fine.”

   I almost stumbled forward I was so surprised. “Oh. Okay. Thanks, Jimmy.”

   He shrugged. “You were right, you know? I shouldn’t have been messin’ up Franny’s yard like that. I deserved the fine.”

   Well, hell.

   What do you say to that? You’re right, you did deserve it?

   Instead, I said, “I think Fran would probably appreciate hearing that, too.”

   He nodded. “I already apologized to her. She was my first stop.”

   “That’s great, Jimmy.”

   He shrugged again. “Now, I’m here to apologize to you. What I said was stupid, and you didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry.”

   You could have knocked me over with a feather.

   “Th-thanks, Jimmy.” I was having trouble forming the words and making complete sentences.

   I’d never expected Jimmy to come around like this. To apologize of all things. All I’d ever heard about him was how awful and intolerant he was. But the man in front of me was admitting where he’d gone wrong and apologizing.

   I may have judged him too quickly.

   He scratched his bearded chin. “Anyway, I’m here to drop off a check for the fine and see if you could help me with something.”

   “Sure, what’s up?”

   “Could you hook me up with whoever cleaned Fran’s yard? I’m hopin’ I can hire them to do mine too.”

   I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Yeah, that was Austin. Do you need his number?”

   “That was the Anderson boy?

   I shrugged. “Yep. I can call him if you want.”

   He waved me away again. “Nah, I’ll just stop by his place on the way home.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a crinkled check, handing it to me.

   “Thanks, Jimmy.”

  He shrugged and waved before walking away.

  When he reached the glass door, I called out to him, “Will I see you at the pack cookout tonight?”

   He turned back around, a small smile on his face. “I’ll be there.”

   He left after that and I stood there for a long time, thinking about the kind of impact I was making in the pack. Apparently, I was doing something right.

   I’d never expected Jimmy to turn it around like that. Thought for sure I’d be on his shit list for the rest of my life, but he’d surprised me. He’d owned up to his mistakes and was working toward rectifying them. I really couldn’t have asked for more than that.

   I sat back down with my textbooks and a smile on my face. This alpha stuff wasn’t so bad, and it looked like I might be getting the hang of it.

   I’d just gotten back into reading when I smelled sage and knew Bea was nearby.

   “Hey, Ellie,” she called, and I held back a sigh. I was going to have to talk to Abraham about setting up an office for me in the lodge or I’d never get anything done.

   I looked up and gave my future sister-in-law a smile. “Hey, Bea.”

   She took a seat on the bench across from me, her smile wary. “So, what happened with you and Abey last night?”

   I rolled my eyes. “He lost his mind and threatened to lock me in our room.” I chuckled at that. I’m sure he could have tried to lock me in that room, but he’d have had a hell of a fight on his hands.

   “That sounds like Abey.”

   I shook my head. “Doesn’t sound like the Abraham I know.”

   “You weren’t there with him the night you were taken. You didn’t see what it did to him. I’m honestly not surprised about his reaction at all.”

   I sat forward and clasped my hands. “But I had it under control. Tom was lying in a panting heap on the ground with my teeth marks still in his neck.”

   Bea’s eyes flashed with pride. “You got him by the neck?”

   I tried to suppress a smile, but it spread across my face anyway. “Yeah, I did.” I bit my lip for a moment before adding, “He didn’t even get one hit in.”

   Bea laughed and reached over with her hand outstretched. I slapped it and she sat back down. “That’s my friggen girl. Damn, Ellie. I wish I’d been there to see you in action.”

   I shrugged, but the smile wouldn’t come off my face. “It was kinda fun, actually.”

   “Hell yeah, fighting is fun! Wait ‘til you take on one of the enforcers,” she said with a laugh and a slap of her knee.

   “What’s so great about fighting enforcers?”

   She leaned back against the table behind her and sighed. “It’s because they’re so arrogant. They think they’re the biggest, strongest, best in everything they do. Then a woman a third their size comes along, and they think it’ll be an easy win.” Her eyes flashed as her smile turned deadly. “The most dangerous thing they can do is underestimate me.”

   Beatrice was so terrifying in that moment that I actually shivered. Thank God I’d found my way to her good side.

   “Yeah, but I’m not you. I didn’t beat every guy in this pack already.”

   She shrugged. “You will. You’ve got great instincts and you’re learning fast.”

   My chest warmed with pride. I knew I’d been doing better, and to hear that Beatrice, the best fighter there, thought so too was amazing.

   Bea stood up and nodded toward the door. “I was going to go for a run, but now I feel like fighting. You got time to spar?”

   I shrugged. Technically, I had all the time in the world since I was unemployed. I was almost done with all the books Callie lent me and knew I could spare some time to train. Besides, it was clear that my lessons with Bea were essential now and I needed to learn as much as I could as fast as I could.

   I closed the book I was reading and stood up. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

   Beatrice shot a look at Charlie who was still lying next to where I’d been sitting. “What are you going to do about your cat?”

   I shrugged. “I’m trying to integrate him into the house more. Let him run free every once in a while. It won’t kill him to spend an hour in the kitchen without me.”

   Bea didn’t look convinced, but shrugged anyway. “All right. If you’re sure.”

    Well, when she said it like that, I wasn’t so positive anymore. I looked around the kitchen, finding it empty except for Aubrey. I wanted to mention Charlie to her and let her know he’d be there for a little while without me, but I didn’t know how that would go over.

   After my interactions with her brother, it almost seemed like she was warming to me, but I’d received nothing but the cold shoulder since. I didn’t know which way was up with that girl, but I figured there was no use worrying over it. I’d just ask and see what happened.

   I walked over to the other side of the kitchen and cleared my throat. “Hey, Aubrey. Can I ask you for a favor?”

   She didn’t bother to turn around. “That depends. Is it a favor or an order?”

   I grit my teeth and clenched my hands.

   Why did she always do that?

   Why did she always have to be antagonistic? Why did she always have to throw the alpha thing in my face?

   I took a deep breath and shook my head. “It’s a favor. I’m going to be right outside with Bea for about an hour and I’m leaving Charlie in here.”

   She turned to me slowly. “What is a Charlie?”

   I just barely stopped my eyes from rolling. “Charlie is my cat.”

   She laughed, the sound grating. “You brought a cat to a house full of werewolves.”

   And I’d had enough.

   “Aubrey, you know damn well the cat lives here. You’ve known that for a while, so quit acting new. He won’t bother you. I’m just asking if you’ll keep half an eye on him. He probably won’t even move from his spot.”

   She rolled her eyes so viciously I worried they’d get stuck. “Ugh, fine. Just hurry back.�
��

   My hands fisted at my sides, but I took deep breaths until I had myself under control. Aubrey was trying to get a reaction out of me and that was the last thing I’d give her. I’d keep letting her comments roll off me and keep being as civil as I could. I had to hope she couldn’t keep it up forever. That eventually she’d get sick of being so rude and give me a chance. I just wouldn’t hold my breath.

  Chapter 21

   “What’d you do to her? Piss in her cornflakes?”

   I turned to Bea with wide eyes. “That’s disgusting. Of course not.”

   She laughed and shrugged. “It’s something I’ve heard the guys say, and I was trying it out. It is pretty disgusting, though.”

   I laughed too as we headed toward the grassy space we always used to spar. “Honestly, I don’t really know what her deal is. Ever since I moved out here, she’s been nothing but nasty to me.”

   “Have you asked her why?”

   “I mean, not directly. It’s hard to have a conversation with her at all.”

   “Does Abey know?”

   I sighed. “Yeah, and I barely stopped him from stepping in.”

   Bea turned to me with a frown. “Why wouldn’t you let him talk to her?”

   “Because then it looks like I can’t handle things myself. It’ll look like I told on her. That’s exactly what she’s expecting.”

   “She’s expecting you to tell Abraham on her?”

   I shrugged. “She said anyone who disagrees with the alpha’s mate gets kicked out of the pack like Peyton.” I cringed as her name fell from my lips.

   Beatrice and Peyton had been best friends for years. The two of them had made my life miserable on more than one occasion, but nothing compared to the first family dinner I’d attended. Through her brother who worked at the police station, Peyton got ahold of what was supposed to be sealed records of when I’d gotten in trouble as a teenager. Peyton wasted no time divulging all that information to everyone at dinner, including Abraham’s grandma, who I’d just met and was hoping to make a good impression on. Beatrice was the one who’d invited Peyton to the dinner and encouraged her to dish the dirt she’d found on me.