Rise

by Heather MacKinnon

   Finally, he spun back toward me and asked, “Do you have any questions about anything?”

   I shrugged. “I don’t think so. Thanks for the tour, Matt.”

   He smiled, his green eyes bright. “Anytime, Ellie. My door is always open for you.”

   I shot him a smile and left the lab to find Callie, Matt’s words still ringing in my head. Maybe Abraham was right, and Matt was looking to be more than just a co-worker. Too bad he was barking up the wrong tree.

  Chapter 26

   I made my way to the office Matt pointed out as Callie’s and knocked on her door.

   “Come in, Ellie!”

   I opened the door and walked in with a frown on my face. “How’d you know it was me?”

   She smiled as I closed the door behind me. “I could smell you.” My face heated, and Callie laughed. “No, don’t take that the wrong way. I’m just so used to your scent, it’s easy for me to pick it up. It’s not a bad thing.”

   I felt the tension seep from my shoulders as I took a seat in front of her desk. When was I going to get the hang of this werewolf stuff?

   “How’d your tour go?”

   I shrugged. “Good, I guess.”

   She raised a brow and eyed me. “Is everything okay?”

   I pasted a smile on my face and gave her a nod. “Everything’s great. What did you want to talk to me about?”

   She didn’t look completely convinced, but let it go. “First, I want to know what you thought about your new office.” Her eyes were bright and her smile wide as she waited for me to respond.

   “I love it.”

   She sat back with a satisfied smirk on her face. “I told Abey you would. That man worries too much.”

   “Yeah, he was nervous about showing it to me which is ridiculous. He knows me better than anyone else has in my entire life. Of course he knew exactly what I’d want in an office.”

   That thought brought me up short.

  Callie was talking, but my own words were ringing through my head.

   Abraham really did know me better than anyone else ever had. He knew my faults and my good qualities as well as everything in between. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d never be able to find someone else like him.

   So, why was I pushing the wedding back? If I knew he was the one, why wait?

   “Ellie?”

   I shook my head and looked up at Callie. “Yeah? Sorry, what were you saying?”

   She frowned and folded her hands in front of her. “Are you okay?”

   I sighed and relaxed into the chair. “Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. What were you talking about?”

   She eyed me like she wanted to ask more questions, but thankfully, dropped it. “I was just saying I have some literature for you about plastic bag waste and the repercussions it has on our environment. I thought you could spend some time reading up on the issue before we ask you to write something for the court.”

   She handed me a thick manila folder that I took from her.

   “Yeah, of course. That sounds great!”

   Callie smiled. “How do you like the rest of the team?”

   My smile faltered just the tiniest bit. “Well, Katie seems nice enough, but I haven’t really talked to her yet, and Matt is… exuberant.”

   Callie laughed softly. “I think he thinks he’s got something to prove here.”

   “Yeah, I could see that.”

   She sighed and shuffled a pile of papers on her desk. “He’s still new, so I don’t know how he’s going to work out, but everyone deserves a fair chance, right?”

   How could I disagree with that when Callie was taking a huge chance on me?

   “Yeah, I think they do.”

   She smiled again and glanced at her watch. “Do you have any questions? I have a conference call in a few minutes.”

   I shook my head and stood. “No, I’m good. I’ll go get started on this right now.”

   “Sounds good. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you have.”

   I promised I would and left her office.

   When I got back to my own, I took a minute to admire everything Abraham had done again. There were still more details that I was just now noticing, and it all filled my heart with so much love for him.

   My stomach rumbled uncomfortably, and I placed my hand over it. I was probably a little hungry since I’d had such a small breakfast. Luckily, I’d stuffed a few granola bars in my purse to bring to work.

   I munched on a cereal bar while I went over what Callie gave me. The more I read, the more strongly I felt about the cause. It made me feel bad that I’d never even thought of any of this before.

   I finished the granola bar and threw the wrapper in the glittery trash can beneath my desk. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have done the trick. My stomach was still bothering me, and I wondered if it was the distance from Abraham that was the culprit. It had been so long since I’d spent any real time away from him, it was easy to forget how sick it made me.

   I’d promised myself I didn’t care if we were fated or not, but wasn’t this more proof that we really were? Normal couples didn’t feel that kind of discomfort when separated. That was pure wolfy magic, and it was clearly at work today.

   I did my best to ignore my rolling stomach while I perused the rest of the documents in the folder. When I was done, I hooked up my laptop and did some research of my own. I was so wrapped up in my work that I hadn’t even realized it was lunchtime until my phone rang from inside my bag.

   When I pulled it out, I saw that the Sexiest Man Alive was calling and a smile spread across my face.

   “Hey, baby.”

   He grunted. “Don’t do that right now.”

   I frowned and sat up straighter. “What’s the matter?”

   He sighed. “I won’t be able to make it for lunch today and I’m irritated.”

   I laughed softly. “Well, I’m not too happy about that either, but I’ll see you as soon as I get home.”

   “Not soon enough.”

   I laughed again. “You’re silly.”

   “And you’re mine and I want you now.”

   I squeezed my legs together as the nerve endings in my whole body lit up. How did he do that? Make me feel such strong emotions from so far away?

   “Let’s look on the bright side.”

   “There is no bright side.”

   My smile widened. He was so impossible sometimes. “Imagine how good the sex will be after we have to wait all day for it.”

   He grunted again. “That’s a small consolation.”

   “What if I promise to make it worth it?”

   He paused for a long moment. “I’m listening.”

   I bit my lip to hold back my laugh. “Well, I’m not giving away any details, but just know I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”

   He groaned softly into the phone. “You’re killing me.”

   I couldn’t hold back my laugh this time. “I love you. I’ll see you as soon as we get home.”

   “I’m counting down the minutes.”

   My heart squeezed in my chest and I closed my eyes for a moment. I’d never had anyone make me feel so much before. Someone who cut me to the core with just a few words.

   “I am too.”

   After a few more I love yous, we finally hung up, and I checked the time on my laptop. It was after noon and I figured I’d better get some real food in me before my stomach revolted even more than it already was.

   There was a knock on my door, and I decided to try out the werewolf identification trick. I lifted my nose in the air and took a deep breath. I smelled roses and a smile spread across my face.

   “Come in, Callie!”

   She walked in with a smile on her face. “I see you sniffed me out.”

   My grin was wide as she made her way toward my desk. “Sure
did. What’s up?”

   She took a seat in one of the colorful chairs in front of my desk. “Abey just texted me saying he couldn’t stop by for lunch and asked me to take you somewhere.”

   I rolled my eyes. “It’s like he thinks I can’t feed myself. I did just fine without him for twenty-eight years.”

   She shrugged. “He just loves you, Ellie. He’s a werewolf, an alpha werewolf at that. He’s always going to worry about you.”

   I sighed. I knew she was right, and truthfully, it didn’t bother me like it used to. I knew his actions came from a place of love and he wasn’t trying to be overbearing. He just sucked at the delivery sometimes.

   I shut my laptop and grabbed my purse. “Did you have somewhere in mind?”

   She opened her mouth to speak when there was another knock on my door. I took a deep breath and got a big whiff of strong cologne and knew it was Matt.

   “Come in,” I called.

   He opened the door and stuck his head through, a grin already on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but when his eyes found Callie, his smile slipped. “Hey, Ellie. I was just stopping by to see if you were interested in getting lunch with me.”

   Suddenly, Abraham’s message to Callie made more sense. He wasn’t so much worried about me eating alone as he was worried about me having lunch with Matt. My blood simmered slowly in my veins as the thoughts swirled through my head.

   I didn’t need Abraham orchestrating a lunch date for me because I wouldn’t have gone out with Matt, anyway. I was in a relationship with a man I loved like crazy. One who I knew was possessive and already had an intense dislike for my coworker. I wouldn’t have disrespected him by having lunch with another man behind his back, but now I was irritated. Instead of talking to me, he’d gone behind my back to fix the situation to his liking.

  Well, tough nuggets.

   “I was actually going to get lunch with Callie, but you’re welcome to come along.”

   There. Abraham could suck on that.

   Matt’s smile fell slightly again, but he nodded. “Sure, sounds good. I was thinking about heading over to this little deli about a block away. That sound good?”

   I looked to Callie who shrugged. A sandwich actually sounded pretty amazing, and hopefully it would be enough to calm my stomach. I shouldered my purse and gave him a smile. “Sounds great. Let’s go.”

   We found Katie on our way out and invited her along too, and the four of us headed out for lunch.

   This wasn’t something I’d done before. I’d never gone out to lunch with coworkers or really spent any time with a colleague outside of the office. I got invited a few times when I first started at my last firm, but after I turned them down so often, they finally stopped asking.

   I realized then that I’d been isolating myself my whole life. I didn’t know if it was out of fear or what, but I’d pushed people away for as long as I could remember. Abraham was the first person who’d pushed back. Who hadn’t let me get away with the crap I was used to pulling. He saw right through my defenses and found a way around them.

   It made me miss him even more.

   We’d just sat down with our sandwiches at a little table when I pulled out my phone.

   Me: Next time, don’t send Callie to babysit me. I wouldn’t have gone to lunch with Matt anyway.

   Seconds later, there was a response from him.

   Sexiest Man Alive: I just didn’t want you to have to eat lunch alone.

   Me: Don’t lie.

   The little dots bounced on my phone’s screen while everyone around me talked and ate.

   Sexiest Man Alive: Okay, maybe I was intervening a little. I don’t like him.

   I sighed and glanced at the man in question. He might have been a little interested in me, but that didn’t make him a bad guy. I think Abraham was judging him too harshly too soon.

   Me: I know you don’t, but he’s my colleague and I need to work with him, so you need to cool it.

   Sexiest Man Alive: I’ll do my best.

   I shook my head, but a smile was tugging at my lips. You couldn’t blame the guy for being honest.

   Sexiest Man Alive: Where did you and Callie go for lunch?

   Me: Actually, we all went out to this deli down the street.

   The lines danced for a long time again and I set my phone aside to pick up my sandwich. I took a big bite of the turkey and cheese, but it didn’t taste right. Not wanting to embarrass myself, I chewed and swallowed before pushing my plate away. It seemed that the symptoms from being separated from Abraham were as strong as ever.

   Whenever we’d been apart in the past, it had always been hard for me to eat. Even my favorite foods tasted wrong. Every day I had to spend without him was harder than the last, but it had never come on this fast before. Usually, it was at least a day or two before I felt that bad, not a few hours.

   Maybe it was worse because we’d been spending so much time together. Maybe before I’d built up some immunity to the side effects that I didn’t have anymore. Whatever the case was, my sandwich tasted awful and there was no way I’d be able to choke it down. I figured I’d wrap it and save it for later.

   My phone buzzed, and I picked it up.

   Sexiest Man Alive: As long as you’re not alone with him.

   I rolled my eyes again as my fingers furiously tapped out my response.

   Me: I know how you feel about him, and I wouldn’t have done that to you. Give me a little more credit, please.

   I set my phone down with a huff which attracted Callie’s attention.

   “Everything okay, Ellie?”

   I sighed. “Yeah. Your brother is just being a little overbearing.”

   She smiled and shrugged. “He has a tendency to do that.”

   I shrugged at her as we shared a look of mutual commiseration. Somehow, I kept forgetting that she’s had to put up with a lifetime of an overprotective Abraham.

   “Wait. That man you were with this morning is Callie’s brother?”

   I turned to Matt. “Yep. We’re practically related.” I shot Callie a wink and her smile widened.

   “Well, that changes things,” Matt muttered. I knew he hadn’t meant for me to hear that, but he didn’t know that I was a werewolf with excellent hearing.

   I shot a look at Callie who was frowning at Matt. She’d clearly heard him too and was as confused as I was.

   I didn’t know what Matt’s deal was, but the more time I spent with him, the less I wanted to. He seemed nice enough, but there was something just a little off about him. Something that rubbed me the wrong way.

  I couldn’t put my finger on it, and I wondered if it was Abraham’s opinion that was helping to form my own. He’d instantly disliked him without even giving the guy a chance. Was I doing the same? Or was Abraham right to not trust him? I figured it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on him and keep my distance until I figured out if Abraham was right or just being overprotective.

  Chapter 27

   “Abraham, I really need to go,” I said between kisses.

   He groaned and dropped his forehead to mine. “I don’t like you working out of the house.”

   I sighed and closed my eyes. We’d had this conversation a few times already, and it seemed like we couldn’t stop cycling back to it.

   I reached up and cupped his face, waiting until he was looking at me. “You know I didn’t like just sitting around the lodge all day. I like to work, I like to feel useful, and I like to make my own money. Please don’t try to take that away from me.”

   He sighed heavily and covered my hands with his big, rough ones. “I would never take that away from you, baby. I just miss you when you’re gone.”

   I knew what he meant because I’d missed him like crazy, too. How we’d gone months living hours apart was a mystery. But being independent and having a career were things that were really important to me.

>    “I’ll miss you too, Abraham, but I’ll see you for lunch today, right?”

   He growled softly and dipped his head until his lips were hovering over mine. “Yes, and I believe I promised you we’d christen your office twice today.”

   I shivered against him and his lips curled into a smile. I reached up and kissed his perfect mouth. “Yes, you did, and I know you’re a man who keeps his word.”

   He pulled me closer. “You’re damn right I do.”

   I chuckled and kissed him once more before taking a step back. I opened my mouth to speak when there was a loud knock on the door.

   “You two need to stop threading the needle in there before we’re late!”

   My face heated, and I ducked into Abraham’s chest. “No,” I whined. “Not Callie too.”

   Abraham’s chest was rumbling with laughter beneath my face and I couldn’t help but smile too. It seemed his whole family was out of their minds.

   He pulled away and met my eyes. “You don’t want to keep Callie waiting. She might seem like the most mild-mannered of my sisters, but that just means her crazy is hidden deeper than the others’.”

   “I heard that!” she yelled from the hallway.

   A loud laugh shot out of my mouth and I shook my head. Honestly, every last McCoy was nuts. And I loved all of them.

   I reached up and kissed Abraham one more time. “I love you. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

   He sighed and nodded. “I’ll be there.”

   With more difficulty than I expected, I pulled myself out of Abraham’s arms and left our room. Callie was waiting in the hallway for me, a look of mild exasperation on her face.

   “Finally,” she said before grabbing my arm and dragging me down the hallway.

   “Sorry, Callie.”

   She sighed and shook her head, her mess of curly hair flying everywhere. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Fated mates are all like this.”

   I swallowed down the words that were on the tip of my tongue. Despite not being able to find any information about bitten and born wolves being fated, it seemed like she still believed we were. I wasn’t about to correct her. Especially after how bad my separation from Abraham had felt yesterday.