Chapter 16
I laid on the floor for a long time thinking about my position in this company. How it had been all I wanted for so long. Now, it seemed as though I was barely hanging on by a thread. I wondered how long I could hold out like this. How many more suits I’d ruin because I couldn’t control my temper. How much longer I’d let people like Ben affect me.
It was a little while later when I heard a set of footsteps coming down the hall toward my office. Initially, I ignored them, but when they stopped right outside my door, I picked my head up from the floor. Not even daring to breathe, I waited to see what the person on the other side would do.
They knocked on my door, and I just barely repressed a yip of surprise.
“Montgomery? Are you in there?”
Ben.
Instantly, I was on my feet and ready for a confrontation. That was, until I climbed to four legs and not two. I looked down at my furry body with quiet fear as I realized I couldn’t face Ben right now because it would either be as a wolf or as a naked woman and neither of those options were good ones.
“Montgomery, I saw your guard dog leave, and I’m here to talk to you. Open the door.”
So, he waited for Wyatt to be gone before coming to talk to me. That was interesting and ominous all at once.
The doorknob rattled, and I took an unsteady step back, silently thanking Wyatt for locking it. That relief was short-lived, however, when I heard the unmistakable sound of metal clinking against metal.
Does he have a key?
Was he trying to pick the lock?
I backed up another step and frantically looked around my office. I had a small coat closet in here, but even if I could fit inside it like this, I couldn’t open the door with my paws.
All I could do was stand there, frozen in fear, and hope he didn’t actually know how to pick a lock.
What felt like hours later, but was probably only a minute or two, there was a muttered curse and a loud thump on the door before I heard retreating footsteps.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and sat back down on the floor.
That had been way too close.
I needed to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.
As I sat there trying to calm my racing heart, my mind spun with all the terrible possibilities. What if Ben had gotten in here? He would have come face to face with a giant wolf. He was a huge coward, so I knew he’d just run away, but would someone else call the authorities? Animal control?
What would happen if I couldn’t get away? I’d be locked up in the pound or taken to the wild or maybe even shot on sight.
The thoughts swirled and swirled as they got darker.
Just when I’d practically scared myself into a panic attack, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door again. Almost without my permission, my four legs carried me to the opposite side of the room, as far as I could get from the door.
The person on the other side was silent for a long time before I heard a series of clicks that meant someone was using a key.
Had Ben found a spare set?
Was he on the other side of the door?
What did he want?
Why was he being so persistent?
I didn’t know the answer to any of the dozens of questions running through my head, and I was frozen in place, crippled by fear.
Instinct took over, and a loud crack rang out in the quiet room. In seconds, I was a woman again. A naked woman about to be confronted by her least favorite co-worker.
The doorknob turned, startling a squeak out of me. Out of options, I ran to the small coat closet and shut myself inside it. My heart was racing so hard, I expected the person in my office to hear it at any second. I held my breath, closed my eyes, and crossed every finger and toe I could as I waited for whoever it was to leave.
“Elizabeth?”
My eyes shot open at the sound of Wyatt’s voice. I breathed a sigh of relief and rested my head against the closet door.
“In here,” I called.
I heard Wyatt stop walking in the middle of the room before he spoke again. “Why are you in the closet?”
“I’m hiding,” I explained.
“From me?” The humor was clear in his voice.
I sighed again. “Kind of.”
His heavy footsteps got closer to the door. “Don’t come in here!” I warned.
“Why are you hiding from me?”
“I thought you were Ben.”
A low growl came from the other side of the door. “Why would you be hiding from Ben?”
“He was here a few minutes ago trying to get in.”
Silence.
Then, “Elizabeth, I’m going to need to do something about him.”
“No, no, no,” I rushed out. “I don’t need you to do anything. I have it under control.”
“That’s not how it looks from here.”
I breathed my umpteenth sigh. “I know it doesn’t. I just don’t need any more issues here. I’ve explained you away as in intern. An intern wouldn’t confront an employee.”
“I don’t give a shit what you told them. If there’s a threat, I’m gonna take care of it.”
“I know, I know.” Deep breath. “I’m going to handle it. Just give me my clothes, and I’ll take care of it.”
“What are you gonna do?”
I had no idea.
“I’m going to talk to him.”
“That didn’t work so well last time,” he reminded me.
I made a face at the door imaging it was Wyatt. “Yes, well, that just means I need to be more persuasive. Can I please have my clothes?”
“You gonna open that door and get ‘em?” The humor was back in his voice.
“Yes,” I grumbled, and opened the door a crack just wide enough for me to shove my arm through.
This time Wyatt actually chuckled. I don’t think I’d ever heard the sound before. It was nice.
“There ya’ go.” He hung a plastic grocery bag around my wrist. “You gonna change in there too?”
I looked around at the small space I was in. It just barely fit me standing still, how was I going to maneuver enough to dress myself? I tipped my head back and let out a deep breath.
“No. I need to come out and change. Could you please turn around?”
“How long you gonna be this shy for?”
“Do you really think Abraham would be happy knowing you saw me naked?” I answered his question with one of my own.
Silence again.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’m just messin’ with you anyway. I’ll go wait out in the hall, okay?”
My body slumped in relief. “That would be great. I’ll only be a couple minutes.”
“Take your time and come get me when you’re done.”
I waited until I heard the office door close before leaving my impromptu hiding place.
I dug through the bag Wyatt brought me, appreciation flooding my body. He’d brought me the same outfit I’d worn last week. Apparently, he’d been paying attention.
But, as promised, there was no underwear or bra. The underwear wasn’t a huge issue, I could go commando for a few hours. But, the bra was going to be a problem. Thankfully, Wyatt had brought a blouse and a jacket, despite how warm the weather had been lately.
I pulled on the clothes as fast as possible and slipped back into my shoes that I’d somehow not ruined when I shifted. When I was done, I opened the office door and invited Wyatt back inside.
“Thanks again for the clothes,” I told him once he’d closed the door behind him.
He shrugged. “We’ve all been there. But you should probably get in the habit of bringing an extra set. For a while at least.”
“I’ve learned my lesson,” I assured him.
When Wyatt was seated in the chair in the corner he’d commandeered as his own, I took off for the office door.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I’m going to take care of the snitch,” I called over my shoulder, not waiting for a response.
Within seconds, Wyatt was across the room, pressing a hand against the door so I couldn’t open it. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
I turned to scowl at my guard. “And why is that?”
He took a step back, so he wasn’t towering over me anymore. “You’re too emotional. If you go confront him, you could shift.”
“I won’t shift again. It’s out of my system now.”
Wyatt raised one blond brow, but withdrew the hand holding the door closed. “If you think that’s best.”
I nodded once. “I do.” Stepping around him, I opened the door. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for his response, I stormed off down the hall. My steps were heavy thuds against the thin carpeting and loud to my sensitive ears. When I reached the elevators, I jabbed the down button and thankfully only waited moments before the doors opened.
Once inside the elevator, I took a deep breath and stared at my reflection in the mirrored walls. My face was flushed, my hair a little wild, but my eyes were determined.
I needed to confront Ben and resolve whatever issue there was between us once and for all. I couldn’t have him running to Hildebrandt to tell on me every chance he got. My career couldn’t take it. We had just one case to work on together and then we could go our separate ways.
The problem was, this one case could take us months. I didn’t know if I’d be able to work with Ben that long, but I had to try. My position in this firm depended on it.
When the elevator doors opened, I stomped out and made a beeline for Ben’s cubicle.
I found the rat-faced tattletale at his desk.
“I guess your case load is too light if you have time for computer games,” I said loudly, not caring at all if I was overheard.
Ben whipped around at the sound of my voice, his eyes wide and fearful for the briefest of moments before it was replaced with cocky arrogance.
“Hello, Montgomery. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
I took a menacing step closer, and his eyes widened slightly. “I’m not here to chitchat, Collins.” Another step forward, and I was close enough that he had to crane his neck to look up at me.
Good.
I liked this little height advantage.
“I got an interesting call from Mr. Hildebrandt this afternoon.” Ben opened his mouth to speak, but I kept talking. “He tells me that you were in his office earlier, crying about how I wouldn’t work on this case with you.”
“I wasn’t crying–”
I cut him off. “But, you were in there lying about me.”
He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. The picture of relaxation. “I wouldn’t call it lying.”
My blood was heating to dangerous levels in my veins, and I briefly wondered if Wyatt had been right. That I was too emotional to have this confrontation right now.
But it was too late for that.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
“What would you call it then?” I asked between gritted teeth.
He had the nerve to smirk at me. “It might have been a little stretch of the truth.”
My jaw throbbed with how hard I was clenching my teeth. “And why would you do that? Why would you lie to your boss about me?”
Was he really that desperate to hurt me that he’d risk his own reputation to do it?
He leaned back further in his chair. “I told you you’d regret speaking to me like you did this morning. Now that you know what I’m capable of, I don’t think we’ll have any more issues working on this case together.”
What a smug little son of a b–
“Collins,” I barked. I took a deep breath and leaned forward, so he could hear the threats I was about to make loud and clear. “If you ever pull something like that again, I promise, I will fuck your life up in ways you haven’t even thought of yet. Am I clear?”
His smile slowly fell from his pale face.
Thinking I’d made my point, I spun on my heel to leave. I wanted to spend as little time as possible around the creep.
Just as I was about to clear the cubicle, a rough hand on my arm stopped me in my tracks. I turned back around to find Ben’s face twisted with a kind of anger I hadn’t seen on him before. It made my heart race just a little faster, but I told myself it wasn’t out of fear.
I didn’t need to fear Ben, or anyone like him. I was a werewolf now. Strong as hell, fast as hell, and angry as hell. He had nothing on me.
“Who do you think you’re talking to like that?” he hissed, spittle flying from his thin lips.
My blood reached boiling and my muscles started twitching with the need to shift.
I couldn’t believe he’d grabbed me like that, but I was going to make sure it was the last time.
I seized his wrist and squeezed.
Tight.
Tighter.
Until I could hear the bones creaking in his arm and his eyes widened in what was first shock, and then pure fear.
I took a step closer, squeezing even harder than before.
“Do. Not. Ever touch me again,” I warned him, my words as low and deadly as I could make them.
I gave him one last squeeze, making him suck in a sharp breath, before I flung his hand off my arm. He cradled his red wrist to his chest and watched me with wide fearful eyes. He lifted his good arm to point at my face as he took a stumbling step away from me.
“Your eyes!” he practically yelled. “What the hell is wrong with your eyes?”
I blinked and realized, too late, that my vision was sharper than it was supposed to be. I must have partially shifted while I was threatening Ben.
In, one.
Out, two.
I shook my head and my vision returned to normal. Well, my new normal. Normal enough that I wasn’t seeing through wolf eyes anymore, at least.
Wyatt had warned me, and I’d been too stubborn to listen to him. Too mad to see reason. And now I was paying for it.
My mind spun with the repercussions as I tried to think my way out of this situation. Already there were people poking their heads over their cubicles to see what was going on over here.
I thought fast and blurted out the first thing I could think of. “Were you drinking at lunch, Ben?”
He shook his head and sputtered, “N-n-no. What? What are you talking about?”
I took a step back and shook my head. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. What are you on?”
His gaze roamed my face, searching for something he wouldn’t find anymore. I’d gotten myself back under control and the tremors had subsided. For now, at least.
Using his distraction to my advantage, I took a quick step toward him and lowered my voice. “Remember what I said. Do not mess with me again.”
With that, I turned on my heel and left Ben cradling his injured wrist. He’d probably have to ice it, but he should consider himself lucky. Next time I’d break his arm and not just bruise it.