Chapter 32
When I woke up the next morning, Abraham was already gone, and it was only the start of my crappy day.
I’d woken up late and had to rush like a maniac to get myself ready. I stubbed my pinky toe on my bedframe, sending me into a cuss-filled rage that scared Charlie so bad, I didn’t see him for the rest of the morning.
Next, when I got to my car, I found I had a flat tire. Thankfully, Wyatt had driven us from Asheville, so he was able to take me to work in his jeep. And double thankfully, he drove like a madman, so I made up a few minutes on the ride there.
And as if all that wasn’t bad enough, I found Ben leaning against my office door when I finally got to it.
“Nice of you to join us, Montgomery.”
I narrowed my eyes, shooting him a warning that I doubted he’d heed. “I’m not in the mood, Ben.”
He ignored me, of course, and followed Wyatt and I into my office.
“I’ve been waiting thirty minutes for you,” he complained in his annoyingly nasal voice.
I looked at the clock hanging on my wall. “I’m only fifteen minutes late.”
He shook his head with a snide smile. “Montgomery, thirty minutes is early, fifteen minutes is on time, and–”
I waved my hand and cut him off. “Yes, yes, and on time is late, I got it.”
“Well, you’re late for being late.”
I shot him a dangerous look, my blood already boiling in my veins. “I said I got it, Ben. What do you want?”
He tsked as he walked slowly around my room. “So hostile. How are we supposed to get any work done with you having an attitude like that?”
I heard a soft growl from across the room and knew that Wyatt, too was running out of patience.
I planted my fists on my hips and speared Ben with another glare. “Now is not a great time. Can we make an appointment for later today?” Maybe being cordial would get rid of him.
He shook his head. “No. I have court this afternoon that’s why I was coming to talk to you. I need you to take over some of what I’ve been working on.”
I narrowed my eyes at his back as he made another lap around my office. “I already have a full caseload on top of this one I’m working with you. I can’t take on any more work.”
Ben spun around to face me. “But you have time to go home early every other day?”
“I don’t go home early every other day,” I spat.
He tsked again, and I wanted to rip his tongue out of his mouth. “That’s not what I’ve noticed. You weren’t here yesterday afternoon when I came to talk to you. I don’t think you want Hildebrandt hearing about you taking off early when we’re working on such an important case, do you?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Ben was working the very last nerve I had, and it was only eight-thirty in the morning.
“It was one day, Ben, and it doesn’t concern you.”
He shrugged. “You’re right, it doesn’t, but I still need you to handle some of what I was assigned.”
I took another deep breath and weighed out my options.
I could tell him to go to hell. That was my favorite one of all. But, I had a feeling it wouldn’t get me very far.
I could tell him to take it up with Hildebrandt. If he couldn’t handle his case load, it wasn’t my problem, and I shouldn’t have to deal with it.
Or, I could just do what he’s asking and, in the process, get rid of him. I really didn’t like this option. It wasn’t fair of him to ask me this, but I really couldn’t afford for him to go to Hildebrandt. Regardless of the fact that I’d already started to look for new jobs, I’d need a good reference from my boss if I was going to land a decent position somewhere else.
So, it looked like I needed to play nice with Ben for now if I was going to keep from making waves here.
I gritted my teeth and nodded. “Fine. Send me what you can’t manage to do, and I’ll take care of it.”
Ben smiled wide. “I knew you’d see it my way, Montgomery.”
I glared at him again, but he was already, thankfully, on his way out of my office. Once he was gone, I let out a deep sigh and slumped into my chair.
“I knew he’d continue to be a problem,” Wyatt mumbled from across the room.
He was getting no argument from me.
The next two days sped by as I tried to juggle all my work on top of what Ben sent me. Thankfully, it wasn’t much because I wouldn’t have been able to get it all done by the time the weekend came, and I was not putting in overtime.
◆◆◆
“Are you ready for your training session?”
I was out on the rooftop reading magazines with Evey and Del when I heard the most pleasant question I’d ever heard from Beatrice. This new side to her was going to take some getting used to.
I tossed my magazine onto the coffee table and hopped up from my seat. “Ready.”
She nodded and turned around to leave the rooftop. I gave the other girls a wave and followed Bea down to a grassy space behind the lodge where we usually practice. Without waiting for her instruction, I took a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching and disrobed. My transformation into a wolf followed swiftly afterward.
“Do you remember what we were working on last time?” Beatrice asked inside my head.
I nodded. “Feints and redirection.”
“Right. Today’s lesson is over when you get a single hit in.”
My jaw fell open. “Bea, what if I can’t hit you? I’ve been trying for weeks and haven’t even gotten close.”
She flicked her tail. “Then I guess we’ll be out here a while.”
Damn. And here I’d thought she’d lighten up on me after our heart to heart last weekend.
“Get into position.”
I sighed and did as she asked, crouching until all my limbs were bent and ready to spring forward.
“Ready? Go.”
I’ll admit it, at first, I wasn’t trying that hard. I was irritated that she’s set down an ultimatum that I didn’t believe I could achieve. Beatrice was impossibly fast, always seeming to be one or more steps ahead of me.
“Ellie! You’re not trying!” she yelled in my head as she climbed off me for the dozenth time.
I sucked in a large gulp of air and climbed to my feet. “I am trying. You’re just too good. Maybe I should practice with a mediocre fighter and not the best one in the pack to start.”
Bea shook her head and got back into position. “You need to learn how I fight, not how all the men fight. You don’t have their size or strength. Their lessons would be useless for you.”
Maybe, I thought to myself, but maybe I’d be able to land a single paw on one of the other guys. Because trying to pin Beatrice down was impossible.
I feinted right before leaping toward the left and landing in an ungraceful pile of fur when Bea gracefully dodged me again. Huffing out a breath, I stood back up and shook out my coat.
“You’re not fighting like this is do or die, Ellie. You need to fight me like I’m the serial killer, not like I’m your mate’s sister.”
She was right.
I wasn’t fighting her like she was a true threat. I didn’t know where to find that fire within me. But I knew it was there. It was present when I met the serial killer in the woods and ran away from him, it was there when I stunned him with the flash of my camera, and when I struggled in his tight hold.
Why couldn’t I tap into that now?
“You need to focus. When you look at me, see that wolf you met that night.”
A shiver ran down my spine and my tail twitched anxiously as I thought back to that night over a month ago. How scared I’d been, how I’d thought my life was about to end, how hard I’d fought, and in the end, how I’d finally given up when the pain had become too much to bear.
But, I couldn’t do that now.
I had too much to live for.
I’d never give up like that again.
I’d go down fighting if I went down at all.
I closed my eyes and imagined the wolf from that night. How big he’d seemed, how dark his eyes had been, the pain I’d felt when his teeth ripped into my leg. Then I thought about how he’d mocked me. Told me there was no one coming to save me, and I was completely at his mercy.
I never wanted to feel that helpless again. Never wanted to let someone else decide my fate for me.
When I opened my eyes, instead of seeing a smallish wolf with an ice-blue gaze, I saw my attacker. The wolf who’s been killing women in these woods just because they looked like me. The giant wolf with dark, soulless eyes and the intent to harm me.
I was ready.
“Go,” Beatrice commanded, and I sprang into action.
I leapt straight at her, knowing she’d dodge to her right because she favored that side, I swung my paw toward where I knew she’d move to and just missed her by inches.
“More, Ellie. Faster.”
I gritted my teeth and spun around, feinting toward the left before swiping my paw at her again. She danced out of the way and I huffed out an aggravated breath.
“You can do this. Picture him and feed off that anger.”
A low growl rumbled through my whole body as I stalked toward Bea. I didn’t see my pack mate, I saw my enemy.
I feinted to the left, and then feinted to the right, and at the last second, I leap toward my left. Seeing my first opportunity, I reached out a paw and it smashed into her face.
She fell back a few steps and shook her head.
“Oh my God, Bea, are you okay? I didn’t mean to hit you that hard!”
She opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she were testing her jaw. Finally, she turned to me with a big wolfy smile.
“That was a great hit! I didn’t see you coming at all!”
A tentative smile crept across my face. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She shook her head. “Believe me, I’ve had worse. But you’ve got quite the right hook on you.”
I thought about how Abraham had said the same thing the other day and smiled. “So, I’ve heard.”
“I know I said we could quit once you hit me, but that was a lot sooner than I was expecting. Let’s go a few more times now that it seems you’ve tapped into something.”
I nodded and crouched into position. “Ready.”
Bea and I practiced for another half hour and I landed a few more good hits on her. I wasn’t anywhere near her level of fighter but knowing that I wasn’t completely helpless anymore was great news. More than I’d hoped for, to be honest.
I found Abraham in the kitchen talking to Ms. Elsie shortly after that. His face lit up when he saw me walk through the door and my heart thumped out an extra beat just for him.
He excused himself from her and stalked forward, pulling me into his arms.
“Hey, baby.” He squeezed me tight and kissed my head. “How was your training session?”
I beamed up at him. “I hit Bea! Like four times!”
His eyes widened. “Yeah? How’d she like that?”
“I thought she’d be mad, but it seemed like she was actually really proud of me.”
He kissed the top of my head again. “So am I.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and just stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth and contentedness I felt whenever he was close to me like this. When I’d asked, Abraham had said it was part of the mate magic. We’d always feel better when we were closer together.
“Ms. Elizabeth, do you have a minute to talk to me about the food for the party?” Ms. Elsie asked from behind Abraham.
I reluctantly pulled myself from his embrace but pasted a smile on my face to greet the sweet elderly woman.
“Of course. Although, I’ll admit, I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be deciding.”
Ms. Elsie waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t you worry about that, sugar. You and me are just gonna get to talkin’ about this party and we’ll figure it out together.”
I shrugged and looked at Abraham. “I’m guessing you have things you need to do?”
He sighed but smiled. “Always.”
He leaned down and placed a soft, perfect kiss on my lips before pulling away. “I’ll see you in a little while. Come find me in my office when you’re done.”
I watched Abraham leave the kitchen with what must have been stars in my eyes because when he was out of eyeshot, Ms. Elsie chuckled from behind me.
“He’s not half-bad to look at, is he?” she asked.
My face heated, but I smiled and shook my head. “Not bad at all.”
She laughed again and waved me over to a table in the dining area of the massive kitchen.
“You don’t know how much it warms my heart to see you two together. I thought he’d never find someone to settle down with.”
I shrugged. “I was pretty much the same way. Before Abraham, my longest and most successful relationship was with my career.”
She raised a brow. “And now?”
I smiled wistfully and sighed. “And now everything’s different.”
Ms. Elsie sighed too. “I’m just tickled you two worked out your differences. Love isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.”
Do I correct her?
Tell her that the L-word hasn’t ever slipped past my lips? Or do I let her believe we’re in love? Were we in love? I know he said he was, but was I?
“And I can’t wait until you two give me a litter of pups to spoil.”
I choked on my saliva. “I’m sorry, what?”
She shot me a knowing look. “I know all about what you young people get up to these days. It’s no surprise you two aren’t waitin’ for a matin’ ceremony to bake the potato.”
I swear, my jaw hit my lap. “Wh-what?”
She raised a brow. “You know, the bedroom rodeo? Checkin’ the oil? The four-legged foxtrot?”
“Oh, my God.”
“Ms. Elizabeth! Don’t play coy with me! Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if you two were greasin’ the loaf pan a few times a day. Werewolves do have quite the libido.”
What. Is. Happening?
“Ms. Elsie, I wasn’t talking about… you know.”
“Hidin’ the bishop?”
I barked out something between a cough and a laugh. “Yes. That. I wasn’t confused about that part.”
“I would hope not.”
I ignored her. If we were ever going to stop talking about this, I needed to forge ahead.
“I was referring to the litter comment you made.”
“Oh, pups? That’s the issue here?”
I gave her a small pained smile. “I’m nowhere near ready for children. Especially a litter of them.”
She eyed me seriously. “I reckon you won’t have much of a choice when you are ready.”
“What does that mean?”
She smiled, but it was full of pity. “Haven’t you noticed we come in pairs?”
I felt more confused now than I had when she was spouting off euphemisms for sex.
“Honey, wolves are always born as twins or sometimes triplets. Your man there came from five though, so who knows what you have in store for you?”
I felt my uterus shrivel up inside me.
“Multiples?”
She nodded. “Always. You really didn’t know?”
Now, that I thought about it, it was starting to make sense. I’d met Wes and Wyatt that were clearly twins, and I guess that meant Calvin and Clyde were twins, and Paul was probably Peyton’s twin. And suddenly, all the siblings sharing the first letter of their name made perfect sense.
“I really had no idea,” I told her.
And now, I had a litter to worry about in addition to everything else I had on my plate.