Chapter 87

Fiona

I move through my work in a daze, shuffling papers and sending emails. I can’t fully focus, so I take a minute to sit back and close my eyes. Fiddling with my necklace, I let the cool metal press between my fingers, hoping it can give me the same sense of calm that it did before.

All I can think about is the fire and Jessica. Anyone with a brain could realize that Jessica isn’t in her right mind but wanting to kill me and actually going through with the thoughts are two different things. It also brought more questions to mind.

Did she act alone?

Was someone else in on it or behind the attack?

Had she acted one someone else’s orders?

After the cops took Jessica away, Ethan showed me the video. It was too dark to see much other than the car and Jessica. The streetlights were too dim and the camera too far away, and with the headlights pointed right at it, it was too hard to see.

Even with the little bit I did see, I didn’t see anyone other than Jessica.

Part of me wants to believe she worked alone, but if I know my stepsister, and I do, there was someone else. She wouldn’t have acted on her thoughts if there wasn’t someone pushing her to act.

I hate to think that there’s someone else out there who wants me dead, but I don’t know what else to think.

My phone rings and when I answer, it’s one of Ethan’s upcoming meetings, but they ask for a reschedule, and I let myself get lost in the monotony of rescheduling the meeting. Then, I stand and shuffle into Ethan’s office.

He’s on the phone with someone, but I honestly don’t care at the moment as I walk over to him.

“Of course, I’ll have my assistant make the preparations,” he pauses to listen to the caller while I set the new appointment paper on his desk and climb into his lap. Ethan watches me, one arm coming around my waist as I curl into a ball on his lap.

“Yes, I will have that information to you before the end of tomorrow…”

Ethan stays quiet for a moment, before tightening his arm around me, and he continues talking, “I have not made the decision as of yet, but as soon as I do, I’ll call to inform you… yes.” His deep, warm voice makes me sigh and close my eyes. This is incredibly inappropriate, but it’s almost like I don’t have control over myself.

“Fifteen percent and no more, and if you continue to push further, I will go down to ten,” Ethan says. I turn in closer, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his neck. The pine scent that always surrounds Ethan seeps into me and offers me a bit of calm, helping to block out my thoughts and worries.

Somehow, he’s exactly what I need to clear myself out of the funk that blinded me all morning, and when he ends his call and wraps both arms around me, I lean in.

“Are you alright?” Ethan asks softly, brushing hair out of my eyes. I laugh at his question, the sound emotionless and a bit unhinged.

“No, there have been multiple attacks that threaten my life, and honestly, the fact that someone so close to me is one of the reasons I almost died hurts. I’m confused and don’t know who I can trust anymore,” I mutter. “Why are people so cruel?”

Ethan sighs with me, the sound a mirror to my own, and it doesn’t help me feel any better. I know it’s an impossible question, one that’s been debated for centuries with no answer.

“You’re not alone, Fiona. I’m here and it may be hard to hear, but you’ve got friends. Isla is here for you as well as any of my pack that are around,” he whispers, pressing his lips to the top of my head. I arch into him, needing the contact.

Ethan nuzzles my hair, inhaling sharply and kissing my temple again. The soft touch warms me. I know I shouldn’t be all over him at work. If anyone were to walk in and see us, it would be bad, but I ignore the wrenching feeling in my gut and allow myself to take comfort in him.

We sit there for a while, merely holding each other. After a bit, Ethan continues working, and the sounds of his heart beating against his chest, the soft woosh of his breathing, and the clicks of the keyboard fill the room.

It’s strange, the comfortable silence that we find ourselves in, but I can’t deny that I love it. Being here with him, even if it’s because I was close to a mental breakdown, is nice. The way he holds me without effort, keeping me close as he works, its like I fit perfectly against him and don’t bother him. But no matter how much I like sitting here, I do need to leave him alone so he can work.

“I- thank you, Ethan. I should get back to work,” I tell him, sitting up and climbing off his lap.

“I’ll keep an eye on your situation, but until I can get more information, do you want to go grab lunch? There’s a new restaurant down the—"

“Lunch!” I gasp, remembering Sophie’s invitation. Ethan’s eyes widen, looking concerned at the sudden outburst. I’d been so caught up in the fog of sadness that I was suffocating in.

Turning, I look at the bottom of his computer screen and find the time.

“I forgot that Sophie, Reid’s sister, invited me to have lunch with her at one, and I’m late,” I say, kissing his cheek and rushing out of the office. I grab my purse on my way out and tap my foot impatiently as the elevator takes eons to come up, pick me up, then take me downstairs.

Finally, I make it to the lobby and when I walk out, Sophie, Reid, and a woman I don’t recognize are all standing near the reception desk. Sophie waves and relief finds me. I’m glad they’re still waiting for me.

“Sorry, I’m late,” I tell them, offering my best placating smile.

“It’s fine. It’s only been three minutes, so you’re not really late,” Sophie says with a grin. She waves off my apology. “Are you ready? We made a reservation at the steakhouse down the road.”

“Reservations? I figured we would just go to the cafeteria since it’s cheaper,” I admit. I didn’t think they would want to go so far to have lunch. I thought it would just be a quick thing, but with the looks they shoot each other, I can tell this lunch will be longer and more informative than I thought.

Something presses into my hand, and when I look down, I find Ethan’s black limitless card there. I spin and look up at Ethan, who smiles down at me.

“Go. Have fun and relax,” he says, kissing my forehead before walking back toward the elevator. I watch him go but wish he would stay. He disappears into the elevator, leaving me with his three pack members and confusion. I glance between them, one question rising in my mind.

“Does he not want to go with us?”

“He probably has it in his head that joining would make us uncomfortable. The previous Alpha, his father, was distant, and while we can tell that Ethan is different, he seems not to know how much we all appreciate his leadership and genuine nature,” Reid speaks up, throwing an arm around his sister’s back. “In a lot of packs, an Alpha is untouchable, and before Ethan took over, it was still like that with his father.”

“So, he thinks you wouldn’t want him there?”

“Not in the exact sentiment. The Alpha knows we want him with us, but he isn’t sure how to break the boundaries his father put between the pack’s hierarchy,” Sophie answers.

I don’t fully understand, but I know what it feels like for there to be a divide between status. My whole marriage was one big divide as were my family relationships. Maybe I can help Ethan feel a bit more connected to the people around him like he’s helping me.