Rise From the Ashes

by Noah Harris

She stepped up to Adam and wrapped him up in a hug. “How’re you doing?”

  “Just fine,” he said, hugging her back. “It’s been a long day, so I’m tired, but I’m good.”

  “I know you don’t really like coming out to these things, but it’s good to have you here.”

  “What makes you think I don’t like being here?”

  Her smile turned apologetic as she tilted her head, her voice soft enough that only he could hear it. Karen and Tom had already turned away to greet other members of their pack. “You never seem to have fun, and you always hold yourself apart. You never, you know... talk to anyone.”

  He gave her a wry smile. “You mean I don’t flirt with anyone.” It wasn’t a question.

  Her smile was sheepish. “Exactly. You’re an eligible bachelor, Adam! The most eligible, really. But you never show an interest in anyone.”

  He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You know Millie would skin anyone who tried to seduce me.”

  Gwyn rolled her eyes. “If you’re not going to choose her, she can’t keep you under her claws like this.”

  “It’s not a big deal. I’m not really looking for a mate, anyway. At least this way, I have an excuse.”

  Her eyes flickered over his shoulder, and he didn’t miss the way her expression tightened, lips pursing together. When her gaze returned to his, there was wary amusement there. “Don’t look now, but your excuse is making her way over here.”

  He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Speak of the devil, and the devil will appear.”

  Gwyn chuckled and patted his arm comfortingly before turning a bright smile on the woman who stepped up next to them. “Hey, Millie!”

  “Gwyn,” the woman greeted, giving her a small nod before turning to Adam. Her smile was too bright to be real, a coy curl at the corners. She latched onto Adam’s arm, pressing her body just a little too close for comfort. “Hey, Adam,” she said, voice dropping in pitch to take on a tone he knew all too well. She gazed up at him through her lashes.

  He gave her a small smile because what else was he supposed to do? She was his pack mate, and more than that, she was one of his oldest friends. They had been close once, a long time ago. It was a shame that all of that had changed when she’d started to pursue him. “Hey, Millie,” he said, managing to keep most of the exasperation from his voice.

  She looked between him and Gwyn. “So what’re you two talking about over here?”

  Gwyn, bless her heart, didn’t falter at the subtle edge to Millie’s voice. If anything, her smile only widened, and her voice remained as cheerful as ever. “Just sayin’ hi. We haven’t seen each other in a while because our schedules usually conflict.”

  Millie raised one perfectly trimmed eyebrow. “Don’t you two live in the same complex?”

  “Yeah, but I had to work late, so I met them here.”

  “How unfortunate. I’m glad you could make it.” It sounded like an automated response. Adam knew a dismissive voice when he heard it. She pressedjust a little closer to his side and pouted. “What a shame you live so far away.”

  Gwyn, apparently getting the hint, had already taken a few steps away. She caught Adam’s gaze and rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips, before walking away, leaving him to Millie.

  “You know, the pack house has a few rooms available...”

  He carefully and politely pulled his arm from her grasp. “I like where I live,” he said.

  Her pout persisted. “But it’s so... small and dingy, and so far away from the rest of us.”

  “It’s still on pack territory.”

  “On the outskirts of it!”

  “But close to the fields. It’s quiet out there. I like it.” He shrugged, already stepping away from her and toward the bar. If he was going to have to put up with her all night, he was going to need a drink, and preferably a strong one. He hoped she wouldn’t follow him.

  He should have known he was never that lucky.

  He ordered a whiskey on the rocks, and she ordered a gin and tonic. He rested his elbow on the bar as he lifted his drink to his lips and took a hearty sip. She leaned her forearms on the bar next to him, using the excuse of the crowd to stay close up against him. She popped her hip and ass out, giving him a good view of all her assets. He barely spared her a glance, letting his gaze sweep over the bar instead. He saw members of his pack, a few lone shifters, vampires, fey, and a couple of paranormals that he didn’t recognize in their human forms. Despite having so many different people in one place, the atmosphere was relaxing and comforting. It was nice to be able to be in a place where they didn’t have to hide who and what they were. That was the main reason his pack went there every couple of weeks, to spent time together and cut loose without the added effort of hiding from humans.

  The club up top was a front for the underground club down below, which was a club solely for paranormals. It was owned and operated by a family of fey on neutral territory. Fighting between anyone was strictly forbidden and resulted in an immediate ban. Even if someone were willing to risk being banned, no one was willing to risk angering the fey. They were kind and delightful creatures when happy, but an angry fey was a vengeful fey without mercy.

  Luckily for Adam’s pack, the club was close to their territory. There was only one other major pack that lived near the city, and the two groups didn’t exactly get along. Because of the locations’ proximity to each other, there was an unspoken agreement that the club belonged to Adam’s pack. It was technically neutral, but theirs. He had never seen a werewolf from any another pack there. He’d seen lone wolves. But never had he seen their rival pack.

  He didn’t want to think about what kind of fury the fey would unleash at the fight that would ensue if the other pack actually came here.

  His gaze swept the crowd.

  “So,” Millie said, glancing up at him sideways, lips curling into a small coy smile.

  “So?” He raised an eyebrow, unamused.

  “So how’ve you been?” she asked, bumping him with her hip. “We don’t really talk much anymore. I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve seen each other.”

  “We saw each other last week.” He sipped from his glass again.

  She rolled her eyes, turning around to lean back against the bar, pressed further into his side. She crossed one arm over her chest, and the other lifted her own glass to her plump, red lips. “I meant outside of pack business.”

  “I don’t see much of anyone outside of pack business.”

  “You see Gwyn,” she said, not bothering to mask the edge of bitterness. “And Karen.”

  “And Tom and Ben and Megan. They’re my neighbors. Of course, I see them.”

  She scoffed lightly, but let it go, effortlessly changing the subject. “We should hang out more, like old times. I miss those times.” She turned a coy smile on him as she looked up at him through her lashes and ran her fingers lightly up his arm. “Don’t you miss those times?”

  “That was a long time ago, Millie...” he said softly, catching her hand and holding it lightly in his own. He gave it a small squeeze for reassurance.

  Once upon a time, they had been close. And, sometimes, he did miss it. But he’d realized that every nice gesture, every moment they spent together, just added to her hope that they would one day be mates. It wasn’t fair to her when he knew it would never happen. He had thought distance would encourage her to pursue someone else, but she was still latched onto him and refused to let go.

  “It’s not too late, Adam,” she said gently.

  He sighed, dropping her hand as he looked away. “I’m busy.”

  Her smile fell, brows furrowing as she pouted. “I didn’t say a time.”

  “I’m busy,” he repeated, pushing off from the bar.

  She grabbed his arm before he could get far, turning him around and stepping in close. “You’re going to realize we’re perfect for each other, Adam,” she whispered in his ear. “Someday, you’ll realize we’re meant to be.”
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  He gave her a smile that he hoped wasn’t too sardonic. “I wouldn’t keep your hopes up, Millie. I’m not looking for a mate.”

  “One day you will, and when you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

  “Millie...” he said, shaking his head. “You deserve more than I can give you.”

  “But I want you, Adam. No one knows me like you do. No one knows you like I do.”

  This time he couldn’t hold back the bitter mockery in his laugh. “If only that were true.” He stepped away from her, lifting his glass to salute her. “I’m not interested, Millie. Give your attention to someone who actually wants it.”

  Her face twisted into an expression of hurt and anger. His words had been rude and cruel, and he knew it. Unfortunately, he also knew that there was no way around it. He knew Millie, and he knew that nothing besides blunt, raw honesty would get through to her. No matter how much it hurt. He tried not to dwell on it, knowing that it would be better for them both in the long run if he were as honest as he could be. Instead, he weaved through the crowd, leaving her behind.

  As he moved through the club, he greeted several more of his pack mates and a few of the bar’s regular customers, not doing much more than exchanging small talk with anyone. He appreciated his pack, but they were large, and he didn’t know much about most of them. He knew the basics, but the intimate details of their lives were gossip alone. They all liked him, though. As a close friend of the pack Alpha, and a favorite for the next in line, he had a lot of eyes on him. And because of that, his single status did not go overlooked. He preferred to leave conversations before the mate questions could start rising, or before Millie’s name could come up.

  It didn’t take him long to make his way around the club and find the table in the far back where their pack Alpha was sitting with a couple of friends, all of them high in the pack ranking, older and mated.

  “Now I’m thinkin’ we can name the kid Lupin,” the Alpha said to his friends as Adam approached. His back was turned to him, so he didn’t see Adam until he was close enough to speak.

  “You’re seriously considering naming your child—your werewolf child—‘wolf?’” Adam asked, a smirk curving his lips as he gazed down at their Alpha.

  The man whipped around, eyes finding him and lighting up. “Adam!” He stood and pulled him into an embrace. Edward Kelly was a big man. He was taller than Adam by several inches, with a thick mass of dark blond hair that he often kept tied back into a bun. A well-trimmed beard covered his face, and he wore a button-down shirt, tucked in and sleeves rolled to his elbows. Even beneath his clothes, it was obvious that his body was thick with muscle, stretching the fabric at this shoulders and across his chest. His forearms themselves were impressive. He hadn’t become Alpha for nothing, though only about half of his appeal as Alpha was his intimidating presence. The other half was his warm and friendly personality. Their pack trusted him as a leader and as a friend.

  Even Adam trusted him. He was the only one of their pack who knew Adam’s secret.

  “Glad you could make it!” Eddie boomed, patting him roughly on the back. He held him at arm’s length, looking him up and down, smile wide and earnest. “How’ve you been?”

  Adam shrugged. “You know me, same old, same old.”

  Eddie wrapped an arm around Adam’s shoulder as he guided him to an empty seat. “You need some adventure in your life, Adam!” He gave Adam a very pointed look that he could easily interpret. Especially when the man waggled his eyebrows.

  Adam gave him a flat look. “I like my life how it is.”

  “Sounds boring.”

  “It’s not boring.” They both knew he didn’t have much to back up that claim. Adam cleared his throat. “So, you’re going to name your son ‘wolf?’”

  Eddie frowned, waving a hand in the air as he grabbed for his drink. “Now, that is a common misconception. It actually means ‘of a wolf,’ and he is, after all, of me.”

  Adam chuckled, and there was echoing laughter around the table. Conversation flowed easily after that, and Eddie did a good job of dominating most of it, ensuring that no one really heckled Adam about his personal life. From his seat, Adam watched the people in the club. He watched Gwyn dance with some of her suitors as Tom struck out time and time again but never stopped trying. He saw Ben and Megan arrive, and the serious look on Karen’s face as she talked with other women from the pack. He even kept tabs on Millie, prepared to leave should she come looking for him.

  His gaze wandered the dance floor, eyeing the bodies as they ground and writhed under the strobe lights, driven onward by the beat. He appreciated the club. It allowed him to ogle strangers openly without his own pack being able to tell exactly who he was checking out. It made things a little easier. He’d long ago made it a personal rule to never ogle someone from his own pack. That would only complicate matters.

  And it wasn’t a hard rule to keep, either. He’d never been particularly attracted to anyone in his pack.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket, dragging his attention away from the crowd. As he dug it out, he glanced around the table. Everyone was deep in a conversation about renovations on the main pack house and the possibility of adding another apartment wing so more people could live there. Adam tuned them out. He had no interest in it. He loved his pack, and they were his home. But he also preferred to live on his own, surrounded by a few friends. Living at the pack house just seemed far too crowded for his liking.

  He pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen, surprised to find a text from none other than Eddie.

  He glanced up at the pack leader, but the man was smiling and listening to the others, not even looking at Adam. His phone, however, was sitting on his lap beneath the table.

  Adam looked back down at his phone.

  Eddie: Do you think tonight’s the night?

  Adam frowned, just a small twitch of his lips and a pinch to his brows as he texted back.

  Adam: No

  He set his phone down on his leg, keeping one hand over it. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Eddie’s phone screen lit up, and the man reached down to check it. He saw the twitch of a small frown as the other man tapped out a reply.

  Eddie: It’s as good a night as any

  Adam: I’m not telling them, Eddie

  Eddie: I know you’re scared, but you shouldn’t be. They’re good people. They’ll understand

  Adam: I’m not scared

  Adam: I just....

  Adam: I’m not ready. I’m not sure THEY’RE ready. We’ve never had someone in the pack come out. There’s no telling how they’ll react.

  Eddie: Just because no one has doesn’t mean they won’t be accepting

  Eddie: And if they have a problem with it, they’ll have to answer to me

  Eddie: I’m the Alpha, and I won’t have our pack be anything less than accepting

  Adam: Thanks, Eddie. I appreciate it. I really do. But I don’t think it’s the right time

  Eddie: You’ll have to tell them sooner or later

  Adam: Or never

  Eddie: Adam

  Eddie: It’s an important part of who you are

  Eddie: You’re one of the favorites for pack leader after me, you’ll have to tell them eventually

  Adam: All the more reason for me to keep it to myself

  Adam: Everyone is watching me and waiting to see who I’ll choose as a mate

  Adam: If I come out to them now, they’ll probably be mad

  Adam: Specifically anyone who had an eligible daughter they wanted to marry off

  Adam: And I don’t even want to think about Millie’s reaction

  Eddie: This isn’t about Millie or any disappointed parents

  Eddie: This is about you being you

  Eddie: Who you marry is none of their damn business

  Adam: They’re pack, it’s always their business

  Eddie: They’re pack, which means they’re family. Family will accept you no matter what

  Adam: That�
��s not always the case, you know that

  Eddie: I know, but the sooner you come out, the sooner they can get used to it and over it, and the sooner they can move on

  Adam: I know you have a point, just

  Adam: I’m not ready for that. No one knows besides you

  Eddie: It’s about time they did

  Eddie: No one will dare say anything against you as long as I’m the Alpha

  Eddie: I’ve got your back, man

  Adam: Thanks, Eddie

  Eddie: So will you tell them?

  Adam: Not tonight, not at the club

  Eddie: No better time than while we’re all together and relaxed

  Adam: It’ll spread like gossip, and I don’t know if that’s the best idea

  Eddie: you have a point

  Eddie: Would you rather make a formal announcement?

  Adam: No

  Adam: I’ll figure something out

  Eddie: Alright, but just let me know

  Eddie: I’m here for you

  Eddie: I just don’t want you to be miserable

  Adam: I’m not miserable

  Eddie: You’re lonely, I can see it

  Adam: I’m fine

  Eddie: And I know you, Adam

  Eddie: I know if they choose you as pack leader, you’ll do what you think is best for them, like marrying a woman, even if it would make you miserable

  Adam: You talk like it’s inevitable

  Eddie: The life of a pack leader isn’t an easy one, I’m just preparing you for all the possibilities

  Adam: Well how about you don’t go anywhere anytime soon and we’ll be fine

  Eddie: Haha, I’ll try, I’m not planning on going anywhere or stepping down

  Adam: Good, and Eddie?

  Eddie: Yeah?

  Adam: Thanks

  Eddie: No problem, man

  Eddie: Sooooo

  Adam: I don’t like the sound of that

  Eddie: Have you been on any dates recently?

  Adam: No, when do I even have time? It’s not like I see anyone outside of work and the pack

  Eddie: Even if you’re not going to come out to the pack, you can still go on dates. You don’t live at the pack house, so it should be easy