Rise From the Ashes

by Noah Harris

  Adam: My neighbors are pack

  Eddie: And they’re close friends, aren’t they? Besides, it’s not like they’re watching you. You’re allowed to have friends outside of the pack. They don’t have to know

  Adam: I guess

  Eddie: When was the last time you got laid?

  Adam: I don’t want to answer that question

  Eddie: That long, huh?

  Adam: Don’t laugh

  Eddie: I’m not laughing

  Adam: YOU’RE LAUGHING RIGHT NOW

  Eddie: Okay, okay, I’m sorry, but we gotta get you laid

  Adam: Yeah, that’s not gonna happen here

  Adam: Everyone would notice if I picked up some dude and left with no explanation

  Eddie: So we go somewhere else

  Adam: What?

  Eddie: You and me, let’s go to a different club further in the city, find you a man to bring home

  Adam: A human?

  Eddie: Yeah, why not? There’s no rules against fucking humans, they just don’t make for good mates

  Eddie: Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures

  Adam: ... You’re serious about this?

  Eddie: Deadly

  Eddie: Let’s get out of here

  Eddie: It’s late enough that we can easily make excuses

  Eddie: What’d you say?

  Adam: ... Alright, let’s do it

  He looked up from his phone, making eye contact with Eddie across the table. The man winked and lifted his glass, downing the rest of his drink before slamming it down on the table. He stood with a flourish, stretching his hands above his head and groaning.

  “Well, everyone, it’s been great, but I gotta get going. Early day tomorrow, and Sarah wants me home early.” Everyone at the table stood to bid their respectful goodbyes, and Adam silently stood as well.

  As Eddie stepped away from the table, Adam was able to slip beside him without any questions asked. The whole pack knew they were good friends. Adam was convinced that was why the pack gave him as much respect as they did. It wasn’t the first time they had left together, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

  They crossed the club at a casual pace. Eddie took it as a personal responsibility to bid goodnight to every pack member they passed, and Adam took a moment to tug Karen aside and let her know that he was hitching a ride home with Eddie. They were nearly to the door when a force hit him from the side, hands latching onto his arm with a boldness and possessiveness he recognized.

  “Where are you two off to?” Millie purred. He could smell the alcohol on her breath as she pushed her chest against his arm. He tried to put as much distance between them as he could.

  “Millie!” Eddie said, coming to his rescue. He managed to peel her off Adam’s arm and pulled her into a hug. She went willingly. They, too, were close friends. If Adam was a favorite for next pack leader, Millie was a favorite for next alpha mate.

  All in all, she was a good person, and Eddie seemed to have no issue with her. She was smart and loyal, and brilliant and witty when she wanted to be. Only Adam was the one who had a problem with her attention, and that was a much more personal matter.

  Eddie held her at arm’s length, looking her over with a critical eye. “Beautiful, as always. How’s your night been?”

  “Can’t complain too much.” She flashed Adam a look that he found hard to interpret before looking back at Eddie. Whatever it was, it was very pointed. “I could have used some very specific company, but it seems I was left out to dry.”

  Eddie smiled apologetically, brushing past the jab as if he didn’t understand her implications. “Aw, well, perhaps next time.”

  “Perhaps. So where are you two off to?”

  “Home,” Adam said, and Millie eyed him critically.

  “Home?”

  “Unfortunately,” Eddie said, slinging an arm over Adam’s shoulders and steering him toward the door. “We’ve both got early mornings ahead of us, so I offered to give Adam here a ride home. I’ll see you later at the pack house, yeah?”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  They both froze mid-step. “Pardon?” Eddie asked smoothly, despite the fact that his grip on Adam’s shoulders had tightened.

  Her gaze was calculating and predatory as she slowly looked between them. Her smile widened just a fraction, making it just a little toothier, like she somehow knew she had caught them doing something they shouldn’t have been doing.

  Adam’s eyes were wide with panic that he could feel clawing up his throat. His heart was in his throat, stomach twisting in painful knots. His skin flashed hot and cold. Did she know? Was his secret out? He didn’t want to be outed this way. He wanted it to be on his terms. Would she blackmail him? Would she get the others to shun him from the pack?

  No, he told himself. He had to force himself to breathe, to calm down. No, there was no way she could have known. He and Eddie only ever spoke of it in private or through text to avoid being overheard by their pack. After all, werewolves had a notoriously good hearing, and even in a loud, crowded club, they ran the risk of being overheard. She hadn’t been reading over his shoulder, so there was no way she could know.

  That, however, didn’t stop her from knowing something was up.

  “I’ll come with you,” she repeated firmly, keeping her tone light despite the edge to her gaze. “We’re going to the same place, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right, Eddie?”

  “Of course not, but are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer? Enjoy yourself?”

  She waved him off. “No, I’m feeling quite tired, myself. Plus, this way, I get to spend a little more quality time with Adam. We’ve seen so little of each other lately.”

  Adam couldn’t bring himself to return her smile. He had gotten his hopes up for one glorious moment, only to have them dashed to the ground. At this rate, he was never going to find anyone. Eddie gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before dragging him toward the door. “Well, let’s get going then...”

  Eddie kept himself between Adam and Millie for the entire walk to the parking lot and distracted her with pleasant conversation, for which Adam was grateful. Adam remained silent, hands shoved in his pockets as he scowled at his feet. He should have known things wouldn’t work out the way he’d hoped. They never did.

  The ride to his apartment was silent, with nothing but late night radio to keep them company. Eddie didn’t try to lessen the tension with small talk, and neither Adam nor Millie supplied their own. When they reached his apartment, Adam slid out of the passenger seat just as Millie climbed out of the back. They passed each other as she headed for the open door of the passenger seat, and she grabbed his arm.

  “I could come up if you want... keep you company,” she purred, gazing up at him through her lashes and letting her hand run down his arm.

  He stepped away. “That won’t be necessary.”

  She shrugged, stepping back toward the car. “Perhaps next time.”

  “Don’t count on it,” he grumbled as he turned away, catching the way her expression hardened with disappointment and anger. He didn’t stick around to see anything more. He headed up the stairs, unlocked his apartment, and pushed into his living room without turning on the lights. He collapsed onto the couch with a long sigh and stared blankly into the darkness.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find a single text.

  Eddie: I swear, next time we’re going to get you laid. Don’t worry about it

  Adam: Thanks, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for me

  Eddie: It’ll happen. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Both me and the pack are here for you

  Adam: I know you are, but I’m not so sure about the pack

  Eddie: Give them time. You’ll see

  Adam: Yeah, maybe

  Eddie: You’re a good guy, Adam, and you would make a strong Alpha

  Eddie: Have more confidence and carry yourself upright, and people will follow

  E
ddie: If you own who you are, no one can stand against you

  Adam: Thanks, Eddie

  Eddie: Think about it

  Adam: I will

  Eddie: Goodnight, Adam

  Adam: Night

  The next couple days were a blur of monotony. He woke up, he went to work, he came home, had some small talk with his neighbors, and he watched TV until it was time to sleep. His work hours were spent preparing for the meeting with new potential clients, and some of that work spilled over into his free time at home. He didn’t mind too much. It wasn’t like he had much else to do.

  He had a few texts from Millie, but he ignored them. He had dinner with Ben and Megan one night, and Tom, Gwyn, and Karen ended up joining them. They spoke of families and kids and mates. It was comforting in a homely sort of way that he never felt when he was amongst the whole pack. In his contentment and through a haze of wine, he considered coming out to them. They were his friends, right? Surely they wouldn’t mind... but in the end, the moment came and went and his nerves got the best of him. He remained silent.

  On the day of the meeting, he took an earlier bus, so despite the crowds and the traffic, he made it to work with time to spare. He stopped by the coffee shop down the block, and this time, they got his order correct.

  He sipped it as he stepped through the doors and toward the elevator, letting the warm, sugary goodness settle on his tongue and warm his body. Today would be a good day. He had a good feeling about it.

  The break room was stocked for once, and he swiped a donut with rainbow sprinkles before grabbing one for Rob.

  He stopped by the man’s cubicle, dropping the donut onto the other man’s desk. Rob was standing, bag on his chair as he unpacked. It was clear that he had just arrived. He glanced down at the donut, then up at Adam, a smile on his lips.

  “You’re here early,” he said.

  Adam shrugged, smiling. “The tables have turned.” He hiked his bag higher up on his shoulder. “Today’s the day of the big meeting.”

  “Oh, right. The new clients. Think you’ll be able to snag the project?”

  He sipped his coffee. “If I do, it’ll be because it’s a team effort.”

  Rob scoffed, rolling his eyes as he pulled a few notebooks out of his bag. “Yeah, right. Everyone knows you carry that team. Word around the cubes is that you’re gonna be offered a promotion if you land this deal.”

  Adam winced. “You heard about that, huh?”

  “So it’s true? Congrats, dude!”

  Adam rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “It was mentioned. I already turned it down, though.”

  “You... turned it down?” He sounded incredulous. “This could score you an office! With real walls and foot room and everything!”

  “Yeah, well... I’m happy where I am. I’m not sure moving up is the right move for me. Not when I don’t know what I want to do.”

  Rob didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide. “Yeah, well think about it. For now, though, just land that deal.”

  Adam straightened, giving him a comically dramatic salute. “Sir, yessir.” He turned on his heel and marched stiffly down the hall to his own cubicle, smiling at the sound of Rob’s snicker behind him.

  Adam had just enough time to settle in and check his email before his boss was walking by, knocking on all the cubicle walls as he passed. “Meeting time, folks. Let’s get in there and wow them!”

  Adam stood and stretched, grabbing his notebooks and papers before joining the crowd headed for the conference room. Rob gave him a thumbs up as he passed, and Adam smiled.

  The team took their seats on one side of the long table, leaving the other side open for the new clients. Once he was sitting, Adam opened up his binder, pulled out his notes, and organized them. Other than the opening and closing speeches his boss was going to provide, he was one of two members of the team who had to give presentations. Most of his co-workers were there to listen, ask questions, and provide answers should their own areas of expertise come up in negotiations.

  By the time the representatives from the other company arrived, Adam was prepared. He was making idle conversation with the co-worker to his right when the doors opened and a steady stream of people filed in. He looked up, the friendly, megawatt smile on his face that he used to charm clients. He looked them over one by one as they entered the room. Suits, briefcases, polished looks and polished watches. Business men and women. It was nothing new. He worked with people like that day in and day out, and none of them stood out as anything above average.

  That was, until the last person shuffled into the room.

  Until that moment, Adam had always assumed love at first sight was a myth. He’d read about it in books, seen it in the media, heard of it from others, but he’d never believed it was real. He’d certainly never experienced it himself. Until now.

  It was earth shattering. A jolt of electricity running through his veins, making his skin tingle and prickle like a live wire. It was a shock straight to his heart, making the thing skip a beat before pounding into overdrive. He felt the air rush from his lungs, and he was unable to take in anything more than a wheezing, shallow breath. Everything seemed to freeze. Time itself seemed to slow.

  The man was shorter than the rest, even the women in heels. His hair was short, swooped back and to the side, and light brown, though there were spots of copper where the sunlight from the wall-length windows streamed in. He was beautiful, the angles of his face sharp and delicate. One of his co-workers said something to him, and he nodded in acknowledgement before smiling. And that smile lit up the whole damn room.

  Then the small man stepped into the room further as the door swung shut behind him. When the air in the room shifted, Adam caught a whiff of his scent, and it hit him like a freight train.

  Werewolf was the first thing he smelled, the deep earthy musk of their kind that was so unmistakable compared to the more muted human scent.

  And then he was hit by the second scent: omega.

  Something inside of him shifted. Some deep part of him rumbled, clawing beneath his skin. The desire to protect, to claim, to keep. It was all encompassing, sudden, and so strong. Stronger than anything he had ever felt in his life. It was as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring. The omega’s scent filled the room, sweet and alluring, drowning out all the other human scents. He felt the rumble forming deep in his throat and cut it off before it could fully form.

  Adam wasn’t sure if this was love or lust at first sight, but either way, it was far more powerful and much stronger than anything he could ever remember feeling.

  He wasn’t aware he was squeezing his pen until he felt the plastic start to crack beneath his fingers. Breathing heavily through his nose, he forced his grip to relax.

  That was when the man’s eyes swung around the table, passing over Adam for a second before he did a double take.

  Their eyes locked, and all Adam could see was green. Beautiful green eyes that seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. Green or hazel? He couldn’t tell. He would need a closer look. He desperately wanted a closer look. The man’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring as he caught a whiff of Adam’s own scent, which Adam had no doubt was strong because of his reaction to the omega. The other man’s lips relaxed, parting just slightly, plump and inviting. Slowly, his eyes left Adam’s, gaze sliding down his body before snapping back up, wide and shocked like he had been caught in the act. Which he had been, but Adam didn’t mind. There was something dark in those green eyes. Dark and swirling and glazed.

  Then, so slowly that Adam was convinced he was imagining it at first, the man smiled. It was small and hesitant, shy and bashful as he lowered his chin, gazing up at Adam through his lashes. Timid and endearing and somehow acknowledging the instant attraction that Adam was feeling.

  Then their bosses were shaking hands, speaking loudly, and it drew the man’s attention away.

  The interruption snapped the moment, releasing the tension that had been building. Suddenly the room fe
lt too small, the air too still and stifled, too full of the man’s scent. It burned Adam, sending fire throughout his body. Everything felt oddly numb and detached, and he didn’t know what expression he wore on his face. Still, he tried to school his features into something more neutral and welcoming, but it felt like a mask. No one seemed to notice anything when his boss went down the line to introduce the team.

  The omega’s eyes caught on Adam’s and lingered for a second too long before moving onto the rest of his co-workers.

  It had been a long, long time since Adam had been with another person, and most of those encounters had occurred before he’d come to terms with his sexuality. But if Adam wasn’t mistaken, he would have sworn that the omega was feeling the same intense draw that he was.

  He hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking.

  His worry was short lived, however, when the man took the seat across from him, offering him the same smile that bordered just on the edge of coy. It wasn’t like the smiles Millie gave him, calculating and cunning, like a predator stalking its prey. His smile was reserved but open, an attempt to convey a message that he was too shy to say aloud.

  Well, message received.

  Adam was so enraptured with the omega that he nearly missed his name when their clients were being introduced.

  Joshua Wetmore.

  He was pulled from his thoughts as his boss kicked off the meeting. He shook himself, trying to refocus. He knew he would to make his presentation soon, and he needed to get in the zone. While he always did his best, he was determined to make this one count. Everyone else would no doubt think it was due to the promised promotion, because apparently gossip like that spread like wildfire in the office. But truth be told, Adam just wanted to ensure that he’d get to see Joshua. A lot.

  He nailed the presentation. He’d half expected he would do so but felt more confident than ever, with a new fire lit within him. He charmed their clients, smiling and adding just enough humor into his facts to be personable. And whenever he had the chance, he let his eyes lock with Joshua’s, lingering just a moment longer than necessary. And if his smile turned a little more personal at that point, well, who was going to judge?