Chapter 30
Ethan
“Just hurry,” my wolf urges as I roll my suitcase into the house. Silence greets me, since the staff has the week off, and my wolf paces in my subconscious. He’s been on edge all day, which has also put me on edge. Flying with an anxious wolf in your head is annoying but add the odd excitement to see Fiona and the annoyance from my father’s persistent questions about a Luna, and everything becomes maddening.
“I’m going. Just give me a second,” I growl, registering the desire growing in me. I haven’t seen Fiona for a week, and at first, I didn’t mind, but the longer we were apart, the more I wanted to come back. The need to see her became so strong that I had Ryan book me an earlier flight back.
“Our mate is waiting for us.”
Ignoring him, I change into a new suit before swiping my keys off the dresser and leaving my room. I’d told Ryan to keep my return a secret for two reasons. I wanted to surprise Fiona, and I wanted to see how my employees were getting on without me there.
With how Fiona had been treated before I left, I had Ryan keep an eye on her. I told him I’d collect his report when I got back, but now that I’m a day early, no one will expect me back.
Being without Fiona for a week has settled a blanket of anxiety over me, not knowing where she was or who she was with. Not knowing how she was being treated or if she’d been hurt while I wasn’t here.
I make a mental reminder to ask her about her divorce and the issues with her mother’s will after I check that she’s alright.
When I reach the company, I park in my designated spot and enter the building. The front receptionist jumps up, dropping her phone. It clatters against the hard surface of her desk as she stutters, “M–Mr. Montgomery. Welcome back.”
I ignore the woman, mentally noting to check her work history to see if she’s been slacking lately.
She calls my name again, but I ignore her. Everything else seems to be in correct order as I walk through the floors. Everyone is working efficiently with little to no nonsense, which gives me hope that everything has run smoothly this past week.
Ryan is my second in command for a reason. He’s able to take charge, is well respected, and knows how to deal with foolishness.
Growing up, Ryan was always there for me. His father was my father’s Beta, so it made complete sense to have him take the position when they stepped down. It’s one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made as an Alpha. Having him in my corner is an enormous help when I have to split my time and energy between the pack and the company.
Honestly, if he wasn’t here, I don’t think I would’ve been able to leave the company or Fiona for the week.
The realization nearly stops me in my tracks.
“Where’s Fiona?” I ask Ryan through the pack link.
“At her desk the last time I checked,” he answers.
Pressing the top floor button, I try to ignore the growing anticipation of seeing her.
Fiona
The elevator dings and I look up, confused. I’m not expecting anyone except for the mail boy, but he shouldn’t be here until after lunch.
“You don’t get paid to sit here and stare at the wall,” a high–pitched voice says.
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Chapter 30
Angela steps off the elevator with a sneer, and honestly, seeing her is less of a surprise than I thought it would be.
She, in fact, had not gone out of town. Instead, she spent all week harassing me, and when she saw my injured wrist, her first comment was that I should spend less time on my hands and knees and more time earning my place in the company.
“Angela, you do not have an appointment to be on this floor,” I tell her, standing. My wrist is healing, but I carefully tack it behind my back in case she decides to try anything. “Do I need to call security?”
She scoffs and flips her hair over her shoulder.
“As if anything you do has weight here,” she says, looking me up and down. “I know you’re only using Ethan to climb the latter. Was it not enough to take another woman’s man? Was being a cheater not enough?”
Her pointy fingernail digs into my shoulder as she pokes me in a weird, pathetic display of dominance. If she hadn’t already said all of this to me already, I would be angrier. However, I promised myself I wouldn’t listen to her, so I take my seat again and do my best to ignore the witch as she hovers.
“I know you’ve been flirting with men in the office, too. Were you just not enough of a whore before that you’ve decided to open your legs for-
“If anyone should be closing their legs and their mouths, Angela, it’s you.”
My head snaps up to find Ethan standing behind Angela. The heat in his radiate anger as he stalks forward.
“Wh–what?” She stutters, shocked at his words. I bite back my smirk.
eyes, the tick in his jaw, and the denched fists
Ethan turns to my tormenter, stepping between us, and shields me from her view.
“I said, you should close your mouth,” he growls, his tone harder and darker than I’ve ever heard it. “Fiona is superior to you in every regard. I don’t care if your father and mine are friends, your attitude and your actions clearly show you have no respect for her. There is no reason for you to speak so viciously when everything you’ve accused her of is not her but you.”
I peek around Ethan’s arm to find Angela standing there with her mouth open in shock and her face red with embarrassment. Serves her right.
“But Fiona,” she spits, swinging an accusing finger onto me, “Is incompetent and slow. She’s behind on her work and was out for nearly two days while you were gone!”
Ethan glances back at me, and I nod. She isn’t wrong about this, but I have my reasons, which I reported to him. It’s not my fault if he didn’t see them.
Angela continues spitting insults and elaborating on my many flaws, but Ethan pays her no mind. For a second. I think he’s going to spin around and snap at her, but his gaze focuses solely on me. The sounds around me fade to nothing as I take in his handsome features. How did he get more handsome in only one week?
Is that even possible?
“Has she bothered you all week?” He questions, lifting a hand and gently cupping my cheek. The unexpected affection sends a flurry of butterflies through my stomach. I swallow the little sigh that threatens to escape me.
Not able to speak, I nod. I don’t want to get into all of her antics, but there have been some petty things she’s done but also some large problems she caused. The worst one being when she had someone come up with a work order and had them shut my computer down for a whole afternoon.
“Get out of my sight,” Ethan growls, not bothering to look at my bully. Ryan’s promise that Ethan feels nothing for Angela pops into my mind, and I realize he was right. Ethan has no love for this stupid, narcissistic woman, and the thought makes my heart to a flip of happiness.
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Chapter 30
Then Ethan’s eyes fall to my forehead and my wrist.
“What happened?”
My chest tightens, and I lift my hand to allow him to look at it.
“I tried to call you, and I sent you messages. You never responded,” I tell him, trying not to feel upset, but it’s difficult. He wasn’t there when I needed help, and he ignored me.
Stepping back, I put a little space between us and look up at Ethan.
(423
“I was attacked by bikers again, and this time, I almost didn’t get away. They came out of nowhere, Ethan. And… I had to go to the hospital because they hit me and kicked me around so much that I had a concussion and my wrist is fractured,” I murmur, lowering my eyes to hide the tears filling my eyes.
I’m not hurt that he wasn’t there. That’s nothing we could do about him being out of town. What hurt the most is that he didn’t even bother to read the messages I sent or listen to the voicemails. He always has his phone with him, so there’s no way he didn’t see them.
“Fiona, I’m so sorry.”
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