Rise Read online

  Rise

  Southern Werewolves Series

  Book Three

  Heather MacKinnon

  Rise

  Copyright Ⓒ 2019 by Heather MacKinnon

  Book cover: selfpubbookcovers.com/ravenborn

  Editing: Karen Sanders Editing

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Acknowledgements

  What’s Next?

  More from Heather MacKinnon

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “We’ve gotta stop meeting like this.”

   Abraham pulled me into his office and slammed the door closed before pushing me up against it. “I just can’t help myself. You’re right there and I need you so bad.”

   My stomach tangled into a mess of knots at his words.

   I needed him too. And not just my body. It was so much deeper than that. I needed Abraham on a molecular level.

   He slid one denim-clad leg between my thighs and pressed. I moaned into his mouth and clutched his shoulders tighter.

  This was becoming our afternoon ritual since I’d moved in about a month ago. Even though we spent every night together trying to satisfy our hunger for each other, by the time the afternoon rolled around, it didn’t matter how many times I’d had him the night before. It didn’t matter that I’d been sure he’d wrung every orgasm he could out of me. I needed him again.

   I wrenched my mouth away from his as I struggled to pull in a deep enough breath. “I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

   Abraham pressed his thigh harder between my legs and my head fell back. “You’ve been thinkin’ about me, baby?” he asked as his lips traced patterns on my neck and chest.

   “Uh huh.”

   He sucked on a patch of my skin and I shivered in his arms. “Were you thinking about this right here?” He plucked at my hardened nipple through my shirt.

   “Uh huh,” I said again. That was the best I could come up with at that moment.

   His rough fingers skimmed beneath my top and circled my waist. He dragged his hands up my belly, taking my shirt with him. When he reached my heaving chest, he paused to cup both breasts in his large hands. He squeezed, massaging one and then the other. Abraham pulled my shirt over my head and slid his hands to the front of my bra. With a loud rip, the two halves split down the middle and I was exposed before him.

   I gasped. “Abraham, that was a good bra.” I was trying to reprimand him, but my voice shook too much for it to hold any real weight.

   He buried his face between my chest, licking and sucking while his fingers pinched my nipples. “I’ll buy you one for every day of the week if it means I get to rip it off you and watch your sexy tits spill out like that.” His voice rumbled against my skin.

   I gasped again and arched my back, pushing my chest against his face. His hands began to wander again, and soon they were unbuttoning my jeans and sliding them down my legs. My panties went next, and then I was completely naked. The only thing I had on was the necklace that held the ring he gave me.

   “You’re wearing way too many clothes,” I breathed, my hands busy mapping out all the peaks and valleys of his body that I’d memorized a long time ago.

   With a groan, Abraham pulled away from me and took a step back. There was a playful glint in his eyes and my belly flipped.

   He reached for the hem of his dirty t-shirt and slowly slid it up his torso before pulling it over his head. Even though we’d been together for months, I still never got sick of seeing his body. It was powerful and thick. The kind of physique you get from hard labor, not hours at the gym.

   He chucked his shirt at me and I caught it with a laugh. Next, he popped the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down slowly. I clenched my hands at my sides and swallowed. He was so damn sexy.

   “Is that better?” he asked, dark blue eyes pinning me to the door.

   I shook my head. “No. You’re still wearing too much.”

   He slid his fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans and boxers and slid them down his long legs. I watched as every inch of golden skin was revealed. Soon, he was standing naked before me, so strong and handsome; he took my breath away.

   He stalked forward and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against his warm body. “Now, tell me again what you were thinkin’ about all day.”

   My fingers crept up his muscled arms and circled his shoulders. “I was thinking about how sexy you are.”

   He dipped his head and rubbed his stubbled jaw on my neck. “Am I?” His fingers traced lines up my legs and I was shaking with anticipation.

   “Yes,” I hissed as one thick digit pressed inside me.

   “What else were you thinkin’ about?”

   I dug my nails into his shoulders as he slowly pumped his big finger in and out. “Um, I was thinking about this. About you touching me.”

   “Hmm,” he hummed against my chest. “You like when I touch you?”

   He added a second finger and I gasped, my legs shaking beneath me. “I love it. I love when you touch me.”

   He hummed again as his fingers continued to drive me crazy. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer, but I also knew Abraham wouldn’t let me come like this. He liked to be deep inside me when I did. Said it made him feel more connected. He got no complaints from me.

   “How about when I fuck you?” he whispered against my skin. “You like that, too?”

   “Love it,” I squeaked.

   “Because I’m about to fuck you right now and I wanna make sure you’re ready for me.”

   He pumped his fingers faster and my belly twisted in anticipation. I was so close. “I’m ready,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m ready now.”

   He pulled his fingers out, and I immediately regretted the loss
. But he surged forward and hoisted me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist while he lined us up. He slowly inched inside. “I love the sight of your tight little body stretched around me. Love to watch you take it all. You’re so fuckin’ sexy.”

   The feeling of him filling me along with his dirty words were driving me higher, and I knew it wouldn’t be long.

   He bottomed out inside me and waited a moment while we both adjusted. Without warning, he gripped my hips and slid all the way out before slamming back in, and that was enough. I clenched around him, moaning and twitching as my orgasm engulfed my senses. It felt more powerful than the last, but that was how it was. Every single time with Abraham was better than the one before.

   He was still steadily thrusting into me as I came back down. He pressed his lips to my face over and over again until I tipped my head and kissed him back. Rough hands slid up and down my quivering thighs as Abraham picked up the pace.

   He cupped my bottom in his hands and pulled us away from the door. His lips were still on mine as he spun us around and walked over to the leather couch pushed against one wall. Abraham lowered me to the cool cushions, his body still connected to mine.

   He sat back on his heels and grabbed my hips before pumping into me faster and harder than before. “You feel so fuckin’ good, baby. So wet just for me.”

   I nodded and raised my arms above my head to hold on to the arm of the couch. I loved it when he talked like that during sex. It never failed to boil my blood and take me higher than I thought possible.

   Abraham slid an arm behind my back and pulled until I was arched with my shoulders on the couch and my butt in his lap. “Yeah. Just like that, baby,” he grunted as he thrust faster than before.

   “Oh my God, Abe.”

   “That’s it, El. I wanna feel you come again.”

   I shook my head, but I could already feel the pressure building low in my belly. Whether I thought I could survive it or not, he was going to make me come again. It was just a matter of time.

   “I want to feel you squeeze me. You’re so tight when you’re coming. So beautiful. I could make you come all day just to watch you squirm on my lap.”

   “Abe,” I said, my voice cracking.

   “I know you’re close, baby. Just let go. Feel me.”

   He picked up one of my legs and slung it over his shoulder, reaching new depths in this position. My eyes rolled back as I gripped the leather beneath me.

   “You gonna come on me again, baby?” he asked, his voice so deep I felt it rumbling through me.

   I nodded frantically, unable to form sentences anymore.

   “Let’s come together this time,” he said, his hips grinding into mine.

   I nodded again, and he reached between my thighs to circle my clit. His other hand was gripping my hip so hard I was sure he’d leave bruises, but I wouldn’t change anything. I loved how out of control he became. Loved the way I helped to unravel a man like Abraham. It was such a powerful feeling.

   He continued to pound into me, somehow even faster and harder than before. But it wasn’t until he pinched my clit between his rough fingers that I started to lose control.

   “Oh my God, Abe,” I moaned.

   “That’s it, baby. Squeeze me. I wanna feel you.”

   I had no choice. My body convulsed around him as another orgasm sped through me, this one even more devastating than the last. I barely heard Abraham’s long guttural groan as he spilled himself inside me.

   We lay like that for a long time as we both fought to catch our breath and return to Earth. Abraham crawled up my body and squeezed himself between me and the back of the couch. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me even closer. His lips pressed softly all over my face and I was so sated I couldn’t even kiss him back.

   “I love you so much, El.”

   My stomach flipped. Even after all these weeks, it never failed to thrill me when he said those words. It had taken me a while to feel comfortable saying them back, but now I said them as often as he’d listen.

   “I love you too.”

   He let out a deep sigh, and I snuggled closer to him. I knew he was still a little insecure about our relationship and the blame for that lay squarely on my shoulders.

   He’d beaten me to the finish line with everything. He was the first to show interest, the first to say I love you, the first to talk about marriage. I’d been the reluctant one, dragging my heels when I should have been sprinting toward him.

   I blamed it on my upbringing. Growing up with my parents and their loveless marriage, I didn’t even know what a good relationship looked like. Convenience and climbing the social ladder was what was expected in their world. I’d grown up believing I’d never be in a serious relationship. That I’d never get married.

   Now, everything was different.

   There was still a lot about my future that was unknown, but the one constant was Abraham. I knew, whatever happened, he’d always be right by my side. He’d proven over and over that I could count on him and I’d learned it was okay to lean on someone else. That I didn’t have to do everything on my own. That I had support.

   Even a family.

   Since I moved out to Asheville, I’d only grown closer to his sisters and the rest of our pack. However, my relationship with Beatrice had been the most surprising.

   She was still teaching me how to fight as a wolf, but the lessons had changed drastically. She wasn’t as short with me anymore. She didn’t hate having to take the time for my lessons, and she acted like she actually liked being around me. I’d call that a win any day.

   But even with the serial killer eliminated and the woman who threatened my relationship gone, I still had a lot to worry about.

   “I was talking to Nana the other day,” Abraham said.

   I turned to look at him. “How’s she been? I’ve missed her.”

   I hadn’t seen Abraham’s grandmother since the first time I met her when we’d had a family dinner here. The McCoys liked to get together once a month and have dinner, but after what happened with their cousin Calvin, no one had felt like celebrating last month and it was cancelled.

   “She’s good. She said she’s cooking extra food for the next family dinner since she’s sure we haven’t been eating well without her around.”

   I laughed. Nana was quite the character. She was spunky and funny, but also so protective of her family. I was hoping I’d be included in that group soon enough.

   “And she’s been wondering about when we’re gonna set a date for the ceremony.”

   Ah, and there it was.

   The topic we’d been dancing around for a month. The newest way I was making Abraham insecure about his place beside me.

   “She is, huh?” I reached up to the ring around my neck and slid it back and forth along its chain.

   Abraham shifted on the couch until he was hovering over me, his face so close I could see all the different shades of blue in his beautiful eyes. “She’s worried something’s wrong since we haven’t set a date yet.”

   I swallowed but held his gaze. “Are you worried about that too?”

   He watched me silently for a moment before looking away. My stomach fell as I watched his jaw tense and the lines around his eyes deepen.

   It didn’t matter what he said next because I knew the truth. By not wanting to set a date for our mating ceremony, I was hurting him. It was completely unintentionally though. I’d never purposely hurt Abraham or give him reason to doubt what we had.

   I just didn’t feel ready.

   Realistically, we’d only known each other a few months. I used to have leftovers in my fridge older than that.  It felt like we were racing ahead, and I was worried we were going too fast. That it was too soon. And we’d still never found an explanation as to how I could be Abraham’s mate in the first place. We’d talked to a lot of other wolves, a
nd no one we’d met had ever heard of a bitten wolf being the fated mate of a born wolf.

  That didn’t sit well with me.

  I didn’t bring it up to Abraham anymore though. I knew it upset him when I questioned whether we were mates or not. He always reminded me of our connection, how deeply I felt him in every inch of my body. I couldn’t deny that I did, but that didn’t make our situation any more believable. Didn’t solve the question of how we came to be in the first place.

   I could never regret saying yes to Abraham, but that didn’t mean we needed to get married right away.

   I cupped his jaw and turned his face until he was looking at me again. “You know I want to marry you, right?”

   His eyes searched mine silently before he nodded once.

   “I just don’t see why we have to rush. I love you and you love me, and we’re learning to live together and figure out how to do this relationship thing full time. Isn’t that enough for now?”

   His eyes moved between mine, seemingly searching for something. “Do you regret it?”

   Abraham’s voice was so soft, if I wasn’t a werewolf with such sensitive hearing, I would have missed it. My heart broke in my chest as I watched the insecurities swirl in the depths of his eyes.

   I reached up to hold his face between both my hands and made sure he was looking at me. “Never. Not even for one second.”

   He blew out a deep breath and let his head fall between my hands. I kissed his dark hair and waited for him to look at me again. When he finally did, there were fewer lines around his eyes.

   “Really?” he asked.

   The broken pieces of my heart clenched. “Definitely. I want to marry you, I just don’t want to rush into anything. Let’s give it a few more weeks. There’s no hurry, right?”

   He shook his head slowly. “I guess not. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”

   I squeezed his face. “Hey. I want to marry you. I promise. Just give me a little more time, okay?”

   He sighed before reaching down and kissing me. “El, as long as you’re mine, I can wait for everything else. Just tell me you’re mine and no one else’s and that’ll be enough for me.”

   I wrapped my arms around his neck and tugged until his forehead was touching mine. “I’m always yours. I love you and nothing can change that.”