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“Quiet but busy,” I tell her.

We drive to McDonald’s on the way home and buy dinner. When we get home, though, mom is on the phone.

“Honey, it’s Eli. He says he has been trying to call you,” she says.

“Tell him I will call him back; I just want to shower first,” I tell her, heading upstairs.

“What about your dinner?”

“I can heat it up,” I tell her, continuing to the bathroom. I hear her tell Eli I would call him back just as I shut the bathroom door.

I take my time in the shower, dreading having to get out. Once I drag myself out, I go to my room and slip on my pajamas before climbing into bed with a book hoping not to be disturbed. No such luck; my mother knocks on the door before bringing in some leftover McDonald’s.

“Didn’t want you to go to bed without dinner,” she says, placing the warmed-up fries and burger on my lap. The fries now resemble string cheese and were no longer crispy.

“You alright?”

“Yes, Ma, just tired from work,” I tell her.

She nods, looking around awkwardly. “Did you ring Eli back?”

“Hmm, yep,” I lie.

“That’s good then. Well, I will let you go back to reading,” she says, brushing my wet hair from my face before kissing my head.

I wait for her to leave before tossing the McDonald’s in the bin and returning to my book. My phone that is on charge is ringing again, but I silence it before switching it off completely and tucking my book away, knowing I won’t be able to concentrate enough to read it.

My sleep is restless, tossing and turning before waking in a sweat, my temperature skyrocketing, and I stumble to the bathroom. Turning the shower water on, I let it cool my burning skin and feel my core temperature rising. Forcing myself out of the shower, I look in the mirror, my skin flushed, and the mark on my neck is burning terribly. I place a wet washer on it, trying to cool it down, but nothing works when I realize I am not coming down with a fever. No, I am going into heat, but it is too early.

They said twice a year or more was normal because I had two mates?

Digging through the medicine cupboard, I find some Panadeine Forte. I pop two in my mouth and swallow them, hoping they would stop the crippling pain radiating through my abdomen and the burning feeling churning within me.

Chapter Forty-Three

Eli

One Week Later

Time tends to drag when waiting for something or someone. Waiting for her to answer the damn phone, waiting for her to ring us, yet that hasn’t happened either. Waiting for the bond to force her back to us. Time’s become excruciating. We can feel her distress, but we are having trouble figuring out what is causing it. Though every time we try to contact her, she never answers the phone. We have been working out of the office most of the day, so as I walk in, the first thing I want to do is check on her.

Checking the security camera at work, she looks fine and is always busy. However, we notice she never takes a break, always ensuring she is busy. Whether it is working or cleaning, I am pretty sure I have watched her refile the same filing cabinet nearly every day, like she is trying to avoid doing nothing and needs the distraction.

“What is she doing?” Cyrus asks, coming over and looking over my shoulder at my phone screen.

“What she always does, just working,” I tell him.

We manage to find a temporary office to work from while our building is being rebuilt. Sam has managed to push his trial back another six weeks, so we still have no end to that headache of a drama. We will need to convince Addie to have her say; it will not only make sure he is dealt with but might let her put it behind her and move on with her life.

I lean back on my chair, phone in hand, watching the screen, watching her scour over papers on her desk.

Looking at the clock, it is already past her lunch break; another day that she doesn’t eat or leave the office floor.

Cyrus picks up the office landline and dials his number before looking at the screen in my hand. I hear the phone start ringing, and she pulls it out of her pocket, staring at the unknown number before rejecting the call.

“Try the office number,” I tell him, and I watch as she stares at the phone on her desk. It is the first time we call off this phone, so maybe she’ll pick it up.

She does, placing the phone to her ear.