Kinsey shut the door to Sabrina's apartment and leaned back on it, still trying to process her surreal day. It was a miracle she had driven home safely. She probably should have stayed a little longer with Damon at the bar, but she needed to process this without seeming like a teenage girl. She had long since forgotten what the thrill of a new romance felt like, what all the nerves and excitement did to her stomach.
Sabrina poked her head out of her room, in her comfy lounge wear--or what she called her Inspiration Garments. Kinsey preferred to call them what they were: pajamas. She raised a pair of pale eyebrows at her. "Where have you been? I almost called Search and Rescue on you."
"I, uh. . ." Kinsey felt her face heat before Sabrina saw it. How did she explain her day when she was still trying to wrap her head around it? She went from studying Damon's pack's movements to being held captive then to making out with the pack's Alpha. It was to heal her, he said, but man what a kiss! He had been adamant to see her again.
Could someone like him actually want to go on a date with her?
Was it even a date? Maybe he was only being nice to her so she wouldn't file a report on his men.
The more she thought about it, the more she realised there was no way Damon Hayes, Wensworth's Alpha, would want to go on a date with her.
"Helllloooo?" Sabrina snapped her fingers in Kinsey's face. "You're in your head again, girl. What happened to you?"
Kinsey let her pack slip to the floor; she sank on the couch. "How do you know if a guy likes you?"
Her interest fully piqued, her friend joined her on the couch, leaning her elbow on the back of the couch, legs crossed. "Okay, girl, spill it."
Kinsey released a long breath then told her how her day went. Before Sabrina furiously stormed for the door to beat up the shifters who hurt her, she hastily assured her Kalem guaranteed they wouldn't do it again and, in fact, were taken care of by Damon, which Kinsey wholeheartedly believed. He had been angry when he saw her bruise and kind in the bar, tender when he touched her. She honestly didn't think shifters were capable of being so gentle. Damon proved her wrong. Maybe that was why she had so heedlessly agreed to have dinner with him. She thought she knew enough about shifters, but then he went and showed compassion and empathy. She was curious to see what else she--and her family--was wrong about.
Sabrina let out a whistle. "You have a date with an Alpha male. That's the hottest shit I've ever heard--very smooth on his part. You have to tell me everything. This is perfect for my newest book. I want my novels to be accurate now that we know about the shifters' existence. I feel bad about some of my earlier crap."
Kinsey fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "I'm not sure if it's a date. Maybe he feels guilty for the trouble he's caused me? I'm not exactly-"
Sabrina slapped her shoulder, silencing her. "Don't finish that fucking sentence, woman! You're a babe! He has good taste. It's a date. You don't kiss someone else like that and ask them out for a pity dinner. Unless you played up your little make out sesh." She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.
Kinsey hadn't exaggerated. She could still feel his fingers against her scalp. The man knew what he was doing. Kinsey did not. She hadn't dated since high school.
"Give me your best books. I need to do some research. I barely knew what I was doing tonight and now I have to do it all over again tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
"Le Bleu."
Sabrina held her hands to her heart, a sappy smile playing on her lips. "I love that place! Amazing food. Very romantic atmosphere."
Kinsey wouldn't know romance if it hit her in the face. Her date spot had been a diner near the high school. She would go there with her boyfriend every lunchtime. Now it had been stripped to the studs and turned into a candy shop.
Sabrina tapped her knee then swung off the bed. "I'll grab my best sellers for you. Stay right there."
After the day she had, Kinsey barely had enough energy to pull the sheets from the ottoman beside the couch. Sabrina came back with an armful of books to find Kinsey snuggled in a blanket and ready to sleep the night away. Sabrina sat on the coffee table, facing her, and gave her a synopsis of her most popular five book series. Kinsey remembered when she had started writing this one, how excited she was for her characters.
"I'm so excited you're finally reading these! You're going to love them! Anyway, I was in the middle of a hot and steamy scene when you came in; I gotta finish it before the flow is ruined. Have a good night!"
Kinsey kept the lamp beside the couch on and read until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. In the morning, she made an extra cup of coffee and snuck out of the apartment soundlessly. Security in the Bane Building let her through without a hitch this time and she made her way up to the seventh floor. Doctor Carlisle had his office door open; he was buried in a pile of papers on his desk, but he looked up to her and gestured to the door behind her. Her name was etched on a sign just like his.
Her own office. That was enough to wake her up. Squealing in excitement, she pushed the door open. The office itself was plain and impersonal--but she had plans to change that with time. For the moment, she wanted to focus on her project and finish mapping out the tracks she had documented yesterday.
Lunchtime came around before she knew it. Kinsey had every intention of continuing her work through lunch, but Carissa came knocking on her door. She wore a tight red dress with a lab coat thrown over top. Her dark hair was tied back in a long braid that hung off her shoulder.
"Hey, Kins. Wanna grab some lunch?"
Kinsey glanced at her map then back to her big sister. She still had so much to do, so many notes to write for herself next time she went to Grimrock Woods. But having lunch was the healthier option. The snacks in her drawer weren't quite as satisfying as a hearty sandwich.
Giving in to the health conscious part of her for once, she closed her file and followed Carissa to the elevator. She grinned at her with a shade of lipstick that matched her dress. "You looked pretty into your work. Find anything good?"
Kinsey licked her lips, trying to pull her head from her work. Unsuccessfully. "Did you know shifters use Grimrock Woods as a hunting ground?"
Her sister opened her mouth then shut it again, biting her bottom lip, hesitant to answer.
The elevator door opened; they stepped out into the lobby, and Kinsey followed her to a small bistro just down the block from the Bane Building.
They took a seat by the window, viewing a small garden in the courtyard behind the bistro.
"I did know there were shifters," Carissa finally confessed. She folded her arms on the table and faced her squarely. "I was hoping you'd figure it out too."
"You were testing me." Kinsey hoped she heard the hurt in her tone. Her sister didn't believe in her as much as she thought she did.
Carissa reached for her hand across the table and gave it a little squeeze; her enormous engagement ring glittered in the sunlight. Kinsey still remembered when she got it, all the posing, the oooing and awing when she showed it to her friends and family. "Come on, Kins, don't be like that. I can't show favoritism, remember?"
Kinsey settled down a bit, relenting with a small sigh.
Taking that as a sign of forgiveness, Carissa went forward, "So, what did you find?"
"I have to make a few trips out there to be certain, but several types of shifters use the woods. It's a hunting ground for them." She distinctly remembered Damon calling Grimrock Woods his hunting ground.
A slow smile spread across her face. "Perfect. I need more. Specifics. When they go. If they go in groups. Which ones go the most often. Age, build. Do you think you can do that for me, Kins?"
A bolt chased down Kinsey's spine, though she didn't know why. Maybe it was her tone, casual yet laced with an underlying urgency. It was very unlike Carissa. She was known for her cool demeanor. Her eyes were blue, shining in today's sun, but they were hard, unreadable.
"It'll take time, but yes. What's the objective behind this? I'm as fascinated as you are by all of this, but I want to make sure I'm focusing on what you're looking for. It's easy to get sidetracked on this sort of thing without direction."
Carissa moistened her lips, a hint of a smile touching her features. "It's for our shifter research branch. These creatures will help us develop new drugs to combat disease and infection, formulate anti-aging creams, and so much more. The possibilities are endless."
Kinsey couldn't deny the curious scientist in her when she was around Damon; he extruded power and potential. She was curious what he was capable of too, especially after witnessing first hand his healing abilities. . .
Once she stopped daydreaming, she caught on to her sister's words. "Creatures? They're people."
Carissa waved it off flippantly. "Are they? Our research has shown they are more beast than human."
The waitress, clearly a shifter when her eyes flashed gold from headlights outside, stopped by just in time to hear Carissa's remark; the willowy lady did a double-take before setting their coffee down and walking away without a word. Kinsey didn't blame her; she was just as surprised to hear her sister say something like that, and really hoped the waitress wasn't going to spit in their food.
"I didn't realize the Bane Corporation's research conclusions had led you to thinking of them as anything less than people."
Carissa crossed her arms, frowning at her, reading how much Kinsey disagreed with her. "I thought the videos I showed you were enough to show you what they really are."
They almost were. Then she met Damon and Kalem, real live shifters who could have fooled her into believing they were human if they weren't so open about being shifters.
"They're animals in human skin," Carissa went on ruthlessly. "If you want to climb the ladder in the Corporation, you have to understand that."
Kinsey was so stunned by her words she barely felt the scolding coffee on her tongue. A moment later she felt it and hastily set the cup down before she burnt herself more.
"Maybe if I joined one of your studies I'd better understand it?" Kinsey needed to see the evidence for herself, because so far she had conflicting opinions. She had seen the videos Carissa showed her of what shifters were capable of, had even first hand experience with the vicious animal side. But Kalem and Damon had also shown her a more humane side, one that wasn't to be feared.
Carissa merely shook her head. "You're not ready yet. Give me everything you can find out on the shifters in Grimrock Woods, then we'll talk."
See, that's just the thing: "If you're so curious about shifters, why don't you just interview them? Why do I have to study them from afar?"
The waitress returned with their sandwiches silently. She avoided eye contact and left as swiftly as she had arrived.
Carissa drummed her fingers on the table until the waitress was out of hearing range. "Shifters don't see eye to eye with the Bane Corporation. A new Alpha has risen from their ranks within the past few years and he's made it clear we are unwelcome."
"Why's that?" This news was unsettling considering she was going on a date with said Alpha tonight. Was the date really just a ruse to get to Carissa?
Her eyes swept over Kinsey, swiftly yet methodically, sizing her up in one precise assessment. "They think our research on them is inhumane. They think we abuse our subjects."
Now that Kinsey thought about it, the bear shifter who had attacked her the other night had said something along those lines. He had said his sister was taken.
"How did you find your subjects for the videos you showed me?"
"Volunteers," was all she had to say about that. " Can I count on you, Kins?"
She bit her lip, hating that her sister even had to ask. "Of course I'll help you, Carissa. You know I ask a lot of questions."
"Ask less and you'll do just fine at the Corporation."
Kinsey frowned at her tone, but had no chance to comment on it. The bell at the entrance chimed, and Victor strode in, smiling at them. "I'm sorry I'm late for lunch. My meeting ran on longer than anticipated."
Returning his warm smile and adding a lusty touch to it, Carissa stood and wiped a small red smudge off his cheek. She whispered in his ear, causing his smile to falter for only a second before he pulled Kinsey in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.
He joined them, grabbing a spare chair from another table and sitting at the end. "How are my two favourite scientists doing?"
"Kinsey was just telling me she should have her results in by the end of the month," Carissa informed him, suddenly putting a timeline on Kinsey's project. She would have preferred an extra month to be thorough, but the hard look in Carissa's eyes said that wasn't happening.
The news made Victor beam. He reached for her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek before tucking her hair behind her ear. "That's wonderful. Didn't I say you were the right woman for the job, Kins?"
She nodded, touched he had so much faith in her.
Carissa wrapped her arms around one of his, pulling him back in his seat slightly, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
They soon started talking about their wedding, and Kinsey remained silent, focusing on her sandwich for the rest of the hour.
Once her lunch hour finished, she couldn't get back to her office fast enough. She lost herself in her work, fascinated by the data she had collected.
Not only was Grimrock Woods a hunting ground for shifters, they used it to travel from the north side to the south side of town, which was probably much faster during the day than having to trek through traffic. By looking at the tracking data she could guess what kind of prey each shifter liked; though, she was sure it was down to individual preferences, not due to species. She would need more data to know for sure. She had enough data on Damon--who she embarrassingly followed around the most yesterday, even if she hadn't known he was the Alpha--to know his favorite prey was black tail deer, which the government had recently reintroduced into the area. Why was that? Surely the government wouldn't want to encourage shifters hunting. What if a human--you know, one stupid enough to wander the woods alone--were to run into them while they were hunting?
Before Kinsey could dwell on it further, five o'clock came around and she was suddenly aware she had less than an hour to get ready for her date. She had successfully pushed all thoughts of the date tonight out of her mind so she wouldn't be a bundle of nerves at work. Which now meant she hadn't mentally prepared herself for the date whatsoever or even begun to think about what she was supposed to wear. In her closet--or suitcase, in this instance--she was limited to jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. Nothing remotely sexy. Nothing that says she was on a date with an incredibly hot, well-respected Alpha, who was way out of her league.
Her scramble home was less to be desired and she burst through the apartment door in a panic. "'Brina! I have a date tonight and I'm freaking out!"
Sabrina, calm as ever, strode out of her bedroom with a simple black dress draped on a hanger. "Don't worry, you goof, I've got you covered. You're lucky we're the same size. Hurry, put this on; I have the straightener heating up."
Before she followed her friend's orders, she gave her a big hug. "You're the best friend in the whole world, you know that?" She couldn't be more grateful to have Sabrina in her life. She'd be a total wreck without her.
Sabrina squeezed her back. "It goes both ways, Kins. You've always been here for me. Now I can finally return the favour."
She hung the dress over her shoulder and shooed her for the bathroom. "Now go or you'll be late."
Kinsey ran on autopilot, going through the motions of getting ready for a night out. Except, she was wearing a thigh length dress and Sabrina was not coming with her. She ran her fingers through her silky straight hair, amazed Sabrina had been able to tame the large curls so quickly. There wasn't any time for makeup, aside from a quick brush of mascara. She barely slipped on a pair of black flats before Sabrina ushered her out the door.
"Have fun! Don't overthink things. And remember to use protection."
The door shut behind her and left her shocked to the core in the middle of the hallway.
Right. Sex. A thing that typically happened after dates.
Her face flamed. She prayed it would be gone by the time she got to the restaurant.
The parking lot was almost full, save for one spot she managed to squeeze in. She stepped out of the car, giving the lot a quick scan for Damon. She didn't know why she expected to see him. She was ten minutes early. But then she saw him folding out of a Ford truck in a blazer, a dark button-down shirt, and black jeans. He looked like a dream. . . or one of Sabrina's smoking hot male leads. Definitely not like someone who fit in her life.
Yet, here he was, walking over to her and pulling her in for a hot kiss. Caught up in his heat and urgency, she wrapped her arms around his neck, sinking into his embrace. All her worries beforehand faded away. She might think he was out of her league, but he clearly didn't think so. He wanted her and wasn't afraid to show it.
Maybe she wasn't as bad at this whole dating thing than she thought.