Kinsey had all but screamed when she saw the hickey on her throat this morning. Not even cover up could hide the obvious mark.
It had been hot when Damon was kissing her yesterday, but now she had to go to work with a hickey stapled on her neck.
Luckily, the weather called for a scarf and nobody questioned her when she kept it on all day. The worst of it was during her lunch with Carissa. The restaurant they went to was stifling hot and Kinsey struggled to keep her hands away from the scarf. Carissa didn't appear to notice; she was more focused on Kinsey's progress.
Kinsey didn't mind spending time with her sister, but she certainly felt the pressure of getting her project done. She had to assure her many times that it was underway and would be done by the end of the month, but it didn't feel like enough. What was Kinsey supposed to do? These things took time. Carissa, more than anyone, should understand, being a scientist herself.
When Kinsey got home, however, Sabrina had an entire arsenal full of jokes and remarks about Kinsey's hickey. But, mostly, her best friend wanted the juicy details, of which Kinsey foolishly promised to indulge once they got to the mall.
The instant Sabrina parked in a stall, she faced her, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Come on, Kins. Spill it."
Sighing, she stepped out of the car and headed for the nearest entrance. Sabrina followed in hot pursuit. Kinsey didn't have to look her way to know her friend was staring at her with the intensity of a thousand fangirls awaiting her next book.
Kinsey looked around the massive mall, in search of somewhere that would sell dresses fit for an A-list gala. She didn't come here often, but when she did, there were three main stores she went to. Unfortunately, nonr of them had what she needed this time.
Having enough of watching her friend wander aimlessly, Sabrina hooked her arm and led her down one of the long stretches, lit up by the dome windows draping over the entire length.
Sabrina couldn't take the silence any more and gave Kinsey a little shake.
Kinsey let out a breath, giving in to the madness. "There's not much to say. Damon kept me company while I collected more data in Grimrock. When we finished, he left to deal with pack business and I went back to the office."
Sabrina stopped in front of their first store to set a furious glower on her. "You're missing a few details, Kins. Don't hold back on me, girl! I need new material and your romance with Wensworth's Alpha is chock full of it!" Her grip tightened on Kinsey's arm and she dragged her over to the wall of poofy prom dresses.
Kinsey took one look at a sparkly pink one, grimaced, then shuffled over to a more modest section. While she was sure someone could pull off that look, Kinsey knew she couldn't. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she figured if she tried on a bunch of dresses, she'd eventually find something she liked.
Kinsey pulled a simple black dress off the rack. It was floor-length, long-sleeved, and had a deep scoop at the back. Elegant, sophisticated, befitting for a fundraiser.
"Okay," she gave in, feeling Sabrina's expectant gaze on her. "Maybe we did get a little sidetracked. We had a really nice moment. He kissed me, but it felt different that time. For both of us, I think." Kinsey peered around the store, making sure there were no children to overhear them, then leaned in to Sabrina's side and whispered, "I-I felt like I might burn alive if I didn't have him inside me. It was intense."
Sabrina fanned herself. "Damn girl. That sounds hot as fuck. So. . . Did you get down and dirty in the woods?"
Her face flamed. "Umm. No. We did make out against a tree. It got hot and heavy."
"I can see that." She tapped her neck with a smirk then sifted through the dresses on the rack until she came across a cherry red one. "You've gotta try this one. It'll look amazing with your eyes."
Kinsey eyed the dress then shrugged. Why not? The more she tried on, the sooner they could leave and she wouldn't have to stress about finding a dress suitable to be seen beside Damon Hayes.
Sabrina found a few more to throw at her, some more questionable than others, then they went to the change room.
"So," Sabina said from the other side of the door, "have you guys done the deed yet?"
"Err, no."
Kinsey slipped the cherry red dress off the hanger first and shimmied into it. Her eyes bulged when she looked in the mirror. There was way too much skin and her pale complexion didn't do the colour justice. She tossed it into the "no" pile.
"No? Why not?"
"We've only been on two dates, 'Brina."
"And? Do you like him?"
"I do."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"I. . ." She sighed, picking up the black piece she had brought back to try on. "You've seen him, 'Brina. He's kind, ambitious, and funny. Hell, he's running a charity this weekend for youth in need! He's perfect. . . and I'm not."
Sabrina was silent for a moment, then, "Has he made you feel inadequate in any way?" Kinsey didn't miss the underlying threat of hunting Damon down to kick his ass if he had made her feel anything less than adequate.
"No. No. It's nothing like that. I just. . ." She looked at herself in the mirror, in the black number she had picked out. It looked better on the hanger. It did nothing for her curves and made her look even smaller than she was. She peeled out of it and tossed it with the other "no." "I have nothing going for me, 'Brina. I don't have any awards. I wasn't voted Sexiest Scientist in Science Monthly. I'm not beautiful like other women he's been with. What if I'm not good at. . . you know. I haven't been with anyone since Tyler."
She took one look at a maroon dress Sabrina had snuck into the pile and shook her head. There were so many strings, she didn't know where to begin.
She went through two other dresses before deciding to brave a silky copper dress.
"Babe, you can't compare yourself to Carissa--or other women. You aren't them, you are Kinsey."
"Everyone else compares me to Carissa, why can't I?" Kinsey muttered. She slipped the dress over her head and checked herself out in the mirror.
Her breath left her lungs. She actually looked pretty. The colour made her eyes brighter and highlighted a few red strands in her hair. The single shoulder was modest, but showed off the curve of her clavicle without taking it away from her hips.
"You know what?" Sabrina piped up. "Nobody there has to know you're Carissa's sister. You're going to a gala full of hot shots from the city, show them who Kinsey Ashe is. Be yourself. Own the fact you have a hot as fuck man on your arm, that he picked you out of all the other women he could have asked. You've spent your entire life living for other people, your parents especially, it's time you do something for yourself for a change."
Kinsey regarded the woman in the mirror. She was familiar with the bow of her lips, the freckles dusting her nose, those golden eyes that seemed to glow in this dress. Her breasts weren't as big as she wanted, but her hips made up for it--she could thank her snacks for that.
If Kinsey had seen her from across the way and not in a mirror, she would have said she was beautiful. So why couldn't she herself that way? Why couldn't she see the woman Sabrina could see? The one she hoped Damon saw? It wasn't fair. Her best friend was right: she should live for herself. She should accept that Damon liked her. Wanted her for who she was, not because she was Carissa's sister.
She stepped out of the changing room to get the final approval from Sabrina.
Her jaw hit the floor. "Babe! Please tell me you're getting that."
Kinsey twirled in front of the floor length mirror and nearly tripped on the hem. She was definitely going to have to wear heels with it if she wanted to survive the night. Thankfully, the thigh-high slit on the side made it easy to move in.
"Do you think this is okay? It's not too casual?"
Sabrina shook her head violently. "No way. We'll find you some sexy stilettos, and I have jewelry--none of the gems are real, mind you--that will go with it. I can't wait to do your hair and makeup. I have a vision in my head: you're going to be the belle of the ball!"
Kinsey's eyes rolled. "I don't want to be the belle, I just want to be pretty enough so I don't embarrass Damon."
Sabrina slapped her arm, leaving a bright red hand mark on Kinsey's exposed flesh. Hopefully it disappeared before Saturday night. "You're pretty enough without the dress and the hair. Now go get changed and let's pay for this sucker before you change your mind."
Sabrina knew her all too well.
Kinsey swapped back into her clothes then followed her to the register. She presented Damon's card to the clerk, trying not to feel guilty about spending his money instead of her own.
He didn't give you a limit.
Not that the dress was outrageously expensive, but it was certainly more money Kinsey had spent on herself in ages. Maybe ever.
The teenaged clerk gaped at the card. "This is. . . Are you a friend of Alpha Damon?"
Kinsey grinned. "I am."
Sabrina scoffed then leaned on the counter towards the youth, a smug smirk keeping her demeaner cool. "Girl, she's more than a friend. They're dating."
Her jaw dropped.
"It's nothing serious," Kinsey amended, not wishing for it to come back to Damon that she was bragging about knowing him. "We've only been on a few dates."
The youth's eyes shimmered in excitement. "And you're totally okay with it? Dating a shifter, I mean?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
She shrugged. "Some humans aren't as cool. There are some girls at school. . . they know I have a crush on a boy, a human, and they tell me he wouldn't go on a date with me in a million years."
A pang hit Kinsey's stomach. She was well aquaninted with girls like the ones at the clerk's school.
Sabrina tapped the counter. "Because you're a shifter? That's not cool. You should be allowed to go out with whoever you want. Don't listen to those girls."
"Sabrina's right," Kinsey added. "Don't let them tear you down. They're not the ones who decide what you can do. Only you can." She wished someone had told her that when she was her age. Maybe then she would have had the confidence to be herself sooner.
She smiled at them. "You know, the Alpha's business is his own, but I hope you're more than 'nothing serious' to him. The pack could do with some good news after everything that has happened."
"What do you mean?"
She blinked her surprise. "He hasn't told you about the disappearances?" She then immediately dismissed it with the wave of her hand. "He probably didn't want you to worry. You can't get any safer when you're with Alpha Damon. Forget I said anything. Anyway, here you go." She skillfully folded the dress and tucked it away in a bag in one smooth motion. "Have a good day."
"Um, thanks. You too."
Sabrina gave her the side eye once they left the store. "Hey, remember last Friday when that shifter threatened to rip your spine out?"
"How could I forget?" Though, as she thought back to that night, it felt like a lifetime ago.
"He had mentioned somebody took his sister. You don't think that has something to do with the disappearances that girl was talking about, do you?"
"It's hard to say," Kinsey admitted. Especially hard, because she remembered he had distinctly accused the Bane Corporation of taking his sister. But Victor and Carissa would never be a part of something like that. More so, why would the Corporation kidnap anybody to begin with? They were a pharmaceutical company. . . one that also seemed to dabble in environmental science. Once her project was complete, Kinsey was sure it would make sense why she was asked to conduct this survey. Until then, she had to trust the system.
She shook her head clear of all thoughts that didn't help her with her current objective. "I don't know what's going on, but the mall is closing in an hour. Let's find some shoes and order some take out for dinner."
Kinsey took the lead for the shoe store--and accidently bumped into somebody.
She looked up and up at him and his scowling features. "Sorry." She moved to step around him, but he blocked her path again, baring his very unhuman teeth.
His eyes narrowed in on her. "You work for the Corporation, don't you? I've seen you in Grimrock Woods, laying your markers, tracking our prints. Stay out of our forest." He shoved her to the ground with so much force, her entire skeleton shuddered at the jarring motion.
Not again.
"Hey!" Sabrina whacked him with her purse; she only got one hit in then he pushed her aside into a group of pedestrians.
He didn't cast her a second glance and loomed over Kinsey, his entire body quaking. A sign he was fighting a shift. His efforts didn't stop the claws from sprouting out of his fingertips. Or maybe that was intentional.
Her heart pounded violently in her ribcage. "L-look, I don't know what you think I'm doing in Grimrock, but it's just research. I'm not there to hurt anybody."
He grabbed the front of her sweater and lifted her two feet off the ground. He snarled in her face, those teeth far too close to her very delicate throat for comfort.
Suddenly, a man appeared beside them. He was a strange man, dressed in a pinstripe suit that looked as if it had come out of a late eighties gang movie, with a fedora to match. His hair was a messy mop of teal under the hat and his eyes were a mesmerizing purple. But it was his pupils that entranced her the most; they were thin, vertical slits.
"Pardon the intrusion," he said to the angry shifter, who had completely frozen, a look of horror painted on his face, "but, if I could offer you some advice? Don't mess with this one." He tilted his head over in Kinsey's direction then he brushed her hair off her shoulder, revealing the embarrassing hickey. "You see this Mark? Do you know who left this Mark?"
The shifter's eyes barely flitted to the hickey, as if he was afraid to look away from the newcomer for too long. He mildly shook his head in response.
The strange man nodded in agreement. "I thought so. This is the Mark of Damon Hayes. Do I need to remind you who that is? No, I didn't think so," he went on when the shifter shook his head, more animated this time. "Put the human down while you still have hands to use."
It took a moment for the shifter to respond, then he set her down gently, not once removing his eyes from the mysterious man.
"Good boy. Now, why don't you apologise to the nice lady for ruining her evening?"
Stiffly, like a robot that hadn't been greased in years, the shifter turned his head to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise you were under Alpha Damon's protection. Please don't tell him what happened here."
She straightened out her rumpled clothes, avoiding eye contact with everybody--quite the crowd had formed--while she calmed herself down. When she was ready, she met his gaze sternly. "Damon doesn't have to know what you've done as long as you spread the word that I'm not in Grimrock Woods to harm anyone." She hoped her voice didn't tremble too much. "Tell them all to leave me alone. Got it?"
She was tired of being attacked under false accusations. Hopefully, this would put an end to it.
His head bobbed up and down like a broken bobble head. "Yes, ma'am. Never again." He looked to the stranger nervously. "May I go?"
The mysterious man gave it some thought, then dismissed him with the wave of his hand. "Go on. Leave before I decide to shrink you down and turn your furry behind into my pet."
She had never watched a shifter move so fast.
She faced the stranger. "Thank you for stepping in."
He cocked his head to the side, studying her curiously. "My pleasure. It's not every day I find a creature as fascinating as you are. I didn't want him to interfere with my observations. You may continue your activities, they will go undisturbed."
"Thank. . . you?" He had vanished before she could finish her sentence. She rubbed her eyes, not quite understanding what just happened.
Sabrina came to her side, gripping her arm protectively. "Hey, you okay, Kins? Where did that creep go?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. They both just. . . left." She still couldn't wrap her head around someone disappearing like that. It wasn't physically possible.
"Both? Kins, are you sure you're okay? There was only one shifter."
Kinsey scratched the back of her head. Sabrina was right about something: there had only been one shifter. She didn't know who the other guy was, but he certainly wasn't human, and, judging off everything she knew about shifters, he wasn't one either. And he was somehow only visible to her and the shifter.
"Let's just get the shoes and go home."
Sabrina rubbed her back soothingly. "Yeah. Sure."