Kinsey's words struck Damon like a vicious whip. He didn't move an inch. Had no intention of leaving her side whatsoever. If he left her now, he'd lose her forever.
A hard glare settled in her features, causing her nose to wrinkle, when she realised he wasn't going anywhere. "I said leave, Damon. I never want to see you again."
The alpha within him reared his defiant head at her demand. He would not be commanded, not even by his mate.
He closed the distance between them, not quite touching. Not close enough. "No. Victor did something to you. Tell me what happened." She smelt different. This new scent wasn't bad--actually, he and his wolf quite liked it--it was sweeter than her normal perfume, almost velvety in the way the aroma fluttered around him. But Victor Bane had made her this way.
Her hands went to her hips. "Why? So you can use it against me later?"
Okay. He deserved that. She was hurting because of him. Because she thought this feeling between them was a lie. It was on him to show her it wasn't. That there would be no other woman for him.
"It's not safe to talk out here, Kinsey. Let's go inside." He gestured pointedly to her apartment door, which was wide open.
"There's nothing left to talk about--not when you won't deny what Victor said. He's right, isn't he? You. . ." She squeezed her eyes shut; a single tear streaked down her cheek. "You never cared about me. All those things you said to me. . . none of them were true."
Damon peered around the hallway; he wasn't familiar with this building, if there were any Night Folk who could listen in. Or any to spread rumors about Wensworth's Alpha hanging out in a hallway in the University District.
With limited options, Damon scooped Kinsey up, ignoring her protests, and carried her inside her friend's apartment, flicking the door shut with his foot.
Sabrina rushed to them. "Oh, my God. Kinsey, are you okay?"
"No. I want to be left alone." Kinsey pushed against him, wiggling to escape his grasp. He wanted to pretend he didn't notice and keep holding her, scared this would be the last time he'd get to hold her, but that certainly wouldn't help him in the long run, so he set her down on the couch gently. He pulled a fluffy blanket off the backrest and draped it over her.
As soon as he stepped away, Kinsey jumped to her feet and shoved him with more vigor than he expected. He almost didn't stop himself from falling on the coffee table. "Don't touch me! Go away, Damon!"
He held his ground. "No. You can't get rid of me that easily. We're talking."
Then, his sweet Kinsey did something he thought she would never do: she raised a hand to slap him. He caught her wrist, clenched his jaw. Regained his composure before he said or did something he would regret.
Frustrated, she huffed, blowing hair out of her face. She yanked her hand to free it, but he didn't budge. After several failed attempts to free herself, a growl ripped out of her throat. "Let me go!"
"Hey!" Sabrina marched over to their side and gripped Kinsey's shoulder while pinning Damon with a warning glare. "Everybody needs to calm down." She turned her glare to Kinsey. "Kins, babe, what's going on?"
She fumed. "He-he. . ." Suddenly all of the fight evaporated from her body. She seemed to shrink in size. Tears welled in her eyes. "It was all a lie," she spoke in the faintest of whispers. The raw hurt in her voice, in her eyes, tore him up, and gave her the opportunity to free her hand. She ran for the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Sabrina gaped at the door, unsure if she should go after her friend or give her space. Biting her bottom lip, she looked up at Damon. "What. . . what just happened?"
"We're not on the best of terms at the moment." As much as he hated it, Kinsey wasn't going to open up to him anytime soon, but he needed to know what happened to her. "Go talk to her. Find out what happened at work."
She scowled at him. "Oh, I'll talk to her, but I don't have to tell you anything. You're lucky I have my priorities straight, or I'd be beating your ass for hurting her." With that, she marched to the bathroom and slipped through the door.
As soon as she was gone, Kalem leaned back on the counter, rubbing circles around his temples. "Fuck. That hurt. Whatever that was."
The device Victor used on them. Whatever it was, it was effective against shifters. Enough to knock them off their feet, rendering them defenseless. It was a wonder they were left alone. He half expected to have his ass dragged back to the Bane Building. There would have been nothing he could have done to prevent it. He and Kinsey were left defenseless.
A deeply unsettling thought.
The scientists over there were getting creative with their weapons. Meanwhile, all his people had were their teeth and claws to defend themselves. Hardly effective anymore.
Kalem bounced off the counter and ran a tea towel under the sink. He used the reflection in the window to clean up the blood around his ears, nose, and eyes. He turned, tossing Damon the towel, then crossed his arms. "So, what now?"
Damon dabbed the blood off his face while he considered his options. "High Witch Colleen might make a Mimic potion for me, then we'll see if Mister Skilled in the Art of Infiltration and Recon can actually find us something useful."
Kalem waved it off. "I'm sure Dayton will follow through. I was talking about Kinsey. Victor has his eye on her--and now he knows she's been in contact with you."
"He won't kill her."
No, after the way he saw him eyeing Kinsey, how close he was to her, even his fucking stench told him, he definitely had other plans for her.
"Maybe not, but she smells like one of us and something tells me he's aware of her change."
She had changed all right, but how? What did Victor do to her? What did he plan to do with her?
The bathroom door opened, drawing him away from his thoughts. Kinsey exited in a fresh t-shirt and jeans; she hung Victor's coat on the rack by the front door then faced them. The tears were gone and she had adopted a more stoic front, but her eyes were still red. Her pain was far from forgotten and when she glared at him, he felt just how badly he had hurt her.
Of course, he had known all along how much this would tear her up inside. He had just hoped it wouldn't come to this. He wanted to pretend he had never intended to use her and continue living the fantasy in their perfect little bubble.
He was either a naive idiot or hopelessly in love.
"You're still here?" Kinsey seemed surprised. She remained standing, arms folded over her chest, while Sabrina took a seat on the armchair, watching her friend very carefully.
It cut him that she had to ask. "I've spent the last few hours afraid that I might never see the woman I love again. I'm not leaving until I know you are safe."
She stood locked in place, her golden eyes burning bright, an everlasting flame of hatred devoted to searing his heart.
Her whole body quaked, as fiercely as any shifter about to shift. "No. You don't get to say that." She thrust a finger his way, and he winced. "You used me, Damon. You told me lies to make me feel better about myself, so I would trust you! You only ever cared about getting information on the Corporation! I cared. I. . . I loved you!" She bit her lip, taking a moment to compose herself again. "I want nothing to do with you, Damon. I don't need you--or your protection. Victor is sending one of his men to look out for me."
Damon decided it was better for his wolf's sanity if he ignored that first bit and focused on the fact one of Victor's Mutants was on their way. And the fact she had warned him. If she had truly hated him for what he had done, she would have let the Mutant come and fight them. After all the pain he had caused her, she still didn't want him to get hurt.
He looked at her levelly, not as a mate trying to convince her that his love for her was true, but as a leader who knew when trouble was coming. "Kinsey, he's not coming to protect you. He's coming to keep an eye on you. Victor has his sights set on you and he's not going to let you slip through his fingers."
His warning went straight through her and made her pale. She teetered, about to faint.
Without thinking, he rushed to her, holding her gently in his arms. "Kalem is going to stay here and protect you. You'll be safe with him."
"Um," Sabrina butted in, raising her hand, like she was in grade school. "I don't know if you've noticed, but this place is hardly big enough for the two of us. He's not staying here."
"If Damon says I'm staying," Kalem shot back, stepping to her, "I'm staying."
Sabrina rose to her feet, glaring at him. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. It is."
"'Brina," Kinsey spoke softly, "just for one night."
All of the anger she felt earlier was gone, replaced by fear. Whatever she had seen, it had shaken her.
Damon's arms tightened around her, wishing he could do more to comfort her. Wishing he could stay instead of Kalem. She would never go for it. Kinsey needed space from him to think, to remember how he had made her feel--because none of it had been fake. He wanted her to feel beautiful, to be confident in herself and who she was. She was brilliant and he was the luckiest man alive to be her mate.
Sabrina sighed, exasperated. "Fine. One night." She glared at Kalem, as if it was his decision. Rightfully, Kalem looked to Damon for confirmation.
Damon nodded in silent answer. They would figure something out for Kinsey that was more permanent, but for now, this would do.
Kinsey peered up at him, a million questions burning in her eyes. And just as many fears.
"You know," Kalem was saying to Sabrina, "you haven't given me a proper tour of the apartment."
"You're looking at it," the human responded dryly.
"We haven't seen the bedroom yet. Come on." Kalem tossed her on his shoulder and carried her and all her protests to her room, which were cut off when the door shut.
Damon would have to thank his friend later for giving him some alone time with Kinsey.
"Why?" she asked of him tiredly. "Why keep pretending? You can just leave. You never have to think about me again. You never have to touch me and wish you were with somebody else again."
He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Because I love you and I don't want to be with anybody else."
She frowned then pursed her lips, deep in thought. "I wish I could believe you."
"I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if that's what it takes for you to forgive me."
"You lied to me, Damon. You used me. How am I supposed to trust you again?"
She was pushing him away again, trying to resist the bond between them.
He wouldn't have any of it.
"I wanted to hurt you at first," he confessed softly, hoping she could hear the earnest in his words, "but then I got to know you. I learned how sweet and compassionate you are, and I couldn't bring myself to finish what I had set out to do. I decided to go a different route to get what I needed." She stared up at him, lips parting. "You were never suppose to find out my initial intent, because I never planned on leaving you. These past two weeks with you have been the happiest days of my life and I don't want it to stop. I meant it when I wanted to be your mate last night. Now and forever." He placed her hand on his chest, against his yearning heart.
She dropped her gaze. "I-I need time to think."
"And I will give it to you." Even if it went against every instinct he had. "Kalem will stay here and protect you and Sabrina."
She nodded silently, staring at her lap, deep in thought. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, they shone with fresh tears. "I was attacked," she spoke hoarsely, "Krous attacked me on my way to my car after work. When I woke up, I was tied down on an operating table with an IV in my arm. Victor called it Serum Four. He was surprised by the way I reacted to the Serum. He thought I was going to Turn--whatever that means. Now I feel different. I-I think I can see better. Everything smells different. I can't stand Victor's new cologne--or Kalem's--but you smell amazing, which is driving me crazy, because you lied to me, hurt me, and I don't trust anything you say, yet this. . . this feeling is telling me I can trust you." She wanted to go on, he could tell, but she ran out of breath, was red in the face, and was left panting and squeezing his shirt tight.
He held her close to him, rubbing her back soothingly to calm her down. Finally, he understood everything. That Serum Victor had used to heal Kinsey was the same Serum Barnett had mentioned they used to make Mutants. Victor had thought she was going to Turn into an unstable Mutant. But she hadn't, and he was willing to bet his entire fortune that it was eating Victor alive not knowing what made Kinsey different.
Damon knew.
She had been exposed to Damon's wolf. Every kiss, whenever they made love, maybe even the pheromones he gave off--that exposure gave her a tolerance and protected her against whatever was in Serum Four that made Mutants feral. She could see, hear, and smell better because she was a true Mutant now, without any of the kinks Barnett mentioned, which meant she was Victor's most important subject. If he found out how to stabilize his Mutants, Victor would have the perfect army of super-humans, and Kinsey was the key.
This feeling she felt was instinct. From what they knew, Mutants couldn't shift, but it appeared there was enough animal in them to give them similar instincts, and hers were telling her Damon was her mate. It was why he smelt better than anyone else, why she was soothed by his presence, why she trusted him even when she didn't want to.
This had all happened because that fucking bear shifter had ignored Damon's warning.
"Where's Krous? I'm gonna kill him."
She stiffened in his arms. "They have him at the Bane Building."
Good. That bastard better suffer for hurting Kinsey. He deserved to rot in that Hell.
Sniffling, Kinsey stepped back and silently wiped her tears away. "You should go. I don't know when Victor's man is coming."
Gods, he didn't want to go, not when she needed someone to help her through this transition. However, for now, what she needed from him more was space. His scent must be jumbling up her brain, and tonight she needed to have a clear mind the most.
"Call me, night or day, if you need anything."
She crossed her arms, ever so slowly inching away from him, looking anywhere but him. "Sure."
"I mean it, Kins."
She still looked unconvinced when she nodded.
He wished there was more he could do to show her their relationship thus far hadn't been a lie. His wolf was adamant leaving her here was a mistake. He needed to claim her now, show her she was his, then she wouldn't distrust him. She would be able to feel it in his soul how much he loved her.
Clenching his jaw, he kissed the top of her head, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. "I'll make things right, I promise."
His wolf fought him the whole way out of the apartment. It was painful, really, but he needed to give her time. He only had one chance to fix this.
As soon as he was able, he shifted and ran. He had no particular destination in mind, he just needed to run. There were plenty of parks in the University District to let him burn off some steam without being too far away from Kinsey.
The cool air felt good in his lungs, the rough concrete somehow soothing against his paw pads. He focused on the scents of city and nature swirling around him, to distract him from the turmoil within.
It was damn near impossible.
Just when he thought all hope was lost of getting her back, she opened up to him, told him what had happened to her, let him see how scared she was. How could he leave her side at a time like this? It drove him near to madness to do as she asked instead of what his wolf demanded of him.
Take her. She is yours.
I'll never get her back through force.
He would do things Kinsey's way if it meant he could be with her again.
Suddenly, a sharp, tangy scent invaded his nose. Damon skidded to a stop in the middle of a soccer field and scanned the perimeter through the fog settling over the city.
There. A shadow emerged from the mist. One of Victor's Mutants.
His ear twitched as he heard movement behind him.
Make that three of Victor's Mutants.
One held a rifle, the other two had a net and a lasso.
Fucking messed up dog catchers.
Damon dug his claws in the artificial grass. He told his pack not to wander alone at night. What did he do?
Idiot.
This actually worked out for him, though. Blood was exactly what he needed right now.
He lunged for the one with the rifle, dashing left then right to dodge two shots. Tranquilizer darts. The Mutant hopped back, but not fast enough; Damon sunk his teeth into his leg and yanked him off his feet. He made sure to tear into his leg before releasing him to avoid the lasso flying his way.
He leapt away from all three of them, growling his rage. These fuckers were the ones who had abducted Cera and countless other shifters. Tonight, they picked the wrong shifter. He would make them pay.
The Mutant with the net chuckled at him. He was the biggest of them, looking more like a bear shifter than a cat shifter like the other two. "Looks like we have a feisty one tonight, boys."
The injured Mutant groaned as he rose to his feet. Damon could smell the healing enzymes working to fix the damage done from where he stood; if he didn't finish off that Mutant soon, his attack would have been for naught.
While they were laughing, Damon took the chance to pounce. He aimed for the jugular this time and clamped down. The Mutant was dead before he landed on his paws again. Damon licked the blood staining his jowls, daring them to come after him.
The lean one with the starlight white hair accepted the challenge. He tossed his net aside and grew a set of claws. His whole body trembled, as if he was about to shift--but Mutants couldn't.
He ran at Damon without warning; his comrade fell behind, leaving him open. Damon took advantage, throwing his weight into his attack, pushing them further from each other. Blondie staggered back. Damon leapt, paws landing on his chest. The Mutant's claws dug into his sides, but Damon's teeth quickly clamped around the man's head and tore it clean off.
There was no time to howl to declare his victory like his instincts told him to. The other Mutant was on him, knocking him onto his back. Damon shifted swiftly, kicking off the ground in his two-footed form in time to duck the Mutant's claws. Damon grew his own claws out and let the Mutant get close enough to rake his claws down his chest. He pushed out the pain racking his body and swiped. The Mutant stepped back fast enough for the first swipe, but Damon rushed him and caught his throat on his second attack.
The Mutant was dead before he hit the ground.
Panting, Damon held his side. The cuts were deep but would heal within a few hours. Right now he needed these bodies to disappear.
He shifted and threw his head back to howl and call on the nearest pack members.
Except he felt something sharp jab into his hindquarters. He turned to see a tranquilizer dart buried in his fur.
Shit.
The world slipped beneath him and he fell into oblivion.