Skin, p.1
Skin, page 1
Skin
ALLY WAGNER
Copyright © 2021 by Ally Wagner, MK Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover art by Matthew Weatherston
Edited by Christina Ramos
eBook Layout by Eddy Espina
First paperback edition March 2021
To my heart and anchor, thank you for loving and supporting me at my worst.
To Kimberly, thank you for believing in me when I didn’t.
To Michelle, thank you for pushing me to be the best version of myself.
One
“Cain, I don’t know about this.” Kee mumbled as she anxiously scanned the busy streets and sidewalks of downtown Los Angeles. Tonight was the 25th anniversary of the Monster Movement and most of the preternatural were out celebrating. She could easily spot the vampires trying to blend in with the humans in the crowds, their movements too fluid to ever be anything living. She could point out the various types of wereanimals by the subtle way they scratched and picked at their limbs, their skin itching to be shed with the full moon less than a week away.
I hate crowds, she thought almost angrily. We’ve been dating for over a year, he should know this already.
“It’ll be fine, Kee,” he assured her as he led them to Shifters.
Shifters was a bar that employed wereanimals, but catered to all species. Before the preternatural creatures were granted their own rights, the bar posed as a cover for monsters to meet up and socialize without the worry of discovery. After the Monster Movement passed, it became one of the most successful bars in LA. Monsters and humans flocked to it every night for the fun, energetic atmosphere. The success of Shifters encouraged other preternatural clubs like Byte, Tips, and Brews to come into existence.
It was also the place Kee met Cain.
She technically hadn’t needed the second job at Shifters since her surveillance job paid the majority of her bills, but she wanted something to keep her busy on her days off. So, with a little white lie about her heritage in management, she had been hired on the spot. On her second day of training, she served Cain when he and his coworkers had come in for beers after work.
Their physical attraction to one another had been undeniable, but their personalities had clashed. Cain was twenty-seven, confident, strong, and a little hard-headed while she was three years younger, timid, cautious, and reasonable. Cain had hit on her suavely and relentlessly, and she hadn’t known how to react. She had been new to the job, still trying to find her footing, so she had shied away from his advances. He had left the bar nursing a bruised ego.
A couple weeks later, he came in again with some friends and had been sitting in her section. When she saw the handsome werewolf, she grinned, determined to make up for their disastrous first meeting. She sauntered over to their table and smiled flirtatiously at him, asking how he had been. In response, he made a snide comment about moving to a different part of the bar.
Instead of brooding at the cold brush off, she mustered the scraps of her courage, smiled kindly at him, and then told him to go fuck himself. He hadn’t been expecting it, seeing as how she had been so evasive before, but it instantly piqued his interest again. She agreed to let him take her out on a date to apologize. They officially started dating soon afterward.
Kee smiled fondly at the memory. They had a rough start to their relationship, but she wouldn’t change it for anything. She loved Cain, and he was good to her.
Someone’s shoulder connected with hers, the impact tearing her from her thoughts as she stumbled behind Cain. “Sorry!” She immediately apologized as she regained her footing.
“Watch where you’re going!” The warlock sneered at her, the distinct scent of clove and cinnamon giving away his lineage.
Whatever pathetic retort she had died on her tongue when a deep growl came from beside her. She looked up at Cain and frowned when his dark blue eyes gleamed with his wolf’s presence. She squeezed his hand until his attention was drawn back to her. “It’s okay. It was my fault, Cain. I was lost in my thoughts.”
“Damn right.” The warlock sniffed, chin raised high as he continued on his way.
Cain shook his head after the man left and shuffled Kee to the edge of the sidewalk to avoid the passing crowds. He turned and cupped her face in his large, worn hands. “He could have easily dodged you, Kee. You can’t let people push you around all the time.”
She looked down, eyeing the cracks in the cement beneath their feet. “It’s a busy night, Cain. People are bound to bump into each other.” She mumbled.
He sighed and bent so he could press his forehead against hers. “Alright, what’s wrong?”
Kee closed her eyes and leaned into him, trying to siphon some of his strength. “I’m nervous about meeting your pack.” She admitted, her brow furrowing. She was scared. She didn’t like packs and hated alphas even more. Unfortunately, tonight was the night she finally ran out of excuses to not meet the LA wolf pack.
“They will love you, just like I do,” he told her confidently, his hands sliding down her neck to rest on her shoulders. “Just be yourself.”
She pulled back and shot him a dubious look. “You want me to tell them I’m a shapeshifter?”
He pursed his lips together, glancing around them to make sure no one overheard. “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he chided as he straightened, removing his hands from her to run them along his short, dark brown hair. “Your personality will be enough, Kee. I know you can be anxious when meeting new people, but these are members of my pack. They’re closer to me than my real family.”
Pack or not, werewolves did not like shapeshifters. No preternatural creature did. Wereanimals of every kind had one specific animal they correlated with, one beast that called to them on the full moon. Shapeshifters did not. That’s what made them dangerous and, unfortunately, targets.
“I understand that, but you know that werewolves are the ones who helped wipe out my kind. I’d rather not repeat history.” She saw a muscle tick in his cheek, but she knew he understood.
“You won’t. Just give them the same modified version you gave me when we first started dating.” His voice didn’t hold any contempt, but she knew he was still bitter about the lie she told him.
“And what happens when the truth comes out, Cain? Remember when I told you the truth? You didn’t speak to me for two weeks!” She reminded him.
“That was two months into our relationship and it was a shock.” He ran a hand down his face in frustration. “I thought we agreed not to bring this up again?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “We did. Look, all I’m saying is that they’ll think I’m not good enough for you.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re perfect for me no matter what they think. We will tell them the truth later. I want them to meet you and get to know you first.”
She hugged him back, but didn’t reply. They would reject her right off the bat if they knew she was a shapeshifter. In all reality, they may very well try to kill her. She wasn’t one of them. Never would be. She was an anomaly. A danger.
Kee tightened her hold on him as she searched for some thread of bravery within her. This was important to Cain. He didn’t ask much of her in their relationship, so when he swallowed his pride and begged her to do this, she knew she couldn’t say no. No matter how much her instincts were telling her otherwise.
She took a deep breath and stepped back from him. “Well, do I at least look presentable enough to meet your pack?” She asked as she put her hands on her hips.
Cain looked her over, taking in her dark blue skinny jeans that disappeared into short, black boots. His eyes roamed to her fuchsia, long sleeve shirt and lingered on the laces that crisscrossed above her small cleavage. Her dark blonde hair was down, parted to the side, and fell to the small of her back. Her eyes were lined with black, making the grey stand out.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Delicious, but I prefer you naked and wet. Just like how I had you before we left.” He whispered huskily before pulling back with a suggestive grin.
Heat rushed to her cheeks at the reminder of the quickie they had in the shower earlier. She playfully swatted at his arm and stepped away to drink in his appearance. He was wearing dark jeans and a forest green flannel with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the tattooed Celtic knots and ropes visible on his left forearm. He finished off his look with dark brown boots and a cheek dimple that made her heart flutter. “You look pretty yummy yourself.”
“You can eat me later,” he grinned. “Come on, I don’t want to keep them waiting.”
Kee fished her phone from her back pocket to put it on vibrate and frowned when she found there weren’t any messages waiting for her. Lucas still hadn’t replied.
Where the hell is he? She knew the head vampire for LA County was more than capable of taking care of himself, but she had never gone so long without hearing from him. Especially after giving him the surveillance report he asked for. I hope he’s okay.
With a sigh, she muted her pho ne and tucked it back in her pocket. “Alright, I’m ready.” She gave Cain a smile when he took her hand in his and together they walked into the bar.
Shifters was split into two sections. One side had a horseshoe shaped bar with high tables scattered around it while the other side consisted of low tables and a dance floor. It was Friday night and the bar was packed with wereanimals celebrating the anniversary of their legal freedom. She stuck close to Cain’s back, relying on him to maneuver them through the crowd. The scent of alcohol and sweat hung in the air, bodies pressed against each other as they danced to the eccentric beat of the loud music.
She tried to not stumble behind Cain as she followed him towards the back of the building where the VIP room awaited them. Inside, there were high tables with bar stools, a small stage for dancing, and one set of sofas with a glass coffee table. The lights were at a dimmed brightness, music set to a tolerable level for the werewolves who weren’t partying the night away. She had been in this room many times, but it was her first time being a guest in it.
“We have to greet Warren and Natalie first.” He told her as he began leading her to the white leather sofas.
She stepped closer to him when she suddenly felt the attention in the room shift to her. She glanced around them, trying to count how many potential threats there were. At one of the tables, she couldn’t help but notice one of the four werewolves were in their wolf form. A man at the table had his boot on the wolf, using the animal as a footrest. She inhaled sharply as the wolf met her gaze, a whine in his throat. She saw the boot flex with the sound, making the wolf quickly look away and shut its eyes.
When she looked up at the table, the three were staring at her, making her quickly look away so they wouldn’t take it as a challenge. Still, she could feel their gaze sliding over her body, their judgement and scrutiny pricking her skin like needles. She squeezed Cain’s hand, her heart beating hard in her throat.
This was a bad idea. She thought miserably.
“Cain, my dear, you made it.” A velvety smooth voice spoke once they approached the couches. Kee looked up to see a beautiful blonde lounging on one of the sofas, her gold dress accentuating her curves in all the right places. When the woman made eye contact with Kee, she fluidly sat up and smiled with perfect white teeth. “Oh, you finally brought your girl!”
“Yeah, it was time she met the pack.” He replied with a wide smile. He let go of Kee’s hand and walked over to the man sitting on the other couch. His black hair fell over his shoulders as the two clasped forearms and grinned before speaking in low tones to each other.
Kee clasped her hands in front of her, not sure what else to do with them. Her pulse was loud in her ears, making it hard to hear what they were saying. She could only watch as her boyfriend talked to his alpha for a few minutes before going over to the woman. Cain bent down and pressed a kiss to the blonde’s cheek, closing his eyes when she rubbed his head affectionately like one would a dog.
Kee blinked when the three suddenly looked at her expectantly.
“Come here, let me introduce you,” Cain gestured towards the alpha as he straightened, an excited smile on his face.
Fuck, it’s happening. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat and took a few steps forward to stand in front of the alpha and Cain.
“Kee, this is Warren Erickson, our alpha, and his mate Natalie Erickson,” he said with a proud smile. “Warren, Nat, this is Keira Quinn.”
“I-it’s nice to meet you.” She bowed her head nervously, not making eye contact. She jumped slightly when a warm hand wrapped around her trembling one.
“Look at me,” Warren’s voice was deep and full of power, making the hair on the back of her neck rise. When her eyes met his, he gave her a small smile and nuzzled the inside of her palm in greeting. “It is nice to finally meet my beta’s chosen woman, Keira.”
She flushed and resisted the urge to pull her hand back. Don’t. Just keep calm. Don’t embarrass Cain. “Please, call me Kee,” she said with a small, forced smile. “And it’s very nice to meet Cain’s pack. I’ve heard so much about you guys.”
His hand tightened around hers as he held her gaze. “Good things, I hope.”
“A-always.” She stuttered, his gaze making her uncomfortable.
“You seem nervous, Kee,” Warren commented in a light tone, but then his stare hardened, his expression turning cold. “Could it be because you neglected to meet with the alpha of this territory when you moved here?”
Cain frowned and stepped forward. “Warren—” He cut himself off when Natalie grabbed his elbow and pulled him down to sit next to her on the couch.
“You knew this was coming, Cain,” she whispered gently. “Warren said he would go easy on her in respect to you, but he has to ask her some questions. It is pack protocol for a new wolf to meet with the city’s alpha when they move here. She’s beyond overdue to meet us. A year is very lenient, Cain.” She soothingly rubbed his arm when he sighed, “Trust him.”
Kee blinked at the alpha, not expecting such a direct question. She had moved to Los Angeles from Riverside a year and a half ago at the persuasion of Lucas. She hadn’t even known Warren existed until Cain.
“Honestly, I wasn’t aware I had to.” She could taste her heartbeat as she saw the other members of the pack move towards them. Some had pulled up chairs from the tables, others sat cross legged on the floor, but none dared to sit on the sofas next to the beta, alpha and his mate.
“Oh?” Natalie asked curiously, still keeping her arm threaded through Cain’s. “Does that mean you were recently bit?”
There were two ways for a wereanimal to become one. One way was to be born between two wereanimals, though a pup making it to full term was rare, and the other was to be bit by one in their beast form on the night of a full moon. Wikipedia had at least gotten that part right.
Kee could feel her palm sweating in Warren’s and her embarrassment just heightened her anxiety. Why didn’t he let go? She was the only one in the room standing and it didn’t help her fraying nerves. She broke eye contact with Warren and glanced at his mate, but tilted her head down to make sure she didn’t offend her. “Umm, no, I was born as a shifter.”
Just not as a werewolf, she refrained from adding.
“Then why don’t you know pack protocol?” A man behind her asked.
She felt her stomach twist when she saw Warren’s light blue eyes hardened as he glanced at the one who dared to speak out of turn. She could feel the man’s fear as he shrunk back, cowering under the stare of his alpha. She felt Warren’s fingers squeeze around hers and was forced to meet his gaze once again. His eyes were like ice and she felt her chest grow cold in response, despite the heat coming from his hand.
“I don’t come from a pack.” She was sure she had said it quietly, but the silence of the room made it seem like a shriek.
“No? You’re a lone wolf then?” Natalie questioned lightly as she reached with her free hand to lift the fruity cocktail from the glass table. She looked at Kee over the rim of her glass, watching her carefully as she studied the possible new addition to their pack.
She nodded, eyes still locked with Warren’s as they continued to stare into hers. She shouldn’t want to pull away from him, but every fiber in her body was telling her to. She felt as though he were staring into her soul, peeling her layers away and making her feel exposed. Vulnerable.
Is this the power of an alpha? She almost scoffed. Of course it was. It was just like all those years ago. Perhaps it was the wolf blood that ran in her veins that made her fall victim to it.
“Lone wolf status or not, you should know pack dynamics. Not coming to me the moment you decided to enter my territory was a great insult to me.” Warren finally spoke again. “Or, did your parents not belong to a pack? I assume they were both wolves as well?”
“Yes, they were. And, my father did,” Kee admitted solemnly. Her hand flexed within Warren’s as the bad memories resurfaced from his prodding. They were bad because of her, because of the damn shapeshifter gene. “But they refused to acknowledge my mother after I was born.”
Warren didn’t immediately comment as he continued to hold her gaze. He felt her small hand twitch in his and the look in her eyes made him understand that these were painful memories. Perhaps he would give her a pardon after all. “Why?” He asked, but this time his tone was gentle instead of pressing.
