Kyra
"Yes, I am,” the shifter said. “But you don’t have to whisper – even out here on the sidewalk, the music's way too loud for humans to overhear us." He leaned closer. “Of course, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to whisper directly into my ear.”
She pretended to laugh at herself. This shifter was very hot, and he obviously knew it. He was tall, like all wolf shifters were, and his shoulders were extra wide. His hair was a sandy blonde color, and it looked great with his vivid green eyes and his bronze skin.
He’d known her for half a second, and he was already flirting with her. "Right. I'm used to humans. But it's been a long time since I've been around a shifter."
His eyebrows shot up. "Interesting. Are you headed into the club?"
He let his eyes rove over her outfit, which was the exact opposite of the type of clothing she’d wear clubbing. She had been to the library and was dressed accordingly.
"Do I look like I'm headed to the club?" She shifted her backpack and looked down at her clothes.
He looked her up and down, appraising her, but it wasn’t creepy or off putting. But his eyes were alight with interest.
"I was studying at the library," she said.
"Are you in school?"
"Yes.”
"Do I know you from somewhere? You seem really familiar."
She was glad she had a story prepared. It was clearly going to be necessary. But just then, his phone buzzed again.
"Oh shit. My brother's wife is in labor. I've got to go. He's already called me once. It was really nice to meet you – welcome to Anchorage!”
For a second, she wondered if that was the truth or if he was just eager to get away. But no, as he walked away from her, he turned and looked back. She held his gaze. Watching his retreat on the sidewalk until he was out of view.
At first, she was annoyed by his obvious flirtation. He wasn't subtle at all. But looking at him, she guessed that he'd never had to be. She imagined that human women and shifter females alike flocked to him, fawning over him, ready for any scrap of attention that he would give them.
And you are not here to flirt with males.
But as soon as she was done scolding herself, it hit her. Yes, she was there to infiltrate a pack and get revenge on them for letting her parents die. But she could absolutely use this handsome, thick-skulled male to benefit her cause. So flirting was absolutely what she should be doing.
* * *
She triedto stay in her empty apartment, but it was so quiet. Even the drone of the television didn’t help. The vampires didn’t watch television, so she wasn’t used to the harsh sounds. She didn’t want to sit in her barren apartment, so she went back to the coven. Even the vampires were better company than no one at all.
They read books, played chess, wrote music, and had spirited debates. Only two of them seemed to enjoy technology. Those two had an extensive gaming setup, complete with the newest consoles and huge noise canceling headphones. Everyone else behaved as they had hundreds of years ago.
Augustine, one of the female vampires, met her at the door.
“Kyra. How is it going for you out in the human world?” Augustine asked. At one hundred years old, she was one of the milder vampires in the coven.
“It’s going well. I met a wolf shifter today by chance. I didn’t even have to look for him.”
“Oh, yes? Please share the details,” Augustine said. Her eyes lit up, and she seemed genuinely interested in Kyra’s story. Maybe it was because she was closer to her human life than the others. Mostly, the others seemed only interested in what Kyra could do for them. But maybe that wasn’t fair.
Victor had saved her life. He’d found her in the woods when she was ten years old, alone, dirty, and hungry. She’d been paralyzed with fear, unable to hunt, too scared to move. Victor had taken one look at her and said, “Come along, child. We have some bread and cheese at our home.”
She was twenty-four now, and he’d never been stingy with resources. She had access to millions of dollars, and he never asked any questions or tried to restrict her spending in any way. So he wasn’t exactly paternal, but he had given her what she needed, at a time when she’d had nothing.
Augustine was looking at her expectantly.
“He flirted with me,” Kyra said. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered Derek’s toned arms and his sexy smile.
“That is wonderful.”
“So you think I should pursue it? You don’t think it complicates the mission?”
“Oh, I think it could enhance it. If your lovely wolf shifter is thinking with his libido, then he will be less likely to question you.”
She wasn’t sure the vampires were always right about shifters. It had been a long time since they were human, and they no longer seemed to experience lust, or “carnal pleasures,” as Victor called them. None of them were in relationships with each other, even platonically.
They seemed utterly devoid of the need to partner up. Augustine was more of a friend to her than anyone, and even she was oddly distant sometimes.