After lunch, she asked him if he would walk her to her airline’s private lounge where she could get ready for her next flight. On the way there, she reached out and took his hand. He was caught off guard and didn't know what to do, so he walked hand-in-hand with her until they made it to the flight attendants’ lounge. They stood outside the door in a private alcove where no one passing by would see them.
After they'd left the restaurant, the scent of his mate had grown more and more faint. Lilia had a completely different scent. His inner bear was no longer calling out for her. The whole situation was just wrong, but he didn't know what to say or do. Was this normal? Was it just his nerves? He no longer knew what to think.
He didn't want the others to think he was ungrateful. Other than Max, nobody else had had any luck finding their mates on Mate.com. He’d found his in a few minutes. But the longer he stood there with Lilia, taking in that expectant look on her face, the surer he became that this woman was not his mate.
“I had a really nice time on our date,” Lilia said. “I would like to see you again.”
“That would be nice,” he choked out.
As she began to move forward, slowly and quietly inching toward his face, he knew what was about to happen. She was going to kiss him. Every instinct inside him was screaming to run, to stop her, to tell her the truth — he just didn't feel anything for her. But his confusion created a lump in his throat, and he couldn't speak. When her lips met his, his inner grizzly growled and grumbled. His whole inner being was telling him that this was wrong, and he needed to stop it. He backed away, the confusion so deep he could barely think.
“It was nice to meet you,” he blurted out. “I gotta go.”
He turned away, knowing he had just done something incredibly rude. But he couldn't keep lying to himself.
Lilia was not his mate. Where his mate had gone, he didn't know, but he was a man who’d spent his life depending on his instincts. There had been many occasions when that instinct had saved his life, and he wasn't about to start questioning it now.
Chapter 8
Darcy sat at home with Mr. Whiskers purring on her lap. Her eyes were hot and swollen from crying. She kept trying to tell herself that it would be okay; that she would get through this just like everything else in her life, but no matter how many times she tried, she knew that this time it was different. She had let go of something that she could never get back.
She picked up her phone and read through the texts that Fly Bear had sent her over the last several days. There had been something magical in those text conversations. And she had just let him go. She sucked back another sob and was about to put down her phone when she saw a new email from Lilia.
“I got the kiss. But I get the feeling that he's not really into me. Maybe fated mates are a real thing. You should get in touch with David and tell him the truth. I probably shouldn’t have kissed him.
“I really wanted to help you. But this was probably not the best way to go about it. I should have encouraged you to meet him yourself. He really is a great guy. And I know that he'll think you're beautiful. Maybe he’s the one who can finally convince you of that.”
A tear slid down her face even though she didn't think she had any more to shed. It plopped onto her phone screen and she wiped it away as she clicked to send a reply to Lilia.
“Thank you for your help. I know I made a mistake, but I don't know how to fix it.”
Lilia called her back almost immediately. “You need to tell him the truth, Darcy.”
“Don't you think he will be disappointed to see me after he's met you?”
“Why would he be disappointed? You are an amazing woman!”
“But I'm not the kind of woman a man like that would want.”
“You are the only woman that man wants.”
“I just don't know what to do.”
“Why don't you let me help you the way I should have in the first place? I think that you are gorgeous just the way you are. But I think that I can do something to help you with your self-confidence.”
“I don't think anything could help with that.”
“There are a million things that could help. I’ll take you shopping, and we’ll pick out some clothes that will accentuate your gorgeous figure. I’ll help you with hair and makeup. We could even get you some contacts. I'm sure once we give you a bit of a makeover you will be surprised at what you see looking back at you from the mirror.”
“You really think so?
“Absolutely. But I don't think that David would care either way. I know he’d like you just the way you are — that's the kind of man he is. Believe me, if I could have him, I would take him. But when I kissed him, I knew that I never could. You just need a little boost of self-confidence to claim what’s already yours. Meet me at the mall tomorrow morning.”
After the call, Darcy sat stroking Mr. Whiskers and contemplating Lilia’s solution. Maybe it could work; maybe if Lilia helped her with her clothes and makeup, a man like David would find her attractive. She hadn't thought of it before, but it was worth a try. A moment later, her phone pinged with another message. She picked it up and saw that it was from Fly Bear.
“I'm sorry about earlier,” it read. “I was nervous. I know I was rude. I hope you'll forgive me and let me make it up to you.”
“I was nervous too,” she replied.
“I'd like to see you again. Maybe this time we can meet somewhere quiet.”
“There's a park not far from the airport where I like to watch the swans. Maybe we can meet there.”
“That sounds great. I’ll bring snacks. We can talk.”
“I'd love that.”
“I'll meet you tomorrow at six.”
“It’s a date.”
“I might be a little hard to reach until then. But I look forward to seeing you.”
“Me too.”
Darcy sat staring at the blank screen of the TV, not quite sure what to think. Maybe Lilia was right. Maybe he could only love his fated mate. That was her, right? She wasn't an expert on shifters. She had never really bothered to learn much about them, until now. Signing up for Mate.com had been an impulse. But now that she was connecting with David, she was beginning to believe fated mates were real. Maybe this gorgeous man — a man that a woman like Lilia would feel lucky to have — could really love her.
Darcy let out a deep breath, telling herself not to get her hopes up. First, she would go shopping with Lilia and get a makeover. And then she would meet up with him and see how he reacted. If Lilia was right, it wouldn't matter how she looked, but she needed all the help she could get just to convince herself to go on the date.
Chapter 9
Rider taxied the 747 out onto the runway for takeoff. Speaking through the microphone on his headset, he informed the tower that they were ready, and all systems were go. With permission from the tower to take off, he pressed forward, increasing acceleration as they sped down the runway and into the sky.
No matter how many times he took flight, he always felt the same sense of exhilaration as the first. Nothing could ever match the excitement, freedom, and passion he felt in flight. Except maybe the feeling he’d had the first time he'd scented his mate. He'd finally convinced himself that he’d just been nervous about the date and that's why the kiss had felt so weird.
Maybe her scent had become confused in the hustle and bustle of the busy airport. He couldn't go back to Fate Rock and tell his crew that he'd rejected his own mate. He would never live it down. He had to see this thing through and figure out what was happening to him.
As the flight wore on and the passengers were served their in-flight meals, one of the flight attendants walked by the open cabin door, saying something about the increased number of shifters she'd seen on flights lately.
This was exactly the kind of thing he was supposed to be paying attention to. Here he was, obsessing over his mate’s scent. He had to get his head in the game, or he was going to let down his squad and his
country. Lives were at stake and he couldn't afford to mess up. He listened to the conversation as they put together the meals.
“But how do you know they’re shifters?”
“It's all in the eyes.”
“You know the pilot is a shifter, right?”
“Whatever he is, he's gorgeous.”
“Quiet, Emily, he can hear you.”
Rider smirked and the two of them giggled as they walked by the cockpit. It was well known that human women found shifter men attractive. Shifters tended to have a well-built physique, protective personalities, and became dedicated husbands and fathers. It was something that human women didn't always get to experience in their lives.
Rider had dated human women from time to time. But just like what had happened on his date with Lilia, it had always felt off. Back then, he hadn't been ready to settle down, so it hadn't bothered him as much. But now that he believed he would be with his fated one, it was more disturbing than ever.
“Why do you think there are so many shifters flying in and out of Denver lately?” one of the flight attendants asked.
“I don't know, but I've been paying attention to the airport bombings. We all know the hyenas don't believe in shifter integration. They believe shifters are superior to humans. They think they should control the world.”
“Do you think the shifters on these flights are hyenas?” the first one asked.
“It's hard to say. I can tell when someone is a shifter, I think, but it's harder to tell what kind.”
“Do you think we're in danger?”
“Not with our pilot aboard,” she said with a giggle.
“I get the feeling he could take out all five of the shifters on board today.”
“They’re into you,” his co-pilot sniggered. “Want to share?”
Rider ignored him, not liking the man’s attitude. The flight attendants continued with their work, taking the light meals out to the passengers. Rider had gotten the information he'd been sent to find. The flight attendants had observed an increased number of shifters on flights in and out of Denver. The FBI suspicions may very well be true. But Rider was going to need more information. At least now he had something to report back.
After he landed in Phoenix, he stood at the front of the plane as the passengers disembarked. He had a hidden camera on his name tag. When the shifters in question passed, he subtly snapped photos of the men and sent them back to agents Black and Rowe.
All that night in his hotel, he did more research on the men whose images he'd captured. All five were hyena shifters, but none were on the FBI's watch list. Three of them had a notably checkered past, with run-ins with the law. The other two had no prior criminal history and seemed to be law-abiding citizens.
From the information he got back from Sampson, the Justice Squad’s technology officer, he found out that the men had all been members of hyena separatist organizations in their youths. He sent all the information back to agents Black and Rowe and then tried to sleep, but it wouldn't come easily.
All he could think about was what he would do when he saw Lilia again. He had felt so much from their texts. He couldn't believe all those feelings had gone out the window the moment he met her in person. He had read accounts online about what it felt like when shifters met their mates for the first time, and no one had mentioned anything similar to his experience.
He was beginning to think something was wrong with him. Maybe he was the one shifter in the world who wasn't attracted to his own mate. Rider had always been a lucky man — he needed a little luck in a job as dangerous as his — but for the second time in a week, he felt like his luck had run out.
Chapter 10
Darcy spotted Lilia across the mall and waved. Lilia waved back, happily smiling. The two women met in the middle of the food court.
“Are you ready for this?” Lilia asked.
Darcy bit her lip. She honestly didn't know if she was ready for a makeover. She had always had a specific way of seeing herself, and she didn’t know if she was ready to change that after all these years.
“As ready as I'll ever be,” she muttered.
“You look like you're about to get a death sentence instead of a makeover.”
“I feel like I am.”
“You don't have to worry. You're in good hands. I won't do anything that you don’t like.”
“Okay then.”
“First things first. We’re going to have to do something about that hair. Have you ever thought of straightening it?”
Darcy pinched a lock of curly red hair and frowned.
“I take that as a no,” Lilia laughed.
“Are you sure it's necessary?”
“You're going to have to trust me and let me help you.”
“Okay.” She sighed. “I'm meeting David tonight in the park. I want to look as good as I can.”
“I've made you an appointment at my favorite salon.”
Darcy followed Lilia to the hairstylist and obediently sat in the chair. She had never been to a salon in her life and didn't know what to expect. Her heart pounded like a bass drum when the stylist put the cape around her neck. As the stylist worked away on her hair, Darcy was growing increasingly nervous. But Lilia looked up at her reassuringly from her phone every once in a while, and Darcy felt slightly more at ease.
After the stylist was done washing and drying her hair, she began to trim and shape Darcy’s out-of-control locks. When the stylist finally pulled the cape off and turned Darcy around in the chair, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. Her hair was flowing around her shoulders more elegantly than it ever had. The color was richer and more vibrant, and it brought out the deep green of her eyes. Lilia laughed and took her hand.
“We aren’t done yet,” Lilia said. “Just wait till you see what I have in store for you next.” The two of them left the salon and headed through the shops. “I love this store. I think we’ll find the perfect outfit in here.”
They walked through the racks of brightly colored dresses, things Darcy had never attempted to wear before. Lilia kept piling outfits into her arms, and Darcy didn't know how she could possibly wear any of it.
“This form-fitting stuff will look terrible on me,” Darcy insisted.
“Are you kidding me?” Lilia said, stopping in her tracks. “You have an amazing figure.”
She reached out and pushed back the baggy shirt Darcy was wearing so that it nipped in the waist.
“Just look what you’re hiding under all those baggy clothes.”
“I thought I was fat.”
Lilia snorted and shook her head.
“That's exactly what I'm here for,” Lilia said. “Now go try these things on.”
Darcy took her dresses to the dressing room and began to try them on. Lilia had included some undergarments that promised to accentuate Darcy’s curves. She put those on first and looked at herself in the mirror with her new hair, feeling almost like a completely new woman.
She tried on the first outfit: a yellow sundress with a sweetheart neckline, a cinched waist, and a flared skirt. She never would have imagined wearing something like this, but Lilia had assured her she could pull it off. She walked out of the dressing room and Lilia looked up and smiled, nodding her head.
“I knew it. You look amazing. David is going to be blown away.”
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely. Any guy would be.”
Darcy went back into the dressing room and finished trying on the rest of the dresses. When she was done, she'd chosen six different outfits that Lilia had assured her she could definitely pull off.
“Now for makeup and shoes,” Lilia said, leading Darcy to the department store makeup counter.
The woman at the counter helped her find just the right shade of everything and taught her how to put it all on. When she was done, she had a bag full of makeup and looked like a completely new woman.
“I can't believe how much mon
ey I spent today,” she laughed. “Looking beautiful is expensive.”
“I’m telling you, you don’t need it. But if it helps you feel better about yourself, then that's all that matters.”
“I don't know how to thank you.”
“I just want to repay the kindness that you showed me.”
“You've done that a thousand times over. I never imagined I could look this good. I feel like someone David could actually find attractive.”
“David would find you attractive no matter what. That's why you're so lucky. Someday you’re going to figure that out, and when you do, everything is going to change.”
“I hope you're right.”
“I am right. I'm an expert on shallow guys, and David isn’t one of them.”
“I guess I'll find out if you're right. I'm so nervous I don't know what to do.”
“Just be yourself. That's all you need to do.”
On the way home, Darcy intended to relax before her date. Mr. Whiskers was waiting for her at the door as usual. She was afraid he wouldn't be able to recognize her, but of course he did. Animals didn't really know people by their face so much as by their scents.
Then she suddenly understood why David had backed away from Lilia. He hadn’t smelled his true mate. He didn’t care about her looks. He cared about what she was underneath.
She looked at herself in the mirror one last time before going to meet David in the park. She’d put in a pair of contacts that she never wore. She’d spent forty-five minutes trying to get them in without ruining her makeup and had finally managed it. She looked like a dream, like something out of a fashion magazine, in the pretty yellow dress with her new underthings.
Instead of frumpy and dumpy, she looked voluptuous and stunning. She never would have believed it was possible. But there she was, staring back at herself from the mirror. Her reflection wasn't the woman she knew herself to be. It was someone else entirely; someone beautiful and confident. Someone a man like David could surely see himself with.
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