I stare at the dress on the bed.

After returning to my room once I dashed downstairs to eat quickly and avoid Killian, the dress was waiting.

No box and tissue paper this time. No note. Just the dress.

A red dress.

Killian, obviously.

Why he bothered giving it to me, I had no idea. I made it clear I want nothing to do with him. Hopefully he received the message loud and clear and still didn't think we would be going to the ball together.

It's a pretty dress, obviously. But that just made me hate it more.

Dress wasn't even the right word. It was a full-on gown.

Long, dark red, sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline, with small red gems decorating the entirety of the top bodice. Completely over the top.

Completely Killian.

"Ooh, switch dresses with me," Layla pleads, and I jump, not having heard her, Maryn, or Jae enter the room.

"No, me!" Maryn argues. "That dress makes mine look like a garbage bag."

Jae rolls her eyes. "Yeah right. Killian would murder anyone who wore that instead of Katrina."

I look at her in shock. How did she know that Killian gave it to me?

"Don't look at me like that," Jae rolls her eyes. "We both know something that extravagant could have only come from Killian's depraved mind."

Maryn touches the gems on the gown and says woefully, "You're so lucky Killian is obsessed with you."

I glare at her. "He is not."

Layla giggles.

"Well, he doesn't buy any of us dresses," Maryn pouts. "And yes he is, by the way."

"He is not," I say sharply.

"Mar, do an impression," Layla encourages gleefully.

Maryn laughs, and suddenly, I'm looking at Killian.

"Katrina, I love you," Fake-Killian says with pleading black eyes.

And then, I'm looking at myself.

"Killian, I hate you," Fake-me says with an eye roll.

"We should have hate sex," Fake-Killian says, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, please!" Fake-me begs, and makes smooching noises.

I punch fake-me in the stomach, and Maryn turns back into herself, laughing along with Jae and Layla.

"Hilarious, guys," I say sourly, rolling my eyes.

"Ooh, you imitated her eye roll so well, Mar!" Layla claps.

"Thank you, thank you," Maryn bows, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Don't you idiots have to start getting ready?" I prompt, definitely not wanting to have this conversation with them, and definitely not wanting to witness any more of Maryn's impersonations.

"Your idiot self also still has to get ready," Jae points out.

I'm about to roll my eyes again when I catch myself, but Mar sees and laughs again with Layla.

Luckily, they don't bring up Killian again when getting ready. Mar and Layla once again play crappy pop music and sing along badly, while Jae looks completely focused on getting ready. I didn't understand how she wasn't completely falling apart, knowing that her mate is imprisoned somewhere.

Then again, I know I'm going to die in three months and haven't cried since this morning.

I shove down those thoughts. Nothing to cry over. There was nothing I could do about it. It was always meant to happen this way. No Seer has the choice.

My Sight was always too strong, too forceful. It wouldn't have allowed me to live past my teenage years. I've always known this. All Seers do.

The lucky ones only lose their minds, go insane from the Sight. Or maybe they're the unlucky ones. I guess I'd rather be dead than have a completely shattered mind. Dying young in exchange for staying sane. Not a bad price to pay.

It was better this way, really.

"I bet they're handsome," Layla swoons, coating her eyelids in glitter as they talk about the mysterious vampires.

"They're killers, Lay," Jae snorts.

"So am I," Layla shrugs.

"I read that it feels good when they suck your blood," Maryn says salaciously.

Jae rolls her eyes. "I don't think Killian had that in mind when he suggested the ball."

"No, but it's a nice perk," Maryn winks.

I laugh. "You wouldn't really let a vampire bite you, would you?" I ask.

Maryn shrugs. "I'll try anything at least once."

"You know that they could be the ones stealing the wolves right?" Jae asks lowly. "You shouldn't be fraternizing with them."

Layla frowns. "Fraternizing is the whole point of the ball. I, for one, plan on seducing the hell out of some bloodsuckers for information."

"Have sex with them and then kill them?" I jokingly ask.

"Yes," Layla nods seriously.

My eyebrows raise, and Maryn laughs. "That's her style. Total black widow."

"She's very good at it," Jae nods in approval.

Layla beams. "I'm too pretty to resist. They don't realize they've been played until their organs start shutting down."

You know what... I respect the hustle.

I shake my head and chuckle and continue getting ready. I put on heavy makeup, just like the Maryn, Layla, and Jae. Fancy makeup for a fancy dress.

That stupid dress. What does that even mean? Why give me a freakin gown after I yell at him and tell him to stay away?

He better have listened.

When I'm finished getting ready, my green eyes are surrounded by black, smokey eyeshadow and long, dark eyelashes. My lipstick is as red as blood, as red as the dress.

I get started on my hair, brushing through it so I can straighten it. Once I'm done, it's long, sleek, and I look good. Of course I finally start to get attractive when I'm about to die.

The thought makes me laugh, though it shouldn't.

"Thinking of Killian?" Maryn teases at my laughter.

I immediately stop laughing.

"What's going on between you guys, anyways?" Jae interjects, pulling her hair back. "Seriously, dinner is starting to get uncomfortable with the death glares you guys give each other."

"That's because they're trying to resist the urge to hate-fuck," Layla nods seriously.

I ignore Layla. "Just waiting for my kidnapping sentence to end," I say drily. Two months left of Killian. Three months left of living.

I'm not sure which was worse.

"You're not seriously leaving after the three months, are you?" Mar asks in shock.

"That was the deal," I say curtly.

"What if we don't find the wolves by then?" Jae asks quietly.

I swallow. If we don't find the wolves in two months, then it won't matter, because I'll be dead soon after.

"We will," I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. If I die, I at least want to wrap up this loose end before I go.

Everything else in my life was already squared away. No mate to say goodbye to. I doubted my family would even notice when I die.

We get ready in silence, Layla and Maryn seemingly too upset to even play music after that dreary conversation.

Layla finishes getting ready after me, her brown hair curled and glitter crowning her eyes. She wasn't wrong about being too pretty to resist, and I felt sorry for whatever vampire she sets her sights on.

We begin to get in our dresses, and mine fits well, although Maryn has to tighten the laces a lot in the back to make up for the weight I've lost in the last few weeks.

Maryn and Jae both wear black dresses, though Jae's is much more simple, yet still stunning. Layla wears a low cut, tight light pink gown, almost completely sheer. Black widow indeed.

We leave the room, and I feel naked without my gloves. In the past week, since I was avoiding Killian, I wore my gloves more. When I was with him, they were unnecessary.

Everything was quiet with Killian. A temporary reprieve from the chaos of my Sight.

Killian, Killian, Killian. God, stop thinking about him!

"You look like you're going to throw up," Mar whispers as we walk down the stairs.

"I'll be sure to project it at you," I say sweetly.

"Yum," Layla laughs.

"You all are disgusting," Jae says, but I see the corners of her mouth turn upward.

"Are you guys seriously talking about vomit before a ball?" Knox says, shaking his head in disappointment.

He's wearing an all-black tux, just like Gabe, Kage, and... the other one.

Killian's eyes are dark as they meet mine, and I look away, but can feel his gaze burning a hole through me.

I go to Kage, ignoring Killian's intense stare, and straighten his jacket. "You look so handsome," I tell him, and he blushes.

"Red is your color," Kage mumbles, and I barely can hear the words over Layla and Maryn arguing with Gabe and Knox about whether they'll look better than the vampires.

"I think my suit could use some adjusting as well," Killian says, appearing next to Kage.

I swallow, not looking away from Kage as I pick off imaginary lint from his tux. "Maybe you should work out more so you can fill out your suit," I suggest to Killian.

"Oh, I never have issues filling up anything," Killian says, and I can hear his stupid smirk in his voice.

Kage makes a noise of disgust and shadows wrap around him as he makes some comment about having to pee before darting away from us.

Digging deep inside myself for an ounce of courage, I look at Killian.

"My brother is correct," Killian says suddenly, and I raise an eyebrow. "Red is your color."

"Piggybacking off of a compliment is uncreative," I mutter, not really invested in our typical banter, and turn away from him to hide behind Knox.

Killian's hand shoots out and grabs my wrist, and he pulls me into his chest in one swift movement.

"Would you rather have me tell you how much I'd love to see that dress on the floor of my bedroom?" He murmurs lowly in my ear, and a chill runs up my spine.

"N-No," I stammer out. "I really wouldn't."

"How about how I want those red lips pressed to my chest and neck again?" He continues lowly.

I struggle to tell him to fuck off.

"Is that what you'd like to hear, darling?" Killian taunts quietly.

"No," I finally say, and push him away. "And I'm not your darling, nor your date to this ball. So stop it with the dresses and sexual innuendos."

Killian's eyes flash in hurt before he grins cockily and looks at me in amusement. "Don't worry, Katrina. Your earlier message was received loud and clear."

His tone told me I should indeed be worried.

I'm saved by a knock at the door, and I exhale in relief. It's Akoni.

I quickly rush to the door. "Hi, Ko," I greet with a smile that doesn't reach my eyes.

"Oracle," He greets formally.

Killian not-so-subtly steps in between us. "Akoni," He greets, shaking his hand, and his eyes flash dangerously.

"Hello, frater," Akoni smiles.

"We should get going," Gabe frowns, waving his watch around. "We're already late."

"Ah, Gabriel," Killian shakes his head slightly. "Don't you know it's fashionable to arrive late?"

"Let's just get this over with," Knox mutters, irate as always.

Killian sighs, and opens a portal.

He doesn't offer his hand to me before stepping through.

You won't want to wait to read the rest of the book.
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