Innocent Devil’s Harem Taboo Ch. 07

I abruptly turned my head away again, glad her hair color didn't have that same effect, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Huh, this looks interesting," she commented, finally looking up at me. "Are you fine if I read a little to see if I want to buy it?"

I nodded, clearing my throat. "Yeah, of course. That's fine. We've got all day, really. I should probably send a message to my sister anyway, to let her know where we are. I don't want her flipping out if she comes home early and we aren't there." To emphasize my point, I pulled out my phone as I spoke, which was only half charged after Gabriella plugged it in for me earlier.

She smiled and eagerly began reading the first few pages of the book she was holding.

After sending a quick message to Serenity, I focused on her again, finding my cheeks warming up at just the sight of how adorable she was reading her book in the middle of the aisle. I then decided to occupy my time by looking at some of the book covers on the shelves. A lot of the books were showing only their spine, but there were quite a few that were situated so that the cover was visible.

After a few minutes, Gabriella closed it. "Well, this one isn't on sale, but it has a pretty interesting start, so I'm going to get it." She seemed hesitant then. "Would you be alright with holding it for me?"

I smirked of her. "Of course," I replied, reaching out to accept it.

Before long, she'd handed me another two books that she wanted to get, and then decided to move on to a new section. We checked out the science fiction next, where she picked out yet another book, and then finally romance.

However, in the romance section, I finally had to walk away from her after catching a glimpse at a particular cover that was overly suggestive. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered me, but the image prompted me to think about what we'd done just not even a full hour ago. Never mind the fun we had before our nap.

I could feel her eyes on me as I abruptly disappeared around the corner, but she didn't chase after me right away. Instead, she waited a few seconds, before I heard her slowly leave the section, seeming to just want to keep me in her sight.

Once I'd collected my thoughts and gotten my mind off fucking her, I made my way back, unwilling to make eye contact now. I was thankful that she realized I was still struggling a little.

"I think I'm done looking for now," she said decisively, grabbing the books from my hands. "I'm going to go ahead and get these four books, and then do you want to check out the food court?"

I cleared my throat, feeling bad about ruining her fun, but also really needing a change of scenery at this point. "Can I buy them for you?" I wondered, finally glancing down at her. However, I immediately had to look away when her emerald eyes were suddenly full of affection. "Careful," I said quietly.

"Oh, sorry," she whispered. "Yes, I'd really like that actually. Not that I can't afford it, of course, but it makes it feel more special knowing you paid for it. It's like a gift then."

I smiled, still averting my gaze as I turned to head toward the check out. However, she didn't follow. I glanced back at her in confusion. "Coming?"

"Oh yes, sorry," she said, catching up. "I wasn't sure if you needed to get away or not."

I shook my head. "No, I'm alright."

As expected, the line to checkout was decently long, but they had enough cashiers to make it go quick enough. After only about five minutes, we were finally leaving, heading back into the mall toward the food court, with me carrying Gabriella's bag of new books.

Once we got there, we decided on getting a couple of giant cinnamon-covered pretzels that came with a frosting dip, before sitting down across from each other at a small secluded table next to the only wall that had seating. I was grateful she seemed to know to avoid the word 'dessert,' instead using the word 'snack,' since the former held a significantly different meaning for me right now.

I wasn't sure if she was doing that consciously, or not, but I definitely appreciated it.

I was angled more toward the wall, with the rest of the food court behind me, focused intently on Gabriella as we carefully socialized. It was while we were talking about possibly going to one of the jewelry stores in the middle of the mall, to get her ring sized for future reference, that I caught unexpected movement from the corner of my eye.

A guy who looked like he was on steroids had been walking by, but he unexpectedly changed directions, and headed straight toward us. I was sincerely shocked when he continued to walk right up, as if he knew Gabriella, only to place his hand on the table between us, giving my date his full attention.

It all happened so fast, and was so bizarre, that I didn't even know how to react.

Did she know this guy from somewhere?

"Hey there, babe. Why don't you come hang out with me? I'm much more fun than this guy."

What the fuck?!

Was this bastard for real right now?

I immediately closed my eyes, suddenly trying to restrain myself, as I had the urge to rip out his throat. And not for his blood this time.

No, I just wanted to slaughter the bastard.

A small part of me was glad I was at least facing the wall as I felt my chest and back turn gray, knowing no one would see if my face showed signs of changing too. Still, I couldn't believe this was really happening right now. How could someone be so arrogant and bold to just approach some random girl and try to steal her, while she was clearly on a date!

Something didn't feel right about this.

Did this kind of thing really happen to her?

I mean, I knew she was hot, but seriously?

This was ridiculous. To the point that I wouldn't believe it if it wasn't actively happening right now. Was Gabriella some kind of magnet for assholes or something?

Forcing my transformation into my eyes to stop my skin from graying more underneath my clothing, I tried to take comfort in the fact that Gabriella knew how to handle herself. After all, she'd dealt with this kind of issue for years now, and had always been able to get out of these situations on her own.

Not to mention, the way this guy looked - the way he smelt - I suspected that me trying to intervene would actually just make him more aggressive. The only person who could truly shut him down was her, which meant I just needed to let her do what she already knew to do - make it clear she wasn't interested.

I still hated it though. Hated that I couldn't just get up and shove this guy on his ass.

Because, while technically her job was to say 'no,' I felt like my job was to intervene if he didn't respect that no. But could I? Could I make him go away without transforming?

Gabriella's tone was firm. "Not interested," she snapped. "Leave us alone."

It was obvious she was pissed, but I also noticed a hint of concern in her tone too, likely because she'd noticed that my eyes were closed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't so easy.

The asshole didn't let up. "Oh?" he scoffed. "You're with him? I thought that was your brother or something," he laughed.

This wasn't my first time dealing with jackasses. I knew he was intentionally trying to be offensive, especially since Gabriella and I didn't look anything alike. If anything, he probably thought that putting that idea into her head would make her reconsider her choice, which was stupid as hell.

Either that, or maybe he was actually hoping for a fight.

Gabriella ignored the comment, apparently smart enough to not let the guy bait her into arguing with him. "I said, leave us alone," she repeated firmly.

"Hey now," the bastard replied, "I'm just trying to have some fun."

Gabriella was definitely pissed now. "I said-"

Unexpectedly, I sensed him grab her arm roughly, immediately causing my eyes to flash open to confirm what my other senses were telling me.

Enraged, I did everything in my power to stay seated, while forcing my pupils into slits like a cat's eye.

"Hey!" I barked out.

He turned to look at me with a triumphant expression, almost as if this was what he was aiming for, before he suddenly jerked back.

"What the fuck!" he exclaimed in alarm, sincere terror pouring out of him.

My tone was ice cold. "I suggest you leave before I gut you," I hissed.

Without hesitation, my prey turned and bolted away as fast as he could, like he was sincerely running for his life, cursing as he went. My eyes closed the moment he was gone, my fists clenched in my lap, my palms hiding sharp black claws that were just beginning to elongate.

I could hear Gabriella shifting in her seat as she urgently looked around, making sure no one saw me. But I was pretty sure no one had been paying attention, though I was confident we definitely had people staring now, due to the commotion he caused.

She then leaned forward toward me. "We should just go."

I quickly shook my head, trying to get ahold of my emotions. Part of me really wanted to run after him and make good on my promise. She waited patiently for me to respond verbally.

Finally, after a few minutes, my eyes were back to normal, so I opened them to find her watching me in concern. She looked ashamed and guilty too, though I already was aware of that from her scent.

I tried to smile at her. "We still need to get your ring finger measured, remember?"

"No, seriously. It can wait," she disagreed. "What if that guy tells security? Or calls the police?"

I sighed heavily, knowing she was right.

Dammit.

Standing up, we grabbed our snack to bring with us, prompting her to vent once we left the food court and began making our way to the exit.

"Jeez," she hissed. "I figured that after yesterday, and this morning, I had used up my quota of bad luck for the rest of my life." She then clarified when I gave her a confused look. "I do have guys come up to me like that sometimes, but I don't think assholes who are that arrogant are normal. The fact that he actually grabbed me is shocking. No one has ever gone that far before."

I focused ahead as I considered that. "Yeah, actually there was something weird about it," I agreed, thinking back on his behavior. "Honestly, it almost seemed like he was trying to provoke me, rather than trying to get with you. He acted almost...accomplished, when I finally reacted. Maybe he was just looking for a fight?"

"Maybe," she replied. "He did seem like the kind of muscle-head who might do something like that. It just sucks that all our bad luck had to happen all at once." She then was thoughtful for a moment, only to continue with an endearing tone. "Thank you, by the way. I really appreciate you coming to my rescue."

I intentionally didn't meet her gaze, knowing her expression would probably make my hair start turning white. "You're welcome," I whispered simply.

Once we reached my car, I sighed heavily as we climbed in, glad to have that over with. It was a nice date, but it ended up being more stressful than I anticipated. I spoke up again as I pulled out of the parking spot.

"Well, I'm glad all that was just a fluke, instead of the norm. I'm certainly not going to tolerate guys putting their hands on you." My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I spoke, my knuckles turning white. However, after a second, I realized that what I'd just said might sound more controlling than I intended. I quickly focused on her. "You know you can walk away, right?"

Gabriella looked at me in surprise. "What? What are you talking about?"

I grimaced. "Like, if you decided you didn't want to be with me..." I paused. "I'd be devastated, of course, but you can do that. Leave me."

"I don't want to leave you though."

I realized she didn't understand what I was getting at. "I mean, I just didn't want you to feel...trapped." I glanced at her again. "Because you know my secret, and obviously I'm a lot stronger than normal people. What I meant is that I wouldn't hurt a guy if you let him touch you, although obviously I'd probably die on the inside."

Gabriella immediately reached over to touch my arm, causing my hair to flash white unexpectedly. However, she didn't move her hand, and I decided I didn't care if anyone saw me with white hair - for all they knew I could have just dyed it.

"Kai..." she began hesitantly. She then shifted gears, addressing what I was trying to tell her. "Thank you. I get what you're saying. You won't be a stalker ex, who hurts everyone I date, or who even might try to hurt me. But you won't ever be an ex, so long as you'll have me. I don't just casually date. I've really only had the one other boyfriend, and it wasn't even that serious. I'm serious with you. I'm committed."

I sighed, my breath coming out more ragged than I was expecting. I reached over with my left hand to place on hers still resting on my right forearm. "Me too. Even if you cheated on me, I'd still take you back in a heartbeat..." I grimaced again. "Granted, I'd probably have trust issues after that, if I'm being honest."

"I won't cheat on you!" she exclaimed. "I'm not that kind of girl! I won't even be friendly with other guys! You're the only guy I need."

I sighed heavily, thankful to hear that, but now feeling paranoid about it happening one day.

She switched subjects then, her tone sounding a little more playful. "So, are you saying you don't currently have trust issues?"

I glanced at her, recalling what my sister told her the previous night. "I have a hard time forgiving people," I admitted. "Or rather, it's not that I don't forgive them, because I'm not holding a grudge against anyone right now. So I guess, really it is trust. Obviously, I have to keep people distant to begin with, but overall I give everyone one chance. If they break the small amount of trust that I have for them, then that's it. I'll never trust them again."

"You know I would never break your trust on purpose, right?" she asked urgently. Her scent was immediately tainted with panic, almost as if she was afraid that a single mistake would make me leave her forever.

"I won't leave you," I reassured her, assuming that was the subject on her mind. "Like I said, even if you cheated on me, I'd be devastated and miserable, and probably wouldn't be able to have sex with you again for a long time. But I'd still take you back. I'd still want you in my life."

She finally let go of my arm and leaned back in her seat, probably so I could start trying to look normal again. "Well, I won't cheat. Never. And actually, what you said goes both ways. If you somehow ended up sleeping with someone else, I'd take you back." She sighed. "But I just want to make sure you know that I'd never betray you on purpose. The fact that I haven't told your sister about you, even though I think she could handle it, should be proof of that."

"It's not just that," I explained. "She's a detective. It's her job to catch criminals, which would put her in a tough position if the police ever decided to come after me."

"Oh. Yeah, I see what you mean." She paused. "I hate to say this, especially since you saved my life, but maybe you should stop getting involved."

I glanced at her pained expression, smelling guilt coming from her for even mentioning it, as if she was being selfish for asking me not to risk it. "You might be right," I admitted. "At first, I only did it when the case made my sister especially upset. But now it's kind of hard knowing that someone's about to be killed, and I'm not there to stop it. Sometimes, I think about all the people who would have died - all the people who were spared that trauma. At least, that thought eases my conscience."

"I know," she whispered. "I sometimes think about what would have happened had you not saved me. I feel like I'm stealing that from someone else by even asking." She then scoffed. "The law is so stupid. If you're killing a known murderer, then I don't see what the problem is."

I sighed. "Well, the problem is because regular people can get it wrong. Someone might be framed as a murderer when they are innocent. That's why the law is written the way it is. At least, I think that's why." I took a deep breath, both of us falling silent for a moment.

I then continued. "I guess maybe I could just try catching them instead, but then I'd have to figure out a consistent way to tie them up, as well as a way to avoid them seeing me. Not to mention your attacker probably would have gotten away, since he had an accomplice - never mind the fact it was a cop! It makes me sick just thinking about all the murders they might have gotten away with. Never mind the ones they may have already done, that the police don't know about."

Gabriella nodded in agreement, but didn't respond, causing us to fall silent again.

Her voice was quiet when she spoke up. "What do you think we should do when we get home?"

Given her serious tone, I knew that us spending any more intimate time together was probably not on her mind. I ran my fingers through my hair as I considered my response. "Well, I want my sister to see the deer for herself. Of course, she would believe me if I told her about it, but I'd rather make sure there's no doubt in her mind. Other than that, I need to cook dinner."

"Can I help?" she asked, suddenly eager. "I think it'd be fun to cook together. Plus, your sister said she wanted to try my cooking."

I smirked at her. "Yeah, sure. That does sound like fun. It could be like an extension of our date."

Gabriella gave me a huge grin. "Perfect! And I also need to work on your tolerance more before she gets home."

"Umm, are you sure?" I asked seriously. "That might not be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well, what if my sister comes home early? She normally only sends me a message if she's going to be more than an hour late."

Gabriella was pensive. "Well, you can hear her coming, right?" She continued when I nodded. "The worst case is you might have to go hide in the bathroom for a few minutes. See? Problems solved!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Alright, but let's keep my mind on something else until we get there. This conversation isn't good for my skin."

Gabriella laughed abruptly. "Wow, that's a great quote." She then gave me an apologetic look. "I know what you mean of course, but 'this conversation isn't good for my skin' is hilarious. I might have to reuse that someday." She giggled again in response to my confused expression, before continuing. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Can you tell me more about your life? Like, maybe tell me about your family? Oh, and you also said you were going to tell me the reason why you knew what you liked..." My voice trailed off, knowing she'd know what I meant.

Why she knew what she liked in the bedroom.

"Oh, umm, sure," she agreed. "Family first. My parents only live about twenty minutes away. I have a sister who is twelve years older than me, so I grew up most of my life basically as an only child. I barely even remember it when my sister lived at home. It seems like such a long time ago. As you can imagine, my parents are kind of old compared to other people my age..."

I interrupted her. "Our age. I'm only two years younger than you."

"Right, sorry!" She gave me another apologetic look. "That really bothers you, doesn't it?"

I shook my head in denial. "I don't know why. I guess it's because it makes me feel like I'm too young for you."

Gabriella laughed again. "Oh, so my parents? Robbing the cradle seems to run in my family, because my mom is eight years older than my dad. Although, what's crazy is that my mom actually looks younger than my dad. You'd probably think that she's in her early forties, even though she's in her fifties."