They Who Own Me

Prologue

"Kenna, you're imagining shit. Just go have fun with your friends and forget about me for the night," Shane, my fiancé speaks in the other end of the phone. His warm voice, which had usually made me feel so warm and secure, did nothing to relieve the stress I felt now. A niggling sensation irritated the back of my mind and I tried my best to ignore it. I twirled a strand of my violet to lavender hair around my finger. 

"I don't know, Shane. It just... Isn't the same without you here," I breathe into the phone. The background music can be heard pulsing from the windows across the street. My back was turned to the brick building as I listened for any other signs that my gut was telling me was off. There was a shuffling sound and the click of a door on the other end. 

"Listen, Kenna... We're supposed to be married in the morning. Tonight is the night you and your friends are supposed to enjoy. I had mine last week. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" he says convincingly into the phone.  

I sigh, knowing in my heart I should be out enjoying myself. I just couldn't figure out why things felt so off tonight. As I looked up, I could see a dozen people browsing the streets, some human, some shifters. Most shifters were easy to spot. Animalistic features were displayed as well as their human ones. Some, the ears of the creature they became, others, like dragon shifters, either had horns, wings or scales sometimes along their human features. 

"Hello?!" 

Shane's voice brought me back to reality. I could sense that he was becoming agitated. Across the street, coming out of the club, I could see the dark and light contrast of my two best friend's hair as they waited for me to return from my call. An impatient huff on the other end told me that Shane was about fed up with me for the night. 

"Sorry Shane. I shouldn't doubt anything you say. I just.... Feel so weird tonight," I sigh as I motion to them that I would be about  another minute. 

"It's fine. Just stop talking crazy. I'll see you tomorrow," he breathes into the phone. I hear the other end click before I lower the phone from my ear, the turquoise phone case gleaming in the light. 

The staccato clicking of my heels on the pavement was the music to my march of shame as I made my way back to my friends. 

"So what'd he say?" Melanie, the tall, dark haired human one with blue eyes and glasses speaks up.

"It wasn't another excuse was it?" Pandora, the other a tall fox shifter with blonde hair and green eyes asks. 

I shrug. "He told me to go enjoy myself tonight. And I really want to... But I keep feeling like Shane has been distant lately. He's been drinking a lot more... And I swear I didn't misplace that check we were given as an engagement gift from my grandpa," I breathe. 

"All I am saying is a friend of mine swore up and down she saw him picking some woman up in the car while you were still at work," Melanie frowns as she shakes her head.  Kenna had heard this too, but when asked, he strongly denied it ever happening. 

"I honestly do not like him," Pandora admits with a sigh, her shifter ears flicking as she looks around the busy street. 

"Yeah, but it's her choice," Melanie points out, her long dark and curly hair bouncing as she shakes her head. I deflate at that. I knew it was my choice, but what if I was choosing wrong? 

The pulsing of the club we had traveled to enticed me, but not as much as my sudden want and need to go home and be with Shane. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself, the phone still in my hand. "I suddenly don't feel like partying anymore," I sigh.

Pandora frowns. "Lets at least go get dinner then. None of us ate," she says, feeling more concerned about her friend who looked pale and clammy.  "Besides, you look about ready to hit the ground," She sighs, feeling for her phone as well.