is's

gan collecting the water bottle and box of st

hank him-and the word

deep-set eyes above a perfectly straight nose, whi

p charcoal gray, like wet stone. A few loose strands o

arbone. Suspended from it was a dark wolf emblem, its head thrown back and its jaws sprea

aze, never o

he dark gray of his irises. At first, the change was subtle-a faint amber glow flickering through

his face, thumb and forefinger pressing hard against the bridge of his nose. It looked lik

t. Tension carved a line between hi

, not a trace of gold remained. His irises had returned to their usual charcoa

re sent a prickling chil

r had his eyes actua

d awakened-a quiet yet unmistakable instinct insisting that I knew him so

ver seen this male before, yet so

rhythm as one word rose unbidden f

te

hought the inst

years of my life. The man I'd been certain would become my husband ha

s already? How could one glance at a male I'd never met-whose

ssed it back into the basket, and rose without mee

htened alongside me, the box of str

to take it,

arder this time. His

s my free hand clenched around the basket

loosened

it into my basket, and heade

watching me. His stare bore into me, drivin

etely unhinged? And wha

eeded to go-before hurrying to the register. After placing everything on the coun

the door and all but b

pped outside. I dragged in a deep breath, but it did

. He had stared at me without blinking, lik

ent another chill rip

on toward

and tugged the collar of my blouse b

hints of coffee and buttery pastries from the cafés we'd stopped at throughout the day. Not

the collar fall and

bably just

s, I counted every stride and tried to banis

the way he'd squeezed the bridge of his n

if the motion could scatter the

ed behind me, falling almost

ped ar

nience store was standing o