Page 31 of The Alpha’s Chosen Mate

My wolf perks up in my mind, and my fingers curl tighter around the handle of the gift bag in my fist. Both Stephanie and I stop in our tracks.

She glances up at the shadow’s owner, then squeezes my arm before releasing it. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

I don’t protest as she walks away. The old Emily would have. She’d have called after Stephanie, begging her to stay so she wouldn’t have to face Harrison alone.

But I’m not that Emily anymore—she’s gone. I left her behind in Italy before I flew home.

Home. Crescent Lake.

No. Him. He is home.

“You never said goodbye.”

I finally meet his gaze. His expression is unreadable, but his words say everything. He noticed. He noticed I was gone, and that I left without a word.

“I’m sorry.”

His jaw ticks. We stare at each other in silence, assessing. Waiting. I don’t know what he’s waiting for—maybe for me to make the first move. But I’m observing.

He’s alone with no mark on his neck, which means he didn’t find his mate. If he had, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. They’d be fully marked and mated by now.

My wolf notices too. She straightens in my mind, her focus latching onto his unmarked neck while I check him out.

He’s taller. Stronger. More muscular. I can see it in his broad shoulders and the way his black T-shirt stretches across his pecs.

And he’s handsome. Devastatingly so. He always has been. I didn’t think it was possible for him to become more attractive, but Goddess. Those warm, intense brown eyes? His jawline? His mouth that I can still imagine kissing mine?

Six months doesn’t seem like much time when you see someone every day, but when you’re apart? So much can change.

Does he notice the changes in me?

“This is for you.” I thrust the gift towards him, desperate to say something—anything—to stop staring at him. To keep him from noticing that I am.

Harrison glances down at the bright pink gift bag, one brow quirking.

“It was the only color they had at the airport. I knew I’d be coming straight here after my flight, and I didn’t want to waste time stopping at a store, so I just—”

He grabs the bag, intentionally avoiding my fingers. Or at least, it seems intentional.

I’m probably overthinking it.

“Happy birthday.” I clasp my hands together, gripping them tightly so I don’t yank the gift back. “It’s kind of silly,” I blurt, “but I saw it and immediately thought of you, and—”

“Em.”

I snap my mouth shut. Goddess, I haven’t rambled like this in months. My palms sweat and my stomach gurgles, but I stay put. I promised myself I wouldn’t run away from him again, and I’m keeping that promise.

Harrison removes the gift from the tissue paper and studies it with a blank expression. His gaze catches first on the doll’s neon blue hair, then the matching blue gem in its belly button before finally lifting to me.

“It’s a troll.”

His lips twitch almost imperceptibly. “I know what it is. Stephanie used to collect them.”

“She still does.”

I’m not supposed to tell anyone that. Why did I tell Harrison?

His smile widens, mischief glinting in his eyes. “I’ll save that piece of information for later.”