A Wolf's Kiss

EPISODE 7: UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

SILVERLAKE WAS EERILY silent as Dove pulled into the parking lot of the library, the only sounds were the crunch of snow under her tires and the occasional distant bark of dogs. The streets were usually empty, but today, there seemed to be more people, like they had come overnight.

“I’ll be back soon, I’m going to crank the window down a bit. Do not get out!” she firmly instructed her children.

“Yes, mommy,” they cooed in unison.

“Bookstore after this, right?” Ashton asked.

"Yes, dear, you can get three books each at the store,” she told them.

She stepped out of her car and made her way inside. The warmth hit her as soon as she crossed the threshold, she allowed herself a moment to really feel it. The familiar smell of books and polished wood was a comfort. The library was quiet, there weren’t many people in it, she was more than content with the solitude. She would have sat down to read to savor the moment if not because her kids were waiting for her to return and fulfill her promise. She loved libraries as a child, but it didn’t seem to be a trait her twins were picking from her, except maybe Ashton, who did enjoy reading storybooks and old books that belonged to Dove in the house.

The twins licked their lollies and played games on their tabs as they waited for their mother in the car. An epsilon stared at them from across the road, hidden well in the bush beside a sketchy-looking building.

She turned around after picking the books she wanted from a high shelf, she smashed into something solid and fell to the ground, her hand scraping the hard surface on the floor. She looked up, her heart skipped a beat, and she found herself staring up at a man that was unlike any she had ever seen.

The man was tall, his broad shoulders filled the space between the bookshelves, tattoos etched across his arms, visible through his rolled-up sleeves. His hair was a striking mix of black and sunrise orange styled in a curtain fringe, it added a rebellious flair to his otherwise impeccable appearance. His was handsome, chiseled jaw, wide chin that added some ruggedness to his handsomeness, while his stubble and groomed full brows gave him a refined edge.

His intense, icy blue eyes bore into her, they made her stomach flip. He looked too good to be true, it almost felt dangerous. But there was something else, she couldn’t quite place. Before, where she could gather her thoughts, the man let out a low, guttural growl, a sound that seemed to reverberate through the air, making her heart race. The noise was animalistic, a warning that was sent made her want to fly out of there.

The man was staring down at her with a look of disdain, he made no move to help her up, he just continued to stare with those piercing eyes. His expression became unreadable.

To her surprise, his expression shifted, and confusion flickered across his face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but was hesitant, his brows furrowed.

“Do I know you?” he finally asked. His voice was deep, and he sounded frustrated.

Dove blinked, her mind scrambled as she processed the question. There was something eerily familiar about him that she couldn’t place her fingers on. The man’s rudeness had shattered any sense of composure she had.

She scoffed in disbelief and pushed herself up off the floor, her cheeks were flushed red with humiliation and fury. “Excuse me?” she spat, her voice sharp. “You don’t just go bumping into someone, growling at them, and then ask if you know them. Get some manners!”

The man’s eyes narrowed, his plump lips pressed into a thin line. There was something about his gaze that left her unsettled, but Dove refused to be intimidated by him.

Feeling like he had had enough of the interaction, he said, “You’re in my way.” His tone clipped.

Dove shook her head. “Unbelievable,” she muttered to herself.

He turned around again. “You’re sure we haven’t met?” he asked, his tone more insistent this time as Zephyr told him, that he knew the woman.

Dove rolled her eyes, exasperated. “I think, I’d remember someone like you,” she snapped. She turned to leave, her heart still pounding in her chest from the encounter, but as soon as she walked away, she couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder, the man was still staring after her.

She made her way to the checkout desk.

***

Conri watched the lady walk away, he felt frustrated. There was something about her, something that gnawed at the edges of his memory, but he couldn’t grasp it. His wolf, Zephyr, was restless, whining softly in the back of his mind as if he knew her scent, but Conri had no recollection of her.