"Anastasia, have you missed me while we've been apart?" Nigel's voice was low, intimate, carrying that playful, Alpha-adjacent confidence that made my wolf instincts tingle. He tilted his head, those golden-brown eyes glinting like a wolf marking his mate, sharp and seductive.
I quickly averted my gaze, though my heart thumped with excitement. When I finally looked back at him, I smiled warmly. "Of course!"
He grinned, producing a set of car keys with a crystal keychain that shimmered with subtle energy, like a talisman imbued with pack strength. "When I miss you, I'll look at this. And the one I gave you… you didn't throw it away, did you?"
My cheeks warmed. "I… think I forgot to bring it back."
"You!" he scolded lightly, though there was affection in his tone. "How could you not properly keep the gift I gave you? Don't worry, I'll get another for you."
"Is that necessary?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent, though my pulse betrayed me.
