Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 35

Chapter 34: Grace: Lighten

Sterling City is a small town. Too small to hide in. Andrew’s words, not mine.

"So you’re not leaving me here?" I ask, confused.

Andrew’s grip tightens around the steering wheel. "It’s the first place they’ll look. You’re going to need some more distance from the Lycan King, just in case."

His words send ice through my veins. Of course they’d search Sterling City. It’s the closest human settlement, so it makes sense I would run here.

"We’re going to keep driving for a while, but first we need some food."

He pulls into a vast parking lot illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights. A massive blue sign looms ahead.

"Where are we?"

"Walmart. We need food."

The automatic doors slide open with a mechanical hiss, releasing a blast of cold air that prickles my skin. Inside, the store stretches endlessly, aisles upon aisles of... everything. So many things.

"Bathroom first," Andrew mutters, nodding toward the back of the store.

We navigate through the nearly empty store. Past midnight, only a few night owls roam the aisles alongside us. A tired woman in a blue vest pushes a cart of items to restock, and two guys crowd stand in front of the frozen pizzas. They’re the only two people I see.

After using the bathroom, I emerge to find Andrew waiting. His gaze follows mine as I take in everything around us.

"Want to look around?"

I hesitate. "Is that okay?"

"Sure. If you’re not tired." He shrugs. "We can take ten minutes to look around."

It’s a little embarrassing to admit how much fun it is just to drift through aisles.

I end up in haircare, drawn to a wall of colors and promises. My hair’s brown and boring, but I’d never cared much about it before. It’s just hair, after all.

catches my eye. I reach for it, reading the

when Andrew says, "Wait here

for another box. How different would I look? Would Rafe even recognize me?

a third option when a soft

that brand.

find a girl with hair in every color of the rainbow. Her

not really sure what I’m looking at," I

glances around before grabbing a different box. "This would work best out

over the box, not seeing any real difference except—"This one costs

She cocks her head, studying

"No."

as she looks me up and

around. She seems a little too helpful to be a wolf shifter, but I’m still

parking lot," she says, jerking her thumb toward the

you... some sort

Just a vagabond. But I’ve bleached

apples, and a couple bottles of water. I introduce him to the girl, whose name

to call her Lyre, solving that

at Andrew, then me, and the things in his basket, her eyes narrow. "You two run

I flinch.

box in

box to the shelf, feeling oddly guilty. I wasn’t trying to spend Andrew’s money or anything. It feels even more awkward now, probably because he admitted having a crush on me once before. "I was just

he says, grabbing it off the shelf and tossing it into his

"you really don’t want to

to the back. My stomach churns with nerves. It’s probably stupid

she can

sweeping her

across the walls, fairy lights strung in zigzag patterns across the ceiling cast a warm glow over everything, and plants hang from macramé holders in every corner. The kitchenette gleams with copper pots

asks, tossing her

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