The marketplace buzzed with activity, and Sesshoumaru was loathed to be a part of it, but wisps of her aura continued to tease his senses, drawing him closer to the bustle.

Her face gave nothing away—nothing to those who were not familiar with her—but every time those suspicious blue eyes flickered in his direction, his teeth clenched tighter.

He had not anticipated this.

Blunt nails dug into frail flesh, the pain keeping him from dragging her away from prying eyes so that he could explain himself.

In the end, it was Rin who gave him the means to approach her, his eyes wandering to a booth filled with newly picked blooms.