Julian stopped at the supermarket on the way home because his refrigerator was almost empty and he knew if he went straight back to his apartment he would probably end up ignoring food entirely. The evening crowd inside the store was light. A few people pushed carts through the aisles while quiet music played overhead from speakers that had probably been installed years ago and never replaced.
The ordinary atmosphere felt almost strange after the last few days.
Julian grabbed a basket near the entrance and walked slowly down the first aisle. He picked up a few things like bread, bottled water, a small package of pasta. His mind wasn't completely focused on what he was doing. It kept circling back to things that had happened recently.
The club.
Valen's interest.
The feeding.
And the quiet way Lucian had watched everything without ever looking surprised.
