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The silver of his eyes never wavered as he watched her take hirew a little hard when she squinted and leaned closer Then her attention went to the paper and, like an to appear

Every few seconds, inquisitive eyes would glance back at the motionless Alpha, run over whatever part of the outline she needed to adjust, and then go back to the paper Quickly, the line of his jaw, his closely shorn hair, were captured in shades of black Concentrating on her work, Claire began to create his mouth, with the scar she had once called beautiful slashed across it Had they not been marred, Claire would even admit Shepherd's lips would have been considered handsome—their fullness almost pretty His nose, now that she looked far ht; there were places, small deviations, where it had been broken and reset more than once

Tiny scars were in his stubble, all over his hairline and forehead

Picture nearing colected, Claire took a deep breath and made herself look into Shepherd's eyes The silver was so familiar to her, she could have painted the, but every study would have been eyes focused on inti out fear At that ression, the focus of a predator, contained

As he was, it seees to translate such an expression onto the paper She tried, but her interpretation was never quite right

How could anyone capture eyes like that?

"You are growing agitated," Shepherd colare down at the painting

Again she tried to capture his expression "I can't get the eyes right"

Slowly, his hand reached out and took the paintbrush froers The portrait was turned, Shepherd asking, "Is this how you see me?"

It seee question Of course that was how she saw him, that hy she'd painted hi landscapes"

His voice was odd "You made me different"

"The eyes are wrong" Gathering up her supplies, she stood and rounded the table so she ress, pulling her closer The paints were taken and set back on the table, his ar around her middle

Shepherd just looked up at her, regarded the dark-haired woman who'd painted him

Holding her messy hands away so as not to s at her with such an expression She had done nothing to soften him in the picture; every mar, every scar, every part of him was on that paper

Shepherd pulled her to his lap