Alpha King’s Secret Baby (The Runaway Mate #1)

Chapter 10

Casey

Five years later

I flipped the sign on the door from closed to open . Tourist season was dying down in Delta Springs, but my little store—Moonlight Mystics I had my answer.

“My son put a skull and crossbones flag above her bed—inappropriate, in my opinion. But I’m just the grandmother. What do I know?” she said with a disappointed head shake.

I didn’t bother to mention that a pirate flag wasn’t exactly witchy. To a five-year-old, a skull was a skull.

“I think I know what’ll appeal to her,” I said, leading the woman to a display cabinet where I kept the more whimsical items. Kids often forced their parents into the shop when they saw the crystals in the window. “Will any of this do?”

I pointed to a collection of trinkets, and she studied the cartoonish figurines of patron saints, carved crystal pendants, skulls, and faux magical potions—mineral oil and glitter in wax-sealed glass vials.

“Oh, yes,” the woman said, picking up a rose quartz skull pendant. “She’ll love this, and it’s pink!”

Another satisfied customer. I put the pendant in a box for her, and she walked out with a grin as another person entered. Maybe tourist season wasn’t dead after all.

The new customer was a tall man with dark hair and even darker eyes.

“Hi, can I help you with anything?” I asked.

“Hey,” he said with a soft smile. “I’m looking for a crystal to help my sister. She’s studying law and stressed over finals, so I figured she could use some positive energy.”

“Of course.” I walked to the crystal section, and he followed. “We have several crystals that can help with stress relief and focus. How about amethyst to alleviate tension or labradorite to dispel fear and anxiety?”

He leaned closer, inspecting the stones I’d suggested. His cologne was herbal, masculine, and pleasant.

“I think I’ll take both. My sister could use all the help she can get.” He chuckled and picked up the two stones, rolling them around in his palm. “It seems like you really know your stuff. Do you have a recommendation for someone who needs a bit of courage?”

“Tiger’s eye or carnelian is good for that,” I said, pointing to the golden and red stones. “For your sister?”

“No, this is for me,” he said, selecting the striped tiger’s eye.

“I’ll wrap those up for you at the counter,” I said, heading to the cash register. “I hope the crystal gives you the courage you’re looking for.”

“We’ll see.” He smiled. “Don’t worry about wrapping the tiger’s eye. I’ll take that now.”

I rang him up and swiped his card. It was shaping up to be a good morning already. I wrapped his sister’s crystals, and our fingers brushed when I handed him the bag.

“Thanks,” he said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I’ve never met someone so knowledgeable and enchanting. Do you give personal consultations? Or do you just work your magic here in the shop?”

I almost choked on my spit.

“Just here in the shop,” I said, somehow managing a polite smile as I gently turned him down. It had been five years since anything romantic happened in my life. “I’m glad I could help you find what you need.”

His smile dropped, but he quickly recovered.

“Maybe I should have bought a stone for luck instead,” he said, chuckling. He was sweet. Maybe if things were different, I would have given him a shot. “If you change your mind, I’ll be in town for another week. I’m at Red’s Bar on the boardwalk most nights.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m . . . I’m not in a place to take you up on that right now,” I said. I wasn’t sure if dating would ever be in the cards.

“I understand,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of breakups. Thanks for your help.”

I could guarantee he’d never been through a breakup like mine.

“Take care,” I said as he turned to leave. “Tell your sister good luck with her studies.”

He threw one final, charming smile over his shoulder. “Thanks.”

Vivian crept up behind me as the door shut.

“Who was that hottie?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “Did I hear him ask you out?”

I put the credit card receipt in a box under the counter and shrugged. “Just some guy.”

Vivian snorted, “Really? Don’t you think he was smoking hot? You should have sent him back for a reading if you weren’t going to take him up on his offer.”

“He’s just not my type,” I said, covering my discomfort with a laugh. “Next time somebody flirts with me, I’ll send them your way.”

“Please,” she said. “A man like that is everyone’s type.”

I didn’t have a response. Vivian knew about Bastien, but I hadn’t told her that five years later, I still wasn’t interested in anyone else. My fated mate rejected me, but even that wasn’t enough to set me free. Maybe the pain was too much to recover from.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, as much to myself as Vivian. “The second a guy like that finds out I have a kid, he’ll run for the hills.”

Vivian sighed, but she didn’t disagree.

“Where is Theo, by the way?” I asked. There was no point in dwelling on my nonexistent romantic life. Bastien was long gone, and my son was the only thing that mattered. All I cared about was keeping him safe from Bastien’s pack.

Vivian laughed. “He fell asleep cuddling my crystal ball.”

“I don’t know why you keep that thing around,” I said, shaking my head. “It doesn’t do anything.”

“Because Theo loves it.” Vivian smiled. “But apart from that, people like a bit of theater when they’re getting a reading.”

“That’s true,” I said, thinking about all the fake woo-woo stuff I sold.

I had a good life here with Theo. And I was lucky to have someone like Vivian in my corner. I was happy. My heart still hurt when I thought about Bastien, but it was no different from the scar on my side that ached when the weather was bad. It was a reminder of past pain, nothing more.