Chapter 11
I t was amazing to watch Mathias dig through the stacks of old VHS players, gaming consoles, and DVD players. There was a light in his eyes as he scoured for a hidden gem. I could watch this all day but I didn't want to be a creep. But it was so cute that he was invested in finding something rare.
That and I was dying to do the same.
"Mathias, are you good here?" I asked, glancing around the store before settling my gaze back on the beta.
"Huh?" he asked, looking up from the pile he’d just started to search.
"I'm going to see if they have a book section. Sometimes there are new books that are donated. You okay if I go check it out?" I asked again.
"Yeah, just let me know when you're ready," he said, blowing me a kiss before he got back to work. I liked that he was excited to be here with me, but wasn’t hovering or overbearing like some newly packed-up mates would be.
I moved past him and headed towards the register. For some reason they always housed books near there. My heart sank as I approached the area. I didn’t see any.
There was a sweet, little lady seated behind the counter, which made it a little easier to ask for help.
"Excuse me, ma’am, do you happen to have books here?" I asked, giving her a smile.
"Oh, sorry. Any books that we get, we donate to the book shop a few buildings down," she replied. “It’s an amazing little shop, you should check it out.”
I honestly loved the sense of community this town had. It wasn’t something I was used to and after being in pretentious parts of town, thanks to my mom always seeking something ‘better’, I craved something like this more than ever before.
"Not a problem. We’re planning on heading there next," I reassured her. “Thanks.”
She gave me a quick goodbye as another customer unloaded a basket in front of her.
I wasn’t really interested in clothes or decor today, so I headed back to where I’d left my mate.
Matthias was still elbow deep in the electronic shelves when I stopped near him. "Did you find anything?"
"Not yet, you?" he asked as he placed another handheld gaming console in a discard pile.
"The lady said all the books are at the bookshop," I recounted as I leaned against the shelf.
"Are you ready to leave?" he asked, stopping to look at me for the first time since he started his search.
"I'm in no rush. If you’re still looking, I'll just keep you company," I promised.
"Nah, we can go. Let me move these piles back and we can go to the bookshop," he told me.
"Don't stop on my account. I can wait for you," I tried to reassure him.
He didn't answer as he did start moving things back. Just before he finished, he smiled at me, placed the last VHS player where he found it, leaving him with a single gaming set that was bundled with controllers and a few games.
“So, what’s this?”
“It’s an old Nintendo, the game bundle has one of my old favorites from when we were kids, I’ve tried to find it online but it’s always a bust,” he explained, that excitement sparking in his eyes again. “We can set it up and try it out when we get back if you want.”
“I’ve never played. Mom always said that it wasn’t ‘ladylike,’” I explained, rolling my eyes at the thought. I swear anything fun or even remotely exciting was out of the question with her.
“I dislike your mom more and more every time I hear a story about her,” he grumbled as he led me to the counter and placed the console on it for the lady.
“Oh, I just got a few extra games in today, let me throw those in, too. Same price, of course.” She ducked behind the counter and came up with a stack of ten more games. “Here.”
“Thank you,” he said, already flipping through them, his smile only growing wider with each one. “This is great.”
“It’s been here too long, I’m happy it’s found a home,” she said as she rang him up. After he paid, he held his hand back out for mine and pulled me out of the shop.
"The little, old lady said that we are close to the bookstore," I told him as we moved past the next shop.
"I think we’re here," he said as he looked in the window.
It was a cozy, little place, the window painted like a whimsical scene with a twisted tree and hanging fairies, a few children’s fairytales on display with it.
Inside it was adorable. There was a set of plush chairs and little tables near the window. It was a perfect place to sit and read for a few.
If I had a storefront, this is what I'd want. Cozy, inviting, and homey.
"So, where do we start?" Mathias asked, pulling me a little closer to him and glancing around. “Oh! How about you show me those mystery book skills?”
“Alright,” I said, jumping at the chance of doing a little book match-making. “Tell me your three favorite things to read about and I’ll do my best.”
“I really like fantasy, I’m going to say romance too since that’s your specialty. I want to know what we’re getting into,” he teased, giving me a wink. “And let’s say… magic.”
“Okay, but we’re doing this Taryn-style, meaning you get to sit in that cozy little chair, let me buy it, and I’ll wrap it up. There’s a craft store next door,” I said with a grin.
It was silly, but I really wanted them to see the hard work that went into my business. Everyone in my life, outside of the bookish community I’d found, always looked down on it.
I wanted them to be different.
No. I needed them to be different.
“You got it, baby. I’ll be here waiting.”
With a grin, I turned and sought out the romance section. It didn’t take long to find it. In fact, the store left little notes on several of the books, pointing out personal favorites and the ones that went viral.
“Okay, I hope I’m not overstepping,” a timid voice asked. I turned to find a cute, curly-haired omega shuffling her feet and looking unsure. “Did you say you do mystery boxes?”
“I do,” I admitted, unsure where this was going. I absolutely wasn’t here to encroach on her business.
“I thought you looked familiar. You were the one who does them with the cute wrappings and trope videos, right? I saw the masked man candy box and actually just got it in last week,” she gushed, lighting up and losing every bit of shyness now.
“What, really?” I asked, completely stunned. Here I thought I was this little nobody with a dream and uncertain if it would ever truly take off.
“Yes, look!” she grabbed my hand and dragged me through the store to a back room. It was pure, organized chaos, and right in the middle was a huge table that doubled as a desk. She had a computer at one side, the other held stacks of books and papers. On the edge was one of my boxes I’d shipped out right before vacation.
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head in pure astonishment. “I know I shipped some out, but this is crazy.”
She laughed. “Are you local? I’d love to stay in touch or feature some boxes if you’re open to it.”
“I’m not local… yet, at least,” I admitted. Honestly, I didn’t even know where the guys called home. Or where we’d be going from here. “But I’d be open to talking once I get the storm damage sorted.”
Her smile fell. “It’s bad out there. I understand. I’ll give you my card.”
“Thanks,” I said, putting it in my pocket. “I will definitely be in touch.”
“I’m Dani, by the way.”
“Taryn,” I said, feeling shy all of a sudden but offering a smile.
“I’ll let you get back to finding your book,” she promised, walking out with me. “I can’t wait to see what you pick for that cutie up front.”
For a second I felt a flare of jealousy, but when I saw her give me a wink, I relaxed. She didn’t mean anything by it and he was already mine.
Calm down, Taryn .
She gave me a quick goodbye and disappeared back up front while I went back to the romance shelf. I took my time, going through each and reading the backs of the books to see if they were a good fit.
Then I saw one of my all time favorites. It was an amazing story of fae, magic, and romance, with the perfect amount of mystery and plot twists. I had a feeling he’d love it.
I kept it behind my back as I walked up front. Though I didn’t need to worry, he was flipping through his bag with a small smile on his face, waiting patiently.
Patience wasn’t something I thought about when considering mates, but seeing how he easily let me do my thing and simply entertained himself instead of getting sullen or mad, was a major green flag.
I was realizing a little more each moment I spent with them that they had more green than red flags. At least now. I couldn’t really speak for back then.
Dani gave me a smile at my book choice but didn’t say the title, checking me out and wrapping it up in two bags to be safe.
“Here's your receipt. I can’t wait to hear from you,” she said, handing over the slip of paper with her wide grin.
“I’m excited to work with you, too,” I promised, taking the bag and giving her a wave.
“Find me something good?” he teased as he stood, holding his hand out to me again. I liked that he was always reaching for me and touching me.
It made me feel wanted, something I needed more of in my life, as pathetic as that sounded.
“I did, now onto the craft store. I promise to be quick,” I said, pulling him this time. He chuckled but didn’t protest as we went from one store to the next.
True to my word I was in and out in ten minutes.
“Let’s head back and check on the others,” I said, my words cutting off as I spotted the little sweet shop boasting handmade candies and baked goods. “Actually, let's snag a treat.”
“Oh, absolutely,” he said. I had a feeling this beta was up for anything, but I hoped he wasn’t getting tired of me pulling him around.
My worries fell away as he helped me fill far too many boxes with a variety of sweets. The shop was just as cute as the rest of the town. It was one of those places you could tell the owner loved what they do.
The more time I spent in this town, the more I wanted to make my home by this lake.
“Why the frown?” Mathias asked as we started walking out. I hadn’t even realized I was frowning.
“Sorry, just thinking how much I liked this town and I hate that we’ll be leaving soon. I love how all the businesses are small and owned by people living their dreams. I want that, too. I love being on the water and having this sense of community I’ve never had… I just… I’m not ready to go back to reality.”
“If you want us to move here, I have a feeling none of us wouldn’t hesitate to make it happen,” he reassured me.
Though, that scared me, too. Was I even ready to talk about moving in? They’d made it clear that they didn’t want to part ways, but I hadn’t really thought about it.
Yet, when I pictured going back to my empty apartment, all I wanted to do was push it away.
They weren’t the pack I expected, or ever dreamed of wanting, yet I couldn’t imagine my life without them now.