Page 11 of Delivered to My Shadow Unicorn Alphas

But not in the least appropriate for a night out with two of the sparkliest beings on the planet. If they were indeed sparkly, being shadow unicorns and all. But whatever they were, they deserved a little effort on my part. Not the time to be cheap.

It was time to shop. And not at the conservative shop where most of these things came from. I swore they had nothing that wasn’t neutral there except maybe black—was black a neutral color?

Our city was not large as such places go, but we did have many stores, most of which I had not visited, but I climbed into my car and headed for the outdoor mall. I’d been there for lunch with friends and such various times and even gone into some of the stores with them while they purchased clothing very different from what I typically wore.

The weather was lovely this time of year, with warm breezes and flowers blooming in hanging baskets all along the pathways. I’d never been here after dark, and I’d been a little concerned that I might not find the stores open, but it was much livelier than when I’d been here for lunch.

Strolling along the brick pathways, I window-shopped, looking for just the right kind of place to buy an outfit for my date. Many were clearly geared to teenagers, others for children, and some for men. There was even a branch of the store I usually shopped at, and looking at the shoppers inside made me wonder why I was shopping like a middle-aged matron. Suddenly, all the clothes that had felt so comfortable and so right were all wrong.

I watched a woman at least twice my age trying on a sweater I’d bought just a month ago and thought I loved, but now wished I’d never even seen.

Shaking it off, I made a sharp right into the next shop, one whose window display featured bright colors and fitted styles. Surely, I’d find something in here that would work for my date. The racks inside were filled with sundresses, shorts, bathing suits, and tops that were half an inch too long to be called crop tops. Similar to the teen stores with a little more of a sophistication and accommodation to the fact that women in their late twenties were built just a little different than fifteen-year-olds.

The other shoppers were about my age, but they already wore clothing that was age appropriate, unlike me. For a second, I panicked, afraid I didn’t fit in, but then a cheerful young shop assistant bounced up to me and smiled. “You look like you need an update, STAT.”

She couldn’t have said anything better.

“I agree. Suggestions?”

“Trust me?”

I looked her up and down. She was a few years younger than me, but she was dressed beautifully in a pair of jeans that fit as if they were made for her. Without trying to strangle her. “If you’ll tell me where you got those shoes?”

My shopping angel locked me in a dressing room and brought in armloads of clothes in beautiful colors and styles. Ileft with five big bags, directions to a shoe store down the way, and an appointment with her hairstylist for the next morning. I was going to take the day off work and spend it primping. I had lots of vacation time saved up.

Chapter Eleven

Shaman

“You changed again?” Juven asked as I came down the stairs. Again. The back of my neck was wet with perspiration, not only from nervousness but from the exertion of changing clothes so many times. Juven had seen three outfits, but I’d changed at least a dozen times.

“Yes. Knock it off. I’m nervous.”

“I know, but she’s either going to like us or she won’t. She’s not going to reject you based on jeans or khakis. If she does, do we really want her?”

I scrubbed a hand down my face. Oh, great. My forehead was sweaty as well. We would have to crank up the air conditioner in the truck so I didn’t look like I’d barely survived a monsoon on the way.

Both of us had been texting Amber since the other night. Not the video calls that I wanted, but it was good to keep in contact with her—get to know her better. We had a group chat, as well, and I secretly thought that was how this relationship would work out, if it did. We would each have a connection with her and then all of us would have a bond together. The transition would have some hiccups, but I thought we could make this work.

We would have to if Amber was our fated. I didn’t have to be reminded that we were running out of time by the second.

“She’s not going to judge me by my clothes but I’m judging myself. This isn’t just some date. This isthedate.”

Juven sighed and gave me a one-armed shrug. He was still on the fence about Amber even after seeing her on video. His unicorn, in my opinion, would have to see her in person. Scent her. Get a feel for her presence, before deciding if she was ours.Mine knew from the second I saw her. We weren’t the same, but I hoped to the Goddess he caught up soon.

“We’ll see. Let’s go before we’re late.” My friend had never cared if we were late to anything. He arrived when he wanted to. I wasn’t calling him lazy, but he did what he wanted, when he wanted.

She was getting to him.

“Let’s go.”

We stayed mostly silent on the drive down the mountain and to the east, to the city where Amber lived. We passed restaurants and ordinary places like the market and the gas station, and I wondered if she went there. Of course she went to a market and to fill her tank, but I imagined her going to those specific places.

Man, I was a goner.

“We still managed to be here early,” Juven said.

I let out a sigh. This was tough. What if he met her and still wasn’t convinced? What if he wasn’t her fated, but I was? Would she accept only me? Her profile said two or more, but would she mate me and then try and find another to be her second?

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