Page 10 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
The bright yellows and blues of the space always lifted her spirits, reminding her why she’d chosen to work at the Oakridge Public Library. Books had been her escape during those first terrifying months on her own.
It was a no-brainer picking it for her profession.
Luna adjusted her cardigan again. She had worn it over her burgundy dress, and no matter how large a size she got, her cardigans always clung to her curves.
The dress was one of her favorites, slightly more fitted than what she usually wore, with a hem that fell just below her knees. Today, she’d paired it with black tights and ankle boots.
At least no one here judged her for her size.
She was grateful that in the human world, being plus-sized wasn’t seen as a failure, because not everyone here was slim or able to shift. Here, she was just Lily the librarian.
She smiled to herself as she arranged the children’s chairs in a semicircle.
“Ms. Coleman!” A small whirlwind in the form of seven-year-old Mia burst into the children’s section, clutching a well-worn copy of an Enid Blyton book to her chest. “I finished it! You were right—it was amazing!”
The little kid brought a genuine smile to Luna’s lips as she crouched down to her level. “Already? That was very fast, genius! What was your favorite part?”
As Mia retold the story Luna herself had read more times than she could count, two more children filtered in with their parents. Luna nodded in greeting.
These moments had become precious to her over the years. Especially whenever she missed home, even though they didn’t want her.
This was enough. This had to be enough.
By the time story time ended, the library had filled with its usual mid-day crowd—retirees browsing the large-print section, college students sprawled in the study area with laptops, and young mothers with toddlers.
Now on her lunch break, her sandwich sat uneaten on the table as she scrolled through local news on her phone. The last thing she needed was another relocation.
She always checked for any occurrences that could signal a supernatural presence in the area. Nothing today, which was a relief.
Three towns in six years was enough moving for a lifetime.
“Mind if I join you?” Jenny slid into the chair next to her, unwrapping a salad. Her blonde curls bounced as she studied Luna’s untouched lunch. “Are you okay? Not hungry?”
Luna picked up her sandwich, taking a bite to appease her coworker’s concern. “Just distracted, thinking about where to put the new shipment of books.”
“Always working,” Jenny teased, waving a tomato slice with her fork. “You should come out with us on Friday. Trivia night at the bar down the road. We are putting together a team to win the hundred-dollar coupon.”
Luna smiled but shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ve got plans.”
Plans for her now meant curling up with a good book, all points of entry locked and curtains drawn.
No one was chasing her, but better safe than sorry.
“One of these days, I’m going to wear you down,” Jenny said with a good-natured shrug. “You can’t hide from fun forever, dear.”
The irony of Jenny’s comment wasn’t lost on Luna. Hiding was exactly what she’d been doing—and not just from fun.
If only she knew.
Dominic had told her to run away, but as a runaway wolf from a pack like theirs, she knew that the Elders would want her brought back. They would have guessed the rumors were true and she was a witch.
She would never go back.
Luna resumed her tasks after her lunch, pleasantly losing herself in the rhythm.
The afternoon sun slanted through the west-facing windows when a commotion near the entrance caught Luna’s attention. A woman stood at Jenny’s desk, her voice rising with panic.
“—can’t find him anywhere! He was right next to me in the children’s section, and then I turned around and—” The woman’s voice broke. “He’s only four. He wouldn’t just wander off.”
