Page 29 of Claimed By the Bookstore Alpha
“My wolf has opinions about what you need."
"Speaking of opinions.” I pulled out my phone to show him a photo, “Look what Dr. Bauer sent from my ultrasound." Yesterday when we’d been at the doctor’s, the machine had refused to print the image.
Flynn leaned over the screen. “I still have to pinch myself because it’s hard to believe I have a mate and a baby on the way.”
We smooched. Me kissing him reinforced that it was real.
"Our baby.” Dr. Bauer had said our little one was above average size and had a healthy heartbeat.
"No sign of shifting abilities yet?” He ducked under the counter to grab some printer paper but he couldn’t fool me. I’d been around shifters long enough to suss out when he was kidding, though he’d met his beast much earlier than the other pack members.
“I know what you’re doing.”
“Oh no.” His fake voice was hilarious. “You caught me. Whatever shall I do?” He grabbed me and dipped me over as though we were in a dancing competition. My Flynn, the guy who used to say no to everything, was twirling around the store.
“She said something else."
My mate pulled me up.
"She mentioned that she has another patient who just happens to be a dragon shifter and they’re due around the same time as me.” I tapped my fingers on the counter. “Dragon shifter? You didn’t think to tell me that dragons exist, especially since I write about dragons.”
Flynn studied the ceiling. “They’re not very common, not like wolves and bears. I’ve never met one. But there are more dragon shifters than unicorns.”
“What?” I grabbed his lapels. “Unicorns. Do you know any?”
Arden, who'd been listening in, piped up and said he met a unicorn shifter once. “They were silver and pink and really shy. I only got a quick glimpse.”
I explained that I wrote fantasy and I was meticulous about world building details.
“Oh, well hit me up if you need any information about my unicorn encounter.”
My next book after the dragon one would feature a unicorn and I’d have to take Arden out for lunch and scrounge every detail from him.
“Dr Bauer mentioned that pregnant dragon omegas need more calcium for proper scale development." I tried to imagine a baby dragon puffing tiny plumes of smoke.
“They don’t have live births but lay eggs.” Auden handed Flynn the book he’d chosen.
Eggs? Of course that made sense as a dragon was a reptile.
After Auden left with his romance book and a promise to recommend our store to his friends, my mate and I shared the pickles and peanut butter while going over the day's schedule.
"The Murphys are coming in at two with their kids for a reading," he said as he consulted his appointment book. "And that new family from Windermere Street wanted to set up a regular story time."
"The one with the little boy who asked if we had any books about friendly shifters?”
"That's the one." Flynn grinned. "I may have mentioned that you're working on something that might interest him.”
I was and I had multiple projects on the go. Discovering shifters existed created a surge in my creativity.
A story about a young shifter learning to control his beast and written for kids who might be going through the same thing. Dr. Bauer said that there were several shifter families in the area who would appreciate age-appropriate books about their experiences.
“Sweetheart.” I was struck by a sudden thought. "What if we started a special section? Books for shifter families? Dr. Bauer could recommend us to her patients, and Alpha could spread the word in the pack community."
Flynn's eyes lit up with the same enthusiasm he'd had when we first discussed expanding the science fiction section. "That's... brilliant. There's definitely a market for it, and most shifter parents have to order books online."
"We could host readings specifically for shifter kids too. Give them a safe space to see their experiences reflected in stories."
"I love it." Flynn leaned across the counter to kiss me, tasting of pickles and happiness. "See? This is why my wolf knew you were perfect for us."
