Page 23 of Switch Heater

We walk around for a couple of hours before we stop at one of the food vendors for lunch around noon. After getting our food, we find an empty picnic table and dig in. It’s been forever since I had a funnel cake. Deep-fried, sugary goodness. I nearly moan out loud at the first bite. Heaven.

“So good. This place is still just as fun as always,” I tell Mom, stuffing another bite in my mouth and licking the sugar off my fingertips.

“Seems bigger this year somehow. I think they had more people sign up for booths than in previous years. It certainly seems like it, anyway.”

“I want to see if I can find that one lady I bought a cute little zombie unicorn sculpture from forever ago. See if she’s got any more cool items or maybe some art. I want to decorate my shelf and add some things around my books.”

We sit for a while after finishing our food, enjoying the sunshine, and chatting idly. A breeze comes through, sending the faintest wisp of coconut my way. My sentence cuts off as I whip my head around, my eyes frantically searching the crowd to see if I glimpse Syn or Kian. They can’t be here. That’s just too coincidental. It’s someone else. Surely.

“Ripley? Is everything okay?”

Mom’s voice cuts into my thoughts, bringing my focus back to her. I blink at her, trying to clear my head. It’s just a coincidence. No big deal.

Chill out Ripley, God’s sake.

I clear my throat and look at her sheepishly.

“Fine. I’m fine. I could have sworn I got the faintest whiff of coconut, is all. But that’s ridiculous.” I laugh it off. “Are you ready to keep looking around? I want to get on the Ferris wheel before we leave too!”

I just need to distract myself better. I don’t know why those two are the ones that have finally caught my attention or why the scent of an omega on them made me want to find that omega and consume him. I have to get it through my head that this pack is off-limits to me. They have a complete pack. They have an omega. Everything they need and want is in their possession. So why would they want me?

Exactly. They don’t.

Mom has a small smile painted on her lips.

“What?” I ask cautiously.

“Oh, nothing. Nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. Let’s go see if we can find that booth you want, hmm?”

Whistling a cheerful tune to herself, she walks ahead of me, leaving me to follow behind as I narrow my eyes on the back of her head. She’s up to something. Or she knows something. Ugh. Parents.

Lightly jogging, I catch up and keep pace at her side. I glance at her from the corner of my eye. She’s still smiling, whistling that tune.

I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously. “Spill it. You know something. Or at least you think you do. Or... Something! There’s something with that smirk on your face and the whistling!”

Mom laughs at me, nudging me with her shoulder.

“You’re silly. It’s nothing. I’m just happy. It’s a beautiful day. My wonderful daughter is home with me again. I’m at the festival getting to enjoy it with you. It’s just a good day. Calm down.”

“Oh...” My brow furrows as I look ahead.

Maybe I am just thinking too hard about it. That coconut scent really scrambled my brain. I need to get my mind back on track. I will have a good day. No alphas or betas or omegas that won’t stop invading my thoughts.

With that in mind, I steel myself. Mom’s right. It’s a beautiful day and I’m sitting here doing exactly what I said I wouldn’t. I’m thinking about people that I don’t even really know, focusing on them like they’re the only ones out there. Stupid.

Well, no more. At least for today. Today is for spending it with my mom and relaxing. And shopping.

As we continue to walk, I finally spot the booth I’m looking for at the end. I squeal in excitement and race ahead, Mom laughing in my wake. A beta woman in her fifties sits in a chair, her items surrounding her. Framed drawings, little clay sculptures, handmade stuffed creatures, and smaller items fill the booth.

She looks at me with kind eyes and smiles warmly at me. “Ah. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again, Little Miss. It’s been a while, but I never forget a face. Especially not when someone is as excited about seeing my work as you.”

I grin, eyeing a particularly adorable stuffed skeleton llama. The boning is embroidered with a shimmery fabric while the rest is covered in a soft, dark purple minky fabric. This lady has so many talents, but a lot of what she makes has a creepy little twist to them. There are normal items as well that are appropriate for children or someone who doesn’t like spooky-looking things to decorate with.

“I was hoping I’d find you here. Your booth was one of my favorites a few years ago. I’m glad I finally got to come back and see you here. Your work is just as beautiful as I remember.”

She barks out a laugh. “Don’t think most would call my work beautiful. Creepy as all hell, sure.”

Chuckling, I say, “I’m not most people. And I happen to love creepy as hell things, as you so eloquently put it.” Snorting, I grab the llama.

---