I stepped to the right to greet Robyn and Mercy, and then they backed away from the building, revealing a black sign that hadBook Havenin white block letters.
“I know you had a design,” Robyn began, “but this’ll make it easier for people to see you from the road. You had a cute idea, and I can still sketch up something to hang over the counter. What do you think?”
Mercy beamed. “It was easy. We had everything but the alphabet cutouts, and Montana picked those up at the hardware store.”
I blinked away the tears misting my eyes. Seeing the sign madeit feel like a tangible dream—not an impermanence that loomed over my head. “It’s beautiful.”
Mercy gave me a quick hug. “It’s not much, but I think it looks real purty out here from the road. If you really wanted to attract customers, you could hang another sign by the road so it’s facing traffic.”
Lucian stood with his arms crossed, wearing all black. The sun blazed down on his head, reminding me that these people were probably hot.
“Please come inside, everyone.”
Rapturous applause erupted as I opened the door, and I jumped from the unexpected exuberance.
While I adjusted the thermostat, the crowd filed in. Joy’s mate, Salem, was a nice-looking man who tied his hair back in a knot. Unlike her, he was quiet but distinguished, and I could relate to that. He perused the aisles, pulling several books out until he couldn’t hold them anymore.
“Perhaps I should buy little baskets,” I said to Joy as we hung out behind the counter. Her pack had brought padded stools for us to sit on.
Ready to check out, Lucian set two books on the counter. He ran his hand over the bristly black stubble on his scalp. I’d never seen a Chitah with dark hair and knew how their own kind shunned them. I wondered if that was why he was living in a wolf pack.
He drummed his fingers on the counter. “You don’t have prices listed.”
That’s where it got tricky. I had no idea what my father had paid for these books, only that some of them were invaluable. Which ones were worth more? I didn’t know.
I glanced through them. “This one is information about the first Chitah clan recorded in Norway. I’ve read it, and it’s really compelling. There’re a lot of unique details about traits in theelders that aren’t seen anymore. The other is”—I swiftly thumbed through the pages—“an autobiography about a Mage pirate.” I flicked a glance up.
He arched an eyebrow at me. “One of my brothers is mated to a Mage, and her former Ghuardian collects this kind of crap.”
Joy blithely chuckled as she gathered the books and placed them into sacks Mercy had brought. “How thoughtful of you, Lucian. If I ever meet him, I’d love to ask him what he thought of thiscrap.”
Lucian produced his wallet. “How much?”
I chewed on my lip. “Two hundred for the Chitah book, and how does twenty-five sound for the other?”
“It sounds like you’re getting taken to the cleaners,” Milly said as she joined his side. While short, she was still able to rest her arms on the counter. “Believe it or not, my talents aren’t only in medicine. I have a lot of Chitah knowledge that came down from my father’s side, but we’ve been working in medicine for the past three generations.” She tapped her finger on the counter. “That book you have is highly sought-after in certain circles. I wouldn’t price it under a thousand. And that’s a low estimate.”
An uncomfortable silence followed.
“I appreciate your advice,” I said in all honesty, desperate not to lose a sale. “But I’ll never recoup what my father probably paid. I just need to let them go.”
Lucian set a bunch of large bills on the counter, his gaze so penetrating that I blinked. “For your information, I’m not here for the bargain bin. This interests me.”
Joy handed him the bag. “So does watching cartoons and reading fantasy books about dragons.”
He collected the bag and growled.
Filing her nails, Joy said, “Your surly vocalizations don’t intimidate me, Lucian Cross. Thanks for coming by. See you tomorrow when you come back for more.”
He inclined his head at me and stalked out.
“He’ll be back.” Joy selected a grape-flavored sucker from the jar on the counter. “He only browsed one section, but he’s always reading since he’s an insomniac. Don’t let his cold demeanor fool you. He’s all bark and no bite.”
Salem gingerly placed his hefty collection on the counter.
Instead of checking out first, Milly vetted every single purchase and offered insight on familiar subject matter that would make those books especially valuable. I trusted her judgment, and while I offered each customer a lower price, every single one paid Milly’s suggested offer. Not just the Arrowhead pack but also locals I’d never met. I guessed it must have been a pride thing and nobody wanted to look cheap.
In the span of one hour, I’d made three thousand dollars.
