An alpha had never spoken to me like Cole did. They never made me feel likeme, not some diluted version they wanted to perfect.
Cole wanted me, yes. But he wantedme. All of me.
I could feel how much of that came from his mother. She was this strong, independent, unapologetic, omega. I didn’t think I could handle the solitude she did, but she was right: no one needed to understand their dynamic but them.
I couldn’t wait to meet her pack. Anyone who could win someone like Karina had to be special.
“Look at this,” he said, holding up a mini ceramic Christmas tree. It was vibrant pink with multi-colored ornament and lights that were meant to glow. “I think we need this on our bedside table.”
I bit back a smile and added it to the basket. This man was doing everything he could to win me over, and I was letting him.
When I turned to the ornaments, one immediately caught my eye: a cinnamon bun. It reminded me of North. My little cinnamon roll.
I wasn’t sure he’d love the analogy but it was the truth.
Maybe I’d come back and pick ornaments for each of them when I knew the others a little better. If it was a family tradition, they would mean something. Plus, it would add character to our tree.
I almost laughed thinking of trying to shop for my exes. They would’ve given me that condescending, indulgent smile. The kind that said,What a cute little omega.
Fuck them.
“What’s with the smile drop?” Cole asked. He noticed everything.
“Do you think North would think this is stupid?” I held up the cinnamon bun ornament.
“Of course not. North isn’t like that. He’ll find it endearing. He’s a lot like you.”
“I thought so, too,” I said, confidence returning.
We sorted through the ornaments together, adding any that stood out, a mix of cute and traditional, yet they all somehow fit together. I even snagged a few packs of garland. Lights were the one thing I would buy new, I wasn’t about to burn down their estate with old lights.
“Jack needs this one,” Cole laughed, plucking a faux baseball card ornament down. The details as incredible, clearly painted by a true artist. It was perfect. “He loves to collect these. I blame Mom and her love for shopping at these antique stores.”
I smiled, loving that he found the one that fit this time.
By the time we’d filled the basket even more, I fought off a yawn.
“Enough shopping. I think it’s time for that coffee I promised.”
“Yes, please,” I agreed. He tucked me into his side as we walked back to the counter.
He handled checkout, then adjusted my hat before guiding me back into the cold. Somehow it didn’t feel so sharp with him beside me.
The coffee shop was only a few doors down and much busier than the shop we’d just left. People were chatting and a fewworked alone at tables. It had life and I let the energy instantly chase away my exhaustion.
“I’m going to guess that you’re not a black-coffee kind of omega,” Cole teased.
“You’d be right,” I said, scanning the seasonal flavors. “Peppermint mocha sounds kind of good.”
A reminder of myotheralpha.
Cole’s small smile said he caught the thought.
He ordered ours to go. “There’s somewhere else I want to take you before we head back and warm up for dinner.”
“Lead the way, alpha,” I urged as I wrapped my hands around the warm paper cup.
He tucked me to his side again as we walked, exchanging smiles with townsfolk but they mostly left us alone.
