He no sooner mused this aloud when a woman with mousy gray hair tucked into a neat bun came around the corner, a stack of books towering in her arms, almost past her wire-frame glasses. She tutted softly. “That is Miss Pippi Long-stockings,” she said, matter-of-fact. “Pippi for short. She’s the official mascot of The Crooked Bookshelf. She keeps the mice from nibbling on the pages.”
“She’s lovely,” Fletcher said.
“She knows it too,” the woman replied with a wink. “Now she’s got you wrapped around her little paw. You won’t be leaving without giving her plenty of love.”
“Gladly.” He stroked down the cat’s back. Pippi arched into it, her tail flicking lazily back and forth. She circled around and rubbed her face against his hand, hopping up so that her front paws came off the floor for a second. Fletcher laughed. “Patience, Miss Long-stockings, geez.”
Sky looked at me. “Maybe once the baby’s born, we could get a kitten?”
I smiled. “Just one? I think we’d need to get a pair, one for each of you, so you don’t have to share. Plus, they’d be able to play together and keep one another company that way.”
Fletcher stood and dusted off the knees of his jeans, shaking his head with a laugh. “Cats choose their owners, Adam; everyone knows that. My luck, both cats would be curled up on Sky’s lap, sound asleep, and I would be kitten-less.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Sky joked back, but his expression fast turned serious. He shrugged, tucking his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Nah, probably not. Animals have neverreally liked me much. I always assumed it was because of my haywire Alpha-Omega energy.”
“We’ll be sure to pick out the ones that like you,” Fletcher assured him. “Besides, once we claim you as ours, your energies should stabilize, right, Adam?”
I hummed. “An Alpha’s mark should calm the wildness in your soul and balance your emotions. I haven’t done the proper research yet, specifically, on Alpha-Omega twins and claiming, but it seemed to work for your brother and Gracie’s son just fine.”
Sky made a face, like he didn’t want to think about that, and nodded. He sipped his coffee, then looked around the bookstore with its shelves full of titles, both new and old. “Can I get a book?”
It surprised me, though I supposed it shouldn’t have. Just because I hadn’t seen Sky read a physical book didn’t mean he didn’t have an app on his phone or something.
“Sure,” I said. “What kind of books do you like to read?”
“Well, I wanna learn how to write, so I want a book on writing,” he told me. “Coming up with stories in my head was the only way I kept myself sane back then, and I still play with storylines sometimes when I’m in the shower or lying in bed, or when you guys are at work and I’m alone. I figured, might as well put pen to paper and write something original?”
Pride swelled in my chest because my little Omega had come so damn far in only a year. He was a far cry from the frantic, angry young man who had gotten drunk and tried to jump off a water tower.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” I said. “By all means, pick something out. Whatever calls to you. I’m going to go sit down on the couch over here and enjoy my coffee. Go browse.”
I waved him off and meandered back through the bookshelves until I got to one of the plush leather sofas in themiddle of the store. Fletcher was already lounging there, the cat in his lap, purring like her life depended on it. I had to admit, she was quite cute. I reached over and scratched the top of her head. She ate it up like she was starved for attention.
Weren’t cats supposed to be the independent ones?
The two of us drank our coffee and doted on the cat while Sky wandered through the bookshop. He returned after a little while with three books—two on writing and one on creativity. “I think I wanna get these,” he said, holding them up.
“Perfect. Consider them an anniversary-slash-Valentine’s Day present.”
He blinked, looking confused. “What?”
“You’ve been with us exactly a year now. We took you in on Valentine’s Day last year, and now it’s Valentine’s Day this year. So…” I raised my eyebrows. “I’d like to buy them for you as a gift.”
“Adam…”
“Sky.” I held up my hand. “I know you have money and I know you’re an independent young Omega, but as your Alpha? Let me do this.” I flashed him an ornery grin. “You can pay me back later tonight, if you wish.”
Fletcher laughed from his spot on the couch.
Sky handed me the books. “Thank you, Adam. You guys mean the world to me, you know that, right?”
“I know, love,” I murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before heading towards the checkout. It wasn’t the older lady from before, but this time, a young woman with braces and glasses. She beamed when we approached, and when I set the books on the counter, she immediately rang them up and placed them in a bag.
“What do I owe you?” I asked.
“Thirty-one twenty-seven,” she said. “We take cash or card.”
“It’ll be card.” I flashed her my credit card before swiping it. The machine beeped, accepting my card, and then asked me if I wanted any cashback. I selected twenty-five and after hitting enter, the cashier’s register sprang open. She handed me several worn five-dollar bills, which I then offered to Fletcher with a flourish.
