The Bookstore Lady

ESTELLA

It was a beautiful Saturday, and I was getting ready to see Bonnie.

Now, about Bonnie…

Bonnie has been my secret for the past three years. A secret friend. No one knows about her, but I’m not exactly lying or sneaking around when I go to see her.

I tell everyone that I’m heading to the town’s bookstore for supplies, which is true because Bonnie owns that bookstore.

Her story isn’t mine to share, and I don’t really know it anyway. But I can tell you how I met her and what I do know about her.

Three years ago, I stumbled upon the most charming bookstore I’ve ever seen during one of my trips into town.

It wasn’t anything grand, flashy, or modern, just quaint and vintage with a touch of fairytale.

That’s when I saw Bonnie.

I didn’t know her name then, but I instantly liked her. It was similar to how I felt about Eva when I met her ten years ago, although Bonnie has a different kind of beauty.

Tall, with strawberry blonde hair, and gray-green eyes, it’s hard not to notice her.

That day she was wearing a pastel ‘50s dress and a floral scarf around her neck. I later realized that scarves are her thing. I’ve never seen her without one in all the time I’ve known her.

She had this joyful aura about her and a really bright, infectious smile that drew me instantly to her bookstore. The smile slipped from her lips as soon as she caught a whiff of my scent.

That’s how I knew she was a werewolf. But I was confused and hurt when she asked me to leave her store while welcoming every other human in.

The first time, I left but returned the next day and every day for the rest of the week, and she practically threw me out each time.

I didn’t understand why I was so persistent when she was treating me so coldly while being warm to everyone else. I hadn’t done anything to make her dislike me.

Eventually, as I watched her, I realized that it was my scent that bothered her, but unlike Sarah, it wasn’t my human scent.

Bonnie was a rogue wolf. If she had a pack, she must have left it long ago. It hit me that she must be hiding from her kind.

She was probably scared that I would lead them to her, being connected to wolves and all.

“I won’t snitch,” I declared the next time I walked into her bookstore.

She scowled at me, but then her expression turned indifferent.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid,” she said dismissively. “Now leave. I have nothing to sell to you.”

“Funny, because I can see at least a hundred things I’d like to buy,” I shot back and sat down on a stool.

“You’re testing my patience,” she warned, but I just shrugged.

Then I looked around the store to make sure no one else was there. I should have done it from the start, but it didn’t occur to me. Lucky thing I didn’t say anything stupid before I checked.

“I know what you are,” I said. “I’m not scared of you.”

“You should be,” she growled.

“And you don’t need to be scared of me,” I added as if I hadn’t heard her. “I won’t tell anyone about you, and I won’t let anyone find you.”

“You think I’m hiding?” she sneered.

“Yes. You’re a rogue, right?”

“What’s your name?” she asked suddenly.

“Estella.”

She let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” she hissed.

“Well, I’m not. Why?”

“Estella. A star. A fucking star. You just had to have a name similar to mine, didn’t you?”

I looked at her, confused. “But your name is…” I paused as it finally dawned on me. “Not Bonnie.”

“My name is Bonnie. My middle name, but don’t you dare ask me about my first name.”

“I won’t,” I promised. “And if you don’t want to tell me your story, that’s fine. I’ll be curious, but I won’t ask. Just let me come here, and I won’t tell them about you.”

“Are you blackmailing me?” she scoffed.

“No. I won’t tell anyway. It’s not my business. But I want to be able to visit your bookstore.”

“Why?” she asked. “Why are you so determined to come here?”

“I like this place, and I like you. You treat me horribly, but I like you.”

She came over to me, and with a sad smile, she touched my cheek.

“Just avoid coming to see me when it’s close to the full moon,” she whispered, and I nodded.

From that day on, we became friends. She warmed up to me, and within a month, I got a real smile out of her.

I never pushed her for details, but she did tell me that her wolf was very sick and could become dangerous at the full moon. That’s why she kept the bookstore closed three days before it.

She also said she hadn’t been hiding for the past few years. The people from her old pack knew where to find her, but they wouldn’t come to her, and she wouldn’t go back to them.

She explained that she liked living like a human and was very happy with her life.

I believed her. I still do.

I visit her once a week. I don’t always buy things. Most of the time, we just talk, and she teaches me how to make my own notebooks, albums, and stuff like that.

I’m terrible at it, I admit, but it’s so much fun. And guess what? I even earned the privilege of visiting her at home.

MAX

Several months have passed since the incident with the kiss. Now my birthday is approaching. Not that I’m planning to celebrate it.

In our world, only the eighteenth birthday is significant because it means you can finally feel the pull of the mate bond.

I guess if there was a standard age for shifting, it would be included in the list of things that count.

But there isn’t. Well, there is, but it varies. It happens somewhere between the sixth and twelfth year of a werewolf’s life.

Alphas usually shift early. It’s seen as a sign of their wolves’ strength.

The shift typically happens between eight and ten years old. But since there have been cases documented from six to twelve, those are the general limits.

Both Patrick and I shifted when we were seven. I was the first, since I was born two months earlier.

My cousin won’t admit it, but he still gets tense whenever this is brought up, which isn’t often.

Anyway, like I said, I don’t plan on celebrating my birthday. The only person who always brings me gifts every year is, predictably, Estella.

I hate the idea that I’ll have to try and avoid her this year.

The initial awkwardness between us has faded, but I can’t ignore the way she looks at me anymore. And I’m not sure I’m good at hiding how my feelings for her have changed.

I never thought a kiss could change so much between two people, especially when one of them doesn’t clearly remember it.

Before her, kisses didn’t seem like a big deal.

You might think that a kiss from your mate would have more impact than any other kiss, but I didn’t feel sparks prickling my skin when I kissed her.

To a regular human, that might sound ridiculous (and trust me, I agree), but for us, that’s one of the effects of the bond.

You find your mate by their scent and feel the bond through sparks or tingling when you touch.

What I felt with her that night wasn’t about sparks and tingles. Lust was the obvious part, but underneath that, I just wanted to be one with the person I love more than anyone else in the world.

What little happened between us felt terrifyingly right to my heart. That just made things more complicated, so I tried not to think about it.

But the thoughts and the memory of the kiss kept popping up in my head, making me zone out more than I usually do.

“Where did you go just now?” Alpha Rohan’s deep voice echoed.

“Leave him alone, Rohan,” Patrick said with a knowing half-smile. “Max has his own problems.”

“Can’t he share with his friends?” The alpha frowned, his intense gaze still on me.

“Unfortunately, no,” I said. “Some thoughts are better kept private.”

He nodded, understanding.

Ever since our pack formed an alliance with Alpha Rohan, and after his amusing encounter with Estella a few years ago, the man has become a regular visitor.

Surprisingly, he’s quite likable. Usually, wolves that take too long to find their mates become unbearable, but while Rohan looks the part of the gruff alpha, he’s actually pretty laid back.

With his friends, at least. I’ve heard he’s a fearsome alpha.

“So, you still haven’t found her?” Patrick asked, looking at Rohan.

“Would I be here so often if I had?” The man raised an eyebrow.

“Probably not.” My cousin nodded. “Are you looking, though?”

“No, I’m not. I have too much on my plate to worry about a mate.”

“Max, you’ve met your match.” My cousin chuckled.

“I’m not into guys, unfortunately,” I joked.

“Witty brunettes more your type?” Rohan teased.

I shifted in my chair a bit and gave him a puzzled look.

“I’m not blind, Kinsky,” he said. “Something’s going on between you and Estella.”

“There’s nothing going on between Estella and me,” I denied firmly. “I’ve known her since she was a kid, and she’s still too young for what you’re implying.”

“And you still have a mate waiting for you out there,” he commented.

“I’m no more interested in this than you are, Rohan.”

“Yes, but the difference between us is that I haven’t found her.”

“I—”

“Kinsky, I hate liars, so don’t make yourself one,” he said, cutting me off.

“How do you know?” I asked, giving up on pretending.

“As I said, I’m not blind.” He smiled. “At first, I thought Estella had a crush on you, but then I saw how you look at her. Especially lately. And I’m an alpha. I can sense these things.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“You mean don’t tell her. I won’t. But I’m not sure how long you can keep this a secret.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been telling him,” Patrick chimed in.

I was about to respond to my cousin when I smelled her. I should be used to it by now. How good her scent is. But it gets me every time.

That’s one of the things that makes it hard for me, or rather my wolf, to stay away from her.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but the need to be around her and touch or sniff her gets stronger as she gets older.

Of course, the fact that I could do both freely when she was little makes the current situation even harder.

Anyway, a few moments later, my girl came bouncing in.

Without thinking, I smiled at her and was about to get up from my chair to greet her when instead of coming to me like she usually does, she went straight into Rohan’s arms.

What the fuck?

ESTELLA

Whenever I leave Bonnie’s bookstore, I feel euphoric. I think it’s Bonnie’s positive energy. That and I always find what I’m looking for there.

That woman seems to have some kind of magic, and not just because she’s a werewolf. She always makes wishes come true. Like how she got me the special painting kit I asked for.

I may not be the best at scrapbooking or bookbinding, but I can draw like nobody’s business. My dream is to be an animator and create my own comic series.

If you promise not to tell, I’ll let you in on a little secret—I’m already halfway through creating my first comic book.

But that’s a story for another time.

The reason I needed those colors was because I wanted to start on Max’s birthday gift. His birthday was a couple of months away, and I had this painting in mind that I wanted to give him.

I’d sketched out a few drafts, and Bonnie had given me two large canvases last week. It’s always good to have a backup.

Uncle Julian helped me carry them and stash them in my room.

Now, with my painting kit, I wouldn’t have to work so hard. I’d just stuff it into my giant bag, toss it in my bike basket, and head over to see Max.

Well, technically, I’d go to the pack house to visit Eva and the kids (I’d picked up some cool stuff for them from Bonnie’s bookstore), but I’d swing by Max’s place too.

I hadn’t seen Leslie and Howie in forever, and I missed them.

Now that Max was the pack’s full-time doctor, his parents had taken the opportunity to travel the world.

They usually traveled with Patrick’s parents, but they’d come back a week ago. Between school and avoiding Max after my birthday, I hadn’t had a chance to visit them.

The hospital was really close, so I figured I’d “have” to stop by. Have I mentioned how good Max looks in his white doctor’s coat? No? Well, I just did.

The white of the coat makes his blue eyes pop, and he’s the kind of doctor any woman would love to run into and have to be examined by.

But I won’t go into that because I’m sure I’ll blush when I see him, and then things will get awkward again.

Except I didn’t have to go to the hospital to see Max. He was right there, at the pack house, chatting with Patrick and Rohan.

My surprise at seeing Max faded when I saw one of my favorite people (I’m a very loving person, so I have a lot of favorite people).

This time, I’m talking about Alpha Rohan.

Without thinking, I squealed with joy and threw myself into his arms. Like always, he picked me up and spun me around like I weighed nothing.

Then he sniffed me with a strange look on his face. He always did that, and I always meant to ask him why, but something always distracted me.

Like this time, when a certain someone growled threateningly from behind us.

Before I knew what was happening, I was pulled out of Rohan’s bear hug and into another set of arms.

If any other guy tried to manhandle me like that, I’d punch him so hard he’d remember it for the rest of his life.

But this was Max, and his touch was always welcome. Who am I kidding? It was more than welcome. So, I snuggled in and enjoyed his sudden possessiveness.

“What’s gotten into you, Kinsky?” Rohan asked, grinning slyly.

“You were crushing her,” Max said, his face serious.

I wanted to point out that he was doing a fair amount of crushing himself, but I knew he’d stop if I did, so I didn’t.

I just watched them argue, exchanging amused looks with Patrick.

“Estella didn’t complain,” Rohan said.

“She could barely breathe,” Max said through gritted teeth. “And why were you sniffing her like that?”

“You’re overreacting, doctor,” Rohan replied dismissively. “As for the sniffing, I was trying to figure out where the smell of old books and jasmine was coming from. It’s not her usual scent.”

To check if Rohan was right, Max buried his nose in my neck and took a deep breath.

Under any other circumstances, the effect—especially with his nose brushing against my skin—would be drastically different. But all I felt was fear.

You see, the smell Rohan described was Bonnie’s, and I’d noticed it from the start.

It was strange because humans aren’t known for their sense of smell, especially compared to werewolves.

But her scent was one of the things that drew me to her. It felt like home.

Bonnie had told me she used some tricks to hide it, like a potion or something, so other wolves that might pass by wouldn’t easily detect her.

She said she couldn’t completely hide it, but it would be faint enough to go unnoticed.

So far, only Rohan had noticed it on me. The others might smell the jasmine or the books, but never both together.

A suspicion started to form in my mind about how this was possible, but before I could fully connect the dots, Max’s low growl and the kiss on my temple derailed my train of thought.

I felt his arms relax around me, and I wanted to protest, but at least he didn’t pull away completely.

“I can smell the books,” he said thoughtfully, “and maybe a faint scent of jasmine. Were you at the bookstore again, darling?”

“Yes.” I smiled at him, trying to hide my unease. “I needed some supplies.”

“Where is this bookstore?” Rohan asked, furrowing his brow.

“In town. It’s a small, cute place, and the lady who owns it is a sweet old lady who loves jasmine. She has like ten pots of them outside the bookstore.

“The whole block smells like them,” I said enthusiastically, hoping I sounded convincing.

“How old is she?”

“Old.” I shrugged and then pretended to think. “Over fifty, I think, because her hair is mostly gray.

“She’s too old for you, alpha, and even if she wasn’t, you’d scare her to death if she ever saw you.”

“Me, intimidating?” Alpha Rohan laughed, and I shot him a look of disbelief as I tilted my head to meet his gaze.

Werewolves, both men and women, are taller than your average human. You’ve probably heard the stories.

Most of the time, the tales get it wrong—imagination can run wild, after all. But the height part? That’s spot on.

Werewolves are taller than humans on average, and in my ten years of living among them, I’ve yet to meet one who doesn’t tower over me.

Being on the shorter side, it’s always been a bit of a strain to look up at them.

Alpha Rohan, though, he’s the tallest I’ve ever seen. Taller than Max, taller than Patrick. His first impression can be… well, a bit off-putting.

But the truth is, if you get to know him, and if he takes a liking to you, he’s more like a big, cuddly teddy bear. He’s probably the most misunderstood person I’ve ever met.

“You scowl, you glare, and you never smile,” I pointed out. “So yeah, I’d say you’re pretty intimidating.”

“I smile at you, you ungrateful little human,” he teased, pretending to growl.

“Once in a blue moon,” I shot back. “You should show off those fangs more often, Alpha.”

“And you need to learn some manners, kid. You can’t always be so blunt. It’s not always a good thing in this world.”

“Those who love me will always appreciate it,” I shrugged.

“Exactly.” Patrick chimed in for the first time, and I grinned at him when he winked at me. “Are you here for Eva and the kids?”

“Yeah, but I don’t mind hanging out with you three, unless you’ve got secrets you don’t want me to know about.”

“Nope.” Patrick shook his head. “We covered all that before you walked in.”

I heard Max clear his throat and turned to see him shooting a warning look at his cousin and alpha.

I could tell something was up, but I decided to let it go for now. I wasn’t in the mood to play detective today.

“Too bad,” I pouted. “If I’d known, I would’ve come earlier to eavesdrop.”

“We would’ve smelled you,” they all said at once, and I crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed.

“That’s not fair!”

“Nothing is fair in this world, kid,” Rohan said, a sad smile on his face.

“He’s right,” Patrick agreed. “Anyway, to change the subject, Eva and the kids went to visit her father’s pack for a few days, Estella.

“Their grandparents wanted to spend some time with them.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” I sighed. “Are Leslie and Howie home?” I asked Max.

“They’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he replied. “They went shopping in town. But since I’m done here, we can go wait for them at the hospital.”

The thought of being almost alone with Max made my heart race. I should’ve been used to it by now, but I wasn’t.

So, I just nodded, and we said our goodbyes to Patrick and Rohan before heading out.

We walked in silence for a while, and I thought it would last until Max took my hand and intertwined our fingers.

I could feel my face heating up, and I let out a soft gasp when he used our joined hands to pull me closer to him.

Then he leaned in, his mouth close to my ear.

“Now tell me, darling,” he whispered. “Why did you lie about the woman at the bookstore?”