Page 13 of The Librarian and Her Alphas

“Help yourselves,” she says, waving to the snacks with a flourish. “I’m sorry there isn’t more. This was all I could find.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Max replies, smiling at her. Her cheeks turn pink, and she looks away. The food doesn’t interest me- all I want to eat isher.

But I have to play the part of a human, so I pretend to be interested in the disgusting array of expired or on the verge of expiring snacks.

“Alright, I’ll leave you all to talk,” she says, ready to escape again.

“Sit with us for a while,” Gunnar invites, and I nearly let out a growl of frustration.Does he not understand how much restraint it takes not to rip her little blue dress into shreds?

“Um, do you mind if I sit here with you?” Lena asks nervously, glancing over at Max. He jumps up from where he’s lounging on the couch, scooting over to make room for her.

“Of course!” he says, patting the seat beside him. “Make yourself comfortable.”

She sits next to him, nervously smoothing her dress over her thighs. I focus on the shape of her thighs beneath the fabric, my mouth watering at the thought of having them wrapped around my head as I pleasure her. She swallows nervously, and I clear my throat, trying to regain my focus.

“So, Lena, are you from around here?” I ask in a friendly tone.

“Yes,” she stammers. “I’ve only been working at Willowstone Library for two years.”

“What made you decide to work here? You look pretty young. I figured it would be a job for someone much older.”

She blushes, and I grin.

“I know,” she says. “But I’ve always loved reading. I went to college for this, and I love my job here so much.”

“What do you like about it?” Max asks, and her face brightens immediately. Gunnar stares at her intently, just like I am. We’re enraptured by her every second she’s here.

“Oh, I just love that I get to introduce people to their new favorite stories,” she gushes, her eyes sparkling excitedly. “Especially the children. The best part of my week is story time with them, and today, I read Little Red Riding Hood to them. It’s when I met Gunnar here.”

“Yes, that’s true,” says Gunnar, who is also looking at her intensely.

“Was Gunnar being the big bad wolf in the library today?” Max asks cheekily, and Gunnar kicks at his shoe, shooting him a glare. Max shrugs and grins at Lena, her face turning even redder.

I roll my eyes at my pack’s antics.

Even after being reprimanded, Max is trying to cross the line. I watch as Lena sinks deeper into the couch, finally relaxing as her initial apprehension seems to wear off.

“So, do you have any kids of your own?” Max asks.

“Not yet. I would love to have children one day, but I don't think the time is right now,” Lena replies, shaking her head.

“What about a boyfriend?” he probes, and my heart drops at his blatant question.What the hell is wrong with Max?I can’t bark orders to shut him up in front of her, so I must keep my cool. “Are you dating anyone, Lena?”

“No,” she says in a low voice, her face paling. “I haven’t dated anyone in quite some time.”

“Why? You’re hot as fuck and guys are probably falling over themselves to be with you.”

She shrugs halfheartedly and stares at her legs, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Max continues to ask her questions about herself, but I notice she doesn’t share much beyond basic, surface-level details.

I raise an eyebrow in interest, my suspicions piqued. Asking about a boyfriend is invasive, but her reluctance to elaborate makes me wonder if she’s hiding something.

Curiosity about her grows as I observe her secretive demeanor. Humans typically love to talk about themselves when prompted.

“What about your family?” I ask, hoping to change the topic and encourage her to open up. “Are they also from around here?”

“Yes, I mean no,” Lena stammers, breathing hard. “They moved here when I was y-young.” She brushes a trembling strand of hair away from her face.

“Do you have any siblings?”

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