Page 12 of Truth or Pack

Biology was fucking weird.

"My break is up, but I can leave for a family emergency if I need to. Do I need to come rescue you?" she asked, serious now. My bestie would kick their asses but this was a fight I had to do on my own.

"That's sweet of you, but I need to handle this," I told her. "Love you, bitch."

"Love you, jerk," she said before we both hung up.

I headed towards the row of shops, the sweet aroma of coffee hitting my nostrils the moment I was a few doors down. Oh heaven in a cup, here I come.

A few people were out on this wet day, surveying the damage from the storm last night. There were a couple broken windows here and there but all in all it seemed that the storm didn't take too big of a toll on the town itself.

I hadn't thought about that when I stormed out this morning and hoped that all the shops were still open. I waved at a few people and they smiled back as I still headed for caffeine. A smile tugged at my lips when I noticed someone came out of Caitlin's Java.Ah, there’s the coffee.

When I entered the shop, a little bell rang to alert the workers I’d walked in. A cute, little brunette was behind the counter with a smile on her face. She quickly wiped her hands on the pink apron she was wearing and waved at me.

"Welcome to Caitlin's Java, how can I help you?" she beamed. Her bubbly greeting was chasing some of my frustration away.

"Can I get the biggest latte that you have?" I asked with a strained smile.

"Amen, sister. After that storm last night, we all need that caffeine, don't we?" she countered as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder and huffed. If she had a rough night she was hiding it well.

"You're not wrong. Caramel if you have it, with whipped cream and drizzle? I feel like splurging today," I said as I glanced at the menu behind her. It was a black chalkboard with a rainbow of colors and cute, little flowers decorating it.

"Gimme five and I'll have that right up. Sheldon will take your payment," she said as she gestured to the guy further down the counter.

"Thank you," I said before moving to the beta at the register.

I paid and then moved to the pickup section. As I waited, I glanced around. Everything was decorated with pink. The wallpaper had gorgeous watercolor roses and gold accents. A few pink, vintage framed portraits of people drinking coffee dotted the space, and there was a display of unique mugs.

It was honestly adorable. The charm of these mom and pop shops were lost in the city with all the big box and chain stores.

"This was my grandma's place," the lady from behind the counter said when she saw me looking around.

"I love it," I said as I turned around to find her holding out my latte. “It has a unique charm to it. I’ve missed these kinds of shops.”

"Thanks,” she said, looking so proud. “When it was grandma’s, it was a diner, but I've never been a good cook, however, I make a damn good coffee.” She let out a musical laugh.

"Well, I think it's wonderful that you’ve kept it going, even with the change. There aren't enough places like this where I live," I told her as I took a sip of my sweet drink. A small sigh escaped as the blend of sweet, creamy, and bitter hit me. It was perfectly balanced. “This is incredible.”

"It's visitors like you that keep us in business. So, thank you," she said with a genuine smile. It was helping fix my sour mood.

"Of course, and this won't be the last time you see me. I plan to come again before I head back home," I promised.

The bell dinged and she gave me a quick goodbye before greeting the next customer with just as much enthusiasm. I had a feeling it wasn’t just her coffee that kept her in business.

Now, on to my other love, books.

Holt stormed back in, the door slamming against the wall loud enough to startle me. I’d been awake for a few minutes but wasn’t quite ready for his level of intensity.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked around a yawn.

He turned those fiery, brown eyes on me with a glare. “She’s impossible. A completely unreasonable omega.”

“What happened?” I asked, even more awake now at the mention of our mate. I’d spent all night tossing and turning, thinking about her and that incredible sweet scent.

She was also gorgeous. I barely remembered her from school other than the rumors. Now she was confident and fiery, adorable with her dark glasses and long, blonde hair. Her eyes were a striking blue that stood out behind her glasses and a dusting of freckles decorated her nose and cheeks.

She was petite with that perfect omega softness. Just the right height to tuck under my chin in a hug.

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