Page 27 of A Pack of Cozy

I tear off the beautiful paper and reveal a box. It's a brand new, state-of-the-art telescope. I'd seen this one before. The algorithm has me pegged because it's appeared in my social media feeds before. It's worth three months of my salary.

"I—" I start to protest, knowing he was spending far more on me than was reasonable, but then he catches my gaze and arches an eyebrow. "Thank you, Seth," I say instead. He leans in closer, brushing his lips against mine in a kiss that sends shivers down my spine.

"Good girl," he murmurs, his breath warm against my skin, making my heart race. I melt at the praise. Or rather, my omega does. She loves being praised by our alphas.

Connor

IdrivetotheCafé alone since Seth and Bax are still asleep. Later in the day, I'll check on our other locations as part of my weekly routine. As I pass the Library I see something that makes my heart drop. I quickly pull over, get out of the car, and rush over to Cali, who is finishing speaking with a police officer.

Across the brick wall that makes up the front of the building are spray-painted, vile words and sayings that I've seen on some of the social media trends and news outlets with no scruples. They're used by groups that believe certain books should be banned from libraries and schools because they don't align with their beliefs—beliefs about designations and a person's role in society based on them.

I rush to Cali, her arms open wide, and I pull her into a tight embrace. The softness of her hair brushes against my cheek as I scent mark the top of her head. Tear tracks glisten on her face.

In the background, I can see Henry, the alpha deputy, standing a little apart. I've known him since high school, though our paths drifted in different directions. He the jock, and me the one who preferred the thrill of spectating to playing. We lock eyes, and Henry takes a small step back. Not because of any dominance on my part, but out of respect for an alpha courting an omega they haven't bonded yet. Other alphas will go out of their way so they're not perceived as a threat.

"What happened?" I ask Cali.

"I don't know," she sniffles. "It was like this when I got here."

She'd told us about what had happened with the vandalized books. Clearly, someone is targeting the Library. It isn't shocking. Lately, there's been a lot of push back in the media about specific types of materials being freely available in schools and public spaces. It's another part of the current counsel's push for more traditional roles in packs, and two-partner relationships. It's ridiculous. Packs and roles were entirely dependent on the needs of the individuals, and could not be determined or dictated by the government.

As a more diverse and inclusive town, I thought Lakeside Point wouldn't have these issues, but here we are.

I wrap Cali in my arms and rub my cheek along hers. Then she pulls back, and I see a sad resignation in her eyes. It cracks me open.

"Cali," I begin, but she steps back from me. I can see a wall go up between us. She's used to dealing with everything on her own. We were making progress on breaking down those defenses to let us in. Seth said his date had gone really well and she'd started to open up to him but, in the face of distress, I see all those defenses going up again in real time. Cali steps back from me.

"I need to make a few calls and get some things. I can call you later," she says, unlocking the Library doors. I make my way over to Officer Henry.

"What do you think?" I ask.

He glances at the Library and then back to me. "I think it started with books, and then went to the building. That's a classic escalation if I've ever seen one."

My blood runs cold. "Do you think Cali's in danger?" I can't keep the growl from my voice.

He considers it. "I can't say, but there is a big difference between vandalism and assault. It's a concern, but there's no evidence the perp will commit violence."

"What if she was your omega?" I ask.

"Look," he says, "I can send a squad car during the day to the Library, and we can send one to her house in the evenings."

Her house. I hadn't even considered that this psycho might escalate to where she lives. The thought sends a wave of panic crashing into me like I've never experienced before. I want to beg her to move into our omega suite. But I know Cali by now. If we do that, she'll pull away completely.

After thinking for a few minutes, I start making some phone calls.

Calliope

I'monlythreeweekson the job, and the Library has already been vandalized twice. What is a librarian who can't protect her library? It sounds like the start of a lame joke. Even though it's his day off, Tyler comes in to help. I look up the best way to scrub spray paint from bricks and head to Dandy Stuff. I tell Winnie about the issue while trying to hold back tears as I buy the cleaning supplies from her. Then I run home to get a bucket and my waterproof, winter gloves. I return to the Library prepared to bundle up and start a process I'm sure will be hours and hours.

But when I get out of my car, I freeze. The graffiti is already halfway scrubbed away from the wall. Bax, Seth, and Connor are there, cleaning it up, but they aren't the only ones. Clara, Sunny, Winnie, Rose, the Mayor, and her husband are also scrubbing away. They're all going hard at it, which explains why the wall is so much closer to being clean than it would have been if I had done it alone.

I hesitate, my eyes wide as I take in the scene before me. "Why…" Words escape me. They tangle in disbelief. Connor pauses, his scrubbing forgotten, and walks over to wrap his arms around me. "Don't you guys all have to be at work and stuff?" I whisper. This can't seriously be happening. There's no way they were all here just for me.

"We have employees who can cover for us," Connor says.

I look around at the girls.

"I think we can all say that this is more important. Our stuff can be put on hold while we help you get rid of this garbage," Rose says. As the only beta in the group, it means something that she's willing to give up her time for me when these problems aren't hers in the same way. Her designation is more common, making her position less tenuous. This vandal and the political beliefs behind them want Alphas to be in charge, betas to be in more menial roles, and omegas to remain in the domestic sphere. So, for a beta to be here means the world. For any of them to be here means the world. Tears prick, and the edges of my vision blur.

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