Derek
Derek needed to buy a baby gift. Traditionally everyone in the pack made a handmade gift for a new baby, especially for the Alpha’s pup. But Derek knew that Everleigh would like something from a boutique.
Everleigh, thank God, had changed Roman’s outdated perspective on the human world. If he'd never met her, Roman would probably still be stuck in the dark ages, at least inside his own mind. She had brought him out little by little until finally he wasn't such a stick in the mud about the human world. Plus, it would probably drive him crazy if Derek bought a baby gift from a store. So that was always a bonus. Needling his Alpha was a favorite pastime of Derek’s.
It always had been even when they were kids. Even before he was the Alpha.
In town, Derek breezed into the boutique. The owner was a female woman that he had hooked up with years ago. She was no longer single, but that didn't stop her from flirting. However, Derek always cut it off before it went too far. He didn't mind sleeping around, but he always made sure that the female woman was not committed to someone else.
"Hello, Derek, can I help you today?” she asked. She’d already pushed her chest out when he walked in. He took a moment to admire her cleavage, trying not to be too obvious.
She seemed surprised to see him, which made sense because he didn't often come into a boutique. Especially not one that sold baby clothes.
"A guy who’s like a brother to me had a baby. A little boy.”
She made a squealing sound. "Do you have anything in mind for the gift?”
Wolf shifter babies didn't really need blankets or warm clothes, but this woman didn't know that. Besides, Everleigh would enjoy some designer outfits, even if none of the other kids were wearing them. They would likely get stained and ripped up, but she’d take some photos of them and be happy.
The kids tended to be pretty rough and tumble in the childcare groups. Because the children were so much stronger and more durable than humans, they couldn't go to human childcare. They were usually five years old before they were good at controlling themselves. As a result, the pack had opened an early childhood group at Everleigh's request.
When she moved onto the pack land, there had hardly been anyone who had worked outside the pack and so most of the pack just helped with childcare duties for new parents and then quit once the baby was a few months old.
But as the pack became more integrated with the human world, there were more and more shifters who wanted to join human society. More of the mothers and fathers and even grandparents were leaving the pack during the day. Their children under five had nowhere to go. Everleigh had gotten Roman on board and then the two of them had found several pack members who were interested in providing the childcare, either for a wage or for other perks.
They spent money with humans, but amongst themselves they still used a bartering system.
It had been a smashing success. The pups needed supervision, but not as much as human children, which meant they could be taken out in groups into the woods, so they could run, hunt, fish, swim, and play.
The new pup would join them soon enough, Derek assumed. She showed him to the area for newborn babies, and he got one of everything. Everleigh would be so impressed that he shopped. He doubted Roman had ever set foot in a clothing store.
"Would you like those wrapped?" she asked.
"Yes. That would be great." Everleigh would appreciate the fancy wrapping nearly as much as she appreciated the fancy clothes.
With his arms full of packages, he left the boutique, but not before the owner snuck in a few gropes. He smiled at her but only in a friendly way. She was barking up the wrong tree. He was really interested in Kyra.
As he left, he thought that he felt Kyra, but when he looked around, he didn't see her. Then the feeling was gone. As he got to know her better, he would be a little more certain if she were close in proximity or not.
He headed back toward his car, making sure that no one was following him. It didn't hurt to be a little bit paranoid, especially now that their Alpha was preoccupied with his new son.
But as soon as he stepped off the curb, he felt Kyra’s presence again.
Then she was in front of him, stepping out of the library, holding a stack of books in her arms.
“Oh!” she said. “Derek.”
“Kyra,” he said. “We meet again.” So he had felt her presence – he hadn't been imagining things at all. "You look lovely today." He tried to keep his tone from being too suggestive. She had on a flowing white shirt and a pair of fitted jeans. She had her glossy black hair tied up with a yellow scarf. She wore an oversized pair of dark sunglasses, so he couldn’t see her eyes.
A few people passed them on the street. He moved out of the way, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Thank you,” she said. She hitched her backpack higher and adjusted her books.
He didn't want to use all of his old techniques on her. But he just felt compelled to touch her. He reached out and smoothed a strand of her hair from her face. Just that simple touch sent tingles down his fingertips.
She licked her lips and then swallowed hard. He liked to think he’d had an effect on her, as she’d definitely had an effect on him. His heart thundered, and his pants were tight, just from seeing her here in public.
He shifted all of the packages to one hand. “It’s really good to see you.” He had to get her off the sidewalk, away from all the tourists and townspeople that were in his way. “Do you have a minute to get some coffee?” he asked. “I’d love to see you for a minute, even though we have a date tomorrow night.”