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But it was only Lio, and I was relieved to see him.

“I noticed the broken windows from outside,” said Lio, walking in and looking around. He came over to me, touching my elbow, and I stopped sweeping the floors.

“There are damn criminals running around here,” said my grandma, who was pissed off all day. I could tell she was pissed off by how her glasses hung above her head and how her hands shook more than usual today. “Just because my granddaughter fell in love with a vampire.”

“It’s unacceptable,” said Lio with a hard line to his jaw. “I will install cameras all over the store, and we will replace your windows.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not in the budget,” I said.

“Not inyourbudget,” he said. “I’m paying for the repairs.”

“Lio, I can’t accept it,” I said, my eyes burning as I stared at the shelf. “It’s my fault this happened.”

He turned my face to look at him. “It’s not your fault baby. You were destined to be with him, and that’s all there is to it.”

My chin wobbled with emotion, as he kissed me.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Anything for you, my love.”

One Month Later

“Do you have any more of the keychains shaped like a fang?” asked a customer.

“I’m sorry, I’ve run out of those,” I said, and her face fell. My vampire merchandise was a top seller, and I couldn’t keep up with the demand. James had his people carve out the little wooden trinkets, and I paid them a portion of the earnings.

“We have more,” said James, walking into the shop with a box in his hand and wearing a fancy black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie.

“Yay!” said the customer, running to the counter.

I smiled as he set the box down on the counter, and the ten customers flocked to purchase them with the help of my grandma. Things had improved with the people being more accepting of the vampires as they integrated their lives on Howl’s Edge. The vampires kept to themselves mostly, even though the females were fascinated by them. A customer even asked if the vampire sucked on my blood while an alpha knotted me. I was shocked by the question, but it was also playing in my mind, and I would get aroused thinking about it.

“Little omega,” said James, approaching me. His hands rested on my waist, and I pulled him to the back of the shop for some privacy. I closed the door to the backroom, and he trapped me in his arms.

“Why are you dressed up in a suit?” I asked, touching his neatly shaven face. His black hair was tied back in a bun, without a stray hair in place, and he smelled like woody cologne. He brought his lips to my neck, kissing me there. Lio, Markus, and Owen also had their intimate favorite spot on my body, which I loved.

“I came to whisk you away somewhere,” he muttered, his cold breath causing goosebumps to form on the back of my neck and butterflies in my belly.

“But I’m working,” I said. “We need to help Grandma.”

“We’re closing shop right now, then,” he said.

“How will I make money?”

“I’m sure you can squeeze a penny or two from Lio,” he said, and I giggled. I loved having my own source of income even though they all wanted to take care of me, buy me things, and spoil me.

“Don’t you have a vampire land to run?” I asked him.

“It’s different now that some of them have moved into the city.”

“Are you worried they’ll start feeding on people?”

“No, they love the luxury life a little too much,” said James. “Although I get worried about seeing a dead beta on the news. No mark on the neck means good news. So far, they’re being careful.”

“That’s good,” I said as he kissed me on the neck. He groaned, pushing me up against the wall as his cool lips pressed onto my skin. I longed for his fangs to sink into me and suck my blood again. “You can drink a little bit.”

He groaned again, pulling back from me.