SIMON POV
Iinhaled deeply, soaking in all the calming scents as I stepped inside my apothecary store in the bright early morning sunshine, trying to prepare myself for another great day. Sometimes the smell of my shop saddened me because it brought back the feeling that I hadn’t always done this alone. I tried my hardest not to think about my wife, Kat, dying in the horrific manner she did, murdered by a rogue wolf simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but every so often it was a knife to the chest.
The apothecary was her dream really. She was the one with all the spiritual knowledge and the ability to heal. As she spent our days together teaching me everything she knew, I never thought one day I would take over all of it.
Any time that bolt of sadness hit, I twisted it around into happiness instead. I knew that was what Kat would have wanted. As a ray of sunshine who brought joy to everyone’s lives, the last thing she would have wanted was for me to be upset.
It was terrible that she died, but she also lived a wonderful life, so it was best for me to focus on that instead. That was why I kept the smiling picture of her on the wall in the shop, to keep her spirit alive always. I liked to have her beside me in one way or another, even if it wasn’t in the way I wanted. After five years, it was still good to feel her presence and sense she was happy with the way I was living my life
“Morning, Kat.” I smiled up at her as I stretched my arms high. “I didn’t have enough time for yoga this morning, so my chakras are all out of whack. I don’t think it’ll be bad enough to have my whole day ruined though. We’ll see how it goes.”
I inhaled deeply once more, making sure to be more mindful with this breath, before I stepped behind the counter and started counting out the money in the register to make sure I had enough for the day. Although whether it was going to be a busy one or not, I couldn’t be sure.
Cara could come back for more lotion for her back pain. I knew that had been troubling her recently. And then there were the Thompsons who wanted to keep it under wraps that they liked a few herbs to help spice up their love life. As if it mattered if others knew. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Although I suppose in a small town like Twin Lakes, it was easy for gossip to spread and hard to dampen it down once more.
I looked up at the sound of the bell over the door ringing, wondering who was coming in this early in the morning. Even though I was always here early, I didn’t usually get many visitors until after midday, so this was a surprise. Even more so when I saw who it was.
The beautiful newbie in town. Miranda. I’d seen her around and heard a lot about her because she was the newest fascination. But I hadn’t yet had a chance to speak with her. I wondered what she could she need from my store.
“Hello there.” I smiled brightly at her, immediately getting a good vibe from her. “I’m Simon. How may I help you?” I stepped forward with my hand outstretched.
“Nice to meet you, Simon,” she replied taking my hand in her smaller, more delicate one. “I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something calming. Like…I don’t know, a soothing tea or something. Is that the sort of thing you’re able to do?”
I let out a little chuckle. “That’s what I specialize in. I have helped a lot of people with anxiety and things like that, so whatever you’re struggling with, I can find something for you.”
“I don’t know if it’s anxiety.” She sighed. “I’m just still adjusting to everything.”
I offered her a seat in the café area set up in the corner of the store, another one of Kat’s amazing ideas, while I boiled the tea. I watched Miranda out the corner of my eye for a moment, trying to gauge just how much she wanted to talk. I was pretty good at reading people, which was a massive help in this line of work, and I could tell Miranda had her walls up high and didn’t want to let me in.
“So, how are you finding your new town?” I asked, starting a conversation to let her lead the way. I guess I would have to figure it out as we went along. “Do you like it?”
“Twin Lakes is great.” I could sense a hesitation in her words, but it wasn’t linked to the town. There was something else causing this angst within her. “I’m glad I’m here. Everyone has been friendly so far. It seems like a great place to be.”
“I think so too. It truly is a great place to live. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
That was actually true. I could have moved after Kat died and started again somewhere without all the memories making my heart hurt, but I stayed because Twin Lakes was special.
Once I had the pot of chamomile tea prepared, I took it over to her and was hit with a smell I wasn’t expecting. The scent of a wolf. A she-wolf.
“Oh!” Her eyes lit up when she smelled it too. “Hey! I’m from the Waning Moon pack.”
“Regal Moon.” This gave us something to bond over. “Wow, this is special. It’s great to have a she-wolf in town.”
As the smile spread across her face, I felt a deep pull between us. Something new and exciting. Attraction. Holy shit, I hadn’t felt anything close to this level of attraction in a while now. It was deeper, more intense, perhaps because she was another wolf.
“Here, drink this,” I instructed as I slid the mug over to her. “But I’m going to make something for you to take home as well. Something I know will help.”
Now that I knew her scent, I knew there was something better I could create for her, something that could really relax her. That brought joy to my heart unlike anything else. I caught sight of Kat’s picture as I headed to the counter where all my supplies were, feeling her acceptance. She would like Miranda, I was sure of it. If Kat were still here, I could just imagine them sitting around the table together chatting eagerly and happily.
“So, you think you’re going to stay in Twin Lakes?” I asked eagerly, hoping she would say yes.
“I hope so, yeah,” Miranda nodded slowly. “It seems like a great place to settle down. From what I have heard, people leave but always come back, which says a lot.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s true. People usually do come back. Especially shifters like us. I think there is a real acceptance here that draws people back.”
I didn’t know where she had been before, but I hoped that was enough to twist her arm. I had a feeling her smiling face would be a win for Twin Lakes. She certainly couldn’t make anything worse, could she? Not when she was so gorgeous and sweet.
“That’s good. I would like that. It’s nice to be accepted. We have—I have moved around a lot.” I took note of the way she corrected herself quickly. I wondered who this “we” was, and if the other person had anything to do with her weird energy when she came in. But I couldn’t ask because it wasn’t for me to know if she didn’t want to tell me. “So it’s nice to think of somewhere as a little more permanent. I would like to call somewhere home forever.”