Chapter One

"Oh." An alpha, a lion, if I wasn't mistaken, walked into the shop only minutes before dusk. "Things have changed around here." Perhaps I should've said he sprinted into my florist shop. That would've been the better description. His face was a bit red and his eyes widened as though he'd fallen into a tunnel instead of a quaint shop.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you find something?" I asked.

"Got a bouquet that says I'm sorry I was a bit insensitive?" At least he was sorry. Not once in my years mated to Derek had he ever apologized. He danced around regret a bit but never straight out took fault for anything.

I left the safety of my counter and walked over to him, laughing. "A bit or a lot?"

He sighed and hung his head. "The biggest sorry you've got."

We both chuckled. "Lucky for you, it's peony season. I've got some stunning purple aviv flowers in the back. I could make up a bouquet quickly."

He nodded. "Yes, please. My omega loves anything purple. Would it be okay if I ran over to the charcuterie shop while you do that?"

I nodded. "Of course. Zion has some perfect treats already made up in his cases. Pick up some of the chocolate-covered, cheesecake-stuffed strawberries. Trust me."

A smile rose on the lion's face as joy settled in my heart. At moments like these, I knew my purpose. Fate surely had plans for our lives, and most of the time we never saw them coming. "Thank you."

He rushed out, and I sprinted to the back. I trimmed the bottoms of the green stems, taking care to be gentle, then coupled the beautiful plum-colored blooms with silver roses and deep-blue delphiniums with some baby's breath to make the colors pop. I wrapped them carefully in brown paper and tied the whole thing with twine. After all, the peonies spoke for themselves. No need for embellishments with such a stunning display of nature's bounty.

I brought the bundle out and added a card with the name of my shop. Bloom. My uncle had been a lover of all things simple. A simple name for a small shop, but it was no wonder he was so happy here. I'd once thought a life in the city with a demanding schedule was the thing I wanted, but once my uncle died, leaving me this place, something clicked inside me.

At first, I scoffed at the idea. A florist. Huh. Typical career for an omega. Nothing too physical. Not demanding. I would be able to work that job while pregnant with a hoglet. That's what my ex said. He saw omegas as helpless things, all in pursuit of a mate or getting knocked up. No need for an education because they would be home raising children. No need for their own money because they would be provided for.

He said running the flower shop would be a nice little thing for me to keep busy while we waited for a hoglet.

After that, he expected me to sell the business and spend all my time in service to him and a dozen children or more.

My uncle had made this place from nothing, back when Oliver Creek was a tiny town no one had heard of. There was no mortgage on the place, which included a big studio apartment above it. He had no debt and lived a comfortable life. In addition to Bloom and the living space, he named me as the beneficiary of his substantial life insurance policies.

Nothing little about what my uncle accomplished in his life. He never met his omega and, so, never had children, but he was loved in this town, and I visited him often as a child. He'd taught me all about this business, and I looked forward to working here every summer.

He never liked Derek.

I should've listened to him.

The bell above my door rang as I straightened some of the pre-made bouquets. I preferred to make the arrangement from scratch for deliveries, but I kept some things ready for those who came in for a rose or two or a larger bouquet and might not want to wait or make a lot of decisions. One alpha in particular, Amir, came in like clockwork on the first of the month to pick up a small spray of flowers for his omega's grave. He had mated another but still kept his former mate's grave clean and loved.

The alpha who'd gone wrong somehow arrived at the counter. "I got the strawberries and a small board. Thanks for the recommendation. Are these for me?"

"They are. I hope your omega loves them."

He nodded. "While I try my hardest to be the best for him, sometimes I can be a bit overprotective. We're expecting in a little over two months."

I lit up inside. Arrangements for new baby arrivals were my favorites. I usually coupled a free bouquet with a teddy bear and delivered them myself. I'd made the decision not to have a baby because of Derek and his attitude, but I happily congratulated others, hoping they got some joy from their flowers.

I scribbled a note on the calendar to listen for when their birth happened. "Congratulations," I said. I rang him up, and he left with a new pep in his step. I was sure his omega would forgive him. He seemed like a lovely mate, and after all, we all made mistakes.

After he left, I took a seat on the barstool behind the counter and sighed. My back hurt lately, a dull ache that only my heating pad took away when I lay in bed at night. I had a few hours left until we closed for the night but my energy already waned.

Sometimes it was lonely to go home alone every night, but the truth was, I was no lonelier now than I had been when Derek and I were together. Sometimes lying next to him was like being in bed with a ghost.

My hedgehog longed for an alpha, but alphas only wanted me to give them hoglets and be their servant.

Not this omega.