She set down the lavender and fixed me with that knowing gaze—the one that had always made me feel like she could see straight through my carefully constructed defenses. "You look different," she said. "Something's changed."
"Does everyone keep saying that?" I mutter but she could hear it by the amusement crossing over her face.
"Just the people who pay attention." Her smile was gentle. "I heard about the Trent pack. About the courting."
Of course she had. This was Haven's Rest—nothing stayed secret for long. "Word travels fast."
"It does. And most of the words I've heard have been good ones." She reached across the counter and patted my hand. "I'm happy for you, Daphne. You deserve people who see your worth."
The sincerity in her voice made my throat tight. "I'm trying to believe that."
"Keep trying. It gets easier." She turned to the register, beginning to count out my payment for the lavender. "Now, is there anything else I can help you with? I've got some new bath salts in that might interest you—locally made, with your herbs, actually."
We chatted for a few more minutes, about the upcoming market, about the weather and the garden and all the mundane things that made up daily life in a small town. It was comfortable in a way that surprised me—this easy back-and-forth that I'd always avoided before, preferring quick transactions and minimal interaction.
Maybe I'd been missing more than I realized.
I left Eleanor's shop with money in my pocket and a small bag of the new bath salts—a gift, Eleanor had insisted, no payment required. The sun was beginning to break through the clouds, patches of blue poking through the grey. I decided to walk to the general store instead of driving, the exercise would do me good, and Haven's Rest was small enough that nothing was more than a few blocks away.
The town was waking up properly now. Mrs. Peterson waved from the window of the bakery, where she was arranging fresh pastries in the display case. Old Mr. Hancock sat on his usual bench outside the barbershop, newspaper in hand, and hetipped his hat as I passed. A group of children ran past on their way to school, their laughter bright in the morning air.
I'd lived near this town for five years and had never really seen it before. Had never let myself be part of it, never stopped to notice the small kindnesses and familiar rhythms that made up community life. I'd been so focused on protecting myself from potential pain that I'd missed all the potential joy.
The general store was busier than I'd expected, a small line forming at the register where Mrs. Morrison—the sheriff's wife—was ringing up purchases with her characteristic efficiency. I grabbed a basket and started working through my list: flour, sugar, coffee, a few canned goods, some fresh fruit from the display near the door.
I was examining the apples—trying to find the ones that weren't bruised, thinking about the pie I might make if I could muster the energy—when I felt it. That prickle at the back of my neck, that instinctive awareness of being watched.
I turned slowly, my heart already beginning to race, and there she was.
Trinity.
She stood at the end of the aisle, perfectly put together as always. Today's outfit was a cream-colored blouse tucked into high-waisted trousers, her dark hair falling in glossy waves around her shoulders. She looked like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine, impossibly polished for a Thursday morning at a small-town grocery store.
It was her expression that made my blood run cold. That calculating smile, that predatory gleam in her eyes—like a cat who'd cornered a particularly interesting mouse.
"Daphne." She said my name like a greeting between old friends, though we'd never been anything close. "What a surprise. I didn't know you ever left that little cabin of yours."
I straightened my spine, refusing to shrink under her gaze. "I go where I need to go."
"Clearly." She took a step closer, and I had to fight the urge to step back. "I hear you've been going quite a lot of places lately. The pack's house for dinner. Hiking with Garrett. Picnics with Oliver." Her smile sharpened. "News travels fast in a small town."
"Then you'll know the courting is official." I don't know where the words came from—some reserve of courage I hadn't known I possessed. "The pack chose me. I said yes."
Something flickered in Trinity's eyes—fury, quickly masked behind that plastic smile. "How sweet. They must be desperate if they're settling for someone like you." The insult landed, but it didn't devastate the way it might have a week ago. I'd heard worse from my own internal voice for years—Trinity's venom was almost refreshing in its directness.
"They don't seem to think they're settling." I set down the apple I'd been holding, turning to face her fully. "In fact, they seem pretty happy with their choice."
"They're confused." Trinity's voice dropped, low and venomous. "You've done something to them…manipulated them somehow. The Oliver I know would never choose some antisocial hermit over me. We were meant to be together. Everyone knows it."
"Everyone except Oliver, apparently." The words slipped out before I could stop them, sharper than I'd intended. I saw Trinity's composure crack…just for a moment, just a flash of something unhinged beneath the perfect surface, before she smoothed it away.
"You think you're clever," she hissed. "You think you've won something. But this isn't over, Daphne. They'll realize their mistake eventually. They'll see you for what you really are—nothing. Nobody. A sad little omega who couldn't keep a house plant alive, let alone a pack."
"Funny you should mention plants." My voice was steadier than I felt. "That dead one you sent me…the pack didn't appreciate it. Neither did the sheriff."
Trinity's face went pale beneath her careful makeup. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do." I held her gaze, channeling every ounce of false confidence I could muster. "And I think you should know that everything is being documented. Every encounter. Every threat. Every 'coincidental' run-in at the grocery store." I gestured vaguely at the store around us. "So if you were planning anything else, I'd suggest reconsidering."
