The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,110

is going to snatch up half your jewelry for your mother. I didn’t realize so many people in my old pack would actually show up,” I said with worry. “Especially my uncles. Shopping isn’t something they like doing. I hope they don’t crowd the store.”

“I’ll send them outside to sit at the tables,” she said decidedly, smoothing her long hair. “Your brothers had a good idea about putting those out front.”

“Yeah, but people are going to think we’re a café.”

She lifted a cookie off a plate, her hand shaking. “Today we are anything they want us to be, so long as they come inside. And who knows—maybe if it’s in the budget, we can buy pastries from your aunt and do this once a week.”

I took the cookie from her hand and put it back on the plate. “That’s not a bad idea. You see how good we are as business partners?”

Hope’s face flushed, and she wrung her hands. I sensed it was more than nerves.

“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing she was breathing faster than normal. “We can wait a few more minutes if you want. There’s no rush.”

I knew opening day would be overwhelming for both of us, but Hope suffered occasional panic attacks—particularly in public places with a lot of people. Hope had grown up more sheltered than I had, and she’d never been quite herself after the wolf attack she’d experienced as a girl. The episodes came on unexpectedly, and once she’d even shifted. Although it brought an unpredictable danger, she never allowed those fears to rule her life in a way that prevented her from living it. I admired her in so many ways for that.

Hope wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you for making my dreams come true, sister.”

Squeezing her tight, I said, “Same goes to you.”

“I mean it.”

Without even seeing them, I could sense her tears. The deal had meant so much to her, and we’d celebrated the night I came home.

Hope drew back and took a deep breath. “Shall we?”

I gripped her hand. “We shall.”

Both our packs were lingering by the windows, peering in and talking among themselves. My dad held a proud look on his face, and he’d even dyed a purple streak in his long hair that matched mine. My mother wiped away a tear and smiled in hopes of hiding all those mushy feelings, but I felt the emotion and support like never before. It wasn’t just that they knew I would be okay financially, whether I joined a pack or not. After years of watching a little girl digging for change to buy scrap material, my family was finally getting to see my dreams realized.

It looked like Lorenzo and my dad were going to beat the hell out of each other for the privilege of being the first inside.

I unlocked the door and opened it slowly. “Moonglow is officially open for business.”

Cheers erupted, and one by one, they piled in. Everyone gave us a hug and their congratulations as they passed by.

“Now this is what I’m talkin’ about,” Wheeler said, scoping out the boutique.

My handsome alpha brothers swaggered in next, their russet hair caught in a flash of sunlight. They were strong men with good hearts, but they would always be my little brothers.

“Thanks for helping.” I gave Lennon a hug, then Hendrix. They were incredibly tall and had inherited that trait from our father. “Try not to hit on all the female customers, but feel free to sit at the tables outside and draw them over.”

Hendrix chuckled. “Don’t worry, sis. There’s a line to get in.”

“We’ll save our good looks for a last resort,” Lennon added. “That champagne is calling my name.”

Arching a brow, Hendrix said, “Yum. Cookies.”

“Don’t eat them all!” I tried to keep my voice down as they hurried to the snack table.

Not everyone was there to buy. Some members of the pack gave their congratulations, grabbed a cookie, and headed outside to linger on the sidewalk and chatter. Others were doing some serious shopping. Our clothes were not only displayed on the racks but also hanging up on the walls to utilize space. We had long rods with hooks at the ends so we could reach the higher ones.

Hope and I greeted each new customer who came in, many of them people we didn’t know.

“I’ll work the register,” she said quickly when a line formed at the checkout counter.

In a sudden moment of panic, I thought, What if everyone cleans out the store in