A Pebble for Lewis (Alaskan Pebble Gifters Book 1) Read online

  A Pebble for Lewis

  Alaskan Pebble Gifters, Book 1

  Amy Bellows

  Copyright © 2019 Amy Bellows

  All rights reserved.

  A Pebble for Lewis is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published in the United States by Amy Bellows. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover design by Fantasia Frog.

  Editing by M.A. Hinkle and Abbie Nicole.

  Beta read by Deb S., Nicole B., Tracey G., Amy D., Rachel T., Kim P., Nikki T., and Marissa C.

  The models on the cover are from stock photos and used for illustrative purposes only.

  Trademark Acknowledgments

  The author acknowledges the trademarked and/or copyrighted status and trademark owners of the following items referenced in this work of fiction.

  Xbox

  Wii

  Super Mario Maker

  Smash Bros

  Fortnite

  Minecraft

  Fallout 4

  Nintendo 64

  Peach’s Castle

  Coke

  Alaskan Amber

  Moose’s Tooth Pub

  Hotel Captain Cook

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  1. Lewis

  2. Todd

  3. Lewis

  4. Todd

  5. Lewis

  6. Todd

  7. Lewis

  8. Todd

  9. Lewis

  10. Todd

  11. Lewis

  12. Todd

  13. Todd

  14. Lewis

  15. Todd

  16. Todd

  17. Lewis

  18. Lewis

  19. Todd

  20. Lewis

  21. Todd

  22. Lewis

  23. Todd

  24. Lewis

  25. Todd

  26. Lewis

  27. Todd

  28. Lewis

  Coming in 2020

  Ansel

  Also by Amy Bellows

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  While the main characters are seventeen at the beginning of this story, nothing but innocent flirting happens until they are in their twenties.

  1

  Lewis

  The jewelry shop is hot from the fire raging inside the metal forge. Next to it, a large man in a welding mask pounds a slim, metal necklace. His body is human, but his arms are covered in white fur that matches the white hair on his head. Polar bear shifters work their metal magic while half-shifted. They’re the only people in the world who can make the unique bonding necklaces that shrink down to the right size when a penguin shifter takes their animal form.

  “I can wait outside,” I say to my omega dad, even though it’s only five degrees out there.

  He shakes his head. “No, son. I need you to watch this.”

  My omega dad approaches the polar bear shifter with his head held high, despite the humiliating circumstances. My alpha father hasn’t come back from the North Slope since I was ten. I’m seventeen now. He’s left us. And instead of waiting around for him, my omega dad is getting his bonding necklace removed.

  I’m not sure what other people are going to think of that. I didn’t know such a thing was even possible.

  The polar bear shifter sets his hammer down and removes his leather gloves, revealing long, thick claws. His claws transform into human fingers, and his hairy arms shrink into human forearms and elbows. He flips his welding helmet up and walks toward us, holding out one of his newly shifted hands to my father. “Are you Daniel?”

  I’m surprised by how young he is. Despite his huge shoulders and the thick white stubble on his face, he can’t be much older than me.

  My father shakes the polar bear shifter’s hand “Yes. You said you might be able to sever my bonding necklace?”

  Sadness lingers in the welder’s eyes. We all know what this means. My omega father has been abandoned. Forgotten. Penguin shifters value loyalty and dependability above all else, but my alpha father turned his back on us anyway.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Daniel. I’m Todd. I have to be honest with you—I haven’t ever done this before. It may hurt a little. I’ll have to get your necklace so hot it melts.”

  My father nods. “I just need it gone.”

  Todd gestures to a metal chair next to the forge. Normally, newly bonded omegas sit in that chair while their necklaces are welded around their necks.

  My father sits down. “Come, Lewis. Over here.”

  Why does he want me to watch? Is he using this as some kind of cautionary tale so I’ll choose a better mate?

  Todd’s arms shift back into fur and claws. Unlike other polar bears, shifters still have opposable thumbs in their bear form. “Hold the necklace as far away from your neck as possible. I’ll go as fast as I can, but these necklaces are made to last a lifetime.”

  My omega father grasps his necklace with both hands and pulls it back. The pebble my alpha father gave him when they bonded pinches into his neck. It’s welded to the center of the necklace with a magic as old as time. Alpha penguin shifters present a pebble to the omega they want to bond with, and if that omega accepts, he agrees to wear it around his neck for the rest of his life.

  Todd flips his helmet back into place. Only his eyes are visible through a glass window in the helmet. He picks up a slim metal cylinder that looks like a dentist’s drill and flips a switch. A thin stream of fire erupts from the tip. I don’t want to watch as he brings the fire to my father’s necklace while chanting a song that’s slow and deep. But just before I turn away, my father’s eyes lock with mine.

  “Stay with me, Lewis. I need you to see this.”

  Todd adjusts my father’s grip on the necklace and targets the flame to a section in between his hands. His voice is rich and resonant as he continues to sing. Despite the sadness of this moment, his song has a certain loveliness I wasn’t expecting.

  My father stares back at me unflinchingly. Even when his left eye twitches in pain, he keeps his head high.

  Todd was right. Melting the necklace takes a long time. He shifts the direction of the flame continually to give my dad’s neck a break, but even I can feel the heat. When the metal finally gives, Todd stops chanting, and my father rips the necklace away from his neck. He holds it out to me.

  “You see this? It doesn’t define me. Your alpha father doesn’t get to decide what I’m worth. I don’t regret bonding to him because he gave me you, but this isn’t a sad day. This is the day when I’m finally free. I need you to understand that.”

  Todd flips his helmet back up. “If you like, you can throw your necklace into the forge. Melt it down.”

  My father glances at the forge for a second before his eyes return to me. “Do you want to keep it?”

  I shake my head. I don’t have a lot of memories of my alpha father. When I was growing up, he was working at the oil rig on the North Slope more often than not. He was gone for a full year before I started wondering if he was ever coming back.

  My father stands, walks over to the metal forge, and stares at the yellow flames within.

  Todd walks up to him. “Go on. Throw that asshole’s pebble into the fire.”

  My father�
��s shoulders raise as he takes in a deep breath. “Okay. Here goes.”

  He tosses the necklace into the forge. Todd claps. His thick gloves make a solid, loud sound. Maybe I should clap too. I don’t know. There’s a red patch of skin just underneath my father’s ear, and his neck is naked now. It seems sad.

  My father reaches in his back pocket and pulls out his wallet.

  “I own a specialty grocery store on the other side of town. We import fresh fruits and vegetables, even in the winter months. Come in sometime, and I’ll treat you to some high-quality avocados and lettuce.”

  Todd takes the card and glances at me. “You won’t mind a polar bear shifter in your shop?”

  With the exception of the day we get our bonding necklaces welded, penguin shifters steer clear of polar bear shifters. They’re our opposites in every way. Penguin shifters bond for life. Polar bear shifters switch lovers every few years. Penguin shifters are dependable and reliable. We do the bookkeeping and office management in Anchorage. Polar bear shifters proudly let passion rule their lives. They’re world-renowned artists, exporting handcrafted jewelry to everyone who can afford their steep prices.

  “You’re welcome in my shop any time,” my father tells Todd.

  Will he really come? It’s hard to imagine Todd anywhere but here. He’s so ridiculously big. He’d take up too much space in the aisles of our little shop.

  “Okay. I’ll see you around,” Todd says.

  I give him a wave as my father and I walk back out into the cold darkness. He’s different than what I imagined a polar bear shifter would be. Kinder.

  He tucks my dad’s business card into a pocket of his coveralls and pulls his helmet back down. His sweaty, half-shifted body is hard not to stare at. Maybe penguin shifters don’t interact with polar bear shifters for a reason, and it isn’t just because we’re different. It’s because they’re too beautiful.

  It would probably be best if I never saw him again.

  2

  Todd

  It’s my white hair that tips people off I’m a polar bear shifter. That, and my size. I can’t go wandering around the northeast part of Anchorage, where primarily penguin shifters live, without getting stared at. But fresh lettuce in the dead of winter is hard to come by. All of the produce on the polar bear shifter side of town is sad or as expensive as caviar.

  Besides, Daniel’s son was kind of cute. What was his name? Lewis? It’s too bad penguin shifters aren’t allowed to even kiss before their Pebble Gifting Season. Which isn’t until they’re twenty-three. It’s a little insane, if you ask me. But that’s penguin shifter culture for you. Prudish, cold, and perfectly planned.

  Luckily, there aren’t any rules against flirting.

  I park outside the tiny shop listed on Daniel’s business card. A bright green sign reads: “Emperor Fine Foods.” Emperor as in emperor penguins. The whole city is coded like that. Ice Bear Pub is where polar bear shifters go for a drink on the weekends. Nanuq Organics is where we buy our groceries. We only go to the penguin shifter side of town when we need someone to do our taxes.

  The ironic thing is that penguins aren’t even from this part of the hemisphere. A group of them moved here because of us. We’re the only ones who can make their bonding necklaces. And now they’ve taken over half the city and shut us out.

  A female omega with a baby strapped to her chest walks toward the entrance of the store at the same time I do. I open the door for her. She stares at me for a full beat before walking inside, heading straight for the brightly lit produce section at the center of the shop. They have everything here: strawberries, romaine lettuce, tomatoes. Even mangoes. And it all looks a lot better than what Nanuq Organics sells this time of year.

  “Todd,” a voice calls out from the other side of the store. I turn to see Daniel in a green apron. “It’s good to see you.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I notice Lewis crouched down in front of the artichokes, wearing the same green apron. It’s tied in the back a little too tightly, and his shirt has ridden up, exposing a sliver of pale skin just above his jeans.

  I don’t stare. Daniel is standing right in front of me, and while he seems willing to let me shop at his store, I’m sure he wouldn’t take kindly to me hitting on his son. But I let my eyes linger a moment too long.

  “He’s seventeen.” Daniel’s voice isn’t cold, but it’s firm.

  “Right. Sorry.” I don’t tell him I’m seventeen too. Penguin shifters always think polar bear shifters are older than they really are. Unlike us, their hair only gets white with old age, and their shoulders don’t fill out until their twenties. The reality is, regardless of my age, Lewis is off-limits, and I know that. “I stopped by for some of that fresh produce you were bragging about. I’m impressed. Your selection is incredible.”

  Daniel smiles. “Let me know if you have any questions.” He walks back to the cash register where a customer waits to pay. I grab a basket near the front of the store and start loading up. The prices are high, but it’s worth it. I’m busy imagining the incredible salad I’m going to make myself and my alpha mother when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around.

  Lewis stands behind me. In his right hand is a perfect bunch of cilantro. “I barely shelved this an hour ago. We don’t get cilantro very often. If you’re interested—”

  I take it, careful to avoid touching him. Penguin shifters are strict about physical contact with people outside their family. “Thank you.”

  From this angle I can see all of the pins Lewis has on the front of his apron, with logos from an eclectic array of video games: Minecraft, Fallout 4, Super Mario Maker.

  “I like Super Mario Maker. It’s fun to see what other people create. I mean, sometimes the levels they post are too simplistic, but I’ve found some good ones.”

  Lewis’s eyes light up. “I just finished creating a Nintendo 64 level in Peach’s castle that’s pretty complex.”

  Daniel walks up to us, the concern obvious in his eyes.

  I get it. From his perspective I’m a much older polar bear shifter going after his teenage penguin shifter son. So I tell a white lie. “I should probably head out. I have an AP English paper due on Monday.” The truth is that I’ve already finished my paper, but I am in AP English.

  “You’re in high school? And you own a jewelry shop?”

  “Yeah, the jewelry shop is my alpha mom’s. I’ve been working there since I was fourteen. Metalwork has always interested me.”

  Daniel’s eyes dart back and forth between Lewis and me. I know what he’s thinking—the two of us hanging out is a really bad idea. And he’s right. It is.

  “My gamertag is Emperor_Luigi if you ever wanted to do multiplayer or whatever.” Lewis’s words come out lightning fast, and barely telligible.

  I pause to let his dad interject if he wants to. When Daniel simply stands there, I say, “Sure, yeah. That’d be fun. Can I give you my phone number?”

  Lewis gets his phone out of his back pocket and pulls up a contact screen before handing it to me. I don’t know what I’m doing here. Showing up at a grocery store to flirt with a penguin shifter is one thing, but giving him my number is quite another. It’s only a game, right? We won’t even be playing in the same room. What could be the harm?

  I input my number and hand the phone back.

  “Cool. Thanks.” His cheeks pinken when his dad glares at him.

  “Would you mind ringing me up?” I ask Daniel.

  “No. It’s on the house. As a thank you for your work.” There’s something final about the way he says it. The steel I saw in his eyes when he prepared himself for the removal of his bond necklace is back in full force. He isn’t a man to mess with.

  “That’s kind. Thank you.”

  I grab the produce out of the basket and head for the door. I know better than to ask if I can come back.

  But Lewis has my phone number.

  Anything is possible.

  3

  Lewis

 
Two years later…

  It started out as a game or two every week. Just some multiplayer here and there, or a shared level on Super Mario Maker. Then it escalated to a game every other day and the occasional text about something other than our next gaming session. Within a few months, it became a game every day, a text every morning. And suddenly, I had a secret friend.

  We didn’t meet up in person. We agreed that both of his moms wouldn’t like our friendship any more than my dad, so it had to be strictly virtual. We didn’t even Facetime. Todd was nothing but words on a screen for almost two full years.

  And then he got his own apartment.

  Omega penguin shifters are supposed to live with their families until they find a mate, which won’t happen until I’m twenty-three. So, after high school graduation, I stayed at my dad’s place and started my degree in accounting through an online program. Todd stayed with his alpha mom for a while too. They run her jewelry shop together, so it was convenient.

  But last month he moved into his own place. Not in the polar bear shifter district, but a decidedly neutral area of the city where humans mainly live.

  All month I’ve been anxiously hoping he would invite me over. I’ve been imagining sitting next to him on his couch while we play Mario Party. I remember how handsome he looked on the day he removed my father’s necklace, and later that week when he came into our shop. The idea of seeing him again is so exciting, I think about it far more often than I should.