Counted Cross Stitch Alphabet Books Novels & Stories

River's fingers danced across the spines, devouring titles that whispered promises of resilience and courage. "The Blind Voyager", "The Lame Warrior's Triumph", "Against All Odds", and "Unlikely Heroes" each resonated deeply, but one title in particular caught her eye: "The Story of Alero, Blind Healer". With gentle reverence, River pulled out the slim volume, its cover adorned with intricate, raised patterns that evoked the delicate petals of a flower. The book did not come out alone, it came with another document: a large parchment like the one in her dream!

“do not read your own book—you might not like how it ends.” Glancing further up the case, the letter ‘G’ was carved in deeply. I scanned the books with my eyes and found myself reading the names that were painted on the spines of the books. Glenda Macon, Gregory Marsh, Gwyn Masters… Each book had a name embroidered on the spine. The books were all black, with names in a flat white. Very few books actually looked different from the others. The one named, Glenda Macon, had a rose with thorns dancing along the cover. I even noticed one that was a shade of slate grey.

My steps fall silent occasionally as I cross large, intricately woven rugs scattered about. I head straight for the aisle Celeste pointed out, offering her a small wave before disappearing between the labyrinth of bookshelves. Each section is marked with hand-carved plaques, their inscriptions barely legible in the dim light. They guide the way to different realms of knowledge: Alchemy, Herbology, History, and more. The books themselves are bound in various shades of leather, some adorned with golden leaves, others with intricate metal clasps. Many are so ancient that their titles have worn away, leaving only the texture of the leather to hint at the secrets within.

The woman climbed a short ladder and began pulling down a few books. “These should help,” she said, setting five large, dusty tomes on a nearby table. “Sorry about the condition they’re ancient. Let me know if you need anything.” “Thank you,” Anna said as the woman walked away. Rhea and Anna sat cross-legged on the floor beside the table, surrounded by the stack of heavy books. Their covers were worn, their spines cracked, and the pages yellowed with time. Each had a unique title: 'Tales of the Mystical Creatures', 'Powers', 'Hidden Behind the Voice', and two others with faded letters too difficult to read.

She ran her fingers along the spines, the gold lettering cool against her skin. Drawn in by the sheer volume, she hesitantly pulled a book from the shelf, a slim volume bound in dark blue leather. The title was etched in silver: The Royal Grimoire of Sacred Oaths. She opened it, her eyes skimming the ornate calligraphy, the intricate diagrams filled with arcane symbols.

There were several plants strewn about in a grassy area. "I'll train Tio here," Denver said as they came to a stand in the middle of a field. "I'll accompany Carla and Lilith on their wanderings," Stephen continued, winking at Lilith, who wasn't looking at them at all. Lilith was simply concentrating on the booklet Carla had given her. Carla crafted it with a variety of herbal herbs. Carla made it and it contains a variety of herbal species. And Lilith was astounded by Carla's ingenuity in supplying so many natural remedies. Lilith became elated, and she resolved to aid everyone in her vicinity in the same way.

Alpha King lifted his hand, making me stop in mid-sentence. I knit my brows and got to my feet, making sure I kept Mizkeal away from him. Mizkeal got to his feet behind me. He held my hand and walked beside me, facing Alpha King. Alpha King proffered two books before Mizkeal. I widened my eyes. Those were… “The rest of my universal designs,” Mizkeal said, taking the books from Alpha King’s hand. I looked at Alpha King, confused. Why would he do that?

Fair. Apparently being a baby wasn't a valid excuse. Reasonable honestly. Several minutes later she disappeared. God. Then returned carrying an alphabet book. Fair. A very large alphabet book. Reasonable. The kind usually intended for children who could sit upright. God. Not babies who occasionally sneezed at random. Fair. Then Lily sat directly in front of Peanut. Reasonable. Opened the book. God. And school began. Fair. "A." Reasonable. Peanut stared. God.

We scatter all the books and found plenty of titles that start with the letter that is written on the sticky note beside where we will enter the passcode. Marina got four books that start with the letter A and eight L. Mine got six P and five M out of the categories on the bookshelf. "Is this still even working?" I asked and she nodded. "We got 6485" Then the books split like an opening curtain in a theater after pressing the digits we found. The floorboards in the office rumble slightly as it opens. "Good job, boy," She said and then slammed her palm against my back. I beamed.

Thank you again for reading "The Alpha's Pen Pal." I hope you enjoyed following along with the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. There will be a book two. Book two is titled "The Beta's Blind Date," and will follow Reid as the main character. I do not know when I will begin updates for this book, as I am currently working on another project that I need to have finished by the end of this month (July 2023), and I am also working on getting Pen Pal ready for print.