FAYE
+25 Points
We followed Anna down the aisle between tall shelves, Cole just a step behind me. She led us to a
small, secluded room at the back of the library. Shelves lined every wall, crammed with
leather–bound volumes and folders in archaic handwriting.
“This is it,” Anna said softly. “Most people don’t get access to these. Be careful with what you
handle.”
I nodded as I watched her step back out. The moment she was gone, my eyes were already
scanning the titles: Rituals of the Ancient Lycanthrope Lineages, Blood Rites and Ascension
Practices, The Hidden Gifts: Manifestation of the Wolf Spirit. My pulse quickened. This might be
I
what I had been looking for–or maybe dreading to
Cole cleared his throat. “Take your time. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
I hesitated for a moment, then crouched to pick a thick, dusty volume from the bottom shelf. The
smell of old ink and parchment filled my senses as skimmed the pages. Rituals, prophecies, rules
for pack hierarchy, ceremonies I’d never imagined… none of it quite matched what I was looking
for, as I had thought. Every time I thought I had a lead, it fizzled.
Cole stayed behind me, silent but attentive. He didn’t hover or judge, just gave me space while
staying close enough that I knew I wasn’t alone.
I set the first book aside and grabbed another. Rituals for pack loyalty, ceremonies for marking the
transition of a Luna… interesting, but not what I needed. My mind kept flashing back to Alexander
and Irene’s conversation, Helen’s warning, the ritual.. my blood. I needed specifics. Why was what
flowed in my veins so important?
Finally, I found a slim volume bound in black leather untitled. My stomach tightened. References to
blood rites involving a gifted wolf, prophecies about creating a new breed of werewolves,
mentions of ascension rituals capable of elevating an entire pack… my hands trembled as I turned
the pages.
“This… this might be it,” I whispered.
Cole leaned closer slightly. “What did you find?”
I hesitated. “I… I think it’s what Helen meant,” I admitted. “The ritual she was talking about… it’s here. At least part of it. But it’s incomplete. I don’t understand all of it yet.”
Cole nodded. “That’s a start,” he said.
I flipped through more pages, tracing the steps of the ritual, the significance of bloodlines, warnings of misuse. Every line twisted my stomach further. Written in a mix of old languages and
< Chapter 260
symbols, the meaning was clear: a wolf like me could be used to create something… powerful. Dangerous. Irrevocable.
Cole crouched beside me. “Maybe you’re thinking too far ahead. Understand it first. Then we wo
about the implications.”
I shook my head. “It’s impossible not to think ahead!”
He nodded slowly. “I understand more than you think. Just calm down and take it one step at a time. You’re not going through this alone.”
I picked another book, slightly thicker and brittle. “This one mentions the sequence of the blood rites,” I said, flipping the pages. “It talks about the kind of ritual they were describing. But there’s a line about needing a pack with… deep spiritual alignment. It can’t just be any pack. That… that explains why Blood Crescent can’t use it themselves.”
Cole’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait… what did you just say?”
I hesitated, realizing how foolish it sounded aloud. “I just… I just realized that it meant Blood Crescent couldn’t use me themselves,” I admitted softly.
Cole froze, and I could see the shock register in his expression. “Faye… do you seriously think that Alexander would ever put you in that position? That he’d consider using his mate… his Luna… as an ingredient for a ritual to elevate Blood Crescent? Even if all conditions were perfect?”
My chest tightened. My cheeks burned. I had been so caught up in the terror of the ritual, in imagining what could happen, that I hadn’t even stopped to think rationally about Alexander. And now… guilt washed over me like a cold tide. I had doubted him, even if only for a moment, even if I hadn’t said a word to him about it.
I looked down, embarrassed. “I… I was foolish,” I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. “I… I shouldn’t have even thought that. I feel… guilty. I didn’t… I wasn’t accusing him… not really. But I feel like I betrayed him.”
Cole shook his head slowly, his tone softening. “Faye… listen to me. There is no situation Alexander wouldn’t fight to protect you. Not for the pack, not for anything. You are his mate. He would die before letting anyone… anyone, do anything to you. He’d fight every pack, every alpha, every single ritual… and he’d do it without hesitation… How do you not see that?”
“Good question… Answer that,” my wolf, Nova, said
Tears prickled my eyes. I blinked quickly, forcing them back, laughing awkwardly. “I’m just… stupid,” I muttered.
Cole allowed a small, rare smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. “Stupid is okay,” he said lightly. It’s human… or wolf, in this case.”
O
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I exhaled shakily, feeling the weight in my chest ease a fraction. “I… I’m done here,” I said finally.
Cole raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? We could go through more books. Maybe find something
more-”
“No,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “I don’t care anymore. It doesn’t matter right now. I just… I need to see Alexander. I can’t wait for him to come home. I’m going to see him at the company.”
Cole nodded. He didn’t argue. “Alright. I’ll drop you off,” he said.
We met Anna as we went out of the secluded room, thanking her politely. She smiled warmly, then
saw us off toward the exit.
Once outside, I walked a few steps ahead, feeling lighter now that I had some clarity, even if it was mixed with dread. I gave Cole a glance over my shoulder, letting him finish his quick chat with
Anna.
By the time he joined me again, I was already settled in the car.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
