We reach the third floor, and I immediately beeline towards the History of Wolves section. I start hastily pulling books off shelves until I realize I have nowhere to put them.
I need my damn cart!
I glance at the lycans and back at the pile of books in my arms and decide to carry them.
"I'll pull a couple of these out and tell you what they cover, then you can choose which ones you want to study," I explain as I continue piling books into my grip.
"Just a couple?" Corban chuckles, taking the heavy stack of books from me.
"I can hold those!" I protest sheepishly. It feels extremely wrong that he's holding my books instead of me. Especially since he's doing it for me. He's a lycan and I'm an Archivist. He's him, and I'm me. I've always been able to do it by myself. He shouldn't be holding those for me.
"So can I, Hazel Wren!" He replies in a sing-songy voice, turning the books away from me when I try to reach for them again.
"Really, I can do it! You don't have to worry about it!"
"You can do it, but we can help you," Cora chimes in, taking a couple of books from her brother. I don't know what to make of that at all. None of my packmates have ever offered to help me. Only Florentine. Before I can insist, Sabrina interrupts me.
"Let's go sit over there," she points to a table just past the aisle we're in. Corban and Cora settle the books on its surface, and I launch into their summaries. They take an interest in two: Mates and Marraige: Exploring Pack Leadership's Chase for Power through Arranged Marraige and Wolf History: The Pack Family Tree.
I try to conceal my curiosity as they skim through the book chapters. Cora has the index of Mates and Marriage open, pointing to different parts of the page as she speaks hushed whispers to her packmates.
Mates and Marriage delves into the infamous practice of arranged marriage in Pack Leadership. It's highly frowned upon, as it forces two wolves who are typically not mates into the mate bond in an effort to strengthen ties between packs. The wolves subjected to arranged marriage are usually the heirs of leadership in two packs, ensuring their children can unite the pack under one.
The other book, Wolf History, is simply the history of wolf packs in the world, detailing their generations and whether they're still around or have died out. It's an interesting read because it goes back to the first packs in existence, Lycan groups. From there, it shows the first wolf packs. Some packs are still around today. Some faded from existence. Some merged with others to become new. Some were created recently. It's quite interesting.
And what's even more interesting is why they're studying this. I take a few steps back to give them space as I ponder over this.
It's obvious they want to know something about wolf leadership, but why? Or, more importantly, who? Since they have Mates and Marriage, maybe they're looking at specific bloodlines? Or tracking packs that engage in this practice? It's illegal, after all, and lycans are royalty. Maybe they're related to enforcers?
Enforcers are highly trained lycans specializing in undercover missions to sniff out wolves who participate in illicit activity. They're extremely tactful, subtle, and highly skilled at their jobs. If they came all the way here to research, maybe they are the enforcers?
I watch as Cora smacks Corban on the back of his head as when whines about how he's too pretty to be studying all day.
They are not enforcers, I decide. At least, Corban definitely isn't.
I awkwardly sway on my feet as I suddenly feel out of place. I helped them. I did my job. So, why am I still standing here with them? An all too familiar pang of loneliness hits me.
Why am I still standing here with them? It's not like we were friends. It's not like I actually belong here. They were their own group, and I'm just intruding. And for some reason, that realization hurts more than usual. With that, I turn on my heel and decide to leave them alone.
I have to hold my scoff in at my thoughts. Just because a group of people my age were friendly to me for the first time in my life doesn't mean I'm their friend.
They wouldn't want to be friends with you anyway.
Screw the shitty voice I call my inner thoughts. I know it's true, but it doesn't have to be so mean about it!
"Hazel!" I pause at the door to the stairs as I hear Corban's voice call my name. "Where are you going?"
"I was just heading back downstairs," I reply, pointing to the staircase in confusion. Corban furrows his eyebrows, and it looks like he can't figure out what to say to me.
"You should stay," he finally asks, "only if you're up for it, of course." he hastily adds.
"Oh!" I exclaim a little too fast. Why do I feel so awkward? "What do you need help with?"
He pauses and glances over at his packmates, who are looking our way now. They give him a nod.
"Um, finding more books?" He says it in a way that makes it sound like a question. I look at the stack of books that are still untouched on their table.
"You need more?"
Corban looks back at Cora with pleading eyes. She rolls hers and makes her way towards us.
"What my buffoon of a brother means to say," she starts, "you don't have to leave." Now, it's my turn to furrow my eyebrows.
"Sorry, but I'm unsure how else I can be useful! I don't have many more book recommendations for you," I apologize sheepishly.
Lycan archivists must be extremely intelligent if they're able to curate more recommendations than I have. I feel embarrassed. "Sorry, I might need more details about what you're researching to be of further help."
"What?" Corban looks so confused. Why is he confused? Girl, I'm confused.
"What?" I eye the two of them, racking my brain to see if I missed something.
Did they ask me for something, and I forgot? Did I mess up the recommendations? Did I show them the wrong books? Did I offend them? Did I completely misunderstand what they said? Oh, Goddess, they must think I'm the most lowly, incompetent, absolute dumbass Archivist to ever-
"Hazel Wren, what the fuck are you talking about?" Corban interrupts my anxious line of thought.
"Um, what are you talking about?"
"Hazel, you're so silly. We don't need more help," Cora chuckles with a roll of her eyes, twirling a fiery red strand of hair in her perfectly manicured fingers.
Goddess, she reminds me of Blessing.
Cora has the same poised elegance as Blessing, her cool demeanor honed and flawless, frosted with the same elegance and grace. But where Blessing's icy words slice like daggers, Cora's barbs carry a lighter edge. Blessing's eye-rolls are usually filled with contempt, constantly shoving me into a mental corner. But her eyes seem almost fond.
"You've helped us more than enough already. Do you want to stay and hang out for a bit?"
In the same persistent way Blessing's ice forces me to run, Cora's warmth insists I stay.
Despite her being so straightforward, I attempt to decipher her words anyway. Stay and hangout. Stay and hangout. Hangout?
"What?"
Goddess, someone needs to smack me across the face.
"Do. You. Want. To. Hangout," she says the words slowly, enunciating each syllable like I'm a small child. She points one extended finger at me before turning it around to point at her and her packmates, "With. Us."
"Oh."
I could really use that smack across the face right about now.
"Oh, come on!" Cora grabs my two hands and walks backward, dragging me towards her pack's table. Corban follows me, gently ushering me forward with a refined "Right this way, madame," slipping from his lips.
"You know," Cora starts with a chuckle as she deposits me into a chair next to Sabrina, "for being one of the most intelligent Archivists I've ever met, you're a bit oblivious."
"Huh?"
The three of them burst out into a fit of giggles and I feel my face heating up.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sabrina wheezes, "we're not laughing at you!"
Usually, having a group of extremely attractive and powerful young people laugh at my expense would make me want to crawl into a hole and die.
And believe me, I speak from experience.
But, for whatever reason, I believe her.
"I think you'll fit right in," Corban offers me a genuine smile. I smile back.
Word Count: 1452
Sorry for the shorter chapter today :( but dont worry i will reward yall with an EXTRAAA long chapter next!!!!
How are we feeling about these 3 lycans now? Is Corban what you imagined?
Please remember to comment and vote!
Love, libahrary