Books

RORY

“What?” Everett questions, almost flying out of his seat toward the doctor. Instead, I just race down the hall to Ophelia’s room to see for myself.

Did it actually work? Did I heal her?

Her bright ecstatic face tells me it all. Her sickness must have been really bad. It took my entire life force to heal her. That’s why I’d had to die for her to live.

Can I really cure people?

If I can, that’s an important gift that could be dangerous. What if someone finds out and takes advantage of it? The power to save people…

“Rory, you heard the amazing news!” she exclaims as I hug her tightly.

“It’s not amazing,” Everett’s voice remarks behind us, and I turn back to question his tone. “It’s impossible. It’s a miracle.”

His expression is one of disbelief and shock. I can understand. He had worked to come to terms with his aunt’s passing, and now she’s healthy and living.

***

After spending the day at the hospital, Everett walks with me back to the pack house, the crisp night air hitting my bare arms.

Slipping like the klutz I am, my ankle rolls and I tumble to the graveled ground, Everett’s disapproving expression staring down at me.

With the reluctant reaching out of his hand, I grab it and he tugs me close to him to wrap his arm around my waist and steady me.

Silence engulfs us as the streetlights flicker; only guards patrolling and the occasional snatch of conversation can be heard around us.

The thick tension-filled air becomes a little uncomfortable, more so for Everett than me as his breath quickens and his hand lightly rubs my waist.

Perhaps the animosity between us is due to my outburst earlier. Perhaps I should apologize.

Having just died and come back to life has given me a new sense of confidence. However, he is an alpha, and I’m assuming not many people speak to him in the same way I do.

But I let the silence stretch, continuing to just walk. His strong arm around my waist heats my cheeks, his large hands on my body, even over clothes, makes me feel more connected to him.

I know the mate bond in humans is weaker than in wolves, but the attraction I feel toward him is undeniably strong. If he feels it stronger, how can he push it away?

“Are you hurt?” his deep voice asks, glancing over at me before his eyes quickly flicker back to straight forward.

“No,” I lie. I’m forcing myself onto my hurt foot to not raise his suspicion, which may have also raised his suspicion as he saw me fall on it.

But I maintain a high pain tolerance level, having hurt myself every which way over the years.

“You’re lying,” he deadpans, as if he didn’t just accuse me of being a liar. His cold tone sends shivers down my spine, uncontrollably making my body press into his for warmth.

He grips my waist tighter, most probably fearing I’d fall without support.

Once we get inside and to his room, he lifts me up with ease and sets me down on the end of the bed.

He dashes into his bathroom, and I hear him rummaging around, opening cupboard doors and slamming them. I almost jump off the bed to ask what’s wrong when he comes charging out and right up to me.

Without uttering a word, he grasps my injured foot that’s swinging off the bed and drags it up onto his lap.

Removing my shoe gently, he presses an ice pack around my foot as I just watch him curiously. He doesn’t say anything, but his face shows his disapproval from a mile away.

“It’s fine, really,” I tell him. My hand brushes his as I reach for my foot, but he swats my hand away and glares.

“You should really stop lying to me. You hurt your foot. It needs to be iced. Are you disagreeing with me?” he asks in a low tone, as if to say, “Do you dare disagree with me? I’m the alpha.”

“No, alpha,” I reply submissively, bowing my head slightly so he can’t see my eyes anymore and I can’t see the disapproval in his.

I know I’m human, and a clumsy human at that, and that’s the last thing he wanted in a mate. I understand that he needs to think of the pack, that he has a responsibility, and I respect it.

I just wish he could be happy, and have a better mate.

After bandaging up my foot to give it more support, he shows me a wardrobe decked with female clothes a bit bigger than would fit me.

“These are the clothes that were in the suitcase,” he says. “Though now that they’re laid out I see that they’re too big for you. I’ll tell the female to get you some smaller—”

“Don’t. I like wearing bigger clothes. It’s fine,” I tell him with a polite smile, picking out some night clothes.

I can feel his stare at the back of my head, but for some reason, his eyes on me don’t make me feel too uncomfortable, as if on me are where his eyes are supposed to be.

“You’re lying again,” he comments before moving over to the bed. I skip to the bathroom and slip these clothes on, finding them baggy but comfortable.

He’s right. I prefer fitted clothes for the day, then slipping a jacket over the top. But it is fine.

As I pop out of the bathroom, I suck in a breath, staring at Everett’s bare back, his muscles in his shoulders making me drool.

His sweatpants hang low on his body and as he turns around, he raises a brow at me when he notices me.

Averting my eyes from his chest, which has abs so defined, it floors me as to how anyone gets them, I limp over to my side of the bed and crawl in. Am I going to be seeing him half-naked so often from now on? The thought makes a flash of heat blitz through me.

Nothing is said between us as he crawls under the covers too, but he faces away from me, his back on full display again.

I feel my eyes flutter closed as he shuffles around in the bed.

***

I shoot up with my hand around my neck, in a cold sweat and my breathing heavy. I miss him, the smell of him lingering in the air, easing my fear from my nightmare a little.

Having my throat slit like it was nothing was bound to give me nightmares sooner or later.

But I also heard those voices. The terrible, tormented voices calling my name in that white, misty plane of existence. Who were they? How did they know my name?

I decide to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, even though I know they’ll be plaguing my thoughts later and in my sleep.

I throw on a baggy sweater, which rather looks like a stylistic choice instead of a sizing issue, with some blue jeans and head down the stairs.

As I reach the kitchen, I notice Ace and Lucius milling around, and they both glance over to me at the same time when I enter.

“Why are you up?” Ace asks me.

“Should I not be?” I retort, raising my eyebrows in question.

“It’s five in the morning. So... I don’t know,” he replies nonchalantly and continues to root through the fridge. I fill up a glass of water with Lucius’s eyes trained on me.

After finding a snack for my breakfast, I head out of there, not wanting to have their stares on me any longer.

Being the curious yet clumsy girl I am, I carelessly blunder into a door, the smooth wood slamming painfully into my shoulder.

I look up and see the door marked ‘Private.’ Alpha Everett’s study. I remember Melissa, the librarian, telling me how many beautiful books were inside. Rare copies. Limited editions. More books than the library.

I look around guiltily, making sure the hallway is empty. I really shouldn’t…

I try the doorknob. It’s unlocked. Heart thudding, I peek inside, but I don’t see anyone. Just a little look won’t hurt…

I gasp. The space is filled with the most beautiful books. I can’t help myself but travel in further, ignoring the warning in my mind.

It has a downstairs too, with long-stretching windows by his desk and books spanning the entire walls of the room.

I know it’s against the rules to be in here, but my desire for books gets the better of me. I scan the shelves, logging into my brain every interesting book I see.

All of my favorites are dotted around the room, gorgeous copies that look to be untouched. I’m a firm believer that if a book is not creased, it hasn’t been loved like it should have.

Books aren’t just for decoration. They’re to be held, to be read, to be treasured. These books need that. As I’m scanning through the shelves, a few books suddenly catch my eye.

One is about the Moon Goddess, Selene. Another about Greek gods and their myths. And one title written in silver.

~The Myths and Truths of Immortality.~

I gasp. Maybe I could find some answers about my strange powers here…

But before I can reach for them, a furious voice booms from behind me, causing the books to tremble on their shelves.

“What. Are. You. Doing?”

I hear the fury in Alpha Everett’s voice, and I’m too afraid to turn around.

Aw, crap.