Chapter 77 - A Trip to the Library - Part 2

After their plans for the next few days were agreed upon, together they moved on to the last book left on their desk. While they hadn't come across anything extremely useful yet, they had still at least come across something they could think about, and honestly, they didn't really need a lot of theories that needed to be confirmed.

Ryan moved to the same side of the table as Evan was this time, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, his annoyance was almost completely gone in that moment. Having a mate was proving to be the right choice for him every day, and he was surprised that no one had decided to shout it in his face yet. After all, he'd never made any secret of his dislike of fate.

"We'll go through the whole thing, what do you say?" Ryan suggested, snapping Evan out of his thoughts. His eyes moved from a random spot on the table to the book in front of him, and even with a cursory glance at the Table of Contents, he knew it would likely be necessary.

"I seriously don't understand people who name chapters whatever they want. Like seriously, what good is that?" He didn't hesitate to show his aversion in his expression. Evan has read enough books in his short life to know what he did and didn't like. And chapter titles that were named abstractly and absolutely did not reveal what the chapter was about should be banned, in his opinion. Like the plots of books where a bully becomes a love interest, but that wasn't relevant right now.

"It makes you read the whole book?" Ryan replied to his question, though it was only rhetorical. He also didn't seem thrilled with the revelation, but unlike Evan, he didn't show it right away.

"It makes me want to set the book on fire," he corrected.

"How about we find out if there's anything important in it first and then set it on fire?"

Evan turned to his boyfriend with a dull look that clearly indicated he didn't think it was funny, and Ryan returned it with an innocent smile. Evan tried not to give in at the sight of him and almost would have succeeded if Ryan hadn't leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"You're distracting me," he accused after he opened his eyes again and Ryan smiled at him once more innocently as if he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Am I distracting you, or are you just easily distracted by my presence?" By the way he was grinning confidently as he said this, the black-haired boy knew the answer very well.

"Shut up," Evan mumbled with an eye roll, but he could feel the colour rush to his cheeks. His mate had an effect on him like no one else.

Ryan chuckled in response but didn't protest and shifted his attention to the book. Since it was closer to Evan, he leaned over his shoulder to get a better view. Of course, this also provoked a reaction in Evan, and he mentally berated himself for how easy it was for him to lose focus in the presence of the ink-haired boy.

"Love?"

"What?" Evan automatically turned his head in his direction, not realizing how close they'd just been, and so found himself just inches from his lips.

"If you can concentrate, next break will be for a make-out session," he promised, and Evan nodded immediately. He didn't even try to hide his excitement at his suggestion and promptly turned his head back to the book.

Ryan chuckled but didn't comment further, leaning in to get a better view.

Evan cleared his throat to find his lost voice again and then said: "We'll start from the beginning and always try to find some keywords on the page to see if it's worth reading the whole thing. I'll read the right side, you read the left, and if you want to stay on that page, just speak up. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a plan."

The first few pages were practically worthless, and Evan couldn't suppress the distaste that built up inside him as he read the nonsense that he thought was irrelevant. Everyone knew that there were natural and supernatural creatures, and that the supernatural creatures blended in with the humans, though they still retained some of their identity. For example, wolves built their houses near forests.

"Focus, love."

Evan hated to admit it, but Ryan's words worked on him like commands on a dog. If Angie ever found out, she wouldn't let him live it down.

The next few pages dealt with how people learned about magic. They described how supernaturals leaked at least some information, mostly half-truths, into the world to fulfil the human lust for knowledge and magic in an otherwise ordinary world. This included some classic children's tales, and Evan had to admit that it sounded interesting, but it wasn't what they were looking for, so he made a mental note to come back to it another time.

It took a long time to finally find something useful, but it wasn't what they were originally looking for.

"Wait," Ryan uttered suddenly, stopping Evan from turning the page.

"What is it?" he asked immediately, since from what he was reading on the right side, this chapter was about werewolves, not witches.

"We never talked about whether it was safe for Rory to live among witches," Ryan began, and Evan blinked in surprise, as it had never really occurred to him that his best friend might be in danger. He automatically figured that Alexander would protect him, even though he wasn't sure if he really was his soulmate. "We're pretty far away from him, so we couldn't just run to his aid, but what if we don't have to?"

"What do you mean?" Evan immediately wanted to know more.

"Just read," Ryan encouraged him. "I think you might find it interesting."

Evan automatically did as his mate instructed and started reading from the beginning.

"In the annals of supernatural lore, a "Shadow Wolf" is a rare and extraordinary bond that transcends the boundaries between the human and the spirit of a protective wolf. This mystical connection is initiated through a profound act of choice, where a wolf willingly imparts a portion of its soul to safeguard and watch over a chosen human. Symbolizing a deep and conscious commitment, the ritual is completed with a unique scratch - mark borne by the human, signifying the sacred union.

Unlike predestined soulmates, the union of a Shadow Wolf is not dictated by fate but is a deliberate and heartfelt decision made by the wolf in question. This choice reflects an ancient understanding between two beings, based on trust, respect, and an unbreakable bond that defies the boundaries of ordinary companionship.

At the heart of this enigmatic connection lies the mystical "shadow" — an ethereal manifestation of the wolf's protective magic. This ghostly apparition remains concealed within the human's being until the crucial moment when peril threatens their existence. When the human faces an assault from malevolent supernatural entities, the mark on their person is activated, and the ephemeral form of the Shadow Wolf materializes to defend and guide them.

The appearance of the Shadow Wolf serves as an urgent call to the wolf that granted this extraordinary gift. Across distances, the wolf perceives the distress signal from its human counterpart and awakens from its slumber, compelled to race to their aid. This supernatural sentinel keeps a vigilant watch over the human, battling malevolent forces and providing unwavering protection until the wolf's arrival."

"Fuck," came out of him the moment he finished the last paragraph.

"I know, right?" Ryan didn't let his surprise show until his partner felt it too. "I don't get that no one ever told us about this."

Evan snorted. "I get it. There's nothing weird about it in our pack, trust me." His words were bitter, remembering once again his cousin and his human mate.

"Still. Human mates may not be as widespread, but it should be among the basic information that is taught among wolves," Ryan groused indignantly.

Evan's brown eyes looked up at him with undisguised affection. Ryan was too good for this world, natural or supernatural, and Evan had found that out long ago. Hearing him speak so passionately about injustice stirred feelings in him that he hadn't expected. At least not this early in their relationship.

Their gazes met, and Evan realized only now that Ryan must have felt his feelings almost like his own with how strongly he felt them. His cheeks automatically took on a crimson colour. Talking about feelings was one thing but feeling each other's feelings... Love between mates was really something else.

"Stop." Despite what he said, Ryan was grinning from ear to ear, still not taking his eyes off the boy next to him.

"I'm not doing anything," Evan countered, though he knew full well what he was getting at.

"Sure, soulmate." Ryan gave him a knowing look. Evan's reaction was more or less spontaneous as he playfully pushed him away from him and turned back to the book, unable to hide his red face. Love and sweetheart were manageable nicknames, but soulmate was literally attacking his soul.

"We need to focus on Shadow Wolf."

"Okay." Ryan immediately agreed in a serious tone, but Evan knew him well enough to still hear the amusement in it.

"Do you think Rory would be up for it?" Evan asked, returning his gaze again to the black-haired boy at his side.

"I don't know. I don't know him that well, but I think he might appreciate the advantage. Alexander keeps a supernatural secret from him. I think he'd be happy if he had one of his own," Ryan assessed.

"What about you?" Evan asked, turning his gaze back to the book for a moment, specifically to the section that included part of the unbreakable bond.

"What about me?" he echoed.

"Our souls are linked. Would you mind if I gave part of mine to Rory?" Evan was dreading the answer. Not because he was afraid Ryan would object but rather because he would allow it, even if it would hurt him.

Ryan paused for a moment, and it was as if he was only now realizing the full gravity of the connection. After a moment, however, he shook his head and seemed to have found his answer. "I don't mind. He's your friend and he needs protection. I don't see why you shouldn't."

"Are you sure?" he asked again, just to be sure, though Ryan looked confident in his decision.

"One hundred percent," he replied without hesitation. "You and I are forever, and giving someone a part of your soul won't change that."

"You like to make me blush." Evan shook his head at him, and indeed, his cheeks burned again with the flame of their love.

"I like to make you scream, too." Ryan smirked smugly.

"Shut up." Evan pushed him away, this time harder than before, and Ryan laughed at his reaction.

"Should I ask Rory?" Evan's face returned to its original worried expression.

"I think we should try that Soulmate Ritual first. Confirming he was Alexander's weave was our priority. Just because we found something interesting, we shouldn't change it," he replied, adding after a moment, "But take a picture of it so we can send it to him later and he can think it over properly."

"Okay," he immediately agreed since it made sense. "Are we gonna continue with that book or is that enough for today?" He nodded his head towards the book that was left open on the page about the Shadow Wolf.

"We still haven't found anything about weaves..."

Evan sighed, but thinking of Rory, he decided to go back to reading.

"Fine, same tactic then."

"Alright."

In the end, it turned out that their further reading was pointless, as they didn't learn any more about weaves than they already knew. Still, they had a lot to think about, and after finishing Humans as part of the supernatural world, they decided to return home. After the promised break, of course.