Chapter 21: Research, My Specialty

CLARA

If I was going to get myself all wrapped up in some werewolf prophecy bull, I needed to know what I was up against. And the best way to do that, I figured, was to spend time in the local section of the library.

This time I knew where it was, so I just breezed through the front doors and made a beeline for the small corner room.

I once again dumped my notebook, pens, and laptop on the center table and set about examining book spines.

While I knew what content I was looking for, I didn’t particularly know which books to pull. Local folklore, maybe? I knew most people would consider the whole werewolf pack thing nothing more than legend.

Honestly, I wasted nearly an hour just staring at book spines and reading back covers. I was starting to become overwhelmed when I realized I was not utilizing my resources properly.

I marched my butt right out of that room and up to the circulation desk, where the elderly librarian gave me a warm smile.

“Hello! Is there something I can help you with today?”

I nodded, using all of my reporter skills to sound casual with my inquiry. “I heard an interesting bit of local folklore, and I wanted to learn more about it. Burdock and the werewolves?”

The librarian got a twinkle in her eye and rose from her chair.

“Ah, yes, that’s a popular bit of local legend. I was quite fascinated by it myself when I was younger, so I know exactly what you need, dear. Follow me!”

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as the pair of us returned to the little room. The librarian scanned the shelves quickly, pulling a handful of well-worn books and handing them to me.

Nearly a dozen of them weighed down my arms by the time the librarian turned away from the shelves to give me another smile.

“That ought to keep you busy for a little while, Biscuit. Let me know if you have any questions, okay? It’s been a while since I studied the legend, but maybe I’ll have some answers.”

I nodded and settled at the table with my pile of books.

Back in college, research had been my favorite part of my workload. There was something about digging through books for nuggets of new knowledge that felt almost seductive to me.

It had been many, many years since I’d had the opportunity to properly dig into a topic, so my heart soared as I cracked open the first book and began scanning the chapters.

As I read, bits and pieces of the puzzle began forming.

I learned of the large pack that ruled the area and of the alpha’s twin sons. Unable to accept that only one of them could rule the pack, they had torn it apart.

From then on, the two packs had been at war, coming to blows multiple times through the years. The longer it went on, the less likely it seemed to end.

It sounded exactly like the story Elias had told me, just presented from the view of an outsider.

The more I read, the more invested I became.

I found fragments of the prophecy Elias had mentioned, though it seemed none of the authors knew much more about it than I did. They wrote of the legend of a leader who would appear to bind the packs back together, just as Elias had said.

That same feeling I had when he insinuated Xavier thought ~I~ was the woman washed over me, leaving me trembling.

Stopping a war between two packs of ~giant freaking werewolves~ sounded like a terrible job. Especially when nobody had managed it up to this point!

I frowned and opened up a new book, flipping casually through the pages until I came across an illustration that caught my eye.

It was a simple one—a featureless figure stood with one hand resting on the shoulders of a large wolf, while more wolves surrounded them and a full moon stood over their heads.

I found it so interesting that I sketched it in my notebook to show Elias later.

The description beneath the illustration read, ~“This image of a human and a pack of wolves was found carved into wooden medallions once worn by the native population of Melville. Though the practice of wearing them seems to have faded out with the generations, the symbol itself still seems to hold significance for the local people.”~

I had no idea why, but it also felt significant to ~me~. As much as I still tried to rationalize all of this as a myth, the parallels to Elias’s story were too strong to ignore. And having actually ~seen~ these wolves?

Yeah. My ability to deny this whole thing was pretty much zero.

But where did that leave me?

My stomach felt sick as I considered that maybe, just maybe, I really would be drawn into this whole mythical mess.

I needed to know more about the prophecy, if nothing else. And I wasn’t going to be able to wait until our usual Friday “appointment” because I was pretty sure I would explode.

Or get in my car and drive to the West Coast, where I’d…I don’t know. Become a Hollywood paparazzi or something.

Clara

Hey Elias, I need to talk to you more about the whole chosen one thing.

Elias

I figured you would, eventually. I’ll come pick you up so you don’t have to make the drive. I can bring the bed frame with me.

I glanced at my watch and frowned. By the time Elias drove to my apartment, unloaded the bed, and drove me back to his place, I’d have to turn right back around and come home so I could get some sleep.

Clara

I don’t know if we have enough time tonight. I do have to work tomorrow, so I can’t stay out late or stay over at yours. Unless you wanted to wake up really early to drive me back to town.

Elias

Do you have to work from the office? Just tell them you have a migraine or something and see if they’ll let you “work from home” for the day.

Clara

I…well, I suppose that would work as long as I show up with some writing done the day after tomorrow.

Elias

Then I’ll load up the Jeep. Text me your address.

So I guess I was going to play hooky.

Never thought I’d be skipping work to hang out with a guy in my thirties, but hey. I hadn’t expected ~anything~ in my life to happen.

I sent Elias a link to my address, put away the books I’d been using, and headed for my car.

“Did you find what you were looking for, sweet?” asked the librarian as I passed the circulation desk.

I paused long enough to nod and thank her for her help.

I don’t know why I was in a hurry to get home; it would take at least an hour for Elias to arrive, and I didn’t exactly have many belongings to “clean up.”

But that didn’t stop me from rushing home to sit anxiously on my new-to-me couch until the man who had majorly complicated my life showed up. I pulled up reruns of my favorite sitcom on my laptop and tried to zone out until I heard a knock at my door.

My heart began racing, despite knowing it was Elias. Or maybe ~because~ it was Elias? I didn’t really know.

I forced myself to take a deep breath and adopt a relaxed pose as I opened the door.

And there he was, all six foot nine of him filling my doorway. And, surprise of surprises, he was actually wearing a shirt! Which I obviously had to comment on.

“Well, well, he does know how to get fully dressed!” I teased, stepping out of the way so he could come inside.

“I do that, sometimes,” he replied.

Behind him were two of the other members of the pack whose names I honestly hadn’t bothered to commit to memory. They were carrying the bed frame parts and marched them directly into my bedroom.

By the time I had the front door closed, they’d already placed all the pieces, and five minutes later the frame was entirely assembled and ready for a box spring and mattress.

Elias gave the pair a nod. They each shot me a smile, and then they were gone.

“That was definitely the most efficient assembly of literally anything I’ve ever seen,” I said, sitting down on the edge of the couch to pull on my shoes.

“My pack knows when I tell them to do something, they better do it quickly,” he replied.

His tone was neutral, yet I could feel the authority behind his words. Not in an “I’m the boss and I know it” cocky kind of way, but more like the regal air of someone born to lead.

I finished tying my shoes and grabbed my keys and overnight bag. At this point, I just left it packed, because that was easier than putting everything away every time.

Elias took the bag from my hands and slung it over his shoulder.

“Let’s go. I want to get home before it gets dark.”

“Is something happening tonight?” I asked, a hint of nervousness sneaking in.

If ~Elias~ didn’t want to be in the woods after dark, that wasn’t a very good sign.

He shook his head and grabbed my hand.

“No. I just want to show you something, and it would be better to do it before dark. Besides, there’s no reason to hang around town today. There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow.”

I raised one eyebrow suspiciously, but Mr. Stone Face didn’t give up clues easily.

Fine, he could keep his secrets, then.

“All right, whatever you say. I’ve never seen you be such an eager beaver.”

He just shrugged, too casual.

I narrowed my eyes.

He was trying to distract me. From what, I wasn’t sure.

Yet.