“Your empathy is noted,” I said. “But you do understand why I must dig into these depths, don’t you?”
“Of course. But…” He paused, his expression stern. “You can’t let this obsession with the rogue cloud your judgment. He’s dangerous, for you and for the pack.”
I stiffened, bristling at the implication. “You think I don’t know that? My father would have my head if he even suspected I’d spoken to a rogue.”
“Then keep your distance,” Eldan said. “Aria, you’re meant for greater things. Don’t forget that.”
I sighed and turned away, burying my frustration in the search for elusive answers. Seren had grown unusually quiet, her attention fixed on the weathered book she was thumbing through.
“Find anything enlightening?” I asked.
She didn’t look up from the page. “Nothing that doesn’t sound like a bard’s embellished tale.”
“Perhaps because all of this is nothing more than fanciful nonsense.” The prophecy, the rogue—how could any of it be true? My birthmark, an anomalous crescent on my skin, was suddenly a brand of folly rather than destiny. “Atticus has one, too. A birthmark, I mean. Just like mine.”
Seren finally looked up, her expression unreadable. She leaned back against the shelves, arms crossed. “And yet here you are, scouring for answers about a prophecy that links you. Doesn’t sound like you believe it’s all that silly.”
“Maybe I’m just desperate to prove it wrong.”
“Or maybe,” Seren murmured, “you’re afraid it might be true.”
Her insight struck a chord. Each book I opened contained tales of love and fate, themes that were appearing in my life with increasing insistence, but I pushed them aside, trying to remain grounded in reality.
“Help me search, will you?” I asked. “If there’s truth to be found, it’s somewhere in this library. And if not… well, then I’ll have the confirmation I want to bring this chapter to an end for good.”
We kept searching deeper and deeper in the library. I tucked my hair behind my ear, focusing on Seren’s subdued figure as she leafed through a particularly moth-eaten folio.
“Atticus is like a raging fire,” I muttered, my tone dripping with sarcasm and a simmering frustration. “I’m drawn to his warmth, but get too close, and I’m at risk of being burned.”
Eldan shifted beside me, his impatience tangible. He cleared his throat, a subtle sign of his mounting dissatisfaction. Though he had become more supportive, he became more and more tense with each mention of Atticus and the prophecy. It was only a matter of time before his tightly coiled spring snapped.
“Your father wouldn’t approve,” he repeated. “Nor would anyone in the pack if they caught wind of this fascination. There’s already talk about how often the rogue’s been seen sniffing around the boundaries of Silver Claw territory.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you care so much about the gossip of the pack?” Part of me worried I was pushing him too far. Yet, deep down, even though doubts lingered, I held onto the belief he’d stand by me. He had to.
“Because I care about you.” The words burst from Eldan, his restraint finally giving way. “And I hate that you are putting yourself and the future of the pack in danger over a dangerousfascination with a rogue and some bullshit prophecy. Why can’t you just fuck him, get it out of your system, and settle with Larkin? It would be safer for everyone.”
With that, he turned on his heel, his footsteps echoing through the library. The door slammed shut behind him.
Seren glanced at me. “He’ll come around,” she reassured me. “He always does.”
“Maybe,” I said uncertainly. “I hope so.”
For the first time since we’d entered the library, I studied Seren properly. Dark shadows cast a pallor under her weary eyes, her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line. I reached out and placed a gentle hand on her arm, concerned. “Hey. What is it?”
Her gaze met mine, the usual sparkle in her eyes dimmed with worry. “I need to tell you something.” Nervously, she twisted her fingers in the hem of her shirt.
The shelves in the room creaked loudly, breaking the silence and adding to my growing impatience.
“Just spit it out, Seren. Whatever it is, just say it. I promise you’ll feel better once you get it out.”
She paused, then words spilled out of her in a jumbled stream. “The other night, after your party, I felt strange in my own skin. I can’t explain it, but I needed to get away from everyone, needed some time to think. It was a lovely night. Cold but not too cold, you know what I mean? I ended up beside the old battleground memorial.” She swallowed hard. “I… I saw a ghost.”
I leaned in closer, my annoyance giving way to a growing sense of alarm. “A ghost? What are you talking about?”
“You know, a spirit, a specter. He was pack, a member of Silver Claw from the time of the great battle.” Each of Seren’s words trembled. “He appeared right in front of me with a message: ‘Beware. The pack is in danger.’”
Shock coursed through me as I took her hand. Encounters with the departed were tales told to scare pups, legends that were never meant to be lived. “Oh.”