Page 7 of BeWolfed

A figure materialized—a woman with opalescent eyes and floating hair moving with fluid grace. I summoned defensive magic instinctively, heart racing.

"Your thoughts are particularly loud this morning," she commented, unfazed. "The romance novels have been quite invested in your internal debate about a certain wolf."

Recognition flashed—Rose's last letter had mentioned hiring some interesting new help. "You must be Daisy."

The strange woman nodded. "The books have been quite insistent about meeting you. Especially this one." She lifted a grimoire whose binding seemed to whisper. "It remembers your aunt's touch. The magic recognizes blood."

"What do you know about Rose?" I demanded, stepping forward. "Do you know where she is?"

Daisy's expression remained placid. "The mystery section is quite concerned about the deep wounds in the land."

My pulse quickened. "Tell me exactly what you know."

Daisy didn’t say anymore, only floated away.

I turned to Rudy, gripping his arm with urgent fingers. "Rose's hidden research. We need to find it now.”

"We’re just about to check the cave storage," he reminded me. “That’s where it will be.”

I pressed my palm against the mountain rock that formed the bookstore's rear wall, whispering the opening spell with Rose's name woven into the incantation. The stone shimmered, revealing a passage carved into the mountain itself.

The chamber beyond hummed with Rose's protective magic. I trailed my fingers along a shelf of grimoires, my throat tightening. Every book, every artifact carried her magical signature — reminders of her brilliance and the gaping hole her disappearance had left in my life.

"We'll find her, Elowen." Rudy's voice softened, sensing my struggle.

I couldn't respond, couldn't trust my voice not to break.

"Rose organized everything," I explained, falling into the familiar structure of my aunt's mind. "Historical precedents on the left, current research on the right. Theoretical magic in the upper shelves, practical applications below."

I located a leather-bound journal hidden behind a false panel—one of the secret spots Rose had made me memorize for emergencies. The journal contained her observations on supernatural community dynamics, blood magic influence, and theories about who might benefit from supernatural discord.

"Here," I said, my voice steadier as I pointed to a passage about pack territories. "Rose was tracking unusual movement patterns among the local pack, establishing presence in Shadow Valley."

"The alpha's extending his influence," Rudy confirmed grimly. "Shadow Valley has always been neutral territory."

“What could Rose have meant?”

A crash from the store interrupted my racing thoughts. We rushed back to find three college students browsing while Daisy rearranged the fallen books, unconcerned.

“What happened?” I asked.

The bell chimed.

"Elowen!" Charlotte's familiar voice brought a rush of comfort. "Are you okay? I heard the store was broken into?"

"I’m okay," I said, and her fierce hug steadied something inside me.

The bell chimed again.

The man who entered carried an air of calculated ease, every movement deliberate, as if he were used to being observed. His academic elegance—artfully tousled dark hair, expensive but understated clothing—belied an intensity that made my magic prickle uneasily. His gaze settled on me with polite curiosity, assessing but not lingering.

"Miss Evers." He nodded to Charlotte before turning to me. "And you must be Rose’s niece. I’m Dr. Oscar Katz. I was deeply concerned to hear about your aunt. Her work on protective magic integration was well-respected."

There was nothing inherently off about his words, nothing overtly wrong. But something about him felt... practiced. Too smooth. As if every word was weighed before it left his lips.

Rudy stepped forward, tension radiating from his frame. "Professor. Didn’t expect to see you here."

"Didn’t you?" Katz’s expression didn’t flicker, but his tone held something unreadable. "These days, Midnight Creek is more than just a quiet town, wouldn’t you say?"

---