Page 8 of BeWolfed

Magic crackled faintly in the air—my own, unsteady, reacting to the subtle shifts in the conversation. Charlotte, oblivious tothe underlying tension, glanced between us. "Dr. Katz has been working on community outreach between supernatural factions. He’s been helping students navigate the tensions."

"A noble cause," Rudy murmured, voice flat.

Katz smiled, a perfectly measured thing. "Knowledge fosters understanding. And understanding prevents war. Surely, that’s something we can all agree on."

The weight of his gaze landed on me again, and for the briefest moment, I had the strangest sensation that he wasn’t just looking at me—he was studying me.

"Was there something specific you needed?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

"Your Medieval herbals collection." He tapped a finger against the side of his coat as he spoke. "I’m gathering research on protective charms used in historical blood magic countermeasures. Given recent events, I thought it prudent."

Something inside me went still. He was choosing his words carefully. Not mentioning what those "recent events" were. Not saying Rose's name.

"We’re reorganizing," I said smoothly, gesturing to the lingering disarray. "Perhaps another time."

Daisy, still absorbed in rearranging books, hummed thoughtfully. "Your threads are rather tangled, Professor," she remarked. "So many knots forming. I do hope they unravel the right way."

Katz’s expression remained perfectly composed, but I caught the way his fingers flexed briefly, as if resisting the urge to clench. "Fate is an interesting thing, isn’t it?" His voice was light, almost amused. "I suppose we’ll see how the threads fall."

He nodded politely to Charlotte. "Miss Evers. Your recent paper on human perspectives in supernatural academia was quite insightful."

Charlotte flushed, clearly pleased. "Thank you, Dr. Katz."

His gaze flicked back to me once more, unreadable. "Another time, then."

The bell chimed as he left.

I exhaled slowly, only now realizing I’d been holding my breath. The store felt colder in his absence.

"Well!" Daisy clapped her hands. "The books are whispering already. Such an interesting weave we’ve stepped into."

I barely heard her. My mind was still turning over every word, every careful omission. Oscar Katz had given nothing away, but something told me he was far from uninvolved.

"Rudy." I turned to find him still radiating menace. "Planning to lurk there all day?"

"Depends." He moved closer, all predatory grace. "Planning to let more suspicious professors dig through Rose's secrets?"

"He's been nothing but kind," Charlotte protested. "He's trying to help with the student tensions—"

"Right." Rudy's sarcasm could cut glass. "Because supernatural academics never have hidden agendas. Especially ones who appear right when blood magic starts spreading."

Movement caught my eye—Daisy's book pile shifting, ancient volumes hurtling toward my head. I reached for magic instinctively, but my spell tangled with the books' protective wards.

Strong arms caught me as the magical backlash hit. I melted against Rudy's chest, his heat and woodsy scent overwhelming rational thought.

"Careful, little witch." His voice rumbled through me. "Old magic bites back."

"The threads!" Daisy's delighted cry broke the moment. "Oh, they're weaving such lovely patterns now. Fate does enjoy her little nudges."

"Books to sort. Store to fix. Aunt to find," I said, forcing myself back to priorities despite the magnetic pull between us.

As the day progressed, I couldn't shake the growing certainty that time was running out. The journal's detailed maps of ritual sites, the tracking of pack movements, the connections between missing witches—Rose had left breadcrumbs for me to follow.

Rudy

We headed back into cave storage, leaving Daisy to mind the store. I needed all my focus to stay on mission, not on Elowen's scent—lavender and lightning wrapped in paper and stone—that called to something primal within me.

Rose's collection was unlike anything I'd encountered in my years of investigation—grimoires bound in materials I couldn't identify, artifacts whispering in dead languages, scrolls sealed with blood magic. All clues that might lead us to her, if we could decipher them in time.

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