“I noticed you don’t really use the Luna’s office much, so I thought you might prefer this room,” he said softly.
I gave him a sharp look. “It’s not that I don’t like the office… I just never felt it was really mine. I didn’t want to mess anything up.”
“You can mess up anything you want here. This is your home,” he replied, stepping closer. “But I thought you might like this better.” He gently grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, and I was left speechless.
The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves made of dark wood**the same rich wood I associated with the bedrooms throughout the Dark Moon packhouse. Almost every wall was covered except for the one with large windows that looked out onto the snowy forest. The view was breathtaking, the winter landscape stretching endlessly beyond.
“What is this place?” I asked, stepping inside and running my fingers along the crowded shelves. There were so many books, I wasn’t sure where to begin.
“It’s a kind of library,” Ryker explained. “My dad and some of the elders started collecting information and history about our pack, tracing it back to its origins. Then they began adding details from the other packs we’ve brought into the fold. I’ve spent a lot of time here, trying to figure out what to do with our current situation. I thought you’d appreciate a change of scenery, and maybe you’d find something I missed.”
“This is incredible,” I breathed, pulling a worn leather-bound book from the shelf. “What’s this one?” I asked, flipping through the yellowed pages.
Ryker stepped up behind me and peered over my shoulder. “That’s our family history. I think it goes back about ten generations.”
The weight of that knowledge made the book feel even more precious. I traced my fingers over the unfamiliar names, knowing I’d learn their stories soon enough. I had so little left from my own parents; both were only children, and their parents had passed away before I was born.
“Have you read through all these books?” I asked, glancing around at the hundreds of volumes packed tightly onto the shelves.
“Not all of them. I started with the ones I thought would have the most relevant information. There have been human mates in our lineage, but none were mated to an alpha or future alpha, which I found interesting. I never really looked that closely before,” he said thoughtfully.
“Really? Do any of the elders from the packs we’ve acquired know anything about that?” I pressed.
“Still nothing concrete to confirm or deny what Jeremiah’s elders claimed. But we’ll get to that later.” He took the book from my hands and carefully placed it back on the shelf. “So, what do you think of this room?”
“It’s amazing! I love the books and the wood. It feels so inviting and cozy,” I admitted.
“What if I told you it’s yours now?” Ryker asked quietly.
I blinked, surprised. “What?”
“It’s right next to mine, so you won’t be far. But you seem more comfortable here than in the office my mother designed. If you’re going to work with me, I want you to have a place where you feel at home. And you’re not wrong**the Luna is very important and should be involved. I also heard you were planning on business school before I turned your life upside down. If you still want to pursue that, I’ll make sure it happens.”
“Ryker, that’s too much,” I said, overwhelmed.
“It’s not enough. But I’m working on it,” he replied with a smile.
Kennedy
It’s official**I’ve landed myself in what can only be described as the twilight zone. Just yesterday, I was holed up in the packhouse, desperately avoiding everyone. I wasn’t sure who was allowed to speak to me and who might face consequences just for looking my way. Boredom crept in so deeply that I seriously considered getting a portable electric fence to create a bubble of personal space around myself.
Danny and Bennet have been so glued to me lately that I’m beginning to think we might actually merge into one being. My world has shrunk to nothing more than the short walk between the library and the bathroom. We’ve even shared lunch right here, in this cramped space. Bennet kindly sparked a small fire in the fireplace, and though I’m not exactly freezing, the gentle warmth feels comforting. The crackling of the fire provides a soothing background hum that fills the room.
I glance over my shoulder toward the black leather couch nestled in the corner of the library. “Don’t you have an actual job to do?” I ask Danny, who’s lazily flipping through a magazine, humming a tune through his nose that sounds suspiciously like a kazoo. “I thought, as the ‘lead warrior,’ you’d be leading something.”
He shrugs, not looking up. “Not when I need to get to know my Luna. I have to understand your habits, your wants, and your needs so we can figure out a better protection plan for when you start visiting other territories in the pack.”
I cock an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that Bennet’s job? And even if I’m in another part of the pack, I won’t just be holed up in a room reading. The whole point is to actually meet and interact with the pack members, right?” My gaze shifts to Bennet, who’s buried nose-deep in a book, completely absorbed.
Danny snorts. “He’s been stalking you since you arrived, but he can’t give me the kind of intel I need. So, it’s up to me to do the hard work, no matter what activities you choose.”
“Hard labor, my ass,” Bennet mutters, tossing a book at Danny. Danny catches it with lightning-fast reflexes and then winks at me, raising his eyebrows in a cheeky challenge. I have to bite back a smile.
“Research isn’t really my thing,” Danny admits, setting the book down on the coffee table in front of him. “You’re the sexy nerd in this scenario.”
“Did you just call me sexy?” Bennet shakes his head with a smirk. “The sooner we find the answers the alpha needs, the sooner Kennedy can be marked and officially inducted into the pack. Personally, I want to know if she’ll be able to mindlink with us once she’s marked. Do you realize how much it’ll drive the boss crazy if you can talk to her without even opening your mouth? And once she’s a full Luna, maybe our mates will finally show up.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.