Chapter 27 — Seeds of a Story
1662 Words
elicity sat on the cold stone edge of the university fountain, watching the water ripple beneath her fingers.
The courtyard was alive with quiet movement. Students crossed between the old buildings with books tucked under their arms, laughter occasionally echoing across the open space. The early autumn sun reflected off the surface of the fountain, scattering small flashes of light over the marble statues that surrounded it.
Normally Felicity loved this place.
Today, she was bored.
She leaned forward slightly, dragging her fingertips through the cool water. The soft splash of the fountain was calming, but it couldn’t distract her from the lingering irritation in her chest.
Kevin.
She grimaced at the thought.
The banquet from the night before had been exhausting. Wolves from different packs had gathered, pretending to be polite, pretending to smile, pretending that alliances and marriages were not constantly being calculated behind every glance.
Kevin had been the worst part.
Felicity shuddered slightly.
He had looked at her all evening as if she were a prize to be claimed rather than a person. His smile had been too confident, too entitled. The kind of smile wolves wore when they believed everything in the world would eventually belong to them.
And apparently, he had been interested in her.
The idea alone made her stomach turn.
She sighed and swirled the water with her hand again.
Around her, the courtyard buzzed with the quiet rhythm of university life. A group of students hurried past carrying thick textbooks. Someone laughed loudly near the stairs of the main hall. Two girls were arguing about a class schedule while walking toward the dormitories.
It all felt strangely normal.
Almost peaceful.
Felicity lifted her gaze when she noticed someone familiar crossing the courtyard.
Timothy.
He walked quickly across the stone path, his head lowered slightly as if he were deep in thought. What caught her attention immediately was that he was alone.
She frowned.
Normally his sister was with him.
They were almost inseparable. The two of them moved through the university like a pair of shadows, always talking quietly, always watching everything around them.
Today she wasn't there.
Felicity shrugged to herself.
Maybe she had a different class.
Still, something about it felt odd.
She turned her attention back to the fountain.
The water moved in gentle circles, disturbed by the constant fall of droplets from the carved wolf statue above it.
She was just about to stand up when she felt something change in the air.
A presence.
It wasn’t unusual for wolves to sense each other. Even among students who tried to behave like ordinary humans, instincts never fully disappeared.
Felicity glanced up.
Across the fountain, someone had stopped.
A man.
She hadn’t seen him before.
He stood a few steps away from the opposite side of the fountain, looking at the water as if he had been there for a while. The sunlight caught in his dark hair, and for a moment Felicity simply stared.
He was tall.
Not just tall — the kind of height that made most people instinctively step aside without realizing it. His shoulders were broad beneath a simple dark jacket, and the quiet way he stood carried an unmistakable confidence.
His eyes lifted.
They met hers across the fountain.
Felicity blinked.
For a second she felt as if she were looking at a real alpha wolf.
Not the arrogant kind like Kevin.
Something calmer. Sharper.
More dangerous.
She quickly pushed the thought away and smiled instead.
If he was new here, someone should at least be friendly.
She tilted her head slightly.
“Are you new?”
The man smiled.
It was an easy smile, warm enough to be inviting but not overly familiar.
“Yes,” he said. “I suppose I am.”
His voice was calm, deep, and carried a hint of amusement.
Felicity stood up from the fountain edge and stepped around it until they were facing each other properly.
Up close, she noticed more details.
Dark eyes.
Sharp jawline.
And something about the way he watched the world around him that suggested he noticed far more than he let on.
She held out her hand politely.
“I’m Felicity.”
He looked at her hand for a moment before taking it.
His grip was warm and firm.
“Matthew.”
Felicity nodded.
“Nice to meet you.”
Matthew released her hand and glanced around the courtyard.
“So this is the famous university I’ve heard so much about.”
Felicity laughed lightly.
“Famous? That’s generous.”
“Well,” he said, “I had to come see it myself.”
She crossed her arms slightly, studying him.
“Which pack are you from?”
Matthew raised one eyebrow.
“Do you interrogate everyone you meet?”
Felicity felt heat rush to her cheeks.
“I’m not interrogating you,” she said quickly.
Matthew’s smile widened slightly.
“Relax. I’m joking.”
He leaned casually against the stone rim of the fountain.
“I travel between territories. No permanent pack.”
Felicity blinked.
“That sounds… complicated.”
“It can be.”
She watched him for a moment.
There was something about him she couldn’t quite place.
Not threatening.
Just unusual.
“So,” she said, changing the subject, “what’s your next class?”
Matthew shrugged.
“I’m waiting for my schedule.”
“You came here without knowing your schedule?”
“That’s correct.”
Felicity laughed again.
“You’re brave.”
“Or careless.”
“Probably both.”
They talked for a while.
About the university.
About the professors.
About the ridiculous amount of reading some classes required.
Matthew listened more than he spoke, occasionally asking questions that made Felicity realize he was paying very close attention.
Eventually she tilted her head curiously.
“If you’re new… why did you choose this university?”
Matthew hesitated.
Just long enough to be noticeable.
Then he smiled again.
“I heard someone interesting works here.”
Felicity raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“A red-haired teacher.”
Felicity blinked.
Then she corrected him automatically.
“You mean the librarian.”
Matthew widened his eyes slightly.
“Oh. Is she a librarian?”
“Yes.”
“What’s her name?”
“Florence.”
Matthew nodded slowly, as if confirming something in his mind.
“Interesting.”
Felicity frowned slightly.
“What about her?”
Matthew tilted his head.
“You really don’t know?”
“Know what?”
He leaned closer slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.
“In some packs… red wolves are believed to bring luck.”
Felicity stared at him.
Then she laughed.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Matthew shrugged casually.
“Well… every myth begins somewhere.”
Felicity crossed her arms again.
“Let me guess. You traveled all the way here just because you heard about a lucky librarian?”
Matthew smiled mysteriously.
“Something like that.”
Felicity shook her head.
“You’re strange.”
“Most interesting people are.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly someone called her name from across the courtyard.
“Felicity!”
She turned.
Her friend was waving from the entrance of the main building.
Felicity groaned quietly.
“Duty calls.”
She looked back at Matthew.
“It was nice meeting you.”
“You too.”
She stepped away, then paused.
“Try not to get lost before you get your schedule.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Felicity smiled once more before jogging across the courtyard toward her friend.
Matthew watched her go.
His expression changed the moment she turned away.
The easy charm disappeared.
Something colder appeared in his eyes.
The courtyard slowly emptied as students moved toward their classes.
Matthew remained standing by the fountain.
For several seconds he didn’t move.
Then a voice spoke from behind a nearby tree.
“Well done.”
Matthew didn’t turn immediately.
He already knew who it was.
Finn stepped out from the shadow of the tree.
He was smiling.
Not the friendly kind of smile.
The calculating kind.
Matthew finally turned toward him.
“She believes it,” Finn said.
“Of course she does.”
Finn chuckled.
“Perfect.”
Matthew crossed his arms.
“Are you sure she’s the right one?”
Finn nodded slowly.
“She’s curious. Social. And she talks to everyone.”
“A perfect messenger.”
Matthew glanced toward the direction Felicity had disappeared.
“She’ll spread the story.”
Finn’s smile widened.
“Exactly.”
He stepped closer to the fountain and looked into the water.
“Rumors are powerful things.”
Matthew leaned slightly against the stone edge.
“And what happens if someone starts asking questions?”
Finn shrugged.
“Then we give them answers.”
“Carefully chosen ones.”
Matthew watched him quietly.
“You’re enjoying this.”
Finn laughed softly.
“Oh, very much.”
He turned his gaze toward the main university building.
“Seeds have been planted.”
Matthew followed his gaze.
“And the witch?”
Finn’s eyes darkened slightly.
“We’ll find her.”
“And until then?”
Finn smiled again.
“Until then…”
He gestured toward the university around them.
“We guide the story.”
Matthew nodded slowly.
The wheels had already begun to turn.
And once a story started moving through a wolf pack…
It was almost impossible to stop.
Finn looked satisfied.
“Come,” he said quietly.
“We have work to do.”
They walked away from the fountain together.
Behind them, the water continued to fall in endless circles.
Unaware that something far more dangerous had just begun to spread through the quiet university courtyard.
A rumor.
A myth.
A story about a red-haired wolf who brought luck.
And sometimes…
Stories were the most powerful weapons of all.
- Writer
