Rejected By Him, Claimed By His Uncle

His Touch in the Library

Nyra Hale

I couldn't stop thinking about those words I had heard several nights ago. I had barely slept all this after hearing them and I had been gathering the strength to ask Alpha Rhaedric.

I had barely seen him all week but I was done worrying.

By morning, I had decided I needed answers. Unfortunately, I had already learned that asking Alpha Rhaedric questions was almost useless.

He answered when he wanted, he ignored me when he didn't and somehow, he always managed to make me feel like I was the one being unreasonable.

So I decided to look for answers myself.

The library seemed like the best place to start. It was enormous. Shelves covered every wall, filled with books that appeared to be decades, perhaps centuries, old.

I walked slowly between them, running my fingers over the spines of books of history, pack laws, and my gand stopped on ancient wolf bloodlines.

I pulled out the book but before I could open it, a deep voice came from behind me.

"Put it back."

I jumped and the book nearly fell from my hands. I turned to see Alpha Rhaedric standing several feet away.

I hadn't heard him enter. He was wearing a fitted black shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows.

I hated that I noticed his arms. They were strong, muscular and... distracting. The kind of arms that made it very easy to imagine what it would feel like to have them wrapped around you.

I immediately pushed the thought away.

Absolutely not.

I had spent my entire life loving one man, only to discover that he had been laughing at me behind my back. I wasn't going to start noticing another man now.

Especially not him.

I returned the book then folded my arms.

"You really enjoy giving orders" I said boldly, momentarily forgetting I was talking to the lead character in a lot of my childhood nightmares.

"Yes, I do" he replied.

At least he was honest.

I looked around the library.

"Is there anything in this mansion that I'm actually allowed to touch?" I asked.

"Several things" he replied.

"Such as?"

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips and It lasted barely a second but I noticed then my stomach did something strange.

He looked away first.

"Your clothing, your food, any book here, aside ones about bloodlines" he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I said so" he replied.

He walked past me and I expected him to leave. Instead, he stopped beside the bookshelf.

He was close, much closer than he had ever been and I could feel the warmth coming from his body.

His scent surrounded me in something dark, clean but completely unfamiliar.

My wolf stirred then I stiffened and my heart began beating faster.

Alpha Rhaedric reached above me and I froze. His arm passed beside my head as he pulled a book from the shelf.

His body was close enough that I could feel the heat of him against my shoulder.

I swallowed.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Getting a book" he answered.

"I could have moved" I muttered.

He leaned closer, his lips closer than they've ever been to my face.

"But you didn't" he said.

His voice was low asI looked up at him. Our faces were much too close. His gray eyes held mine and for a moment, neither of us moved.

I became painfully aware of everything, his breath, his scent and the warmth between us.

His eyes briefly moved to my mouth again but my pulse jumped then he stepped back.

The sudden distance made me breathe easier.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked. "You keep looking at me strangely."

His eyebrow lifted.

"Don't flatter yourself. I look at everyone strangely" he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"No, you don't" I replied.

He stared at me and I immediately wished I hadn't said it. Something about the silence felt heavier than before.

Perhaps after staying here for a couple days, I was starting to become more bold.

He closed the book in his hand then simply looked at me with that unreadable expression. And somehow, that made the moment even more confusing.

I stepped away.

"I should go" I said.

He nodded.

"Yes, you should" he replied.

I walked toward the door then stopped.

"Alpha Rhaedric, why are you helping me?" I asked.

He was silent as he returned the book then arranged the shelf as it had been, not bothering to urgently answer my question.

"Because I can" he said plainly.

"That's not an answer" I said.

"It's the only one you're getting" he replied.

He walked past me.

"Good day, Nyra" he said and he left.

I stood there, staring after him. I was about to leave when I noticed something on the table.

It was a book that hadn't been there before so I approached it cautiously.

The cover was old, there was no title, hust a strange symbol embossed into the leather with a white wolf surrounded by a crescent moon.

My heart began beating faster and I reached toward it. The moment my fingers touched the cover—

BOOM!

A loud horn sounded throughout the mansion and I jumped. Another horn followed then another and voices erupted outside.

I ran out of the library.

"What is happening?" I asked but nobody answered.

Several gusrds rushed past me then I heard a shout from the courtyard.

"The royal convoy is approaching!"

My stomach dropped.

Royal convoy?

I stepped toward the nearest window to see black cars moving through the enormous gates. The royal crest was unmistakable and my hands went cold.

No, It couldn't be.

I backed away from the window then I heard the announcement echo through the mansion.

"Make way! His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Vaelor Draven, has arrived at Blackfang."

My heart stopped.

The man who had rejected me, the man who had laughed while I cried, the man who had thrown me away, was here.

I didn't know why he was here, I didn't know what he wanted, but one thing was certain.

He hadn't come for a social visit.