Word Count: 2361

~Lavelle

The village's local library is a humble building filled with an even humbler collection of books.

I visited plenty as a child, but never as an adult. It's duster than I remember, with a ceiling that appears to sag in the middle, right at the desk of the librarian.

Mel and I approach the desk, but we don't gain the librarian's attention until I tap with my fingers against the solid wood.

She peers up at me. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for information on my family. Specifically my mother," I explain. "I believe her maiden name was Hensley."

I've already written my father off as being involved in this somehow. Nothing about him is a mystery me, aside from his mind, his motivations. My mother died when I was young, and my memories of her are sparse. So much of her life, her extended family is a mystery to me.

The librarian's sagging features curl into a contemplative look. "That's not a name that sounds like it originates in this pack."

The only reason I know my mother's maiden name was because of a locket I found amongst her possessions when she died. I clutched it close for years, until Caroline found it and sold it.

When I queried father about it, he told me my mother had no family left, and that there is no point concerning myself with it further.

"So you have anything at all?" I ask anxiously, glancing at a wary look Mel beside me.

She rises achingly from her chair. "Come down to the archives and we'll look there. But don't get your hopes up."

Too late. My heart jumps into my throat, the thrill at the idea that I could finally get answers to this mystery spilling through me.

The librarian leads us through the towering, neglected bookshelves toward the back of the building. There, she unlocks a door and leads us down to the archives.

Through the din, I see shelves upon shelves of ancient, untouched books and numerous folders tucked on top of each other. Mel and I hang back, not wanting to disrupt the librarian's method as she begins sifting through folders pertaining to the letter H.

"You realise that Hensley originates from Alpha Liora's pack, don't you?" She doesn't look at me, pulling out a folder, inspecting it, before she shoves it back into place.

I frown, taken aback.

I don't know much about Liora and her pack, other than that it is the largest and most influential, rivalling Zyre's brothers pack. It exists over the sea from here, on the mainland, and has been an enigma most of my life.

Absolutely nothing would have indicated to me that my mother could have originated from there...

"How do you know?"

"I can tell from the way it sounds. I used to live there," she explains.

Mel gives me a long, knowing look. We are both aware of how little I know about my family, about my mother. This could be the link we are missing.

The librarian pulls out a thin folder, holding it up for inspection.

"Ah, there's a small folder on any Hensley's in this pack. It doesn't look like much though." She holds it out to me.

It feels brittle in my hand, my mother's maiden name stamped onto the tawny front. I hold it carefully, as if our one lead may mystically combust at my fingertips before I can learn more.

"Thank you. Mind if we take this upstairs for a look?"

The librarian dips her head. "Yes, but be careful."

Mel and I hurry up the stairs, finding a small table at the corner of the library to seat ourselves at. Mel lights a small candle in the centre of the table, the light dancing along the pages contained in the folder as I press it open.

I take half and Mel takes the other. We begin sifting through the pages quickly, as if time is of the essence.

"There's really not much," Mel says after a while, brows pinched together in concentration as she studies a particularly yellowed piece of paper. "A deed to land bought by a Hensley a very long time ago."

She holds it up, but I wave my hand dismissively.

"Probably not relevant."

My mother never had any land passed down to her. It was my understanding that all her family had perished, according to my father, which means it's unlikely a deed is of any relevance.

We pour through the contents of the folder for the better part of afternoon, not having much luck.

"These are obituaries. They are likely from the same people who purchased the land," Mel exclaims distractedly, squinting her eyes to read the small, scrawly hand-writing.

I place a page to the side. "Marriage certificate."

She pinches either side of one page, angling her head to the side. "Census records."

I sigh hopelessly. "Church records."

"Any genealogical records in there?" She peers over to my discarded pages.

"No. This is it."

I shove the pages to the middle of the table, massaging my temple. My eyes are strained and there is nothing relevant to my mother. Any account of a Hensley comes from many years ago, well before she was even born, and most seem to cut off at the same time, as if the Hensley's shipped off from this pack to make a life elsewhere.

Mel's expression slowly fades to disappointment in equal measure to mine. "So no correspondence, no portraits, no nothing?"

"I'm afraid not."

Slowly, I pack the pages back into the folder, the crushing realisation that I'm not closer to finding out what about me is so important to Zyre's brother almost debilitating.

"If Hensley's don't originate from this pack, then maybe we need to go visit a library where they do." Mel raises a cautious brow, reading my expression.

"Zyre would never let that happen." He would claim that being beyond his pack borders would be too dangerous, that his brother could strike at any time.

I'm not sure what I'm more afraid of...whatever Zyre's brother has planned for me, or staying here any longer, looking for answers that don't exist.

"You said he's invested in knowing. I think he would allow it, as long as he could supervise."

I pull a face. "That would mean I would have to spend time with him."

It's been a week since the overwhelming pain in my head, and mercifully, it hasn't returned. Zyre has busied himself with finding out what caused it, but like me, he has turned up with nothing.

I am certain it is nothing more than stress, trauma and grief. This has been the hardest two months of my life.

"It might be worth it," Mel muses with a shrug.

I study the candle between us. I watch the way the wax glides down to pull at the bottom, the way the flame licks hungrily at the wick.

Being around Zyre...it's too dangerous. My feelings aren't in control enough yet.

"Fine. I'll talk to him," I grumble regardless, because what other choice do I have?

We return the folder to the librarian and walk outside. We're greeted by a tumultuous sky, heavy with unshed rain. It casts dark, ruinous shadows over the cobbled street, where everything is still in anticipation of the onslaught.

We wander down the street, dejected, toward Mel's carriage, only to find Elspeth standing outside of it, arms folded petulantly, her eyes turned upward toward the sky.

They sweep to meet us as we approach, burning with untold fury.

"Well if it isn't our Luna," she grits out cruelly, standing before us with a wide stance.

Mel immediately seizes my arm, giving Elspeth a sharp look. She knows as well as I do that if she is here, then something bad is going to happen.

I paint on a sardonic smile. "Oh Elspeth, how lovely to see—"

"Traitor bitch," she hisses, striding forward until the gap between us is barely at arm's length. I don't recoil, though, matching her ire with my own.

"Excuse me?"

Mel remains at my side, clutching me. "Elspeth, what has gotten into you?"

"Was that your plan all along? Did you seduce our Alpha into submission before your lover killed him?" She snaps, her voice projecting down the streets, turning heads in our direction.

I care very little for Elspeth, and am not surprised she is of this opinion. Still, it's jarring to hear it, and to hear how likely it sounds.

Zyre cannot prove to these people that he took Avi's bride as his own instead of killing her for any of the real reasons. He cannot speak to his brothers plan, or any idea that he cares about me. To these people, it looks like a cleverly planned plot.

"Of course not. You have no idea what you're talking about," I tell her, my fingers curling against my palms.

"You're married to him, aren't you? Were you his spy?" Her face flushes bright red. "I know Alpha Avi wouldn't marry a commoner like you unless his hand was being forced."

I flinch. She's exactly right, as it turns out.

"Elspeth, you might feel inclined not to speak about what you do not know," Mel snaps.

Elspeth's attention swiftly shifts to my friend. "How can you stand by someone who killed our Alpha? Our pack is under entirely different rule now!"

"Trust me, neither of us are particularly fond of Zyre," I tell her harshly. "I had no idea he was plotting that. Did you, when you had your tongue down his throat?"

She pulls back an inch, smoothing her hair back with one hand. People have drawn closer, curious. They know what has changed around here, and I'm sure they have theories of their own.

"I'm not the one married to him."

My eyes narrow. "Are you actually that foolish or do you just act like it?"

"You'll get what's coming to you. If you think this pack is going to bow to his will without a fight, you're wrong." Elspeth's smile is cruel, and behind it, I see her intentions. She isn't lying — she will do what she must.

Mel shakes my arm urgently. "Let's go, Elle. People are watching."

We brush past Elspeth toward the carriage, my gaze lowered so I don't have to see the faces of those who think I've betrayed them. We clamber in, the dim wrapping around us.

"You can run to your palace and hide, and pretend you belong there, but you're nothing but a—"

Mel slams the door shut, effectively blocking Elspeth out.

I collapse against the seat, groaning quietly. This is a nightmare. There is no place for me in this village, even if I wanted to return to it. I will forever be painted as a traitor to them, who took their golden Alpha from them.

"Phew. What a bitch," Mel mutters, knocking on the carriage wall to indicate to her driver that it is time to go.

"Mel, that's your friend." The transport begins moving. I blow out a grateful breath, wanting to put distance between us and the crowd.

"Was my friend, although I'm not sure why she ever was." She shakes her head, hair spilling from her braid. "Don't listen to her, okay? She's just trying to get in your head."

"You saw everyone standing around. They looked ready to eat me alive."

Her face softens. "You're a victim in this. They'll learn soon."

I fold my arms, exhaling slowly. I can't allow this narrative of me to continue. I need to prove to them that I am not aligned with Zyre and his poisonous family.

"I won't be their victim. I'll be their Alpha once I'm strong enough," I insist.

"Or sneaky enough. If you're serious about challenging him, you should use the element of surprise to your advantage. It's the only way."

Mel doesn't cosign my decision to take down Zyre, but she understands I can't be convinced out of it. It's my only way to free myself from him, and give myself enough power to protect myself from his brother.

"You're probably right. I need to think of a real plan."

"Why don't you stay the night at my place? If people really are become restless, then you shouldn't risk a trip up the palace road," Mel says.

I nod. "You're probably right. What about—"

"You'll be back by morning. There is nothing to worry about," she assures me with a small smile.

I hardly care if Zyre wonders why I haven't returned. He can wonder if his brother got to me, for all I care.

The rain releases from the overburdened clouds once we make it back to the manor. By dusk, it's turned into a violent storm, lashing Mel's bedroom windows that I sit at, watching the rain thrash the streets while I consider my plan.

When Mel and I settle into bed, I can't sleep. I can only fold my arms over my stomach and listen to her soft breathing next to me.

There is too much on my mind. All I can think about—

Violent knocking sounds from downstairs, making me sit up.

For a moment, I wonder if it's just another crack of thunder, but a moment later, it sounds again.

My heart thuds wildly against my ribs — I already know who that is.

Flinging the covers off my legs, I dart out into the hall and down the stairs, just as one of Mel's staff approaches the door to open it warily.

Zyre immediately steps inside, utterly soaked with the storm raging behind him.

He looks over the poor girl who opened the door, desperation etched into every line of his face.

"Where is my wife?"

💚••💚

If you want to read ahead, you can find this story on Inkitt 15 chapters ahead! The first five chapters are available for free (:

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~Midika 💜🐈‍⬛