Chapter 29

Selene's pov

Night had fallen long ago, but I was still up, my thoughts a restless tangle. I couldn't shake off the fact that something big was happening around me, and I was being left in the dark.

This was more than just the bond I shared with Lucian. When we had spoken with the Elders, Raven had mentioned a prophecy.

The memory made me pause. My being here had to do with a prophecy—Raven had said as much. But what prophecy? No one had told me.

I sat up and crossed my arms. No one ever told me anything. I was just left in the dark, like they weren’t sure I could handle the full news. All they kept saying was that I had to fit in, that I had to learn how to be one of them.

Well, if no one was going to talk to me, then I would find out all there was to know by myself. Just because they considered me the outsider, the vampire, the unwelcome addition to Lucian's tightly knit world, didn’t mean that I had to sit back and be content in the darkness.

Resolved, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. My muscles still ached painfully from training, but it was much more bearable now. Across the room, my lips pressed into a hard, thin line. Since no one was going to tell me the truth, I would find it out myself.

I walked through my door without any problems. It seemed they were getting a bit more lenient with my freedom, and for that, I was glad. But it also meant I couldn’t get caught on this mission of mine; otherwise, they would never let me out again.

The hallways were quiet, moonlight filtering in through the windows. The whole estate was cast in an eerie stillness that sent shivers up my spine. This was the perfect setting for a horror movie.

That thought was not helping.

I padded my way through the hallways, my footsteps soft against the floors. I had no particular destination in mind, but anywhere I could find information would do.

Information meant books, and books meant a library. Now, what was the way to the library? Surely Ira had pointed it out for me the other day.

I was careful not to turn towards the wing where I had been attacked. If that ever happened again, Lucian definitely was not going to come to my rescue.

By a stroke of luck, I found the library. The big doors were very recognizable because of the lack of carvings on them. They seemed to be the only things not tainted by this werewolf decorator's sense of style.

I pushed the door open a crack and slipped through it, shutting it back behind me. The place was dimly lit, thankfully, because I had forgotten to bring any source of light.

Shelves upon shelves of books that stretched towards the ceiling welcomed me. How was I ever going to find what I wanted when I didn’t even know what I was looking for?

I moved through the pathways between the shelves, my eyes scanning the spines of the books. Each shelf was labeled according to its contents. Some bore labels of Documents, Orders, Journals, and others, Pack Histories.

I went towards the one that said Pack Histories. Surely, if I was going to find something about a prophecy, it would be in that section.

Most of the book titles were faded, probably worn from age. I picked one at random, careful not to let it come apart in my hands, and flipped through its pages.

Most of it was written in a language I did not understand. Perfect. If I couldn’t even understand the language, how was I supposed to read them?

I looked up, wondering how many more were like this one, when I heard footsteps. My eyes widened in shock.

I certainly had not counted on encountering any more night prowlers like me on my little adventure. What was I going to do? Who could it be?

I slid the book back in place and hid behind the shelf, quickly taking care not to make any noise. The footsteps came closer, and with my heart pounding, I pressed myself against the shelf, my eyes fixed on the doorway as I held my breath.

When the door opened, I let my breath out in relief. It wasn’t Lucian or Raven—it was Ira.

“Ira,” I said quietly, stepping out of the shadows.

She jumped slightly, her hand flying to her chest. Then slowly, she spun around, her expression one of shock as her eyes landed on me. “Selene? What are you doing here?”

“I should ask you the same,” I replied.

“I—I come here sometimes to think,” she explained hesitantly. “What about you?”

Well, since she had told me her purpose, I could not get out of telling her mine. “I came to find out the truth. I need to know what’s going on here.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What exactly do you want to know about?”

“Everything,” I shrugged. “Mainly the prophecy. Do you know anything about the prophecy?”

She blinked rapidly and averted her gaze.

I moved towards her. “Come on, Ira. I need to know. I’m in the dark, and it’s not helping matters.”

“There’s only so much that I’m allowed to tell you,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I can’t tell you everything.”

“Then tell me what you can,” I replied firmly.

She sighed. “I actually don’t know all the details. Most of the stuff about the prophecy is kept by Raven. We’re only told the essentials.”

I moved closer to her, eager to hear what she had to say. Perhaps after she told me about the prophecy, I could get her to tell me what was also going on in the pack and in other areas.

I knew having a friend would come in handy, and one among the Elders was the best I could get. She would definitely be a good plug for information.

“It’s really not in my place to tell you anything,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “But since you insist, I guess you should know a little.”