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I froze for a moment.

I had never seen so many books in one place.

Each section was labeled carefully, marking different subjects. It felt like a place where you could lose track of time completely, just learning and exploring without end.

At the center of the library was a round information desk enclosed in a circular structure.

A woman stood there. When she noticed us, her brows lifted in surprise. She stepped out from behind the counter and came toward us.

She was a beta wolf shifter, shorter than me, with golden hair cut to her chin and sharp blue eyes. I couldn’t help noticing how polished she looked, clear skin, neat appearance, effortless confidence. A small, unexpected sting of comparison flickered through me.

Life in Bloodfang had never allowed luxuries like that. And after everything since, there hadn’t been time for anything except survival.

“Rose? What are you doing here?” Luca asked.

Without thinking, I moved closer to him and linked my fingers with his. My wolf reacted immediately, tense and alert, like it was ready for a fight.

Rose stopped when her eyes landed on me, then followed Luca’s mark on his face. Whatever she saw made her step back slightly, respectful and cautious.

Inside me, my wolf calmed, but stayed alert beneath the surface.

“I work here now,” Rose said, rolling up her sleeve to show a faded, covered old tattoo beneath a newer one, a tall tree standing against a forest, the symbol of Elder Forest.

“You left Frost Fang,” Luca said, thinking it through. “That explains why I never saw you again.”

He gestured to me. “Rose, this is Selena. Selena, Rose used to be part of my pack in Frost Fang.”

“Nice to meet you, mate,” Rose said politely, nodding at me. “Selena is a strong name.”

Then her attention shifted back to Luca, her brows knitting together in confusion. “I left Frost Fang when Elara became Alpha.”

“A smart choice,” Luca replied. “But Lucien has returned. He’s taken back his rightful place. Elara is gone.”

Her gaze dropped to Luca’s wrist, and I looked down at the same time. My new Howling Evergreen pack marked a wolf howling beneath mountain peaks looked strangely settled on my skin, as if it had always been there. My healing ability made it seem older than it really was.

It still didn’t feel real sometimes… me being a shifter.

“We haven’t updated our Frost Fang marks yet,” Luca said.

Something told me we would always keep the Howling Evergreen symbol, no matter what other pack marks came after it.

“So Lucien is Alpha now,” Rose said slowly, then smiled. “That makes sense. He was always buried in books. Though I doubt he has time for libraries anymore.”

Her smile turned teasing as she looked at Luca. “You, on the other hand, I never expected to see in a place like this.”

The look she gave him made something in me tighten, even though I could clearly feel through the bond that Luca wasn’t interested in her. There was curiosity in him, nothing more.

“I came for information about this rune,” Luca said, turning slightly to show the mark on his cheek. “Do you have anything that can help us understand it?”

Rose frowned slightly, clearly trying to piece things together. “You do realize you’re already Bonded to Selena, right?”

“Yeah, I know that,” Luca replied evenly. “I’ve just never come across this specific rune before.”

Rose moved a little closer as she spoke. Instinctively, I shifted nearer to Luca again. “It’s called Ansuz. It comes from the Elder Futhark system. It’s often linked to Odin himself. I can give you a full list of references if you want, but I can also explain it now.”

Luca and I shared a quick glance.

Through the bond, I let him feel my caution. He answered with silent agreement. No information would be given away yet.

“Start with the explanation,” I said carefully.

Rose nodded and motioned toward the quieter back section of the library, where tables and soft chairs were arranged. “We usually allow reading and discussion there. Today is slow, so you won’t bother anyone.”

Luca led me over to a small couch. I settled beside him, and he immediately pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me without hesitation. Warmth and affection flowed through the bond.

Rose noticed it, her expression softening.

“So you two are newly bonded?” she asked as she sat across from us.

I gave a small nod. “Barely a day old. The rune appearing was… unexpected.”

What I didn’t add was that it had first appeared on Lucien too. That part stayed hidden.

Rose hummed in understanding. “In most cases, witches choose their Bonded marks. When they appear on their own, it usually means fate made the choice for you.”

She looked thoughtful. “Ansuz is powerful. If I were to explain it through old beliefs, I’d say it represents Odin’s voice communication, messages, even prophecy. It connects a person to higher knowledge and divine insight.”

I smiled faintly. “Sorry… I didn’t grow up learning mythology. My name might sound like it, but I was never taught any of it. What exactly is Odin supposed to be?”

Rose leaned back slightly, getting comfortable. “Odin is strongly tied to magic. In legend, he created writing and inspired poetry among humans. He was also linked to women who practiced seidhr magic, those who carried out his will.”

She tilted her head toward Luca. “And interestingly, he’s also connected to wolves. Some stories even describe him as the first being able to shift forms.”

That caught my attention.

I remembered what Hank had once said back at the Bloody Dawn camp. “What about wolves in Norse myths… Freki, Geri… and Fenrir?”

Rose waved a hand as if the topic was vast. “There are many wolf stories. I could point you to entire sections of books on them. But yes, Geri and Freki were Odin’s companions. They were seen as guides and protectors, even teaching early humans how to survive.”

Her tone turned more serious. “Fenrir, on the other hand, was said to be the child of Loki. He was wild, uncontrollable even the gods feared him. From him came Skoll and Hati, the wolves destined to bring about the end of the world.”

“Ragnarok,” I finished quietly.

She nodded. “Exactly. Many of these myths may have started as attempts to explain shifters where they came from, and why they vanished for so long before reappearing alongside other supernatural beings.”

She gave a small shrug. “But no one knows the truth for certain.”

I leaned forward slightly. “Is there any real link between Odin and the first shifters?”

Rose considered that before answering. “Some stories claim Odin, in wolf form, fathered human descendants known as the Volsungs, the earliest wolf shifters. They supposedly mixed bloodlines with wolves tied to both Fenrir’s line and Odin’s own companions.”

She continued, “Those descended from Odin’s side were said to become the Ulfhednar wolf warriors from Viking history. They wore wolf pelts, fought in packs, and were deeply loyal to their groups.”

Her eyes moved between us. “They believed they carried Odin’s spirit. That their strength came from living like wolves.”

“And after all that?” I asked.

Rose gave a light laugh, like the answer should have been obvious. “After? It’s all legend. No one can tell what’s real anymore. These stories go back thousands of years. When shifter numbers exploded, people dug up old myths to explain us again. Some accepted them, some didn’t but none of it perfectly matches what we see now. Even different human tribes have completely different versions of where shifters came from.”

Her words actually made sense.

Hank had once implied that Cassius’s bloodline didn’t come from the same origin as Luca, Lucien, Rowan… or even mine. Almost like we were different branches of the same species, shaped by separate beginnings.

So maybe the truth was split in pieces.

All I knew for certain was that I carried Odin’s mark. Hank even called me an Odinswolf. Everything else felt like fragments trying to connect into a picture I couldn’t see yet.

Rose leaned in slightly, her curiosity sharpening. “Can I ask you something now?”

There was excitement in her tone like a scholar finally finding something rare.

I hesitated, then nodded.

“I can feel a wolf inside you, Selena,” she said slowly. “But you’re Bonded to Luca like a witch… and he carries your bite mark. So tell me, are you some kind of hybrid?”

I didn’t see a reason to deny it. “Yes. Wolf and witch.”

Her eyes brightened immediately, like she’d just confirmed a theory. “So let me guess the rune showed up because you didn’t go through a formal Bonding ritual. You claimed Luca directly, and the Ansuz mark appeared on its own?”

Beside me, Luca exhaled quietly. I felt his concern through the bond he was worried we might be revealing too much too soon.

“What makes you so interested in this?” he asked instead.

Rose didn’t hesitate. “Because I’ve never met a hybrid before.”

She leaned back slightly, thoughtful now. “Some people believe hybrids are unstable, unable to fully use magic or shift properly. But you clearly have a wolf presence… and your Bond mark proves your magic is active. That alone challenges everything they claim.”

Luca gave a small nod. “Politics always twist things. My father is trying to build alliances with witches now, so things are clearly changing.”

“They are,” Rose agreed. “Lucien is the Alpha of Frost Fang again. I never thought I’d see that in my lifetime.”

A soft, distant look crossed her face for a moment like she was remembering another time.

Before I could stop myself, I said, “If you ever wanted to go back, I’m sure Lucien would allow it.”

Her expression immediately sharpened. “New Alphas don’t usually trust outsiders easily… and I am very clearly an outsider now.” She tapped the mark and tattoo on her wrist. Then her eyes flicked back to me, sharper with interest. “You know Lucien personally?”

Without thinking too much, I pulled my shirt slightly aside, revealing the marks resting along my collarbone.

“He’s my other mate,” I said quietly. “My first Bonded.”

Rose froze for half a second then her reaction completely changed.

She gasped, then broke into a bright grin. “You’re Bonded to both Lucien and Luca? That’s insane… and honestly? I’m jealous.”

A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. She wasn’t wrong. I really was the luckiest hybrid I’d ever heard of. And strangely enough, the more I spoke to her, the more I liked her.

“I’d like to read those books you mentioned,” I added.