Caleb Silver POV
The book slamd shut by itself, making jump back from the library table.
"What the—" I started, then froze as I saw the old leather cover smoking. Actual smoke was rising from the binding like it was on fire, but there were no flas.
Lily looked up from her stack of rogue attack reports, her eyes wide with concern. "Caleb, what did you just read?"
I stared at the smoking book, my heart racing. "It was about Shadow Wolf roots. The mont I read the word ’Darkmore,’ the book just..." I gestured weakly at the still-smoking cover.
We’d been researching all night, trying to find trends in the recent rogue attacks. Dad wanted answers before tomorrow’s ergency pack eting, and I’d offered to help since I knew the library better than anyone. When Lily offered to help, I’d felt that familiar flutter of excitent mixed with nervousness.
Now I was wondering if we’d stumbled onto sothing we shouldn’t have.
"Darkmore," Lily repeated slowly. As soon as she said the word, her Triple Moon mark flashed silver under her sleeve. She gasped, pulling back her arm to stare at the glowing pattern.
"Your mark reacted to that na," I said, moving closer. "Just like the book did."
She nodded, looking scared. "It’s never done that before. Not even during the mate ceremony."
I reached for another book about Shadow Wolf history, but the mont my fingers touched it, that one started smoking too. I jerked my hand back.
"This is impossible," I grumbled. "Books don’t just react to being read."
"Unless they’re enchanted," Lily said quietly. "My grandmother used to tell stories about magic books that protected their secrets."
That made sense, actually. Our pack library was old, filled with books passed down through generations. So of them might have protective spells to keep dangerous information from falling into the wrong hands.
But why were they responding now? And what was so important about the na Darkmore?
"Maybe we should tell your father," Lily offered, backing away from the smoking books.
"Not yet," I said, taking a different book from a higher shelf. "If these books are trying to hide sothing, it might be sothing we need to know. The rogue attacks, the Shadow Wolf sightings—what if they’re all linked to this Darkmore thing?"
Lily bit her lip nervously. "What if the books are trying to protect us from sothing dangerous?"
"Or protect sothing dangerous from us," I replied. "Look, we’ll be careful. But if there’s information here that could help the pack, we have to try."
She nodded slowly, though I could see the worry in her eyes. It made want to protect her, but I also admired that she was brave enough to stay and help despite being scared.
I opened the new book carefully, ready to slam it shut if it started smoking. This one was about ancient pack relationships, and it seed normal at first. Page after page of boring political agreents and territory conflicts.
Then I found a Chapter nad "The Darkmore Betrayal," and everything changed.
"Lily," I called softly. "Co look at this."
She moved to stand beside , close enough that I could sll her shampoo. When she leaned over to read, her shoulder brushed mine, sending a warm tingle through my chest.
" ’In the year 1847,’" I read aloud, "the Darkmore Pack made a deal with Shadow Wolves, trading pack mbers for dark magic powers.’"
Lily’s mark flashed again, brighter this ti. "Keep reading," she whispered.
"’The Darkmore Alpha believed Shadow Wolf magic would make his pack the best in the mountains. Instead, it corrupted every mber, changing them into sothing neither human nor wolf. When other packs found the betrayal, they united to destroy Darkmore territory.’"
"That’s horrible," Lily breathed. "But what does it have to do with us?"
I turned the page and found a hand-drawn map. My blood went cold as I recognized the mountain ranges and river systems.
"Lily," I said slowly. "Look at this picture. Look where Darkmore land used to be."
She studied the drawing, then gasped. "That’s our area. Silver Peak is built right on top of where the Darkmore Pack used to live."
The consequences hit like a punch to the gut. Our pack had been living on dood land for generations without knowing it. No wonder we’d been having trouble with Shadow Wolves and rogue attacks.
"There’s more," I said, continuing to read. "’Before their destruction, the Darkmore Pack hid sothing of great value in the sacred moon pool. Sothing the Shadow Wolves wanted but never found.’"
Lily grabbed my arm, her touch sending electricity through my skin. "Our moon pool. The one where the mating ceremonies happen."
I nodded, feeling pieces of a terrible puzzle clicking together. "What if the Shadow Wolves aren’t just randomly attacking packs? What if they’re looking for whatever the Darkmore Pack hid?"
"And what if my Triple Moon mark is connected to it sohow?" Lily added, her voice barely a whisper.
Before I could answer, we heard footsteps in the hallway outside the library. Heavy boots, going with purpose. Lily and I looked at each other in fear.
"Hide the books," I hissed, quickly shoving the burning volus under other papers.
The library door burst open, and Beta Morrison strode in with two other pack mbers I didn’t know. They were dressed like fighters, but sothing about them felt wrong. Their eyes were too bright, and they moved with an unnatural quiet.
"Caleb," Beta Morrison said, his voice strangely flat. "Your father wants to see you imdiately."
I frowned. "It’s the middle of the night. Can’t it wait until morning?"
"No," one of the people said. "It cannot wait."
Lily stepped closer to , her mark now shining so brightly I could see it through her sleeve. She was feeling danger, and her instincts were never wrong.
"Actually," I said slowly, "I think I’ll finish up here first. Tell Dad I’ll see him in the morning."
Beta Morrison’s face didn’t change, but sothing cold flickered in his eyes. "That wasn’t a request, boy."
The two n moved to block the library exit. Now I was sure sothing was very wrong. These weren’t pack mbers at all.
"Lily," I whispered without taking my eyes off the strangers, "when I say run, head for the back window."
"I’m not leaving you," she whispered back.
"You have to. Get to my father. Tell him about Darkmore, about everything we found."
One of the fake fighters stepped forward, and I caught a glimpse of red in his eyes. Shadow Wolves. They’d entered our pack house, probably using so kind of disguise magic.
"Enough talking," the thing said in a voice like grinding stone. "The girl cos with us. The boy too, if he cooperates."
My heart hamred against my ribs. They wanted Lily, just like I’d feared. Whatever secret was hidden in our moon pool, they needed her Triple Moon mark to find it.
"Never," I growled, moving protectively in front of her.
The Shadow Wolf smiled, showing teeth that were too sharp. "We hoped you’d say that. It makes this so much more fun."
Behind , Lily gasped. "Caleb, there are more of them. Outside the windows."
I looked and saw red eyes shining in the darkness beyond the glass. We were completely trapped.
"What do you want?" I ordered, desperately trying to think of a way out.
"What the Darkmore Pack promised us long ago," the lead creature answered. "And your little oga is the key to finding it."
The creature lunged forward, faster than any normal wolf. I shoved Lily toward the back of the library, screaming for help, but I knew we were too far from the main house for anyone to hear.
As claws reached for my throat, I had one terrible thought: we’d found the truth about Darkmore, but it might be the last thing we’d ever discover.
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