Chapter 4 THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

My hands trembled as I held the ancient book, the weight of its secrets pressing down on me like a lead blanket. The Lost Texts of the Pack. The words on the fragile pages whispered of a prophecy tied to the very land I now stood on-a prophecy that felt far too close to the strange events unfolding around me. I had never been one to believe in ancient curses or folklore, but the howl I'd heard last night, combined with Adrian's eerie lecture, made it impossible to dismiss.

I closed the book carefully, slipping it into my bag, when a noise jolted me back to reality. The sharp creak of a door opening echoed through the dusty aisles of the library. My heart leapt into my throat, and I turned quickly, scanning the room for any sign of movement. For a moment, I saw nothing, but the feeling that someone was watching me gnawed at the edges of my awareness.

I quickly left the library, stepping out into the late afternoon sun, but the weight of the mysterious text felt heavier with each step I took. It wasn't just the legends of werewolves that filled my mind now-it was the growing suspicion that something far more real, far more dangerous, was lurking beneath the surface of Crescent Falls.

By the time I reached the lecture hall for my next class, my thoughts were spinning. How much of what Adrian had said in his lectures was rooted in fact? Was he aware of the hidden history of this town? I couldn't help but wonder if he had been leading us to these revelations on purpose. And if so, why?

As I approached the entrance, lost in thought, I didn't see him coming.

Suddenly, I collided hard into a solid figure, stumbling backward as my bag slipped from my shoulder and hit the floor with a thud. Papers scattered everywhere, and the old book I had just found tumbled out, landing at the feet of none other than Adrian Blackwood.

Time seemed to slow for a moment, and all I could do was stare as his hand reached down to pick up the book, his fingers brushing against the faded leather cover. The expression on his face shifted ever so slightly as his eyes flicked over the title. Was it a surprise I saw in his gaze? Or something else-something darker?

"I-uh, sorry about that," I stammered, quickly kneeling to gather my papers. My heart raced for entirely different reasons now, the proximity to him sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. I hadn't been this close to him before. His presence was overwhelming in a way that was hard to explain-like he carried the weight of something unseen, something ancient.

"No problem," he said, his voice smooth, but there was a tightness in it that made me pause. He handed the book back to me, his gaze lingering on it for a moment longer before he stood up straight, towering over me. "Interesting choice of reading material."

I swallowed hard, stuffing the book back into my bag, feeling like a child caught snooping where they didn't belong. "Yeah, it just... caught my eye."

His expression remained unreadable, but I could feel a current of tension between us, like a thread stretched too tight, ready to snap at any moment. He gave me a small nod and stepped around me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen through me-seen more than I wanted him to.

I stood frozen for a moment, staring after him as he disappeared down the hall. My heart was still pounding in my chest, but I forced myself to shake off the strange encounter. It was just a book. Just a minor accident. Nothing more.

Or so I tried to convince myself.

The rest of the class passed in a blur. I could barely focus on the lesson, my mind replaying the moment in the hallway over and over again. Had Adrian recognized the book? Did he know more about it than he was letting on?

By the time the class ended, my head was buzzing with questions I couldn't yet answer. I gathered my things quickly, determined to get out of the building and clear my head, but as I approached the exit, I heard voices. Adrian's voice, low and serious, cut through the quiet hallway.

I stopped in my tracks, instinctively ducking behind a pillar, my heart pounding in my ears as I strained to listen.

"...not safe anymore," Adrian was saying. "We have to be careful. Too much attention could ruin everything."

A second voice, one I didn't recognize, replied, "But if she finds out the truth-about the pack..."

Adrian's tone sharpened. "She can't. Not yet. We need to keep this under control before it's too late."

My breath caught in my throat. Were they talking about me? About the book? Or was this about something else entirely? The word "pack" rang in my ears like a warning bell. Everything I'd learned in the past few days-the legends, the strange behavior, the howl in the night-it was all connected. I knew it.

I leaned closer, trying to catch more of the conversation, but the voices dropped lower, and all I could make out were fragments.

"...dangerous secret..."

"...can't afford any mistakes..."

"...the full moon..."

I felt a chill run down my spine. Whatever they were talking about, it was serious-deadly serious. My mind raced with possibilities, but before I could make sense of anything, the voices stopped abruptly.

I held my breath, waiting.

Footsteps approached, and I pressed myself against the wall, praying I wouldn't be seen. Adrian and the other man-whoever he was-passed by, their conversation finished. But as they walked away, a new question formed in my mind, one that terrified me even more than what I had just overheard.

What was Adrian hiding?

My heart hammered in my chest as I stepped out from behind the pillar. I had to know more-I had to figure out what kind of dangerous secret they were talking about. But as I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye-Adrian, standing at the far end of the hallway, staring directly at me.