Chapter 10 The Forbidden Library

Elara's POV

The fire still burned in Kalen's eyes long after he left me standing in the forest clearing. His control had nearly snapped, his wolf clawing too close to the surface, and yet instead of fear rooting me in place, a strange pull kept tugging me forward.

I should have turned back to the village. I should have hidden in the safety of walls and prayers. But my blood was humming, my heart thrumming with something older than fear, older than reason. That night I made a choice that would change everything. I followed the whispers of instinct instead of the warnings in my head.

The path wound toward the cliffs at the far edge of Bloodmoon Hollow. Few dared to wander there, not because of wolves, but because of something deeper, something spoken only in half-breaths by the elders. They said a place of forbidden knowledge was hidden beyond the carved stones, a sanctuary built by priestesses long before the curse.

The cliffs rose sharp, like teeth gnashing against the sky. The wind cut my cloak against my legs as I reached the old archway, half crumbled, vines choking its frame. Symbols shimmered faintly in the moonlight, alive with a power that pressed against my skin.

I should have turned back. Instead, I pressed my hand to the stone. It warmed instantly, as if recognizing me.

A low rumble shook the ground. Dust slipped from the archway, and a seam of light cracked through its center. My breath caught as ancient doors creaked open, revealing a passage descending into the earth.

Every step felt like trespass. The air smelled of dust and age, yet something alive lingered beneath it-like old magic waiting to be stirred awake. I clutched the lantern I had stolen from Father's chapel, its flame trembling with each step I took into the hollow dark.

The tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its walls carved with spirals, moons, and wolves' eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. But it was the books that stole my breath. Shelves upon shelves of them, bound in leather, etched with symbols I half-recognized. An entire library buried in silence, untouched for centuries.

My hand hovered over the nearest book. The cover was black, a crescent pressed into its center, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. My fingers brushed it, and the air shifted. A voice whispered-low, ancient, curling through my mind like smoke.

Priestess blood returns to us. The bond awakens.

I stumbled back, clutching the lantern as the whisper faded. My pulse thundered, my breath shallow, yet a strange compulsion pushed me closer again. The words on the pages shifted as if alive, reshaping into something I could read.

It spoke of bonds between priestesses and cursed Alphas. Of power sealed by blood and soul. Of destruction if that bond was ever broken. My skin prickled as I read the last line, written in crimson ink that had not faded with time.

One will burn. One will bleed. Only together can the Hollow survive.

My hands shook. The words seared into my mind. And in that instant, I knew-I was bound to him. Bound to Kalen, the Alpha whose wolf had nearly devoured me.

A sound broke the silence.

Boots scraped against the stone. My lantern quivered as the flame licked higher. I turned sharply, heart pounding. A tall figure emerged from the shadows of the doorway.

Kalen.

His eyes gleamed silver in the lantern light, his jaw tight, his body drawn tense as a bowstring.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was low, dangerous, though I caught the crack beneath it.

I pressed the book to my chest. "I could ask you the same."

His gaze swept over the shelves, narrowing as if he recognized the place. He stepped closer, each stride carrying the weight of command. "This place is not for you, Elara."

Heat rose to my cheeks, anger threading through my fear. "Not for me? Then why did the stones open at my touch?"

That stopped him. His expression faltered, but only for a moment before the mask slid back in place. "You should not have come."

I met his stare, breath sharp. "Why? Because I was not meant to know the truth? Or because the truth ties me to you?"

His silence was more telling than any words.

I lifted the book. "It speaks of priestess blood. Of bonds that cannot be severed. You knew, did you not?"

His jaw clenched. A flicker of pain crossed his features, gone as swiftly as it came. "Knowing does not change what I am. Or what I can do to you."

Something in his tone shook me, but not enough to silence the fury swelling in my chest. "And what am I to you, Kalen? A curse? A danger? Or salvation you refuse to accept?"

The air between us vibrated, charged with something dangerous. His hand shot out, gripping the book, though his fingers brushed mine. The touch sent fire lancing up my arm, searing, undeniable.

His voice dropped to a growl. "You do not understand what it means to be bound to me. To my wolf."

I swallowed hard, refusing to let go. "Then make me understand."

The silence stretched, thick as storm clouds. His eyes burned into mine, silver and wild. For a heartbeat, I thought he might break, might finally tell me the truth clawing inside him.

But then he ripped the book from my hands.

"You will not come here again," he said, his voice final, cold. He turned sharply, striding toward the door.

Desperation clawed at my throat. "Kalen, wait!"

I stepped forward, but my foot caught on uneven stone. The lantern slipped from my grasp, crashing to the ground. Flame leapt to life, licking across the brittle parchment of scattered scrolls.

Fire spread fast, feeding hungrily on ancient words. Smoke rose, choking, curling into the carved ceiling.

Kalen spun, eyes flashing. "Damn it, Elara!" He lunged, snatching me away from the growing blaze. His arms closed around me, iron strong, pulling me against his chest as the fire roared higher.

The shelves cracked, the chamber trembling. A deafening boom echoed through the walls, as if something deeper had awakened. Symbols on the stone blazed red, alive, pulsing with violent energy.

Kalen dragged me toward the exit, fury in his voice. "You have no idea what you have done!"

The fire was not just fire. It was summoning something. The walls themselves seemed to breathe, alive with power too ancient to contain.

As the doors slammed shut behind us, sealing the flames within, the ground shook violently.

From the depths of the Hollow, a howl split the night-deep, monstrous, not belonging to any wolf I had ever heard.

Kalen's grip on me tightened, his eyes wide, his breath harsh against my hair.

"Elara..." His voice was raw. "You have unleashed it."

The fire in the Forbidden Library awakens a monstrous, ancient force tied to both Elara and Kalen's bond.