15. Brent
I hole up in the libraryfor days. Instead of going to the gym, now I hide between dusty shelves, burying my nose into books.
God, reading is fucking boring. I don’t know how the hell Patrick can do this. It’s a fight just to keep my eyes open, and already I’ve downed about ten cups of coffee.
But I need to do this. I need to do as much research as I can on prophecies. I have a feeling there’s something I have missed about a certain green-eyed female.
My mate is a part of some prophecy, and no one cared to tell me.
Elder Floyd knows. And I bet Patrick and Hunter do too. I throw the book to one side as I envision Ylfa confiding in those two, while freaking leaving me out of it.
Could anyone blame her? I never really proved myself trustworthy, and I’m my uncle’s lackey.
I want her to confide in me, though; I want her to know that I would protect her with my life, and that she can tell me anything.
I wouldn’t judge her; I don’t care what she’s done. She’s my mate, and I will always stand by her side.
It’s just shit that she has to be miles and miles away while I’m stuck by my uncle’s side. If Patrick were here, I would punch him in his glasses. Hunter, too; I would knock that mole off his stupid, tanned face.
I know I still shouldn’t view them as rivals, but I can’t help it when I know they are with her. They know all her darkest secrets, while I know jack shit.
I discard my pile of books, storming out of the library. What’s the point? It’s not like I will find anything useful.
My brain doesn’t even know how to glean facts and store them away. I’m an idiot, basically. More muscle than brain.
On my way out of the library, I bump into a small, willowy blonde. I grab the female by the shoulders before she goes flying, and sometimes I don’t know my own strength. It’s about time I stopped throwing my weight around.
I finally step back, giving the female the space she needs, and when I get a look at her face, my stomach drops to the ground.
Ylfa’s mom. What the hell is she doing in the library?
She fumbles with her bag, bowing her head to show me respect. I am pack beta after all.
“I’m sorry... I should look where I’m going...”
An uncomfortable silence ensues, and shame cuts straight through my chest. I shouldn’t be so rough with her. She is my mate’s mom.
I’ll apologize.
“It’s all right. The fault was mine...”
She keeps her head bent forward, and I realize for the first time that I have no idea what her name is. She’s just Ylfa’s mom.
I should hate this woman. She ignored my mate her whole life, just as my mom ignored me, but she still brought her into this world. I noticed her face in the crowd a lot back at the tournament, and it appears she’s making up for lost time.
Ylfa deserved a better mother, but I will still be graceful. Besides, she’s the closest thing I have to my mate right now.
She’s like an older version of her...
“Why are you in the library... uh...?”
Her cheeks blush, and she hides her bag away. “Cathy. And... I was doing some reading...”
I glance down at her empty book bag, and it’s obvious she’s lying to me. It’s no surprise that this shitty excuse of a library is so bare and covered in dust. Our pack hates books. It just about passes as a library (I bet Patrick’s cottage has more books, and maybe that’s where I’ll go next). The building only has four shelves, so no wonder I’m having no luck.
The books on fortunes and prophecies may as well have been written by children. In fact, most of the books here are picture books written for children...
There’s a library in my uncle’s house, but I wouldn’t dare sneak around his home. The last thing I need is him getting wind of my plans.