Chapter 132 – Books
–LIA’S POV–
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I sat cross–legged on the floor, a heavy book open in my lap. Blake was sitting across from me, flipping through another one, his brows pulled together like he was solving some impossible puzzle. The air in the room was quiet, except for the occasional sound of pages turning or Mom clanking dishes downstairs, probably on purpose, to remind us she was around.
We’d been going through the books for almost thirty minutes, and so far, nothing really helpful had come up. Just old stories, weird symbols, and ancient myths that didn’t match anything I was going through. Some talked about shapeshifters who could control elements, others about cursed bloodlines. But none of them felt like me.
Blake slid another book toward me. “Try this one. I bookmarked some pages I think might be useful.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking it. Our fingers brushed for a second, and I quickly pulled mine back, pretending to scratch my wrist like I hadn’t noticed.
I opened the book, skimming through the marked sections. Some of the words were in another language, but Blake had scribbled notes in the margins. “You made notes?” I asked.
“Yeah, I went through these myself first. So if you had any
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questions, I coud help.”
That was… almost sweet. “Thanks,” I said softly.
Despite the notes, my eyes kept skipping lines. I wasn’t really absorbing any of it. I was too aware of the quiet, too aware of how close Blake was, even though he was across from me. Every time I looked up, he wasn’t reading anymore. He was watching
- me.
I didn’t like being alone with him, even if he’d saved my life twice. I couldn’t just forget about what he did earlier.
I shifted uncomfortably and tried to focus harder.
“Uh, is there anything of substance in here?” I asked, trying to make conversation to kill the silence. “Something that refers to somethig like me? Zane and his wolves spoke about a white light when I turned into whatever.”
Blake didn’t respond.
As I leaned over a page, squinting at the symbols, I felt Blake move again. The soft rustle of jeans. The creak of the floorboard.
He wasn’t across from me anymore.
He’d moved and was now behind me, close enough that I could feel the heat of his body at my back. I didn’t hear him crawl over, just felt him there, like a shadow. I stiffened.
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–
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“Right there,” he said, his voice close to my ear. “I don’t know about a white light, but that’s the part I was talking about. Where it says the shift can be triggered by–”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
I didn’t really hear the words anyway. All I could focus on was how close he was. His breath warmed the side of my neck, and my body locked up. It wasn’t like how I felt when Zane got close. That made me melt. This… this made me freeze. Like my whole system was going on high alert. And at the same time, those tingles shot through my skin, creating an odd, uncomfortable mix of mismatched emotions.
“Blake,” I said quietly, not turning around. “Can you sit back down?”
He didn’t move right away. Just stayed there, breathing shallowly. The moment stretched out too long.
Then suddenly, he held his breath.
A chill passed through me.
I turned to look at him—just enough to catch a glimpse—and that’s when I saw it.
His eyes.
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Chapter 132 – Books
They were red.
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I flinched, pushing the book off my lap and scrambling forward, nearly tripping over my own legs. My heart was pounding so loud it felt like it filled the room.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, backing away and holding his hands up. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t trying anything, I swear.”
“What was that?” I asked, my voice shaking a little. “Why do your eyes do that?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. Maybe… maybe it’s a reaction to you being this close. We have a bond too, Lia.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” I snapped. I stood up, heart racing. “I told you to keep a distance. And—and why do your eyes turn red?”
“I said I’m sorry,” Blake muttered, looking down at the floor now. “It’s not like I can control it. It just happens sometimes.”
My hands shook as I reached for my phone. I wasn’t sure if I was mad or scared or both. Maybe a little betrayed. He didn’t have to crawl behind me like that. He could have just used his words.
I checked the time, and the phone buzzed in my hand.
It was a text from Zane.
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Zane
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Hey, love. Think you’ve had enough family time? I’ll be there in an hour unless you need more. 🙁
I stared at the message for a second longer than necessary, grounding
did. I was in the words. Zane had my back. He always
I looked at Blake, who was still standing awkwardly, hands now stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.
I took a breath and replied to Zane.
Me
Yeah. One hour is good. Come then. I love you. :D
Then I turned to Blake. ‘You have to go now.”
He blinked like I’d slapped him. “Already? We haven’t even–”
“Zane’s coming over soon. I need you gone before he gets here.”
Blake nodded slowly. “Right. I get it.”
“Also, can you erase your scent? Please? You said you’d find a
way.”
He blinked again. “Yeah. I’ll do it.”
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He walked to the window and cracked it open a little. Then, without saying anything, he pulled something small from his hoodie pocket: a travel–sized bottle of cologne. He sprayed it once into the air, then rubbed some on his wrists and neck. He walked up to me, offering it to me.
“Here. Apply some.”
I did the same thing as him, also spraying some onto my clothes. and into the air.
The sharp, woodsy scent instantly overpowered the room.
“What is this?” I asked, frowning at the sudden burst of fragrance.
“Coffee, cedar, and citrus,” he muttered as I returned the bottle to him, tossing the bottle back into his pocket. “It masks werewolf scent for a few hours.”
I stared at him. “You just have that?”
Blake shrugged like it was nothing. “You told me to get something.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
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I walked over and gestured for him to leave.
He stepped into the hall but paused, glancing back at me. “Thanks for trusting me, even for a little while.”
I nodded but said nothing.
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He made his way out, and I watched him leave through the main door. The door clicked shut behind him.
I leaned against the wall, letting out a sigh. My fingers were still trembling. The image of his eyes, those glowing red ones, kept replaying in my mind.
Zane would be here any moment. What if he found out? What if I should’ve told him everything already?
I didn’t have time to overthink that, though. Because just ten minutes later, I heard a knock on the front door again.
I peeked through my window.
Zane.
He was already here.
I rushed downstairs, trying not to look too guilty. Mom raised an eyebrow at me from the kitchen, pausing in whatever she was doing, but didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or more paranoid.
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I opened the door.
Zane smiled at me. “Hey.”
1
“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice normal.
He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “Had a good morning?”
“Yeah. Spent some time with Mom.”
He stepped inside, and just like I feared, he sniffed the air lightly.
My heart stopped.
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I closed the door behind him as casually as I could, trying not to breathe too loudly.
Zane glanced at me, then at the stairs.
“What?” I asked. My voice cracked a little.
“Nothing,” he said, but he didn’t smile.
We went upstairs, and I sat down on the bed, pretending
everything was fine. Zane stayed by the door for a second longer than usual, eyes narrowing slightly.
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Chapter 132 – Books
Then he stepped inside, looked around the room once, and asked quietly, “Has someone been in here, love?”
