Chapter 5: Secrets in the Stacks

Raven’s POV

I felt relieved when I noticed it was a student, my heart skipped thinking it was Axel.

I shouldn’t be here.

I had snuck out, unable to sleep, my thoughts spinning with Axel, Ethan, and the chaos of the past few days. 

The library felt quiet and safe, a haven from all the prying eyes of Ridgeway, but now, even here, I was uneasy.

I tiptoed between the shelves, holding a book to my chest, then a voice behind me cut through the silence.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

My book slipped in my hands. Luca. He leaned against the shelf, watching me like he’d been waiting.

“Neither should you,” I said, hugging the book.

“Fair enough.” He stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “Funny how you always end up where you’re not supposed to be.”

My pulse kicked. “I couldn’t sleep. Midnight’s quiet.”

“Or you’re hiding.”

I forced a laugh. “Or I like books.”

He tilted his head, gaze sharp. “Books don’t explain the cracks you leave behind.”

My stomach clenched. “What cracks?”

“You’ll tell me one day,” he murmured, brushing past me. “Good night, Raven.”

And just like that, he left, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the echo of his steps fading away.

I sank onto a chair, resting my forehead on the table. 

My pulse hammered, and my hands trembled slightly because Luca had noticed things about me. He didn’t know everything, but I was certain he’d sensed…something.

I glanced around, the library feeling suddenly larger, and emptier than before. 

I sensed a presence. So I stayed alert because I wasn’t alone.

I should have turned and gone back to my dorm. I should have stayed hidden, but the echo of footsteps made my stomach drop.

I froze, gripping my book like a lifeline.

Then the shadow appeared in the doorway. It was freaking Axel.

“You shouldn’t be walking around at night,” he said, his voice controlled, and dangerous.

I stepped back, “What do you want?”

He closed the door behind him with a slow click, and the key rattled in the lock. The library, my sanctuary, suddenly felt like a trap.

“Funny,” Axel said, a wicked smile curling at the corners of his mouth, “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “I… I like reading,” I stammered. “That’s it.”

He took a slow step forward, his green eyes glinting in the dim light. “You lie well, Raven.”

I clenched the book tighter, pressing it to my chest as though it could shield me. “I’m not hiding anything.”

“Not hiding? Really?” Axel’s smile sharpened. “You run from me, to Ridgeway, and yet here you are, sneaking around at midnight. You think no one notices?”

I wanted to shrink away, to disappear, but I squared my shoulders. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

His eyes narrowed, studying me like a predator sizing up its prey. “Maybe not,” he said softly. “But you will. Eventually.”

I felt the old panic rising, the same cold, twisting fear I hadn’t felt since the night he left. My chest tightened, and I took a step back.

“What are you doing here,” I repeated, trying to sound braver than I felt.

“Got a problem with it,” he said, closing the distance between us. “You don’t get to hide from me, Raven. Not anymore.”

I stumbled backward, my back hitting the edge of a shelf. The shelf trembled, and I pressed my hands against the nearest one to steady myself. 

My heart raced as Axel’s gaze lingered. “You’ve grown,” he said softly, almost admiringly. “But you’re still mine. Don’t forget it baby.”

I shook my head, stepping around the shelf. “I’m not yours. I was never yours.”

He turned his head, and smiled cruelly. “We’ll see about that.”

My legs tensed. I could still feel Axel’s bite scar burning as he moved closer, circling me like a shark. 

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I had no path. The library was a cage.

“You always think you’re clever,” he whispered, leaning close. “Hiding in the stacks, thinking you were free. But the game has changed, Raven. And I always win.”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath. “I… I don’t want anything to do with you.”

He chuckled low, like he’d been waiting for that. “Oh, I think you do. You just don’t know it yet.”

I wanted to scream but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away. 

Finally, he stepped back, giving me a fraction of space.

“Think about tonight,” he said, voice dropping. “Every choice has consequences. And you…have made a lot of them already.”

My stomach dropped as he stepped forward again. My wolf stirred, a low growl rising inside me. Not now. Don’t.

I froze. And then he whispered into my ear: “Raven…your time is almost up here”