CHAPTER TWO: THE FORBIDDEN ARCHIVE

The ceremony was over, but the obsidian mark beneath my sleeve still throbbed with a dull, agonizing heat.

It felt like liquid fire pulsing directly through my veins. Every single movement of my arm sent a sharp reminder that my life had just fractured into a million pieces.

I couldn't forget the look on Cassian’s face when he had seen it.

It wasn't disgust, like the elders who had immediately looked away.

It wasn't the fake pity the pack had given me for years because I was a wolf less burden.

It had been pure, unadulterated fear.

The ruthless, future Alpha of the Blackwood pack a man who had killed rogues with his bare hands was terrified of a mark on my skin.

And that terrified me more than the black symbol itself.

I waited until the grandfather clock in the main hall struck 2:00 AM.

The pack house finally settled into a deep, heavy quiet.

Slipping out of my bed, I opened my door and crept into the dark, freezing corridor. I had to know what was happening to me.

Sleeping was impossible when my own body felt like a ticking time bomb.

Creak.

I froze instantly. My heart leapt into my throat.

Pressing my back hard against the cold stone of a massive pillar, I held my breath as two elite pack guards walked past.

Orders straight from the council, one guard whispered, his voice low and tense. Keep a close eye on the wolf less girl.

She isn't allowed to leave the grounds.

Is she dangerous? the second one asked.

Just watch her. That's all the Alpha said.

My stomach twisted into painful knots. They were already treating me like a criminal. Like a prisoner.

Once their heavy combat boots faded down the stairs, I bolted. I darted through the shadows of the eastern wing and slipped through the heavy oak doors of the old library.

The scent of dust, decaying paper, and ancient secrets instantly filled my lungs.

I rushed straight to the restricted section in the back. My fingers flew across the spines of the heavy bloodline records, pulling them down one by one.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

Every single record described ordinary wolves. They detailed late shifts, minor abnormalities, or bloodline purities.

None described a girl reaching adulthood completely hollow inside. None described a burning obsidian symbol appearing instead of a spirit animal.

Then, my hand paused. I noticed a clean, deliberate gap on the top shelf. The dust had been wiped away recently.

Someone had intentionally removed several volumes from this exact section.

Heart pounding against my ribs, I reached my hand deep into the dark, empty space at the very back of the shelf.

My fingers brushed against rough leather.

I pulled it free. It was a damaged, ancient book with no title. Its cover was violently scratched, as if someone had desperately tried to claw its existence out of history.

I opened it on a heavy wooden table. Moonlight poured through the high glass windows, illuminating the pages. Several sheets had been brutally ripped out, leaving jagged edges behind.

But as I turned to the next intact page, my breath completely caught.

There it was.

A small, pitch black symbol. It was intricate, sharp, and completely identical to the mark hidden beneath my sleeve.

Beneath the illustration, only a single word had survived the torn paper:

Hollow.

The exact microsecond my eyes locked onto the word, a bolt of white hot, agonizing pain shot straight up my wrist.

What the hell… I gasped aloud, gripping my arm as the mark beneath my fabric began to glow with a faint, dangerous light.

Put it down.

A voice cut through the darkness.

I spun around so fast I nearly knocked the heavy table over, my heart hammering wildly.

Cassian Riven stood in the shadows between the towering shelves.

He moved like a ghost; I hadn't heard a single footstep.

The ruthless, perfectly controlled expression he always wore around the pack was completely shattered.

His jaw was locked so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek. His breathing was heavy, ragged, and chaotic.

Where did you find that?

Cassian demanded. His voice wasn't just angry, it was a dangerously low, animalistic growl that vibrated in my chest.

I stepped backward, clutching the ancient book tightly against my chest like a shield.

What does it mean, Cassian? What is a Hollow?

In a flash of pure Alpha speed, Cassian closed the distance between us. Before I could even blink, he was right in front of me.

THUD!

My back hit the wooden bookshelf violently.

A few dust covered books rattled on the shelves above us.

Cassian slammed his large hand against the wood right beside my head, trapping me completely between the shelf and his massive, muscular frame.

He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body. The intoxicating, overwhelming scent of pine, winter rain, and dominant Alpha testosterone filled my senses, making my head spin.

His dark eyes burned into mine, flashing a dangerous, feral gold.

Elara. Close the damn book. Right now.

Tell me what it means! I defied him, lifting my chin despite the terror screaming inside my head.

It's on my skin I have a right to know!

The word Hollow seemed to physically strike him. The color completely drained from his face, and his knuckles turned stark white against the wood.

Before he could speak, slow, heavy footsteps echoed from the stone corridor right outside the library doors.

Cassian’s entire demeanor flipped instantly.

The anger vanished, replaced by deadly survival instincts.

He gripped my uninjured wrist and yanked me backward, pulling me into the suffocatingly narrow gap between two massive bookshelves.

He stepped in right after me, pressing his chest firmly against my back, using his entire body to shield mine from view.

Don't make a single sound, he breathed directly against my ear. His hot breath sent a violent shiver down my spine.

A long shadow stretched beneath the gap of the library door.

Creak…

The heavy brass handle slowly, agonizingly began to turn.

My stomach twisted into a thousand knots.

Cassian didn't move a single muscle. His entire body was as rigid as stone, his chest rising and falling slowly against my back.

I could feel his heart racing just as fast as mine. His Alpha aura expanded, suffocating and protective, masking my scent entirely from whoever was outside.

The handle suddenly stopped. The heavy footsteps slowly, suspiciously began to move away down the hall.

We stood frozen in the dark for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, Cassian released his grip on my wrist and stepped back, giving me space to breathe.

His eyes were darker now, shadowed with deep torment. You shouldn't have found that, Elara. You need to go back to your room and forget everything you saw tonight.

How am I supposed to forget something that is literally burning itself into my flesh?! I hissed back, pulling up my sleeve to show him the red, irritated skin.

BANG!

The massive, reinforced library doors shook violently, the sound echoing like a gunshot through the silent room.

I jumped, a scream catching in my throat as my heart leapt into my ears.

BANG!

Another massive blow struck. The heavy wood began to splinter, cracking down the center.

Cassian didn't hesitate. In a split second, he stepped completely in front of me, shielding me with his broad shoulders.

He drew the silver hilted blade at his thigh, his muscles coiling like a predator preparing to lunge.

His eyes were locked onto the breaking door, and for the first time in my entire life, I saw sheer, unvarnished panic in the next Alpha's gaze.

CRACK!

The heavy doors burst completely off their steel hinges, exploding into a shower of splinters and dust.

Through the debris, a massive, monstrous wolf with mangled gray fur and glowing, blood red eyes snarled into the room.

It was a rogue, completely driven mad by bloodlust.

The beast locked its red eyes onto me, bared its yellow fangs, and lunged straight for my throat.