Romans & histoires Books Read By Julia Whelan

“I didn't mean to. I was just taken aback by the color of your fur.” *** At the same time, in the Winter Pack, Julian was inside the library, and books littered around him on all sides. He sat on the floor, his back pressed against a rack, his brows were slightly furrowed as he focused his gaze on the content of the book he was currently reading. “The white wolf,” he read aloud. His fingers traced the words line by line until the end of the page before he moved, flipping the page to the next, and he repeated the motion all over again.

Lena sat with a piece of toast she was only half eating and listened to her mother describe a steam room as if it were a religious experience. “I forgot what my own shoulders felt like when they weren’t up by my ears,” Helen said, wrapping both hands around her mug. “Ava booked the next one before we even left. She’s dangerous.” “In a good way,” Julian said. “In an expensive way.” Helen smiled at him over the rim. “You’re working today?” “Only a couple of hours. Then I’m yours.” “I’ll hold you to that.” Lena finished her toast, rinsed the plate, and said she was going into campus to collect a book she had left in a locker. Helen waved her off without interrogation. Julian’s eyes followed her

assistant"> Julia—First-Person POV I couldn’t breathe. The room blurred around me while fragments of memories slammed violently into my head. White lights. Locked doors. Children crying. A woman kneeling in front of me, gripping my face tightly. “You cannot tell them who you are.” I staggered backward. Alan caught me instantly. “Julia.” His voice sounded far away. Everything sounded far away. My chest tightened painfully as another memory surfaced. A little girl. Dark eyes. Crying behind glass.

If she could be surrounded by books all day every day, she would. June spent so much time around the books that she was one of the smartest people Emily had ever met. Over the years she had probably read every single book in that place. And it was a huge building with thousands of books. She had read all the medical and scientific books, every nonfiction book they had, and encyclopedias. She also read all the history books. Not just the human history, but the werewolf history too. But even June would say the smutty books were still her favorite.

" The woman was amused by her words, she tried her best to hold it in, and stared at Elisa White for a long while before reluctantly leaving. Elisa White glanced at the tea on the table, and did not touch it, afraid that there would be laxatives inside. The little fans these days were simply too enthusiastic. It really made her, the wife, unable to adapt. Elisa White picked out a seemingly easy book from William's bookshelf, walked over to the floating window and sat down, then slowly started flipping through it. She did not have much time to read, as most of the books she read were books related to the field, while the books she read in novels and ancient books were few and far in between.

I asked by my gestures. "Eating meatballs at Takim's," replied Julia by her gestures. In the living room, I saw a pile and rows of old books. Books were not like academic books. Even if it was called a novel, it might be from the action-conspiracy-horror-thriller-mystery genre. Well, the title alone already made people goosebumps.

“What kind of books?” “Mostly biographies.” “That sounds exactly like you.” Julian stood up from the chair as well. “And you only read romance?” “Not only,” I said defensively. “Just… mostly.” “Why?” I shrugged. “Because they’re easy to get lost in.” Julian studied my face like he was trying to understand something deeper behind that answer. “Real life isn’t like those stories,” he said. “I know that.” “Then why read them?” “Because sometimes it’s nice to believe people actually figure things out.”

“Peter was a writer.” Julia leaned forward and noticed freckled blood on the pages. A flutter of unnerved sickness in her stomach; she had a diary just like it tucked away in the drawer beside her bed. Once upon a time she’d filled her book with lies on the rare chance that someone would come across it, scour the contents, and say, Wow—what a life this gal’s livin’! But as things complicated, and reality-based drama proved spectacle enough, her literary lies faded, and not too long after, the journal was abandoned completely. This perhaps revealed truths in Julia that she didn’t entirely like admitting to.

The old man chuckled. “My dear Julienne, they are not monstrosities. They are books.” She gladly accepted the warm venison blood because reading makes her hungry and the family butler knows when to offer a drink that was much needed. Julienne was an angel if sin-eaters were allowed to have one. He was also a friend of her father’s that is why she can easily confide or share things with him much better than her own mother and Maddox.

She picked up many books individually and made a pile of them. "When will you read so many books?" Nina asked surprisingly. "When your boss is not around," Elaina winked and started looking for books again. She picked up books from famous authors like Jane Austin, Sarah, Colleen Hoover, and Anna Huang. Nina shook her head and made her way toward the exit.