Raven's Book Shoppe Used & Rare Novels & Stories

he frowned as all the hair on his arm lifted. He followed the sensation, the sound of his boots on the quiet road until the streets narrowed and then he stopped. There were other quiet shops, spas, and a therapist center. But this building had unassuming, bricked, narrow windows. It was cute and then he glanced at the wooden sign swinging gently above the door. ‘Ivana's rare books and antiquities’ His dove came and settled on his shoulder and he glanced at it briefly like he could speak with it before deciding to step inside.

He considered that for a second, then said, “I’ll take you after school. There’s a bookstore downtown that should have it.” Hare and Fox Books took up the bottom floor of an old building on the corner, the air smelling like paper and coffee the moment we walked in the door. Damon peeled off toward the reference section. Grateful for the peace and quiet, I wandered toward the science and medical section on my own. I was flipping through a useless-for-my-needs but very pretty book with illustrations on various rare genetic disorders when Ronan Thorne’s voice said my name. “Mira Hale.” I turned. Ronan was leaning against the end of a shelf with a paperback already tucked under one arm, grinning

Ravencrest was huge. Walking into the bookstore on campus made that fact even more obvious. Shelves stretched from wall to wall, stacked high with everything from textbooks to school merch. Students milled around, some already loaded up with books, others browsing, chatting, or arguing over overpriced stationery. And then there was me. Standing in the middle of it all, staring at the list of books I needed and already feeling a headache coming on. “Alright, what’s first?” Ryder’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Raven, a sixteen year old girl, walked home from her part-time job at the library. She felt as if someone was watching her. She looked around the near empty streets, seeing nothing. Raven picked up her speed. She should have been home hours ago, but she had gotten caught up in a mystery novel, losing track of time. Her parents will be furious with her once she gets home.

Because he likes me, he might keep me like a prized possession. Raven takes me along to the hospital. She had to work and apparently, Alpha Dane had told her to not let me out of her sight unless it was to use the bathroom. Maybe he thought I was going to be like some of his other brides and run. As if I had the energy to do that. No one comes into the hospital. Raven spends most of the time doing inventory. It almost seemed pointless having a pack hospital. No one needed it, everyone could heal. “Hey.” She smiles as she comes towards me. “I’m going to be here for a while yet, so I brought you some trashy mags to read.”

A map of everything I had feared. I couldn’t breathe. And then the room seemed to close in on me, the walls pressing in, the air heavy with the scent of old parchment and decay. The secret I had uncovered was more than I could handle. **** What name could be in The Book of Alphas that has Raven in shock?

Holden mumbled, resuming his smoking. Raven stopped on her track on walking past a room whose door was slightly open. Stepping back, she slowly fully opened the door before stepping in. The room turned out to be study room because different books can be seen arranged in shelves and their was a study table with a lamp stand on it and books littered on the table. On the walls were pictures of definitely unknown people. Raven's eyes widened when it caught something on the table. The one pendant she has been looking for. It was right before her, pleading and begging her to grab it.

He did not look like the type who could stay loyal to one woman. “What are you doing?” Selina asked when she realized Raven was scrolling through prices for sport bikes. “Nothing. This news is too stressful,” Raven said evasively. “Damn, that’s expensive,” he muttered while browsing the images on his screen. “Are you even listening? I’m talking about something serious and you’re looking at motorcycles. I’m not letting you buy one. They’re too dangerous,” Selina snapped. Raven quietly tossed his phone onto the couch, then pulled Selina into his arms and sat her on his lap. “Not for me,” he whispered.

But the others were supremely confident in her capabilities that he had no choice but to capitulate. “Very well,” he said. “This investment group is formed as of right now, pending official paperwork of course. What’s our first order of business?” “How ‘bout a name?” asked Eva. “The merc company Raijin and I formed is called Conspiracy of Ravens. Where we’re from, a raven’s a large black bird that’s ridiculously smart, opportunistic, and tricky. They do whatever it takes to survive, and it kinda represents our modus operandi to a T.”

We had never owned any gadgets left for our phones and mine too was bought off the savings I earned from the bookstore. ''I begged my neighbor's son. I told him I would work extra.'' I hit my palm against my forehead. ''Iris!'' ''What?'' she asked innocently. The bookstore was empty and Madam Grace had not yet arrived. We planned to turn up earlier than everyone and start our research. ''Let's begin.'' Iris opened the laptop and typed something in. It was all too confusing to me but she browsed through some websites effortlessly. ''The first company would be Blackwood.'' She smiled and I just nodded not knowing what to say or do.