The Book House Long Branch Novels & Stories

She was looking for a specific section: The History of the Northern Coast. She found it near the back of the room, tucked away in a corner where the shadows were deepest. She ran her fingers over the books until she found a thick volume with a dark blue cover. It was labeled with the Blackwood family crest—a silver tree with deep roots. When she pulled the book from the shelf, it felt lighter than the others. She laid it on a reading table and opened the cover.

The morning sun filtered through the bay window of the suburban house on Maple Crest Lane, painting warm stripes across the hardwood floors. The house was large but not ostentatious—a two-story colonial with a wraparound porch, surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and a lawn that was green but not unnaturally perfect. To the neighbors, it was simply home to "those creative types who keep odd hours." Inside, the scent of coffee and toast mingled with the faint ozone of magical wards. Bryan's Room – 8:17 AM

Under the September sun, in front of Anna’s house, with him leaning casually on his bike, looking like a bad boy straight out of a teen romance movie. But I didn’t want to be insincere about how I felt. “I don’t want anyone else,” I said, my voice husky, holding eye contact with his intense gaze. *** “And keep these books here,” I pointed out to Caleb, who followed me to the back room of the library with stacks of books in his arms. It smelled like old books, worn out pages with a hint of musk. Since it was Saturday, people were huddled in the corners, queuing up at the reception to borrow books and running their hands through the cracked spines of various books.

There were comfortable old armchairs placed near the windows and cozy corners, inviting readers to relax and enjoy. I was attracted to the section with classic books, where timeless stories were waiting to be discovered. The poetry area caught my attention with its delicate books filled with beautiful verses. There were also rows of history books that promised to reveal tales from long ago. I became completely absorbed in the books and lost track of time. Unknown to me, Bruno, the alpha had returned to the mansion. Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice shattered the silence. "What do you think you're doing in my library?" the alpha’s voice boomed, filled with a mix of anger and disgust.

2 FAM. My gaze automatically shifted to the bookshelves inside the room and my eyes widened in realization. "I got it" I said and find the 131.2 FAM book on the shelves. I know that numbers and letters. That's the format when finding a book in the library. My forehead creased when I face a brown old book after following the 131.2 FAM. I reach it and was about to pulled it out when suddenly something click and then the shelves move. I step back and I come to realization upon seeing a single door entrance. It is a secret door hidden behind the shelves. I open it carefully and I gasp when an outline map greeted me.