CHAPTER 55: DARKNESS

Kaya

"Take a long, hot bath and a nap if you can," Samantha suggests as she follows me to my room. "And make sure to have a big meal for dinner. I heard Alpha Magnus is going to train you later, too."

I blink a few times, feeling a sense of despair washing over me. I have completely forgotten that I have to meet Magnus later tonight, and now that Sam has reminded me, I suddenly want to cry.

"Kaya? Why do you suddenly look so pale?"

She helps me enter my room, a frown of concern etched between her dark eyebrows. "Are you scared?" She then scoffs. "Don’t worry, Alpha Magnus might be stern, but he is not a monster. I’m sure he won’t go hard on you on your very first session."

Last night’s memories come rushing through my mind again. Was that not going hard, too?

"You gotta hand it to him, though," Samantha continues, going through my nightstand in search of a towel. "He already has a lot on his plate. With the disappearing cases and all. Yet, he still cuts out time for taking care of all of us. Others think of him as a monster, but truthfully, he is the best damn alpha one could hope for. You’ll see."

Strangely, I somehow feel that Sam is completely right. I felt it when I first met Magnus at the Diamond Claw’s house. I felt it when he made so many arrangements to make me feel comfortable in his pack. I felt it during my first forest run, and...

Suddenly, I blush as I remember him so close to me when his body trapped mine underneath his. I gotta stop being like this. I guess... I miss being closer to someone. With Damien...

I shake my head in an attempt to get rid of the image of him. Damien was much more than just my alpha––he said he was my mate. And I trusted him. But the things that happened with Alpha Arcanis and the fact that he threw me out so easily...

No, these are just withdrawals. He had me wrapped around his finger, and I need to find a way to sever that bond for good. I was so starved for love that I did not even notice how delusional that starvation had made me.

And now, I think I can finally fill myself up with more than just the feeling of someone strong beside me.

***

Although Samantha told me to come see her if I felt restless and couldn’t fall asleep, I still decided to spend the rest of the day alone. It was not the best idea, since I do need to get more social in my new pack, but at the same time, every time I think about trying to talk to someone new, I feel extremely anxious.

It was almost effortlessly easy to get closer to Sam and Oliver. Even Ray can now be counted as my acquaintance, but all credit goes to their open and easygoing personalities.

The rest of Blood Moon... Well, let’s just say that every time I try to offer someone a friendly look, all I get in return is an icy prickle of their glare.

The long, hot bath I took helped me with my fatigue quite a lot, and the sandwiches and pastries that were still left in the kitchen were more than enough to satiate my appetite. Truthfully, I wasn’t really hungry, but I knew that I’d regret not eating later on.

Once I’m back in my room, I face quite a conundrum––a few hours to kill before my session with Magnus, and absolutely nothing to do.

I wish I had a phone or something, I sigh internally, desperately searching the room with my eyes in hopes of finding something I can occupy myself with. Unfortunately, I find nothing.

There is a TV in my room, of course, but after spending no more than fifteen minutes browsing through the streaming platforms, I turn it off, disappointed. People have got to raise their standards for the content they consume; those new TV shows are just embarrassing to watch.

With another sigh, I put on my training clothes and set out to leave my room. I have just around two more hours to kill, and since I suddenly recalled that Oliver mentioned a library here, I decide to look for it and maybe even borrow a book or two.

Like a true introvert, I am happy that I meet not a single person as I wander through the halls of the pack house. I’ve never really had a chance to discover it fully, and now is also not the time for that, but as I walk through the unfamiliar parts of this mansion, my heart throbs with something nostalgic and even a little sad.

Dark Wood’s pack house was huge, but this is a whole different level... I guess the Lycan King’s money pays differently, huh?

Finally, I reach a tall double door at the end of the eastern wing and sigh in relief––I did not have to ask anyone for directions either; thankfully, Oliver’s instructions turned out to be sufficient to get here myself.

With a soft inhale, I gently try one of the doors, and to my surprise, it swings open with ease. My heartbeat quickens, a flicker of unfamiliar anxiety pulsing in my chest. I can’t even remember the last time a room made me feel this way.

But then again... this isn’t just a room.

This is the room.

The moment I step across the threshold, my heart flutters. The scent of aged paper and warm, woody undertones fills the air, wrapping around me like a comforting embrace.My eyes widen in wonder. The dim, amber glow from artificial candlesticks casts flickering shadows along the walls, setting the perfect mood.Dozens of tall shelves stretch floor to ceiling, crammed with books—endless rows of them.Just looking at them makes my heart ache with longing. I could spend a lifetime here and still not read them all.

To my left, the reading area unfolds like something from a dream—tall windows draped in heavy velvet curtains, plush armchairs arranged in cozy clusters, pillows and blankets tossed with care, footrests waiting to cradle tired legs.And crowning it all: a large electric fireplace humming softly, casting warmth and golden light across the space.

It’s magical.And it fits this pack house perfectly.

I wonder if Magnus designed it, I muse, slowly making my way toward the reading nook, still soaking in the fairy-tale charm of the library.It suits him, somehow. Dark, but not cold—warm in a way that surprises you.

I stop in front of one of the tall windows, leaning gently against the broad ledge to glance outside. As I suspected, the view stretches into the forest—majestic pine trees rising like sentinels beneath the pale sky.The sight only deepens the tranquility of the room, as if nature itself is part of the design.

Serene. Quiet.A perfect sanctuary.

The air feels heavy, almost stiff, so I swipe the latch of the window frame. The moment it swings open, a fresh gust of wind rushes in, brushing against my face and sending a shiver of goosebumps racing over my skin.

I pause, letting myself simply stand there and take it all in.

This place is surrounded by an endless forest, yet I realize I rarely stop to truly notice it. So now, I drink it in—slowly, deliberately.Though night has already fallen, the outlines of every pine needle are still visible, traced in dark green against the fading light, weaving together into a grand panorama of towering trees.

Then, it happens.

Something almost sinister ripples through the air—a flicker of darkness, a shadow of danger.

I squint, straining to focus on the horizon, certain that I’m seeing something just beyond normal sight.

And to my shock, I do.

I see it.Darkness.