Chapter 1: Reality Versus Fiction

Strenuous breaths and suffocating kisses echoed through the bare room. She was helpless. Though he had betrayed her and cast her aside out of selfishness, their bond had finally brought them together. She had run away, and when he found her, she fought to keep her distance with all her being. But here they were, bodies aligned perfectly, her strength rendered powerless against the mate bond. Yearning only for his love.

“You are mine, Rebekah. You will never escape me again!” he growled, his hot breath caressing her face before he devoured her swollen lips with bruising fervour.

“Roman,” Rebekah moaned as his seductive tongue traced her, trapping her against the wall beneath the weight of his body. He unzipped his jeans and began to pump–

“Nope. Nuh-uh. I'm done!”

The slam of a book snapped through the empty library.

“Ah no, please, don't stop reading. I beg of you, Alinta!”

“You and I are done here, Ange,” said Alinta, her cheeks flushing. A frustrated groan reverberated in her head. “I am tired of these stories! They always start off so promising, and then they turn into a sex fest. Yet again the heroine ends up a weakling, the hero wins her heart, and I can already predict he’s going to stuff up a few more times before they eventually become one and, hopefully, live happily ever after.”

“I see those red cheeks,” Angela hissed spitefully.

“You’re such a naughty wolf!” Alinta retorted.

“No, my dear person, I just enjoy reading how some humans misrepresent our kind. It's more entertaining than arousing,” Angela tittered.

“Finally, something we can both agree on!” Alinta laughed, tossing the book onto the small pile next to her.

“I am truly amazed by how much humans have learned about us, especially with their limited resources,” she added reflectively. Angela remained silent, contemplating her person’s words.

“Take destined mates, for example: yes, they exist, but the bond isn’t the unstoppable force they at times write about. It simply heightens our attraction, the sparks and tingles, but that's as far as it goes. We love, desire, and feel pleasure just like humans do. Our bond only deepens after making love and, eventually, marking each other. It’s such a sacred union… and that’s what irks me.” Alinta became quiet, her gaze distant.

Angela finally broke her silence with a playful snicker. “Two things: poetic licence, and sex sells. Besides, not all of are that bad. We actually finished the previous book, and it was well written.”

“So you don't take anything personally? That they paint us as crude beasts ruled by primal urges?” Alinta asked, raising an eyebrow.

Angela laughed, then her tone darkened. “Honestly, it’s insulting how often the wolf counterpart is portrayed as nothing more than an animal, always ruled by primal instinct. I’ve grown with you these past eleven years and learned your ways. Wolves have evolved far beyond our lycanthrope ancestors.” Her temper flared, and she gave a sharp snort. “I mean, we can talk, for Pete's sake!”

Alinta giggled as Angela ranted about her pet peeves. “I thought you found it humorous when they got the facts wrong,” she teased with a smirk.

Angela rolled her eyes, refusing to grant her person a satisfactory victory in their banter. Then, in a more serious tone, she said, “Given how much they’ve gotten right, I sometimes wonder if the government allowed certain information to leak into these books; a way to desensitise humans to our existence. After all, it's getting harder to hide things in this digital age.”

Alinta appreciated her wolf's perspective, nodding in agreement. “If you want to distract yourself with some factual literature, why not visit Aunt Deanna? She has so many amazing stories and promised to tell us a story we haven't heard yet.” Angela suggested excitedly, wagging her two tails.

Alinta jumped at the gesture. “Yes! That’s a great idea! But first, we need to go to the café to–” She froze at the sudden sound of a voice.

“Hello? Is there anybody here to help me?” asked a tall, broad-shouldered man, impatiently waving a few books in his hand. 

He wore a grey tailored suit that matched the cold sharpness of his hunter eyes. A long, stubbled Van Dyke beard framed a square jaw. His slick black midnight hair was tied back into a low ponytail. He looked no older than his mid-fourties, handsome, commanding, and unmistakably important.

Alinta swallowed nervously, her heart racing, angst flaring.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake… Seriously? Out of all the days, this jerk shows up! Who even comes to the library on a Sunday in this day and age? Especially him!” Angela growled fiercely in her mind.

When the man's eyes landed on Alinta, they softened, and he eagerly approached the visibly anxious woman. “Hello, my dear Alinta. Sorry to barge in on you like this. I hope I didn’t startle you?” he cooed tenderly.

Seizing the moment, Alinta darted toward the pile of discarded books before he could close the distance. “No problem at all, Mr. Crassus. But if you’re looking for Jenny, she isn't back here,” she replied icily.

He watched her with contentment as she gracefully picked up the books one by one, returning them to their proper places.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so formal, my dear. Please, just call me Bellinor. As for Jenny, I’ve been waiting at the front for fifteen minutes, which is why I came to check here. Could you assist me with this, please?”

“After everything he’s pulled recently, he expects you to act oblivious and buddy-buddy? Just tell him you were on your way out!” Angela spat angrily.

“I really want to, but I worry that Jenny might be left to deal with the consequences. She never leaves her desk unless it's urgent, and I’m sure Bellinor isn’t aware of that,” Alinta replied, ending the conversation with her wolf.

“Sure,” Alinta said reluctantly, placing the last of the books on the shelf and holding out her hand, which Bellinor took affectionately. She stiffened and quickly pulled her hand back. “I was asking for the books you wish to borrow, Mr. Crassus,” she snapped.

“I’m so sorry, my dear! I misunderstood,” the man laughed nervously, adjusting his gloved hands on the books.

“Misunderstood my arse. And what's with the gloves?” Angela grunted, teeth bared, ready to intervene.

“Agreed. Let's just get this crap over and done with. If anything weird happens, you do you,” Alinta muttered to her wolf.

“Yeah, saving our arses as usual,” Angela huffed, ready to shift at any moment.

Alinta snatched the books from Bellinor and made her way to the reception desk. She quickly scanned them under his name but tensed when one of the titles caught her off guard.