Dangerous Lycan: Claim Betrayed Luna’s Second Chance Mate

As I went on with my self-massage, I roved my eyes around the chambers until it rested on a book that sat on the shelf.

“Is that what I think it is?” I left the bed as I approached the mini shelf taking hold of the book in my grip.

‘The Trust,’ I read along the title of the book that I held. The last time I had seen that book was on the shelf of my father’s study room. It was undoubtedly one of the best books I have read or maybe the only book I have been allowed to read. I sighted a pile of good-looking books on the study table that Ryan had been on all night as I gripped them like a missing trophy that I have been patiently looking for like a lost but found in a book collection. I had completely forgotten about the given job placed in front of me as I had become engrossed in what I gazed upon.

“What are you doing?”

I jerked just immediately as I heard the voice behind me. And just then, on seeing whom it was, the books fell down my grip and Lady Ana’s words came rushing down on me again.

“I am so sorry I didn’t see you there.’

“Oh, she apologises.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have never heard you apologise to anyone before. Hold on, I think I have only seen that just once.”

“And when was that?”

“When I was very close to having your parent’s head on a platter.”

“Oh that, well, I am only apologising this time because I am wrong. I shouldn’t be going through your stuff like that.”

“It’s okay,” he said the words that I was certainly not expecting from a ruthless man.

“It’s, okay?” I had to ask.

“Yes, Clara. What are you still in my chambers anyway?”

“I was instructed to scrub the floors and walls in your chambers.”

“Hmm…”

“Yeah, and I really do need to begin with that immediately.” I took up the brush as I began the day’s job as he watched for a while.

“It seems to me that you like books.”

“Books? No, I don’t think so.”

“Yes, you were literally drooling over them when I walked in on you.”

“I wasn’t drooling over them, I was only trying to check out some editions. You know that The Trust that you have over there is a very special book.”

“Why would you term it special?”

“It’s the only copy of that edition left. You are holding a rare gem.”

“Really? Now that you’ve mentioned it, I would hold on to it more,” he chuckled and for the first time since I knew him, he had just had his first real laughter towards me and somehow, it warmed my heart. I wanted to see him laugh often.

“How come you know so much about books? You don’t look like a scholar to me.”

“I am many things,” I said.

“That sounds interesting. Tell me more, and just so we are clear, that is certainly not an order.”

“Tell you more? I literally have a chore that could take up for a whole day and I am yet to begin.”

“You are getting heavy and you shouldn’t be indulged in such a tedious job anymore.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“And how has that become a concern of yours? I thought you have always wanted me dead.”

“C’mon, if I wanted you dead, you would have been dead a long time ago from the first day you pulled that stunt of badging into my room, interrupting my bath. But somehow you aren’t dead and I just found out that you’re a lover of books.”

“Oh please, it’s not that serious. They are just books.”

“Well, not with the way you were looking at them.”

“I am so sorry to announce this to you but I can’t possibly leave my chores, Lady Ana would certainly not find it funny when she comes back to inspect and finds out how not engaged I have been.”

I returned to the ground as I began scrubbing hard again but Ryan was still a hardened nut to crack who always wanted everything to go his way as he was not ready to bulge. He approached me, seizing the brush from my hands.

“Give me that,” he received the brush from my hand, keeping it aside.

“So, what do I do now? Sit and talk about some books?”

“And who said we would be talking about some books? Come with me, I want to show you something.”

“Show me what?”

Even as I was sceptical about following him to his unknown place, Lady’s Ana’s words still clang in my head incessantly that it made me abide by his wishes which I had now begun to like.

I followed behind as we walked in through a door I never knew was there. A hidden study room of some sort that was kept away from the rest of the rooms in his chamber.

“Wow!”

The cosiness of the study room was bowled over by the thin cold air that seemed to have come to stay. As Ryan showed me around.

“How come I never knew this was here?”

“Well, it’s not an easy room to find.”

“Why would you want to show me a room this special to you?”

“I saw a glint in your eyes by holding a few books. I have never seen that in anyone before.”

I walked in between the shelves stacked with books that have been through a life of their own. I took out a book in my grip moving my eyes to some words that I giggled at the old fairy-tale joke. I had been found to linger longer in the romance and thriller aisles. Engulfing the sweet smell of romance and potentially having to feel the thrills from the thrillers. I had come to find the aura of being around books rather appealing. I spent more time there than I thought I would. I scanned through all the angles of the bookshelves with my neck tilting to positions, yearning to find a book lurking around in an obscure corner wishing to be found.

“Ryan,” I called out to him. He was rooted at a corner with piles of books beside him.

“I didn’t think I would ever think you were such a reader with an inner study room that looked like a library.”

“Why? I look too hot to read?” He asked in between a smile.

“Well, I would not be surprised if that was the case.”

“Back in town I love to begin my shopping in the books section so that folks like you would not take out the good books before I arrive.” His words made me laugh, it was like he could read my mind.

“That’s the exact thing I do too. I didn’t realise we had that in common.”

“Yeah me too,” he said.

“So what books do you fancy?” I sat just beside him as I went through his choice of books in his grip. They were classic and had more of the historical fictions.

“I read widely, I practically read everything that adds value to me, you know? I noticed that you only took up the most recent editions of the books.”

“Yes, I don’t really fancy the older versions.” ” It’s quite different for me. For all my years reading, I have always found the older editions to be better. I have this feeling that the older the edition, the closer I am to hearing the real words of the author, and not some perfectly polished voice of recent scholars. Have you ever imagined reading the first edition of Mara Jean The Edifice? Or better still the manuscripts. Having the smell of those inks rush down your nose as you flip through the pages. Feeling the hardness of the old paper in your hands. And laughing to those outdated savage words.”

Ryan looked back at me with a wide stare.

“Science Extol is quite an eye opener, I wonder what hidden words Thomas Hume has in there. Original editions are like gems to me. Precious, rare and unique.”

“Wow, you are really amazing and smart. I have never thought of old books that way. If this study room wasn’t mine, I would have thought you were a staff here disguised to convince me to buy the old books just to get rid of them. You really are a reader, now I’ll only do old editions.”

We laughed at a few sarcastic words on the books I laid my hands upon.

“This has been really amazing. But I need to get back to work before Lady Ana arrives and everything becomes sore again,” I said as we walked out of the inner chamber.

“Well, I think I have a better idea as to what I would want us to do.”

“And what would that be?”

Just then the chamber door swung open and Lady Ana walked in.