1. Cambridge Creature Library

1

CAMbrIDGE CREATURE LIbrARY

D aphne

I glanced at my text message again as I bounced on the balls of my feet, trying to keep my blood pumping. My coat was warm but not warm enough to keep me from feeling like my heart was going to turn to ice. Not that it wasn't already.

It's a secret library. The password is ‘Epistêmê '.

How the fuck did I say that? I hissed between my teeth again and finally caved, descending down the steps to an ancient wooden door. The wood was dark and riveted, and the handle elaborate wrought iron that spiraled out into metal vines.

At the center of the door, there was a sign. I stared at it as I crept closer, scowling.

Cambridge Creature Library.

Enter if you dare.

Knowledge is power.

HUMANS: BEWARE

The last part was a little extra.

Who knew that there was an underground library in Cambridge?

I'd been here for over a month studying at the college, buried in my Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic courses. I had always loved medieval history, literature, and languages— and studying here in Cambridge had been a dream come true. It was far from my small hometown in the US, but I had found the complete independence to be refreshing.

My parents had made a point of calling me once a week to check-in and update me on their boring lives. It usually involved the neighbors, rumors from the golf course, or the adventures of Pookie (who was a hairless dog that perpetually had her tongue sticking out). I loved both of them dearly, but their path was very straight and narrow, whereas I preferred to tumble headfirst down mountainous roads. I loved going to new places and meeting new people.

My obsession with books had never gotten me into trouble until possibly now. I had caught wind of a special book one night at a pub. My friend, Catherine, had shared all her secrets with me, swearing that I could never tell anyone because it could get her in trouble.

It had been the most bizarre conversation I had ever had. She told me about a secret library that no one knew about that had a book called ' Creatures of History and Their Curses '. Not only did it tickle my curiosity about history, but I also found myself wondering about the word 'creatures'. Creatures led me to think it meant mythological beings, which would be interesting.

Too interesting for me not to check out.

Overall, it was a weird conversation. Catherine had kept calling me a human, which I was, but…

What an odd thing to say, right?

What had really got me was her mentioning that the book hadn't been studied in at least a century. As a certified book whore, I had to see it in person. What was it about? No idea. How old was it? Also, no idea.

But, it was secret and never seen by humans, so that meant that I— a human— had to lay eyes on it, come hell or high water.

Catherine had told me I'd have to work to get to it but that I would always regret it if I didn't. She'd been wasted, but her conviction had been… convincing.

Aside from having a fictional addiction, I also had a curiosity that had gotten me in trouble many times in my 25 years. That curiosity had also given me plenty of adventures, though.

My phone buzzed again in my hand, and I glanced at it.

Don't let the dragon trick you.

My eyes narrowed, a little alarm bell going off in my head. One that I ignored.

She must have been at the pub again, although it was a little early for such an outing.

I snorted as I put the phone back in my pocket and reached out, grasping the knob. I tried pushing it, but it didn't budge.

Would a password really work?

" Epistêmê," I whispered, knowing full well that I had probably butchered the pronunciation.

Regardless, I heard a click and found myself pushing open the door to the Cambridge Creature Library.

I was immediately greeted with the musky scent of books and earth. I stepped inside, my bones thawing as warmth hit me.

I had to blink a few times to get my sight adjusted.

I was standing in an arched entryway. The walls were stone, the dappled gray leading up to marbled molding. The floors were an odd black and white checkered, running out into the next room.

The silence was deafening. I let out a soft breath, one that practically echoed, and left the entry space.

"Whoa," I whispered, my head tipping back in awe.

The size of the room didn't make sense to what I had seen outside. The ceiling was at least twenty feet above me, the walls lined with thousands of books.

Hundreds of thousands of books. I couldn't even see the back of the library.

In front of me, there was a massive oak desk. A candle flickered on top of it amongst stacks of dusty books, the wax rolling down like tears. There was a cup of coffee that was steaming still, the scent wafting through the air. At least a hundred coffee rings stained the top of the desk, proof that someone was here regularly.

I moved closer, my heart pounding.

There was something extremely odd about this library. Everything looked untouched even though it was obvious someone was here.

"Hello?" I asked softly, still looking around like a child in a candy shop.

This was magnificent. The library of my dreams. Yes, it was creepy, but the shock at the number of books squashed the weird factor.

Now, to find the ancient book.

I sucked in a breath, looking back at the desk. A book was split open, the yellowed pages holding the sweeping ink of an illustration. I moved closer, studying the colors.

It was a drawing of a crimson dragon guarding stacks of books. I leaned in, studying it closer. The ink was vibrant, the red scales glistening. Its teeth were bared, smoke curling out of its nostrils. The illustration felt alive , which was a testament to the artist's talent. Some of the ink was iridescent, decorating the page with gold, royal blue, and emerald green.

"Hmm." I reached out and ran my fingers down the side of the page. Parts of the drawing were raised and felt good against my skin.

Maybe this was the book. It was fantastic.

I lifted the page and turned it, gasping at the next drawing.

I took a step back, my cheeks turning hot.

The next drawing was not anything I could have ever expected. It was of a woman, her legs spread as a monster lapped at her. Holding her was another monster, his claws clutching her neck.

She looked like she was having one hell of a time, but WHY was that in this book?

Alright, you puritan , I scolded myself. I stepped closer, swallowing a giggle as I studied it closer.

Jesus , she really was having a good time. The two monsters looked like Cyclopes. Except they weren't anything like the egregious ones that I'd seen in shows and books growing up. Their bodies were muscled with hard abs and even harder cocks.

"God, that's like ten inches," I muttered, shaking my head. "And what is that…." I drifted off.

The one holding her— his cock had a knot before reaching his balls.

She looked a lot like me, which was startling. Like me, she also had brown hair and curves. Her thighs were thick, her nipples taut. The artist hadn't attempted to hide her, including her rolls and stretch marks.

My eyes narrowed, my hands flattening my clothing for a moment.

The difference between her and me was that I would never, in a million years, manage to entice someone to be like that with me. Let alone two of them.

Sure, I'd had my fair share of sex. And I'd had a couple of failed relationships too. But, at the end of the day, the kinks I secretly yearned to explore would stay dormant.

I raised a brow, trying to ignore the way the heat seemed to go straight to my core.

The librarian here had to be kinky as fuck. Who just left a book out like this with their coffee at the front desk of an establishment??

"Hello?" I asked again.

This time I heard movement and looked around wildly, trying to figure out which direction it was coming from.

Behind the desk, there was an entrance to the first row of shelves. It reminded me of a doorway, even with a crimson velvet rope stationed in front of it.

There was even a little sign next to it.

"Hello?? I'm here to check out a book," I called, amplifying the volume of my voice.

I let out a dramatic sigh as soon as the movement stopped.

Well, I wasn't waiting around.

I had things to do, places to be. I'd grab the book and be out of the weird library before anyone noticed a thing.

I snuck past the desk, looking around and listening for more movement. The library was quieter than a tomb, a suppressing cloud of silence.

My footsteps echoed across the checkered floor, and I paused at the sign, frowning.

Enter if you dare.

Knowledge is power.

HUMANS: BEWARE

I scowled again.

Part of me hoped to meet the librarian of this place because I had questions about why they were so dramatic. The sign was silly at best and did nothing but make me more curious.

Also, why 'HUMANS'? As if the librarian wasn't one.

Find the book and then leave, I told myself.

I unclipped the red rope and slipped past it.

As soon as I stepped forward, my entire body stiffened from a jolt. I dropped the rope, stepping closer to the books in shock. My entire body was tingling, my blood heating.

I heard shuffling again and spun around.

Well, now there was someone— but not what I was expecting.

His back was facing me, and my mouth dropped. How tall was this guy? Since when did libraries have linebackers employed? He had to be over seven feet tall, his shoulders impossibly wide. He wore a black turtle neck that reminded me of a blanket and charcoal pants.

His hair was blonde and drawn back into a bun.

"Hello??" I asked as he lifted his cup of coffee.

The giant spun around, his coffee cup flying.

The porcelain crashed, and I covered my mouth, stumbling back.

The monster from that book had jumped out of the pages!

We stared at each other. Then, finally, my brain caught up with me, and I let out a window-smashing scream— turning to run.

I immediately slammed straight into a wall.

Except it wasn't a wall— it was a massive chest.

One that was covered in tweed and smelled like books.

One that belonged to yet another monster.