8. Chloe

EIGHT

"Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the book."

Chloe stamped the library card and handed it back to the customer before gesturing toward the shelves behind him.

"Would you like to check out one of our new arrivals?"

The customer politely shook his head, waving farewell as he exited.

Sighing, Chloe tidied the front desk and went about administrative duties, her feigned smile gradually fading.

All morning, her mind was plagued with the happenings at the masquerade.

Gone was her usual upbeat enthusiasm, something she was fully aware of. She was glad her workplace was quiet today. The last thing she needed was a regular patron questioning her foul mood.

She cursed, noticing she had misspelled the name of a book she had entered into the system multiple times. It wasn't the first time she had messed up because of Adrian.

The bell above the entrance rang merrily. Putting on a smile, she wheeled around to greet the newcomer.

Her smile became genuine when Fiona approached the reception with two coffees in hand.

"Oh, God, thank you so much. I needed this," Chloe chuckled. "It's good to see you, girl."

"Thought you might. I was just stopping by for a bit of research." She blew on her coffee for a moment. "I'm writing a paper on the Full Moon Masquerade."

"Ah." Chloe nodded, wondering how much of the shifter world was deliberately kept a secret. "You should let me read that when you're done."

Fiona looked as though she desperately wanted to talk and not necessarily about the paper.

"Did anything happen while you were there?" she asked. "Anything strange or exciting?"

"Like what?"

"Well …" Fiona hesitated.

"Did you happen to meet a guy at the party? Like a shifter?"

Chloe nodded.

"Oh, thank God," Fiona said. "I've been going crazy."

"Crazy is a good word for it, yeah," Chloe said. Although she wasn't sure how much she should say. Chloe sipped her coffee.

"It's a strange world we've stumbled into, Chloe. I'm still figuring it out."

Chloe nodded.

She thought of Adrian's incredible physique and imagined running her fingers over his chest again, feeling every bulging muscle. She wondered if shifters had to work to keep that up or if they were all naturally well-toned.

She barely knew him. So why did she miss him so much?

"So you met a guy," Chloe probed, trying to refocus her thoughts. "Tell me about him."

"His name is Callum," Fiona gushed. "He owned the mansion we were staying at, actually."

"The guy I met seemed like he probably knew the owner of the mansion," Chloe said. "I bet they know each other."

"What was his name?"

"Adrian," Chloe replied, just glad to be able to say anything at all.

Fiona looked off thoughtfully. "It seems familiar …"

Chloe saw a crowd of students enter the library and was relieved when they veered off downstairs.

"To be honest, though, I don't know if I'm going to see him again." Chloe trailed off, looking into the distance. "I really wish that he'd call."

"So you're sold on this whole shifter thing, then," Fiona asked. "You don't think it'd be too weird?"

Chloe bit her lip, looking at the students now climbing back up the stairs, hauling reference materials.

"If he'd just call, I'd go for it. But I don't know if that's going to happen. We left things on weird terms."

"Gotcha," Fiona said, nodding. She leaned in, noticing the students approaching the counter.

"Well, if you do pursue it, I heard they've got crazy amounts of stamina," she whispered. "And trust me, so far, it's nothing like being with a human."

Chloe's imagination went wild at the thought of letting Adrian take her. What strange world had she become attached to, and would she ever see him again?

The conversation with Fiona lingered with Chloe. It accompanied the disappointment that came whenever she checked her notifications, only to see nothing from Adrian.

Taking out her frustration, she placed returned books back on their shelves with force.

"So much for being mated by fate or whatever dumb shit he said. Why did I ever believe him?"

On her way back to the front desk, she passed by books themed around relationships. The cover of an undressed couple was a slap in the face, reminding her of what could've been with Adrian.

"Fucking shifters," she hissed. "If all that talk was true, surely he wouldn't have ghosted me like this."

Despite what she said, a part of her was still intrigued by such a whimsical concept. It was like the nagging voice of a child who wouldn't stay quiet unless given what they wanted.

It's just curiosity, that's all, she thought as she picked books that she figured would contain the information she needed.

Still, she occasionally shot a glance over her shoulder as if in danger of being caught by her more rational self.

Hours slid by with nothing to show for her piqued interest.

It was a long shot. How could she have expected a human library to have information on shifters when so much of their lives seemed veiled in secrecy?

Callum's library is a goldmine, but how would I get back there?

Sinking into her seat, she shook her head and closed the final book with a loud thud.

Her shift ended later that evening, yet she still remained in the building. She sat quietly by the public computers, seated in the corner so that her screen was turned away from most eyes.

She had no idea what she was doing. No public searches were turning up anything on shifters … they seemed to be well hidden.

She found mythologies and cultural beliefs related to shifters.

She found a fictional romance series about shifters, coupled with mixed reviews.

But it was all inconclusive, and every search seemed to be gaslighting her.

Is this all an elaborate hallucination? she asked herself.

"Forgive my poor manners. I just couldn't help noticing what you're looking for."

A woman's voice startled her, and Chloe looked up to see an imposing woman who stood head and shoulders above her. She might have seen her in the back of the library earlier.

The woman extended a hand. "Gayle Defranco."

"Chloe," she said with a smile.

"So, have an interest in shifters, do you, Chloe?"

She tilted her head, her long black hair falling over green eyes that sparkled with curiosity. Chloe was stunned by her beauty, but the breath flooded her lungs when Gayle blinked, her eyes suddenly vertical slits with yellow irises.

In another blink, they were back to her human form.

"You're a shifter?"

"Just wanted to see your reaction."

Gayle's face creased as she chuckled and took a seat beside her. "I guess I'm not the first shifter you've met?" Gayle asked.

Chloe didn't know how much to give away, but she had a feeling she could trust the woman. There was just something about the way she carried herself.

"I'm guessing from your eyes, you must be a dragon shifter," Chloe asked.

"Indeed I am." The woman leaned in a little closer, gently grazing Chloe's shoulder with her palm.

"This must be kismet," Gayle said. "I'm new in town, you see, and I don't know the first thing about getting around. It's a little lonely when you move somewhere new."

Chloe's smile turned sympathetic.

"I need a friend, and I just so happen to run into someone who, I guess, is curious about my kind," Gayle offered.

"A win-win," quipped Chloe, garnering another bubbly laugh from her acquaintance.

"So, here's what I propose. I think that you're interesting, and I think that you think I'm interesting."

She spoke fast, her words polished as they left her mouth in an almost rehearsed fashion. "I'd love to grab a coffee and hang out with a new friend, and maybe this new friend of yours can tell you all you want to know about shifters."

Chloe blinked in disbelief. It was as if she was staring at a winning number on a lottery ticket. Gayle was the jackpot of information she needed, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.

"Come with me," she said. "There's a coffee shop across the street."

A few minutes later, they sat opposite each other. Coffee and pastries sat in between them on the table, their aromas mixing into a mouthwatering scent. Chloe wasted no time taking Gayle's offer of information.

"I can't wrap my head around the concept of fated mates," she said. "Like, I know what it means, but I want to know if it's really true."

"Oh, it's true," said Gayle. "Though let me ask, why is that specifically so interesting to you?"

"Well," Chloe muttered hesitantly. She swallowed hard. "I met a shifter who told me I was his fated mate. But I haven't heard from him since that night."

"Then he's lying," Gayle affirmed almost immediately. "It's like a magnetic force. No shifter can physically withstand being distanced from their fated mate."

So he really was lying, Chloe thought. She didn't want to believe Gayle, but what better source was there than another shifter?

Her new friend cringed and apologized when she noticed how gloomy Chloe became.

"Oh, Chloe. I'm sorry you're disappointed. Men, am I right?"

"Why did I agree to this?"grumbled Chloe as she drove toward Callum's mansion. She ignored the chiming notification as another text from Fiona came through.

She knew what it'd say, that she made the right decision to attend another Full Moon Masquerade. Fiona and her friends' heavy insistence caused her resolve to crumble, and again, she'd fallen for peer pressure.

What if I see Adrian? What if he's getting it on with another woman?

The car's hum ceased as she removed the key from the ignition. Reassurance came to her when she remembered that Gayle would be here. The shifter was proving to be a reliable friend.

At least I can leave by myself, she thought as she ran her hands over the steering wheel. Better get this over with.

Chloe hooked up with her friends, but they separated almost immediately after entering the mansion, which was what she didn't want to happen.

She was suddenly alone. Everywhere she looked, people were getting hot and heavy with each other. The occasional shifter turned to look at her, probably noticing how out of place she looked.

"Hey, are you okay?" a man asked. "I'm Callum's property manager, so I just want to make sure his guests are comfortable here."

"Oh, I'm fine," said Chloe.

Dan smiled. "In that case, please make yourself at home," he said. "Sabria! Come over here, would you?"

Sabria greeted Chloe, exuding hospitality.

"Oh, shoot," Dan said, a sudden realization. "I have business to attend to. Sabria, can you take care of her?"

"Absolutely."

He ran off somewhere, and Chloe was left with the other woman, who seemed all too curious about the human at the shifter party.

"Do you know if Adrian …" She stopped, sucking the air through her teeth as if pulling her words back. "Sorry, I meant to ask if the library is free. I just need a place to relax for a few minutes."

"Follow me," Sabria said with a smile. "I know things can get a little overwhelming, especially if it's your first time here."

Chloe was too flustered to inform Sabria she'd attended the masquerade before. They came to the library.

"Well, here you are. I'd stop for a glass of wine with you, but I'm afraid I must assist my husband. There are more people here than ever before."

"Thanks, Sabria."

Chloe turned her attention to the library entrance. She gripped the handle, and as she turned it, she imagined Adrian waiting for her on the opposite side. The thought sent her heart pumping.

It dropped when she saw it was empty. She felt haunted by the memory of a month ago.

She couldn't go inside. She didn't know if she could bear being so alone in that room.

"There you are!" Gayle called out. "It was difficult to spot you among this raucous crowd. Are you enjoying your night?"

She spoke with so much excitement that Chloe found it almost impossible to believe someone could be so upbeat. It almost pained her to be so miserable around such unadulterated glee.

She looked around at everyone enjoying themselves. Her sense of exposure fired up at that moment, and she quickly excused herself from Gayle's company as a tear ran down her face.

"Where are you going?" her friend called out.

"I never should have come here," cried Chloe, low enough so that no one heard her.

Everything was coming down on her, and she needed to leave before it got worse.

Gayle called out again, but she didn't pursue Chloe out the front door. Her voice faded into the background as Chloe stared out at the gray horizon, sobbing uncontrollably.