Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

Icouldn't breathe. My heart, already hammering in my chest, screamed at me to do something.

Anything.

Danger. DANGER.

Red alert! Turn back now.

I flinched, my body ready to take off.

Besides the other part of me that was terribly intrigued. That part of me wanted to take another desperate inhale of the complex scent assaulting my senses in the small space of the office.

I never heard of an alpha librarian before. Usually, when to the humanities, alphas in general were few and far between. Alphas were lawyers or politicians. They were military leaders, doctors, or directors. At the very least they were heads of departments leading everyone towards a certain goal.

They were rarely cozied up in the stacks looking through old manuscripts, glasses perched on the edge of their nose like this one.

"Please." Mr. Wolfern gestured towards the chair across from his desk. "Sit. I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm trying to make sure I get through all the employees who are working in the library. I like to put names on faces. My name is Rylan Wolfern. I'm the new head of the library department as I'm sure you realized by now."

He chuckled.

The alpha chuckled at his joke. Chuckled. And it wasn't even a real joke.

When I didn't move, he repeated the sentiment, narrowing his eyes at my lack of response.

Carefully, I rounded the arm of the far chair, letting my tote bag lean against my leg.

I inhaled again deeply, feeling the heavy scent of him before I forced myself to hold my breath. How long could I go like this?

Maybe I would pass out before I started to flush.

Then again, which was worse?

"You're Ella Jones, correct? Junior archivist?"

"I'm just a library assistant," I admitted. "Actually."

"Oh, I just assumed from the projects you've worked on before. Not an issue." Mr. Wolfern gave another small smile that surely was meant to put me at ease.

He perched on the edge of his messy desk, tabled with books and a large calendar I couldn't remember if the previous librarian left behind. "I appreciate you stopping back before you start your work for the day."

I was still unsure if I could trust my voice not to immediately start to beg for my job if that was why I was here.

Turns out, I wasn't above that.

"I'm pretty sure that you're wondering why I'd call you back here."

That was for sure.

"I need someone particular to help with a project," he said.

"A project?" I quickly cleared my throat when my voice came out high-pitched.

Dang it, Ella. You need to calm down.

"Yes, a rather expedited project, I will admit," he said. "And it's a little less exciting than some of the other projects I've looked into that you've completed for us. You seem to have a talent for history and the old documents on campus."

I quickly nodded, already agreeing in all forms. I had two other expedited projects going, but what was one more? I could manage it.

I wasn't being fired!

I gasped for relief before I remembered not to breathe.

God,I never smelled an alpha like this before. I hadn't really smelled an alpha ever, but this…

I forced myself to clear my throat.

"It is more of a database that I need you to work on and produce for us if possible. All the information should already be within our online system or the archives from previous projects, but if not, there may be a bit of research involved."

"How quickly do you need it compiled by?" I asked.

I wasn't at all intimated by the project. I could manage this. I had done similar things when helping the other librarians when they had a special collection.

When I first arrived to work at Prestford University Library, I had never even heard of the word "research." Now, I reveled in the possibilities it provided, the information, and the new views it uncovered. That, at the very least, was what kept my life interesting for the past so many years.

The research was like a puzzle only I could put together.

"Next week."

"Next week?" I blinked.

"It's an alumni project. It was meant to be done some time ago, but was likely overlooked," Mr. Wolfern explained with a lingering sigh. "Homecoming is coming up rather quickly on campus. We'd like to have everything together by then. It would hopefully include the history of different graduating classes and other accomplishments and accolades. Everyone likes to try to one-up each other, and what better than to already have it presented to them."

"Like a business card database," I cleared up.

The alpha nodded. "Partly, yes. There will also be a bit of a presentation done to show how our alumni have contributed back to our community."

"I understand."

"I left a clearer description of what's required down in your workspace. We'd like it to be digitized as a sort of favor to give everyone at the end of the weekend. Like an alumni business card collection without the fuss, as you referred to it as." Mr. Wolfern chuckled, deep and easy. "However, I wanted to make sure first that you were up to the task. You can say no. It was just my understanding that our other archivists take a more active role in teaching or providing insight on other parts of the campus as well as within the library, correct?

Some of the other archival librarians, far senior to me, didn't like to spend all day in the basement like I did.

"I wanted to be sure not to overwhelm everyone with this past oversight."

Immediately, I shook my head. "No trouble at all. I'm glad I can be of help."

"I'm glad to hear it."

As I moved to stand, my eyes caught on the few other things that seemed more personalized on the head librarian's desk touched with another thick scent that made me want to sneeze.

"Do you have any other questions for me?"

"You're mated," I whispered before I could stop myself, the words almost not audible.

But this was an alpha. Of course, he heard me.

He grinned as if I said something extraordinary.

I should get up and leave, but my eyes couldn't be torn away from the framed photograph on his desk.

Mr. Wolfern stood on the edge of a small group in the picture. Two other men smiled wide in comparison to Mr. Wolfern's tight grin as if he was holding back. In the center of them all was a girl with wild, curly ginger hair. Her eyes were bright with color and laughter. She looked about my age, healthy and clean and even... happy.

"I am." A small smile perked at the corner of Mr. Wolfern's lips.

"You're a... pack?"

"The Wolf Pack, yes," he chuckled, again, cupping his hands in front of himself. "I know there aren't too many of them anymore. Not many people pick up on it right away. We tried to come up with a better name, or just use the ‘fern portion of the name, but it stuck. We're coming up on nearly three years now, my pack and I all together. Are you part of a pack?"

"No."

It wasn't unheard of for betas to mate or not to mate. Omegas on the other hand?

An omega mated quickly as they headed towards their first heat which usually happened by the time they were twenty. It was a dangerous choice, as well as an unlikely one.

More recently, I had noticed the idea of more than one alpha sharing an omega a common practice with how rare omegas were becoming. Yet that girl in the photo certainly didn't look put out. Did she?

"I'm never going to be someone's mate," I said.

Dark eyes blinked. Mr. Wolfern cleared his throat. "Of course. I apologize for keeping you longer than necessary. To be honest, you remind me of our omega a bit, Lidya. I know she's been looking for friends in the area since we arrived. She transferred from her last Omega Academy on the West Coast but wanted to continue her studies. Though we understand it's unusual for an omega to do so after they are bonded."

"She studies?" I asked, still staring at the happy omega in the photograph.

Pride lit his features. "She has a talent for seeing art."

"You're… progressive."

"Our pack does what is best for us all," he said.

"I should get to work," I cut him off.

He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm also sorry if I worried you at all, calling you back here," he said, studying me closer. Something twitched in his brow and my heart stopped.

Though I took the half-blocker dose, the suppressant should've been enough. He shouldn't have been able to scent anything at all. It should've been like he was sniffing dull air like any other beta would come across as.

He was sniffing dull air, wasn't he?

"Well, you may head out as you'd like. Sorry to interrupt your morning," Mr. Wolfern concluded. "But Ella?"

I felt like my heart was going to give out right then and there. "Yes?"

"I know that you mentioned that you do not have a degree in library science or archival work?"

I paused before I nodded, averting my eyes.

"I don't know why this may be. Funds or previous situation, but many universities, offer school funding to their professional workers. I can investigate and see if this would be possible for you to achieve a degree while working. If that is, you're interested."

All the air went out of my lungs. Forget not trying to breathe.

I was speechless.

I forced myself to cough, clearing my throat. "Thank you. Yes. I'd very much like that."

"Good. I'll see what I can do. I must go now, however. I have another meeting today, and I have a feeling that you'll need all the time you can to work on that project" Mr. Wolfern insisted, rounding his desk to put more space between us.

I could feel his eyes burning into my back the entire way out of the office and down towards the bottom floor of the library.

I was away from everyone and back to my routine even if it was taking longer than expected. Longer than hoped for me to calm down.

The basement of the library was cool and quiet. There was my desk and my books and now another list of things to do that would fill my time until the end of the workday. This was all I had to worry about.

Aside from the two other librarians working down here silently alongside me, no one bothered within the thick and dusty stacks I found myself in most often. Filing cabinets housed the history of the university alongside so many others within the area.

The number of stories housed in the tiny space was almost overwhelming, but otherwise, there wasn't much else going on, which was perfectly fine with me.

I always thought there was something beautiful about libraries. No matter what kind, libraries provided solace. They also provided all the company in the world as well as other worlds you didn't even know of yet until you found the right book.

Unfortunately, my filled workdays haven't left me much time for recreational reading lately, though I should change that. The whole reason I looked at a library for work was for the solitude, but also because I loved reading.

Back home when I first discovered reading, I ran to my brother, Peter, and told him all about the book. It was some kind of fairytale I was pretty sure. It was bright and stunning and full of magic. He only laughed and encouraged me to continue, even though at the time he had to have known the possibility of me ever going to college was slim to none.

He'd be just as pleased though that I managed to find a life on the shelves, even if it was away from everyone else. I was still around books. Even if they weren't exactly the kind that made me first fall in love with the idea of stories and being surrounded by the everyday.

I liked the escape. The magic.

For so many different reasons.

I stared at my computer for a moment, trying to push the memories of my brother's crooked, yet patient smile and the way he rolled his eyes every time I came home with a new stack of books for the weekend.

I sat down at my tiny desk I made out of an old classroom table that was stuck down here in the library last year. My cup filled with the burnt coffee I didn't touch sat next to me.

I turned the page open to my planner to lay out everything I needed to do before the end of next week. Every day the routine reminded me of my brother I left behind six years ago.

It reminded me of myself.

I was consistent. I was reliable. I was the one thing was absolutely for sure that I could count on. I could do this.

I can do this.