Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Layla ran her fingers across each book and then stopped, pulling one out and opening the pages. The first page talked about a witch. Layla didn’t recognize her, but it had the date of birth as six-six-six, and her death was recorded as ten-twenty-two. Layla couldn’t help but chuckle as it also stated the witch was evil. The spells that had made her evil, followed by the kills she had, from human to paranormal, and then the reason for her death.
A wolf had killed her after she had attempted to annihilate his pack. She was doing it to harvest the hearts of the wolves. The witch believed that once she had the full pack of hearts, she could call upon the Devil.
Layla closed the book. “They keep records of actual beings, alive and dead?”
“Yes. Brandon said this is only a small collection. There’s some kind of agreement between many different packs, covens, and other beings, that keep records, kind of like humans do. You know, date of birth, record of their life, then their death, that kind of thing.”
“If these got into the wrong hand, wouldn’t that be dangerous?” Layla asked, thinking about the Disaster of the Otherworld.
“Yeah, it would. Which is why it’s protected by magic.”
Layla couldn’t help but wonder about Alexander. She kept thinking about him as she moved between the books, and then she stopped at a book. Feeling compelled to look, she pulled out the title, flicked the page open, and saw him.
There was no second name. Just Alexander. He was over a thousand years old. Layla saw the truth of his words as he told her he’d not been a good man. He’d been evil for a period of time. Before he’d been turned into a vampire, she saw he’d been married and had a son.
Layla slammed the book closed and put it away.
“Ugh, I hate this!” Elle threw the pen to the table.
“What’s the matter?”
“I want to help Brandon and the pack. I want to be more than just some weak female. How can I help him, if I don’t know how to read it?”
Layla moved closer to her best friend and glanced over her shoulder.
“What is this book?” Layla asked.
“Brandon said it’s supposed to be a book of prophecies. Again, it has some kind of enchantment, and only when real prophecies are being foretold does it fill itself in.”
“And so it shall be that the modern Alpha of the Northern Forest Pack shall find his mate, and she must be human, as the fate of the world rests on her shoulders,” Layla said, and giggled. “It reads fine. I don’t know what you’re worried about.” Clearly, her friend was trying to make her feel helpful.
“You can read that?” Elle asked.
“Elle, come on, stop trying to tease me. You and I both know, that’s in plain English.”
Layla picked up a book and flicked it open, only to freeze where she was. There was a picture staring back at her. It was of her. It stated clearly that she’d been born twenty-one years ago. This had to be some kind of joke.
“Layla, I’m not trying to make you feel anything. Trust me, I don’t understand this. I don’t understand any of this.”
“What the hell is this?” Layla asked.
She looked toward her friend and held the book out to her.
“Is this some kind of joke?”
Elle moved toward her and took the book.
“Layla, that’s you!”
“Thank you for stating the obvious. I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do, but this isn’t funny.” Layla turned on her heel and with Elle calling after her, she left.
None of that was funny.
Layla wasn’t reading ancient prophecies, and she wasn’t seeing images of herself as some kind of paranormal person.
Did that mean what she read about Alexander was real? Or was it all lies?
****
Elle nibbled her lip and stared down at the book, which had the image of her best friend. She had never seen Layla so hurt before. This wasn’t a joke. She’d wanted to hang out with her friend while Brandon was busy with pack stuff. Today was meant to be fun.
Layla had always enjoyed history. She loved to learn about the past, and as she did, Elle had wanted to use that passion to help her find something. Instead, Layla had seen this as a joke. It wasn’t. Elle had never seen this before.
Brandon came through the door, followed by Drake, Darcy, and Lewis.
“What is it, my love?” Brandon said, immediately coming to her side.
She wanted to sink against him, to feel him surround her, but she had to focus. “Tell me what this is.”
Holding up the book, she handed it to him.
“Elle, you haven’t been changing the books, have you?” Brandon asked.
“What? No. I didn’t even find that one. Layla was here with me, because you said I could bring her. She found this, and trust me, it freaked her out. She thought I was playing some kind of joke on her.”