We made it to 8K reads! Almost at 10K, ty all sm!!!

Also big ty to @SeseJo08 , I appreciate the love for this book and it inspired me to continue writing. (: 

shoutout to @horserider159 as well, ty for adding TLP to your library! 

I hope you guys enjoy the *Spice* in this chapter

Now without further ado~

CHAPTER FIFTEEN | AMARA

Time feels like it moves tortuously slower here.

I'm back in my room, awaken and pampered- I've been given an extent of freedom to explore...with Hyacinth of course. Then the daily fight classes.

A knock on my door illicit my attention. "Come in."

The door swings open and Ezra stands there expectedly. Today he wears a white button down shirt, two buttons undone at the top, the sleeves rolled up and cling onto his biceps. My eyes linger too long in that area

"Bored?" He asks, with a small crack of a smile.

I give an exaggerated gasp, "That obvious?"

He shakes his head,"No, Just had a funny feeling. Care for a walk?"

I ponder for a moment at this before agreeing, "Can we make a stop at your library as well?"

His eyebrow perks at this, but he nods and notions me to exit. "What do you like to read?"

I think forlornly back at the books left back at my apartment, now collecting dust. "Self improvement books, sometimes Fantasy."

"Example?"

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad was what I was reading before all of this."

"By Robert Kiyosaki? Amateur move." He jests.

My mouth threatens to fall agape at the audacity that caught me off guard. "Amateur? Then what would you recommend?" I inquire with sarcasm dripping in my tone.

"7 Habits of Highly Effective People." He responds, nonchalantly.

I almost roll my eyes at this."Please- that goes hand in hand with Atomic Habits, after you get the mentality of daily habits then you move onto the action steps."

"I admire your thought process, Amara. But when you live longer than most- you get creative on how to spend time."

I was so engrossed in our banter, that I didn't realize we were at the library room until he had pushed the door open. The familiar cozy atmosphere welcomed us, although it isn't my first time here I'm still in awe seeing it again. Aisles of books, shelves filled from top to bottom.

"I'm sorry if you don't find anything incredibly enticing here, as it's mainly pack history and medicinal genre. But I can arrange for your own section if there are some things that you would like."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about their beginnings. Prior to a few days ago I never knew a world outside of the ordinary existed.

"I would love that. But for now I wouldn't mind reading about the beginnings of your history."

His eyebrows shoots upwards in surprise at this, but quickly he falls back into composure. "In that case, let me find it," I follow him as he leads us towards the back book shelves. We take a sharp left into an aisle, before he pauses with a look to the right. I crane my neck up to see the rows he currently pondered on. 

"This would be the place to start," He says softly, hand reaching for the spine of a leather bound book. "Our original, and how we came to be."

Ezra hands me the book gingerly, I take it from him-briefly grazing fingers in the passing. Even that tiny touch was enough to illicit a hard thump in my chest.

I swallow it down, and open the book briefly flipping through- a habit of mine whenever I get my hands on a new read. I stop flipping when my eyes fall onto a specific image that catches my attention. 

An image of a wolf.

It exudes an aura of menace and dominance, its muscular frame displaying latent strength. It emanates an ominous presence and primal power. But it's eyes are what drew me in. Two orbs of Violet flame that pierce through the darkness. Glowing with an unearthly intensity, they seem to hold the secrets of the night within their depths—a mesmerizing and unsettling sight that commands attention.

"Our pack's Original."

His words pull me out of the trance that image cloaked me in. I shook my head, as if it could shake the heaviness the image brought to me. 

I look up at Ezra, who also had his eyes locked on the picture as well. I didn't notice how close our proximity became until this moment. He's nearly leaned over me to look at the page, his warmth bleeding into my bubble.

"Where is- the Original now?" I ask, softly.

He pulls his gaze from the book, and brings it to meet mine. "That itself is a mystery, he disappeared a few centuries ago."

"That's puzzling." I note, "Do you have any other recommendations?"

He ponders on this for a moment, before reaching his 'Ah' moment. He grabs a book from over my shoulder. The book brushes my hair forward over my shoulder as he brings it out for me. 

"Sorry," He mutters, going to adjust my hair back into place. His hand sweeps from my shoulder to my neck to brush the hair back but this leaves a hot trail in it's wake. I close my eyes to take a deep breath from the tension. 

It's so thick at this point its suffocating. 

"Amara," Ezra says lowly.

At this moment I notice that his hand hadn't moved from it's position from shoulder, and normally- if it were anyone else I would hate this. 

But all I want right now is to be closer.

I open my eyes, hoping that my composure returned to me. Our eyes meet, his honey gaze meeting mine intently and I know we share the same thought.

The silence between us is loud; overwhelmingly loud. 

My eyes fall onto his lips. 

"Fuck it," He groans before moving his hand from my shoulder to the nape of my neck and pulls me in.

Our lips collide into a searing kiss. A moan escapes my lips involuntarily- I hate how it feels almost relieving. Like a lid was removed from a stove top, the sigh of relief it gives as the steam finally releases.

He mirrors my relief and the book falls with a thump from his other hand. Now using his other arm to trace my curves before stopping at the small of my back. Ezra pulls me closer until there is no space left between us. The book falls from my grasp when I move my hands and trail upwards from his abdomen to his chest before wrapping around his neck, eliciting a growl from him. 

At this, he molds our lips deeper, 

and our hunger overtook us.

END OF CHAPTER

That was LONG overdue wasn't it?