Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 52 – The Unexpected Truth

“Lies require commitment.“–Veronica Roth

Neron

+10

Bonu

03:1

After my trip to the pack hospital, I spent the rest of my time scouring through the endless stacks of books in the Zircon Moon Library as Diana sat on top of a bookcase, preening her feathers. Wooden bookcases lined the walls, surrounding the tables, chairs, and couches glowing under the brilliant sunlight. Every open book emitted an earthy aroma wafting into the air. I’ve never cared for reading, but there were a handful of wolves who enjoy the silence and solitude of the library, lost in a world of adventure and words.

Almost every title I’ve come across contained bits and information about werewolf history I never paid attention to; lifespan development, sociology of weres, the works. Grunting with effort, I picked up a large stack of books and settled them on an adjacent table.

Taking my seat, I began the banal task of flipping through pages while Ariel’s request weighed heavy on my mind. Never in my life have I’ve heard of a wolf wishing to part from their human–it was relatively unheard of. She looked so unhappy and it crushed my heart. Our soul bond connects the humans to our wolves until the day we die; losing your woll is like losing half of your spirit.

Flashback

“I cannot remain attached to Odessa any longer, Alpha Neron. She has done shameful things throughout our life together that I’ve let slide for very long, under the pretense that she will change. Now, because of my passivity, I’ve lost my soulmate. You can try to persuade me, but I will not change my mind. I want out.”

Is there any way you can rekindle with her and try to make your relationship work?” Lasked. “This is a very extreme request, Ariel. You’re proposing for a soul separation and whilst I’ve never witnessed such an event, there is no guarantee you’d come out rninjured.”

I’m prepared to take all the risks needed to make this happen.” Ariel cast her eyes down on the ground, biting her lip. “Odessa and I never got along. I’m afraid that I was but a handicap to her. Wolves are the voice of reason to our humans, but I’ve never got the chance to make myself heard around her she always shuts me out. I cared about Odessa, a lot, but what can I do when she doesn’t care about me? What about my feelings? I’ve taken the backseat to her madness for so long and it is now do I understand I cannot change her. It’s too much for me.”

“You said you are prepared to die if it meant parting with your human.”

“I much rather be with our Moon Goddess than confined to this woman. I want…” Ariel’s breathing snagged in her throat; pain interlaced with her gasps. Looking up at me once more, her alive eyes saturated with tears; a couple of them cascading down her cheeks. “I’m not happy, Alpha Neron. I lost my sense of self, and I don’t want to continue in life if my human doesn’t even regret what she’s done!”

“I just wish to be happy again, even if the likelihood of my death are high.”

+10%

Bonus

Ariel will risk it all for the sake of her own happiness. The pain in her eyes when she spoke to me branded themselves in my mind. Her sorrow. Goddess knows that if I ever lost Onyx, I wouldn’t know what to do -3.10 myself. Hating me is one thing, but losing him forever is another.

“Come on…there has to be something here…” I murmured, flipping through the pages to find an indication of soul splitting, but came up empty. The scarcity of the process reaffirmed my intimal belief that this situation doesn’t happen often, but I cannot get Ariel’s grief out of my mind. As her Alpha, I must honor her request.

I need to help her. She deserves joy, with or without Odessa.

“This book is a complete dud. Since we can’t find anything, what are we supposed to do now?” Onyx quipped as I strode back to a bookshelf.

“We have to keep trying.” I answered, setting the book away. “The sooner we find what we’re seeking, the sooner we can get back to searching for answers about Kiya’s disappearance.

has yet to call us about Miss Phoebe’s progress.”

missing about Osiris.” I expounded, seizing a rolling ladder. “Call it a hunch, but I feel as though he isn’t targeting our pack

hunch.” Onyx chuckled amusingly. “Go

has a stronger connection there, so why only bother us? He used Odessa as his pawn, but he did it for a reason. He knows something that I don’t, and I need to

his reasoning just be from how Kiya

think so

wanted without his help. Why would he care so

to the floor in a resounding thud. The impact dislocated a floor tile, shattering its corner. “Fantastic… Begrudgingly, I trekked down the stairs and went to nurse the book. It was a history book speaking on werewolf evolution; not something that contains the answers to either

dilemmas.

under it. Something black and dusty. Curiously, I eased the tile away from the hole, coughing at the dust that flew from

It was two aged, dilapidated journals. The worn leather traps failed to keep the yellowing pages threatening in order. An opaque film of dust stained

books under the

have something to

I

see what inside!” He urged.

R

+10

Bonu

obeying Onyx’s request. Each page had more dust than the last, but the page froze

“What the hell?”

both eager and apprehensive for what I am about to read, but an inkling in the back of my head

you hesitating?”

that’s all.” I responded with a sigh. “I’ve been told nothing but good things about these men. It’s nice to have their own words them versus the grand stories Dad used to tell. It won’t be so

this feels strange and

on some of my anxiety. No need

H

of the journals. What do I have

wrong. Very

over their pack. They wrote every encounter to the smallest detail with names I’m unfamiliar with. Flipping from one journal to another, it is like

v can

power is justice; the more prestige one had, they govern what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. Those with less power didn’t have the

penance for his violent destruction. Diana, sensing my discomfort, glided over and cautiously stepped toward me with her talons clicking against the wooden table. All I could do is sit there, gawk at the remarks of a psychopath, frozen. I couldn’t be related to this man,

lunacy was the notice of his jeweled prize,, bedazzled with power to uphold him and his lineage. Fantastical proclamations that our Moon Goddess guided him to her, alleging to be

read, even as the revulsion and nausea became too much. Insanity, fury, delusion–it all slapped me in the face the further I read. But it all suddenly ended at the death of his prize. After those last words

came from a whole bloodline

R

35

The

should scream at you for your tasteless sense

goldfish and a brattish shriek, I could’ve

+10

Bonu