Anaya didn't know if paradise existed but if it did, then she was sure that it looked exactly like this. The inner peace she found just standing there couldn't amount to anything. It was better than she'd imagined the place to be.

Her eyes hastily danced around the room, widening in sheer amazement and all she could do was smile giddily like a kid on Christmas. She wanted to build a home right there, that is how much she loved the rosewood bookshelves filled to the brim with books, covering every nook and corner of the room, coupled with a matching hand carved couch and table. Mosaic lanterns hung from the ceiling and metal sculptures adorned the left spaces.

Hesitantly she walked through different sections, running her fingers along the covers of neatly piled books and acknowledging the smell of old pages. She rummaged about for a while, wanting to read too many books at a time but knowing it was impossible, she settled for "Werewolf Facts 101". Icarus had already given her information about his kind but that did nothing to subdue her hunger for more. She carried the thick book to the table and plopped down on the couch. She skimmed the content page and decided to go through only a few topics. Her finger hovered over the sentences as she read with careful attention. 

"In the 9th century, after the uncalled and sudden attack from the vampires, a mass meeting was held. They required a system to protect them. That's when the Vasilios came into power and the founder was Solomon Vasilios. He adopted a big title like Alpha and shared his power with his two brothers, Tobias and Thomas who became his Beta and Gamma. They provided security against potential harm for many years until the death of the Alpha. 

His 1st born rose to power, the 1st queen of werewolves, Meredith Vasilios. She ruled alongside Tobias and Thomas. Prideful and strong, she rejected her mate for her secret lover who was said to be a god."

How could the woman leave her soulmate? Anaya thought as she stared at the black and white picture of Meredith. Shaking her head, she continued. 

"Vasilios' have been ruling for centuries over 10000 packs. The number had dwindled to 8462 packs after another attack from unidentified creatures but has been constant to 9580 in recent years.

Packs are located in Alaska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Dublin, Washington DC, Jakarta, Bhutan, India, Norway and Russia.

The most powerful and renowned pack has been Imperial Royale situated in the Meghaba forest of Wyoming. Under it, which have been going strong are Bluemoon pack, Misthaven pack, Newtown pack, Howlers pack, Scarlet Blood pack and Frost Bite pack.

Werewolves aren't your common wolves and thus, cannot be easily defeated unless they are treated with silver metal and wolfsbane.

Some werewolves are loners. They are called rogues, who have left or been banished from their packs. They can become mindless and feral after being away from companionship for too long. As such, they cannot control themselves and are driven by a lust to kill and destroy."

Seeing the next topic, warmth invaded her cheeks, and she quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching her before pulling the book closer towards her.

"Mates are intertwined by souls. Every werewolf has a mate chosen by the Moon Goddess. Once they meet, they cannot be separated from each other for life. You recognize your mate when you look into their eyes, or by the sense of touch and smell.

Once you find your mate, you must complete the mating process. 1st step is to mark your mate by biting your mate's shoulder blade. 2nd step is to have sexual intercourse and reproduce pups.
If the mating process is incomplete, the female will go into heat and feel a fervid desire for the male counterpart. The heat cycle occurs every full moon.
Note: Not applicable if the female is a human."

By the time she finished reading the mating description, she was stunned. She believed Icarus when he said they were mates. But she was not at all ready for having a relationship with him just yet. They were friends, and she didn't want to change that for a long time. And he'd agreed to it. He even reminded her the same yesterday again and again when she tried to come on to him. 

Another thing that didn't make any sense to her was the note written in bold letters. If it wasn't applicable for human beings, why did she suffer from the heat? Frowning, she stood up and walked to the shelf, putting the book back in its original place. The book must be too old with wrong facts, she thought as she exited the library and headed in direction of Icarus' office.

She hesitated mid-way, wondering if his meeting was over and was surprised to find the door ajar. Her eyebrows shot up at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes.

"Fuck off, Nicolas!" Icarus pinned him with a murderous glare but all Nick did was laugh.

"C'mon bro, quit being so uptight."

"Not everyone is free, Nicholas," Icarus grunted, writing down something inside a file. His fist itched to punch the living shit out of his beta but he didn't want to cause any havoc in his office, and the fact that the fucker was his best friend didn't help either.

Nicholas groaned. "It's Nick. And I have finished my work."

"But I haven't, so help me or leave."

He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to the papers scattered in front of Icarus. And before Anaya or Icarus could decipher his next move, he had stacked the papers together.

Icarus growled at the unwanted invasion, snatching the papers out of Nick's grip. "Don't mess with my work." 

He gulped and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, no need to go all Alpha on me."

When Icarus nodded after letting out a breath, Nicholas heaved a sigh and though it was expected of him to leave, he didn't. He pulled out his phone, made a call and handed it to Icarus.

Anaya's curiosity peaked and she leaned into the room through the door. Seeing the movement, Icarus turned in her direction, motioning for her to come in while he spoke on the phone. "Immanuel, we met a few weeks before. Maa? Fine, I'll be there."

Her scent had filtered his senses earlier but he thought it was because of her presence on the first floor. He tossed the phone back to Nicholas who caught it easily and left after flashing a smile at Anaya.

"Hi," she said. "Uh...can I sit?"

"Of course." He smiled at her. "Do you need something?"

She shook her head. She didn't want to disturb him, not after knowing how serious he was about his work. "I'll just take a nap while you finish."

He nodded and went back to his file. She slumped on his couch and closed her eyes, but minutes later she found her gaze automatically drift in his direction. She smiled, a sigh escaping her lips. He was gorgeous.

"Icarus?"

Hearing his name, he looked up expectantly. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" 

"Kind of. I wanted to ask you something." She got up from the couch and made her way to his desk. Sliding into the chair beside his, she realised she hadn't taken his permission to sit down. 

"Everything in this place belongs to you," Icarus said, pulling her chair closer to his. "Now, what is it?"

"I read one of your books. There it is mentioned that a werewolf recognises their mate when they come in contact with each other or if their eyes meet."

"What about it?"

"You said you followed me. We hadn't touched, our eyes hadn't met. So?"

"I don't know how to explain." His eyes glazed over for a moment, perhaps recalling the night at the club. "I was with my brother when I saw this woman. She danced like she owned the place, and all I could think of was she is beautiful."

She blushed in response, lowering her eyes to her hands. "Did Cy tell you?"

"A wolf can recognise their mate only by looking into their eyes." He leaned towards her until his forehead rested against hers. His warm breath caressed her lips as he whispered with conviction. "It was me. I recognised you. I have never felt the way I feel about you."

"But—" She looked up unsurely and paused when their eyes met. They were amber once again, the kind that looked like sunshine, providing just the right amount of heat. 

"In your soul, I have found my mate. So trust me, Anaya," he whispered, pressing his lips against hers for a brief second, enough to make her gasp at the sensation it inflicted within her. Her insides shook, her heart plummeting to her stomach. "You are exactly what I needed in my life."

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