Heart of a Beast

Chapter 12 | Part 1 - Crystal

The Underground Market terrified Crystal.

True, strict rules were applied to anyone who entered it, but someone almost always broke them, usually when vampires and lycans or werewolves crossed paths. The thousands of years of hatred and slaughter of loved ones on both sides always triggered one of them.

Most of the merchants were witches or wizards, but there were also elves, fairies, trolls, and Goddess knew what else.

Only the high-ranking werewolves were permitted to go for ointments and tinctures to treat vampire bites and the fevers they brought on. Omegas, especially ones unable to shift, were never permitted to even leave the territory without another member of the pack. Safety was always the concern.

Not only that, but the Underground Market only operated Friday nights during the Witching Hour between midnight and three o'clock Saturday morning. Afterward, the witches gathered between three and four for a ritual ceremony, of which Crystal had no idea, but the thought of it made her skin crawl.

Friday was a few days away and Crystal had to return to her daily routine and try not to over-think and stress about it in the meantime.

The truth about her mate spread quickly when he followed her to the small library next to the community center the next day, where she worked. She did the grunt work of shelving books and cleaning while two pack elders worked the morning and afternoon shifts, operating the front check-out desk and helping those who entered to find books in their system or make suggestions. They also held Storytime in the afternoons, when their shifts overlapped for half an hour, on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays for young pups not yet in school. Storytime consisted of reading a picture book and discussion of what the story was about and how it related to their lives as werewolves.

Crystal vaguely remembered Storytime as a pup and loved observing and participating with Storytime now. Watching the pups absorb information and practice important skills like listening and speaking, as well as learning about different topics that related to the story of the day was the highlight of working at the library.

The pups will definitely have a harder time than usual listening today, she mused as Tiberius held the door open for her to enter.

As she walked inside, she wondered if he would join them for Storytime or disappear somewhere.

He didn't seem to mind her niece and nephew staring at him last night. In fact, he was rather relaxed, stayed low to the ground, and tilted his head when they were near. When they reached out to touch him, he licked their fingers, making them giggle, before they patted him on the head and ran away squealing, only to do it again ten minutes later.

The elder smiled when they arrived and didn't ask about Tiberius, putting two-and-two together, and instead introduced herself to him with open palms.

"Do you know how this customary greeting originated?" she asked Crystal after introductions were made.

Crystal shook her head, while Tiberius grinned.

"Lycans are warriors sent by the Moon Goddess. They greet each other with open palms to show that they come in peace and carry no weapons—not that they need to carry weapons," she added with a sideways smirk to Tiberius. "It also carries with it an unspoken blessing, 'May the Light of the Goddess shine upon you.' That was the first meaning, perhaps, am I right, Tiberius?"

He shrugged and looked around the large open space. Long, double-sided shelves lined up behind the front desk with windows lining the back wall that over-looked a field with the community garden off to the left and a pond with some trees beyond that. The story-circle space was to the left of the shelves with desks for quiet study and chairs for reading on the right side of the check-out counter.