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I can’t keep in the small gasp that leaves my throat. This room is heavenly.

The room is warmly lit with a collection of lamps scattered throughout the space and a cozy electric fireplace in the corner. Every single wall is covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves. The ceilings are so tall there’s a rolling ladder attached to the shelves so that the upper shelves can be reached. In the center of the room, there’s a cozy collection of plush, worn-in leather couches.

“Do you like it?” Kane asks, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Probably because he can very obviously see in my face that I absolutely love it.

“It’s—It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything this amazing before.”

The badly funded public library I went to as a kid when I still went to school is incomparable to this.

“I’m glad you like it, I had a sneaking suspicion you were the type to enjoy my little library.”

This is definitely the furthest thing from a little library, but he’s free to call this paradise whatever he wants.

He walks me through the room, guiding me through all of his organized sections. He has practically every single kind of book possible from textbooks to classics.

“Do you have a particular genre you like reading?” He asks.

“I—I like romance,” I say, my cheeks growing red withembarrassment. “I didn’t have much back home but I had a few romance novels that I really liked.”

He nods, humming to himself before carrying me to a dusty-looking corner of the library.

“These used to belong to my mom. She was also a big fan of romance novels,” Kane says softly. “None of us really touch this part of the library, but you’re more than welcome to take whatever you’d like.”

“Oh my gosh, I couldn’t take something that special, it’s really okay, I can read whatever.”

“I think she’d be happy they’re getting some use,” Kane says. “So please, I know they’re kind of old, but maybe you can still find something you like.”

“Thank you,” I say, my heart melting. “You can set me down now, I think I can make it over to the sofa by myself once I’m done looking at everything.”

“Are you sure?” He asks, setting me down on my feet, but keeping his hand against my waist.

“Yeah, thank you,” I say, smiling up at him.

He moves to one of the couches and I turn and glance over the worn spines of all of the paperbacks in front of me.

There was a sadness in his eyes and his shoulders when he mentioned his mom. I wonder what happened.

I find a sweet-looking historical romance book and bring it with me, shuffling across the floor. I glance at the couch Kane’s situated himself on, reading his own book, and hesitate.

There’s a part of me that wants to join him and sit curled under his arm. But I’m scared.

Too scared to be adventurous like that.

I settle myself in the armchair right next to him. “Thank you for this,” I say softly.

“You have nothing to thank me for,” he says. “I’m just glad I have someone to share this space with.”

I’m sucked into a story following a princess with abusiveparents being rescued by a prince from another rival country and can’t help but imagine Kane’s face when the prince is described. Before I know it, a couple of hours have passed. Kane’s eyes have closed and his breaths slowed a while ago. Considering he’s talked about how hard it can be for him to fall asleep, I’m glad he’s able to get some rest now.

Then his scent sours and his shoulders tense. An almost inhuman sound comes from him. It’s almost like a scream that’s caught in his throat.

I think I understand why he doesn’t like sleeping if this is what happens when he closes his eyes. Whatever demons Kane is battling haunt him whenever he’s asleep.

CHAPTER 14

Kane

Ican’t move.