Silver Rain

Chapter 47

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of blood orange and deep indigo. Olivia stood by the library window she had retreated to, her fingers brushing the edge of the thick curtain as she peered out into the encroaching darkness. The forest beyond seemed alive, shifting and whispering with secrets she couldn't yet decipher. She hated it—the way the woods seemed to stare back as if it knew more about her than she knew about herself.

It had gotten much colder in the last week. Anytime she needed to leave the confines of the pack house, she had to bundle up in a thicker jacket or coat. It rained off and on, bringing a cold breeze that would settle in her bones. But that was if Felix let Olivia leave the house, which was only around the grounds. And with an escort.

The cold had a way of sinking into Olivia's skin, reminding her of how fragile everything felt lately. It wasn't just the weather, though—it was the weight of the unknown pressing against her, a constant chill she couldn't shake no matter how many layers she wore. She pulled the curtain back slightly, her gaze still fixed on the trees. The bare branches swayed in the wind, casting skeletal shadows that danced across the ground, moving like they were alive with purpose.

Her breath fogged up the glass as she exhaled slowly. For the past week, the pack house had been both a sanctuary and a cage. It was safer here, she knew, but that safety came with its own set of suffocating truths. Every creak of the floorboards, every whispered conversation behind closed doors, reminded her of the tension simmering beneath the surface.

Behind her, the faint clink of dishes echoed from the kitchen. Calvin, true to form, had taken it upon himself to keep things practical. He hadn't said much since the incident in the kitchen days earlier or when they went shopping, and she appreciated his restraint. He was letting her process things her way, in her time. She figured he told Mira to do as much as well. They both had let her to her thoughts.

But the weight of everything was still there, pressing down like a second skin she couldn't shed. The Munsens. The Moon Stone. Felix. Her past and future collided in ways she couldn't make sense of. Every step forward felt like she was sinking deeper into a mire she didn't understand.

So instead, she did things she knew how to do.

Olivia had taken it upon herself to keep herself occupied in the library by either trying to find more information on the Moon Stone or catching up on school work and her senior capstone. They hadn't heard from either Blyke or Blaine in two days. Olivia wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Especially with their track record.

God, she hated the waiting game.

She turned herself away from the window and sat cross-legged on the carpet. Stacks of books were piled high around Olivia, a fortress of paper and ink that both shielded her from the chaos outside and trapped her within the weight of expectations. Her laptop was open before her, flickering light casting shadows across her focused face. Her capstone project was spread across several tabs—a meticulous research paper on pediatric developmental milestones and speech interventions while children were in the hospital, a topic she had once poured herself into with passion. Now, it felt distant, a fragment of a life she wasn't sure she'd get back to.

The Moon Stone loomed over everything, its mysteries tugging at the edges of her mind like a relentless tide. A thick, leather-bound tome lay open beside her, its brittle pages filled with faded script she had to squint to read. She had been searching for hours, poring over every mention of lunar cycles, ancient artifacts, and myths surrounding werewolves. It all blurred together into a frustrating cacophony of half-truths and riddles.

The sound of Calvin clearing his throat startled her. She looked up to see him leaning against the doorway, a mug in his hand. His easy-going demeanor couldn't quite mask the concern etched into his features.