Page 56 of Alpha's Choice
Matthew and I approached the pack border in wolf form. The current patrol team had mind linked when they came across unknown tracks. We told them to hold their position until we arrived.
We shifted to human form and approached the group of four waiting for us. Two were pack members, the others were Council wolves. They handed us shorts before leading us to a spot just outside the pack grounds.
“How did you find the tracks? Patrols are only supposed to be inside the border.” Matthew kneeled down to inspect the markings.
“We were doubling back to vary our patrol patterns and heard a noise. We waited for backup before checking it out.” One of the Council wolves filled us in. “It still stunk of rotten eggs when we got here, so we notified the wolves stationed further out to keep an eye out but they saw nothing.”
“How does it keep disappearing when it has such a strong smell? We should be able to track it.”
“Maybe it can mask its scent when it’s being followed?” Matthew walked around the perimeter of the area, trying to find a trail.
“But then why wouldn’t it mask it all the time?”
Another patrol wolf approached. Kira was one of the best trackers we had. She bared her neck to me as she crouched next to Matthew to view the tracks. “What’s that smell?”
“I know, it stinks. You’ll get used to it.”
Her look bordered on disrespectful as she stared at me like I was crazy. “It doesn’t stink. It smells wonderful, like some kind of floral scent. I can’t quite describe it, but my wolf wants to roll around in it.”
“It doesn’t smell of rotten eggs to you?”
“Not at all. If it were coming from a person, I’d almost think I was smelling my mate.”
“Can you follow the scent?”
She circled the area and gave a tentative nod. “I think I can smell it. In my wolf form, it should be even stronger.”
She shifted and started sniffing. She moved further from the site, heading away from the pack. Matthew and I shifted and followed her.
Why does it smell different to Kira?Matthew linked me.So far everyone has agreed it smells like rotten eggs.
I don’t know.
Kira picked up the pace before stopping in a clearing.Alpha, the smell is stronger here.
My wolf wrinkled his nose, the scent heavy in the air. If I could block my ability to smell, I would.
She moved around the clearing, stopping occasionally to take a deeper sniff.I think it’s marking areas with its pheromones. The scent is stronger on the trees, as if it rubbed up against them.
I couldn’t smell any variation in the scent’s location. The stink was too overwhelming.If it’s pheromones, maybe that’s why it smells different to Kira.
Matthew picked up on my train of thought.There were no females working at the crime scene where Neil was killed.
The human victims were all women. We know Neil wasn’t the creature’s target.
Matthew’s wolf gave me a sideways look.And Mark was with Emma. She was the likely target there.
My wolf was restless at the mention of Emma, but I pushed it down. I didn’t need the distraction thinking about her would bring.
Kira’s wolf signaled she was ready to move again. We were getting deeper into an area filled with human hiking trails. A prime spot for a creature hunting humans, and a dangerous spot for us to be. I didn’t want to be spotted by a curious human with a cell phone camera handy.
Thankfully, Kira veered away from the trails to a rocky outcropping. She doubled back to us after a few feet.The smell leads to a cave just around that large rock.
Hang back.I mind linked her.Matthew and I will check it out.
My wolf moved forward, Matthew falling in behind me. The cave was in shadow, but our wolf vision saw well in the low light near the entrance. We moved deeper into the cave, straining to hear any signs of life as our vision dimmed the further we got from the opening.
I could hear the dripping of water somewhere in the distance, the damp air surrounding me and filling my senses. The sound of scratching coming closer reached my ears, and I crouched, preparing to pounce if needed.
