What is that Smell?!

Scarlett’s POV

“Tasha! Channing! What do you have for us?” I call out to two of my trackers as I walk toward the pack land’s northern border. They had gone out, following the unknown scent that the warriors had picked up. Cayden, Bree, Jacob and I are on our way to meet them as they return home.

                  They both shift from their wolves into their human forms as Jacob tosses them both a shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

                  “Well,” Tasha says as she jumps into the sweatpants Jacob gave her, “it’s interesting.”

                  “Fucking weird is more like it.” Channing says as he uses the t-shirt from Jacob to wipe some sweat from his face. “We lost the scent.”

                  “What’s unusual about that?” Bree asks. “Doesn’t that always happen if you don’t catch them? Their scent starts to fade as they get further away until you don’t have it any longer?”

Bree, my Gamma, is another life-long friend, whose father was, you guessed it, my father’s Gamma. Born only a few weeks behind me, Bree’s parents decided to follow in my parents’ footsteps and declare that as the eldest Bree, she would be the Gamma heir. Granted, once I became Alpha, I could have named whomever I wanted to the ranked positions, but it’s tradition for those to be inherited positions just like an Alpha. Fortunately, much like Cayden, Bree and I have always been friends and being in a similar position herself (she’s one of the only female Gammas in the country), she understands the pressures that I sometimes face. But, unlike me, she has Asher, her supportive, loving, can’t-keep-his-hands-off-her mate. I’m happy for Bree and Asher, truly. They were childhood sweethearts, always hoping they’d find out they were fated mates. And then, on Asher’s 18^th birthday, just a few months after Bree’s, they felt a pull toward each other like nothing either had ever felt before – or at least that’s what they tell me. They knew they were fated mates. After we graduated from high school, they went to the same university (there was one stipulation that Bree’s parents put on her inheriting the Gamma title - mate or no mate, she was going to college) and then the night of their graduation, they marked each other.  (My parents put the same stipulation on me, but to be fair, my brothers and I were all expected to go to college if we ever want to inherit any of our parent’s money, so I never felt like it was something that my parents or Bree’s parents did simply because we’re women.) And they’ve been deliriously happy ever since, and Asher, the son of two warriors, took to his new role of male Gamma, like a fish to water, never once trying to overshadow his mate or undermine me.

“That’s just it – the scent starts to fade as they get further away. These scents just…stopped.” Jacob says, shaking his head and throwing the now sweat-stained t-shirt over his shoulder.

“What?” Cayden, Bree, Jacob and I all say unison. Even when we’re not actively using the mind link with each other, we’re still linked to each other. I love my leadership team.

“He’s right, Alpha. We had the scent, we had it, we had it but instead of slowly starting to fade, like Gamma Bree said, it just suddenly disappeared.” Tasha explained, her already big, brown eyes, now the size of dinner plates.

Myself and my three ranked members just stood there, staring at Tasha and Channing, our heads tilted, brows furrowed and mouths slightly open, like we’re dogs staring at a ceiling fan. After a moment, I shake my head, bringing us all back from our states of confusion.

“It just disappeared? I don’t understand, how could that happen? Are you sure the scent wasn’t starting to slowly fade but because you were running so fast in your wolf forms, you didn’t notice it until it was entirely gone?” I ask, knowing the answer because these are two of my best trackers who know how to do their jobs and do them exceptionally well.

“Yeah, we’re sure, Alpha. We went back over the area for miles, checking and double-checking. One moment, we have the scent and the next it’s gone.”

“Did you see or hear anything near the scent? Unusual footprints? Strange sounds?” Cayden asks as he runs his hands through is mop of curly brown hair, still looking confused.

Tasha and Channing glance at each other and then both take a deep breath. “We saw footprints, yeah. Human footprints.”

“That doesn’t make sense. There is no way humans can outrun two werewolves.” Jacob replies.

“We know. But what makes it weirder is the footprints were like men’s shoes. Not boots or sneakers, dress shoes. Like you’d wear with a suit.” Tasha says, looking at Channing who nods in confirmation.

Suddenly, I feel my cell phone start to vibrate in the back pocket of the jeans I’m wearing. Pulling it out, I see a text message from Raul, asking if I’ll be around this evening because he’s in the area. I can’t help but smile to myself as I type out my message to him that yes, I’ll be around and I’ll call him later because I’m dealing with some pack stuff right now.”

“His reply only a few moments later, “Perfect. Hope it’s nothing too serious. Dinner out at that new Italian place in your town and then dessert in your bedroom.” He follows it up with an eggplant emoji and a happy face with its tongue sticking out. I feel my core becoming hot and slowly exhale, forgetting that I have five werewolves with me who can probably smell my arousal as it pools between my legs, knowing that Raul is planning to do with his “eggplant” and tongue.

“Raul?” Cayden asks with a sly smile. I know he worries about me being lonely and while he’s certain I’m going to find my fated mate, he’s happy for me that I’m at least having some fun until then. The others stand around, smiling their knowing smiles at me.

“Mind your own business.” I growl at him. The growl is partly because I don’t want pack members talking about my personal life (even though I already know they do), but mostly it’s because I’m aroused now and can’t help it. Cayden, knowing me better than anyone besides my own family, just snorts at me. “So, there are humans running around who are faster than werewolves and apparently they’re well-dressed?”

“That’s about the size of it, yeah.” Channing says.

“Alright. Well, that’s a new one. Beta Bree, add some more warriors to the patrol tonight and let’s have some trackers on standby who can immediately go after the scent if the patrols pick up anything.” I tell her, knowing that she’s probably already making a list in her head of the wolves to add to patrols and the trackers to have ready and waiting.

“On it, Alpha”. She says as she pulls her own cellphone out of her back pocket and begins texting someone. Like I said, we’re always linked, even when we’re not. The six of us turn and start heading back to the packhouse.

“Any ideas as to who or what this is, Alpha?” Jacob asks.

“No. Do any of you?” I have a suspicion, but I don’t want to say it aloud until I can get more information. The five of them also claim to have no ideas. “Alright. When we get back to the packhouse, I’m going to make some calls. Cayden come with me and Jacob, call around to the neighboring packs and see if they’ve experienced this, too.”

“Will do.” He says, determined. Of the four of us, Jacob is the youngest; still 18, and as such, takes his responsibilities very seriously so no one thinks of him as still being a pup.

“You know something, don’t you?” Cayden asks me in the mind link. I notice that it’s just the two of us in the mind link, Bree, Jacob, Tasha and Channing aren’t privy to our conversation.”

“I don’t know yet. But we’re going to find out.”

Chapter 3 coming soon