Chapter 5 — The Scent of Blood

Aldric POV

The scent hit him before the cave came into view.

It slammed into Aldric’s senses like a physical blow — fear, damp earth, iron… and beneath it all, something softer. Something that made his chest tighten with a sharp, unfamiliar urgency.

Rain-soaked berries.

Wildflowers crushed underfoot.

Her.

His wolf surged forward so violently it nearly tore through his control, claws scraping along the inside of his mind, desperate to run faster, to find, to protect.

“She’s close,” Aldric growled, voice rougher than he intended.

Beside him, his father moved through the forest with lethal efficiency, boots silent against wet leaves despite his size. Darius didn’t waste breath asking how Aldric knew. He trusted instinct — especially Aldric’s.

Behind them, two enforcers fanned out, their scents sharp with controlled aggression.

The storm had eased into a steady rain, droplets falling from the canopy in rhythmic taps. The forest smelled alive — pine sap, wet soil, moss — but all of it was drowned beneath the trail they followed.

Fear.

Drugged sweat.

And blood.

Aldric’s jaw tightened so hard it ached.

They’d found the first trace near the eastern path — a faint scuff in the mud, a broken twig, the lingering sweetness of something chemical that made his wolf snarl in disgust. From there, the trail had wound deeper into territory no pack claimed — rocky land where the forest thinned and caves riddled the hills like old wounds.

His heart pounded, each beat syncing with the need driving him forward.

He barely knew Regina Hale.

Had spoken maybe two words to her before tonight.

But when he’d stepped into that corridor and realized the warmth he’d sensed was gone — truly gone — something primal had snapped inside him. Not mate bond. Not yet. But something instinctual, protective, ancient.

A young wolf under his roof had been taken.

That alone would’ve been enough to send him hunting.

But this pull…

This was different.

“She’s alive,” Aldric said, more to himself than anyone else. He could feel it in the faint rhythm of her scent — not stale, not fading.

Alive.

He would not consider any other possibility.

They crested a low ridge, and the cave mouth came into view — a dark gash in gray stone, partially hidden by twisted brush. Cold air spilled from it, carrying the damp mineral scent of underground spaces.

And blood.

Fresh enough to make his vision sharpen.

Darius lifted a hand, signaling silence. The enforcers spread to either side of the entrance, bodies low, ready.

Aldric’s wolf prowled beneath his skin, muscles coiled, teeth bared. Every instinct screamed to charge inside and tear apart whatever had dared touch one of theirs.

But Aldric forced himself to breathe once. Twice.

Control first. Rage second.

He stepped into the cave.

Cold wrapped around him instantly, damp air sinking through fabric and skin. The sound of dripping water echoed, distorted and hollow. His boots crunched lightly on grit as he moved forward, eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering from a narrow crack overhead.

Then he saw her.

Bound to a rock outcropping, wrists stretched above her head, red hair tangled and dull in the weak moonlight.

Regina.

For a split second, the world narrowed to a single point.

Her scent hit him fully now — fear sharp and raw, pain, and beneath it a sweetness that made something in his chest ache unexpectedly. Her skin looked too pale against the dark stone, and faint smudges of dirt streaked her cheek.

Her green eyes lifted to meet his.

Relief flooded her expression so quickly and completely it felt like a punch to his gut.

Something inside him snapped into place — not the bond, not yet, but a fierce certainty.

Mine to protect.

A low, dangerous sound rumbled up his throat before he could stop it.

“Regina,” he said, voice rough but steady as he crossed the distance in three long strides.

Behind him, he heard Darius fan out, scanning the cave, senses alert for ambush.

“I’m here,” Aldric said quietly, crouching in front of her.

Up close, he could see the rope biting into her skin, faint abrasions where she’d clearly struggled. A thin line of blood traced along her wrist where fibers had cut too deep.

Rage flared hot and immediate.

He forced it down, focusing on her face instead.

Her pupils were slightly blown, breathing uneven — remnants of whatever drug they’d used. But she was conscious. Alive.

“You’re safe,” he murmured, softer now, the words coming instinctively.

Her lips trembled. “They… they were here,” she whispered, voice hoarse.

His wolf snarled at the past tense.

“Not anymore,” he said.

He pulled a knife from his belt, the blade flashing briefly in the dim light. Carefully — far more carefully than he’d ever handled a weapon — he slid the edge beneath the rope and cut through it.

The fibers snapped with a soft, final sound.

Regina gasped as her arms dropped, muscles clearly protesting. She winced, bringing her hands down slowly, flexing fingers stiff from restricted blood flow.

Aldric resisted the urge to touch her wrists, to check every mark. Instead he stayed still, giving her space, though every instinct wanted to gather her close just to confirm she was truly there.

Behind him, Darius’ voice cut through the cave, low and lethal. “They’re gone. Recently.”

Aldric inhaled deeply, forcing his senses outward.

Damp stone.

Old blood.

Smoke.

And something else.

He froze.

A scent lingered beneath everything — faint, cool, metallic in a way that made his wolf’s lip curl.

Not wolf.

Not human.

Something ancient.

“What is it?” Darius asked quietly, reading his expression.

Aldric’s jaw tightened. “Not a rogue,” he said slowly. “Something else was here.”

Regina’s breath hitched behind him.

Aldric turned back to her immediately, crouching again. “Did you see them?”

She nodded faintly, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to hold her body together. “Masked… voice sounded wrong. They said… they said I smelled different.”

Aldric’s chest tightened, unease curling deep in his gut.

Different how?

He pushed the thought aside. Later.

Right now she needed warmth. Safety.

He shrugged off his coat without hesitation and draped it gently around her shoulders. The fabric swallowed her smaller frame, and she clutched it instinctively, breathing in as if grounding herself.

The simple gesture made something in his chest settle slightly.

“We’re getting you out of here,” he said.

She nodded, eyes still wide but steadier now.

As he helped her carefully to her feet, her knees buckled slightly. Aldric’s hands came up automatically, catching her by the arms — warm skin beneath his palms, fragile and strong all at once.

The contact sent a strange flicker through him — awareness, sharp and unexpected — and he pulled back slightly once she was steady, giving her back control of her balance.

“Easy,” he said quietly.

She looked up at him, gratitude shining through lingering fear. “Thank you.”

The words landed heavier than they should have.

Aldric inclined his head once. “Always.”

He wasn’t sure why he said it.

But it felt true.

Darius approached, his gaze softening briefly as he looked at Regina — then hardening again as he scanned the cave. “We move. Now.”

Aldric nodded, positioning himself slightly in front of her as they headed toward the cave mouth, his senses stretched to their limits.

Every shadow felt like a threat.

Every sound made his wolf tense.

But they reached the entrance without incident, cool night air washing over them like a cleansing wave. The forest smelled alive again, rain fresh and clean.

Regina paused just outside, breathing deeply as if savoring the open air.

Aldric watched her quietly for a moment, something protective settling deeper into his bones.

Whoever did this…

His gaze drifted back toward the dark cave.

…was going to regret it.

As they started down the path, a howl echoed in the distance — one of their patrols signaling all clear.

For now.

But Aldric couldn’t shake the lingering scent in his mind.

Cold. Metallic. Wrong.

And the faint, unsettling certainty that this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

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