3: The Scent

(ZEHRA’S POV)

"ZAHRA!" I exclaimed as I sat up on my bed, catching my breath and sweating heavily. I looked at my surroundings frantically and my hand held her chest, the part where my fast beating heart was located, when I struggled to breath.

I’m in my room. I released a sigh of relief upon realizing that. I even closed my eyes to focus on breathing normally.

Like the past days, I was woken up by those nightmares again. It already became a cycle; I'll sleep, wake up because of those nightmares, and survive the day, then sleep, wake up because of those nightmares again. Those nightmares have already become a part of my life. I’m already afraid to sleep every night. And if it's on me, she will never fall asleep ever again just to avoid having those nightmares.

My nightmare earlier was far more different from the past. My parents are not included, only Zahra and those assailants with blurred faces. In my dream, I was already near our house when I heard Zahra's voice, calling me and asking for help. I ran faster towards the house and Zahra's voice was getting clearer and louder as I ran to the kitchen where my sister's voice was coming from. And as soon as I reached the kitchen, I saw with my own eyes how one of the assailants sliced my sister's neck. I shouted my sister's name and then I woke up.

"Za..." My tears just fell down my cheeks. I couldn't help but cry silently.

I missed my sister so much. The things I'm willing to do just to bring her back. I want to see her smiling face again. I want to hear her annoying laughs again. I want my sister back...but I can't.

If I didn't go to work that day, would my family still be alive? Or I would also die with them?

Maybe there's a reason why I was still alive. After all, no one would seek justice for my family if I died with them.

I took a deep breath and wiped my tears before getting off my bed. The darkness outside was beginning to fade. I entered the bathroom and stared at my reflection on the mirror. I sniffed as a lone tear fell from my eyes but I quickly brushed it off and took a deep breath once again.

When will those nightmares end? Or will it ever end?

I went to school early as usual. I had been feeling anxious since I left my place. I wanted to stay at the library and hide myself from the students for the meantime but I saw Caira leaning on the library's door. I decided to turn around and walked away.

I wanted peace in my life. Dealing with them was not in my list. I had something more important to do than waste my energy and time on them.

I ended up on the southern part of the university. I can no longer see students near that place. Well, who would be in their right mind to wander there in the first place? Only me. No one could blame me because I wanted to be alone. But will it be a good decision to go there?

The southern part was tagged as the abandoned place of the university. The old auditorium was located there. It was still there but it was already abandoned. The place was beautiful before it was burned by some rogues some years ago.

Despite the deafening silence and the scary ambiance of the place, I continuously walked towards the building like I was just strolling in a park. My mind was wandering somewhere else that I didn't even feel that someone was already following me.

I was almost at the entrance of the auditorium when someone spoke behind me that made me back to reverie.

"Your curiosity will be the death of you.'

(XANTH'S POV)

ME and the twins, Khryx and Khrey, were already heading to the university after checking the southern part of our territory. We received some bad news earlier that some rogues were seen on that part. Luckily, we didn't see anyone and our pack members on that part were all safe and unharmed.

It's been years since the rogues harmed their pack. I promised my father that I'll protect the pack and I will do that even if it means sacrificing my own life.

"I can't smell her." Khryx suddenly said as we entered the library. "She's not here."

I stopped on my tracks and took a deep breath. my brows furrowed when I couldn't smell what we are looking for. I roamed my eyes around to check the students who were already looking where we are standing.

"This is odd." Khrey commented. When I looked at him, he also had his brows furrowed. "She's always early."

They were right. She's always early. She was never late going here. She wasn't in the garden, the reason we went directly to the library.

We left the library with the question 'where is she?' in my mind. A few meters away from where we came from, we crossed paths with the 'University Queens'. Students are calling them that but we couldn't care less.

Fear was really visible in their eyes. Maybe it was still because of what happened the other day.

"Where is she?" Khryx was the one who voiced out the words I wanted to say.

There was a moment of silence before someone got the courage to speak. I clenched my jaw when I recognized who chose to speak. It was none other than the girl who ran last among them the other day. She was the one we saw holding the arm of the one we are looking for.

Zehra Heyerdahl. That was her name. No one knew what pack she belongs to. Her records were confidential. And her last name was also new to us—to the whole Valley. No one knew her origin. And what was also questionable was her scent.

We asked our elders about her scent but they just told us to shrug it off. That was normal for newcomers in the valley.

"We didn't see her." Their leader added. "Maybe she decided not to come today."

"Maybe?" Khrey asked. "What did you do to her yesterday?"

They all shook their heads and said they didn't do anything.

The twins shared a look before laughing humorlessly. They knew when people were lying.

I was just looking at them, watching their reactions. I was calming myself and restraining it from doing something inappropriate. Khryx glanced at me and I nodded. He already knew what that meant.

I stared at the four girls before I turned around and walked away. The twin can handle those four.

I ended up walking towards the south. It felt like someone was telling me to go in that direction. I knew exactly what was in that part of the University. It was our go-to place whenever we needed peace of mind.

As I got nearer into the tree line that lined the boundary of the abandoned place, I stopped walking as an amazing scent reached my nostrils. I even closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The scent sent shivers through my spine. It was like a breath of fresh air.

I opened my eyes and followed the scent. I was almost running to where the scent was coming from. I knew what was happening. I knew what was waiting for me.

My mate...