Chapter Seven - The Familiar Scent

Chapter 7

Ryder

I was getting impatient. Rufus had left to meet with an informant, whom we had placed in the Moonstone pack for a while now.

But now he was running late.

“Why is Rufus not back yet? We’re almost running late.” I said as I checked my wristwatch to see what time it was.

I gave a grunt.

Mother is definitely going to bite my head off by the time we arrive back at the pack. She had been calling nonstop, which was making me feel uncomfortable already. Mother has that charm.

“Mother is going to bite my head off by the time we return. She has been calling nonstop.”

I checked my phone to see the plenty of missed calls I had ignored from her.

I already knew what she wanted and I was not in for all of that just yet.

“How does she expect me to get married and start producing an heir already when I have not gotten to the bottom of the circumstances surrounding Father’s death?”

It just sounded so absurd to me. There was no way I could see myself doing all of that, not until I got to the bottom of my mission at hand.

Thinking about how to navigate my mother’s continuous disturbance and how to concentrate on the mission ahead got me thirsty. Thirsty for some wine.

“Why is the intercom not working?” I asked no one in particular while I heaved a frustrated sigh at the same time.

The intercom was not connecting me to the front desk, leaving me stranded in the room.

The sound of the line dropping every single second I dialed a number made my mind grumble.

I immediately put on my face mask and dashed out of the room to get it myself, not willing to waste any more time.

“Sorry about the break in connection sir. It will be rectified shortly.”

“Please let me know your room number so we can bring the drink to your room, sir.” The attendant at the front desk said.

I was not that patient.

“No, it’s fine. Just get me the wine now. I’ll take it back with me.” I said simply to the attendant.

He was skeptical about it, probably afraid I was angry and I might end up filing a complaint.

“Are you sure about that sir? We could actually bring it to….” He tried to say, but I cut in and interrupted him immediately.

“I said it’s fine, just give it to me,” I said with an air of finality in my tone. He got it immediately.

“Yes sir. So sorry about this.”

I collected the wine and headed up the stairs to get to my room. I could not wait to put this wine to the test.

Suddenly, a scent went through my face mask and tingled my nostrils. I stopped dead in my tracks.

My eyes bulged as I inhaled the scent more intensely this time.

“This scent is familiar.”

I looked around in awe as I tried to find where the scent was coming from.

Just as I proceeded to move forward, a lady appeared at the other end of the hotel corridor. A she-wolf.

I froze for a second. The scent had now gotten stronger and I could decipher that it was that same sweet heavenly scent I had smelled yesterday at the hospital.

“It’s the she-wolf,” I said with a shocked expression.

I was dumbfounded. What were the odds?

She looked so stunning, fair and smooth-skinned, not so tall and she had a nice shape. Her eyes could pierce through a tough wolf’s skin. In fact, those eyes could pierce through anything.

To crown it all she had a pretty face, but that face seemed to be laced with anger at the moment. I could see it as she approached.

“Hold on a minute, is she coming towards me right now?” I thought in surprise as my movement started to slow down.

She looked so angry. Like someone on her way to a war zone. What was she doing here?

“What took you so long?” She asked, the look of anger spreading a lot more through her face now. Her eyes pierced into my soul more closely.

I was confused. But before I could process what she meant, make a sense of what was going on, or say a word in protest, she snatched the wine I had in my hand.

I was so shocked and confused that I could not find my voice for a second.

Why did she do that?

“What are you…” I tried to say with a little stammer, but she had already turned away, leaving with my wine in her hand.

I stood there dumbfounded as I watched her go. To say I was speechless would be an understatement.

“What just happened?” I asked no one in particular as I still could not recover from the shock I just got.

How did she even end up here in the first place? But the biggest question is why was she so angry at me?

She had already entered her room by the time I could regain myself.

“She’s amusing,” I admitted.

And daring.

I thought of going after her, but then I changed my mind. I remembered the reason I came here and the fact that I had to focus on that alone.

I stood to catch my breath for a minute, trying to wave off the thought of this she-wolf and get my mind on the mission only.

I then proceeded to head to my room. I was about to open the door and enter when I heard a female voice.

“Hello there.”

I turned to see that the she-wolf was back again. The look of surprise was about to cover my face again, but I quickly regained myself and put on a straight face.

A soothing sensation washed over me as her scent filled my nostrils once again. I knew right there and then that she would surely be a hard one to avoid. But I was willing to try.

“Oh, you are back.”

She had a sorry look plastered on her face, and I could see that she was probably regretting what she had done earlier. But it was now my turn.

She felt so embarrassed as I raised my hands, telling her I had no drinks left for her to take. She probably almost entered the ground.

I was still listening to her apology when suddenly, a man came out of nowhere and tried to take her.

“That aura about him feels different.” I thought to myself as I looked at him with squinted eyes. His domineering look was one that could make others shudder, but not me.

“Relationship issues.” I sighed as I decided it was best I back out and not interfere in their issues. It’s none of my business anyway.

As I turned back to head inside. I heard the she-wolf’s panicked voice. “Let me go.”

I could not overlook it anymore, he was already dragging her along with him. At that moment, I seemed to forget my purpose.

“Let her go.” I heard myself roar to him with a cold, nerve-racking voice. I did not know where that came from.

I could see the shock on their faces as they turned back. The said guy could barely believe his ears.

“What was that?” I heard him ask with surprise in his tone. He looked as though he was going to breathe fire from his nostrils. But I did not care.

This guy must be kidding me!

“I said, Let Her Go!” I repeated. This time, my voice became more daring and I made sure he felt every single one of those words.

He looked at me in surprise, speechless for a while, his grip on the she-wolf, now a little bit loose, but he still held on.

The earth seemed to come to a pause around us. They both stared at me like some strange being, the she-wolf included.

There was dead silence for about a minute as they both tried to process what just happened. I was not about to back down anymore.

“How dare you?” He finally managed to get out as his surprise seemed to wear off, his eyes bloodshot and fiery.

I smiled slyly. His domineering voice was starting to make me mad. I looked at him from head to toe.

His appearance showed luxury and authority, but then I was cut out of a much bigger cloth. He was not at my level.

“How dare I do what?” I asked him nonchalantly, keeping my eyes on him without taking them off.

“I only repeated what the she-wolf said, but with a much firmer voice. It looked as if you did not hear her clearly, so I simply helped her get her message across to you. And it worked, didn’t it?” I added with a calm voice.

He was dumbfounded, but in a split second, he let her go and started making his way towards me.

“I see you do not know who you are talking to. I guess I have to show you exactly who I am.” He said, approaching me with a look that could rain fire and brimstone.

I smiled silently in mockery before my face changed completely.

“Be my guest!”