AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I open my door. “I need to follow the scent on foot. It’s too far away from the car. I could barely pick it up off the wind.”
I hop out of the car, slamming the door behind me. I don’t worry about where they park or any other detail except following the scent. It’s incredibly faint, but it’s coming from the west, so I head that way. I keep my nose in the air, waiting for another whiff.
I’m heading into a forested area full of trees, bushes, and undergrowth. It’s the perfect spot for a shifter to play.
After approximately six hundred feet, the scent finally gets stronger.
“You could have waited for us,” Griff complains, faking a pant as though he’s tired. The others calm their jog as they approach.
I ignore him. Now that I’m locked in, I don’t want to engage with anything else. There’s a sharp left ahead, so I follow it. I can tell now that it’s a wolf’s scent, which most likely means we are on the right track.
Based on the loops and sharp turns we follow, I assume he was chasing something in his wolf form. I could shift and follow it easier, but it won’t be hard to trace him in my human form since he didn’t cover his scent. I’m sure he didn’t expect another shifter to come looking for him; otherwise, he would have covered his tracks.
The scent merges with that of a female hunter. The back of my neck prickles at the smell, which is utterly unique to hunters. Until recently, we were trained to fight and kill them. It’s hard to lose those instincts even if the facts and society have changed.
I follow the two scents to the edge of a yard, facing the back door of a house.
“Enough, Felix. Move back into the coverage. We don’t want them to see us back here,” Aksel commands.
I follow immediately, moving behind some trees and deeper into the woods to rejoin the others.
“I think they’re here. A male wolf shifter’s scent joined up with a female hunter before coming back here. It fits the targets.”
Blaze nods his head, agreeing with my assessment. He let me take the lead here, but I know he used his senses as a backup.
“What’s the plan? Show up out of the blue in their backyard and ask them to tell us about something that was probably traumatic for them?” Griffyn asks sarcastically.
Aksel rolls his eyes. “No, of course not. We will use the front door and start with small talk.”
I’m with Griffyn. I don’t think this is a great idea, but I know it’s the only one we have. We need whatever information they can offer, and this is the only way we can get it.
Aksel starts moving through the woods, taking the long way to the front. Blaze stomps behind him with Griff and me in the rear.
“You know this is a stupid idea, right?” Griffyn asks me.
I elbow him in his side. “Yeah, but look at it like it’s an adventure.”
He only rolls his eyes in response.
We make it to the front door, all forming a half circle in front of the door before Blaze reaches forward and knocks. His meaty fists make a booming sound sure to scare whoever is inside.
“Aly, wait. Let me get it!” Someone shouts from inside.
Another voice joins in, “It’s supernaturals. I can smell them.” That must be the wolf.
The door swings open. Six of them stand around the doorway, staring at us. A female is being pushed behind one of them, trying to shield her from our view. I recognize Nicoli Ashford in front, looking at us with suspicion.
“Can we help you?” He asks, eyeing Aksel specifically.
“Hello, Nicoli and pack. We were hoping to speak with you. May we come in?” Aksel asks, speaking all formally like he does.
Nicoli continues to stare, contemplating whether he should let us in.
“Do you know them?” The female whispers to the dark-haired man standing in front of her.
He grunts instead of answering.
“Fine, come in.” Nicoli opens the door further, stepping back.
