His Little Fae

Loyalty (II)

"Careful, pup," I warned him when he held my gaze, "I beat you once. I can do it again."

His eyes narrowed. "Twelve years ago."

"I was much weaker back then too."

"So was I."

My lips curled into a feral grin as Alexius smirked. This was nothing more than a pissing match. Ego's and nonsense and everything Alexandria hated. She'd strangle us both if we were all in the same room together.

Somehow, my thoughts always circled back to her.

"We're here," Noah called, forcing our attention back to the task at hand. Alexius offered me one last glare before stepping forward and I rolled my eyes.

Small men. I had to deal with them everywhere.

I moved to join the others and found that the coordinates Alexius had found had led us to a clearing at the very center of the forest. The air hung heavy here, the wind carrying scents in every direction. But it had been less than forty-eight hours, if Alexandria had been here, we'd know.

Without hesitation, I shrugged off my clothes and melted into my wolf form, my snout hovering over the cold, dry earth. Two of the wolves we'd sent to scout returned in their own wolf forms and bowed before also moving to go over the area. Noah and Sebastian stood to the side, watching with careful eyes. She was my mate, after all. If anyone could catch her scent even after several hours, it would be me.

I paused at an area and sniffed again, my paws pressing into the hard soil. There were a good number of scents mixed in with the wildlife and it was hard to differentiate between the unfamiliar ones that reached my nose.

But there was one that always stood out, one that I caught months ago and have since been unable to forget.

Alexandria had always smelled of hyacinth with a gentle undertone of lavender from her favorite shampoo. And I caught that scent now. I would know it anywhere.

Right along with the coppery tang of her blood.

I growled and stepped forward, my claws digging into the ground as I found where she'd likely stood. And in confirmation, several drops of dried blood laid just inches away from my claws.

I was far too angry to celebrate. I let out another growl and my fangs glittered beneath the mid-day sun, drawing the attention of the two wolves who'd been searching alongside me. I pawed at the ground where I stood and one of them came to sniff around as well, all while making sure to keep a safe distance from me.

Carefully, I side-stepped her blood and circled around it, attempting to catch where her scent led. I found that it made a path to the edge of the clearing and faded further south.

Gabriel had left a trail.

Without another word, I shifted back into my human form and retrieved my clothing. "She bled," I snarled, practically shaking with my rage.

Alexius stared down at the spot I'd marked, his eyes narrowing.

"So did my sister," Noah murmured, leaning down in an area a bit further from where Alexandria had been, his eyes sad and aloof. "At least we know they were here."

I ran a heavy hand through my hair, attempting to keep my anger at bay. "There's a trail. It's a bit faded, but trackable."

Just by looking at where Victoria's blood lingered, it was clear she'd been injured much more. I shifted my gaze to Noah. "Lead the way, Delta."

He immediately nodded, Victoria's scent having been imprinted on his mind since the day she was born into their family. We'd likely find traces of her blood on the path to wherever they'd taken them, a path Gabriel hadn't bothered to cover.