Whispers of the Wolf

His Scent

"I know it's what he'll tell me to do," I murmured as I turned and started shuffling slowly back up the street. I could feel my wolf becoming restless as I walked. He was huffing, growling, whimpering. He obviously wanted me to keep on looking, searching ... "I just wanted to see him, to ... I don't know. See if the rumours are true, maybe."

"Rumours?" Enzo fell in step beside me, and cast me a quick glance. "You know they're not just rumours."

"No one knows if they're true." I reminded him. "Just because we haven't seen for ourselves, doesn't mean it's true." My wolf's ears twitched at the hopefulness in my voice and he panted.

Enzo fell silent as we walked along the busy street. Members of the pack greeted us as we passed, nodding their heads, saying hello, some congratulating me on shifting the night before.

Memories of last night flitted through my mind.

I had always been aware of my wolf, always knew that he was there, nestled in my subconscious. But last night ...

Last night, he had pushed completely to the front of my mind, taking over my body.

Shifting had hurt like hell. I had felt the break of every bone, the shift of every muscle. Each tuft of fur that pushed its way through my skin had felt like it was ripping open my flesh, tearing through my skin.

My wolf had been determined to break out, to run free. Although I'd had lessons in controlling my wolf, just like everyone else in the pack had, I hadn't felt prepared for when my wolf actually did emerge. It was like nothing I had experienced before ... and nothing like I had thought it would be.

I had tried to give up control of my body, hand it over to my wolf, but he had clung on to me, taking me with him, forcing me to experience the shift more than I should have.

Fuck.

A cold shiver ran down my spine and I buried myself further into my coat, nodding at a couple of pack members as they stopped to bow their heads in my direction.

My wolf shifted in my mind, and I took a deep breath, still thinking about last night. About the blinding pain. And my thoughts of just ... giving up. Stopping the shift.

And just when I had started to think I couldn't carry on, when I thought my body couldn't take any more ... his scent had filled my nostrils.

Rosewood and citrus.

It had halted my wolf.

It had even stopped me.

Everything was ... suspended. Frozen in time as his scent filled my mind, my senses, calming my wolf.

And just as quickly as the scent had halted us, it had suddenly spurred us on, accelerated the shift, urging my wolf on. He wanted to meet the wolf whose scent we could smell. The scent that we were both now addicted to.

A sigh escaped my lips.

The walk back to the mansion was a quiet one. Enzo was keeping his head down, occasionally bringing his hands up to blow warm air on to them. Okay, so it was cold outside today, but not that cold. Enzo was just being a drama queen.

As usual.

Gazing off to the side towards the woods that surrounded the walkway, I noticed that I just couldn't seem to shift my thoughts from the guy I had seen in those woods. The guy that my wolf had wanted me to run to.

The guy with the emerald coloured eyes.

I hadn't been shocked that the scent I liked most in the world belonged to a guy. I wouldn't even have been surprised if it had belonged to a woman.

Man or woman ... I loved them both. Always had.

"What are you going to tell your dad?" Enzo asked as the mansion came into view. "About ... you know ..." He gestured with his hands, before blowing on them again.

Heaving a sigh, I ran a hand through my hair, tugging on it slightly. "I'm not going to tell him anything. Not yet anyway. Not till I know for sure."

"And how are you going to know for sure?" Enzo asked, his dark eyes on me.

I shrugged. "I think I will just go to his house. Say hi. Something like that."

Enzo chuckled, causing me to frown.

"And that's funny because...?"

He shook his head. "Because you have never really had anything to do with him. Ever. He never went to our school. He lives on the outskirts of the pack lands. He's never really been part of our pack life."

It was true. The guy didn't really fit into our pack and the ways of our werewolves. He had never really been integrated into pack life. And, although I knew some of the reasons why, it had never really made too much sense to me.

He lived on our grounds. He had every right to be part of our pack.

Did I have what it took to change all that?

The soft wind blew past us, bringing a chill with it, nipping at my fingers. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans, while Enzo snuggled into his coat, hiking up the collar against the breeze.

"Fuck, it's cold," he muttered as we walked along the gravel drive that would take us directly to the front door of the mansion.

I rolled my eyes at him.

The gravel crunched under our boots, announcing our arrival to anyone within hearing distance.

Enzo coughed, then cleared his throat. I glanced his way, to find his curious dark eyes on me again.

"So, what if he's ..." His voice trailed off as he looked at me, one eyebrow cocked, his eyes full of the question he didn't want to say out loud.

"I don't know." It was frustrating, not knowing what to do. If the rumours were true, then I would have to reject him. I couldn't be with him. I knew that. I was training to be Alpha of this pack, to take over when Dad retired. And Dad wouldn't let me keep him. He would make me reject him, and then choose someone else.

But ... what if the rumours were just that? Rumours. Not true. Then what?

Would Dad still let me be with him? I mean, he would need training, but with a little help, guidance ... he should be good to rule the pack alongside me.

Wouldn't he?

"Do you know anything about him?" Enzo nudged my shoulder with his. "Apart from the rumours, I mean."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. What his favourite colour is, what movies he likes ..."

I shoved my best friend. "That's a chick thing to say, man."

He chuckled as he shoved me back, then ran a hand through his hair. "Well, do you? Do you know anything about him? Anything at all?"

I scratched my chin. "I know he smells like rosewood and citrus." I grinned as I thought about that scent.

The scent of my mate.

Enzo rolled his eyes. "That does not count." He nudged my elbow as we started to walk up the wide stone steps that led to the front door of the mansion, the wind blowing leaves around our feet.

I stopped on the top step and cocked my head. Eyeing my friend, I smirked. "I know another thing about him."

"What's that?"

I smiled. "His name."

"No shit." He rolled his eyes again. "Sure you got it right?"

I nodded, unable to stop that stupid smile on my face.

Enzo crossed his arms. "Well, go on then. Tell me his name."

I leaned forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Pressing my mouth close to his ear, I whispered the name that only he and I knew was the name of my mate.

"Radley Lyall."