“I’m not sure. There’s a scent I recognize, but I can’t place from where,” I answer, catching my uncle’s attention.
“It could be a wolf from an allied pack of Oak Fur,” he suggests.
“Maybe. When I figure out who it belongs to, I’ll let you two know so we can assign a wolf to watch them.”
Kurt and David look at each other for a moment before both men nod.
“I trust your instincts, Lucas,” my uncle states, his voice low. “Let’s head to the dining room and wait for everyone to join us.After we talk to these new wolves about their lodgings, we can meet with Kaylee, Marco, and Amelia and see what we should do about this wolf you’re concerned about.”
Happy to know that my uncle supports my concerns, I follow him through the guest house, taking in all the rooms and memorizing the layout to the best of my ability. Part of me hopes that my concern is just that—a concern. But if it turns out this familiar scent is a spy, I won’t hesitate to end that wolf’s life to protect my pack and family.
21
Lucas
The dining room fills within five minutes, and I’m happy the guest house has air conditioning; otherwise, the room would have become stuffy with thirty-three wolves inside. Carolyn had only gathered the rogues the Council had brought, but the room still felt cramped.
The scent that has bothered me since entering the guest house is strong here. I know the wolf is nearby, but I can’t find him with so many scents from the other wolves blending together. If Kaylee were here, she would have pinpointed it accurately and pointed the wolf out to all of us.
“Welcome, everyone,” Uncle David begins as soon as the wolves settle down. “You have all been here for about four days now, settling into the guest house and meeting with many of our warriors, hunters, and omegas to see where you would best fit into Ivory Fangs. Today, we would like to discuss with you all theupcoming initiation ceremony and the plans for where you will all live once you’re full members of the pack,” he continues, his eyes scanning the crowd of wolves.
I watch as he takes a deep breath, his eyes widening slightly in surprise before he resumes smiling. Something must have caught his attention.
[Lucas, is the scent you smell something spicy, like cloves?] The link between David and me opens, and I consider his question. Taking a deep breath and focusing on this familiar scent, I note that I do smell cloves with a hint of pepper.
[Yes. That’s it,] I respond.
[I know this scent, too. I just can’t place where I’ve smelled it before,] my uncle responds.
[I’ll walk around the room while you speak. Explain to everyone that I’m the beta in training and just trying to size each wolf up for their next role while I try to find the owner of the scent,] I suggest, and my uncle nods slightly.
“As I explain what to expect, my nephew Lucas will walk around the room. He’s my beta in training, and I’ve tasked him with sizing you all up so we can have a vague idea of what role you will each take when you join Ivory Fangs. Of course, your input will be considered—this is just an initial impression,” David says after I have taken a few steps.
The rogues watch me warily as I breathe slowly, taking in many scents—pine, lily, chocolate, fern, and citrus. They start to overwhelm me, and I pause. I can tell that many of the nature-scented wolves would be great for warrior or hunter positions.The sweeter scents would be best for working within pack businesses or human towns.
But that’s not what I’m looking for. The familiar spicy scent of the wolf has evaded me so far, but I can feel their eyes on me in the crowd.
“We have a group of sixteen wolves who will be initiated into the pack in three days. These wolves came from a pack destroyed by our enemy, Oak Fur.” Kurt is the one to step forward and speak this time, a smile on his face.
All eyes turn to Kurt, and the feeling of being watched disappears. Taking a deep breath, I focus hard on the cloves and pepper scent, finding it easier to scent the wolf now that all the focus is off me.
“Aren’t you and Lucas from Oak Fur?” a she-wolf asks, raising her hand as her voice trembles with slight fear.
“They are, Christa,” Uncle David answers calmly. “But they escaped the pack when Ramos and Marilyn became increasingly tyrannical.”
The group sighs with relief, their wariness of me dissipating. The eyes that had been watching me earlier return, and this time, I can pinpoint who the wolf is.
Sitting beside the auburn-haired Carolyn is a male wolf. His hair is as black as night, and his eyes are dark brown. I link my uncle that I’ve found the owner of the familiar scent.
Uncle David continues to discuss how everyone here will witness the initiation ceremony for the Harvest Willow wolves so theyunderstand what’s expected when they join the pack. He also informs them that we’ll check with them to see if they wish to live in the dormitories in single rooms or in pairs.
Finally, Kurt steps in, stating that we’d like to know their preferred roles in the pack so we can pair them with a warrior, hunter, or omega to train under and learn how each role is performed.
The wolves soon file out, Carolyn leading the black-haired wolf away as I rejoin Kurt and Uncle David.
“You found the owner of the scent?” Kurt asks before I can say anything.
“I...I did,” I answer, looking to my uncle, who raises his hands in surrender.
