The Scent of Blood

The wind carried a strange scent—sharp, metallic, and unmistakably laced with danger.

Selene paused mid-step on the narrow path leading from the training grounds back to the village. Her pulse quickened, and she strained to listen beyond the rustling leaves. The night was unnervingly still. Even the usual distant howls of the border patrol had gone silent.

Her fingers instinctively tightened around the cloak draped over her shoulders. Something wasn’t right.

She quickened her pace, careful to avoid the dry branches that threatened to snap beneath her feet.

By the time she reached the village’s edge, her heart was hammering in her chest. The scent of blood was stronger here, curling through the air in heavy waves.

Then she saw them.

Three wolves—large, unfamiliar, and prowling dangerously close to the packhouse. Their coats were matted with dirt and streaked with red. Rogues.

Selene ducked behind a thick oak tree, pressing her back against the rough bark. She had heard the stories—how rogue wolves killed without reason, driven by bloodlust and madness. Aiden’s patrols kept most at bay, but it wasn’t uncommon for a few to slip through the borders.

She needed to warn someone.

She turned sharply, preparing to run, but a low growl stopped her dead in her tracks.

One of the rogues had caught her scent.

Emerging from the shadows, the wolf locked eyes with her—amber, wild, and burning with something primal.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her feet refused to move.

Run.

But she couldn’t.

The rogue lunged.

Before the wolf’s claws could strike her, a blur of black fur slammed into him, knocking the rogue off its feet. The air crackled with power as a second wolf followed, fangs flashing under the pale moonlight.

Selene stumbled backward, heart racing as the two dark wolves tore into the rogues with brutal efficiency. She recognized them immediately—Aiden and Marcus.

Aiden’s wolf was larger than any in the pack, his fur sleek and midnight black, cutting through the chaos like a shadow. Marcus circled him, his own coat a deep charcoal grey. Together, they fought with lethal precision, driving the rogues further into the forest.

Selene’s knees trembled as she watched the battle unfold. She should leave. She should run back to the village where it was safe.

But she stayed rooted to the spot.

One of the rogues broke free, charging toward the village. Her eyes widened in horror.

Aiden noticed too late.

Without thinking, she stepped into the rogue’s path, arms outstretched. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to do it—whether it was fear, foolishness, or some strange sense of duty.

The rogue snarled, lunging toward her.

Selene braced for impact, but it never came.

Aiden’s wolf intercepted the rogue mid-air, jaws locking around its throat in one swift, violent motion. The rogue fell limp, and Aiden dropped its body unceremoniously to the ground.

Selene stared at him, wide-eyed, as his wolf turned toward her. For a long moment, he held her gaze, his piercing blue eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

He was furious.

Aiden shifted back into his human form, the power radiating off him palpable even in the silence that followed. His bare chest rose and fell heavily, muscles tense beneath the fading moonlight.

"What the hell were you thinking?" His voice was low, dangerous, and laced with an anger that sent a chill down her spine.

She took an involuntary step back. "I—I wasn’t."

"Clearly." He advanced on her, his eyes flashing. "You could’ve been killed."

"I know, but—"

"But nothing." His tone hardened, cutting off her protest. "Next time, stay out of the way."

Selene swallowed hard, the weight of his glare suffocating. "I was trying to help."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. "You think throwing yourself at a rogue counts as helping?"

Marcus shifted beside him, folding his arms. "She did distract it long enough for you to finish the fight."

Aiden shot him a warning glare.

Marcus shrugged. "I’m just saying."

Selene glanced between them, heart still racing. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—"

Aiden exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "You need to understand something, Selene. Strength isn’t about getting in the way. It’s about knowing when to step back."

His words stung more than she expected.

She bit her lip, nodding stiffly. "I understand."

Aiden held her gaze for a moment longer before turning away. "Marcus, take care of the bodies. I’ll report to Darius."

Marcus nodded, casting her a brief glance of sympathy before shifting back into his wolf form.

Aiden hesitated at the edge of the clearing. "Go home, Selene." His voice was softer this time, but the edge of command was still there. "And stay out of trouble."

She watched him disappear into the trees, her chest tightening with frustration.

I wasn’t trying to get in the way.

But it didn’t matter. To Aiden, she was still the weak one—the girl who couldn’t hold her own in a fight.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"I’ll show him," she whispered under her breath, the resolve settling deep within her bones. "One day."