2
Ican’t bear to respond, flustered to my core. By the time I can pry my eyes off Sarah’s adorable marshmallow cheeks, Rainn has taken off down the path, leading the little ones with brisk strides. She doesn’t bother looking back despite a few stragglers. But as they keep their eyes trained on me instead, I realize they’re waiting, keeping me looped into the pack.
“Thank you for waiting, pups! Let’s get going so we don’t miss anything Teacher Rainn says.”
With a gasp, the pups scramble over a massive fallen log, darting after Rainn. I laugh, enamored by their excitement. That alone tells me Rainn’s classes are priceless. Best of all, Sarah lets out a gurgly laugh with me.
“It’s all so exciting, isn’t it, Sarah?” I giggle along with her, rubbing her little back in my palm. My heart races as she gazes into my eyes in pure trust, releasing another wave of flowery, happy baby scent.
We catch up to Rainn, stilling ourselves with the hush of the surrounding pups. They’re focused on Rainn’s point.
“Can someone tell me what this is?”
“A footprint!” A little voice shouts from the bushes behind Rainn.
She smiles. “Yes! What type of footprint?”
“Deer,” says a chorus of high voices.
“Excellent! Can any of my littles tell me what else they notice? How long ago did our deer visit this part of the forest, and where did they go?”
A few pups around six– to seven-years-old jump eagerly with their hands up, and Rainn laughs. “I know you know, my big loves. Let the little ones respond first.”
The little ones are extra little today, the closest toddler seemingly just reaching three. She gapes in frozen silence, only glancing between Rainn and me with her eyes.
“Tell me what your nose notices.” As Rainn taps her nose’s tip, her lowered voice hushes the group. Our collective silence draws out the sound of the gentle air current, wind billowing our clothes and rustling the leafy overgrowth.
Little pups stoop to sniff the deer hoof impression in the fresh mud. Each time another pup rushes over, they smash their own prints in the mud, collectively smearing each other’s backs as they topple over one another. Some return to the bushes and trees, attempting to peek over the tops of everyone’s heads.
One tiny pup in particular wobbles, popping upright too quickly. I catch her just in time, but Rainn grants her a beaming smile, widening the little one’s eyes. The toddler sucks her thumb, using her free hand to point behind the group.
Rainn claps rapidly, letting out a sharp giggle. “Yes! Oh, Goddess, yes! You are so good at this, Chels! That’s exactly where the deer went!”
The little one breaks into a breathy smile, proudness emanating from her form as she claps for herself. It tears my heart from my chest with overwhelming affection, begging me to squeeze her little cheeks.
But as the rest of the pups chime in, discovering together how many hours ago the deer passed through these trees, I slump into myself.
These tiny Lycan children can track scents effortlessly. I don’t know how to pick out a scent, let alone decipher what portion of the scent would tell me its age.
I gasp, startled from my thoughts by Sarah’s sudden mouthing of my chest. She wriggles in my arms, her breath speeding into an anxious pant when she realizes I’m not rushing to breastfeed her.
“O-oh, uh—” My cheeks burn hot as Rainn meets my eyes.
“Oops, someone’s hungry!” Rainn opens her arms for Sarah, but not after whipping a breast from her tank top.
My jaw drops, feeling like I’ve been dropped off in another country for the day—not because she’s breastfeeding, but because she’s a teacher feeding a stranger’s child from her body.
But the pups continue to discuss the deer tracks, and Sarah latches on, everyone behaving as if this is normal. Sarah suckles away as Rainn holds her one-armed, squatting back down with the rest of the class, but I’m left standing with my head still spinning.
Rainn does a double take, breaking into a giggle. Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention I gave birth to Sarah about six months ago. All I can do is gape. Rainn adjusts Sarah, stroking her head as Sarah gulps ravenous mouthfuls of milk. Between us, I’m happy to be a teacher-mom for thousands of kids and carry pups for those who can’t. Rainn winks. Plus, this way I can get a full night’s sleep.
My brain catches up with what Rainn just disclosed, connecting Sarah’s doe-brown eyes to Rainn’s gorgeous features.
Rainn, I had no idea you were a surrogate!
With a happy nod, Rainn kisses Sarah’s head. And I’m slowly getting myself ready to carry another pup for a new family, hopefully by next year. That little one—climbing the tree with those cute little pin curls—he was the first pup I carried.
My heartstrings strum as I follow Rainn’s nod, finding a toddler with a bright, gummy smile holding hands with who must be his best friend. They rescue a fat worm together, depositing it into the bushes before it can be stepped on. It reminds me of Amy and me; Amy always admired how I could notice all the little details in the world, long before we knew why my brain works like it does. But Noah’s little sister was the one who granted this boy life. The more I look at his sharp features, softened only by round cheeks and an elated smile, the more he looks like a tiny, cheerful Noah.
I’m torn. On one hand, I’m staring into a possible future I’ve always wanted. On the other, I know in my heart that Noah didn’t have the freedom this little one does. I felt it the second we bonded: something dark and brooding, poisoning the depths of Noah’s emotions.
But today’s pups of Greenfield seem different. Rainn not only created this safety for her students, but also brought two of them to life. I look back at her with newfound wonder. The sun’s glow ignites Rainn’s profile as it peeks through the forest canopy, giving her an added air of royalty.
“Teacher Rainn, you’re the coolest woman I’ve ever met,” I whisper.
She gasps, dissolving into blushing laughter. But the pups chime in, patting her arms and tugging on her clothes.
“You are!” One of the older pups shouts.
A little one stands on her toes, pushing through the crowd to mold herself to Rainn’s side. “I-I love you!”
Rainn’s laughter brightens, filling the forest with more open love than I’ve witnessed in another teacher. But I know the feeling well. They really are our daytime kids.
Which is also why my attention zips behind me, pulled by pure instinct. “Where are you all off to?”
“Tracking the deer!” A distant voice cries.
But another head pops out of an even farther bush. “Not me! I smell Alpha Noah!”
This gathers everyone’s attention. Before we can stop them, pups spill into the thickets, darting away from us. It ignites a primal fear in my chest, but Rainn calmly pulls herself upright, lifting Sarah over her shoulder to burp her. Her tranquility relaxes my shoulders, especially as she smiles adoringly at her class.
“Alpha Noah, huh? Well, who can tell me how long ago he scouted this section of the forest for his daily check?”
My heart races at the thought, still unable to grasp how my regal mate exists. The first time I saw him shift for a perimeter run, bristling with focus, every bone in my body trusted the territory he protects. I never felt safe in this winding forest growing up, but Noah’s presence changed everything for me.
“Alright, Teacher Luna, here she is.” Rainn plops a milk-drunk Sarah back into my arms.
Sarah’s eyes droop with satisfaction. I erupt into adoring, silent giggles, overcome with Sarah’s smacking lips.
But by the time I can sort her wispy hair back into order, I get the sense we’re no longer standing back from the crowd.
I gasp as little noses sniff the air around me, a pile-up of bodies gathering at my feet. “Oh, my— What do we smell, now?”
“We told you. Alpha Noah!” A pup shakes his head as if that’s the most obvious answer in the world.
I sputter out laughter. “I did say goodbye to him recently, so I’m sure I do smell like—”
Words escape me as pups swarm my personal space, sniffing my legs in a voracious wolf pile until I nearly topple over. Rainn steadies me, but the pups’ laughter rises throughout the forest, spurring me into contagious giggles. Self-control lapses from there; we’re all cracking up, excited to share this space together.
Until a scent catches my nose: the sweetest, most endearing hint of cinnamon and sugar I’ve ever smelled.
I lift my head, feeling new eyes on me.
Noah and I lock stares.
Our bond spikes with such heavy emotion that I suck in a startled breath. Every single pup freezes, following my gaze.
Noah hasn’t expressly said he wants to have kids. Whenever we’ve talked about it, it’s been surrounding my desires, not his. It sounds like he generally plans to have them in his lifetime. I just don’t know if he feels the same deep, unshakeable desire to raise them, or if it’s just a social expectation placed on him. And I don’t think I’ll feel okay with planning to have a baby until he makes it clear.
His gaze is so powerful that my knees feel weak. Leaves pepper his dark hair thrown to one side, and his clothes strain around his broad shoulders, telling me he’s newly shifted into his human form and still bristling with energy from his scouting run.
But those sharp, stoic eyes aren’t their usual teal; they’re stark yellow.
His wolf has shown up to greet us.
No one dares to move, awaiting the top Alpha’s cue. But he can’t seem to move either. Heavy emotion ripples over his brow, his eyes locked on my form like he’s craving to absorb the picture I paint. I look down at the little ones at my feet and Sarah in my arms, warm, chubby pups squished against me from every angle. Noah must’ve seen us interacting the whole time.
Or maybe there’s even more to it. Noah mentioned he’s bonded deeply with not just me, but every single Greenfield pack member. Does this mean he felt us celebrating our excitement together until his wolf couldn’t resist checking for himself? Could he feel these pups’ laughter in his heart, sharing it with us too? I love that thought so much that my chest aches, stealing my breath until it becomes uneven bursts.
The youngest pup can’t contain herself, throwing her tiny arms in the air with a delighted screech. Noah melts into a grin wide enough to show off his sharp incisors, and the forest fills with screams and laughter as the pups sprint to their Alpha. Well, not just sprint to him—they launch themselves at him, thrusting their bodies into the air with full confidence he’ll catch them.
Rainn bursts into a cackle. “There’s one... Two... Three, four, five! Six!”
Noah’s eyes widen, but his smile turns mischievous. He snatches up every airborne pup until his sturdy arms spill over with too many pups to hold. They crawl across his biceps and shoulders, overtaking him until he crumbles beneath them around nineteen, sputtering into deep belly laughter that even I can rarely rouse from him.
And I’m stuck standing here, cuddling Sarah against my throbbing heart as my brain restarts. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to process the vision in front of me, more gorgeous than anything I’ve imagined our lives to become together.
Noah doesn’t just like kids, he loves them.
But does he want to dedicate every waking hour to kids as a parent? That’s a whole separate question, forcing me to swallow my excitement.
Rainn finally catches her breath, pulling pup after pup off Noah with rapid precision only for them to run right pack and pounce on the pile. “Alright, enough, enough! You found him already!”
Rainn herds the pups back into the clearing around the deer tracks, but some kids stick by Noah, their hands miniature against his wide palms. They tug on him with all their might, and he chuckles, unmoving as if he’s only brushed by a light breeze.
When he meets my eyes, his genuine, erupting smile flips my heart.
“Hi.” His soft, deep voice rumbles through my chest, and we’re not even touching.
“Hi,” I breathe.
His eyes fall to Sarah in my arms, tracking my thumb softly rubbing her as she drifts deeper into sleep. But Noah’s gaze stirs my scent into a mushy, sweet explosion, begging me to tackle my mate with a hard kiss. Instead, I bite my bottom lip, unsure how else to contain myself. Noah’s eyes brighten as he breaks into a wider smile.
“Are you joining our lesson or not, Alpha Noah? You’re our biggest distraction today.” Rainn crosses her arms with a grin.
Noah pulls his focus from me with a chuckle. “Okay, okay, I’m joining the lesson for today.”
The pups around us cheer, and Noah and I laugh. He allows them to guide him toward the clearing, widening his stance to dodge the pups cluttering his feet.
Before I can follow after them, multiple pups stop Noah; they turn around, extending their hands for me.
Noah and I meet eyes and smile.
But there”s an extra warmth and giddiness in our bond that wasn’t there before, giving my heart a workout.
As our class settles onto a rare patch of dry leaves beneath a heavy canopy, Rainn’s bright voice enraptures everyone’s attention.
So far, Rainn has managed to include every core subject in her lesson while keeping it hands-on, and I can tell the pups genuinely care about her teachings. Some pups climb trees as they listen, fiddling with bugs, sticks, or leaves, but I know better than to think they’re distracted. Rainn seems to understand that every kid is different, allowing them to pay attention in their own ways.
Noah and I might actually be the only ones having trouble focusing; I can’t stop feeling the eyes on my right cheek.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I stop myself from erupting into anxious, excited giggles. The different, novel sensation in our bond only grows with my smile, expanding by the second in my chest.
Everything in me wants to pounce on my mate.
For now, I settle on teasing him.
Just when I nod along to Rainn’s question, I shoot Noah a quick glance to catch him staring. His focus zips back to Rainn, but excitement sparks in our bond, loving the silent game of chase. I hold my breath, containing my laugh.
But Noah’s eyes drift back to me. They’re stark yellow, just like his shifted wolf.
My stomach flips. He’s more excited than I thought.
His eyes glide down my body, tracing the baby still nestled in my arms, then dart back to my face. His breath heightens, and then I feel it: an uncontainable ache spills from Noah, sharpening his breath.
I have to swallow twice, my throat constricting with emotion.
Noah hasn’t said a word, but I can feel the answer I’m looking for. I just can’t believe it’s real. That my life actually brought me here after so much disappointment around this very subject.
When Noah found our class today, he wasn’t just adoring how sweet it was to see me interacting with kids; he was agonizing over the thought of us and our kids, just like I was.
But is now the right time?
I can’t bear to keep looking into Noah’s eyes, my heart racing out of control and dampening my palms. I duck my head, busying my focus on delicately wiping Sarah’s drool before it slips down her squishy cheek.
“Would you like to answer this question for us, Alpha Noah?” Rainn asks.
Noah’s back straightens. “I, uh— What was the question, again?”
His little sister sighs, and the pups erupt into quiet giggles.
Rainn shakes her head with a laugh. “Alright pups, I think we all need a change of pace. Let’s continue our hike.”
Noah gives Rainn an apologetic smile. She sticks her tongue out at him and they both laugh.
As Noah helps me to my feet, he forces his stare off me. It might look like he’s just busy analyzing the pups crowding his legs, but I can feel the muffled desperation in his wolf’s core to tackle my antsy wolf.
“Follow your teacher,” Noah softly says to the pups crowding us.
I’m surprised how well they listen, darting after Rainn without complaint. Although, they are looking back at Noah with absolute awe in their eyes. Or no, maybe they’re looking at me too?
Multiple pups slip their arms around one other, glancing at Noah’s arm over my shoulder. They refocus on their lesson with brighter smiles, pride lifting their chests as they not only mimic Noah, but also me, their future Luna. It stirs something in me I thought I could patiently wait for.
Noah does a double take at me, breaking into a wide smile. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” I bite back a smile. “It’s just, we’re getting to live out our wishes to share a childhood. I feel like I went back in time to take a class with you in the forest, and—”
I break into giggles at Noah’s wide, overjoyed grin, unable to speak another word. He leans in, putting a protective hand on my forearm cradling Sarah as he leans in to nuzzle my cheek.
“I’m loving every second too,” he whispers.
Goddess, help me. Sarah looks even more like him now that they’re side by side, and he’s holding her and me in his arms like we’re his. My heart falls over itself until I’m unable to keep looking at my sweet mate.
Rainn guides us down a small trail on the clearing’s edge. A line of curious pups hops into her footsteps in the mud.
“We’re nearing the portion of the forest with extra poison oak. You all remember how to identify it, right?”
“Right,” a chorus of proud voices chimes after Rainn.
“Good! Let’s steer clear and warn each other if we spot it.”
I smile, my heart lifting. Dad left me with the skills to recognize Greenfield Forest flora too. With how haphazardly these pups roam the forest, I can see why they already needed to memorize how to avoid poison oak so early.
“Can someone help me find the next set of footprints for our deer?” Rainn asks.
My eyes zip to the forest floor, scouring the mud beneath the leaves. But then Rainn adds, “Use your nose only!”
My stomach sinks. Noah glances back as my feet slow, and I try to smile.
But I don’t know how to do this. Toddlers track wild deer with their noses all around us with no problem. Maybe I could too, but I have no idea where to start. I was never taught.
You okay?Noah mindlinks. We’re striding ahead, Noah’s focus remaining on the pups as he gives them encouraging nods. “Good job, Beta, that’s exactly it,” he murmurs, drawing a wide grin onto a little boy’s face.
My heart flips. Before today, I could only imagine how sweetly Noah would treat our children, but this is giving me a clearer glimpse that’s so delightful, I almost can’t stand it.
But as his eyes flicker to mine, they’re still greener than usual. “You okay?” He tries out loud this time.
I drop my head, hiding my flushed cheeks. “Sorry. I’m okay. I just remembered something.”
“Yeah?” He draws closer, hugging me against his side.
The wind gushes through the trees, ruffling leaves and pups” hair as far as I can see. They’re covered in mud, but they’re also all smiling.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “I used to love playing in the dirt.”
Noah breaks into the widest smile possible, dissolving all my flustered nerves. We break into soft giggles, huddling in closer. “Goddess, I can imagine you getting your tiny hands all muddy.”
I laugh. “I loved it. But my mom didn’t.”
Noah tilts his head, studying my expression. I’m still smiling, but there’s no denying the tumultuous ache from my side of our bond.
Maybe classifying my situation as “never taught” is putting it too lightly. The more I think about it, the more I realize life trained me into not only a subservient woman but also as little of a Lycan as possible. Every curious, wolflike childhood memory ended in shame.
Rainn calls out, “Over here, everyone!”
Noah and I follow the pups to Rainn. A part of me is dying to participate, but to do so, I’ll have to ask how to track scents in the first place, and that sounds humiliating.
These pups entrust their lives to Noah and me with full faith we’ll keep them safe. But how can I when I can’t sniff out danger unless it’s shoved in my face?
As Rainn explains the intricacies of scent tracking, my eyes gloss over. My heart races and my chest burns, embarrassment sinking me further into Noah’s side without me realizing it.
But a soft nudge on my shoulder guides me away from the group. Hurrying away while the pups are distracted, Noah and I stop behind a nearby boulder.
I look up to find Noah’s gentle smile. When I can’t fully smile back, he doesn’t pressure me for answers: he sends me a wave of his soothing scent. My shoulders soften, but I’m tempted to cry.
Fuck, no, I am crying. One look at my mate splits my heart open, my tears falling within mere seconds of staring into his knowing eyes. I suck in a tight breath, tilting my head back to keep my tears from dripping on Sarah.
“Hey, it’s okay, gorgeous,” Noah whispers. I bite my lip, shaking my head no, but he wipes my tears with his big thumbs, retaining his smile. “It is, sweet Omega. Here, let me hold her, and I’ll show you what to do.”
I suck back tears, stirring Sarah awake. Before she can melt into fussy tears with me, Noah bundles her into one arm. I cover my mouth, but I bust out laughing through my tears anyway; Sarah looks so small against Noah’s chest that it looks like he’s tucking a football into one arm.
His eyes widen. “What? Am I doing something wrong?”
“No, not necessarily.” I laugh. “She just looks like a little mushy pile of baby clothes when you hold her like that.”
Noah shuffles Sarah over his shoulder. Planting one massive palm over such a tiny back, Noah flips my heart with his bright grin. “Better?”
I giggle as silently as I can, sneaking behind Noah’s shoulder to check Sarah’s expression. After a quick rub over her eyes, Sarah flops in complete trust of Noah, her cheek squished against his shoulder and leaving her lips to hang open.
“Oh, Noah, she’s...” I bite my lips. She’s totally asleep.
My heart stops when Noah peeks over Sarah’s head to meet my eyes. For a second, I feel like I’m looking far into the future. My eyes are still watering, but this time I’m smiling.
“Come here.” His low, rumbling whisper sends a warm buzz through my stomach. “Look right here with me, and tell me what you see.”
Deflating a little once I remember why Noah took Sarah from me in the first place, I follow Noah’s point to the boulder beside us. It’s covered in moss, bugs, leaves, and more—so much that I can’t pinpoint a majority of the details on it.
I’m not smiling anymore. The more I look, the more overwhelmed I become.
Noah rubs my back. “There’s no wrong answer. What’s the first thing you noticed?”
I clear the tears from my throat, standing up straighter. “Moss.”
“Hell yeah, there’s a lot of moss. That shit’s endless, and so many different kinds are mixed into each clump that it’s a complete mindfuck, right?”
I sputter out a laugh. “Shh, they have little wolf ears.”
He slaps a hand over his mouth, glancing at the pups behind us. When he turns back to face me with wide eyes, my cheeks hurt from smiling. Noah breaks into delighted giggles, kissing my wet cheek.
“It’s overwhelming though, right?” He asks.
I bite my lips as my stomach knots into my spine.
God, why is this hitting me so hard? All I can do is nod to keep from crying more.
Noah gives me rapid shoulder rubs. “You’re not alone in that. It’s super overwhelming for all wolves. Especially before they’re given any tools.”
This captures every atom of my attention. I dare to look into Noah’s eyes, no longer concerned about how mortified I am. Does he mean this struggle is common? That all Lycans start out feeling lost?
Noah gives me a soft smile, drawing me in for a side hug. “You wanna know what I think is happening?”
I nod, glancing up at him. He gives me a heavy forehead kiss before pulling away, allowing me to stand on my own.
Noah gestures across the rock. “There’s so much clouding your attention that when you try to track scents, it’s all flooding you at once. No one sat down with you and told you how to zoom in.” Noah holds his hand out for me, drawing me closer until our noses are a mere inch from the boulder’s surface.
Adjusting my hand in his, Noah uses my pointer finger to trace the moss. Dozens of little textural bumps ruffle beneath my finger pad, reminding me a patch of moss isn’t just one plant, it’s thousands.
Noah’s deep voice is hushed beside my cheek. “How could anyone expect to notice just one of these little tiny plants when they’re all the way zoomed out, and with a huge boulder full of life blocking their nose?”
What started out as embarrassment blooms into intense fascination. I grip Noah’s hand, guiding him against me until we’re hip to hip. “So I can zoom in with my nose? How?”
He grins. “You absolutely can. Stay right here.”
As Noah backs away, he turns just before he’s immersed in a crowd of pups. He crouches beside one of them, tugged by the sleeve by an excited pup with the most starstruck smile on her face. Noah’s adoring smile warms my heart from here.
Do you remember how I smell?Noah mindlinks.
Yes, I say immediately.
Can you describe it to me? Give me as much detail as possible.
I close my eyes, remembering all I can about Noah’s scent. You smell... sweet. Not like cookies, but like love.
That was cheesier than I meant for it to be. When I open my eyes, Noah’s cheeks are bright red. I cover my mouth to silence my laughter.
W-what else, other than sweet? He asks.
I clear my throat, turning around. I— Well, you smell... fiery, sometimes? But then it can be stronger depending on your mood. Like when we have sex, you smell spicy. I don’t know how else to explain it, other than that it burns me up from the inside out.
Noah doesn’t respond to this.
His golden stare peeks through the crowd of pups, dropping my heart to my knees.
The wind carries numerous scents, but now that I’m paying attention to Noah’s, his scent sticks out like it’s screaming. I perk up with a smile. Actually, that’s how you smell now.
Noah watches me take a deep, slow inhale of his scent, his eyes fixated on my form. The longer he watches, the clearer I can smell him.
“Alpha Noah, your scent hurts my eyes!” One kid whines.
Noah abruptly stands, turning away. “Sorry. I need to take a walk.”
Rainn is red-faced through suppressed laughter as her brother plops Sarah in her arms and makes a beeline for the bushes. When Rainn and I meet wide eyes, we erupt into giggles.
I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to torture you,I mindlink Noah.
No, you’re fine. I can’t contain my goddamn wolf around you and these precious pups.
My heart flips, forcing me to clamp both palms over my scent glands. I shuffle my feet through the forest groundcover, unsure where to go or what to do with myself. Pups continue to mill about, searching the immediate area for more deer tracks, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they complained about my scent too, any second now.
Noah’s soft chuckling rumbles in the distance. Goddess, you’re so cute.
I bite my lip, turning every way. Noah is nowhere in sight. Are you watching me?
Yes. Come find me, using your nose. You have a hang of my scent now, right?
My heart thumps, partly at my wolf’s excitement to chase her mate. But can I really do it?
I don’t know; maybe I can, or maybe I can’t. All I know is that I really want to.
Okay, Alpha. I’ll try.
Noah’s excitement only rises as my wolf crouches in our bond, her wagging tail doing nothing to conceal herself. As I draw another deep inhale through my nose, I’m met with so many scents that my brain pounds in my skull. Clasping my forehead with a wince, I close my eyes.
You can do it. Think about what I smell like,Noah mindlinks. Try smaller, faster sniffs rather than deep, big ones.
I exhale hard, clearing all distractions from my mind. My memory fills in a phantom sweetness, doing its best to mock Noah’s scent. Or, wait, no. Maybe I smell a hint of it?
My lungs flex through every inhale, instinct taking over as Noah’s scent shines brighter in my mind’s eye.
Am I doing it? Am I tracking him?
Taking a few steps to my right, I sniff faster now. I feel ridiculous, but I can’t stop myself. Something primal within me has unlocked, and I’ve never craved Noah’s scent more. Pups swirl around my feet, watching me with curious, focused eyes, but I can’t spare them more than a glance. My feet move faster, kicking up leaves as I ignore all spatial awareness to push through a wide thicket.
A faint crinkle of leaves sends my system into full alert. With a sharp turn of my head, I’m face-to-face with Noah. Except to my surprise, he’s just as shocked as I am—and he’s covering both his mouth and scent gland to block his scent.
Before I can stop myself, I break into a proud grin.
And I’m tackled into the thicket.
I scream through a laugh, my limbs too weak to defend myself from Noah’s kisses all over my cheeks.
“You did it! You did it so fast that I had to make it harder for you, and you still did it!” Noah laughs.
My eyes water, but I’m smiling wider than I have all day. Scents are so much stronger now, and I still have a slight headache, but I haven’t felt this excited over my own accomplishments since I lowered my OCD diagnostic test scores to subclinical levels. I’m almost embarrassed as pups trample around us, adding to our wolfpile over my childish accomplishment, but as their laughter flutters through the forest canopies, Noah’s smile shines so bright that his eyes squint. My heart couldn’t be happier.
Until a sharp, stagnant scent passes my nose. Furrowing my brows, I alert Noah’s wolf without meaning to. He pulls me to my feet in seconds, his joyous smile erased. I feel awful for it.
But Noah tucks pups against him, searching my eyes. “What do you smell?”
I swallow hard, struggling to catch my breath. “I think it’s— Well, I don’t know—” I sniff again, but Noah shakes his head.
“Don’t overanalyze it. Trust your wolf. Something’s wrong, and I believe you.”
Rainn rushes to our side, her sharp eyes just as serious as Noah’s. But the longer we sit in one place, the stronger the scent becomes.
“I think it’s a few Alphas,” I say.