Scent of Betrayal

KAELEN'S POV

The thick canvas strap of my duffel bag dug into my broad shoulder as I strode down the dimly lit hallway toward Cormac's private quarters. Five grueling years had passed since I finished my brutal Alpha training. In that agonizing half-decade, I wandered the furthest, most dangerous corners of the world in a desperate bid to understand and master my unique, unexplained supernatural abilities. I crossed endless oceans, scaled unforgiving mountains, and stalked through ancient ruins searching for answers about the strange, legendary powers pumping through my veins. Nobody in the pack understood what I was capable of. Now, on the night of my twenty-eighth Moonday, I finally returned home to my territory.

Despite my immense power and elevated status, I remained without a fated mate. Resigning myself to duty over destiny, my primary intention upon returning was to formally propose to my long-time girlfriend, Sloane. I planned to elevate her status and make her the next Luna of the powerful Valerian Wolf Pack. Sloane and I maintained a strict open arrangement regarding our relationship while I traveled, meeting up every few months to satisfy our physical needs. However, I established one unbreakable rule before I left the pack lands. No man within my own pack was ever allowed to touch her. A violation of that specific law meant a brutal, unforgiving death at my hands.

Eager to reunite with my best friend in the world, I bypassed the tedious formalities of my official return. I arrived directly at Cormac's private door with my bag slung over my back. I wanted to see how much the scrawny teenager I left behind had grown in my absence.

The moment my combat boots reached the wooden threshold, I froze in my tracks.

A sharp, musky scent of fresh sex hit my enhanced senses. It tangled unmistakably with the sweet, familiar essence of Sloane.

My jaw clamped shut so hard my teeth ground together. Tapping into my magical gifts, I pushed my vision straight through the solid wooden door and the thick drywall. The sight waiting on the other side was akin to a jagged knife twisting brutally in my gut.

Cormac, the very man I trusted like a brother, had his hands tightly gripping Sloane's naked hips. He stood right behind her, thrusting his dick deep inside her, rocking her back and forth as they engaged in sex. Sloane’s head was thrown back against his chest, her loud moans echoing through the bedroom as she eagerly took his cock.

Instantly, my inner wolf, Vane, surged forward within my mind, roaring for blood.

'Let me out. Let me take him apart, piece by piece,' Vane snarled with demonic ferocity, throwing his massive weight against my mental barriers. 'He's fucking your woman. There is no 'we can't do that.' There's we must do that, or we lose face forever.'

'We cannot act right now,' I commanded my wolf, snapping the mental cage shut around him.

Operating on pure, iron-clad discipline, I forcefully masked my heavy Alpha scent. I held my apocalyptic rage on a leash by the thinnest of threads. I knew for a fact that I was not mentally prepared to face the ultimate betrayal of my best friend and girlfriend just yet. A violent reckoning was undoubtedly coming for both of them, but I needed to maintain my composure tonight. I realized that if I didn't force myself to walk away right at this very second, Cormac's blood would already be staining the bedroom floorboards. I would rip his heart from his chest and drop it on the mattress.

Seeking immediate isolation, I turned my back on the sickening scene. I retreated deep into the dark woods. My legs carried me through the thick brush until I eventually ended up at the sacred, glowing silver waters of Artemis's Lagoon. My sole intention was to let the freezing, cool night air bleed the searing fire of betrayal from my veins. I dropped my heavy bag into the dirt and slumped against a massive stone on the bank.

I managed a brief, exhausted, and restless sleep on the hard rocks.

The sudden, harsh vibration of my phone jolted me awake. The surrounding woods were steeped in darkness, illuminated only by the ethereal silver glow of the lagoon. I grabbed the device and saw a direct call from Garrison.

"Garry," I answered, keeping my tone dead and flat.

"Where are you, man? I thought you would be here by now," Garrison asked eagerly. His loud voice carried over the phone line. He wanted to know about my attendance at the massive Moonday welcome party they threw in my honor.

"I won't make it to the party," I informed him evenly, displaying cold, deadened emotion.

Garrison sighed heavily on the other end. "Bummer. I will go tell Cormac the news so he knows you aren't showing up."

A low, dangerous, and involuntary growl escaped my broad chest before I could stop it. I abruptly hung up the phone.

Deep in the dark corners of my mind, Vane relentlessly mocked my immense restraint.

'I'm reminding you what strength looks like,' Vane growled dismissively, angry that I chose a quiet retreat over a bloody slaughter.

I ignored my wolf. I reached down to grip the hem of my dark shirt, intending to strip off my clothes for a solitary, freezing swim to clear my chaotic head.

My enhanced hearing picked up the sharp, distinct snap of twigs.

Someone was rapidly approaching the forbidden lagoon. Utilizing my advanced skills, I quickly slipped into the deep shadows behind a massive stone boulder. I perfectly masked my scent so I could not be detected.

Then, out of nowhere, an intoxicating, overwhelming aroma hit my senses. It was a divine mixture of sweet cherry blossom and sharp mint.

'MATE.'

Vane's booming, possessive roar shook through my entire physical body like the vicious crack of a whip.

'I want her. Now,' Vane snarled. His voice was thick, heavy, and dripping with raw, primal lust. 'Let's take her down, mark her, fuck her until her pussy blisters.'

'Control yourself,' I sharply quipped back internally. I fought a massive war in my own mind, locking down the beast even though my own physical pulse instantly spiked to a rolling boil at the scent. My cock hardened painfully against the denim of my jeans, demanding immediate release.

Suddenly, the source of the divine scent burst from the dark tree line.

She was a delicate, stunning young woman. She had pale, flawless skin scattered with light freckles. Massive waves of waist-length, fiery red hair whipped behind her in the wind like a vibrant banner of war. Her bright, luminous green eyes were fixated on chasing down two rogue sheets of paper fluttering in the night breeze. She wore a provocative, extremely short, form-fitting black dress that clung perfectly to her curves.

Her intoxicating scent alone triggered a deep, ancient, and primal hunger within me that neither I nor my bloodthirsty wolf could easily cage. I was intensely aware that if I were to step out from behind the boulder right now, I wouldn't just gently touch her. The raw instinct driving me guaranteed I would devour her on the spot. I would drag her to the ground, rip that tiny dress off her body, and claim what was mine.

Exercising monumental self-control, I stayed hidden in the dark shadows. I held the enraged, lustful Vane back by the throat within my mind.

I watched intently as the stunning girl gathered her scattered papers and weighed them down on the rocks. Then, she recklessly stripped naked. She threw her black dress aside, exposing her gorgeous breasts and tight center to the moonlight. She dove headfirst into the sacred, glowing water. She seemed unaware of the fact that entering Artemis's Lagoon without direct Alpha blood was a severe crime punishable by a brutal, public whipping.

As she swam through the silver ripples, an intense, burning curiosity sank its sharp claws deeply into my mind. I needed to know more about the infuriating, beautiful creature trespassing in my waters.

While she was distracted beneath the water, I quietly stepped out from behind the boulder. I walked silently to the edge of the dirt bank and reached for the bundled papers she had just desperately secured on the rocks.

I picked up the stack and slowly slipped off the rubber band holding them together.

The second I looked at the first page, my stomach knotted. A massive coil of white-hot rage twisted agonizingly tight in my broad chest, instantly warring with the thick, suffocating lust still pumping through my veins.

The very first thing my eyes landed on was a name heavily scrawled across the deeply romantic, obsessive diary page. She had written paragraphs declaring her profound feelings and romantic fixations, filling the paper with declarations of affection for a man who was not her fated mate.

The name was Cormac.