2 – Called Home
2 weeks later
Elena:
It had been a while since I'd set foot in this old place. About a year...though I wish I could say it had been longer.
And to my dismay, it would seem a certain someone is also still here. I was hoping that hearing his voice over the phone was a fluke, but obviously I dream too big.
Aside from Clay's usual scent though I did catch a strange new cologne. Maybe one of the boys were getting fancy, after all a person can change quite a lot after a year. It wouldn't surprise me if one of them had changed what cologne they wear.
I walked through the front gate and with a smirk on my face I say, "You'll have to do better than that if we're tracking a mutt."
Out of hiding comes the brute I know only as Clay. I tensed up as he moved out from behind the brick wall he'd so cleverly hidden behind.
"Missed you too." He retorted, while I crossed my arms, I wasn't so comfortable around him any more. It's understandable, he kind of ruined my whole life.
"Are you the welcoming committee? Or did Jeremy finally chain you up to the front gate where you belong?" I hiss, as he moves towards me and my unattended luggage I'd left beside me.
"Easy. I just wanna help with the bag." He remarked, shifting towards my bag that I picked up as I moved away from Clay.
"It's fine. I've got it." I growl, making my way to the front door, ignoring the grumpy puppy following my trail. Sometimes it's hard to remember that he's a full grown adult, and a werewolf at that.
But the strange thing is that cologne seems to be everywhere I go, this scent is everywhere. Something's been running around this house, and I doubt it's any wolf from this pack.
I walked through the door and into the empty house, the only company being the grunt who'd so kindly walked behind me into the house.
A few minutes more of us arguing went by before Jeremy walked through the door, and I gave him a gentle smile before thinking about the scent around the house. I'd noticed that the scent certainly didn't radiate within the walls of Stonehaven, so it ruled out all possibilities of it being a pack member.
"Jeremy, the scent around the house..." I begin and he gives me a small nod of agreement.
"So you smelled it to. It has been lingering around the property for a little while. Nothing to fret about though, like all air it eventually move on and you won't have to smell it again." He replied, but I wasn't quite so convinced.
"But it's very strong, that scent could have been left by the mutt."
"I've searched this property high and low, Elena. There is no mutt around here, and if there was they've clearly left. Whatever is the cause of the scent is no longer around here, that's for sure."
"But shouldn't we at least-"
"Elena, I've checked. It's fine. Now shall we discuss the matter t hand now that everyone has returned home."
A day later
"But you're taking it a step further, you're trying to be human. And that's just as dangerous. You try and push the wolf down, Elena, the wolf won't stay down very long." Pete explained to me, while I stood just taking it all in. I couldn't bring myself to say anything against him, because I could see exactly where he was coming from.
My eyes flicked up form the ground to search for Pete, hoping I could think of something to say but as I glanced over the slit windows of the room I saw something run past.
Running on all fours, and pelting past, faster than I could make it out but it's shape was familiar enough me to jump to the conclusion or, wolf.
I turned around, Pete was walking out the basement so I ran past him, grabbing his shirt sleeve and pulling him alongside me.
Practically leaping from the front door I look from side to side for any signs or scent of the wolf that had passed by, and the familiar scent of fresh cologne burnt my nostrils.
"What's wrong?" Pete asked, clearly I'd somewhat alarmed him by my actions, but even Pete was half-way decent support when facing another wolf. It could very well be the mutt after all.
"Another wolf, I saw another wolf run past the window." I reply, and I could hear Pete's heart skip a beat.
"The mutt?"
"I don't know, but I think it went this way." I say, jogging off to the left of the house, and down into the thick forestation of the property, trying to keep my eyes from watering as I followed the burning smell of chemicals.
Part of me felt this was a strange and unique tactic for masking the wolf's natural scent, and to put a tracker off hunting them by using the burning sensation of chemicals in the spray. But unfortunately I'm not put off that easily.
I had to clamber and skip over thick roots and bound around trees. Eventually in the distance a brown wolf stood, staring at me.
I heard Pete clamber and stumble to a halt behind me, the wolf watching tentatively as it's ears twitched.
"Move slowly and quietly. Keep your body low and your body language open." I instruct Pete, lowering myself into a crouch, and slowly moving towards the wolf, inch by inch.
Pete followed my example, with a grumble or two. The wolf keeping an eye on both of us, but seemed quite relaxed at our presence.
It took a few minutes of crawling and silence to reach the wolf, whom tilted it's head as I approached. Pete stayed a few steps behind me, ready to charge should the situation take a turn for the worst. I took a deep breath and reached out a hand and the wolf seemed somewhat interested.
Moving closer, I could practically feel the hairs tickling my skin, but a howl from another wolf echoed through the trees and the wolf's head jolted up to the sound. I felt my own heart stop for a second, and goosebumps sprout over my skin.
Before I can fully react the wolf had already leapt from where it was and made it's way towards the sound. My instinct told me to chase but Pete grabbed my arm and shook his head.
"But we have to-"
"Tell Jeremy, we don't know what's going on here, there could be more to the picture than we realise." Pete said, and I begrudgingly agreed and we made our way back to the house and upon entering we are confronted by a confused pack.
"What was that about?" Jeremy asked, his arms folded, and I looked to Pete who scratched his head while staring at the ground. "You two just ran out."
"I saw a wolf through the window, I simply followed it. But it got away." I inform, and I'm instantly met with Jeremy's disapproving glare.
"You went after a wolf, not only without telling me, but without udnerstanding what you were doing either?"
"It was running, if I didn't go then it would have gotten away. Not to mention that it had the cologne scent I'd being smelling since I got here."
"Ah..." Jeremy sighed, and went into silence. We all stood there, waiting for Jeremy to retort but it just seemed like the silence was never-ending. "That wolf has been around here for the last two weeks."
"Two weeks? Wait, you knew?"
"Yes, I had a run in with it back when it first showed up. If the smell if lingering it's probably because it wants something here. But I don't know what."
"Why didn't you say anything up front?"
"Because I hadn't seen it in days, I knew the scent had stayed but I thought that may have been down to the amount of sheer chemicals that were in the air. I've never know a mutt to use so much cologne."
"It's potentially because it wants to mask it's scent. So there is a good chance this wolf may not be a mutt or at least not a rogue one. It's too intelligent to be the killer."
"It may not be the killer we're looking for, but it's still a wolf running about this property when there is a wolf hunt going on. Not to mention we have no idea what this wolf wants from here, and we shouldn't assume it's anything good."
"I guess so..." I whisper under my breath, not that it would matter when you're in a room of werewolves with super hearing.
"For now, let us focus on the mutt, if that wolf becomes a threat we will deal with it, till then..." Jeremy said, and I looked to Pete who wandered off after giving me a quick glance.
I could feel a part of myself wanting to find out about that wolf, but I'd angered Jeremy enough for one day and by the time tomorrow rolls around it'll probably have left. But I have a feeling it'll be back.