Chapter 7 –
The forest was alive with the rustle of leaves, the whisper of wind through the branches, and the faint calls of distant creatures. Lucas's sharp green eyes scanned the undergrowth, nostrils flaring as he tried to catch the scent that had captivated him the day before. Every step brought a shiver of anticipation, and though he tried to focus, the memory of that intoxicating aroma lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
Felix, moving silently beside him, watched his Alpha with a mix of curiosity and caution. "You're still following it?" he asked, voice low. "It's been hours. Maybe it's just some forest… magic… or—"
"No," Lucas interrupted, his voice tense, deep. "It's not just the forest. I know this scent. I've felt it before… but it's not something I recognize yet." His eyes narrowed as he took a careful sniff of the air, the wind shifting. "It's… sweet. Warm. Almost like life itself is condensed into it. And… sharp, like danger."
Felix's lips twitched in a knowing smirk. "You've never smelled it before, but you know it… hmm," he murmured. "Alpha… I think you're smelling your mate."
Lucas froze. His brow furrowed. "Mate? Here?" he asked, incredulous. "In the forest? Why would a lady—my mate, no less—be hiding in the middle of the woods? This makes no sense."
Felix shrugged, his smirk turning into a mischievous grin. "You'd be surprised what the goddess sends our way. Trust me, I've been there. Rebecca… she was waiting for me too, back when I didn't even realize it. Sometimes they come before you expect it… sometimes you find them by the scent alone."
Lucas shook his head, a mixture of confusion and frustration coursing through him. "I don't even know where to begin," he muttered. He inhaled deeply, trying to trace the aroma again, his senses pulling him forward. The scent was stronger now, more defined—flowing around him like a river of warmth.
Felix's ears twitched. "There," he said, pointing lightly. "You're close. I can smell it too, faintly. Whoever this is… she's near."
Lucas's eyes narrowed as he moved faster, careful not to leave any trace of his approach. He followed the scent with an intensity he hadn't felt in years, every muscle coiled, every sense on alert. And then, through the trees, he glimpsed it: a faint curl of smoke rising from a small cabin, nestled in a clearing.
"She's there," Lucas whispered. "Stay back, Felix. I need to—"
Before he could finish, his instincts kicked in. His eyes flickered, his senses sharpening, and he approached the cabin, his heartbeat syncing with the pulse of the forest around him. Every leaf, every twig underfoot, every whisper of wind was a part of him now.
Inside the cabin, Louise paused mid-step. She had been tending to the fire, the air rich with the scent of herbs and smoke, when her heightened senses prickled. The smell—oh, that smell—it was unmistakable. He was here. Her heart skipped, her breath catching.
My mate? she thought, frozen in disbelief. Why… why is he a werewolf? Her red eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to the window, peering out. The figure moving through the trees—she could smell the strength, the dominance, the familiar pull of the bond that had haunted her dreams for months. Her pulse raced.
Then she saw it: the lunar symbol embroidered on his coat. Her breath caught. An Alpha? One of the three young masters? She stumbled back slightly, her mind reeling. The goddess was playing games again, and she was at the mercy of fate's cruel sense of humor.
Lucas finally reached the cabin, pausing at the edge of the clearing. His breath hitched. There, standing in the open doorway, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, was the woman. Red hair framed her face like fire, and her eyes—her eyes!—were the deepest crimson he had ever seen.
He froze. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The forest fell silent around them.
Then, slowly, their eyes locked. Intensity, curiosity, disbelief, and a strange, thrilling recognition passed between them. Lucas's lips parted slightly. "You… you're—"
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing in suspicion and awe. "You… Alpha?" Her voice was soft, tinged with disbelief, yet firm. "Why are you here? And… why now?"
Lucas's chest tightened, his voice low, almost reverent. "I… I smelled you. And… I don't know how, but I had to find you."
Louise's pulse raced. "Smelled me?" she whispered, though her heart thundered in her chest. He smells me… my scent… my mate. She stepped closer, her curiosity mingled with caution. "And now… now you've found me. Why?"
Lucas's eyes flickered red for a moment, his wolf instincts surging. The bond pulled at him, fierce and undeniable. "Because I had to. I don't know why you're here, hiding… or what the goddess intended. But… I can't ignore it. Not now. Not ever."
Felix, lurking just beyond the treeline, felt his stomach twist. He swallowed hard, trying to focus. He's not even speaking yet, and the Alpha's eyes just turned red. And… oh gods… the way he's looking at her… Heat rushed through him involuntarily, and he had to clench his fists to keep control.
Louise's red eyes widened, her body trembling slightly. "You… you're Alpha. One of the three young masters. And yet… here you are, following a scent? And it leads you to me?" Her voice was a mixture of awe, disbelief, and the faintest trace of a smile. "The goddess must have a sense of humor."
Lucas's jaw tightened. "I don't care about humor. I care about… this. About you. About finding you." His gaze didn't waver. "I've followed this scent for hours, and I'll follow it for as long as it takes."
Felix coughed softly behind him, trying to hide a grin. Oh, live… I've been there, I've seen this. He's completely entranced… and it's obvious. He glanced back toward the warriors, who were all equally stunned but obediently silent.
Louise stepped closer, curiosity winning over caution. "And… what now?" she asked. Her voice was steady, though her heart raced.
Lucas's eyes softened, though the intensity remained. "Now… we understand. Now… we know we've been brought together for a reason. I don't know why, but… I won't leave you."
For a long moment, the forest around them seemed to hold its breath. The trees whispered secrets through the wind, and the sunlight flickered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on their faces.
Felix exhaled slowly, watching Lucas's posture relax slightly as he met her gaze. Yep… that's your mate for you, he muttered under his breath. Completely… hooked.
Louise tilted her head, her red hair glinting in the sunlight. "You… you really are different from anyone I've ever seen," she said softly, almost a whisper. "And yet… there's something… familiar. As if… we were meant to find each other."
Lucas's lips curved slightly, the first genuine smile since the scent had pulled him here. "Familiar… yes. That's exactly it. And I… I can't ignore it. I don't want to."
The moment stretched between them, thick with tension, unspoken questions, and undeniable chemistry. Even the forest seemed to lean in, the leaves rustling softly as if urging them closer.
Felix, now fully visible, let out a low whistle. "Alpha… I think you just found your mate."
Lucas didn't turn, didn't acknowledge him. His focus was entirely on Louise, the red-eyed woman whose scent had drawn him through the forest. "I don't know what comes next," he murmured. "I only know… I couldn't have stayed away."
Louise's lips quirked into a small, incredulous smile. "Then… stay," she whispered. "If the goddess meant this, if this is what fate intended… then stay."
And in that silent forest clearing, amidst the scent of pine and moss, Lucas and Louise stood together, eyes locked, bound by an invisible pull neither fully understood but both felt with every fiber of their being.
Felix stepped back into the shadows, shaking his head with a wry grin. Yep. That's it. Game over. He's caught. Completely.
The forest hummed with life around them, but within that clearing, it was only the two of them, connected in ways they couldn't yet comprehend, a bond awakened by scent, fate, and the pull of the goddess herself.
The first step toward something unstoppable had begun.