Chapter 296: Faint Scents and Shadows

Zahliver’s POV

My brother was definitely alive, of that I was completely certain in my soul. His wolf might have been far weaker than most, maybe even barely present, but that made total sense given his past. He was not born with a wolf, nor was he bitten by one. He was made through dark magic. And there is always a heavy cost associated with that kind of unnatural creation.

Thinking about Vivian’s recent wardrobe choices that morning, I threw on something that felt a little more like her casual style: sharp black jeans, a clean black and white striped shirt, and a worn denim jacket over top. My dark hair was still damp from the shower, but I raked my fingers through it carelessly and simply let it air dry in the warm breeze. I pulled on a pair of black boots, grabbed my dark shades, tossed the car keys into my palm, and headed straight out to my vehicle.

It was a bright, cloudless day across the territory. I spent the better part of the morning circling the island, checking in on a few pack wolves on duty and visiting the local businesses under my direct jurisdiction. When I finally made my way over to the main pack office, I was not shocked to see Hogan already sitting inside at his post. But something my Beta had said earlier had been gnawing relentlessly at my mind, and now my inner beast stirred in quiet warning. That deep, primal part of me did not trust easily, and today, it was thoroughly restless beneath my skin.

"Hello, Hogan," I greeted, bypassing my own private office to step right into his instead.

He looked up quickly from his work, his eyes blinking fast as if my sudden presence had caught him entirely off guard.

"A-Alpha. Hello. Was I supposed to prepare something specific for you today? Albericus didn’t mention anything "

I shook my head slowly, keeping my face completely unreadable behind my dark shades.

Hogan wore a crisp black button-up shirt with a neat white tie today, and his usually shaggy brown curls had been neatly trimmed short. There was a subtle tension in his posture, but nothing overly suspicious on the surface. His gaze lingered on me, almost as if he were actively trying to read my eyes through the dark tint of my sunglasses.

His office space was meticulous, as it always was. Neat, even rows of organized documents sat on the desk, four large computer monitors were arranged neatly around his chair, and both windows were propped wide open to let the ocean breeze drift through. Clean, organized, and calm almost far too calm for a wolf.

"No. I just wanted to check in on you," I said casually, leaning my broad shoulder comfortably against his wooden doorframe. "It occurred to me that for all the time we have worked side by side, I barely know anything about your personal life. You are always stuck cooped up behind that desk."

He leaned back in his leather office chair, giving me a single, measured nod.

"Not by personal choice, I assure you, Alpha. But if my hard work helps you and the pack in any way, then I am truly honored to do it."

His voice sounded low and remarkably steady. His eyes kept searching for mine through the dark tint of my shades.

"I am lucky to have someone so loyal on my core team," I said slowly, watching his every movement closely. "But you are right it is not fair keeping you cooped up in this office every damn day. Why don’t you take the rest of today and tomorrow completely off?"

He looked genuinely startled by the offer, clearly not expecting that from me. A sudden flicker of interest crossed his features, quickly followed by a layer of deep confusion.

"And do what, Alpha?"

I smirked slightly, mildly amused by the cautious wariness in his voice and the sudden, rapid thump of his heartbeat against his ribs.

"Relax a little. Go out into town. Meet someone. Do what regular people usually do when they finally get some time to breathe," I told him, straightening up from the doorway.

But the second I uttered the words meet someone, something subtle shifted in his expression. The smallest twitch of discomfort crossed his face barely there, but my trained eyes caught it instantly. Was he secretly seeing someone? Was he hiding someone from the pack?

Interesting.

I was just turning around to leave his space when a sudden gust of wind swept in through the wide open windows, and my entire body stiffened instantly. I went dead still right at the doorway. Every single predator instinct I possessed flared to violent life in a fraction of a second.

A scent.

Faint, barely a lingering whisper on the air, but utterly unmistakable to a Lycan’s superior senses. My blood ran cold in my veins.

I did not turn back around to face him. I did not need to.

"Hogan?" I asked, keeping my voice calm, far too calm.

"Yes, Alpha?" His tone held a subtle flicker of excitement, though he tried his best to mask it beneath his professional demeanor. Why would he be excited?

"You haven’t met my mate yet, have you?"

There was a long pause in the room. Just long enough to be deeply telling.

"No," he said, and his voice dropped flat, sounding strangely disappointed, almost bitter. "I haven’t had the pleasure yet."

I let a cold smile creep into my voice as I responded.

"Come over for dinner sometime later this week. I am sure she will be absolutely thrilled to meet you." I left zero room for argument in my tone.

"Oh... sure, Alpha. I can’t wait."

I left his office without another word spoken, walking straight into my private office and shutting the heavy door behind me with a soft, firm click. I walked over to my large wooden desk, placed both of my hands flat on its smooth surface, and accidentally sank my sharp claws deep into the wood.

My broad canines pushed forward of their own accord, the rising heat in my blood beginning to churn with something dark and dangerous. I immediately closed my side of our mate bond so Vivian would not feel the terrible storm building rapidly inside my mind. The absolute last thing I wanted to do was ruin her joyful day with my dark mood.

A long, slow breath did absolutely nothing to calm my raging pulse.

That scent... it had thoroughly shaken me to my core.

I had not smelled that specific combination in years, but it was completely impossible to ever forget. It was not just a single scent it was two distinct scents, melded closely together in a terrifying way that simply should not exist in nature. It was like trying to forget the bitter chill of winter or the searing burn of open fire. Once experienced, it became a permanent part of you.

The first scent brought up dark emotions I really did not want to name. But I had to face them. I had to understand what the hell I was actually facing on my own land.

And the second scent?

The second scent stirred up ancient, buried memories that were far best left beneath the dirt. Memories that scraped painfully against the raw edges of my self-control, memories that roused the deepest darkness sleeping inside my beast and whispered terrible things I refused to listen to.

One of them was supposed to be starting fresh, building a quiet life away from the chaos.

The other?

The other should have been rotting away in the dark corners of their own shattered mind, far too gone to ever be anything more than a broken ghost.

They were not supposed to be together under any circumstances.

And yet...

They were right here on my territory.

What the hell was actually happening on my island?