Alpha Terrell's POV
"Witch, why haven't you found her yet?" I voiced out in frustration. But I'd been riding through these damned woods for three days straight, and my patience had worn thinner than parchment.
Sheena sat behind me on my horse, her fingers digging into my sides as we rode through a rocky path. "We've been patrolling for days. Are you certain this woman is my mate? Because I swear to the Gods, if this is some stupid prank…"
"She is your True Mate, Alpha." Sheena replied in desperation. "I would never play with something this sensitive. The Moon Goddess would strike me dead where I stand. She's human, which makes her difficult to trace. Their scents are weaker, their presence less…"
"Excuses." I glared at her over my shoulder. "You claimed to have all these mystical powers, yet you can't find one lost human girl in a forest?"
Behind us, my generals snickered, murmuring vile words that only I could hear. None of them liked Sheena. They tolerated her because I tolerated her, but the distrust was mutual and palpable.
We rode in silence for another hour, my brain still trying to accept the fact that I'm fated to a human girl.
And I was supposed to what with her? Court her? I can't even bed her. The girl will die on the first night.
"Stop!"
Sheena's sudden command made me pull hard on the reins. My horse whinnied in protest, and behind us, the others halted abruptly.
"What is it?" I demanded.
"I can smell her." Sheena slid off the horse, her eyes unfocused, distant. "She's close. Her scent is stronger here."
"She has a scent?" I dismounted as well, frowning. "Humans don't have scents. Not like we do. They're practically scent-blind, and they emit nothing worth tracking."
"This one does." Sheena walked forward slowly, like she was following an invisible thread. "She's human, yes, but her scent... it's distinctive."
Kane rode up beside me, his expression dubious. "Alpha, with all due respect, I think the priestess might be…"
"Wait." I held up a hand, suddenly alert. "There is something."
I'd been catching whiffs of it for the past half hour - something sweet, unfamiliar. I'd assumed it was some forest plant or wildflower, but now that Sheena mentioned it...
"Describe it," I ordered. "This scent. What does she smell like?"
Sheena closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "Sweet. Like... like vanilla biscuits fresh from the oven. She has this gentle, powdery fragrance that makes you want to…" She paused, searching for words. "To hug her. To cuddle her close and protect her. It's the smell of innocence. Of purity. Like a baby."
"A baby?" I went completely still. "How old is this woman again?"
"Twenty-four, Alpha."
I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Okay. I can work with that." Twenty-four was young by my standards - I'd been alive a thousand years - but at least she wasn't actually an infant. "Now explain to me why she smells like baked goods and infants. Is this some human thing I'm not aware of?"
"I don't know how to explain it better," Sheena admitted, still following that invisible trail. "It's not just vanilla and powder. There's something underneath. Something warm and comforting, like fresh bread or honey or…" She gestured helplessly. "Like home. She smells like home, Alpha."
Behind me, one of my generals snorted. "The Alpha's mate smells like cookies. That's just perfect."
"Say that again," I growled without turning around, "and I'll remove your tongue."
Silence.
I focused on that scent - now that I knew what I was looking for, it was unmistakable. Sweet vanilla, powder, warmth. It was completely foreign to me. In my thousand years, I'd never encountered anything like it.
"I don't like it," I announced, turning away and striding back to my horse.
"Alpha?" Sheena looked confused.
"It's too... soft. Too sweet." I swung back into the saddle with more force than necessary. "I don't like it at all."
But even as I said it, I found myself breathing deeper, trying to catch more of that strange, intoxicating scent. My beast - usually so savage and uncontrollable - stirred with interest rather than violence.
Mine, it whispered. Find her. Protect her.
I ignored it and kicked my horse forward. "Well? Are you coming, witch? Or are you going to stand there smelling the air all day?"
Sheena came back and mounted the horse behind me, and we continued forward, following that vanilla-and-powder trail deeper into the woods.
I told myself I didn't like how soft she smelled.
I told myself I was only doing this because a True Mate was too valuable to lose, regardless of species.
I told myself that the eager pounding of my heart meant nothing.
But deep down - deeper than I wanted to acknowledge - I couldn't wait to meet the woman who smelled like sweet powder and home.
******
Angel's POV
I couldn't feel my feet anymore.
That should have worried me, but honestly, it was almost a relief. The numbness meant I couldn't feel the blisters that had burst and re-formed, the cuts from sharp rocks, the aching burn of muscles pushed far beyond their limits.
"Move!" The Boss cracked his whip near my head. "You're slowing us down, girl!"
I tried. I really did. But my legs were shaking so badly they could barely hold my weight. Each step was extremely painful, and the rope binding my wrists meant I couldn't even use my arms for balance.
I stumbled, caught myself, stumbled again.
The sun was setting - our third day of travel. Three days of walking from dawn until dusk with only brief stops for water and stale bread. Three days of the traders' complaints and curses. Three days of knowing that at the end of this nightmare journey, Lord Harwick waited.
He killed the last three girls you sold him.
The words echoed in my head with every painful step.
"Boss, she's gonna collapse," the young trader warned. "Look at her. She can barely stand."
"Then she'll learn to stand better." But even the Boss sounded annoyed now rather than threatening. "We're only a day out from the meeting point. She can last one more day."
I couldn't.
My vision blurred, dark spots dancing around me. The ground tilted sideways, then righted itself, then tilted again.
"Angel, you need to keep moving!" One of the women from the carriage called out. Her voice was hoarse, probably from screaming or crying. "Don't give up! Don't let them…"
"Shut up in there!" Someone banged on the carriage, and the woman went quiet.
My foot caught on a root.
This time, when I fell, I didn't get back up.
The ground was cool against my cheek, almost comfortable. I could just stay here. Just close my eyes and let the darkness take me. At least then I wouldn't have to face Lord Harwick. Wouldn't have to become his whore, his plaything, his victim.
Maybe death was mercy after all.
"Oh, for fuck's sake." The Boss's boots appeared in my line of vision. "Get up."
I didn't move.
"I said, GET UP!"
He kicked me in the ribs, sending sharp pain through my torso. I curled into myself instinctively, but I still didn't stand.
I couldn't.
"This is ridiculous." The dismissive trader from before spat near my head. "I told you she'd be dead weight. Should've left her in the forest."
"We're losing daylight because of this fat bitch," another complained. "We should've been at the river crossing by now."
The Boss crouched down, grabbing my hair and yanking my head up. I cried out, tears streaming down my face. "You listen to me, girl. You either get up and walk, or I tie you to the back of the carriage and drag you the rest of the way. You'll be alive when we get to Harwick - barely - but you'll be nothing but meat and broken bones. Is that what you want?"
I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe.
He released me, and my face hit the dirt again.
"We're taking a break," he announced to the others. "Thirty minutes. Let her rest, get some food in her. Maybe she'll be useful after that."
"Thirty minutes?" someone protested. "Boss, we're already behind schedule…"
"And we'll be even more behind if we have to drag a corpse." The Boss walked away, barking orders. "Someone get the fire started. You - check the horses. You - make sure those bitches in the carriage stay quiet."
I lay there in the dirt, my body a symphony of pain. Mama's face flashed through my mind. Her smile, the way she used to stroke my hair when I was sad. You're beautiful, Angel. Don't let them tell you otherwise.
But I wasn't beautiful. And now I'd never even get to properly mourn her.
"Here." The young trader appeared, holding a waterskin and a chunk of hard bread. "Eat. Drink. You need your strength."
"Why?" I whispered. "Why does it matter?"
He looked uncomfortable. "Boss says we already sent word to Lord Harwick. He's probably riding out to meet us halfway. Should be here by tomorrow afternoon." He paused. "If you're lucky, he'll kill you quick."
He walked away before I could respond.