Scent of Betrayal (Paperback)

Chapter One

The cool spring air blew across his snout as he ran through the woods, erasing all traces of the tantalizing scent which had both intrigued and enraged him over the past several weeks. The heavy aroma of pine and earth from his beloved Wyoming mountains filled his nostrils. Muscles bunched and extended as he leaped over a fallen tree and continued his trek. Towering evergreens and rocky terrain blurred at the edges of his vision when he increased his speed. It could be his last chance to run in his wolf form for a while.
The pads of his paws made light thumps against the pine needle laden ground. His soft pants increased, creating tiny clouds of breath in the chilly air, and he slowed his speed. His ears twitched toward the sound of water cascading over rocks, and he loped off in that direction. A narrow stream meandered down the mountain. He looked around the area before dipping his head to the small pool and taking a sip—the icy water trickled down his throat.
Leaping onto an enormous boulder with a flat top on the bank of the stream, he sat on his haunches. A spider web spanned the distance between two branches overhead. Morning dew glistened as the rising sun shone on the web’s incandescent threads. Thick carpets of green moss covered the crevices of the rocks dotting the stream’s path. An owl hooted farther up the mountain, and he swiveled his head in its direction. An answering call echoed back before they both went silent.
Raising his nose, he scented the wind and angled his head toward the stream below him. Light footsteps meandered his way along the stream’s edge. The familiar scent held him in place, for he recognized who approached.
Curiosity rose within him.
Greer ambled into view. His black jeans and shirt blended in with the dark shadows beneath the trees, where the sunlight hadn’t yet reached. Scaling the rocks, he climbed up and sat down a few feet away—quietly staring up at the lightening sky through the treetops.
They sat in companionable silence for several moments. He glanced at Greer, knowing his friend could sit there all day without saying a word. Blowing out a rough breath, he stood on all fours. A brief shudder rippled over his form. Davis shifted back to his human body and dropped down to sit on the rock, wincing at the cold, rough texture against his skin.
“Well? What brings you out here?”
Greer snagged a piece of broken branch and examined the six-inch piece of knotty wood. “Why did you volunteer to escort Leitner’s sister back to the Euro clan?”
Davis shrugged. “Why not? I’m curious to see what’s happening over there now that the leadership of the clan is up for grabs. Should be entertaining at the very least, and maybe informative. I think it’s best to monitor what the other clans are up to, especially after Donald’s murder, don’t you?”
“You think someone besides Bryant Leitner had a hand in Donald’s murder?”
“I know he did the deed, but his journal left some questions. Maybe he was bat shit crazy and acted alone, but what if he wasn’t? What if someone else was working with him? I want everyone responsible.”
Greer painstakingly stripped the bark off the broken branch revealing the lighter toned wood lying beneath. “If he didn’t act alone, the person may have gone into hiding.” He glanced at Davis. “Or the person is one of those battling for power over the clan and will want to eliminate anyone who might get in his or her way.”
Davis placed a hand over his heart. “You worried about me Greer? I didn’t think you cared.”
The expression on Greer’s face didn’t change. “You’re part of my clan, just making sure you understand what you might be heading into.” His attention returned to the wood in his hands. “What about the woman?”
“What woman? Bethany? What about her?” Davis shifted position. Sitting on a rock as a wolf was one thing, sitting bare-ass naked on one as a man was entirely different, and uncomfortable.
“She’s part of the ruling family of the Euro clan.”
“You don’t still think she had anything to do with her brother’s plot, do you? Malcolm cleared her of any complicity.”
“True, but her existence raises several potential scenarios as I see it. One. Someone else was involved and they’ll want to eliminate her in case she knows something or they want revenge for her involvement in bringing her brother’s crimes to light. Two. That someone is as crazy as Bryant and will want to kill her for tainting her bloodline with Donald. Three. She stands in the way of someone taking over the clan, and thereby will need to be eliminated or convinced to support them. Four. Your preoccupation with her will drag you into her mess and get you killed.”
Davis stiffened. Those scenarios had already occurred to him—all except the last. “I'm not preoccupied with her.”
Greer stared at him, and then shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I have been obsessed with tracking the scent of Donald’s killer. She just happened to be the source.”
Greer looked up as a hawk flew overhead but didn’t say a word.
Davis frowned and cracked his neck. He had plenty of valid reasons for volunteering. Someone needed to step up. “I volunteered to accompany her back to the Euro clan because someone needed to. Malcolm can’t. He’s our leader and needed here, and besides, he’s a little busy with his new human mate. Owen’s part of the ruling family and shouldn’t be put in possible harm’s way for no reason. Who else is going to volunteer? You? You want to volunteer? Be my guest.”
Davis surged to his feet and stalked the length of the boulder and back. Greer wasn’t known for his social graces. He had little use for people and wasn’t shy about letting it show. He preferred remaining on the compound and only left if duty required him to do so. Malcolm had put him in charge of all security procedures there. Davis also handled any security duties off the compound when they arose, in order to spare his friend a task he disliked.
Propping his hands on his hips, he glared at the back of Greer’s head.
Sure, her elusive scent had intrigued him. Of course, it did. He had believed the scent belonged to Donald’s killer. When they’d found her, he’d been stunned someone who appeared so small and delicate could be capable of such treachery. A normal reaction if you asked him. When they found the real culprit, she’d been cleared of any involvement and free to go. Why in the world she wanted to return to the chaos of her clan was beyond him, but he supposed he could respect her loyalty to her clan.
He frowned at Greer, who remained silent, fiddling with the piece of wood. A chill moved over his skin, which had nothing to do with the cool breeze. Was Greer right? Had he become preoccupied with Bethany?
Her large, luminous eyes had been haunting his dreams since he'd first seen her. But, it was a natural response to dwell a little on the person he’d been tracking for weeks. The fact it turned out to be a woman had surprised him. And her face stuck in his brain. “I guess she’s attractive if you like the fragile, quiet type.”
Greer didn’t respond.
Okay, she had a gentle beauty. Her light-blonde hair and ivory skin were pleasing to the eye. Her sweet little body had sent thoughts and images spiraling through his mind that had nothing to do with the crimes she had been accused of. Her eyes though, they were big, dark pools a man could drown in.
Davis spun away. He tilted his head back on his shoulders and stared up at the ever-lightening blue sky. The urge to howl rushed over him.
Damn it, he’d wanted her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her and it had enraged him.
He hung his head and stared at the striations of rock beneath his toes. Who else had seen his reaction to Bethany? What had given him away?
Crouching down next to Greer, he rested his forearms on his knees and hung his hands down in front of him.
Greer blew on the piece of wood to clear away debris. “Is she your mate?”
“I sure as hell hope not.”