Shadows Without Scent

Draven's POV

I had faced war, witnessed death claim men I had fought alongside, and held the lives of friends as they slipped away, their blood staining my hands on the battlefield.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for the sight of that boy, my boy, crumpled in Nyra's arms, lifeless, as if the world had drained all color from him.

In that moment, I felt a fracture deep within my chest, a sensation no Alpha is meant to experience.

Now, I leaned against the cold wall of the clinic hallway, my back pressed firmly against it.

My fingers trembled against my thigh, a weakness I hadn’t felt since childhood.

The mingled scents of antiseptic and herbs from the clinic clashed with the metallic tang of fear that clung to my clothes.

I had never known fear like this, not when I claimed the title of Alpha in a challenge that left me scarred for life, not when enemies encroached on our borders, outnumbering us three to one, and not even when I thought I had lost Nyra years ago, her scent vanishing from our territory for those agonizing months.

This was different. This fear ran blood-deep, ancient and instinctual. Auren. My son.

The son who didn’t know he was mine. The son who looked at me with eyes that mirrored my own yet held no recognition of our bond.

And I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Not after what had just happened. Not until he was strong enough to bear the truth, and not until Nyra allowed me in.

Years of secrets and half-truths loomed between us like a wall of thorns, and today was not the day to tear through them, no matter how my wolf howled to claim what was ours.

Inside the room, I could still hear Nyra whispering softly to him. Her voice was the only sound that made the pain in my chest bearable.

Words of comfort, promises of safety, the gentle lullabies she used to sing when we were young. She hadn’t left his side since we brought him in, and she wouldn’t.

That was who she was. fierce in her protection and unyielding in her devotion.

I had always loved that about her, even when that fierce protection had kept me at arm's length from my own blood.

I ran a hand down my face, feeling the rough stubble beneath my palm, the weight of unanswered questions pressing heavier by the minute.

My mind replayed the attack, each moment etched in agonizing clarity.

How did Kael's soldiers know where to strike? How had they slipped past our borders undetected, past guards who could smell a rabbit's fear from half a mile away?

Our defenses were not penetrable; I had ensured that after the last fight cost us three packmates.

And most importantly, where were they now? Wolves cannot simply vanish, not without leaving tracks or something for us to follow.

Just as those thoughts formed, footsteps echoed down the hall, announcing presence in the way wolves approach their Alpha in times of tension.

One of my top warriors, Kellan, appeared at the end of the corridor, his face pale and drawn. The look on his face told me all I needed to know before he even spoke.

My gut twisted, knowing I was about to hear bad news. "Report." The word came out rougher than intended, my voice still raw from the shout that had torn from my throat when I found Auren.

Kellan didn’t speak until he was close, his eyes darting toward the door where Nyra and Auren were. He lowered his voice, ensuring only I could hear.

"They are gone, Alpha," he said coldly. "All of them." My eyes widened, disbelief battling with fury. "Dead?"

He shook his head sharply. "No. Gone. Like they vanished. There’s no scent trail, no blood, no drag marks.

Our best trackers have been combing the area for the past hour. The ground where we last saw them is disturbed, as if something unnatural swept through the grass.

It’s as if they disappeared into thin air." His voice dropped even lower. "The trees themselves seem afraid, Alpha. Even the birds won’t fly over that clearing now."

My blood ran cold, ice water replacing the fire in my veins. This was beyond territorial disputes or pack rivalries. This was something else entirely.

No wolf, no creature, even deceitful magic users from the eastern territories, could hide everything. Not scent. Not essence.

Not without leaving something for our kind to track. Our noses had been the tools of hunters since before humans built their first cities.

Unless they were not just warriors. Unless Kael was delving into something darker than I had imagined.

The old stories spoke of shadow walkers, beings who could step between worlds, but those were tales told to frighten children into obedience. At least, I had always believed them to be.

"Keep the perimeter doubled. Three wolves at each checkpoint, no solo patrols. No one comes or goes without my approval.

And bring in a Seer from the northern coven. We need eyes beyond the veil." I paused, recalling something from the ancient texts locked in my study. "Tell Mira.

If they have crossed into shadow realms, we need to be ready." Kellan nodded and left without a word.

I returned to the door and stepped inside, taking a moment to compose myself.

The room was growing dark, cast in the early evening's golden light filtering through the half-drawn curtains.

The scent of healing herbs and Nyra's familiar lavender filled the space, mingling with the clinical smell of medicine.

Nyra sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers gently running through Auren's curls as he lay resting, his eyes half-closed but alert, watching everything with the careful intelligence that had marked him since infancy.

The IV still ran clear fluid into his arm, and Mira adjusted the dosage on the monitor, her experienced hands moving with quiet efficiency.

The moment I stepped in, Auren's eyes locked onto mine. There was no fear in his gaze now, only caution and curiosity, the wariness of a young wolf who had faced danger and survived. Something about that look stirred pride deep within me.

I kept my distance, allowing Mira to finish her work before she excused herself with a soft nod in my direction, a silent acknowledgment of what we both knew: the boy was recovering faster than should be possible.

Nyra glanced up at me but didn’t speak, her eyes conveying both warning and plea. Not yet. He is not ready. We are not ready.

I looked at the boy, my son, and something shifted inside me. A recognition that transcended physical similarities, beyond the scent of shared blood.

There was a fire behind his small frame, a weight to his presence that belied his years.

His aura pulsed now, faint but steady, a shimmer of power that those with the sight could perceive.

Even in his weakened state, the room bent to him, shadows retreating from where he lay, light seeming to gather around him.

The mark of an Alpha bloodline, my bloodline, undeniable to anyone who knew what to look for.

He was powerful. More powerful than I had been at twice his age. And that power had nearly broken him today, unprepared as he was to channel it.

I cleared my throat. "You are safe now." He stared at me, his expression unreadable, wisdom beyond his years evident in the set of his jaw.

Nyra rubbed her thumb gently across his cheek, her touch tender but her voice firm with authority. 

"You don’t have to say anything, sweetheart. Just rest. There will be time for questions when you are stronger." The plea in her tone was subtle but clear to those who knew her well.

But he didn’t heed her. His eyes remained locked on mine as he spoke, his voice soft yet resolute.

"Who was that man?" he asked, turning to Nyra. "The one who carried me here. The one who keeps looking at me as if he knows me."

Nyra stiffened, and I stood in the doorway, caught between truths and lies, unable to breathe. Whatever I said next would change everything for all of us.