Chapter 77

Aiden just bent there on the spot. He didn't turn around. He didn't need to. He had already sensed Leo the moment he arrived, his scent, his presence thick in the air like a storm rolling in. 

Even the sound of his boots pressing into the dirt was slow. If was measured, closing the distance between them and Aiden could notice that, as his ears captured even the faintest sound.

Aiden stayed still, his fingers twitching slightly at his side. He sniffed again as the scent of blood still clung to the air and mixed with the cool night breeze. He didn't like being interrupted, especially not now that it was all about Lucy who could be in danger and needed help. 

Leo's voice soon cut through the silence. “What are you doing here?”

Aiden smirked, tilting his head slightly but still not turning around. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Leo stepped closer, his presence not too intimidating. “It's my pack,” he said, his tone laced with impatience. “I don't need a reason to be anywhere. You, on the other hand—”

Aiden chuckled, the sound of it was low and amused. “You think I do?” He finally moved, dragging his fingers along the faint trail of blood before standing straight. His back was still to Leo. “I go where I want. No one restricts me. Not you. Not anyone.”

Leo exhaled sharply, his body shifting slightly. Aiden didn't have to look to know that Leo's jaw was tight, his fists clenched by his side. He was annoyed.

Silence stretched for a moment before Leo spoke again. His voice was calm but there was something underneath it—something usual. “You're here for Lucy, aren't you?”

Aiden's lips twitched, but he didn't answer. He could feel Leo watching him, waiting for confirmation.

Leo took another step. “You're here because of her… aren't you?”

Aiden smiled, and bit his lower lips. He bent his head slightly and tilted it before finally turning to face Leo. He didn't respond right away, he crouched back down, his fingers pressing lightly into the dirt where the blood had dried. He ran his fingertips over it, feeling the texture, the way it had started to settle into the earth.

His expression didn't change, but there was something in his eyes—something sharp. Leo watched him closely, his arms crossing over his chest. He didn't like the way Aiden moved—so calm like he was so sure of himself. Like he already knew something Leo didn't know. The way he touched the blood, like it meant something more. Something precious.

Then Aiden did something unexpected. He extended his hand toward Leo, his fingers stained with blood. It was a silent offer—more of an invitation to come have a taste of it or rather to come smell it.

Leo didn't see that coming. He thought Aiden was avoiding him like the way he was used to doing whenever he questioned him. He thought he would ignore his questions but now this…. He wondered what he meant by that.

Leo's eyes flickered between Aiden's face and the outstretched hand. He understood what Aiden was implying but he didn't move. His body remained tense, his jaw tight.

“What are you trying to say? What's the meaning of this?” Leo asked, his voice more deep.

Aiden tilted his head slightly. “Go on,” his tone was smooth, almost sounding lazy. “You know what I mean. You know what to do, don't you?”

Leo hesitated for a moment but stepped close. He sniffed off the blood on Aiden's finger. The scent hit him first—the metallic, thick circled shape on his finger. His breath deepened instinctively, drawing it in, letting it settle inside him. 

He knew it was someone's blood but he could not tell whose blood it was. Leo himself had been on the ground where the scene unfolded even before Aiden got there and had seen the blood, yet he didn't quite understand why the blood was so important and why Aiden wanted him to smell it himself. He wagged his head, thinking deep about who it could have been. He also thought about Lucy as he smelled her scent already, though it was faint but he could also tell that Lucy had been there or maybe, just passed by.

“You still don't get it?” Aiden furrowed his eyebrows.

“Just go straight to the point and tell me what you're trying to say.”

Aiden nodded. “You asked me about Lucy… don't you?” 

At that moment, it registered.

Lucy.

His stomach clenched, like his it was empty. His lips pressed together and for the briefest second, something flickered in his eyes—something he didn't want Aiden to see. Something he had been keeping all the whole while. One of the things that made him resent Aiden. 

He straightened, stiffening his posture like one who had no emotions. “ It's hers, right?” he said flatly and loudly, as if saying it aloud would lessen the weight of it.

Aiden wiped his fingers absently against the fabric of his slack. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes anymore. “You tell me.”

Leo's fists clenched at his sides. His mind was already racing, piecing things together. Lucy had been here. She had been hurt. She had bled. And Aiden had found this before he did.

That realization sent a slow, shimmering anger through him. 

His eyes snapped back to Aiden. “Did you see anything?”

Aiden didn't answer right away. He was watching Leo, noticing how he struggled to hide the care, the little flicker in his eyes. He knew how much Leo felt for Lucy, he had always studied him, his reactions when it came to things that involved Lucy.

After a pause, he responded to Leo's question, “See anything? I was trying to find that out when you interrupted me. And I don't like when someone interrupts me.”

Leo narrowed his eyes. His patience was thin and became more worn by the unease in his chest. “Okay. But…, you're really here because of Lucy.”

Aiden replayed Leo's words in his mind.

So, you're here because of Lucy.

It sounded more like a statement and not a question. It held some weight, carried meaning beneath the surface. Leo had already made his assumptions and it wasn't the first time. He had always noticed him whenever it came to situations that involved Lucy. He seemed to have drawn his conclusions.

Aiden let the words settle inside him, rolling them over, testing how they felt. Yes, he had followed the scent—her scent. Ever since he had left her because of his lack of control, he had been concerned and even more concerned when he found the blood. And yes—he knew exactly what Leo wanted. He knew he was also after Lucy. He knew about his concerns for Lucy. But what got him angry was the fact that he was scared to show it and would rather beat around the bush and question anyone who seemed to be interested in her when he himself had no courage to go after her. It was like he was keeping her and didn't want anyone to touch her…

Leo wanted Lucy.

Aiden's jaw tightened. He didn't need to ask. He didn't need confirmation. It was written all over Leo's face, in the way his body tensed whenever her name came up, in the way his eyes flickered with something else—concern and fear when he realized the blood was hers.

But what had Leo done about it?

Nothing.

Aiden's expression darkened as he turned his head to one side and then straightened it, looking straight at Leo. He stepped in, closing the distance between them. His movements were slow but deliberate. Leo didn't move, but Aiden could feel the shift in his energy.

He stopped when their noses were almost brushing. The silence was tense and the only sound between them was the distant rustling of the wind through the trees.

At that moment, Aiden lifted a finger and pressed it against Leo's chest, right over his heart. His voice was calm and quiet but with no doubt, sharp.

“Why do you hide it?”