Chapter 1 - Landon

Landon lowered himself towards the ground and inched closer to the voices floating through the dark.

His footsteps were undetectable and subtle as Landon inched through the warehouse, his tennis shoes light against the concrete. He made sure to weave between the metal shipping containers carefully as to not make any noise.

He needed evidence and if he got caught, he would lose his chance.

Landon’s steps slowed as he came closer to the voices.

He slowly ducked behind a large metal container and reached for his phone. Landon quickly turned down the brightness of the screen and pressed the recording button. The red button flashed and started counting to signal it was documenting sound.

Landon held his breath and stalked towards the light. The voices picked up their volume as he crept closer to the lit room.

The small crack in the door shed a sliver of light along the ground. Landon stopped his approach just before the crack and focused on keeping his breathing low. The voices became discernible and their words were no longer mumbled noises, making Landon smile in satisfaction.

“...Lacy was going to ask.” One voice was cut off sharply by another intense voice.

“Without a price, I’m not sure if I’m willing to sacrifice that much time and money. It’s much more than we usually do.”

“Vince, you’d be crazy not to accept. Do you realize how much money this could make us?”

Landon mentally noted the two voices sounded different and especially clung to the sound of Vincent’s voice.

“You think I need to worry about money? I’m talking connections here. Arroyo is really sloppy when it comes to his deals.”

Landon inched closer, realizing they were already talking about what he was trying to discover. He slipped his phone from his pocket and held it closer to the door, trying to capture every last sound.

As he edged closer, Landon caught the intense smell of pears and laundry detergent. Landon’s attention shifted instantly as he zeroed in on the unique smell.

He moved into the light slightly, trying to glance through the crack to catch sight of what the cause of that captivating smell was.

“That’s why we use Lacy again.”

“My sister doesn’t need to be dragged into this. She has already been dragged through enough.”

“Well, then let’s use Brooklyn. She can finally be useful for once.”

“What am I doing?”

All noises stopped as the scent grew stronger. Landon could feel his wolf spring to life as his senses sharpened. He swallowed a purr that climbed up his throat the sound of the voice.

What was wrong with him?

Landon suddenly felt anxious and pulled back from the light, taking deep breaths. He hadn’t had a reaction like that to anyone in almost ten years.

His mate’s death left a powerful scar that almost left him better dead.

He curled his hands into his pockets to restrain himself from flinging the door open and giving himself away.

The instinct to barge in there and find the source of that voice was almost too much to fight.

“Did you see that?” The sweet voice rang through the door.

Landon mentally cursed himself for losing his composure and recoiled from the door. His steps were slow and uneven as he fought the urge to barge back into that room and look at who was there.

Distant shouting made Landon’s brain snapped out of its trance. “Hello?”

Landon leapt behind a large metal case as the lights flicked on. His steps had returned to being weightless and silent as he heard their quick approach.

Landon looked around, but couldn’t see anything except rows and rows of metal shipping containers. He silently cursed himself for being so distracted and giving his position away.

As Voices and footsteps neared, Landon darted from his safe position and flattened himself behind a large metal shipping container closer to the back of the facility. He attempted to level his breathing so he could sneak around undetected but found the task difficult.

Landon carefully studied the sound of the footsteps and mirrored them, ensuring he was always staying just out of their sight.

“I don’t see anything. That woman must be seeing things.”

Landon’s breath pushed out from his lungs slowly at their admitted defeat. He backed up, trying to get closer to the entrance so he could just slip out.

The distinct sound of metal scraping against concrete had Landon’s heart pounding in his ears.

Landon glanced down to see his foot nudged up against a tire iron.

Shoot.

Instantly, Landon couldn’t hear the men anymore. Their silence unnerved him and Landon shot towards the door, trying to escape their view before it was too late.

“Hey, you!”

The shout echoed through the large warehouse as Landon slipped out the back door, closing it firmly behind him. Cool night air immediately hit him and froze the perceptible sweat glossed over his skin.

Landon quickly snagged a metal barrel close by and flung it in front of the door, making their pursuit harder.

This time, he didn’t look back as he bounded away from the warehouse, leaving the chaos behind him.

He took a few sharp turns through the various trucks and outdoor metal containers in hopes to lose the men still hollering at him. The lights of the yard flicked on suddenly, illuminating nearly every crevice.

Landon muttered a curse and flung himself for the fence, shifting mid-jump.

It took seconds for his large wolf to come over his body. His white and grey fur shimmered from the moonlight and the electric light now shining down.

He knew he would be impossible to miss now, but at least they wouldn’t know who he was.

His wolf promptly swerved when the tall wire fence blocked his exit. Landon gathered his force in his haunches before launching himself at the thick wires.

They bounced him back effortlessly, sending his body scraping against the concrete.

The feeling of his fur grinding harshly against the hard ground had Landon hissing. He groaned when he rose and noticed blood covering his side from the abrasion.

He had to find another spot to escape from.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the distinct sound of footsteps and labored breathing come in from behind him.

“Oh, my g—it’s a wolf!”

Landon bared his canines in a mean snarl towards the two men. They took a step back from the terrifying look and rose their hands as if showing surrender.

Landon continued snarling, but let his eyes glimpse at the fence, following it down the long line of metal shipping containers and into the night.

His eyes landed on a rusted spot not far from here and he took off, letting his paws carry him swiftly to the opening. The men immediately fled after him, their footsteps following closely behind him.

His side was burning as blood continued to soak his fur, but he clenched through the pain and kept his paws pounding under him.

Landon’s head banged hard into the rusted wires and the metal coils gave way. His body soon followed his head as he lunged through the barrier. Landon felt the broken wires scrape his fur and injury as he crawled out of the hole and burst into the forest lying just beyond the shipping facility.

As Landon neared the treeline, he glanced back. The men remained on the other side of the fence, watching him retreat into the shadows.

His breathing started regulating as he slowed his sprint to a trot.

Once he was safely hidden behind the trees, he turned around to see the men he was growling at were now gone. Landon could hear the faint sound of voices in the background, but couldn’t detect what they were saying.

Gratitude and relief came over him until he realized his clothes were still in there.

His phone.

Panic suddenly gripped him.

He lost his recording and all the photos he has taken the last two days of being around Vincent.

Knowing he had no other choice, Landon headed back for the rusted wires he plunged through. He clamped down a wince as the wires once again scraped his bloody side.

Regardless of the pain pulsing on his side, Landon made sure to stay silent as he navigated through the large metal shipping containers. Landon was nearly crawling when he came to the location he shifted.

His heartbeat spiked when he noticed nothing was there.

Landon’s clothes were gone.

Where his torn clothes and cell phone should be was now bare.

He started panicking and sniffed the ground, trying to pick up on where they could possibly be.

Landon instantly caught the scent of Laundry detergent and pears. The mouth-watering scent brought his confusion back full-force. His wolf groaned, making Landon snap out of his daydream.

What was going on?

His thoughts were interceded by the sound of the voices coming closer. Landon quickly slipped out of the fence again and sprinted to the trees, hiding from the curious gazes.

With multiple motivations, Landon made a promise.

He was going to find the owner of that scent.