Chapter 90: A New Yet Unfamiliar Scent

ROWAN

Thud! Thud!! Thud!!!

Three knocks filled the silence that crept through the hallway later that evening.

Rowan barely had time to process the knock before the door creaked open and Nyra stood there for a second, her silhouette framed by the dim hallway light, her expression was unreadable as he stood with a hand on the door handle.

She had this smile on her face as she stood there quietly. That alone was enough to throw him off. Nyra was many things at times bold, impulsive, sometimes reckless but never quiet like this.

“Nyra?” he called, brows pulling together.

Before he could say anything else, she stepped in without waiting for permission and walked straight past him.

The door remained slightly ajar behind her as she moved with a strange sense of certainty, like she had already decided this long before showing up.

Rowan turned, watching her carefully with an amused smile on his own as she sat on his bed. Just like that.

His confusion deepened as he clears his throat. He pushed the door shut and walked toward her slowly, his eyes scanning her face as if searching for a clue.

“Alright…” he started, folding his arms. “What’s the surprise visit about?”

Nyra looked up at him, her gaze steady. “I’m staying tonight.” she smiles.

Rowan blinked once, then let out a quiet breath through his nose. Of all the things he had expected, that wasn’t one of them.

Still, he didn’t argue.He shrugged lightly, reaching for the hem of his shirt and pulling it off in one smooth motion before tossing it aside.

“You always like doing things your own way,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

Nyra didn’t respond. She just watched him toss the shirt away.

That was the second thing that felt off. Rowan climbed onto the bed beside her, the mattress dipping under his weight.

“So?” he prompted, leaning back slightly. “You’re not just here to stare at me.”

A faint smile touched her lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “About going back. To the healing quarters.”

Rowan’s expression hardened instantly.

“No.”

The answer came too quickly, too firmly than she had imagined.

Nyra tilted her head. “You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I don’t need to,” he replied, his voice low. “Anything that puts you back in Samantha’s space is already a problem.”

At the mention of Samantha, something flickered in Nyra’s eyes, something quick and unreadable but it was gone just as fast.

“It’s not about her,” she said calmly. “It’s about the pack. They need help, Rowan. You know that.”

Rowan held her gaze, searching for any sign of doubt, any crack in her reasoning. “And you think she’s just going to let that happen without turning it into something else?”

Nyra exhaled softly. “I’ll handle Samantha.”

That didn’t reassure him. Not even close…When it came to women he didn't trust any to keep their emotions in check.

Rowan ran a hand through his hair, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I don’t want trouble,” he said, quieter this time. “Not with her. Not now.”

Nyra shifted closer, her voice softening. “It’s not for her. It’s for the pack.”

There was something about the way she said it as if, almost rehearsed, that made Rowan hesitate.

A long silence stretched between them. Then, finally, he nodded once.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But if anything feels off, you walk away. Immediately.”

Nyra’s lips curved slightly. “Deal.”

Before he could say anything else, she leaned in and kissed him feeling excited.

It was unexpected but not unwelcome..Rowan stilled for a brief second, then responded, his hand coming up instinctively to rest against her waist.

The kiss wasn’t rushed, but there was an intensity to it, something deeper than usual, something that lingered even after she pulled away. And for reasons he couldn’t explain… it left him unsettled.

The next morning, Rowan woke to a silence that felt awkward.

His hand instinctively reached across the bed and a look of surprise crept to his face when he found it empty.

He frowned, eyes snapping open as he sat up, scanning the room. The faint imprint on the sheets told him she hadn’t been gone for long but there was no sign of her anywhere.

“Nyra?” He called out but got no response.

A strange unease settled in his chest. She hadn’t said anything about leaving early.

Rowan swung his legs off the bed just as the door opened. Cyril walked in without knocking, as usual.

“Morning—” Cyril started, then paused when he saw Rowan’s expression. “What happened to you?”

Rowan ignored the question, running a hand over his face. “Nyra was here last night.”

Cyril raised a brow. “Was?”

“She’s gone.” He muttered more to himself.

Cyril shrugged lightly. “Maybe she left early. Not exactly strange.”

Rowan shook his head slowly. “No… it’s not that.”

Something about this didn’t sit right so Cyril studied him more closely now.

“Then what is it?” He asked.

Rowan hesitated, trying to put it into words.

Then he said it.

“There was something different about her last night.”

Cyril crossed his arms. “Different how?”

Rowan’s gaze drifted toward the bed, his thoughts racing back to the night before, to the closeness, the quiet, the way she had looked at him.

“I think, not sure but I think…She has a scent now.”

Cyril went still as Rowan looked back at him, his jaw tightening.

“And it’s not normal.” He concluded.

That got Cyril’s full attention. “What do you mean she has a scent?” he asked. “Nyra doesn’t have a wolf.”

“Exactly.”

The word hung heavy in the air. Rowan stood up slowly, his muscles tense.

“But I smelled it. It was faint… but it was there. And it wasn’t anything I’ve ever picked up before.”

Cyril’s expression darkened. “You think something changed?”

“I don’t know,” Rowan admitted. “But something is off. The way she showed up, the way she talked… even the way she left.”

He exhaled sharply. “It doesn’t add up.”

Silence filled the room for a moment before Rowan looked at Cyril again, his eyes sharp now, decisive.

“Keep an eye on her!” Rowan ordered

Cyril didn’t hesitate this time. He nodded once. “I will.”

Rowan turned toward the window, his gaze drifting toward the distant woods barely visible beyond the compound.

A low, uneasy feeling settled deep in his chest as he inhaled deeply. Nyra had changed and whatever it was that triggered it. He needed to find it out.