Chapter 52 Little Pack;

Chapter 52 Little Pack;

The tension in Eva’s mountain cabin had softened somewhat. The town doctor, Lily, had just returned to the town. Everyone was willing to do something for the town’s young wolves, but no one had yet found a concrete way to begin.

Asia sat cross-legged in the armchair, watching the room with an expression of mild boredom. Being roughly two hundred years older than everyone present made events like this feel rather ordinary to her. She didn't see why so much fuss was being made over a handful of stray omegas wandering around without direction.

Her gaze drifted to Elly. She sniffed once, then gave a low rumble.

"I caught your scent," she said.

Elly looked up, confused. She glanced down at herself for a moment, then turned back to Asia.

"Do I smell bad? I don't understand. What do you mean?"

A sly smile crept to the corners of Asia's lips. "You and that scrawny Alpha are together," she murmured.

Elly went completely still. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide as saucers. She had no idea what to say.

Eva, for her part, was quietly laughing to herself. She had caught the same scent. New as her wolf senses still were, she could easily distinguish Joe's smell on Elly , it was unmistakable.

Elly snapped her head toward Eva. Seeing her laugh was the last straw.

"Wait, what's going on? Someone tell me. There's something, isn't there!" she demanded.

Eva said nothing , just smiled. Elly's patience finally gave out. She shot to her feet and planted her hands on her hips.

"Oh, so you've switched sides? Gone full wolf-pack on me? How long have you even been a wolf, Eva? We were your team. We were like sisters , what happened to that? Tell me right now, what is in my scent? I don't understand!" she huffed.

Eva raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Should I tell her, or do you want to take this one?" she asked, glancing over at Asia.

Asia shrugged. "You tell it. I only made the observation." She laughed.

Elly waited, impatient, for every word out of Eva's mouth. Eva drew a breath. "If you... sleep with a wolf... you carry their scent. So you and Joe actually.." She was fighting to keep a straight face and losing badly.

Elly's entire face had turned scarlet. "Okay, okay, I get it! Stop, that's enough!" she spluttered.

But Asia was enjoying every second of this. "The same scent is coming from you too," she said, tilting her chin toward Eva.

Eva's smile vanished instantly. Panic flooded her face.

"What? What do you mean, me too? No, I don't think so. I'm a wolf myself. Why would I smell like that?" The words tumbled out one after another.

Asia pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows with a deeply amused look. "Whether you're a wolf or not doesn't change a thing. You both smell like men," she said.

Eva and Elly flushed crimson at exactly the same moment. Their eyes met and they both looked sharply away. Asia laughed to herself, thoroughly entertained by the mortification of these two women.

Joe had grown tired of the conversation, which had gone on for quite some time now. He stood, rolled his neck with a satisfying crack, and stretched.

"I'm going to stop by the manor," he said. "I haven't seen Nancy in two days. I don't think my father would show up there, but you never know. Let me check on my sister." He moved toward Elly.

Elly looked up, her face still faintly pink. "Of course, go on. We'll stay in touch. My phone's on , call me," she said.

Joe gave a nod and headed for the door. Elly followed to see him out. He stepped outside, walked a few paces , then turned around abruptly. Before Elly had a chance to understand what was happening, Joe took her by the back of the neck and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her as if drawing a deep breath he'd been holding for too long , as if they had been in love for years.

"I love you," he said, his voice low and quiet.

Elly's knees nearly gave out beneath her. Her eyes shone, her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't yet used to feelings this size , but a warmth had settled inside her chest, full and steady.

"I... me too..." she started, but never got to finish.

A burst of laughter from inside the house cut straight through the moment.

Joe let out a grumble and pulled back. He brushed his thumb along Elly's cheek, then turned and walked away, climbing into the borrowed car and disappearing down the road.

Elly stood there for a moment, drawing a slow breath to steady her heart. Then she went back inside.

"Hey , what is so funny? Why are you laughing?" she called out, planting her hands on her hips again. "What was all that out there just now? And what exactly is this scent everyone keeps talking about?"

Asia and Eva looked at each other. Then they looked back at Elly , and dissolved into laughter all over again.

A little while later, as laughter still rang through the mountain cabin, Eva found herself simply watching her friends. This place she had fled to after her grandmother's death had become her home. These people had become her family. And she could see now, clearly, just how full and lively a family it was.

Then a shadow moved quietly across her face.

As the last of the Rose witches , and now a luna of wolf-kind , she had a duty to protect these people. Because they were her pack. And she knew now, fully and without question, that to do that she would have to remember her past completely. She would have to learn the true breadth of her power.

That time was coming. Whether she was ready or not...