Chapter 59 The Scent of Death
[Nyx]
Damon felt his sister's urgency through her grip. His pace increased further. As her brother, he was praying too—praying that Lilith would be safe. That his future wife would survive.
The wolf pack raced through the snow at full sprint. White snow, gray sky, obscured vision—but every wolf's objective burned clear.
That triangular boulder. Where Lilith was last seen. Where she'd been swept away.
I clutched Lysander's fur tightly, feeling his powerful muscles work beneath the thick coat.
Selene gripped Damon's fur, feeling her brother's strength and protection.
One thought blazed in everyone's minds:
Lilith is there. We will find her. We will find her alive.
---
The wolves covered the distance in under two minutes, arriving at the triangular boulder zone in a coordinated rush. Lysander's massive brown wolf carrying me reached it first. Damon's deep gray wolf with Selene arrived immediately after, followed by the rest of the formation—Marcus, Seth, Owen, and the others with their medical personnel.
The triangular boulder was exactly as Mara had described: imposing, distinctive, impossible to miss. Base approximately ten meters wide, height around eight meters—it jutted from the snow like a miniature pyramid. The avalanche had deposited massive amounts of snow around it, accumulations at least three meters deep.
"All support team members, dismount temporarily!" I commanded. "Search teams need full mobility—can't carry passengers during excavation!"
I jumped from Lysander's back, boots sinking into the snow. Other support personnel followed, sliding carefully from their wolf mounts.
Selene descended from Damon's back. The moment her knee touched the ground, she bit her lip hard and dropped to one knee with a sharp intake of breath.
"Selene!" An Omega beside her caught her arm.
Damon immediately pressed his enormous wolf head against her, expressing concern.
"I'm fine..." she gritted out through clenched teeth. "I can stand..."
"All search teams!" I called out, projecting authority across both radio and mind-link. "Fan out from the boulder as center! Twenty-meter radius!"
"Use your noses, use your instincts! Search for life signs!"
"Mara said Lilith was buried near this boulder!"
"She must be here somewhere!"
The wolves dispersed immediately, forming a search perimeter around the triangular stone. Each one pressed their nose to the snow surface, desperately seeking scent markers or heat signatures from buried victims.
Lysander's brown wolf took position closest to the boulder, his massive form moving methodically through the snow, nose scanning constantly.
Damon's deep gray wolf searched from another angle, equally focused.
Selene stood where she'd dismounted, watching the wolves work. Watching me coordinate. The urge to help, to do something, clawed at her.
"I can—" She took two steps forward.
Her knee gave out. She crashed into the snow with a cry she couldn't suppress this time.
"Ah—"
I turned sharply. "Selene! Your knee is at its limit! Stay where you are! Stop pushing yourself!"
"If we find Lilith, we'll need you for medical assistance!"
"Don't collapse before then!"
Selene knelt in the snow, tears streaming. "I... I just wanted to help..."
"You already did," I said, tone softening slightly. "You found Mara. You confirmed the triangular stone's location."
"Now conserve your strength."
An Omega helped Selene to a relatively flat patch of snow, settling her where she couldn't move and cause further damage.
Five minutes passed. The wolves continued their systematic search, noses pressed to the snow, seeking any trace. I stood near the boulder, radio in hand, tension coiling tighter with each passing second.
Lilith is near... she has to still be alive... she has to...
Selene sat in the snow, eyes locked on every wolf, praying they'd find Lilith.
Ten minutes. Still nothing.
Then—
Marcus's dark brown wolf froze suddenly, approximately seven meters east of the boulder.
Captain! His voice blazed through the mind-link. I've got something! Human scent!
My hand clenched around the radio. "Position!"
Marcus, detailed report! Lysander demanded through the link simultaneously.
East side of the boulder, about seven meters out! Marcus's mental voice rang urgent. Strong scent! But...
He paused. No body heat...
My heart stopped.
"Everyone converge! Marcus's position!" I shouted, voice cracking.
Less than ten seconds later, all wolves surrounded Marcus. I ran over, nearly sprinting, boots stumbling through the deep snow. I dropped to my knees at that patch of snow.
My trembling hands touched the surface. Cold. Still. The scent of death.
"No... not her..." I whispered.
Lysander's brown wolf moved beside me, pressing his enormous head against my shoulder, trying to offer comfort.
We don't know who it is yet, he said through the link.
But I couldn't be rational. Fear had me by the throat.
Selene watched from her position. Though distance separated us, she could see all the wolves gathering at one spot. See me kneeling in the snow.
Her heart hammered wildly. "Did they find her?" she asked the Omega beside her, voice shaking. "Is it Lilith?"
The Omega shook their head. "Don't know yet..."
Selene wanted to stand, wanted to run over and see. But her knee's agony kept her pinned. She could only sit there, helpless, hands clenched into fists so tight her nails bit into her palms.
Please... not Lilith...
"Excavate immediately!" I commanded, voice trembling. "Carefully!"
All the wolves began digging instantly. Lysander's brown wolf led the effort, his powerful claws clearing massive amounts of snow with each sweep. But as they approached the body, his movements became increasingly gentle—Gamma strength wielded with perfect precision.
One meter... one and a half... two meters...