Chapter 38 Luca
The gym was empty after practice just the way I liked it—quiet, echoing, and uncomplicated. I stayed behind long after everyone left shooting until my arms felt heavy and my head finally cleared. Mason had vanished the second Coach dismissed us, claiming algebra was calling his name which meant I had the place to myself.
Or I thought I did.
I froze mid-shot when my wolf jolted awake, his head snapping toward the bleachers. The ball hit the rim, bounced, and rolled across the floor, but I didn’t hear it anymore. Something was really wrong. Not particularly danger but wrong in a way that made every instinct sharpen.
Then I caught it.
A scent that was barely there, thin and muted like someone had wrapped it in cloth and held it underwater. It felt dull, distorted, and altered.
Masked. Yeah, that was the right word.
My jaw clenched. Only hunters knew how to do that and only trained wolves could attempt it. And Sienna Williams shouldn’t fit into either category yet there she was. She leaned casually against the rail near the far bleachers, one knee bent, and looking like she had every right to be in an otherwise locked gym. The overhead lights spilled across her warm brown skin I’d loved before and her braids, highlighting how she somehow always appeared collected, composed, and annoyingly aware of it.
Her eyes lifted to mine without hesitation and she gave me a slow smile that made my wolf bristle.
“Still shooting,” she said like we were old friends catching up.
“Gym’s closed.”
“You always did hate surprises,” she replied, unfazed.
Her voice was the same—smooth, controlled, and too calm for someone who had no reason to hide her scent unless she was into something she shouldn’t be. She moved down the bleachers with that same practiced quietness, her maroon fingernails dragging lightly along the wood.
And yes, my eyes went to her braids first. I hated that. Hated remembering the weight of them in my hands and hated remembering anything at all of her. I forced myself not to think of how soft and pliable she’d felt in my arms.
I forced my expression blank. “What do you want, Sienna?”
She tilted her head, examining me with an almost clinical interest. “You’ve been different. Thought I’d check, given that’d you’re so into my best friend.”
“That’s stalking. And keep Aria away from this!”
She laughed softly. “Dramatic as always.”
Her scent shifted again like fabric slipping. My stomach dropped. This wasn’t accidental. She didn’t just smell muted. She smelled masked with something sharp underneath.
Herbs. Wolf-hiding herbs. And Only hunters used them. Sienna was no hunter or was she?
“You were never subtle,” I said tightly. “But whatever you’re doing now? It’s new.”
She stepped closer, too close for my liking. “People change. Even you, dearest Luca.”
I didn’t move. Didn’t trust my voice and my wolf reacting at the proximity of someone who had once mattered far too much.
Her eyes flicked to my chest, then back up. “You still don’t trust me.”
“You gave me reasons.”
For the first time, her face cracked just slightly but it was enough to confirm what I had been avoiding for years: Sienna always hid too much behind that calm.
“And you gave me secrets,” she said softly. “Don’t pretend you forgot how that felt.”
“That’s not why you’re here.”
“No,” she agreed, stepping back just enough to breathe but keeping her gaze locked. “I’m checking something.”
“Checking what?”
“If you still notice,” she said. “And you do.”
I hated how easily she said it. Hated that she knew I’d caught the masking and that she wasn’t afraid. Sienna had changed and I had no idea how deep it went.
“You should leave,” I said, sharply.
“Still giving orders.” Her smile deepened. “Still acting like you don’t care.”
“Care gets people hurt.”
“Or it gets them warned.”
“Sienna,” I said carefully, “what are you mixed up in?”
But she only shrugged heading toward the side exit. Before she slipped through the door, she tossed a final grenade over her shoulder.
“Oh, and Luca? Tell Aria I said hi. I’m sure she’d love to hear our old stories.” She added sweetly. “Oh wait, she doesn't know about us. How wonderful!”
She grinned as the door swung shut leaving her laugh echoing through the gym like a threat. My fists curled so tight the basketball nearly cracked from the force when I picked it up. This wasn’t a normal behavior. This was something trained, calculated, and dangerous. And Sienna sure as hell wasn’t acting alone not anymore.
After I left the gym, Drew was leaning against the lockers, arms crossed like he’d been waiting.
“You look like you’re about to punch a wall,” he commented. “Again.”
“It’s Sienna,” I muttered. “She was masking her scent.”
Drew’s eyes sharpened instantly. “Masking how?”
“Herbs and they were layered.”
He stared at me long and hard before speaking. “Hunters use masking. So do turned wolves hiding from packs.”
“I know.”
“Does Aria know any of this?”
“No.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” He pushed off the locker. “I’ll monitor her at school quietly and make sure humans won’t notice.”
“She’s not a threat to Aria,” I said automatically.
Drew gave me a look that said he didn’t believe that and I wasn’t sure I did either.
“Luca,” he said, voice low, “if your ex is masking her scent at a high school? Something big is coming.”
And for the first time since Sienna walked back into my life, I believed him.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Sienna is Luca’s FUCKING ex? OMG!!! That boy’s player life has no end. I can’t imagine the reaction of Aria when she finally gets to know. IF she gets to know.
Oh, Sienna masking her scent + Luca’s reaction + Drew stepping in = the tension is officially rising. Sienna is becoming a walking red flag with a diploma and perfect eyeliner, and the mystery around her gets deeper every chapter. It hits really hard in the next few chapters, so stay glued to your phones/ipads my lovelies♥️! I’ll see y’all in the next chapter.