Chapter 480: The Scent Beneath The Earth.

Chapter 480: The Scent Beneath The Earth.


(Third Person's POV)

Alec had learned long ago to trust his instincts more than orders. The night patrol had been uneventful at first—too uneventful. The forest lay still under the moonlight, the air thick with damp earth and pine. No rogue scents. No agitation from the wildlife. Too quiet for a world on the brink of war.

That was when the scent hit him. Alec stopped mid-step, boots sinking slightly into the soft soil. His head snapped to the left, nostrils flaring as he drew in the air again. His heart thudded once, hard.

“No…” he muttered under his breath.

It was faint, but unmistakable.

Odette.

He had smelled her before—sharp, sweet, wrong in a way that made his hackles rise. She was supposed to be dead. Exposed. Gone. Yet the scent curled through the trees like a living thing, fresh enough to make his pulse quicken. Alec crouched instinctively, hand brushing the ground as he closed his eyes and inhaled again, sorting through layers. Pine. Damp stone. Old magic.mAnd beneath it all—another scent.

Dylan.

Alec’s jaw tightened. “What the hell are you doing?” he whispered.

He shifted, moving silently now, following the trail as it led deeper into the forest. His patrol route forgotten, his focus narrowing until nothing else mattered. Each step took him farther from the mansion, farther from the safety of allies—and closer to something that felt profoundly wrong.

The trees thinned gradually, the forest giving way to jagged rock formations jutting out of the earth like broken teeth. The air grew colder, heavier. Alec slowed, instincts screaming.

This wasn’t just a meeting. This was a convergence point. He pressed himself behind a cluster of boulders as voices drifted toward him, carried on the stale air.

“…you’re sure this is safe?” Dylan’s voice came first, sharp and impatient.

Odette laughed softly, the sound sending a chill down Alec’s spine. “You worry too much. If this place weren’t secure, do you think I’d be standing here?”

Alec peered around the rock just enough to see them. Dylan stood rigid, arms crossed, his posture defensive. Odette was too relaxed, one hand brushing the stone wall beside her as if she owned it. She wore dark clothing that blended seamlessly with the shadows, her eyes gleaming with something close to triumph.

“Marcus won’t like delays,” Dylan said.

“Marcus doesn’t like a lot of things,” Odette replied smoothly. “Yet here we are.”

Marcus. Alec’s breath hitched. So what they had deduced was true. It seemed like Odette was really working with Marcus. But what was Dylan doing here?

The scent intensified as Odette turned and began walking toward a narrow opening in the rock face—an entrance Alec hadn’t noticed at first. It yawned open like a wound in the earth, darkness swallowing the torchlight Odette produced from seemingly nowhere. Dylan hesitated. Alec leaned closer, every muscle tense.

“You said he’d be stable,” Dylan muttered.

Odette paused, glancing back over her shoulder with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “As stable as he can be.”

That was enough. Alec waited until they disappeared into the opening before shifting. He moved fast now, silent as a shadow, keeping his distance but following the scent trail as it plunged underground. The cave swallowed him whole.

The temperature dropped sharply, the air thick with ancient magic that made his skin prickle. The walls were etched with faint runes, half-eroded but still pulsing weakly, like dying embers.

Alec swallowed. This wasn’t just a hideout. This was a nexus. The deeper he went, the heavier the pressure became. His wolf stirred uneasily beneath his skin, pacing, growling. Alec pressed a hand to his chest, steadying himself. Then he felt it.

Immerse Power. It was raw, overwhelming and suffocating. Alec froze at the edge of a massive cavern, barely daring to breathe. At the center of the space stood a figure.

Marcus. Or what wore his body.

He stood tall, unnaturally still, shadows clinging to him like a second skin. His eyes glowed faintly, not with the warmth Alec remembered, but with something cold and hollow. The air around him warped, magic bending inward as if the world itself feared him. Odette approached him without hesitation, bowing her head slightly.

“My lord,” she said.

Dylan lingered closer to the entrance, visibly tense. Alec’s heart pounded. So this was it. This was where the Alpha King had gone. This was where the possessed spirit had anchored itself. Alec didn’t wait to hear more. Every instinct screamed at him to leave—to warn the others, to bring reinforcements, to prepare for what was coming.

He retreated the way he came, careful not to dislodge a single stone. Only once he was back under open sky did he allow himself to breathe fully, lungs burning. He shifted into his wolf form the moment he was clear of the rocks, muscles surging as fur rippled over his skin. He ran. The forest blurred past him as he pushed his body hard, adrenaline fueling every stride. The mansion loomed ahead like a beacon, lights glowing warmly against the encroaching darkness.

He shifted back just outside the perimeter, ignoring the guards’ startled looks as he stormed inside.

“Where’s Killian?” Alec demanded.

One of the guards pointed down the hall. “He is in the strategy room with Master Brian and Lady Theresa.”

Alec didn’t slow down. The moment he burst into the room, every conversation stopped.

Killian looked up first, sharp eyes narrowing. “What is it?”

Alec planted his hands on the table, breathing hard. “It's Odette..”

Theresa stiffened. “What?.”

“I smelled her,” Alec snapped. “And Dylan was with her.”

Brian swore under his breath.mKillian straightened. “Where?”

“A cave,” Alec said grimly. “Underground. The aura there was powerful enough to make my wolf panic.”

Stella, who had been quietly organizing notes nearby, looked up sharply. “Marcus.”

Alec nodded. “He’s there.”

Silence slammed into the room. Killian’s jaw clenched, fury flickering across his face. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” Alec replied. “The power down there—it’s not just Marcus. Whatever’s inside him is fully anchored.”

“They’re planning something,” Alec said. “And my instincts tells me they will carry out their plans very soon.”

Killian exhaled slowly, visibly forcing himself to stay calm. “Thank you,” he said finally. “You did the right thing coming back.”

Alec straightened, meeting his gaze. “We don’t have much time.”

“No,” Killian agreed quietly. “We don’t.”