Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Tipping her head back so her snout was in the air, she inhaled deeply, her nostrils flaring.
Hayes tensed. She looked as though she was scenting danger, but he suspected in this case, she was simply stunned by her abilities.
Suddenly, she jerked her head to the right and growled as if a predator were standing on the deck with them.
Hayes knew no one was there. Several Alpha Protectors were in the area, guarding the house. Nothing would get by them. Nevertheless, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He worried she knew something no one else could know. It was possible. After all, she wouldn’t be the first mate in recent history to have abilities that baffled the Alphas.
The urge to shift next to her so he could attempt to sense whatever had her upset was strong, but he wouldn’t do so. It was best to go back inside.
Hayes set his palm on her head, but just as he was about to tell her to return to the house, she jerked her gaze the other direction and growled again.
“All right, Little one. That’s enough. Inside. Now.” He released her head and pointed toward the door.
She switched her attention from the darkness around them to him, seeming to snap out of a trance before turning and trotting into the kitchen.
Hayes was relieved as he shut and locked the door. Fuck, that had been unnerving. When he turned around, he was shocked to find his mate already in her human form, and she jumped into his arms, nearly catching him off-guard.
He caught her, tucking a hand under her bottom while supporting her back with his other palm. “I’ve got you, Little one.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as he walked them into the living room. As soon as he sat on the sofa, she leaned back, met his gaze, and shuddered. “That was so weird.”
He lifted his brows. Weird didn’t begin to cover it. “What did you smell, Baby girl?”
“Everything.” She shuddered. “I couldn’t judge how far away anything was. It spooked me.”
“That’s why you jerked your gaze from side to side.”
“Yes. I could scent other animals. It was kind of like how I thought your brother’s steak was much closer than a mile, only now that’s even more intense. I can tell you what everyone ate for dinner for miles around us. I’m pretty sure I could even scent things that weren’t grilled. There was a strong scent of tomato sauce. Someone had eggs.” She curled up her nose. Apparently eggs weren’t on her list of foods she enjoyed. “And the steaks Isaac made were very nice—if you like that sort of thing.”
Hayes chuckled. “Well, one thing I can do is send out a group text and find out who had spaghetti and who had breakfast for dinner. Then we’ll know how far away those scents were.”
She slid her hands along his shoulders. “You’re so calm about this.”
“I told you, you’re not the first mate in recent months or years to have odd powers. Yours is not even close to being the weirdest.”
“You’ll tell me about the others?”
“Yes. After you sleep for a long time. You have to be exhausted. But first, tell me what other animals you could scent.” This part was important. Probably the most important.
“The usual ones like squirrels and rabbits…” Her eyes went wide. “Why on Earth would I know what squirrels and rabbits smell like?”
He grinned. “I have no idea, Little one. I suspect it’s innate.”
“Do you know what they smell like?”
“Nope.” He did not. But he wasn’t surprised she did. “Was that it? Squirrels and rabbits? You thought they were on the porch, and they scared you?” He knew that wasn’t the case. “Maybe other Alpha Protectors? Could you scent them?”
“Yes. Four of them are close. I assume those are the ones you said are protecting us tonight. And I’m betting the reason they’re surrounding us is to make sure the bears don’t get too close.”
Hayes swallowed. Bingo. This is what he was fishing for. His mate could scent the bears. And that was from a great distance. “You’re correct, Baby girl.”
“I’ve never seen a bear before. Are there a lot of them in the area? Is that why the Alpha Protectors exist?”
“The Alpha Protectors’ job is to guard the valley from any threat that might occur. One of those threats is other wolf packs in surrounding valleys. Though we live in harmony most of the time, over the centuries there have occasionally been rivalries that required negotiation. Usually diplomatic and not requiring a physical fight. You’ll learn the scent of everyone living in this area who is a member of our pack’s Alpha Protectors and their mates. That way you’ll know when you scent a wolf that doesn’t belong.”