Scentless

Hunter's on heels

Chapter 1: Hunter in Heels

Ava's eyes were fixed on the target, the world around her reduced to the singular moment before release. Her breathing steady, her hand outstretched, she tightened her grip on the hilt of the blade. She could feel the pulse of the wind, the subtle shifts in the air, and the faint, almost undetectable scents of the forest. Her focus was honed, every instinct screaming at her to strike.

And then, with a flick of her wrist, she released the blade.

The dagger sliced through the air with lethal precision, embedding itself in the heart of the wooden target across the clearing. A perfect shot, as always. The target was nothing more than a tree stump shaped crudely into a humanoid figure, but it wasn’t the target that mattered—it was the practice. The ritual. The preparation.

Ava stepped forward, her sleek, black boots barely making a sound as she crossed the moss-covered ground. She tugged the blade free, twirling it between her fingers before tucking it back into the sheath strapped to her thigh. The morning light filtered through the trees, casting golden rays on the clearing, but Ava barely noticed. Her mind was already shifting gears.

This was her sanctuary, a hidden spot deep in the woods outside the city, where she could train without prying eyes. No one in her office—no one in her life outside of her family—knew about this side of her. And it had to stay that way. The line of hunters she came from had been shrouded in secrecy for generations, and Ava wasn’t about to let a corporate job get in the way of her legacy.

Yet here she was, living in two worlds: one where she was an elite hunter, trained to track and neutralize threats, and another where she answered phones, arranged meetings, and managed the daily life of one of the most powerful alphas in the country. Two lives. Two identities.

And she had to balance them both perfectly.

With a final glance at the target, Ava made her way back to her car, hidden in a nearby grove. She slid into the driver’s seat, checking the time. 7:30 AM. She had just enough time to freshen up and make it to the office by 8:30. Not that Damon Hale ever noticed when she arrived. He was more concerned with the efficiency of her work than her punctuality.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be early.

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By the time she reached the towering glass building that housed Verdant Corporation, Ava had slipped fully into her office persona. Her hair, which had been tied back during training, now flowed neatly over her shoulders, and her sleek black suit was tailored to perfection. She had learned early on that appearances mattered, especially in a corporate world dominated by alphas like Damon Hale.

Walking through the lobby, she greeted a few familiar faces—other assistants, receptionists, and junior executives—but kept her pace brisk. She wasn’t here to socialize. Her focus was on the job.

When she reached her desk just outside Damon’s office, she found a stack of files waiting for her. Legal documents, contracts, and meeting notes. Typical Monday morning. With a sigh, she set her bag down, slipped into her chair, and began sorting through the paperwork.

Damon had a reputation for being a workaholic, and Ava had quickly adapted to his demanding schedule. Her scentlessness made her job easier; while other omegas had struggled under the pressure of working so closely with a powerful alpha, Ava thrived. She could focus on the work without the distraction of her own pheromones—or the overwhelming influence of Damon’s.

It was why she had been able to keep the job for six months, while her predecessors had barely lasted a week. Damon tolerated her, even appreciated her efficiency, but he wasn’t exactly warm.

She didn’t mind. Personal feelings had no place here. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

---

By noon, Ava had cleared most of her morning tasks and was preparing for a meeting Damon had with a potential investor. She had arranged everything perfectly—the meeting room, the presentation slides, even the coffee preferences of the visiting executives. Everything was in order.

And yet, she could feel Damon’s eyes on her.

It wasn’t unusual for him to observe her, but today felt different. As she moved around the office, organizing files and setting up for the meeting, she caught him glancing at her more than once. His eyes, dark and piercing, seemed to linger just a moment too long.

Ava pretended not to notice, but the tension in the room was palpable. Damon was a hard man to read. His face was a mask of control, his emotions buried deep beneath layers of discipline. He wasn’t the type to show weakness—or anything resembling vulnerability. But there was something in the way he was watching her now, something that made her instincts hum with alertness.

Had he noticed something? No, it was impossible. Ava had spent her entire life learning how to hide her true nature. To the world, she was nothing more than a scentless omega, unremarkable in every way except for her efficiency and professionalism. Damon couldn’t possibly know about her training, her lineage, her role as a hunter.

But still…

She glanced up, catching his gaze. For a split second, their eyes locked, and Ava felt a jolt of something unfamiliar run through her. It wasn’t fear, but something else. Something more dangerous.

Then, as quickly as it came, the moment passed. Damon returned his attention to his computer, his expression unreadable.

Ava shook off the strange feeling and continued her work. She didn’t have time to dwell on whatever was going on in Damon’s head. The meeting was in an hour, and she had to make sure everything was perfect.

---

The meeting went off without a hitch, as expected. The investors were impressed with Damon’s vision for the company, and by the time they left, deals were already in motion. Ava stayed behind to clean up the conference room, her mind still turning over the strange tension between her and Damon earlier.

She was halfway through wiping down the table when Damon appeared in the doorway.

"Ava," he said, his voice cutting through the silence of the room.

She looked up, surprised to see him. "Yes, Mr. Hale?"

He stepped into the room, his presence filling the space. "Good work today. The investors were pleased."

"Thank you," she said, keeping her tone professional. "I’m glad everything went smoothly."

He didn’t respond right away, and Ava sensed that he hadn’t come here just to compliment her. Damon Hale wasn’t the type to give praise freely, and there was a look in his eyes that put her on edge.

"I’ve been watching you," he said after a long pause, his gaze intense.

Ava’s pulse quickened, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Is there something you’re concerned about?"

"No," Damon said, though his tone was unreadable. "You’re…different."

She raised an eyebrow, careful not to let her confusion show. "Different how?"

"You don’t behave like other omegas," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Most of them can’t handle working this closely with me. But you…you don’t seem affected at all."

Ava’s heart raced, but she kept her expression neutral. She had prepared for questions like this. "As I said before, my scent isn’t strong. It doesn’t interfere with my work."

Damon took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "It’s not just your scent. It’s something else."

Her instincts flared to life, the hunter inside her sensing a potential threat. Was he testing her? Trying to see if she would slip up? Ava had spent her entire life hiding her true nature, and she wasn’t about to let some alpha—no matter how perceptive—see through her carefully constructed façade.

"I’m just good at my job," she said evenly. "That’s all."

For a moment, Damon said nothing. His gaze bore into hers, as if he was trying to unravel the mystery of who she really was. But Ava had spent years perfecting this mask, and she wasn’t about to let it slip now.

Finally, Damon nodded, though he didn’t seem entirely satisfied with her answer. "Keep it that way."

Ava watched as he turned and left the room, her body still tense from the encounter. As the door clicked shut behind him, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

She had passed the test—at least for now. But something told her that this was only the beginning. Damon Hale was no ordinary alpha, and Ava had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t going to let this go.

As she finished cleaning up the conference room, her mind raced with possibilities. Could Damon somehow sense what she really was? Or was this just a case of an overbearing alpha trying to assert control over his assistant?

Either way, Ava knew one thing for sure: she would have to be even more careful from now on. Because the last thing she needed was for her boss to discover that the scentless omega working in his office was actually a hunter—trained to track and eliminate dangerous alphas like him.

And if Damon Hale ever found out the truth, things would get a lot more complicated.

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