The Protector of Wolves

Chapter 15: You Smell Good

Lacy’s POV

I open the door of my apartment to see Jake waiting outside. He is dressed in athletic clothes that accentuate his muscular figure. The moment my eyes lock with his, I instantly feel the tension leave my shoulders and all of my worries up until now seem completely unimportant.

“Hi, Lacy. It’s great to see you again,” Jake says to me with a smile.

My heart starts beating erratically in my chest.

“Nice to see you too, Jake.”

“Ready to go?” he asks. "My car is just outside on the street."

I feel as if I’m in a daze, but a quiet “Yes” manages to escape my lips.

Jake is even more gorgeous than I remembered. I trace his tattoos up his muscular arms until they disappear under the short sleeves of his shirt. I can't help but wonder what the tattoos look like without his shirt on.

“Stop ogling and follow him or you’re gonna ruin this for us,” Cecelia internally rolls her eyes at me.

“Hey, you’re drooling over him just as much as I am,” I shoot back.

I walk with Jake to his car, and he opens the passenger door for me. Once I’m seated, I reach for the seatbelt and the most intoxicating scent hit my nostrils. It is the faintest smell of pine and cedarwood.

I freeze.

“He smells so good!” Cecelia howls excitedly in my head.

"Cecelia, it’s probably just smells from the forest. Or his cologne or something..."

“No, it’s Jake!” She says with certainty. "The smell is him."

“It can’t be.” I say to her, confused. “The enchantment is supposed to block all of that. You shouldn't be able to smell anything.”

"Maybe your ring isn't working anymore," she says, too eagerly. I, on the other hand, am not feeling so thrilled about that.

“Lacy, are you okay?” Jake gives me a concerned look.

“Oh yes, I’m fine. It’s just...” A few seconds go by as a I try to think of a reply.

"Are you going to finish that sentence?" Cecelia asks me sarcastically.

"Don't sass me, wolf. What the hell am I supposed to say? That I'm a werewolf and my wolf part of me thinks he smells really good even though she shouldn't be able to scent anything at all because the witch part of me enchanted a ring to hide her away?

'Oh and yes, Jake, by the way, werewolves actually *are* real. So are vampires, and witches, and fairies, and a bazillion other mystical creatures humans think don't exist.' You know what he would do, Cecelia? He would dump me on the side of the road or drive me to the hospital for a psych eval."

“Jeeze, calm down." Cecelia says. "Maybe he’s a wolf, too."

Jake is still looking at me, eyebrow c****d.

“Well, uh, I just think you smell very good.” I awkwardly chuckle and look away from him, internally facepalming myself. I feel my cheeks warm up a little.

Jake doesn’t say anything, but from the corner of my eye I watch as he turns away with a slightly puzzled look. Then I see the corner of his mouth ever so slightly turn up into a smile. Jake starts the car and pulls into the street, heading towards our destination.

“Cecelia, do you really think he could be a wolf,” I ask.

“I can't tell for sure with the ring on. But maybe," she shrugs.

"What if he is working with Travis!" I start to panic a little. "We're about to go into the freaking forest alone with this guy! Oh Goddess, why am I so stupid?"

"Lacy, calm down. I don't think he is working with Travis. He didn't even know who you were yesterday."

"Yeah, okay."

"You know, you smell good, too," Jake says. "But I'm not so sure we will be saying the same thing after our hike. Better enjoy it while you can." Jake teases.

I slightly lean in towards him and take a loud wiff. He quickly shoots me a confused look before returning his eyes to the road.

"What? You said to enjoy it while I can," I state, matter of factly.

Jake shakes his head at me and laughs. "I can already tell this is going to be a fun day."

I wonder if Cecelia is right and that Jake is a wolf, too. The hiking spot we are headed to is close to the Crescent Moon pack, which would make sense why he knows about this random hike in the forest. I’ve never met anyone from there, but this pack is in the same region as my old pack.

The fact that Cecelia is able to smell Jake, albeit faintly, makes me concerned that the ring isn't working as well as it should be. If Jake is a wolf, then I would be putting him and the rest of his pack in danger if Travis or the dark hunters were able to scent me. I'm just glad at least, that I carry wolfsbane with me, just in case Travis does show up.

I try not to stress too much about it right now and focus on having a nice time with Jake. I will have to ask Lena about the enchantment when I get home later.

After about an hour, I watch as Jake steers the car off the gravelly road into a small gravel lot and parks the car. I don't remember exactly where the pack boundaries are, but I think we're even closer to the pack than I thought we would be. To my surprise though, there is a noticeable footpath leading into the forest. I guess this trail is not as secluded as I thought, though no none else is here but us.

From the trunk of his car, Jake grabs out a backpack that has a blanket attached to the bottom.

"Ooh, what's this?" I ask.

“This is our picnic,” he says, referring to the bag. “The inside of the bag is insulated to keep our food cool and the picnic blanket rolls up and buckles to the bottom of the bag.”

“Wow, that’s super cool! And how thoughtful of you to pack us a picnic. Usually I just eat protein bars and dried fruit on my hikes."

"Oh, well, you're in for a treat then!" He wiggles his eyebrows.

"What's in there?" I ask.

"Hmm. You'll just have to wait for lunch to find out," Jake laughs.

"Ugh, fine." I playfully roll my eyes. "Let's get going then!"

We make our way onto the hiking path and into the forest. Although dense, there is surprisingly a lot of light that gets through the leaves. Everything is lush and green.

I keep sneaking looks at Jake. Could he really be my mate? He definitely has the build to be a wolf. We walk without conversing for a while, taking in the breathtaking scenes around us. The silence between us feels natural and calming.

We are walking for about 20 minutes when we come across a lookout into the valley. The view is absolutely memorizing.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he says. “It’s not even the best part yet. Just wait until we get to the waterfall.” He gives me a cocky grin.

“I can’t wait! You promised me it was good, you better be right,” I laugh.

After thoroughly enjoying the view, we continue our hike along a river, finally reaching the waterfall.

I am in awe. Jake was right: this is the best waterfall I have ever seen in my life. The water falls from a large rocky cliff and lands into a brilliant, clear blue pool at the bottom. The pool of water is surrounded by plant-covered boulders on all sides, except it is open where we just walked in. The ground is slightly rocky, and there is a small patch of smooth ground next to the pool. Jake leads me over there and pulls out the picnic blanket.

“Ready for the big reveal?" He says as he reaches into the picnic backpack. "Hope you’re hungry!”

“Yes, I’m starving,” I say while watching him pull out several containers of food. “Wow, did you make all this?”

“I sure did,” he smirks at me.

“I was just expecting sandwiches or something,” I laugh. “This is like, gourmet!”

Jake hands me an empty plate and I start filling it with pasta salad, then blueberries and sliced strawberries, a kale salad with peaches and feta, and some chicken. It smells wonderful. I take a bite of the kale salad with some feta and a slice of peach.

“Mmmm,” I hum. "This is delicious.”

“Glad you like it!” He smiles at me. “Peaches are my favorite.

"My compliments to the chef," I joke while giving him a chef's kiss.

We finish eating and sit in silence, enjoying the serene roars of the waterfall and the beauty around us. This place is truly amazing, and I feel happier than I have in years. The area has such a positive energy about it.

Without giving too much away about my past, Jake and I talk about our families. I learn he runs his own business, and I tell him about my job at the bakery.

A part of me is sad I can’t share more with him, about my upbringing, about being a wolf. And I feel as if he is holding back some things, too. It would be easier if I knew he was my mate or not. I know Cecelia is dying for me to take the ring off. But I just can’t bring myself to do it, especially out here in the open and so close to another wolf pack. The forest may seem quiet, but you never know who could be lurking.

I can’t help but wonder how Jake knows about this place. I can’t ask him if he’s a wolf without exposing myself. But, my curiosity gets the best of me and I try to figure out the best way to probe him for information.

“So, Jake, how did you learn about this hike?”

“Oh, well...my family owns this land,” he tells me sheepishly.

I feel Cecelia perk up. “His family must be wolves then! I think this is packlands!”

"How fun! You must take a lot of dates here then.”

Did I really just ask him that? What is wrong with me.

“Feeling a little jealous, are we?” he teases.

I give him a playful glare.

“Actually, I have only been with my closest friends here. And most of the time I come alone, especially when I need to clear my head.”

"Well, I'm glad you shared this place with me. It's so serene. I could just spend all day here."

He turns to face me and we look deep into each other's eyes. I feel like I’m going to melt, and my heart starts racing.

"I'm glad you appreciate this place as much as I do," he beams.

I feel so elated, knowing he just shared with me such a special and intimate place.

Jake scoots closer to me and puts his right hand on my cheek and I feel the tiniest of tingles. He leans in towards me while gently pulling my face into his. I feel his soft lips touch mine and the most pleasurable sensation erupts where our lips meet. I let out a soft, content, hum and feel Jakes lips turn into a smile as he pulls away.

Cecelia is jumping up and down in my head. "He must be mate! He has to be!”