Scent of the Alpha

Chapter 11: THE CASTLE AS IT SHOULD BE

"Hahaha! My God, Julian! Have you completely lost your mind or have you inhaled too much silver smoke?"

Leo’s laughter burst out, echoing through the silent pine trees. He laughed until he clutched his stomach, as if the joke he just heard was the most ridiculous thing in the world. The tension that had choked the air around the campfire suddenly vanished, replaced by a much more relaxed atmosphere—though I knew Julian hadn't fully lowered his guard.

"Are you serious?" Leo continued, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "You’re accusing a girl as beautiful and soft as Aira of being a werewolf? Where would a werewolf get delicate fingers like that to write romance novels, Jul? Get real!"

Julian didn't join in the laughter. He only gave a soft snort, then finally turned his face away from me and focused back on his glinting silver sword. "I’m just being cautious, Leo. In a border territory like this, assumptions are the fastest way to die. And you know it yourself—the scent of wolves around here is too strong to ignore."

Suddenly, another young man, who had been quiet in the corner of the tent working on a military tablet, raised his head. He looked at his screen, then at me with a deep frown.

"Wait a minute... Aira Amelia?" he spoke up, his voice calm but filled with technical authority. "The Grand Prize winner of the Writer Retreat from the National Literacy Foundation?"

I swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Yes, that’s me."

The man let out a long breath and shook his head, looking at his teammates in disbelief. "Jul, Leo... it seems our writer here is the 'missing author.' The organizers of the retreat at Verdant Castle—which is about five kilometers east of here—have been frantically searching for their winner for a week."

"What do you mean?" Julian asked, now giving his full attention.

"The shuttle driver reported their car crashed, but when help arrived, the writer was gone. They thought she had been kidnapped or perhaps got scared and went home on her own. They were even about to call the police," the man explained. He then looked at me with a bewildered expression. "Miss Aira, you really were at the wrong address. You stayed at that old castle on top of the cliff?"

I pretended to be shocked, covering my nervousness with a look of confusion that I made as natural as possible. "What? Verdant Castle? So... that big castle I entered wasn't the retreat location?"

"Of course not!" Leo interrupted with a sympathetic tone. "That castle... it’s an old relic that no one is supposed to enter. The villagers say it’s haunted and dangerous. You’re truly lucky you weren't eaten by wild animals while crawling up there alone."

"I... I just got lost," I said quietly, playing the role of a poor, innocent city girl. "The car went into a ditch, the driver was busy on the phone, and I saw that building in the distance. I thought it was the place. But when I went inside, the old man there—Mr. Silas—said I could stay because it was already dark."

I deliberately did not mention Eros's name. I didn't want these hunters to catch the scent of the Obsidian Pack’s Alpha. I just wanted to look like a victim of a wrong address who knew nothing about the supernatural world they were hunting.

"Silas?" Julian muttered, his eyes narrowing sharply. "The caretaker of that old castle?"

"Yes, he seemed to be just a very stiff and unfriendly old caretaker," I replied quickly, trying to steer him away from his suspicion.

"Well, thank God you’re still in one piece," Leo stood up and brushed the dust off his tactical pants. "Tell you what, we’ll take you to Verdant Castle. It’s on our patrol route to the east anyway. Besides, I feel bad for the organizers; they practically thought you were dead, swallowed by the forest."

I fell silent for a moment. This choice was risky, but there was no other way. During the walk along the steep forest path, I felt something strange. It wasn't the burning heat I felt with Eros, but a kind of cool, subtle, and soothing vibration at the back of my neck—right where Eros’s mark used to be, now clean thanks to Kaelen's touch.

*He is here.*

I knew Kaelen was watching me from the shadows of the trees. I could sense the faint scent of sandalwood and wet forest carried by the wind, even though these hunters noticed nothing at all. Kaelen was guarding me, moving like a silent ghost.

After walking for about an hour, a magnificent building with classic architecture that was much brighter and well-maintained appeared behind a hill. **Verdant Castle**. The place looked incredibly luxurious, with neatly arranged flower gardens and warm lighting.

"Miss Aira! Oh my God, thank heaven you’re safe!"

The shriek of Mrs. Sarah, the retreat coordinator, broke the silence of the Verdant Castle lobby. The woman ran toward me with a face of immense relief. Julian and Leo gave a brief nod without saying much before finally turning and vanishing back into the darkness of the forest.

"Come, Miss Aira. Your room is ready on the third floor. All your belongings left in the car yesterday have been secured there," Mrs. Sarah said, guiding me toward the elevator.

Verdant Castle was a total contrast to Obsidian Castle. This place felt like a five-star hotel; the carpets were plush, the lighting was beautiful, and the soothing scent of jasmine wafted through every corner.

"This is your room, Miss. Please rest," Mrs. Sarah said as she opened the door to room 302.

I stepped inside and was immediately frozen. In the corner of the room, my two large suitcases—the ones I had packed at my apartment—were neatly arranged. My laptop bag was also there, on a wooden desk facing the window.

"My things...?" I muttered in wonder. How could they have arrived here first and in such a clean state?

"Yes, Miss. Someone delivered them very early this morning," Mrs. Sarah explained briefly before saying goodbye.

Once the door was closed and I was truly alone, I immediately locked it. I approached my suitcases, and that’s when I saw something out of place. On the desk, next to my laptop, lay a single forest rose that was a pale silver—not a normal rose. It was placed on top of a small, neatly folded piece of paper.

I picked up the paper. The very familiar scent of sandalwood immediately hit my nose. Kaelen’s scent. I unfolded it and read the very firm handwriting:

> "Aira, you are where you should be now. Use your time to write and recover. Your silver blood is starting to stabilize, but you must remain alert.

>

> Take good care of yourself. I will always be in the shadows of the forest you can see from your window. Stay vigilant. Eros will not let you go so easily. He is furious because his mark has faded, and he will search for you in every corner of this forest. He is a wounded Alpha, and a wounded Alpha is the most dangerous predator.

>

> — K."

I pressed the paper to my chest, feeling my heart beat irregularly again. Kaelen was guarding me from afar, but his warning about Eros made this sense of safety feel fragile. I looked out the window, toward the dark pine forest. Out there, a betrayed Alpha was tracking my whereabouts, and I knew this was only the beginning.