The True Luna's Kiss

Chapter 8

“Why do you smell of orchids?”

There was a bristling silence at Gabriel's words. Alice stood entirely still, her hand frozen in mid air as if she had been unloading the tray and forgotten what she was doing. Her expression was that of a deer caught in a hunter's trap. Gabriel knew from her reaction that he was onto the secret they had kept so hidden.

"From the salve," a voice from the doorway said. "Used by the healers on my daughter's wounds."

Gabriel's attention snapped up to see Alpha Lucas, his frame filling the doorway. Alice flushed and finished unloading the tray, before turning back to the door. She quickly left and hovered behind her Father, using him as a shield but peeking out, wide eyed from behind him. Gabriel let out a low growl. Shadow was not thrilled with the explanation. The orchid scent was too pure, too intense to be from a salve. Lucas was clearly lying. But why? What sense did it make for him to lie about the source of the scent. Gabriel bristled, his mind flurrying through the different scenarios, each one more elaborate and unlikely as the next.

Marco sensed his Alpha's mood change and jumped into action. He could see a fight was brewing in Gabe, if he didn't do something soon.

"Thank you for the coffee," Marco said, flashing a dazzling smile at the Alpha and his daughter. "It is very much appreciated." He placed his hand on the door, signalling that he wished them to leave. Alpha Lucas glared at him, a hard steel in his eyes but Marco just gave him a wink and slowly closed the door. He exhaled as the door caught on the latch. Marco could hear the soft growl from the other side of the door. The Alpha was clearly not happy about the dismissal. Marco just shrugged.

"It's for their own good," Maverick, the Beta's wolf said. He knew well enough what his Alpha could do in this kind of mood.

Marco slowly turned to face his Alpha. Gabriel's eyes were black, Shadow was clearly threatening to come out. Something had clearly got his Alpha on edge, something that smelled of orchids. He took a small step towards him, holding his hands up a surrender gesture. "You need to breathe, Gabe!" Marco said, keeping his voice low.

Gabriel looked two heartbeats away from punching a hole in the wall. Marco knew he was running out of time to save the ornately decorated room.

"Let's go for a run, burn off some energy," Marco said, lowering his hands slightly.

Gabriel just nodded.

After healing Alice, Sirona had drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Upon waking, she had sat, staring at her hands. Turning them over and over. Flexing her fingers and curling them into fists. They looked like normal hands, but what power shimmered beneath the surface. How deep did the power go within her? What limits, if any, did she have? The questions rattled around in her mind, with no answers coming forward.

One thing was certain though, she was unlikely to find the answers locked in this cell.

Howls echoed around the cell and Sirona ducked in response, her hands flying up to her head. It was an automatic response, as she fully expected warriors to burst into her cage and use her. But the howls came from outside, seeping in through the barred windows and filling the shadowed space. Sirona knew there was no point trying to peer out of the tiny window. It was at ceiling height and, even stood on a chair, she could only see the long wild grass that grew along the edge of the building outside. So she remained sitting, on the floor with her back against the wall.

She sighed, and took a deep breath in. And then it hit her. The sweet scent of .... something. It tickled a memory in her mind but she couldn't place it. It was so powerful, opening her lungs and making her dizzy.

"Mate!" Briar whispered, making the sweet air catch in Sirona's throat. "Our Mate is nearby!"

This made Sirona jump up and drag the chair to the window. Deep down, she knew it was useless - she wouldn't be able to see anything. But she had to try. Had to try and be as close as possible to that scent. Balanced on the chair, Sirona breathed in as quickly as possible, even if it caused her to see stars. She wanted to absorb as much of the air as she could. To keep it with her. Far too soon, the scent disappeared. Sirona refused to move, clinging to the small lip of the window. She contemplated holding the bars or reaching her hand through them, but she knew the silver in them would burn. Briar was restless, wanting to locate the source of the scent. She paced like a caged lion in her head, desperate to break free. But knowing that there was nothing she could do, the wolf laid down and whimpered.

Sirona took one last deep breath, trying to catch another hint of the scent. She sighed when it became clear that whoever it was had gone. Slowly, she got down off the chair and resumed her normal spot on the floor. She leaned her head back against the wall and searched her memory. She knew the scent. She had experienced it before, she just couldn't remember where.

It was definitely before she was imprisoned. There had been nothing smelling like that since she was locked in this cell. She cast her mind back, to when she was a child. It had to be something from then. She had been locked up so long that every memory was fuzzy and broken up into shards. Little segments of happiness, of warmth and love. Sirona felt the lump rise in her throat. She didn't like to remember her early years. The childhood she had experienced for such a short time and then lost. It burned her eyes, but she wouldn't stop. Couldn't stop. She needed to remember the scent, to identify it.

Her mind landed on a day, a very long time ago. A soft smile tugged at her lips as her eyes filled with tears. It was a happy memory, a very happy memory.

She was young, about five or six. Running across the forest, her mother at her side. It had been a beautiful spring day. The flowers across the packlands were blooming and a slight breeze captured their scents and made Sirona's nose tickle. Her mother had suggested they run to somewhere new and Sirona had got so excited. She loved exploring new places, finding hidden secrets and discovering new wonders. The outside world was a magical place for the young girl. She had spent hours each day playing in the gardens and would often have to be dragged in at night.

They ran to the edge of the forest and Sirona's jaw dropped. Ahead of her, and what felt like all around her, were mountains. Sirona smiled as she remembered what had happened next. How she had asked her mother why the mountain's sharp peaks were stabbing the sky. She remembered how the world had changed in that moment. How the sounds of the forest died out and replaced with incredible silence. How the breeze had sharpened and grazed her face. How the air had....

The air! That was it. Her mate's scent. It was linked to one of the happiest memories of her childhood. Sirona's heart leapt in her chest. Maybe her mate would be the one to help her, to get her out of this prison. Maybe his scent of fresh mountain air would be the key to her freedom.

Freedom. Maybe...