9 Bloody Scent

"What are you talking about, Samuel?" Ava's mood worsened when she heard Samuel Sutton's words. As the man in charge in northern and southern America, Samuel was also the same person who recruited her after her mother's death.

They can be considered close.

A mentor and a mentee.

She respected him as a teacher and the man treated her like his student. Therefore he would always consider her feelings before asking her to do anything.

But this time, it's different.

He wasn't asking her. He was ordering her.

"I can't work with shifters and you know that." She reiterated. Shifters took away the people that she loved. From her biological father to her adopted mother.

"I'm sorry V." V. That was the nickname that he had given her during her training. The older man sighed. "It was the council of the Lycans."

"The council?" Her head turned towards the car that was just a few meters away from her. Earlier, she needed to get out to answer the call. Now, Calida and Matthew were inside the car, waiting for her. "Why would the council involve themselves in this matter?"

The council of the Lycans is considered one of the highest authorities in the Lycan community. They were the only ones who usually involved themselves with humans and witches. Still, not many people saw their names or what they actually looked like.

Was it possible that Matthew was a high-ranking Lycan?

The older man let out another sigh. "They didn't want to work with us when the third witch died nor when we found the fourth witch. But they contacted us when Amelia went missing. Do you understand what this means, V?"

So, it had something to do with the missing witch.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Well… that's why I wanted you to work with Mr. Graydon. Find out what is going on. Then come back."

She narrowed her eyes. "You are not telling me something."

"There has been a breach. I will tell you everything when I see you again."

Her jaw tightened. A breach. She wanted to ask questions but she knew Samuel. If he wanted to tell her something, he would. She couldn't just force it out of him.

Samuel continued, "That's why I want you to be careful on this one. I am seeing some weird patterns in the skies lately. The stars are changing."

"I understand." She couldn't help it. Now, she needed to find out why the Lycans wanted to work with them. "But one sign, that this case has nothing to do with our killer and I'm out." First, she didn't want to work with some shifter, and second, the missing woman is her ex's wife! For crying out loud, she didn't want to complicate this!

"Take care V. Let me know if something happens."

"Alright." Ava ended the call. Even Samuel, the man who never showed her any expression aside from his calm facade, felt like something else was going on here.

She needed to find out what it was.

And to do that, she needed to work with Matthew.

"Are we ready?" Matthew said as she made herself comfortable inside the car.

"Yes." She looked away.

Matthew must have sensed her bad mood as he didn't try to talk to her on the way to Amelia's cabin. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the place where she lost consciousness. She glanced at her car.

It was still parked near that lamp post.

Then her eyes landed on the cabin.

It was already two in the morning. She felt tired and sleepy and hungry. She silently chastised herself for not getting some burgers on her way here.

"Why are you following me?" she asked when she realized that Matthew was walking behind her. Just like her, he had a flashlight on hand. Though, she was certain he could see in the dark.

"I won't leave a partner, alone," he shrugged.

Partner.

She didn't know if he was purposely irritating her.

"Chill," Matthew said as he walked past her. "You look gorgeous when angry but you definitely look better when you're not."

Was that an insult or a compliment? Still, she walked behind him, letting him take the lead.

"No comebacks?" he asked as he turned the knob of the door. When she didn't say anything, he looked at her. "Still upset?"

Her lips thinned. "You are very talkative today, Mr. Graydon."

Matthew flashed her a smile before he pushed the door open. "Next time, call me Matthew."

"Or else?" she immediately regretted asking those words. She was tired and she wasn't ready to challenge him.

"Or else… you will end up in my bed. Naked and tied."

Her mouth dropped. Speechless, she watched as Matthew calmly walked inside the house.

Well, what the hell?

She stomped and followed him inside. She badly wanted to forget those words but her brain wouldn't let her.

However, once the smell of the house filled her senses, she immediately switched her attention to the interiors. For some reason, she could feel something ominous assaulting her the moment she walked in.

She frowned and started examining the interior. A cozy brown couch could be seen near the fireplace. The decorations reminded her of the room that she was staying in earlier.

Even the colors were the same.

It must be Amelia's room.

The realization didn't lessen the anxiousness inside her. Instead, it made her heart thud loudly against her chest.

"First time?" Matthew chuckled. He must have heard her racing heartbeat.

"Can you stop that?" she asked.

"I already asked my people to find the ones who assaulted you," Matthew said. He was looking at the picture frame that hung on the walls leading to the stairs.

"And?"

"No smell. No prints. Whoever did it knew how to hide from a shifter's senses."

Ava said nothing. She already expected that. Still, she wondered why they let her live. Whoever did it could easily kill her while she was unconscious.

This time, she carefully thought about it. Then stared at the area where she fell earlier. She could see it clearly from the window to her left.

Why would the culprit spare her?

No. It wasn't a coincidence. There must be a reason why they did it.

For now, she could only think of one thing. And that's Trillium.

If something happened to her, Trillium would certainly send more officers to this place.

"Nothing's here. The scent is the same. Two people. Man and woman. It was that man's scent." Matthew said.

Ava nodded in response. It must be Broody's smell.

Next, she made her way into the bedroom. Using a glove, she opened a few drawers, then she opened the closet.

The color of Earth.

It seems that Amelia loved beige, brown, coffee, and everything under those shades. Her clothes were the same, and even her perfume bottle had the same colors. She inhaled.

The room smelled of incense.

Stones and charms can be seen around the room.

"Witches can use tracking spells, no?" Matthew's voice echoed from behind.

"Depends." Though Ava was almost certain that Matthew already knew a lot of things about witches, she didn't want to divulge too much information.

Unlike shifters, witches aren't really that secretive. While most witches hate the shifters, there are still a few of them who would work with them secretly.

"Tracking spells need strong witches." The law of magic is very complicated for a normal human to understand. Witches had been romanticized in films and movies. It made everyone think that witches are capable of doing anything.

Witches aren't gods.

Their magick was gifted by nature. And of course, there are certain limitations.

"I didn't know that."

"Liar," she mumbled. She heard a chuckle then she felt his gaze on her.

"No sign of entry. Nothing. Just what are you looking for?" Mathew asked. However, instead of answering him, she turned her back and got out of the room.

"Leaving already?"

"Yes."

"And I presume you are not going to ride… with me?"

"You are right."

She heard him chuckle behind her.

She snorted in response.

She was about to reach her car when she felt that ominous emotion again. She stopped and stared at her car then towards the space surrounding it. No footprints nearby. No signs of living things either.

"Blood."

She heard Matthew say as he strode towards her car. Of course, she immediately followed him.

Then she saw it.

The source… of the bloody scent.