Her scent

My body couldn't lean back anymore but Fang proceeded forward, gaze fixed into my eyes, a devilish smirk played on his face as he took his time observing me while holding my face in a place by my chin, "You are musky mixed with the beautiful essence of the ocean."

What nonsense was he blabbering? There was no sense to his words, but his actions were offending me. Why does he have to get on my nerves and more than that, there was no need for him to keep trying to get this close to me? I banged my head hard on his forehead. He didn't budge immediately but after a little snicker; he took his distance with his long fingers, stroking the sore spot on his forehead.

"Get going now or you'll lose, " he said, suppressing a smile that surfaced on his lips.

As if he cared! There was no need for him to waste my time like this and then say those words to my face. My eyes took in the tree's distance from this height and carefully I descended one branch at a time.

Great, this will only take more time for me. The horror of falling previously still prevailed in my thoughts.

Suddenly, I felt a powerful hand turned me around and gripped me by my waist and I instinctively held the arm to push it off, feeling the toned muscles that were carved with bulging veins. "Fang, what are you doing!" And in a split second, he jumped along with me down the tree, skillfully hanging and finding his balance with every step.

My fists gripped his collar with my eyes shut. I didn't want to fall this time just because he decided to mess with me again. There was no way I would fall for that little game of his.

We descended the tree faster than I could have done alone, and as we reached down where the trunk bent in a horizontal shape into the No-man's-land, he slowly landed me down. If only he had done this previously, I wouldn't have fallen down the tree so helplessly.

Fang pulled a red strip out of his pocket and handed it to me. My eyes obviously looked with doubtful intentions. Everything he did evoked suspicion in the back of my mind, "What is this?"

"Something that says you completed your task. Don't worry little one, nothing tricky here, just proof that you would need to submit later." Saying this Fang descended the tree and dusted his clothes. For the last time, his eyes met mine with a victory glimmer, "Looking forward to our date princess"

My smile came out deliberately fake one, "can't say the same"

His lips pulled up in an amused smile and without saying anything, he simply went off. I huffed a breath of air out of my mouth and headed back into the land of Winterwells village. My eyes skimmed the surroundings. I knew where all the team White members were supposed to meet, but I barely doubted anyone to be around here where I stood.

My mission had ended way sooner than expected. Although I hated every minute, with Fang creeping into my personal space, at least I got it done. I tied the red strip around my leg, if any situation were to come when I had to change into my wolf then I don't want to end up losing this thin red cloth carved with golden words. After doing the needful I walked on the silent path with some birds singing their melody in the thicket. I couldn't help but get lost in the song.

There was nothing left to wrong anymore, I mean I was practically done on my part and I thought I should relay that to other members through Diana as she was making sure only our members hear our telepathy and not leaking our thoughts, "I am done, heading to our discussed spot"

I waited for any reply, but nothing. Did the connection break? Whatever it was, I should head there fast so we can start sprinting the moment everyone is done with their task.

My feet picked up the pace, jumping through outgrown roots and thorny shrubbery. I hoped Hailey was doing fine and must have finished with her task by now. She looked like someone who carried extreme bloodlust, but what was scary about her were the eyes that guaranteed her intent to kill. Nothing about her looked empty, neither the wish to fight nor how her heart raced loudly when talked about mettle. She was surely a capable individual.

"Selene!" A man's voice came from behind me and I immediately turned around, alerted about who it was.

"Oh Connie, you scared me." My body relaxed and the fist that I had raised in a defensive stance came back to rest by sides. "Are you done with your tasks?"

Connie was a teammate, so it was fine relaxing around him. He made his way closer to me, hurdling through the obstacles of the forest, "Ya, I just finished, didn't know you were in this same area"

"I was right here-" I saw him looking weirdly at my face, narrowing his eyes as if to observe something and that made me stop mid-sentence, "Is...something...wrong with my face?" My eyebrows raised and my eyes widened, but Connie simply stared at me, tilting his head from side to side while his eyes were fixated on my hazel ones. I somehow couldn't help but not blink my eyes.

After an entire minute, he broke off his gaze. "Nothing, I thought something was there in your eyes"

My hand instinctively rubbed them to check his doubt, but there came on my fingers. Before I could respond, Connie walked off and I had to catch up, confused by him. His actions looked normal but he was walking as if I wasn't there and that made me question him, "Are you okay?"

He raised his brows as if I had asked a stupid question, "I am great, did something happen?"

I shook my head with a smile, but something was wrong. Connie was with us yesterday during dinner and I could tell how friendly and childish he was, but this person was acting a little mature for that. Does his personality change during games or while performing tasks?

As we walked ahead through the forest something struck my mind, my head turned to him casually but internally ready to attack and asked, "Connie can I see your white strip for completing the task?"