Chapter 1 Scent

Caiden

"I can't believe I came all the way out here to visit my brother and he sent me on patrol like a fucking common warrior!" I complain to my Beta, Aiden. Seriously my little brother Gregor takes over some distant cousin's pack who was a big asshole slaughtering omegas and suddenly I'm expected to show up here and just work for him? I'm the Alpha of our home pack the biggest damn pack in the Country, Silver Crescent and I'm running perimeters?

"Relax, bro. He's been running this pack for over a year and this is the first time you've visited, he literally told you he wanted your opinion on the perimeter to see if he's missed any weak spots. You know this isn't running patrol you're being more dramatic than my mate." he responds rolling his eyes.

"Courtney is the most dramatic person I have ever met now who's being dramatic!?" I spit back at him.

Damn this is a really dumb argument, but he's not wrong. However, from all accounts Gregor is doing a great job rebuilding the pack and their reputation, I don't think he needs my help or opinion. I'm unfamiliar with the land and politics in the Pacific Northwest. I'm more of a East Coast guy anyway. I heard he's renegotiating peace treaties with multiple neighboring packs. He has one meeting with a new neighboring Alpha that took over right around the same time he did. Apparently his parents died in the same attack that wiped out our cousin. It was thrust upon him early to take over. No one knows this Alpha or what to expect. His pack seems stable though and he seems well liked even though no outsider has met him. I guess this will be his great debut, a peace treaty meeting, real exciting stuff.

We were all shocked when Gregor was chosen as the succesor. I guess it made sense since he probably had the most experience, as he was trained to be my beta his whole life. He was related close enough to not be disputed, but far enough removed to not be influenced by those assholes. We honestly didn't even realize we were cousins, my father cut his sister and her insane mate off long ago. We never did get the whole story of why, but based on our cousins actions, we can all take a wild guess.

I do miss my brother often, he was a great beta just like he is an alpha. Aiden is doing a great job though even if he is a trained Gamma, his father was my fathers Beta, but he was trained as Gamma with the assumption that Gregor would be my Beta. My Gamma Eric, who replaced Aiden, and is the heir of my father's Gamma, is also very good and intuned with the pack. I also trust him with my mates life, as is his job. That is if I ever find my elusive mate. At the ripe old age of 25 I should have found her by now. Maybe she died, maybe I am destined to be alone for good.

We continue to run in silence carefully surveying the perimeter in our human form.

Aiden breaks the comfortable silence "I think we're approaching the shared border with Blood Moon, the new Alpha's territory."

"It will be important for him to discuss this area during the meeting. Especially that cliff over there." I say pointing to the cliff in the distance.

"True, that's a weak point, especially if you get someone daring or desperate enough to climb it." He responds.

"You mean stupid enough?" I deadpan.

"That too." He grins

That is when it hits me, the most delicious scent I have ever smelled in my entire being. The intoxicating aroma of dark chocolate and citrus enters my brain and absolutely wrecks me. I can't think, I can't breath, I need to find the source of that scent. My wolf goes absolutely ballistic 'mate, mate, mate.' He's chanting it over and over in my head.

Alpha wolves aren't talkative so I'm not used to him echoing in my mind like this. I can feel that I'm visibly shaking, trying to suppress the shift. Why the fuck am I reacting like this? Isn't this supposed to be romantic and amazing and all that sappy shit.

'Because mate is not here!' My wolf replies, still pushing to seize control.

'You need to stop the scent crosses over the border. We'll be attacked if you run over there in wolf form and then our mate will hate us for attacking her pack!' This seems to calm him down slightly.

"Caiden! What the fuck! What is happening."

I have finally gained enough control over my wolf to realize that I'm on the ground, crumpled in a ball, with Aiden helplessly hovering his hands over me.

I scramble up to my feet and start pacing, running my hands through my hair, which is my nervous habit. Aiden knows this, he can feel I'm on edge.

"Caiden, man, talk to me, we've been best friends forever. What is going on?"

"Mate." It came out a choked whisper. Am I crying?

"You caught your mate's scent?" Aiden says looking perplexed.

"Yes, it goes over the border to Blood Moon."

"We need to go back to your brother and try to tag along to this meeting and figure out who your mate could be, let's go." Aiden says.

We shift and sprint back to the pack house full speed. My wolf is whining and agitated because we're running away from his mate's scent, but he seems to understand. When we reach the pack house my brother is waiting out front, Aiden must have linked him.

I shift back and Gregor throws me shorts to put on. "Come let's talk in my office." He says.

We arrive in his office and I sprawl out on one of the large reading chairs. His office is more like a library then anything else with large wooden shelves reaching to the ceiling, completely filled with books.

Gregor sighs and sits next to me while Aiden leans against the wall across from me.

"So congrats on finding your mate. Though I have no idea who over there would be strong enough to be your mate. The old leadership all passed in the attack and the new leadership is young and has no children. Are you sure she's there?" Gregor says.

"I'm positive." I affirm

"It has to be, I was there, his wolf almost forced the shift." Aiden confirms.

Gregor lets out a big breath. "Alright, well this Alpha is odd, I have no way to contact him, except to show up at the gate. I don't want to bring an unexpected guest on his territory tomorrow, especially the Alpha of the largest pack in the country, so I will send someone now to ask if you can tag along."

"Thank you, brother, I need to find my mate."

Hold on little mate, I'm coming for you.