Chapter 4

LOGAN “A town fair?” Oliver said in disbelief as we arrived at the field. “This is a bit lowbrow for you, isn't it? What exactly are you looking for here?” “I don’t know,” I mumbled while my eyes darted around. I relied on my senses to do the searching but there was so much noise, so many different scents. There was only one thing I was certain of—my wolf was drawn to a particular somebody in that multitude. “We should split up, this place is quite large. If you notice anything off, report to me...“ I paused, seeing the weird look Oliver was rewarding me with. “What?” “Anything off, like what? You’re keeping me in the dark here, Logan. All I see here are common people enjoying themselves. What exactly am I looking out for here?” “Just observe and tell me if you notice anything weird,” I said before walking into the crowds. My gaze darted to the Ferris wheel where the kids seemed to be enjoying their ride, and it brought a tiny smile to my face. It reminded me of how much I used to enjoy them. My attention was diverted by the guys at my far right, tossing basketballs into hoops and trying to win prizes. My mind wandered back to old times when Oliver and I used to play basketball for our werewolf college. The bland music from whatever band played on the center stage was the soundtrack for my search. The breeze suddenly blew across me like a gentle wave and that scent basked all over me. I frowned, staring at the food canopy side where different carts showcased a wide variety of foods. I headed there, hustling through the hungry crowds trying to locate this person. “Try a funnel cake?” A lady suddenly blocked me, eyeing me up like she wanted to eat me. “Trust me, they’re the best you’ll ever taste,” she added with a wink. Blonde, blue eyed, a short skirt accentuating her curves, and a matching crop top enough to entice any man. Yeah, her funnel cake would certainly be one to remember. “No thank you,” I replied while looking around amidst the crowd. I pressed further, scrutinizing every food stand, every game booth. She followed me. “You new around here? I don’t think I've seen your face." “I don’t have time for this,” I sped up, leaving her behind. “Mummy mummy, cotton candy!” the little girl chirped, pointing excitedly at the cotton candy stand. But that wasn’t what caught my attention the most— it was the man standing beside her. He had a red snake tattoo across his neck. Although his back was turned to me, I knew his scent pretty well. He was part of the rogues that had tried to attack my pack boundaries. Anger bubbled up inside me, and as I stepped toward him he looked back. The moment our eyes met, he fled. I chased after him through the crowd but soon I lost his trail. I inhaled deeply, trying to locate his scent, but the intense scent of roasted turkey confused my senses. “Damn it!” I grunted while my phone rang in my pocket. I briskly pulled it out. “I presume you’ve found something." “You were right, something is off about this place." Oliver shouted over the noise. "Remember those rogues that we failed to capture last month? I just came across two of them but I lost them.” My grip on the phone tightened. “I saw one here too. If my guess is right, there might be more of them in this town." “They’ll try to escape now that they’ve seen us.” “Call the guards. Those bastards escaped once, I’m not letting them slip away." My lips pursed as I picked up another rogue’s scent. He was headed toward the center where another band was about to perform. I bustled through the crowd toward the center. Whoever this band was, these people must have loved them deeply, but my business was catching that bastard. “Excuse me, coming through!” were the words I kept blaring as I tried to wade through. I paused, noticing his gaze was focused on someone else. My wolf became restless all over again as I tried to locate who exactly he was focused on. I could barely see the person from my distance; her long silver hair and her red hoodie were all I could note. Every part of my body screamed to move closer to her but I wanted the rogue instead. I marched toward him when suddenly this silver haired girl was trying to get away from him. I paused again, trying to get more glimpses of her but the crowd was just too much of a bother. The rogue followed her too, a devilish smile imprinted on that ugly face of his. My eyes widened as realization dawned on me. He was planning to attack her. I trailed him carefully from a distance and soon I saw him dashing into the forest. Had the girl run away from the safety of a crowd into the dark woods? I briskly left the crowd and dashed toward the treeline as well. “Fuck!!” I grumbled, searching the dark foliage. My phone started ringing again, but before I could answer it I heard a scream. Mate!! my wolf jolted within me. My eyes transformed and my claws extended on impulse as I dashed through the branches and leaves with my speed. The closer I got, the more I could feel that sweet scent of jasmine. My pace doubled and as I arrived at the scene, there she was fighting for her life from the jaws of the rogue. Rage filled me to the core. My wolf took control of my muscles on impulse as I sped towards the rogue, giving the hardest kick into his belly so he crashed into the nearby tree, which almost collapsed on impact. “Filthy rogue, How dare you?!” I barked while the rogue growled as he struggled to his feet. He lunged at me and without thinking, I caught him easily, separating his head from his body as warm blood sprayed my face and my suit. She shrieked in fear, causing me to turn to her. My breaths left me as wild waves of sparks struck within me. Although her silver hair was already coated with dust and leaves, it still retained its flawless beauty. I got lost in those innocent gray eyes of hers; her rosy red lips looked so small and perfect that every part of me craved to claim them with mine. I’ve come across many beauties but never had I seen one flawless enough to fry my thoughts as she did. My heart thumped so hard that I feared it might break free as the word echoed hard inside me. Mate! After ten years, had I finally found my beloved? Was I finally going to be free from my curse? It felt so unreal, I bit my tongue just to ascertain I wasn’t dreaming and indeed I wasn’t. As much as I was excited, I also couldn’t help but notice how weak she was. She could almost pass off as a human with such strength. As the Alpha King, I was supposed to have a strong Luna, but the moon goddess had once again decided to play her ugly tricks on me. “Who are you?” I asked. “Amy. Amy Lockwood,” she answered softly. I couldn’t help but smile a bit. “You’re coming with me, Amy.” “No,” she blurted. I growled, unable to stomach her defiance. “It is not a request.” I took a step closer to her and she shifted backward in fear. “Stay away from me!” she yelled while struggling to stand on an injured foot. “You’re losing a lot of blood.” I tried to reach her but she backed farther away. “What do you want from me?” she queried in a weak voice. “Who are you?!” “Are you seriously asking me that question?” My left eyebrow arched upwards. I was the Alpha King, even the little werewolves knew me, yet my mate was clueless about my identity. “Alpha Logan!” I blurted out. “Your mate.” Her breathing ceased, and her eyes widened in awe. “My— mate? You’re lying!” “Can’t you feel the mate bond?” I retorted and she paused again. I couldn’t take it anymore, I moved towards her in a blink, grabbing her waist so she could lean against me. “You’re bleeding so much, I need to get you treated.” “Let go!” She tried to push me away but my strength was so great that I didn’t even move an inch. “Let go of me!” “Don’t be stubborn, young lady, we’re leaving!” I lifted her up bridal style and I felt the sparks spiral across me as her alluring scent basked all over me. “Drop me this instant! I need to go back!” she persisted, hitting my chest. I was about to take the first step when I suddenly heard screams emanating from the town fair, but this time they weren't screams of excitement. They were screams of horror.