Chapter 29: Evelyn: The Scent of Two Alphas

Chapter 29: Evelyn: The Scent of Two Alphas Evelyn~ I swallowed hard, then asked quietly in my mind, "Do you think Rael knows that Theron already marked me?" "It’s not that easy to tell," she replied. "Didn’t you smell him? Their pheromones have a very similar scent. It’s almost impossible to tell them apart." Honestly, it wasn’t hard to catch Rael’s scent when he was holding me so close. I took a deep breath, letting his pheromones fill my lungs. The scent wasn’t too strong, probably because neither of us was in heat. "You’re right," I admitted silently. "Their pheromones really do smell alike." Both of them had pheromones that carried the scent of cedarwood with a hint of vanilla. Even so, the feeling they gave me was completely different. Theron’s pheromone made me feel like I was wrapped in a cocoon. It made me feel safe, warm, and peaceful,like being in a quiet forest during a rainy afternoon. The kind of scent that made you want to close your eyes and just breathe. Rael’s pheromone, on the other hand, had a faint trace of something wild, like crushed herbs or spiced wood left smoldering under moonlight. It didn’t feel soft or comforting. Instead, it sparked something dangerous and thrilling. It was the kind of scent that made your heart race before your brain could even understand why. Theron’s scent calmed me. Rael’s set me on fire. But honestly, both of their pheromones pulled me in just the same. I couldn’t get enough of them. It was addictive, something my body craved without my permission. The point was, it was truly hard for Rael to distinguish their pheromone scents unless he focused. That’s probably why Rael might have thought the pheromones coming from my body were his. Throughout the journey, I kept pressing my nose against Rael’s chest, breathing in his pheromones, which only grew stronger the more he moved. Luckily, Rael didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he did, and simply chose not to say anything. Eventually, the trees began to thin, and the dense forest gradually gave way to a landscape of rolling hills and scattered highlands. That was when I realized just how far we had traveled. It seemed like we were no longer anywhere near the Valedorn Kingdom’s territory. Based on the maps I had seen from the royal soldiers, there was a region located between the Valedorn Kingdom and its neighboring kingdom, a place officially marked as neutral ground. This land wasn’t called neutral because it was peaceful, but because it was too dangerous to claim. Years ago, it had been a war zone, soaked in too much blood. In the end, both kingdoms agreed to leave it untouched. Even more than that, people said this area was dangerous because it was also home to wild animals and demon beasts. Sometimes, I didn’t understand why humans preferred burning witches over hunting demon beasts. Wouldn’t it be more fun to conquer demon beasts? But I guess that was something only royals could do. On the other side, the commoners didn’t have any knowledge about military training or proper equipment, so they tended to find satisfaction in burning witches, especially me. Anyway, I had no idea where Rael was taking me. This neutral ground would be the perfect location for building a hidden base for his pack, but at the same time, it was incredibly risky, not just because of demon beasts, but also because of the bandits roaming around. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that because Rael had just led me to a narrow gap between tall stone cliffs. "Welcome to my home, my love," Rael said, pulling me a little closer as he came to a stop. The sudden stop made my body bounce slightly in his arms, and I instinctively grabbed onto his shoulder for balance. "This is your home?" I frowned as I looked around. All I could see were rocky cliffs and a stretch of green grass surrounding us. A few trees stood near the edges of the cliffs, but that was about it. The place looked empty, quiet, almost lifeless. Definitely not the kind of place you’d expect someone to live. "Your home is quite ..." I hesitated, searching for a word that wouldn’t sound too rude. "A bit gloomy." Alright, that was still rude. Most people would get upset if I called their home gloomy, especially since that kind of word often made people think of witches or dark magic. However, Rael didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered. In fact, his expression didn’t change at all, as if the smile on his face had been carved there permanently. "It does look a little gloomy from the outside," he admitted calmly, "but you won’t think that once you step inside my home." Home? What home? All I could see was stone and grass. There were no buildings, no tents, not even a sign of life. If this was his idea of a home, then I was starting to worry. "Come in," Rael said softly, his voice echoing slightly as we slipped through a narrow path. The stone walls on either side were cold and damp, but his grip on my hand was warm. The path was so narrow I thought it could only fit one person at a time. The stone walls were covered in moss, but honestly, I’d lived in worse conditions, so a little moss didn’t scare me. I expected it to lead to an empty clearing, or at best, a few tents hidden out of sight. Maybe some makeshift shelters built from wood and cloth, like the refugee camps I had seen before. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. As soon as we reached the end of the passage, the path opened up into a vast hidden valley nestled between the cliffs, an entire sanctuary completely invisible from the outside. Stone houses were built right into the cliff walls, with ivy trailing down their sides. Soft lights glowed from some of the windows, casting a warm amber hue along the rocky pathways. A shallow river ran through the center of the settlement, reflecting the soft light given off by fireflies floating above it. Holy shit. This place was nothing like a refugee camp. It looked more like a settlement that had been built and nurtured over hundreds of years. "Alpha Rael! Welcome home!" Dozens of werewolves rushed forward to greet him, their cheers loud and joyful, like a victory parade. It felt as though a war hero had returned after a long, grueling battle. In the distance, I heard the sound of children laughing, and within seconds, a stampede of tiny feet ran toward us. Those little werewolves crashed into Rael with full force, giggling and clinging to him like waves slamming into the shore. "Alpha Rael! We’ve prepared the wooden stake and firewood to welcome our new Luna!" one little girl shouted brightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. My body stiffened. Wait. The what now?