His Special Hybrid Coralanna

4 - The Mysterious Scent

Coralanna POV

    As I lay on my side in the pack clinic, getting multiple wounds stitched, I stared at the clinic door with my lifeless eyes.  Yep, that's right, they got me again.  I was close to crossing the border, when suddenly I was tackled to the ground by a huge dark brown almost black wolf, with eyes so dark and evil staring down at me, as it growled and snapped at my face.  Reflexively, I threw my hands up to shield my face and throat, as much as I could.  

    A second later, the wolf shifted back, leaving a naked Mark laying on top of me.  He smirked at me evilly, as he snarled, "You are going to pay dearly for trying to run away again."  

    As I laid on top of twigs and debris scattered on the forest floor, he assaulted me like he usually does at night.  When he was done, he spit in my face, before he threw me over his shoulder and stalked back to the pack house grumbling profanities the whole way.

    When we got there, he carried me all the way to the dungeon and slammed me down on the cement ground.  This was the first day he beat me with a whip.  With every strike, I could feel the skin on my back split open.  I screamed until I couldn't scream anymore, then I silently cried until I passed out from the pain.

    I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up I was at the pack clinic, and Sasha was cleaning my wounds with fear in her tear filled eyes.  I hated to see her so upset, that was just one of the many reasons I kept trying to run, even though I knew the consequences of doing so.  To be honest, getting beat with the whip wasn't going to stop me from trying either.

    I may feel dead inside right then, but deep down, I knew there was more out there.  A better life if I could escape this brutal pack of beasts.  I wished I could take Sasha with me, but she didn't want to leave her mum here, and I could completely understand her reasoning, so I quit trying to talk her into it.  

    We did some research on the Silver Moon Pack, and it appeared to be relatively close on the map.  We figured it would take around two hours of running nonstop when I am hurt and weak.  If I were able to make an escape when I was less weak, I could possibly get there in an hour and a half.  It's a long distance for somebody to run, especially when that somebody was me.  

    I never got the opportunity to go run through the forest like the rest of the pack members.  That is why it was so hard for me to escape on foot.  The times I tried to escape were the only times that I was able to run since they brought me here.  I could only hope and pray to the Moon Goddess to give me the strength needed to survive this pack, or bring my mate here to find me and take me away from the daily horrors I am forced to face.

    I was almost nineteen and I still hadn't shifted.  I didn't understand why my wolf abandoned me, when I needed her the most.  It broke my heart on a daily basis.  As always I can feel her within me, but she doesn't talk to me.  Instead, she stayed in hiding.  Every now and then, she would weaken the wall she built between us, then I would hear her whimpering in my head and feel her sadness, but I missed hearing her voice in my head.  

    I knew if she would just come out of hiding and take control allowing my body to shift into wolf form, we could get away from this hell hole.  Sasha ran some tests and tried counseling me and talking me through the many traumatic events I have endured, but nothing helped bring her out of hiding.

    My whole body hurt so bad this time, I pleaded for my wolf to come out of hiding and help me heal.  Even that would be a game changer in this situation.  Although I can't be too mad at her because I understand why she puts a wall up and goes into hiding.  No shewolf should have to endure the things I have been put through at the hands of these merciless animals.

Anton POV

    I visited my sister at the Silver Moon Pack for her wedding.  She looked so beautiful and utterly happy.  It filled my heart with joy to see her in the loving arms of her mate James.  He has been very good to her since the day they met.  She ran into a minor set back at the Twisted Moon Pack when she met her first mate Jesse, but after she rejected him for acting like a heartless asshole, she moved on and eventually found James.

    While we were at the reception, I felt the sudden familiar pain in my heart.  This time it was worse than it had ever been.  Luckily Andrea was dancing with James and not paying attention when I doubled over from the pain.  Jada, who I had been talking to when the pain hit, grabbed ahold of my arm as she exclaimed, "Oh my Goddess, Anton, what is wrong?"

    As I held my hand against my chest, I looked up at her as I responded, "I honestly do not know.  This has been happening for years, but this is by far the worst it's ever hurt."  

    She helped me to the closest chair and I plopped down on it.  She sat down across from me and gave me a pointed look as she asked, "Have you seen a doctor about this?"

    I chuckled as I answered, "Of course I have.  He says I am healthy as can be and that it most likely has something to do with my mate."

    Jada eyes instantly looked worried as she said, "That can't be good, Anton.  You have to find her soon, especially if the pain is getting worse."

    "I know, but I just don't have time to travel to every pack with the damn rogues constantly attacking the Forest Pack," I deadpanned.  I sighed before I continued, "The pain being worse could mean a few different things.  One... if it's from her being in pain, then she is in worse pain then the other times.  Two... she is having s*x with somebody else.  Or three... she is in one of the packs or the human city nearby.  As soon as I can, I will visit all of the packs around here."

    "You should definitely do that.  If she's in pain, there is no telling what is happening or how long she will be able to endure it," Jada said with concern.

    "I agree and believe me, I take trips to the other packs around every chance I get," I assured her.  

    Shortly after, Jada went with her mate Ashton to dance.  I stayed where I was sitting and stared at the moon.  Silently I begged the Moon Goddess to help my mate get through whatever was happening to her.  I had this overwhelming feeling that this pain wasn't being caused by betrayal.  Deep down, I knew that somebody was causing her pain and I just wanted to find her and make the pain stop.  

    I wanted the chance to show her what true love felt like.  Even though I hadn't met her yet, I already knew that I would love her no matter what had happened to her.  

    The conversation between Jada and I had left me and my wolf feeling extremely antsy and I just wanted to give my wolf, Asher control and let him run free.  I wouldn't do that right now because I didn't want to leave my sister's special celebration.  I decided a run would have to wait until later.  

    Short after they stopped dancing, they cut the cake.  Now that cheered me up a little bit because who doesn't like cake.  It was an amazing cake that tasted like a perfect blend of chocolate and coffee.  It was frosted with the most amazing fudge topping.  I wasn't one bit surprised that her cake tasted like coffee since she has always loved coffee and her mate surprisingly smelled like coffee.  It was like his scent was made just for her.  I couldn't help but wonder what my mate's scent would smell like.  I bet she will smell sweet like some kind of flower or a fruit, but you just never know sometimes.

    It wasn't long after that, Andrea and James retired to their suite.  I hung out with Jada, Ashton, Ace, and Shelly for a little while, getting to know the three faces better.  I had only seen them all a few times and hadn't been able to talk to them much when I did visit so it was nice to spend this time with them.  Ace seemed to care about Andrea just as much as Jada.  It had become very obvious that Andrea considered Ace to be just as much of a bestfriend to her as Jada.

    After everybody else headed to bed, I was finally able to walk to the forest and strip down before I shifted into my mostly black wolf.  The tip of my ears and tail are brown and my paws are also brown.  My wolf is quite large but runs just as swiftly and faster than most other wolves since I am a Beta.  

    I sprinted through the wolves enjoying the way breeze whip through my thick fur as I ran through the dense forest.  When I got close to one of the borders, a breeze whipped through and I smelled the sweet scent of roses mixed with strawberries.  As soon as the scent hit my nose, it disappeared along with the gust of wind.  I walked around sniffing the air looking for any sign of the scent but couldn't find even a trace of it anywhere.  After sniffing in a circle around the area, I gave up and headed back to the Silver Moon pack house, thinking I must be imagining things.