Light & Shadow

Chapter 4 S1: Hidden: The Smell of Fear

Aden Clarkson

"I'm not going to hurt you." Aden sniffs the air, taking in her growing fear. It's strong enough that he can almost taste it. But there's another scent on her, a shifter, a gargouille - gargoyle. And if he's right, it's a Maalik.

What would a mercenary elitist want with a mere human?

Big brown eyes under chestnut lashes stare at him. Their soulful gaze imparts a sensation of Deja vu. He feels a connection to her, a long-standing one, which further piques his interest.

Her scent, sweet and tantalizing, contains a familiar aroma to it. One that he's sure he has come across before. He's just not sure where or when.

But he does know one thing for sure. She's the female he and his friend and packmate, Logan Van Rosen, had just passed on the jogging trail earlier. But he's seen her all week.

"Please." Her lower lip quivers. "Don't hurt me."

"It's okay. You're safe."

A predatory need to protect her weighs heavy on her, something he hasn't encountered in quite some time. Sure, he does his part to protect humanity from the evils of this world and beyond. But this goes well beyond the need to shield her from any harm.

Protect, his inner beast whispers deep in his mind.

"No." She swallows hard. "You don't understand. He's coming. And there could be others."

She trembles in his arms, and he draws her closer, cradling her head to his chest and shoulder.

The female gazes up at him. Her wide-eyed stare locks with his. "He's not normal."

Twigs snap, and dried leaves rustle. A snaking shadow approaches from the direction of the trail.

Her body goes stiff, and she trembles in his arms once more.

"He's here." Her eyes offer a heartfelt plea, one asking for help, for protection, which he would gladly give to her.

"Hey. She okay?" A cloud of tension etches Logan's clean-shaven face.

"Yeah. She's just shaken and missing a shoe." Aden relaxes his hold, but she continues to cling to him.

His inner beast fully awakens within and sips on her aroma.

Aden skims the length of her body with his gaze. From what he can ascertain, she appears more shook up than hurt.

One shoe on, one shoe off; her white toe sock, smeared with mud, contains a mixture of leaves and twigs on the bottom of it. But after having a run-in with a Maalik, she's lucky it was just a shoe she lost.

Logan waves. "Hey. My name's Logan Van Rosen." He steps to the side and wanders deeper into the thicket, retrieving her phone. He places the device to his ear. "Hello."

"Did you get a good look at the guy?" Aden studies her face with an astute eye.

"No. Not really." She shakes her head. "He was wearing a mask. But I do know he had green eyes and blond hair."

"If he was wearing a mask, how do you know that?"

"Because I pulled it off, well, partially." Her arched brows scrunch together. "But it wasn't enough to see his whole face."

The erratic beat of her heart - and her increased body temperature - indicates she's nervous about something.

She's holding back information, but why?

"Are you hurt?" He takes note of Sophia's bound wrists, something he had overlooked prior.

"No." She shakes her head. "I don't think so."

Calling on the senses of his inner beast, he draws in a breath and picks up a coppery smell. "You have blood on you."

He extracts a knife from his pocket, and her eyes widen once again. He taps the plastic restraint.

"It's not mine, the blood." Her shoulders roll forward, and she offers up her hands.

Aden slips the two-inch blade under the plastic zip tie and applies just enough pressure to snap her tie and free her.

"Thank you." She rubs her wrists where the tie bit into her tender flesh. "Can you believe the asshole told me to stop fighting? As if that was ever going to be an option."

"Then, it's his blood?" He coaxes her forward, directing her toward the park trail.

"Yeah. I scratched his face, trying to get to the fucker's eyes." Leveling her chin, she glances up at him. "At least I managed to knee the bastard in the groin."

The corners of his lips tug upward slightly. "Did you, now?"

He peers into her big doe eyes and holds her steady gaze.

"Hey, I'm Aden Clarkson."

"Sophia Mahoney." She extends an arm.

He takes her hand in his. Her grip, firm and without any hesitation, makes him want to know more about this human.

At the trail entrance, he offers her some additional support as she climbs over the wooden fence. Once over, he finds it hard to release her. The growing desire to hold her, to protect her, makes him want to keep her close.

With his arm still around her shoulder, he steps onto the path of the trail. Her heartbeat, no longer thumping in an erratic pattern, keeps a steady cadence.

A shadow plays on her face, drawing his attention to her smooth complexion. Upon closer inspection, a blemish coats one side of her face.

Aden tilts her head toward the lamp post. Her skin under his fingertips generates a subtle buzzing sensation, one that catches his attention.

Well, now, what do we have here?

Magic hums along her skin. The faint line of a white aura begins to glow around her.

Are you Wiccan, a sorceress, or something else altogether?

The thought amuses him and sparks the inquisitive eye of his inner beast.

Why would she cloak herself? He finds her a puzzle he would like to solve on many levels. Perhaps she seeks to hide from something or someone.

"That's going to swell." He traces the curve of her cheekbone. Her skin, soft under the tips of his fingers, makes the beast inside him crave more contact.

Goose bumps erupt across her pink, rosy flesh, leaving him to wonder how far the blush travels.

"Yeah. The asshole hit me - twice."