The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 111: Chapter 111

: Lucas
The last rays of twilight were clinging to the sky as I approached the rubble pile that was still lying at the edge of the newly cleared land. Despite the myriad of other smells hanging in the air, the scent of Sutton’s blood hit me immediately. It spurred Rhonen on. He was pushing at the barrier hard.
‘Calm down,’ I urged, despite feeling the same effects from our mate’s blood as him. ‘Remember, he’s been dealt with.’
‘Send a message,’ Rhonen growled. ‘No one touches mate.’
‘I think we sent that message loud and clear, buddy,’ I replied.
My orders were explicitly clear when I instructed Jaden to take the bastard’s body back to the border. We’d been keeping track of the areas the Dawn Stalker patrols would frequently get close or try to cross. They’d be finding parts of their fellow pack member along the way for a few weeks but we made sure they would know exactly who they were picking up.
‘Not enough,’ Rhonen argued. ‘Still a threat.’
‘That’s why we’re here, Rho,’ I reminded him. ‘We track down where he was staying, we can find his accomplices. Find them, we find the traitor.’
“You okay, Alpha?” a voice pulled us from our conversation and back to reality.
It was one of the security guards. Jason, I believe is his name.
“Were you here the other night when Luna Sutton was attacked?” I asked him.
“I was, Alpha,” he confirmed. “I was the first guard on the scene. How is Luna doing?”
“She’s doing well,” I said. “Well on her way to a full recovery. What route were you assigned that night?”
“The parking deck and the north wing,” Jason replied.
I nodded, waving him back to his patrol. We would need to add a few more routes through the grounds. Despite the property being so large, I’d never seen the need to have men prowling through the woods every night. The packhouse perimeter was really all that mattered. Plus, I didn’t want my pack members to feel like they couldn’t go for a late-night run whenever they wanted. It was a regular pastime for our kind. But with no one coming forward to say they had seen the intruder around prior to the attack, I didn’t have any other choice but to increase security.
“What did it take for Rhonen to get you to show?” Jaden’s voice called from behind me.
I turned as he was coming to my side. He paused, his lip twisting as the scent of the area hit him as well. As his Luna, Knox would be reacting to Sutton’s scent as well. Although not as strongly as Rhonen and I.
“That was enough,” I said, referring to the reminder of what happened here.
Jaden lifted a bag and opened it, pulling out a bloodied piece of clothing.
“I figured we might need a refresher since they’ve been working this area,” he said, holding the fabric out to me.
I waved it off. I didn’t need anything. The scent of that scum was burned into my memory. Yes, there were a lot of contaminating scents in the area, but just like I could pick Sutton’s out of the group, I had already found his. Without any more unnecessary conversations, I gave into Rhonen, letting him take over the shift.
Rhonen’s nose was immediately to the ground. Following the weaving path to the point where our quarry left the trees. We continued through the shadows. Then across the field in a random pattern where he had likely blended in with the workers as he watched Sutton. Then the trail circled back around the grounds to the south edge of the property and along the main road.
‘We lost the scent this way,’ Jaden linked as Knox traveled west.
I went east a short distance, but it was easy to tell he hadn’t come from that direction. The exhaust and fumes from the vehicles were interfering with our sense of smell. I cross the road. Searching for the scent again. Frustration began to rise until Rhonen let out a snarl.
He’d found it again.
We continued tracking. Hitting a few more snags along the way until we came to an empty building. It was an abandoned café. It looked like it hadn’t been in business for a while. Considering the part of the city we were in, it was understandable. I’d been working to get my people out of this area for several years in order to clean it up.
‘Over here,’ Knox called.
I met down a side alley where a set of metal stairs led to a second floor above the café. The intruder’s scent was strong despite the smell of refuse mingling with it. We shifted back. I started to climb the stairs. The door at the top was locked. Not surprising. Using my shoulder, I threw my body weight against the doorjamb. The sound of splintering wood echoed sounded as I planted my feet inside the small apartment entrance.
Dust floated through the rays of moonlight breaking through the windows. The room we stood in was sparse. A few remnants of furnishings scattered about. But there was clear evidence that someone had been staying there recently and the scent that mixed with the stale air was the confirmation we needed.
We moved further in to search the apartment. Jaden opened the drawers and cabinets in the small kitchenette while I went to the bedroom. There was a stained mattress on the floor with a single lamp next to it. No other furniture. However, there was a duffle bag pushed up against the wall at the foot of the makeshift bed.
Picking up the bag, I riffled through it, pulling out clothing and other various items. Until I found something useful.
Jaden came into the doorway. I held up the cell phone that would hopefully lead us to the traitor.