New Wolf novel Chapter 122

I quickly melted from my daze and straightened up. "You ready to kick some ass?" I smirked.

"These assholes murder my mother." he returned my smirk. "This is personal."

The vacuum feeling returned again as we passed through the bridge. Then, in an instant, the smell of blood was fresh in the air. It wasn't from my pack, that I was sure of. But a short battle took place not long ago where we all now stood.

Troy lead us down a rocky path where Alaric and his team stood submerged three feet in a swamp. He explained that the swamp bed releases a toxin that can mask their scent before making his way over to us.

Thanks to the map on my back, we know all the blindspots and secure areas around the kingdom. This gives a bit of an edge going in so we're not completely helpless.

"Hanna," Alaric beamed. "would you like to be masked as well?"

"Is that necessary.." I said sheepishly. The swamp bubbled and spouted a gas my heightened sense of smell was misfortune with. "It looks," I drilled my mind for the perfect word to describe that infested-looking pond of muck. "dirty," I ended up saying. Alaric's boisterous laughter took me by surprised as I have never heard him make such a sound.

"It's a rather enjoyable soaked once you get passed the smell and the mud between your toes. It grants similar effects as a..." he paused. "spa would."

I doubt it.

"You can decline if you want," Troy whispered. "Standing around in mud isn't the only way to mask scents around here."

"I think I'll pass," I smiled sweetly, fanning my hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I backtracked as I followed Troy's footsteps. "I'm sure."

He quickened his pace once he noticed me behind him. Barack was nowhere in sight but I knew he must be close by. Troy bent over a shrub and uprooted a strange plant. It was crystal blue in the shape of a rod and it had a tiny spike at the top. Troy rolled up his sleeve and drove the spike in his forearm. He squeezed the rod of the plant until it saw shriveled and empty.

He reached for my arm and I held it close to my body. I had no idea what he'd just done and I wasn't about to let him inject me with liquid from some strange plant.

"It's a suppressant." He grabbed my arm. The tip of the plant dove on my skin and I watch as the fluid secreted into my vein. "It's most commonly used in medicine, to cure dehydration and as a poisonous toxin."

"A poison what?"

"Toxin. It's a Lytral plant."

I felt all the color drain from my body after he said that.

He better be lying.

"As in the thing that killed my father?"

"Yes- AND before you freak out, it won't kill you. This is pure Lytral."

His smile faltered slightly. "I know what you did. You should know that Barrack and my life are intertwined since I'm his new master. I appreciate you altering my memories but they'll still exist because he remembers them."

"Oh." I only said.

"I didn't mean to ignore you. I just needed some time to myself and I didn't want you to get discouraged that it didn't work."

"I'm still sorry it didn't work."

He smiled. "I know."

We rejoined the group in time to hear Alaric talking about the men watching the outskirts of the kingdom. If we were to get close to the gate we'd have to take them out.

Someone suggested I used my powers but Alaric insisted I didn't unless it was absolutely necessary. It made sense in a way. Not many of the Raiders know what I look like, and since my scent is masked, they won't know who to look for.

Troy said he'd go survey the area to get the numbers and he hopped on Barack and disappeared behind the bushes.

I sat on a dried up tree trunk as everyone got themselves ready as we waited on Troy's return. When my butt began to get numb I stood and decided to stretch my legs. I walk down the path Troy and I came from, but I made sure I was still in sight of everyone.

At the corner of my eye, there was a glimmer of light. I strayed from the path in order to investigate it and I went to the other side of the bushes.