Silver Claws

41. A scent can be masked

The sun was not yet risen, the stars still winking steadily above from gaps in the trees. It would still be hours before dawn. We were low to the ground on our approach, still too far back to see what the rouge base looked like. We were to the east of them so our scent wouldn't catch the breeze and alert them. Though we were still too far to be heard, a hush had fallen over us, and any extra sound felt as jarring as a scream.

The smell of rot rode pungent on the wind, the closer we came the more the eyes watered. There must had been a whole army of rouges to create such a stench. I could hardly contain my excitement at the blood to be drawn, I was going to have my revenge.

Each wolf had a blade drawn as a precaution. Reed was the only one who looked as gleeful as I felt. The rest looked tense but unafraid, Logan kept sending me strange looks. He wasn't looking directly at me, but around me. I tried to see what he was thinking but I couldn't. I bit into my lip, I hoped he was pleased that I had marked him again and not secretly upset with me. He had seemed enthusiastic, but had not really touched me since we had...

I felt my face flush and turned away to hide it. I had bared my neck to him. It felt like a dream, had I really done that? Had he meant it when he said he would mark me? That he wanted me to beg? Something about his actions and words had felt forbidden and illicit, he had called to a part of me I never thought about. I could still feel his touch on my skin like a ghost.

"Go." Reed whispered, drawing me out of my thoughts.

Dag shifted immediately, his clothes dropping to the ground as he emerged from the neck hole in his shirt as a hawk. He took off in sweeping circles, rising up through the trees gracefully without a glance back.

He looked exactly as a hawk ought to, he would attract no unnecessary attention. I shifted next into the same hawk, and I rose up next. I knew I would be far more conspicuous, I would have to stay in the shadows as much as possible.

Once we had each risen above the canopy he dropped back so I could take point. His winged body soaring just off my shoulder to catch the draft. This was the first time he and I had ever flown together but we were in perfect synchronization, as though we had always been this way.

We didn't go too high, staying only a few bodylengths over the tree tops. I caught sight of trails below, running like arteries to a heart.

They met at a final point, a metal shelter. The roof was slanted one direction and the whole structure was deeply rusted, holes had been repaired with sheets of metal in a patchwork. The shelter groaned to itself with the breeze, and not a single wolf was to be seen. The smell of rouge and rot was repugnant, radiating from the building. As far as I could see there were no nearby structures.

Dag broke off from behind me to make a larger loop and survey more of the surroundings. After that he was to find a good vantage point. He would be a set of eyes for us, and would cry a warning if we were about to be ambushed.

I flew back to the wolves, landing beside Logan. I sent mental images of what I saw as well as my commentary.

Not a single wolf to be seen, no guard. They may know of us.

Logan frowned and filled in the rest of them without including my concern about the lack of guard. Reed seemed to agree with my assessment though, his expression cloudy as he spun a knife around and around his fingers.

"No matter what we have to get in that barn. Akela was there a way for you to slide in there and take a look?" Reed asked. Logan let out a rumble of annoyance.

"You want to send her in blind?"

Cara spoke up, "Better one of us than all. She doesn't have to stay in there, just peek and see if we are walking into a trap. She can get in and out."