"Sorry, I went all the way around the park. It's homemade perfume. Some nice little old lady gave it to me. And you can smell that?"
"Did you have to use the whole bottle? Yes, I can smell it. There is a guy across the lake from us who just took a whiff and fell off his bike!"
"Really? Oh my! I'm so sorry! You have a really good vision, though! I can't see all the way over there."
"Of course you can't, it was a figure of speech, dum-dum! Move! Damn it, now we have to rush back," Luisa says and starts running, with Jena in tow.
"What is a figure of speech?"
"It's a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage. Stop making me talk! I need to focus on my breathing, or I'll die before we get there!"
"Are you in danger?" Jena asks looking around for any sign of trouble.
"No, silly. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm no athlete. That was another figure of speech."
"I see."
The teaching assistant is kind enough to let them in, even with Jena observing, under the condition of her being quieter than a dead mouse.
The entire seminar Jena fidgets in her seat, agitated, but somehow manages to stay silent until the end.
"What got your panties in a twist, Jena?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why are you so agitated? It's a..."
"Figure of speech, I get it."
"Ha! You're quick. You still haven't answered me, though," Luisa says with a smile.
"Well, can you smell that?"
"The stinky perfume you bathed in? Of course. The whole group felt that smell. Why do you think they were giving us the weird looks?"
"Not that. I mean it smells like a pine forest in the rain and roasted nuts. It's so warm and cozy like I could just wrap myself in it."
"Girl, your crazy ass grandma's homemade perfume is causing you an olfactory hallucination. See? Not even your brain can handle the stench."
"No, this is different. Completely, it's like I could feel my m..."
"Mate! It's our mate! It's our mate! It's our mate! But don't tell her that. She already thinks you're weird."
"Mother's cooking," Jena finishes.
"Honey, that's your stomach sending you signals you need to feed it. Not sure how though. I feel like puking."
"Find the smell! Find it!"
So Jena starts moving around the room, discreetly sniffing.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for... that smell of food. I really want some of it?"
"You're asking me? Are you having a craving? Jena Abbyline Rork! Are you pregnant?"
"WHAAT?" Jena almost screams, going all red in the face.
"Well?"
"Of course not! I haven't found my ma..."
"Jena!"
"Life partner yet."
"So no husband. Who cares? You don't need to be married to practice baby making, you know."
"Luisa, stop that! You sound just like Joel!"
"Oh, Joel huh?" Luisa asks and repeatedly raises and lowers her eyebrows at Jena.
"No! Joel is a friend, and he is ma... rried to my best friend, Hannah."
"Oh. I was kind of hoping I could be your best friend," she says, sounding a little sad.
"You are my best friend here! And what? Am I not allowed to have more than one best friend?"
"I'm your best friend?"
"Of course you are! And so is Hannah!"
"Awe, you're my best friend too, and I'd love to meet Hannah someday, and maybe we could all be best friends together!"
"That would be..."
"Unlikely? Impossible? Not happening? Don't get the girl's hopes up, Jena. You know we are leaving soon."
"That would be great. Anyway, I haven't even had sex yet."
"REALLY? I thought with your looks boys would be all over you."
"I'm not interested. I'm waiting for my ma...n. Man I'm going to marry."
"Awe, so cute. Told you you are a romantic!" Luisa adds with a big grin on her face.
"So who sat here?" Jena asks, after locating the point where the scent is the strongest.
"A girl named Elena. Real teacher's pet that one. I think she reads the lectures in advance or something. She always has all the answers."
"No way. It can't be a girl, can it? Cause I'm pretty sure I'm into guys. That scent, though? Could I be wrong, Lana?"
"I don't know. I'm... I can't be sure with all this pressure from this place; my senses are messed up but... we need to know. It smells so delicious! Find out! Ask more! We have to know. We need to know for sure!"
"Luisa, you think you can introduce me to this Elena? I need to find out if... where she bought those roasted nuts."
"Man, you really want some, don't you?" Luisa asks, and Jena nods quickly.
"Please!"
"OK, let's run and find her before next class then," she says and once again takes off with Jena in tow.
As soon as they catch up to her, Luisa calls out:
"Hey Elena, wait up!"
The girl waits but doesn't look happy to be doing it.
"What? I'm not giving you my notes! And I assume we are using English for your friend here?"
"No, nothing like that. And yes, this is Jena. She is from Africa."
"Hi," Elena says and outstretches a hand, but Jena simply comes in and hugs here, inhaling her scent.
"It's not her."
"I know, I'm not sure if I am disappointed or relieved."
"Ask for more information."
As Elena freezes, Jena quickly moves back.
"Forgive me, I forgot your greetings are different here."
"It's... OK I guess, I would have kicked you in the nuts if you were a guy."
"Speaking of which, Jena, probably because of her origin, seems to have a better nose than us and thinks you might have a bag of roasted nuts or something on you and was wondering where you got them."
"Roasted nuts? Sorry, no. I can give you a sandwich if you want, though?"
"No, thank you. I'll be fine."
"OK, see you in class!"
Both girls look after Elena as she leaves.
"Guess that's that. We should go as well."
"No! Please, I really want... some of those roasted nuts. Maybe there was someone there before your group?"
"Probably. I know! On the second-floor hallway, there is a large notice board with all the timetables of all the learning groups. So find Wednesday, which is today, then find the chemistry lab, which is the seminar room we were just in, and then find what year and group had the chemistry seminar in the two hours before us. And after all that, find when and where they have their next two hours, and you can go there and wait since I don't think you can join me for my next class. The teacher is rather strict."
"OK, thank you. I'll see you after."
"Yup, and we can go home, and after maybe for a walk and talk? Damn it I really have to go. Cya!"
Having finally found the schedule she had been looking for, Jena has come to the sad conclusion the group of students that took the chemistry seminar before Luisa is free for the rest of the day. So there is no way to meet the person she is after. At least not before the next morning.
With nothing else to do, she decides to take another run in and around the park to further familiarize herself with the area.
In her mind, Jena is making sure the Second will have no place to hide.
She returns at the appropriate time to pick up Luisa and they both head home.
"How is your roasted nuts craving?"
"It’s not that bad anymore. I ate some food in the park. Maybe I was just hungry?"
"That's good. You want to watch a movie with me?" Luisa asks, trying to find something else to do with her friend.
"Sorry Lu, I need to go for a run. You guys have all these comforts close to home, yet I'm used to a lot more activity. I had to ..."
"Instead of 'let my wolf run' like you wanted to, say '12 miles to get a water ju
g for my father and me' and hope she buys it."
"But I only went like 60 or 70 feet to the fountain."
"She doesn't know that, and you need a reason to go out."
"12 miles to get a water jug for my father and me twice a day, every day since I was six years old, so having the water on tap like you do sounds very nice, but I'm getting restless. I think I'm going for a very long run to tire myself out, so I can sleep properly."
"You want to run 12 miles now? But it's almost dark outside!"
"Don't worry; I know how to defend myself. And actually, I was planning to go at least double that. Want to come with me?"
"No way! I'd die from the lack of air after the first mile. My lungs and my pretty little legs aren't used to that kind of stress. You must be some kind of wild animal to be able to do that!"
"Aaa hahaha, she has no idea!" Lana says in the back of Jena's mind, rolling around with the laughter.
"I'll be back soon!"
"Riiight, I'll be lucky if you get back before midnight so we can talk some more. Have fun," Luisa wishes her, but it doesn't feel like she means it.
"Bye!"
"Time to hunt some werewolf assholes. Well, one BIG asshole to be more exact."
"Blood for blood!" Lana agrees.
Before getting any closer to her destination, Jena uses the remainder of the perfume bottle from the previous day to cover her scent, and wearing the sweatpants and t-shirt she had borrowed from Luisa, proceeds to do some 'jogging', as the people of this place call it, around the very small park directly across the street from the motel.
"You have any idea why they call this jogging? It feels like a very light run, close to what the Elders and the children do back home."
"Well Lana, apparently this is almost a sport here. A way to keep in shape."
"Keep in shape running like a child?"
"Maybe the pressure is affecting them as well. You can feel how straining it is to even jog for me. On Calla, I would almost be running full sprint now with the amount of effort I'm exerting. Feels good, though."
"So what do you think about our mate?"
"Well, it's not like I met him to give an opinion. Or her."
"Don't even go there. It's not a 'her'."
"How can you be so sure? You were as hesitant as I was yesterday when we thought it was that Elena girl."
"Yeah... well, it wasn't her so it must be a guy."
"Are you really that sure?"
"Yes... OK, maybe 90% sure."
"Well, I would love my mate no matter what! Even if it is a girl."
"Look! It's the Second. I recognize the smell."
"Right. Let's follow."
After a while, and an unfavorable wind change making her presence known to the Second, he picks up the pace and starts making sharp, random turns trying to lose her.
"Cine esti si ce vrei? Nu-mi plac cersetorii si nu ma intereseaza scurtu' sau orice alt serviciu ai de oferit!"
"How come you know their language, Second?"
He pales visibly, even in the dim light of the night street lamps.
"H...how do you know that name? Did the witch send you? What more could she want? Does she have another proposition? Because with the knowledge of this world she put in my brain and the money she gave me I'm sure I can manage to survive until my mate gets here. So tell her I don't need or want any more deals!"
"I did use the witch to get here, but she doesn't want anything else from you. It does, however, look like someone got a better deal than he deserves. You got knowledge and currency, just to sit around here lazily, waiting for your mate."
"Do I know you?"
"I should be offended I think, but you did only hear me inside a canyon, my voice bouncing off the walls. You had my father killed! Ring a bell?"
"Alpha Jena? But how? I thought..."
"You were safe? That I wouldn't find you anywhere you went and squeeze the light out of your eyes for what you did?"
"You are one crazy bitch!"
"You work for a madman you call Master; you call yourself Second instead of a regular name, and you went after my father because I didn't let you commit genocide against an entire Pride and YOU have the audacity TO CALL ME crazy? The amount of sanity missing from your head defies the laws of Calla."
"This isn't Calla, little girl. And on this planet where your wolf doesn't exist, being Alpha means shit! We are the same, and you have no cheating extra power from your ill-gotten title!" He yells and swings for Jena, punching her square in the jaw.
Startled by the suddenness of the hit and the coppery taste of blood in her mouth, she takes a few steps to balance herself and lays there, apparently dazed.
"Aaa hahaha! He doesn't even have his wolf, and he thinks he is actually going to win this fight?"
"Maybe the pressure is too much for his wolf to really be of any kind of help? You are an Alpha after all, and even before that you had some harsh training for body endurance."
"Maybe. I'm going to enjoy this. Want to help me humiliate him before he dies?"
"Definitely."
"Think you could take more of the pressure on you, so I have more of my actual power?"
"Yes. But just enough so I can still witness what is happening. So I'm keeping eyesight and sound. I won't be able to talk to you though, and you won't even be at the strength you had before you were an Alpha. "
"Perfect," Jena finishes and starts laughing like a maniac.
The Second is startled by her sudden laugh, but his anger overrides the danger messages sent by his common sense, so he attacks again.
You won't be following me around when you're dead, little girl, he thinks to himself.
He swings again, as hard as he can, only to have his hand blocked before it reaches its target.
Lucky brat!
And again he attacks. And again. And again. Every time Jena blocks him with ease.
This shouldn't be possible in this cursed world!
"My wolf disagrees with you Second."
No fcuking way!
"She says you should bleed. But I have a story to tell you first," Jena adds sweeping his legs from under him.
Following him down with a knee on his chest, she catches him by the throat and starts squeezing.
The lack of air forces the Second to use both his hands against the one Jena has on his neck, fighting her for every breath.
"You are so weak it's pathetic. But you will die nonetheless. It's good that I know about your mate now. I bet she is the traitor I need to find in my father's pack. Not to mention you just helped me rule out all the happily mated wolves there."
"Lana, give me some claws even for a few seconds. I don't know, just keep watching without hearing. You are going to love this."
A single finger does a partial morph.
"The middle finger only? Ironic choice but it'll do."
With the new cutting weapon at her disposal on her free hand, she pierces the Second's neck, but only slightly, just enough for him to feel the blood trickle and his fear explode.
"So I'm going to cut your head off. As you can see my wolf got me well equipped for it," she says, grinning maniacally and wiggling her bloody finger in his face.
"And after that, I'm going to take it back home, drive a long stick through your neck up into that sick brain of yours, and place it by the fountain so your mate can see it. And after she sees you dead and hears me brag about how easy I killed you, and how I humiliated the weak wolf you are, I'm hoping she is going to go insane with rage and come after me. At which point I'm going to subdue her, put her in a cage and give her your head to play with. By the time the skin, hair, and muscle rot off, and your skull is all that remains of your head, she will be crazy enough to not even recognize her own name. THAT is when I'll put her out of her misery. But since your body will be part here and skull there, with your soul torn between worlds, you will never be together again. Not even in the afterlife."
The clawed finger turns back into a regular one,
the strain on Lana becoming too great, momentarily distracting Jena.
Enraged by the threats to his mate, and with a final effort, the Second manages to somehow take advantage and push Jena off of. He starts running as fast as his legs can take him.
"You will never find my mate! And by all means, stay in this world looking for me! With my knowledge of it, I'll destroy you in ways you can't even imagine!" He yells back while running.
With his eyes back towards Jena and his fist in the air for emphasis, he crosses the street, but misses the incoming bus, its driver speeding to the garage for the night.
A loud impact noise, brakes screaming and a body thrown dozens of feet away is what Jena witnesses as she is giving chase.
"That was..."
"Disappointing," Lana answers after redistributing the effort of holding the world's pressure at bay.
"There was so much more I wanted to do to him!" The Alpha exclaimes while approaching the mangled body.
"I know! Me too! Think he is still alive?"
"No. Definitely dead," Jena says after checking for any life signs.
"Well, it's not like you could actually take his head back to Calla. You heard the witch. You can't take anything back with you. We should drop by the lake and wash off the blood and that awful perfume before Luisa has a panic attack when she sees you."
"You're right. Let's go."
***
"Morning Jena! Sorry I fell asleep last night and didn't wait for you. So did you do or see anything interesting?"
"Nothing much. Ran around, saw a guy get hit by a bus, ran some more, tripped, fell in the lake. Got out, came home."
"Oh my God! Was he OK? Do you have a fever or something from falling in the water? Can't believe you go out once and it sounds like you went through an adventure worthy of a book! Is all your life this interesting?"
"I'm fine. Back home I bathe outside all the time. And I don't think what happens to me is that interesting. It's not like there are hundreds of people waiting to read the story of my life as it unfolds. I'm just a girl like you... but from Africa," Jena says with a smile.
"Poor guy, not paying attention. How can someone miss a bus coming right at them?"
"Who knows? Maybe he was running from something..."
"At night? What from? The big, bad wolf? Anyway, was he OK?"
"Don't know. Doubt it, though. Though I would really appreciate it if you taught me how you get clothes cleaned here. You know, since I fell in the lake and stuff."
Rise of an Alpha Female (Two Moons Book 1) Page 16