Chapter 133: His scent
With trembling hands, I gathered him into my arms and pressed a kiss to his forehead. A surge of pure, radiant happiness washed over my entire body, so profound I felt as though I could embrace the entire world.
A soul-crushing weight—one I had dragged behind me for four long years, ever since the day doctors first delivered his terminal prognosis—finally shattered and fell away.
The emergence of his fangs and his scent meant his own innate hormones could now defend his body, fighting off the affliction and burning away the poison that had circulated through his veins for his entire life.
Most importantly, it meant he would have a normal childhood. The life he truly deserved. He was going to see his whales.
When the doctor stepped in to detach Matthias from the monitors, my boy remained fast asleep. I whispered what I had seen, and the doctor smiled softly, admitting they had picked up on the shift in his scent immediately. He carefully slid the catheter out, instructing us to rest and emphasizing that sleep was the best medicine for him now.
A heavy wave of exhaustion dragged at my eyelids. Curling around Matthias, taking care not to wake him, I gently stroked his back. On the fragile border of sleep, a quiet thought floated through my mind: if Magnus ever knew about his son, he would undoubtedly be so proud of the boy’s resilience. His strength. The incredible bravery with which he had fought through four painful years without a single complaint, tear, or sign of fear.
With that thought cradled in my heart, I finally drifted off into deep sleep.
***
"Mom! Mooooom! There are crazy screams outside!"
My son’s loud voice broke violently through the thick curtain of my sleep. At first, I thought I was just dreaming about him, groaning quietly as I covered my head with the cozy blanket.
Matthias, however, did not seem to like that one bit.
"Mom! Wake up! Uncle Askold is about to get into a fight!"
At last, I fought to pry my eyes open, struggling to bring the room into focus. Matthias was sitting upright on the bed, staring toward the window with intense curiosity, though his small hand was gripping mine tightly. Outside, the sunset was already dissolving into the deep shadows of dusk. We had slept through the entire day. My eyes felt gritty and raw, as if someone had poured sand behind my lids.
I swung my legs off the bed and stood up. Matthias immediately reached his arms out toward me—a subtle shift that caught me off guard, given how fiercely independent he usually tried to be for his age. I scooped him into my arms, and he instantly clung to me like a tiny koala, burying his nose deep into the crook of my neck.
I stepped closer to the window and peered down through the glass. Everything inside me instantly went dead cold.
The courtyard below was completely encircled by dark, heavy-armored SUVs. There were armed men everywhere, all dressed in black, their muscles nearly bursting out of the fabric. One look was enough to realise that they all were werewolves.
And just there, standing near the front porch, were Magnus and Askold. They were locked in a fierce, low-strung confrontation—Askold’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white, while the muscle along Magnus’s jaw flexed with restrained, explosive fury.
They were both shouting something at one another, but the ringing in my ears was so loud that their words sounded like a foreign language to me.
And then, Magnus suddenly snapped his head upward.
Our eyes locked through the thick glass.
The impact felt like a high-voltage shock straight to my chest. On instinct, I jerked back from the window, pulling Matthias tighter against my ribs; he let out a soft, disgruntled huff at my sudden, crushing grip.
He found us so fast. How? How is this even possible?! He should not be here! He can’t!
The bedroom door burst open, and Adam rushed inside—moving with impressive speed for his advanced age.
"Jane! He is here! We are––"
"He’s barred from entering the Lower District..." I interrupted him, my voice laced with panic. "He has a tattoo to prove it... Why..? Why is he here?"
Adam sighed with unconcealed irritation, tugging nervously at his sleeves. "Someone transferred an exorbitant sum into the Director’s private account a week ago, granting him full entry rights! Fucking hell!"
"What about his private enforcers? They shouldn’t be allowed to—"
"Jane..." Adam cut me off, letting out a sharp, breathless exhale. He looked at me with an expression of sheer disbelief, as if he could barely process the words leaving his mouth.
"He pulled off something unthinkable. I can’t say for certain, but since the local military and police haven’t intervened... he appears to be operating here under complete legal immunity.
That level of warrior escort and utter freedom is reserved strictly for government officials or... for the supreme leader of a unified Upper District Alpha council. Rumors had been circulating for months that the high council was pressing him to consolidate the packs, but he kept refusing. We banked everything on him holding out! Damn it!"
I shuddered, barely able to hold my balance.
The Supreme Alpha of all packs. That level of power rendered him virtually untouchable, granting him unfettered access to throw open any door in any territory—without exception.
Adam opened his mouth to say something more, but the color completely drained from his face, his gaze locking onto the space right behind my shoulder.
Matthias twisted his head around with intense curiosity, peeking out over my shoulder and tilting his chin up as he sniffed the air. And from the way his small body suddenly froze, the way he stopped fidgeting and stretched his neck to capture the scent with absolute precision, I understood everything even before I smelled it myself.
Rich, overwhelming tobacco paired with a lingering, dangerous sweetness.
His scent.