“What do you mean, nice?” he prompted when she didn’t continue.
“The morning after the hunters attacked us at the compound, I woke up from a great dream and noticed this seriously amazing scent. Only I didn’t smell it in my apartment. I smelled it in my dream.”
Zane had definitely never smelled anything when he dreamed. He hadn’t even known it was possible. For werewolves, scents were simply a fact of life. They were surrounded by thousands of them every day. If a scent stood out—like Alyssa’s did for him—it usually meant something significant.
“What kind of scent?” he asked.
Rachel blushed. “It was leather and gun oil.” When he didn’t say anything, she glared at him. “What? I’m a cop. I like the smell of well-worn leather and gun oil, okay? It’s not like I can control what scents show up in my dreams, so don’t you dare judge me. You can’t tell anybody either. I haven’t even told Diego about this part.”
He held up his hands in surrender. He’d never thought Rachel would be the type to worry about what he—or anyone else—thought about her. If leather and gun oil did it for her, that was fine with him. “I’m not judging. And I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”
That must have satisfied her because she nodded.
“So it started with picking up the scent of leather and gun oil in your dreams. You said you’re also seeing things. What exactly are you seeing?”
“This is the part that’s harder to explain. And why I think I’m going insane.” Her brow furrowed. “I keep catching sight of someone out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn to see who it is, there’s no one there. Most of the time it’s when I’m out of the room, but it’s happened in here, too. Even when Diego is with me.”
“And you think the smell and this person are connected?”
Zane had the feeling he knew where this was going—even if it was too insane to consider.
She considered that. “Yeah, I guess, since sometimes I pick up the scent and see the person out of the corner of my eye at the same time.”
He took a deep breath, not sure how she’d take what he was going to say. “Don’t get pissed at me, but do you think there’s a chance the scent you smell and the person you see out of the corner of your eye might have something to do with the hunter you let get away at the compound?”
Rachel’s face went blank, her heart rate kicking into high gear. Jumping up, she circled around the table to stand in front of it, her claws and fangs extended, her body tense, as if she was getting ready to attack—or respond to the attack she thought was coming her way.
Zane stayed where he was, holding up his hands in a placating gesture to show her she wasn’t in danger. “Relax, Rachel. It’s not like that. I’m not saying you let that guy get away on purpose or did anything to put the Pack at risk. I’m just asking if you think it’s possible there’s a connection.”
Rachel stared at him for a long time before the green glow faded from her eyes and her fangs and claws retracted. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Who told you?”
“Brooks,” Zane said, naming his pack mate and best friend. “He said you had a clear shot at one of the hunters and didn’t take it. He wasn’t sure what your reasons were but decided he should give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“It didn’t keep him from telling you about it,” she said flatly. “Is that why you’ve been so hesitant to trust me while we’ve been out here? Do you think I’m working with the hunters or something?”
He frowned. “What are you talking about? I trust you.”
“Are you effing kidding me?” She snorted. “You think I haven’t noticed that you won’t let me do anything on my own. You make sure you or Diego are with me 24-7 and keep me away from any situation where either of you might have to depend on me.”
He wanted to deny it, but that was hard to do when it was the truth. He’d have to suck it up and deal with it. “Okay. I guess I have been keeping an eye on you.”
“Keeping an eye on me. Another way of saying you don’t trust me,” she shot back, her eyes swirling with green.
“You never answered my question,” he said. “Do you think the person you keep seeing—and smelling—could be the hunter who got away?”
“Would you believe me if I told you?”
“Yes.”
Sighing, she put her hands on her hips. “I suppose it could be the hunter I let get away. I don’t know why I even think that, but it feels right.”
He nodded. “Do you know why you let him get away? Or why you think you keep seeing him?”
“I don’t know,” she answered.
Zane had a pretty good idea why. After telling him Alyssa could beThe Onefor him, he was stunned Rachel didn’t see it too. But maybe some people couldn’t see what was right in front of them. He knew a little something about that, and thinking a hunter might be your soul mate was disconcerting to say the least.
Rachel walked around the table to sit on the couch again. “Since we’re getting all this out in the open, I should probably tell you about the part of the nightmare that makes me wake up screaming in the middle of the night and freaking the hell out of Diego.”
