Trinity (A Werewolf Novel) ✔

Roman's POV: The Selection

Roman's POV

The Selection

I had been in charge of selection for the Trinity pack for the past 384 years. And never... I mean never ... had the humans been bold enough to keep me waiting for even five extra minutes until now.

Beta Caleb sat nearby in the small, dingy waiting room the squirrelly human had asked us to wait in. Every time I saw him, I considered peeling the cheeks off his face to see if he'd hidden anything in there. The longer we were told to wait, the more I imagined passing time by ripping the throats out of passing humans.

Humans.

Even being near them disgusted me. They smelled bad. They were an assault to my senses. The scent carried over centuries, reminding me of the horrors of the war against them so long ago; the war in which they'd used silver weapons and nearly caused the extinction of werewolves.

I clinched my jaw.

"Just how long do they think I'll wait? Have they forgotten who I am?" I growled angrily.

"They're waiting for a candidate, King Alpha. I'd consider this an easy selection if I were you," Beta Caleb mused with a hint of humor. Normally, I would demand my right hand man to be more obedient and less degenerate, but Beta Caleb was the great great great grandson of one of my Betas in the past that was extremely loyal to me.

"I should've just skipped this year's hunt. Give them a sense of false hope before-"

The door opened and the squirrelly man appeared. His sweaty human scent filled the air and made me want to kill him on principle. I held back the urge. Not that there would be a next year for humans, but if there were any delays, I'd make sure to make the next selection be for squirrelly leaders of the villages.

"I deeply deeply deeeeeply deeply apologized," Squirrelly man said, his breath strained. If he said one more word without leading us to the candidates, I was going to kill him. I was sure of it. But he seemed to sense this and immediately began to walk away while saying, "Follow me. The candidates are all ready."

I was already extremely annoyed at having to wait for something so trivial as a human.

When I get to the candidates, I thought to myself determinedly, I'm going to kill the one who made me wait first. Then I'll select another candidate.

Squirrelly man opened the door to where the candidates were waiting. I had to prepare myself for the smell of many humans together in one place, but I didn't let it show as I entered the room with Beta Caleb right behind me.

As I stepped into the room, purposely looking around rather than at the humans as though that would help suppress their scents, I found myself surprised. Beyond the smell of humans was the smell of something... wonderful. Intriguing, even. Blood?

I turned to the candidates, introducing myself while stealing a glance over the girls. Two things were clear almost immediately: the rather sweet scent behind the smell of blood was coming from the candidate at the end and she obviously was one who had been late. I had to almost shake myself to keep my concentration.

I finished explaining my reason for being here, the same speech I gave each time, before I decided to vent a bit about having to wait. I turned to the squirrelly man and bared my teeth in a way I knew would send him in a frenzy.

"This is all of them, right? Or should we just spend some time picking off members of your community until you're ready," I asked, knowing already they all were here. Squirrelly man sweated even more, but even his disgusting scent couldn't cover that sweet scent just in the distance. My wolf stirred at it as though interested.

And just what are you interested in? I asked the beast with irritation.

"This is everyone! I apologize profusely, King Alpha. You can... you can take two if you must." I didn't like how Squirrelly man thought he could control how many sacrifices I could have.

"I can take all of them if I must," I snarled, fully considering killing the man here in front of the other humans. Then maybe that human would sweat and she would smell like the others. Or would she only smell sweeter?

I looked to the candidates carefully as they all trembled and gasped, crying in fear. My eyes were drawn to the female at the end, the scent of deer blood on her skin and clothes. She remained unmoving and silent. Was she brave? Or just stupid? Either way, I didn't want any other candidate besides her. I knew this immediately.

"One will do." You will do. "Let's start."

I didn't even look over any of the humans in the room. I immediately stepped towards her. My wolf seemed to stir even happier within me. Are you purring, you beast? A stubborn anger was growing the more I smelled of her and the more I felt when in front of her. She was human; a disgusting human.

She was looking down at her feet like a child being scolded, but she wasn't trembling. I didn't even smell fear from her... maybe something like dread. And definitely something sweeter than any human should be.

"Are you the one who was late?" I asked an obvious question. She looked like she had just got done killing a deer and ran here with barely anything of hers put together. But at my question, she didn't even react. The nerve. Why did this please me? I crossed my arms and growled in frustration, "I asked you a question."

Only then did she somewhat look at me and a word slipped from her lips, "No?"

Even her voice was sweet.

"So you weren't the one who forced me to wait for over an hour?" I pushed myself. Focus. The girl looked up then, allowing me to see her face entirely. She was... she was a human... she was.... she's human... she was pretty... for a human.

"No," She clearly lied, but then added sweetly, "I would not dare presume a human like myself could force any lycan to do anything at all."

I heard the smallest sound of a choked laugh from Beta Caleb in the distance, but beyond this, I was stunned. The leader of this village was a squirrelly man ready to be obedient to every word the wolves said. This young girl was more wolfish than him; braver with nerve that for some reason amused me. If it weren't for my plans, I would select her if only to make sure she didn't become leader. She was trouble. I already knew I would select her for sacrifice, but I wanted to know more about her. Why?

I stepped towards her and gripped her face firmly in my hand, narrowing my eyes as I looked her over. Why? Her large green eyes reminded me of the leaves of the trees around the village during the spring. Her hair was untamed and she smelled wild and free. How can a human be so free after all I'd done to contain them? It intrigued me. It infuriated me.

"What's your name, human?" Why did I want to know?

"Mila... Milena Young."

I couldn't resist. My wolf was killing me. I stepped even closer, bending towards her skin to breathe in that sweet and wild scent. When had there ever been a human so wonderful to my senses? I wanted to roll in it, bite it, and call it mine.

I brought her wrist to my lips, tasting the blood and the flesh underneath. I was lost in the moment, tasting her from her wrist up to her hand like some wild, mindless wolf. A mark caught my eye that somehow pulled me to my senses. On her palm was a mark that looked like a moon; the great huntress, Artemis' moon. It made me even more curious.

"Are you a hunter, Milena?" I asked, already knowing she must be.

"Yes," Her sweet voice responded quietly. I pulled myself together. She was a human. And she was a sacrifice. I would just have to have my pack hunt her, kill her, and then there would no longer be a sweet smelling human left in this world to confuse me.

"So am I."