One

Chapter 23

It stinks.

As the moonlight illuminated the room, he moved silently from the bed to the closet, inspecting the different clothes that hung in there.

And more importantly, analyzed each and every scent that clung to them.

The soft, plush clothes exuded a soft Jasmine he recognized but was still growing familiar with. Some worn more than the others, sleeves stretched and plucked at in clear distress.

But there was no indication of that sickly sweet distress that Omegas produced.

Hanging the hoodie back, he turned his attention to the other clothes. These ones sorted, shirts folded seamlessly and stacked in a neat fashion. The former soft sweatpants and dress pants made way for jeans, shorts and the like.

Ozone sparked through the room as the man inhaled the petrichor that clung to the clothes before humming to himself.

No fear or agony either... Weird.

He was unnerved by the scent of an unknown Alpha that lingered on both sets of clothing, yet confused about the lack of the usual bitter scents from their owners.

In fact, he could smell several scents barely mingling. Alphas, Betas, Deltas, Omegas and even a few humans. Though none were as strong as that one particular Alpha scent of sandalwood.

He was anticipating to detect that stench clinging to the Alphas, a combination of bitter and spice that burned the nostrils and alerted anyone with a function nose of their barely veiled malice.

But he found only kindness, curiosity and the slight dampness of worry.

It felt weird to be surrounded by a multitude of scents and not detect a hint of suffering or despair.

A scowl formed on his face, lip curling to reveal large canines that gleamed in the darkness. Eyes nearly glowing in the moonlight as he remembered his awakening.

It had been nighttime as well, filled with scents and sounds he wished to forget.

Waking to a room that stunk of pheromones, pain and Omegan distress, of Beta anger while his body was assaulted by tearing agony, laughter and sneers filling the room as someone, no, something approached the bed while undoing their pants.

He would never forget the stench of those creatures.

Licking his lips as if thirsting for prey, he remembered the chaos that followed as he shifted. The screams of surprise from the Corrupted, followed by their screams of agony as their blood painted the room.

The man didn't need to be a genius to realize what had happened to him. Blood had stained his thighs and just a simple glance at his bared body had shown a slew of scars both fresh and old.

And new injuries still oozing blood. Pulsing pain through his system in sharp, agonizing blasts that had tensed up his muscles as a response.

He had taken great delight hunting those Corrupted down, tearing them limb from limb. Ignoring their pleas for mercy and their feeble excuses, instinctually knowing these monsters were beyond redemption. While he couldn't remember what happened to him or how he even got there, his body told its own story.

And he would seek revenge.

He was pleased to find not a trace of the Alpha's scent in or on the bed, nor in the bathroom. Unlike how it was a short time ago. It had been a shock to awaken once more, only to find himself in an Alpha's lap with his nose buried against the man's skin.

Held in an embrace by an unknown Alpha whilst in a dimly lit room had awakened his instincts with a vengeance.

For a moment, his muscles had stiffened, nostrils flaring to catch the scents around him. Expecting to be naked, to feel injuries throb painfully, to smell the scent of Omegan distress, of terrified slick and Corrupted malice.