Whose Eyes Were Red? [scott mccall][3]

chapter 24

"There's a different scent here. I recognise it," the alpha said, her hand resting against the bark of the tree where the arrow had been imbedded.

"Who, Levi?"

"I don't know. I just- I just can't figure it out," the girl sighed frustratedly. She was sure that she had smelt that scent before, almost the scent of fire burning, mountain ash and a hint of gunpowder.

//.//

"Why didn't he answer?" Lori yelled, storming down the drain pipes as the rest of them scurried behind her. Levi had a hand rubbing at the spot in between her eyebrows, annoyed that the young werewolf had probably just alerted the hunter to their whereabouts. She wasn't sure they were dealing with an amateur at all.

"Maybe, maybe, he didn't hear us!" Liam tried to reason with her, holding the hope that Brett wasn't dead already. He was the closet thing Liam had to someone that he could really relate to that was his age, and as much as they used to hate each other, Liam did not want his friend to die.

"Maybe, he can't," Malia murmured, but let out an apology as Levi and Scott shot her disapproving looks about her inconsiderate choice of words. Just as they turned back to look at Lori, Scott and Levi noticed the trip wire just a second too late.

"Lori, no!" Scott yelled, but it was too late.

The metal embedded wooden stake flew out from the wall, missing Levi by an inch and shooting straight into Scott's stomach. Levi gasped, rushing to him instantly, her hand pressing against the wound on his stomach.

He yelled out in pain, but the girl was not going to let him die here. Reaching around the wooden stake, she gripped on to it and tugged it. With the help of the other three supernaturals, they moved the pole from his body as he slid down the wall breathing heavily.

"Hey, hey," Levi breathed, holding his head in between her hands as he whimpered in pain. "Breathe."

Scott shook his head, his eyes flickering between them all as he realised what this trap meant. It was obviously only set recently, and it certainly wasn't done by someone who hadn't done this before.

"They knew we were coming," Scott breathed, but was interrupted by Malia. The werecoyote was hovering over Levi's shoulder, concerned for her alpha as she tried to ignore the lack of concern that the two younger wolves were showing for him.

"Don't talk, just heal, and let us figure this out."

Levi pressed her hands to his wound as he loosely shook his head again. "They've been a step ahead of us the whole time."

"I'm sorry, but I can't wait around.We have to go!" Lori yelled, looking around at the two members of the pack that were still standing. Malia and Liam shared looks before Liam started talking.

"We still have the numbers, three-to-two. We're faster, and we're stronger!" He hyped, trying to convince himself and the rest that they didn't need Scott or Levi to pull this off without losing Brett. Levi and Scott both shook their heads, Scott groaning as he argued with his beta.

"They're smarter!"

Lori had had enough of the small talk. "I don't care who's smarter or faster or whatever, my brother's going to die!"

"Something's not right. That arrow, the trip wire, the poison..." Scott began, realisation hitting him fully, and the exact reason as to why this all had seemed weird from the start popped up in his mind.

"These aren't amateurs," Levi voiced, finishing Scott's sentence as dread filled in the bottom of her stomach. She knew that she had recognised the scent before, but the name and face just weren't quite reaching the tip of her tongue yet.