Anteros: A Tale of Requited Love

Imrpinting

Chapter 5

The family walked in front but Zacchaeus stayed a few steps behind. Kristof fell in steps with him.

"Do they speak to you like that? Others?" asked Zacchaeus.

"I am a big boy. I can take care of myself, Elder King," said Kristof.

"You will tell me if this happens again," said Zacchaeus.

"You are not my keeper, Elder King. You trusted me to show that scum his place. Trust me to do so in other cases too," said Kristof.

"Your life shouldn't be a constant fight. Your place in the pack is what you made for yourself. No one should be able to question it every other day," said Zacchaeus.

Kristof could feel the irritation in his tone. He felt a fondness for the Elder King.

"You should worry about the bigger things. Like I said, you can only save me so many times," said Kristof.

Zacchaeus was silent.

Niles who was walking in front, holding onto Nikolas stopped short.

"There is a smell," said Niles.

All five of them turned to look at the pup.

"Its odd. I remember the smell," said Niles.

"Rogues?" asked Vasileios, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"No. It is something decayed- it is dark. Its dark magic," said Niles, realising the smell for what it is.

"Here in the woods? We don't have any druid community living by," said Stefanos sharply.

"No. It is not the presence of a druid. The black magics have different smells," said Niles looking around.

"It is a stench, overwhelming," said Niles as he walked in front.

They reached the hall to the castle.

He scrunched up his nose and looked around.

"There is some dark magic in this room," said Niles.

"What do you mean?" asked Zacchaeus.

"I- I can smell it on something here," he said.

"How can you be sure? The smell was there in the woods too," asked Stefanos, sceptical. There was no way something with dark magic came here.

Niles bowed his head, not wanting to look at the scary Alpha King.

"Alpha, there are different smells for dark magic like I said. When a spell is cast on something, it decays and that smells different. A user of dark magic smells different and so does a place where dark magic was cast as each of these acts take different sort of energy. In cases where the dark magic is cast on something, it is decaying the object it is in and it gives off a smell that is similar to a vulnerable omega. That is exactly the smell I am getting now," said Niles.

"If that is the case, you should have sensed the smell earlier," said Vasileios.

"His senses have not reached full potential yet. They are yet to be how it was before he became a lone wolf. The more he bonds with the pack and feels part of it, he will become a pack wolf. But as of now, he is only a quarter way there," said Nikolas.

"Maiming made you feel at home?" asked Vasileios amused.

"No,'' scowled Niles, moving closer to Kristof.

Zacchaeus looked at Niles. He walked forward and extended his hand to touch Kristof and the young wolf bared him teeth in the offence. Niles does not know where that came from. Zacchaeus just looked at him and Kristof who was looking equally shocked as he looked at Niles.