Scent

Imprinting

In a world where people have DNA merged with the DNA of different animals, it wasn't uncommon for the animal instincts to guide some of their behaviors and choices.

Kongpob's favorite feature of having wolf blood was that they tend to have a lifelong companion.

His parents, for example, as soon as they saw -smelled- each other they recognized each other as mates, and they have never been apart since then. And the same thing happened to his sisters, and to the rest of the family. Even his two friends, Aim and Tew, have already found their mates. May, Aim's mate, was a beautiful she-wolf. While Tew's mate was a little petulant hare.

He couldn't wait to start his own romantic story.

He grew up believing he would one day smell a special scent, and he would somehow recognize it as the scent of his mate.

He had always had a hard time believing it. How could he recognize a scent he has never smelled? What if he didn't recognize his mate? What if he has already met his mate and he didn't recognize it?

Then, in a moment, the doubts had faded.

His friends were waiting for him in the company cafeteria, and as Kongpob came up to it, the sweetest scent he had ever smelt seemed to issue out of the cafeteria. It was a spicy aromatic smell, and he stopped and snuffed up that inebriating scent.

He looked around drunkenly until he finally found the source of the fragrance. The scent that was making him throb with teeth jarring need, belonged to the boy who was ordering at the counter.

That was... surprising.

What surprised him wasn't the fact that he was man. He could accept it without blinking, without reservation; that was his nature. No. What surprised him was that his supposed mate was a lynx.

He was the most handsome man he had ever seen. But still he was a lynx.

Everyone knew that wolves and lynxes couldn't stand each other.

-

Arthit dragged himself wearily to the beverage stand to take a break from work and relax a bit.

It had been an exhausting day, and having a pack of wolves in the cafeteria wasn't exactly the best way to continue the day.

While he was waiting for his NomYen to arrive he scanned the people milling around. At the front entrance there was a group of nosy boys. And among them a creepy man stood there, staring at him. If he wasn't wrong, he was the guy who had just been hired.

Arthit returned his gaze with a defiant look. Then suddenly the other's eyes changed color showing his inner self.

A wolf.

And a wolf never had the courage to face you alone. They were always in a pack.

The lynx inside him began to paw.

Trying to ignore both his instinct and the gaze's boy, he turned back to the bartender. Nervously he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Trying to be subtle, he looked back and yeah, the creepy wolf was still staring at him.

He turned again to the bartender and waited for his drink.

Suddenly he felt a presence behind him. Before he could react, a nose pressed against neck, inhaling deeply.
The hair of his flesh stood up.

He couldn't explain why he didn't immediately push him away, but soon he regained his senses and growled "Get off me!"

When he turned around, he wasn't surprised to find the wolf who was staring at him and his friends.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Arthit asked, jittery.

"There's something strange about you"

He scoffed, incredulous. "Me? I'm not the freak who goes around smelling people."

The creepy wolf and his friends -obviously they were moving in group- looked at each other, then at him, not knowing what to say.

Dumb stupid big dogs

"I'm Kongpob"

"Good for you"

Arthit paid for the NomYen and took the glass the bartender handed him with a nod of thanks. Giving them one last glance, he started to make his way back to his office, but that Kongpob guy stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

"Wait, your name?"

Arthit began to feel really uncomfortable, his eyes were beginning to lose his human color as the lynx tried to push herself out. It was just what he needed now, to climb a tree.

He yanked his hand free, leaving the other startled. "Keep your hands to yourself"

He had met strange people who followed their instincts, but it had never happened to him that a wolf tried to hunt him so openly

What the hell did he have to look at like that?

-

Kongpob remained standing even after his supposed mate figure had gone from view.

Why had he reacted like that?

Had he just been rejected by his mate?

Tew, his friend at his side, looked puzzled. "Maybe you got it wrong...?"

Aim puts a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it's for the best. Half-lynxes only create problems. Their way of thinking is weird."

"You're right." Aim nodded first, agreeing with Kongpob "I'll win him over" And then he shook his head.

"No wait, that's not what I said"

NOTE

I know I already have other projects to finish... but I have a too many ideas running in my head and I had to put some down. What do you think?

Disclaimer

The characters are not mine, but belong to BitterSweet, and I will never be grateful enough for giving us SOTUS.

Every image used is borrowed from internet and the authors have all the credits.