Familiar Scents

"You'll make an amazing Alpha," Helena said as she pulled away, blushing and tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

Helena was hard and soft all over. As Romeo held her in his arms he could feel the results of years of training and hard work.

It's one of the things that attracted him the most to her, the fact that she could still be herself and this amazing warrior at the same time.

When Romeo lifted his head to meet her gaze, Helena tilted her head to the side and gave him a confused look.

'You went silent,' Ryder informed him.

"You would too," he managed to say. "You'd make an amazing Alpha."

Helena smiled and shook her head, "Uncle Jeremiah is still young and he has a mate."

Romeo chose not to argue with her. He knew Helena thought she was simply holding the spot for when Jeremiah had a child, but he knew better.

He'd seen how Jeremiah would get protective over his mate whenever the matter of children and heirs was brought up. He knew he'd be the same way with Helena if they were faced with the same dilemma.

In the few minutes that he and Jeremiah were in his office without Helena, Jeremiah made it clear that he expected the pack to go to Helena.

He reminded Romeo about how Helena was to remain Alpha and that the packs would only merge when their son took over.

A son, how could they have kids if Helena pushed him away at every turn?

"Let's go back," Helena said clearing her throat but not pulling away.

Romeo smiled and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"For what?" Helena asked as she looked up at him.

"For being here, for asking how I am, for telling me that I'll be a good Alpha, for all of it," he told her as he held her a little tighter before letting go.

Helena didn't answer, she simply looked up at him and gave him a smile before turning around and walking away.

Romeo was quick to follow staying just a step behind him. It took them longer to get back to the road but eventually, they made if back.

As he scanned the road he noticed that there were more cars and wolves. His car was now upright despite being banged up.

At a distance, he spotted his father speaking with Neil, Kade, and the doctor.

"Let's go check in with dad," Romeo told Helena as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along.

"Dad!" Romeo called out, drawing the attention of everyone in the area.

"Romeo, Helena!" Raul cried out as his face brightened. "Thank the Goddess you're both safe!"

"Yeah, just a few scrapes, everything all healed," Helena said as her light laughter filled the air.

Romeo looked at her with concern, but since the doctor said she was fine he assumed she'd already healed.

"Did you manage to stop the attack?" Romeo asked his father.

"Yeah, Jeremiah's reinforcements arrived just in time. There were more wolves than we initially thought. I sent too few of our people out. We were lucky Stonehill was prepared," Raul said with a serious expression. "They—"

"We know about the attacks," Romeo said before his father could even come up with an excuse.

Raul looked shocked, his gaze bounced between Helena and Romeo.

"Jeremiah told you?" he asked Romeo.

"Jeremiah told Helena who confronted him with me there," Romeo said in a curt tone. "I'm going to be Alpha soon, Dad. I should know these things. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, we didn't think that things would escalate," Raul confessed. "We thought that it was just a bunch of smaller packs testing us and groups of rogues trying to get their own territory."

"But it clearly isn't," Helena pointed out.

"It still could be," Raul said with a shrug.

"Dad, the attack today made it clear that these attacks are organized," Romeo said. "They clearly had a plan, they knew it was us in the car and they distracted your two strongest warriors while they sent a bigger contingent to attack the pack."

"Awww, you think I'm one of the strongest warriors," Helena cooed.

Romeo couldn't help but smile and shake his head at how playful Helena was acting.

It was nice to see her like this, it was as if she was the same Helena that left.

"Of course you are," Romeo told her as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "My mate has to be the strongest."

Helena paled at his words and pushed him away.

He knew what reaction his words would get and he still went through with it anyway.

"If it's a pack, then it's one that's not allied with us," Raul said as he shifted the topic back on track.

"How sure are you about that, Dad?" Romeo asked.

"Because I would have recognized their scent," Helena answered.

Romeo looked at her, confused by what she meant.

She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"I negotiated all of the peace treaties," Helena explained. "I've been to all the packs. I remembered their scents."

Romeo watched as Helena bit her lower lip, she was hesitating.

He lifted her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"When packs merge, their scents change," Helena explained. "Like with the case of the Red River Pack, their scent changed to match Black Moon's when you took Ash's position as Alpha."

"Are you worried this pack was conquered or lost to a challenge?" Romeo asked.

Helena shook her head and sighed.

"It's not that it changed, it's just I know the scent of each pack and I couldn't place the scent of this one," she sighed.

Romeo was confused, he couldn't quite grasp what Helena was trying to say.

"Helena, please, explain," he pleaded.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath.

"What I'm trying to say is, their scent was familiar, it wasn't an allied pack but it was a scent I've come across," Helena said as she looked up her eyes full or worry and pain.