Page 25 of The Scent of Seduction

He sighed, “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He opened up the secured communication programme and typed in the contact information for the council. “Let’s get this done.”

Nicole stepped around a large snowdrift that lingered on the street from the last storm that blew into town. Her boots crunched on the layer of snow that covered the sidewalk. A month ago she and Jaryn became mates, and they’d weathered the first snowstorm tucked away in their home together. She could now say with absolute certainty that her mate was an expert at conserving body heat while snuggling naked in front of a fire in the dark.

The wind that had whipped in and around the buildings of Stonepass for the last several days was silent, but another sound filled Nicole’s ears and caught her attention. It started out as a buzzing sound, which gradually morphed into a faint whisper of voices.

“I’ve got eyes on her.”

“Where do you think she’s going now?”

“Who cares? We’re just supposed to watch and report her movements back to Alpha.”

“What do you think he wants with her?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious, don’t you?”

“Does this seem right to you? She was a prisoner as much as we are. Shouldn’t we simply let her live her life? Look at her. She seems happy. Have you ever seen her so peaceful? When are we getting out of here? It’s been weeks and—”

“Shut up a second. Look at her. She’s looking around.”

Nicole stopped and scanned her surroundings. She didn’t see anyone in the vicinity.

Were the voices talking about her? Where were they coming from? What did they want?

“Do you think she can hear us?”

“That’s crazy. There’s no way she can hear us. We’re too far away. She’s only human, remember?”

Nicole ducked into the diner.

“Morning, Nicole. What can I get for you?” Gillian asked.

“A cup of coffee, please.”

She took a seat at a booth that lined the windows and tried to scan the street surreptitiously. She didn’t recognize anyone out of place in the small town. But something was definitely not right.

“Here you go, sweetie.”

Nicole smiled up at Gillian. “Thank you. Hey, you seem to have an ear for gossip in town. Have you heard anything about strangers being in town? Anyone looking out of place?”

Gillian sat in the booth across from Nicole. “No. Why? You have an itch on the back of your neck?”

Nicole unconsciously rubbed the scar on the back of her neck. She’d been in Stonepass for months and until a few moments ago hadn’t thought Adam had a clue as to her whereabouts. But those voices seemed rather sinister. As far as she knew, there was only one female in town who someone might search for. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened her mental link to Jaryn.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the office with Shaun. Is everything all right? I sense some anxiety coming from you.”

"I’m not sure. I overheard a conversation outside the diner that raised a few hairs on the back of my neck.”

“Are you at the diner now?”

“Yes.”

“Stay there, love, I’m on my way.”

Nicole sat in the booth and sipped her coffee. She was all for being an independent woman, but she also knew that she was out of her depth when it came to Adam and his cohorts. If Adam did know her location, she certainly wouldn’t put it past him to try something. She was certain that her escape hadn’t exactly sat well with the controlling wolf.

“Nicole!”

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