Page 20 of Blinded
I sighed. "I can't single out the scent of the person over the vomit."
"Let's move behind it. Kurt said the people ran down a small trail back behind when they left. It was a faint scent, but enough you might be able to remember it." He steered me around the vomit, moving us several feet in the other direction. "How about now?"
I focused on the smells around me, taking time to try and isolate each one. Once I weeded through the disgusting rotting smell of vomit, something caught my attention.
"What is it? I feel your shock." Bayne's fingers tightened with mine.
"I know the smell. It's different, not exact, but something about it is familiar. I've smelled this person before somehow, at least one of them." I sniffed again. "I want to shift." I needed to be at my best, and while I shared my wolf's great sense of smell, it would be even stronger in wolf form.
"Okay, let me help you get undressed. I'll set our clothes aside and shift with you." He eased his hands under my t-shirt.
I shook my head. "Don't. I'll undress. If you help, more will happen. It's all I can do to wait for tonight. My wolf wants us to mate now. I'm afraid once he has control, he will demand we mate right away."
Bayne laughed. "We're both struggling. My wolf can't understand why I'm making us wait. He wants you now."
"Maybe it's best if only I shift? We can shift after we mate tonight and give them more time together. We were lucky I was still weak and shook up last night when we both shifted." I ran my hand down Bayne's chest. "I know we could do it here, but I really would rather do it in a bed."
"Me too, at least the first time. Don't doubt for a minute I'll be taking you all over this forest in time." Bayne kissed me softly. "Get undressed. I won't shift but will help make sure you don't stumble as you search."
"Thanks." I slid my clothes off, handing them to Bayne. "Don't let me wander into that shit." I gestured to the vomit.
"Trust me, I'll keep you far from it. Just turn the direction you want to go, and I'll stay by your side. I'll reach down and put a hand on your back if you need to stop."
I nodded, wishing I could see him. I was nervous. This would be the first time my wolf had been outside since we were blinded. I wasn't sure how he would react. I hoped that the night in the bedroom had forced him to deal with being blind, but I was still struggling, so I was sure he was too. "Okay, let's get this done." I willed the shift, letting my wolf come forward as I fell to the dirt and shifted.
It took a second for my wolf to adjust to not being able to see. We were so used to shifting and running the moment we were able. The darkness around us made me uneasy. My wolf took several deep breaths before whining softly.
"It's okay. I'm here with you. We will do this together." Bayne's fingers caressed through my fur.
I leaned against his legs for a second before forcing myself to pay attention to the area around me. The smells were stronger, and I focused on the one that was vaguely familiar. It was something or someone I had smelled before, but different. I was usually good at remembering scents, able to recognize a person again after I'd met them once. This wasn't like that. It was as if I'd met the person, but they were mixed in with another. Maybe a lover's scent on another person or something like that. I turned, taking small steps, afraid I was going to crash into a tree if I wasn't careful. I found the trail the person had taken, and slowly started to follow it.
"You're good if you follow the scent slowly. There's a trail about a foot wide. If you stay on the scent, you shouldn't hit anything." Bayne was directly behind me.
I trusted him and kept my nose to the ground as I slowly walked down the trail. In places the scent got stronger, but then it would dwindle. It was confusing me. At times I'd almost think I remembered where I'd smelled it, but then it faded again, and I was unsure.
We walked for quite a while before Bayne reached down and touched my back. "We're about twenty yards from the dirt road. I wasn't sure if you wanted to go all the way there."
I paused, lifting my head in the air as I tried to smell if there were others around. I couldn't be sure. I whined, hoping Bayne would suggest what to do.
"I think you're best to shift back and get dressed. We can walk down in human form and get an idea of the area. Kurt got pictures of the tire marks and other wolves have memorized the scents as well. I don't think there is much more here for us to do." He kneeled beside me. "I know you want to continue, but the dirt road is public access. It's not safe. One rancher sees a wolf and we both know what will happen."
I rubbed my snout against Bayne. It wasn't worth the risk to continue. He was right. If any rancher thought a wolf might be after his cattle, then he had every right to shoot. The law was on his side. Not knowing how many ranches lined the area around us, I wasn't about to put us in danger. I turned slowly and started back.
"It's safe to shift here if you want. You're covered," Bayne told me.
Taking him at his word, I was surprised when my wolf stepped back without a fight and allowed me to shift. I took several breaths as I lay in the dirt, wishing I could figure out the scent I smelled.
"You okay?" Bayne kneeled beside me, his hand pressed gently to my back.
"Yeah. There is a scent I know, but it's weird. Almost as if I hugged you and you carried my scent on you. It's mixed with something. Not as strong as it should be. For the life of me, I can't recall where I know the smell from. I know it's here, in Montana. It's not something from home. The second scent isn't familiar at all." I pushed up, remembering to keep my eyes closed since I'd had to take the eye patches off before I shifted.
"Here." Bayne slid the patches over my head, adjusting them so they covered each eye. He brushed his lips against my temple. "You're the most beautiful wolf I've ever seen."
I laughed. "You're just saying that because I'm your mate."
"Probably, but that doesn't make it any less true." He kissed my head again before standing.
I stood beside him. "I need to find out where I know that scent from."
