There was no scent, just as Roman had said. It wasn't that I didn't believe him or the other wolves that found our scouts. I hadn't fully comprehended that there was a total absence of smell as we took a path off the highway and navigated our way to the underside of the bridge. I couldn't smell the damp earth beneath my feet or scent the flowers hanging from the tree as they brushed my shoulder. Nor could I smell the dirty water pooled in natural indents on the broken cemented path leading to the underbelly of the bridge. 

It was a complete lack of smell that had my other senses working double time to make up for the  failure of my nose. Except it wasn't a failure of my body, just some magic of sorts covering the tracks of a killer, or maybe two. 

"That's where we found them," Roman said waving his hand to the underbelly, there were two large nails protruding from it an equal distance apart. Whoever, hammered them in were strong, for it went through cement, almost like the cement had grown around it. "And as you can probably tell, there's no scent of anything."

Disbelieving that I was no longer able to smell, I walked back up the path and onto the highway where I could smell grass, our scents, the rain. I walked back where the others stood watching me.  The result was the same. Osckar watched my face, a question, I shook my head confirming there was still no scent. 

"This shouldn't be possible." I said, folding my arms across my torso and looked to Cordelia for guidance. 

She'd been around far longer that we had, seen more than the rest of us and more than likely experienced more of the supernatural world than we couldn't have dreamed of. There was nothing in my knowledge that could damper a scent, a witch maybe but Cordelia had assured us it wasn't. 

If not a witch and not a wolf, what else could there be? My mind spun to all the bed time stories I was told as a child. There were fairies, fae folk who possessed magic much like witches, but they weren't real. I wanted to scoff, how many humans thought of us as a bedtime story? I knew too little and we as a pack, and we didn't travel. Well, I'm sure my parent's might know what else was out there. They travelled the country more than anyone I knew as young adults, way before my time. My heart squeezed at the thought of them. 

"What do you think it was?"  I probed Cordelia vocally this time,  hoping she'd have some idea of what this was. Instead she turned to the underbelly of the bridge and began inspecting it. That was the least I could ask of her. 

 "Rope was attached to those nails and that's where they were hung, there's traces of blood here, but not enough to suggest that this is where they were drained." Roman said pointing out the patch of dried blood I didn't scent. Is this how humans investigated crimes? With their eyes only? 

I bent down, Osckar already beating me to it as he pressed his finger into one of the splotches of blood. He sniffed the traces of it on his finger, the neutral expression on his face told me he didn't pick anything up. 

"Let's take a sample of it back to our place, maybe when it's out of this area we can smell something?"

Roman, folded his arms. " When the bodies were moved, not even the smell of decay could be traced. I doubt that this drop of blood will shed any light, but we can try that anyway," 

He said the last part in rush, reading the annoyance on my face. If a dead body didn't smell of anything, I doubt we'd catch anything with a small sample of blood. 

I turned to watch Cordelia, she was inspecting the walls too closely. "What did you see?"

Cordelia turned sharply as if I'd startled her, then pointed at what she'd been staring at. "It could be nothing but there's a symbol here."

I stepped closer and in small white chalk there was a drawing of teeth, two  were to extended out like fangs. 

"It could be the Dreadclaw's symbol," I glanced up at Osckar, he'd come to stand right behind me, "Maybe like idiots they leave a calling card." 

Osckar's head shook slowly as he stared at the symbol, "They'd be idiots to kill our pack members then fools to mark the crime scene." 

"I'm afraid we're not dealing with werewolves or humans or even witches." Cordelia said tiredly.

I felt my spine stiffen as I braced myself for the news. 

"What is it?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Cordelia's head shook wearily, a hand going up to clasp her neck. 

"I need to confirm with my books first. I have to be sure, but the signs," She started to mumble under her breath. 

Osckar growled and in one step he had his arm around her wrist and towered over her small frame. I touched his shoulder, hoping to calm his energy. We needed Cordelia on our side, now was not the time to be pushing her away with his rudeness. 

"I need more time to confirm." She said again slowly, "If I'm wrong about this, it could put you all in danger." 

Her eyes didn't drift away from his as she stared up him. Finally Osckar's hold on her loosened and Cordelia stepped back rubbing the spot he'd been holding. I let out a breath, grateful that this didn't end up in an ugly fight. 

"Confirm it soon." Osckar demanded, looking away at last. 

xxx

The blood sample we'd collected from the crime scene didn't smell of anything, not even when we reached the safety of pack grounds. My sense of smell thankfully did come back the moment we broke through whatever barrier cloaked the bridge and its immediate surroundings. All thoughts of figuring out this mystery went straight to the back of my mind when I saw the parents of the two scouts who'd been killed. 

Our car stopped and I took a moment to collect my thoughts and think about how I would break the news. What would I say that could bring comfort to someone that's just lost a child? No words helped me when I lost my parents. 

You've got this, Osckar's voice broke through my train of thought. His hand rested upon mine as he reached over to my seat. Just tell them what you know

I sighed heavily as I opened the door. My stomach roiled and my heart hammered in my chest, this was about more than just how I felt. They needed to know, the sooner the better. 

I approached the couple, both of them chatting quietly among themselves on a bench near the fountain. I'd seen them multiple times before, they'd been there at my initiation into the pack, cheered as I passed the test. The pack was so big I'd never actually spoken to them before, but they'd seen me and so had their son. This right here, was not the first interaction I'd planned on having with them. With anyone in fact. 

I approached them slowly, dragging it out slightly for myself but they noticed me too soon. Two smiles adorned their faces and they both inclined their heads as a way of greeting.

"I have some news," I started, it was the only way I could think of phrasing it. 

I was on autopilot after that, words seemed to flow from my mouth that my brain didn't register. Their expressions changes from content to despair in a matter of seconds but I kept speaking. They clung to each other as tears rolled down their faces, I remember placing a hand on the mother's shoulder. Hoping it would bring her comfort but I couldn't be sure. 

I stayed with them a minute longer before I left, unable to bare it any longer. I'd done my duty, I'd told them how their son had died following orders. I swallowed deeply, forcing the lump in my throat back down. 

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my body, enveloping me like a child and I let those arms rock me side to side. 

"You're ok," Osckar whispered in to my ear and pressed his lips against my head. 

"Does it get easier?" I rasped. 

I felt his head shake "Never." 

"I don't understand why anyone would want this role," I mumbled. 

It was a silly thing to say, I knew why so many fought to be at the top. I knew why some stayed after inheriting the line. I also knew that sometimes fate bound you so tightly you had no choice but to be where you were. That much was proven to me in the last month.

"How about we just run away and forget about all of this?" I turned to look into his eyes, hoping he'd see I meant it. "Let's go to another country and have fun." 

Osckar's brow's crunched together, "As much as I want to have fun. We've got problems to deal with. I don't know about you but I'm not about to run away the minute things go bad. I have too many people relying on me." 

My chest deflated as if that wasn't the answer I was expecting. His life was here, he was tied to this place regardless of my feelings. 

"I need to go for a run." I said, pulling out of his grasp. 

He reluctantly let me go. 

"Let me know when Cordelia has news."

I didn't wait for his reply as I leapt out of our bedroom window has a human and landed on all fours as a wolf. I didn't let my body recover from the jump as I bounded towards the woods, stretching my limps with each step and embracing the momentary freedom.