A low soft melody filtered through the speakers in the back of the restaurant. Since their reservation was late, Aaron had secured a secluded table in the corner. The dim light from the flickering candle in the center of the table cast shadows around them, giving them the illusion that they were alone. Nikki smiled when Aaron reached for her hand from across the table and held it gently. Their eyes met, and Aaron returned her smile.
The waiter approached the table and cleared his throat. Aaron and Nikki both glanced up at him. “Pardon me, Mr. Wolf, but there is a Mr. Niyol here to see you.”
Aaron glanced to the front of the restaurant and frowned at the man waiting. Nikki turned to see Niyol splay his hands in a helpless manner.
“What’s wrong, Aaron?”
“I’m not sure.” He stood and put his napkin on the table. “I’ll be right back.”
Nikki stood too. “Okay, sure. I’ll just run to the ladies’ room while you’re gone.”
“It shouldn’t take long,” he said, then made his way to the front.
Nikki grabbed her purse and left the table. When she pushed the swinging door open, an awful stench assaulted her senses, and she felt her skin prickle and race over her bare arms. Shivering, Nikki glanced around the room. The bathroom appeared clean, immaculate even; she couldn’t imagine what was causing such an odor. To her it reeked of a filthy wet dog. Putting her hand over her mouth and nose, she pushed the stall doors open one by one and peered inside…nothing. There was nothing to account for the smell.
Rushing out of the bathroom, into the hallway, Nikki took a huge gulp of fresh air. She stepped around the corner and flagged a waitress. “Excuse me.”
A cute redhead with a ready smile stopped in front of her. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you?”
Nikki nodded. “Please come with me. There is something wrong with the restroom.”
A worried look crossed her delicate features. “Do I need to call for maintenance?”
“Er…I’m not sure. Just come with me and decide for yourself.”
The waitress followed her inside, then looked at Nikki expectantly.
Nikki could still smell it strongly, but the young woman didn’t act like she noticed anything out of the ordinary. “Do you notice anything strange in here?”
The redhead glanced around the room, ducked down and looked under the stalls. She stood back up and shrugged. “I don’t see anything.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t smell that!”
The girl shrugged again. “I don’t detect any unpleasant odors. Actually, I kind of like the fragrance. Our automatic air freshener has a heavy floral perfume, and the soap in the dispenser does as well. The scent is strong, but pleasant.”
Now that she mentioned it, Nikki could smell those things too, but the stench overpowered the perfume. “You don’t smell anything unusual…a scent that doesn’t belong in here?”
The redhead smiled. “Why don’t you tell me what you find so unusual and I’ll let you know if I can smell it or not?”
Nikki bit her bottom lip and glanced around the room again. Could this just be my imagination? No way, this room reeks. “I smell wet dog.”
“Wet dog?” The waitress inhaled deeply and shook her head. “No, no dog, wet or otherwise.”
Niyol stood just behind the hostess stand, waiting impatiently for Aaron. He kept glancing nervously over his shoulder at the door.
“Niyol, why are you here?”
Niyol motioned for Aaron to come closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Alpha, I have seen weres just outside the reservation boundaries.”
Aaron glanced over his shoulder and saw Nikki sit back down at the table. He turned back to Niyol. “You are supposed to tell Hok’ee; that is his job as enforcer.”
Niyol’s head bobbed in acknowledgement. “Yes, I know that is the normal protocol, but Hok’ee is nowhere to be found.”
“What do you mean?”
Niyol shrugged. “I couldn’t find him…anywhere.”
Aaron let out a long, exasperated breath. “Did you try using our link?”
Niyol’s head bobbed again. “I tried that first. He’s put up a block. When I couldn’t reach him by our link, I went looking for him. He wasn’t home, and his clothes were gone too. It looks like he left in a hurry.”
“That fucking asshole,” Aaron said under his breath.
“Do you think he has anything to do with the weres on our borders?”
“Do you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Niyol glanced nervously at the door again. “He hasn’t been the same since the day your father died.”
“Niyol, that is the third time you’ve looked at that door. Are you expecting someone?”
“No, Alpha. It’s just….”
“What?”
“I can sense them here.”
“Who?”
“The weres…they’re here in Santa Fe right now. They are here among us in their human forms. I can feel it.”
Aaron, is everything okay? I can feel the tension.
Sit tight, Nikki, I’ll be back at the table in a moment. “Niyol, I need you to go to Atsa, and tell him what is going on. I want the two of you to gather the pack and meet me back here in Santa Fe. We will take care of the werewolf problem once and for all.”
“Yes, Alpha, right away.” Niyol turned to leave.
“And, Niyol.” The man turned back to Aaron. “If you happen to see Hok’ee, I want him brought before me.” Niyol nodded. “Let the pack know that unless Hok’ee has a good reason for his disappearance, I will be looking for a new enforcer. Now go, and hurry.”