Sweet Scent

BERTHA

“Move away, silly” Helen, the head of the kitchen orders pushing me away from her path. The kitchen was busy as today more than usual because there was a small festival event being held.

For as long as I could remember, mother and I lived here in this small town deep within the forest as if the town was one not to be discovered. Mother had told me father passed away when I was a toddler and she had moved out of her pack to start her life on her own.

From there, mother had met with this small group of people and they’d decided to turn this small space in the forest into their home. It was easy for mother to fit in amongst them but for me, it was rather difficult as I neither had a father nor knew from what pack I originate from.

The topic seemed rather sensitive to mother so I tried my best not to pry further than she was ready to let me know. But my ignorance made me an outcast amongst my peers.

“If you’re going to space around, then you can just go and rest Bertha” Matilda says, pulling out a wine from the wine cellar. “Agnes got this premonition that we would be having a very important guest coming over today so everything has to go as planned”

Agnes is a witch and a very important person to this town as she was one of the persons that helped bring this town to what it is today. This town housed people of different races; witches, vampires and werewolves.

And amongst the werewolves, I was the only one without a mate. Even men from other packs, communities would come here to find the one they wanted to share their souls with but no one ever came for me.

Maybe this important guest was another man who had come here to find himself a beloved. I thought. My thoughts were cut short by Agnes, who called me out of the kitchen. “Bertha, come here”

Instantly, I rushed over to Agnes. “You called for me?”

“Yes, I did” Agnes ventures down the walk way as she gestures me to walk with her. “As you know, we’re expecting a very important guest and I need you to get something for me from the heart of the forest. Can I entrust you with that?”

Like I’d said before, Agnes is a witch. If she needed something—even though it were to be from the heart of the forest—she could just snap her fingers and it would appear.

I didn’t need to be told in another language that Agnes was just trying to get me out of town when the guest arrived.

I decided to play dumb and go with the flow. “Of course, you can entrust me with it Agnes. Whatever it may be”

A wide smile splay across Agnes face. “I’m glad”. She hands over a piece of paper to me. “Make sure you take the path that leads to the apple tree and don’t open the paper until you get there, okay?”

I nod taking the piece of paper from her hands. “Understood”

I didn’t even stop to head to my room to change my clothes. I just pulled off my apron as I set out for the task Agnes had entrusted me with. It took me several hours to get to the path that leads to the apple tree but my wolf, Ziggy kept me company.

Finally, as if it had taken forever, I was on the path. “Agnes sure picked the right task to get rid of me”

Ziggy sniffs around. “Do you smell that, Bertha?”

I take in a deep whiff of the air as a sweet scent filled my nostril. “Do apples smell this good during this season?”

“I don’t think this is the scent of apples, Bertha”

I shake my head. “Let’s not get distracted, Ziggy. Agnes sent us to do something”

Just as I was about to unfold the paper Agnes had given me, a strong wind blows the paper out of my hands down the path of the apple tree.

“Hey, come back!” I exclaimed, running after the paper. My gaze was fixated on the paper that I hadn’t realized that there was someone in my way until I’d bumped into a strong, muscular build.

“Ouch” I wince, rubbing against my forehead as I refrained from what I’d come in contact with. My jaw drops as I stare at one of the most beautiful man there ever was. His long black hair breezed gracefully down his shoulders.

He was dressed in an attire that screamed royalty down to the jewelries that laid on his neck, hands and legs.

An apology. I ought to have apologized to this man for bumping into him but, I wasn’t capable of words as my wolf, Ziggy turned and churned in excitement then roared. “MATE!”

Mate? He was mine? And I was…his? Me? But why? I didn’t deserve someone like him. Not even in my wildest imaginations and I was certain he felt the same way.

He must be so disappointed to find out that I was his other half. Just then, Agnes paper that had flown away lands on my palm wide open and it reads; “YOU’RE WELCOME”

Agnes must had seen this coming that was why she’d sent me out but now, I didn’t know if I should be grateful or not.

“Say something, girl” Ziggy chides me.

“I’m sor—”

The strange man—sorry, my mate—pulls me into his arms, embracing me ever so tightly as he breathes out in silent whispers. “Thank goddess, I’ve finally found you”

My eyes bulged as tears started to well up. He was thankful to have found me? Those words felt so surreal but some part of me wanted to still live in this moment.

That’s why I’d also wrapped my arms around him. “Thank goddess, I’ve found you too”