Free The Awakening: Britton (Entangled Covet) by Abby Niles Page A

can’t even smell the musk under the propane, much less keep the scent contained to a
    smaller area like I can.”
    He heard the defensive edge in her tone, as if she had to prove to him that she had been the right
    candidate to take his position when the High Council had relieved him of his duties.
    “The High Council hired you for a reason, Val. If they believed you were the next best thing to me, then
    you are.”
    Her footsteps halted behind him. He didn’t stop or glance over his shoulder. Yeah, he’d given her a
    compliment, and most likely she was as stunned as he’d been yesterday when she’d given him one.
    A soft, almost shocked laugh sounded before her steps started again. “When they laid out this trail, they
    knew following it would cost me time, but they weren’t banking on the High Council giving you clemency.
    They’re not going to be happy when they figure out you’re involved.”
    “Let’s hope we find them before they do.”
    Thirty minutes later, the scent of grass hit sharp and potent. Behind him, Val inhaled deeply. She’d also
    smelled it. Once again the trail branched. However, this time, all three scents continued in both directions.
    In one direction Charlie’s scent rang loud and clear against the propane, while in the other it was doused
    under the propane. For now, Britton kept his mouth shut about the opposite direction, waiting to see what
    Val said.
    She sidled up beside him. “I can smell Charlie that way, along with a strong shifter musk.” Rubbing her
    hand over her mouth, she turned her head in the other direction. “This way it’s all shifter musk, no Charlie.
    But they could be masking the boy’s scent in hopes I’ll instinctively take off after him the wrong way. Or…
    they could simply have carried something he’d marked with his scent, but the boy is still masked by the
    propane.”
    “Both directions have his scent, Val.”
    “His physical scent?”
    “Yes. It’s a decoy. They took him up one way to throw you off. They probably brought him back on
    the exact same path, then took the other trail to wherever their destination really was. The question is,
    which path is which?”
    “Which door do we choose, Townsend?”
    “What does your instinct say?”
    “To follow the propane only.”
    His did, too. But what if they were wrong? What if they royally fucked this up because of a split-second
    decision? He’d made one in the past, and paid a high price for it. The High Council sure as hell wouldn’t be
    lenient a second time.
    “We’re going to have to split up.” He didn’t like the idea at all, but going together would take too much
    time, especially if they chose the wrong path.
    “Split up?” She looked around, breathed a low “shit.”
    He knew she wasn’t comfortable in the woods. “How’s your phone?”
    She dug it out. “Wow. I have bars, go figure.”
    “You have a compass, water, and snacks.” He motioned for her to turn around, dug the compass out of
    her pack, and handed it to her. “You take the southwest trail.”
    He’d rather she go toward the area the general store owner had said was more hiker-friendly. Britton
    would take the harder route.
    “What if they trick me again?”
    She no longer believed in her own abilities, and that pained him.
    “Val. You smell Charlie and the shifter musk going that way, right?”
    She nodded.
    “So do I,” he continued. “Just follow it. It’s either going to end, or you’re going to find—”
    A flutter beneath his ribs startled the words away. He gasped sharply, grabbing his side.
    “Britton, are you okay?” She laid a hand on his forearm. The tingles that warmed his skin at her touch
    startled him even more than feeling the beast within him for the first time in over four years. There was no
    urge to shove her away, no distaste at having her hand on him, just a comforting warmth.
    He tilted his head, studying her curiously. Without answering, he lifted the hand she had on his arm