The Scents of Proxima Ch. 02

Sorry all for the extreme delay in getting chapter two out! Hopefully, chapters three and four won't take quite so long.

Chapter 2 - Nothing sexier than the scent of compost

A year ago at the Kenov research institute, in the sparring gym -

"Hey, Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something random?" It couldn't hurt to ask, he'd be heading back to SUni tomorrow, so she wouldn't have to see him for a couple of months if this turned embarrassing. Beth pressed on, "Would you ever consider a mate pairing with someone like me?"

Cole turned to look askance at her from where he rested on the bench. "What?! No! That would be weird!"

Beth quickly turned to hang the sparring pads back on the wall so Cole wouldn't see the hurt on her face. As she turned back, she made sure her expression was neutral but relaxed.

"I mean" Cole continued, "It would be like dating my cousin. You're practically family!"

He must have been able to smell her distress and was trying to reassure her.

"Yeah, no, of course! That would be totally weird for the two of us to be together! You're way too old for me anyway" Beth tried to brush it off with a smile. "I meant, would you, like, consider a non-mod as a mating pair."

"Oh... I don't know. The only non-mods I've ever met are you and your parents. You smell nice enough though! I mean, if you weren't like family, I'd consider it."

Beth nodded, distracted. Yeah, he was definitely trying to reassure her. Though it galled her, she had to accept that Hal and Elijah must have been right all those years ago. No one was ever going to see her as a potential mate. She popped up, turning to face Cole.

"Come on, let's do a few more practice throws. I think I've almost got the Tomoe nage down."

**********

The smell of rotting vegetables drew Beth back to the present. She stood next to the compost pile her Science and Literature class was currently observing. She had gotten lost in thought as she'd wondered about her reaction to Hal after the last class. It wasn't a mate-pairing reaction, it couldn't be. Cole had substantiated her fear that no one would ever be interested in her.

Then why was she having such a strong reaction to him? She tried to pull her attention back to what the professor was saying about the different composting strategies being tested, chiding herself that she could ruminate on her oddities later.

But it was hard to focus on the professor's words for long when she could see Hal on the other side of the group. He and the other seals were closer than most of the feline shifters. Beth, in contrast, stood nearly on top of the pile. This was one of the few times when having a diminished sense of smell compared to her peers was a good thing. The pile still didn't smell pleasant, but it wasn't gag-inducing the way it had been for some of her classmates when they'd showed up.

"As we can see, this particular pile is constructed using what is called the Lasagna method. This is in comparison to the last pile we saw that is undergoing an aerated, or turned compost process." Professor Kruger gestured to the assembled group. "Does anyone have any comments or insights into the scientific processes being demonstrated here? Or how you would present it in a creative way in your writing?"

Students offered comments that ranged from snippets of poetry to hypotheses on the rate of breakdown in aerobic vs anaerobic conditions. One lion shifter mentioned reading that certain compost methods brought from Earth hadn't originally worked in Proxima One's heavier atmosphere. A voice stood out to Beth through the colloquy.

"There are red bean pods in the pile, which while fully edible, are nitrogen-heavy, which throws off the organic composition of the pile. Their presence in the pile indicates that there are also upstream inefficiencies in the food system itself. While it's all and good to recycle the food waste as best we can, more research is also needed to fix the flaw earlier in the system."

Beth was impressed. The stranger's comment showed a perceptive mind that looked for the foundational cause of issues to solve them. She glanced around, trying to identify the speaker. It wasn't difficult.

"Before we can truly perfect the composting methods, we need insight into what the final composition of the pile will be." The scholar was a feline shifter who towered over the rest of the class.

Beth thought he might even be taller than Fallon, Cole's father, a tiger who was the largest shifter she'd ever seen in her life. She was intrigued. Unlike the tigers she knew, who were well-muscled to match their size, this young man was lanky. But at his height, he couldn't possibly be of the cheetah lineage. His head was shaved, and she couldn't see his tail, so Beth had no other clues to his heritage. Was he possibly a new shifter breed? While she had learned that most shifters were affronted if she asked about their lineage, she figured she could at least say 'hi' later. Maybe he was another outcast like her. He certainly didn't seem comfortable mixed in with their peers...

**********

David kept catching traces of the most alluring scent. Each time he thought it was getting stronger, he would get hit with another wave of stench from the compost pile. He found himself pacing, edging his way through the group, trying to find the source of the scent. Being continually thwarted left him antsy. He decided would have to investigate more after class. He didn't want to worry his uncle, who kept glancing at him. David shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying to stand still. He knew his uncle was likely concerned about how well he was getting on with his peers. Touching his thumb to each of his fingers in turn, David worked to calm his racing heart.

David had always struggled to interact with people outside his family group, his hybrid nature setting him apart. For some reason involving his mixed genetics, he had developed much more slowly than others his age. While the doctors reassured him that everything was completely normal, even he could see that at 26, he still hadn't filled out the way his tiger cousins had. Even his lion relatives were all more muscled than he was, although nowadays they were usually a full head shorter. And being taller than everyone was still new to him, he hadn't hit his growth spurt until his late teens.

Before then, his underdeveloped physique, combined with his shy demeanor, had led strangers to believe he was much younger than he actually was. The older he had gotten, the more it had rankled. He remembered his cousin Todd having to defend him their first day at Mids, convincing the other teens that David wasn't some precocious little kid trying to sneak onto campus.

Even when people treated him in an age-appropriate manner, there were always the questions. While others could smell his heritage, he would still have to explain that his mother was a tiger, and his father was a lion, which made him a Liger, not a Tigon. But today, he was accepted as just another student. If he hadn't been so on edge from the unknown aroma, he might have actually enjoyed feeling somewhat anonymous.

When a cheetah shifter next to him asked what he thought of the assignment, he spouted off the first thing that came to mind. He thought what he had said was in line with the rest of the discussion, but she quirked an eyebrow, made a non-committal noise, and moved off to stand by someone else. David couldn't begin to discern what had antagonized her. Oh well. He tried to focus on the discussions around him.

"You alright there?"

David turned, expecting to see his uncle come over to coddle him. It wasn't. It was a seal shifter, a leopard seal if the silver refractions in the speaker's hair were any indication.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem pretty worked up."

Ah, David knew that 'worked up' was code for giving off agitated pheromones. Damn, he didn't want to scare anyone. He redoubled his efforts to control his breathing, making sure his exhale was twice as long as his inhale.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to freak anyone out! I keep catching this scent that I can't place and it's setting me on edge."

"Like a predator scent?" The seal glanced around warily, immediately on alert. The composting facility was near the edge of the campus and the potential for Kranton attacks was never zero.

"No, and it's not the compost either. It smells wonderful, whatever it is."

The leopard seal visibly relaxed. "Ah, that sounds like a good thing then! Must mean you have a mate-pair mixed somewhere in this lot."

David was struck by the statement. "Er, I doubt it." David squished the small blossom of hope in his chest. He'd resigned himself to a mate-less existence years ago.

The seal quirked an eyebrow. "What else could it be?"

"I don't know, a fruit that fermented in the pile?"

"The wonderful thing you think you smell is rotting fruit?" Now the seal looked confused.

"No... not really. If I think about it, the aroma doesn't smell like fruit or alcohol or anything else I can describe." David shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Sorry, I don't mean to be overly critical of your theory, I've just never experienced any kind of mate bond before."

"Really?" The other man's eyes widened. "You've never met someone who had even the slightest mate-pairing potential?" He was clearly taken aback. Most shifters had encountered at least a few potential mate pairs, or various strengths, by the time they had come to university.

"No, I was always told that difficulties finding viable mates was one of the downsides of being a hybrid." David couldn't believe he had just admitted that to a complete stranger. At least he hadn't also blurted out that he was sterile.

"That must be rough!" The stranger's voice was sympathetic, but not pitying.

"Yeah," David found himself feeling oddly at ease, despite having known this person only for the space of this conversation. On a far left-field hunch, he took a subtle sniff.

Nope, the shifter in front of him wasn't his mate pair. David hadn't thought he was gay like his sister, but he certainly wouldn't have turned the man down if he was the only mate pair to be found.

"So you've never smelled a mate-pair before... but can't place this scent as anything you know. How do you feel when you smell it?"

"Excuse me?" David cocked an eyebrow at the seal. How in the world were feelings and smells connected?

"When I came over, you seemed pretty agitated. Was it from the smell itself, or not being able to find the source of the smell?"

Ah, that made more sense to David. "Not being able to find it, I think."

"That sounds like a mate bond then. I know for me, it's rough to be in the same room with my mate pair and not be touching her. To be able to smell her but not see her, for an extended period of time, that would probably drive me up the wall too."

"That does seem to be in line with how I'm feeling. I feel calmer now that I haven't caught the scent for a while," David pondered. He'd never been upset by a scent before. Back at Mids, he had always been the calmest because nothing ever set him off. Remaining level-headed had been easy. Did that mean the seal's theory held some weight? "That seems like such a contradiction, I wouldn't want to be an agitated mess when I met a mate-pair for the first time!"

"Having physical contact will ease the anxiety for you both. Your pair will likely be just as on edge as you are."

"It sounds like you have a decent amount of experience with this," David commented as he scanned the crowd. No one else seemed restless, all his classmates seemed to be focused on the compost piles. David couldn't help but hope to finally find someone who would see him in a romantic light. No one else seemed to be responding to a pull though.

"I've met half a dozen possible pairings over the years. Only one was particularly strong... " The seal trailed off, gazing across the enclosure. He shook himself. "It's cool you might have finally found someone though! I can see why it would be hard to get a lock on the scent with everyone milling around these piles of rotting vegetables. I'm Hal by the by." The stranger offered his fist.

"David." He bumped the proffered fist with his own. "It is! I only catch hints of the scent every now and again. Every time I think I'm getting closer I get repulsed by the smell of compost."

"I can't even imagine how bad this must smell for you! I nearly yarked when the professor dug into the one pile for us to count worm species."

David distracted himself from the thought. Regardless of whether a potential mate was present, he didn't need to empty the contents of his stomach. That wouldn't make a good impression on anyone in the vicinity. While there likely wasn't a pair for him, he at least wanted to make friends with his classmates. "I suppose I could systematically go scent everyone in the class... " He surveyed the groups fluctuating around the various mounds. "It'd be hard to keep track with everyone roaming around. And class is almost over... " The thought of being close to finding a potential mate and then losing them made David's gut clench. Despite his efforts to remind himself of all the disappointments he'd already suffered, he yearned to finally find someone who could see him as more than a friend. Just then, the professor called out that the class was coming to an end.

"Hey, why don't you hold the gate for everyone as they leave? Then everyone has to pass by you and you'll seem chivalrous to whoever it finally is!" Hal turned to him with a grin.

"That's a good idea, Hal, thanks!" David smiled at his new acquaintance but could tell the expression didn't reach his eyes. He sighed. David didn't want to get his hopes up, but he would humor Hal. He'd appreciated the seal's relaxed, upfront manner. He would just come back to the enclosure after everyone else had left and weren't disturbing the air currents, to determine where the scent was coming from. It was probably just a psychedelic mushroom or something. David continued to postulate regarding possible sources of the smell as they strode toward the gate of the enclosure. Off to the side, his uncle reeled out a hose for those who had chosen to investigate the piles a little more closely.

**********

Beth was cataloging all the different species of beetle visible within the lasagna-style compost when the professor reminded them of the time. She was very familiar with the varieties of beetles in the North, her father was an entomologist, but there had been at least six species that she had never seen before. Was that because these preferred the conditions found in compost or because they were adapted to the colder climates here in the south? Beth's musing continued as she wandered over to wash off her hands; her search for beetles had involved picking apart some of the sandwiched layers of decomposing material. She'd been able to tie up her hair in a bun to keep it out of the way, but the rest of her upper half was dappled in small splatters of compost juice. Worth it.

Drying her hands on a towel someone had produced, Beth noticed that the young man, whose comment had impressed her earlier, was holding the gate for everyone as they left. She hung back. If she was the last one out, it would be a good opportunity to introduce herself. Maybe they could chat while they hiked up the hill. Anjali, however, clearly didn't want to linger any longer than necessary, her nose wrinkled to block out the smell.

"You coming to the dance hall tonight?"

"No, I promised I would meet Cole after class for some sparring."

"Okay! See you tomorrow then!" Anjali, who had kept well away from the odiferous mounds, turned and nearly sprinted out of the gate and up the path. Beth chuckled in sympathy. Poor Anjali had looked queasy since the professor had dug into one of the mounds to reveal all the worms and other invertebrates inside. Beth hadn't been squeamish about burrowing through the accumulated refuse, but the rancid odor definitely had saturated the insides of her nostrils; it felt like it would take a week for the stench to fully clear.

Beth followed the last of her classmates out of the enclosure. She smiled at the young man who had been holding the gate. "Thanks!"

"Sure" His eyes were locked on hers, his posture rigid. Beth's smile faltered.

"Everything okay?" Beth edged backward up the steps of the path that led to the main campus. Something about this guy set her on edge. Her skin prickled with awareness, her heart pounded. She took another step. "I..."

Beth's heel caught on the lip of the stair. She'd barely had time to register she was falling before a hand wrapped around her wrist. Her head spun as the rangy shifter swooped her up into his arms.

"Woah" She braced her palms on the man's shoulders. Beth's skin burned everywhere her body made contact with the guy who had saved her from falling. Her savior let go of her wrist to cup the back of her neck. Their eyes met and she froze. She was acutely aware of how intimately her lower half was pressed against him. Beth felt heat blossom between her legs. This was the most erotic position she'd ever been in. It would be extremely embarrassing if this male started to scent her arousal, however. She locked her elbows, trying to put space between their bodies.

"Um, thanks, you can put me down now." Her voice was breathy. Beth flushed, from titillation and embarrassment.

The cat didn't respond, just stared at her, his nostrils flared. His gaze kept flicking to her mouth. She could see his pulse tick in his throat. Beth felt a frisson of unease.

"Put me down please!" Still no response. The giant holding her was completely immobile. She wasn't sure anymore whether the throbbing pulse she felt was his heartbeat or her own.

"Let go!" Beth reached up to the hand cradling the back of her neck and tried to pry it off. He released her neck, but he grasped her fingers instead, effectively locking her hand behind her head. Beth began to panic, head whirling, heart in her throat. She jammed her fingernail into the webbing between his thumb and palm.

Nothing. His eyes didn't even flicker, even though she could feel blood welling up around her nail. What was this guy? Some kind of new shifter that was completely immune to pain? Beth struggled to keep her emotions under control, but she was freaking out and knew he would be able to smell her fear.

If he could smell her fear... and wasn't trying to calm or reassure her; this did not bode well. Beth was about to shatter one of her captor's kneecaps when she saw a familiar shock of red hair coming down the path.

"Cole!"

"Beth! What the...?"

"Help?" Beth's plea stuttered out.

Cole rushed towards them, growling. "Put her down!"

The giant seemed to shake himself, his eyes going to Cole, shifting Beth away from the incoming tiger, pulling her in even closer. Beth's locked elbow gave; she was no match for this beast's strength. For being so lanky, he was still incredibly strong. Her breath rushed out as she was crushed full body against his chest. Almost immediately his grip loosened.

Cole was there, twisting her attacker's hands in ways that forced him to release her. Without the behemoth's arm holding her up, she dropped to the ground. Beth reached out to brace herself as she landed, hands spreading wide across her attacker's hard stomach. She snatched her hands away, but Beth was still trapped between the two shifters. Both of them were growling. This was bad.

"Easy, everyone, easy." Beth tried to de-escalate the situation, but she could barely control her own breathing. She was practically panting; it seemed as though each breath heightened her adrenaline. Electricity ran through her skin, fire through her veins. She was hyper-aware of her position, sandwiched between two very large men.