Chapter 2

Selene POV

As I made my way toward the festivities from the forest line, I realised that The Harvest was something else entirely when you saw it up close.

The wolves sipped greedily on an amber liquid that held an extremely prominent odour. That… and something else was thick in the air. Of course, the unmated females were in heat. Sending out their scents in the hope of finding their fated mate. Given that many of the wolves seemed to be doing a lot more than dancing, I’d say it was working for a number of them.

I was broken from my trance when someone grabbed my arm a little too firmly, and pulled me toward them, spinning me hard into their chest. I looked up into a set of very glassy eyes before I was assaulted by his breath, stale with the amber liquid.

“Well…. What’s a nice harvest like you doing in a wolf like this?” He slurred while maintaining his iron grip on me.

“Just passing through actually” I smiled politely, hoping he would take the hint and release me.

“Goddess… your scent… you smell like… honey flavoured whiskey… my favourite kind.”

He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply. Enough was enough, I decided as I forced his hands from me.

“If you’ll excuse me, there’s somewhere I rather need to be.”

I turned to walk away and he grabbed me again, this time daring to cup my breast as he pressed himself into me from behind.

“You’re not going anywhere little wolf, that scent… it’s driving me…”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence. I’d already knocked him out cold. This evening was off to a stellar start.

“Holy shit…”

As I turned to face the next Neanderthal my breath caught in my throat. I was momentarily lost in the most dazzling set of emerald green eyes I had ever seen. Most wolves have an amber glow, but… these were something else entirely.

“Um… miss?” he cleared his throat and caught my attention as I realised how intensely I had been staring at him.

“I’m sorry, can I help you?”

“Oh, no. It was actually me who was coming to help you… well, save you… at least I thought you needed saving. That was until you knocked him out.”

“Oh… that. It appears your friend here was made a bit too bold thanks to this…”

I handed him the half-full glass of liquid I had managed to prevent from smashing just before my fist connected with the face of the drunkard.

“Yeah, he’s kind of an ass. He’s also not my friend. If that counts for anything…”

Before I could continue our conversation, the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle. I looked away from my would-be saviour to find that a circle of male wolves were closing in on us.

They were all looking at me like I was fresh meat. Their noses frantically sniffing the air as they approached.

“Mine…”

One snarled before he was shoved by another.

“No! Mine!” he snarled back.

“She’s mine! She smells of patchouli and sandalwood, that scent was made for me!” Another chimed in.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting this…”

“Nice of you to resurface Liana, what exactly is happening?”

“It appears the glamour masks our appearance, not our scent. We’re the daughter of the moon goddess and we’ve just walked into the middle of the largest gathering of unmated wolves on the planet… our scent is intoxicating to them. They think we’re their mate…”

“All of them?! What about this guy? Why isn’t he looking at me like I’m lunch?”

The man I was speaking to was looking around at the encroaching wolves with as much confusion as I. And for whatever reason, seemed completely immune to my scent…