CHAPTER 2

The day they anticipated finally came and all five got ready to leave to Mount Manuka. It was a 3-hour drive from their home and by the time they arrived, it was already late for them to go up and come back, so they camped at the mountain foot, lit a bonfire, and sat talking until late at night. It was the ideal stress relief that the group needed. If only Selena could knock off the creeping sensation on her skin as if someone is staring at her. She constantly swiveled around, but she couldn’t figure out why she felt a gaze on her. She brushed it away as an illusion before settling down to sleep inside her camp. 

 The confined, blue membranous space didn’t do any good too. She tossed and turned till 1 am in morning. That’s when it hit her. A mild perfume of vanilla that grew stronger and stronger by the minute. An addictive or rather aphrodisiac smell of vanilla mixed with orange. The stronger the smell, the more it stirred Selena's hormonal pool. Butterflies spring from the bottom of her tummy, cruising through her veins. Her body heated up slowly with tongue pulsating to her sighs. 

She sat up with knees clutched against her chest. The buzzing warmth in her neck was too much that she kept trying to knock it off but without realizing it, her palms slowly moved down, aiming to her breast. She wouldn’t dare to touch her sensitive part, between her legs, as she is prefixed with the idea that it’s going to hurt. Her body felt limp, and she seem to be in high as if been drugged. The smell drove her crazy, rampaging her breath as she squeezed hard on her plum breast, letting out a soft moan between bitten lips. Wetness slipped between her legs. What is this, what is happening? Confused and terrified of the sudden perfume in mid of mountain foot but at the same time, helpless to fight as her body continued betraying her. After what felt like an eternity, the smell cut off in a snap. Finally, Selena was at peace as she plopped down to the ground. Paralyzed, she snoozed off with no issue. 

“Wake up sleepy head” a familiar voice brought Selena back to earth and she blinked her eye open. As soon as she was sober, she pulled herself to a sitting position with a sharp gasp. Jeffry shook her shoulders again and again, but all Selena could hear is muffled rambling, as the memory of last night came flooding to her. 

Was it just a wet dream? Yes….YES, it must be a wet dream…

Her thought calmed her a bit

Wait!!! Can you smell in your dream?

Back to a worrying state, she snapped her head at Jeffry which effectively made him quiet.

“Can you smell in your dream?”

“WHAT???”

“Can you smell in your dream, Jeffry?”

“I don’t know, I never had smelt anything in my dreams. For fucking sake, I hardly get any dreams” Jeffry exclaimed

“What is going on here?” Jewel barged into the tent

“Can you smell in your dream?” both Jeffry and Selena spat out at the same time

 After packing up their belonging, cleaning up, and having a simple breakfast, the group started their hike up Mount Manuka. Selena wasn’t feeling herself and often slip into her thoughts about last night. Although her brain realize it was creepy, but her heart longed for the smell, again and again, giving her no peace of mind. Her friends, however, didn’t miss to make her smile. 

Halfway through the hiking, they heard water rustling sound and followed it to find a waterfall, among gigantic rocks, falling from the sky or it seems to. All five exchanged a mischievous glance and they were soon submerged into the water, splashing against each other. Selena and Jeffry are qualified divers, given the place they work and went down to the deepest pit ever so often. During one of these dives, something sparkled in Selena’s eye, and she pushed herself towards it. It looks like a precious stone, beneath some pebbles. She dug it out and resurfaced. To her surprise, her friends were far behind her. She pulled up her hand to her face, as the water level was at her chin, and frowned at the sight. It was a chain and locket. A peculiar, silver locket attached to a leather strap. Matte turquoise stone embedded in between carved silver, reflecting a narrow sheen of sunlight. A crescent moon was placed on the top of the stone and a pair of feathers, one short and one long dangled under the stone. She stared at it long enough to notice a gold pencil line running through it. 

Deciding to keep it, she swam up to the rocky banks, holding it in her hands. Her eyes were reluctant to part with the rock. A breeze combed through tall pine trees, swaying the peripheral view before it hit hard on Selena. Sheen of water clinging to her body amplifies, radiating shiver through her body. Came along the same scent that messed her in the darkness– a much milder version. But enough to indulge her, drifting away from her eyes, blocking out the world. 

Oliver tapped her shoulder to bring her out from the trans. She turned to look at the terrified faces of her friends. They seem to be looking in one direction and Selena followed their eye line. Her eyes widened with fear of the sight in front of her and jerked back a few steps. A pack of wolves standing on the opposite bank, growling and fuming with anger at them. All five shuffled their steps to close gaps in between when they noticed they were actually surrounded by predatory wolves, as angry eyes flared from all direction

“Tell me you can tame these dogs” Noah whispered to Selena

“They are not dogs. They are wolves. Wild wolf in a pack. You know why they gather in a pack?” Selena voice low and husky

Noah shook his head signaling ‘NO’

“To hunt. You know what they eat?” Noah trembled at the thought and swallowed audibly. 

The wolves paced slowly towards them. They looked bigger than any regular wolfs but one, in particular, stood out with a larger body and led them at front. Selena figured he must be the alpha, leader of the pack but she had no idea how a wolf becomes alpha–by showing dominance or fight or by blood.

“Can you at least try?” Jeffry's voice trembled.

“50 plus vicious wild wolf to be tamed in 5 minutes. I don’t think so…” 

One of the wolves snapped with a growl. She automatically took a defense stand with crouching halfway down and her left foot stretched in front of her. One hand in front of her while the other holding the necklace somewhere near her ears. Even though she said no, but she couldn’t stop trying as it is their last strike to survive. She calmed herself first and exhaled slowly. Then she focused out her calmness towards the assumed Alpha.

“Easy boy….easy….” her voice was as soothing as a mother’s voice, light as the flute through the breeze.

‘Calm down…. Calm down… these are nothing but overgrown puppies… and I am their master, petting and scratching their belly to comfort them.’

She is starting to affect the wolves as some start shaking their head, being uncomfortable with obeying other than their alpha. But before she could attempt one more time, a large mass jumped from nowhere, landing perfectly on a taller rock with a thud, about 10 feet from Selena. A pitch-black wolf. Muscle mass wrapped around his body reflects a sheen of light at every curve, even through it’s cobalt black fur. Chest expands with a low rumble. Golden eye, blinking calmly at her, and silky coat dances off coherence to the breeze. Rubber stamped, as the legal owner of the whole mountain

“Holy shit!!! That’s the Alpha” Jeffry panicked next to Selena. 

Before Selena could interpret her surrounding, the black wolf jumped down from the rock and landed a few feet away from Selena, spooking her as she lands on her butt and her hands at the back, supporting her. He padded step by step with a sharp eye, seizing Selena’s breath. 

The perfumy scent and wolf's swarm. Selena’s eye widened even more at the dawn of realization. It was a wolf lingering around her tent last night. Her heart thumped like a racing horse in her chest when the alpha wolf’s muzzles stopped so close, nose to nose. It moved to the left of her, sending Selena to a yelp as she shut tight her eyes and snapped her head to the other side. A soft fleece brushed against her skin, buckling cozy between her shoulders. She squeaked like a mouse when a coo vibrated against her and the beast snuggled deeper, like a domestic puppy. After a few moments, he retrieved from Selena and turned to walk out of the place, parting through the wolf pack. As if a remote control was switched on, all the wolves followed the Alpha, silently. Within the next minute, the whole place was back to its original serenity, leaving the friend speechless. 

They scrammed off the waterfall, not even bothered to change their wet dress, heading downhill. They ran as fast as they could, missing a turn and lost their way back

“Are you sure this is the way?” Jewel questioned under her breathy voice.

“Of course, don’t be silly. Just another 30 minutes. Come on now” Noah urged all to keep walking. The sky was getting darker and darker by the second and the image of wolves lurking around the tent sent Selena’s body shuddering

“Guys…wolfs are supposed to smell like wet dogs or at least Rocky, right?” Selena leaned by her butt on a tree trunk. All of them snapped at her like they are witnessing a freakshow.

“What???” Jeffry asked and soon there were random ramblings from the friends, resulting in Selena shutting her ears with her palms and closing tight her eyes. 

When she opened again, Jeffry was looking up behind her with an amused look. Selena quickly turned around to see a few men walking towards them

“Are you guys lost?” a guy with a beard and man bun asked towards Jeffry

“I think so. Can you guys please direct us to the right way?” Jeffry voiced out. A guy with black hair and a tall, masculine frame– crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned sideways at the same tree trunk Selena is.

“We can but you won’t make it downhill because the night is falling fast. If you want, you can come back to our place. Just 15 minutes hike uphill and you guys can climb down in the morning” what a relief. They agreed and followed them back to their place.