Selene POV
“She will kill us if she finds out we were here.”
“Then we best hope she doesn’t find out…”
“She’s the Moon Goddess Selene, exactly how do you plan to keep this a secret?”
“Hush, Liana, Goddess or not a daughter has her ways of evading her mother’s eye….”
Liana, my wolf was cautious at the best of times. A nice balance to my impulsive nature. As the first daughter of the moon goddess, you could say I didn’t exactly get out much. But I had been working on this plan for some time.
As I made my way through to the forest I made sure to take in every sight and sound. The smell of the water trickling through the stream, the crisp scent of the pines. The gentle crunch of debris as I made my way along the dirt path. The moon illuminated everything, almost like daylight. I slowed my pace as I began to hear music in the distance… I was getting close.
I have always watched the harvest from the heavens. It is the night the packs come together under the alliance of the moon, to set aside their differences, and in some cases call a temporary halt to all-out war in order to pay their respects to my mother, the moon goddess. This is also the night the wolves are most likely to find their fated mate, as all the packs are present.
This year, I was going to be amongst them. I had carefully practiced my glamour magic and was confident in my human/werewolf form. As the daughter of the moon goddess, I shared the soul of a wolf, much like the werewolves on Earth. The difference is that instead of part human, I am part deity.
“How do you expect to fit in? You belong to no pack and you know how they feel about rogues.”
“Liana, you think too much. You’ve seen them at these events. They drink, they dance, they mate, nobody has time for semantics.”
“For once in our immortal life, could you take my advice?”
“I always listen to your advice Liana, sometimes I just choose to ignore it.”
I smirked as I felt her retreat to the depths of my mind. Liana was a loyal wolf and a fierce warrior but tonight that’s not what I needed. What I needed was to have some fun. And The Harvest was exactly where I was going to find it….
Selene POVAs 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
Selene POV “I’d like the answer to that question as much as the next wolf, but don’t you think it might be in our best interest to run now and play detective later?” Liana was right, we had to move or risk exposing ourselves to every werewolf from every pack in the world. That was most certainly not the plan. “Alright old friend, it turns out a warrior is exactly what I need tonight, you’re in charge” We took off toward the forest and shifted mid-run. Liana was a magnificent wolf. Her fur pure white, with an almost iridescent sheen. Our eyes matched in our usual form, a dazzling sapphire blue. I had dulled their appearance in my human glamour so as to not attract too much attention. A lot of good that did me. We lost the pack and made it to the portal with minimal effort. Even a pack of lust-driven, unmated wolves would be no match in speed with a deity. As we stepped through the portal I shed my glamour, taking on my usual form. My snow-white hair fell in thick braids down my bac
Aiden POV“So, you’re telling me you don’t remember anything?”“Nothing, no one does. The whole night is a God damn blur. Must have been some good whiskey”My Beta Blake was one of the unmated wolves affected last night. But as was the case with each of them, he had no memory of the beautiful she-wolf that seemed to cast some kind of spell over every unmated male in the vicinity. Every unmated male that is, except me. Don’t get me wrong. She was the most striking she-wolf I had ever seen, and when I saw that Neanderthal groping her body without her consent, I wanted to tear his throat out. I wanted her alright, but I didn’t turn into a rabid animal like the others.I was beginning to think I was going mad. But she was real. Of that much I was certain. And I couldn’t get her out of my head. Before I could continue questioning Blake, we wer
Aiden POV“This isn’t right. You know our fated mate should be our Luna. It will make us stronger.”I had been arguing with Ronan, my wolf for our entire walk through the forest. I decided to take the scenic route on my way to my… proposal. The truth of it was I wasn’t only trying to convince Ronan, I was trying to convince myself.I didn’t love Ciara, that much was certain, but I never necessarily thought love a vital component in a strong partnership. She was of a good bloodline and would produce strong pups. I knew her, we had shared each other’s bed many times. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was making this decision so difficult.“Maybe because you know our fated mate is out there. What will we do when she finds us, bound to another?”“Ronan, the Moon Goddess has had 10 years to bless me with my fated
Selene POVAs I slipped through the portal to the mortal realm, I was careful to ensure I wasn’t followed. It had been a few days since the events of the harvest and I had been able to think of little else. Despite my best efforts my mind kept drifting back to the green-eyed wolf. I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t affected in the same way as the other wolves. I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers in my realm, so I had to risk punishment and venture back to the mortal realm.It was easy to find the portals that lead to Ireland. The land was coated in magic and the fabric that separated the gods from men was flimsy at best. There was once a time when the two worlds weren’t separate at all. Gods and magical beings lived amongst the mortals freely. Now there are only traces of the ancient world left here, werewolves, vampires and the occasional demon, all the species closer to humans than the gods, elves or fae
Selene POVWe apparated in what appeared to be the living room of a cabin. We stood in silence both staring at our connected hands. The sparks running through our bodies from our touch had confirmed what Liana had said. This wolf was my mate.“So… pants?” I said awkwardly as I broke contact and turned away from him. I pretended to look around the room while he headed upstairs. The truth is, I needed to not be looking at him in order to make any sense of my thoughts. My head was racing with questions, many of which I’m sure he shared and neither of us held answers to. The thing that made me the most nervous was how intense my need to be near him had become at the slightest touch. Our wolves and our bodies responded instantly to the mate bond. Thankfully, my willpower was still intact… so far.I heard the sound of his footsteps as he made his way back down the stairs, I turned to face him an
Aiden POV “I can’t believe you just implied she is a witch, you know she is a wolf, we have seen her in wolf form” Ronan was incredibly unimpressed with me, but what did he expect? She just filled the kettle with water and lit the fire with a flick of her wrist. Granted, I hadn’t responded well, but she had just used actual magic. “Yes, like the magic she used to get us here. You are a damn fool at times Aiden.” Ronan was right. I could be a real idiot at times. I had no idea the impact my idiotic ways were about to have though. “Ok… I believe you’ve heard of the Moon Goddess?” That question caught my attention. Of course, I had heard of the Mood Goddess. She was the mother of all wolves. The Goddess who we served and who blessed us with our wolf-forms and our mates. And she was asking if I’d heard of her? “Oh, she’
Blake POV“What do you mean missing?!”Alpha Donal was a fearsome man at the best of times. I had been doing my best to keep the fact that no one had seen Aiden since he left to propose to Ciara under wraps. But it had been 3 days now with no sign of him. As Aiden’s future Beta, it was my duty to break the news to Alpha Donal.“I’m afraid that’s all the information we have Alpha. Aiden was last seen 3 days ago, by me, before departing to issue his proposal to Ciara as his chosen mate and future Luna. According to her, he never arrived and no one has seen or heard from him since.”I flinched but tried to remain calm as Alpha Donal’s fist collided with the wall dangerously close to my face. I was a competent warrior, but no match for an Alpha, even an aging one. He moved in close, his menacing expression fixed directly at me.“Find him pup. D
Selene POV"This is crazy..." Liana, my wolf, scolded in my ear. "You felt it, Liana. The pain. Whatever is happening to Aiden, I'd be surprised if he can withstand it for much longer.""But should we not at least have told your mother? I see no good coming from sneaking away on our own.""The only one that might have come was Evangeline, but I couldn't risk it. We have enough power to face whatever lies ahead, Liana. You can feel it as well as I can.""Exactly, I can feel it. It's volatile, and you've barely scraped the surface of being able to control it. You're being reckless, Selene, and you know it.""I'm not being reckless. I saw the vision, I know what this could mean. But how much longer do you want Ronan to suffer?"There was a long pause in my mind, and I wished Liana was in her corporeal form so I could get a better read on her. As strange as it sounds, I enjoyed having her by my side instead of it having to be one of us or the other. Even though it had been that way for m
Aiden POV My mind was racing as the blurred stone walls that made up the cell I was now trapped in became clear. That voice... I'd heard it before, but where? Who was it? How did they overpower me? Was it a betrayal? Gabriel. He was the one that sent me here. That son of a bitch, I should've known better than to trust him. I could hear muffled voices in the distance, but the volume suggested they were drawing nearer. A quick scan of my surroundings confirmed my suspicions. I was strung upside down, ankles and wrists bound by a metal so strong I couldn't make it flex with all my strength. Below my arms, which were hanging above my head, was a chalice with a distinct red liquid sitting in it. Dried blood on my palms indicated it had likely come from my wrists. As the footsteps neared, I closed my eyes, and the creek of the door alerted me that I had company. Three sets of heavy footsteps entered, and I focussed on slowing my heart rate, for little good it did me. "Reall
Aiden POV As I sat staring out the window of my bedroom overlooking the field that led to the great forest for what felt like the hundredth night apart from Selene, I prayed. The silence was deafening. I suppose I thought she might hear me, answer... Come back to me. There had been no activity since the gathering, which I'm certain was intended to be our slaughter. Something stopped the attack or someone... A knock at my door broke me from my thoughts. "Aiden? Sorry to intrude, I saw the light..." "Come in, Blake." Blake had been apart from Evangeline as long as I had been apart from Selene, and I recognised the look in his eyes and the fatigue in his soul. It was weakening us both, though not as much as it should have been. Wherever our divine mates were, they were well and making sure we were as well. "I thought they'd at least have sent word by now..." he mumbled, half to himself as he poured us each a glass of whiskey. "There must be a good reason for it. Though I
Selene POV I stifled a smirk as my Mother rejected my Father's advances for what felt like the hundredth time since we returned to the palace. "What on earth is going on? Aren't you supposed to be training?" Evangeline whispered to me. "Yes. But not before issuing a little payback." Rather than attempt to recount the events, I placed my hand over my sister's and showed her a snippet of the conversation I'd had with my father. "Selene... you didn't!" she gasped, her whisper squeaking as the pitch of her voice rose in shock. I simply shrugged, feigned a look of innocence and turned my attention back to my parents. "Hey... Dad." The word still tasted strange on my tongue, "Need I remind you of the grave and mortal danger being faced in the human realm and the lives that are dependant on my training?" My Father turned to me, my Mother taking the opportunity to slide out of the corner he'd backed her into and make her away across the room. "Of course. Forgive me, daughter. I
Selene POV My Father's private chambers were not at all what I was expecting. The palace of the gods, the place I had always known to be home, was luxurious and indulgent. My father, it seemed, preferred more minimalistic surroundings. The thing about Eden, is that no being will ever be able to explore its vast reach fully. The garden is alive, and it changes constantly. As my father guided us through the unassuming little clearing he called home, I understood why. He lived hidden in plain sight, watching us. "Why here?" I questioned as I took a seat on a log by the babbling stream. "Where else? It is perfect, Selene. So perfect. I wanted them to have it. But, as I have learned, with all great gifts, they are easily taken for granted by those who don't have to work for them." A silent acknowledgement lingered between us as my mind wandered to the power I had inherited. Something I was sure would betray me the moment I took it for granted. "So, you really expect me to believe al
Aiden POV When I rose to my feet, I could sense that something had shifted. The surge of power was intense but fleeting. With its disappearance, so went the darkness. I could no longer sense the presence of the vampires. As my eyes darted around the creatures that had gathered for the ceremony, I also noted that a certain leprechaun had vanished as well. "What the hell just happened?" Blake's voice broke me from my thoughts. "You felt it too?" "Aye, I felt it. We all did. Whatever it was, I think it just saved us from an attack." I turned to Gabriel, who stood a few metres away with his wings fully unsheathed, staring toward the heavens. "Do you know what it was, Angel?" I questioned. He lowered his wings before slowly turning his head to glance at me over his shoulder. "That..." he began, "Was divine power." "So? I'd have thought you'd be used to that... being your kind." "You'd think." he scoffed, "But I've not felt anything like that in millennia... Look around, pu
Selene POVMy skin was humming. The power that was coursing through my body was intoxicating. I traced my brands with my own fingertips as I marvelled at the glow that seemed to be sitting just below the surface of my skin. I felt strong... So strong that if I attempted to hold on to something, I would suck the life from it without effort or warning. When I met the eyes of my mother and sister, I witnessed something in their expressions I had not seen before— Evangeline looked curious but wary. My mother looked terrified. "What is it, Mother?" When I spoke, my voice sounded distant and layered. "Selene... you have managed to tap into an obscene amount of power. If you are not mindful... it could consume you..." her words were cautious as they left her lips, and she seemed not to want to stand too close to me. Before I had a chance to respond to my mother, a sharp wind blew through the room, extinguishing the candlelight before dark clouds rolled in, shrouding us in darkness. The
Aiden POVI was sick with worry about Selene but had forged ahead with the plans for the ceremony. The creatures were beginning to arrive at the pack, and we had our work cut out to accommodate them and ease their fears for their safety. There was a reason many of them had remained hidden for centuries, and it was no easy task to coax them out. If it weren't for Fionn, Durragh and Maeve, we'd have had no chance at all. Some came willingly, trusting the word of the high fae. Others, like the fairies, were under their command. The most hostile were by far the ones that were here because they were paying a debt of some kind. One Leprechaun, in particular, caused my hackles to rise in his presence. Seamus radiated something more sinister than trickery and mischief. He owed Fionn a debt, which seemed out of balance, although I knew little about Leprechauns. Leprechauns are the ones in the habit of collecting debts and striking bargains, not the other way around. "You know, Fionn, you
Selene POV"Selene, stop!" My mother demanded as my feet hit the floor and my knees buckled beneath me, sending me crashing down. "You're still too weak, daughter. You must remain here until you are back at your full power. Going back now puts you both in danger.""But it could already be too late, Mother! Time moves differently there. You know it as well as I do. He needs our help!"I looked desperately at Blake and Evangeline, pleading with them to help me. "Mother is right, Selene..."Evangeline's tone was gentle and laced with sympathy. My heart sunk as I realised they were right. I was too weak to be of any help, and my presence would weaken Aiden as the bond would feed me his energy. He couldn't stop it if he tried, he was an Alpha, and I was his mate. My life and his were one. "He is alive, Selene. You'd be able to feel it if anything had happened to him, even here." Evangeline reassured me as I choked out a sob and cursed my traitorous body for not healing faster."Blake, y