《My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest》


 Chapter 1 - Forest

    "Life is precious. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Suicide Helpline listed below."


    It was an old, weathered wood sign posted on the path to Hallows Forest in Maine¡ªa forest known by locals for its strange lure to those who sought to end their lives.


    Five college students lingered there, reading the sign thoughtfully. But August and her friends weren''t suicidal. They were simply desperate for a distraction from their social-distanced rooms and sses and life. Outdoors was the only real option for some fresh air and freedom from virus-paranoia and its precautions.


    Cass, Elsie, and Jenna were all students in August''s dorm. Although they had only been at Eliade University for three weeks, they were easy friends. Jonathan was their resident advisor and had offered to bring the group out exploring.


    For August, this exploration was a photographer''s dream. She had seen images from Japan''s notorious "suicide forest" online, but this was Maine''s lesser known version.


    Like Aokigahara, dozens of people entered Hallows Forest every year to take their own lives, but they left traces of themselves¡ªdark remembrances hinting to theirst moments. Hiking bags, shoes, discarded bottles of water and snack wrappers were littered amongst disturbed nts on the forest floor, indicating resting spots of the now deceased.


    As they slipped beyond the eerie tree line that led into the forest, Jenna beganining about how the trip was morbid.


    "Whose idea was this again?" she whined. Jonathan reluctantly raised his hand from the front of the line. "So you''re the dark mastermind, Jon?"


    "Ohe on, Jenna, it''ll be fun," Cass nudged her with an elbow. "Besides, it''s not any more morbid than what''s happening in every hospital in this state right now. At least we''re not stuck at home with our parents for another miserable year."


    "I hear that," Augustughed.


    "I wish I had thought to bring a camera," Jenna remarked, gesturing toward the one that hung around August''s neck.


    "You have your phone don''t you?" August asked.


    "The camera is busted on it," the ck-haired girl grumbled.


    "That''s what you get for throwing your phone down the stairwell," Cassughed.


    "I didn''t throw it, Cass! It slipped," she corrected.


    "It slipped right after you got done screaming at your boyfriend on the other end?" Elsie''s soft voice teased from next to August. All of themughed at that as Jenna''s face turned red.


    "Ex-boyfriend," she mumbled.


    "Ah, don''t worry, Jen. Now you''re free to chase after me," Cass winked and bumped into her on the trail.


    "That''s too bad your camera phone doesn''t work, because I''m not sure much else on it will," Jonathan remarked as he held his own phone in the air. "No signal," he said, turning to look at all of them.


    "No signal? Are you serious?" Elsie said quietly.


    "Not much of a surprise," Cass said, bringing his own phone out of his pocket to examine.


    "What if we get lost?" August asked.


    "Ah, that''s what I brought this for," Jonathan replied, dropping his backpack from his shoulder and retrieving a long red rope from inside.


    "nning to tie us up out here and leave us, Jonathan?" August''s eyebrows shot up.


    "Four against one? Unlikely," he replied. "Nah, this is so we can find our way back. Look around¡ªit''s not the only one."


    As Jonathan tied one end of the rope around a tree, the others began noticing simr ropes strewn about. The trees looked like fingers in some kind of twisted cat''s cradle game¡ªall leading further into the forest. All leading down paths that others had walked.


    "Wouldn''t apass be smarter?" Cass chuckled.


    "It would," Jonathan smirked. "But for some reasonpasses seem to act up here." The four others exchanged nervous nces.


    "You''re kidding, right?" Cassughed.


    "Nope."


    "Why would that... happen?" Jenna muttered.


    "No worries. That''s why we have the rope," Jonathan ignored the question.


    "Why were the other ropes left?" Elsie asked quietly. Jonathan finished tying his knot and tugged on the rope to check it was secure without answering.


    "Jon?" Cass called, alerting him to Elsie''s unanswered question.


    "Probably because they didn''te back out," Jonathan said simply. The others looked at him in confusion.


    "Didn''te back out?" Jenna eyebrows pinched together.


    "This is called suicide forest for a reason, guys," he said simply. And with that, Jonathan led the way, pulling the red rope behind him.


    August had read about this. As with Japan''s Aokigahara, the reason as to why people flocked to Hallows Forest with suicidal intent was a mystery. Perhaps the dense forest offered a kind of weing womb to burrow into for the final moments of life, but that was hard to believe once you actually stepped under its canopy. The forest was eerily silent. It seemed like the living dead itself.


    As the five walked further in, August and Elsie paired up on the trail. They wandered off together to investigate a t-shirt tied around a tree so August could get some photos before running to catch up with the others. The forest darkened the further in they went.


    Jennaughed at something Cass whispered to her, pushing him yfully for him to stumble off the path.


    "Oh god," his voice plummeted to an uncharacteristic depth that had everyone turning to where he stood. He was looking up into the trees and backing away with a stunned expression on his face.


    "What is it?" Elsie asked as she and August approached him.


    "What did I tell ya?" Jonathan said ahead of them.


    Swinging gently just above Cass''s head was the frayed end of a rope. Four of them stood in silence looking at it as Jonathan turned and continued deeper into the forest without another word.


    "Is that¡­" Jenna squeaked.


    "There are hauntings everywhere," August whispered before bringing the camera up to her face and taking a picture.


    "Come on, Cass," Jenna said gently, grabbing Cass''s hand and pulling him to follow Jonathan.


    Over two hourster, the group was gathered drinking water and preparing to head back to the university. Jonathan had finally run out of his rope, and the forest appeared to be getting impossibly darker by the minute despite the early afternoon hour.


    "I can''t believe the rope has an end," Jennaughed. "I thought you were carrying Mary Poppins'' bag back there, Jon."


    "Speaking of which, I brought a snack," Jonathan chuckled and retrieved silver rectangr wrappers for each one of them.


    "This isn''t one of those protein bars that tastes like cardboard is it?" Jenna asked, looking at the wrapper suspiciously.


    "It''s an energy bar, but it''s really good. I promise," he smiled. "We''ve got a ways to go on the way back, so give it a try."


    "I''m tired already," Elsie whined and leaned her head against August''s arm. "We have to do that again?"


    "The way back will be faster," Jonathan reassured her.


    "Not bad, thanks man," Cass said as he finished taking a bite of the energy bar.


    "Hm. He''s right. Thanks, Jon," Jenna agreed.


    "I''m going to go take a leak," Cass said before wandering off.


    "Don''t go too far!" Jonathan called after him.


    "What''s in this?" August asked between chews.


    Jonathan looked up to meet her eyes before ncing to see that Elsie was eating hers as well.


    "Oh it''s just oats, seeds, dried cranberries, and something else very special¡­ just for you four," he smirked and withdrew what appeared to be stic gloves from his bag.


    August''s chewing slowed, and she nced over at Elsie and Jenna. Both girls had eyelids that appeared heavy. A loud thud sounded behind them in the forest, and Jenna slowly slumped over onto her side against the leaf-littered forest floor.


    August dropped the bar and jolted up to a standing position just as Jonathan was snapping the ck gloves on his hands.


    "Oh not so fast, Augie, you''ll hurt yourself," he stood and rushed toward her as the earth started to sway beneath her feet.


    "D-don''t call me that," she said, struggling against him as her heart thudded loudly in her ears, but her arms suddenly felt weak and heavy.


    "You''re taking longer than the rest of them.. Interesting," Jonathan mumbled with his head tilted to the side in curiosity.

 Chapter 2 - Death

    The forest was ck.


    August looked around wildly at the circr clearing in front of where she was tied against a tree. The clearing was pitch ck, and at its center¡ªrotating slowly her way¡ªan enormous eye. All she could do was watch as it continued to turn her way.


    The eye''s white iris looked like one of Saturn''s frozen rings, crystalized and arcing high above to the treetops towering somewhere in shadow. While the ck cavity at its center had yet to turn its gaze on her, she felt the pull of its gravity sucking everything in. All life. All creation. Everything it looked at was taken, and August was next.


    She struggled but couldn''t move. The white iris was growing bigger as it rounded toward her, more of the ck centering into view. Like the beautiful celestial patterns of a predator''s eye. Breathtaking and deadly.


    Then in an instant, the forest''s eye slid impossibly away, and in its ce was only burning pain. August sucked in a breath as the green forest sprung back into view.


    "You''re alive."


    "Jonathan?" Her voice was hoarse.


    That''s right. They had been exploring Hallows Forest near the university. The weight of her camera still hung around her neck, and she thoughtlessly raised a hand to palm the lens.


    "Shhhh. Hold on. Let me grab something," he answered as she squinted her eyes closed, resting her head back against a tree. Everything hurt. Jonathan grabbed her wrist and then there was a sharper pain to concentrate on.


    "What the fuck, Jonathan!" she hissed and pulled her arm back.


    He backed away uneasily, staring at her.


    "What was that for? What happened?!" She looked at her wrist but didn''t see the source of the pain. "Where is everyone?" she asked now, remembering how they came to be here.


    August clutched her wrist and looked around, using her shoulder to push herself up against the rough bark of the tree behind her. Although he looked terrified, Jonathan appeared to be fine. He was still staring at her.


    A brisk September wind blew past, ruffling her hair over her face. When she swept the hair back, she noticed a body slumped against a tree a few paces from her.


    "Elsie!" August called, forgetting her pain and rushing to the girl''s side with her camera knocking against her heavily.


    Elsie''s head hung awkwardly to the side where her hair was still gathered in a loose ponytail. August shook her.


    "Elsie! Elsie, wake up!" she cried, cupping both sides of her face.


    Elsie''s eyes were dted, their ck centers huge and lifeless. The vision of death''s rotating eye suddenly shed through August''s mind, and she shuddered, stumbling backwards as Elsie''s dead eyes watched her.


    Jonathan grabbed August''s shoulders from behind, making her cry out.


    "They''re all dead, August," he whispered close to her ear. The words didn''t make sense. It wasn''t possible.


    August tried pulling away from him and his impossible words just as something sharp pierced her neck. Jonathan cradled her as she fell back against him.


    "August Moon Cady. What a surprise you are," his voice was emotionless as it drifted away.


    Some timeter, August''s senses returned. She groaned and tried moving, but her wrists seemed to be tied. She heard Jonathan curse above her and felt him immobilize her head as he fumbled for something. A rush of instinct took over, and August swung her tied arms around, hitting Jonathan''s arm and freeing her head in the process.


    She sat up as he lunged for her, and she stumbled back, kicking at his face and causing him to fall away from her. Rather than waiting to see if he was hurt, she scrambled up and ran in the opposite direction.


    The forest was turning even darker now, and the leaves that had started to fall with the season were slippery underfoot, causing August to stumble several times on her way. But on her way to where? She was in the middle of suicide forest running from a psychopath. What would she even do if she got away from Jonathan? Where was Eliade? What about her friends? Were they all dead like he said?


    The flood of questions made her panic spiral higher, and the thought of Elsie¡­ Elsie''s ck eyes staring nkly at her. She pushed the thoughts away and kept running. Her tied hands pushed against tree trunks as she ran blindly forward, simply trying to put distance between her and the maniac somewhere behind her.


    Eventually August struggled up a steep incline, pushing off the ground, slipping and falling and getting up again before scrambling behind a tree and panting quietly against it. Was Jonathan following her? She stilled her breath to listen, but the eerie silence of this strange forest yawned around her.


    The forest seemed to swallow her. And Jonathan. And everything that happened back there, leaving her to wonder if it had even happened at all. Had it? It was so crazy¡ªshe would give anything to believe it hadn''t.


    Her eyes trailed upward, following the dark silhouettes of these trees that seemed to bend unnaturally when suddenly the fall of Jonathan''s boot sounded somewhere behind her.


    "Go ahead and run!" he called out, and she held her breath. "That''s a GPS imnt in your arm, dumbass. We''ll get you eventually."


    The threat echoed off the trees around them, but his voice seemed to falter in the end. Was he¡ªwas Jonathan scared?

 Chapter 3 - Tracked

    August''s eyes were wide as she waited, breath held, listening for more¡ªstunned by what Jonathan had already said. ''GPS imnt¡­ GPS imnt¡­ How is that even possible?'' she thought. Her arm was hurting, though, so perhaps¡­ ''I''m being tracked?''


    The sound of Jonathan''s footfalls started again, but they were growing distant. He was leaving her.


    August let out her breath and slowly copsed, shivering into herself against the fall air. It was funny how she hadn''t felt the cold until now. It hadn''t even registered, but now the chill seeped into her clothes and sunk into her skin.


    What now? August looked down at her hands and the rope that tied them. It wasn''t very tight, probably because Jonathan expected her to stay unconscious.


    Using her mouth to tug on the rope as she twisted her hands, it took only a few minutes before she was able to maneuver them free. Her fingers gingerly ran along the wrist that was painful, feeling for anything foreign. What would a GPS imnt look like? Would she even be able to feel it?


    Sure enough, she noticed a t object that felt to be about half an inch in length and width. She tried hooking behind it with one of her fingernails, but the pain that had been blooming there quickly engulfed her arm, and a sudden wave of nausea had her doubled-over vomiting whatever was left in her stomach. ''Uggggh. Eggs.''


    Silent tears slid down August''s face as she held her wrist. Despite havingyers on, her whole body was shaking¡ªin pain or in fear, she wasn''t sure. ''Maybe mom was right,'' she thought. ''I shouldn''t have gone away to school this year.'' A quietugh sputtered out of her mouth. ''In the midst of a pandemic, who would have thought I''d die alone in a creepy forest.'' Elsie''s ck eyes shed through her mind again, and she shuddered.


    August''s mom had fought hard against her leaving to start her freshman year. She recalled how her mom stood in their kitchen with the afternoon sun streaming in across her face, deepening the worry lines on her forehead.


    "Does this make sense to you, August? We can''t even go buy a gallon of milk without a face mask. Schools have closed. Every holiday has been cancelled since March. People are drinking bleach for god''s sake, but it''s somehow safe for you to move into a cramped dorm?" Her mom hadughed, her voice high and thin. It was absurd, she said. Well, that was until August''s stepdad came home with information about a university in Maine with a unique n for the uing school year.


    Although it wasst minute and August had already nned to attend a college in her home state of Wisconsin, Eliade was expediting the admissions process. She was actually shocked her stepdad n had suggested she apply, because tuition for this university''s special pandemic protocol was outrageous. Strict social distancing guaranteed each student their own private room and super small ss sizes while students, staff, and faculty all had regr mandatory medical checks and virus tests.


    August figured n loathed her presence at home so much that the price was worth it to him. He certainly didn''t suggest Eliade out of concern for her safety. He thought most of the hype around the virus was overblown, and he made his belief that August was immune very clear. He was desperate to get rid of her, and Eliade made it possible for her mom to get onboard.


    ''Whatever, if he is willing to pay that much to get rid of me, so be it,'' she had thought. He had been such a tight ass since he and her mom married, it was about time August benefit in some way from his overbearing presence. Plus, Eliade was surrounded by beautiful wilderness and had a killer photography program that meant she wouldn''t have to transfer halfway through. ''Oh yeah, it''s killer, all right.''


    This tracker Jonathan referred to needed to be out if August had any chance of surviving whatever horror film had be her life. Maybe¡­ her¡ªher teeth? Her stomach twisted at the thought, but she brought her wrist to her mouth and tested it¡ªgrasping the object between her teeth and gently pulling. The pain from her wrist shot up her arm, and she let go with a groan.


    But the pain didn''t stop at her arm, and it didn''t recede. For some reason, it grew and spread. August slumped back against the tree as this new, more intense pain bloomed in excruciating colors behind her eyes and throughout her abdomen. Her body reacted with heat, and now¡ªdespite the chilly air¡ªbeads of sweat glistened on her forehead as she braced herself against this insane pain that was consuming her.


    August began panicking¡ªsomething was happening to her body that made no sense. There was pain everywhere. All over. And she was stranded out here in suicide forest with no help.


    Her scattered thoughts all crystalized around the foreign object in her arm. It had to be the reason for this condition she was in now. Maybe she had activated it or¡­ or broken it. Maybe it was injecting her with something.


    Another tremor of pain had her panting against the ground in agony, and with no more than a moment''s further hesitation, August pierced her wrist with her teeth, whimpering against the soft flesh that was her own.


    Biting into the thinyer of skin wasn''t the problem, but the tearing¡­ The tearing was different. Another wave of nausea had August releasing her wrist and doubling over, getting sick on the forest floor once again.


    The pain and the nausea and the panic and the dark were closing in on every side. August risked a nce at her arm and saw a small bit hanging where the bright pain from her tearing skin had blinded her. She groaned, realizing it was doubtful that she could finish what had been started.


    From somewhere nearby, a twin groan matched hers. A wild groan. Her eyes that had been hazy with pain flew open, and she shot up in terror.


    The forest had been eerily silent, but now something else was here. Something wild. And she instantly understood that it was much more terrifying than Jonathan.


    As she sprinted away from the sound, the pattering of footfalls echoed behind her, weaving through the darkness. A low growl had her whipping her head around to look for the creature that now sounded so close, but all she saw were shadows.


    With every breath as she ran, high desperate noises started to escape from her¡ªthe terror so gripping now that she didn''t even notice. Her awareness consisted only of the darkness chasing her. Somehow even her pain had fled, bleeding out behind her¡ªunable to keep up.


    But adrenaline can only do so much, and soon August became light-headed from the exertion. Her legs started to buckle even as she kept leaping forward, but there was nowhere to go. No way out. Only thest of her adrenaline rush to ride until a sure, fateful end.


    Just then, August caught sight of a flurry of fur¡ªa huge animal now jogging alongside her in the shadows. With a stuttered gasp, she jumped and turned away from the creature only to find herself running right off the edge of a steep embankment. And then she was iling¡ªtumbling, rolling, falling¡ªwet leaves and earth spinning faster and faster around her until, mid-fall, she mmed against a broad tree trunk.


    A lightening rod of pain shattered along her spine, and everything came to an abrupt halt as she crumpled. The pain that had fled now engulfed herpletely.


    t against the earth, August tried to raise her head¡ªtook one desperate gasp for air¡ªand became instantly aware of the creature hovering over her. This was it¡ªthe reality of looming death washing over her even as excruciating pain had every inch of her burning.


    But instead of the snarls and lunge she anticipated, there was a whine. Massive paws pacing. A wet nose nudging her and sniffing her wrist.. And then the creature bit into her, and everything went mercifully ck.

 Chapter 4 - Fever

    Pain¡ªpain so consuming, it was ake of fire that August was drowning in. She wasn''t breathing¡ªor at least if felt like she wasn''t breathing, but the short bursts of fire in her lungs could only mean they were trying.


    There were ck cursive lines that said nothing, meant nothing, writing themselves behind her eyes¡­ simply scrawling along her mind with the pain, and she followed them. This must be hell. The thought sent a new shot of panic through her, but her throat was raw and copsed like a tunnel in the earth, and there was no way for her to get the panic out.


    "You said she hurt her back," a female voice echoed somewhere above her.


    "She did. I''m surprised it''s not broken," a gruff male voice answered.


    "Well, she''s also burning up¡ªLucas, can you get ice in the bath¡­"


    "Fuck no, I''m not helping with this." And then the voices were swallowed by darkness again.


    A small spark of hope that she was actually alive had August trying to locate her arms to reach or swim for a surface up out of thiske and toward the voices. She tried to ess her lungs and ended up taking a quick, deep breath. It was a mistake. The mes erupted around her¡ªthe cursive lines of pain drawing themselves deeper on her skin. Her skin! She could feel it¡­ It was excruciating, but she could feel it, it was there.


    "She''s conscious," the female voice was back. So close to her. And kind¡ªthe kindness of it soothing the pain. But then there was silence.


    Voices had been rumbling around her this whole time, but she only now realized it in their absence. Now the prior conversation came flooding in, as if the words were those cursive lines that had been writing themselves behind her eyes and on her skin, and only now was she able to decipher them. She winced.


    "Are you out of your fucking mind, Graeme?"


    "She was hurt. Fuck off Lucas."


    "Hurt? HURT! No shit. Who survives that part of the forest? They''re likely searching for her corpse right now!"


    "What happened to her arm?" The kind female voice was like an oasis¡ªa pause¡ªcreating a teau of calm amidst the cursing and growling.


    "There was a tracker¡­"


    "You really screwed us, Graeme. Again. Big fucking surprise there."


    "If you don''t shut up, Lucas, I swear to the Goddess¡­"


    "Where''s the imnt now?"


    The voices swirled,yered and falling over each other until August sucked in a deep breath and jolted up, eyes open. She did it¡ªshe resurfaced. And now it was bright and she had to squeeze her eyes shut again. A wave of nausea crested from her sudden movement, and she was bending over, heaving and coughing stomach acid.


    "Lucas¡ªthe ice," the female said calmly and seemed to be rummaging through something to her side. A male cursed and bolted out of the room. Another wave of nausea hit August, and she was consumed by the force of it as it pushed more out of her.


    "You''re going to be okay," a friendly voice said and rubbed her back gently, and she sucked in a breath from the pain that shot through her at his touch.


    "Keep your hands to yourself, Finn," the gruff one growled behind her.


    "Oh, sorry. Here''s a towel," and one was ced in August''s hands.


    "Thanks," she said weakly. She didn''t even recognize her own voice.


    "Finn, can you make sure Lucas is actually taking care of the ice? We''ll bring her right up," the female voice was back.


    "Of course," this Finn replied eagerly, and she heard him retreat.


    Patches of August''s vision seemed to finally begin registering when she opened her eyes again. She looked to be in a living room of a log cabin. Large wood beams sat one atop the other running the length of the room. August was awkwardly bent over the side of an old id couch that reminded her of an equally old English professor, and there was vomit on the wood floor below her.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry," she croaked out and wiped her mouth, but even that movement had her wincing in pain.


    "Don''t be, dear. Just give me a sec while I find¡­" the soft female voice returned and trailed off, drawing her attention to a chair at her side where the rustling continued.


    When August turned to acknowledge the voice, a searing pain suddenly erupted behind her eyes. She hissed. The intensity of it was white hot, and she felt it grow and open¡ªradiating down the length of her and leaving a gaping hole at its center. But before August could get sucked into the void that the hole created, the pain would erupt again from its center and radiate out in white hot spikes. Over and over again. Like a firework erupting inside of her and burning her with its sizzling fingers.


    "What''s happening to me?" August whimpered, clutching the side of the sofa with her eyes shut against the pain. Someone groaned behind her. Or was that her?


    "Hang in there. We''re trying to figure that out," the girl replied. "Graeme, get her upstairs while I look for¡­ dammit, where is it?" More frantic rustling. When no one replied, "Graeme¡ª"


    "Greta, I¡­" The gruff voice sounded hesitant.


    "You brought her all the way here! What are you afraid of now?" the girl hissed impatiently. She was met with silence. "Are you kidding me? Here¡ªtake my bag." Something flew across the room andnded with a thud, and then August''s rigid body was lifted gingerly and moving.


    The water was another hell entirely. When August was lowered into it, she screamed. She couldn''t help it. The noise was forced out of her without her permission. Just when she thought there was no higher level of pain, it was ratcheted up. And up. And up. Silence seemed her body''s usual way of trying to fight against the pain and keep it at bay, but the ice cold water broke through that defense.


    "What''s your name?" the girl who had carried her asked gently, her breezy presence somehow fanning over August, and with it a measure of calm.


    "Au-August," she ground out, teeth chattering and eyes squeezed shut. A wet cloth found its way to her forehead and the sides of her face, and she flinched.


    "August, I''m Greta. I know it''s cold, but bear with it for me, okay? We''re going to take care of you." Hot tears slid down August''s cheeks as she forced herself to nod. "Stay here and watch her for a sec, Finn." She felt Greta''s calming presence leave her side. ''Who are these people? Where am I?'' she wondered.


    "I''m going to puke again," August warned weakly. She heard someone, presumably ''Finn,'' scramble for a container, and she was once again getting sick in the presence of strangers. Not that she really had the capacity to care at that moment.


    "We just need to get this fever down," Greta''s breezy presence was back and mumbling to herself. "She''s so hot, this ice isn''t nearly enough. Finn, you''re going to have to run and get more." August sensed the boy leave her side.


    After a few moments of Greta rummaging through something once again, she spoke. "You can''t just hide in the corner. Help me," she hissed, but a looming silence swallowed it. "Graeme, for the love of¡ª"


    A sudden lurching movement from the corner cut Greta off as someone approached the tub. August whimpered as pain spiked through her again, and the approaching steps froze.


    "Get over here," Greta snapped, but it sounded sweet somehow. "Rag. Forehead," August felt an ice cold rag ced on her head, and she winced¡ªher lips trembling with the effort of stifling more of the cries that wanted to break free.


    "Help me with holding one of her arms steady. I''m going to try something for the pain, but at this rate, she''ll probably burn right through it."


    There was a deep sigh from this ''Graeme'' who clearly wanted nothing to do with helping her, and August felt the rag leave. Then his arm wrapped around her and drew her into him while propping her arm from behind. The pain of being moved from her position shot through August again, and she heard another whimper escape her. She hated it. She hated being this vulnerable and weak. But then the fireworks of pain suddenly dulled as a soothing sensation reced it, swiftly spreading through her and causing her body to rx. She let out a long, shaky breath of relief.


    "It worked, thank you Greta," she whispered as her head slumped against Graeme''s chest. It was faint, but she thought she heard the girl chuckle.. And then there was the pinch of a needle in her arm that was still being held, and August''s brows furrowed before the cold and the room and the voices and everything else once again slipped away.

 Chapter 5 - Brekkie

    The warmth of sunlight and birds chirping. A bed¡ªshe was in a bed¡ªsore and aching everywhere. Walls bathed in soft yellow light. It was so bright.


    "I''m not dead," August breathed as memories began flooding back to her.


    "You''re awake," a gravelly voice sighed from the corner, startling her. The voice seemed familiar¡ªit was so deep¡ªbut she couldn''t ce it. She groaned softly in response, squinting against the light. "I''ll find Greta," he spoke again, and then she heard the soft click of a door closing.


    August gingerly pushed herself up to notice a quilt covering her. It had delicate hexagon shapes in mismatched fabrics. It was beautiful¡ªthe care that had gone into making it was obvious. August remembered her grandmother tucking fabric snugly around small shapes just like this. She ran her fingers along the texture of the white stitches that dipped under and reappeared again and again.


    A girl with bouncy, light peach hair breezed into the room, arriving swiftly by August''s side. "It''s so good to see you''re awake," she smiled warmly. "You may not remember me fromst night. I''m Greta." Greta. August nodded and swallowed, slowly remembering.


    "August," she re-introduced herself.


    "August Cady," Greta smiled knowingly. "We found your school i.d. How are you feeling?"


    "Better," she replied, her voice sounding strange in her own ears. "I''m much better, thank you."


    "You certainly look better. My brother Graeme will probably be skulking around behind me¡­" She turned around expectantly. "Yep! Here hees." Sheughed softly as the man from the corner slowly returned to the doorway, hands in his pockets. An unexpected intensity burned in his eyes as he met August''s gaze, and she quickly looked away.


    Gretaughed lightly again and patted August''s hand as if there was some kind of understanding offered in that small gesture. "I''m sure you have a lot of questions for us, and I promise you we''ll answer them as best as we can."


    August failed to recall a more uplifting, seemingly genuine person than the young woman in front of her, and somehow, despite everything, she felt at ease. She imagined Greta in a princess gown waving a wand as munchkins danced around her. ''Greta, the Good Witch of the Forest.''


    "Where am I?" August asked weakly.


    "You are somewhere safe in Hallows Forest," Greta answered brightly. "This is actually a kind of outpost of ours. It''s protected. No one can find you here."


    ''They''re looking for me,'' she thought. ''Jonathan.'' August gulped, pushing the fear away quickly.


    "Who¡­ um," August paused. "Who are you?" Greta and Graeme exchanged a quick nce.


    "Well that is actually a bitplicated," Gretaughed. "But for now know that we''re friends."


    ''Conveniently vague and yet reassuring nheless. I guess I''ll have to be satisfied with that for now,'' she thought. August nodded and smiled slightly, looking back down at the quilt.


    "Ah, do you like it? This is called a healing quilt. Many hands worked on this. It''s what gives it so much power." Greta gazed lovingly at the quilt as well, caressing it and gesturing toward some hidden force. "It watched over you all night. Along with someone else," she nced back at her brother whose eyebrows pinched together as he looked down ufortably.


    August''s head went hazy with all this information and the bright sunlight and the impossibility of the events that had apparently actually unfolded in reality. But she couldn''t help but smile at Greta''s warmth.


    "We''re twins, you know," Greta whispered as she leaned toward August, covering both her hands with her own. She squeezed them and stood back up. "Now I''m going to bring you some food to help you regain your strength. I''ll be back in a minute!" She chirped before breezing back out of the room, passing her brother on the way out.


    Graeme stood silently in the hallway watching August. She could feel his eyes on her, and she shifted under the sheets nervously. The insanely horrific experience from the night before began shing through her mind¡ªthree of her friends were apparently dead and she narrowly escaped whatever maniac Jonathan was. She wet her lips nervously and swallowed, reliving it. And here she was now in a house with strangers. Her body was utterly exhausted, but the pain was gone. She had survived. Somehow. She couldn''t understand any of it.


    She looked down at her bandaged arm, reaching out absentmindedly to touch it before quickly jerking her hand away when she remembered how she had bit into it the night before. And the creature that had been chasing her¡­ Her head began spinning, and she swallowed back a wave of nausea that threatened to resurface. "You saved me, didn''t you?" she asked weakly, still focused on her arm.


    Graeme shifted his weight in the doorway. "I found you in the woods," he said. The tone of his voice was guarded, but there was a hint of something else in it. Worry? She nced up at him.


    Her eyes scanned him for the first time, taking in the face that belonged to the voice she had heard only briefly the night before. His eyes were so intense. And there seemed to be a sh of expectation as he stared back at her. It made her stomach trill uneasily.


    "Th-thank you," she stammered, quickly looking down at her hands again. "It sounded like you weren''t supposed to. But¡­"


    "You heard Lucas," he said it so low it sounded like a growl.


    "Um¡ªyeah, I-I guess. I hope I didn''t cause any trouble," she said. "I mean¡­ obviously I did." She shrugged at her own absurdity. "I''m¡ªum¡­" She trailed off, vaguely considering apologizing, but she didn''t know what for.


    "No, it wasn''t any trouble that you need to worry about," Graeme sighed, staring at the light filtering in through the windows behind her. Small particles were floating around her in the soft morning beams like stardust. He lost his train of thought as his eyes fell on her again. ''How can this be happening?'' he wondered. Her light hair fell around her shoulders as she stared at her own upturned hands.


    Surely he couldn''t exin any of this to her now, but somehow he wished he could. She looked lost and alone right now, but he couldn''t bring himself to say anything. How would he even begin?


    August looked up after his silence stretched on. Her eyes had golden flecks in them, Graeme noticed. They seemed to burn brighter for a moment before she looked away again. Maybe he was imagining things. He hadn''t been able to see her eyesst night. She was in so much pain. His jaw clenched again at the memory.


    "I''m d I found you. I''m sorry you had to go through this," he sighed internally at his own insufficient words. It was hard even saying that much, so it was the best he could do for now.


    "Since I''m doing¡­ better," she faltered, realizing that she had no clue what was actually wrong with her to begin with, "I can leave. I don''t want to cause anymore issues," she chanced a look at Graeme who appeared troubled by her words.


    Greta breezed back in with a tray of food. She set it on the bed, propped up over August''sp. August''s eyes widened as she looked at it all. Steam was rising from a bowl and a tea cup. There was a te of fruit, toast, eggs, sausage, orange juice, a ss pitcher of water¡­ too much for her to possibly eat and drink.


    "This is going to give you much-needed strength," Greta touched August''s shoulder, and suddenly August felt her stomach growl hungrily. "Please eat as much as you can, but start with the bowl. It''s bone broth with ginger andtro and other wonderful things that will help," Greta smiled. "I''ll be back in a little bit to do some bloodwork, okay?" August nodded. "Good girl."


    Greta passed Graeme and touched his arm. ''We have to talk,'' she said wordlessly. It was a gift they shared as twins. Greta was able to influence people''s emotions with a simple touch¡ªit was part of what made her such a good healer. But her and Graeme could pass thoughts as well. They had kept it a secret as kids, nning mischief orforting each other with a simple touch. It was so much easier than speaking, especially for Graeme. Their parents eventually caught on when they were ten years old, but it wasn''tmon knowledge even now.


    Graeme hesitated for a moment before finally turning to follow her into another bedroom at the end of the hallway. She didn''t want to go back downstairs where Finn was wandering about, as he tended to follow her brother around like a lost puppy. She turned to look at Graeme as he closed the door behind them.


    "Lucas called the elders and told them everything," Greta whispered, folding her arms in front of her.. "Marius ising."

 Chapter 6 - Trembling

    Graeme balled his hands into fists and looked past his sister out the window. "You should expect him to show up here today. You know how he is¡ªespecially concerning you." Graeme nodded.


    He tried to avoid Lucas'' questionsst night after he brought August to the house unconscious. It was unheard of. People rarely saw Graeme around these parts as it was, but then he had brought an outsider¡ªan outsider from Eliade no less who they would undoubtedly be looking desperately for¡ªand risked exposing generations of secrecy. Their secrecy was sacred. The only way the elusive wanderer Graeme would do that is if¡­


    "He just thinks you''re being stupid and reckless. Nothing more. He doesn''t think much of you," Greta smirked.


    Graeme sighed in relief, "Thankfully Lucas is an idiot."


    "But Marius isn''t," Greta interrupted. "Look, I know you''re surprised¡­" Greta moved closer to her brother and lowered her voice even more. "I know you never wanted this¡­ But now you''re going to have to make some hard decisions. And you''re going to have to make them fast."


    Just likest night when he saw August running blindly through the darkness in fear¡ªa fear that he instantly felt rise in his chest as if it were his own. He had caught her scent and followed her out of curiosity. She smelled like¡­ there weren''t any words to describe it. She didn''t smell like an ordinary human, that was for sure. ''She smells like home.'' He didn''t even know what the word meant anymore, but thebel fit her perfectly nheless. He could still sense her down the hall. And Marius ising. He cursed under his breath, "Dammit, Lucas."


    "He''s just concerned about the pack," Greta replied.


    "And he hates me," Graeme scoffed. "I conveniently appeared with my own dagger in hand. I''m sure he wasted no time." Greta was silent for a moment.


    "I have to run some tests on her before Marius gets here. Will you go check on her? Hopefully she''s strong enough to face the new shit storm that''sing for her today."


    Graeme nodded.


    "Good." She disappeared downstairs without another word.


    August already looked better. The bowl of soup and fruit were gone, and she was sipping water when Graeme came back in. Some color had returned to her face.


    "I was worried about spilling on the quilt. Would you mind helping me move the tray?" she asked shyly. Graeme came forward to take the tray away, bending down over her. August almost touched his hand but curled her fingers into a loose fist at thest moment. She looked up at him. "Thank you," she said, and he paused to meet her gaze. "For helping me," she added. "I don''t remember you finding me¡ªI don''t know what even happened really," she grimaced. "But thank you."


    There was no doubt about it¡ªshe had gold flecks in her eyes. Maybe that wasn''t strange in and of itself, as they only served to make her pale blue eyes appear more green, but they seemed to glisten with emotion just now. He swallowed hard, watching her eyes that continued to burn deeper as if thrumming with a life of their own.


    "Can I ask you something?" Graeme asked slowly, sitting down on the bed in front of her and moving the tray to the floor. She noticed how therge muscles in his forearms moved with this small task. He was a big guy. Broad through the shoulders and chest. Kind of scruffy. He had dark bristly hairs on his face and matching unruly hair that looked as if he had been running his hands through it repeatedly. And there was an unmistakable dominance that radiated with every movement, regardless of how small.


    August realized how intimidating this man in front of her should be, but instead she wanted to reach out and scratch him under the chin and smooth the coarse beard against his face. The image of a giant wild bear came to mind¡ªan animal that could make your heart race with fear and yet also want to cuddle it. And his eyes¡­ Graeme looked at her quietly, waiting for a reply. His eyes were a rich brown. Dark and warm and deep.


    She suddenly remembering his question. "Yes, of course," she said quietly.


    "Why did youe to Eliade University?"


    "Um¡ªwell¡­ This is a weird year, isn''t it?" She dropped her eyes. "What with the pandemic and everything. My, uh, stepdad somehow found this ce and amazingly forked over the money to send me here. I think he was just trying to get rid of me, honestly," she breathed a smallugh. But she was serious, he could tell.


    "You two don''t get along?" Graeme asked carefully.


    "You could say that," she replied, suddenly turning nervous and fidgeting with her hands. "We''ve had some issues for sure. Um¡ªhe''s¡­" She paused, debating something inwardly. "He''s abusive toward my mom," she said, looking down, and tears started forming in her eyes. ''Dammit, why do I always cry? Why am I even telling him this? Why am I crying about this after all that has happened?'' She shrugged at her own absurdity.


    "I came home one night when they weren''t expecting me. I saw him standing over her. She was¡ªshe was bl-bleeding," August choked out. This wasn''t something she told people. "Ever since then it''s been¡­ impossible being around him. For obvious reasons. He''s just not a good guy." She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes as she thought about the guilt she felt in leaving her mom with him¡ªhow August had squeezed her mom''s small frame so tight the night she left for school, not wanting to let go. But her mom was an adult, and she insisted on staying with him. What could she do? The bastard had his hooks in her.


    "I''m sorry," Graeme said quietly as he watched her.


    "No need to be. That''s life, right?" She shrugged and smiled at him through her tears. Graeme smiled back at her knowingly¡ªa smile that softened all of his features, making him appear younger, and she suddenly imagined him as a boy growing up facing his own struggles. His own pain. She found herself wondering what wounds this savior of hers might harbor of his own. Imagining him vulnerable like that made her heart squeeze. ''What the fuck is wrong with me?''


    "Um, where''s the¡­ the restroom?" She asked, changing the subject quickly.


    "Oh, of course. It''s just down the hall on the right." He stood so she could pull the quilt back and get up. As she did this, removing the sheet that covered her as well, it urred to her that she was in new clothes. Her cheeks med red as she looked down at her bare feet sticking out of a long white linen chemise.


    Graeme cleared his throat, "Oh, um¡ªmy sister. After the ice bath, once your fever came down, she dressed you," he said, apparently reading her thoughts. It was still embarrassing, but Greta seemed like the type of person who could be trusted with that kind of vulnerability. Strange, since August had only known her a matter of hours.


    "Of course," August breathed and slid off the bed. While the pain was gone, her body was still incredibly sore. Graeme saw her hesitate to stand, and he approached to help. "Thanks," she said shyly, taking his hand. Just as she did this, she seemed to lose her bnce, stumbling forward until Graeme braced her in his arms to keep her from falling.


    "August?" Graeme''s voice was hoarse¡ªforeign to his own ears as he said her name aloud for the first time. Her eyes had be unfocused and her eyebrows were pinched together as if she were deep in thought. Graeme realized she was trembling, and he instinctively drew her in closer to himself. ''Goddess, not again. Please let her be okay.'' "August? What is it?" He asked, but she didn''t respond.


    Greta rushed in. "He''s here. And I haven''t even gotten a chance to start any bloodwork yet," she said, flustered.


    Graeme leaned forward to look out the window at the ck sedan slowly rolling to a stop below before looking back down at the girl in his arms.. ''Fuck.''

 Chapter 7 - Marius

    "Oh no. What happened?" Greta asked, rushing to Graeme''s side.


    "She was about to get up, but I¡ªI don''t know."


    "Okay, um¡­ Put her back under the quilt. It''ll help," Greta reassured him as well as herself. Hopefully the girl would calm down before that psychopath Marius made his way up to them.


    Graeme picked her up in his arms and ced her back on the bed to be covered by the sheets and quilt that Greta made herself busy arranging.


    "Can you make her look less¡­ less¡­" Graeme stammered, running his hands through his hair like he had dozens of times over the course of the night. His sister looked at him bewildered as he gestured toward August. ''Less like an injured bird. Less damn appetizing.'' Marius was a monster if he got even the slightest whiff of weakness. Like a shark with blood in the water.


    "What do you want me to do? Put a damn bag over her head? Hide her in the closet?" Greta hissed back. "He''s here for her."


    August stopped trembling now, and she looked up at both of them, steadying herself. Her eyes appeared focused and clear again, but she looked like she''d seen a ghost.


    Greta grabbed August''s hands and bent down to look at her. "August, what happened? Are you okay?"


    The girl nodded. "I felt, um¡­" She looked up at Graeme, her eyes golden and brimming with emotion. "I-I saw¡­" she furrowed her eyebrows, looking down and shaking her head, "um, something." Greta looked up at her brother in confusion. Graeme had never transmitted through touch to anyone else but her.


    "Shit, he''sing," Greta whispered. She straightened up next to August and touched her gently on the shoulder before walking back to the door. Greta''s face smoothed into a calm expression before she looked down the hall. "Marius, what a surprise," she called sweetly.


    "Miss Greta Hallowell," a low voice called back. Slow, heavy steps approached, "How wonderful to see you again, dear girl."


    A dark figure appeared in the doorway and greeted Greta with a kiss on her hand. She forced a smile as loose peach tendrils brushed her shoulders. "I heard something rather unusual happened yesterday." He walked into the room and turned to look at Graeme leaning against the wall, appearing casual with his hands in his pockets.


    "Graeme," Marius greeted him.


    "Marius."


    "It''s been awhile," Marius said curtly.


    "Indeed it has," Graeme smirked.


    "Tell me, why is it that every time your name reaches my ear, it''s always regarding some disaster?" Marius smirked back. "I thought you had enough of us, but somehow you keep returning."


    "Have you forgotten that I''m a council advisor, Marius?" Graeme responded with little emotion.


    Marius ignored him, turning now to look at the young woman in bed. "And this time, you broke one of our most sacred rules. You brought an outsider."


    "She was in trouble," Graeme said simply.


    Marius scoffed, "Trouble." He tried the word out. "Since when does that concern us? It''s certainly not in the job description of an advisor even if it is regarding the university''s experiment," Marius red at him. "Regardless, the council will take over from here."


    The university?! August''s face fell. Jonathan meant the university would be tracking her? Eliade?


    Suddenly she felt Marius'' eyes on her as she watched her hands on the quilt. She was still trying to process what she saw when taking Graeme''s hand, and now this new guy''s intimidating presence was searing into her with words implicating her university inst night''s horror show. What was happening here? Didn''t Greta say she was safe?


    "What''s your name, child?" Marius asked coldly.


    August red up at him. His ck, vacant eyes met her, and a shiver ran down her spine as she recalled thest time she had seen eyes like that. When n was standing over her mother''s body.


    Marius''s lips curled evilly. Finally Graeme had done something truly unforgivable. Due to Graeme''s lineage, the elders had been lenient, letting him remain as a token ''advisor'' to the council. What a joke. Everyone knew the designation was in name only¡ªaffording Graeme passage through thend as he wished. It was that orbel him a traitorous stray, which people would surely rebel against. The elders couldn''t kill him. But this was different¡ªno one would be understanding about him threatening their secrecy. And better yet, the outsider in question was a subject from Eliade.


    "Your name doesn''t matter I suppose," Marius smirked, turning back to Graeme. "I''m taking her with me. Don''t run too far this time, Graeme. We''ll be in touch."


    Greta piped up, "But Marius, this girl survived the effects of Eliade''s catalyst¡ª"


    "And? She doesn''t appear to be extraordinary in any other way," he waved at August dismissively.


    "With all due respect, Marius. Looks are deceiving. I still have some tests to run¡ª"


    "We will run them back at the pack house, Greta," Marius sighed, bored. "Enough with this. Secure cells, medical staff, officials who can monitor her 24/7," he turned to August again. "And if Eliade''s experiment fails, I''m sure we can find other entertaining things to do with the human," he snickered, trailing the back of his hand against her cheek. August''s eyes unfocused suddenly as if she were in a daze, and they watched as she started trembling again like she had in Graeme''s arms. Greta shot a surprised look at her brother.


    "Don''t touch her," Graeme growled as he sprang from his position against the wall. Gone was the rxed demeanor from a moment ago.


    Marius paused with his hand on August''s cheek, "Is that an order, young advisor Graeme? You must have forgotten¡ªyou have no real standing in this pack any longer. And it seems to me that this girl is the pack''s property now," Marius smirked, grabbing August''s chin as she continued trembling. "Aww, isn''t that sweet. She trembles just like a little leaf in the breeze."


    Lucas entered the room now, arms crossed. "Lucas, good," Marius turned, finally letting go of August. She stopped trembling as her eyes refocused on the room. She looked up at Marius who had now turned away from her, and she scrambled back against the headboard, panting and pulling the covers to her chest protectively. Whatever she saw had terrified her.


    "I need you to take the girl to the car. She shouldn''t be much trouble." If it were possible, August''s eyes went wider with fear.


    "I said don''t touch her," Graeme growled as he stalked forward, broad shoulders rolling as a threatening aura engulfed the room, which suddenly appeared darker from it. Marius and Lucas both looked at him in surprise.


    "Graeme, what is this?" Marius chuckled. "Are you so tired of your own meaningless life that you brought this human here to bait me into ending it for you?"


    Graeme didn''t answer, but all the angles of him seemed to sharpen. His eyes darkened. Suddenly Marius worried that he had been too presumptuous. He gave Lucas a questioning nce before looking back at Graeme. Why would Graeme adopt a threatening posture for this human girl?


    Marius would never back Graeme into a corner purposely. There was no way he could win a fight against him himself, but there wasn''t any apparent risk of that happening unless¡­ He nced toward Greta curiously who stood frozen in ce. ''Why isn''t she talking sense into her beloved brother?''


    He looked back at the human again who was cowering behind him. Marius sprang across the bed and pulled her head back by her hair. She instinctually reached behind her to w at his arm, but he shook her roughly until she cried out and stopped.. A deep growl rumbled through the room, echoing off the walls.

 Chapter 8 - Monster

    Marius chuckled darkly, running his hand along the girl''s pale neck. He could snap her head off in the blink of an eye, and Graeme knew it. "What''s the meaning of this, Graeme?" Marius asked. "She''s pack property."


    "She''s no one''s property," Graeme snarled.


    "Well she''s certainly not yours, I see," Marius scoffed, yanking her hair again to rattle some helpless cries out of her.


    "Let her go, and we can talk about it downstairs," Graeme replied. He put up his hands calmly, "I won''t fight you. I give you my word."


    "Why would we talk about it downstairs when we can just settle it right here?" Marius ran his tongue along his teeth tauntingly.


    Graeme paused. He looked at August who was now staring back at him, her hair still pulled taut in the maniac''s hands and her neck dangerously exposed. A fierce burning that had started low in his abdomen grew furiously, but he reigned it back, clenching his teeth with the effort.


    "Look, she''s already been through enough. She doesn''t have to be in the middle of this. This is about you and me."


    "She''s already in the middle of this," Marius replied coldly. "You brought her here." He yanked August backwards out of the bed and grabbed her around the waist against him.


    "Enough!" Graeme rumbled so low the sses on the side table and tray shook violently. Marius froze in disbelief. "Let go," Graeme spat as he stalked further forward, clenching his hands at his sides.


    Marius let out a hysterical, high-pitchedugh and pushed August roughly toward the bed. "This human!" He cried shrilly, pointing at her. "You were too good for us before, but now you dare to use an Alphamand for her?"


    Graeme watched August scramble back onto the bed, hair falling over her shoulders. He moved to pull her to safety when Marius quickly added, "She''s unmarked. Does she even know what you are? You''re more terrifying than the university''s pathetic little field experiment." Graeme stopped abruptly as he saw August''s confused eyes looking back at him in terror.


    "She doesn''t know, does she?" Mariusughed, amused that he had guessed right. Now this could work further in his favor. "They say humans don''t feel the mate pull like we do. She can''t possibly want a monster," he added. Mate pull? Monster? August gulped at hearing these words. Was this why Marius kept referring to her as human?


    Marius was skillfully using August''s ignorance as a weapon. A vague monsterbel should keep her hanging perilously between them long enough for Marius to take advantage. "You should have let her die in the forest, Graeme. Because now I can kill her and end you both."


    "You know the rule about mates, Marius," Greta quickly interrupted.


    "He''s not a member of any pack, Greta. The rules don''t apply."


    "He''s an advisor, Marius. The elders should be the ones to decide," she tried again.


    "It''s been decided!" Marius barked. "He rejected us! And he hasn''t even marked her¡ªwhat im does he have?"


    August was dumbfounded. She couldn''t follow what anyone was saying, but she knew she was trapped and in just as much trouble as when she was running from Jonathan. This terrifying Marius person had just unleashed a torrent of vile thoughts into her mind when he touched her. She saw¡ªno worse, felt¡ªthe sickening ways he imagined torturing her. The way he had done to others. He was like a demon who craved their suffering.


    A familiar, terrifying pain suddenly ignited itself behind August''s eyes and began etching itself on her skin. She was back in the forest again, back in the dark, with the panic of an unfamiliar pain rising to consume her. It was like someone had lit a match for her to be engulfed in its mes again.


    She tried pushing it away. ''No, no. Not here. Not now.'' But the pain was intent on burning her alive once again, and now it was the only thing she could focus on.


    Scrambling in an attempt to get away from it, away from herself, and away from the nightmare unfolding before her eyes in this room, she stumbled off the bed near Marius, pulling the sheets with her before curling up into herself on the floor.


    "No no no, not again. Make it stop," she groaned desperately, wing at herself. Greta ran to help her, but Marius blocked her with one arm, giving her a threatening re while scooping August up around her waist and straightening her against him. She squirmed and tried pushing his arm away from her, but it was no use and she was in so much pain. He wrapped his other arm around her chest, gripping her under the chin with a rough hand as she whimpered at being forced to move out of the protective ball she had curled into.


    "I can make it stop, child. It will all go away for good," he shushed her, "Would you like that?" August whimpered again, nodding instinctively as tears slid down her face.


    Her strength was nothingpared to his. She should be crumpled on the floor, but Marius had immobilized her against him. She recoiled at the feeling of his rigid body that felt like stone against hers¡ªof his hand caressing her hair and face. He was whispering in her ear. She had seen the depths of his depravity when he touched her face the first time. ''No, don''t show me any more!'' This made her even more panicked, and she tried struggling harder against his arms, but it was no use. If only he could just end it quickly, but she had seen how he enjoyed suffering, and he would draw hers out for as long as possible.


    Marius brushed the girl''s hair back away from her face while ring at Graeme over her shoulder, and she started trembling uncontrobly. "Weak little mouse, I wish I could let you run free in the woods and hunt you like the prey animal you are. I bet you would squeal delightfully in my mouth," his whispers were hot against her neck, dripping like venom on her skin as he pulled her roughly against him again.


    August saw herself running in the woods as he said, and she could feel his excitement as he toyed with her¡ªletting her slip away to maintain that thrilling shred of hope that there was more to her story after this¡­ a way out just over that hill, just around this tree, ''run harder, run faster, make your heart beat quicker for me''¡­ She sobbed as the voice echoed murderously in her mind, reminding her of the previous night when she was fleeing something unknown.


    Graeme snarled across the room. ''Fucking bastard¡ªhow did this happen?'' He knew Marius was ruthless¡ªthat was his reputation, that''s what made him such an effective enforcer for the council. People were terrified of him. But this?


    "Shhh¡­ there, there little one," Marius mockinglyforted the girl without breaking eye contact with Graeme. August continued trembling and writhing in pain against him.


    Seemingly thrilled by the torment she was in, Marius ran his thumb over her bottom lip and smirked at the helpless man across from him. He could see the girl''s agony reflected in Graeme''s expression, and Marius was just daring Graeme to move. In less than a second, his human mate would be dead on the floor. That loss would be enough to destroy the pack-less Alpha''s son for good¡ªthere was no doubt about it. Marius would be able to escape unscathed before Graeme was even able to register the enormity of the loss.


    Everyone knew that losing a mate was a sentence harsher than death, which is why there were rules governing it. If that happened to Graeme, the rebellious fire in him would surely be snuffed out forever, reducing him to a shell of what he was. On top of that, the threat of a sessful subject from Eliade would be gone. Marius''s mouth watered at the beautiful simplicity of it, seeing it all y out.


    Reveling in the opportunity he had stumbled upon, Marius bent August''s head to one side, nipping her ear. She squirmed and whimpered, but she couldn''t move.


    "Whimpers turn me on, love," Marius whispered. "Everyone leave but Graeme," he calmly ordered the others while continuing to watch the man he loathed across from him.


    Lucas shot another shocked look at Graeme before turning to leave, but Greta didn''t move. She looked helplessly at her brother who was in an impossible situation. She ached for him and for a way to help him.


    Graeme nodded for her to go. There was nothing Greta could do now that Marius had August.. The door clicked behind her after she hesitantly tore her eyes away from them.

 Chapter 9 - Bite

    Marius slid his sharp canines along August''s neck while his hand slid inside the top of her nightgown, pulling her back harder against him.


    "Your mate hasn''t even been able to taste you yet, it must be killing him," he whispered to August as he red at Graeme wickedly, drawing this moment out. What would it feel like to watch someone else mark you mate?


    "You''re going to abuse someone innocent? You''re such a fucking coward, Marius," Graeme snarled. "Don''t do this! Just fucking kill me, if that''s what you want. Tell the elders whatever you have to."


    Graeme''s whole body was tense as if bracing against some unseen weight, and Marius could tell he was suppressing the urge to shift.


    Marius smiled. "If she''s your mate, she''s not innocent," he said and bit into August''s skin just enough to draw blood, but he kept his mouth there¡ªon her neck¡ªhis eyes shing as he watched all of the color drain from Graeme''s face and waited for him to lunge. But fuck if Graeme wasn''t a master of control. His muscles were rippling with tension, but he was cautious¡ªwaiting¡ªknowing that the moment he moved to attack, Marius would end her.


    Marius drew back and licked the blood from her neck before chuckling darkly. "She tastes sweet, this one. You should have taken her when you had the chance. I don''t like sharing." His hand was still in her nightgown, and he groped her roughly, kissing her shoulder as he did.


    Silent tears slid down August''s face as she squeezed her eyes tighter, determined not to make any sound that would please him further. Images from Marius''s mind flickered relentlessly across the back of her eyelids like a horror reel repeating over and over again. She wasn''t sure what was real anymore and what was simply his twisted, depraved thoughts.


    "Goddammit, take me!" Graeme''s voice made the sses on the tray and the windows in their frames rattle. Marius was hurting her in his ce, and Graeme wished he could rip the bastard''s head off with his mind.


    August suddenly sensed another presence in the room, and her eyes flew open in hope, searching. But there was no one else there.


    She saw Graeme across from her, the threatening intensity of his aura so palpable now that she could literally see it radiating off of him like his own personal gxy. She was stunned. It was beautiful. It swirled and thrummed with a life of its own that seemed to recognize her, drifting her way. Why was Marius not reacting to this? She wanted to reach her hand out to touch it, but she was still restrained against the madman behind her.


    As the breathtaking gxy of Graeme''s aura approached her, she felt its fine, cool mist prate her skin, and she shivered. The pain that had engulfed her suddenly began subsiding, and in its ce was the prickly feeling of a raw power that was not her own.


    She looked at Graeme again and as she watched him, she felt his strength uncoil in her limbs. The waves of pain that were raging moments ago were reced by waves of power from this man who had saved her in the forest just yesterday.


    Feeling her watching him, Graeme shifted his eyes to meet August''s gaze. Instead of the fear and torment he imagined he would see there, her eyes burned a vivid gold as she looked at him knowingly, and for a moment Graeme felt like it was just the two of them in the room.


    The fear that had gripped his heart watching Marius put his hands on her faded to be reced by a swell of gratitude for this moment right now when they seemed to be able to embrace each other wordlessly from across the room.


    ''Mate,'' it registered deep within every tissue of his being. He knew it when he found her in the forest, but he couldn''t allow himself to believe it. He was afraid to touch her since then¡ªafraid of her weakness and of his vulnerability that would follow. But it was undeniable¡ªthis human belonged with him. He could see now that she recognized it, too.


    Meanwhile, Marius sensed a change. Something was off. The mouth-watering scent of fear that had saturated the room began to cease. Graeme, who had appeared to be crumbling in front of him just a moment ago, had turned calm as he looked at August.


    ''What did I miss? The fucker is smiling now?'' Marius wondered. Fearing he had miscalcted something while savoring an easy win, Marius grabbed August''s bandaged arm and ripped into it with his teeth. ''Yeah, keep smiling, shithead.''


    August sucked in a breath with the new bright pain of this intrusion, and her world became very small. The only two things that existed were her wrist and Marius who was attached to it. The monster who still held her. Her pain turned to rage, and she grabbed his neck behind her, flipping him over her shoulder and onto the bed as she grunted wildly with the effort of it.


    Greta and Lucas heard the struggle and burst through the door, now apanied by Finn behind them. Before anyone could react, August ripped deep into Marius''s neck with her teeth, unleashing a geyser of blood that pumped out in time with his heart.


    Marius roared in pain, grasping at the wound with his hands and staring up in shock at the human.


    August giggled at the ridiculous sight of this man who had held her captive with his perverse thoughts and hands now looking at her in horror as a red fountain squirted high above him. She stumbled back against the wall, barely aware of the arm that was dripping again at her side.


    Everyone was stunned at the scene in front of them as August stood calmly like a goddess of death with blood dripping out of her mouth and down her neck, streams of red cascading down the front of her white chemise. Dust glistened in the beams of light falling around her.


    "Holy f*" Lucas whispered.


    Suddenly lightheaded, August swayed gently and copsed, but not before Graeme leapt over the bed and caught her in his arms.

 Chapter 10 - Virus

    Graeme sat in a chair next to his bed, running his hands through his hair. It felt too long. He hadn''t cut it or shaved since the Marius episode, which had now been three weeks. He groaned into his hands.


    Once again he was running through it all in his mind¡ªwhat he could have done differently when Marius showed up that day. He should have been right next to her when the bastard walked in the room. He should have positioned himself between them, and things never would have escted like they did.


    Or rather than reacting to Marius touching her, Graeme should have waited until Lucas was taking her away. But August''s apparent gift of sight or touch or whatever it was threw him off. She looked traumatized mere moments after Marius touched her face.


    Graeme ran his hands over his own bristly face in frustration. Thinking about it over and over again wouldn''t change anything, but it didn''t make any difference. He was tormented by it. And worse, she would be tormented with those memories, too, in addition to what happened to her in the forest.


    He looked up at the unconscious August in his bed. She was hooked up to lines and fluids and monitors that Greta had brought over. After Greta had taken care of August''s arm and they cleaned her up, Graeme immediately took her out of there. He couldn''t bare to have her wake up in that room again. Or even that house.


    The elders wouldn''t allow him to take her out of pack territory after what happened with Marius. Although Marius was alive and locked up (unfortunately Graeme didn''t kill him when he had the chance), they still required that Auguste before them for a hearing if she did wake. When she did wake. Graeme suspected they were hoping he would reconsider taking up his ce in the pack with a Luna by his side. It would make them all stronger.


    For now, he and Greta were monitoring August''s condition in Graeme''s default home on pack territory. It had started as a treehouse that their parents had built for them when they were kids. At that time, it had been a fun camping and sleepover spot where they could stay with friends¡ªaway from their parents but still close enough not to be in danger.


    A few years ago, Graeme had decided to renovate the treehouse into a proper home for when he was visiting. He didn''t like imposing on Greta and her mate, Samuel, and he worried that staying with them would cause them trouble if anyone decided to protest his presence in the area. Plus, the treehouse was fairly secluded and private, which was the way he preferred it.


    Nobody knew how long August would take to regain consciousness, because her condition and the way she had suddenly gained strength and then abruptly lost it was a mystery. Initially, they expected her to wake fairly quickly, thinking she had just copsed due to exhaustion. But three weeks had stretched on now, and there were still no answers.


    Greta thought August''sa was self-induced, like some kind of innate defense mechanism that had to do with the catalyst drug she had received from Eliade. Whatever had caused it, Graeme lost track of the days since it started. He wasn''t sleeping much, and when he did sleep, it wasn''t well. Greta would typically arrive in the morning to check on August and find Graeme slumped over in a chair next to the bed.


    "You need to start taking care of yourself. You can''t be here for her if you aren''t here for yourself," she had said.


    "Thanks, mom," he had replied dryly. But he didn''t seem to be listening to her.


    Greta, on the other hand, had buried herself in her own research. She was vaguely familiar with the catalyst that Eliade was using in a final step of coaxing out the changes the virus was attempting to make in the humans infected.


    Unbeknownst to most, this virus had been expertly designed to alter the human genome in order to create a superior race of individuals that would, if sessful, inherit the responsibility of deflecting the earth from its current path of ruin.


    The virus was meant to be an attempt at reversing human overpoption in the form of a new pandemic that would strengthen few while weakening the rest. The n was insanely grandiose, which is why no one aware of the research took it seriously. Until this year.


    August was among a student cohort specifically targeted for what seemed to be initial sess of the retrovirus to begin altering their genes on a multicellr level. While others in the global poption became seriously ill and many died, those whose bodies were sessful in epting the new genes showed no adverse affects aside from one obvious sign: a peculiar rash that appeared for several days before leaving a scar. August''s had appeared on her left shoulder, and now a translucent scattered pattern like a constetion of stars remained as a reminder of her infection and an unfortunate identifier to researchers of her unique status.


    Themunity of researchers and scientists responsible for the virus drew upon ndestine gic knowledge of a variety of other creatures that existed in the shadows, having disappeared from public knowledge into stories, myths, and legends¡ªlycans amongst them.


    The scientists believed these creatures to now be extinct, as no trace could be found of them on the globe any longer, but¡ªlike time capsules¡ªfragments of their DNA still existed in extant humans. The diverse species of creatures had clearly mated with humans sessfully for generations before, and their descendants maintained this kind oftent potential for a hybrid. Those scientists privy aimed to bring a purer form of the departed creatures into being to strengthen humans, if only by gic maniption.


    Lycans¡ªclearly not extinct and rather hiding sessfully in the shadows of the ever-decreasing wilds of the world¡ªhad been aware of this research for decades, but it wasn''t until recently that any of them imagined how close the virus was to a reality. And now it had been let loose on the world, much to their dismay.


    Still, no one who was aware of the true nature of the virus believed it would be sessful. More than likely, it would end up as just another mysterious pandemic that came and went, leaving the world scarred in a new way and conspiracy theorists to reimagine what really happened. Nevertheless, a general unease had been born.


    From what August had said, Graeme suspected her stepfather had actually received money to send her to Eliade as a guinea pig for what would be the final stage of the experiment. The university was performing tests and producing data without the students even being aware of it, and there were universities distributed around the globe doing the same. But there were still many unknowns with these kinds of experiments.


    August had suddenly exhibited superhuman strength, but it seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. She wasn''t healing at an elerated rate like lycans either, so it clearly wasn''t a simple matter of lycan genes being activated.


    What was especially concerning to both Greta and Graeme was how her fever kept returning. It was spiking higher each time. The fever had been associated with excruciating pain the two times August experienced it while conscious¡ªbut the cause of fever and pain was a mystery. And August seemed to be getting weaker now after each episode. If these spells kept escting in intensity without activating some kind of radical change in her condition, it was unlikely she would survive.


    "I have a theory," Greta had said that morning.

 Chapter 11 - Theories

    "Let''s hear your theory," Graeme replied.


    "Well, I have two theories, but they both end with you marking her," Greta said.


    He groaned. "We''ve been over this. I can''t do it. It''s not right. Plus look at what Marius put her through! How would she feel knowing I did that while she was unconscious? And who''s to say she would even want me to do it when she''s awake!"


    "Just hear me out."


    "This isn''t a damn fairytale, Greta! I''m not going to mark her and then she magically wakes up, loves the idea of being partnered to a previously unknown creature, we be the pack''s power couple, and then everyone lives happily every after."


    "I know that, and that''s not what I''m saying. But at least if it does give her the strength to wake up, you can deal with whatever is waiting out there for the two of you together."


    "What do you mean by the strength?"


    "Well that''s what I wanted to talk to you about. Okay, first theory. If we look at the series of events leading up to her superhuman strength episode, the fever and pain had returned¡­ in the middle of an incredibly traumatic sh terrifying event, which I''lle back to¡­"


    She took a quick breath. Whenever Greta got on a roll with her theories, she always talked in a rush as if she were chasing after the theories in her mind, spilling them out in words before they could take flight and leave her head.


    "So she''s in excruciating pain. While this is going on, Marius bites her. Perhaps¡­" she turned around, appearing to try manifesting this theory in the air with her hands, "somehow Marius passed his strength to her through the bite¡ªan enzyme in the saliva¡­ this is how mate marking works after all¡ªand the fever spells might make her cells more susceptible to receiving the invading enzyme through this gic transformation that''s trying to happen."


    "That is a whole lot of conjecture," Graeme said. He was silent for a moment with his arms crossed. "So in this theory, Marius passed strength from his body into hers?" He frowned.


    Greta looked at him. "You don''t have to rephrase it like that."


    "But that is what you''re saying, isn''t it?" She didn''t reply. "What if it''s not just his strength?" he said, a muscle feathering in his jaw.


    Greta grimaced. She hadn''t thought of it the way her brother was obviously hearing it. "They didn''t exchange a mate bond," she said simply.


    Graeme let out a long frustrated sigh. "Okay, I''ll entertain your theory. Let''s say I do it and she regains strength enough to wake up somehow. Won''t it be temporary? I mean, what if she exhausts herself even more? What if that surge of energy is too much and she actually dies this time when it leaves her?"


    Greta furrowed her brow thinking. "I suppose it''s possible."


    Graeme groaned in frustration. "What''s theory two?"


    "Okay, theory two¡ªthis is a fairytale and she wakes up," She smiled jovially and shrugged with her arms in the air before adding, "And we all live happily ever after."


    "How scientific of you. What schrly article did you get that from?"


    "Hey, at least I''m researching and using my magnificent brain to do more than grow hair and sit around brooding all day and night."


    Graeme rolled his eyes, "Thank you. I know you are the brains of this operation, don''t worry."


    Gretaughed, "Good. I''m d to know you know that I''m the smartest."


    "Well I''m d to know you''re d to know I know you know¡­ Wait." They bothughed light-heartedly. It felt good for once.


    They were silent a moment before Greta added, "That would be a damn sexy fairy tale, though, don''t you think?" She nudged him with her elbow, "marking between mates is pretty erotic."


    "Oh-kay! TMI, little sister," he replied screwing his face up at her. Greta was born 12 minutes after him, so Graeme naturally took those 12 minutes for all they were worth. "Keep your head in the science journals and out of that erotic fiction garbage."


    "What? It''s true! Anyway¡­ Common knowledge. Not TMI." She chuckled.


    Graeme sighed again. "I think we should wait. I still just feel wrong about it and there are too many unknowns."


    "I understand," Greta said, touching his arm lightly. "But please, please think about it," she looked back at August. "She looks paler today."


    Graeme nodded in agreement. "What were you going to say about the traumatic sh terrifying situation bit?"


    "Oh right. I wonder if Eliade allowed her to experience all of that in the woods to maybe ignite this reaction in her body to help the catalyst along. Like lighting a match. It''smon knowledge that stress, particrly acute traumatic events, can alter the expression of genes¡ªperhaps initiating the onset of a predisposed disease or other condition. Which means we should be on the lookout for more students in the woods."


    "Why the woods? Why not something traumatic on campus?"


    Greta shrugged, "Too messy, too many witnesses, too many questions? I don''t know. Suicide forest is a convenient cover. This way, regardless of the survival oue, things can be obscured with the suspicion of suicide. Did you see the marks on her arms when you brought her from the forest? She had them on her legs, too. They were fresh, and I can''t imagine she did it herself, so it was like they were staging her behavior should things fail. Also conveniently¡ªthe suicide rate has skyrocketed during the pandemic and quarantine. But that would also mean they have to stagger the people dropped here to not make it look too suspicious¡­" Greta was rambling on again.


    "Maybe we should start thinking of some kind of n in case more students do show up¡­ There''s no way we can bring them on packnd, especially after what happened with Marius and August," Graeme thought aloud.


    "We need to infiltrate and stop this whole mess all together."


    Graeme crossed his arms in thought. "Okay, well let''s not get ahead of ourselves yet. I''m notunching some kind of covert save the world mission with her in this state," he turned toward the bed with a pained look. "She''s my first priority."


    "I know."

 Chapter 12 - Pool

    Just two days after Greta proposed her theories about jolting August out of hera with a mating bite, Graeme was standing on his deck, staring vacantly out into the woods. When he returned to August''s side, he noticed her skin was flushed and beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead. Her expression looked pained, and she was whimpering. He took her temperature. It was 107.


    After a quick phone call to his sister, Greta appeared.


    She took note of August''s dangerously high heart rate and checked her temperature again. It was now 107.5. Graeme started pacing waiting for Greta''s direction. He could feel the heat radiating off of August from where he was, and she was breathing hard.


    "Okay¡­ big brother?" Greta grabbed both of his arms and shook him lightly, ring at him, "You have to listen to me. I''m going to unhook her from everything, and you''re going to do this now! You have to trust me. She''s getting weaker. She needs her mate!" She began disconnecting all the lines and wires.


    "Wait, wait, wait¡­" Graeme objected. "Why are you unhooking everything?"


    "Well it''s a good thing you decided to add that crazy elevated pool, because her temperature is still rising. She needs it down now."


    Suddenly August started convulsing, and Graeme''s face nched. "What''s happening?!"


    "She''s having a seizure," Greta swiftly turned August onto her side.


    Graeme rushed over, "What can I do? Tell me how to help."


    "Mark her. This is the worst episode yet. I don''t know how much more she can take of this. Her heart rate and fever are dangerously high."


    "But wait, what if¡­"


    "No more waiting. We keep waiting and she dies," She was calm but firm and fixed Graeme with a re.


    Panic started rising in Graeme''s chest. "What if I hurt her? What if it makes this worse?"


    "She''s having a febrile seizure, Graeme! At this point, it''s worth the risk. She needs you," she said sternly. "As soon as this seizure is over, get her quickly to the pool."


    Graeme gulped. There was no more arguing with his sister. Once the convulsions stopped, he scooped August up and rushed out onto the deck, wading into the cold pool water with her in his arms. Thecy green of the forest dwarfed them and reflected off the pool''s surface as Graeme lowered her into the water. Her hair fanned out around her flushed face with an expression that seemed to indicate she was in pain. She looked like a child having a bad dream.


    "It''s time," Greta nodded to him from the doorway. "Before this episode is over."


    He nced back at Greta and then down again at August who had started shivering in his arms. Seeing her so vulnerable and in danger of dying in his arms once again was undoing him. He wanted to switch ces with her¡ªor enter her dream and kill the creatures that hunted her there. But he couldn''t do either of those things. It was time to try thest thing he was capable of.


    Graeme had tried to touch her as little as possible thesest three weeks, because he didn''t know what she would see or feel if he did. But now the thought of losing her overwhelmed him and he caressed her face. Her skin was soft under his hands, which were rough from a life in the wilderness.


    He still couldn''t believe she was here, this girl who had dropped like an anchor into the forest that day. Now he was hopelessly tied to her. He could feel the pull she had on him just by being near her, but touching her face now closed the distance that had loomed between them, and her skin ignited something under his fingertips that spiked like electricity up his arm. He wanted to protect her now like he hadn''t been able to with Marius.


    With these thoughts swelling inside him, he bowed to their weight with his forehead touching hers. "I promise to be here for you always, August. Please forgive me," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You are mine and I am yours, my love," he whispered, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb before kissing her lightly there.


    Graeme raised her slightly out of the water and kissed her delicately on the curve of neck, closing his eyes to pause and breathe in her scent, which was now scattering in ripples throughout the pool and on the breeze. He imagined this signature of her being carried on the air, twirling between the trees like white fluffy seed pods in the spring and falling like morning dew on the leaves. Regardless of what happened after this moment, August would live on in the forest forever.


    Graeme let out the breath he had been holding and suddenly recalled when he and August had locked eyes before Marius bit her arm¡ªhow her eyes burned with a fire and a strength he hadn''t anticipated. They had embraced wordlessly in that moment and everything else, all the horror, fell away.


    With this memory shing in his mind, he pressed his lips lightly against her neck. She was hot against his mouth, and he started trembling involuntarily as he parted his lips with his teeth on her skin.


    You are mine, and I am yours, he promised her silently this time. Before sinking his teeth in to secure their bond, he was startled by a hand on his arm. A small gasp escaped his lips as he drew back and found August''s eyes squinting open against the light.


    "G-Graeme?" she whispered hoarsely, squeezing her eyes shut again and wetting her lips. He had forgotten her voice after all this time, having only heard her speak briefly before. His name on her lips was everything.


    "August," he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Greta jumped into the pool by their side, eyes wide now in surprise. She put a hand on her brother''s shoulder and leaned over to touch August''s forehead, noticing that her brother hadn''t actually marked the girl after all.


    August opened her eyes again, looking up at both of them. There was gold sparkling in her irises like a crown of stardust dancing around her pupils. It was mesmerizing. When August locked eyes with Graeme, the effect intensified. He smiled radiantly and caressed her cheek.


    "Wee back," he said softly.


    She looked up at him in awe. His dark, bristly face was beaming down at her, emotion overflowing his eyes, and a translucent mist was orbiting him and radiating off his skin. She could feel its prickly coolness prating her and dancing in her chest, in her stomach, in her bones. He was prating every cell, jolting her to life. ''How is he doing this?'' she wondered. Leaves were dancing above him as witnesses, encircling them both.


    "You''re real?" she whispered the question to hear him respond with a lightugh, and she closed her eyes that were sensitive to the light.


    "I''m going to get her a towel," Greta said before disappearing.


    Graeme let out another heavy sigh of relief without taking his eyes off of her as if she might fall unconscious again. He was caressing her face and smoothing her hair like a parent with a newborn while wading to the edge of the pool where he hoisted himself out of the water with her in his arms.


    August was curled in hisp shivering when Greta returned with the towel. Graeme draped it over her back and pulled her close to his chest, resting his chin on her head and rubbing her with the towel for warmth.. She let herself rx into him quietly, gently clutching his wet shirt where she somehow felt safe.

 Chapter 13 - Treehouse

    "How are you feeling?" Greta asked, kneeling down next to them.


    August didn''t respond for a moment. The world was spinning, and Graeme''s energy was still thrumming through her. How should she feel? She looked down at her arm, which had mostly healed but retained a gnarled, pink scar. The memories of the forest and of Marius came rushing to the surface, and a wave of fear shuddered through her.


    "I feel okay," she said unsteadily, but Graeme could feel how her body reacted to it. He had to stifle a protective growl when he scented the spike of her fear.


    August ran her finger along the scar slowly. "What happened? How long have I been out?"


    "Three weeks and two days, to be precise," Greta responded. She smiled and touched August''s leg lightly. "We''re d to have you back," she said, looking up at Graeme. "She feels cooler now. Can you bring her back to the room? She can put on dry clothes, and I need to check her vitals."


    Graeme rose with August in his arms, carrying her through the house into the bedroom.


    "Wee to the Hallowell treehouse," Greta smiled as the two approached.


    "Treehouse?" August''s eyes went wide with wonder. Graeme set her carefully on her feet, holding onto her arms to make sure she was strong enough to stand. She wobbled a little finding her legs and turned around, looking up at the room.


    This room shared the same wall of floor-to-ceiling windows as the main living area they had passed through, but the rest of the room sloped upward. Curved wood beams arched from the ground around the perimeter of the room gracefully up toward its center above her such that there was no distinction between wall and ceiling. It reminded her vaguely of a boat hull with the exception of being perfectly round.


    An industrial looking ceiling fan hung from the center where the wood beams met, and below it was a curved wire bed frame that Greta was standing next to. Rather than a headboard, the frame curved gracefully upward with metal ts to create a canopy over the pillow area. A mosquito was draped behind it that softened the metal work of the frame.


    If it weren''t for the fluids and monitors standing at attention on either side, she thought the bed would look like it was out of some kind of modern fairy tale. Warm chestnut floors pointed the way to the bed in chevron patterns beneath her, and she obliged them, walking forward unsteadily with Graeme hovering close by.


    Greta saw her appreciating the room. "Do you like it? I helped Graeme renovate it a few years ago. Believe it or not, this used to be our treehouse as kids."


    August saw the bedroom open into a bathroom area further in with brick walls and two round mirrors reflecting bare Edison bulbs hanging from ck metal rods. The tub looked like an oversized replica of the two copper vessel sinks on the vanity. It had a floral quatrefoil design on its exterior with a free-standing ck faucet arching gracefully over the generous-sized bowl. It was like a luxury suite at some exotic hotel. August nodded wordlessly.


    "Why don''t we get you changed first. May I?" Greta approached August with a change of clothes in her arms.


    "Oh, um," August clutched herself protectively, feeling the wet clothes cling to her skin as she wondered about this awkward position she found herself in. She nced again at the ruffled sheets of the bed and the equipment to the side. Had she really been unconscious all this time? She looked down at her bare feet as water was dripping and pooling around her. "I¡ªI''m okay to do it."


    Greta smiled warmly. "Of course. There''s a privacy screen that Graeme can pull in front of the bathroom."


    August noticed the screen of rice paper and wood ts that matched the rest of the room. Graeme emerged from behind her and slid the screen over, obscuring the bathroom area where she should apparently change. She couldn''t help but notice how his wet clothes clung to him as well, revealing the broad, defined chest she had just been clinging to. He caught her gaze, and she quickly nced away.


    Graeme was here, in this room. Wasn''t she just dreaming about him? She nced back to his face¡ªthe long line of his nose, the perfect pout of his full lips that were framed by a dark beard, the angle of his eyebrows that seemed angry or serious even when his eyes were gentle, as they were now.


    Was this still a dream? His presence stirred something warm and familiar in her as if she had always known him. As if he had always been there next to her. It wasn''t anything she could understand. Reality seemed to be slipping, and the room started to spin around with her uprooted at its center.


    "Oh no, is the fevering back?" Greta stepped forward worriedly.


    "No. No. I¡ªI''m okay," August shook her head quickly and took the clothes from Greta''s arms. "Thank you, Greta. I¡ªI''m just a little dizzy. And¡­ confused," she furrowed her eyebrows and took a step backward.


    Graeme was beside her again in an instant. The swift movement surprised her, and she sucked in a sharp breath when his arm encircled her waist only to find that his touch somehow calmed her.


    "Hold on to me," his dark eyes found hers, and there was nothing obstructing the worry that had deepened there as he waited for her to respond. The openness of the emotion in his eyes was so intense, she could only gape up at him. Why was he looking at her like that?


    "I''ll help you, August," he said simply, his voice low and gentle¡ªonly for her ears. And suddenly she was in his arms being carried like a child. Her face flushed with warmth as her eyes darted away from his. But once they were on the other side of the screen, he didn''t release her. Slowly, she raised her questioning eyes again to find his.


    "Thank you," she said quietly as their gazes locked. "It seems you saved me¡­ again. I don''t understand how you did it, but I''m grateful."


    "There''s nothing to thank me for. I''m sorry. For the forest, for Marius, for everything. I won''t let anyone hurt you again," he spoke the words that were a promise to her as well as to himself. Pain shed in her eyes for a moment as the memories resurfaced at his words, and she nced away again.


    Marius'' thoughts were nightmares that would continue to haunt her. It was as if he had invaded a part of her with his most horrific side, terrifying her with a reality she had witnessed behind her own eyes¡ªthe reality that people could indeed be monsters.


    Monsters. She looked curiously up at Graeme again, and once again she was ovee by the tenderness and intensity of him. This guy wasn''t a monster. She could feel it in every cell of her being that somehow seemed to vibrate with his name.


    He brushed his thumb over her lips, sending a shiver of pleasure through her that sought to erase the bad thoughts. "I give you my word," he breathed, and she believed him. Her eyes closed against his touch, and when she looked back up at him, her irises were dancing again with a vibrant gold.


    Greta cleared her throat behind the screen, and Graeme nced up like a scolded child. Somehow he managed to be devastating and adorable at the same time.. August''s lips quirked up into a smile as she watched him.

 Chapter 14 - Soulmates

    Greta had given August a t-shirt, zip up hoodie, and sweatpants, and August made note of one more reason to adore the peachy-haired girl. She was like an instant sister who knew what would be mostfortable.


    After slipping the dry clothes on, August looked in the mirror for the first time in a month. She almost didn''t recognize herself. Her face was thinner and pale save for the recent flush from being so close to Graeme. But her eyes¡­ August gasped.


    "August, are you okay?" Greta called, but Graeme rushed right in without waiting for her reply. She noticed he had changed into dry clothes as well.


    "What is it?" He grabbed her lightly around the waist and spun her to face him so he could look her over.


    "My eyes¡­" She turned back to the mirror and leaned closer, pulling the skin below her eye to see the eyeball morepletely. At first she thought it was the reflection of the amber fments in the lightbulbs, but no¡ªher eyes were other-worldly. The irises were a sparkly crown of gold amidst her regr blue.


    "Were they not like that before?" he asked as his sister appeared behind them.


    "No. No, not even close," she leaned back and felt him against her, his hands still holding her lightly. She looked at his reflection in the mirror that stared back at her. At that moment the gold shimmered deeply. She caught it out of the corner of her vision and gasped again, leaning back in to look.


    "Wow, I think my eyes like you," she said in awe as if they were a distinct entity from herself, unaware of how it sounded until it was toote.


    Graemeughed lightly, tilting an eyebrow to her reflection. "Yeah, I kind of wondered about that."


    She nced back at him and his sister in the mirror. Her face turned a deeper shade of pink, and she noticed this in the mirror as well. ''I might as well have a blinking neon sign on my face,'' she thought.


    "What''s happening to me?" she asked, turning around to face the brother-sister duo.


    Greta stepped forward and hooked August''s arm in hers, patting her lightly on the arm with her other hand. "Come. Let''s check your vitals and we''ll fill you in on what we know."


    A short timeter, they found August''s vitals were all stable and August had heard about the university''s ndestine pandemic-rted experimentation. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking her head in disbelief. "What were they going to do with me?" Her face paled. "Did my parents know?"


    Graeme and his sister exchanged a look, wondering about the pace at which they should unfold the rest of what she had yet to hear.


    "We don''t know," Greta said honestly.


    "How did you find me?" August looked at Graeme, "The forest was so empty," she swallowed remembering.


    Graeme paused, considering his phrasing for a moment. "I caught your¡­ scent."


    "My scent?"


    He nodded but said nothing more.


    August thought back to when Marius had entered the room. It made her nauseous. She could still taste his blood in her mouth, and she squeezed her eyes closed at the memory.


    "M¡ªMarius," she gulped, pushing back the fluid rising in her throat, "he said some things." And thought some things. She shuddered involuntarily. Greta came to sit next to her on the bed and took August''s hand in both of hers, squeezing it lightly. "He called you a monster." She looked up at Graeme curiously. "What did he mean?"


    Graeme''s dark eyebrows dipped together in thought before his gaze returned to her, sweeping over her face. How would she react? A couple beats too long had passed since her question, and worry started to prick her eyes. He would just have to say it.


    "We''re lycans," he breathed thest word. When her expression didn''t change, he tried again. "Like¡­ werewolves."


    Werewolves. August frowned. "You change into a wolf?" she scoffed, clearly not believing him. He nodded. She looked at Greta at her side who had a soft expression on her face. "Both of you?" Greta smiled slightly and nodded. Then August gasped, and one of her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "The animal. In the forest. The one chasing me¡­" and her eyes fixed on Graeme in disbelief.


    "I wasn''t trying to scare you," he gulped and looked at his feet.


    "You¡ªyou bit me," she whispered, and her eyes had started to water.


    "No¡ªno, I was just removing the tracker," he said hoarsely. "I was only trying to help."


    August stood up from the bed and retreated to therge window looking out at a cross-section of trees. How far up were they? Like Alice, somehow she had tumbled through the forest into another reality. Surely she should be dead.


    If werewolves exist¡­ She crossed her arms defensively at the ludicrous thought. Then what else is out there? Isn''t the evil in humanity enough? She caught the reflection of her burning eyes in the ss. "What am I then?" She whispered, her heart shuddering in fear. Graeme and Greta looked at each other again.


    Graeme walked over to stand behind her, resting his palms on her shoulders before running them down the length of her arms and embracing her. He breathed into her hair, "It seems you are my soulmate, August." The answer was not what she expected and seemed equally as ludicrous, but his voice kindled a surprising warmth in her again. And his touch, his embrace¡­ It was like home.


    "Soulmates," she whispered again, watching how her eyes burned in response to the word. She had never believed in such a thing. Her parents were divorced and her stepfather was abusive. Where was her mother''s soulmate? She wasn''t even sure about the whole idea of "soul" in the first ce. But somewhere she understood that whatever this was with Graeme was different, and it was the reason she was alive.


    "What does that mean?" she asked quietly.


    Once again, Graeme faced the challenge of distilling something so muchrger than himself into words. Greta had always been the talkative one¡ªthe one with all the answers. He sighed softly with August''s head tucked under his chin, remembering how his mother had exined it to him when he was young.


    "It means¡­ our souls recognize one another as partners," he inteced his fingers with hers. "It means we are mutually entangled in the very fabric of the universe itself. We are a story told together with one voice," he turned her around gently to face him, his expression soft and searching hers. Suddenly he didn''t need to search for the exnation. It was there in her eyes.


    "It''s an oath that doesn''t need to be spoken, because it binds two beings together with a force that no one can deny or break. And were I to mark you here," he paused, pushing back her sweatshirt and running his fingers over the curve of her neck, "we would be even more intimately connected¡ªsensing each other''s thoughts and feelings."


    Goosebumps arose on the spot he touched. He could see her delicate light hairs sticking up, and suddenly his mouth began to water. He let her damp hair fall back, hiding it from view.


    "Mark me?" she whispered the question. Like a branding? Her eyebrows furrowed.


    An uneasy smile spread across Graeme''s face, and he sighed. "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything like that unless you want me to."


    August felt her mouth go dry. "Oh¡ªokay."


    His dark eyes had consumed her again as he gazed down at her, and she felt her stomach trill. She had never witnessed something like he was describing, but for some reason she wanted to believe him. Her body already did, it seemed, because it lit up like a Christmas tree when he so much as looked her way.


    She wondered if the soulmate thing had something to do with the aura she saw around Graeme during her fevers. It had seemed to gravitate toward her, and it gave her the impulse and strength to ovee Marius.


    As she opened her mouth to ask Graeme about this, a phone rang in the other room. Greta retrieved it, handing it to him as he stepped away from August.


    "Hello?" His voice was different on the phone¡ªdeeper and intimidating. August shivered at the authority it held. "She is now, yes," his eyes narrowed into the air. "I understand." He ended the call and nced at Greta.


    "They already know she is awake?" Greta asked, incredulous.


    He nodded. "They want to see us first thing tomorrow," he sighed, tossing his phone on the bed.


    "Who is they?" August asked slowly, sensing this was not a good thing.


    "The pack''s council of elders. They are our governing body, you could say. And they are eager to meet you," Graeme sighed. "I wish we had more time. There are some more things I need to exin to you before we see them."


    August nodded, crossing her arms in front of her as if bracing herself for more, but her stomach growled loudly.


    "But let''s get you something to eat first, you poor thing.. You must be starving!" Greta hurried to her side and hooked one of her arms again, leading her out of the room.

 Chapter 15 - Mutants And Irony

    In no time, August found herself seated at a little table overlooking the forest with heaps of food on the te in front of her and a grass chandelier hanging above that had caught her interest. The long and pale wispy grasses hung elegantly around its circumference while a bulb illuminated them from the center, creating a warm, inviting glow.


    It had literally been weeks since August ate, and now she felt the hunger gnawing angrily at her.


    Graeme didn''t recall ever feeling actual pleasure watching someone else eat before, but now he smiled watching August chewing her meal happily across from him. It satisfied something in him that needed her safe and cared for. It was instinctual. For the first time in a long time, he realized that he felt at ease. And this was just from watching the girl eat!


    After Greta was satisfied that August was okay and was staying that way¡ªat least for the time being¡ªshe left to give them some time alone.


    "I''ll be back early to bring some things for you, August. But please, if you need anything, don''t hesitate to call," she smiled and hugged her. Then she pinched her brother''s cheek yfully and disappeared out the door. Heughed lightly as she left.


    "Your sister is amazing," August said once Greta had gone. "You two seem really close."


    Graeme smiled warmly, "She''s a good egg."


    "Oh, is that a twin joke? Does that mean you''re the bad egg?" August smiled at him teasingly before catching herself. Would that offend him?


    But Graeme nodded in agreement, "Some would definitely say that." August caught a sh of sadness in his expression, but his eyes were light. "Why don''t you tell me about yourself?"


    "Hmm¡­ you probably know more than I do considering I didn''t realize I was enrolled in some insane secret experiment," sheughed nervously. "But¡­ let''s see. My favorite color is green."


    "Okay, favorite color is important," he chuckled.


    "My middle name is ''Moon,''" she realized aloud. "How is that for irony?"


    "I noticed that, August Moon Cady. But I think that''s technically coincidence, not irony," Graeme replied, winking at her.


    "Oh, so you''re a smarty pants. Are you sure about that?"


    "Pretty sure," he squinted back at her. He had a dimple on his left cheek, she noticed. It appeared above the bristly hairs of his beard, softening his features.


    "Okay then, let me ask you something," she paused, "Am I turning into a werewolf?" Her stomach churned at the possibility, and Graeme could sense how she tensed waiting for his answer.


    His smile wilted a little as he seemed to think seriously about it, staring hard into the space next to her. "It would be lycan, not werewolf. But I don''t know," he confessed.


    "What''s the difference?" she tilted her head.


    "Werewolves are ugly and gross and bite people to make them ugly and gross like them," he replied.


    "Wow. That really clears it up," sheughed. He gave her a crooked smile. "So you''re not ugly and gross?"


    "What do you think?" Graeme raised an eyebrow at her, and she felt her face grow warm.


    "So you turn into a cuddly, adorable wolf then?"


    "Adorable?" he scoffed. "More like fearsome and majestic."


    "This I have to see," she said, eyes lighting with curiosity.


    "You saw me in the forest, didn''t you?" He tilted his head, and her smile fell remembering that night.


    "No, not really," she said quietly. "It was so dark."


    "I''m sorry, August," he replied. "I¡­ You have no idea how surprised I was to find you there. I wasn''t thinking straight, and I panicked¡­" He gulped, reliving it too. Her scent and her fear. The pain that she was in and the fall¡­ "I should have done things differently."


    "No, no. I''m d you were there," she said, staring at her wrist again. And then sheughed. "It''s crazy. I had a werewolf¡­ I mean, a lycan¡­ rescue me. Anything short of that, and I''d be either dead or in ab right now."


    Graeme swallowed. It was true, and it was terrifying.


    "I mean it," she said and met his eyes again. "Thank you."


    "Of course," he replied, his voice deep as his eyes grew deeper.


    August''s cheeks started to pink again. "Um, are the sparkly eyes a thing in lycans? You don''t appear to have them."


    "Sparkly eyes are not a thing, no." August frowned at the response. "I''m not sure what to make of yours, honestly," he said.


    "Does your sister have any ideas?"


    "Oh, that''s one thing you can be sure of. Greta has lots of theories," heughed, "about everything."


    "What are they?" She asked curiously, eager for information about her new predicament.


    "I should let her tell you that. I wouldn''t want to try summarizing the depth andplexity that go into her circuitous logic," heughed. "I can tell you though that that is something the council will be very curious about tomorrow."


    The smile Graeme had teased to the surface slowly wilted from August''s expression, and she started fidgeting with her fork. "Wasn''t¡­ Marius from the council?"


    "Marius is what you might consider the council''s attack dog. He is their chief enforcer."


    "Is? You mean, I didn''t¡­ I didn''t¡­" she stammered, the color slowly draining from her face.


    "Kill him?" Graeme frowned. "Unfortunately not. Lycans heal very quickly. And since he was taken away by Lucas while we were tending to you, I didn''t get a chance to either," his hands curled into fists on the table. "He''s locked up below the council''s chambers."


    August had a sh of Marius''s thoughts from that day, and she pushed herself away from the table slightly, gripping its edge. She was relieved she hadn''t killed him, but it terrified her as well. Would she have to face him again?


    As if reading her thoughts, Graeme said, "He''ll never touch you again." His voice was low, slicing through the air between them as if seeking Marius''s throat.


    "He''s the monster," August whispered. "I saw his¡­ his thoughts, I guess. His desires," her eyes stung with tears as she looked down at herp. She hated that the memory could make her cry. No one should ever let that man or wolf or whatever he was touch anyone. Who knows what he had done in the past. She had gotten quick glimpses before his thoughts had centered back on her. She squeezed her eyes shut to drive the memory away.


    Graeme''s knuckles were white on the table seeing how speaking of Marius affected her. He was still furious at himself for allowing her to be in that position, and he hadn''t been able to take out his anger on Marius. Yet. He let his fists loosen, not wanting August to see him consumed by anger.


    "You saw something from me as well," he said. It was a statement, but August could hear the searching in it.


    Her face rxed and she smiled a little. "Yes." She met his eyes but didn''t borate any further. "So that was a result of my mutant genes as well?"


    "You''re not a mutant," Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together.


    "I mean, I don''t have two heads, but¡­"


    "A mutant is born a certain way. If anything, you''re a mutate."


    August raised an eyebrow at him. "Who would have thought a wolf who lives in a treehouse would be so knowledgeable about mutants and irony," she said, amused.


    "And who would have thought a worldly college girl wouldn''t be," he teased. They stared at each other for another moment, eyes twinkling appreciatively.


    "I''m an art major," she said finally. "Photography." She sipped her tea, maintaining eye contact with him from across the table.


    "Oh, that exins the camera," he said.


    "The camera?" August repeated. "My camera?" The realization of what he was saying hit her, and she stared at him eagerly.


    Graeme got up from the table before returning back with the camera she had been wearing that day she wandered into suicide forest. August picked it up, looking it over and turning it on to see that it waspletely fine. Even the lens was unharmed. Older equipment like this was practically indestructible, and sheughed in surprise.


    "I can''t believe it survived that night. Thank you," she said softly for Graeme to smile in response. "Seriously though, aren''t you supposed to be more braun-y than brainy? When do I get to see you running through the forest with, like, steam rising off of your chiseled torso?" sheughed.


    "We don''t need to run through the forest for that," Graeme raised an eyebrow, and August''s face grew pink again.


    -------


    Dear readers: We''re halfway to our goal of 10 reviews! On the day we reach it, I will release 4 extra chapters (5 total for that day). And if we are eventually able to make it to 100 power stones before a Sunday weekly reset, I''ll do another mass release. Every vote counts, and I appreciate every one of you.. Have a wonderful day, lovies! Thank you for reading.

 Chapter 16 - Questions

    Graeme reached over and rested his hand on hers.


    "So nothing happens now?" he asked, returning to the subject of hertent gift. He had been restraining himself fromforting her or holding her hand or anything involving touching her skin while she was unconscious, fearing that he would harm her in some way. When he had helped her up from the bed at the outpost prior to Marius''s arrival, she had looked helpless and shaken. And after Marius had touched her, she had seemed utterly petrified.


    August shook her head, looking down at their hands touching. "I wonder why."


    Graeme scooped her hand in his, holding it from beneath. "I''m relieved. I didn''t want to make you ufortable." August smiled, the blush staying warm on her cheeks.


    "I can''t believe I''ve been out so long," she said, realizing how different Graeme looked now than when she saw him the first time. He looked older. And tired. His beard was fuller, which seemed to suit him. She gave him a crooked smile, trying to imagine him as a wolf.


    "We were worried you wouldn''t wake up," he admitted.


    "They must''ve told my mom that I disappeared in the forest. She must think I¡­" Her face fell, and she pulled her hands back into herp before looking back up at Graeme. "Shouldn''t I call her or something? She needs to know that I''m okay."


    "The university is definitely searching for you right now. You represent a significant investment to them, and they won''t give up on you easily," Graeme looked apologetic. "Since they haven''t found you, they''ll be waiting for you to emerge in some obvious way, like by contacting your friends or family. I''m sorry," he added.


    August stood up from the table and walked around her chair, pulling her damp hair up behind her and spinning it as if to put it in a bun. She let it fall and rubbed her face, sighing deeply. "What a mess," she said.


    Would she never be able to go home again? Her stepdad had to have known something about it. His willingness to send her here was suspicious even before.


    Graeme rose from his seat as well and sat on the edge of the table in front of her, cing his hands lightly on her shoulders. "We''ll figure it out. It''s just too soon right now. There''s so much we don''t know." August looked defeated, but she offered him a weak smile as he captured her hands in his. "Okay, quick answer time. There''s a lot you must be wondering. Shoot."


    August looked back at this man who had a warmth that settled around him. His eyes, his chestnut home in the trees with its cozy lights, the reassurance and confidence that resonated in his deep voice, his gentle touch as he held her hands. He was the light and the warmth in the forest. If there was hope that somehow everything would turn out despite the overwhelming obstacles, it could be found here with him.


    Graeme could see a mischievous smile y on her lips as her eyes shed. "Are werewolves responsible for the suicide forest lore?"


    "Lycans," he corrected her.


    "Lycans, sorry" she repeated. "Are the adorable¡­ I mean fearsome, majestic lycans responsible for it?"


    "Yes and no," his lip twitched as he answered. There was more in his eyes that he wasn''t revealing, but his smile was warm.


    "Why are there no sounds of living things there? Why are there no animals or¡­ or insects?" The intensity of her eyes deepened, searching him.


    He sighed. "It is the result of a centuries old enchantment meant to protect us. It''s a border."


    "Enchantment? Like from a wizard or something?" Her eyes were wide. Graeme answered her with a smirk. "Does the enchantment cause people to kill themselves?" she asked, shock evident in her voice.


    "Not directly, no."


    Her lips pressed into a line. "Was it a full moon that night you found me? I mean¡­ do you turn into a wolf on a full moon?"


    "It''s not limited to a full moon."


    She studied his dark features. How was she supposed to believe this man before her could change his body into something else like a wolf? It was ridiculous. "So you can turn anytime?"


    "Yes."


    "Can you show me now?"


    "No," he smiled.


    "Why not? I want to see it. How else can I believe all this is real and not some kind of massive hoax built into the experiment or something?"


    He chuckled. "If anyone senses that I''ve turned into wolf form here, it will cause some problems that I don''t think we needplicating things. Especially before we go to the council tomorrow."


    "Why would it cause problems?"


    "I''m not officially part of this pack anymore," he sighed. "It could be interpreted as a threat or challenge to power."


    Her eyes grew wider. "Why are you no longer part of the pack?"


    Graeme''s hands, the thumbs of which had been rubbing the back of her hands, dropped and he looked away. "That''splicated," he stood up and walked towards the pool, looking out into the trees. August watched him without following.


    "Mostrge packs like ours that go back centuries have an Alpha that acts as leader. He is the strongest, and his authority is absolute. If that Alpha is mated, his mate strengthens his position. She is known as the pack''s Luna. There are various other ranks, beginning with the Beta, which is the second inmand." He paused, still facing away from her.


    "Other ranks vary by pack¡ªit depends on the size of the pack, where they are located in terms of external threats, the dynamics of its members, and so on." Graeme turned to look back at her with his hands in his pockets. Even in such a rxed position, she could see his forearm muscles tense. But his eyes were at ease as he met hers.


    "My parents were thest Alpha and Luna," he said. "They were killed. I was to take my father''s ce, but I didn''t." He turned away from her again to the trees. "Our pack''s members were devastated. Not only at the loss of my parents, who were widely loved, but at my refusal of my ce when I finally came of age. The elders gave me an ultimatum. Acknowledge the change of power or leave the pack altogether."


    "So you left," August whispered.


    "Many are still bitter about it. But in my absence, the council has continued on as they always did and things seemed to be going rtively well," he turned to look at her again. "Or I thought so until three weeks ago when Marius walked into that room." August swallowed hard, and it didn''t get past Graeme.


    "He''s always been ruthless. That''s his nature. That''s why he''s good at what he does for the council, and don''t get me wrong¡ªit''s often necessary¡­" He trailed off, lost in memories of some kind before focusing back on her. His voice was lower now, "But I never imagined¡­" He shook his head slowly, concentrating his eyes somewhere else¡ªin the past, in that room with Marius.


    "He hates me and that''s why he treated you that way," Graeme swallowed and looked down before returning his eyes to August. They were filled with guilt. "And his feelings must be shared by others if he felt he could get away with it," he walked slowly toward where she stood and grabbed her hips lightly, bowing his head toward hers. His breath was warm on her face. Warm like the rest of him. "How can you forgive me?"


    August didn''t know how to respond. There was so much more guilt in his voice than just for what transpired with Marius. She wondered if he was even speaking to her or rather to himself or to the universe sweeping through them both. He reached up to let a strand of her hair slip through his fingers.


    "But it''s your strength that saved me," she whispered.


    He pulled back, his eyebrows dipping in confusion. "What?"

 Chapter 17 - Bath

    "You mean you didn''t will your strength to save me or something? I saw you," August''s voice caught in her throat as she breathed against him, "You had this visible aura around you," she squinted and looked down, remembering.


    "It came to me. I felt your strength in my arms, in my hands¡­" she turned her palms upward with fingers outstretched, looking them over. "All over. It saved me," it made her shiver remembering the prickly feeling that unfurled in her muscles, which was followed by the rage.


    Realization seemed to arrive in Graeme''s eyes, but he said nothing.


    "Is that part of the mate thing?" August asked, searching him.


    Graeme shook his head, thinking. "I haven''t heard of it. Was that the only time?"


    August shook her head. "In the pool when I woke up. Shimmering¡­" she trailed off. "You were shimmering. All over. I felt it." Her face turned pink again, and she looked down. "It seems you saved me again." ''Three times,'' she thought to herself.


    He let out a long sigh and brought her into his arms, cupping the back of her head. "Thank the Goddess," he whispered into her damp hair.


    The forest began to darken around them with the fall of daylight. "I have to give my sister a call. Want me to run you a warm bath?"


    August could feel the strands of wet hair that had gotten cold in the forest air. "Sure, that sounds nice." She smiled.


    She followed Graeme into the bathroom to watch how he plugged the drain and worked the hot and cold water. The sound of the water pooling in the warm glow of the bathroom made her feel sleepy. Steam started rising, clouding the mirrors. Graeme pulled a fresh towel from a cupboard.


    "Do you want different clothes to change into? I have a bathrobe you can use if you want," he offered.


    She shook her head, "This should be fine."


    He paused at the privacy screen. "I know this doesn''t feel like home yet, but thest thing I want is for you to be ufortable. Whatever you need, please tell me and I''ll take care of it," he said. "Or, if you''d rather talk to Greta, she can help you, too."


    August nodded silently, slightly embarrassed by the attention.


    "Make yourselffortable, okay? I won''t bother you," he reassured her.


    August stood looking at the ce where he had been standing for awhile before undressing and lowering herself into the hot water. The tub was deeper than average, and the water rose to her chin before she reached out to turn it off.


    In a time now when everything seemed unreal and overwhelming¡ªnot to mention traumatic¡ªthe water was familiar and safe. She took a deep breath and rested against the side, letting her legs float up to the top and her tense muscles rx.


    Two rooms away, a thud outside the door alerted Graeme to an unexpected guest. He sighed and opened the door before Finn could knock.


    "Good evening, Finn," Graeme deadpanned.


    "Graeme! I heard your mate is awake! I wanted to stop by before my perimeter run with Lucas. How is she?" He spoke excitedly and tried looking beyond Graeme to catch a glimpse of the mystery girl who ripped Marius''s neck open.


    News spread quickly after that night, and Finn had be popr with pack members. They all wanted to hear him tell the story. Of course, he added his own details for ir, but thesting image of August standing in the room covered in Marius''s blood was the same.


    Graeme grabbed the side of the door frame, blocking Finn from the rest of the house. "She''s well."


    "Can I say hi?" Finn''s face was radiant like a young child about to meet his hero. He might as well be jumping up and down with anticipation.


    "No." Graeme said tly.


    Finn''s face fell. "But¡ª"


    "You''ll see her soon enough," he replied.


    Finn could see by Graeme''s posture that there was no arguing with him. He groaned. "Ugh. You''re no fun." He handed Graeme three long, bristly stems. "I brought these from the field." Graeme raised an eyebrow at the sunflowers before narrowing his eyes slightly.


    Finn instinctively took a step back, and Graeme smirked in response. ''This Finn. What a clown,'' he thought to himself. He sighed but took the flowers from Finn''s hand. "I''ll let her know you stopped by." A glimmer of joy shed over the boy''s features.


    "Thank you, sir. Good night," Finn bowed slightly and leapt away.


    Graeme sighed and closed the door with a soft click. He wondered again how the council found out so quickly that August was awake.


    When August came around the privacy screen dressed and cozy with her hair wrapped in a towel, she didn''t see Graeme in the bedroom. It was a relief that he wasn''t hovering close by, and it allowed her to linger amongst his things without eyes constantly on her.


    She approached a closet and opened it quietly to find a meticulously organized wardrobe. Everything was solid, neutral colors. One side of her mouth curved slightly at the simplicity of his style. It wasn''t surprising. He didn''t exactly give off a shy vibe, but he didn''t need to. He had strong features and a presence that was confident andmanded attention.


    She moved to the closet on the other side of the bed. One thing was for sure, his organization habit was intimidating. This closet held women''s clothes. August removed a lightweight floral button-up shirt and examined it on the hanger. It was her size. This must have been Greta''s doing. She sighed and put the shirt back.


    A short whileter, August wandered out of the bedroom looking for Graeme with her towel in hand. He was in the kitchen leaning against the counter with a ss and pad of paper. When she entered, he tore off a sheet of paper and folded it in half.


    "Hey," he greeted her. "How was it?"


    "Good," she answered, "thank you." Her hair fell in loose, damp waves around her shoulders, darkening the sweatshirt with water spots. She held up the towel. "Where would you like me to hang this?"


    He smiled at the mundane question. Mundane was a good change. "I usually hang mine over the railing around the deck. I like when it smells like the forest," he gestured outside with a smile reaching his eyes.


    She nodded in response, smiling, and turned to walk out to the porch. "Oh, um¡­ do you have a blow-dryer?" she asked shyly.


    "Yeah, I believe Greta brought one over. Maybe in the cupboard below the sink?"


    So the meticulous organizing was his sister''s doing. Hanging a towel over the railing seemed pretty carefree for someone whose closet had perfectly smooth, folded shirts and shoes lined up like they were on disy.


    "Oh, mammoth sunflowers!" she said, seeing the vase on the table.


    "Yeah¡­ you have an admirer," he replied mysteriously.


    She furrowed her brows with a smile. "What?"


    "I''m not sure that you would remember Finn. He was there when I brought you to the outpost that night. He also saw what you did to Marius," he said. "I imagine that story has made him very popr with his friends," he chuckled. "But he''s a good kid. He wanted to see how you were."


    August touched one of the yellow petals lightly. "I love sunflowers."


    "There''s a whole field not far from here where there''s a clearing in the trees. Would you like to see it tomorrow while we''re out?" He walked toward the table and stood next to her.


    "I would love that," she replied. "It''s amazing how they grow so quickly in just a few months. And with the big, friendly faces," she smiled. "They remind me of people."


    Graeme watched her intently. It was like each one of her expressions turned a new page in the story of her, unfolding now before his eyes. He had watched over her for so many days without getting to know her, without seeing her expressions or moods change, and now here she was, animated with life in front of him. She was really here, really his mate, really awake like he had begun to doubt she would be, and now he couldn''t help but be drawn in by her gravity.


    "Don''t you think they''re happy flowers?" she grinned up at him.


    "I never thought about it like that," he nced at the flowers that had gotten her attention before returning his eyes back to her, his gaze deepening.

 Chapter 18 - Kiss

    August felt her stomach trilling again under the intensity of Graeme''s eyes. There was a universe waiting for her there to be explored, and she found herself already drawn in and lost to it. He stepped closer to her, bringing his body heat to wrap around her protectively. It wasforting and intoxicating at the same time. He seemed to extend himself somehow and fill the space he was in. The whole room vibrated with his energy, and August felt it inside of her as if she was simply an extension of his and of the treehouse and of this unfamiliar ce in the forest. It was as if she was suspended here in this illusion by his willpower alone.


    Graeme raised a hand to touch her face, and August felt her eyes flutter closed as her breath caught in her throat. But he stopped short of her cheek, pulling his hand back to gauge what this reaction of hers meant. Was this going to be okay?


    He felt that with August he had found himself on the edge of a cliff, looking down at the enticing water below now for so long and sure of the fall, but she had been thrown into this without any choice. He was internally waiting for the enormity of all of this to hit her where she would panic.


    He swallowed hard wondering about it when she met his gaze again. There was a shimmering question in her eyes, but he didn''t see any fear there. His hand caressed her cheek finally, the contact drawing him closer to her.


    August''s mind went nk, and she closed her eyes again, just breathing him in. He smelled sweet¡ªwarm and spicy somehow. Comforting. ''Like apple cider,'' she thought vaguely. ''Like home in front of a firece.'' mes were gliding along the surface of her skin where his hand was on her face, and she turned into it instinctively. None of this made sense, but being here with him somehow felt right.


    Graeme lifted her onto the table, positioning himself between her legs as his mouth finally found hers, kissing her soft lips gently. His hands curled into fists as he held himself back, squinting against the desire that took no time in spreading through every inch of him. ''Mine,'' his mind was silently repeating. ''All mine. Finally.''


    Internally, Graeme was gauging the circumference of the room and the treehouse¡ªtrying to sense if anyone was nearby. Suddenly the whole area in which she moved lit up¡ªa perimeter that needed to be protected. And her at its center.


    August parted her lips to let him in deeper, exploring the warmth of his mouth. Of his tongue against hers. She felt the softness of his hair fall against her face, and she reached up to grab a handful of it, pulling him reassuringly into her, letting his intoxicating presence engulf her.


    To Graeme''s surprise, his hands started trembling as just the sensation of kissing her filled him. He wanted more. He wanted to feel all of her against him¡ªtopletely give himself over to her and take her as his own. It was the only thing that made sense at this moment¡ªfeeling the softness and warmth of her against him.


    How could he have never wanted this? To find his mate. To find August. The idea that it had been her all along was hard toprehend. If only he had known, he would have spent less time running. In less than a month, she had be his whole world. His every waking thought.


    August pulled away and looked up at him worriedly, grabbing his hands into hers. "Are you okay?" she asked, feeling him trembling. With him, the whole world seemed to quake. She felt it in her core.


    Graeme breathed augh and nodded. "Yeah," he whispered against her lips. "I don''t want to hurt you," he said, "you just woke up. You finally woke up. You''re here with me. I¡ªI can''t believe it." ''I have to make you safe now¡ªright now, in this moment,'' the frantic thoughts rushed him, and he pushed them back. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, reaching up to cup her head with his hands. Then he stepped back, lowering her off the table.


    And she instantly missed him¡ªlike something essential had been taken. Was she really making him tremble? The thought of it had her awestruck. She had never had that effect on anyone she had kissed in the past. Perhaps there really was something to this mate thing. His concern for her well-being was sweet, but wasn''t she safe with him? Hadn''t he saved her so many times now?


    "I''m not made of¡­ of ss," she said, her eyebrows pinching together.


    He looked at her silently, amusement spreading over his face. "That''s not what I meant." Was she upset that he had stopped kissing her?


    "Then what do you mean?"


    "You''ve been out for so long. You went through some traumatic stuff. I¡­"


    "And apparently all I needed was you," she interrupted. She cursed herself inwardly for how that sounded, but did he not even trust her to, to¡­ kiss him? A thought suddenly urred to her. "Are you a virgin?" she blurted out.


    "What?" he sputtered augh and raised his eyebrows in surprise. If he had been drinking something at that moment, he would have spit it out. "Why would you think that? Why does that¡­ matter?"


    She shrugged, embarrassed of the question that slipped out and the answer it demanded that could only make her question her own significance. Of course he wasn''t a virgin. Why would he be? She picked the towel up off the table before leaving the room to hang it outside, and as Graeme watched, the whole gravity of the universe seemed to leave with her.


    "Are you?" he called after her.


    "Of course not," she replied sarcastically, unsure as to why angerced her words.


    He turned around and sat on the table, watching the doorway where she disappeared. "Fuck," he mumbled under his breath, pushing back the sudden jealousy that unfurled in his chest. Here he had been worried that he was going to scare or hurt her.


    The whirring of a blow dryer started a few rooms away. Graeme smoothed back his hair and returned to the counter where he had left the folded paper.. He nced at it again before shoving it roughly in a drawer and walking out to the pool.

 Chapter 19 - How Many

    When August emerged from the bathroom again, she caught a glimpse of something moving in her peripheral vision. She turned and saw Graeme poolside leaning with both arms against a wood t wall while water fell over him from a shower head above. He reached up to push back his wet hair and run a hand over his face.


    August''s eyes followed the water as it streamed down his back. Her mouth fell open. Of course he has a perfect body. "Jesus," she whispered to herself. Him being a mythical creature didn''t seem too far-fetched anymore.


    She never imagined being with someone so¡­ beautiful. She chuckled to herself. Big, muscr guys weren''t her type. They always seemed so arrogant. And shallow. And obsessed with themselves. And not intopletely average girls like her, which was fine, because if they were it would make her more acutely aware of her own imperfections. Was that what was going to happen now? She watched the side view of Graeme''s naked body curiously, more aware now of her own body under the bulky clothes. The realization of the power and strength he had suddenly made her uneasy.


    Beads of water were glistening on Graeme''s beard, which he now ran his hand over before pulling his head back and turning the water off. He grabbed a towel from a stool nearby, and August quickly jumped into the bed and burrowed under the covers, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her head for good measure.


    "Ready for bed already?" she heard him call from the bedroom door a short timeter. She imagined him standing there with the towel around his waist.


    "Yep. So tired," she mumbled under the nkets.


    She heard him walk to his closet and open it, but she didn''t dare look. A few momentster, he gently pulled back the covers enough to reveal her face. Water had thickened his eyshes into dark clumps framing his warm eyes. "Is there anything I can get you?" he asked softly. She silently shook her head.


    He sat back in a chair next to the bed in a simple white v-neck t-shirt and nnel pajama pants and pulled out a book and reading sses. "I''m not a virgin," he sighed without looking up at her. She didn''t respond. There was no way he was a virgin, she knew that. It was an absurd question. He had probably slept with dozens of women by now.


    "Just one," he nced up at her from his book as if hearing her thoughts. "Years ago," he sighed again. "I left her when I left the pack."


    August tightened the nket around her and frowned behind it. Why was this information hard to hear? Why did one sound worse than dozens? Did he love the girl? It didn''t matter. It didn''t matter who or where or when. She didn''t know him then. She didn''t even know him now!


    "Although there have been a few wolves¡­" his voice trailed off.


    She threw back the nket and sat up with big, round eyes. "What?!" There was shock and outrage in her voice.


    Heughed heartily.


    "Ugh. That''s disgusting. And not funny at all," she grimaced at him.


    "It was a joke. It got you out of your cocoon, didn''t it?" his eyes twinkled at her.


    She groaned and flopped back down, covering her head with the nket. Hisughter was still falling around her.


    After a few moments he pulled the covers away from her face again. "So how about you, darling?" he whispered, leaning close to her. "How many guys do I have to rip to pieces to make sure they''re no longer in love with you?"


    She red at him, but his eyes were warm, searching her. "No one is in love with me," she sighed. ''Although there are a few you could rip to pieces,'' she thought. That would actually be interesting to see.


    He was silent, his eyes on her. That wasn''t an answer, but he sensed not to push for one. ''Fuck it, I need to know,'' he thought. Her non-answer had jealousy unexpectedly gnawing at him. If he didn''t ask, he wouldn''t be able to stop thinking about it.


    "How many?" he repeated lower than he meant to.


    "Are we really having this conversation?" sheughed nervously.


    "You brought it up," he shrugged. "I hadn''t even thought about it."


    "Okay, well then¡­ I''m sorry that I did."


    Graeme red at her, and she shrunk into the covers. Obviously this wasn''t something that was worth pursuing, especially if it made her shrink away from him like that. He groaned and swallowed down the curiosity. It didn''t matter.


    "I''m sorry I upset you," he said. "You say I''ve saved you, but¡­ I don''t feel that way. I feel like I''ve failed you more than anything." He looked down at his book, closing it now and pping it against his hand a few times. "Marius should have never had a chance."


    "Let''s not talk about it anymore," she snapped. "I want to forget about it." As if forgetting it were possible. "It wasn''t your fault," she quietly added.. Her eyes wandered over the beautiful walls arching above her. "Are you sleeping in that chair?"

 Chapter 20 - 23 Days

    "Are you sleeping in that chair?" August asked.


    "I have been."


    She raised her head slightly and looked over at him. "That can''t be easy."


    "It''s not bad."


    An ufortable silence fell around them as they were both acutely aware of the other''s presence but now unsure of themselves. ''What now?'' August thought. Uncertainty and fear started creeping into her heart while Graeme kept his distance, not wanting to upset her further. But she wasn''t angry. She just didn''t understand any of this¡ªwhat was happening to her, where she was, and she had nothing familiar tofort herself with. She might as well be set adrift in the middle of the ocean somewhere.


    The only thing she did have was this werewolf¡ªno, lycan¡ªsavior of hers that she felt powerfully drawn to for some reason. The intensity of it scared her. He said she was his soulmate, but it didn''t make sense. He would realize it at some point, and then she would be at the mercy of this nightmare. Thinking this made her ache for the home she couldn''t return to.


    "Do you think¡­" she started. "Do you think you could sleep over here?" Her voice was small. "You''re making me nervous over there." She kept her eyes on the ceiling, panic threatening to overtake her with all the looming unknowns. "I won''t attack you, I promise," she mumbled, tears stinging her eyes out of nowhere.


    Catching thatst remark, Graeme walked around to the other side of the bed andid stomach down on the nket, propping himself up with his elbows. "You think I''m afraid of you?" He smiled in amusement, leaning close to her. He smelled fresh and woodsy.


    "No," she whispered. "I think you''re wrong about me. I don''t belong here." With you. She gulped the unspoken thought back. "What''s going to happen to me?"


    The light in Graeme''s eyes simmered to a thoughtful one as he reached up to sweep a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I''m not wrong about you," he said. "I don''t know what''s going to happen, but we''ll figure it out together."


    "Why?" she asked. It was a simple question, wasn''t it? But it asked for so many answers that were beyond its reach. Graeme didn''tment on it but continued to gaze down at her where fear had started to prick her eyes again.


    "How can you believe¡­" she trailed off. "Even if I were to turn into a wer-¡­ into a lycan¡­ I''m not meant to. I''m really just me, and you''re like a wolf prince or something," she gestured to where his god-like formy next to her before returning her eyes to the ceiling. "This doesn''t make any sense," she said finally.


    "Look at me," Graeme touched her cheek, but she kept her eyes trained above her. "August, please." When she met his eyes, their warmth pierced her, causing her cheeks to pink again.


    "I knew you were my mate the moment I sensed you. That might sound weird to you since you''re not familiar it, but I followed you for that reason. I didn''t even have to see you, but when I did, I¡­" he paused. He wasn''t used to being open like this. "I was afraid. Truly afraid for the first time. Afraid to lose you. Afraid to hurt you. And that fear hasn''t left me. The only thing I want now is for you to be safe."


    August allowed his words to stir the warmth in her chest, threading her eyebrows together at the depth of care that flooded over her with his gaze. He sounded so sincere, and she couldn''t help but let it calm her.


    "I haven''t left this tree house for 23 days, August. I haven''t shaved," Graeme chuckled, rubbing his hand over his beard and bringing it to a point below his chin. "I''ve slept in the chair by your side every night fearing that you wouldn''t wake up, that it was my fault," little pools of emotion sprung in his eyes as he looked at her deeply. "Will you let me care for you? Treasure you?" he breathed, looking down at her lips through his darkshes. "Please?"


    She noticed now how those 23 days he spoke of seemed to hang warily in the lines around his eyes. He looked tired. He wanted to treasure her, he said. But why? All it took was him sensing her? She bit her bottom lip thinking about his words. He had done so much for her already.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered, "I didn''t realize¡­"


    "Shhh¡­" he ran his thumb over her lips and kissed her softly, "¡­ don''t be sorry." He leaned down to kiss her again with his hand on her face, lingering there on her lips before kissing her deeper, with a fuller intensity of his feelings so that she could feel the truth of what he was saying. So she wouldn''t have any doubt.. He had unknowingly been waiting for her and needing her for so long.

 Chapter 21 - Aligned

    August felt his lips ignite hers tenderly at first, filling her with that fuzzy fluttering feeling that was gradually making itself at home in her mind. Instead of pulling back this time, Graeme seemed to let himself be untethered as he pressed himself deeper, exploring the silky heat of her mouth where something bright and sweet bloomed between them, stealing her breath.


    As before, her whole being seemed to recognize him. As if every cell shifted to attention with his body near hers, and their movements became easy and fluid¡ªnaturally finding one another.


    She had kissed other guys, sure, but could that even be considered kissing? When the mind works overtime to gauge how to move and what to do? Unlike now, with Graeme''s mouth on hers that spread a warmth through every part of her in such a way that her body seemed to move of its own ord¡ªseeking him, moving deeper, wanting more¡ªto be more entangled with him whom it seemed to recognize as its own.


    The intensity that encircled them now brought tears to her eyes as she kissed him back, chasing his tongue and delving deeper, wanting to be engulfed and to reach that deepest part of him.


    With her eyes closed it was if she could sense him better, feeling him spin together with her as one being, and all the encroaching insecurities fell away. Nothing else mattered but honoring this union¡ªthis safety that called to her and wrapped itself around her protectively.


    Graeme pulled away from her lips, widening the hood around her head and burrowing in to gain ess further down, kissing under her chin and down her neck before nipping her where his mark was meant to be. ''Safe. Mine.'' The words growled instinctively in his mind, but he fought them back, opening his lips to linger at that spot in a slow, sensual kiss rather than the bite he felt wing to get out.


    August arched at the sensation, offering more of her neck to him, the heat spiraling down within her and making her suddenly dizzy with want. Soft gasps escaped her mouth, and she gripped his arms as if bracing for something. The solid, warm arms that held the strength she had felt unfurl in her own limbs and yet had been so gentle with her. The arms that had carried her through the wild.


    "Why do you make me feel safe?" she whispered and tears welled in her eyes, because it was true. ''Why do you feel like home to me when I barely know you?'' It was terrifying. He propped himself above her and studied her, smoothing the hair that had fallen around her before tracing her jawline and the graceful curve of her neck.


    There was fear and need in his eyes and something else. Love? Wonder? She wasn''t sure, but she knew it was reflected in her own. At that moment they were like symmetrical puzzle pieces that had been cut out of the fabric of the universe, and now¡ªfacing each other¡ªthey aligned. And that feeling of everything clicking into ce overwhelmed all else.


    Graeme seemed to make a decision internally, pulling August toward him and slipping her out of her sweatshirt before swiftly pulling his shirt off with one hand. August sucked in a breath as his perfectly toned broad chest was offered to her. She ran her hand over it reverently, doubting this reality all over again.


    Graeme watched her caress him, shivers running down his abdomen at the soft trails she was leaving on his skin, and her gaze climbed back to his eyes in surprise.


    "I make you tremble," she whispered.


    "You do," his voice was gravelly as he stifled a groan in his throat.


    A soft smile perked on her lips, and she ran her fingers lower, forcing his groan free. She dipped her fingers just inside the waistband of his pants, and he closed his eyes tight, keeping his desire in check even as she was teasing it further to the surface. With eyes still closed, he cupped her face and kissed her hungrily until their breaths were consumed by it, leaving them panting but pressing further.


    "Goddess, August," he groaned again as he pulled back, finding the hem of her shirt and pulling it slowly over her head, watching her face with eyes soft and burning.


    He returned to im her mouth, slowly trailing the skin from her waist up along the side of her breasts with his fingers where he broke the kiss, panting, and gulped, watching her skin pebble under his touch. His thumb teased the pink peak of her nipple that had turned hard, taunting the hardness in him that reached for her.


    As the softness of August arched into his touch, Graeme bowed his head to trail kisses below her ear, his hand sliding up along the other side of her neck before gripping her hair and pulling her head further back.


    Her neck was open to him, and he couldn''t help but let his teeth graze the soft skin there where the heat of her pulse concentrated her scent. "I''m yours, August," he whispered against her neck, and she gasped softly beneath him.


    With his other hand at her lower back, he pulled her hips against his, wrapping her legs around his waist until she was fully against him and all she could smell and feel and see was him.


    She ran her fingers over his face, memorizing the sharp angles and curves. The angle of his dark eyebrows and the sweep of his eyshes. The coarse hair that recorded the time since they had met. His lips were full and soft, and she whimpered slightly at the intensity of the fire between them that threatened to burn everything.


    "Are you okay?" Graeme breathed, caressing her hair and searching her face and her eyes that were zed over with desire. She nodded. His chest warmed at the realization of how powerfully she felt like home. And now that he had found it, he never wanted to leave.. ''Mine.''

 Chapter 22 - Best Sleep

    Graeme lowered August against the bed. Her hair was fanned out in a halo around her when he pulled back on his knees to take in the image of her, his mate with golden stardust in her eyes.


    She had been lying right here unconscious for so long, but now her eyes were bright looking up at him. Her skin had flushed a beautiful rose color under his gaze, and he almost whined. She was so beautiful, it brought tears to his eyes. He didn''t deserve this¡ªto be able to experience the delicious pull of his mate right before him.


    She looked like his own personal goddess¡ªlike someone who had been plucked from the stars, and she may as well have been for how quickly she had moved his heart and changed his trajectory. Once again he found himself wondering if this was really okay, if he wasn''t going to inadvertently hurt her¡ªhis precious human mate¡ªif it wasn''t too soon.


    And then he scented her fear. It wasn''t strong, but it was there, and it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. He was right¡ªof course it was too soon. The heat drained from his eyes and his face, and all of his senses instinctively attuned to her protection as if a threat was hovering nearby waiting to pounce.


    He lowered himself next to her side, propping himself up with one arm as he caressed her hair and kissed her temple. With that, her breathing slowed and the fear gradually dissipated.


    With her back on the bed and Graeme''s intimidatingly muscr body kneeling between her legs, a sudden fear had shed behind her eyes, and August felt guilty for it. His position felt predatory at that moment, but it wasn''t. It wasn''t his fault. She gulped the fear back now that he was next to her, touching her like she was precious.


    "Will you let me treasure you, too?" she whispered, turning to face him now with her arms tucked into her chest. He smiled in response to it, dropping his forehead to touch hers for his dark hair to fall around her.


    "Can I just hold you for awhile?" He asked. She nodded and felt him pull her into his arms. This was the safest ce, August thought to herself. Pressed against his warm chest, tucked under his chin. She breathed a deep sigh of relief at the thought as he smoothed her hair down and started ying with locks of it against her bare shoulder.


    When she was a small child, her mother had always yed with her hair to soothe her to sleep. No one had done it to her since, and now her eyes gradually grew heavy tucked into his warmth with the memory of her mother ying in her mind.


    Graeme stared at the sloping wood ceiling thinking of what to expect at the council the next morning. His anxiety was less with August tucked safely into him, he realized. But her vulnerability still worried him. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he might be leading her into anotherpromising situation, but what choice did they have?


    His attention shifted to her breathing, which had be soft and steady against his chest. He gripped her tighter before allowing himself to rx into sleep for the first time in weeks now that she was in his arms.


    When August awoke the next morning, the forest looked bright out the window. Muffled voices drifted to her, and she looked down at the bed to realize Graeme had covered her with a sheet. After trailing the sheet awkwardly around behind her to the closet, she pulled on a clean shirt and sweater and nced in the mirror to tame her hair before padding out to the deck in bare feet.


    The morning air of the season was cool, hinting to the colder months that would soon arrive. Graeme and Greta didn''t seem to notice, however, as they were both sitting casually in short sleeves. Graeme''s hair was still ruffled with sleep while Greta''s was as peach and bouncy as ever.


    "Good morning," Greta smiled. "Would you like something to drink?"


    "I''m okay for now, thank you," August crossed her arms against the chill and stood unsure of herself. Although waking in strange ces was bing a habittely, she felt out of ce staring at the siblings in front of her, especially with Graeme''s eyes on her. They had shared some intense moments together while only knowing each other a short time, and she couldn''t help but avoid his eyes now for fear of what might be revealed there. Had the morning sun burned through the magic that felt palpable under moonlight? Had she imagined it all?


    "I''ll get you a cup of tea in case you change your mind," Greta said as if reading August''s unsure bodynguage. She squeezed August''s elbow lightly as she walked past her into the house.


    "Come here, sweet girl," Graeme called, holding an open hand out to her.


    She slowly walked forward and took his hand for him to unexpectedly pull her into hisp.


    "Sleep okay?" He asked while tucking her into his chest. She nodded. "You''re so quiet," he said after a few moments, pulling back slightly to examine her.


    "Just¡­ waking up to still have this be real¡­" sheughed lightly, gazing out at the mist glistening in the trees. He grunted with understanding before ducking his face into her hair.


    "Did you sleep okay?" She asked.


    "I did. Best in weeks," he smiled against her.


    Greta returned with a steaming cup of tea and set it down next to the two of them, and August thanked her.


    "So¡­" August started, "Council day."


    "Yes," Greta replied and furrowed her brows.


    "What should I expect?" August asked.


    "Well, let me just say first¡­ Graeme, you have to shave," Greta said sternly.


    August raised her eyebrows in surprise before letting out a half-suppressedugh.


    "What? Says who?" Graeme chuckled and ran his hand down his beard, bringing it to a point below his chin.. "August likes it. Don''t you August?"

 Chapter 23 - Gretas Thing

    "Says me, that''s who. You think August likes you looking like a hobo?" Greta''s tone sounded so maternal and nagging that August couldn''t help but giggle. Graeme looked at August with eyebrows raised in expectation.


    "I-I do like it," her cheeks flushed. Graeme wordlessly gestured toward his mate and gave Greta a "told you so," look.


    "August is your mate, Graeme. She would like you in a potato sack with wiry hairsing out of your nose. The council members, particrly the elders, are not so partial to your charm."


    "You just implied that August didn''t like it," he argued. "Anyway, haven''t you noticed? Facial hair is very masculine. It exudes a kind of natural authority."


    "You have natural authority without it," Greta argued. "Fine, fine, just make it less," she surrendered, putting her hands up.


    August watched the bickering with amusement.


    "She likes to act like she''s my mother," Graeme grumbled in her ear.


    "Look¡ª" Greta started, apparently preparing to start a lecture in defense of her maternal instincts.


    "I''m kidding, I''m kidding," Graeme interrupted. "Thank you for your advice on the subject of my hygiene."


    Greta rolled her eyes. "Well, you need it. Although you do look rested for once." She couldn''t help but smile at her brother with August in hisp. This was not an image she never imagined¡ªseeing her brother with his mate. He was beaming behind all the unkempt man hair, and there was a difference in the energy around him. A rxed sense of pride and purpose.


    "Okay, August, this is going to be tricky. You shouldn''t be nervous, but there are some things to keep in mind when you''re there," Greta bent over and squeezed her knee.


    "Okay," August nodded.


    "We''ll both be there with you, so you don''t have to worry about that. The council wants to hear from me, because I''ve been overseeing your recovery," Greta said. "I know Graeme told you a little bit about why they may have a prejudice against him," she nced at her brother. "But probably one of their biggest concerns is the university''s interest in you. Secrecy is important to them, and while no one from Eliade will be able to find you here, it doesn''t mean they aren''t trying their best. And it still presents an issue should you leave."


    "Now that she''s here, I think they''ll be more worried about her anomalies," Graeme said. He turned to August in his arms, "I told Greta about the auras you saw around me."


    Greta nodded in confirmation. "Yes, this is important, August. Do not tell them about that today," she said.


    August''s eyes went wide. "Why? Is something wrong with me?"


    "No, no. There''s nothing wrong with you," Graeme spoke softly into her hair while Greta shook her head, peach wisps of her hair bouncing against her shoulders lightly.


    "There''s nothing wrong, but until we know more about it, we don''t want them to start jumping to their own conclusions and making decisions off of those alone," Greta said, holding her mug between her hands.


    ''And what conclusions would those be?'' August thought to herself, but she wasn''t sure she wanted to know that answer yet. She nodded, "Okay."


    "If they ask about the university or anything about your life prior to this, no worries, just be honest," Greta said, "but it''s probably best to be more conservative with answers regarding changes you''ve experienced since."


    "More conservative?" August repeated.


    "Don''t tell them about seeing Marius''s thoughts," Graeme said. "That is a powerful gift, and they are likely to see it as a threat."


    "But it hasn''t happened since," August said, thinking of how Greta and Graeme had touched her with no effect.


    "Well, we don''t know for sure if it isn''t happening anymore. I have a theory¡­" Greta trailed off for Graeme to interrupt her with a loud chuckle.


    "Here we go," he said.


    "It''s something she should be aware of so she isn''t caught off guard if someone touches her and it returns," Greta said, staring at her brother. She trained her eyes back on August, "I think it''s possible that it might continue to ur with new people until you consciously or unconsciously deem them unthreatening," she said.


    August tilted her head, interested in the possibility. She squinted her eyes, thinking back to when the visions happened and with whom. First, it urred with Graeme. It was brief, and it hadn''t happened since. With Marius, it happened each time he touched her.


    "Hmmm." August hummed appreciatively at the theory, nodding her head. "That is interesting. I wonder why it hasn''t ever happened with you," she looked at Greta curiously.


    "That''s actually why I''m thinking it might be the case," Greta replied and nced at her brother. "I have this thing where I can transmit feelings through touch," she gestured with her hands in the air. "It''s part of the reason why I''m a pack healer. It really helps to be able to put people at ease." She smiled at August who ruffled her brows at the information, thinking back now to all the contact she had with Greta. She wasn''t sure how she felt about it¡ªhaving her feelings manipted unknowingly.


    "Do you have something like that too?" She quickly turned to look in Graeme''s eyes.


    "No, no, not me," heughed lightly. "But Greta and I have this other thing¡­" he trailed off.


    August shifted now to face him more fully, waiting with eyes wide before ncing back at Greta. "What is it?"


    "We canmunicate with touch, just Graeme and I to each other," Greta finished for him, her face serious. "No one else knows about these things now but you, my mate Sam, and a few, select others."


    "Wow, okay," August replied, trying to absorb it all. She nodded slowly and Graeme squeezed her a little tighter.


    "So, because I was consciouslyforting you and trying to make you feel more at ease, I think that may be why you didn''t get anything from me," she exined. "Kind of like blocking it."


    "I never perceived you as a threat," August continued her slow nod. "Wow. That is bananas."


    "I might be wrong!" Greta added quickly, "But I just want you to be aware of the possibility that something like that might happen again. So you can try to avoid unwanted contact."


    The thought that August might encounter someone like Marius again made her shudder. "Okay, got it," she swallowed hard.. "I guess that one will be easy to test."

 Chapter 24 - Pack House

    "We don''t know if the fevers you''ve been having are over, so we''re going to have to be careful with that, too," Greta said, shifting her eyes to Graeme as well. He nodded.


    "What about my eyes?" August asked. "Are they going to freak out about those?"


    Greta shifted in her chair. "Probably," she looked into her mug. "I brought some colored contacts for you to wear, but I''m not convinced it''s a good idea to hide it."


    Graeme sighed next to August. She could feel the small puff of air against her hair.


    "Why is that?" August asked.


    "I''m ufortable with how deliberate that action is to mislead them," Greta said.


    "So what is this about today exactly? I mean, are they going to throw me in a dungeon cell or something if I seem threatening?" August asked. "Am I in trouble for¡­ for Marius?"


    "No," Graeme replied, his voice deep. "Nothing is going to happen to you. They''re curious. They want to make sure the pack is safe."


    "I''m not going to hurt anyone. Isn''t it better to just be honest?" August looked from Greta back to Graeme next to her. They were silent.


    "Sometimes things getplicated," Graeme replied vaguely. "Unfortunately most of them see things in ck and white. There are old prejudices¡­" he trailed off again, which August noticed was a habit of his.


    "So I''m not a danger or in danger, but I have to lie about what''s happening to me?" August got up from Graeme''sp and stood between him and his sister with arms folded. "I feel like you two aren''t telling me everything."


    "There''s just so many things we don''t know yet¡ªabout what their thoughts are and what all is happening with you," Greta started.


    "We''d rather be safe than sorry," Graeme added, reaching for August''s hand and grabbing her fingers lightly.


    A knot was slowly forming in August''s stomach. They said she didn''t need to be nervous, but there were all these caveats. What was the truth?


    The night before, Graeme had spoken to his sister about this on the phone. "If they see her eyes, they will not be satisfied with the idea that she hasn''t experienced anything unusual. They''ll keep pressing for more information."


    "But if you two stay on packnd, they will find out eventually. Is it better if they find that you''ve been hiding it?"


    "I''d rather have more time to gauge what''s going on with her. She''s only been awake a few hours."


    Greta had reluctantly brought the colored contacts along hoping to talk her brother out of it, but he was stillmitted to the idea of using them.


    "It''s possible they won''t even ask you direct questions, August. They may only be directed to me and Greta," Graeme said trying to reassure her. He pulled her towards him and held her lightly on the hips, looking up into her eyes, "Don''t worry. I''ll be right next to you."


    She blinked back at him with the knot of fear slowly curling tighter in her stomach. But she nodded silently. This was all foreign to her, so she had to trust them.


    An hourter when the morning mist had left the forest and Greta had shown August around her closet, helping her choose an outfit for the council meeting and securing the blue contacts in her eyes while Graeme tamed his man beard, the three descended the grand wooden staircase of the treehouse that curved around arge tree trunk. August rested her hand against the rough bark appreciatively.


    "Are you sure you don''t want something to eat real quick?" Graeme paused his descent and looked back at her. The cleaner-cut version of his beard made the lines of his face and jaw more prominent. August felt her stomach flutter lightly with his warm gaze on her.


    "No, I don''t think I could eat anyway," she assured him. "Let''s just get this over with."


    Greta was already below them gliding down the final steps and hopping into the driver''s seat of a ck Jeep diator, which had the bed of a truck behind the typical boxy Jeep body.


    Once they left the treehouse and began driving on a dirt road through the trees, August began to see small cottages nestled in the green of the foresting into view. She was reminded of fairy or hobbit houses with moss and ivy climbing the walls and roofs. Each home had a simr arched wooden door. Some had gardens gracing their front paths with short fences made of either wood or chicken wire. And some fences appeared to be chain link with random sticks woven through. A peculiar pattern of blue bottles on sticks or rods became apparent.


    "How many people live here?" August asked, realizing she had no idea the scope of what might be considered a ''pack.''


    "It fluctuates," Graeme replied vaguely.


    "What are the blue bottles for?" she asked.


    "It''s just superstition around these parts. Something about night fairies," came the short answer from Graeme. He didn''t borate further.


    Night fairies. August''s eyes widened with the hint of something mysterious and magical there.


    Unlike the part of the forest she had entered into with her friends, there was more sunlight filtering in through the tree canopy here. Everything seemed lighter and warmer. The eerie blue tint was gone, and in its ce she heard the happy sounds of birds and humming of insects. The Jeep drove through a cascade of falling red and gold leaves, and despite the impending council meeting, August couldn''t help but smile to herself.


    Greta turned down a wider dirt road withrge trees lining it on either side. As they proceeded further down, a shimmering pond came into view with an enormous craftsman style stone and wood house beyond.


    "Wee to the pack house," she heard Graeme say.


    They drove around the pond and pulled into the grass on the side of the house where other cars were parked. The house was huge. It might even be called a mansion if not for the cozy appearance of the exterior. Ivy climbed up the side of its stone facade. She followed Greta and Graeme around the front and up onto a wide deck that extended from one side of the house to the other.


    August gulped when they approached the double front doors, which were an arched dark wood with ss iys. If the house were smaller, it would seem cozy. But the sheer size of the front doors was intimidating.


    Graeme was wearing a grey v-neck sweater and jeans. He appeared casual and at home, but something about the way his shoulders straightened and broadened as he approached the doors made August recall the knot of fear in her stomach. He turned and reached for her hand.. "Let''s do this," he said and winked at her.

 Chapter 25 - Chambers

    Greta had chosen an embroidered floral shirt and green khaki parka for August to wear, and as she took Graeme''s hand with one of hers, she buried the other hand in her pocket and blinked a few times to feel the rims of the contacts in both her eyes.


    As she stepped over the threshold with Graeme, her eyes took in the open space that greeted her. People were scattered on sofas and chairs and a few sat at a long rustic dining table that she could see beyond a stone firece serving as a room divider.


    The low buzz of friendly chatter that had greeted them upon entering fell to a hushed murmur as heads began turning to see the three figures who entered. Greta could sense the protective, dominating aura of Graeme quickly engulf the room, as could everyone else, and she slipped from behind August with a beaming smile to dissipate whatever tension it might bring. This is how they had alwaysplemented each other so well as twins. Graeme was gruff and dominant, his mere presence overbearing at times, and Greta was the pin pricks of light shining through.


    "Hey, everyone," Greta said as she walked forward and embraced one person after another, each who looked genuinely happy to see her. August wondered if it was because of thefort she was able to give everyone with a simple touch. Who wouldn''t love her? But was Greta always as happy as she seemed? She imagined the real Greta encapsted within the calm and joyous bubble with her own unseen feelings.


    Someone had approached Graeme as well and was chatting with him. August felt the man''s eyes sweep over her with curiosity, and Graeme pulled her closer to his side before leading her forward and up a staircase where they passed more curious faces. She heard Greta''s chipper voice skipping up behind them as she danced lightly between greetings.


    When Greta caught up to them, she approached Graeme''s other side and touched his arm lightly. It wasn''t a gesture that would seem out of the ordinary to anyone looking on, but August now wondered what she had said wordlessly to her brother.


    The corridor they were walking down seemed to extend forever before they turned to descend another staircase. Greta hung back a step and came up on August''s other side as they hit the stonending to another set of double doors. Graeme paused and turned to look at August and then his sister with a reassuring smile before opening the doors.


    They walked into a tall, circr room with rows and rows of seats rising beyond the mezzanine above them. The mezzanine encircled the entirety of the room. A dome skylight far above was the only source of light, and sunlight cascaded in to illuminate the dark floor, which is where Graeme led them. August gazed up and had the sudden feeling of being stuck at the bottom of a well.


    A door opened further up above the mezzanine, and, one-by-one, solemn looking men began silently filing in, winding their way around the room to find their designated spots. The well was filling.


    Graeme was standing on one side of August while Greta stood on the other, and the three of them silently watched the council members filter in, slowly surrounding them. Greta was close enough to August that she could brush against her without grabbing hold, and she did this now¡ªresting her hand lightly behind August''s hand. August took a deep breath and looked straight forward, suddenly feeling calm confidence spread through her.


    Because some of the men who came in took seats behind them, August lost count of how many there were. Once they all appeared to have settled and their eyes rose to take in the three standing people at the center of the room below them, August guessed there were about two dozen council members in the room. Not all of the seats were filled, and she wondered what other events caused the whole room to fill. Maulings? She silently cursed Graeme and Greta for not preparing her for just how intimidating this space was.


    The direction and re of the sunlight made it such that the council members'' faces were partially obscured in shadow. cards seemed to indicate that the three central men whom Greta, August, and Graeme now faced were primary amongst the others. ording to the cards, Head Council Elder Andreas was seated in the center while Council Elder Auden sat to the left and Council Elder Pearce to the right.


    "Greta Hallowell. August Cady. Graeme Hallowell. Thank you for joining us today. We are here to discuss the circumstances that led to Miss Cady''s presence on packnd, what has transpired since, and ns moving forward," said the severe-looking man in the center, Head Council Andreas. "We encourage you to speak freely," he added, looking over his sses at the three.


    "Thank you, Andreas," Graeme answered.


    "Graeme, why don''t you start with how you came across the young woman and the exigency that led you to cross our border with her," Andreas said. All eyes focused on Graeme, but August could feel eyes on her as well.


    "I was passing through the Grimm on my way to visit the pack. I caught an unusual scent in that area and investigated, and that''s when I saw Miss Cady fleeing a man. It seemed likely, based on their clothes and appearance, that they were from Eliade¡ªthat she was likely a subject. Miss Cady lost him but was severely wounded and unconscious when I decided to bring her to the outpost, which was a few miles away."


    "That''s leaving out many details, Graeme," Council Elder Auden chuckled.


    "If you wish, I can borate further. Her hands were tied. She had a camera around her neck. The man was wearing a sweatshirt that said ''Eliade University'' on it. He was chasing her but I scented his fear of the area. She slipped and fell down a steep embankment, hitting a tree in the process and losing consciousness¡­"


    "Okay, okay," Auden waved dismissively. "We get the picture. If more details are needed for our records, we will go over them at another time."


    "You say you deduced she was from the university''s experiment, the same experiment we all know to be involved in pandemic-rted gic engineering?" Andreas asked, seemingly also uninterested in the details Graeme had begun rattling off.


    "Yes."


    "Did you also deduce that she was your mate?" Andreas asked bluntly.


    "I did."


    "I see," Andreas said, appearing to take note of it on paper in front of him.


    "The following day when Marius arrived on the council''s behalf to assess the situation and bring the girl in for assessment, did you tell him she was your mate?"


    "No, I didn''t. He knew only what Lucas must havemunicated to him," Graeme replied.


    "Why did you not tell him?"


    "It was something I was still processing myself," Graeme replied.


    "I suppose that''s understandable given your prior attitude toward things involving destiny," Andreas''s eyes narrowed. "Though it seems you have had a change of heart regarding your reaction to it." He gestured toward August. "Are you unconcerned with your mate''s sudden strength that allowed her to incapacitate one of our men?"


    "I am concerned that it may be a threat to her health. She was in aa for three weeks following that incident. But I''m thankful. It saved her life."


    "It saved her life from Marius?" Council Elder Pearce asked now, eyebrows arched.


    "Yes."


    "Miss Cady," Pearce shifted his eyes to the human girl, "Please tell us what you remember from that night when you found yourself in the forest."

 Chapter 26 - Witches

    "Okay," August answered Elder Andreas, taking a deep breath and blinking several times as she scanned her memory for what would be her first time narrating the events of that night aloud.


    "Three ssmates and I and our resident advisor decided to explore a small area of suicide forest. Our RA was leading us. I brought my camera and was taking pictures along the way," August swallowed, remembering. In her mind, the scene had the same eerie silence that she remembered.


    "We had probably been walking for two hours or so when Jonathan, our RA, he ran out of rope to¡­ to trace our path. We stopped to take a break and have a snack. After that, I just remember waking up in pain. Jonathan was looking at me. He was surprised," she closed her eyes and paused, feeling her mouth go dry.


    "Uhm. There was a sharp pain in my wrist. I saw my friend Elsie. She was¡ªshe was¡­" she gulped and looked down, furrowing her brows together as she recalled Elsie''s lifeless eyes with their blown pupils. "She was dead."


    The warmth of Graeme''s hand found hers, and she blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. "After that, I think Jonathan injected me with something in my neck. It was painful for a moment, and then I must have passed out. I woke up again some timeter and was able to get away."


    The council members were quiet for a few moments. Andreas then asked, "Were you aware of any gic research regarding the pandemic at Eliade?"


    "No, I wasn''t," she said, shaking her head.


    "Did you know you were enrolled in a gic experiment or an experiment of any kind?" Andreas squinted at her.


    "No, sir."


    "Have you noticed changes in yourself since waking up in the forest that day?"


    "Pain and fevers have been a problem," August replied, brows still furrowed.


    "And how were you able to overpower Marius at the outpost?" Auden asked.


    She paused. "I don''t know. I felt him bite me, and then it was like¡­ instinct."


    "Have you experienced any abnormal strength since?" Andreas asked.


    "No, sir," she said honestly.


    "Do you feel different now in any way than prior to that day in the forest?"


    "I feel the same," she put a hand on her chest, "but¡­"


    "But¡­ what?" Andreas asked, brows raised over his sses.


    August allowed herself to scan the council members'' faces that she could see in front of her before looking to Graeme at her side who met her eyes.


    "I find the world is quite different than I knew," she then said, turning back to Andreas. Someone gave an appreciative chuckle behind her.


    "I imagine so," Andreas replied, unamused. "How are the fevers, Greta?" he asked the girl at her side.


    "They were getting worse while she was in aa. She was having them every few days with thest being the most severe at nearly 107 degrees. She had a febrile seizure during that episode. Since she awoke yesterday afternoon, she has not had another," Greta said. "We of course want to watch her closely."


    "Indeed," Andreas replied. "How did she awake?"


    "She just¡­ did," Greta replied, shrugging. "Graeme was holding her in the pool after the febrile seizure."


    "Did you mark her?" Andreas''s eyes narrowed, turning now to Graeme.


    There was an uneasy silence before Graeme seemed to reluctantly answer, "No." His voice was deeper, and the hand that was holding August''s tightened around hers.


    Andreas removed his sses and put down his pen. "I will be frank, Graeme. We fear August may be a witch or in the process of bing one. A powerful one¡­"


    "What?" Greta interrupted, clearly taken aback.


    "¡­ That this whole situation may, in fact, be the witches'' doing. That they found a way to target your family once again¡ªthis time a powerful heir."


    "That''s ridiculous," Graeme scoffed. "She''s not even a lycan, much less an alyko."


    "I can''t give you all the details here, but we have reason to believe the alyko, as you prefer to call them, are involved with the human pandemic as well as Eliade''s research."


    Greta started to say something, but Andreas put up his hand to stop her. "As you know, many different creatures have mated with humans for centuries. But their offspring infrequently retain their anomalies. The genes lie dormant. Perhaps until now," he looked meaningfully at Graeme.


    "We''ve already seen what witches can do with their magic alone. Given the pack''s or, more specifically, your family''s history, you can understand why we are hesitant to embrace this idea of you with a product of such experimentation. Experimentation that we know is designed to create some kind of superior creature."


    While these words echoed in August''s mind without their meaning registering, she felt the air suddenly change around Graeme. It was as if whatever warmth he had vanished, and his hand was clenching hers.


    "You are far too susceptible to such a rouse, should it exist, given your¡­ sentimentalities," Andreas''s voice sharpened to emphasize thest word.


    "You dare suggest that she is not my mate?" Graeme''s voice was cold and threatening.


    "We will not interfere with her nor with your rtionship¡­ so as long as you aremitted to thispulsion that she is your mate and she shows no more proclivity to harm members of our pack," Andreas said, as if rehearsed.


    "She was attacked," Graeme growled.


    "Marius''s role, which he has executed diligently up until now, is to help enforce ourws and protect our pack. He, like all of us, acts out of these concerns alone," Pearce replied.


    "Not in this case," Graeme let go of August''s hand, turning to look at the faces of other council members, and she saw him swell to an evenrger size. "Marius has a perverse hatred for me, and he recognized her as a vulnerability that could be exploited for his own benefit. You sound as if you intend to let him get away with what he did," his re returned to the three elders in disbelief.


    "He has already been released," Andreas replied, his mouth settling into a resolute line.

 Chapter 27 - Caution

    August suddenly felt light-headed. Marius was released? The earth swayed beneath her slightly, and she felt Greta take hold of her arm.


    "Graeme, he will not go near the girl as long as she is not a threat," Pearce stated.


    "Is he not subject to the samews that you yourself uphold?" Graeme was seething.


    "He has served this council well during your absence, Graeme," Auden replied bitingly. How could Graeme respond to that? They were right. He had left. He was reaping what he had sown in this very room.


    "While I understand Marius''s freedom may bring anxiety, you must not leave the territory. Not until we know more," Andreas said. The other elders nodded solemnly. "We also urge you to consider the gravity of our suspicions and refrain from¡­" he paused, his expression darkening, "¡­ from marking her."


    "Excuse me?" Graeme growled.


    "In so doing, you give her a substantial amount of sway, Graeme. In this pack but also in the lycanmunity atrge. Surely, you can imagine how grave the consequences may be should our suspicions prove correct. We imagine this is what the alyko are after. Your Alpha blood and your unwavering allegiance," Andreas exined.


    "You think I can be, what¡­ punked into experiencing a mating pull?"


    "Perhaps it is time to proceed with more caution in regards to destiny. Let me ask you this, given your apparent shift in attitude regarding that which is divinely designed," Andreas started, "are you intending to take up the rank of Alpha in this pack?" All ears seemed to perk up to this as members shifted and straightened in their seats.


    Graeme did not respond. It was not a question he could answer definitively one way or the other. To say he was intending to without an invitation would not only be an insult to the council and the elders who had filled the absence of an Alpha, but it would necessitate immediate moves that Graeme was not prepared for.


    But to say that he would not take up his rank would be akin to acquiescing to the elders'' decisions, which had not been fully revealed yet. Bringing up a theory regarding witches was beyond strange, and it seemed to hint to something ominous looming beyond their carefully draped veil.


    After running this through his mind, Graeme finally said, "Perhaps since Miss Cady and I will be here for an indefinite period, you can provide me with council duty in addition to mere advising so that I may assist with these concerns. We can go from there."


    This had the other council members in the room murmuring, and some seemed pleased by the suggestion, nodding their heads in agreement. Andreas''s eyes narrowed.


    "The elders will discuss the matter and get back to you," he replied. "In the meantime, keep us informed about any changes in the girl''s status." After saying this, he rose from his seat, giving the signal that the meeting was over.


    Greta, August, and Graeme turned to exit out the same door on the ground level from which they had entered. Once the door closed behind them, Graeme grabbed August''s hand and spun her around to face him, pushing her up against the wall in the same breath. Her eyes went wide.


    Both of Graeme''s arms were braced against the wall, trapping her between them, and he leaned close enough that she could feel him trembling in anger. His dark eyes were ring into hers in such a way that she was immobilized with fear. Had she done something wrong? Graeme must have realized his mistake, because he squeezed his eyes shut as tension visibly raked his body.


    "August," he started, his eyes still closed tightly, "I''m sorry, but I need to mark you right now."


    "What?" Her mouth went dry again. She swallowed hard and ttened herself against the wall as if she could sink into it and away from him. "But everything they just said¡­"


    That was apparently the wrong choice of words, because Graeme hit the wall next to her, causing her to jump.


    "What they said is bullshit," when his eyes opened again, they were clouded with rage. "Don''t touch me, Greta," he growled to his sister behind him without turning to look at her.


    "You''re scaring her, Graeme," Greta replied.


    "We should all be scared. You heard them¡ªthey''re talking about witches again! The only way I can protect her is if I mark her," he snarled, ring at the floor below. "Which is precisely why they don''t want me to do it."


    August was holding her breath without realizing it until her lungs pained, and then she slowly pulled in shallow breaths. She was dizzy. Not only did she not understand half of what was said in that insanely intimidating room, but this man who she had associated with safety and warmth up to this point was terrifying now cloaked in this new threatening aura.


    "Not like this, Graeme," she heard Greta say.


    Graeme let out a frustrated groan without meeting August''s eyes. He reluctantly pushed himself off the wall. "Take her straight to the car. I''ll meet you at the treehouse," he barked before disappearing up the stairs in what seemed like one leap.


    Greta watched him retreat before approaching August.


    "I''m so sorry. It''s a long story, but it''s nothing to do with you," she said to the visibly shaken human. "Can I hold your hand?" Greta asked, unsure now about how August would react knowing Greta''s abilities. August nodded in stunned silence like a little girl, and Greta led her up the stairs and down the hall before stopping in front of a door.


    "Why don''t you go in there and collect yourself for a moment," Greta offered, gesturing toward what turned out to be a hall bathroom.


    August went in without a word, locking the door behind her and bracing herself against the pedestal sink that stood inside. ''What have I gotten myself into?'' she wondered, looking at the small ck and white floor tiles. ''But I didn''t ask for this.''


    The room and the questions and the words that were spoken, particr regarding witches and other creatures, were turning over and over in her head, and she rocked back and forth slightly before looking up at her reflection in the mirror. She didn''t even recognize her own face anymore. The contacts Greta had her wear were irritating her eyes, and now tears began pooling there, which made them redder. She turned the water on and sshed her face, attempting a semnce of calm.


    After taking a few deep breaths and drying her face, she went back into the hallway. Strangely, Greta wasn''t there, so August walked toward the main staircase of the house and descended it slowly, looking all around for the bouncing, peachy hair. She didn''t see her anywhere, but others were still roaming around and visiting. The space and energy vaguely reminded August of the quad on campus, and she hoped she could slip through invisibly just as anyone could at Eliade.


    But this wasn''t Eliade, and as normal as the people here looked, they weren''t human college students. One-by-one they went silent upon catching the sight, or maybe the scent, of the human in their midst. Some were eyeing her suspiciously while others looked curious. Trying to avoid their questioning eyes, August went straight out the front door and onto the deck, looking left and right for Greta. Where in the world did she go?


    When August turned around to look back inside, a solid chest blocked her way.

 Chapter 28 - See

    August let out a small yelp of surprise and jumped back, looking up to see a familiar face. It took her a moment to ce his wavy brown hair and arrogant smile. ''Lucas,'' she thought to herself.


    "You''re alive," he smirked down at her and took a bite of his apple. Lycans eat apples? Somehow it seemed strange, especially when it was this menacing lycan.


    "I am alive," she confirmed, instinctually backing away from him.


    His eyes narrowed seeing this movement, and he slowly stalked forward, closing the distance between them.


    "Where are you going? Thinking of running away?" He smirked again before taking another bite of the blushing red fruit in his hand.


    Marius''s thoughts shed in her mind¡­ of her running through the trees, being chased like prey. She swallowed hard and shook her head. "No."


    "Darn," he replied, his smile widening. He stood there chewing, watching her like he was waiting for any sudden movements.


    "Who''s this?" A deep voice asked behind her. She turned to see a man ascending the steps. He wasrger than Lucas and had long blonde hair that was pulled up into a bun.


    "Graeme''s bitch," Lucas answered dismissively.


    "The human who took a bite out of Marius?" man-bun gaped,ughing suddenly. Lucas nodded.


    "Holy shit," he said, approaching her. August backed up against a pir at the top of the staircase. Where in the world was Greta?


    "You don''t look so tough," he was getting ufortably close now. "What did Marius have to do to bring the fighter out of you?" his eyes scanned her as he smiled to himself. "I''d love to see what you can do to me," he rumbled close to ear now.


    "Gunnar," Lucas called him, "you want Hallowell after you?"


    "Pfff." The man-bun named Gunnar scoffed, turning to Lucas. "Besides¡­ No mark, no mate," his breath was hot on her neck as he leaned over her, pushing her jacket cor back.


    August red up into his light eyes. ''Why is everyone so obsessed with this mark thing?'' she wondered. It was highly intrusive.


    "Ooooh," he chuckled. "There she is." He reached up and pinched her chin, tilting her head up and to the side, looking her over.


    August began trembling involuntarily as his thoughts flooded her, but after a moment she was able to regain herposure and push the thoughts back. He was harmless, she realized, and she stifled theugh that threatened to escape.


    Suddenly someone burst out of the front doors. Before the one named Gunnar could react, his body was shoved away from August and flew a good twelve feet in the air beforending hard on the ground in front of the pack house.


    Greta appeared in front of August. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, grasping both of the human''s arms. August was too stunned to respond.


    "What the fuck, Greta?" Gunnar growled, straightening himself.


    Greta turned toward him and descended the steps lightly like she hadn''t just thrown a huge man-wolf through the air. He stumbled backward watching her approach.


    "You''re lucky it was me and not my brother, Gunnar. If you ever touch her again, I''ll make sure you don''t heal for weeks," she said threateningly before turning on her heel, peach curls bouncing, and retrieving August from her perch at the top of the steps.


    Once they were approaching the Jeep, Greta turned to August, "I''m so sorry. While you were in the bathroom, one of the Be girls approached me. Their eleven-year-old sister ran away a few weeks ago and hasn''t returned. They are all devastated about it. I have a hard time turning people away," she confessed.


    "That''s awful," August said quietly. "I understand. I just had no idea you were such a badass." She was still shocked by the demonstration of Greta''s strength. Greta was so small and sweet. It was a surprise, for sure.


    "Oh," Gretaughed, waving it off as she got into the driver''s seat. "Well, lycan," she said, pointing to herself, "and I also have Alpha blood, so thankfully I don''t have a problem putting little shits in their ce," she winked at August as she was looking behind her to reverse. "If you saw Gunnar''s thoughts, I''m sure you realized that that is precisely what he is."


    "He was just worried about a woman seeing him. And apparently he thinks it''s important to impress Lucas," August said quietly.


    "Probably his mate," Greta said. "So I was right¡ªyou can still¡­ see?"


    "I guess so," August nodded slowly, anxious about what that would mean for her in the future. It was not a wee thought, particrly if it was something the council would find threatening.


    "Greta, can I ask you a question?"


    Greta looked at her and smiled warmly, "Of course you can."


    "Why didn''t Graeme take on the Alpha role?" August asked. It was something she had been wondering since he told her about it the previous night, but he didn''t offer the information immediately, so she thought better of asking at the time.


    Greta let out a deep sigh. "That''splicated. He really needs to exin it to you himself, but I can tell you that part of it was that our parents were killed when we were only twelve. Graeme wasn''t old enough to take the role yet. He hadn''t even shifted into his wolf yet at that time. So the elders took over." Greta paused.


    "They did a lot that he didn''t agree with. That our parents wouldn''t have agreed with, but they were our guardians, and they wouldn''t listen to him. He was too young," She shook her head, remembering. "By the time he was old enough, so much had been done that was irreversible¡­"


    August was quiet, digesting this information. "Could you have be Alpha?"


    "I suppose I could have, but I wouldn''t have for the same reasons, and I wasn''t the one being groomed," Greta replied. "I wouldn''t have done that to Graeme, anyway. It was his choice to have the pack continue to run this way. And I like being a healer," she said.


    August hummed in response. "What is your Sam like?" She asked, deciding to change the subject.


    Greta grinned, "You''ll meet him soon. He''s kind of a big teddy bear."


    When they got back to the tree house, Graeme was still not back. "I have a feeling I know where he went," Greta muttered.


    "Is he going to be okay?" August asked.


    Greta smiled, but her expression wasced with sadness. "He''s okay," she replied. "I know this is all crazy and shocking for you, but try to¡­ try to be patient with him if you can. I know that''s a lot to ask given the circumstances," she said, meeting August''s eyes again. "You can take those stupid contacts out now if you want," she added, allowing a smallugh to pass her lips.


    "Okay," August replied, not knowing what else to say. Internally she was arguing with Greta. How could she go easy on him when he had lost it on her like that? It had felt like he was threatening her with a mark that she could only guess would be painful and traumatizing. Hadn''t he just said the day before that he wouldn''t do that unless she wanted him to?


    "Will you be okay if I leave you? You''re safe here, and I can''t imagine he''ll be too much longer," Greta asked, changing the subject. "I wouldn''t leave, but I promised Lucia Be I would stop by her family''s house. Her mother has been having panic attacks, and this morning I guess she had one that was particrly frightening. I really need to see what more I can do for her," she shook her head, and August could see the worry cloud her usual calm features.


    August nodded, "Sure." It would actually be a relief to be alone after everything that happened that morning.. Time to think without eyes constantly on her.

 Chapter 29 - Stumble

    When Graeme arrived at the tree house a half hourter, he couldn''t find August anywhere. He called her name before looking around the privacy screen into the bathroom. The ce wasn''t exactly big, so there weren''t many ces she could be.


    He closed his eyes and focused on her scent, following it out onto the deck. She wasn''t there either. Finally, he stood on one of the railings and peeked over the edge of the roof. She was lying there on her back, staring at the tree above her. Graeme let out an audible sigh of relief.


    "What are you doing up here?" He asked, the sharpness of irritation in his voice.


    "Just enjoying the tree," she said inly.


    "Can''t you enjoy it from the deck?"


    She sighed without looking at him. "It''s not the same."


    He climbed up and sat next to her, staring down at the enchanting dim gold of her irises while she continued gazing at the leaves above her. Graeme caught another scent on her and leaned down over her neck, sniffing.


    "What are you doing?" she asked. She couldn''t recall anyone ever sniffing her before.


    "Who touched you?" his eyes narrowed.


    She sighed again. "You left. Does it really matter?"


    "I left you with Greta. Who the fuck touched you?" The anger resurfaced.


    August shot up, supporting herself with one arm on the roof behind her. "Look, I''ve been thinking. You should just point me in the direction of Eliade. Whatever happens happens. This isn''t my world. I feel like the council confirmed that, and I don''t want anyone getting hurt," she said looking at the forest in front of her rather than at Graeme.


    "You would be as good as dead, August," Graeme said.


    "I can deal with it," she snapped back, looking down into her free hand holding a red leaf that had fallen near her.


    "What happened?" he asked more softly. "Will you look at me?" He went to touch her chin, but she flinched away from him before he could reach her. Hurt shed in his eyes, but she didn''t see it. "It happened again, didn''t it? Someone touched you and you saw their thoughts."


    Augustughed lightly, "It doesn''t matter."


    His jaw clenched. "I''m sorry I wasn''t there," he said quietly. "I didn''t want you to see me like that. I just¡ªI had to think."


    "It''s not your fault. None of this is your fault, Graeme," she finally met his eyes. "Me being here has ruined like everything for you," she stared at him, unwavering. She had been thinking, too. It was easier to think when he wasn''t there making her head fuzzy.


    "No, that''s not true," he shook his head.


    "I can see it. Do you think I''m blind? You didn''t want a mate, and it''s possible that this insanely powerful feeling," she said, pointing between the two of them, "is some kind of trick to use me against you, which honestly wouldn''t be surprising considering the circumstances. Please just go live the life you nned in the first ce. I''ll be fine."


    Graeme winced internally, feeling the words cut him like a de. "August, I know how all of this must look, but I didn''t¡ªI didn''t have a life. I didn''t know what I wanted. I was lost," he tried to exin. "And you won''t be fine if I let you go."


    She didn''t seem to be listening. Instead, she was shaking her head and looking back into the tree. "You should have just left me there," she whispered.


    Graeme grabbed her arm, "How can you say that?" Was she going to give in to uncertainty every time it threatened her?


    August started trembling and squeezed her eyes closed, pulling away from him and scrambling to her feat. "Don''t," she said, backing further away now. He looked at her in surprise and then down at his empty hands. She was afraid of him? His mate was afraid of him?


    Just then, August lost her footing and stumbled backwards toward the edge of the roof, sending leaves flying free to drop the 70 feet to the ground below. Graeme sprang forward and caught her in time before she could follow them, cursing under his breath in the process. He scooped her up in his arms and jumped to the deck below.


    "Goddess, what were you thinking going up there? What if I hadn''t been here to catch you?" he scolded into her hair without letting her go.


    She struggled against him, trying to free herself. "I wouldn''t have--I wouldn''t have almost fallen if not for you," she started, but then she was raked with those trembles cascading down her body again. "Let me go," she sobbed. "I don''t want to see anything. Please, not you Graeme."


    His heart clenched feeling her trembling body again and hearing how broken she sounded. "I don''t have anything to hide from you, August," he whispered while still cradling her in his arms. "I will never hurt you. All of my thoughts are yours."


    August squeezed her eyes tighter and gripped Graeme''s sweater in her hands, burying her head there to brace against what wasing. She saw a small river in the foreste into view behind her eyes. Water rushed over boulders in front of her feet¡ªGraeme''s feet. He was there alone. Sunlight reflected off the water''s surface in patches while leaves fell around him.


    The vision switched to Graeme and Greta as kids ying with rocks in the same spot, throwing them in, jumping over boulders, sshing in the water, catching fish. Greta''s hair was dark brown unlike the peach hair August was familiar with, but she had the same warm brown eyes as her brother that sparkled with the joy and mischief of childhood.


    A man''s voice called to them, and then they were in the pack house, surrounded by mourning faces and a stato of soft sobs. The Alpha and Luna were dead. His father and mother. He couldn''tprehend it. How could this have happened? How could reality have shifted sopletely in an instant? August felt the shock of the news stun Graeme. He couldn''t feel the truth of it. It wasn''t registering.


    A woman with kind eyes and long dark hair embraced him and his sister. ''Oh my loves, I am so sorry,'' her words floated over them. Maggie was her name--a name so familiar and soforting to him. Her presence was soothing, and Graeme and Greta finally felt it all¡ªfinally cried in her arms as the gravity of their parents'' deaths hit them fully. She made them feel safe enough to grieve.


    When she held them, Graeme shattered. The loss of his parents weighed more than anything he had ever felt. His parents had just been there. His mother''s gentle smile and uninhibitedughter. His father''s strength and guidance--always showing Graeme how to be a leader. Always showing him how to be who their people would need.


    A guilt so dark and heavy threaded through these coupled memories¡ªof the woman, Maggie, who made him and his sister feel safe and loved in the time when they most needed it and of his parent''s memory and legacy--a legacy he hadn''t taken up.


    And then Maggie was screaming as mes engulfed her.

 Chapter 30 - Maggie

    In his memories, Graeme was running on all fours, panting, with trees whipping by. The forest was a palimpsest, its green a backdrop to fractured memories of the caring woman¡ª''Maggie''¡ªhis thoughts repeated. ''Maggie.'' He ran faster. But he couldn''t get away from the pain and the guilt that followed on his heels.


    Men had arrived that day of his parents'' deaths to drag her away. They were his father''s men, but his father was gone. His father would''t have allowed this! Not Maggie! But the elders were there saying she was responsible for his parent''s death.


    People and wolves were growling at Maggie, biting her, spitting on her. Hatred twisting their faces. Graeme and Greta stared on frozen in disbelief, the loss of their parents magnified a thousand fold as someone else they loved was taken. And they did nothing to stop it. They just stood there.


    The bottom dropped out of Graeme''s world with the image of Maggie being dragged away. She was smiling at them--that kind smile that was always like a safe ce tond--and then she was screaming. How could Maggie be screaming like that? What could they be doing to her?


    More screams joined her. Screams of other women. Screams of children. And that''s the moment when Graeme became a haunting. A vessel filled with their screams. Screams he could never forget and a guilt he could never run from, even though he tried.


    He had failed them. Maggie was gone. They were all gone.


    August was weeping when she finally broke free from the memories and looked up at the present day Graeme who was still holding her. "What¡ªwhat was that. What happened here?" she asked, trembling harder now.


    Graeme ran a hand over his face with a heavy, miserable sigh.


    "The witches you heard about today are what we refer to as alyko. They are the children of lycans who, for whatever reason, don''t retain the lycan ability to transform. In ce of their wolf, they have remarkable abilities. They can control the natural elements in a way that other lycans can''t," he said, his voice suddenly gruff and exhausted.


    "Like¡­ magic?" she asked.


    "Yes," he confirmed. "Hence the enchantment on suicide forest. We call it the Grimm. The alyko were revered. They have always been of huge importance to packs like ours, I mean¡­ going back centuries to the very beginning of our people. But many also feared them and their power. The woman you saw," he paused, his eyes suddenly bing distant.


    August watched him quietly, her own stomach twisting with the memories that weren''t her own. "The, uh, woman you saw," Graeme''s voice was softer now, "being dragged away was Magnolia. She was a dear family friend. We loved her like family. Maggie," he smiled. "Greta and I called her Maggie. The council med our parents'' deaths on her."


    Graeme paused before continuing. "The elders in particr always held prejudices against the alyko, particrly Maggie because she was so close to my family, but my parents protected them. When mom and dad died, there was no one to protect them anymore. I should have tried¡­" He trailed off, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat.


    "They killed Maggie, and then they killed the rest of them. There was no one to protect them. I wasn''t strong enough," he said through gritted teeth.


    "Even the children," she whispered into his chest. He didn''t respond, but she had felt it just as he had. "And they think I''m a witch," her eyes widened, thinking back to how Andreas had spoken bluntly about it. "Are they right?" She looked up at him, pushing away from him to stand herself.


    "No. You''re not even born of lycans. It''s ridiculous," he replied.


    "But are my, whatever, anomalies¡­ are they abilities that these alyko have?" She asked.


    "I don''t know, but it shouldn''t matter. It''s just their stupid fear," his eyebrows pinched together. "Greta and I have things we can do that don''t make sense for lycans. And no one has ever known for this same reason. The unjust prejudices and hatred. There are probably others in this very pack with abilities like ours. It can''t just be us," he was gesturing wildly with his hands as he went on, his dark hair falling over his forehead.


    "But I will never let anything like that happen to you. I won''t let it happen to anyone else in this pack ever again. If that means I fight to take my ce as Alpha, I will without a second thought," his eyes were hard as he grabbed August''s hand and pulled her toward him, bowing his head over hers.


    "That is why I was angry. I''m angry at them, at a past that I couldn''t control. I''m angry that their ignorance is still a threat and that it''s found a new target," his eyes softened, allowing her into the worry that was visibly emerging there. "I''m sorry I scared you," he whispered.


    August was stunned. She stared back at him not seeing him but seeing all the images that had been created for her by his words and his memories, by the council members at the pack house, by everything she had learned since waking up in the forest with Jonathan''s startled face looking up at her. It was so much.


    "Did Maggie do it?" she swallowed.


    "I can''t believe that could be true. No," he said. "I knew it wasn''t true at the time, but I was shocked and confused¡­ I should have been able to stop them somehow." His jaw clenched at the thought.


    "Then who?" August asked. Graeme didn''t answer right away, and his shoulders sagged.


    "I don''t know," his eyes closed, squinting against the confusion of it¡ªof how many times he had reyed it in his mind and all the emotions it brought.


    "I''ve tried¡­ it''s hard for me to¡­ to focus on it. I didn''t have the ability to investigate it at the time, and then when I left¡­ I''ve just been¡­ I''ve been doing work for the council and distracted with that. Following strays. Rogues. They were lycans who attacked my parents. That''s all I know for sure."


    "Lycans and not alyko?" August asked, confused.


    "The elders provided some bullshit story about how the alyko had worked with stray lycans to n it. It was clear, based on the¡­ bodies," Graeme swallowed again. "It was a lycan attack for sure. But the lycans themselves were never found."


    "That''s all so horrific¡­ I¡­ How do you know they''re not right about me, Graeme?" She asked, pulling away from him. "How do you know I''m not being used to target you somehow? Or the¡ªthe pack?"


    "I just do," he shook his head. "I''ve never been more sure about anything," he reached toward her again, but she wrapped her arms around herself and looked down.


    "You can''t know that," she said quietly.


    "I do," he said in a voice that had turned gravelly. "And you do, too. You feel it like I do. We''re partners. Partners that the Moon Goddess has chosen for each other herself. It''s a gift." ''A gift I don''t deserve,'' he swallowed the thought back.


    August didn''t respond and didn''t meet his eyes. Invoking the name of some ''moon goddess'' didn''t strengthen her trust in any of this. It actually raised her doubts about Graeme''s logic, but she definitely couldn''t tell him that. Besides, she wouldn''t have believed that lycans or alyko witches existed, so what did she know about gods and goddesses? August stared down at her feet as Graeme watched her against the backdrop of the falling leaves and sunshine filtering through the trees.


    "I told you I would take you to see the sunflower field. Do you still want to go?" He asked, but she didn''t answer. He took a few steps closer to her. "I''m sorry about the council and the pack house this morning. But there are good things and good people here, too. Give me a chance to show you some of them," he said, extending a hand out for her to take.


    August looked at his hand before looking up to meet his eyes. Meeting those deep, honest eyes was as good as acquiescing, because the pull she felt from them was undeniable, whether it was due to magic or science or destiny. It wasn''t fair that whatever connection they had seemed to be able to overpower her reason.


    She reluctantly took his hand and watched as his whole body rxed once she did. A smile crept back on his face as he rubbed his thumb over her fingers, but she didn''t return it. Instead, she looked down at her shoes again and kicked one of them at nothing in particr.


    "Let''s go," he smiled softly and led her out of the house.

 Chapter 31 - Pizza

    "But first, pizza," Graeme turned back to August with a mischievous smile as he pulled her behind him, descending the final steps of the tree house.


    "Pizza?" Her eyes grewrge.


    "Yeah, you like pizza right?"


    "Who doesn''t? You guys have pizza here? In the middle of the forest?"


    "We have everything here," he winked at her. "Well, almost everything."


    August''s stomach suddenly growled. This morning had been horrible, but pizza certainly wouldn''t make the day worse. Her interest was piqued at what this ''everything'' was that Graeme was referring to. One thing it obviously didn''t include was a vehicle of his own.


    "Are we going to walk?" August asked.


    "Would you like me to carry you instead?"


    Sheughed but with one nce at him realized that he was serious. "No, that''s okay."


    "Are you sure? The paths through the woods are pretty narrow," he replied.


    "I like walking," she said thoughtfully as the two continued on side-by-side on the dirt road.


    It was one of those perfect autumn afternoons when the breeze that dislodged more leaves hinted to cooler days while retaining the warmth of summer, and August let herself feel it¡ªthe small joy of just being here, in this moment. She could have easily been dead, never allowed to feel the sun or the breeze or smell the change of the seasons. Maybe she was going to end up another viin in this story of Graeme''s, but she wouldn''t worry about it right now. Right now, she would let herself feel the forest and thefort of Graeme''s presence by her side.


    August heard cawing somewhere and looked up, spotting a ck bird above them gliding between trees. Birds had always fascinated her, particrly corvids. She always imagined that they were the guardians of secrets and that a whole other veiled world was witnessed through their eyes.


    Graeme wandered over to the tree line and gestured for August to follow. "Oh, the contacts," August remembered, turning to look behind them toward the treehouse. "I forgot¡­ I don''t have them in."


    "That''s right. No problem, wait here a sec," he said before vanishing back the way they came.


    August spun around with her hands in her pockets, looking at the surrounding forest when a crow suddenlynded a few paces in front of her.


    "Oh, hello," August said softly, watching the ck bird peck at something on the ground. It paused, tilting its head to the side, silently regarding her. She crouched down. "I''m sorry, I don''t have anything to give you. Can I bring you some pizza crustter?" she asked, smiling to herself. The two watched each other for several more moments before Graeme returned to her side and the crow flew off.


    "Making friends?" Graeme asked, handing her the contacts. "Are you able to put these in without a mirror or anything?"


    "I think so," she said and opened them. "Aren''t you afraid someone will see me?"


    "No. I''d be more worried about someone hearing you talking to crows," he chuckled. August frowned. "It''s just a bit witchy," he raised an eyebrow at her, grinning.


    "Pff. Crows are very intelligent, and it''s not unusual for them to be friendly towards humans," she rolled her now solid blue eyes. "I''m sure they''re smart enough to be more wary of your kind," she added.


    "Oh. My kind now is it?" Heughed. "You''re probably right."


    Graeme suddenly recalled the way Maggie was often visited by crows and butterflies and fireflies and all kinds of forest creatures, but he didn''t mention it to August. He hadn''t had Maggie so fresh in his mind in a long time, and it felt good to remember her like that¡ªin the beauty that she had brought to their childhood.


    They entered a small opening in the tree line. "Is this a deer trail?" August asked. The path was narrow, as Graeme had said. The earth had been worn bare from frequent visits.


    "You won''t find deer around here," he said simply. With the mention of the delicate prey animal, something niggled at his mind¡ªthe shadow of an approaching thought¡ªbut it scampered away just as quickly.


    When they entered the dense woods, August noticed how Graeme seemed to grow quieter as he walked ahead of her. They continued on that way for some time, Graeme leading quietly and August admiring the forest. Leaves crunched under their feet as they walked in silence, the trees creating a canopy of inner reflection where the memories that had resurfaced from Graeme''s past yed silently for both of them.


    August had seen the most horrific part of his past that he had meant to leave behind forever. But here he was instead¡ªwalking directly back into it and dragging her along with him. It made him bristle with those protective instincts for her now that they were surrounded by the thick forest of his pack''snd.


    He was leading his mate back into the life that he had abandoned, and that meant danger. For her. For him. For the people here if there was question or confusion about leadership. But they had to keep moving forward to find a way through this. There must be a reason for all of it.


    "How many children?" August whispered behind him, as if to herself. The words held a dark weight even whispered as they were, and he knew what she was referring to. The alyko children who were killed. If only she could have been spared that knowledge. It haunted him, and now it would haunt her, too. But it couldn''t be helped¡ªAugust had feared him, not understanding his anger after the council meeting. His mate had feared him. He swallowed hard at that thought. But at least now she understood.


    August hadn''t expected him to hear her question¡ªhadn''t even realized she was asking it aloud¡ªbut she saw the way his body tensed and his hands curled into fists when she did. Graeme didn''t stop walking, but his pace slowed, his boots hesitating longer in each descent to the ground.


    "Three," she heard his answer¡ªso low, it was like a growl¡ªand she shivered.

 Chapter 32 - Squirrel And Nettle

    The canopy grew darker as clouds passed overhead, and August buried her hands in her pockets. Was there really pizza all the way in here? The answer to her silent question finally came when they reached a break in the trees.


    "Here we are," he turned to look at her finally.


    "Yay," she replied awkwardly, hands still in her pockets. Graeme noticed her cheeks and nose had turned pink from the cooler air they had walked through. He wanted to gather her into his arms, but he held back, remembering how she had pulled away from him earlier.


    They approached a brick and ivy building withrge windows that were hooded with red and white striped awnings. An ornate ck metal sign that read, "Mama May''s" hung perpendicr over its front door. White lights hung elegantly over an otherwise rustic outdoor seating area. It was literally as if a charming pizzeria had just been dropped in the middle of the forest, and August''s face lit up at the sight of it.


    "It''s possible that I''ve never been this excited for pizza. And that''s saying something," she said in awe.


    Graeme shrugged, "What did I tell ya?" She smiled appreciatively in response and followed him inside.


    The hostess recognized Graeme instantly and led them through a dining area with a handful of upied booths to a private patio at the back of the restaurant. A few curious faces peeked over seats at the couple as they passed, and August thought she heard a gasp or two followed by hushed, excited voices. Thankfully therge patio area was empty.


    This area was separate from the outdoor seating area August had seen from the front of the restaurant. A wooden perg with elegant draping ivy and tied white curtains in each corner extended over the full length of the bricked seating area. August had to consciously remind herself to close her mouth, which was gaping open at the site before her. It was simply breathtaking.


    "Thanks, Kate," Graeme smiled at the young girl who blushed as she ced menus for them before returning to the door.


    ''Well, I''m not the only one,'' August thought, smirking as she looked down at the menu.


    "What?" Graeme noticed her expression.


    "Nothing," she replied. "Is this your personal space back here?"


    "They just know I like it quiet," he said. "So what''s your favorite pizza?"


    "I''m pretty simple. Usually just sausage and pepperoni," she looked over the menu. There wasn''t anything simple about it. Rabbit? Salmon? Beet and Pesto? Pistachio and ckberry? Graeme noticed the way her eyebrows curved in concern, and he smiled behind his menu.


    "She can make anything, no worries," he reassured her.


    "Have you tried most of this?" she asked.


    "Mhmm."


    "I may need you to make a suggestion."


    "Hmmm¡­ I don''t see the squirrel andtle that was my favorite as a kid," Graeme grumbled.


    "S-squirrel?" August repeated.


    "Yeah, it''s delicious¡ªespecially paired with the tang of thetle. But I don''t see it. Maybe she took it off the menu."


    "Th-that''s okay. I think I''ll try something a little less, um, squirrel-y. Cheese. Perfect," she closed the menu and smiled as if she had been forced to swallow a worm. It took everything Graeme had not tough.


    "Are you sure? All of it is really fantastic. Cheese is a little¡­" he started.


    "A little what? Boring?"


    "Safe," he smiled a crooked, devastating smile and closed his own menu.


    "What would you suggest then? Besides squirrel?" August folded her hands below her chin.


    "Something you''ve never tried before," he answered. There was a sh of something like a challenge in his eyes, and August felt her stomach dip to her toes. The corner of Graeme''s mouth twitched as he kept his eyes trained on her, and August felt her fingers tighten around each other under her chin as she refused to look away.


    A happy voice found them, breaking the spell. "Graeme? I was wondering when you woulde visit me again. It''s been so long!" the words reached them before the woman who emerged in the doorway momentster, her expression joyful and warm. Graeme got up out of his seat and embraced her, a genuine smile on his face.


    "How are you, May?" he kissed the woman on her cheek.


    "Better now that you''re here, my dear," she patted his hands and then the side of his face like he was a young sweet boy visiting an olddy.


    "It''s always too long, but thankfully your sisteres around frequently. You''re just the best kids. Oh, I remember when you were running wild in these woods as little ones like it was yesterday, and here you are grown and handsome as ever," she chuckled. "I still feel like you should be running things around here, love," she whispered, nudging him.


    Graeme listened andughed along with her before the old woman turned to see August who had been seated across from him.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry, dear. I didn''t notice you there," May appeared startled, bringing a hand to her chest in surprise. The woman''s happiness was so much bigger than her little round self, and August found herself smiling back.


    "Were you not going to introduce me, young man? Where are your manners?" She turned to Graeme and hit him yfully on the shoulder with the towel that had been brought along with her.


    "Excuse me May, I''m sorry. This is August Cady," he replied.


    August scooted out of her seat to present herself properly, not wanting to be rude. "Hello, May. It''s so nice to meet you. This is a lovely ce you have," August said politely to the woman in front of her.


    "Oh, thank you, dear," she responded warmly, squeezing August''s arm. "Now stop that, you''ll make me blush."


    Graeme''s and August''s eyes met while the woman looked them over, suddenly growing quiet within the bubble of happiness that surrounded her. "Now isn''t this something?" May''s eyes were sweeping over Graeme''s face with a new awareness settling in the wrinkles of her eyes. His expression formed a silent question in response.


    "What is it?" he finally asked when May continued to gaze at him and turned back to August.


    "I think my soul has left my body, child.. Is this your mate?" May had her hand on her chest again as she replied to Graeme.

 Chapter 33 - Piggy-back

    Graemeughed lightly at May''s question while August''s expression turned to one of surprise. The woman gasped.


    "She is your mate, oh I knew it. I can see by the way you look at her. And there''s an energy around you two, isn''t there? But I never thought I''d see the day," she grabbed their hands and squeezed them both in hers. August saw the woman''s eyes brimming with unshed tears.


    "My sweet Graeme, thank the Goddess. I''m so happy for you. I''m so happy for you both," she pulled August in to a one-armed hug and kissed her head. "This calls for a celebration. Sit, both of you," she gestured toward the table. "You won''t need these," sheughed to herself and plucked the menus off the table. "Just wait, just wait. I''ll send you out all of the best," she giggled and left them.


    August''s face felt warm when the whirlwind of the woman''s affection retreated, and it didn''t cool any under Graeme''s eyes.


    "Quiet, huh?" August teased, looking down into herp.


    "See, and this is with the private space. Just imagine being in the restaurant," he said.


    "Does everyone treat you like this?"


    "No, not everyone. I''ve known May since I was small," he replied.


    A short timeter te after te after te of food began arriving on the empty tables surrounding the couple, and August''s eyes grewrger andrger as it didn''t cease. It appeared that the old woman had sent them one of everything off of the menu.


    Graeme took August''s empty te that had been ced in front of her by one of the servers. "Allow me to get you started," he said before returning it back to her with a number of different pizza slices and pastas. He seated himself with a simr te across from her.


    "Wow, I¡ªI don''t know where to begin," August gaped, a smallugh sputtering out of her lips as she unfolded a napkin in herp.


    Graeme watched with satisfaction as August tried everything he set before her, and then he brought her a second te of new slices and pastas to try. As always, May''s skills didn''t disappoint.


    "What do you think?" Graeme asked as August took a drink of her water.


    "I''m not sure there are words to convey my emotions for this food right now," sheughed. "You sure knew what you were doing bringing me here. Well-yed."


    "I don''t know what you mean," he smiled back.


    "Sure you do. How could anyone consider this a bad day?" she said.


    "Just wait, there''s dessert on that far table over there," Graeme pointed to the corner for August to groan a reply. Just when she thought her eyes couldn''t get any wider or her stomach fuller, a dessert te appeared in front of her.


    Finally pushing her te away, August said, "I''m sorry to disappoint you, Graeme, but I think I''ve found my real mate in that cannoli donut right there."


    "Not if I can help it," he replied and grabbed the remainder of the pastry for it to disappear in his own mouth where a powdered sugar grin spread across his face.


    "That was the love of my life! How could you?" she gasped.


    "Hmm, you can do better," he replied with his mouth still full.


    "You could at least hide the evidence," she smiled, reaching across the table to wipe the powdered sugar off of his lips before meeting his eyes again that had turned deeper with her touch. She sat back and folded her hands in herp.


    "May will be happy to know you enjoyed it," Graeme said.


    August sighed happily. "What will happen to all the left-overs? I feel guilty for it."


    "They''ll take it to the guys doing perimeter runs in the area," Graeme replied.


    "Perimeter runs?" she asked for him to nod. "Even with the Grimm protecting this ce, that''s needed?"


    "asionally there are those who wander too far," he said simply.


    After sharing thanks andpliments and hugs with May, the two started walking on their way again. "Come back soon you two!" The old woman called from the door for them to wave again in response.


    "I''ll figure out a car next week so we don''t have to walk everywhere," Graeme offered as their shoes crunched together over the spent forest leaves. A yellow carpet had fallen for them, guiding the way.


    "I don''t mind it," August replied, hands tucked in her jacket pockets.


    "If I''m doing work with the council, we''ll need it anyway," he said. ''We.'' It was a word he had said a few times now referencing the future. "Plus, you''ve turned slow on me," he said teasingly.


    "You stuffed me full of food! What do you expect?" Sheughed.


    "Here,e jump on," he said, squatting down and patting himself on the back.


    "What?" sheughed. "Are you serious? Piggy-back?"


    "The field is kind of far from here. You shouldn''t be walking all the way," he said. She paused her steps, watching his squatted form with amusement.


    "I know you''re tired, August. You''re still getting your strength back. Come," he assured her. "Or do you want to be carried like a princess?" He straightened up and turned toward her.


    "No, no, piggy is fine," she rolled her eyes, giggling and backing away from his outstretched arms. He smiled and turned to offer his back for her to jump on, and she obliged him. Having her legs wrapped around him had her blushing again, but at least she was saved from turning redder under his eyes.


    "Hang on tight," he said with his hands supporting her legs at his sides, and once she secured her arms around his neck, he ran swiftly as if a grown woman wasn''t hitching a ride along with him. August saw the trees pass in a blur as he picked up speed, and she had to tuck her head into his shoulder against the wind that picked up around them.


    After some time passed by like this, August felt him slow down, and she thought he had atst grown tired. Instead, his attention seemed to have shifted to listen to something in the woods.


    Before she could register what happened, he had shifted her around so that she was now against his chest with her arms folded against him. Then Graeme froze, his eyes unfocused as he listened.


    What had he heard? August instinctively held her breath under him, trying to hear the noise that had captured his attention, but there was nothing she could pick up with her own ears.

 Chapter 34 - Pictures

    After several tense moments of Graeme listening to something August couldn''t detect, his body finally rxed and he turned to look at her in his arms.


    "What is it?" she whispered.


    "Just kids," he sighed. Once he realized the position she was in against him, his eyes turned deeper and searching, and she found herself unable to look away. His dark skin and hair, the dips between his eyebrows that could so quickly harden with anger or concern, the beard that made rugged and yet soft the strong, angr jaw underneath.


    She wanted to trace every line of him again, feel every angle. Something in her chest burned and began to sink deliciously through her abdomen, sending sparks of recognition to every inch where they aligned. A light groan rumbled in Graeme''s chest as if he could feel it, too.


    August''s lips had parted slightly as she let out the breath she was holding. Her eyes scanned his face, and he felt every sweep of her gaze as if she was trailing her fingers along with it. Her scent became richer, thicker¡ªcurling around him and exciting every muscle, bringing to his acute awareness every ce their bodies touched.


    His jaw clenched with restraint as he imagined himself pinning her against this tree and tasting every delicious part of her. But her mouth was already open, small puffs of her breath escaping against him, and he bowed to meet it¡ªbrushing lightly against her lips and feeling her soften further in his arms.


    Just then a giggle erupted behind them, and August pulled away to see a young girl with long dark hair watching them.


    "Oh, hi there!" August smiled warmly, and Graeme set her down on her feet, cursing under his breath. "What''s your name?"


    "Isabel," the little girl replied. She looked to be about five.


    "Hi Isabel, I''m August," August bent down to meet the girl''s height.


    "That''s a funny name," the little girl giggled.


    August smiled. "It sure is, isn''t it? You have a beautiful name."


    "Thank you," the girl turned shy, hiding behind her hands.


    "You better run along to your parents, Isabel," Graeme called behind August.


    The little girl looked at Graeme and ran away with giggles trailing behind her. August noticed a boy who had been hiding behind a fallen tree stand up and run after her as heughed, too, having sessfully spied on the adults.


    "Will they be okay?" August turned to give Graeme a concerned look.


    "We''re close to the field. I''m sure they wandered from there," he replied. "It''s very safe for kids here."


    Sure enough, row after row of sunflowers greeted them as Graeme and August emerged around a bend in the small path they had been on. A few families appeared to be visiting the field, as August heard more childrenughing in the distance.


    "I can''t believe this is here. It''s beautiful. I wish I had my camera," she said as her and Graeme walked around holding hands under the sun, which was free to shine in its fullness here for its namesake flowers to follow its path.


    "We cane back as many times as you want," Graeme replied. "What kinds of things do you photograph? Besides sunflowers."


    "Everything. Well, everyday things that aren''t as ordinary as we would imagine at first nce," she smiled at him before looking back to the field. "I usually take my camera with me everywhere, because it''s those times when you least expect it that you see something extraordinary."


    "We don''t have a lot of that around here," Graeme said, thinking now of the images he had seen pervade so much of the human world¡ªparticrly online.


    "A lot of what?" August asked.


    "Just¡­ pictures," he shrugged his shoulders.


    "Really?" her eyes went wide. He nodded, his eyes crinkling in amusement as he saw the surprise in hers.


    "What makes your camera so much different than what''s avable on phones these days?"


    "Oh, well there''s a huge difference," sheughed. "I don''t even know where to begin. Cameras on smart phones have gotten incredibly good, but they don''t evenpare. I was so excited when I finally got my full frame camera. I love it. I''ll have to show you," she squeezed his hand.


    With just that action of her hand tightening around his affectionately, it was as if all the tension from that morning lifted from his shoulders up into the golden light of the sunflower field and burned away. As August became animated discussing her love of photography, he saw her light up. It was precious to her, even if he didn''t understand it.


    "Why aren''t there pictures here?" she asked, her head tilting curiously.


    Graeme''s eyebrows dipped as he thought about it. "I''m not sure. I guess it doesn''t really ur to us to capture things or moments that way. We just¡­ live them," he shrugged.


    "Have you ever wished you had a picture of Maggie?" August asked because she had not only seen but had also felt the intensity of how the woman affected Graeme. It was odd being able to recall some of Graeme''s memories now as her own¡ªhaving witnessed Maggie in Graeme''s mind rather than having a photo in front of her for reference.


    Graeme paused his steps and turned to face August, his hand still holding hers. "When I think of Maggie¡ªwhen I remember her," he gulped, and she saw guilt feather the muscles of his face, pulling his eyes down and away, "she is fully with me in those moments. I don''t need a picture. I have her always in my memory. Alive. Joyful. Kind. A picture can''tpare to it."


    August nodded and hummed her understanding. Once they began walking again, with a teasing smile she said, "well¡­ you haven''t seen my photos," and she swung his arm yfully.


    "Will your photographs change my mind?" he chuckled.


    She shrugged her shoulders and thenughed. "I doubt it, but you never know."


    She had been so confident, he realized, but then something happened. Graeme studied her curiously wondering what it was. "Why?" he asked quietly before he realized the word had left him.


    "Why what?"


    "Why do you doubt it?"


    August stopped swinging his hand in hers and stared at him. "What?" the questioning out as a breathyugh.


    "Why would you doubt your ability to sway me?" he asked, his voice so deliciously deep that it teased something within her¡ªas if his depth was calling to hers, and hers acknowledged it. "You''ve already made me realize things just by being¡­ you," he breathed, looking at the full bottom lip of hers that had dropped. "I don''t doubt that what you love will change things in me as well."


    While August remained lost for words in that depth that Graeme had teased open, he tugged her further along into the sunflowers. After some time walking infortable silence, August noticed how all the bright yellow faces towering above them were at an angle indicating thete afternoon hour. Her legs, which had started to feel weak beneath her some time ago, grew weaker, and she sighed. Apparently the three weeks of lost time had affected her strength after all.


    "I''m tired," she confessed, looking up at Graeme apologetically. He could see how her eyelids had be heavy.


    "Let''s head back," he agreed and scooped her up into his arms before she could object. "We''ll take it slow this time," he added quietly.


    August was so tired. More tired than she could remember ever being before, and thefort of Graeme had her giving in to the weight pulling down on her eyes. She rested her head against his shoulder and let his movements lull her to sleep on the way.


    It was dark in the treehouse when August awoke to find herself in bed with Graeme''s arm around her waist.. His breath was soft and even against the pillow behind her, and she felt herself lulled back to sleep listening to it and feeling thefort of his body cuddled against her.

 Chapter 35 - Gretas Correct Theory

    When August awoke the next day to sun streaming in the windows, she didn''t see Graeme in the room. Walking out onto the deck in the clothes she wore the day before, she saw Greta sitting in a lounge chair next to therge tree branch that jutted out from a hole in the deck to spread its leaves above the pool area.


    "Hi, Greta," August spoke weakly.


    "Good morning, you. How are you feeling?" Greta turned to face her with a rxed smile.


    "I''m quite tired," August replied honestly.


    "Hmmm. No doubt because of all the excitement yesterday," Greta replied, rising from the chair and checking August''s cheeks and forehead with the back of one hand. "You feel a little warm. It''s best if you stick close to the house today and rest." August nodded, and Greta continued. "Graeme went to get some things from the market, and I wanted to check on you anyway. I didn''t want to wake you."


    "Okay," August said. "I''m just going to go change," she added, pointing behind her to the bathroom.


    Greta watched the girl leave the deck, and her smile faded to a look of concern.


    August hoped that some cold water would wash away the tiredness that felt as if it was seeping into her bones. After sshing water on her face and tying her hair back into a messy pony tail, she changed into the firstfortable clothes she found in the closet.


    She smiled weakly remembering the afternoon spent with Graeme. He was sofortable to be with. His sister was the same way. She looked up to see her strange eyes in the mirror looking back at her, and she couldn''t help but worry that something else resided inside her that she didn''t know of yet¡ªsomething dangerous that had yet to show itself. The thought made her shiver. What if she hurt them? Graeme had been through so much. She couldn''t bear to add to it should the elders prove right about her.


    Greta prepared some broth that she hoped would help the girl who looked pale again today. It was hard saying what August''s body was going through now that she had awoken and what the path to stabilization would entail. What was her brother was thinking taking August out yesterday? With the council keenly aware of the human and seeking any excuse to bring judgment, now especially regarding this mention of so-called witches, if August were to have another one of her episodes out in front of others, it could turn for the worst.


    It would be best if her brother and Augustid low until more was sorted out rather than adding fuel to an already potentially vtile situation. But it was Graeme. He did what he wanted. Perhaps that''s what worried the elders the most.


    After realizing that August was taking quite a bit longer than expected, Greta went to check on her and discovered her sitting in a corner of the bathroom with her legs pulled into her chest.


    "August?" Greta hurried to her side, putting an arm around her back. She was hot again.


    "P-please don''t touch me," she said.


    "Let me help you," Greta replied.


    Not hearing her object, Greta scooped August into her arms andid her on the bed where she checked her temperature. Thankfully it wasn''t as high asst time, but the girl still appeared to be in pain. Tears were sliding out the corners of her eyes.


    "Try to open your eyes," Greta said softly, smoothing the hair off of August''s forehead for her to squeeze her eyes tighter. "Trust me," Greta touched the side of her face, "open your eyes, dear."


    Finally August listened, opening her eyes and allowing more tears that had pooled there to escape. She squinted against the brightness of the room until her gaze shifted to Greta''s face.


    "Greta?" she gasped, her eyes going wide and pupils growing to an abnormallyrge size before the gold gradually returned, burning deeper than before. "You''re like Graeme," came her whisper.


    Greta tipped her head to the side with a pleased smile spreading across her face. One theory of hers seemed to be right.


    "What is it that you see?" Greta asked.


    August sat up without taking her eyes off the peach-haired girl, reaching to feel the gxy of energy near Greta that was shimmering the same way it had around Graeme. A smile slowly formed on August''s face.


    "It''s so beautiful. And¡­ hard to exin. It looks like¡ªI think it''s your energy or something," she said in amazement. "But it looks like a¡­ a rotating aura of light and¡ªand shapes. Dancing around you."


    "Perhaps it can help you like Graeme''s energy did. Why don''t you give it a try?" Greta asked, as if she had suspected this all along.


    August concentrated on the miniature shimmering gxy orbiting Greta''s figure and extended her hand as if she were waiting for raindrops to fall on her skin. The aura rushed to include her in its orbit, and a profound calm prated her to her core.


    Greta smiled to herself as she noticed August be still and rxed. When August opened her eyes again, a new serene energy had settled around her. The fear that had previously been there in her eyes was gone.


    "Come, let''s test something," Greta took hold of the girl''s hand and led her out to the deck. By touch, Greta could already tell that August''s fever hade down.


    "I think this is an ability you could potentially tap into anytime, but I wonder how far it goes," she thought aloud. "There are multiple dimensions of energy all around us all the time. Can you pick up any others?"


    August gazed out into the forest around them, surprised at this theory Greta had shared with her. At first she didn''t notice anything different about their surroundings. Leaves that had yet to drop for the season danced around them on the trees. Crows called in the distance. Sunlight and shadows reflected on the surface of the pool water.


    It wasn''t until a gust of wind came to pass that August noticed how it shimmered unexpectedly in front of them, picking leaves from the trees and swirling them around before allowing them to fall. August gasped softly. Shifting her gaze upward into the trees that dwarfed the two of them, she noticed a green shimmering mist sweeping down between all the trees like a veil. And yet, within that veil, there were concentrated orbits of movement that came in and out of view¡ªdazzling auras weaving and dancing in and around each other.. It was like watching aplicated math form being written in the round¡ªwith light itself.

 Chapter 36 - Everywhere

    "It''s everywhere," August whispered in awe.


    It was like she was seeing the world for the first time. The forest was alive with an energy she had always suspected was there but had never seen until now¡ªonly it was more brilliant, more breathtaking than she could have ever imagined. It felt divine and ancient.


    She watched as a crow flew by with a hint of its aura trailing gracefully along behind it in a soft midnight blue hue. Now she noticed that there were trails like this all around them¡ªtraces of things that had been and gone. It was utterly breathtaking, and sheughed quietly, watching the splendor of life shimmer around them.


    "I think you''re having fevers because your body is fighting this ability, which is like an additional sense that seems foreign to it. It would take a lot of strength to fight it," Greta watched August as she took in her new sight. "You''re essentially fighting yourself."


    "How do I not¡­" August trailed off, distracted by another gust of wind that brought trails of mysterious things with it.


    "How do you not fight it?" Greta finished. "It''s something you need to figure out. Maybe you need to let go of the fear that it brings. When you ept it, I imagine you''ll be able to control it and make it work in your favor," Greta smiled at her.


    "Does this mean I''m a witch?" Fearced her words when she finally turned to look at Greta.


    "No, dear. No, not at all," Greta replied simply.


    "Am I like the lycan witches? The¡ªthe alyko?"


    "That was different. The alyko are lycan born. I suppose you could have gic simrities. It''s hard to say since we don''t have all the data from Eliade. But the alyko, with their abilities, there was nothing inherently bad or dangerous in them like thebel ''witch'' would imply. Nothing more dangerous than typical lycans. If only the elders weren''t so blinded by fear and hatred," she looked out into the trees as August was. "It''s poison."


    "There were children," August whispered. "Have there been any alyko children since?"


    Greta''s face fell at the question. Apparently it was something she had also considered. "None that I know of."


    August noticed a change in the energy around Greta at these words, and her eyes narrowed into a heaviness settling in the orbit around Greta''s chest. It was dark. As if acting on instinct, she ced her hand directly where it was, t against Greta''s chest. But something in her could reach deeper¡ªto where the darkness was¡ªand she extended that part of herself to retrieve the heaviness from around Greta''s heart. She could feel the darkness on her fingertips, turning her touch cold.


    A gasp escaped Greta''s lips, and she grabbed hold of August''s hand. "No, August. Let it go. Let it go," she said, eyes wide.


    "But¡­" August looked at her hand caught in Greta''s. "It looks painful. I can feel it¡­"


    "No, leave it," the girl said, ttening her hand against August''s and grabbing her arm with her other hand. Greta''s face contorted in pain, and she started gasping for breath feeling the human''s hand in her chest.


    August pulled her hand away, leaving the heaviness where it was. And just like that, the energy around her disappeared from view again. She blinked her eyes in confusion and looked back up at Greta who was bracing herself against the railing now.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered, backing away from Greta in shock. What had she done? She looked down at her hands that appeared just as they always had¡ªsolid, normal, human.


    "No, it''s okay," Greta gave her a weak smile when she seemed to have caught her breath. "I had no idea you could see that or¡ªor do that. I would''ve warned you. If you can alter people like that¡­" her voice trailed off for a moment, which was typical of her brother but not her. "I was surprised was all. That''s¡­ You can hurt yourself."


    "Did I hurt you?" She remained frozen in ce, the terror of what she could have possibly done to Graeme''s sister suddenly blooming in her mind.


    "No, no, you didn''t. It was just ufortable. I''m okay," the peach-haired girl nodded her head in reassurance, but she still held a hand against her chest. "You can''t do that, even if you want to. Do you understand?"


    August shook her head in confusion. How could she understand any of this?


    "You''re taking a darkness or obstruction into yourself to help the other person, but then what? If you don''t know how to discharge it or let it flow through and out of you, it will stay with you," Greta said. "I don''t want you burdened by something that belongs with me."


    August swallowed hard. "Oh¡­"


    "It''s okay, you didn''t know. It''s a sweet spirit like yours that would want to help," Greta reassured her, walking to where the girl was standing. "We''ll work on it, okay? Just be patient."


    "It''s gone now. I can''t see anything," August said quietly.


    "My reaction probably did it," Greta sighed. "It''s not something you need to fear. You just need to be careful, okay? For your well-being." August nodded without saying anything further.


    When Graeme arrived back, he found the girls together out on the deck.


    "Hey you two," he said, walking forward to kiss his beautiful mate on the head before doing the same to his sister. "Was the sleep okay?" he asked, turning to August. She nodded, smiling, but she appeared shaken about something.


    Graeme gave his sister a questioning look. "Greta, can you help me carry up some lumber?"


    "Of course. What are you doing to the treehouse now?" Greta got up to follow him out. She noticed that there were already bags covering half of the kitchen as they made their way out the door. "Wow, shopping spree?"


    "Just some things for August," he said. Greta smiled to herself. "And I thought I would make the shower area more private for her."


    "My thoughtful brother," Greta smiled. "Or you think the forest has eyes." Graeme raised an eyebrow at her.


    ''The forest does have eyes,'' he thought to himself. "Humans are weird about nudity," he shrugged.


    "So are jealous unmarked mates," she mumbled to herself.


    "What happened while I was gone? She looks like she saw a ghost," he stopped halfway down the wood stairs and turned to look at his sister.


    "She had a fever, but we made progress. That aura she saw around you? She can see it around everything. It was like as soon as she epted that ability, the fever vanished. I think she''s fighting it unknowingly, and that''s what''s making her sick," Greta exined. Her brother hummed in response. "But there''s more¡­"


    His expression turned grave. "What?"


    "She asked about the alyko children, and she could see, I don''t know, my fear? Or heartache? She tried to take it from me. Like out of me," Greta ced her own hands on her chest.


    "What?"


    "Yeah. That''s¡­" Greta threw her hands in the air. "I mean, I could feel her lifting it from me, Graeme."


    "Amazing," he whispered.


    "And unbelievably dangerous. She doesn''t know how to control it. What if it settles inside of her?" Greta had taken her brother''s arms in her hands. "She can''t do that. It''s time I introduce her to Sylvia," she said.


    "Sam''s mom?"


    "Yeah. She may be able to help. I''ll see what her schedule is like," she answered for Graeme to nod.


    When they returned to the deck with piles of lumber, Greta gave August a squeeze around the shoulders. "I have to get going, but I''ll be back tomorrow. Have my brother call me if you need anything. Okay?"


    "I got her a phone," Graeme interrupted for both girls to look at him.


    "Oh, nice! Well, then you can call me directly if you need anything," Greta smiled at August. "Or text or whatever."


    August nodded. "Thanks for helping me today," she said quietly.


    Greta smiled in response.. "No problem, sis."

 Chapter 37 - Gifts

    We''re only 10 PS away from a Halloween mass release of 5 chapters! Eeee! We can do it! Thank you so much for your votes!


    ****


    Once Greta left, August turned to Graeme. "What''s with all the wood?"


    "I thought you might be ufortable taking a shower out in the open," Graeme replied, meeting her eyes. "Did something happen while I was gone?"


    "Another fever," August nodded. "Your sister told you, didn''t she?"


    "She did," he confirmed, walking closer to look her over. "Are you okay?"


    "I could see her¡ªher energy or whatever. Like I could see yours. I could see the whole forest," she replied, waiting for Graeme to show the same surprise that she herself felt at the revtion. Graeme didn''t respond to it but searched her face, which looked ashamed for some reason. "It seemed to heal me," she added softly, "But then¡­ I," her voice broke. "I don''t know what happened. I just¡ªI just wanted to help her. I''m sorry," she looked down into her deceivingly normal-looking hands.


    Graeme took her in his arms. "You are amazing." He kissed the top of her head and felt her rx against him. "Just always consider yourself first. Please?" Thest part came out in a whisper. "And here I thought I was special," he pulled back with a smirk. "I got you some things,e see."


    August stumbled slowly behind him wondering how he could change the subject as if what she told him was nothing. "Keep in mind, these were just guesses to get you started," she heard him say. "We can get whatever else you need," and then, one by one, Graeme unveiled the gifts from reusable shopping bags that littered the kitchen. Canvases, an easel, oil and acrylic paints, charcoal and sketch books, books on different topics that he thought she might be interested in, a phone, aptop, a battery charger for her camera, a box of cannoli donuts from Mama May''s¡­ August stood looking at everything in shock.


    "Graeme¡­ you didn''t have to¡­" she started. "I¡ªI don''t know what to say," she touched the phone box.


    "Is this stuff okay?" he asked.


    "It''s all perfect. I just don''t want you to feel like I need or expect anything like this," her eyebrows furrowed under the weight of so much. She wasn''t good at receiving gifts, and this was in such abundance. It was overwhelming. "It''s¡ªit''s too much."


    "Can''t I spoil you?" Graeme approached her side. "I want you to eventually feel at home here."


    "Thank you," she said, unsure of what else to say when her chest was fluttering uncontrobly. He pulled her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin.


    "You''re wee," he sighed in the relief of having her against him. "Why don''t you unpack it all and get it set up. I''m going to get started on your new and improved shower."


    August stole nces of Graeme working while she took everything out of boxes and bags and got it sorted. Thankfully the ceiling-to-floor windows allowed her a view to the deck. She watched how his eyebrows threaded together in concentration as he worked with his hands, nailing pieces of wood to create a privacy wall where the shower area was hidden. Sweat had started to glisten on his face when August brought him some water.


    "It''s quite chivalrous of you to worry about my modesty," she said while leaning on the railing, watching him drink the water. "Can people see us up here?" she asked, looking down into the forest below.


    "Not unless they''re exceptional at climbing trees," he said.


    "Or have drones?" she added for him to smile.


    "Or that."


    "Showering out here doesn''t bother you. Maybe it shouldn''t bother me," she shrugged. He raised his eyebrows at her in disbelief.


    "Is that really how you feel? I just figured¡ªyou''re, you know, human¡­"


    "Are humans different?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.


    "Usually they''re¡­ weirdly neurotic about things like that, aren''t they?" Some of his dark hair had fallen over his forehead.


    Augustughed hearing his assessment of the so-called ''humans'' of which she was a part. "I guess many are," she answered.


    "Seriously¡ªyou have some pathologies because of it, honestly," he said and then caught himself. "I mean, not you specifically. You as in the collective you."


    "So lycans arefortable being naked out in the open?" she asked.


    "Yeah, I guess," he shrugged, chuckling and returning again to the remaining work he hadid out for himself. "I think we understand more that sort of primal or natural part of ourselves. And that, you know, bodies are just beautiful and nothing to be ashamed about. The judgment of others isn''t there like in humans." August nodded considering this, unable to avoid the memory of seeing Graeme out here showering, which stirred primal feelings of her own.


    "You must have spent a lot of time with humans," she thought aloud.


    "I''ve been everywhere. But I never thought I''d end up with one," his gaze fell on her with a teasing smile.


    "I don''t think you''re as surprised as I am," she smiled back at him. "So we''re assuming I''m still technically human?"


    "Maybebels aren''t important," he set down his tools and walked to her, reaching up to run a strand of her hair through his fingers. "You''re one of a kind. My August Moon. That''s all that matters," his hand tipped her chin up for him to kiss her lightly.


    "And I don''t know if I''ve mentioned it yet or not, but you are the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen," he tilted her head and kissed below her ear, breathing her in, "and smelled," he added, letting her intoxicating presence wash over him as he turned her face toward his again and looked down at her full lips. "And tasted," he bent down to kiss her again and stopped, hovering right over her lips as he met her eyes, which were burning golden back into his. Her cheeks were tinted pink at the mention of her smell and taste¡ªbut her lips were parted waiting for him, and he kissed her again for her to feel herself lift up out of her body to flutter somewhere happy and free in the forest.


    When Graeme pulled away from her, she immediately missed him. The warmth he brought. The security. The reassurance. But more than all of these things, he brought her what felt like a deeper understanding of herself in this new altered state she found herself in¡ªit was as if he was the missing part of piecing this all together inside her mind and body and¡ªand soul? She watched his previously unknown face that had now be a new home in her eyes as it looked softly back at her. "Graeme, I¡­" ''I''m afraid,'' the words arched out into the air unsaid, ''I think I love you already. And I''m afraid.''


    "Here¡ªlet me give you my number," he smirked under her gaze and took the phone she had forgotten was in her grip. "I''ll give you Greta''s as well."


    "Okay," she blinked back the words that had echoed in her mind.. Upon receiving the phone back from him, she saw he had put himself in under "Mate," and she smiled to herself as he went to clean up his tools.

 Chapter 38 - Elders

    High up in the council chambers, the elders Andreas, Auden, and Pearce had convened in theirrge meeting room overlooking the woods to discuss the matter of the young ex-Alpha taking on arger role in the council now that he would be staying in the pack.


    The meeting room, which was designated exclusively for the three men, looked more like a men''s lounge than a ce for conducting business. Because they spent much of their time in council chambers discussing pack matters, particrly following the death of thest Alpha and Luna, Andreas believed in incorporating leisure at every possible turn. He sat on the edge of his antique desk with its ornate golden ents smoking a cigar as his two colleagues sat in leather chairs on either side of him.


    "I don''t like it," Auden said simply for Andreas to hum in agreement.


    "I agree, Auden. But rather than exposing more of the council to him, we could instead use the opportunity to keep him close," Andreas said, squinting his eyes as the smoke billowed out of his mouth. "We would have control over his schedule and time."


    Auden''s eyes showed a spark of interest at these words, bringing a dull life to his otherwise weathered and grim face. "To separate them," the old, tense man sat a little straighter.


    "Well if he marks her, I''m not sure how much that will matter," Andreas replied. "Time is of the essence. Pearce, has Marius provided anything further of interest?"


    Compared to his colleague next to him, Pearce appeared more rxed in his high back leather chair. "Simply that the girl seems fond of our young Alpha. And that she had another fever. This morning, in fact."


    "But she recovered?" Andreas asked for Pearce to nod. "In regards to the mark, if she feels any kind of pull toward him, it is only a matter of time," Andreas mumbled around the cigar. "If she were lycan, it would already be done."


    "He cannot mark that witch," Auden hissed.


    The concern over the human girl turning to a witch was real given the nature of the pandemic and her role in Eliade''s experiment, but it wasn''t actually something the elders had discussed much until the day she awoke. She had injured Marius in a way indicative of enhanced power, but then she was in aa for three weeks. They assumed that she would die and be yet another sacrifice to the human''s pandemic, resolving the issue of their returned Alpha in the process.


    But Miss Cady had awoken, and now they were scrambling to get ahead of whatever revtions would take ce in Graeme''s mind as a result. The elders had secrets that would be dire if exposed, and this altered human girl who was apparently the mate of their rightful Alpha could give him the confidence to return and dig into them.


    Finding one''s mate brought a sense of purpose and responsibility, and if Graeme was empowered in that way, the council would have little choice but to bow to his authority. It was easy to keep him in the dark when he was younger, and they had gone to great lengths to ensure he would have few attachments in the pack that would keep him from wandering.


    What the gically transformed human was capable of was another matter entirely and not a factor they had concerned themselves too much with. They had Marius, after all. He could deal with any issues should they arise. It was really Graeme''s presence that was more threatening, particrly now that he had suggested taking up a role in the council.


    "Was mentioning witches yesterday not a mistake?" Pearce asked, eyebrows raised in question.


    "A mistake? Did you not see how Graeme nearly lost control? On the contrary, I think it was brilliant. And if either of our dear twins mentions the history of this pack to the girl, it should terrify her. Not to mention the fear the pack members will have with regards to it," he smirked at this. "Perhaps it will even nt doubt in Graeme''s mind."


    "Or it will make Graeme more determined," Pearce pointed outzily.


    "His determination is there regardless. She is his mate," Andreas waved it off. "She''s in a precarious position right now. All it takes is a push in the right direction."


    "Right off a cliff," a wicked grin spread over Auden''s features, "and with it our young Alpha."


    Andreas rolled his eyes behind the cigar smoke at Auden''s remark. "Yes, Auden," he said, annoyance evident.


    "We should assign him immediately," Pearce said as he looked absentmindedly at his nails.


    "Yes. And let''s bring her out into the open. Whispers of an outsider witch will do well for our purposes in the pack. When was thest time the council had one of our fabulous feasts?" Andreas asked of Pearce.


    "The soonest it can be arranged would be next Saturday. Calix is offnd for business," Pearce replied. "There''s also the pack''s Samhain celebration at the end of next month. It''s a full moon this year," he gave Andreas a meaningful look. Extra care would surely be going into such an asion.


    Andreas clicked his tongue. "That''s right. I suppose we can''t have two gatherings that close together. But Samhain is too far off. There will be bonfires for the uing full moon. Have Marius keep tabs on whether they''ll be going to any of them. Let''s think of a way to stir things up."


    "You would wish for them to go to a bonfire?" Pearce''s eyebrows peaked again.


    Andreas growled to himself. "It''s unlikely that what you''re thinking of would ur¡ªour customs arepletely alien to her. They should frighten her more than anything. And we need her exposed to pack members. It''s the best way to sow whatever discord exists already."


    Auden nced nervously between the two other elders when he heard Pearce sigh heavily. A tension had started to build from Pearce''s position in the room, and that alone was unusual for the elder known for his calm and rxed demeanor.


    Andreas raised his hands. "I acknowledge it is not without risk. But risk is inevitable at this point. There is no avoiding it. And, not to forget, we have Marius."


    "What will Graeme be doing during his time here?" Pearce asked. "It can''t be too trivial or he''ll grow suspicious."


    "Well we need to give him something he wants," Andreas answered.


    "It would make sense to put him with Damon in his watch on Eliade," Auden said.


    "It would. However, that has stalled in recent weeks. And that would drive him outside the pack and focusing more intensely on his mate. We can give him the brief on it, of course. Perhaps we can instead distract him with that which brings the most unease to his mind. Remind him of his guilt. Of his fear. Of his inability to lead this pack," Andreas said.


    "The alyko files," Pearce nodded.


    "And perhaps his parents'' case file," Andreas replied, another billow of smoke curling out of his mouth.


    "But then we know where that will lead," Auden scoffed.


    "It will lead precisely where we want it to, Auden. And end where we want it to. Send Zosime to my office when we''re done here," Andreas replied, smudging out the cigar.


    ***


    We did it! We made it to (and past) 80 PS, so you, my dear readers, are in for a Halloween treat of 5 chapters tomorrow night starting at 7 EST.. Thank you so much for your support in helping grow LMSF. It''s so fun sharing this story with you!

 Chapter 39 - Enchantment

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And happy mass release! Thank you everyone for your votes and for sharing your thoughts andments, especially AimeeLynn, DespinaNY, Kendall_Michk, Sravanthi82, Janell_Apple, Tot_2U, Michelle_Stephens_4041, IrishJ_MJ, Carey_Shantz, Ivette_Santiago, Ziggysmom, crmsnbty, Momma_Ivy, Mahli_Hogan, pamfelix, m_small, Ivette_Santiago, Maria_Daris, SB08, Nyx1663, Sweenkie and anyone I may have missed - this mass release is for all of you. Mwah.


    ****


    Back in the treehouse, August was sitting cross-legged on the bed with the newptop wondering how it was even possible that they had wifi there when Graeme entered after receiving a phone call.


    "How is it going?" He asked her, leaning against the door frame.


    "This is a way nicerptop than I had," her eyes lit up. "Just getting it set up," she smiled at him. He noticed how her smile faded as if her mind was taken by something else.


    "What''s bothering you?" he sprung off the door frame and came to sit on the edge of the bed.


    "Oh," she shook her head with brows furrowed, realizing that she had been caught in other thoughts. "I was going to put my mom''s number in the phone. Not that I would call her," she said quickly, ncing up at Graeme, "but then I started thinking about my stepdad¡­ I had wondered why he would be so generous as to send me here," sheughed bitterly. "I knew he wanted to get rid of me, but¡­ this is next level even for him."


    "What''s his name?" Graeme asked, scooting closer.


    "n," she said quietly.


    "I can''t hate that you''re here," Graeme confessed. "But once everything settles down, I would love to pay this n a visit."


    August raised an eyebrow at him. "My mom loves him," she said.


    "Perhaps not if she knew the truth," he replied.


    "He''s already beaten her, and she still loves him. She would deny that he had any knowledge of the experiment or find a way to twist it in his favor," August had seen it happen so many times. "When so much of your identity is tied up in someone, even if you fear them, I guess it blinds you to reality. Not to mention that this whole story ispletely bonkers. She would never believe it herself," she chuckled.


    Hearing this, Graeme was even more thankful that August was here with him. The human girl in his bed sitting like a child with her hair sticking out every which way from a messy pony tail. He imagined all the moments strung together over her lifetime¡ªmornings waking up in her parent''s house, holidays, afternoons when she would return from school¡ªin which a family member would have the opportunity to see her grow and mature, bing her own person blooming in the world, unique from everyone else. All that time with her that he would have personally cherished had he known her. How could her parents not wish to continue cherishing and protecting her now?


    "I''m sorry your mother has let you down," he said finally. "Perhaps you''re stronger now because of it."


    Is that what you call it when the naive image of your parents is shattered? It seemed doubtful. "Are you stronger now because of your past?" she asked, meeting his eyes with her golden ones.


    "Sure I am," he sighed, running a hand over his beard thoughtfully. But it wasn''t the truth. He had chosen to run. And once he started running, he hadn''t stopped. Not until this girl in front of him had literally stopped him in his tracks.


    August watched him, sensing the internal conflict simr to her own. He offered her a crooked smile. "What?" heughed softly. She shook her head silently, returning his smile.


    "Andreas was the one who called," he said. "They want me toe in now to discuss a council position, which is a good thing. Hopefully I can get a clearer picture of what they''re up to. But I don''t want to leave you," his dark eyes studied her. If only he could mark her, it would relieve a lot of the anxiety that had be his constantpanion now. But there was no good way to bring it up after yesterday. He wanted her safe, but he also wanted herfortable and certain about her ce with him.


    "Oh, it''s fine," she said, waving him off. "I have plenty to entertain me now," she grinned in reassurance.


    He sighed. "I never mentioned that when we were kids, Greta and I were often here on our own. Maggie sealed the treehouse with a protective enchantment for our parents so they wouldn''t have to worry. No one with harmful intentions can approach it," he exined.


    August''s eyes grew wide with this revtion. "Is it just the house? Or the stairs too?"


    "It''s actually fixed on the tree, so it extends as far as the roots do," he replied.


    "I knew this tree was special," she whispered to herself.


    He took theptop, set it on the side table, and then pulled her legs toward him so she was right in front of him where he could feel her body heat intermingle with his. "August," he breathed her name for her eyes to burn darker.


    "Yes?" she whispered, her heart fluttering at the feel of his breath on her skin. Their heads were bowed together, and he sighed again, biting his bottom lip. He ran his hand down her neck and heard her suck in a breath in response.


    "I''m not sure I can leave you here," he whispered, pulling back to look into her eyes.


    "You just said it was safe."


    "Even with the enchantment, I-I''m not sure I can," his face was furrowed with worry, and she reached up to smooth the lines on his forehead, a smileing to form on her lips.


    "Maybe at some point we just have to trust that, if this is right, the universe will meet us halfway. It''s worked out so far, hasn''t it?" She found his hand to hold it in her own.


    He hummed in agreement. "You know you''re everything to me, right?" He lifted her hand and kissed it, looking up at her through long darkshes. She gulped softly. "Don''t search for anything online that would bring suspicion. Nothing about yourself, your family, Eliade, lycans, conspiracy theories¡­ You get the idea. No logging into old ounts."


    "I''m actually pretty smart, believe it or not," sheughed softly.


    His expression stayed gentle as he reached up to touch her face, pulling her close where he could feel her lips against his again, indulging in the safety he felt with her in his arms. It was something he would never be able to get enough of. But it was hard not making her his right at this very moment. He reluctantly pulled away from her and stood up to leave. Andreas was waiting.


    "Well, I''m d I got you a phone this morning," he said. "Promise to call for even the smallest thing?"


    "Of course," she nodded. A question suddenly struck her. "How does Greta research everything if not online?"


    "She has her ways," he said vaguely and smiled, bending to kiss her forehead. "I shouldn''t be too long," he added before disappearing through the bedroom door. "You haven''t touched the broth or the donuts yet!"


    "Oh, I will!" She called back,ughing to herself.


    "I will force feed you if I have to, August Moon.. You need to eat!" He called again before she heard the outer door close, leaving her smiling alone in the house.

 Chapter 40 - The Winters

    "Graeme, wee back. Do you really feel you''ll befortable in a transitional position here?" Andreas spoke from his more formal posture sitting behind the antique desk. He looked up at Graeme over his sses.


    "I think it''s the best thing right now. I''m d the elders agreed," Graeme replied, although truthfully, being in this office again made his skin itch. Old memories¡ªnone of them good¡ªwere wing to get out. But he would be strong and forge past them. He had a renewed purpose being here now, and he was determined to be strong for his mate.


    "Yes, well this is all remarkably unexpected. I suppose we have to find our way through it. How is Miss Cady?"


    "She is doing well considering," he said.


    "Wonderful." Andreas gave him a tight smile.


    "Are you going to enlighten me about the alyko''s involvement?" Graeme asked.


    Andreas paused in the middle of flipping a page on his desk before allowing the page to rest t. He removed his sses and stood, walking around the corner of his desk to rest on its edge before he spoke.


    "One of the lead researchers at Eliade is not someone whose name is in the media. Penelope Winter. Have you heard of her?" Andreas asked.


    "As in the Winter alyko family?" Graeme asked.


    The Winters were a notoriously powerful alyko family that had splintered off from a lycan pack in Louisiana. They had far more alyko members than any other family in history, and they chose to live amongst humans¡ªentering into different careers to help society with their unique abilities while keeping those abilities secret, of course.


    Understandably, a Winter alyko seeded at whatever profession they chose to enter, and they were spread across the continent. Graeme wouldn''t be surprised if their influence had gone global by now, though he hadn''t kept track of them.


    "Oh,e now. Don''t you think ''Winter witches'' has a better ring to it?" Andreas tilted his head in amusement. "Science and magic aren''t at odds. Our witches liked to say that their magic was also a kind of science, am I right? Is it so hard to believe a Winter would be in charge at Eliade?"


    Graeme watched Andreas without responding. The old man was right. The alyko often insisted that theirs was a deeper, or different, insight and awareness into the natural world¡ªthat there was nothing unnatural about it.


    A memory surfaced in Graeme''s mind of when he and Greta were young. They were outside Maggie''s little cottage watching butterflies swirl upward around them in the air. Greta had been upset about something that Graeme couldn''t remember now, and Maggie had called on the butterflies to gather in hopes that it would make her smile.


    "Maggie, it''s so beautiful!" young Greta had eximed, eyes sparkling. "But how do you do it? How do you speak to the butterflies? Is it your magic?"


    Graeme remembered watching Maggie thoughtfully as he always did, being a quiet child. Greta was always boisterous enough for the both of them.


    "Is it magic when the birds flock together in the air and fly the same way or when little tiny ants carry huge spiders along with them? Is it magic when we breathe into our lungs the very air that the trees exhale?" Maggie had asked patiently.


    "No," Greta squeaked. "That''s just nature, Maggie."


    "So is this, Miss Greta," Maggie had smiled.


    "But then why can I not speak to the butterflies like you, Maggie?" little Greta asked.


    "Ah, well I imagine you could if you felt the breath of the butterflies like I do," Maggie replied.


    "How do you do it?" Greta asked again.


    "The Moon Goddess gave me the gift of feeling the breath of butterflies and calling on them forpany. She gave me the gift of speaking to the trees and invoking the wind. Just like she gave you the gift of your wolf," Maggie exined.


    "But I haven''t gotten my wolf yet," Greta argued, as she was still too young to have shifted into her wolf for the first time.


    "Ah, but you will, my love. You will," Maggie hummed.


    Graeme blinked back to the face of the elder in front of him. Andreas and others like him argued against there being anything scientific or natural about the alyko. The hate and distrust that had brewed for the alyko over generations was precisely because they were deemed unnatural, so why was Andreas making the opposite point now?


    Andreas continued. "Witches of course have an entirely different insight into the natural world, which coincides with the insight needed to achieve the human virus'' ultimate goal," he said. "Of course, we don''t care all that much what the humans do to each other. Saving the, if that is truly the mission, is something we would also benefit from. Fewer humans in general would be wee, should that be the only oue. The question is why is one of their experimental subjects suddenly paired up with you?"


    "My mate is not a threat, Andreas," Graeme replied in a voice so low that the warning in it was unmistakable.


    "And you know this how?" Andreas'' voice lowered to match. "We are being targeted for some unknown reason, Graeme. Her presence here proves it. You leaving destabilized us, and we appear weak, which has brought this external threat to our door."


    "Is this what I''m here for? A lecture?" Graeme asked, his jaw clenching.


    "I hope you''re here to help us strengthen the pack," Andreas folded his hands in hisp.


    "Have you considered that her presence may mean that as well? Strength for the pack?" Graeme tilted his head now. "I somehow imagined I would be forced to consider an offer from the elders to take up the role of Alpha with a Luna now by my side."


    "Sorry to disappoint you," Andreas'' eyes narrowed before he returned to his ce behind the desk. "I don''t think our pack members would befortable with an outsider in such a powerful role either."


    "She is my mate, not an outsider," Graeme growled through his teeth as Andreas smirked at him over his fingers.


    "Shall we talk about what you can do here for us?" Andreas asked. "Few know about a small research team here in the council created a few years ago. It''s led by a young lycan named Zosime," Andreas said.


    "Her name doesn''t sound familiar," Graeme said.


    "She was a stray who wandered in from the Grimm. We found she held considerable¡­ skill that could be put to use," Andreas answered.


    "An outsider," Graeme''s chuckled. "Andreas, are you familiar with hypocrisy?"


    "She''s not the Luna of the pack, Graeme," Andreas answered. "And she is very bright. I''d like you to consult with her about their project."


    "And what project is that?" Graeme asked skeptically.


    "The alyko files."

 Chapter 41 - Zosime

    Andreas led Graeme through the medical wing of the pack house and down a modern corridor flooded with natural light. Offices andrger conference rooms lined both sides of the hall¡ªtheir exterior walls floor to ceiling windows that brightened the whole floor despite each room being obscured from the hallway by frosted ss.


    Andreas stopped and knocked on one such door before opening it to reveal a young girl sitting behind arge white desk, staring at aputer.


    "Zosime, I present Graeme Hollowell. Please fill him in on what we discussed," Andreas said and promptly left the way they had came. Surprise passed over Graeme''s expression for a moment upon finding this stray-turned-lead researcher to be no older than 14.


    Zosime sprung from her chair and walked around her desk to grab Graeme''s hand. "I am so excited to meet you, Graeme. I''ve heard so much about you," she said. "You can call me Zoe. Andre is so formal. He refuses to do it no matter how many times I ask."


    Andre? "Nice to meet you, Zoe," Graeme replied.


    "You need to be careful of that mate of yours, Graeme. I can''t wait to meet her though. Wow, an actual live subject from Eliade! What are the chances? I just can''t believe it. And that she survived! I wonder how many of subjects worldwide have survived the final process so far. There''s no data on that yet. Andre thinks the whole pandemic transmutation is doomed to failure, but he is definitely not a man of science, isn''t it so? Stupid fears of the alyko witches¡­" Zosime shook her head regretfully with wide childlike eyes.


    "Alyko are actually quite wonderful with their maniption of the elements, don''t you think? Oh I mean, apart from those responsible for your parent''s death, obviously. I''m so sorry. This pack has a gruesome history. That is part of the reason I was terrified when I was caught as a stray by Marius and brought to the elders. I was so thankful they gave me a chance. Of course I can understand the paranoia regarding strays and alyko with the history here, don''t get me wrong¡­" she continued to talk quickly while twirling a strand of hair around her finger and asionally batting hershes at Graeme before looking away shyly to the wall. Graeme, who felt that potentially useful information wasing at him in rapid-fire, stood slightly dumbstruck.


    "Zoe, Zoe¡­" Graeme interrupted her. "Can you fill me in on what it is exactly you do here?"


    "Of course! So we focus on maintaining an offensive front to what the council perceives as threats to the pack or to lycan kind in general mostly through data collection. Initially when I first got here, the elders simply wanted me to keep an eye on the global movement of creaturemunities, particrly the known alyko from other packs as they believed them to be a significant threat for obvious reasons. That''s how we discovered Penelope Winter was in the area and working as a prominent, though secret, figure in the research done at Eliade," Zoe said, continuing to twirl her hair like a child rather than a lead researcher Andreas had entrusted pack information to.


    "Anyway, the other thing we''ve done¡ªor that I''ve done, it''s kind of a pet project of mine¡ªis sequence alyko DNA andpare it to traditional lycan DNA," she returned to her desk and clicked on a screen disying what appeared to be a three dimensional DNA structure.


    "Of course, Andreas is set on there being some kind of fundamental difference¡ªas if the so-called witches were their own species, but they clearly aren''t. Instead, I proposed that rather than the genes themselves being significantly unique, it instead has to do with the way the DNA folds in the fourth dimension. A way of interacting with the universe and its energy in an entirely different way that also happens to impede lycanthrope activation. The folding isn''t something anyone can manipte in ab, of course. And it''s just a theory," Zoe yed a video simtion of this hypothetical four dimensional folding. "A theory that the elders don''t understand," she mumbled to herself.


    "Being able to test a subject that has undergone the viral and catalyst transformation would be huge," she peeked excitedly at Graeme. "When can we meet your mysterious mate?"


    Graeme met Zosime''s eager eyes. While her face was one of innocence, he sensed something sinister lurking beyond. Maybe it was just the intelligence that was in such stark contrast to her features and demeanor.


    "Hmmm, I don''t know Zoe. We''ll have to see how August feels about it," he replied carefully.


    Zoe giggled. "Well, you can''t hide her forever, Alpha." Her eyes went wide in apparent embarrassment. "Oh, don''t tell Andre I called you that.. Come, let me show you something."

 Chapter 42 - The Map

    Zoe led him a few doors down and into arge bright space with rows of white desks¡ªall of them empty except one.


    "Kai," Zoe called to a mess of ck hair and headphones bowed behind aputer screen. ck eyes rose behind the illumination of artificial light and promptly went wide upon seeing Graeme. The male lycan jolted up awkwardly behind his desk before pulling his headphones down.


    "Graeme, this is Kai. He handles the tech side of everything we do," Zoe chirped.


    Kai gave a stiff, unsure bow as if he didn''t know what greeting was expected of him. Graeme responded with a silent nod.


    "Kai is responsible for this beautiful live disy," Zoe exined, gesturing to the side wall behind her. "It''s what Andreas is most proud of."


    At first nce, the ck wall appeared to be a disy of a starry night sky. But then Graeme noticed dark gray outlines that traced a syed map of the globe with a side row of squares¡ªeach a magnified section of a different area.


    Graeme''s feet carried him forward as he recognized the United States in onerge square, the state of Maine in another, and then an even tighter zoom of the area covering Eliade, the Grimm, and the pack''snd.


    On therge map of the globe, sharp pin-sized points of light burned brightly in various areas before blinking out while other areas had diffuse mists of light that remained hazy against the ck.


    Compared to the global map, Maine was quite dark aside from a few diffuse areas. One of those areas looked very familiar. Graeme''s eyes narrowed in recognition. It was right over his pack''snd.


    "What is this?" He asked, biting back a growl.


    "The project was initially called the ''alyko files,''" Zoe chirped again. "Well, the elders had some kind of stupid witchy name for it, but officially, that''s what it was called when sharing between packs. A physicist¡­"


    "Sharing between packs?" Graeme interrupted.


    "Mhmm," Zoe answered with her hands folded behind her back. "Our allied packs in the U.S. wanted this data as much as we did. A way of keeping an eye on the alyko."


    Graeme''s stomach dropped. When had this started? And how had he had no idea? He swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry as he realized how much had changed since he left. Nothing good coulde from this kind of data collection.


    "As you can see from therger map of the U.S., every lycan pack has their own vaguely visible glow," Zoe exined. "The bright points that light up and burn out are known alyko¡­"


    "You did all this?" Graeme asked, emphasizing the first word as he stared at Zoe and then at Kai.


    "Well¡­" Kai started.


    "We adapted theories from a physicist in Norway, and it''s really been a widespread coboration between packs to tag everyone and set up corresponding sensors to monitor them. But then Kai was able to convert the information into the visual disy you see here." Zoe approached the area of the wall that included Eliade.


    "You don''t see her now, because the alyko only be visible when they are actually using their abilities, but Penelope shows up in this area where Eliade is. And she has consistently been there or in the surrounding area since early this year."


    "How do you know it''s her?" Graeme asked, his eyes squinting at the ck area Zoe was gesturing toward.


    "We followed up by sending someone out. We have a special person for that," Zoe replied.


    Graeme looked back at the nearly empty room.


    "Most of our team members have other responsibilities or jobs and are rarely here now that everything has been running smoothly on its own. But there have been exciting times when the room is full. I miss it," Zoe sighed.


    "One of my dear friends is actually studying gics at a University off of packnd. I guess she was inspired by our work here and wanted to expand her knowledge to help in different ways," the young girl beamed.


    "And what is your role exactly, Zoe?" Graeme asked.


    "Well as the team leader, I dabble in everything and require a widespread understanding of all facets of the project, but biochemistry is my first love."


    "Biochemistry?" Graeme repeated. "You''re how old?"


    "Oh, well, I''m almost 15," Zoe looked down at her feet shyly.


    "You were a stray who stumbled upon this pack with advanced knowledge in biochemistry?" Graeme asked.


    "Oh no," Zoeughed. "I didn''t know much about it then at all, but Marius and the elders realized I''m a fast learner, and they wanted to see how well I could apply myself to something like this. I told them the areas of expertise I would need on the team, and they provided me with people. We got the job done. But there are still so many ways we want to improve it. One obvious example is being able to identify an alyko''s biographical information from the map alone. We''re not set up for that yet, and we don''t have the data. When the tagging began, it was quite sloppy, but we''re looking to change that."


    "So just the alyko are tagged like this? Or all lycans?"


    "Just alyko or suspected alyko. Normal lycans wouldn''t show up."


    "What is the dim light in the packnds then?"


    Kai raised a hand, "Uh, that is just a visual indication put in manually," he offered. Graeme stared at him without responding. "In¡ªin order to more easily see if a suspected alyko uses abilities within a pack."


    "Yes. As a precaution of course¡ªto prevent history from repeating itself," Zoe added. "For other packs who still have alyko members, this is a way of keeping an eye on them as well."


    "How does this tagging work? How are you sure of the reliability of this?" Graeme asked.


    "That is a great question. And it''s super fascinating," Zoe replied. "Let me show you the research."


    She led him out of the room and back into the hallway. "Thank you Kai," she called over her shoulder before turning back to Graeme with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.. "I hope you enjoy our amazing private library as much as I do."

 Chapter 43 - The Crow

    Back at the treehouse, August sent Greta a text letting her know what number to reach her at.


    ''Hi Greta, this is August!''


    ''Hey sis! I''ming over tomorrow with Sam and his mom, Sylvia. She is a reiki master and lovely person in general. Does 9 am sound okay?''


    ''Sounds good!''


    ''Great. Are you doing okay? Graeme told me he had council work tonight.''


    ''Yep! All good here.''


    ''Okay, sis. I''m sending a link for meditation I want you to check out. I think it will really help! Let me know if you need anything, okay?''


    ''Will do. Thanks, Greta!''


    With that, August pulled out the paper and drawing pencils Graeme had gotten her and drew the curious crow she had met in the forest, embellishing it with an aura that seemed to shimmer around it, entuating the glimmer of light in its eyes.


    "I never brought you that pizza crust I promised, huh?" she said to the paper in front of her. She sighed and returned to the kitchen to retrieve the box of donuts. ''The tree and its roots are safe¡­'' she recalled. With the new phone in her pocket and her camera around her neck, she took the box of donuts with her outside, descending the steps and looking around cautiously. No one seemed toe around this area of the forest.


    She sat against the trunk of the massive tree munching happily, hoping her crow friend would eventually appear and share her delight in May''s delicacy. It was remarkable how different this part of Hallows Forest looked inparison to the darkness she had entered with Jonathan and her friends. With that thought, she pulled her camera up to look through the photos she had taken that day.


    The first pictures August scrolled through weren''t from suicide forest but from herst day at home. She had taken photos of her street that day, of the neighbor kids who were walking by on the sidewalk on their way to the park¡ªof little Trenton who stopped and posed awkwardly with his arm over his head as sheughed and thanked him for such a handsome picture¡ªof her mom at home and in the car and in the airport.


    August stopped at the photo of her mom showing off the sugar skull tattoo August had drawn on her back earlier that morning. Her mom''s face was in profile with her shirt pulled over her shoulder to reveal August''s artwork. Wispy golden-white hairs glowed, backlit by the sun, framing her mom''s profile while her long eyshes curved, brushing against her cheeks. She was so beautiful.


    August smiled and touched the screen of her camera. "I always wanted your eyshes, mom," she whispered.


    She sniffed back salty tears that were threatening to arise and clicked the arrow to the next picture. Photos of the forest on the way to Eliade, of the university''s beautiful architecture, of her dorm, of the lewd writing inside the bathroom stalls, of her shoes on the first day of ss, and¡ªeventually¡ªof Cass and Jenna and Elsie and Jonathan on their way to suicide forest.


    "You were such a good friend to me, Elsie," she whispered to a photo of the girl crouched next to a t-shirt wrapped around one of the trees. "I''m so sorry this happened."


    August wiped her tears and clicked to the next photo. It was ck. The camera must have gone off with the lens cap on. She clicked again. ck again, but this time a small band of white arched across the corner. Was that¡­ August zoomed in to the small area of the photo, but the white only became blurry and distorted. "The eye? It can''t be. It¡ªit wasn''t real," she whispered.


    The eye in the ck forest. The eye of death. August''s hands started shaking as she recalled what happened when she regained consciousness only to find that her friends were dead. And Elsie''s blown pupils¡ªthe way the ck had grown sorge and hollow¡ªshed in her mind. ''They''re all dead, August.'' Hearing Jonathan''s voice echo in her memory had the donuts suddenly rising in her throat.


    August clicked the power button on her camera and stood up quickly to lean against the tree trunk, steadying herself. Her vision flickered in and out before returning back to normal but not before beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead.


    ''No, no, no, not again.'' Panic started to me in her chest with the thought of having another episode, and she tried fighting it down with deep breaths. ''Don''t fear it. Don''t fear it.'' She remembered how Greta had helped her earlier and her recent suggestion of meditation.


    August closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest. The leaves above her rustled in the wind. They sounded remarkably like arge body of moving water, as if an ocean existed above her and if she looked up, she would be met with a world turned upside down.


    She took herself to the memory of sitting on a beach with her mother, letting waves lick their feet and watching the frothy bubbles that remained on the sand once the waves receded. A jellyfish had stung her that day, though she had never seen it. An invisible creature that left proof of its alien form in red marks on her leg.


    Now, under the tree, her breathing calmed and slowed. She concentrated on how the air entered her lungs for her chest to rise softly before she breathed it back into the forest. Her and the tree were in this exchange of air together, and she patted its rough surface with her hand in appreciation. When she finally opened her eyes, a green veil greeted her, falling all around her. It was breathing along with her. "Okay, it''s okay," she whispered for only herself to hear.


    She carefully sat back down against the base of the tree and allowed the forest to meet her eyes, adjusting to its quiet radiance. Nothing was threatening here aside from her own mind.


    The world around August breathed with a vibrant radiance. She could feel this exchange of energies, this exchange of air and time, and suddenly her body was alive with more than herself. It felt as if every little cell inside of her was vibrating apart from one another and yet together¡ªseparate little entities inside of her, and yet she was whole. And suffusing this space between her vibrations was the universe¡ªvibrating in time with her. Vibrating in time with all. A choreographed dance of existence.


    August suddenly felt the rhythm of it, the waves of something far greater in scope than could ever beprehended, and here she was a microscopic piece of it, vibrating in time. It was as if all of her little parts may be scattered like star dust at any moment, breathed in and weed by the universe that was her home. She heard the stars then, heard them singing, and every part of her aligned in attention.


    A crow sliced through the green veil of the forest and alighted at her feet. It tilted its head, a midnight blue aura shimmering in the space where its head had just been.


    August tilted her head to match, a mirror image of the ck bird before her. "I was hoping to see you," she whispered. "How did you know?"


    The crow straightened and hopped back, turning to walk away from her before stopping and hopping around to face her once again. When she didn''t move, it ruffled the feathers of its wings and made a soft clucking sound.


    "Shall I follow you?" she whispered. The bird''s head dipped as if in acknowledgement, and August slowly stood.. "Okay then."

 Chapter 44 - Following

    "Where are we going?" August whispered, a soft smile spreading across her face at the peace that pervaded her. Walking through Graeme''s forest, following this crow, watching as the forest''s energies and auras glided around her¡ªit all feltforting and right.


    They were walking in a different direction than when she and Graeme had gotten pizza. This was not a direction she had gone before, she was sure of it. The forest wasn''t as dense, and the crow had taken flight low amongst the trees, weaving in and out before returning to soar in front of her.


    After she had been following the bird for a good twenty minutes, she patted her pockets to realize that she had left her phone at the base of the tree with her camera. It was only then that a sliver of fear wriggled itself into her chest. What was she doing? Graeme had worried about leaving her alone even when she was protected by the enchantment of the treehouse, and now she was back alone in the forest with no way of reaching him and no idea where she was.


    Her eyes darted around looking for the crow, suddenly realizing that it wasn''t flying directly in front of her as it had been. A sharp caw sounded from a branch further along in her path, and she caught the piercing blue of its eyes. She let out a deep sigh as she trained her eyes on it, continuing her walk forward.


    When the bird crouched and jumped off the branch, catching the breeze under its wings, August realized that this, too, she could feel inside of her as if the crow were an extension of herself. All of the tension that had suddenly tightened her muscles rxed, and she forgot the worry of the phone and of the enchanted tree left behind. The certainty of her ce here that she could feel in every small hum of the energy within her was enough reassurance. She was going to be okay.


    As she walked, she relished in the simplicity of this. Everything was soplicated around her, no doubt, and she couldn''t untangle the meaning behind all that danced now visible before her eyes, but this¡ªwalking in the woods¡ªwas so beautifully simple. It was everything she had wished she could do growing up.


    There were rare instances when she was actually able to have solitary moments in nature, and usually those moments were met with at least the low buzz of machines and people and noises of civilization in the background. But right now, the quiet of all that was wild here was perfect. And somehow she could feel it like a river. She was flowing with it, riding the current.


    And just as the metaphor arrived in her mind, the perfect quiet of the woods began to gurgle with the sounds of water. The iridescent ck feathers of her crow shimmered as it glided through the sunlight and over a creek, and August found herself walking out onto a boulder with running water below. She recognized this creek. This was the creek in Graeme''s memory.


    As she stood poised in this spot, the breeze ying with her golden strands of hair, she saw Graeme there in her mind. His memories came alive, and the creek was a canvas with moments throughout his life skipping along in brushstrokes. Time had recorded it like a painter, and she was able to stand here and witness ite to life. It brought tears to her eyes.


    There was Graeme just the other day as he stood here lost in the past. She saw him with his hands in his pockets, face lined in guilt and worry and anger. He had so much weighing him down, she felt it as she watched him standing there before her. He was beautiful and powerful and¡­ and broken.


    Her face flushed with the heat of something she couldn''t identify, but it was potent as it rose up in her, and she wanted to be with him at that very moment to take all of that weight from him. Tofort him like he hadn''t been. Who did he have tofort him in thest ten years?


    August realized her hands were clenched in fists as the image of Graeme dissipated, and she consciously rxed them¡ªextending them now to test their feeling in this air, on her hands, reminding herself that she was here and he wasn''t. She looked around for the crow who had led her to this spot, and she caught a ruffling of feathers on the other side of the creek.


    The bird was perched on an ancient looking tree. Moss and thecy texture of lichens adorned its wide trunk.


    August looked now at the rolling water in the creek as it flowed effortlessly over the rocks in its path. There was a consistent line of jutting rocks that led to the other side where the ancient tree sat. Over these rocks, the creek spilled into a small waterfall before folding and frothing over itself further down.


    Without pausing to consider the risk, August walked further up the side of the creek to approach this line of rocks so she could cross and continue following the ck bird who had brought her here. She was wearing a pair of hiking boots that Greta had given her earlier that day, and now she watched the rounded brown toes as she gingerly extended each foot¡ªone in front of the other¡ªto cross the creek.


    On the third rock, she slipped before catching herself. Now her arms were extended wide for bnce as she concentrated¡ªtrying to measure the amount of slip on each rock topensate with how her foot was ced. And yet, somehow, a joy swelled within her even now. The motion of the water sprayed fresh around her, and it was exhrating. This was life. This was everything.


    August had made it over half of the way across, and she looked up to see the crow''s glowing blue eyes on her. She felt the gaze pierce her. She stepped in line to meet that expectant gaze, but she didn''t looked down to see where her foot was first, and suddenly she was slipping. Her foot slid off the side of the rock, and her body angled topensate, but it wasn''t enough to keep her standing. She slid and fell, and before she even had time to realize what had happened, she was submerged in ice cold water.


    Her head came back to the surface instinctually, and then she was gasping¡ªnot for air, but for warmth. Some instinct made her limbs move¡ªher arms reaching forward, one after the other, slicing through the water for the bank. When she finally climbed out, she was shivering uncontrobly, and she copsed to allow the air around her to move in to her lungs.


    Somewhere above her the crow cawed loudly, unimpressed. She chuckled, turning over and rising to see the ancient tree sprawling like a goddess of the forest waiting to embrace her.


    August pushed herself off of the bank and curled her arms around her body for warmth as she walked forward to where the tree and the crow awaited her. When she rounded the base of the tree, she found that the earth gave way to a massive cave with roots that shot out around it like angry, wild hairs. She stood looking at the dark interior of the under-tree, in awe and yet reluctant to enter. The crow tilted its head and clucked on a branch above her, and she chuckled again, rubbing her arms for warmth as she approached the darkness.


    August entered the cave under the tree and sat down, smelling the earth and the wild while a chill ran down her body from the freezing water that was still clinging to her skin. The crow fluttered down and into the cave mouth, stopping at the opening and tilting its head again as it looked at her. She smiled, rubbing her arms as she did. "So what are we doing here, friend?" she asked softly.


    A growl erupted, vibrating the earth around her, and her eyes went wide. What was that? The earth above her felt as if it echoed with heavy footsteps that stalked forward, approaching the cave''s entrance.


    The crow let out a single cluck before hopping closer to her and gesturing with its head for her to move further backward¡ªinto the darkness of the cave.. She sucked in a breath and clutched herself tighter before scooting backward, finally turning to crawl toward something she couldn''t see.

 Chapter 45 - Alyko Tales

    When Graeme had finished at the council, it was already dark out. He made his way through the familiar forest but didn''t see it. All of the new information about the ndestine alyko project was running through his mind. It was so much.


    He had flipped through pages and pages of research that Zosime had given him from some Norwegian physicist, not understanding any of it. But apparently once alyko were secretly tagged by a suspecting lycan, the future use of their abilities would be visible through some reaction in the transfer of energy in their environment. From the little that Graeme understood, it seemed the mechanism for identifying the tagged alyko had something to do with measuring sudden unusual entropic conversions in the alkyo''s surroundings.


    Graeme had been gone from the treehouse far longer than he had nned, but the sheer amount of information avable on alyko in that private library that Zosime had brought him to was overwhelming. In addition to the physics research, Zoe directed him to an area filled with firsthand ounts of malicious alyko and alyko abilities gone wrong.


    What he had read in that library made his parents'' murders look like a drop in the bucket. It was as if everything he had personally understood about the alyko in his childhood was the result of some kind of sheltered fairy tale. It made what happened to his parents seem¡­ inevitable. And shockingly merciful inparison.


    There were tales of lycan children being taken and sacrificed to the old Celtic goddesses of winter¡ªof torturous rituals surrounding these sacrifices that aimed for the highest amount of pain inflicted on the children before they had the means of their lycan wolf counterparts to defend themselves. Of their grieving families. Of packs in chaos.


    Their were tales of seduction and deceit. Of alyko from centuries past who had grasped for power at every turn. They were masters at disguising their intentions and could make enchantments to mask their true identities and to make others forget their pasts¡ªand even their mates.


    There were purportedly alyko who had even murdered their goddess-given lycan mates. And alyko who had attempted enchantments and divinations only to harm and maim and kill innocent bystanders. There were alyko who had plotted for lifetimes, waiting for their ns toe to fruition in which packs would be stolen and innocent lycans destroyed.


    None of these stories squared with what Graeme had known of the alyko in his pack as a child. And it certainly seemed atplete odds with Maggie. His parents could not have been wrong about Maggie. They could not have been wrong about the alyko. Why would they have protected them and defended them if there were any truth to these stories?


    And yet. And yet¡­ Graeme couldn''t deny that there was a small corner of his heart that wished for the stories to be true. He could feel the promise ofplete relief from every guilty thought that had weighed on him since his parents'' and the alyko''s murders so many years ago. If Maggie and the alyko had been behind the plot to kill his parents¡ªif they had somehow fooled his parents into believing them kind and peaceful and loving¡ªthen justice would have been carried out. Graeme would have no reason to hold this guilt in his heart. It would be a wee relief to be able to me Maggie.


    Graeme stopped with that thought, resting his hand against a tree and looking up into the dark leaves that danced gently overhead. No. He knew the guilt he held was right. He knew Maggie was meless. Her gentle face and words resurfaced in his thoughts again, and he grimaced with the familiar pain that apanied it.


    "Children died here, Graeme. Alyko children. Were they to me?" he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the tearse. He didn''t deserve to cry. What would that weakness benefit anyone?


    But¡­ were all those ''firsthand ounts'' of the alkyo wrongdoings¡ªgoing back centuries, and in so much detail¡ªwere they fabricated? Where had theye from? He had never seen them before or even heard whispers of them. If it were possible that all¡ªor even part¡ªof those volumes of stories had been fabricated, then there was another dangerous entity at work¡­ one that remained unknown to him.


    And that was perhaps even more terrifying. Because, as far as Graeme knew, which he was bing quickly aware was not far, no one was tracking that entity. Those unknown individuals¡ªin their unknown numbers¡ªweren''t lighting up on a board somewhere for others to surveil. They were working diligently in the shadows. Plotting. Creating volumes of stories. Possibly seeking to annihte an entire sub-species of lycans: the alyko. And if that were the case, the alyko were in need of far greater protection than he would have ever guessed.


    A heavy foreboding had settled in Graeme''s chest immediately upon seeing that ominous ck map. Recalling the map''s twinkling points of light, Graeme lifted his eyes to the dark sky overhead. If given a reason, would other packs exterminate their alyko members? Would the alyko who were living peaceful, private lives amongst the humans be hunted?


    He couldn''t shake the feeling that this was his fault. The murders of his parents, the murders of the alyko in his pack¡ªthose were in the past. But now there was a massive global operation to mark and track every alyko in existence, and it was apparently initiated here, from his pack. Why did he imagine he could outrun this? Why had he left?


    As Graeme was finally nearing the treehouse on his distracted walk through the woods, he came to an abrupt halt. Someone was sitting, unmoving, against his tree. A warning growl began in his throat and rumbled all the way down his arms and legs into the instinctive curl of his fingers and toes. Someone had gotten to his tree¡ªnear his mate¡ªand the thought turned his growl into a vicious snarl that spread quickly through the dark surroundings.


    But the figure didn''t move. After stopping to sniff the air cautiously, Graeme sprung forward toward where the person was slumped, unmoving.


    "August?" he called out worriedly, sliding on his knees next to her side and grabbing first her hands before reaching to cup her cheeks.. She was wet and ice cold.

 Chapter 46 - Corpse

    "Goddess, August, what happened?" Graeme asked, checking her over.


    The nk expression on August''s face melted away when she heard the desperation in Graeme''s voice, but her eyes remained an eerie ck. He reached up to cup the sides of her face, and the golden rays of her irises broke through as if the moon''s shadow had passed over them, finally allowing their suns to return. She smiled at him, but her skin was freezing, and Graeme quickly gathered her in his arms.


    "Graeme," she whispered as she put her arms around his neck, "Did you know that the forest parts at your presence? It''s beautiful."


    His eyebrows pinched together as he quickly climbed the steps around the tree. She seemed different. "What were you doing out here? You''re freezing," he said.


    "There was the crow and the tree¡­ And¡­ But I''m just looking now," she replied, dropping her gaze to stare into the distance once again.


    He sighed, pushing back the panic that had flooded him upon seeing her motionless on the ground. "How long have you been out here?" he asked. But he was met with silence.


    Once they were back in the treehouse, Graeme ced her on the bed and ran a warm bath. He returned to kneel next to the bed, grabbing hold of her hands that felt like they belonged to a corpse.


    "August," he called when she didn''t look at him but rather continued gazing out the window. Upon hearing her name, her eyes gradually found his again.


    "Can you manage in the bath? You need to warm up," he said, noticing now in the light how her lips were blue. She nodded quietly and got up to go to the bathroom, leaving him on his knees to watch her leave.


    A deep sigh escaped his lips, and with that a small measure of uncertainty took advantage to creep into his heart. It was eerie finding her like that¡ªas if she were dead or possessed. Zosime''s words from earlier echoed in his mind, ''You need to be careful of that mate of yours.'' And all the horrifying tales of the alyko in that library¡­ but he quickly shook them away. This was his story. His mate. He knew he shouldn''t have left her. There was just no knowing what would happen next.


    Nearly an hour had passed since Graeme heard August get into the tub, but she still hadn''te out. "August¡­" he called and rounded the privacy screen to find her looking up at the ceiling, her ears along with the rest of her submerged with the exception of her feet, which were floating. Graeme walked forward to feel the water had turned cold. August blinked a few times when he entered her vision and finally pulled her head out.


    "The water is cold. Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded silently. "I''m going to help you out," he said, watching her. The serenity of her expression didn''t change with this information, and she sat still as he grabbed the towel and lifted her arm around his neck, pulling her out and into his toweled arms.


    This new eerily quiet August sat wrapped in the towel on the bed while Graeme slipped out of his wet shirt and fetched his robe for her. He returned to the bed to sit next to her with the robe in his hands.


    "Shall I dress you?" he asked patiently. Atst, she turned to meet his eyes. Without dropping her gaze from his, she stood in front of him while leaving the towel on the bed. Graeme gulped softly seeing his naked mate standing before him with her eyes zing golden, staring back into his.


    August''s whole demeanor was different. She reminded him of a child by the tree and in the bath, but now she seemed almost regal with the twin golden crowns in her eyes that didn''t waver from his. Graeme stood and offered the arms of the robe for her to slip into, and his hands began to tremble being this close to her with her staring at him like that. Like she was piercing his soul. Like she was aware of how much he desired her.


    August took the robe from him, but rather than wear it, she stepped closer to him, breaking the gaze they held to look instead at his lips. "I think you should mark me," she whispered against him.


    "You do?" he returned the whisper, his heart thudding loudly against his chest. As if aware of it, August ced the tender skin of her wrinkled palm against his chest and looked back up into his eyes with her brows threaded together now.


    "But you''re not ready," she said, and his breath caught in his throat hearing the haunting loneliness of her voice. A mix of emotions pooled in her eyes.


    He was about to tell her he had been ready¡ªhe had only been waiting for her, not wanting to pressure her like he had outside the council chambers. But just as soon as he opened his mouth to say it, she pushed her hand against his chest and then into it, wrapping her fingers around his heart.


    His eyes went wide with shock feeling her hand inside of him, and he grabbed her arms in response, gasping for the air that suddenly wasn''t in his lungs. She pulled her hand out, and he copsed onto his knees in front of her, panting on the floor.


    August groaned above him, squinting her eyes against the new darkness that she acquired through this action, feeling it spread up her arm and fan out across her own chest. She slipped on the robe before staggering back against the bed and curling up there into a fetal position while her body shook with soft sobs. Tears slid down her cheeks for Graeme''s pain that she felt now as her own. The guilt of all the memories she had witnessed the previous day had been lodged deep inside of him, and now it had her in its grip instead.


    August stayed like that, cloaked with the tremors of silent tears that had previously gone unshed, until she felt Graeme wrap his protective warmth around her without a word.. They fell asleep like that¡ªone of them turned lighter while the other had turned heavier¡ªa bnce maintained in each other''s arms.

 Chapter 47 - Wolf

    August awoke to a faint whimpering in her ear and something soft nuzzling into the curve of her neck. "Graeme?" she called in a voice groggy with sleep. Her chest felt heavy, and for a moment the fear of the virus returned before she remembered her inherent immunity that had somehownded her here in a lycan''s treehouse.


    With a deep breath testing the congestion in her lungs, she turned to where Graeme had been lying next to her and was met with a wet, rough tongue licking her face. She covered her face, giggling softly from the unmistakable sensation of canine kisses.


    When the kisses ceased, she looked into the same intense dark eyes she hade to know, but now they belonged to a gigantic wolf the size of a bear lying next to her in the bed. She gasped in surprise and pushed herself up to a sitting position. The wolf bowed his head, covering his own muzzle with his front paws before looking back up at her again with his head tilted to the side.


    Augustughed softly. "Graeme?" she whispered, running one hand through the brown and ck fur on his neck, "Wow, you''re quite majestic after all, aren''t you?" To this, he licked her on the face again. She reached up with both hands and smoothed his soft fur against either side of his handsome face and scratched behind hisrge ears for his eyes to close sleepily in response.


    He rolled over on his back, stretching his long body across the length of the bed with paws in the air and looked back at her, one ear floppedically to the side. "You want a belly rub?" she asked, the smile never leaving her face. He let out a light yip in response, and she ran one hand over the pale skin on of his belly that was covered with a thinyer of fur. "Hmmm¡­ I think I like you better like this," she teased and heard him rumble back.


    The wolf flipped to jump off the bed, and in the blink of an eye Graeme was back in his human form flopping down next to her on his stomach with a smirk. A blush spread over August''s face upon realizing this Graeme was naked, and she looked down into her hands resting on the covers. "You prefer the furry version, huh?" He tilted his head to the side just as the wolf had.


    "The furrier version, you mean?" sheughed softly, scanning the bristly dark face next to her in awe at how quickly he transformed back to himself. "He''s beautiful," she smiled, looking down into her hands again.


    "What is it? Embarrassed this morning?" he touched her cheek. "You weren''t embarrassed standing before me in all your gloryst night." This made her already pink cheeks turn a darker shade.


    "Yeah, about that¡­" she started. "I''m sorry. I¡­"


    "What are you sorry for?" he interrupted.


    "I-I wasn''t myself. I mean, I was myself, I just was seeing everything through, you know, these new crazy eyes or whatever, which is honestly pretty trippy, and then looking at you¡­" she trailed off, risking a nce at him before looking down again. "I guess it was overwhelming. The feeling."


    He watched her be seemingly more and more flustered trying to exin her experience. "What feeling?" he asked curiously.


    She opened her mouth without any wordsing out before she closed it to try again. "Um. The feeling of being¡­ Um."


    Graeme touched her hand, bringing her gaze to meet his again, which did not help in sorting her words out. "It''s okay," he reassured her. "What feeling are you talking about?"


    "Of¡­ suddenly understanding¡­ of recognizing you as¡ªas¡­ my¡­ own," she said quietly. "Of feeling your¡­ pull on every part of me," she said looking down at his lips.


    He hummed appreciatively and smoothed down a bit of her hair that had gone wild from sleep before kissing her on the lips. "I know that feeling, love," he said, staring deeply at her for her to gulp softly. "What happenedst night when I was gone?" he asked.


    "I was under the tree looking at photos in my camera from that day in suicide forest," she gulped softly again, "And my weird vision returned. But I was able to calm down and control it, and then I guess I got lost in it. In the forest. I could¡­ feel it moving through me, like we were one. Even the stars. I could hear them," she whispered, amazed at the memory.


    Graeme studied her face for awhile, imagining what it must have been like to experience what she was exining. "Did you leavest night? How did you get wet?"


    August looked back at him, remembering the strange journey she had taken. Would he understand it? Would it scare him? And how had she gotten back? She ran the experience over in her mind, wondering if it had actually been a dream. She had crawled into the darkness beneath the tree, and then¡­ And then Graeme had been there, approaching her, sliding next to her with that intense energy that scattered everything else around him.


    Graeme watched the confusion on her face. She appeared not to remember all of the events from the night before. "What did you¡­ take from me?" he asked finally.


    She looked down into her hands again. "Yeah um, I''m sorry. I just knew I had to do it, and it seemed okay, because you''re part of me. I mean, it felt like you were literally part of me¡­" she trailed off remembering how their beings seemed intermixed in her eyesst night. How the boundaries of their skin had be practically nonexistent, and she could feel his energy moving with her own. His heartbeat throbbing in time with her own, pushing her blood through her veins just as his own.


    "I saw this¡­ doubt," she nodded, as if confirming for herself that that was indeed what it was, as she could still feel it inside of her now. "This doubt and fear¡­ and guilt?" She looked at him apologetically. "Graeme, when I saw you walking through the forestst night, it was like¡­" she smiled to herself, unable to find the right words for him. "Everything bows to you, parts to let you through. It was breathtaking to see."


    He watched how her face lit up remembering it. "I told you to put yourself first," he sighed, worry lining his features as he remembered how she reacted afterwards. "How are you feeling now?"


    Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Putting myself first assumes I am a separate¡­ being from you," she replied slowly. It didn''t make sense to her even now as she was exining it, but it was the experience she had. "Andst night it didn''t seem that way. There was nothing separating us. Not even this skin," she carefully touched the ce on Graeme''s chest that she had touchedst night to feel how solid it was this morning. She quickly withdrew her hand and met his eyes that were as warm and deep as ever. "I know it sounds crazy¡­"


    Before she could finish, Graeme had pulled himself up next to her and kissed her deeply.

 Chapter 48 - Knock

    Graeme pulled August into him, savoring the soft warmth of her as he ran his hands through her hair. The familiar desire for her that he had been pushing down erupted to the surface again. Finally she understood what he had felt for her from the moment he first sensed her. That she was part of him¡ªand he wanted to give her every part of himself in return. He wanted to feel every part of her who was his to treasure and protect and love.


    He pushed back the robe from her shoulders and trailed a hand down the curve of her back as he continued to kiss her. And kissing her¡ªkissing her was the Goddess'' own gift. Her warmth weed him there where their tongues entangled in preview to more¡ªmore of her warmth, more of his boundaries blurring into her own.


    A soft growl arose in his chest as he cupped the side of her head and kissed her deeper, and August responded with soft noises that puttered against him, striking him to his core. He pulled her closer until her electrifying skin was against his and he felt her shiver in his arms.


    "Graeme," she suddenly pulled away, panting softly against him. He paused to scan her eyes, watching the beautiful stardust glisten deeply with desire for him, but there was also worry there. Her hands trailed up his arms until she was running them along the rough texture of his beard. "Are you sure?" she whispered, her voice breaking.


    He groaned and bit his lip, which caused her to chuckle. "Am I sure about what?" he grabbed one of her hands and kissed the palm of it. "That you''re my mate? That I want you?" he whispered with his eyes squinted closed, pushing his desire back before opening them again to reveal the deep warmth that was there searching her.


    "Are you sure that you can¡­ trust me?" she looked so guilty and ashamed saying it that it caused his heart to stutter. She felt guilty for things that she had no control over¡ªof the experiment she was unknowingly a part of, of the history in his pack, of the ignorance she had heard from the elders in the council. A defensiveness of her crested somewhere in his chest, and he wished he could bite someone responsible. She shouldn''t feel guilty for any of it.


    "Yes," he whispered, "I trust you. August, you''re a part of me. You said so yourself. I felt it in the forest when I found you. I knew it then, and I''m even more sure of it now. I love you, August Moon," he breathed, intertwining her fingers with his. Her eyes went wide, and he bowed his forehead to meet hers. Her lips began trembling, and he ran a thumb over them before kissing her gently.


    "I love you, too, Graeme. I do," her breath fanned out against his face, and he closed his eyes feeling it¡ªher breath and her love that was like the sun. He could follow it blindly, always being certain of her gravity that pulled on every part of him.


    Graeme opened his eyes and stared back into the stardust of his mate''s. "You''re so precious," he whispered and swallowed a lump that was suddenly in his throat. "Every part of you. I don''t¡ªI don''t deserve you being here. I don''t understand it."


    August ced her hands over Graeme''s, which were now caressing her face. "Yes, you do. You deserve everything. You deserve better," tears had started to escape as she spoke these words that she knew to be true after seeing and feeling Graeme the way she had the previous night. He was truly glorious¡ªthe way he moved through the forest and it responded. The presence and power he had that she felt inside of her as if it were her own¡ªso many times now. Her breath caught remembering that feeling. His strength within her.


    "Don''t cry, my love," he wiped the tears from her cheeks and captured her lips in his again.


    August groaned against him and ran her hands down the muscles of his arms before wing at him, drawing him in closer as her body rose to meet him. Graeme did the same, clutching her desperately against him, feeling the sweetness of her tongue against his and her soft skin pressed against his own. She fit him perfectly, tucked into him¡ªher curves softening his angles. And everything else fell away.


    The universe tunneled into only the intensity between them and the explosion of sensation everywhere they aligned. Graeme gently tilted her chin up and kissed his way down the pale column of her neck, fighting against his teeth that wanted so badly to puncture her and meld them together indefinitely. Her scent intensified, curling around him and mixing with his as she clutched his hair.


    Graeme ran a hand up one side of August''s neck and his mouth down the other side¡ªhis other hand at her lower back, pulling her closer as she arched into him. That same low rumble in his chest called to her, and she stifled a whimper as everything in her reached for him, wanting him as close as he could be.


    "August," he whispered against her neck, his voice sounding pained. Before her voice could find itself and respond, her fingers gripped and tugged him in reassurance to whatever he was asking. The answer was yes¡ªthe answer would always be yes.


    And then there was a knock on the door.


    Graeme froze, his lips against her neck as she panted quietly above him. She dropped her head, removing his ess to that perfect spot that called to him, and he felt her clutch him tighter as they silently gazed at each other, both of them wondering who was at the door and both refusing to move to find out. In the sudden stillness, their twin breaths huffed softly, the thrill of their certainty to each other still bloomingrge around them, curling up into the air as they remained in each other''s arms.


    The knock came again, this time apanied by Greta''s chipper voice. Graeme growled in response for only August to hear before kissing her smiling lips again¡ªslow and sweet and then with a soft tug at her bottom lip, sending one final bolt of electricity through her.


    "Unbelievable timing," he groaned before reluctantly releasing her from his arms and rolling off the bed. "Five minutes, sis!" he yelled toward the door as he walked to his closet. August watched his muscles roll deliciously before she came to her senses.


    "Oh, she''s here with Sam and his mom," she gasped, scrambling out of bed to get dressed herself.


    Graeme grunted. "I wish they would fuck right off," he murmured just for her to hear, his eyes glinting with mischief as he watched his naked mate pulling clothes from her closet.


    "Don''t say that!" August gasped, quickly slipping into her undergarments and pulling her clothes on.


    Graeme walked to where she was hopping to pull socks on. "I''m kidding of course," he said, pulling her by the waist so he could capture her lips in his once more. He growled softly again. "Okay, I''m not kidding. Let''s send them away."


    Sheughed at his sudden shamelessness, pushing against him yfully so she could slip past him into the bathroom. "No. Be nice," she said for him to groan.


    "I''ll get the door," he grumbled.


    August nced at herself in the mirror as she sshed water on her face. The heaviness in her chest pushed itself back into her awareness as she was brushing her teeth, and she had to stop and grip the counter for a moment. ''It''s not the virus,'' she reminded herself, pushing the instinctual fear down. What then? Why couldn''t things just be simple for once? It was the purest form of happiness and peace she had ever felt being in Graeme''s bed in his arms under his adoring eyes, but it seemed nothing came without a tradeoff.. She sighed and walked out to meet their visitors.

 Chapter 49 - Greetings

    "Good morning, friends," Graeme greeted the three awaiting them outside. Greta looked annoyed until sheid eyes on her brother. "Sorry to have you wait," he smiled, backing up to allow them in.


    "Bad time?" she raised her eyebrows teasingly at him as she walked past.


    He gave her a polite smile. "Never, sis. Especially when the lovely Sylvia Wilde is with you," he gave the woman behind her a hug.


    "Hello, dear Graeme. How are you?" Sylvia grasped his hands in her own, smiling at him with kind, dark eyes.


    "Very well. It''s wonderful to see you again," he said. Sam appeared from behind his mother to give Graeme a one-armed hug.


    "How are you brother?" Sam asked, pping Graeme on the back.


    As Sam and Graeme were talking, August appeared in the kitchen. "August," Sylvia didn''t hesitate to walk toward the human girl and take her timid hands warmly in her own. "I''ve heard so much about you, dear. It''s an honor to meet you." Sylvia''s long wavy hair had started to grey at the roots, which only entuated the wisdom that naturally fell around her.


    August couldn''t help but think that if anyone were to risk appearing ''witchy,'' it was the woman standing in front of her with her pale linen dress, wispy floral robe, and bohemian-like jewelry. The silver feather earrings, turquoise ne, and rows of bracelets Sylvia wore jingled and rattled together when she moved, creating a pleasant chorus of elemental sounds.


    "Thank you so much foring. I really don''t know anything about reiki, but if it can help, I''m definitely willing to try it," August replied, thankful that she didn''t get any shes of thoughts from Silvia with her contact.


    "Of course. It''s helpful for everyone. Greta and I often work together in assisting pack members with different issues," Sylvia exined. She had the kind of smiling eyes that would continue to be full of light even when her smile had faded.


    Greta appeared with a tray of pastries after putting the tea on. "Let''s go sit on the deck," she suggested, walking out for the others to follow.


    "You must be Sam," August smiled at the man who walked out next to Graeme. He was nearly as big as Graeme in size but with thin eyebrows and a thin, straight nose. "It''s so nice to meet Greta''s partner. She''s been so wonderful to me. Thank you for sparing her as much as you have."


    "It''s nice to meet you finally, August. I know she is fond of you as well," he bowed slightly, and his calm eyes smiled as he spoke.


    Both Sam and his mom had the same beautiful sunset-colored hair and dark eyes. Sam''s hair was longer than Graeme''s, hitting just at his shoulders in gentle waves, and he also had a beard and mustache, which August found amusing recalling how Greta had scolded her brother for precisely that just a few days ago. Sam''s facial hair was very well groomed, though, which she imagined may be Greta''s doing.


    Everyone settled around the table except Graeme, who remained standing, holding the back of August''s chair. "Thank you foring, Sylvia. Greta said she was going to kick me out, so I''ll head to the council, if no one minds it. They''re giving me ess to mom and dad''s case today," he shifted his eyes to Greta. Everyone''s eyebrows raised hearing this.


    "W-why?" Greta asked.


    "Hopefully to clear Maggie once and for all," he said vaguely.


    Greta''s expression grew grim. "Be careful, Graeme. They guard that prejudice fiercely," she said.


    The ck map and the stacks of suspicious stories about alyko came rushing back to Graeme, and he grimaced. Greta didn''t even know the half of it. He would have to fill her in about the new revtionter. Instead, he bent to kiss August on the temple. "I won''t be toote," he reassured her, squeezing her shoulder before saying goodbye to the rest of them.


    August felt her energy slowly drain after Graeme left the deck. Sam and his mom watched her politely in the quiet that rippled around the four of them, as if everyone were distracted with their own thoughts.


    "What do you do, Sam?" August finally asked.


    "My cousin and I run a farm brewery," he replied in his deep voice. August smiled vaguely imagining Sam''s voice as a porter to Graeme''s rich stout.


    "That sounds interesting," she said quietly. n was a beer snob, but August didn''t know that much about it¡ªjust the little she learned in pouring beer for him and carrying it from one room to the other. She wondered how a farm brewery was different from any other brewery, but she couldn''t bring herself to ask. Why did it feel today that just summoning this much enthusiasm for small talk was so exhausting? She had been looking forward to meeting Sam.


    Graeme suddenly reappeared, startling them all. "You forgot the tea, little sister," he said, cing the tray with the kettle and cups on the table. "And for you, my love," he set a bowl in front of August. She looked up at him questioningly. "Bone broth. You didn''t eat much yesterday," he shrugged with hands in his pockets.


    "Thank you," she said, offering him a goofy smile.


    Why did she suddenly look so tired? "Is it okay that I''m leaving?" he asked quietly as he squatted down next to her where he had to look up into her eyes.


    "Yes, it''s fine," she said, ncing at the others with a blush creeping up her face.


    "Don''t worry about them. If you''re not feeling well, they can leave," he said, noticing her embarrassment. "I''ve been kicked out of Sam''s house loads of times," to which Sam chuckled in response.


    Graeme watched her for a few more moments, reaching up to touch her cheek, which turned redder. "Please call me if you need anything. I mean it," the depth in his voice indicated that he wanted her to take him seriously, and he waited for her to respond to it.


    "I will," she smiled. Obviously he was finding it hard to leave again.


    Unaffected by the others around them, Graeme cupped August''s face in his hands, dipping in to kiss her one more time before resting his forehead on hers.. He growled softly against her again, which came out to sound more like an affectionate purr, and she couldn''t help but giggle as she pictured the wolf from this morning.

 Chapter 50 - Significance

    Overhearing this exchange between Graeme and August, Sam and Sylvia couldn''t help but be surprised. It wasmon knowledge that Graeme had wanted nothing to do with finding his mate. Sylvia knew this well, because her and her husband David were always close with the Hallowells. In fact, David was the Beta of the pack, second inmand, when Derek and Genevieve were killed, and Sam was in line to be Graeme''s Beta had the pack continued with the traditional leadership.


    David and Sylvia Wilde had watched Greta and Graeme grow up alongside their son, Sam, and they experienced the heartbreak just as acutely as everyone else when their parents died. It wasn''t just their Alpha and Luna they had lost, it was their dearest friends.


    Sylvia was particrly struck by the significance this scene before her held. This wasn''t simply any disy of affection between two young people¡ªthe pair before her was the rightful, destined leadership of the Hallowell pack. The presence of the girl in front of them would be no less than a miracle in the eyes of many pack members who desperately yearned for the way things had been before the council''s overbearing presence in their lives.


    The elders had be ruthless and controlling in the absence of the Alpha and Luna, and many hade to fear them. The individual lives of the pack members were not precious to the elders like they had been to Derek and Genevieve Hallowell, and people had even be fearful of having families with the small chance that their children may end up as alyko. It was not a healthy bnce as it once had been.


    Were people angry at Graeme for giving up his ce? Yes, of course they were. But not everyone had seen the struggle that he and his sister had endured following their parent''s death like Sylvia and David had. The elders had taken the opportunity to push their own agenda while the young Alpha was not yet in a position to resist them, and the resulting fallout had all but broken him. Although they would deny it, it was clearly the elder''s goal to push Graeme out and continue to keep him at a distance.


    But Graeme was here now¡ªback again¡ªfully embracing the girl who was destined to be his partner. Sylvia had to take in a deep breath as the overwhelming realization hit her that perhaps, finally, things would be put right. Hope had been renewed. She looked over at her son who had grown strong and understanding of the change in his immediate fate to no longer help run the pack, and she wondered what this new revtion would mean to him.


    Samuel had always been a quiet, stoic soul just like his father. It had hurt him to not follow in David''s footsteps, but growing up with the Hallowell twins meant seeing what they had gone through as well. And with Greta as his mate, his understanding and sensitivity toward their struggle only deepened. Would he finally be able to fulfill the role he was born into? Samuel''s eyes found his mother''s, and he smiled warmly¡ªtheir wordless thoughts aligning in that moment¡ªand she had to blink back the tears that were quickly forming.


    Once Graeme left for the second time, Greta ced a hand on August''s arm, and instantly August found the broth in front of her to be very appealing. She gave Greta a suspicious smile, and the peach-haired girl quickly withdrew her hand. "You need to eat. You look weak again today," she exined.


    "I''m okay," August replied, but she picked up the bowl anyway.


    "Don''t worry, August, she''s not picking on you. She does it to me all the time," Sam assured her from across the table with a knowing smile. Sylvia must have been aware of Greta''s ability as well, August realized, since they were both talking about it openly.


    "Did something else happen?" Greta asked. August gathered that it was safe to discuss everything in front of the two others, but how much should she tell?


    "The second vision or whatever came backst night when Graeme was gone, and it was good¡ªI just kind of meditated with it. You were right," she smiled at Greta. Greta watched her for the rest, because there was clearly something she wasn''t saying.


    "But¡­" Greta started for her.


    August''s smile fell. Of course Greta would know there was more. "I''m not sure it''s a but, but¡­" sheughed softly, "the thing I almost did with you," August ced her hand against her own chest, "it happened with Graeme."


    Greta''s expression contorted with worry, "But I warned you not to do it."


    "It''s fine. It''s fine. I''m not sure I can exin it to you, but it''s just¡ªI had to. I understand it was different with you, but he and I are connected. I saw it and¡­ and felt it. What''s his burden is mine, and it''s better that I carry it," she tried to exin, now certain she was as red as she could be from embarrassment. Being scolded in front of strangers was not afortable feeling.


    "You shouldn''t have to carry it, though, August. You can help him without having to weaken yourself. Being a martyr only hurts him in the long run anyway," Greta sighed, bringing a hand up to her mouth and shifting her eyes to Sylvia who was sitting across from her. "What happened afterward?" Greta returned her eyes to the girl next to her.


    August didn''t respond, because it would only worry Greta more. What point was there in that?


    "Well, maybe I can help. That''s why I''m here after all," Sylvia quickly added, hoping to diffuse any guilt that Greta may have created with her reaction. "What is happening with you is remarkable, August. I want you to know that. No one can understand it but you. But I can help you learn how to allow energy to flow through you rather than having it umte where it can cause you harm," she said, her smiling eyes warm and gentle.


    "Sam and Greta are going to leave for a little bit to give us some time for the session, and we''ll work on some things to help, okay?" she added before giving her son and Greta a nod that now was a good time to do just that.


    After Greta had started to descend the treehouse steps leading them out, Sam turned to where August had followed the two to the front door. "Some of us are having a bonfire Thursday night. You and Graeme shoulde," he said.


    There was a calmness about Sam that August foundforting. She imagined that this invitation given directly to her from him was significant for some reason, so she didn''t take it lightly.


    "Okay. I''ll talk to him about it.. Thank you," she smiled, and he turned to follow Greta.

 Chapter 51 - Be Careful, Big Brother

    We are OFFICIALLY CONTRACTED!!!! YAY! Thank you for all your support inments, reviews, and votes - it helped get this book contracted pretty quickly (especially since I''m a new writer). I can''t tell you how excited I am to share this story and this WN journey with you all! I''m releasing an extra chapter tonight in celebration! [[Happy Dance!]]


    ***


    Just as Greta was alighting on the bottom step of the treehouse after leaving August with Sylvia, her phone rang.


    "I''ve been waiting for this call. What took you so long?"


    "What do you mean? I just saw you," Graeme replied on the other end.


    "I mean about what happened at the council yesterday. How did it go with the grumpy old men?" she chuckled.


    Graeme grunted in response. On the way to the pack house, he had stopped at their parent''s home to check on its condition. Greta had kept everything clean and cared for like always, and he couldn''t help but feel a swell of gratitude for the resilience she had inside of her that hecked. It was difficult for him to step in here even briefly now due to all the memories that threatened to overwhelm him, but this was the best ce for a private phone call with his sister where others couldn''t eavesdrop.


    "You''re at the house, aren''t you?" Greta asked after his prolonged silence.


    "Yeah," he said simply. They were both quiet. Sometimes it felt like his sister could sync with his thoughts even from afar. He remembered early on when Sam and Greta had just discovered that they were mates¡ªhow Sam bristled every time Graeme was around. There were several ufortable years when Graeme felt like he had lost a close friend in Sam and even had to keep at a distance from his own sister, because Sam was jealous of how entangled their thoughts seemed to be.


    "Only mates should be that close," Sam had told Greta at one point. Greta had tried talking some sense into him, but it was ultimately time that brought ease to Sam''s heart. That and seeing how unhappy Greta was without that rtionship with her brother.


    "This is really the first opportunity I''ve had to call you. I got homest night and had some weird stuff happen with August," he said finally.


    "Yeah, she mentioned it after you left," Greta replied.


    "She did?"


    "Well, I asked her what happened. I could tell something was off." Greta looked at Sam who had just gotten down from the treehouse and threw him the keys for the Jeep.


    "Is she okay?" Graeme''s voice turned anxious.


    "Yes, yes¡ªshe''s okay. Sam and I are just leaving, but Sylvia is with her. She just seems¡­ tired. I think the reiki will help a lot. But are you okay?" she asked.


    "I am. I feel better than I have in a long time. Whatever she did¡ªI feel like it freed something in me. I just hope it didn''t hurt her," he groaned. He recalled how he had held August while she quietly cried herself to sleep and then how she had looked so tired when he returned to the deck this morning to give her the broth. "If she helped me at her own expense¡­" he couldn''t even finish the sentence.


    "Okay, I''m d you''re okay. We''ll figure it out," Greta said in her reassuring way. "We''re all here for you, okay? Both of you."


    Graeme swallowed and looked down at the counter he had spent every morning of his childhood at. Eating breakfast andughing with his family. "Okay. Thanks," he mumbled. "Thank you. I mean it. For calling Sylvia and just¡­ for everything."


    "Of course," she replied softly. "Tell me. What happened with Andreas?"


    He sighed, wriggling out of the immediate concern for August and returning his thoughts to the day before. "It''s¡­ disturbing, Greta. I don''t know what to make of it."


    Graeme told his sister about Zosime and her team. About the map. About the alyko files with the horrible stories of past alyko. With every detail, Greta felt her stomach plummet a little bit further until Sam was ncing worriedly at her from the driver''s seat, feeling the weight of it like she did¡ªas if it were his own.


    After Graeme had told her everything he could recall, he sat staring again at his hands. They were like his father''s hands. The thought vaguely registered with him as he sat suspended in the silence from Greta on the other end of the call.


    "It''s a good thing you''vee home, Graeme," Greta finally mumbled. "This is bigger than anything I would have imagined. And they''re not telling you everything. There''s no way they would give you everything on the first day when they believe your mate is a witch."


    Graeme''s eyebrows threaded together at this. Greta was right. Of course she was right. He had thought so much himself.


    "Why is this young stray heading a team like this? What were they thinking?" Greta muttered. Her and Sam had finally returned home, but she didn''t follow him out of the car. She sat in the passenger''s side lost in her thoughts. Sam circled around the front of the Jeep until he was leaning against the passenger door, watching her mind work as she stared into the distance.


    "They couldn''t have fabricated all of those stories in such a short time," she mumbled. "But something isn''t right, that''s for sure. I''ve never heard anything about this. It will be interesting to see what you learn today. Just remember¡ªthey are in control of everything you see right now. And we already know how they feel about August."


    Graeme blew a breath out of his nose. "Right."


    "Be careful, big brother."


    With that, Graeme ended the call and stalked out of the house.


    The pack house was lively as usual, although the voices grew noticeably quieter when Graeme entered. They could feel his presence before they saw it. It was something Graeme had be ustomed to from a young age¡ªthe way everyone in his pack made themselves smaller when he walked by. He came to appreciate those who were brave enough to challenge the instinct his presence bore in them, because sometimes he just wanted to¡­ be. Be regr. Be normal. Be one of the pack. Not someone who was feared or who made their eyes gleam with hope. He saw it even now¡ªthe way their eyebrows arched over watery puppy eyes that strayed his way as if desperately awaiting something he had denied them. They were always waiting. Always expecting. He felt their hopeful gazes like ws down his back.


    It took everything in him at that moment to curve his lips into a smile for those who were looking on. They needed to be reassured. His presence instinctively meant safety to them, and he didn''t want to deny it. He gritted his teeth and climbed the stairs before turning toward the medical wing where Zosime''s office was.


    "Alph¡ªGraeme, good morning," Zoe stood from behind her desk and bowed with her hands sped in front of her. Graeme wondered how Zosime regarded him¡ªif the instinct that his pack felt around him was simrly felt by her. It wasn''t amon urrence for strays to be weed into a pack where an Alpha wasn''t present. She was full of confidence and an impressive amount of intelligence for her age. But how did her lycan instincts react in a pack setting? If she were sequestered in a secret research team within the pack house¡­ well that was unprecedented.


    "Morning, Zoe," Graeme responded, maintaining his broad stance as these questions assailed him. He shouldn''t betray any weakness around her, that was for sure.


    Zoe didn''t seem affected. "I have your parent''s file in a private conference room. Andre sent it from the archives. Follow me," she said cloyingly.


    It was too sweet. The tang of her voice grated on him, and suddenly he knew. This was all some kind of borate setup. As he followed her out of the office and down the brightly lit hallway, a muscle feathered in his jaw. The elders hadn''t invited him back when they knew he had a mate. They were worried she was a witch, but¡­ that paranoia had begun with them. They were the ones to use Maggie. They were the root of all of this. The map. The alyko files. Right¡­?


    Once he entered the conference room, Graeme''s thoughts clouded and his eyebrows pinched together. "Is it foggy in here?" he turned to look at Zoe who was standing in the doorway.


    Zoe smiled with the beginning of a giggle sputtering from her lips. "A trick of the light. That particr density of ss and the angle of the sun at this time of day creates an illusion of fog. It should clear in a minute when the sun rises a bit higher," she giggled.


    When Graeme turned back to the table where his parent''s file sat, Zoe''s eyes shed.. "If you need anything, I''ll be down the hall," she said and closed the door behind her.

 Chapter 52 - Reiki

    After Greta and Sam left, August returned to the deck to find Sylvia arranging the contents of her bag on the table, and August hurried to clear everything to give her room.


    "Thank you, dear. Go ahead and take a seat, and we''ll get started," the woman smiled at her and removed a candle from her bag, lighting its wick and setting it on the table between them.


    "First let''s talk about reiki and why I think it will be helpful in your situation. It''s helpful to everyone, of course. But as energy work involving the life force of all things, I think it will be especially beneficial for you," Sylvia trained her gentle eyes on August. "You seem to see what reiki practitioners sense in other ways. At least, that''s how it seems to me," she said. "If you''re ufortable at any time, please just tell me."


    August nodded for the woman to continue. "What we''re going to do now," Sylvia continued, picking up the candle from the table, "is set an intention. Think of the intention like a wish or a prayer. It sets the focus of our time together."


    August looked at the glow of the orange me. "Okay," she said.


    "Hearing you talk about what happenedst night with Graeme and knowing a little about what you''ve been dealing with from Greta, I have an idea for what our intention could be," she said while tapping her fingernails rhythmically along the pink salt that was glowing warmly. "May I?" she asked for August to nod her head silently.


    "On behalf of our Goddess of the moon, we set this intention for August, future Luna of the Hallowell pack, to gain bnce from her gifts, alignment with the divine in and around her, and empowerment in her role in this lifetime," Sylvia spoke the words in earnest with her eyes closed.


    Upon hearing the intention Sylvia had chosen, August''s eyes grew wide with a sudden awareness of what her presence signified to the woman in front of her. Sylvia''s dark eyes opened to focus again on the human in front of her. "Does that sound okay?" she asked.


    August nodded, suddenly nervous.


    "Now lie down on the patio chair here. I''ve tried to make it morefortable," she gestured to the reclined chair that had been draped with a thick nket and pillow. Once August had gotten situated, Sylvia had her close her eyes and try to rx.


    "I have a tuning fork here I''m going to use to help cleanse your aura," Sylvia said.


    August heard a resounding tone that seemed to oscite around her from one ear to the other. With her eyes closed, she heard the fork''s note grow louder and softer before growing louder again, manifesting itself behind her eyes as a beam of white light circling around her. Suddenly, she recalled the forest vision of death''s slowly rotating eye. But rather than inciting fear, the note that encircled her now with repetitions of the tuning fork brought a sense of calm, and her breathing grew rxed.


    Sylvia''s voice reemerged quieter than August remembered. "I''m going to work through your ethereal body now, cleansing it." August heard the sound of liquid being shaken in its container before she heard its spray, which started from the crown of August''s head down to her feet.


    "I''ve chosen some crystals for our session that each have their own unique energy given by the earth. I''m going to ce them around you," Sylvia said quietly. There was something so practical and instructive about the way Sylvia spoke about reiki. If August was expecting something more akin to theater, this was not it.


    August felt the gentle rustling of Sylvia''s hands as she ced small stones around her. In thepses of quiet when Sylvia was working silently, August became aware of the breeze and the sound of the leaves. Crows were calling in the distance.


    Sylvia continued the session by cing her hands on different chakra centers in an attempt to cleanse and guide the flow of energy and clear any obstructions. When she had concluded the session, August felt rxed, but the heaviness she had umted from Graeme the night before was still there. She reluctantly exined to Sylvia how she had acquired the feeling in her chest and how it remained.


    "It''s okay. Don''t let that discourage you. This is something we should continue several times, and learning how to do reiki on yourself may be the most useful since you''re such a powerful conduit already," Sylvia''s eyes disappeared in the smiling lines around them. "I have something for you," she added, plucking something from her bag and cing it in August''s hand.


    August studied the dark purple and violet pendant. The violet was so vibrant that it almost appeared to glow.


    "It''s beautiful," she said.


    "The stone is sugilite. It will provide a shield of light to protect you from the negativity of others," Sylvia replied, squeezing August''s hands in hers.


    "Thank you, Sylvia. That''s so kind of you. I love it," she said.


    Greta and Sam returned shortly after Sylvia had finished the session, and the three prepared to leave. "Do you want me to stay?" Greta asked, hugging August by the door as Sam and Sylvia started down the steps.


    "I''m okay here, but thank you," August reassured her.


    "He told you about Maggie''s enchantment on the treehouse? That no one wishing anyone here harm can cross it?" Greta asked for August to nod. "Good. If Graeme hasn''t returned, let me know and I''lle have dinner with you," Greta said then.


    "Okay, I will. Thanks again," August replied, and Greta smiled realizing that she looked better than she had earlier.


    Once Greta met Sam and his mom down in the Jeep, she found Sam to be distracted looking out into the forest.


    "What is it?" she asked.


    He snapped his eyes to find hers studying him curiously. "Nothing. I just¡­ I thought I smelled something oddly familiar, but I can''t quite ce it," he said.


    Augustid down in bed after cleaning up, thinking about the reiki she had just learned about and experienced at Sylvia''s hands. It was fascinating, and she could imagine how what Sylvia exined might correspond to what she could see with her strange second vision that woulde and go on its own--the peace she felt in the forest when she followed the crow to that tree and seemed to see and feel the life force of things around her. But it didn''t exin everything... could all of her experiences really be distilled into this reiki?


    Her thoughts wandered over that experience with the crowst night... how had she gotten back here? When she focused more on the strange memory, it seemed as if she had simply disappeared under one tree to arrive at the base of another. But that was impossible! Surely this reiki couldn''t exin that. So what in the world could? She sighed and touched the purple stone around her neck.


    August recalled the intention Sylvia had recited for her. "¡­ future Luna of the Hallowell pack¡­" she heard the earnestness in Sylvia''s voice, and she shuddered thinking of the implications of those words. Was that really what was awaiting her? The pressure of it was immense. It hadn''t urred to her until that moment that epting herself as Graeme''s mate may actually mean filling such an important role to the people here.


    Just when she had decided to grab theptop to look up some more information on reiki, there was a knock at the door. She froze for a moment wondering who it could be. Perhaps Greta or Sylvia had forgotten something. August walked through the kitchen curiously to open it. Her arms went cold seeing someone entirely different waiting for her.


    "M-Marius?" she whispered, gripping the side of the door.. "What are you doing here?" She gulped to see his face spread into a wicked grin.

 Chapter 53 - Unexpected Visit

    You all blew me away yesterday! What an amazing first contracted day for the book. <3 Thank you so much to those of you who bestowed upon me the honor of your golden tickets and gifts - I got teary eyed many times lol. I did not expect that! And - major wow - thank you to DespinaNY for your incredibly generous gift. I am humbled. Each reader who silently reads in the background is honestly a gift, and then to have anything extra... I just don''t know what to say. I would dedicate this chapter to you, DespinaNY, but it doesn''t feel right to dedicate a chapter with a trigger warning. So I won''t do that. But know that I am truly touched. <3


    ***


    [trigger warning - threat of assault]


    "Surprised to see me?" Marius asked, walking through the doorway for August to back away. "Oh don''t look so frightened. You were the one who left me bleeding outst time we met, remember? What a cute little love nest you two have here." Marius looked around him thoughtfully with his hands behind his back.


    "What do you want?" she choked out.


    "I''m d you asked. It''s very simple. You took something of mine, and I want it back," the mocking smile vanished, and she saw it reced with a quiet fury.


    "Took something of yours?" she repeated, brows furrowed in confusion. "I have no idea¡­"


    He mmed his fist on the table, causing her to jump. "Don''t y with me, witch."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "What are your ns for the rest of the day?" Sam asked his mate who had just flopped herself down on the sofa.


    "I have a few appointments for routine check-upster this afternoon. I was going to run by the Be''s again. Are you meeting up with Jack?" she asked. She noticed how he still seemed distracted upon arriving home. "Are you thinking about Graeme and August?"


    Sam nced at her for a moment from the kitchen where he was searching for something to munch on. Nothing they had in the cupboards looked appetizing. "It''s just bothering me¡­ That scent at the treehouse that seemed familiar. How often does that happen that you smell something on packnd you can''t ce?" he asked, and then he suddenly stopped his hand in midair as the realization hit him.


    Greta sat up straight, feeling the panic that had suddenly washed over him. "What is it?"


    "Stay here," he said and ran back out to the Jeep for Greta to follow him.


    "Sam¡­"


    "Greta, listen for once, please. Trust me and stay here," he barked before peeling out of the yard, headed back in the direction of the treehouse.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Marius, I didn''t take anything from you. I have no idea what you''re talking about," she said the words carefully while her mind was scrambling to run over the details of that event, which she had tried to forget. What could he possibly mean? "How are you even here?" she thought aloud.


    "What? You thought I wouldn''t survive that pathetic bite of yours?" he tsked, continuing to stalk forward toward her.


    "The enchantment on the treehouse¡ªGraeme said¡­"


    "You put a spell on it? You are a witch," he confirmed for himself, his face twisting in disgust.


    "I''m not a witch, Marius," she stumbled against the kitchen wall, feeling it with her hand to slide along away from him. Where had she put her phone? She instinctually felt that taking her eyes off of him would be a fatal mistake, but there was nowhere to run anyway.


    "What do you call disappearing into thin air under a tree then?" he asked menacingly.


    "W-what? How did you¡­"


    "You took my wolf, witch. I want it back," he snarled suddenly.


    "W-what?" her eyes went wide at this. "Your wolf?"


    Marius sprang across the room, trapping August against the wall between his arms before she could slink further away from him. He wasn''t touching her, but she could feel the anger rolling off of him.


    "You''re some kind of wolf-killer," he said through gritted teeth. "And in its ce I''m stuck with this pathetic link to you!"


    August couldn''t respond. She was frozen in shock at this information and at being trapped once again by the same man whose thoughts still haunted her.


    "Fix it, and I''ll leave," he snarled.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. What link?" she managed shakily, trying to at least understand what he was saying.


    "What link?" he scoffed. "I have felt every fever you''ve had. I felt you wake up. I¡­" his hands curled into fists next to her as he squeezed his eyes shut, "I feel your feelings for him."


    Her mouth dropped hearing this, and she pressed herself against the wall. "W-what?" she fought back the tears that sprung in her eyes. "How?" she whispered.


    "You think I know?" he snarled, pushing himself off the wall and stepping back to give her space. "I want my wolf back," angry tears filled his eyes, "now."


    "I swear to you, I don''t know what you''re talking about," she said quietly, watching him while she stayed pressed against the wall.


    "If you fix it, I won''t tell the elders. I won''t tell them that the long lost Alpha''s mate is a wolf-killer. Do you know what they''ll do to you? To you both?" his face was contorted with desperate anger. "I won''t tell them that he was this close to marking you today," he lifted his fingers up to indicate just how close it was.


    August''s mouth had long gone dry, and she wet her lips now thinking how what Marius was describing could have happened. How she could have somehow taken the lycan part of him when she bit him that day. There was no obvious answer to it. The only possible way she might get a glimpse into what was happening or have a chance of surviving this was by her second vision, but it hadn''t appeared.


    "I don''t know how to fix it," she said slowly, and the wicked mask in front of her contorted in anger again as he paced in front of her. "But," she added quickly, "I might know something to try." She had to think fast. There was no way out of this situation with him. He was blocking the door. They were high up. Graeme wasn''ting back for hours. She gulped. "I-I need you to¡­ to scare me," she said.


    Heughed¡ªa cruel, humorlessugh that sent a shiver down her spine. "You''re not scared yet?" His eyebrows shot up and his eyes got impossibly wide¡ªthe insane kind of wide.


    "I-I need you h-hurt me, maybe," she gulped again, unable to believe what she was proposing. But what else would make her second vision return?


    "Is this some kind of trick?" he asked, approaching her slowly.


    "No," she said quickly. "It''s what happenedst time, remember? You bit me."


    "But then your mate will kill me. What good does that do me?" he was right up against her again, his breath hot on her skin, and she had to turn her face away from him, squinting her eyes shut. When she opened them again, her vision was still normal. No auras, no energy¡ªjust the kitchen and the maniac looming over her. ''Why is it not happening now? Why can''t it happen when I need it?'' she thought frantically.


    "Or maybe¡­" she heard him say, and then he grabbed her face, pulling it back to look at him. "I can hurt you in a way that no one will see¡­" He flipped her around and shoved her against the wall. "Does that work for you?"


    "No, no!" the panic quickly rose feeling him press against her, twisting her hands behind her back where he held them in one of his own. He mmed her head against the wall, and she felt the pain radiate through her skull from one side to the other with a deafening ring.


    "No, it''s perfect," the venom of his words was hot on her skin, but she couldn''t see his thoughts. All of her abilities were gone, she realized, and the pain in her head had even her normal vision turned dizzy now.. "That way, even if I don''t get my wolf back, even if Graeme kills me, I can at least enjoy this much," she heard him undoing his pants behind her as he twisted her hands harder, and her panic increased, erupting out of her mouth in short sobs, "and then you and your dear Alpha will have something to remember me by."

 Chapter 54 - Here Kitty, Kitty

    [trigger warning - threat of assault]


    "No, Marius. Please!" August shrieked. All of the monster''s weight was pressed against her as he fumbled with his belt, and she attempted to wiggle out of his grasp. But his hand was huge and mped into a steely grip on both of her wrists.


    "You''ve changed me, witch," Marius snarled, so close to her ear this time. "Don''t you think it''s fair that I take something from you in return?"


    "No! Please¡ªI didn''t know," the fight in her deted into hysterical sobs. "I didn''t know!"


    Marius roared in frustration behind her. "Calm the fuck down! I can feel your fear. It''s pathetic," and he let his belt be to m her head against the wall again, pressing her harder there with his huge forearm. "You disgust me," he growled in her ear, and when he reached for the waistband of her pants, she iled and flittered like a fish against the wall, making herself slippery and difficult.


    "Get off me! Get off me!" she shrieked. Dormant memories of a simr encounter came raging to the surface of her mind, and it seemed to throw Marius off bnce. The tunnel of her memories copsed around him, trapping him in a suffocating room from years ago. It was dark and violent and horrifying, and Marius shuddered as he felt it like his own memory.


    At that moment August was a mirror, and Marius saw himself from the perspective of his prey for the first time. The horror of his own actions was twisted back on him in a grotesque reflection of himself. He loosened his grip on her as he watched himself, felt himself, hurting her.


    For perhaps the first time, a glimmer of awareness¡ªof empathy¡ªarrived in Marius''s dark eyes as he stared back now at his intended prey who had flipped herself around and staggered away from him. His body jerked with the urge of a predator to pursue when she stumbled and fell against the floor, still backing away from him as tremors of fear raked her, but he just stood there gaping at her. She was terrified. She was terrified, and he felt the terror shake him to his core. Was he really about to vite her in that way?


    And then he remembered what she took from him. His essence. His wolf. That must be why this pathetic weakness had taken hold of him. He growled, and August saw the twitch of movement before he lunged. She turned over tounch herself off of the floor, but he was too fast. He quickly caged her under him and flipped her over.


    "Why?" he spit, pressing himself against her. "Why am I linked to you this way? What did you do to me?" The anger was back, and August heard herself whimper under him. Something hungry shed in his eyes at the noise, and his gaze snapped to her exposed neck.


    August grabbed his face to push it away, but he only shook his head in apparent amusement. And then she was roaring¡ªwing at his face in anger and frustration at again being in this position of the victim, at again being subjected to someone with more physical strength than she had.


    Marius groaned and reeled away from her long enough for August to scramble up and run off bnce through the living area and out onto the deck. She looked either way for something to fight him off with, but seeing nothing and hearing him stumbling through the room after her, she shakily climbed up onto the railing, lifting herself finally onto the roof.


    "What are you doing to me, witch?" she heard him yell desperately after her. Rather than the calm and calcting Marius she had met at the outpost, this man soundedpletely unhinged. She saw him run out onto the deck below her and then slowly lift his face to where she was.


    "Do you n on flying away?" Marius growled below, and she didn''t pause to see how quickly he could get himself up to where she was. August turned and ran to the wide trunk, pulling herself up on the limbs that offered themselves to her as leverage. This was no n, she realized. But then, there was no escape. She kept climbing without looking down, and she heard Mariusugh tauntingly below her.


    When she finally reached a point where she knew she wouldn''t be able to go any further, August hugged the trunk desperately, trying to calm her heart. Trying to will herself to be one with the rough bark under his hands. She could hear Marius below her on the roof now.


    "Here kitty, kitty," he called, but he didn''t seem to be following her up. It suddenly urred to her that everything unfolding was simr to one of the sick fantasies she had spied from him at the outpost. He would stalk her and take his time before finishing her off.


    "What are you doing here?" Marius''s wicked voice had shifted away from her. Panting against the trunk, August finally gathered up the courage to look below her, but she didn''t see anyone there.


    Down below, Marius jumped off the roof to where Sam was standing looking up at him. "Where''s August?" Sam asked calmly, scanning Marius'' face to see the scratches that had appeared there.


    "Sorry, I don''t share, farmer Sam," Marius growled.


    "Where is she?" Sam asked again, not breaking the calm demeanor.


    "She''s mine," Marius snarled suddenly. "No one else''s."


    Sam''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. The possessiveness of that statement caught him off guard, and he let out a small chuckle. "Yours?"


    "Did I stutter?" Marius'' jaw clenched as he red at the younger lycan in front of him.


    "Yours for what?" Sam cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms in front of his chest expectantly.


    "For whatever I want, Samuel. She''s a witch," Marius spit.


    "There''s no such thing as witches, Marius. Only ignorant pieces of shit like you."


    "No such thing as witches? You have no idea what she''s done!" The rage began rolling off of Marius again, and he raked a hand through his hair. "How did you even realize I was here? I masked my scent waiting for you three to leave."


    "Fortunately my father taught me that trick," Sam replied cooly. "But it leaves another scent behind."


    "Ah," Marius realized, "you picked it. Well how unfortunate for me," he raked a hand through his hair again, realizing that he wouldn''t be able to shift into his wolf to defend himself.


    "It''s over, Marius," Sam warned.


    "She killed my wolf, Samuel. You want someone like that in our pack? Or Goddess forbid, leading it? If you take me in, I''ll tell the elders. She''ll be hunted by more than me," Marius hissed.


    "What makes you think I would take you in? So you can get locked up and then released again? No," Sam smirked, "I don''t think so."


    Without the patience for further discussion, Sam tore out of his human form and into his wolf. He tilted his head, red fur ruffling in the breeze as he watched the man in front of him frozen in ce, aware of what wasing. And then Sam lunged forward and plucked Marius'' head from his body as if he were picking the bloom off of a dandelion.


    After shifting back, Sam jumped onto the roof and scanned the tree. "August?" he called.


    August recognized the rich porter of his voice from earlier. "Sam?" she called back shakily.


    "Yeah¡ªit''s me. It''s safe. Are you needing help getting down?" he asked.


    "Uh¡­" she loosened her hold on the trunk, slipping slightly as she evaluated the limbs below her. "Maybe?"


    Sam looked down at the carnage on the deck below him, realizing this was no ordinary sight for someone like the girl clinging to the tree. "Are you good for a minute? Maybe I can clean up down here first," he called.


    Clean up? "Sure, sure. Go for it," August answered quickly, suddenly terrified to see what awaited her down below, and she hugged the tree tightly once again.


    Sam jumped down, returning to his wolf form toplete the job of removing the traces of Marius from the treehouse by burying him in the woods. For a human, the job would be a long and torturous one, but it was quick work for the lycan who tossed Marius'' parts off the steps and then hopped down himself to retrieve them.


    Sam carried the body and its severed head swiftly to a good spot where he dug furiously and nudged them in to quickly cover the hole back up with mud. His huge red paws patted the earth down securely in ce, leaving no trace of loose or disturbed soil.. It was quick, wless work that was easily aplished, and in no time he was back to his dressed human form on the roof of Graeme''s treehouse coaxing August down.

 Chapter 55 - Link

    Sam was leaning against the windowed wall leading out to the deck, studying August from afar. She somehow managed to appear rtively unscathed, unlike how he had found Marius.


    "Are you hurt?" he asked.


    August readjusted the nket around her as she sat on the sofa opposite him. "No," letting out a deep breath. "Thanks to you," she gave him a smile. "Did you call Graeme?" She shuddered thinking of how furious Graeme would be. He was going to me himself again, she just knew it. She dreaded seeing that guilt in him, and she could only hope he wouldn''t react the way she was anticipating.


    "He can''t know yet," he gave her an apologetic look. "If he rushes out of the council, they''ll know something is wrong. We don''t need anyone ming you two for his death."


    "Won''t they know anyway?"


    He shook his head calmly. "Marius masked his scent, so there''s no tracing him here."


    "How did you know he was here?"


    "When we were leaving, I picked up a scent. It''s hard to exin, but masking your scent is incredibly difficult. Very few are capable of it. And there''s a¡­ a residue left behind," he exined. "I should have realized it immediately. I''m sorry."


    "Please don''t apologize. I''m so grateful. I-I can''t even believe you showed up. How was he even able toe here?" she mumbled the question, squinting against the sunlight cutting into the room like broken shards of ss.


    "I don''t understand that part," Sam agreed. "I expected to find him pacing around the tree."


    "Maybe Greta will have some ideas," she suggested, and Sam smiled at this.


    As if summoning her by name alone, Greta burst through the door and ran to find Sam and August in the living room. She gave her mate a worried look, but finding him in his usual rxed state, she rushed to August on the couch.


    "What happened? Did he hurt you?" Greta grabbed August''s shoulders and pulled her gently into a hug. Feeling Greta''s embrace dissolved the tension she didn''t realize had been stored up in her body, and August felt herself slowly fall apart in Greta''s arms. Greta held her tighter, letting her take the time she needed to release the tears that hadn''t yet fallen.


    "I''m sorry," August finally said, pulling back and wiping the tears from her face even though more were silently pooling in her eyes, and she only wished for once she could keep them at bay rather than appear weak. Her head hurt from the times Marius had mmed it against the wall, and the gathering of her tears was only making it ache more.


    "I have a rule you need to know about, August, and that''s no apologizing for crying," she said quietly. "You were just attacked by that psychopath again. Crying helps."


    "H-he said that he had some link with me," August''s face pinched together feeling more tears rushing up. "That he knew when I woke up and even my feelings for Graeme," she sniffled, wiping more tears away, but they kept falling.


    "Hmm¡­ a link with you. That may be how he was able toe here without an issue," she thought aloud.


    "He said I killed his wolf," she sputtered out. "How could I have done that?" August''s face looked desperately at Greta for answers. Even though it was Marius, the thought of her being responsible for something like that was horrifying.


    Hearing this, Greta looked over at Sam who was still standing against the window. "He mentioned it to me, too," Sam said. "He didn''t shift to defend himself."


    "Do the elders know?" August heard the sudden panic in Greta''s voice.


    "I imagine he was too ashamed to tell anyone," Sam offered. "He said if I took him to the council, he would tell them." Greta breathed a sigh of relief at this.


    "Was it just because I bit him?" August looked worriedly at Greta who looked back at her without any answers. She didn''t know how it was possible. Something like that was unheard of. The alyko were born without a wolf, but that was a heritable trait.


    "Want to hear my theory?" both girls looked over to where Sam''s deep voice spoke calmly from the window. "It has to do with Graeme," he said.


    "What do you mean?" Greta asked, shifting on the sofa to face him.


    "You said it was Graeme''s energy she used that day," he said simply.


    Greta let her eyes wander past her mate and out into the trees that swayed in the noon sun. "And he''s Alpha," she whispered to herself.


    "It''s not a power he has on his own, but maybe together¡­" Sam shrugged.


    A small measure of relief bloomed in August''s mind at this theory, and she found herselfforted at the thought that maybe, just maybe, she had simply been delivering Graeme''s will as pack leader. The responsibility did not rest on her alone. She could ept that. Greta saw the relief on August''s face as the girl sighed, and she squeezed her arm reassuringly.


    "I like that theory," Greta agreed. "The elders will wonder about Marius'' disappearance," she looked at Sam. "What''s your n?"


    "Just behave like normal," he shrugged. "He didn''t leave his scent behind to follow, so he basically took care of it for us." Greta hoped he was right. "He wasn''t himself. If he''s been acting like that this whole time, the elders might think he took off anyway."


    "Do you need anything, August? Are you sure you''re not hurt?" Greta asked again before adding, "You are the most important person to my brother right now. I expect you to be honest with me." Greta gave her a pointed look that made August feel as if she were being used of something.


    "I guess he mmed my head against the wall pretty hard," she said quietly, "but he was aiming for worse. I feel really lucky."


    "His face was scratched to hell," Sam remarked, giving Greta a meaningful look.


    Greta pulled August''s arms forward to examine her trembling hands when she noticed the broken nails and dark bruises that had started to appear on the girl''s wrists. "Bastard," Greta mumbled to herself. "Any headache or dizziness?" she asked, looking closer at August''s eyes. The gold that had taken to shimmer there often deflected light, and Greta hadn''t noticed anything unusual about them.


    "It''s tolerable," August responded.


    "What''s tolerable? You have a headache?" Greta asked for August to nod. "One of your pupils is bigger than the other. You have a concussion."


    "But that''s not that big of a deal, right?" August asked quickly. "Can we not mention it to Graeme?" Greta gave her a questioning look for August to add, "He gave me his word Marius wouldn''t touch me again," she looked down into her hands. "He''s going to beat himself up over it."


    "He''s a big boy. He''ll be fine," Greta replied, perhaps too sharply.


    "It just seems that things like this keep happening. I don''t want to be the weak human anymore. I can handle a concussion," she argued.


    "You fought Marius off twice," Sam''s eyebrows were raised at her, and she shifted her eyes to him, squinting against the sun as she did. "You''re in no way weak."


    "Yeah, I climbed a tree," Augustughed softly to herself. "The abilities were gone," she looked at Greta.


    "You got away, August. That would be hard for anyone, even a lycan. Don''t be ashamed of it," Greta added. "As far as the abilities go, you''re still figuring it all out. It takes time."


    August looked intently at her hands, trying to steady them. Trying to will whatever involuntary reaction to the whole event left her still shaking. "I think I''m going to lie down," August said quietly. "I can''t thank you both enough," she hugged Greta and walked to where Sam hadn''t moved. "Sam, I¡­ I''d be in a much different state right now if you hadn''t shown up. Thank you," she smiled, reaching through the nket that was wrapped around her to squeeze his arm lightly.


    "I''m d you''re okay," he met her smile with his own.


    "We''re not going anywhere," Greta said behind her. "We''ll be right here if you need us, okay?"


    "Thanks guys," August replied quietly, passing through the doorway into the bedroom.


    Greta watched the doorway where the girl disappeared before crossing the room to where Sam was, reaching up to embrace him and let out a long sigh. He lifted her up into his arms where she buried her face in his shoulder.. "Don''t ever run off like that again, please," she spoke softly into his ear.

 Chapter 56 - Conference Room

    In the private conference room, Graeme was scanning over all of the information he had already known about the details leading up to the murder of his parents. The events of that day¡ªwhat drove them to leave packnd together and expose themselves to a risk of attack. He gulped and tried harder to focus, but it was difficult. Whenever it came to these details, his mind instinctually moved to protect itself by diverting to something less traumatizing. And this room wasn''t helping. It seemed to fog his senses even more.


    For some reason, the thought of how August''s hair scattered in the wind assailed him, and he found himself daydreaming about his mate¡ªthe one the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. He wanted to run his hands through her hair and pull her into him¡­


    A rap of knocks came against the frosted ss door to his conference room, and suddenly he was back in this room with the past spread out starkly before him. There were photos of his parents'' bodies, ravaged by animals. Animals that were gically kin to him. He gulped.


    "Come in," Graeme called.


    The door opened soundlessly, gliding with the light that flooded behind it, and a face from Graeme''s childhood met him.


    "V-violet?" Graeme stuttered, his thoughts still catching up to his surroundings.


    "Graeme," she breathed.


    The elegance of Violet braced the door and stood regarding him in disbelief. "I can''t believe you''re here," she said.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked, suspicious now by her sudden appearance. Her grip on the door handle tightened, but she quickly let it go, and her hands flowed into the room along with the rest of her. She was all elegance and grace. That hadn''t changed.


    "I¡ªI was visiting Zoe. I just heard from her that you were reading up on¡­" she stopped abruptly and swallowed, allowing her gaze to tear away from Graeme and alight on the documents on the table.


    Graeme followed her gaze. "Yeah," he grunted, his fists rounding into white knuckles on the table.


    "Are you okay?" Violet asked, taking the seat that was avable in front of him. The same cloying tone that he had heard from Zoe that morning was present in Violet''s voice as well, and it turned his stomach. Violet had always been like this, though. Superficially sincere¡ªand only when it worked to her advantage. Or at least that was what he hade to learn. He wasn''t so wise in the beginning.


    Graeme bowed his head, focusing on the thoughts of his mate that calmed him. "Yes, I''m okay," he answered with a new coldness to his tone.


    Violet shrank a little before settling her hands on the table in front of her. "This must be really difficult," she started, "but I''m so d to see you back."


    Graeme''s eyebrows dipped while his eyes focused on his own hands in front of him. "How have you been?" he ground out.


    There were a few beats of silence before Violet found her voice to fill the void. "Good. Mom and I opened a shop in the market. Our clothes are being traded around the packs. We''ve been really good," she replied. "And you?"


    Graeme silently nodded without looking at her. The sunlighting in from the floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly became very loud and abrasive.


    "I found my mate, Violet," he said finally.


    Violet didn''t respond, but he was vaguely aware of how her hand on the table curled into a loose fist.


    "That''s good, Graeme," she said softly. "Congrattions. I''m just happy you''re back with us."


    While one hand was clenched on the table, Violet moved her other hand below and against her stomach. She felt it ache like something was ripped out of her.


    "Look, I have a lot of work to do," Graeme said, finally meeting her eyes to see the desperate hope that hadn''t left her. She was seeking something that he couldn''t give, and she knew it.


    "Oh, of course," she quickly replied and arose from her seat. "Hopefully I''ll see you again soon."


    Graeme kept his eyes trained on the table with the photographs of his dead parents while Violet made her way out, and only after he heard the door close with a soft click did he allow himself a nce to the doorway where she had disappeared. He would have to figure out a way to talk with Violetter if she thought there was still a chance with him, but that was certainly not a conversation he looked forward to having again.


    Once he was able to focus on the files in front of him, Graeme pushed past the gruesome details of his parents'' murders and read the ounts avable. Where they were found. Who found them. The time of day. Who was supposed to be protecting them. The theories revolving around their deaths.


    His eyes narrowed when he flipped a page and saw "The Alyko Plot," in bold letters at the top of the next set of files. He set his teeth and read.


    Maggie was suspected of involvement with an unknown group of strays. A group? Graeme frowned. Strays never traveled in groups. He remembered the instinctual reaction he had to this information even as a pup. Strays didn''t congregate. They broke away from packs to run. To be alone. The desire to run like that was something he knew well.


    The alkyo in his pack at the time of his parent''s deaths were named in the report as well, and his stomach plummeted. Biographical information was provided for each, and he found their facesing to life in his mind. He was no good at this. He would never find the truth behind it, because he couldn''t even get past their descriptions and the memories that apanied them. The innocents who were murdered because he didn''t have the strength to object.


    Graeme mmed his hands against the table before bringing them up to cup his own head as he shook it in regret.


    When he was able to move on, he turned the page and saw a brief description of how the alkyo were executed. They were burned. Fuck. The screams of Maggie and the others from his memory erupted into the room with him, and he braced himself against it. He was familiar with this. He heard it nearly every time he closed his eyes. That was, until he found August.


    When he scanned down the endless ck words scrawled on the paper describing, in detail, the action that had been taken to avenge his parents, Graeme spotted something he hadn''t seen before.. His mouth dropped open in shock, and he suddenly found himself wing for the phone in his pocket.

 Chapter 57 - Incoming Call

    Greta''s eyes flew wide when she looked at her phone and saw her brother''s name. "Oh Goddess, it''s Graeme," she said, shifting her rmed eyes to her mate. A beat passed before Sam walked forward to where Greta could feel the physical heat of him, but thatfort only slowed her heart briefly before it sped up again as she wondered what to do.


    Sam reached up to embrace her shoulders as she looked helplessly at the phone in her hands. "What do I¡ªwhat do I do?" she whispered. She knew Graeme couldn''t know what had happened yet, because he would bolt out of the pack house in such a state that everyone would know something horrible had happened. It was rare that Greta found herself in the unsteady position of having few answers, and the fact that this particr dilemma included her brother and his mate amplified her difort considerably.


    "You have to answer it," Sam replied, his hands on her shoulders tightening.


    Greta''s mouth dropped open to respond, but her phone stopped chirping its demands at her, and she saw the screen go ck.


    "He''s going to call back," Sam said quietly. "You have to lie, Greta."


    "But¡ªbut he''s my brother," she whispered.


    "And you have to lie to save him. And August. Otherwise this wille back to them, and the elders will waste no time," the rich depth of Sam''s voice stirred that resonance of truth in his words, and she found herself silently nodding in agreement. "No one is ready for that kind of fight."


    "Yes, of course. You''re right," she said.


    With the exception of her steady breath, August had been quiet in the next room for over an hour, indicating that she had finally been able to rest. But the sharp tang of the human''s fear still hung in the treehouse, and Greta thoughtlessly walked to the deck to open the doors and air it out. If Graeme walked in to this, he would be a mad fury of teeth and ws. Who knows what he would do without stopping to listen to their exnation first.


    As Greta turned back to the living room, her phone sprang to life again, and she nearly dropped it. She looked up to steady herself in Sam''s reassuring gaze before she answered it.


    "Hey," she said, her voice too high, and she silently cursed herself.


    "What''s wrong?" Graeme immediately asked on the other end, and in her periphery vision she saw Sam run a hand through his hair nervously.


    "Pfff, nothing, why?" she scoffed, and she prayed to the Goddess it sounded natural. "Two calls from you in one day. To what do I owe the honor?"


    "I found something. I''m not sure what to make of it," he answered, and then Greta didn''t have to pretend anymore. The unsteadiness of Graeme''s voice had her heart quickening for a different reason.


    "What is it? What happened?" she asked.


    "I''m looking through the report on mom and dad. It says that after the council killed the alyko, their bodies were¡­ gone."


    "Whose? Mom''s and dad''s?" Greta squeaked.


    "No, no. Maggie''s," Graeme replied. "And all the alyko. They burned Maggie''s house with them inside, as you know, but¡­ afterwards. There was no evidence of them being there. Of their deaths¡­ of anything. They were just. Gone."


    "What?" Greta breathed. "That''s impossible. That doesn''t make sense. There''s no way the fire could have been that hot or, or¡­" she trailed off. Their remains should have been left.


    "I know. I know. But that''s what I''m looking at right now," Graeme replied and shuffled through the papers in front of him on the other end of the line. "Look, I''m not¡­ feeling right. I''ll be heading out of here soon. I''ll call you about itter, okay?"


    "What¡ªwhy¡­ but you''ve barely even been there," Greta found herself chuckling strangely as she scrambled to think of whether him leaving early would be considered suspicious. "I thought you were feeling better than usual. That''s what you said earlier."


    "I was, but being in here¡­ I don''t know, it''s just a lot. I can''t concentrate. And on top of it all, Violet found me," he replied gruffly.


    "I see," Greta said softly. "Can you bring the file home? I''d like to look at it."


    "I''ll see what I can do," he replied. "How was August when you picked up Sylvia? Did it go okay? Did she seem better?"


    Greta felt her heart hammer against her ribs. She''d never been able to lie to her brother. Not when faced with a direct question like this. She nced up at Sam who was watching her and eavesdropping on the conversation with his sharp lycan hearing. His eyebrows dipped in encouragement, and she gulped.


    "Greta?"


    "Yeah," she breathed. "Sorry, I was just distracted with my thoughts. The session went well. I really think working with Sylvia is going to be a good thing." Greta squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn''t strictly lying, but she still felt the guilt of it¡ªlike a betrayal of their honesty to each other.


    It was less than an hour after Greta and Graeme ended their call when Graeme swung the door open to the treehouse and froze. Something horrible had happened. He immediately sensed it.


    Sam and Greta were in the living room when they heard the door knock against the wall, and they both sprang from the couch. Sam extended an arm, gesturing for Greta to stay behind him as they waited for Graeme to enter. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath except August, whose soft puffs of sleep could be heard throughout the house. Perhaps that''s what kept Graeme from shifting in fury. He stalked through the kitchen into the living area where his sister and her mate were waiting.


    Graeme red at them both, his nostrils ring. "What the hell happened here?" he snarled.


    "Graeme¡ª" Greta started, but Sam moved forward to take the attention off of her.


    "Marius was here," Sam said calmly.


    A bright fury lit in Graeme''s eyes at this¡ªwhy the hell was Sam so calm?!¡ªand he tore into the room toward the bedroom behind them. Greta sprang in front of the doorway with her hands up as Sam grabbed Graeme''s arm.


    "Don''t fucking touch me," Graeme snarled, narrowing his eyes furiously at Sam who raised his hands in front of him in apology.


    "I''m sorry," Sam said. "But listen."


    "She''s okay, Graeme! She''s okay," Greta spoke quickly from behind her mate.


    Graeme felt like he was on the verge of crumbling, a breath away from a quick cascade of every defense imploding within him. "You lied to me," he gritted his teeth with the growl while pointing usingly at Greta.


    "I¡ªI didn''t lie," Greta argued, but then she winced. What a pathetic technicality to argue right now. Graeme''s eyes red, and she hurried on. "I''m sorry. I couldn''t tell you over the phone." She saw Sam tense further in front of her as Graeme stalked toward her. Goddess, please don''t let them fight. Please.


    "You couldn''t tell me?" Graeme spit as his eyebrows shot up in usation, his eyes piercing hers before gliding to find the male who stood between them. Sam¡ªcalm as always. It was infuriating. "Get out of my way," Graeme growled.


    "He''s dead, Graeme," Sam offered. "We stopped him¡ªwe stopped him before anything could happen."


    Graeme red at them, his body seemingly growingrger by the second before his chest finally deted and he turned, gripping his head in his hands with a frustrated growl. Greta felt him whine. It may not have been audible, but she felt it from across the room, and her heart shattered. She moved tofort him, but Sam extended his protective arm again, stopping her.


    "I''m so sorry, Graeme," she whimpered behind her mate.


    "I left her," Graeme whispered. "I fucking left her."


    "It''s not your fault, brother," Sam said quietly.


    Graeme whipped around to face them. "Then whose fault is it, Sam?" his eyes were silvered with angry tears.


    "Not. Yours."


    Graeme blew a disgusted breath out of his nose. His chest was rising and falling heavily with his fists clenched at his sides. Ridiculous. Of course it was his fault. Of course it was his fault!


    "I know you''re angry. You have every right to be," Greta said. "But you have to calm down. For her. She can''t see you like this. Not after what she''s been through."


    Graeme growled again. Greta. She had lied to him on the phone¡ªshe could have told him about what happened when he called. Despite that, he squeezed his eyes tight and let his sister''s wisdom trickle in. She was right, of course. She always was. The hot rage running the length of him started to cool into angry tremors, and before he knew it his sister was embracing him, and he reluctantly let her calm cover him.


    "I''m sorry," she whimpered. "I''m so sorry I didn''t tell you. Please listen to why."


    "Tell me everything," he ground out.

 Chapter 58 - The Secret

    Hi, friends! Two chapters areing tonight! Enjoy your weekend. :)


    ****


    August awoke to the sound of angry voices in the next room. She recognized Graeme''s among them, and she quickly pushed herself up in bed to feel the soreness in her body that had finally caught up to her. The sun had moved in the sky to ate afternoon hour, making her wonder how long she was out.


    As if sensing August awake, Graeme''s familiar bristly face appeared in the bedroom doorway where he paused to look at her from across the room. His expression was not one she could read¡ªhis eyes like a dark storm rolling back to let the sun break through. August held her breath looking at the beauty of him from afar like this, wondering what he was thinking. She was suddenly desperate to know.


    She couldn''t understand it, but she feared that what happened today would change the rtionship with Graeme somehow. She had let herself be put in danger. She had answered the door. Marius had put his hands on her. August gulped recalling it all as it yed back in fast forward through her mind. The rage in Marius. His face so close. The smell of him. The desperation. And the way her body shook with adrenaline as she ran through the house and out onto the deck. The rough tree bark under her hands.


    Greta passed Graeme quietly toe to August''s side.


    "Let me see your eyes, dear," she said, and August tore them away from where Graeme remained standing watching her. "It will take a few days to go back to normal. No digital screens until then, okay?"


    August nodded, realizing that she had started trembling again, so she folded her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut to will the weakness away. She was stronger than this.


    "Let me know if you have any new symptoms." With that, Greta squeezed her shoulder and made her way out, and August heard the front door close two rooms away.


    Graeme finally moved from the doorway, and she watched him slowly make his way to her with fear bloomingrger andrger in her heart as he did. When Graeme finally arrived before her, August''s heart was thundering. Was he angry at her? Was he angry at himself? Graeme kneeled and took her hands in his, lowering his head to kiss the marks on her wrists before looking back up into her eyes.


    "It''s agony not knowing how you are," he said quietly, searching her face. His voice was so deep. It made her shiver and then immediately calm¡ªthe thickness of it covering her. "I wish I could just feel what you''re feeling. And take it from you. Carry it for you."


    For some reason, these few tender words made her tears resurface, and August looked down into their hands to try to keep him from seeing them. Graeme didn''t seem angry after all. He tilted her chin back up where she met his gaze while her wretched tears welledrger.


    "I''m so proud of you, August. You did well," he said deeply again. And with that, the dam of tears broke loose.


    Graeme pulled her gently into hisp, tucking her under his chin while she wept against him, clutching his shirt. "I''m sorry," she sobbed against him, "I''m so sorry." She repeated it over and over, emptying all of the darkness inside of her into those words.


    Graeme choked back his own tears at hearing her words¡ªthe thought that these were the words that came to her when she was hurt. Why did she feel guilty? What was she apologizing for?


    Anger and sorrow fought within him as he held her, allowing the tremors and the darkness to make their way out. He rocked her gently back and forth, moving his hand through her hair soothingly as her sobs gradually died down into soft whimpers and then finally into a quiet peace.


    When she eventually looked back up at him, her eyes were red and puffy, but there was a serenity that made her look more alive and beautiful than ever. She reached up and smoothed the sides of his face with both of her hands.


    "Thank you," she said quietly, sniffling. "I''m sorry. I''m actually fine."


    "Why are you sorry, my love? You''ve done nothing wrong," he said, rubbing her back and feeling her rx into him again.


    Sheughed awkwardly against his chest. "I just cry too much."


    "Are you really worried about that? After what you just went through?" he spoke softly, clenching his jaw as he once again imagined Marius here in his home threatening her. The rage he felt when he entered the treehouse still burned close to the surface, and it took everything he had to tuck it back.


    Marius was gone, and he couldn''t punish him the way he needed to. If only he had finished Marius the first time¡ªhe should have chased him and finished what August had started. Why hadn''t he? Or why hadn''t Sam saved Marius for him so he could take him out himself? He would have made it slow and torturous.


    Graeme turned his attention back to the girl in his arms who was still sniffling, and everything in him yearned to make it better for her¡ªhowever he could after the fact. Greta had warned him that August didn''t want to be made to feel weak or fragile, but he needed to know how extensive the harm to her was.


    "Can I¡­ ask how you are feeling?" he ventured.


    He felt August stiffen in his arms at the question. "Just sore is all," she replied.


    He sighed and squeezed her gently. "Have you checked yourself over?"


    "I''m fine," she said.


    "August¡­" he started, trailing off to wonder about his words and how to pick them. "You are¡­ precious to me," his voice broke midway and he grimaced at it.


    His stomach twisted harder at the helplessness he felt gnawing at him, spiraling down into his core at what could have happened. He hadn''t been able to protect her. Again. Sam had described Marius'' appearance, and he could only guess at the threat she had faced alone.


    "Can I¡­" he swallowed hard before continuing, "may I look you over to make sure that you''re okay?" he whispered the question almost apologetically. She nodded silently, and he stood with her against him and carried her out to the shower before cing her on her feet.


    August''s eyes diverted from Graeme''s as he found the hem of her shirt and slowly lifted it over her head. He turned her around gently so she was facing away from him, and she took the opportunity to look down at her stomach, which had a few scrape marks¡ªprobably from the roof or tree, she thought. Graeme''s hands worked through her hair as he scanned for any abrasions before turning her back around to face him.


    With the afternoon light peeking over the wood t wall, he saw the difference in her pupils that Greta had described. His brows pulled together as he ran a thumb around the orbital bone of her eye with therger ck pupil. The anger resurfaced to sh in his own eyes before worry consumed it, swallowing it up and leaving a pool of emotion in its ce. August raised her hand to cover his.


    "It''s fine," she reassured him.


    "How does a shower sound?" he asked, avoiding responding to her. Because it wasn''t fine. The arm August had raised to touch his hand had the gnarled pink scar on its wrist, which was now surrounded by fresh bruises.


    August saw him looking at her arm, and she dropped it to her side. "I''ve survived worse."


    "He didn''t give you a concussionst time," Graeme said through gritted teeth. "He didn''t almost **** you," and saying it aloud, barely audible as he did, invited the wave of emotion to swell in him where the angry tears finally escaped.


    "No. Before Marius," August jutted her chin out now with a hardened, vacant expression he hadn''t seen¡ªlike a mask had been flipped down to keep him out.


    "W-what?" he stuttered, squinting against the tears. "Someone else hurt you?" He heard her sigh heavily to this, and she pressed her eyes together tightly but remained silent. "You can tell me," he swallowed hard again.


    August pulled the shirt back over her head before meeting his eyes again. "I guess you should know," her voice void of emotion. "It might change how you feel." His brows furrowed at what she could mean. "I was raped."


    The words hung in the air like a bell that had been rung.

 Chapter 59 - Help You Carry It

    "I was 14," August said, crossing her arms. "I was at a party with friends and some guys we didn''t really know. I ended up in a room I couldn''t get out of," the mask she wore paled considerably, but she continued staring at him like she was challenging him to hear it. "With two of them," her eyebrows raised, remembering.


    The air was sucked out of Graeme''s lungs as he looked back at the girl who was now far away in her mind, staring past him. She looked hollow, the specter of a memory whistling through her. Graeme grabbed her hands to bring her back to him.


    "I''m not a lycan, but¡­" August whispered as she refocused back on his face, "but I''m not weak, Graeme. I''m not. That¡ªthat didn''t break me, and this won''t either. I can handle this."


    "Okay, okay," he choked out, pulling her gently against him, cupping her head against his chest where she couldn''t see the tears that continued to escape for her. "I just wish you didn''t have to handle it." ''And you don''t have to handle it alone anymore. I''m here,'' he thought to himself, willing her to hear it. To believe it.


    He gritted his teeth¡ªwhat kind of cruel world was this? So much horror and violence to those he had loved or woulde to love¡ªeven before he was able to help them. It was like the universe wasughing at him. Like it was making a mockery of every protective instinct he had. Every instinct that told him he should be able to control things. That he should be able to prevent or alter events by his will alone. Why was that not the case?


    But despite everything that had happened¡ªdespite every fear of failure or weakness that both Graeme and August harbored¡ªsimply being in one another''s arms seemed to sooth and cover it all. After some time allowing the closeness tofort them both, he lifted her into his arms so he could see her eyes again. Her beautiful golden eyes that burned into his.


    "Let me help you carry it," he spoke softly against her, ducking his head so that their foreheads rested together. "Let me help you carry these burdens like you me helped carry mine. Please."


    Graeme leaned to turn on the shower before walking under it with her, smoothing her hair back with the warm rain that cascaded over them both. The water gradually soaked their clothes as they held each other.


    August lifted her face to see the drops of water that had thickened Graeme''sshes and clung like jewels to his beard. His hair was wet and matted against his forehead as he gazed deeply back at her, caressing her face with one hand while he supported her with the other.


    "I vow to be here for you always, my love. In whatever way you need me. Nothing could ever change that," he whispered.


    And suddenly the water was a curtain keeping the rest of the world out, and she wanted to never leave. To never tear herself away from the warmth of his eyes that reached so deep into her. She was breathless gazing back at him.


    Graeme hadn''t been disgusted by her. He hadn''t walked away. He hadn''t gotten angry or threatened to hurt someone. He was still here just as he had been¡ªholding her close, reassuring her. Believing her. And somehow that made her feel stronger. He wasn''t offering her pity. He was offering her strength. Strength and belief and love.


    Graeme blinked against the water streaming down his face before lowering his head to kiss her gently, and August pulled herself up to meet him. She tilted her head, deepening the tenderness he had initiated and setting it alight. And then she was clutching his hair, his beard, his chest¡ªgrasping at him with her hands that wanted to be everywhere, seeking all of his strength that rippled and tensed under the shirt that now clung to him.


    Graeme pulled back and studied her carefully. "I don''t want to hurt you further," he said, searching her face.


    "You can''t," she whispered against him. "You can''t, because it''s you. Somehow¡­ it''s always been you," she said it as if she was marveling to herself as she clutched his hair. "How are you real?" she asked suddenly, causing his dimple to appear. "I mean it. How?"


    "I wonder the same about you," he replied before pulling her up closer to him where he could kiss her neck, trailing his soft lips down to the spot he wanted where multiple streams of water united into one warm slide along her skin, and he nipped her there with his teeth.


    A rumble began deep in his chest as he gently kissed and sucked that spot, pulling the tenderness of her into his mouth and running his tongue along it. He ached for her. His teeth ached for her, and it ran the length of him. He pulled back, an apology forming in his eyes.


    "I love that possessive growl you make," August said, giving him a crooked smile.


    "I don''t know where thates from. I just¡­ Goddess, I want you so bad. I''m sorry. It doesn''t scare you does it?"


    August shook her head. "No, I love it."


    "I should have known what was happening today. I should have been here for you right away. I would have if¡ªif¡­"


    "If you had marked me?" Her eyes slid back down to look at his lips and the sharp white canines behind them. Graeme let out a loud sigh and raked a hand down his face before he nodded. "And you want to do it now?" She whispered the question.


    He groaned. "Yes. I do. More than anything. I''m sorry," he closed his eyes against the feeling that was still there¡ªthe bite that was wing to get out of him. To finally taste her. To make her safe.


    "Then do it," she whispered, clutching the hair at his neck tighter.


    "No," he groaned again. "No, not after what you went through. It will hurt. I can''t¡­"


    "Graeme," she interrupted, pulling his attention back to her. Her eyes were burning a deep golden like he had never seen before. "I want you," she breathed, tugging him reassuringly towards her. "I want you to mark me. I want to experience that connection with you. No one¡­ no one ever cares what I want," she whispered, and he saw her eyes squint against the truth of it. "Please tell me that what I want matters to you."


    Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together, and he ran his thumb along her face. Over her golden eyebrows that shone against her skin. Over the blush that formed on her cheeks and grew darker. Over the curve and dip of her top lip as her bottom lip parted from it.


    "Are you sure?" he asked and swallowed again.


    "Yes," she breathed, never looking away from him. Her legs squeezed around his waist, and he felt all of his bright desire tighten in response to her.


    "Goddess, August," he groaned and squeezed his eyes shut again. "You need to know. The mark¡­ it''s forever. There''s no going back." And even as he said it, his eyes opened to focus on her neck that had flushed from his attention earlier. He could have her atst. He could know how she was from afar. She could be safe. She could be his.


    "I understand," she said, her voice like velvet and her hand stroking the hair at his neck.


    "Through life and death, I am yours. I will follow you," he said in a low gravel, not registering that he was slowly bowing toward her again.


    "And I am yours," she said softly as she pulled his head further toward her.


    "Are you sure, my love?" She felt the soft puff of his breath as he tilted toward her, and she arched into him.


    "Yes, Graeme. I trust you. I love you," she whispered in his ear.


    "Hold on to me, darling," Graeme said with ragged breath.

 Chapter 60 - Hold Onto Me, Darling

    Just a little note here to say thank you again to all of you wonderful readers. And to those of you who have so generously given this story a gift, I dedicate this very special, highly-anticipated chapter to you. :)


    ***


    August''s breath came faster, and she gripped his shoulders. He kissed below her ear before returning to the tender spot that made his teeth ache for her. "I''m yours, August Moon. Forever, eternally yours. And you are mine," he whispered against her neck before allowing his lips to linger there in a soft kiss. He felt her breath hitch, and she tightened her legs around him again.


    Just like that, the hunger Graeme had tamed until now uncoiled in his abdomen. The soft kiss turned deeper as hetched onto her pale skin, sucking it fiercely before finally sinking his teeth in to taste the tenderness of her. August whimpered underneath him as he held her, soft but firm in his arms with his teeth in her skin. The fierceness of his protection for her swelledrge around them, with her at its bright center. Graeme growled and clutched her closer, feeling something flowing and soft merge with his center and expand outward¡ªout into the forest and even beyond that.


    August whimpered and shuddered against him, indenting his back as the pain pierced her neck before spreading a warm,forting wave through her. Its strength and tenderness was everywhere, sinking deep¡ªinto the deepest parts that she hadn''t felt until now. Her chest grew warm and rxed, and suddenly the body of Graeme holding her seemed to merge and sink in with hers. She was aware of him¡ªeverywhere. The puttering of him against her skin. The way his body arched over and held her¡ªshe felt it as she felt herself¡ªmore so, even, for this extension of her was new and vibrant and so alive. It stole her breath.


    "Graeme.." his name brought explosions of light behind her eyes as she said it¡ªthe most precious of names. She would treasure it, treasure him, always. She didn''t know¡ªhad no idea¡ªthat this was what the marking would be. That it would expand and weave, explode and fill, bring him home to her in such a deliciously permanent way where every part of him came alive behind her eyes.


    Graeme groaned, unwilling to let go¡ªmaking sure he gave her everything. He sucked on the tenderness in his mouth, taking her into him and tasting it, willing himself into her and feeling her flow into him in return. She was his. August was his, and he would give her everything. His arms wrapped tighter around her sides, and she was groaning with him¡ªher hands in his hair, bringing to life every inch she touched, and she was touching everything, every part of him¡ªflowing into him and filling the negative spaces, merging with his flesh and with his blood, building and building inside of him until he was sure she was finally home.


    Graeme pulled back finally, panting against her, and their eyes locked¡ªtwin expressions of surprise and awe and a love that neither had ever felt or been capable of imaging before. They recognized each other and themselves as entangled within the other who held them close, and they panted there quietly in awe, taking it in.


    For once, August wasn''t crying with emotion, but it was because she was so fully open to him, everything had been swept clean. His breaths were her own, his twin awe was her own, and she reveled in it¡ªin him. In herself. In this newfort between them. She felt safe and strong and seen in a way that she never had been before. He saw her being, he felt it, and she knew because she felt his, too.


    Nothing could be more precious or more beautiful than this new universe of feeling that had expanded and opened up between them. Together, they orbited something beyond themselves that was only made possible by them each as individuals brought together now as a whole.


    "You''re safe," Graeme whispered, bowing his head to hers.


    "And you''re mine," August answered.


    "Can you read my thoughts, August Moon?" Graeme pulled back with a small teasing smile on his lips.


    "No," she said, "but I feel you. I feel you everywhere, Graeme."


    His gaze held hers for another moment before he bent to lick the mark and soothe it with his tongue, and she shuddered again from the contact. He was coursing through her. He was inside her¡ªin her bones, in her cells, in the very core of her being somehow, and yet here was his tongue leaving a tantalizing trail of exterior warmth that chilled in the fall air. "Finally," she heard him say, "you''re home."


    "We should have done this from the beginning," she thought aloud and clutched the nape of his neck¡ªthe strength of him somehow softening under her.


    "You only awoke three days ago," Graeme chuckled.


    "Before¡­ before everything. How have I been so long without you?" She scanned his face, and then she caught sight of it¡ªthe second vision. It had returned, and there was a gentle glow to their surroundings. But this time, it wasn''t overwhelming. It felt natural. She looked at the man holding her, the dazzling radiance surrounding him, and she was able to dim this new vision to where it all but disappeared before opening it again and letting the energy burn brightly to almost blind her with its brilliance.


    "What is it?" he asked her, his eyes and voice so tender it trilled inside her.


    "The second vision. It''s back," she smiled. "And it feels¡­ good. It feels normal."


    "Your pupils are back to being the same size," he realized suddenly. The smile on his face grew wider. He was pleased with these unexpected oues. "Let''s see your wrists," he added. August let go of him, lowering her hands to where they could both see the pale skin that no longer had bruises. Her mouth dropped open. She turned her hands over to reveal her nails that were perfectly in tact with no sign of damage.


    "How¡­" she started, looking back up at him in shock.


    "Thank the Goddess," she heard him say, and he pulled her into his chest, tucking her under his chin and running his hand over her wet hair. "I''ve never been so relieved or grateful," he said. "Thank you. I feel like I can breathe again," and he sputtered augh. It was true. It was almost as if a new chamber had opened in his chest to allow deeper, fuller breaths. He felt every cell rx and hum with a new warmth¡ªa new warmth that was August.


    August was speechless. Had his mark healed her?


    "Let''s get you into dry clothes," he said and gently ced her down, grabbing a nearby towel to wrap around her.


    "Are you okay?" she breathed. "The bite, it didn''t¡­ harm you did it?"


    "Of course not," he gave her a crooked smile.


    "Can you shift into your wolf for me?"


    "I''m fine," he chuckled at her concern, rubbing her arms under the towel as her lips started to tremble from the fall air.


    "Please," she pleaded with an expression that sliced his heart. Obviously she was still worried that Marius losing his wolf had somehow been her fault alone.


    He raised an eyebrow, a glint of mischief twinkling in his eye before pulling the wet shirt over his head. The action ruffled his hair, causing it to stick up adorably in various spots. August gulped having his perfect body revealed to her. A small trail of dark hair started around his belly button that led below his jeans, which he was now unbuttoning without lowering his eyes from hers.


    "You can''t just¡­ shift. You know, without undressing?"


    "I like these jeans," he smiled. He removed each pant leg, one after the other, and then in an instant, as if he were merely shaking his human form free, his massive wolf was standing in front of her. She hadn''t realized how tall he was like this¡ªhis eyes stared back higher in height than hers.


    August''s worry vanished, reced now with a radiant smile as she looked back at the magnificent creature in front of her whose long, dark fur was ruffling with the breeze. She moved slowly forward, running one hand through the fur on his face before nuzzling herself in his neck. He huffed and craned his head back toward her before sitting on his hind legs, letting her acquaint herself again with the wild that existed in him.


    "I''m so relieved," she said into his fur, petting him again as she held the towel around her with the other hand. And then just as quickly as he had turned wild, he shook himself back to his less furry form, and her head was against his bare chest.. She looked up to see the emotion in his eyes that met her, and she drank it in.

 Chapter 61 - Stay With Me

    "Let''s not have you catch cold," Graeme said quietly, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. His warmth surrounded her once again, and she doubted she could ever catch cold being this close to him.


    After setting her down on the bed, Graeme turned toward his closet to retrieve some clothes, and a sudden panic quickened in her chest. He was turning away¡ªthis other part of her. He was leaving. August caught his hand, pulling him back.


    "I¡ªI''m cold now," she said quickly. Without fully understanding why, she needed him to remain close. The river of him that was running through her now, spreading more of him through every part of her, needed him there to steady it. To reassure her¡ªelse she might be swept along with it. "I''m cold without you. Stay with me. Please."


    Graeme turned back with soft eyes and kneeled in front of her¡ªhis beautiful mate who appeared vulnerable to him in a new way. There was uncertainty in her eyes, and he wanted to ease it.


    "I''m right here, love. I''m not leaving," he whispered. "I''m never leaving you."


    August nodded and caressed his face. "Okay." The word came out shakily, and she didn''t fully understand why¡ªjust that she needed that reassurance.


    Graeme dipped his head into her chest, allowing her to caress his hair and run her hands along his back. Was there a more precious feeling than this? Than the way their bodies sang to each other when they were close? Than the trilling in his bones when their eyes met? He straightened and slowly pulled the towel from her shoulders before gently working it through her hair that was still dripping.


    While Graeme worked the towel through her hair, his arms around either side of her, August watched the movement of the perfectly sculpted muscles in his chest¡ªso close to her. She put a hand gently against him and saw how he tensed under her and held his breath for a moment. Her eyes wandered upward to the line of his neck and his sharp jaw. The dark, bristly hair of his beard that was so gruff and alluring. His dark, intense eyes were on the hair he was drying by working the towel through sections from the crown to the ends before he met her gaze again, and it stole her breath.


    "Lift your arms," he said quietly¡ªso gentle and deep. When she obeyed, she felt his hands gliding up over her skin as he worked the wet shirt up before lifting it over her head and discarding it on the floor. His hands moved behind her, bringing his face next to hers as he slipped his fingers under the waistband at her lower back. "And your pants," his voice was against her ear. She lifted her hips to allow him to pull them down over her legs, and a shiver ran through her that ignited a cascade of nervous trembles.


    After slipping thest pant leg off, he worked the towel reverently over her shoulders and down her arms, creating the friction that dried her skin and made her trembles gradually cease. Her eyes followed him while he worked with care, and the fire in her began to burnrger and brighter as he continued to stoke it.


    Once he had given the same diligent attention to her legs, he lowered his head to the foot in his hands, kissing it for goosebumps to quickly spread over her body again. He slid his hand up her calf, messaging it gently. Her breath caught as she watched him caressing her, his head bowed, his mouth on her skin, warming that spot before moving on. How was this real? How was this amazing, beautiful man real? He slowly ran his hands up the length of her legs, following them up with his mouth until she felt him gently tug on her inner thigh with his teeth, coaxing a small noise out of her.


    "You''re so soft," he whispered, lifting his head to meet the golden fire in her eyes. "I want to nibble on all the tender parts of you." He straightened himself between her legs, pulling her closer to him as he reached behind her to undo the sps at her back while he watched her carefully, gauging her expression.


    Graeme''s dark eyes were tender looking back at her as he slipped the delicate straps down her arms, one after the other, before turning his face to hers where he lingered, breathing in her scent. His fingers found the fresh mark on her neck and ran over it, causing a shiver to run down the length of her body once again. With that, he pulled her even closer before pausing there with her as they breathed against each other.


    August smoothed the damp hair back from Graeme''s face, bringing his warm gaze to rest on her. There was a question in his eyes, as if he was awaiting approval. She sensed the conflict he felt¡ªof wanting to protect her, to take it slow, and she was in awe of it¡ªin awe of him. Graeme with his tough exterior¡ªso strong and dominant¡ªand yet with this molten gentleness and sensitivity at his core.


    August pulled him up to meet her and he followed, entranced by the calm liquid gold in her eyes. With their tongues at once entangled, vivid colors bloomed one after another in her mind, opening her further and further to him, and she grabbed him desperately for more¡ªwanting to give him all of it, all that was blooming for him. Graeme''s possessive growl slowly rose and puttered against her and with it the intensity fighting for dominance seemed to finally break free and consume him.


    Finally she was his, and she was here under him¡ªso soft and willing. He could feel her desire light up inside of him as if it were his own as she arched and he pulled her in. He wanted to taste and caress every inch¡ªwanted to worship this silky pale skin she was wrapped in. He returned his mouth to her neck where she was vulnerable and so mouth-watering, and he imed that part of her again with his lips¡ªkissing and sucking and nibbling while he explored the length of her under him. The elegant curve of her neck. The beautiful peaks of her breasts that fit so perfectly in his hand. It was as if she was made to fit him exactly, and he wanted to feel every part thatplemented him.


    The alluring tip of one breast disappeared into the heat of his mouth as he kneaded the other¡ªhis tongue rolling against the silk of her, pulling her in before letting her go, and then he switched to do the same with her other breast¡ªdevouring it like he had been deprived, and she arched¡ªurging the rest of herself forward to be consumed by him. As he pulled back, gently tugging her nipple along, she whimpered under him.


    "Are you okay?" he asked. August nodded, eyebrows threaded together as she found his deep eyes looking back at her.


    "Are you?" she asked breathlessly, bringing a hand to sweep the hair from his face that had fallen over his eyes. He smiled in response to her question, his dimple reappearing, and it was the most rxed she had ever seen him.. He ran his thumb over her lips and kissed her there before trailing again down her neck and returning to where he had left off.

 Chapter 62 - Strange Power

    A/N: (ehem, sorry to interrupt the scene ;) August and Graeme are likely going premium tomorrow, which means chapters will be back-locked from 60. I just wanted to give you wonderful readers a heads-up.


    Also, if you would like to be friends on Facebook and/or Instagram and talk about WN, fantasy romance, werewolves or anything else, I just made new author ounts! You can add me @author_emme_z on IG and @author.emmez on FB (FB doesn''t allow for one letter surnames, so I am Emme Zee). Happy reading, dear ones!


    ***


    Thest of her undergarments were removed while Graeme caressed and kissed her stomach and then her hips and then the silky heat of her core, and August found herself shuddering from this new sensation and gripping his forearms that held her in ce, anchoring her to him. She gasped¡ªthe very breath of her existence seemingly jolting awake anding to life again and again with every sacred kiss and touch that he offered her.


    "Graeme," she called as a cascade of trembles raked her, and she was wing for him, begging him to return to her where she felt his mouth entangle with her own again and where she responded with her own intensity, seeking more of him. Seeking all of him. "Please," she whispered against him, "Please. I need you."


    "I''m here, my love," he said softly, and he lowered himself over her, running his hands through her syed hair and kissing her cheeks. "You have me. You have all of me."


    "Not yet," she breathed against him. His soft growl returned, and she smiled hearing it.


    "Goddess, August," he groaned. "You''re so beautiful." He paused to just gaze at her and savor this¡ªthe feeling of her skin running the length of his, pulsing with desire and reaching for him. The hunger in her eyes that burned and danced their enchanting gold, and he found himself lost in her as he stroked her hair and her face. He growled again, devouring her first with his eyes before shifting to take his weight on one arm and running his hand down her side with the other as he took her mouth.


    And then the desire fully unleashed. He lifted her knee as he positioned himself between her legs¡ªhis mate''s beautiful curvaceous legs. A deep rumble shook through him as he continued kissing her, prepared to enter, and then he felt her start to tremble again. He pulled back, pausing to breathe against her face and search her again. For fear. For an answer. For permission. Her eyes bared everything to him¡ªGoddess, she was beautiful. "Are you ready for me, love?"


    August felt the depth and sincerity of him as he paused again, waiting, and she reached up to steady herself with a hand against his chest. "I''ve never¡ª" she gulped, and another wave of trembles ran the length of her when she realized what was about to happen. How close he was. The hardened length of him that she could feel resting against her thigh. This was it. She wanted it¡ªwanted him¡ªbut her teeth started chattering involuntarily.


    "What is it, darling? You can tell me," his eyebrows pinched together as he scanned her face.


    A blush was quick to bloom on her cheeks as she diverted her eyes, and he caressed the spots of color affectionately. "It''s just that I''ve never actually¡­ um¡­ When I said¡ªwhen I said I wasn''t a virgin," but her teeth were chattering harder now, and she couldn''t finish exining. And suddenly he understood¡ªas if he heard the unspoken words, felt them arching out unsaid in the air, and diverted them into his heart. She''d never done this. Not willingly. He closed his eyes, squinting them shut at the realization, and bowed his forehead to rest against hers.


    "Oh, sweet girl," he rumbled, and she felt it rumble through her as well. "You''re safe, August. You''re safe with me."


    August nodded wordlessly, and Graeme reached a hand up to cup the side of her face gently before opening his eyes and offering himself to her there in his gaze. Allowing himself to be as vulnerable as he could be. "I am yours," he said and found his voice breaking. "I am fully yours. You honor me deeply by being my mate, August Moon. It is¡­ it is sacred," he breathed, and he felt her rx again.


    "I know," she whispered, and she tilted up to meet him, taking his mouth tenderly with her own. Graeme rolled onto his side, curling her up with him in his arm so they were mirror images of each other. When August broke the kiss, their foreheads remained together, and she let her hand explore him this time. She ran her fingers over the ridges of muscles running down his torso that clenched under her touch before tentatively finding that part of him that she had avoided until now.


    Graeme sucked in a breath, and she felt him twitch as she ran her hand along that hardened length that had always petrified her in other men. The blush in her cheeks increased when she realized how¡ªhow big he was. Was this natural? How was this going to work? But this was Graeme¡ªthis was her mate, and when she realized his eyes were squinted shut, she focused on his face as she slowly began stroking him, feeling this strange power with him in her hand¡ªbeing the one to make him tremble and his eyebrows arch pleadingly.


    And then she allowed herself to open to that connection with him again, where with every stroke of her hand, she felt his pleasure light up inside of her like her own. When at one point, he whimpered and ced his hand over hers and she watched as the muscles in his arms worked as he gently guided her, all of her hesitation fell away. That whimper¡ªhe was vulnerable to her like she was to him, and suddenly she was hungry for it¡ªmore of those whimpers from this powerful mate of hers.


    August pushed herself up with one arm until she was guiding Graeme onto his back with her mouth against his, and when she broke away from kissing him, his eyes opened to watch her. Those dark eyes that were shimmering with love and wonder as he watched her questioningly. "No, August, you don''t have to¡­" he rasped, but she silenced him with a new mischievous determination in her eyes, and he found himself gulping as she ran the heat of her mouth in slow, torturous kisses down his chest and stomach.


    Oh, Goddess. Every touch from her was like an explosion of sensation that lit him from inside. He groaned and dropped his head back against the bed when she started nibbling her way down so sweetly and innocently, it was threatening to drive him mad. She hadn''t let go of his cock, but now as her mouth approached it, he felt her hesitate. "I don''t know what I''m doing," she whispered shyly, and he bit his bottom lip when he looked up and met the golden fire of her eyes again. Did she know how much power she had over him in just her eyes alone?


    "You don''t need to know anything," he replied and reached for her, but she stayed stubbornly in that position between his legs, eyeing it curiously.. He bit back a chuckle at how impossibly adorable she looked at that moment, and somehow the sweetness of it¡ªthe innocence¡ªmade him want her even more, although he wasn''t sure how that was even possible.

 Chapter 63 - Home

    August''s eyes slid back up to find his with the blush ming red on her cheeks now, but she was slowly lowering herself over him. So slowly. His mouth opened, mimicking hers as she approached his cock and hesitated¡ªthen approached it again before hesitating again. It took everything he had not to bite his fist in anticipation before she finally got up the courage to put her mouth on it, and then he was clutching the sheets when that silky warmth of her slowly, shyly surrounded him.


    "August, please¡ªyou don''t need to," he groaned, but she felt so good. Too good. Goddess, he didn''t deserve this. He heard himself whimper, much to his dismay, but it seemed to spur her on, because she took him deeper, and her bottom arched up behind her as she bent over him, slowly bobbing her head up and down. He groaned and dropped his own head back against the bed. He wanted so desperately to take her every way¡ªto finally reach inside of her to her deepest part and make her cry out his name. He was imagining just that when her teeth grazed him, and he hissed.


    "Are you okay?" she popped up with her eyebrows arched in concern.


    He chuckled and sat up to meet her, pulling her toward him.


    "Did I hurt you? I''m sorry¡­ It''s just¡ªit''s so big," she muttered apologetically, reluctantly letting it go and trailing her hand back up his abs when he chuckled again at her innocence before reuniting his lips with hers. He punished her with the kiss, squinting against the onught of his desire that pushed him to devour everyst delicious morsel of her at once.


    August wrapped herself around him eagerly, tangling her arms and her hands behind his neck and in his hair as he pulled her into hisp. He lifted her easily and flipped her over onto her back in one swift motion, causing her to let out a surprised gasp beforeughing softly under him.


    With a smile back on her face atst, that growl of his rumbled through them both again as he moved down to kiss her neck, pulling her tender skin into his mouth before moving further down, his hands urging her up to meet him, and she obeyed¡ªarching into him willingly. And then he was there¡ªpositioned between her legs again with the fire of possession in his eyes, and she didn''t even hesitate this time. She had already given herself over to it¡ªthis perfect madness between them that sought to be made whole. But he paused again, awaiting her answer to his silent question.


    ''Yes,'' she said in her mind, and he heard her. ''Yes,'' she tugged him gently to continue. And then atst, that part of him so perfectly designed for her aligned at her entrance, and he gently nudged himself forward. She gasped and her eyes flew wide, but Graeme quickly lowered himself over her, making sure he didn''t push further in.


    She focused on his eyes that were searching hers. "Breathe, my love," he whispered against her and kissed her cheeks. Her lips had parted, and she was scanning his face, seeing his beautiful, tender expression while simultaneously feeling his desire pulse patiently inside of her. "You''re so beautiful," he whispered again as he caressed the hair syed out around her and tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth.


    August grabbed onto his arms to steady herself when he started to move again. He was slow and careful, easing into her gently until her breathing started to even out and deepen and then she was arching up to meet him with every motion of his own¡ªuntil it felt like they were two mirroring waves seeking each other out for that perfect crest.


    "Graeme," she called, searching for him when his face angled away, but he came back to her, resting his forehead against hers where she could feel eachforting huff of his breath against her face.


    ''Home. He''s home.'' For some reason those thoughts exploded into her mind, and there was nothing like it¡ªfeeling himing home to her. It was full and overwhelming, and then it was just him¡ªhis tenderness and strength lighting her up everywhere. Her whole being expanded to wee him in, and he fit perfectly, sliding and filling, hitting the core of her being and taking her breath¡ªand giving her his in exchange.


    "Mine," he rumbled deliciously in her ear. "Goddess, you''re all mine. Finally."


    She opened her eyes and watched him¡ªthe tender intensity in his eyes as he held her¡ªseeking her and finding her over and over again¡ªthe way all of his muscles tensed and aligned in the perfect roll that met with her. He was hers. She was the only one who got this part of him, and it was breathtaking. Seeing him¡ªseeing all of him¡ªand feeling hime home to her in a way no one else could. He was giving her that¡ªhe was giving her himself, fully. Every part.


    "Graeme," she breathed it like a prayer. The sound of his name lit a cascade of delicious sensations under her skin, running the length of her¡ªall the way to her toes, and she wrapped her legs around him that were humming with his name to lock him in, to urge him closer, to bring him home harder. His kiss was deep and demanding as his hips dipped and rolled, swirling and finding her again. "You feel so good," she whimpered and gave herself over to it, letting her head fall back against the bed in total surrender to every sensation that was building between them.


    Goddess, she was surrounding him¡ªhis mate, August¡ªher name consumed him like her warmth, her light. She was home, and he had found her. Her tenderness and warmth clenched him, pulling him in, and he obliged¡ªworshiping every inch of her with the tantalizing slide that united them. He braced himself on his arms as he lowered himself closer to her, protecting her, his home, his mate¡ªhis everything¡ªfrom everything else outside of them. No one would ever harm her again. Not her. She was his. She would always be his, and he would give his life to protect her.


    He found her mouth and growled into her, tilting her more perfectly to take him deeper, and she whimpered, clenching and wing at him toe home again and again. And then she was gasping and tightening under him, holding her breath and her position as he dipped and rolled and increased the rhythm of that perfect wave that hit all the endings and beginnings where they aligned¡ªsomehow finding this infinite purpose that was bright and blinding, and he shattered it.


    August fell apart in his arms, losing herself to the explosion of light that crashed between them, and he followed her into it¡ªgroaning her name that was a prayer to the universe. To existence. It was so bright andplete that he found himself suddenly poised and trembling over her, shaking with silent tears. The tears released themselves from him without permission¡ªtears that were full of gratitude and awe, and he felt her wrap her arms around him, kissing them away and whispering sweet words against him.


    "Oh, my love," she whispered with tears in her eyes that matched his¡ªfull of gratitude. Gratitude for thising together that was everything¡ªthe purpose of existence. It had to be. She felt like whatever protective shell had encapsted her all of this time had broken open to let him in, and now she was warm and safe andplete.


    "You''re mine. You''re perfect and beautiful and mine, and that was¡­ That was everything," she said softly, tucking him into herself where he nuzzled against her neck like a child. For once, she was holding him, and she smiled with how natural it felt¡ªallowing him to be vulnerable in her arms.


    One of his arms and legs were flung over her, and he drew her body closer to him where he could bury himself further into that perfect curve of her neck. He nibbled the soft skin there and felt another after tremor shake her, and he chuckled. "I love you August Moon," he spoke against her.


    "I love you too, mate," she replied, smiling as she did.


    The two of them stayed like that¡ªwrapped together, whole and entangled¡ªfor a period that seemed beyond time. They huffed gently against each other, relishing in the new air that they now shared. It seemed different. Clearer.


    Eventually, once their bodies slowly came back to themselves and the infinite retreated back into a time that could be counted, August found herself smiling at the ceiling as she yed with Graeme''s hair and let him intertwine their fingers with her other hand. She imagined staying happily like that forever¡ªjust the two of them in his treehouse in the middle of the woods.


    ***


    Two privilege chapters are avable right now for 1 coin, and more will be added in December! To understand how privilege works, please click on the "Creator''s Thoughts" below. Purchasing privilege is not required to continue enjoying the story. <3

 Chapter 64 - Domesticated Wolf

    "August," Graeme whispered, finally rolling to his side and taking her with him where he tucked her into his chest. She hummed a response, and he felt it in his bones. He kissed the top of her head and nudged her closer. "You are hungry, my love. I can feel it," he said then. Sheughed quietly.


    "You can feel that?" she asked, muffled against him.


    "Yes," he answered, kissing her again. "I''m going to make you something. But that means I have to get out of this bed."


    She grumbled an objection and pulled him closer for him to chuckle. "I don''t have to eat. Just stay," she said, tilting her head up to kiss under his chin.


    "It won''t take me long. I promise," he assured her. She growled but let her grip on him ease, and he slipped away toward the closet, pulling some clothes out to dress that gorgeous, divine body of his that was now hers. ''Mine.'' The intensity of the thought startled her andforted her at the same time.


    Suddenly a new golden aura came to life before her as her second vision opened to meet it. This one was rich and mesmerizing, thrumming around her while also stretching to embrace her mate across the room. It was theirs together. August smiled at the realization and sighed, wrapping herself in the sheet as she watched him and the aura that connected them.


    "So I have a domesticated wolf?" she teased.


    "You basically hit the jack pot, what can I say?" she spotted his dimple as he bent, pulling nnel pants on. "What sounds good?"


    "Whatever is your favorite," she replied.


    "That would take a lot of preparation. We need food now," he growled, returning to the bed to kiss her again¡ªhis beautiful mate that he could finally feel within him. She smelled like him, but her taste was her own, he thought to himself, tasting her again before pulling himself away.


    "Goddess, you could not be more beautiful if you were the moon herself," he said softly looking at her wrapped in his bed. Wrapped in his scent. The blush rose to her cheeks again, and he smiled happily seeing it. "I''ll make something quick. Don''t move," and with that, he disappeared through the doorway.


    After August had wiggled out of her cocoon of happiness in bed to dress and wander out to the kitchen, Graeme was already scooping something into a bowl for her. Her body felt weak and satisfied and¡­ weightless. This was her home. Graeme was her home and her anchor. She felt it like she felt the air passing in and out of her lungs, and her heart suddenly trembled with the love that threatened to break it open.


    "I told you not to move," Graeme said, stealing her from her thoughts.


    "Ah, well I couldn''t wait," she replied.


    "Did Sylvia give you the purple stone?" Graeme gestured toward her neck. He had made steak and rice bowls withtro and creamy avocado salsa, and August ate every bit of it only to have Graeme return the bowl to her full again.


    August nodded. "It starts with an ''s.'' Sylvia mentioned it being a shield of light."


    "Sugilite. I know it," he nodded. "My mom had a ring like it."


    "Did you find anything out about your parents today?" August tilted her head curiously, remembering how he had mentioned being given ess to their case. "What were their names? You never mentioned it."


    "Derek and Genevieve. Dad called her ''Evie,''" he replied with a small smile¡ªa smile that fell when he thought about the pack house and that room with his parents'' file. "I looked through what they gave me, but it''s hardlypelling that Maggie orchestrated it. It doesn''t seem there was much effort put intopeting theories. Certainly not enough for murdering every alyko in the pack," he mumbled to himself. And certainly not enough for tracking every alyko in existence.


    August could feel the sorrow start to swell in him, and she put down her fork. "What do you think happened?"


    "I honestly don''t know," he shook his head gently, meeting her eyes. "And it''s been 10 years now. I''m not sure I''ll be able to find out."


    "Maybe I can help," she offered.


    "How do you mean?"


    "Maybe there is someone who knows more, and I can do my thing where I read their thoughts," she shrugged.


    "No way," he shook his head again. "Not happening. I''d prefer to not know rather than have you experience that. Plus, it''s dangerous."


    "But your mark¡­ You said it makes me safe," she replied.


    "It does in the sense that I can feel when you''re in danger, and it cements your importance to me," he looked at her again with that depth that sent bolts of electricity through her. "No one will touch you now if they value their life. Threatening you is the same as threatening me¡ªand threatening the future of the pack. The people here have wanted their Alpha and Luna back for so long, your presence with the mark is significant to them all as well. They''ll fight for you, too."


    Graeme knew how true it was¡ªthat it was likely the reason Sam had felt the nagging pull to reconsider the scent near the treehouse he couldn''t ce. And why he had returned in such haste.


    As the uninitiated Beta, Sam would feel as strong a responsibility to protect the future Luna as any pack member would, perhaps second only to Graeme himself. In truth, that was part of the reason Graeme had openly disyed the affection for August that morning¡ªto hopefully endear her ce in Sylvia''s and Sam''s minds despite the fact that she hadn''t received Graeme''s mark yet.


    "But anyone backed into a corner will fight to get out of it. If someone is hiding information about what happened¡­" he trailed off. "Just let me worry about it, okay?"


    August pressed her lips together, unhappy that Graeme was intent on excluding her from helping with something so important to him. Wouldn''t it put him in danger, too? If the experience at the outpost taught them anything, it was how much more powerful they were together.


    "What do we do now? Aren''t the elders going to be upset? About the mark?" August asked.


    "Andreas may as well have suggested I no longer breathe, and he knows it," Graeme rose from the table with his bowl, walking to retrieve August''s as well when he leaned down to add, "you are the very air itself," and kissed her forehead.


    "Why did he say it then?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Graeme walk to the sink.


    "Fear. Doubt. An attempt at control," he sighed. "It will be interesting to see how they react now that their spy Marius is gone. That will likely tell us a lot. Until then, we just behave like we know nothing about it."


    "Sam invited us to a bonfire Thursday night," August remembered. "Before all of this happened."


    "Right. The full moon," he said quietly. "Then we should go," he turned around and smiled.. "I want everyone to meet my beautiful mate."

 Chapter 65 - Sylvias Visit

    Thursday morning, Sylvia arrived for another reiki session with August. Graeme was back at the pack house by the time she arrived. Graeme and August had agreed that he should go each day to the council without falter, as missing a day of his new role might bring suspicion should the elders realize Marius was gone.


    August was relieved that the mate mark seemed to soothe Graeme''s worries considerably, and he left that morning without too much hesitation¡ªalthough he did find it hard to leave bed, and August was reluctant to let him go. She was fairly certain that given the opportunity, she could remain in bed with that beautiful man indefinitely.


    Upon walking in the treehouse, Sylvia immediately realized the change in the human girl. Sylvia couldn''t help but beam with happiness at the visible mark on August''s neck and the familiar scent that she was cloaked in. She was the Alpha''s mate. Any pack member with a nose would know it.


    "Sam and Greta told me what happened after we left. I was so worried," Sylvia said. "How are you?"


    "I''m doing really well, thank you Sylvia," August gave her a generous smile.


    "Graeme was wise to mark you afterward. Did you find the experience to be¡­ okay?" the woman asked.


    "I¡­ uh, yes. It was good," August''s face grew warm and she wondered if all lycans were this way¡ªincrediblyfortable with sharing intimate things. Everyone was certainly highly concerned about when and if this mark would take ce, but she didn''t realize details would be expected afterward. "I had some injuries from¡­ from Marius, but they healed. And my second vision returned," she added.


    "That''s wonderful," Sylvia smiled widely, patting the girl''s hand before squeezing her arm. "Perhaps you have the lycan healing ability now. That would be a gift. How is the vision going? Any problems?"


    "It''s constant, but it''s easier to control," August shared. "It''s like it''s always in the background, but I can invite it to growrger and more obvious or let it remain at a simmer. Hopefully it stays that way."


    "Have you tried to manipte the energy you see at all?" Sylvia asked curiously.


    "No, no. I haven''t. I don''t want anything to go wrong," she replied.


    "Well you look radiant," Sylvia smiled. "Has Graeme mentioned having a ceremony to make it official?"


    A look of surprise bloomed on August''s face. "A¡­ a ceremony?" she asked.


    "Oh, he hasn''t. Well never mind about it. I''m sure sometimeter," Sylvia replied, waving her hand dismissively as she realized perhaps she had said too much.


    "What ceremony? Like a wedding ceremony?" August asked, color suddenly draining from her face.


    "Well we don''t do weddings. It''s more of a mating ceremony. It''s not required of course. Any pack member would consider you two a lifelong pair with the mark now regardless," she exined. "And it''s not really an opportune time, I imagine. But don''t be surprised if you hear others refer to you as a Hallowell," Sylvia whispered as if it were a secret, and her eyes disappeared in their smile lines.


    "Hallowell?" August whispered to herself. A name change was not something she had considered. But suddenly she had the urge to write it down. August Moon Cady-Hallowell. August Moon Hallowell. August Hallowell. August Cady-Hallowell. The variations cycled through her mind as if she were a lovestruck grade schooler writing them down in a secret notebook.


    "Why is Greta still called Hallowell?" the question suddenly struck her as she recalled how Andreas had addressed them in the council chambers.


    "Most mates do change their names to reflect their pairing. Ourst name is Wilde. But as the descendants of the first Alpha and Luna, Hallowells are different," she exined.


    "I see," August said quietly, the importance of lineage and history steeping in her mind. She reminded herself to read the book on the pack''s history that Graeme had brought her.


    "Perhaps the intention for today''s session should be empowerment. For your abilities. For your position. It would be unfortunate for fear to keep you from finding your potential," Sylvia said. "How does that sound?"


    "Good," August smiled politely. Sylvia always seemed to peg the appropriate issue to address.


    "Wonderful," Sylvia responded, and with that, they started. The session was simr to the first, but this time August found herself bing emotional when Sylvia worked around what she referred to as the root chakra. Sylvia was doing some kind of chopping motion with her hands on either side of August''s hips when the tears began bubbling up to the surface, and to August''s horror, once the sobbing started, there was no containing it. She felt Sylvia''s hands continue to move around her without remarking on it, and she was grateful.


    When the session was over, August felt clearer. It was as if something had been flushed out, and she could breathe deeper. "I''m not sure what that was, Sylvia, but thank you," August said quietly.


    "Of course, dear," Sylvia gave her a tender look. "Next week we''ll work on how you can start to try this yourself, and I think it will really help. Has the heaviness in your chest gone away?"


    "Yes, after Graeme and I¡­ after he marked me, I noticed it was gone," she replied.


    "I feltst time that you were blocking me, whether knowingly or not. But this time was different," Sylvia gave her a warm smile. "You don''t have to be self-conscious about it. Healing can look like a lot of things. For some, it''s tears. For others, it''s something else."


    "How long have you been practicing reiki?" August asked.


    "Oh, it must be eight or nine years now," Sylvia thought aloud. "After the alyko were killed, there was a lot of trauma. Still is¡­ And the alyko members of the pack, this kind of thing was their specialty." August saw a sh of sorrow surface in the older woman''s eyes.


    "Someone needed to help pick up the pieces, and reiki has helped. My husband, David, he was the previous Beta. Sam was to take his ce," Sylvia said gently. "We were all grief-stricken about the Alpha and Luna''s deaths, but David med himself."


    "Do you believe Maggie was responsible?" August asked carefully.


    "No," Sylvia''s voice was almost a whisper, and she appeared to be faraway in thought. "No, I don''t."


    Both felt the answer hang heavily around them as they were silent, considering how massive of an injustice that would be. August felt the weight of the loss she had seen in Graeme''s memory, and it made her angry. Angry that these people had so many precious lives taken from them. Her phone buzzed, and she looked down to see a text from Graeme.


    ''Are you okay?'' He must have felt it. Her mouth dropped at how truly entangled their inner states were.


    ''No problems here. Just chatting with Sylvia.''


    ''I felt a disturbance in the force. Kick her out if she upsets you!''


    ''I''m not that fragile, G!''


    ''I know, love. Be home soon.''


    August smiled to herself before returning her gaze to the woman in front of her.


    "I was going to mention," Sylvia started, "I usually do sessions like these in the back of my shop. If you would like to visit, we can do it there next time. I''d like to show you around the ce."


    "Oh, of course. I would like that, too," August smiled.


    "Wonderful, I''ll look forward to it then," Sylvia said.


    "Will you be at the bonfire tonight?" August asked. It would be nice to have another familiar face there. She was nervous to go. Even though Graeme would be with her and Greta and Sam would be there, August was the new human whom the council had used of being a witch. She wasn''t sure the kind of reaction to expect.


    "No, the bonfires are mostly for the younger folks," Sylvia said. "But it''s great that you are going.. It will be fun, don''t worry."

 Chapter 66 - Bonfire

    Later that night, August and Graeme were getting ready to leave for the bonfire. "Contacts or no contacts?" August asked.


    "I''m sorry I had you wear them," Graeme looked at her apologetically. "It was wrong of me. I don''t want you to hide anything."


    "Will¡­ people be freaked out? Maybe I should just wear them," August said. She was already nervous to go to this thing. Regardless of what Graeme said about people here wanting their Alpha and Luna, she had already witnessed the suspicion and dislike for her. "I just don''t want any problems," she sighed.


    "The right thing is never easy, is it?" he asked,ing to stand behind where she was facing the bathroom mirror. He embraced her from behind, and they both watched themselves together in the mirror. The goldcing her irises burned darker, causing her cheeks to go pink. "I love the colors you make," he whispered against her ear.


    August groaned and rolled her eyes. "I guess I''m an open book. There''s no hiding how I feel."


    "And I love it," he said, nibbling on her ear before letting her go.


    "Are we walking?" August asked as they started descending the steps outside.


    "No, I stopped by Greta''s on the way here to borrow the Jeep. I''ll figure out a car for us next week. Snow will being soon," he replied.


    A smile crept up her lips. "Do you like ying in the snow?" She imagined his massive wolf pouncing in snow drifts, covered in white.


    "Is that a wolf joke?" he raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged.


    "It would be cute to watch," sheughed.


    "Cute?" he scoffed. "How about fearsome?" And she giggled some more. "Hopefully you don''t have to witness the fearsome part," he mumbled to himself, squeezing her hand. "Speaking of¡­ make sure to stick close by me or Greta while we''re there, okay? Just in case a fight breaks out."


    Her eyes went wide. "A fight?"


    "Well, yeah¡ªlycans, full moon, drinking, bonfires¡­ It''s not a stretch to imagine something might happen. Emotions are always more intense for us on a full moon," And suddenly she remembered the anxiety she had for this night. "It''ll be fine," he smiled warmly at her.


    When they arrived, August was shocked to see exactly what these lycans considered to be a ''bonfire.'' Rather than a small camp fire in someone''s backyard, her and Graeme walked into arge clearing in the woods with logs leaning together in a massive cone shape at its center. The mes were easily 40 feet high. People were spread in a wide circle around the edge of the clearing, giving ample room for the mes and the warmth they offered.


    "No one is getting sacrificed tonight, right?" she heard herself whisper, and Graeme chuckled beside her.


    "You''re safe with me, Moon," he said softly, and the new nickname seemed to fan the mes over her heart.


    Greta danced to their sides, squealing as she enveloped August in an excited hug. "We''re sisters for real now! I''m so happy for you both!" She giggled, jumping up and down as she embraced the surprised August.


    "I see you''ve been indulging in the moonwine already, sis," Graememented.


    "Oh, stop it. I can''t just be happy for my brother whom I love dearly? And his adorable mate?" She squeezed August''s arm before letting her go to hug Graeme next, peach hair bouncing as she danced around them like some kind of fairy spirit.


    "Where''s Sam?" Graeme asked.


    "He was talking with Jackst I checked. You need to thank him properly. I understand you were upset, but¡­"


    "I know," he interrupted. "I''ll take care of it."


    "Okay, well I''m going to get my new sister a drink to celebrate this historic full moon," she smiled widely. "I''ll catch up with you guys in a minute."


    Once she pranced away, August turned to Graeme. "You were upset with him?" a look of horror spread across her face.


    "Of course. I was furious with both of them. I walked into a nightmare. To find that you had been¡­ And to not have known all that time," he growled at the fresh memory.


    "But if he hadn''t shown up¡­" her mouth dropped open, not even wanting to imagine the rest of the scenario that could have unfolded.


    "I know," he sighed. "I know," and he spun her into a hug against him. "I don''t want to imagine it either," he spoke softly into her hair. "How can anyone me me, though?"


    "Graeme!" an excited male voice called, and Graeme loosened his hold on August. "You brought your mate?"


    August turned to see a beaming boyish face approach them. He was tall and lean, broad in the shoulders, but his face was young and friendly framed by short, curly blonde hair.


    "August, this is Finn," Graeme spoke deeply¡ªa different tone than he had just been using with her, and August smiled inwardly. Alpha Graeme.


    "Oh, Finn. It''s so nice to meet you. Thank you for the sunflowers. They''re my favorite," August replied for the young man to smile broadly.


    "You''re wee, Miss August. May I call you Luna?" Finn looked curiously from August to Graeme.


    "Actually¡­" she heard Graeme start to respond before Finn interrupted.


    "Luna, I couldn''t believe how you took Marius down that day. It was the most incredible thing I''ve ever seen. Goddess, Marius thought he was like the ultimate badass, but herees this small innocent-looking human girl to rip his neck to shreds. I''ve told everyone about it. I''ll never underestimate a human again. Not that you''re just any human¡­" Finn continued.


    "Finn, Finn¡­" Graeme interrupted him, feeling August go rigid next to him at the mention of Marius. "Let''s not refer to her as Luna just yet, okay?" And Finn nodded, slightly bewildered by the interruption.


    "Sorry, Miss August," Finn smiled at her. "But all that blood, just spurting out everywhere and all down the front of you while the council''s enforcer was lying helpless on the bed¡­" he continued excitedly.


    "Finn!" Graeme''s voice sounded moremanding this time, and Finn stared at him with big, innocent eyes. "Enough about the damn Marius thing."


    "Okay," he smiled, nodding emphatically.


    "It is really nice to meet you properly Finn. And it was so thoughtful of you to stop by after I woke up," August offered her kindest smile in an attempt topensate for Graeme''s tone.


    "Of course, Miss August. If you''d like, I can take you on a perimeter run with me some time. There are the most beautiful flowers just at the border. There''s actually some here tonight¡­" he said before catching sight of Graeme again who had silently narrowed his eyes at the young lycan. Finnughed nervously. "You know what? I have a friend over there waiting¡­ I''ll see you guyster!" he said before darting away.


    August watched him retreat before turning to the fearsome man beside her. "Did you have to scare him?"


    "Yes," Graeme answered in a gruff voice. August tried to scowl at him, but he responded with a smile that revealed the dimple under his beard. "What?" heughed, shrugging his shoulders. "He needs to learn boundaries. You going on a run with him? Is he crazy?" A low growl rose in his chest at the thought, and August elbowed him in the side.


    "Insecure wolf," she rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 67 - Moonwine

    A momentter, Greta returned with two mugs of what appeared to be mulled wine. ''Iffort were an alcoholic beverage, this might be it,'' August thought as she felt the warmth of it against her hands while the spiced aroma encircled her.


    Greta led them toward where Sam was huddled speaking with someone. When Sam and his friend turned to see who was approaching, August immediately knew the two men were rted. Aside from hair color, they almost looked like they could be twins.


    Sam''s face lit-up. "Hey brother," his warm, deep voice called, and he embraced Graeme in a one-armed hug. "Wee August," his smile moved to cast her within its light as he nodded toward her. "Thank you foring."


    There was a moment''s pause before Graeme extended a hand to the man beside Sam, "Jack, how are you?" The two shook hands before Graeme turned to introduce August.


    "This is my mate, August," and Jack gave her a kind smile as he shook her hand. He looked like someone who would be an easy friend¡ªjust like Sam.


    "I have heard a lot about you, August," he said. "We''re all very d you''re here," he said sincerely before shifting his eyes back to Graeme.


    August listened as the three of them started talking about the brewery, and someone arrived to hand Graeme a mug of a ''Moon Maeve'' brew they continued to discuss with boyish enthusiasm.


    "Come with me, sis. It''s about to get really boring," Greta whispered, pulling August by the hand away from the men. Graeme watched his sister and mate leave, giving Greta and August a nod before turning to continue the conversation with Sam and his cousin.


    "What''s different about a farm brewery?" August asked as they made their way around the fire.


    "Maybe I should have left you with them," Greta giggled. "Everything they use is grown here by pack members. It''s a way of honoring thend and supporting each other at the same time. It''s kind of like a celebration of us," August watched as the firelight danced over Greta''s features as she spoke with love about her home.


    "This spiced wine is good," August said. "Did Sam and Jack make that as well?"


    "No, it''s more of an old tradition for full moon celebrations. We call it moonwine," she said. "Every full moon is a little different, and every moonwine made reflects that as well. Tonight is the one and only harvest moon of the year, and this one has more cinnamon and clove. It''s dangerous, though. Be careful," Gretaughed.


    The two stopped close to a group that had formed listening to a small folk band ying. August could see a young woman with dreads ying the violin over the silhouettes of shoulders and bodies around them, and others were also participating beyond her view.


    Fingers squeaked and slid along guitar strings between the chords rising around them, stirring a kind of nostalgia in August that she couldn''t ce. Finally she caught sight of three other male band members on guitar and bass illuminated by firelight. No one took notice of Greta and August''s presence.


    "Oh my goddess, so he finally marked you? What a relief," Greta said at her side. "And he told me it healed your concussion. Honestly, it doesn''t surprise me a bit. I tried to get him to do it while you were in aa, because I thought it would help you recover," Greta started rambling for August''s eyes to growrge at the revtion.


    "That boy¡­" Greta trailed off before turning to hug August again with a squeal, leaving August gasping for air. ''Okay, Greta may have had too much to drink.'' But she couldn''t help but look affectionately at the peach-haired girl who seemed to exude nothing but pure happiness. Out here in the open forest, August couldn''t help but feel she was seeing Greta in a new way¡ªin an atmosphere that suited her.


    "He didn''t make you wear the contacts, I see, so that''s a plus," Greta added. "How did it go with Sylvia today?"


    "Really great," August nodded. "She''s wonderful."


    "She is, isn''t she? She''s practically been like a mom to Graeme and I," Greta replied. "You can trust her, I promise. She cares about Graeme and I and the pack like we''re all her own children. And she''s brilliant with the people we help. We''ve seen some incredible results with her reiki. She considers it a way of honoring the alyko who were killed as well as Sam''s dad who passed several years ago."


    "Sam''s dad died?" August''s face scrunched together at the information¡ªshe was suddenly ovee by the intensity of that loss, even though she didn''t know him. These people who had taken her in like family and helped her¡­ they had lost someone so important to them.


    "Yes, it was hard. David was such an amazing man," Greta replied. "When Graeme and I were little, we used to call him Uncle David. I still remember how he would tell us ghost stories around bonfires like this. We often hold smaller bonfires for the pups so they have a sense of tradition without being exposed to the adult version¡­"


    As August was listening to Greta, her eyes scanned the people who were scattered in a ring around the fire. One face partially obscured by the heat of the fire''s me caught her attention, because its re was unforgiving. Lucas.


    She noticed several others in his orbitughing and being rowdy. A few big wolves were wrestling yfully around them. The warmth from the bonfire suddenly felt incredibly hot, and she saw all the auras around her explode with intensity.


    "August?" Greta was tugging on her arm. "Are you okay?" her thumping heart calmed as she tore her eyes from Lucas'' re to see Greta next to her.


    "Yeah," August replied too high-pitched to be believable.


    "Your eyes went¡­pletely ck," Greta whispered. "Are you sure?"


    "Oh, yeah. I''ve just had the visione back after Graeme marked me¡­ and it''s¡­ you know. A process," she shrugged, mumbling whatever came to her mind as an exnation. Her cheeks suddenly felt too warm. Was it the drink? She looked down at the orange garnish on her cup and the spiced drink that was now nearly empty.


    "Miss August, I brought you another mug," suddenly Finn was beside them, and August took the drink happily.


    "Thank you, Finn," she smiled, and when she nced at Lucas through the fire, she saw him send a smirk her way. Despite the wine''s warm temperature, she drank it quickly. Finn''s eyes grew wide.


    "And I''ll be back with another promptly," he said before disappearing.


    Greta was still watching her uneasily. "Greta, I''m fine," a fast smile spread across August''s face helped, no doubt, by the alcohol hitting her bloodstream. But Greta allowed the smile to convince her, and she squeezed August''s hand.


    Suddenly a young woman approached them from somewhere amongst the crowd. She was fidgeting nervously, and her eyes were rimmed a bright red. "Greta, may I speak with you?"


    "Hi, Lucia. Um¡­" Greta nced at August. "Now is not a great time¡­"


    "Greta, it''s fine," August assured her. She saw Greta turn to look for her brother. "Really, it''s okay."


    "Are you sure?" Greta looked at her apologetically.


    "Yes, absolutely," she said with sincerity. After all, she had the beautiful aura of the night and the fire and the music and the forest and the full moon somewhere above her. "Finn ising back, remember?"


    Greta nodded uneasily. "I''ll just be a moment," she said before following Lucia into the shadows where the bonfire''s light didn''t reach.


    "Here you are, Miss August," Finn was instantly back, offering her another mug that she took happily, sipping from it as others continuedughing and dancing around them.


    "Thanks, Finn," she said. "May I ask you something?"


    "Of course," he said, smiling widely.


    "How old are you?" she asked curiously.


    "I''m 16, Miss August," his chest puffed out proudly, and she couldn''t contain the giggle that erupted at the sight of such a naive and proud young lycan like Finn who had been impressed by her desperate attempt at survival.


    "What? Are you charmed by my boyish good looks?" his eyebrows took turns raising and lowering in aical disy.


    "That must be it," sheughed.


    "Can I ask you something, Miss August?" Finn asked.


    "Of course," she responded back in kind.


    "Do you have a scar from where Marius bit you?" his eyes shone with eager curiosity, and August couldn''t help but pause at the sudden return to her least favorite topic. Would his memory forever haunt her?


    "You don''t have to show me," he said quickly, "It''s just that lycans don''t often scar given our healing ability. They''ve always fascinated me for that reason. And you''re kind of a hero. So many people despise Marius, even in the council¡­"


    "I understand, Finn," she smiled politely and pulled up her sleeve to show him the pearly pink skin that looked shiny in the fire light.


    "I-it was hurt before M-Marius, though. I''m not sure it counts," she stuttered, looking at the scar along with him.. Just then a group of people ran by whooping andughing loudly, startling her into dropping her drink.

 Chapter 68 - Body Temperature

    "Should I get you another?" Finn asked.


    "No, that''s okay," she smiled, picking up the mug. "So how long have you been involved with the council?"


    "I started running for themst year. Fifteen is really the earliest you can do runs like that on your own," he said, going on to exin how he was the youngest of three brothers who also worked in defensive positions.


    "But there haven''t been any big conflicts or intruders since I''ve been there. Not even any strays. It''s a pretty boring job actually," he sighed regretfully. "Until Graeme showed up with you of course," and the glint returned to his eyes. "Now the elders have ordered more runs, more people on each run. I guess they''re worried about peopleing after you."


    Fear pricked August''s eyes at this new information as the memory resurfaced of Jonathan and Eliade and the people who were searching for her. It would be a month since she had disappeared in suicide forest. Was her mom searching for her?


    There was no way Eliade would offer her parents hope that she would be found alive, but surely those who considered her an invaluable asset in their research were hoping and searching themselves. Perhaps they would never stop. The thought made her go cold.


    "I saw you dropped yours," a low voice said over August''s shoulder.


    She turned to see Lucas with the same smirk on his face as he extended a mug to her. She looked at him warily, her hesitation causing a wider smile to spread over his face where his canines became visible. He raised his eyebrows as well as the hand holding the ss as if questioning whether she would take it.


    "Uh.. thank you," she said, taking the mug from him as he grabbed the empty one from her other hand.


    "Of course. We wouldn''t want our only human in the pack growing cold now, would we?" he shed an icy smile, and she returned it weakly. "Lycans have a higher body temperature, but I''m sure you''ve noticed that already," he said, taking a drink from his own mug while his eyes stayed fixed on her.


    "Around 102," Finn nodded enthusiastically. "What''s yours, Miss August?"


    "My¡­ um, what?" August threaded her eyebrows together, trying to recover from her thoughts. She couldn''t help but wonder if Lucas knew that Marius was missing and suspected them. His cold eyes gave nothing away.


    "Your normal body temperature," she heard Finn reply.


    "Oh, I think it''s 98 or somewhere around there," she said, feeling her heartbeat drumming in her ears.


    "That''s a big difference, actually," Finn said.


    "Yeah, so bottoms up," Lucas smiled, lifting his mug to hers before sauntering away through the crowd in the direction of his group.


    August was still watching Lucas warily when a female voice interrupted her thoughts.


    "Hi, Finn." August turned to see two women approach. One was short and curvy with long dark hair that appeared auburn in the firelight. Her friend had a simr, though shorter version that hit gracefully at the slender shoulders of her model-like figure. They were both gorgeous and seemed to exude an air of superiority as they stopped abruptly, facing Finn and August with their backs to the fire.


    "Ladies, good evening," Finn nodded in greeting. He was glowing now having the attention of three women on him.


    The short girl raised her eyebrows at August as if waiting for her to speak.


    "Hi, I''m August Cady," August smiled warmly, lifting her ss slightly in greeting. "We''re just friends," she added pointing between herself and Finn awkwardly, assuming one of them was unhappy with her presence next to the young man.


    The short girl scoffed. "We know who you are, human," she said distastefully.


    "Tara, really," the tall one next to her looked apologetically at August. "Don''t mind her," she smiled. "I''m Violet."


    "Oh, nice to meet you," August said, watching as one grimaced at her while the other tried to maintain a polite smile.


    "Do you like the moonwine?" Violet asked, apparently attempting to strike up conversation.


    "Yes. It''s very good," August took a sip from the mug in her hand.


    "You have some interesting eyes for a human," Tara said suddenly, narrowing her own eyes at the girl in front of her.


    August sputtered out a nervousugh. "Um¡­ thank you." she said.


    "Tara works at the council as well," Finn said for Tara''s fierce gaze to fall on him, and he flinched in response.


    "Oh, cool. What do you do there?" August asked. Tara kept her eyes narrowed in silence.


    "Tara is an amazing fighter," Violet said next to her. "I wouldn''t want to go up against her," sheughed sweetly.


    "I''d whoop your prissy ass," Tara said abruptly, rolling her eyes for Violet tough more.


    "What do you do, Violet?" August asked.


    "I design clothes. My mother and I have a shop. You should stop by sometime," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "We''re developing new tearaway designs right now that are quick to pull off while shifting. You know, the fashion hazards of being a lycan."


    "Wow, that''s¡­ amazing," August replied. Imagining Violet as a fashion designer was not difficult. "Where''s your shop?"


    "Just ask Graeme," Tara''s eyebrows raised again, and Violet stiffened next to her. "You and Violet have something inmon, you see," and finally the short girl''s lips curled into a smile.


    Next to August, Finn looked down at the ground as if there was something interesting that suddenly caught his attention.


    August''s eyebrows threaded together as she tried to understand what Tara was implying. "Something inmon¡­?" She looked at the tall, elegant lycan in front of her that she could not imagine having anything inmon with.


    The shadows being cast by the fire seemed to freeze and cling to Violet in that moment as her now vacant eyes looked back at the human. It was like Violet was suddenly somewhere else, consumed by her own thoughts.


    August inwardly shuddered at how the slender young woman in front of her suddenly seemed terrifying. Violet''s outward appearance hadn''t changed, but something threatening and cold was tucked behind that polite facade, and when August opened her second vision to take a peek, an enraged aura rushed her with such intensity that August stumbled backward in surprise. Finn had to reach out and catch her arm.


    "Miss August, are you okay?" Finn asked, rmed. August looked back at Violet in shock. Did no one else feel that?


    "Yeah, yes¡­ of course," she said hurriedly, straightening herself as she quickly closed the second vision around her.


    She felt Graeme niggle at her mind¡ªa gentle questioning, a checking-in¡ªand she sent him a flood of warmth to assure him that she was fine. He was concerned about her. It was sweet, and she suddenly felt that flood of warmth surround her in return.


    Violet grabbed August''s arm.


    "Yes, do be careful. We all know humans are quite fragile creatures. And just think, you''re out here with a bunch of rowdy animals. Anything could happen."


    Was that a threat? August gulped softly.


    The lycan''s delicate-looking fingers gripped August''s arm tighter, and August found herself engulfed in the nightmare of someone else''s thoughts once again.

 Chapter 69 - Violet

    August squeezed her eyes shut to try getting control enough to push Violet''s private thoughts back, but the person who greeted her in those thoughts startled her. And suddenly Violet''s memories slipped loose¡ªtumbling one after the other into August''s mind.


    There was a young Graeme. A young Violet. They were friends. A flip book of memories featuring Graeme''s face slid forward. Violet had a crush on the Alpha''s son as so many girl''s did, but the two got closer over time.


    General memories like this provided a hazy background leading to one specific memory with painfully exquisite detail. Graeme making love to her. She saw Graeme''s clean-shaven face and nakedness through Violet''s adoring eyes as she cherished every touch¡ªevery moment being the object of his affection.


    Violet''s memories skipped forward like a stone over water, a rush of history reflected on its surface, until it settled on another memory. Violet discovering she was pregnant.


    The joy of realizing she would bear the future Alpha''s heir and solidify her ce next to him exploded through her. She would be Luna next to Graeme, and the pack would treat them like royalty. It was her dream. The man, the family, and the status in the eyes of the pack.


    Graeme''s handsome face had drained of color when she told him, but he came around. He was happy.


    Skipping forward once more, Violet was on the floor with blood on her hands. She had lost his child.


    The tsunami of emotions spiraled through her with Graemeforting her but for some reason remaining distant. He was slipping away. She was losing her chance. Not long after, Graeme ended it between them and then eventually left the pack altogether.


    Now the man Violet had loved all this time was finally back as she had feared he would never be. But he hadn''t returned for her. He had brought a human with him.


    A human? For Graeme? It wasughable. There was no way it was possible that the Goddess had chosen a human for him.


    And now the human with her stupid name smelled like him and had his mark. The mark she coveted. The mark she deserved after having been with him for so long. Loved him for so long. Waited for him for so long.


    Despite her sweet exterior, Violet was full of longing and hatred, and her hatred for August was immense.


    At some point Violet had finally let go of August''s arm, leaving August trembling in the wake of these intimate thoughts that were not her own. All the thoughts and feelings had tumbled out at once in a horrifying cascade that felt like eternity, when in reality Violet had only held onto August for a few moments before catching Greta''s scent and quickly departing.


    "Miss August?" Finn called, touching her arm gently, and she flinched back. She looked up to see the silhouettes of Violet and Tara''s retreating forms, and she shifted her eyes to stare absently into the massive fire in front of her.


    "Finn, could you get me another drink?" she asked, downing the mug that had gone cold in her hand.


    "Yes, ma''am," he said softly, and she felt him leave her side.


    On the other side of the mes, she saw Lucas lift his drink toward her with a sneer before emptying it and turning to his friends.


    Greta returned from somewhere behind the tree line looking deted. "I tell you what, if you get a handle on this reiki thing, I could really use your help," she sighed.


    Finn was quickly by her side with another mug. "Thanks, Finn," August said, taking the mug from him and drinking it quickly as she stared into the fire.


    The burn from the alcohol felt good. She wished she could burn the new images she had inherited from Violet with the heat of therge mes in front of her, but unfortunately she was stuck with them now. Just like she was stuck with Marius'' even after his death. She seemed to be a vessel slowly filling with the haunting thoughts of others.


    "I met Violet," August said quietly to Greta while keeping her eyes trained on the mes.


    "What? What happened?" Greta asked, watching August looking vacantly at the fire. "Did she threaten you?"


    August scoffed but didn''t immediately answer. Violet''s memories were reying behind her eyes. So much history. And time. And longing. She shivered.


    "I saw her¡­ memories," August confessed quietly.


    Realization arrived on Greta''s face. "Oh goddess," she whispered. "W-what did you see? Are you okay?"


    "Uhm¡­ Greta?" Finn called nervously from her other side.


    "What is it, Finn?" Greta snapped.


    "Does¡­ does Miss August know there''s moonshine in the wine?" Finn asked.


    "What? Why? How many has she had?" Greta asked.


    "I¡ªI lost count," he said. "Lucas brought her one."


    "Fuck, I knew I shouldn''t have left," she turned back to August. "What more could happen?" Greta approached her slowly, putting a hand on her arm. August sucked in a deep breath and turned to look at the peach-haired girl.


    "I need to be alone," she mumbled.


    "No, you don''t," Greta whispered, rubbing her back. "I''m here for you."


    The image of Graeme''s face and body in Violet''s memory seemed stuck in a cruel loop in her mind. The way he looked at her. And¡­ touched her. The expectation of the baby.


    "I''m going to be sick," August said suddenly. She turned and walked swiftly for the trees, willing herself to stay calm until she reached their cover where she could lose herself to the shadows.


    She kept walking forward, feeling Greta trailing her. The darkness was so close, like a womb reaching out to embrace her.


    After she passed the tree line, she continued in for a few yards before finding a tree to copse against. The forest air was cool on her flushed skin.


    "Greta, leave me alone," she hissed, feeling the girl''s presence next to her. "I don''t want to keep needing you.. You have enough people needing you," a sob suddenly broke free, but she put her hand against her mouth to stifle it.

 Chapter 70 - Turbulence

    "Where is she?" the familiar deep, gruff voice arrived somewhere behind August, and she turned to see Graeme suddenly at her side, his face contorted with worry.


    "What happened?" he cupped the sides of her face, and she shook her head silently, looking away from him.


    His face was like home, but now there werepeting images in her mind. That same face with those warm, deep eyes had invited someone else in. Someone else had seen him the way that she had seen him. It made her nauseous.


    "She met Violet," Greta whispered, "Violet must have grabbed her."


    "And where were you?" Graeme snapped back.


    "You know what, I''m fine," August blurted out, angry at the hushed voices and the tears and the nausea that was building, but she couldn''t bring herself to look at her mate.


    It was irrational to be angry at him, she knew that. Nothing had changed. He hadn''t done anything wrong. But there was knowing he had been with someone else, and then there was seeing and feeling it herself. Through the memories of his previous lover¡ªthe previous lover who still desired him. The previous lover who had carried his child.


    "August¡­" his voice was gentle.


    "Shhhh. No. Just¡­ Back up," she whispered, waving her hands at them, ushering them back. "Just give me a few minutes," her eyes were pressed together.


    "But¡­"


    "I can''t have you in my face right now, Graeme," she snapped, ring at him through her teary eyes, a short sob breaking through her lips before she sucked it back in.


    She felt like an idiot behaving this way. What was this? High school? Was she jealous? But then again, most people never had to live through the thoughts and memories of exes like she just did.


    "Just give me a few minutes," and Graeme backed away, resting against the tree opposite her looking like a kicked puppy.


    August closed her eyes again, willing herself to erase what she just saw. Violet''s memories were on the surface of her mind now, but maybe she could direct them out if she focused. She could ground them like Sylvia had talked about in their sessions, flush them out into the earth¡ªor at least into a proper perspective where she wasn''t giving them a home inside her own emotions.


    Despite the effort, the turbulence of Violet''s thoughts kept bubbling up, breaking August''s concentration with the swimming influence of the alcohol in her system. And with those foreign thoughts came her own insecurities.


    What had she gotten herself into? Despite how close she felt to him¡ªdespite how many times he had saved her now¡ªshe had rushed into this with Graeme way too quickly. There was baggage and history and so much potential hurt waiting for her that she should have considered more logically.


    Someone stunning and elegant and lycan loved him and had been waiting for him. Someone of his own kind. Someone who had felt the quickening flutter of a new life within her¡ªmade with him.


    No one would ever ept August here. Had she doomed herself to the same lonely, broken fate as her mother? Her mother. August''s heart ached for her. She missed her. Would she ever see her again?


    One wave of torment after another swelled in her mind as Violet''s memories resurfaced. Graeme in Violet''s eyes. Younger, less furry, but still Graeme. Still with those eyes of his. And Violet hadn''t been imagining the desire in Graeme''s eyes for her. As a guest in her memory, August had witnessed it, too. She shuddered remembering how his eyes had zed over with lust before taking Violet in his arms.


    Across from her, Graeme whined softly at the despair he feltshing his mate over and over again. He felt as though he was pacing helplessly along the shore watching as a rip tide pulled her away from him. A rip tide he was responsible for.


    August''s eyebrows pulled together at his soft noise. Somehow this small reminder of his presence was enough to tug her back, pulling her free where she resurfaced from Violet''s memories.


    She took a deep breath. And then another. She breathed in the woods. Its calm. The solid ground beneath her. The wind whispering, cooly brushing against her hot skin with the ancient wisdom of the forest that held deeper sorrows and more intense joys than she could ever possibly experience.


    The window into Violet and Graeme''s past was nothingpared to the stories the forest carried¡ªthe death it had seen and the rebirth from its own soil. She could let go of this. Somehow, she could flush it out of her and find a way to pull her own joy back into this body that she inhabited.


    With another deep breath, August cast her thoughts out to bring in the vast sky, remembering the strange mist world she had seen at the base of Graeme''s tree. The enchanting world she had somehow been reborn into.


    It was that night that she had realized they were each minor characters in one borate, magnificent y of the universe thrumming with a constant rhythm indifferent to any good or bad, right or wrong, pain or joy that urred within it. It kept moving, kept swaying¡ªits arms rippling the fabric of existence in long waves of starlight. And through it had walked Graeme, scattering the energy around him like dust parting at his presence, bowing to his will.


    Holding this focus, August searched for the moonlight that she somehow knew was waiting to guide her. She searched for the stars and their pin pricks of reassurance. Were they singing again tonight? She took another slow, deep breath listening for them.


    Instead, August found Graeme''s woodsy scent resting across from her, his breath now even and patient, waiting. She breathed him into her own lungs, feeling his signature warmth in ripples on the air that she weed in.


    And now she recognized again his strength like a river within her, that steady, trilling knowledge deep within that he was hers and she was his and that somehow this was more than just the two of thembined. He offered to help her carry her darkest memory, the greatest burden on her soul thus far. This peek into Violet''s mind didn''t change that.


    ''And there it is''¡ªsuddenly she could feel the moonlight filtering down through the trees, kissing her skin with its gentle luminescence. August smiled, seeing the full, pale belly of the moon in her mind. The calm pull of its gravity like a mother cradling its child, sending her worries aflight. ''Mother moon.''


    August felt a pressure build in her stomach, pushing upward with a sudden momentum that catapulted her forward where Graeme jolted up and scrambled to her side, holding back her hair as she got sick on the forest floor. It took several times heaving, allowing the fluid and the thoughts and energy that weren''t hers to flow up and out of her, leaving her body trembling but clearer now with the moon bathing her in its reassuring glow.


    Graeme had an arm around her shoulders as August finally pulled back and wiped her mouth with a sleeve.


    "It''s all out now," she said quietly, shaking now but relieved, and she turned to see her mate''s deep gaze engulf her. He wiped the tears on her cheeks with his thumb and gathered her into his arms.


    "I can exin¡­" he started.


    "No, please. Not right now," she cut him off, letting herself be pulled in by his warm gravity. "Some other time," and she reached up to bury her face in the curve of his neck, allowing his presence to fill her senses and calm her.


    He hummed in response, creating a soothing rumbling in his chest that rumbled through her as well.


    "I''m going to take her home," she heard him say over his shoulder to Greta.


    "No, it''s okay," August whispered against him, cupping the side of his face to feel thefort of the coarse texture she recognized as his. This Graeme, right here¡ªthe one beneath her fingers¡ªwas hers.


    "Are you sure?" he lifted her into his arms as if intending to do it anyway.


    "I''m okay now," she sighed against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Her fingers fanned out against his cheek as a child''s might, using touch tomunicate where words failed.


    "I''ll meet you guys out there," Greta whispered, passing something to Graeme before tracing her way back to the clearing.

 Chapter 71 - Good As New

    While August remained nestled in Graeme''s chest, he craned his head back to kiss the top of her head. "How are you so calm now? I-I was going to tell you¡­" he trailed off, unable to bring himself to paint the past in words for her. He felt her shrug in his arms.


    "It''s hard to exin. It''s just out now," she said quietly. "I don''t want to talk about it tonight, if that''s okay." Honestly, she was just exhausted after all of it.


    "You know I''ve never felt this way before, August. She wasn''t my mate. You are. Please understand that," he said, gripping her tighter. "This is entirely different."


    August sighed, more drained by his words. He was talking about it when she had asked him not to. And while what he said was true, it didn''t erase the tragedy of Violet''s feelings. Violet was broken. August let go of Graeme and hopped down before she could dwell more on the empathy hangover now hovering in her mind.


    "Let''s go back," she said quietly.


    "Wait," he pulled her back to him. "Please wait." His eyes looked desperate, pleading with her as she met his gaze.


    "What is it?" she asked when he didn''t say anything. She watched him run a hand through his dark hair. When he still didn''t respond, an unease bloomed in her abdomen, and she couldn''t help but wonder if it was hers or his that she was feeling.


    "I don''t know what you saw, but I have a good idea. And I felt¡­ how it made you feel. I just want you to know¡­ I''ve made mistakes," he choked out, ncing away from her as the glimmer of tears sprung to his eyes. "Lots of them. I know I have. I''m not proud of it. There are so many people I wish to make things right with. The whole pack, really," he confessed. "But I need.. I need to do right by you. Have I already screwed that up?"


    "No," her shoulders sagged with the answer. "No, of course not. We have pasts. Both of us." Graeme drew her against him, tucking her under his chin as he stared apologetically out into the darkness. "I''m alive because of you, Graeme," she reminded him.


    The trees started to sway as a strong wind blew in, bringing with it excited voices from the clearing. Graeme lifted her up for her legs to wrap around him, and she took the turn to dry his tears this time. Her eyes smiled as she did, revealing the kind wrinkles at their corners that he could imagine bing more prominent with time.


    "Are you cold?" he asked, his own eyes sweeping over her, drinking in the way the moonlight seemed to fancy her pale skin and hair, making them appear silver. It was as if she was part of the moon itself.


    "You carry me at every opportunity. I don''t have a chance to be cold," she teased quietly. But she didn''t hate it. There wasfort being in his arms like this.


    He continued to study her affectionately. "There''s no way you''re human," he whispered to himself.


    August looked startled. "Why? What do you mean?"


    "I''ve never met a human like you," he said. "I couldn''t have dreamed you up if I tried."


    "Well, I am the only me," she rolled her eyes. "Also, I was told that I''m technically a mutate. I guess there''s that small fact."


    Graeme chuckled. "Then perhaps enchanting me is your superpower." He bent to tug on her bottom lip with his sharp teeth. "Hmmm¡­ you don''t taste gically engineered."


    Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Don''t I? Maybe it''s the puke throwing you off."


    "No, just alcohol," he teased. "It disinfected everything on its way back out."


    She screwed up her face. "Gross."


    "Here, Greta gave me water," he handed her the bottle from his jacket.


    "It''s not spiked with moonshine too is it?" she asked.


    "You never know. It is the full moon," he smirked. "No silly, she brought it for you."


    ''Did he just call me silly?'' August pretended to eye him suspiciously as she took the bottle, swishing it around her mouth and spitting it out a few times before drinking the rest and wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "Ah! Good as new," she said with a grin.


    "I''ll be the judge of that," he countered, dipping back in to capture her mouth with a smile on his lips.


    He kissed her gently, caressing her soft lips with his own, before it triggered something deeper¡ªa frenzied release of the emotions they had just endured, and he pressed further with his tongue, sliding desperately against hers and entangling with her there where he could coax out her whimpers.


    He was tasting her¡ªGoddess, he was tasting her¡ªand the forest and the bonfire and all else slid effortlessly away. He made her reassurances and promises with his mouth, ying at what he wanted to promise her with his body as he stumbled blindly to the nearest tree.


    Finally, he found one that gave him more leverage to press against her and create that friction between them that ignited a different kind of fire¡ªone that they would happily sacrifice themselves to.


    Graeme heard his mate''s sweet whimpers as he kissed below her ear, trailing his heat down her neck where his mark was that he nipped gently, causing her to squirm against him. He slowly licked the mark again and again, retracing the warmth of his mouth that contrasted with the cool of the night air. The tender revisiting of his tongue on that spot was his way of reminding her that it was there and it was his¡ªthis irreversible, intimate connection that he would create again and again without a thought.


    "Graeme," she squeaked as his tongue was slowly driving her mad.


    "Yep, you''re as good as new," he groaned against her neck, nipping her again as she wiggled against him.


    "Wait," she whispered, and he drew back just far enough to gaze at her with those heated dark eyes she could get lost in. "Won''t someone see us?"


    "No, love. Besides, I''d gouge their damn eyes out if they did," he growled softly before returning his tongue to her skin.


    ''That''s not exactly reassuring,'' she thought, groaning as she bent her head back to give him better ess.. But Graeme''s maism was already coaxing her into the spiral of need that only he could fulfill, and he was intent on fulfilling it.

 Chapter 72 - My Moon

    "My Moon," he whispered, tracing the side of her face slowly before kissing her tenderly again and then willing himself deeper, gripping her thighs with his hands as his hips rolled against her.


    She whimpered with the intensity of him¡ªhis hands that seemed to be at war with themselves, wanting to tear her clothes right here in the forest and yet trying to restrain himself with her modesty and insecurities in mind. Atst, August encouraged him, arching herself against him with her armsced behind his neck, fingers gripping his back.


    "Mine," she whispered into the woods, her words spiraling up into the moonlight, "you''re all mine," and she hooked her legs tighter around him, willing him closer.


    This was what she needed¡ªwhat they both needed¡ªthe reassurance of their mated souls entangling, blurring their physical boundaries and running together like watercolor, flushing everything else out.


    Graeme finally discarded the material left between them. Suspending August in his arms against the tree, he rolled against her, entering into the warmth of her shelter for her to muffle a cry, biting her bottom lip in the process.


    "Am I hurting you?" he asked, his hold softening as he found the golden light of her eyes again.


    She shook her head, gripping his shoulders tighter. "Don''t stop," she pleaded quietly, "I want to feel all of you."


    The tree''s bark bit into Graeme''s arms, but the soft heat of his mate being held there¡ªof her core warmth surrounding him and clenching him tightly¡ªsweetened the pain of it, and he couldn''t help but growl softly against her, nibbling her ear even as he wanted to devour it along with the rest of her.


    August tried biting back the cry that Graeme was pushing further and further toward her surface with every enticing grunt, every thrust and roll of hips. His scent and warmth surrounded her and flooded through her as they were both drenched in cool sweat and moonlight.


    Bright colors exploded behind her eyes as he opened her further and further, but she was trying to slow this sensation, push it down, dull it to where it couldn''t escape and embarrass her out here in the forest. Graeme grabbed the hand that she had brought up to muffle the cries threatening to escape.


    "August, it''s just us, love. I have you," he said in a gruff voice. "I have you. Let go," his voice was in her ear, bringing her eyes to find his. The deep cosmos in his eyes that embraced her. "You''re safe here with me."


    He watched her eyebrows thread together as she maintained his gaze, the pleasure building in her eyes as she opened herself more fully for him, shuddering with every wave of him that crashed into her until she was cresting with him¡ªso high, she couldn''t see anymore, and she was tumbling against him, riding out the ecstasy of their delicious slide together.


    He captured her breathless mouth in his, coaxing the moans from her that rattled free only to be devoured by him and met with his own.


    When she copsed limp and panting against him, Graeme continued to hold her, trailing kisses down her neck, nibbling the soft skin over and over again, creating sweet tremors that jolted down her body adorably.


    "Goddess, stop already," she giggled breathlessly against him, shuddering with every gentle touch of his fingertips on her skin. "You''re really all mine, aren''t you?" she whispered to herself.


    "All yours. Always," he answered, ducking to kiss her lips again where he lingered a moment more before finally setting her down.


    He smiled up at her as he helped straighten her clothes, revealing that dimple behind the dark texture of his beard. "Even in the moonlight, you turn a beautiful shade of scarlet."


    "Thanks to you," and she felt her cheeks grow warmer. "Why do you have to be so¡­ so¡­"


    "Irresistible?" he raised an eyebrow at her yfully.


    Sheughed softly at how he pegged it, likely from feeling the impulse of what she wanted to say before she even said it. "¡­ And out here in the woods where anyone could catch us?"


    "Your human insecurities are cute," he replied, kissing the tip of her nose. "Trust me, no one is getting near us."


    As they walked back toward the clearing with fingers intertwined, Graeme realized something. "You said ''Goddess.''"


    "What?" she asked.


    "You said, ''Goddess,'' back there. I''ve never heard you use it."


    The easy smile that was on her lips now spread wider. "Yeah, I did, didn''t I? I¡­ I guess I feel her," she said. "In the air, in the moonlight, in the forest. In you," she added as she looked up at him, and he squeezed her hand in understanding.


    ''Goddess.'' It wasn''t a curse. It was an acknowledgment.


    When they arrived back at the clearing where the orange glow flickered against the trees, August noticed Sam close by the tree line with his cousin. The two men had their backs to the trees as if they were simply entranced by the bonfire from this far distance, but August couldn''t shake the feeling that they were standing guard. Had they¡­ heard everything?


    August''s stomach dropped in embarrassment, causing Graeme to give her a questioning look. He followed her vision to the two men a short distance from them, and he shook his head.


    "Don''t worry," he said quietly. There was something about his voice that spread through her soothingly, like a thick msses coating her vulnerability.


    When they arrived by Sam and Jack''s side, the two turned and nodded in greeting. Despite Graeme''s reassurance, August still felt the burn of embarrassment on her cheeks, and she felt Graeme squeeze her hand reassuringly.


    "What did we miss?" Graeme asked.


    "Just your sister kicking some major ass," Jack chuckled before Sam gave him a look. Jack cleared his throat as August''s eyebrows pinched together in question.


    "August, Graeme mentioned that you''re an artist," Jack said, turning more fully to her now. His blonde hair appeared auburn in the firelight like his cousin''s.


    "Yes, that''s right," she replied, surprised that at some point their earlier conversation had shifted from the brewery to her.


    "Have you ever considered teaching?" he asked.


    "Oh, um. Yes, actually. I did somemunity work with kids back home," she smiled. "Why do you ask?"


    "You might have heard that we don''t have traditional schools here," he said, and she tilted her head curiously.


    "What we do may be considered simr to homeschooling, but it''s more of a team effort. You know, ''it takes a vige,'' that kind of thing." Sam nodded next to his side. "Sam and I train the group in our area on fighting techniques a few times a week. They don''t have anyone offering them drawing or photography unless they''re doing it on their own," he said.


    "The closest was probably Rachel''s crayon and charcoal rubbings," Sam agreed. "Remember that?" he nudged Jack with a grin.


    "When the kids did rubbings of items at home, and everyone had to guess what they were?" they both startedughing.


    "That backfired," Sam mumbled, taking a sip from his mug. "August, do you want something to drink?"


    "No, I''m fine, thank you," she said quietly.


    Greta skipped to their side from somewhere in the crowd. "Hey guys," she smiled. August noticed two long scrapes on her forehead that hadn''t been there earlier.


    "Greta, what happened?" August''s face dropped.

 Chapter 73 - Woodside

    Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the States! Starting December 1st, LMSF will be updating 2 chapters daily, and I''ll have a discord linking around that time as well. In the meantime, eat well and stay safe friends!


    ***


    "Oh, it''s nothing. Just a little scuffle," she waved it off, rolling her eyes with the smile still on her face.


    Seeing August''s expression remain unchanged, she added, "It''ll be gone by tomorrow. No worries," and she squeezed August''s arm reassuringly. "Putting little shits in their ce, remember?" she mumbled out the side of her mouth, finally bringing a small smile to August''s face.


    No one else looked concerned about it, and August remembered how Greta had caused Gunnar to go flying like a rag doll at the pack house. Maybe ''scuffles'' weremon, and the peach-haired girl certainly seemed capable of handling herself. August looked at Graeme who gave her a reassuring nod.


    "Jack was mentioning to August how the pups might like learning art techniques from her," Sam said to Greta.


    Greta''s face brightened. "What a great idea," she agreed, turning to August. "The ones who are interested now just rely on YouTube, I''m sure."


    "What ages are you talking about?" August asked. The word ''pups'' had her curious.


    "The kids pretty much run wild until they''re seven or eight. I mean, they learn to read and write at home, but then they get training in things like our history, pack rtions, fighting in their human forms, and other varied topics around seven. They learn to fight as wolves after they shift for the first time."


    "When do they shift for the first time?" August asked.


    "Around puberty for most. After they know the basic stuff, they pretty much follow their own interests. There''s a lot of intern-like rtions that happen when they get a bit older, and anyone who wants to venture out to go to college or live amongst humans in other ways does that with some extra work," Greta exined.


    There was a lot to learn about the way this new world worked, August realized. "It sounds reallyid-back," she said.


    "It is, but it works surprisingly well that way," Greta replied to have the three men around them nod in agreement. "Everyone seems to dive really deep into what interests them. But it certainly helps to be exposed to a greater variety of things rather than being left to stumble across it on the Inte or something like that."


    "I''d love to be involved. It sounds great," August nodded. It would be exciting to have an opportunity to share what she loved in a way that might benefit others here, especially kids.


    "Mel should be here. She''s the one who knows all the kids and acts as the organizer with families and mentors for Woodside," Sam said, looking around the distant circle of faces to see if he could spot her.


    "Woodside?" August tilted her head in question.


    "This area is Woodside," Graeme exined next to her. "Smaller social events are usually divided by area¡ªlike pup training."


    "There''s also Lakeside and Meadowside," Greta added.


    The four of them became distracted by a crowd that had gathered around the folk band on the far side of the bonfire. There were hoots from several of the people in the crowd, and then they all started pping in time with the music. August could see more and more of them begin spinning around and dancing.


    "I love this song. Come dance with me!" Greta eximed and grabbed August''s hand.


    August''s eyes went wide, but Greta''s excitement was contagious. She found herself unable to refuse when she saw the way the peach-haired girl''s eyes shone happily. She gave their intertwined hands a suspicious look, wondering about whether Greta was influencing her unfairly.


    "Come on, sis," Greta insisted, pulling August along behind her. August twisted around to find Graeme''s encouraging smile, and she let out a giggle as she stumbled to catch up with the girl who was tugging on her.


    When they reached the side of the fire where the instruments soared higher and they could feel the deep male voice of the guitarist, Greta''s excitement was already bubbling up higher in August''s chest, and she decided to just go with it. Everyone here was giving themselves over to the melody, moving and spinning, seemingly chasing the notes around the air and adding to them with the rhythm of their bodies. It was contagious.


    Soon August was moving and spinning with Greta, enjoying the way the music teased her into creating a kind of freeform embodiment of it. It felt so good.


    With their hair whipping around them, August looked up to find Greta''s happiness mirroring her own, and August was so grateful for this girl in front of her. And for the bonfire. For the mythical creatures who she was surrounded by. For her mate. For fun. This¡ªthis was fun.


    Graeme was watching his sister and his mate from the other side of the fire, and he chuckled. August was having fun. It was incredible.


    "No need to worry about someone messing with her now that Greta kicked everyone''s ass," Samughed.


    "Greta," Graeme chuckled again and shook his head. "Who were the casualties?"


    "Violet, Lucas, and a few of their friends," Sam shrugged.


    "Who gave her the scratches?" Graeme asked, a muscle feathering in his jaw. Sam looked at Graeme''s profile without responding to it. When Graeme turned to catch his gaze, Sam felt his mouth twitch.


    "I don''t know. You can go get the scent from her if you''d like," he answered. Graeme stared at his sister''s mate until Sam finally turned to look away.


    Sam respected Graeme without question, but he was slowly recalling how Graeme''s protectiveness of his sister grated on him. He was d that Graeme cared for her, of course, but he didn''t appreciate feeling like his mate bond was somehow inpetition with the twin bond. And Greta was capable enough of taking care of herself in minor situations like this without anyone overreacting.


    "She''s basically a female you, Graeme, don''t worry about it," Sam muttered.


    "So¡­ am I allowed to ask what everyone here is wondering, Graeme? Will you finally be taking over?" Jack interrupted.


    "It''s a little early to talk about all of that, Jack," Sam answered. "There are a lot of variables."


    "I just want to know if I need to find a new partner," Jack chuckled while shrugging his shoulders. "No doubt you''ll be his second, am I right?"


    "I will likely need all the help I can get," Graeme said finally before ncing at Sam''s cousin. "There''s some fucked up shit going down in the Council. But I need to investigate the extent of it before I know for sure."


    Jack''s eyebrows pinched together and he rolled back on his heels in thought. "That doesn''t surprise me. The Council is fucked," he sighed.


    Graeme looked at him more intently this time. "It''s gone downhill. Everything, man," he answered the silent question in Graeme''s eyes. "Greta never mentioned it?"


    "She didn''t want to burden you with what seems like trivial things," Sam interjected.


    "Trivial?" Jack''s eyebrows raised in surprise.


    "Jack," Sam''s eyes darkened. "Everyone is eating. The pack is healthy. The border is secure. Trade is better than ever."


    Jack scoffed. "Yes. You''re right. The basics are there."


    "You said everything was going downhill," Sam reminded him.


    "Morale. Morale affects everything, doesn''t it? The fucking spirit of this ce is broken," Jack mumbled. "You know, like¡ªlook at them," he gestured toward the crowd of dancers. "That is not a regr sight. That is the spirit of this ce, is it not?"


    After they all watched the crowd of dancers for several moments longer, Jack turned to Graeme. "It feels like you two have breathed a bit of that spirit back into us tonight."


    And then Jack sighed heavily, as if releasing something that he had been holding for a long time. He pped Graeme on the back.


    "You can count on me, Alpha.. For anything."

 Chapter 74 - Calling Down The Moon

    When the song had finished, Greta and August sighed happily.


    "Should we get back to the men?" Greta asked, slightly breathless. August nodded, the happiness still sweet on the air around them as fingers picked at instruments in an interlude to the next song, and she relished in all of it.


    She noticed several of those around them turning their gazes on her, but all of their faces seemed friendly and weing. Her and Greta giggled while making their way back to the other side of the bonfire, and without even looking back, August could feel curious eyes trailing them.


    Upon arriving at Graeme''s side again, August felt her cheeks growing warm. But this time it was in happiness. Graeme gazed on her affectionately and winked at his sister, who was also beaming at her mate''s side.


    A short timeter, a young girl with wavy ck hair skipped to Greta''s side. Her arms appeared to be full of flowers, and she pulled a ring of flowers off of one of her arms and ced it around Greta''s neck.


    "Thank you, Freya," Greta said sweetly.


    The girl''s eyes disappeared with her smile as she gave a small curtsy. Her smile slowly fell down, mouth turning agape, as her eyes alighted on Graeme and August. It was a moment before she seemed to recover.


    "H-hello," the girl''s smile slowly returned.


    August smiled. "Hi, Freya. I''m August."


    "August," the girl repeated quietly before adding, "Hallowell?"


    An odd silence bloomed in the midst of everyone standing there as August looked back stunned at the young girl with flowers in her arms. Sylvia had been right, but August certainly didn''t know how to answer it, and it seemed no one else did either.


    Freya''s eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she smiled radiantly. "Forgive me, I uh¡­ I am just surprised," she said, shaking her head before chancing a nce at Graeme. "May I?" she asked, choosing a flower ne from her arm before looking at August again and then Graeme, this time in question.


    A smile slowly formed on his lips, and he nodded. Freya''s expression turned serious as she lifted the delicate strand of flowers over August''s head, allowing it to rest on her shoulders.


    "Thank you," August said quietly, watching the doe-eyed girl who turned radiant again.


    "You''re wee, Luna August," the girl said softly, and she skipped away with firelight dancing around her.


    Sam and Greta exchanged a look that August missed as she watched the girl disappear.


    "What was that about?" August asked quietly to Graeme.


    "My fault," he squeezed her hand. "You might smell like me," and he smirked upon saying it, revealing the mirth in his eyes.


    "I might¡­ oh," August nced away as her cheeks med red.


    "Excuse me, friends," Jack said, "I have somewhere to be."


    August watched as he quickly disappeared in the crowd. The music had stopped and everyone was dispersing in various directions, but somehow the energy around them seemed to escte¡ªas if they were all leaving to attend an event elsewhere. Maybe there was a bonfire afterparty.


    Greta ran and jumped into her mate''s arms. "If you''ll excuse us," Sam winked before carrying Greta away from them.


    Others were beginning to shift around the fire, bing massive wolves and scampering off into the shadows yfully, nipping at each other as they ran off.


    August watched in awe. The delicate fragrance of the flowers then drifted to fill her senses as she turned to Graeme in question.


    "I haven''t been to one of these in a really long time," Graeme mumbled to himself. "I should have warned you about this part."


    "What part?" she asked as young women in long white flowing robes started approaching the fire, inserting long poles into its center that lit the ends. "Is this where I get sacrificed?" she whispered, and he chuckled at her side.


    After each pole was lit by the select individuals carrying them, what appeared to be an borate choreographed dance began, and August watched as the fire danced above their heads, circling and spinning in time with the flowing white robed individuals who held them.


    The smoke around them grew thicker and trailed the lit poles in borate grey plumes and patterns. And then the singing began.


    "What''s happening?" she whispered in awe as the ethereal voices filled the air.


    Graeme pulled her in front of him where he could hold her from behind. "I would love to know what you see through your eyes right now," he said into her ear. "Why don''t you give it a try?"


    August knew what he meant¡ªthe second vision. She was nervous to try that again after seeing the rageing off of Violet, but feeling Graeme embracing her and encouraging her to try it, she opened her vision slowly to bring the energy of the dance and the song and the fire into view. Graeme felt her suck in a quick breath and grab hold of his arm.


    "What do you see?" he asked.


    She was stunned. "It looks like¡­" she trailed off, watching the unseen world behind the ritual in front of her. "Like moonlight. Like the moonlight hase alive and is dancing in the clearing."


    "They''re calling down the moon," he whispered deeply.


    "But¡­" August started, confused. "Are they¡­ alyko?"


    "No," Graeme answered. "This is an ancient custom of ours. It''s performed by lycans."


    A cascade of luminous mist was dancing and trailing down through the darkness above them, encircling the fire, sweeping the clearing with the flowing robes and voices. The particles of moonlight seemed to coax out a sudden chorus of ecstatic voices from all sides that escaped the shadows, and August''s chest started heaving with the flood of energy that simultaneously burst into the clearing, mingling now with the moonlight that had turned alive in front of her eyes, spiraling back and upward above the fire.


    August felt Graeme nip her neck and she watched as the golden cloud that hovered around them¡ªthat she recognized as their own personal aura¡ªstarted to burn deeply and approach the center where the fire and the dancers were still chanting and spinning, lifting their voices to the magic around them.


    The heating off of Graeme seemed to increase, and she saw the golden energy around them burn deeper as the frenzy of moonlight increased as well. Graeme suddenly groaned behind her, squeezing her tightly like he was fighting off a force beyond his control.


    August was about to turn around to check that he was okay, but he held her fast, burying his head in the curve of her neck.. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense as the chorus around them rose higher.

 Chapter 75 - Ritual Moonlight

    "Do you feel it?" he groaned, his breath hot against her neck, and her head started to spin, the moonlight spinning with it, dazzling in its orbit around her eyes. She felt him brace himself against her, his touch creating bolts of electricity that ran the length of her body.


    "Yes," she whispered into the sensual air that somehow felt thicker, coating her skin and her lungs. The clearing zed with shimmering white like a portal had opened to the night sky.


    Suddenly the vision of the clock in suicide forest shed behind her eyes. This was too much like it. Too simr. The light and the energy and the voices were circling, almost suffocating now in their intensity, and she squeezed her eyes shut as small, panicked sobs began to escape.


    Sensing her panic, Graeme spun his mate around and cupped her face in his hands. "August," he called, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "Just focus on me, love. It''s okay," he grabbed her hands and kissed the back of them.


    Her eyes shot open with the gentle brush of his lips across her skin, which was now fully charged with ritual moonlight.


    "It''s too much," she gasped, staring wildly out into the night with ck eyes as her chest was heaving for regr air¡ªthe fresh air of the forest from earlier. Not this. This air was stifling, and the flood of energy and the scent of the flowers were overwhelming her senses, seemingly intoxicating every cell in her being. There was no escaping this, whatever it was.


    "Close your eyes," Graeme drew her into his chest. "You''re okay. Just focus on me," he said, running his hand soothingly along her back. "Focus on my voice."


    She closed her eyes and nodded silently, clutching his shirt. He was okay, and she was okay. She slowly breathed in, letting her head rest against him as he continued tracing the length of her back.


    "You''re okay, love," he repeated, "I''m here." She concentrated on the sound of his deep, husky voice as it traveled up the length of his neck, vibrating with power and reassurance.


    As she shut out the vision and focused solely on the man embracing her, Graeme''s touch became electrifying, and before she knew it she was sinking safely into him¡ªinto the deep riverbed carved by his voice and the thrumming of his heart that echoed through her with its reliable rhythm, coaxing her now into a kind of hypnosis of desire.


    She could breathe again, but now every breath was filled with him. The air she took in was the air sustaining them both, and in that shared air a new magic bloomed, weaving its life-giving tendrils through them¡ªdrawing the fabric of their beings closer together.


    There was no bonfire, no moonlight, no forest¡ªjust the two of them together in this blooming of new life in the darkness. August tipped her head up, trailing her cheek and then her lips over her mate''s neck, feeling the pulse of him under her. She whispered his name against the skin that tried to separate them¡ªso tender and warm, this skin of his, and she suddenly felt the urge to break that barrier.


    "I want to bite you," she whimpered, not understanding it.


    With those words, Graeme''s struggle to resist the force baring down on him shattered, and he pulled her hard up into his arms, devouring her mouth with all the intensity of the ritual surrounding and coursing through them, and she went aze in his mind.


    "Do it," he panted, feeling her whole being curl around his soul, constricting and pulsating and flowing as one with him.


    She froze at his words, her eyes snapping open again in panic. "No!" ''What if I hurt you?'' The terror of it rippled through her, and he felt it, too.


    "You won''t hurt me," he said, finding her eyes, running a thumb along her swollen bottom lip. "I trust you," he whispered against her before iming her mouth again with his own, teeth grazing her lips before he began kissing and nipping her neck, running a hand over the curve of her breast and down her waist, pulling her further against him, encouraging her with his hands that trailed their molten rivers along her skin.


    "Please, Moon," she heard the desperation in his voice.


    August whimpered as the urge to bite him once again raked her. She was resisting it. He didn''t know¡ªshe might hurt him.


    But he was pressing all of his intoxicating desire into her, and a sh of him in Violet''s memory lit in the back of her mind. Violet still longs for this man. Waits for him. Desires him. Considers him hers first and hers alone.


    ''Mine,'' the possessive growl tickled August''s throat, and in that instant she felt something wild within her break free and reach for him. Somehow her teeth effortlessly slid into that suddenly mouth-watering part of him¡ªwhere his neck curved into the muscle of his broad shoulder, and he hissed beneath her.


    "Goddess yes, August," he cupped the back of her head and held her there, attached to him, as he squinted against the deepening union he felt flood through him.


    How could they be more entangled than they already were? But somehow it was possible, and he groaned his approval as the fire for her rolled even brighter in his soul.


    And then he was swiftly removing the cloth barriers between them, desperate now to be inside of her physically¡ªto feel the warm shelter of her surrounding him. This time when he entered her it was as if all of creation was driving him forward, buoying her up in his arms.


    August released her teeth from his shoulder and soothed it with her tongue the way he had done to her mark, and then they were moving as one with him rolling into her while her body found the elegant movements of a wave dipping to meet him, matching his rhythm and weing him.


    It was a ritual that had to be repeated. It could never beplete¡ªnever be enough¡ªuntil it fully consumed them both and they were nothing but stardust scattered across the sky.


    Her mate was perfection. The tension that angled every muscled inch of him towards her, the grip of one arm securing her to him while his other hand curled around her neck and held her forehead against his, and the sexiest deep, gruff male noises she had ever heard breaking from his throat.


    She bent to put her lips there on his muscr neck where she could feel his sounds vibrate against her mouth, and above her Graeme''s eyes shed golden before returning to their dark brown.


    There was no stifling this energy that was thrumming and building in the woods around them, and there was no holding it back. In the periphery of her mind, August heard cries like theirs growing from simr couplings in the shadows.


    She was vaguely aware that her and her mate were orbited by these other bright spots of passion¡ªothers who were brought together by something extraordinary. Something perfect and divine. And her and Graeme were in the center, climbing higher and higher with every slide and every roll that united them.


    Finally the height of this surreal climb forced August''s head back so that her eyes alighted on the moon above her, her body taught and back arching away from her mate who continued to cradle her in his arms, riding the final crescendo of their pleasure before their twin cries were added to the chorus arising from the shadows.


    And yet there was nothing but the two of them then. All else had ceased to exist.


    August was the forest and the night sky. August was the bright moon and the sparkling, golden stars. August was the whole universe that he had now entered and imed as his own.


    The universe cloaked him lovingly as he came into it, adding his seed to its celestial womb, and he found himself weeping gratefully once again as he clutched his panting human mate against him.


    When August opened her eyes, her body was trembling again in the arms of her beloved¡ªthe man who had be her home. More than her home. His eyes were soft and wet, watching her in awe.


    "Are you okay, love?" he whispered against her before kissing her forehead and clutching her against him.


    With thest of the dense forest air expelled into the night sky, August''s eyelids at once grew heavy. "I''m perfect," she smiled, vaguely registering the scent of the flowers around her neck that mingled with Graeme''s scent.


    It was the truth. She felt so utterly perfect, like every cell in her body was in alignment with a superior force gazing down on them lovingly.


    And then the cloak of sleep that smelled like Graeme crept into her mind, and the woods and the moonlight and the fire slipped away, leaving only sleep beckoning behind her eyes.


    ***


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 Chapter 76 - Morning After

    August sucked in a quick breath, shooting upward into a sitting position. Was all of that a dream? Trees were swaying outside the treehouse, filtering the morning sun.


    "August," Graeme sighed next to her. She was panting like she had a nightmare. "Are you okay?" He had mimicked her posture, sitting upright next to her. "I was worried," he breathed.


    "I had a dream," she said in a haze, turning to meet his gaze. A smile curved on her lips. "It wasn''t a dream," sheughed softly to see him shake his head. He cupped the side of her face, drawing her into a gentle kiss.


    "I didn''t know that would happen¡ªI''m sorry," he exined. "It''s the full moon¡ªI''ve never experienced one with you."


    "The full moon," she whispered to herself, remembering the scene in front of her eyes from the night before. The moonlight hade alive. "What was that? And the flowers?" the scent of the flowers around her had seemed intoxicating.


    "It''s a fertility ritual," he said next to her for her eyes to go wide.


    "A what?" she gasped.


    "All mated females get those flowers before the drawing down of the moon," he exined.


    "What? How could you not¡­ not¡­ run that by me first?" she asked, mouth agape. A fertility ritual? Seriously?


    Graeme scooted closer, nuzzling into the curve of her neck. "I''m sorry. I didn''t realize how powerful it really was," he groaned, nipping the skin by his mark. She whimpered in response to it.


    Reminded of the mark, she quickly turned to him. "Are you okay?" Her gaze shifted from his eyes to his neck.


    She bit himst night. How could she have done that? What if she hurt him? What about his wolf? Why had she even wanted to bite him?


    Her eyes were full of terror as she ran a finger over the spot where a pearlized mark had formed on his skin. Lycans weren''t supposed to have scars¡­


    "I''m perfect, love," his voice was deep and reassuring, but he could see she didn''t believe him. "I promise. I even shifted this morning just so I could tell you for sure that you have nothing to worry about," his eyes were sincere. August let out a breath of relief.


    "Promise?" she asked, even though he already had.


    "Yes, Moon," he smirked, kissing her gently before tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. "Are you mad at me for not warning you?" he asked.


    She was still stunned. A fertility ritual? The words kept repeating in her mind.


    "That was so¡­ insane," she breathed, not answering his question. There was no other word for it. Her body shivered, remembering.


    And then she recalled another detail¡ªthis one truly horrifying.


    "W-we did that out in the middle of¡ªof everything? Did people¡­" she gulped. ''¡­see us?'' her thoughts finished.


    How had she done that so easilyst night? With no shame or shyness at all? Graeme''s eyes shifted away from her guiltily.


    "Oh Goddess," she gasped again, her hand flying up to her mouth in horror. A small smile bloomed on Graeme''s face even though he was still avoiding her eyes, and she pped his chest. "How is this funny to you?"


    "It''s not, I''m sorry. It''s not funny. You''re just adorable. And I love how you sound when you say ''Goddess,''" he exined, his eyes wide with mirth as they finally met hers again.


    August groaned and flopped backwards into bed. "I can never face anyone here ever again!"


    Graeme chuckled and lowered himself over her. "Should I remind you that you''re the only human here? None of them think that way. There''s nothing to be ashamed of," he said so smoothly that she felt it somewhere deep inside of her.


    "In fact, it proved something to them¡ªespecially to anyone with doubts. Not to mention that everyone there was doing the exact same thing."


    He kissed her neck so softly that she shivered, and he lifted her against him with a chuckle. She groaned but let herself be nuzzled and kissed with his coarse beard tickling her face and neck until she couldn''t stop the smile that slowly bloomed on her face as well.


    "You are amazing. I''m so proud of you, my love," he spoke into her hair as he swayed back and forth with her in his arms. "Are you cold?" he asked then, tightening his arms around her to secure her more closely against him.


    It was delicious being this close to him. His broad, warm chest. It was like slipping into an instant calm space. Her head went fuzzy again, and she groaned an incoherent response that made him chuckle above her.


    "I''m hungry," she finally formed a thought into words amidst the nuzzling. A quick mental check made her realize she had somehow made it back to the treehouse, into pajamas, and into bed.


    "I''m on it," he rumbled above her, and he pulled a nket over her before disappearing from her side. She almost regretted saying anything, as he had scrambled out of bed so quickly.


    After checking the bathroom mirror for any ring issues, August made her way to the kitchen where enticing aromas were beckoning her.


    "Aren''t you going to the council?" she asked sleepily. It was Friday, after all.


    "No way am I leaving you today," he said before dropping a te in front of her.


    "What? Why? Is that¡­ wise?" she asked, suddenly worried.


    She saw him shrug before he sat down across from her. "It''smon after a full moon. No worries," he said.


    What he didn''t say was that he could honestly give a shit what the elders thought at this point. Afterst night¡ªafter experiencing that¡­ the most insanely spiritual thing he could imagine and then carrying his exhausted mate home under the moonlight¡ªwatching as her eyshes brushed her pale cheeks and feeling her body that trembled involuntarily in his arms with the scent of the forest and the flowers around her neck enveloping them both¡ªno one could pry him away from her. He wasn''t sure he could ever leave her side again after that. It was hard enough before, but now?


    "I''m sorry I passed out," she said quietly, staring at the mouthwatering food in front of her.


    Graeme shook his head. "Don''t be. It''smon. And your experience was more intense than most," he reassured her.


    "You''re just being nice," she smirked, somehow knowing this to be true. He didn''t want her to have another reason to feel weak.


    "I can tell you for sure that no one has experienced it like you did," he said.


    "Because I was with you?" she raised an eyebrow at him yfully.


    "Well that¡­" he chuckled, "and you have your freaky human-mutate powers to witness it all in an entirely different way."


    "In other words, too much for my human body to handle," sheughed softly.


    "Did I say that?" he asked.


    Sheughed, taking a bite of sausage. "You didn''t have to. But it''s okay. My mate is the Alpha, so¡­ I guess itpensates."


    Graeme moved from his ce across from her to the chair at her side. "You know, I find myself wondering if you aren''t the Moon Goddess herself, August," he said deeply. "You don''t need anyone topensate," and his dark, warm eyes threatened to swallow her whole.


    "Okay, buddy. It''s too early for all of that. Let me eat my breakfast," sheughed nervously, nudging him with her arm as she gulped softly at his words.


    After they had finished eating and Graeme was clearing the dishes, August found herself wondering aloud. "So¡­ fertility ritual¡­ Are you wanting a little Graeme so soon?"


    The thought terrified her. They were still getting to know each other. People from Eliade were more than likely hunting her. She didn''t know anything about the lycans or Hallowell pack or what was happening with her supposed gic reengineering. There were barely a handful of people she could trust. Throw a defenseless child into all of that?


    Graeme didn''t turn to answer her. "More like a little August." She heard the teasing in his voice. "Whenever the time is right, I''ll be overjoyed with it."


    Realizing his words were met with nervous silence, he turned to face her. "It won''t happen before its time," he said with that soothing depth of his. "Don''t worry about it, okay? All I care about is you being next to me."


    She stared back at him looking vulnerable with the morning light filtering in through her pale hair, lighting it like the ethereal halo of someone''s painted saint. He groaned internally. She was perfect. With bed head and the baggy sweatshirt dwarfing her cute shape underneath. Everything about her was perfect.


    "Are you feeling up to wandering around today?" he asked. Seeing more of thend and meeting its people would be good.


    "Sure," she said quietly.

 Chapter 77 - Standards

    An hourter, they were descending the steps once again under the massive tree, curling down its wide wooden steps.


    August could feel the change in the air that happened around this time of year. It reminded her of Halloween. The smell of damp leaves had been lingering for awhile, but now itsyers were thick and there was a hint of frigid weather toe.


    "I asked Greta if we could use the Jeep, but she has something going on," Graeme mumbled. "My old car is at my parent''s house. Would you mind using that until we get one of our own?"


    "Of course. Why would I mind?" August asked.


    "Well, you haven''t seen it yet. It may not be up to your standards," he said.


    "My standards? What¡ªdo I seem superficial to you?" August stopped, eyeing him.


    "No, that''s not what I meant," he chuckled. "I just want you to befortable."


    She crossed her arms, looking down at him as he had continued a few steps before pausing to turn to her.


    "Look, I''m not some materialistic¡­ bitch or whatever. I resent money and the obsession with possessions and what it does to people. I never had much as a kid before n came into our lives, and we were happier without all of his goddamn money. I can assure you that whatever car you used to drive around here is just fine."


    Wow, he hit a nerve all right. "I meant no offense in any way," he said earnestly, though he couldn''t help how his mouth curved slightly in amusement at the unexpected outburst.


    "It''s harder to get cars here than it would be somewhere else. There are typically only a handful to pick from. And I don''t want you getting stranded somewhere in the snow," he exined. "Unless I''m with you, of course," and the glint of mischief was back in his eyes.


    "What are you smiling at?" she narrowed her eyes at the hand he had extended in front of her.


    "At this fiery passion of yours," his eyes twinkled. "It''s adorable."


    She rolled her eyes and passed him on the steps, finally alighting on the ground below. Did he take her seriously at all? "Who lives at your parents'' house now?" she asked as they walked.


    "No one. It''s empty," he said.


    "Oh."


    They followed the road that had led them toward the pack house, passing the spot where they had diverted off into the woods toward Mama May''s.


    "Are you tired? It would be faster if I carried you," Graeme suggested.


    August watched him quietly. "I''m not tired."


    "Why do I get the feeling that you''re mad at me now for some reason?"


    She shrugged her shoulders. "I''m fine," came her clipped answer.


    Quaint forest homes that looked like hobbit or fairy houses came into view, and August''s steps slowed as she became lost in studying them. They were dripping with entricities¡ªwind chimes,wn ornaments, mosaic tiled walls, stepping stones with intricate designs, upside-down blue bottles that Graeme had said were for catching ''night fairies.''


    There were delicate looking fences made with chicken wire, odd shaped wooden nks,rge sticks woven in chain link. Everything looked handmade and thoughtfully chosen and loved.


    Graeme answered a call as they were walking, but August was too lost in their surroundings to take note of the conversation until he turned to her.


    "Hey, Sam and Jack are training the younger kids today. Would you like to swing by? Amelia will be there. She acts as the organizer, I guess."


    "Sure," August replied with a tight smile.


    Graeme stopped. "Okay, seriously. What''s wrong?"


    August shrugged again. "I''m f-"


    "Don''t say you''re fine," he interrupted.


    August looked down at her feet, arms curled around herself. She let out a heavy sigh.


    "It was stupid, but I guess with everything else going on¡­ I hadn''t thought about a b-baby," she said quietly. "We can''t let that happen," she continued staring at her feet.


    "How could you¡­" she started, lifting her eyes usingly, "how could you want that right now? How could you encourage it? And not tell me?"


    Graeme stared at her without any words for it as the quiet fury of her using eyes pierced him. "You''re my mate, August¡­"


    "Who you''ve known for a month!" she interrupted.


    He let the burn of those words sink into him before answering quietly. "I guess it''s different for lycans¡­ the time we''ve known each other doesn''t matter. It''s for life¡­"


    August buried her face in her hands. "That might be," she said, "But look at our situation! How can we protect¡­ Someone else? When we don''t even know how to protect ourselves right now or¡ªor who we''re needing protection from?"


    "You think I can''t protect you?" The hair at Graeme''s neck bristled.


    "That''s not what I''m saying," she groaned. "We just don''t even know the extent of what we''re facing right now. And¡­ I don''t want to rush into something like that. Can''t you understand that?"


    "You saw thatst night though, right? You felt it?" he challenged, taking a step toward her.


    "Yes, of course," she said.


    "And you said you feel the Goddess around you? In us?"


    She sighed. "Yes."


    "So do you trust it? Or don''t you? Because that belief for us is everything. I believe, were it to happen, it would be for a reason that you or I may not understand¡ªbut a reason nheless. We''re mates," he stressed again. "Do you know how sacred that is? How¡ªhow important? It''s not like humans, August. It''s not just some random person we decide to take a chance on."


    "You mean like Violet?" she snapped.


    Graeme froze before his head and shoulders gradually sagged, and August swallowed back the regret of bringing it up. She didn''t want to hurt him, and she definitely didn''t want to think about that encounter with Violet again.


    "Yes. That''s exactly what I mean. Her and I were a mistake. We''re not."


    August sighed, feeling the sorrow crest in him. "I''m sorry."


    "No, I deserve that," he replied. His dark, puppy-dog eyes slid up guiltily to find hers.


    "So¡­ with mates," she started again. "You just¡­ give overpletely? To this trust in¡­ in something beyond your control? With no thought as to your own responsibility in those actions?" Her hands fluttered toward the sky as if she were letting a bird go on the wind.


    How could it be so simple for him? Did he trust this Moon Goddess thatpletely?


    "Yes," he said low and deep, crossing the distance between them. "Because the trust starts here in us," and he gestured between them. "I never expected you. I never expected this," his breath was fanning across her face, his scent and his strength and his warmth surrounding her with that deliciousfort of his again, and she felt the surge of her anger ease and sweep back out into the sea of trees.


    "My responsibility is here," he reached up to run his fingers through a wild lock of her hair, "and my actions? When that magic blooms between us, around us? When I find more of myself by losing myself in you? I will always trust whates from that union, my love."


    August breathed in deeply and let it go.


    ***


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 Chapter 78 - Happy Home

    "I''m sorry," he said quietly. "I''m sorry you were caught by surprise and that I didn''t exin it to you. I was surprisedst night, too," he paused, remembering the intensity of the energy in the forest and how it had overtaken him like it had never done previously.


    With one hand, he tilted her chin to look at him. "I guess this is all new to me, too," he whispered against her. She didn''t answer, but her eyes softened gazing into his. "Are we okay?" he asked, rubbing her arms.


    August growled softly at the ease with which he was able to sway her. She couldn''t stay mad at him. "We''re okay," she said quietly. "Let''s see this atrocious car of yours."


    Not too much further and before they reached the turnoff to the pack house, Graeme veered left onto a small dirt road that cut through the woods. The road curved to the right, sloping upward until finally a two story English style stone cottage came into view.


    August''s steps paused on the drive as she took in the view of Graeme''s childhood home. It was breathtaking. Not ostentatious. As with the other homes they had passed, the greence of ivy climbed its facade, tucking it into the earth tones of the forest. While it looked elegant and spacious, it still managed to feel quaint. The front door was located on a short, round tower with a pointed turret.


    Graeme continued walking up the drive, approaching the side yard. "Are we not going inside?" August called after him.


    "The car is around back," he replied, turning to wait for her. She jogged to catch up with him.


    "You¡ªyou don''t go inside?" she asked, slightly out of breath.


    ''Not if I can help it,'' he thought. Every inch of this ce was dripping with memories, threatening to tug at ces in his soul he had tried to bury long ago. "Would¡­ you like to?" he asked slowly.


    "Yes please," she sighed happily before catching the difort in his stance. "Someday," she quickly added. "Not today¡­ it''s okay."


    "We can go in for a minute," he said, retracing his steps to the front where a stone path surrounded by lush, overgrown nts curved to the front door.


    Inside, an old stone floor led through the foyer into an open first story whererge, irregr wood beams stood as support along the walls and across the ceiling. August could see a wooden door painted light blue standing open along the back left wall past the living room and kitchen and further still ss doors leading outside to the backyard.


    It wasfortable and cozy with a soft grey couch and throw pillows off to the left in the living area matching grey cabs further back to the right in the open kitchen. Arge rustic dining room table echoed the smaller coffee table version in the living area, and mismatched grey and light blue chairs were tucked under, waiting to be pulled. Themon walls shared by all rooms were a simple white stone that made the area seemrger.


    August padded forward, leaving Graeme standing in the entryway with his hands hidden in his pockets. This was a happy home. The realization swelled inside her as she slowly made her way through, fingers running lightly along the edges of the furniture until she reached the blue door standing open with light streaming through. Rather than enter, August stood in its doorway to see the master bedroom with therge bed made, preserved as if waiting for the home owners to return.


    It wasn''t until August saw the picture on the bedside table that she entered what felt like a sacred space belonging to its previous inhabitants. This is where they slept and dreamed. This is where Graeme''s mom tossed and turned ufortably when she was pregnant with her twins.


    After slowly crossing through the room and spying a bathroom off to the side, August picked up the picture that had invited her in. It was a family photograph from when Graeme and Greta appeared to be eight or nine. Greta wasughing, draped over her father''s shoulder. Derek could have been Graeme¡ªthe resemnce was that striking. The sweet pain of loss shuddered through her at this realization, and her eyes shifted to the young Graeme being tickled in his mother''s arms. No one was looking at the camera.


    It was the perfect candid shot, capturing an honest moment in this family''s life. Genevieve had long, straight dark brown hair that fell over her face¡ªa face hidden from view, as it was bent over her son.


    Graeme cleared his voice in the bedroom''s doorway behind her, and she quickly reced the picture on the bedside table. "Should we get the car?"


    "Where is your room?" August asked, turning to see him leaning against the doorframe. He raised his eyes toward the ceiling, nodding his head upward to indicate upstairs.


    "May I see it?" she asked softly. Rather than answer, Graeme shifted his body to the side to let her pass, and she wandered back toward the entryway where a rustic wooden staircase led up to the second floor.


    Graeme''s and Greta''s rooms stood on opposite sides of a long hall with a bathroom between them. They were simple, mimicking the style of the rest of the house. August could tell Greta''s room from her brother''s, because paper stars hung from the ceiling and a pom-pom gand was draped over the bed.


    There wasn''t much to Graeme''s room. August went in and sat on his bed that was made with blue linen sheets and a quilt, bouncing lightly a few times as she smiled, imagining him as a kid. Graeme hadn''t followed her upstairs, and she had the sudden urge to look under his bed for any lingering secrets left there.


    She crouched down, gazing into the dusty shadows underneath to find the silhouette of something with long ears.. When she pulled it out, she was surprised to see a ragged brown stuffed bunny with button eyes.

 Chapter 79 - The Bunny

    When August came hopping down the steps, Graeme was waiting for her on the couch. "Can we bring this with?" August held the rabbit in both her hands, flopping his ears back and forth to the side as she approached him.


    Graeme chuckled lightly. "I forgot about him."


    "Him?" she smiled yfully. "And what is his name?" She turned the bunny to look at its worn face.


    "Uh¡­ it''s escaping me at the moment," he said with a smallugh.


    "Are you blushing?" She teased, sitting down next to him on the couch. Graeme took the bunny from her, feeling the familiar texture of its stuffed body in his hands, which had grown muchrger now since thest time he remembered holding it.


    "My mom made it for me when I was about three," he said. "I didn''t like sleeping alone. Greta and I had shared a room up until that point¡ªeven sleeping with mom and dad sometimes. I had a hard time adjusting to my own room, so she made me this to cuddle with. At least that''s what she always told me."


    "Poor guy has been lonely here waiting for you to return," August smiled. "A bunny is an interesting choice for a future wolf."


    Graeme chuckled. "But the long ears made it easy to drag him around with me. I guess even then I was partial to harmless little creatures like yourself."


    "Harmless? Me?" August scoffed. She thought about bringing up how she had recently been used of depriving Marius of his wolf, but she thought better of it.


    "Mmhmm," he hummed in agreement. "But you''re much more fun to cuddle with than Bun Bun here," he leaned over and nipped her ear, sending a shiver down her back.


    "Bun Bun?" she raised an eyebrow, smiling as he continued kissing her neck. "Even so, Bun Bun ising with us," she dered, taking the stuffed toy back and standing from the couch. "Shall we Bun Bun?" she looked down at the bunny in her hands as if waiting for a reply.


    Graeme groaned as he straightened up next to her. "I''m going to regret telling you his name, aren''t I?"


    "Why would you, Bun Bun?" she tilted her head to look at Graeme.


    "You''re not calling me Bun Bun," he countered.


    "Why not? You''re cute and furry and cuddly just like this guy," she said. And Graeme suddenly lifted her over his shoulder and carried through the house to the back doors.


    "Hey, put me down!" sheughed, trying to wriggle free from his arms, but he wasn''t budging.


    "Not until you promise not to call me Bun Bun," he said, opening the back doors to an outdoor cobblestone patio.


    "Okay, okay," sheughed, and he finally set her down. She whirled around to see a breathtaking view of the forest rolling below them with theke and the pack house in the distance. "Wow. This is incredible. You can see everything." They stood for a moment appreciating the view. "So where''s your car Bun Bun?" August turned to him with a smirk.


    Graeme raised his eyebrows. "You''re asking for it," he warned, and she scampered away from him, running off the patio and into the overgrown garden before he caught her and copsed into the weeds with her against him, tickling her mercilessly to hear herugh.


    "Okay!" She finally surrendered, and he let her catch her breath as she smiled up at him. "How about just one Bun?" And she giggled, raising her hands with the stuffed bunny in them, ready to ward off another tickle attack. Instead, Graeme caught both of her hands and pressed them to the ground as he gazed down at her. Her flushed cheeks and sprawled hair turned his eyes deep again as she panted underneath him.


    He let out a sigh. "I''ll allow you one Bun," watching as the stardust in her eyes danced happily. "But if you use more than one, there will be consequences."


    "What kind of consequences?" she gave him a crooked smile.


    "Tickling for one," and he poked her again in her side to hear another yelp as she wiggled under him. "And then the punishments get increasingly more severe," he said before lowering his head to kiss her, lingering against her soft lips for a moment before pulling back to gaze on her again. The pair stayed smiling like this until Graeme copsed next to her, both of them staring silently into the cerulean sky.


    "I definitely don''t spend enough time looking up," Graeme said quietly.


    "It''s so calming, isn''t it?" August responded by his side. "I find myself drawn to lying in the grass a lot to watch the leaves flutter overhead."


    "And on rooftops," he smirked. She smiled without responding. "Well you are wee to stay here. I am going to see if I can get the dinosaur started."


    August sat up to watch him approach a blue shed in the far left corner of the property. When he swung open the doors and disappeared inside, she followed curiously. Inside was what almost appeared to be an elevated 80''s station wagon but boxy like an SUV.


    "Is this a Wagoneer?" August asked.


    "You know it?" Graeme leaned out from the open driver''s door in surprise.


    She shrugged. "A little. You don''t think it''s going to start do you?" sheughed lightly.


    "I have a friend who sometimes drives it while I''m away. It might take a few tries, but we should be good," he replied. Sure enough, a short timeter they were on their bumpy way to meet Sam and Jack with Bun Bun jostling along in the back where August had buckled him in.


    The amusing contrast of seeing Graeme driving a car, especially one like this, was a gift in itself. August watched him from the side¡ªthe tendons in his neck and arms that bulged slightly without effort, the serious expression as his eyes focused ahead of him that caused his eyebrows to pull down in the center, that broad curve of his neck into his shoulder, the shape of his ear and angle of his hairline against his temple, the dip in his cor bone and shade of his skin¡­ Graeme turned to her with one of those thick dark eyebrows raised. Somehow his eyebrows were even alluring¡­


    "Lost in thought, Moon?" And his voice¡­ that voice that seeped deep inside of her. All of that masculine perfection, and he was driving this car. A Wagoneer. She snapped out of her daze and chuckled to herself.


    "Just thinking about that adorable Bun Bun of yours," she said, turning back to the road ahead.. Graeme nced in the rearview mirror at the bunny and groaned.

 Chapter 80 - Lily

    They pulled off the road, finally approaching a house that looked like a smaller version of Graeme''s childhood home. "This is Greta and Sam''s," Graeme answered the question in August''s eyes. "The kids should be around back."


    When they rounded the house to the backyard, August saw a small wild garden that gave way to the woods. Young voices could be hearding from beyond the trees, and when they moved further into the woods, they caught Jack walking around two kids paired up. He was instructing them as they moved toward and around each other, trying to anticipate the others'' moves. Jack saw them and shed a smile.


    "Teams!" Jack roared into the woods, and the two kids who were by him quickly ran further in beyond view. Jack approached August and Graeme with a nod. "This is theirst exercise before we''re done. Sam''s further in on the other side of the group," he exined.


    Just then, a young woman came out the back door with arge smile on her face. August couldn''t help but feel that she seemed familiar.


    "Graeme!" the woman called happily from the back door as she started to make her way to them. Jack ran back into the woods before August realized he was gone.


    "Hey Amelia!" Graeme called to her as she jogged her way through the garden to where they stood beyond the tree line. Her round, kind face was beaming with an infectious smile. She hugged Graeme and squeezed his arm as she pulled away. "It''s so amazing to see you. I missed you at the bonfirest night," she said before turning to embrace August as well. "Hi August, I''m Mel."


    "Nice to meet you," August responded, matching Amelia''s smile.


    "And it is beyond nice to meet you, August. You have no idea," she replied, ncing at Graeme with her eyes twinkling. "So I hear you are an artist. The kids will love that. We don''t have anyone doing art with the pups right now in Woodside. Of any kind. I think this younger group will especially love whatever you can introduce them to."


    The three of them continued to visit while the fighting exercise was going on in the woods, only asionally hearing grunts or growls from further in. August learned that Mel was May''s daughter, which exined the familiarity she had upon seeing her. Mel had the same bubble of contagious happiness surrounding her as May.


    "They should be done anytime now," Mel said. August was nodding when all of the sudden Graeme spun her around to face the opposite way with her nestled protectively against his chest.


    "Graeme¡ª" she started to object when he released her and turned back to where she had been standing. A young girl was panting, sprawled out on her back on the forest floor, staring up at Graeme with evident terror in her eyes. It only took August a moment to realize that the girl had bounced off of Graeme''s back and would have otherwise tackled August had she still been standing there.


    "Lily¡ªwhat happened?" Mel gasped. The smile that seemed always on her face had vanished.


    "I-I''m sorry," the girl panted, not daring to move as she stared up into Graeme''s steely eyes. She looked terrified. This was the Alpha. While she had never personally met him, she knew it by his scent. By the energy that surrounded him. By the terror that re inflicted on her. The Alpha was ring down at her like her minutes in this life were numbered. How could her luck be this bad?


    August saw the girl trembling, frozen on the ground¡ªnot daring to move as Graeme red at her. Mel also didn''t move, ncing nervously over at Graeme as the energy around him had turned into a storm front threatening to bring devastation with it. August sighed to herself, moving past her mate who attempted to stop her with a hand on her arm, but she slid away and extended a hand to help the girl up off the ground.


    "Lily?" August asked softly. The girl who couldn''t have been older than eight was trembling as she took August''s hand and nced nervously at Graeme. Lily nodded.


    "I''m August," she gave Lily a warm smile. Lily''s eyes went wider. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. August felt Graeme rx behind her, and with that Mel seemed to also rx.


    "Lily, you must be careful," Mel hissed from the side, and Lily met her with guilty eyes. "That''s how friendlies get hurt."


    "Well, it''s a good lesson then," August gave her a smile, seeing how young and vulnerable the girl seemed. There was something off about her, August thought. After a moment considering it, she opened her second vision and saw what could only be described as a wound surrounding the girl called Lily. It was like a deep, throbbing bruise¡ªdark and painful with her at its center. August winced internally from just viewing it.


    Feeling the reaction she had, Graeme nced at her in concern. August''s eyes were dark, but she gave him a reassuring smile before turning down the vision for the aching energy to vanish from view.


    "Enough training for today, little one," Graeme said, gentle but stern. The young girl nodded, her cheeks having gone red. Mel put an arm around Lily''s shoulders and led her into the garden where the two had a quiet conversation.


    "Are you okay?" Graeme asked of his mate.


    "Of course," she shrugged her shoulders. "Lily seems harmless."


    "She could have killed you, August," he replied.


    "Come on," she scoffed. "Her?"


    "Yes, her," he said, deeply serious. "Even a pup in human form¡ªthe impact could be devastating to someone like you."


    August saw how the thought turned him cold again. She really was too weak, wasn''t she? The fact of her weakness was unavoidable. He could pretend like it wasn''t there for the sake of her pride, but when it came down to even a ridiculous ident like this¡ªshe was a vulnerability of his. She could see it now. No wonder he didn''t want a mate¡ªmuch less one who couldn''t defend herself.


    "Well¡­" she took a deep breath, brushing it off, "I didn''t even realize she ran into you. So I guess you make up for the hits I can''t take," she smirked at him. The rigid line of his jaw didn''t ease, and she sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Bun," she tipped her chin up to whisper against his neck. Apparently the new nickname worked, because she felt him soften within her embrace. He growled quietly, finally returning her embrace and kissing the top of her head.


    "Damn that rabbit," he grumbled, and she chuckled under him.. Maybe this was her gift¡ªsoftening him and pulling him back from the extremities. It was a kind of strength, wasn''t it?

 Chapter 81 - Pups

    Sam, Jack, and the rest of the young kids slowly emerged from the woods, and August released her mate from her arms, turning to the group that appeared. The kids were panting, and Sam told them to run and get a drink while he and Jack moved to Graeme and August''s side.


    "Did something happen?" Sam asked, assessing Graeme''s still slightly rigid stance.


    After Graeme had ryed the details of the ident, Jack seemed to have visibly paled while Sam had the same rxed stance as always.


    "I am sorry, August," Sam said. "Lily is going through some things. Her sister ran away several weeks ago. I don''t mean that as an excuse," he turned to Graeme with thest sentence. August felt Graeme nod stiffly.


    "Oh no. That must be awful for her. How old is her sister?" August asked, curious now about the energy that she had sensed around Lily. Something traumatic like her sister missing would definitely exin the pain that had seen surrounding her.


    "Her sister is only ten," Sam answered, shifting his eyes to the wild garden where the pups were getting their water.


    It was an aching they all felt. Lily''s bruised energy suddenly throbbed again behind August''s eyes, and a deep ache coursed through her¡ªher knees turning weak under the unexpected weight of it. Graeme''s arm around August''s waist steadied her, and once again he was looking down at her with worry. Sam and Jack hadn''t noticed, as they were calling the pups back over, and August shook her head dismissively, finding her feet again.


    "This is August," Mel introduced after the kids had gathered around and settled. "She is an artist," a smile spread through her features as she emphasized thest word. "Do you want to tell them about what you do, Miss August?" Mel directed her smile in August''s direction.


    "Hi everyone! It''s so nice to meet you all," she stood in front of them with her hands sped together, feeling her heart suddenly swell at the innocence she saw reflected in those young faces. "I am a photographer, but I love all different kinds of art. Drawing, painting, graphic design¡­ the greatest part is that so much of it is an experiment. Just trying out the fun, messy things to see what happens."


    "What''s the point of that?" a young boy snickered. He had short brown hair and brown eyes that were so light they appeared yellow. August noticed several red scrapes on his arms and face from the training they had just done.


    "Isaac¡ª" Mel scolded from the side.


    "No, that''s a great question. Isaac?" The boy raised his eyebrows in assent to his name. "Have you ever had a feeling or maybe an idea that you couldn''t put into words?" The boy shrugged. "Art is a way to give those feelings and ideas a different kind of shape. It''s powerful. The ways you can shape those ideas in art is really endless. And once you start¡­" August trailed off for a moment, "Well, it''s almost like magic. The creation takes on a life of its own. You might just be surprised once you set out."


    Isaac rolled his eyes. "A witch would know," he mumbled under his breath, but August didn''t hear him. All the other adults around her tensed, though, and the children''s eyes grew wider.


    August continued. "Sometimes, we just want to create something¡­ beyond ourselves. No matter how strong we are, our bodies can''t always contain everything we have in here," she ced a hand on her chest. "It is in us to want to share, to create. That creation helps us, and it helps others who might feel the same way." A dozen wide eyes looked up at her, including those belonging to Lily. When August met her gaze, Lily quickly looked away.


    "Thank you, Miss August," Mel said. "If any of you are interested in working with Miss August in the kind of creation she is describing, she will be avable as a new teacher. Isn''t that wonderful? Just let me know or have your parents let me know, and we will arrange a way for you to do some exciting art with her. Okay?"


    "Okay, Mel," the kids replied and nodded, many of them breaking out into smiles now.


    "Great, training is over today. See you Monday," Sam added, and the crowd of pups dispersed with yips and excited voices.


    "Thanks again, August," Mel gave August a kind smile before following the kids toward the front of the house where some of their parents were waiting. August turned to Graeme and shrugged shyly. She caught a fierce glint in his eyes that dissipated with her gaze.


    "I was thinking, since you''re busy at the council now¡­" Sam started from behind them, and they turned to face him, "August could pair pup lessons with training days like today." Sam didn''t have to exin the thought process behind the suggestion. If she did art on training days, Sam would be around when Graeme wasn''t.


    August felt Graeme silently considering it. What if a close call like what happened today were to happen in the future? Sam was nowhere near August when Lily had attacked. And that little bastard who called her a witch¡­ "We could make sure Greta had an open schedule during that time as well," Sam added, reading the silence. Graeme still didn''t respond.


    "Thanks, Sam," August smiled. He nodded, his sunset hair sweeping his shoulders, and he and Jack gave another nod to Graeme before walking past them to where the kids had disappeared in the front of the house.


    "This was a bad idea. I''m quitting the council and never letting you out of my sight again," Graeme said so suddenly that August sputtered augh.


    "What? You can''t be serious," August replied. But there was no humor in Graeme''s expression. She sighed. "Ugh, that''s crazy talk, and you know it.." Tension rippled through him, and August quickly realized that as crazy as it sounded, Graeme waspletely serious.

 Chapter 82 - Bad Idea

    There was a looming silence on the ride back to the treehouse. The Wagoneer made the most noise, squeaking and bouncing along over the uneven roadways and paths. August nced back to see Bun Bun secure in his seatbelt, floppy ears asionally lifting away from his stuffed body.


    After they had arrived back home and climbed the long wooden stairs, August retrieved her camera and padded out onto the deck while Graeme wandered into the bathroom. She was on a chair with her knees pulled up to her chest as she tinkered with the controls, reacquainting herself with the settings as it had been some time since she actually used the camera. Thest time was in suicide forest. She gulped at the thought. It was time to make new memories. A small smile curved on her lips as she imagined what photographs the kids here might make.


    When Graeme walked out onto the deck some timeter with sandwiches, he found August in the same position¡ªfocusing on the machine in her hands. He watched her quietly as she avoided his eyes.


    "What are you thinking about?" he finally asked.


    "You don''t know?" she smirked up at him from her camera.


    He gave her a crooked smile and took a bite from the sandwich in front of him. "The mate thing has its limitations. You need to eat," he added, gesturing toward the sandwich in front of her.


    August slid her legs down and ced the camera next to her on the table. "You asked me earlier if I trusted what I sawst night during the¡­ ritual," she said finally. He nodded silently to the question. "Do you?"


    A crease formed on Graeme''s forehead. "You know I do," he replied.


    "You can''t always be with me," August said quietly, and she saw Graeme''s jaw clench in response to it.


    "Yes I can. At least until things are more certain," he said deeply.


    She looked down at the sandwich he had made for her before looking back up at him through paleshes. "Doesn''t that stand to the same reasoning as I suggested earlier? On waiting¡­ on a¡­ a baby?" She could barely even think of a baby much less say the word aloud.


    Graeme''s eyes darkened. There was an element of truth to what she was saying, and he knew it. But he argued nevertheless. "That''s different."


    "How?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. "How is it different?"


    "Me staying by you¡­ I would stay by you and our child, too. The difference is me being there. Always. To protect you," his eyes were hard as he red back at her. All she could do was sigh and chew quietly. "What happened today? Something was wrong after you helped Lily up. Did you see something?" Graeme asked.


    "It''s¡­ it''s hard to exin. Nothing to worry about, though," she said. It felt like her sense was extending somehow to include the pack''s feelings rather than simply her mate''s, but just thinking that sounded ridiculous. She had always been an empath¡ªfeeling the emotions of others too deeply even to the point of making herself physically sick. That was probably all it was.


    The rest of the weekend passed with Graeme and August finding themselves in separate corners avoiding each other. What was strange was how different of an argument this was than any August had experienced before¡ªeven days passed in silence like this weren''t exactly lonely. She could still feel Graeme''s presence running through her. She could sense his emotions, and he wasn''t angry. He was concerned. It was a difference of opinion that left them both temporarily stranded like this. And as long as they were in each other''s presence, however silent that presence was, it was stillforting somehow. So she spent the time reading up on the pack history.


    Apparently the presence of the elder guardians was a legacy passed down from the first lycan families in the Hallowell pack. This book was a bit odd, though, as there were no exact dates pinning things down like one might find in a typical record of history. This was written more like a mythos¡­ with the events and people themselves taking priority. The Hallowell pack''s story arced over the book with a kind of timeless knowledge, woven in like roots extending through soil.


    Andreas, Auden, and Pearce were all descendants of three of the first families. And Graeme and Greta were descendants of the Hallowells, a family that was believed to be divinely appointed to lead the pack by the Moon Goddess. Each Hallowell heir was believed to be born with the gift of a strength and wisdom that allowed superior leadership for the entire pack. But as far as August could tell, the pack members were all equally important.


    Descriptions of the pack were like a body working together with the Alpha and Luna as the head. Like shoulders supporting this head, the guardians were sent to aid the Hallowell family, and they did this unwaveringly over the years.


    It seemed Graeme was the first to abdicate his role in the leadership of the Hallowells, and that bit of history wasn''t yet included in the volume August had in her hands. How would the pack body operate without its head?


    It wasn''t until Sunday night as August was nestled in a corner of the bed still reading up on the history while Graeme was busy making dinner that it urred to her that there was no mention in this particr book about the alyko. What was the history of the alkyo? It was a ring omission. If it was a heritable trait, when had it first be apparent? Who were the first to not be able to turn into wolves? The questions filled August''s mind as she walked into the kitchen where the smell of pizza met her.


    "Homemade pizza?" August asked, watching Graeme as he waited next to the oven with a pot holder on his hand. The image of him¡ªthe epitome of masculinity with his chiseled muscles and air of authority¡ªstanding with a potholder waiting for dinner had her smirking to herself.


    "Sausage and pepperoni," he said, ncing at her.


    "My favorite," she smiled, her smile falling down slightly as she realized he was still avoiding her gaze.


    "Hey, I have a question for you," she ventured. She saw his eyebrows raise in response while his eyes continued to avoid her. "The alyko¡­ There''s no mention of them in here," she said, waving the book in her hand.


    "Yeah," he said simply.


    "Well¡­ what''s the history there? Why wouldn''t it mention it?" She heard him let out a deep sigh.


    "They''ve never been included in that history," he answered. When August didn''t reply, he looked up to see her watching him. The curiosity in her shimmering eyes tugged at him. "The first documented history I''ve ever seen of the alyko¡­ was at the council just this past week. The alyko files," he said.


    "The alyko files?" she repeated for him to nod.. "Well, what did they say?" August felt a deep difort widen inside of him at this question, and it made her uneasy. "What is it? What''s wrong?"

 Chapter 83 - Harms Way

    He nced up at her widening eyes and chuckled. This mate bond was something, all right. He wondered if it would ever be possible to hide anything from her. But he didn''t want to scare her with the information he had found in Zoe''s map room and library. He didn''t know how much he trusted anything that came from that team of Zoe''s.


    "Before I saw what the council calls the alyko files, the only history I had ever heard of the alyko was in whispers. It wasn''t something the alyko themselves discussed openly, and everyone else''s posture toward the history was always that the alyko were¡­ defective, you could say. Theyck what makes lycans most proud. That animalistic power. That ability to physically dominate. When lycans have disputes, they may try to reason and be strategic¡ªthat''s the elders'' role in a pack, really¡ªbut any esction of tension is settled physically. The more physically powerful, the better," he exined.


    Graeme continued. "Alyko obviously don''t have that. Not to say that they are without power, and, believe me, lycans have had no issue taking advantage of that incredible power that alyko do have. But they''ve always been dismissed. To have a book written¡ªto have their history be recorded¡ªI guess no lycan has been moved to do it. And certainly no alyko has."


    "Why wouldn''t alyko want their history written? And isn''t their history also lycan history? Why would it be separate?" she asked.


    "Those are good questions. What I suspect is that, while having a history recorded of your origins and everything along the way indicates value, it also reveals vulnerabilities," he nced up at her again as a muscle feathered in his jaw.


    August thought this over for a few moments. "These¡­ alyko files. Can you bring them home so I can take a look?"


    "No," he answered quickly, and he saw how her eyes widened in response to the sharpness of his response.


    "Oh," she breathed and averted her eyes from him. Her brows were threaded together, and he felt an instant pang of regret.


    "No, it''s just that they aren''t moveable really," he added more softly this time. What could he possibly bring home to her? He groaned internally thinking of her reading over all those horrible, shocking stories.


    But he missed those eyes of hers and the way they lit up with curiosity. He had been avoiding them all weekend, precisely because they instantly softened something in him. He was sure August could ask anything of him, and he would be unable to refuse.


    "August," he called softly, just to bring her eyes back to him. She looked up. ''Fuck. You can have anything, darlin'','' he thought, feeling his stomach flip over as her gaze caressed his face. "I''ll see what I can do," he said.


    She nodded, and he didn''t miss the way her lips curled up slightly. He felt that small movement of her mouth like a pat on the head, and he would do anything for more of it. Did she sense it? That power she had over him? He itched to cross the room and just touch her. Just feel her soft skin under his fingers. Why didn''t she understand that all he wanted to do was protect her? That it was the most important thing right now?


    The silence bloomed between them once again as August sat at the table, shifting herself on the chair with the book spread between her hands. She closed it for a moment. "May I¡ªmay I use the Wagoneer tomorrow? Sylvia wants me toe to her shop for the reiki session," August exined.


    Graeme groaned across the room. "Are you purposely trying to put yourself in harm''s way?" his anger had resurfaced. "She cane here or I can go with you."


    "You can''t skip the council again," August scoffed. "They''ll know something is up," she said, referring to the elders.


    "I don''t give a shit, August," Graeme snapped. "And nothing is up. Other than me protecting my mate," his eyes were hard, ring at her.


    "You have to trust others in this pack, Graeme. Otherwise, what chance do we have? And what point was the mate mark?" she asked.


    "What point?" the me of anger grew brighter in his eyes.


    "You know what I mean," August mumbled, looking hopelessly into her hands. Graeme threw the pot holder on the counter and ran a shaky hand through his hair. How could he trust anyone else? She was osted by Violet''s thoughts and almost tackled by an 8 year old within just a few days of each other. And that was with his mark! It was too risky.


    Just then, Graeme''s phone rang.


    "Yeah?" he growled into the receiver.


    "Woah, uh¡­ hi. Are you okay?" Greta asked on the other end.


    "Fantastic," he said, attempting a softer tone.


    "Sure you are. Okay, well a ton of kids want to do the art thing. Is tomorrow a good day? I can make sure I''m here," she said. She was met with silence. "Graeme?"


    "Yeah. What time?" he muttered grudgingly.


    "Sam and Jack start at 10. It runs an hour," she answered.


    "Okay," he said simply before hanging up and tossing his phone to the side. He sighed. "What time are you supposed to meet Sylvia?"


    "Not until 1 tomorrow. She had some other appointments," August answered from the table. "Why?"


    "It looks like you''re teaching the pups tomorrow," he said quietly, sliding the pizza from the oven and cing it on the counter. He felt the nervous excitement swell in her, and he couldn''t avoid feeling it like it was his own emotion.


    He gripped the counter, staring hard into space. Should he go with her? What if something happened while he wasn''t there? He hadn''t been there when Marius had shown up. What if he hadn''t been there when Lily had mistakenly tried to attack her?


    A cascade of potential scenarios erupted in his mind, and he couldn''t imagine being able to leave her for an entire day tomorrow. Her going near the market where Sylvia''s shop was located only increased those scenarios exponentially. He would be a wreck worrying about her.


    While Graeme was lost in his thoughts, August had snuck up on him and hugged him from behind. He flinched in surprise.


    "I¡ªI''m sorry," she said quietly, backing away. He turned and saw her looking into her hands with uncertainty. That uncertainty of hers. If he didn''t allow her room to spread her own wings here, she would be increasingly isted and alone. And uncertain.


    With this thought, he crossed the distance that had loomed between them the past two days, grabbing one of her hands in his. She raised her liquid golden eyes, and he felt his breath catch as those eyes swept over him. He brought his other hand to curl around her shoulders, pulling her closer until she was against his chest with his breath in her hair.


    "I just¡­" he started, searching the air behind her. "I just can''t lose you," he breathed. August rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. "Tell me what to do," he said quietly.


    "Let your trust in us¡­ expand to the pack," she whispered. "It''s the only chance we have in making this work."


    He sighed. "I''ll take you to Greta''s tomorrow and have her follow you to Sylvia''s for the session. I''ll leave the council early so I cane home with you from there. Is that an okaypromise?"


    August smiled beneath him, nodding silently. It was a start. They rxed into each other until a sudden terrifying thought crept into August''s mind. Graeme pulled back, ready to revise the n if she had any fear about it.


    "What is it?" he finally asked when she didn''t say anything.


    "I need to figure out what I''m going to do with them tomorrow.. I''m so unprepared!" And she ran off into the bedroom to retrieve her sketchbook.

 Chapter 84 - Art Class

    The three guardian elders had met in Andreas'' office in the early morning hours when a thick mist still hung heavily in the woods. It had been six days since anyone had seen or heard from Marius, and he was meant to be keeping them updated on the human girl''s status. Assuming the odd link that he had with the girl had finally driven him mad and offnd, one of the council''s best trackers had been unleashed to bring him back in. But as of yet, there was no trace of him.


    This mysterious disappearance of Marius had Andreas on edge, as Marius'' inside connection to August''s mental status was the stability the guardians had been counting on thus far. Until now, they had been able to anticipate Graeme''s next move. Now that inside connection was lost.


    "Tell the tracker to keep looking," Andreas snarled as he paced back and forth behind his desk. Even the ever-calm Pearce appeared slightly on edge. "Zosime should have the girl''s genome fully analyzed this week. I don''t know what good it will do, but maybe there will be some useful insights into the human''s abilities," Andreas continued.


    "Zosime''s cocktail might just work on her," Pearce suggested, eyebrows raised. Auden giggled deviously in response.


    Andreas gave them both a sharp look as he kept pacing. "We are not trying anything like that unless there is a reason. And we are waiting on the genome."


    "Or a pretty little light on the board," Pearce reminded him. "I assume Kai is watching it."


    "Yes, and when he is away, the live is recorded so he can go back over it," Andreas mumbled, stopping to light a cigar.


    "Was Lucas sure the witch received the mate mark?" Auden piped up.


    Andreas red at the small, wide man who was sitting on the edge of one of the chairs, fidgeting like a nervous oversized beetle.


    "You think Lucas would mistake it? It is obvious. Since Woodside''s bonfire, I have heard whispers about our new Luna myself! Graeme and her participated in the bloody ritual for fuck''s sake," he spat. "Damn you, Marius."


    "Did I not warn you about them going to a bonfire?" Pearce asked for Andreas to re at him. "We should have taken measures to prevent it from happening."


    "Who would have thought she would actually participate in a full moon ritual? Would you have foreseen it? A human?" Andreas replied venomously.


    "It was a risk," Pearce responded simply.


    "Why do you keep calling her human? She is a witch," Auden spat, but the two others ignored him.


    "Everything is a risk at this point. Marius has been our insight. How could he abandon us when we need him most?" Andreas muttered, the suppressed rage making itself visible more and more in the tension around his eyes.


    "Perhaps something unfortunate befell him," Pearce tried to maintain a semnce of calm with the even tones of his voice.


    "Marius?" Andreas scoffed. "I''m not prepared to entertain that possibility yet. The tracker keeps searching," her ordered again, pointing aggressively at his desk.


    "But if Marius masked his scent¡­" Pearce started.


    "The tracker keeps searching," Andreas'' voice had dropped to a threatening depth, and his eyes were hard as he red at the men in front of him.


    "A scout found something else¡­ troubling this morning," Pearce said carefully. "It is about Eliade."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Later that morning, August found herself surrounded again by eight and nine year old mythical creatures, and her mind suddenly went nk. What was she doing here again?


    "Why don''t you all start by telling August your names and what you''re interested in learning?" Greta suggested beside her.


    One by one, the kids introduced themselves. Clementine, Alice, and Plum wanted to learn drawing and painting; Sawyer and Fern were interested in photography; Alexander admitted that he had been wanting to do graffiti but had nowhere to try it out (much to Greta''s surprise and evident horror, which made Augustugh); and Bear said he didn''t know what he was interested in, but his parents made hime anyway.


    Greta approached thest boy yet to introduce himself, cing a hand on his back as she turned to look at August. "And this is Sage. What are you interested in learning about, buddy?" Greta turned to look at the boy who had piercing emerald eyes and long, shaggy ck hair. He gazed at Greta for a moment before putting his hands up to mimic taking a picture.


    "Photography, that''s wonderful," August smiled with her words, causing Sage to shift his eyes to her. "We can work on all of these things¡ªeven the graffiti, Alexander. And they all have some basic things inmon that we can start with today before we figure out a better space and materials for all of you."


    August went on to exin how to create interestingpositions, passing around her sketchbook and camera so the children could see the arrangement of visual elements that she was describing.


    "Even in something like graffiti, you have to have a sense of the space you need to fill and how it will catch someone''s eye," August exined. "That''sposition. With photography, you can experiment by taking hundreds of pictures with your mind as a guide. With graffiti or painting, sketches work well as practice. You can start with a rectangle."


    She passed out rectangle cardboard frames she had made the previous night. "Think of this as the space you want to fill. Every single inch is important, whether it gets filled or not. Imagine it as your canvas or wall or photo."


    After having the kids explore Greta''s backyard and woods with their rectangles, zooming in and out with the cardboard pieces while imaginingpositions of trees and bugs and flowers and each other, August dismissed them for the day.


    "If you''d like, next time we meet you can bring any art you''ve done in the past.. I would love to see it! And we will let you know when that will be," August turned to Greta for assurance, and the peach-haired girl nodded approvingly.

 Chapter 85 - Strays

    Once the kids had all gone, August and Greta had some time before the reiki session with Sylvia. Greta brought some cucumber sandwiches from the house as a snack, and the two visited in the garden. The fall sun shimmered brightly in the small clearing of trees over Greta and Sam''s house.


    Basking in the radiance of the day and a sessful lycan pup lesson that she had been anxious about, August chewed happily, considering for a moment the kind of fairy tale her surroundings suggested. It was just too surreal. So much had changed so quickly. It made her appreciate the vibrance avable to her in the moment.


    "I see Lily didn''te," she realized regretfully.


    "She wasn''t at the training today either. I heard about what happened," Greta replied, referring to the ident thest time August and Graeme were at the training.


    "Yeah, your brother may have overreacted a little," Augustughed softly, thinking of the small girl sprawled out on the ground in fear. "Is she okay?"


    "I haven''t seen her. The whole family is having a really hard time with Livvy''s disappearance," Greta replied. "I still stop by the house at least once a week."


    "What happened exactly? With¡­ Livvy?" August asked.


    "It was the day Graeme found you. Livvy was there at home and then¡­ she just wasn''t. The only thing that makes sense is that she ran away. And yet¡­" Greta paused, searching the sky. "There is just no reason why she would. There was no scent to track her. No clues. No warnings."


    "I saw the pain in Lily," August said quietly. "It was like arge, deep bruise in the energy surrounding her."


    "Lily is the youngest of five girls," Greta said. "Her and Livvy were inseparable."


    "I can''t imagine their parents keeping those names straight," Augustughed softly after a prolonged silence.


    "That''s not even the half of it. La, Lydia, Lucia, Livvy, Lily," Greta counted them off on the fingers of one hand.


    August''s eyes had gottenrger with each name. "That''s a lot of Ls."


    "It sure is," Greta smiled.


    "So what is Sage''s story?" August wondered about the young boy who spoke very little.


    "I don''t entirely know. He and his sister were strays. They just kind of appeared one day, and the elders allowed them to stay since they were both young. They''ve been here maybe four years?" Greta recalled. "Sage has never said much. I assume it has something to do with having a traumatic childhood. Who knows what they went through."


    "Oh wow," August said quietly. "Poor guy."


    "Yeah, I bet he''ll benefit a lot from the art, honestly."


    "So what''s the deal with the strays exactly? Graeme mentioned they were responsible for your parent''s death," August said.


    Greta nodded slowly. "Even before that¡ªstray lycans have always been considered a threat. They don''t have a pack. They''re individuals who have chosen to go it alone for whatever reason, and that''s a security risk in terms of secrecy. What if one of them goes on a human killing spree? That''s just one example of what a pack-less lycan might do. When Graeme was away doing quote-unquote advising for the council, he was tracking strays and keeping an eye on them. He was also watching some of our pack members who are out doing work with humans."


    "Are strays automatically¡­ killed?" August asked carefully.


    "Usually. With pups, it''s different of course."


    "Why would kids¡ªor pups¡ªwhy would they end up being strays in the first ce?"


    Greta shrugged. "Sadly, it''s not umon. Some run away if they''ve been abused. Others may have had a mother who was a stray, and she either ran off without them or died. It''s a little different in each case, but our pack has always been weing of children." August couldn''t even imagine what Sage and his sister had been through. From what Greta said, it sounded like he had been found at only the age of four.


    "On the way to Sylvia''s we can stop by an old warehouse Sam and Jack used to use for the brewery. It might work well as an art space for the kids. You can tell me what you think," Greta said, changing the subject.


    Graeme''s old Wagoneer was tricky to get started, and Greta ended up having to help August with it before jogging back to her Jeep. August followed her to the warehouse she had mentioned. It was nestled off-road in the woods and was overgrown. August followed Greta on foot into the bare, wide space. August could imagine tables set up where the kids could draw or paint. Alexander could even graffiti the outside walls, paint them white, and repeat as needed. It was kind of perfect.


    "It will be cold this winter," August rubbed her arms against the chill that already lingered inside the damp space.


    "We can take care of that. I know a guy," Greta winked.


    "How about materials for the kids to use? Are cameras even an option for the ones interested in photography?" August was beginning to feel the guilt of being an outsider with literally no resources of value in this lycan vige. What kind of economy did they even have? Graeme just seemed to show up with stuff and even spoke of getting a car as if it were nothing.


    "Of course. Just tell me what model to get, and it''ll be taken care of," Greta waved it off. "Just text me a list of everything they will need for the next few weeks, and I can have it all arranged tomorrow. The pups can just meet back with you again Wednesday after training."


    "Wow, that soon?" August looked at Greta in surprise.


    "Yep. The kiddos are always taken care of. Well, everyone is," Greta mumbled. "I''ll have the boys clean up in here and bring a few long tables."


    "Great! Thanks, Greta," August smiled, trying to suppress the warmth that had risen to her cheeks for some reason.

 Chapter 86 - Search Team

    Graeme spent the morning in the library down the hall from Zoe''s office skimming through files again and trying to find anything that he could copy and bring to August to satisfy her curiosity about the alyko. There was much he wanted to take to Greta as well, because he knew his sister would have theories about what was happening, and maybe she could understand the dense physics that Zoe had shown him.


    He still hadn''t seen anyone new on this floor, which gave him a bit offort. At least whatever tracking project was underway on the alyko wasn''t surrounded by arge team or a flurry of activity. Kai was the only one in the map room when Graeme had passed on his way to the library, and the young lycan appeared to be distracted on hisputer.


    Zoe had also been scarce. She mentioned doing something in herb that was located on a lower floor, which gave Graeme the freedom to read and explore the library on his own. While he was making copies of files for both August and Greta, he received a text from Andreas summoning him to the elder''s office.


    "If this has to do with me marking my mate, you can save it Andreas," Graeme sauntered into the office before sitting heavily in one of the leather chairs.


    The muscles in Andreas'' jaw clenched at this, but he forced a smile. "No," he said smoothly. "It is about Eliade. Although I suppose congrattions are in order."


    "What about Eliade?" Graeme moved to the edge of the chair.


    "After you first retrieved Miss Cady from the Grimm, we sent scouts out to monitor the situation," Andreas started for Graeme to nod.


    "As we suspected, Eliade did not alert authorities about any student disappearances. We don''t know what was told to the families of the other students who were with Miss Cady when she disappeared. Perhaps their families knew about the risks and were told the truth. Whatever the case, it hasn''t been made public," Andreas threw his reading sses lightly on his desk.


    "But your¡­ mate¡­ is another story. They didn''t find her in the Grimm after the event and had apparently been entertaining various flight scenarios outside the state. But now her mother is here. In the area," Andreas'' face was grim. "One of our scouts spotted a small human search team only a few miles from our border."


    "When?" Graeme''s expression didn''t change, but his hands clenched together in front of him.


    "Early this morning. The scout is keeping a distant eye, and they appear to be doing the usual fruitless circling expected of humans in that area. But if their team gets any closer, we''ll have to deal with it," Andreas'' eyes were hard. "Damon is already organizing a response should the need arise. I want you with him."


    "Of course," Graeme rose from his seat to meet with the council''s notorious fixer.


    "This mother may be an issue Graeme," Andreas added, and Graeme stopped, letting this realization hit him.


    "Make sure your mate stays put. The pack house is always open to you both. We can clean out an office for you, and I''m sure there is a bedroom somewhere that would suffice for the time being where the two of you can stay. It goes without saying of course, but under no circumstances can Eliade or her mother find her. Here or elsewhere."


    Graeme nodded silently before exiting the office. There was no way he was bringing his mate to sleep in the pack house as things were.


    Graeme found Damon in his office huddled over a map with two others he recognized as involved with pack security.


    "Graeme," Damon said in greeting. "Good to see you." The two other men nced up, surprised.


    "Damon," Graeme nodded.


    "Did Andreas tell you what is happening?"


    "He said Eliade has a search team closing in," Graeme replied, moving to stand next to Damon as the other two men fell back. "It must not be too serious if you haven''t moved to the situation room."


    "I don''t think there''s anything to worry about, but a lot of what''s happeningtely is unprecedented," he chuckled, and the men behind him did the same. He pped Graeme on the back, "It doesn''t hurt to be prepared."


    "Right," Graeme said, aware that they were chuckling about his human mate who was the target of the search.


    "It''s good to have you back, man," one of the men from behind him spoke up.


    "About time," the other mumbled.


    Graeme chuckled again and nodded, focusing on the map that wasid out showing the Grimm surrounding Woodside. "I appreciate that. What''s the n?"


    "A team of ours is watching from a distance. We''ve increased runners around the whole perimeter just in case there''s anyone else we haven''t spotted. So far, Eliade''s search is stuck right where we would expect it to be," Damon answered.


    "Stuck, as in¡­" Graeme started.


    "They believe they''re still advancing in their search, but they''re circling. I don''t see anythinging of this," Damon shrugged it off.


    "Is my mate''s mother with them?" Graeme asked.


    There was an ufortable silence as the other men in the room nced at each other, but Graeme didn''t see it. His eyes were narrowed at the map, and his thoughts were of August. She would be panicked if she knew what was unfolding.


    "She is, Alpha," one of the men affirmed quietly. Damon cleared his throat¡ªlikely as a small rebuke to the title.


    "I want in on the runs," Graeme spoke then, turning to Damon.


    Damon nodded. "Of course."


    "Today," Graeme added.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once Graeme arrived at the Woodside perimeter that passed into the Grimm, he recalled the night he came across with August¡ªhow surprised and terrified he was to have found her¡ªhis mate¡ªand to have found her in such a state. Now that they had exchanged the mate bond, it would be difficult to hide anything from her, but he didn''t want her to know about this situation yet.


    Knowing that her mother and Eliade were so close would likely make August panic, and the urge to go find her mother would be great. But they couldn''t bring her mother into the pack, and August couldn''t leave. At least not yet. The timing was just wrong.


    Graeme would have to work with Damon and pack security to make sure her mother stayed at a safe distance. And he would make sure her mother was safe, period.. He could do that much by keeping an eye on the runners and scout team.

 Chapter 87 - Perimeter

    Finn, who was also on perimeter runs, found Graeme brooding at the border of Woodside and the Grimm. Since when did the returned Alpha go on perimeter runs? Maybe he was a part of the scout team that was keeping an eye on Eliade.


    He approached the muchrger lycan who he had admired since he could remember, and made himself an echo of Graeme''s quiet, contemtive stance, staring pensively out into the darker woods beyond.


    After a few moments like this, Finn broke the silence, "What are we doing Alpha?"


    Graeme chuckled. "Finn," he finally acknowledged the young lycan''s presence.


    "Are you with the scouts?" Finn asked.


    "No. I came to run," he answered. "But it seems like the scouts are close. Is Calix here?"


    "Yes, how did you know?" Finn cocked his head to the side. Calix wasn''t a scout, so his presence wouldn''t be expected.


    "I scented him," Graeme replied gruffly. "I''m going to speak with him. I''ll see you on the run," and Graeme turned to leave toward where some of the scouts were huddled in the distance. It seemed half of the team was remaining at the border while individuals were scattered in the Grimm with eyes on Eliade''s search team.


    "See you in a bit, Alpha!" Finn called before turning and shaking off his human form to run the perimeter in his wolf.


    Graeme could hear the scouts talking before he saw them. It sounded as if Eliade''s search team had spent the night in the Grimm the previous night and was still circling in the area, though making no real advancement.


    "How is the Grimm affecting them?" he heard Calix''s distinctive voice, the smooth charm of the man who was in charge of pack rtions.


    "They have grown quieter and some seem to be fearful. Nothing extreme," one of the scouts reported.


    "Calix," Graeme called as he approached.


    The slender lycan with shoulder-length wavy golden hair turned with an eyebrow raised. "Graeme!" He chuckled. "How did I not scent you?"


    "You are busy," Graeme replied with a smirk. The two shook hands. "Are we expecting visitors that you havee to greet?"


    Calix was responsible for overseeing pretty much all lycanmunication¡ªbetween packs as well as within it. He had a natural way of anticipating and thwarting tension that naturally arose whenever many lycans were in one ce.


    "No, I was on my way back in from some business with an ally," Calix answered.


    "Concerning me?" Graeme asked for Calix to chuckle.


    "No, brother. No other packs are aware that you have returned," he replied. "It was negotiating trade."


    "They will be aware soon, I am sure," Graeme grunted.


    "Not from our side. Thest thing we need is all of the packs knowing that our Alpha has returned with a witch as his mate," he said in amusement.


    A threatening growl made its way out of Graeme''s throat before he could stifle it, and Calix raised his hands in surrender.


    "It is not my own thoughts I am rying, Graeme, but only how it may be perceived. And you have not fought for dominance, so what use it is to worry our allies?"


    "And who would I be fighting for dominance, Calix?" he asked.


    No longer had the sarcastic question left his lips than he realized how curious he actually was for a straight answer. This was an unusual situation. Surely if anyone knew the appropriate way to regain his official standing in the pack, it would be the man before him.


    Calix cocked his head to one side and sped his hands behind him. "A good question. I suppose the Alpha power has been widely dispersed among many in the council with you gone."


    Calix thought about it some more. He was always one to take every question literally, if only for the fun in in puzzling over it. "The allies like dealing with Andreas. He has a head for business. But not so much a heart for his own people. The pack hase to fear him. And they fear Marius."


    "Why do you only speak of Andreas and not the other elders?" Graeme asked thoughtfully.


    Calix shrugged. "He is the head elder. He makes the final decisions always."


    "The decision to allow me the role of consultant when I left was set to a vote amongst all council members," Graeme recalled.


    "That was then," Calix said simply. "He enjoys more power now. Perhaps he is slowly evolving into our Alpha. Or at least fancies himself so."


    Graeme resisted the impulse to snort in equal parts disgust and amusement. He should not openly disrespect the elder. Plus, why was it so wrong for Andreas to consider himself in that role? Graeme had left.


    "So what is the status with Eliade''s search?" he asked, returning to the more pressing subject. "I was about to run the perimeter just to have my own nose on the ground."


    "It doesn''t seem anything wille of this," Calix waved dismissively toward the Grimm. "The scouts and security are on it, though. Everyone will be alerted if things change." Graeme nodded. "I have to report back to the council now that I''ve returned. It really is good to have you back, Graeme," he said with a smile before departing.


    Graeme watched him go before turning to approach the tree where most Woodside patrols started. It was only a little after noon, which meant August had likely finished with the pups and would soon be on her way to Sylvia''s. Graeme had at least an hour to run.


    He let out a long exhale as he rolled his neck and pulled his shirt off. It would feel good to finally run like this again. It had been so long. He missed running in the animal form that allowed him such a quiet peace and tranquility.


    There was nothing like letting the foreste to him with its scents and sounds¡ªfeeling the cold, firm earth as he met it and lifted away on all fours. It was freedom.


    In addition to getting a better sense of the packnd and its border, perhaps this run would help him work out some of the other issues regarding his and August''s role here. From what Calix said, it seemed Andreas would be the one Graeme needed to challenge for Alpha if it was not offered to him freely.


    But how could he possibly challenge Andreas? The elder who had been a guardian to him and who had, with the others, taken on the greater responsibility in Graeme''s absence?


    Graeme huffed as he ran in his wolf and let the questions be like the wind, ruffling his fur pleasantly as he sliced through it. They were meant to be here, he and his mate. That was the assurance he needed to feel, like the earth under his paws¡ªalways there to meet him. That was the path he would trust as he ran the border between two worlds.. The rest would be known in time.

 Chapter 88 - Charlotte

    On the way to Sylvia''s shop from the warehouse Greta had shown her, August noticed a grey mist that hung deep in the woods where the sun hadn''t been able to prate and burn it away. It was an eerie sight today¡ªas if by simply wandering in, one would instantly be lost.


    The illumination of Greta''s brake lights ahead of her wasforting despite the early afternoon hour. August recognized the turn to Graeme and Greta''s childhood home and then a short distance beyond that the wide dirt road that branched off toward the pack house.


    The forest seemed to open up and grow livelier beyond the pack house. This was the furthest August had ever been inside pack territory.


    The dirt road became wider, and just as they pulled off next to a small cottage, August could see a busy outdoor marketce with vendors ahead. Other than the pack house and the bonfire, this was really a first for her seeing the lycans out living their everyday lives.


    The marketce reminded her of the downtown area near Eliade where students likely escaped to bars and shops and restaurants when social distancing wasn''t in effect. Everything in Eliade had been restricted to curbside and carry-out from the moment August had arrived.


    In a strange way, the market in this secretmunity almost seemed like a return to normal¡ªto pre-pandemic times¡ªwhere people were freely moving around without masks. Without the fear of contagion that hung so heavily everywhere else in the world. If it weren''t for the inherent danger of lycans themselves, being here would almost feel like¡­ a relief.


    Greta waited by the front door of the small brick shop for August to catch up. While there was no signage indicating that this was Sylvia''s ce, the nts and crystals draping the front windows weed all those seeking a mystical refuge.


    A string of bells chimed harmoniously as Greta and August entered. The space was much bigger on the inside than it appeared from the road. Greta strode straight through the first area adorned with nts and crystals and disappeared further in to seek out Sylvia.


    August, on the other hand, was captivated by a pair of massive symmetrical amethyst geodes that stood taller than her with a stone seat between them. They looked like wings. As if they were beckoning her, August walked over and sat on the stone seat with the purple, glittering wings on either side of her.


    From her seat, she surveyed the space. Green leaves of varying shapes and sizes rose from the floor and hung from the ceiling all around, bringing the forest indoors. Bowls and shelves of crystals were everywhere. Sun catchers dangled from the ceiling, casting dancing rainbows on every surface. Crystal spheres were held aloft on resin holders shaped like full-figured goddesses.


    "August,e dear." August looked up to see Sylvia''s smiling eyes and her arms extended to wee the girl in her arms. "I see you found the wings."


    "They''re breathtaking," she answered, looking back again at the wings she had left.


    "Hard to believe something like thates from the ground beneath our feet, isn''t it?"


    Together they walked through colorful fabric strips strung together as a curtain into a second room. From the bright, naturally-lit front room, they stepped down into a dark space with an otherworldly violet glow created by blue and pink lights in opposing corners. Candles were lit on a coffee table separating two sofas, and the atmosphere was hazy with the scent of incense.


    Greta was seated on one sofa next to a dark-skinned woman with silver hair that was twisted out around her like a crown. She wore the same long, flowing robes as Sylvia, but she had an even more potent energy. There was something wise and mysterious about her. With the atmosphere and the women she found herself surrounded by, August suddenly felt like she had descended into a sacred, unknown space.


    "I want you to meet a friend of mine, August," Sylvia''s velvety voice was next to her. "This is Charlotte," she said, leading August to the woman who stood slowly from where she was speaking with Greta before regarding August with a smile. She looked much older than Sylvia¡ªher skin tissue paper thin and her brown eyes a cloudy blue.


    "August Moon Cady," Charlotte said with a depth like wellspring water. Wise. Flowing. Feeding the roots. "It is a pleasure, my dear," that voice swept around her as the woman extended a hand in greeting.


    "Nice to meet you," August said softly.


    "I''ve seen you already," Charlotte said.


    "You''ve¡­ seen me?" August repeated slowly, not understanding. Was it at the pack house? She couldn''t remember seeing this majestic woman anywhere, but that day she was distracted by the impending ordeal with the council.


    Charlotte raised a finger to her temple and tapped it gently. "May I tell you about it?" she asked, extending an arm to the seat next to her. Greta shifted over to make room, and Sylvia positioned herself on the sofa facing them.


    "Rhiannon," Charlotte started as she and August both sat down. "That''s what it reminded me of. My vision of you." Her soft hands found August''s and patted them before she continued, her eyes scanning the room in thought.


    "But rather than a horse, you were seated on arge boulder rising above the forest," her hand lifted to outline the boulder as if she were seeing it now. "You wore a fur hood with the ears of a wolf. And the longest white tail was trailing behind you like the train of a wedding gown," she finished, turning to August with a gentle smile.


    August found herself staring back at the woman in stunned silence. The incense and candlelight had her eyes turning heavy and her head light as the woman regarded her.


    "Tell me," Charlotte''s voice was smooth. "Has the mate of our returned Alpha had any visions?" her head tilted to the side as she searched August''s face.. "Sylvia tells me you see the Veiled."

 Chapter 89 - The Veiled

    August''s brows furrowed at this. "The¡­ Veiled?" she repeated, her eyes fixed on the otherworldly Charlotte.


    "Yes, that which is concealed from our eyes and our awareness. It has been called many things¡ªMore, Mist, Shades, Darkness¡ªbut of course words, as magical as they themselves can be, fall short. Andbels fix thoughts and definitions around belief. So the alyko have always just referred to it as¡­ the Veiled," Charlotte exined as her cloudy blue eyes shone in the candlelight.


    "Charlotte''s mother and sister were alyko," Sylvia said quietly, and August suddenly recalled that there were others in the room.


    "Oh my," August whispered, her thoughts stumbling to catch up as she looked back once again at the woman seated next to her. "I''m¡ªI''m so sorry."


    Charlotte''s expression did not change, but she hummed in response. "My mother passed before the killings here. Her and my sister were remarkable women." Did that mean her sister was killed by the elders? The room turned quiet as the thoughts of those who filled it mourned silently.


    "Charlotte, may I ask you¡­ do you suppose my, uh, ability to see into the¡ªthe Veiled," August stuttered, "Do you suppose that somehow makes me alyko despite¡­ despite not starting that way?"


    "Ah, don''t get hung up onbels like that. They don''t matter. You are simply and perfectly who you are." Charlotte patted her hand again before continuing, "If it helps, think of your life before this as if you were living on the Sun. You were a being of the Sun, and all you knew was the Sun. It''s light. It''s heat. It was so bright and all-consuming, and you were so near to it, that there was no way to experience anything but the Sun. It filled your whole vision. Your whole experience. Everything."


    "And then, well¡­ the virus and this situation came and spun you aloft. Now you can see and feel that there is More than just the Sun. There is also the Darkness, the previously Veiled¡ªa whole universe beyond the Sun that extends on and on. Out ''there''¡ªwherever ''there'' is¡ªbut also inward. And even More than that. Direction is misleading. There is uncountable, infinite distance in every direction imaginable and yet, at once, no distance at all. The stars are out there and yet their dust is in our bones. Like I said, these words fall painfully short. As they must." Charlotte''s words were slow and deliberate, alighting on each as if she were telling the oldest of tales.


    "Anyone can get peeks into that which is Veiled¡ªhave something unconcealed to them that wasn''t sensed previously. Get hints. Hear voices. See spirits. Feel¡­ something unexinable. Usually these are what some call highly sensitive people, but really anyone can get a glimpse, because we are all woven in this fabric of the universe. Perhaps someone has a near-death experience or consumes a substance or something else happens that expands their mind and body¡ªspinning their being aloft. The alyko, though. Well, the alyko were born aloft. They were born aware of the Veiled. And they grew learning how to interact with it in ways that seem miraculous to those who are only aware of the Sun."


    August found herself nodding with eyes wide, soaking up Charlotte''s metaphor like a child. "So the alyko see¡­ everything," she said, still unconsciously trying to position herself and her abilities inparison. It was overwhelming opening herself to the second vision she had acquired, and after the experiences she had, August was frightened of it. She didn''t have control. She didn''t see everything. Reiki would hopefully help of course, but she wasn''tfortable with the idea of trying to do anything with this ability of hers unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Charlotte''s head shook slowly. "There is no everything. No ''All.'' Our universe is infinite, and there will always be that which is concealed from us. There is just¡­ More," and she smiled patiently.


    "What about¡­ the Moon Goddess?" August asked. It would seem that a god or goddess of any kind would be a superior being, aware of everything.


    "There are many gods and goddesses. Think of them as points of contact. Like conduits. A way to focus our divine power. We are all divine. We are all powerful in some way. For lycans and alylko, the Moon Goddess holds special significance. And our connection with her is very strong," she added. "She is like our mother¡ªreflecting the Sun while allowing us to see deeper and experience the Darkness. She shields us from impacts and watches over us. She bares the scars from her vignt presence. Like all mothers."


    "Mother Moon," August whispered.


    "You are still worried about where you fit in all of this," Charlotte said, scanning August''s face. "Some call you human. Some witch, because they believe you are alyko. And yet you are mated to a powerful lycan. Tell me, August, do you know that no alyko has ever been mated before?"


    August''s eyebrows pinched together, and the other two women in the room also looked surprised. "What?"


    "It''s true," Charlotte nodded, turning to assure Sylvia and Greta as well. "Alyko do not talk about themselves much, but having a mother and sister who were alyko, I can tell you that they believed no alyko had been mated in that way¡ªwith the mate pull and the mate mark that lycans and their mate''s experience," Charlotte gestured toward August''s neck.


    "Why?" Greta asked from behind August.


    "It is peculiar, isn''t it?" Charlotte said thoughtfully. "I think since our future Luna is here, that it will be okay for me to tell you a story. A story that if any powerful lycan has ever heard it, they have either not believed or have worked to hush the whispers that carry it. Indeed, it is likely the root of this hatred and distrust for the alyko."


    Greta caught Sylvia''s eye, and they gave each other a bewildered look. What did Charlotte know about the alyko that they had never heard before?

 Chapter 90 - La Loba

    "Have any of you every heard the story of La Loba?" Charlotte asked.


    "La Loba¡­ Spanish for ''She-Wolf''?" Sylvia asked. Charlotte nodded.


    "Yes, but this is a story from Pueblo folklore. La Loba, or Bone Woman as she is also called, was said to be a wild, mysterious woman who lived alone in the desert. She collected bones and kept them in her cave. She collected the things most in danger of being lost to the world," Charlotte paused and got a faraway look in her eyes.


    "The veil between life and death is ever so thin. Most don''t realize that they are twin movements. So much of our world relies on the assumption of binaries that are not true. And what I mean is that they are not permanent. Binaries may exist, but there is a movement, a fluidity between them. Their permanence is an illusion. Dark and Light. Good and Bad. Lycan and Alyko. Life and Death. To assume two poles are distinct entities, are separate, are poised at odds¡­ is to make grave mistakes," Charlotte sighed regretfully.


    "La Loba is said to be a woman who saw this. Saw the Veiled, saw the More, that many of us don''t see. In the Veiled¡ªthat which is concealed to our eyes¡ªeverything that exists is always in motion¡­ down to the tiniest part¡ªin all of the universe. Though I do not see it," Charlotte looked deeply at August, "this is what my sister and mother exined to me. Perhaps you have seen what I am describing." August nodded without responding to it.


    Charlotte continued. "So La Loba would collect these bones¡ªthese traces of things¡ªand once she had collected every bone of a creature, she would arrange it and build arge fire. She would sit by this fire and catch a melody on the wind, and that melody would turn into a song spoken from her own lips. A song for the creature whose bones were before her."


    "La Loba would sing this song that was especially for that particr bone creature before her. It may be a crow or a wolf or a deer or a snake. Whatever it was, she sang. And the wind that came into her lungs and out of her mouth would pick up the heat of the fire and the dirt from the earth and the moisture from the night dew and with all of these things breathe the creature back into being. Its body would take form, its fur or feathers, hair or scales woulde back, and eventually the breath would return to its lungs." Charlotte, who had been using her hands to simte the movement of air and theing into being of the creature, paused and looked at each of the three women in turn.


    "It is quite a story, isn''t it?" Charlotte asked, her poised hands returning now to herp. All three nodded. "The creature would run or fly or slither off into the desert and find its ce again amongst the living. But there was one night¡ªa full moon, as the story goes¡ªthat our La Loba breathed life into her favorite creature: a wolf. It was not the first time she had done this for a wolf, but it was the first time she had done it on a full moon." Charlotte''s eyes sparkled as the tender, wrinkled skin of her hand pointed to the women in the room.


    "The body of the wolf became furred, as it always would, and its tail fluffed out behind it, shaggy and strong, and it started breathing. It rose," both of Charlotte''s arms rose as if she was lifting the creature from the earth herself, "and it scampered off away from the fire. But this time, it is said that a beam of moonlight shone down upon that beautiful wolf that La Loba had sung into being, and as the wolf was running away, she transformed into a woman. The woman who was also a wolf now ranughing straight for the horizon. That, my dears, is where the Pueblo story ends, but it is where the lycan story begins."


    There was silence as the three women stared at Charlotte with her silver crown of hair twisted out around her. She looked regal and wise¡ªlike someone chosen to pass down an oral history not trusted to most. And Charlotte''s gaze met them, unwavering.


    Greta was the first to break the silence. "So, the first lycan was¡­ a woman?"


    Charlotte nodded. "Not only that, dear one. The first lycan was created from an alyko, if we are to use that term."


    "How¡­ how can that¡­ be?" Greta stumbled over her words.


    "It''s hard to rearrange your thoughts to amodate it, isn''t it?" Charlotte nodded. "The very name of alyko is derived from being without a wolf¡­ as if lycans were first and alyko are¡­" Charlotte threw her hands up in the air as if she was at a loss for the word, "a what?¡­ a mistake. A defect." She chuckled then. "Can you imagine? A defect? When, in reality, they are more simr to La Loba who sang the first lycan into being."


    August, Sylvia, and Greta were all stunned. "So, so who did the first lycan mate with? How were the rest¡­ propagated?" Sylvia asked.


    "A human of course," Charlotte shrugged, as if it were obvious. "Though was it a mate like we think of now? With the mate pull and the mark? We cannot know. Only that La Loba created her with the help of that full moon¡­ with the help of the Moon Goddess."


    "So lycans are, gically speaking, really abination of human, lycan, and¡­ and whatever La Loba was? Was she human?" Greta asked.


    "I suppose lycans today are abination of those three, yes. And I do not know what La Loba was gically," Charlotte shrugged again. "But this is the story. She had these abilities. Surely there is a better name orbel for her than alyko, but I have never heard one posited. I simply do not know. She is La Loba," Charlotte emphasized the name, as if it should speak for itself.


    "And that, dear August, precious future Luna of ours," Charlotte took August''s hands again and patted them between her own, "that is why I say, do not worry about abel. Witch¡­ pfff," she scoffed, dismissing it, "what a silly thing. You are not that. You are all of us. This pandemic, despite the devastation it has reigned on many, it has brought you, dear one, to us. All it has done is entuate that which you truly are."


    And Charlotte''s eyes became deeper then. "Do not fret, child. You are amongst family. You are here for a purpose. And you are wee amongst the lycans, for you illuminate that which is hidden and has been hidden for far too long. That is why I give you three this story today.. It is time."

 Chapter 91 - Many Questions

    "Unfortunately, I must go now," Charlotte said quietly, and Greta and Sylvia both stood. "I am happy to have had this time with you, August. I understand Sylvia has some work with you today. But we will see each other again," Charlotte reassured her and patted her hands again before standing to leave.


    "I have questions," Greta spoke to Charlotte softly as they exchanged a hug.


    "I would expect nothing less. We''ll speak again," Charlotte chuckled. "For now, youdies have received something that most have never heard. The alyko story is one you will not find in books."


    Sylvia embraced the old woman next. "Thank you, dear friend, for sharing this with us. We are honored." Charlotte smiled and made her way out of the shop.


    Greta, Sylvia, and August remained in stunned silence for some time after she left.


    "Graeme told me something he was shown at the council," Greta then said, breaking the quiet with a hesitant voice. Sylvia and August both turned to her.


    "They have this¡­ this secret team," her eyebrows pinched together, attempting to put all of these things together in her mind. "It''s run by a very young stray named Zosime."


    "I''ve never heard of her," Sylvia said, taken aback. There was a young stray working in the council?


    Greta nodded. "Neither had I. There is apparently some widespread effort to tag alyko to keep track of them. And there are horrible stories that have been collected¡­ about things alyko have done and why they are a threat¡­" she trailed off. "I fear that what began with our alyko here, with Maggie and the others, was only the beginning. Why is this happening?" she looked to Sylvia with saddened eyes.


    Sylvia blinked and turned to August. "It seems you havee to us just in time," she said thoughtfully. "And that means that getting control of whatever abilities you have is going to be very important. Reiki will help, but I think we need to find a way for you to practice using them. I just don''t know how¡­"


    August''s stomach dropped thinking of using her second vision, or¡­ the Veiled as it was apparently called, experimentally. But then, what if she found herself in a situation with another Marius? Or even someone like Violet? If she could practice and get control, she could protect herself and maybe even turn unwanted thoughts off. And maybe she could understand how she had gotten from under that ancient tree back to Graeme''s treehouse. She still hadn''t told Graeme about that for fear that he would see something nefarious in it.


    She had to face this fear and use whatever crazy abilities she had to be strong for herself and for her mate. Talking with Charlotte gave her confidence in being identified as alyko, at least, whether it was an incorrectbel or not. She did not fear being called alyko now. The designation seemed sacred somehow. La Loba¡­ what an amazing story.


    "I won''t put anyone here in danger by practicing with them, but if we can find a way for me to do it myself¡­ in a safe ce away from everyone¡­" August suggested.


    "But we''re forgetting about how the council has tagged suspected alyko. What if they''ve already done it to you? They''ll know that you are¡­ I don''t know, manifesting your ability, and who knows what they''ll do with that information," Greta interrupted.


    "So they can somehow see when alyko use their abilities?" Sylvia asked.


    "Yes, there''s a map, Graeme said. An alyko will light up or something when it''s happening, and that''s how they know if an alyko is on packnds," Greta exined.


    "What can they do if I do light up?" August asked, almost challengingly.


    "Who knows¡­ who knows who they share this map with or who is in on it. Graeme said that this Zosime mentioned allied packs having ess. And Graeme hasn''t established dominance here yet, so the council may try something," Greta said.


    "They can''t do anything publicly unless they think they have pack members behind them. And they don''t have that right now. It''s our instinct to embrace Graeme and his mate back, especially with the way things have been around heretely. Since when did our pack members run away?" Sylvia looked at Greta meaningfully.


    "Livvy," Greta nodded. "Well we don''t know if she ran away for sure¡­ we don''t know anything."


    "But if Derek and Genevieve were here, we would know. She would have been found or we would at least have solved the mystery surrounding it. It''s unlikely she would have run away or disappeared in the first ce," Sylvia sighed. "But the council seems to have no interest in helping look for her."


    "Okay, so either the elders will find a way to turn pack members against Graeme and August or they will do something secretly to remove them," Greta deduced.


    "Why?" August looked at the two women, bewildered. "Why are they against us? Isn''t it tradition for the pack to run with an Alpha and Luna? I was reading the histories of this pack over the weekend, and this doesn''t seem to have ever happened before. Why don''t they want Graeme back?"


    "He denied his role and left them responsible. And now his mate is a ''witch,'' ording to their thought process," Sylvia said. "A threat like they believe the alyko were before. Their prejudice led them to believe the alyko were responsible for Derek and Genevieve''s murder."


    "So how do we mend this?" August sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of it all.


    "You gain the pack''s trust. You endear them to you," Sylvia answered. "And then with time, it wille together. After all, it is the Moon Goddess'' will that you are here. Surely they will see that."


    "August is teaching the Woodside pups art. Their first meeting was today," Greta said.


    "Perfect. That will do much to gain trust amongst the pack," Sylvia smiled. "And, in the meantime, we make sure you are protected."


    "So do I practice with the second vision, the Veiled, or not?" August looked back and forth between the two women.


    Sylvia and Greta looked at each other as they thought about it. "How do they tag the alyko? Does Graeme know?" Sylvia asked.


    "I don''t think he does," Greta shook her head. "But maybe we can try to find out. Let me see what I can do."


    "Okay, in the meantime August, we work on reiki. Though maybe not today, because our time is short. I imagine Graeme will be arriving early anyway," sheughed softly.


    The bells hanging from the front door chimed at her words, and Sylvia''s eyebrows rose. "What did I tell you?" she smiled. "I think it will also be wise to meet here with Charlotte regrly.. Perhaps there is more she can tell us," she added.

 Chapter 92 - The Market

    When the three women appeared from behind the fabric veil, they found Graeme waiting by the door with his hands folded in front of him. August smiled. He was trying so hard not to be overbearing. When their eyes met, the warmth of his familiarity and love flooded through her, and she watched as every muscle in him seemed to rx.


    "Hey, bro," Greta said cheerfully as she approached him, grabbing his arm and kissing his cheek yfully. He nodded with a smile, acknowledging her greeting before returning his gaze to August.


    "Thank you again, Sylvia," he said, walking forward and embracing the woman before taking August''s hand in his own. "Shall we go, love?"


    "What are you all doing for dinner tonight?" Sylvia asked and sent August a wink. "Why don''t you three and Sam alle and keep an olddypany?"


    "What a great idea! We''ll be there," Greta answered and turned to her brother, nudging him with her elbow. "Right?"


    Graeme chuckled. Leave it to Greta to answer for everyone. "Of course. Want us to bring anything?"


    "No need. Just bring yourselves. I''ll take care of the rest," Sylvia said. "See youter then."


    Once they were outside, Graeme turned to August. "It seems everything went well with Sylvia."


    "It did," she nodded. "Do you know Charlotte?" she asked.


    "Of course. You met Charlotte?"


    August nodded. "She was here. She had a lot to tell us about the alyko."


    "Really?" Graeme''s eyebrows raised in surprise. Charlotte''s mom and sister had been alyko, so it made sense that she would know more about them. "What did she say?"


    August turned and looked toward the market. This wasn''t really the best ce to talk about it, especially since it was a story kept from most. That was likely why Sylvia had invited them over for dinner. It would give them all a chance to discuss it and what meaning it would have for all of them moving forward.


    "Can we talk about it a littleter? I want to walk through the market while we''re here," her eyes glinted with excitement.


    Graeme bristled at the mention of the market and paused to study her. He reached for the mark on her neck, running his fingers gently over it in a way that caused her to shiver.


    "Of course," he said quietly. "How was it with the pups?" he asked as they walked.


    August filled him in on everything that happened with the pups that morning, including the warehouse that Greta had suggested they use for an art space. She turned her attention to the market as they entered. There were regr brick and mortar shops on either side of the street, but vendors also lined the road with colorful canopies draping them.


    "Will you rx?" August whispered and softly elbowed Graeme''s side.


    He had somehow made himself bigger since they entered the market, like he was filling out every inch of his avable height and width. And his dominance seemed to extend out even further in warning, making way for them.


    August noticed the nervous, shrinking figures of those who passed. Graeme didn''t answer August''s jab. He was focused on something in the distance.


    "Don''t go far. I''ll be back in a minute," his voice came out deep and annoyed before he strode forward.


    August looked in the direction he was headed and saw Violet''s dark, piercing re on her before it turned on Graeme''s approaching figure. Violet''s eyes instantly softened with an unmistakable look of affection.


    August had to turn away. She didn''t want to see them talking¡ªshe couldn''t handle the images of Violet''s memories threatening to overtake her again.


    August walked further in the market, ncing distractedly over the vendors she passed. There were stands with fruits and vegetables of all kinds. Jarred goods. Spices. Candy. Pumpkins. Jewelry. Toys. Wind chimes. Light catchers. It went on for several blocks, and the bright colors and cheerful people slowly took her mind off of the person her mate was preupied with at the moment.


    She stopped in front of a cute mint green cart on wheels with a pink and white striped canopy overhead. The cart had a stack of ice cream cones on one side along with gradually increasing sizes of ice cream dishes. Its curved disy window revealed gto vors in just about every color. A few young kids were busy eating their towering gto cones nearby, and August smiled.


    "Would you like to try something?" the girl behind the cart asked. She had long dark hair braided at her sides and freckles dotting her nose and cheeks. "You''re Graeme''s mate, right? The human?"


    August''s eyes widened slightly. "Um, yes," she replied, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. "How did you know?"


    "Your mark," the girl smiled, gesturing toward August''s neck. "Everyone has heard about you. August, right? It''s nice to finally see you out in the open rather than just hearing whispers."


    "That''s me," August felt heat rise to her face as she nodded. "It''s incredible here," she said, looking around at all the vendors.


    "I''m sure it''s much different than what you''re used to," the girl in front of herughed. "So what will it be?"


    "Can I try the peanut butter?" August pointed to the vor that looked surprisingly like real peanut butter.


    "Of course," the girl gave her two generous scoops in a dish with a small bamboo spoon. "I''m Ana, by the way."


    "Thank you, Ana. Is the market set up like this year round?" August asked before tasting the gto.


    "Once the snow starts, everything pretty much goes indoors. There''s a space in the pack house where most of us set up. Others offer out of their homes or in the shops nearby where it''s more convenient," Ana replied. "We keep making gto. So if you''re ever wanting any,e find us!"


    "It''s so good. I definitely will, thank you."


    "Of course! We''ve got some new fall vors we''ll be offering at the Samhain celebration. It''s a full moon. Can you believe it? First time in who knows how long!" Ana said excitedly.


    "Wow! I didn''t realize that." She suddenly wondered if there would be a simr fertility ritual, and the thought made her stomach turn. How would she get out of that?


    "Can''t wait to see you there," Ana smiled before turning to help someone else who approached.


    After the gto, August kept walking with her hands in her pockets, refusing to seek out Graeme if it meant running into Violet or seeing the two together. A few little kids starting tagging along with her, giggling and dropping white petals at her feet. She tried asking their names, but they justughed and sprinted away before returning to circle her again.


    She realized she was getting more and more attention from the people passing by. Most of them smiled and averted their eyes before returning their curious gazes on her. But the stares were getting more obvious, and she wondered what was taking Graeme so long. A sh of one of Violet''s memories returned, and she choked back the taste of bile in her throat.


    "What are you doing here all alone?" Lucas suddenly appeared next to her, and she jumped in surprise.

 Chapter 93 - So Jumpy

    "Why so jumpy?" Lucas smirked.


    August rolled her eyes. "How do you seem to be everywhere?" she asked.


    "That''s my job," he shrugged, falling into step next to her. "Even if you''re marked, Graeme shouldn''t leave you alone," his eyebrows drew together.


    "Afraid I''m going to attack someone?" she scoffed.


    He turned to look at her in amusement. "Were you nning on it?" August answered with a re, and heughed. "No. Don''t get me wrong. I''m suspicious as fuck about you. But I don''t exactly want to see you hurt either."


    "You don''t?" That was hard to believe.


    "What do you think I am? A monster?" Heughed again.


    "Who would hurt me then?" she stopped abruptly, turning to scan him, but he went silent. "At the outpost¡ªyou wanted me gone."


    "I didn''t know you were his mate," his eyes narrowed. "Don''t mistake my actions. I protect this pack. If Graemees back with his mate, that job only gets easier. And things get better. For everyone."


    "You can''t stand Graeme," August scoffed again.


    "I can''t stand him because he fucking left," Lucas hissed before straightening and looking around. He sighed heavily before turning his eyes back to her. "If you go any further, you''re going to leave the market. Don''t. Go to the stand there with the scarves and wait for him to find you. They''re nice, honest people. And be smart. If you are who Graeme believes you are, we all need you in one fucking piece," he growled. And with that, he left.


    August stood there stunned, trying to make sense of his words. So she was in danger here. Or at least, Lucas believed so. He was probably referring to Marius. That had to be it. After all, he worked with Marius. He had probably seen how vtile he had be.


    August let out a slow breath, convincing herself that was the extent of it. The threat Lucas was referring to was buried in the mud with a dead man. Besides, if Lucas didn''t want August hurt, who else was there really? Maybe this conversation with Lucas was actually a promising sign. Or maybe the elders were already nning to secretly remove her¡­


    August felt her eyes prick in fear with that thought, and she looked around at the people in the market cautiously. She didn''t want to fear them. Sylvia and Greta said most would be weing, and she genuinely wanted to gain their trust. This is where Graeme had grown up. This was Graeme''s pack. And for some reason, she was meant to be here with them.


    With this thought, she took a deep breath and imagined all the beautiful, vibrant energy of this ce that was buzzing around her. The Veiled that Charlotte had talked about. It was not a good time to open herself to it, but even without seeing it, she could feel it. Things here were good. They were safe. Everything was going to be okay.


    Lucas had directed August to a tent with handwoven cotton scarves, shawls, tunics, jackets, ruanas, and nkets. August stood marveling at the beautiful colors and textures of everything and the obvious care that went into their creation.


    "Oh my," an elderly man said, catching sight of August in his tent. "Oh my, oh my. You are August, are you not?" He approached her slowly, his back bent with age.


    "I am," she smiled warmly.


    "Oh my. Oh my," he repeated.


    "Woody, what is it?" A short elderly woman appeared from behind the back of the tent.


    "ra, our future Luna is here," he answered with his gravely voice.


    August opened her mouth to protest, but the little woman named ra had already seized her arm and pulled her further in. "Graeme''s mate?" ra was beaming. "Praise the Goddess. And you are a beauty, too. Look at you. So fair. You and Graeme will have beautiful, beautiful pups. Such a handsome young man. He always has been. I''m so happy to have lived to see the day. Bless you, dear. Bless you," the woman continued, and August fell utterly speechless.


    "It would be an honor, truly, to have you wear something of ours. You must take a ruana and a tunic. And a scarf for the winter. And some shawls, of course. Which brooch is most befitting our future Luna, Woody?" the woman turned to her mate who was still bent over, watching August in awe.


    Woody turned to the table of brooches as ra began searching through the folded fabric, pulling out a beautiful triple weight cotton ruana made in the colors of the sky at dawn and draping it over August''s shoulders. "Yes, it''s lovely. What do you think about this scarlet one, too?" ra asked as she pulled out folded red fabric that was muted with purple and ck threads running through it.


    "You must have a white one for winter, as well, but I don''t have any with me here. Come back in a few weeks when I bring the winter colors out. The aspen will look lovely on you," ra said, handing August the red garment and searching next through the shawls.


    "These are so beautiful. Do you make them by hand?" August asked, trying to distract the woman from her task of finding even more to offer her.


    "Oh yes. It is a family affair. Our children and grandchildren help. Our brooches are hand crafted as well. Make sure her brooch is sterling silver, Woody," ra turned again to her mate. "The metal of the Moon Goddess."


    When Graeme appeared in the tent, he smirked at the sight of August draped in a scarlet ruana with a tall stack of garments in her arms while the elderly couple were still fussing over her. August looked overwhelmed, and he reached over to take the pile from her hands.


    "ra, Woody," he said. "Are you spoiling my mate?" The dimple appeared behind his beard, and relief washed over August''s face feeling him again beside her.


    "Oh good, Graeme," ra looked up from the table she was sorting. "I have some things for you, too."


    "Perhaps we should get them a bag, ra," Woody suggested, and ra waved him on. Graeme and August''s eyes met as they shared in the amusement of watching the older couple.

 Chapter 94 - Swallowed Me Whole

    When they were finally walking back toward the car with their bags from the sweet older couple, Graeme put his arm around August''s shoulders. He seemed much more rxed than when they had initially entered the market.


    "You seem to have had an okay time," he said lightly. August decided not to tell him about running into Lucas. He was in such a good mood now, and she didn''t want to spoil it or give him more anxiety about her safety.


    "This ce is great," she said. "And you?" she tilted her head to read his face. She didn''t want to directly ask him about Violet. The incident at the bonfire still felt too raw, and the memories were still threatening to return.


    He sighed and looked down at their feet that were walking in time. His mate''s small feet. They were so cute in the boots Greta had gotten for her. He stopped abruptly and looked around at the market that was now behind them, wondering if there was somewhere else they should go while they were here. Did she need more shoes? He had let Greta take care of all of the clothes and hygienic things while August was in aa, but he had never thought to ask August if she liked them.


    "Do you have everything you need? Do you like the clothes that we have for you?" he asked suddenly. "I never considered that you might want to shop for your own things."


    "Everything you guys got for me is great," she replied, wondering why he didn''t answer her question.


    Did he not want to talk about Violet because seeing her made him remember his feelings for her? She bit her lip imaging it¡ªthe pull Violet must still have on him. Violet was indeed beautiful. And they had created a small, unborn life together. It was hard toprehend even though she had witnessed it herself.


    Graeme must have been devastated when Violet miscarried. Was that¡ªwas that part of what had made him leave the pack? And maybe that was why he wanted to take part in the fertility ritual¡­ The ugly feeling apanying these thoughts seemed to spiralrger in her as they made more and more sense.


    Graeme snapped his gaze back to her. "Something is happening. What is it?" he asked worriedly, scanning the length of her first before ring at their surroundings. "What''s wrong?" he asked again, as he had found nothing obvious. "We can fix it. Whatever you need, we can get. Just tell me."


    "No," she chuckled, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes. "It''s not anything like that."


    "Then what, my love?" he asked.


    "Do you¡­" she looked around shyly before slowly raising her eyes back to his. "Did seeing¡­ her¡­ do something? Do you still have feelings for her?" She swallowed uneasily and looked down at her feet.


    "What?"


    "I know you said that you and I are different, but it''s just that I know you two have a veryplicated history, and it wouldn''t be unusual. And you know, with what happened between you two, and then you left for so long and haven''t seen her. And she¡­ she longs for you, desperately. It''s painful. I-I felt it. I can understand if there''s still something there for you, too¡­" she started rambling ufortably, feeling the wretched heat return to her cheeks as she diverted her gaze from him, afraid of what might be revealed there if she didn''t.


    "No, August, no," he stopped her and turned to grab both of her hands in his. The turbulence he could feel in her was dizzying, and it threatened to spiral out of control.


    "Feel the truth in this, please," he said, reaching into her with the prating warmth of his eyes. His next words were slow and deliberate, as if dropping the weight of them like stones into water. "There is no one else in my heart. No one but you. You have all of me. My soul¡ªmy everything. You¡ªyou swallowed me whole," he gulped.


    Each word sank deep into the frenzy that had started in her mind, the warmfort of their truth rippling around them and sending her fear scattering like the fallen leaves at their feet. A small smile quirked one side of her lips, and he squeezed her hands reassuringly for it to grow wider.


    "I just didn''t want her approaching you again like she did at the bonfire or ring at you like she was today. I think she has the closure she needs now," he exined.


    "Okay," she said softly.


    "Okay?" he repeated, his eyebrows raised in question as he scanned her face and squeezed her hands again.


    "Yes," she breathed and smiled reassuringly. Once they started walking again, she decided to change the subject. "I had peanut butter gto."


    "Mmm. Are you hungry?"


    "Sure, if you''re cooking," she smiled and climbed into the passenger seat of the Wagoneer.


    "You''re not going to fight me to drive?"


    "Um, no. Greta had to start it for me," she admitted.


    Graemeughed in response. "I have a surprise for you," he said after sliding in behind the steering wheel, and he lifted a pile of folders from the seat to hand to her.


    "The alyko files?" she whispered the question. The conversation with Charlotte resurfaced, and she looked at the folders in her hands. Charlotte had said the real story was not recorded. So what was this?


    "Well some of them. I practically risked my life for those. How are you going to repay me?" he nced at her teasingly while starting the car.


    "Hmm," she hummed, brought back to the man next to her. "How about I abandon everything I''ve ever known and live the rest of my days in a forest full of mythical creatures with you?"


    "Eh. I guess that will do," he chuckled.


    "What did you have in mind, Bun?" she raised a hand to y with the hair at his neck before running her fingers along the rough texture of his beard. He growled softly at the nickname.


    "Damn rabbit. What am I going to call you?" he turned into her hand, grabbing her thumb in-between his teeth before letting it go.


    "Moon," she said.


    "Not nearly as embarrassing as Bun."


    "I could call you Bun Bun," she said, and he shed her a look of warning before poking her ticklish side.


    "What! I didn''t call you that. I said I could," sheughed. "Such a sensitive wolf. I''m sure you cane up with something equally teasing for me."


    Graeme gazed at his mate still wearing the scarlet ruana that had been given to her, and he reached to flip the wide hood over her head. "It seems Woody and ra have unknowingly done it for me, Little Red."


    August groaned in realization and pulled the hood back down. "I suppose I can never wear this again," sheughed lightly and looked into her hands. "It''s a little too obvious."


    "But it looks beautiful on you," he said softly.


    She smiled when an idea urred to her. "How does the story go? What great big EARS you have¡­ Bun Bun."


    Graeme froze with his hand prepared to shift the car into drive and looked at August out of the corner of his eye. She sat with a wide, guilty smile caught somewhere between amusement and fear. Slowly his head turned toward her, his eyebrows raised in surprise.


    "Oh, that''s how you remember it, is it?"


    And before August even registered the movement, Graeme had lunged to her side of the seat and was tickling her relentlessly. She shrank back against the door,ughing and squirming, trying to get free from his hands that were taking turns finding her most sensitive spots.


    "Stop, please, I can''t take anymore," she squealed, still trying to dodge the tickle attack.


    Graeme stilled his onught and ced a hand under her chin, tilting her now flushed face up to meet him. She beamed up at him before dropping her eyes to his lips. "I think you forget how the story ends, Little Red," he teased.


    "You mean¡­" she said between breaths, "what great big teeth you have?"


    "Mhmm," he hummed, leaning in so that his lips were next to her ear. "All the better to¡­ eat you with, my dear" he whispered.


    Her smile fell except for one side of her lips that remained quirked in amusement. But he drew his lips back from her ear so slowly, catching her eyes with his own, that her stomach trilled and dipped. Something predatory shed in his eyes, and she gulped.


    "Don''t worry, my love," he smirked, returning to his ce behind the wheel and shifting the car into drive, "Like I said, you are the one who has swallowed me whole."

 Chapter 95 - Dinner At Sylvias

    Sylvia''s house was a beautiful A-frame cabin nestled in the woods not far from Graeme and Greta''s childhood home. On the way there for dinner, Graeme told August about how he and Greta would sneak out to meet Sam in the woods halfway between their houses.


    "There is an old, rickety wooden bridge that crosses over a deep ravine. It''s closer to Sam''s house than ours, but it was the perfect meet spot," he chuckled, remembering how he and Greta would sneak out his window when the moon was high.


    Some nights the woods would be covered in beautiful, glistening untouched snow, and the sounds of their feet softly crunching would echo against the trees. The trees on those nights creaked just like doors¡ªthe wood bending to the wind rushing around them.


    "Our parents always knew we snuck out," Graemeughed. "We thought we were so clever, but nothing got past mom and dad. They let us go, knowing these woods were safe. Knowing we were meeting Sam," he nced over at August, the past shimmering around him like an aura of nostalgia. "They let us feel like we were rebels."


    "That sounds fun," she replied. "Much more fun than my crowded town. We had trees, but nothing like this. In eighth grade, a friend and I used to hide behind a bush on the way home from school and smoke. That was me being a rebel," she chuckled.


    "My little August Moon smoked?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    "Oh yeah. I did lots of bad things. You would be surprised," she chuckled.


    "Like what?" he asked, curious to hear more about her past.


    "I got into kind of a bad crowd when my mom and I moved in with n. My friend Lisa showed me how to steal clothes and stuff from stores. That''s when I started smoking, too. Um¡­ maybe that''s it," she shrugged, realizing the list didn''t sound impressive at all.


    "So innocent even then," he smirked and pinched her cheek yfully. "You were ying at being rebellious."


    "Was sneaking out to meet Sam not ying at being rebellious?" sheughed, challenging him with her eyes.


    "I was very young when I did that¡ªbefore mom and dad died. Rebellion for me was leaving the pack I guess," he said, focusing back on the road to Sylvia''s.


    August nodded silently. Their childhoods were nothing alike. He had been without his parents from such a young age, and she couldn''t imagine having had to endure it. It had left him traumatized, of that she was certain.


    Once they arrived, Sylvia greeted them on the porch. Like most ces August had seen on packnd, there was no driveway¡ªpresumably because there were so few cars¡ªso Graeme parked next to a tree.


    The area in front of Sylvia''s house had a fire pit with several wooden chairs arranged in a circle. The house itself was glowing, an inviting light from inside cast out into the dark around it through two levels of windows that angled to form an A.


    A balcony on the second level extended over the porch, and the porch itself had piles of cut wood on either side readily avable for the next bonfire. Sylvia stood at the threshold of her home, an open red front door next to her, with her arms extended wide in greeting.


    "Wee! Come in my dears. Greta and Sam are already inside," she beamed at August and Graeme and ushered them in. "Do you like wine, August?" Sylvia asked, as she followed them into the living room.


    "As long as there''s no moonshine added," August replied, and Graeme chuckled next to her.


    "Oh dear, what happened at the bonfire? Did my children not take care of you?" Sylvia asked.


    "They took care of me," Augustughed, suddenly shy about the topic that she had inadvertently brought up. "It was my own fault."


    "It was not your fault," Greta called from further in, and they followed the sound of her voice to find her and Sam lounging together on a sofa next to the firece. Greta stood and offered August a ss of red wine. "This one is safer, I promise," she winked.


    "Something certainly happened," Sylvia was standing with arms akimbo. "This must be some story."


    "Not really," Augustughed ufortably. "There was a little drama with the ex-girlfriend, and I drank too much. Pretty unoriginal."


    "Oh dear," Sylvia replied. "Violet was there?"


    Behind August, Graeme bowed his head and focused intently on his shoes. "I''ll get you a drink, brother," Sam grunted and rose from the sofa, gesturing for Graeme to follow.


    "Pretty unoriginal aside from you reading minds, my love," Greta smirked and squeezed August''s arm.


    "That''s what happened with Violet?" Sylvia gaped before her face quickly softened, and she ced aforting hand on August''s back. "Are you okay, my dear? I''m so sorry you had to go through that."


    "Yes, I''m okay," August reassured her. How did she end up beingforted like she was something delicate again? She groaned internally. "You have a beautiful home, Sylvia. I''ve always wanted to see the inside of an A-frame house. They are so unique."


    "Oh, well thank you. I considered just moving into the back of the shop after David passed," she admitted, her voice growing quieter with the mention of her mate. "But I couldn''t. There are too many memories here to leave."


    "What''s for dinner, Mom?" Graeme called from the kitchen. Greta''s mouth quirked into a small smile, realizing her brother was changing the subject on purpose.


    "I made spaghetti," Sylvia called and moved further into the kitchen to find him. "Nothing fancy."


    "It smells amazing," Graeme growled, lifting the cover of the pot to take a peek.


    "Okay, okay. It''s ready. Why don''t you take the garlic bread to the table and get yourselves situated," Sylvia chuckled and took Graeme''s ce over the stove.


    "Yes, ma''am," he answered.


    "So did the girls tell you about Charlotte''s revtion today?" Sylvia asked as they began eating.


    The couples'' eyes found each other over their bites of pasta. Sam grunted. "I heard about it," he said.


    Graeme''s eyebrows shot up as he looked at August. "Sam got to hear about it already," he teased usingly.


    August chuckled and bit off the spaghetti noodles that were dangling over her te. "I''m sorry," she said, her voice muffled by the food. Graeme reached across the table and wiped the sauce that was flung across her cheek as they both giggled.


    Everyone else at the table watched in amused silence. Sylvia still couldn''t get over seeing Graeme like thispletely enraptured by the girl in front of him. He had never been like this as long as she had known him. He had been a child when his parents died, and then he had to grow up so quickly.


    There was part of Sylvia that wondered if she and David couldn''t have done more to help him when he was set adrift by his circumstances. Graeme had been iling, trying to find his way. But everyone trusted the elders to guide him on his path to Alpha. And everyone was also lost in grief over the loss of the Alpha and Luna. If only they had been able to see things more clearly at the time.


    "It seems my mate was waiting for the most dramatic retelling possible," Graeme said then, shing August a smirk.

 Chapter 96 - Retelling

    "I can understand why you would wait," Sylvia smiled at August. "It is a lot to tell."


    "Thank you, Sylvia," August chuckled. "It''s just that¡­ hearing it from me seems so¡­ wrong in a way. I''m not part of this history," she shrugged and set down her fork. "I feel like hearing it from all of us¡ªespecially you and Greta¡ªwould have more of the impact it deserves."


    August made herself busy arranging the napkin on herp as Graeme kept his gaze on her. She was magnificent. Everything about her. It never got old, and he doubted it ever would.


    "Understandable, my dear," Sylvia said. "Though Charlotte was telling you. Greta and I were just fortunate enough to be in the room."


    "So the undocumented history¡­" Graeme started, leaning back in his chair without taking his eyes off of his mate across from him, "let''s hear it."


    Everyone became quiet, and August nced up from herp to see all of their eyes on her. "From¡­ from me?" she asked.


    Greta winked at her while twirling a water ss in her hand.


    "Okay," August cleared her throat. "Charlotte told us about a Pueblo myth. Or not a myth¡­ a story," she started. "Of La Loba."


    Graeme''s eyes squinted slightly in recognition. "La Loba? The old woman who collected wolf bones?"


    "You know it?" Greta asked, surprised.


    Graeme nodded. "I heard it a few years back now. I was tracking some strays. Two of them. They went¡­ far. I followed them all the way to Texas. When I finally caught up to them, they said they were looking for La Loba." His eyebrows threaded together at the memory.


    "They were looking for her?" Greta repeated, her mouth dropping open. "So she still exists?"


    "Two strays were together?" Sam asked, surprised.


    Graeme nodded. "They usually travel alone, but two together isn''t necessarily out of the ordinary. Although these were two males¡­" For that reason, they had been more of a threat.


    "Did they tell you the whole story?" August asked.


    "No," he replied and dropped her gaze. He hadn''t told August what his role as advisor entailed when he tracked strays. The truth was that those two males didn''t get much of a chance to tell him anything. They were a threat that he had to take care of.


    "What does the La Loba myth have to do with the alyko?"


    August considered how to give the story the justice it deserved. The way Charlotte told it had been riveting. There was no way August could duplicate it.


    "ording to Charlotte, La Loba was said to be a wild woman who kept the bones of all kinds of creatures in her cave. She had a¡­ power," August''s eyes slid up to meet Graeme''s. "And once she had collected every bone of a creature, she would arrange them together, build a fire, and basically sing this creature back into being. Charlotte said they were the creatures most in danger of being forgotten by the world."


    "On one particr night," August nced at Sylvia who was resting her arms on the table, listening, "when it was a full moon, La Loba did this ritual with her favorite creature of all: a wolf. She sang her song, and life was breathed back into the wolf. When the wolf began to run off into the distance, the moonlight transformed her into a woman. The very first lycan."


    Graeme, still leaning back in his chair, worked this over in his mind. How had he never heard this before? "La Loba¡­ made the lycans?" he said slowly and nced between his sister, Sam, and Sylvia.


    "She made a lycan," Greta corrected. "The first. A lycan who would go on to mate with a human, though Charlotte doesn''t have detailed information about who."


    "Perhaps most importantly, ording to Charlotte, La Loba was alyko," Sylvia added.


    "A very powerful alyko," Sam muttered.


    "Well alyko is hardly an appropriate term now, but it will do," Sylvia sighed.


    "Right, because this changes what we know of the alyko. Alyko did note from lycans. It''s really the reverse. So it''s not like they are just lycans without wolves¡ªthey are not some w in the heritability of lycanthropy," Greta said animatedly. "They are those of us who more closely resemble the one who had this gift of life¡ªLa Loba¡ªwho created lycans to begin with."


    "Can they be evil?" Graeme asked then, which seemed to hush everyone. August''s expression became pained. She had read the stories Graeme brought home from the council. Was it possible that they were true?


    "If you are asking whether or not Maggie was in fact responsible for our parents'' deaths, then the answer is no," Greta spoke up. "It is not possible. I refuse to believe that. No one here believes that. And Charlotte, who gave us this oral history, doesn''t believe that."


    "Did she say that?" Graeme asked, turning to his sister.


    "She didn''t have to, Graeme. She has mourned more than most in this pack. Would she mourn if the killings were just?"


    "People mourn for those who are justly killed, Greta," Graeme pointed out.


    Greta rose from the table suddenly, causing the silverware to ng against the tes. "Are you saying you believe it now?"


    "No, no," he put his hands up. "I don''t believe it, but this is the first anyone here has heard of this La Loba origin story. What else do we not know? I mean, ording to Charlotte, the first lycan was breathed into being by an alyko. We have never witnessed power like that. What else can they do?"


    "This reaction of yours is the root of the prejudice against them," Greta said, fuming now. "Why do people fear what they don''t understand?"


    "What reaction? I''m just asking questions," Graeme said defensively.


    "You''re acting as if they were guilty," Greta became more upset. "You''re acting as if Maggie¡­ could have actually done that to us. To mom and dad." A sob escaped her, and Sam put a hand on her waist. August''s mouth dropped open in surprise. She had never seen Greta upset like this.


    "That''s not what I''m saying. Greta, please sit down," Graeme replied, his voice softening. She remained standing and crossed her arms in front of her. Graeme sighed. "The fact is, we still don''t know what happened to mom and dad. We don''t know what happened to the alyko bodies after they were burned¡­"


    "What?" Sylvia gasped.


    Graeme stopped when he realized what he had said. Sylvia wouldn''t know that bit of information. He hadn''t known it until a few days ago.


    "When I was looking at mom and dad''s file, I saw a note about how the alyko bodies had disappeared. There was no exnation. Just a small note jotted down. The bodies had vanished."


    "Maybe¡ªthe fire¡­" Sylvia''s eyebrows were threaded together as she tried to make sense of this new information.


    "No," Graeme shook his head. "It didn''t burn that long. They put it out when the¡ªwhen the screaming stopped." His hands curled into fists as a muscle feathered in his jaw.


    Sylvia nodded.. "You''re right. Then how?"

 Chapter 97 - Scapegoat

    "That''s hardly the point right now," Greta interjected. "Whether or not their remains were there means nothing. Anything could have happened to them. I don''t understand why that small detail implicates them in something."


    "I''m not saying that any of this implicates them," Graeme ran a hand over his face. "It''s just one more mystery surrounding the alyko and our parents'' murders. There''s so much we don''t know. It''s maddening to be on the outside of it."


    "Perhaps they should see the files you brought home," August suggested.


    Graeme nodded in agreement without responding to it. His eyes were fixed on the table in front of him as it all ran through his mind¡ªa puzzle he didn''t have all the pieces to.


    "I''ll go grab them from the car. Excuse me," August said before leaving to retrieve them.


    Graeme let out a deep breath after she left the house. "I fear for her," he muttered the confession. "Is the Goddess not punishing me in some way? I couldn''t protect Maggie and the rest of them, and now I have a mate who is in the crosshairs of an ancient prejudice within our kind and a global experiment of which she is a rare sess. Will I not fail as I did before?"


    He drummed his fingers on the table after reluctantly giving voice to this fear, and the question settled around them like a dense mist that would sometimes move across the forest floor when the earth was warmer than the air. Greta sighed and sat back down in her chair.


    "She is here for a reason, dear one," Sylvia reached across the table to put aforting hand on his arm. "You two are not in this alone. There are many mysteries here, but we will figure it out."


    "For all we know, whatever you find in the council is bullshit," Greta muttered.


    "On what basis do we assume that?" Graeme asked sincerely. He honestly didn''t know what to believe anymore aside from August being his mate.


    "On the basis of how open Maggie always was with us. How genuine," angry tears burned in Greta''s eyes. "She loved us." She said the words with emphasis, pointing to the table as if it was there, in for everyone to see.


    "The elders are secretive. There is a darkness surrounding them¡ªalways. They don''t care about Livvy running off¡ªthey put in no effort to find her. They don''t care about her family who is mourning. That''s how they are with any mysterious circumstance. They let it be. They don''t investigate," Greta exined.


    "What other mysterious circumstances?" Graeme asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "The other runaways. The endless string of miscarriages. The families torn asunder and broken. The deaths from¡­ from heartbreak," she nced at Sylvia. "You have no idea what I have to deal with. What Sylvia has to deal with. Trying to help our pack members who have no one else higher up helping or caring."


    "Why did you never tell me any of this?" he shifted forward in his chair. These issues were news to him. asionally Greta would mention something that was amiss, but she never raised any rms. He had no idea she was dealing with all of this without telling him.


    "I didn''t want to put more weight on you or make you feel more guilt than you already did. And it''s not like all of these things happened at once. It has been a progression of issues that have gradually gotten worse." A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.


    Graeme let out a deep, regretful breath and looked down into his hands. His father''s hands. Graeme had left his pack, and they were hurting all this time.


    August hurried in through the door with the files, eyes darting to Graeme whose sadness she had felt escting while she was crossing the front yard. Feeling his sadness like that was like a ma drawing her to him. She needed to touch him, tofort him, to ease it.


    When she entered the dining room, Graeme was ring at his own hands, lost in thought. But he quickly looked up and gave her a reassuring smile, so she resisted the urge to run to him. How ridiculous would that look? Sheughed internally.


    When August set the files on the table, Greta was the first to grab them. She found the one she had requested that Graeme bring¡ªthe one about their parents'' deaths. Sylvia and Sam each took a folder and flipped through the papers detailing the tales of alyko wrongdoing.


    Graeme and August gazed deeply at each other across the table as the others became absorbed with their reading. August was assessing him, making sure he was okay, because the swell of his sadness still remained. But he somehow managed to assure her with the soft lines that crinkled at the corners of his eyes and the gentle, deep warmth he cast her way that always calmed her.


    "Just as I thought," Greta said, mming the folder back on the table and ring at it. "There is no suitable exnation for how exactly the alyko plotted with strays. Their guilt was an assumption. Killing them was a desperate act based on an assumption just so the council would appearpetent. They were desperate to solve it quickly, and the alyko were the perfect scapegoat. Maggie was a scapegoat, Graeme," she emphasized.


    August noticed how Sam put a hand on Greta''s shoulder as he flipped another page in the stack he was reading.


    "I had the same impression," Graeme agreed, but Greta wasn''t done venting.


    "And afterwards, after they had already med and killed the alyko, why would they ever revisit it? To find their error? To find that they were possibly wrong? No, in fact now it seems the opposite is true. They are investing more into this¡­ this fantasy that the alyko are a threat to all," she said, waving her hand dismissively at the rest of the files on the table.


    "ording to Charlotte, an alyko created the very first lycan," Greta spoke slowly to emphasize each word. "Before lycans, there was La Loba. If we were to assume that all alyko are a threat as they clearly want us to, we would be questioning our own origins. We would be questioning the Moon Goddess herself."


    Sylvia sighed. "I agree," she closed the folder gently. "These stories are hardlypelling. That doesn''t mean no alyko has ever done wrong," she exined. "But this feels like ovepensation for a history that is absent.. Since there are no written records of the alyko, they are inventing their own."

 Chapter 98 - Physics Stuff

    "What is this gibberish supposed to be?" Sam asked as he was flipping through the physics research Graeme had copied and brought from the council.


    "I don''t know," Graeme answered. "It has something to do with what I was telling Greta about on the phone the other day."


    "The map," Greta said, and she took the folder from Sam. "I told Sylvia and August about it today."


    Graeme nced at August. He hadn''t told her about it. He hadn''t meant to keep it from her necessarily, but he didn''t want to rm her. It must not have been too upsetting hearing it from Greta or she would have mentioned it after he picked her up from Sylvia''s shop earlier.


    "Did you learn anything more today while you were at the council?" Greta asked, ncing up from the papers.


    Graeme thought about the Eliade search team that was still in area. When he left the runners on the perimeter, it seemed the Eliade team was nning on camping out in the Grimm with August''s mother for another night.


    He doubted they would make any progress¡ªit was virtually impossible for humans to get through the Grimm. In fact, it had never happened. Only the asional stray wandered in, but no human had ever found their packnd. The enchantment had endured all this time.


    Graeme considered keeping this information from all of them for the time being, most especially from his mate since it was likely to scare her. But the way things were looking¡ªwith so much delicate information gradually being unfolded about the alyko and the elder''s rtions with the pack¡ªit didn''t feel right to create a secret where one wasn''t necessary.


    Perhaps he would just keep the detail about August''s mother to himself for now¡ªthat way August wouldn''t feelpelled to go meet her.


    "I did learn something¡­ unrted to all of this," he finally answered. Everyone''s eyes snapped to him, but he felt his mate''s most intensely. "A search team from Eliade entered the Grimm early this morning. They are close to the perimeter and n on staying at least overnight."


    A wave of August''s fear crested over him before he even scented it from her, and he didn''t realize he was moving until he was up and out of his chair and kneeling by her side. He grabbed her hands that had turned cold.


    "August¡­ look at me," he said, and her eyes slid to his. "You''re safe." His voice had gone deeper with the words, and she found herself nodding.


    "I know," she said quietly. "But what if they discover this ce because they''re searching for me?"


    He gave her a crooked smile. She was worried about the pack rather than herself.


    "They won''t," he assured her. "I went out to run the perimeter today to keep an eye on the scouts and security that are watching them. The enchantment holds. They will just circle, thinking they are advancing in their search without going anywhere."


    "They''vee before while you were in aa," Greta said. "They won''t find us, sis."


    August nodded, letting this information convince her. Graeme rose and squeezed her shoulders as he stood behind her chair.


    "I wonder if the alyko know about the map tracking them," Sam thought aloud, changing the subject.


    "If they do, they might know how this physics stuff works and how they''re being tracked," Greta said and threw the file on the table. "We need to know if August is also being monitored like this. It''s hard to imagine that they wouldn''t have already tried tagging her in some way. They think she''s alyko, and she''s your mate."


    "We would know if they did something like that, wouldn''t we?" August asked for Greta to shrug.


    "It wouldn''t be obvious. If they''ve done this to many alyko already, the method of delivery has to be subtle," she answered.


    "Maybe I can use Eliade''s return to the area as a way to find out," Graeme suggested.


    "How?" Greta asked.


    "Andreas said he wanted me with Damon to monitor the progress of Eliade''s search team. If they send anyone off packnd to keep an eye on the researchers once they leave the area, I can volunteer to go. If I can find Penelope Winter, I can talk to her about it."


    "What makes you think she''ll talk to you?" Sam asked.


    "I doubt she knows that Eliade''s lost subject is my mate," he smirked. "I think she''ll talk to me. Plus, she''ll want to know about this alyko map if she doesn''t already."


    "How many alyko are being tracked?" August asked then.


    "I don''t know for sure, but the map is global. Zoe mentioned how it was a coborative effort between packs to tag their own suspected alyko. And I''m guessing at least all of the Winters are on it since they are notorious for their numbers, their abilities, and for living amongst humans," Graeme answered.


    "When do you think you''ll have an opportunity to leave?" Sam asked.


    "I can find out tomorrow," Graeme answered. It suddenly urred to him that by suggesting he leave packnd, he was effectively suggesting he leave his mate for an unknown amount of time. He wasn''t sure he could do it.


    "When you do leave, August can stay with us," Greta offered, instantly realizing what was troubling her brother.


    "Yes, and I''ve been thinking as well," Sylvia began, "there are some women who have been gathering for several years now at my shop to discuss pack matters."


    "To gossip?" Sam interrupted, and Sylvia waved a hand at him.


    "How dismissive of your elder women, son. No, not just to gossip. Charlotte is one whoes for themunity and the strength we offer one another. And we brainstorm ideas for the pack. Ways to help those who are struggling. I suppose you could think of us as a kind of alternative, underground council," she chuckled.


    Greta smiled. asionally she had sat in on these meetings, and the energy the women brought to them was inspiring. Sometimes the meetings worked as a kind of support group, as many of the women had lost mates or children or suffered hardship in some other way that often gets overlooked since the wounds are unseen. But mostly it seemed that they were itching to find ways to help other members in the pack who needed it.


    "There is already excitement circting in the pack about you two returning," Sylvia said. "If Augustes to meet the women the next time we gather, that excitement will only grow. The support for her will seem to rise from the shadows, as that is where these women work best¡ªwith whispers on the wind and calls to the heart. You will soon have the whole pack behind you."


    "And when the pack is behind you, that is widespread protection.. No one will harm the true Luna," Greta said reverently.

 Chapter 99 - Smores

    "Think of us as your promotion team," Sylvia smiled warmly and ced a hand on August''s arm.


    "Thank you, Sylvia," she replied.


    ''True Luna.'' The words Greta spoke hung in the air. What did that mean exactly? Part of August wanted to swell with pride at the thought that such an entitlement belonged to her, but there was so much pressure that apanied it. She had no idea how to be a Luna.


    "Well, like I said, I''ll know more tomorrow. It''s possible I won''t have the opportunity to leave right away. I don''t want to seem too eager," Graeme said, still swaying uneasily in the thought of leaving August¡ªeven with everyone''s reassurances.


    Everything would have to align perfectly in order for him to feelfortable. But the alyko definitely needed to know about the map, and he had a feeling that if he could get Penelope to speak with him, she would have just as much helpful information for him as he had for her.


    "Is there another way to find out if August has been tagged as an alyko for this stupid map?" Sam asked.


    "I could just ask Zoe," Graeme offered.


    "Is there any way you could y at being unsure about August? Like you''re buying into all of this mess? Maybe they will offer more information if you seem¡­ wary of her," Greta suggested.


    Graeme squeezed August''s shoulders. The thought of questioning the validity of their partnership, even if it were an act, felt like a betrayal of her.


    "It''s just a thought," Greta added, noticing the tension that crept into the lines of her brother''s face.


    "Don''t you think the pack would catch wind of Graeme expressing his doubts and begin to question August as well?" Sylvia thought aloud. "That could backfire horribly."


    "Hmm. Maybe," Greta answered.


    "I just won''t use the abilities for anything until we know more," August shrugged.


    "How do we even know what constitutes as these abilities that light up on the map?" Sam asked. "Is it when she can see people''s thoughts? When she uses the energy around her to manifest something powerful in herself like when she overpowered Marius? I mean¡­ We really don''t even know that much."


    A muscle feathered in Graeme''s jaw. Sam was right. It could be something that seemed rtively benign that she didn''t even know she was doing.


    "I''m sure I can at least figure that much out," Greta sighed and opened up the folder with the Physics research again. "I''ll be in the loft reading."


    "Do you wantpany?" August asked.


    Greta nced at her with a smile. "Sure. I''ll probably need to read aloud to be able to work this stuff out in my mind anyway. Maybe you can help me." Both the girls rose from the table, and Graeme''s hands dropped to his sides from their resting ce on August''s shoulders. "Plus, you get to see the loft," Greta winked.


    "Would you two like to make s''mores for everyone?" Sylvia suggested to the boys as she gathered the dishes from the table.


    Sam chuckled and turned to Graeme for an answer.


    "Who can turn down s''mores? We need to talk anyway," Graeme rubbed the bristly hair on his chin.


    "You know where the firewood is," Sylvia said as she started the sink.


    She smiled to herself as she began washing the dishes. Seeing the boys around the fire again would bring back memories of when they were young. She wished David could be here to see Graeme return with his mate. The hope David had lost was slowly returning.


    Sylvia never thought she would be living without her mate. David had been so strong and vital. She had imagined they would grow old and die together holding hands on the front porch or something equally as ideal. When you''re young, the future stretches out indefinitely toward a rosy horizon. But reality is much different. She sighed and ced a te on the drying rack.


    When Derek and Genevieve were killed, David was ovee with guilt. He was the Beta. He believed he should have been there. He should have known a threat was looming, but everyone was blindsided by their deaths. It had taken ce so close to packnd, as well¡ªjust beyond the Grimm where the Maine wilderness bes dotted with beautifulkes. No one would have anticipated an attack that close to home.


    Afterwards, David had taken a backseat to the council. The elders seemed poised to fill the Hallowell''s absence while everyone else was still iling in grief. And then the alyko were killed. Sylvia recalled the terror of that day when they were dragged from their homes.


    Whispers had been carrying the belief that the alyko had plotted against the Alpha and Luna. Part of what bolstered this suspicion was precisely the fact that the deaths urred so close to packnd and seemingly out of nowhere. And why would strays congregate and attack? It had to have been orchestrated by a third party.


    Three days passed after Derek and Genevieve were killed before the alyko were sought out by the council. There was no trial. No defense. They were dragged into Maggie''s home on the border of packnd, and the house was set aze. Perhaps just as horrifying as the screams of the alyko were the shouts of pack members who surrounded the house, their anger and hatred rising with the mes that licked the dark sky.


    The remains of Maggie''s home resembled what was left of the spirit of this ce. What was once arge family had be an unsteady structure¡ªa ruins overgrown with the greenery of time rather than rebuilt.


    David couldn''t bring himself to return to the council after that. He aged so quickly¡ªthe purpose he had been called for suddenly obscured by a cascade of senseless deaths. Sylvia felt it like a boulder weighing him down further and further with each day that passed, and she couldn''t help him. She couldn''t pull him out. He just¡­ withered away.


    Sylvia gripped the counter as the wave of that familiar absence crested over her. She expected to die with David, but as was the case with many mothers who lost their mates, Sylvia felt the bond with her child too acutely to be swept away. Her beautiful son was still here¡ªthe life she and David had created by their union and been gifted by the Moon Goddess¡ªand she made herself strong for him.


    Reiki had been a blessing. She sensed the world in a new way, and she was able to help others in the pack who had also been hurting. And eventually Sam discovered Greta was his mate, Sylvia opened her shop, she and Greta began working together to help pack members who needed it¡­ the bitter cold of a long emotional winter seemed to finally be warming into a new spring.


    And now she would get to witness the new growth that woulde to bloom and strengthen around them now that Graeme had returned with his mate.

 Chapter 100 - Fledgling Fire

    In front of Sylvia''s house, Sam arranged wood in the fire pit and Graeme added paper tinder and small twigs for kindling.


    "What did you want to talk about?" Sam asked, straightening as he watched the kindling glow and lick therger logs.


    Graeme waited to answer until his friend turned to meet his gaze. They had spent so many nights around this same fire as kids. Sam always had the most honest, kind eyes that would dance with mirth as easily as soften infort. There wasn''t a better male for his sister, Graeme was positive of that.


    "I left you, Sam. I didn''t just leave the pack. I left you. I left the future for this pack that we had imagined together. The one we dreamt about as kids," Graeme sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I''m sorry."


    Sam''s arms were crossed when he received this sudden apology, and he didn''t appear to react¡ªit was as if he hadn''t heard it. But then his eyebrows dipped, and he shook his head.


    "You didn''t leave me," he replied with a chuckle.


    "I know what Beta meant to you. Growing up, we always talked about taking our father''s ces. I left without thinking about what that would mean for you, and¡­"


    "Graeme, no apology is necessary," he interrupted.


    "Please hear me," Graeme insisted and paused, holding Sam''s gaze. "I am sorry, brother."


    The two men stared at each other as the fire crackled beneath them.


    "I hear you," Sam said quietly after some time. "If what you need is my forgiveness, you had it long ago."


    "You are too understanding, Samuel," Graeme replied.


    "I am your twin sister''s mate. Her emotions are sister to my own. How can I not understand you?" he chuckled. "I may not know exactly what you went through, but I don''t fault you for leaving. Not after what they put you through."


    "They?" Graeme repeated, his eyebrows pinching together.


    "The elders," Sam scoffed.


    "Oh," Graeme grunted. "It was their job."


    "No," Sam shook his head. "They looked down their noses at a pup who had been kicked into the dirt by circumstance, and then they proceeded to trample over you in pursuit of their own interests. They were meant to build you up and make you stronger. They were meant to raise you up on their shoulders and support you. That was their job, and they certainly did not do it."


    An edge of anger had threaded its way through Sam''s words, and Graeme squinted in surprise. The only other times he had witnessed the turbulence below Sam''s calm demeanor was when it had something to do with Greta.


    They both looked into the small, fledgling fire as their thoughts of the past swept in and out like Maine''s tumultuous tides. Maybe Sam was right.


    "We''re taking it back," Graeme''s deep voice finally sliced through the silent reverie. He looked over at Sam, mes dancing in his eyes. "We''re taking back the pack, Samuel. Are you with me?"


    "Hell yeah, I''m with you," he replied, arge smile spreading across his face as he pped Graeme on the back. "Of course I''m with you, brother. I thought you would never ask."


    "Great, because I couldn''t do it without you," Graeme said, relief washing over him. He knew Sam would back him, but it didn''t stop a small measure of doubt from niggling at this mind that maybe he would be alone in this.


    "There is something I should probably tell you, though," Sam added. "We were going to wait, because we lost one before. And with everything going on¡­"


    "What is it?" Graeme interrupted.


    Sam paused and turned to look back at the house where he could see the girls through the loft window. "Greta is pregnant."


    Graeme''s worry broke into arge grin, and this time we was pping his friend on the back. "Goddess, congrattions. That''s wonderful news!" He pulled Sam into a hug, and they both beganughing.


    "Thank you. We just found out, and it''s early. We lost thest one at 12 weeks, so I guess you could say that we are cautiously excited."


    "I''m sorry," Graeme''s eyebrows threaded together. "I didn''t know."


    "Yeah, it wasn''t easy for her to talk about. Anyway, I''m telling you now because it may change the terrain I have to navigate in the future. I just," he paused and looked at his feet. "I can''t put the pack ahead of my mate like my dad did. I can''t do that to her. She''ll always be first. You need to know that."


    "The fact that anyone here would feel they had to choose between their mate or their family and the pack is just more proof that things need to change. The pack used to be a family," Graeme''s jaw clenched. "Regardless, you don''t need to worry about it. I will never ask more of you than you and Greta can give. I need my niece or nephew healthy and happy and safe," he smiled again and squeezed Sam''s shoulder.


    "No one else knows yet," Sam whispered as Sylvia came walking out the front door with the tray of ingredients for s''mores.


    "You have to tell your mom," Graeme mumbled.


    "The fire is looking good. You boys haven''t lost your touch," Sylvia smiled as she approached. "So have you figured out a plot to take over the pack yet? Because I have some ideas about that, too."


    "What?" Graemeughed. How did she know that was what they were talking about? "Were you listening to our conversation?"


    "No, of course not," she waved her hand at him. "It''s just time, is it not?"


    "You are certainly right about that," Graeme agreed, rocking on the balls of his feet now with his arms crossed as he peered up into the loft window at the silhouettes of his pregnant sister and his mate. "So can your underground council help with that as well?"


    Sylvia''s face lit up. "Let me ask you this: who in that pack house do you foresee staying with you and supporting you when you take Alpha?"


    "It would be very difficult to say," Graeme answered. "It would likely be a difficult transition for many of them."


    "As long as the elders are still in ce, they will find every way they can to undermine you. They have enjoyed a power that is not rightfully theirs for far too long," Sylvia said.. "The elders must go."

 Chapter 101 - Loft

    August and Graeme are excited to announce a CHRISTMAS MASS RELEASE! On December 25th, all my dear readers get a special gift in the form of 8 chapters that day. Yay!


    If you haven''t seen the event on WN yet, you can view the books that have been invited to the mass release under "Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!" For every 30 minutes you read of one of the books listed, you receive a Christmas cracker to y.


    Happy reading and happy holidays to all! <3


    ***


    The stairs to the loft at Sylvia''s house split the main floor down the middle and had a cute little bookcase nestled behind it. Greta led August up to the cozy loft space that held a small twin bed on one side and a dresser on the other. But the most captivating part of the room was a deep window seat nestled against a round window overlooking the woods out back.


    "Can you believe this was Sam''s room? Isn''t it cute?" Greta asked as she walked to the window seat. There was enough room there for both girls to sit facing each other with the file of physics literature between them.


    "It''s incredible," August agreed. "I love it."


    "When we were kids I was so jealous of his room," Gretaughed.


    "It must be something to have a mate who you were such close friends with growing up," August said.


    "Looking back on it, it''s a bit strange. But I had a feeling early on before we actually knew we were mates. I was always drawn to him. I always felt protective of him, too, and I guess he felt the same way," she smiled, recalling it. "It was more of a shock to Graeme, however."


    Augustughed. "How did he take it?"


    "After the shock wore off, he was okay with it. But the two of them butted heads for awhile afterward. Sam didn''t like how close Graeme and I were. I think he was jealous," Greta scrunched her face.


    "Really?" August tilted her head and chuckled. That surprised her. Sam seemed so easygoing about everything.


    Greta nodded. "Well twins are a different thing, you know. Plus themunicating through touch made him ufortable since I couldn''t do that with him."


    "Hmm. Those are unique circumstances," August agreed.


    She watched as Greta began flipping through the pages and reading. Greta''s forehead was lined in deep concentration behind her soft, peach waves, and August found herself gazing out the window next to them into the dense trees. These trees seemed different than the ones at the treehouse. They were bristlier and closer together, and the darkness that settled in their shadows seemed deeper.


    "Greta?" August spoke softly, unsure if she actually wanted to give voice to her thoughts.


    Greta looked up, "I think I found something. It doesn''t seem like what you can do with touch will trigger this¡­ the change in entropy that is measured by whatever mysterious process they have set up around packnds will only identify the exchange of energy between the alyko in question and their environment. So it''s something more like what happened with Marius at the outpost."


    Greta flipped the folder shut and squinted her eyes in thought. "That makes sense when you think about it, because Graeme and I canmunicate through touch and we are still lycan. I don''t think you have anything to worry about when ites to seeing the thoughts of others."


    August nodded uneasily. She never wanted what happened with Marius and Violet to happen again anyway, but it was good to know just in case.


    "We still need to find out how they tagged you, assuming they already have, and if we can do something to reverse it. It would be much better if you can practice whatever abilities you have without alerting them so that you can flex when the timees," Greta went on.


    "Flex?" August repeated.


    "Yeah, you know¡ªuse your badass skills to put little shits in their ce like me," Greta chuckled.


    Augustughed with her, recalling how Greta had such impressive strength for such a small person. "Speaking of that¡­ what happened at the bonfire? Who did you get into a fight with?" she asked.


    "Oh," Greta''s eyes went wide and she looked back down at the folder in her hands.


    "What?" Augustughed. "Why won''t you tell me?"


    "I kind of got into a fight with Violet," Greta admitted.


    "What?" August gasped. "Oh Goddess, that is so embarrassing," she covered her face with her hands.


    "She should have never approached you like that. It wasn''t even an actual fight. Violet is barely even lycan when ites to anything physical, but then her bitchy little friend stepped in, and I had to take care of her, too," Greta mumbled. August groaned.


    "And then there was Lucas," Greta continued.


    "What?!" August flung her hands down and gaped at the harmless-looking girl in front of her. "You got into a fight with Lucas, too?!"


    "He made some stupidment. I don''t even remember what it was now, to be honest," Greta shrugged and looked out the window.


    Augustughed before her mouth went back to hanging open in shock. "So you got hurt because of me?"


    "Hurt? What makes you think I got hurt?" Greta screwed up her face in question.


    "You had scratches on your face," August replied.


    "Do you see them now, sis?" Greta turned her head side-to-side beforeughing. "You don''t have to worry about me."


    August sighed heavily. After imaging Greta out there defending her against Violet and Lucas, she groaned again.


    "You''re wee," Greta smirked.


    "Thank you," August replied. "But please don''t do that again."


    "If someonees after you, they''re going to have me to deal with. That will never change," Greta raised her eyebrows defiantly, and August couldn''t help but chuckle. She shook her head.


    "Was there something you were going to tell me before?" Greta asked.


    "Oh, yeah there was," August replied, looking down at her hands ufortably. "Something happened that I haven''t told anyone about. It scared me, and I didn''t understand it. I didn''t want to worry Graeme or-or scare him. But after reading all those horrible stories from the council about alyko, I think you should know. Just in case maybe¡­" August trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.


    "What is it?" Greta asked, and she reached out to grab August''s hands in reassurance.


    "That night when I took that heaviness from Graeme? You know, like you told me not to?" Greta nodded to the question. "Before he got home that night, I had walked through the woods. I was seeing everything¡ªthe Veiled¡ªand I was following this crow that seemed to be guiding me. It felt safe. It felt¡­ natural to be out there," August shrugged.


    "I found this creek where I could literally see Graeme¡ªlike a ghost of him. In the past. I crossed the creek¡ªwell I fell into the creek actually¡ªand then the crow ushered me under this ancient tree. There was a cave under its roots¡­"


    "I know the ce. I know the tree you''re talking about. You were there?" Greta asked in shock.


    August nodded slowly. "I went in and¡­ and then all of the sudden I was back at the treehouse. At the base of the tree. I don''t remember anything else. I don''t know what happened."


    After admitting the events that had seemed nothing more than a dream, they suddenly became more solid in August''s mind. More realistic.


    "Greta, do you think I''m¡­ bad? Am I a danger to Graeme?"

 Chapter 102 - Not Bad

    "No, I know you''re not bad," Greta reassured August. "Please don''t let yourself think that. And you heard what Charlotte said earlier. Even if you are alyko, you aren''t bad. Okay?"


    Tears started to fill August''s eyes again, and this time she didn''t fight them. "I don''t want to hurt him, Greta," she said, and her eyebrows pinched together as she looked down at their sped hands. "I don''t want to hurt him, and I don''t want to hurt the pack. There is so much expected now, but I''m terrified that the elders are right about me. What if they''re right about me?" Her eyes became wide with terror as she looked back up at the peach-haired girl in front of her.


    "The elders are ignorant old men who will not admit their mistakes for fear of losing power. They know nothing about you," Greta answered.


    "But what happened to me under that tree, Greta?"


    "That is a good question. But we''ll figure it out, okay? You don''t have to carry this mystery alone now. We''ll figure it out together," Greta nodded reassuringly and squeezed August''s hands. "One thing I do know, August, is that you are not bad. If you are a danger to anyone, it''s to those damned old men who don''t want anything to change," she added with a smirk.


    One side of August''s lips turned up in a smile, and she nodded along with Greta.


    "You need to tell Graeme though. It''s not a good idea to keep things from your mate. He needs to know what''s happening so he can help you. You two make each other stronger."


    "You''re right," August sniffled. "Thank you, Greta."


    "You''re wee, sis," Greta smiled. "Should we go find the men? I think they''re making s''mores, and chocte can only help us at this point," sheughed and rose from the window seat for August to follow.


    "Did you find anything useful?" Sylvia asked as August and Greta came to join them around the bonfire.


    "Seeing thoughts is not something August needs to worry about in regards to the little light on Andreas'' board," Greta answered.


    "On the map you mean?" Graeme corrected for Greta to roll her eyes.


    "Yes the map," she snapped.


    "You seem more sensitive than usual tonight, sis. And emotional," Graeme replied with a mischievous smile ying on his lips. "Is everything alright? Is there something you want to tell us?"


    Greta''s mouth dropped open. "Sam! You told him?! How could you do that without me?" She groaned and hit Sam on the arm.


    Sylvia and August looked back and forth between everyone, confused.


    "I''m sorry!" he eximed. "He asked me to be his Beta to take back power in the pack, and I just thought he should know¡­"


    "Well you said yes, didn''t you?!" Greta interrupted.


    "Of course!" Sam flinched away from her with a cautious smile, anticipating another hit. "I just wanted him to know that you and our baby will alwayse first."


    "What!" Sylvia gasped, and August''s mouth dropped open. Sylvia ran to embrace her son and Greta, happy tears escaping as she shrieked excitedly about being a grandma.


    August felt the joy light them all up, and sheughed along with them, at one point catching Graeme''s eye as Sam, Greta, and Sylvia were all huddled,ughing and crying, in a group hug. Like her, Graeme was beaming with happiness for them. When he turned his gaze on her and she saw the joy overflowing there, she was swallowed by it.


    Graeme, in his white t-shirt that hugged every deliciously powerful inch of him, had be emotional at the thought of his sister and Sam having a baby. August''s cheeks grew warm at the beauty of this mate of hers as he sauntered over to her, beaming with happiness.


    He didn''t say anything as he approached, just pulled her close so that she was wrapped in his aura and his heat, and then he kissed her. It was soft and sweet¡ªa chaste kiss¡ªbut with his hands running down her arms before resting on her hips and then tugging her softly toward him, nothing was chaste. Every touch was the kindling to a roaring fire just beneath the surface.


    He tucked August into his side as he turned to watch the three others and the ball of happiness they had be. Sylvia was kissing Greta on the cheeks and rambling on about herbs and vitamins.


    "Greta will be an amazing mother," August said, chuckling at the scene before her.


    "Yes, she will," Graeme agreed.


    Once Sylvia loosened her hold on the soon-to-be parents, Graeme and August walked over and exchanged hugs with them as well.


    "Congrattions, sis," Graeme whispered deeply next to his sister''s ear as he hugged her. "I''m so happy for you and Sam. You''ll be the perfect mother. Just like ours was." Hearing this, Greta hugged him tighter.


    "Thank you," she whispered back, her voice breaking. "I''m afraid, Graeme."


    He pulled back and looked at her intently. Sam and August were busy talking excitedly with Sylvia a short distance away. "What are you afraid of?" he asked her, searching the dark eyes that matched his.


    Greta''s eyebrows dipped, and she looked down before responding. "I''ve lost one before. It''s happening to so many of us now," she whispered, still avoiding his eyes. "I don''t want to have to go through that again. We were going to wait to tell anyone for that reason¡ªnot that it was something we would have been able to hide for long."


    He squeezed her arms that he was still holding. What could be the cause of something like that? "What can I do?" he asked.


    She chuckled. "Nothing. This is something you can''t fix," she smirked and met his eyes. "If there was something to do, I would do it. I just don''t know what''s causing it."


    "Well you could start by not getting into stupid fights for no reason," he answered, and she rolled her eyes.


    "That has nothing to do with it. Are you talking about the bonfire? That wasn''t for no reason. Besides, that was before we knew," she replied.


    "So you literally just found out?" he asked.


    Greta nodded. "You didn''t scent it, did you? That should tell you how early it is." She was right¡ªhe hadn''t scented a difference in her like what was typical with females who were expecting.


    "Was it the bonfire?" he wiggled his eyebrows.


    "No. Probably a few weeks before," her cheeks quickly seemed to turn a darker shade of red than what would be caused by the firelight alone.


    "Are you blushing?" he teased.


    "No," sheughed.


    "Well, let me know when you need something I can help with. Okay?"


    She nodded.. "Of course I will."

 Chapter 103 - Means To An End

    The rest of the night at Sylvia''s was spent eating gooey marshmallows and melty chocte and sitting around the fireughing and discussing happy, hopeful things about the future. Sam and Greta were still visiting with Sylvia when August and Graeme rose to give hugs before leaving.


    It was strange driving through the pitch ck woods with the artificial light of the car''s headlights. August doubted there was anyone else on packnd driving home in the dark. Everyone else was likely relying on their lycan night vision or running home on all fours if they were out thiste.


    Graeme had a rxed, peaceful energy radiating through him that August could feel, no doubt because of the wonderful news. He was going to be an uncle. It was so unexpected. She was happy for them all. But for some reason, the revtion that Greta and Sam were going to be parents made August feel like more an outsider. The news felt like something she could only really appreciate by looking in on the rest of them, whilst everyone else was ovee with something that would change their lives forever.


    "Can I ask you something?" she nced at hers and Graeme''s hands that were intertwined as they drove.


    "Of course," he looked at her with that same warmth as always.


    She took a deep breath and held it before continuing. "When you found out Violet was pregnant¡­" she started, and then she felt everything in him immediately stiffen. His grip on her hand became tighter, and she let out the breath she had been holding. "Were you happy? Were you happy like everyone was tonight?"


    "Can we wait to talk about it until we''re back at the treehouse?" he asked, retrieving his hand from hers and putting it on the steering wheel.


    August looked around at the dark forest that surrounded them. "Why?"


    He blew out a breath, and suddenly the road became bumpier as he pulled off into the woods and put the car into park before turning off the lights. He continued to stare out the windshield for a few moments before he turned to her.


    Her eyes were wide in the darkness, because she couldn''t see as clearly as he could. There was a small spike of fear that he scented from her, and he found her hands again to hold in his own.


    "We were 16," he said, and then he found it necessary to clear his throat. "We had been friends, and things just progressed from there." August shifted away from him in her seat, whether she was conscious of it or not, and he gripped her hands tighter in response.


    "We were just having fun, I thought. I hadn''t thought about anything long term. I hadn''t even thought about her like that at all until she¡­" he cleared his throat again, "until she made it clear that''s what she had in mind." August was holding her breath, and he had to raise his eyes to scan her before continuing. He was hurting her, dammit.


    "Did you love her?" he heard her now timid voice reach out to him.


    "Would it make me a horrible person if I said no?" He asked in return. She sighed.


    "I was young and stupid. When she told me she was pregnant," he swallowed, recalling how he had turned cold¡ªsuch a huge contrast to Violet''s proud, beaming face. "I realized what I had done. What a huge mistake I had made. She might have thought she loved me. She might even think she still does, but she cares about appearance more than anything."


    Graeme gritted his teeth, recalling how Greta told him she overheard Violet bragging to her friends about how she was going to be Luna one day. And that was before she and Graeme had even started seeing each other. If only Greta had told him sooner how different Violet''s behavior was around people when he wasn''t around.


    "To answer your question, no. I wasn''t happy. And honestly, I feel terrible about that. I felt terrible at the time. But I knew it wasn''t right for us," he muttered.


    "But I thought the Moon Goddess doesn''t make mistakes," August whispered, looking into her hands.


    "It''s moreplicated than that, my love," he answered.


    "Is it?" she whispered back, unconvinced.


    "Are you questioning us?" he asked, his chest tightening. "Should I have told you about this before¡­ before everything? Would it have changed this between us?"


    "I''m not questioning us," she shook her head. "I can''t," she chuckled. "You are part of me. I just¡­ I''m sorry. It''s hard. It''s hard knowing that you created a¡ªa baby with someone else. With her," her eyebrows threaded together and she swallowed hard, looking into the darkness of herp where the vividness of Violet''s memories had started to flicker to life. She closed her eyes, willing them away. But it hurt. She couldn''t help it.


    "I wish it didn''t bother me. I''m sorry," she sighed. "I feel like I''m outside all of this, looking in. This is your life and these are your people. I''m just some crazy experiment that showed up one day." She chuckled.


    "Don''t say that," he scolded her and grabbed her chin, tilting her face up to meet his eyes again. "You are not just some experiment. You are the reason why I have returned. You are just as much a part of what is happening here now as I am."


    "Maybe I''m just a means to an end then," she suggested.


    "August," he scolded again. "You are my mate." His words were deep and deliberate.


    "Don''t talk or think of yourself as anything less. You are only on the outside if you allow yourself to be. I want you next to me every step of the way. If you''re not¡­" he ran a hand over hair, and her eyes fluttered closed with the soothing calm that flooded her at his touch. "If you''re not by me, next to me, as my equal¡ªas my, my best friend¡­" her eyes slowly opened to find his. His best friend? She like the sound of that. Her eyes pooled when she saw how his glittered with emotion in the moonlight.


    "If you''re not with me, it would hurt me greatly," he whispered, deep and gruff.


    "I don''t want that," she shook her head.


    "Good," he replied, a small smile ying on his lips before drawing her into a soft kiss.

 Chapter 104 - I Approve

    "They''re leaving," Damon said the next morning when Graeme came to meet him in his office.


    "Eliade?" Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together in a severe scowl.


    Damon nodded.


    "Are we sending anyone to keep an eye on them?" Graeme asked.


    "Just one scout in case they decide to return. We''ll probably keep one on rotation in the Grimm near Eliade for the foreseeable future," he responded, fixing Graeme with a re that indicated how much he med him for the situation they had to deal with now. Damon crossed his thick arms, the cords of veins there bing more visible.


    "I approve," Graeme replied, his voiceing out deeper than usual as he red back.


    Damon was arge guy, but Graeme wasrger, and the physical size of both men became apparent as they stared each other down¡ªGraeme from his position standing in front of Damon''s desk and Damon sitting behind it. Eventually Damon diverted his eyes to the window.


    "You ran the perimeter yesterday?" he asked. "Find anything unusual?"


    "No. Everything is secure. The runners do well," Graeme said.


    "They are young. They enjoy it," Damon answered. "Andreas mentioned having an office arranged for you, so I had the guys make room for you across the hall. Do you approve of that?"


    Graeme smirked at the sarcasm. "It will do."


    All of the revtions at Sylvia''s the night before, specifically his conversation with Sam about taking back the pack, the news of his sister''s pregnancy, and the realization about how many issues the pack had been dealing with while he had been gone, had given Graeme the determination to own his dominance in the pack going forward.


    It wouldn''t be an easy path, and he wasn''t sure exactly what it would entail just yet¡ªthere were so many factors currently at y with Eliade, the elders, the alyko, and Goddess knows what else¡ªbut he was going to walk it one step at a time. There was a vision now to focus on in the distance as he did, one that included his mate and honored his parents and Maggie.


    Once Graeme had lingered long enough to fill Damon''s office with that very resolution of dominance, he sauntered over to the office that they had arranged for him. It had arge window overlooking the front of the pack house where he could see the pond with morning light glittering on its surface.


    There was no apparent excuse at the moment to follow the scout offnd and find Penelope. He was going to have to wait for the opportunity to present itself, but something told him he wouldn''t have to wait too long. The problem was that he was eager to get her reaction to the alyko map and find out exactly what her motivation was for working with Eliade.


    After staring at the desk in the middle of the room thinking of all of the ways speaking with Penelope could uncover vital information he did not have, he walked out to go find Zosime. Maybe, with as fast as that girl talked, she would let something important slip.


    "Graeme," Damon called after him from the door of his office. "How would you like to make sure the mother gets home without any detours?"


    Graeme stared at Damon who was leaning back on the doorframe. Seeing that August''s mother went back to the midwest would take more time than what he had hoped, but it would give him the opportunity he was after.


    "I''ll do it," he replied. Damon waved him in to go over the details.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August spent the morning researching art project ideas for the pups to do on herptop and trying to arrange ns for each lesson. The problem was that there was just so much she wanted to do with them right away.


    Young Alexander mentioned that he was interested in graffiti, and August had started thinking about other examples of urban intervention art that would likely interest more of the pups as well. What was exciting and fun about urban interventions was that they were always surprises for onlookers¡ªwhether they were googly eyes affixed to everyday objects or sh mobs in a busy public setting or some kind of whimsical structural design. They were sometimes also activist in nature, using clever visual elements toment on things happening in themunity.


    The inherent challenge behind creating urban intervention projects for the pups was that they weren''t in an urban environment. They were surrounded by dense woods in most ces, and it probably wasn''t a good idea to bring something like what she had in mind to the more public spaces on packnd just yet. It would take time to gauge how anything like that would be received by pack members, which was one of the most important considerations.


    With these challenges in mind, she turned to what could be done with the wilderness that surrounded them. There was an article she recalled reading about an artist who had spent an entire year in the woods somewhere creating what were essentiallyrge, whimsical designs using nothing but branches and other natural elements from his surroundings.


    After a little bit of searching, August found the artwork she had been thinking of. ording to the write up on the project, therge woond sculptures were made using only cables and things like twined branches and other surrounding organic material. This was something she and the pups could do.


    While doing something like drawing would be more practical as an art introduction for the pups, she doubted it was something that would get them all excited the way this would. It might even bring more pups in to join than had originally nned on participating. And since the weather was going to get cold soon and less easy to work in, now was really the most opportune time until spring came.


    All that she needed was a little bit of material and a lot of imagination. She grabbed her phone with a huge smile on her face and texted Greta her idea along with the link to the woond intervention article. The pups were going to love this.. She couldn''t wait to get started.

 Chapter 105 - One Truth Revealed

    Zosime was alone with Andreas in his office heating water for blooming tea. The continued absence of Marius was slowly wearing away Andreas'' stoic exterior, and she hoped the tea would calm him for the conversation he had called her for.


    Even Zosime was curious about what had caused Marius to disappear. No one had an answer for it, and there was no trace of the man who was once the most formidable lycan in the pack.


    While the water heated, Andreas paced behind his desk muttering to himself and stopping asionally to flip through papers. Graeme was now a growing concern. Damon had phoned Andreas to tell him about the new resolve their young would-be Alpha now seemed to be disying this morning, which meant they were teetering on the brink of Graeme taking power.


    If Graeme stayed in the pack house or even on packnd much longer with that posture of dominance, the pack members would fall in line with him like dominos. He needed Graeme out of their fur long enough that the human girl''s downfall could be arranged.


    If the elders could reveal Ms. Cady as a threat rather than a promise of renewal, then they could chip away at the confidence everyone instinctively felt for Graeme. And with others doubting Graeme, he would hopefully return to doubting himself.


    There was also the issue itself of Eliade rooting around nearby. It made Andreas'' skin itch. Eliade was abandoning their search for now, but there remained a chance that they would return. They would never actually find the lycan territory, he knew. The hatred for the witches was strong among the elders, but the security of their centuries old witch-made border stood the test of time.


    Still, having an entity like Eliade sniffing so close put Andreas on edge. Not to mention that there was a witch within Eliade''s ranks¡ªspecifically a powerful Winter. The Winter witches. Andreas groaned to himself and raked a hand down his face.


    But it didn''t matter. He hated the Winters, but no Winter¡ªno witch, regardless of how loathsome or powerful they were¡ªwould reveal other lycans to humans or even to other creaturemunities. Andreas knew this.


    Penelope may be working with Eliade in some capacity, but it would never be with full disclosure about where her abilities came from. And it would never be detrimental to lycan kind. There was no benefit. It would initiate war¡ªwar between humans and lycans, war between lycans and witches. And if the witches were anything, it was loyal to their heritage and to their roots. To a fault. Andreas snorted. They were bleeding fucking hearts is what they were. That''s what made them such an easy target.


    In fact, a decade ago when the elders had decided to remove Derek and Genevieve from power in order to pursue an opportunity that aligned with their own interests, Pearce was the one who was skeptical that the witches could be framed for the Alpha and Luna''s deaths.


    There was prejudice against the witches because they were without wolves, sure. They were even feared in many cases because of the remarkable abilities they held that no regr lycan could understand, but the witches were never violent. They rarely caused any problems at all. On the contrary, everything they did was to help their lycan counterparts. And, above all of that, they were beloved and protected by the Alpha and Luna. Why would the witches be behind a plot to kill them?


    But Andreas'' argument was that the fear of the alyko witches would win out over logic, particrly following the immense fear and panic that being without both an Alpha and Luna would cause. And he ended up being right.


    The elders probably could have avoided the drama of burning the used, because that trauma seemed to still linger amongst the pack¡ªeven though many participated in the frenzy of hate surrounding it. But it had been done to stoke that fear and hatred, and they just had to deal with the horror that remained. In the wake of the event, it was a clean te for their kind. Or at least that was still the goal.


    Andreas emerged as a kind of savior, and Pearce had been less likely to question Andreas ever since, securing Andreas'' authority among even the elders. Auden just followed along like he always did.


    Since that time, Andreas had enjoyed being what amounted to interim Alpha of the Hallowell pack. He didn''t have the strength. He didn''t have the Goddess-given power in his very words to make the pack members submit like Graeme would, but he had his reputation as the one who saved the pack from the traitorous witches amongst them and avenged Genevieve and Derek Hallowell.


    But Andreas wasn''t so removed from the people not to realize how the pack had been hobbling along ever since. It set his teeth on edge. That the very witches who were responsible for the Alpha and Luna''s murders, ording to the elders'' well-crafted history, could leave such arge, aching hole made Andreas resent them more, if that were possible. Even the witches deaths couldn''t fully alleviate him from the magical sway they had on the people¡ªhis people.


    This restlessness and yearning for the witches who had passed and for their Alpha and Luna wasn''t something Andreas knew how to address. All he could hope for was that the absence of witches amongst his people would eventually mean they would be forgotten or ttened between the pages of history¡ªa history in which they were not even written.


    But Graeme''s human mate threatened that. Graeme threatened that. And now the proximity of an organization like Eliade with a Winter witch in their ranks made everything that much more tenuous.


    Andreas growled to himself. No, it didn''t matter. Penelope Winter was not a threat, and neither was Eliade. If the elders could just take care of the human, the shadow of Eliade looming over them would disappear.


    Eliade had no awareness of lycans, and it would stay that way. Right now, the purpose of the human virus was to reduce the human poption and strengthen a select few¡ªno one was looking for mythical creatures or the source of folklore. No one was looking for a lycan pack in the forest.


    The scientists believed in science¡ªin the gic variability and diversity they hade to find among their own species. That''s what witches like Penelope were to them¡ªsources of diversity. Human diversity. No virologists or Eliade researchers were searching for monsters. They were seeking to create them.


    Instead of worrying about Eliade, Andreas had to keep his focus here¡ªon the fucking human. On Graeme. On bringing them both down.. Somehow.

 Chapter 106 - Him

    Zosime cleared her throat, and Andreas'' eyes refocused on the room. The young girl was standing there with a ss teapot that held a fully bloomed brilliant yellow flower.


    "Yes, Zosime. Thank you foring. Anything further on the results form Miss Cady''s gic analysis?" Andreas asked.


    "Since I gave you the reportst night? No, nothing further," Zosime tilted her head curiously with a small smile on her lips. She already gave him the results. What did he really want?


    "I see," his voice was low as he studied the forest out one of therge windows. "Nothing unusual has happened of its own ord yet. At least nothing that has been evident or reported," his mind wandered to Marius'' disappearance again.


    "Given your confidence in her alyko-like genes, we need to see what she is capable of, but it has to be seamless, Zosime. It can''t appear to be initiated from our side. We asked your team for potential triggers from her past."


    "Yes, sir. And we found some for sure. I have a few ideas for how they could be implemented for our purposes, and I can almost guarantee it will bring out the most extreme reaction she is capable of right now," there was an eagerness in Zosime''s response that didn''t escape Andreas.


    To Zosime, it was as if all of this were a game. It likely had to do with her unusual origins, of which Andreas was fully aware, and the unique intelligence and passion it had given her for projects like this was indispensable. But, even with the reassurance that she was loyal to him and him alone, the darkness from which she came always gave him pause.


    He had no reason to distrust her. He had been given assurances and guarantees. But there was always that unsettling darkness that he sensed lurking just behind her eyes that kept him from appreciating her fully as had been her purpose. She was a gift¡ªa terrifying gift that he had not fully unwrapped yet, and he nned on keeping it that way.


    Zosime watched Andreas anxiously. She had been waiting on the elder''s word to initiate an experiment like this, but she knew Andreas was concerned that her eagerness would cloud her judgment. He had no idea the precision she was capable of. If she had the right team, she could execute anything given the order.


    While the elders were not incapable of taking drastic steps when appropriate, they were far too slow in her opinion. Variables could change. Opportunities could be lost. Like how Graeme had already marked his human mate¡ªthat surely could have been avoided.


    The elders thought both Graeme and his mate far weaker than they actually were. But hopefully now Zoe would have a chance to speed things up¡ªget some experiments going to see what kind of exciting reactions would follow. She was practically salivating with the opportunity.


    Andreas looked at the young girl carefully.


    "The time is indeed upon us for something like that," he said slowly. "Graeme is leaving packnd today. We must do it while he is away."


    "Today?" Zoe repeated excitedly.


    "Yes, it was necessary to create an opportunity for us. Thankfully he has agreed," Andreas took a sip from his tea as Zoe''s eyes lit up.


    "And how long will he be gone?" she asked.


    "It is unclear. He is tasked with making sure Ms. Cady''s mother returns to her home rather than linger in the area. The mother had a flight scheduled, but I have arranged it so that she must drive instead. The drive back to Wisconsin is¡­" Andreas squinted at theputer on his desk, "twenty hours."


    "It will depend on how fast August''s mom travels home," Zoe pointed out. "We could have anywhere from¡­ three to five days given Graeme''s return time. Maybe longer. Will you send someone with him?"


    Andreas shook his head. "I don''t see the need. That will give you enough time, will it not?"


    Zoe groaned internally at the old man. Of course there was a need to send someone with him¡ªor at least to tail him. Oh well. This was Andreas'' show. It would be amusing to see how his decisions yed out.


    "It depends on how many of my ideas we decide to implement, but it will definitely be enough time for a few of them," a small smile curved on her lips.


    "Tell me what you need, and it will be done," Andreas replied.


    "I''ll need actors loyal to you. A mated couple for one. And a pup for another," she said, pouring tea for herself and rxing back into one of the leather chairs.


    Andreas nodded and set his tea cup down to fold his hands in front of him. "And if either is sessful? Given her genome, will your¡­" Andreas pped his hands in front of him, searching for the term, "¡­ your treatment work on her?"


    Zoe tilted her head like a curious puppy. "And what is the point of that? You don''t n on keeping her around."


    "Containment," he snapped. "In the interim. You think I can just resolve all of this in mere days?"


    Zoe batted hershes innocently. "Have you not called to arrange a solution for her yet?"


    "No, of course not. I need to know precisely what we are dealing with first. To ry the information for one, as He will want to know the specifics, and also to choreograph a departure for them both that is not traumatic for the pack. What happenedst time cannot happen again. The pack is still¡­" he harrumphed. Why was he bothering to exin all of this to her?


    "If she disys as a witch, I know how to handle it. I will call. I will arrange it. The issue is if she does not. I don''t know if that solution will still be viable. I don''t want to be indebted to Him if I can help it," he mumbled.


    "Surely it would be worth it in this case," Zoe batted hershes with the cloying smile that she disyed so well. He could almost imagine her being the innocent young girl that she seemed to be on the exterior.


    "That would be entertaining for you, wouldn''t it Zosime?" He asked now, fixing her with a re.


    "I do admit my intrigue. How can you fault me for it, Andre?" she giggled. "Besides, I am right. There is no other solution if you wish to retain the power you have grown ustomed to. Unless you bring Eliade into the fold, whichplicates things considerably. No one wants to deal with humans."


    Andreas sighed. "I have grown tired of your advice now, Zoe. Do your job.. I will get you what you need."

 Chapter 107 - Leaving

    "You''re leaving right now?" August scrambled up out of bed where she had been lying with her sketchbook, drafting out ideas for the woond sculptures she nned on introducing to the pups tomorrow.


    "It''s sudden, I know," he groaned. "I''m sorry. This is probably the best chance I will get to speak with Penelope. It could clear up a lot of questions we have."


    "No, it''s okay. It''s just unexpected," she said quickly. She padded over to where he was pulling clothes from his closet and throwing them into a bag.


    "I don''t want to leave," he paused his packing to let his thoughts run over all of it again. This was not ideal, but he knew it must be done. He had to reach out to Penelope and find out what, if anything, she knew about this map. She may also be able to give him some insight into what was going on with August since she was working with Eliade.


    He turned to August with an apology in his eyes. "I don''t want you to leave either," she said with a soft smile, "but everything will be okay. If this is the opportunity you need, then you need to take it. This is all going toe together somehow."


    Rather than answer, he pulled her by the hand until she was against him. Her arms naturally found their way around him as he held her there, tucked under his chin where she was safe. He sighed and ran a hand over her hair. Why couldn''t she just stay tucked against him, safe like this, all the time? He feared he was destined to fail, destined to lose her like he had lost so many others.


    "Stop with those thoughts, Bun," she muttered against his chest, and he chuckled. "I can feel it. Stop. Everything is going to work out. You have to trust me."


    "I trust you, Little Red. I trust you. It''s just everyone else I don''t trust," he mumbled above her.


    "There are people worthy of your trust. Just start there," she said.


    He sighed. "I have to get going. I hate how rushed this is, but they will be out of the Grimm soon, and I need to make sure I catch up to them before they leave."


    "Okay," she replied and reluctantly pulled away from him. "I wish I could see you in action¡ªrunning through the woods." A smile bloomed on her face imagining it.


    "One day, Moon," he smirked. "I''ll take you to Sam and Greta''s before leaving. They already know what''s going on. It will be safer than staying here alone. Is that alright?" his voice was gentle and searching as his eyes danced across her face.


    "Of course. Greta and I can braid each other''s hair, watch romanticedies, catch up on pack gossip," she grinned.


    "I would like to see that," he chuckled.


    "How long will you be gone? A few days?" she guessed.


    "It could be more like four or five," he replied, his eyebrows pinching together as he grabbed the bag.


    "Oh," her eyes went wide. "Just to talk with Penelope?"


    "There are a few other things they are having me do while I''m gone," he replied vaguely. He still couldn''t bring himself to tell her about her mother. She would worry, and he couldn''t do that to her right now. He would tell her eventually after everything died down.


    As if sensing his thoughts, she tugged lightly on his shirt. "Is it anything I should worry about? Will you be okay?" She swallowed hard, pushing down her own anxious thoughts that had started to creep up. He wasn''t being sent into a trap of some kind was he? Could she trust this mission that he was on? "Maybe I coulde with you?"


    "To Eliade, my love?" he asked, an amused smile spreading over his features. "I will be okay. I''m not just a cute and cuddly wolf, remember?"


    August squinted as if she was trying to remember such a thing. "I guess I''ve only seen the cuddly version who likes belly rubs," she smirked.


    "I wish we had time for a belly rub right now," he growled lightly and pulled her in to a kiss. With the thought that they would be separated now for several days, the kiss quickly turned deeper until all that existed was the ces where they aligned and that silky, delicious warmth where they could enter and be entangled.


    Graeme pulled back reluctantly. "I have to go," he whispered against her lips with his hands tangled in her hair.


    "I know," she sighed and ran her hands down his chest, feeling the rigid curves and angles that were sculpted so perfectly under his shirt. "What are these muscles called?" she asked as her hands spread and ran along his sides, following the way they angled from his ribs down toward his stomach. An image of how those long, solid parts of him flexed as he twisted and moved over her shed in her mind¡ªhow his power was used so delicately with her in those intimate moments.


    "Obliques," he muttered, shivering under her touch. "Are you trying to get me to stay?" he groaned.


    "Will it work if I am?" her mouth curved into a smile.


    "Yes," he replied without hesitation, and she could see the grimace that meant he was trying to control himself.


    "Oh dear. I better behave then," sheughed softly against him and backed away, taking her soft warmth with her.


    He watched her without moving, a shimmering regret in his eyes that he had to leave, and she felt it tug on her¡ªluring her back toward him so that they could remain safe and together, though she didn''t follow. She cleared her throat and made herself look away, lest she use that sway over him to get him to stay.


    "Can Greta juste get meter? I have to make sure I have everything for the pups tomorrow, and I should probably pack a bag, too," she said, scanning the room¡ªlooking everywhere but at the man who was her maic north, pulling her always to him.


    "No," he answered. "Let me see you safely there.. I''ll wait."

 Chapter 108 - Older Traditions

    "Hurry back," August murmured into Graeme''s chest as they lingered in front of Sam and Greta''s house. He was still so quiet, like it was taking all of his concentration to remember why he must leave.


    She could feel how he was hesitant to let her go, and she looked up to meet his dark eyes that were so open and vulnerable with her. "Please be careful," she whispered, the memory of Jonathan chasing her through the forest now ying in her mind.


    "I will, Moon," he assured her, and he bent to tug gently on her bottom lip, creating a jolt of electricity that ran down her body and made her shiver.


    "Bun Bun," she murmured, and she felt his arms stiffen before he started tickling her side mercilessly. "Stop! Graeme!" she managed betweenughs. "I just meant I brought Bun Bun forpany." He growled before pinching her side onest time, enjoying the uninhibitedughter that escaped from her and fell around them.


    "I''ll miss you," he mumbled as his bright smile slowly fell into a thoughtful one, and he pulled her against him again. "Don''t do anything dangerous while I''m gone," he added.


    "Dangerous? Me?" she scoffed. "You either, okay?"


    He didn''t answer but kissed her instead, and finally when he allowed himself to pull away, he watched as his human mate and the gravity of his entire universe disappeared safely into his sister and Sam''s house. Greta leaned out of the door and gave him a wave. Graeme nodded his head in response before turning to the trees. There was someone there waiting in the shadows who he needed a final word with before leaving.


    "It''ll go by quickly. Don''t worry," Greta squeezed August and took her overnight bag before giving her a short tour of the house. "It''s actually crazy that you haven''t been in our house yet," Gretaughed, setting down August''s bag in the spare room across the hall from where she and Sam slept.


    "It is, isn''t it?" August agreed.


    "We should go shopping for Samhain while Graeme''s gone. It''s only a few weeks away, and everyone in the pack dresses up. It''s a lot of fun. Want to do that today?" Greta asked with a gentle smile. "Maybe it will help take your mind off of Graeme leaving."


    August doubted anything short of a lobotomy would do that. There was already an ache deep in the center of her chest like something was being pulled away¡ªas if she could feel him getting further away from her.


    The aching sensation only increased as the day went on. They were walking toward the market when August groaned and ced a hand over her chest. "Is this normal?" she asked Greta. It felt like a physical manifestation of sorrow¡ªwhen the emotion is so overwhelming, it physically hurts.


    "Unfortunately, yes. The first time you are far apart is the worst. It feels wrong," Greta grimaced, recalling the feeling the first time she and Sam had been apart like that. She had followed Graeme off of packnd when he left, trying to get him to reconsider¡ªtrying to get him to stay and work with the elders the way he was intended. "It will get better, though. Hang in there."


    "So what do we wear to this thing?" August asked, imagining a sea of intimidating faces in another intimidating room at the pack house during this next full moon. Maybe she should dress as a witch and make it easy for everyone.


    "Are you familiar with Samhain?" Greta tilted her head in question.


    "I''m familiar with Halloween," August stressed.


    "Ah, well, this will be much better. The roots of our traditions, at least, are deeper and more meaningful," she grimaced and cut a look toward August. "No offense," she said.


    August chuckled. "How dare you? You don''t think costumes and trick-or-treating or lighting jack-onterns is deep enough?"


    Gretaughed. "Well I suppose the Halloween traditions stem from Samhain as well. But they feel like different holidays to me. Halloween is like the new, young, cool great great great grandchild of Samhain. The older traditions that Halloween grew from have beenrgely forgotten."


    "I imagine Samhain didn''t revolve around loads of candy," August smirked.


    "No. And don''t get me wrong, there are a variety of traditions. Ours has evolved in its own way as well from the original Gaelic festival ," Greta said thoughtfully. "There were children and the less fortunate who would go door-to-door to be given food or soul cakes, which I believe is where the modern trick-or-treating came from."


    "Wow, I didn''t realize that. What are soul cakes?" August asked, tilting her head in curiosity.


    They had entered the market and were now walking amongst the vendors and other pack members. August smiled at them as they passed, and a strange feeling began pricking her chest as she did. It was that same area where she ached for Graeme, but this felt different¡ªlike invisible little strings plucking the air around her, and the vibrations they made resonated deep inside of her chest.


    An almost giddy feeling bubbled up into her throat, and she found herself beaming with joy for no reason¡ªlike she had been told the most wonderful inside joke and now theughter threatened to erupt out of her. What in the world was happening?


    "Are you okay?" Greta stopped and turned to face her with a bewildered look.


    "Yes," August said softly, worried that she might suddenly beginughing like a crazy person.


    "What is it? You look so happy all of the sudden," Greta whispered, an amused smile spreading on her face.


    "I can''t exin it, Greta," August replied, looking around at the market, "but it feels really good to be here with everyone. It''s like we''re all connected somehow, and I can¡­ I can feel it."


    Greta studied her silently for several moments with a thoughtful smile.


    "What are you smiling about?" August finally asked when Greta didn''t say anything.


    "Nothing, Luna," Greta replied before turning to continue their walk.

 Chapter 109 - Costumes

    "I wish you wouldn''t call me that," August said softly as she walked next to Greta through the market.


    "You will have to get used to it eventually. And I imagine you will if you keep having feelings like the one you are having now," Greta chuckled.


    "Is that¡­ are you telling me that''s a Luna thing?" August asked.


    "I wouldn''t know. I''m not Luna," Greta winked at her.


    "But¡­" August started before her brows furrowed and she stared into the distance, considering all of it.


    "Is it that difficult to believe? You are mated to my brother. Stop doubting yourself, August. For all of our sakes," Greta mumbled.


    August felt scolded at that, and she frowned. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to doubt myself or your brother."


    "I know," Greta sighed. "Don''t worry about it. It''s all still so new. I don''t me you."


    They walked a bit longer before arriving at the front of a dress shop. "Dresses?" August''s eyes went wide.


    "What did you think we would wear?" Gretaughed.


    "Costumes of course," August replied.


    "Well, costumes can mean different things. Like Halloween, Samhain was often considered a liminal festival where thresholds between worlds could be breached. It was once thought that portals between these worlds would thin and be permeable so that things like spirits and fairies could pass from the otherworld to walk amongst us. Fairies would snatch people to take them back to their world. And once the portals closed after Samhain, those taken would be trapped," Greta exined.


    "So to avoid that, people started disguising themselves. But it was always very simple. Even just turning a jacket inside out was sufficient. It became much more borate for Halloween," sheughed. "We keep it simple here. We still often wear masks, but since no one dresses formal here ever, this is one of few nights we do. I doubt the fairies would recognize us lycans all dressed up," sheughed again before stepping forward to enter the dress shop.


    "Is there anything else I should know about it? Any sacrifices or ghosts of the dead returning?" August asked with a small chuckle as they entered.


    "No, of course not. It''s just fun," Gretaughed.


    "Will the pups be there?" August asked.


    "Oh, yes! They will. It''s something they very much look forward to. But it''s usually a bit moreid back with the pups. There will be a separate area at the pack house for them to enjoy something more simr to the Halloween you are used to¡ªbobbing for apples and goofy stuff. Why do you ask?"


    "I just thought masks would be a fun project for the kids to work on. They can design their own. We could do paper mache or something," August thought aloud.


    "Oh, I like that idea!" Greta eximed.


    "Just wait until we get back to the house. I want to show you the sketches I made for the woond sculptures project I texted you about. I want to start that with them tomorrow and see what kind of ideas they have for it. It will be a pretty long project, but maybe we can have more than one project going simultaneously. I was also thinking about doing separate lessons for the few are into photography. Do you think that''s too much?" August asked as Greta began searching through racks of dresses.


    "No, I think we could make all of that work. It just depends on how much you want to do. If you don''t think it will be too much for you, I''m sure there will be pups interested," she answered. "What do you think of this one?" Greta pulled a ckce dress from the rack.


    "It''s beautiful," August answered. "Can''t go wrong with ck."


    "Is it too boring?" Greta asked.


    August was about to protest when a young woman approached them. "Would you two like to look at some dresses I have kept aside? I imagined the Hallowell women would visit me at some point."


    "Oh, yes! How thoughtful of you, Lauren," Greta replied. "All of your dresses are so beautiful."


    "Thank you," Lauren curtsied happily and turned to lead the way to a back room.


    On the way, Greta turned to August. "Lauren designs and sews all of these dresses by hand."


    "That is incredible, Lauren. You are so talented," August said.


    "Thank you so much," the girl beamed. "It''s something I have loved doing since I was a pup. But now I get to dress strong, beautiful women instead of my little dolls," Laurenughed. She presented them with a rack of dresses that had been kept from the main floor. "You can try them on back here if you''d like. I will close the door behind me," Lauren smiled politely, leaving them.


    Greta pulled a simple red satin dress from the rack and draped it in front of herself, giving August a questioning look. "The peach hair is a bit of an obstacle isn''t it?" she asked.


    August giggled softly. "I love it actually. You look very anime."


    "Is that a good thing?" Greta raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes. Very sexy," August giggled.


    "Try it for you," Greta suggested.


    "Eh," August said, taking the dress. "I''m not feeling it for me. It is a little too¡­ um, red."


    "What''s wrong with red?" Greta asked.


    "Attention," August answered simply. "Lots of attention."


    "But you are our future Luna, sis," Greta said. "Attention is going to happen whether you want it or not. It might as well be for wearing something stunning like this," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing August to giggle.


    "That''s okay," August said.


    Greta groaned. "Okay, let''s find something you''refortable with."


    All the dresses were breathtaking. August had noticed something unique and special about each of them, and now knowing that the young lycan out front had made them all by hand, they seemed even more magical. This hidden ce in the forest continued to surprise her.. It seemed so surreal that she was here.

 Chapter 110 - Found It

    As August continued musing about the remarkable ce she found herself in, the absurdity of shopping for a formal gown in the midst of everything struck her, and she thought about her mother. About all the people she hadn''t seen since running from Jonathan in the forest that day. She was secluded in a forest with mythical creatures shopping for a dress while her family¡ªwell, some of her family¡ªwas mourning her absence.


    Her mom had to be beside herself in despair. Despite n, her and her mom had always been so close. They were more like sisters than mother and daughter. She felt tears start to sting her eyes¡ªall of these emotions were made that much more difficult with Graeme now being gone. His presence always seemed to alleviate the turmoil that would swell, but now he was gone¡­ August sucked in a breath and turned to Greta.


    "So how does this work? Is there no money here?" The need to busy her mind with something else had her finally asking the question that had been nagging her.


    "Oh¡ªno. Has Graeme not exined it?" August shook her head. "Everything works as barter. Even with packs that aren''t our own. And there are many¡­"


    August froze, stunned at the idea of many more packs. How many? Where? She swallowed the questions down, her eyes wide.


    "Uh¡ªbut I have never bartered with anyone¡­" She grimaced with guilt. Had she wronged the people who had been so kind to her in the market before?


    "No, not for our family¡ªthe Hallowells have full ess to everything, which of course doesn''t mean we take advantage of it or anything like that. But due to the history of our family as leaders, it''s tradition. My mom and dad and every Alpha and Luna going back throughout the generations¡­ their service is seen as payment, even for generations toe."


    August''s face contorted. There was no way not to feel guilty about this. "But I''m¡­ I wasn''t part of that long tradition."


    Greta whirled to face her. "You are Graeme''s mate. You are one of us. When pack members offer you their goods or services, it means it is an honor to them. To reject their offer or to insist on bartering in some way would unsettle them."


    "Okay." August thought back, hoping now that she hadn''t identally offended anyone.


    "We all help each other regardless. I am a healer for anyone who needs or wants it, and I don''t ask for anything in return. It''s like you with the pups. You need to allow yourself to feel your worth here to everyone, August," Greta added.


    "Everyone here does what they love, what they are interested in, and it benefits the pack or it benefits lycan kind on arger scale. In some cases, it even directly benefits humankind. It''s notmon to find a lycan who is unhappy with their chosen path," Greta exined as she continued searching the dresses.


    August thought about Woody and ra''s handwoven clothing, Sam and Jack''s farm brewery and pup training, Mama May''s pizzeria, Sylvia''s reiki, Finn''s work for the council¡­ everyone seemed perfectly suited for the work they had chosen. And they all were happy doing it and sharing it with others.


    "Oh! I found it!" Greta gasped, pulling a gorgeous strapless shimmering gold gown off the rack. "It matches your eyes."


    August was speechless. "I-it''s beautiful," she stuttered. "But¡­ um¡­" she scanned the gown, realizing how closely it would fit. It would leave little to the imagination, but the sleeves that extended as a sheer cape at the back with the hand-applied glitter detail and embroidery made her heart swell. It was truly breathtaking.


    "I can tell you like it," Greta observed. "Show it off, girl. Graeme may be fighting the urge to strangle every male there, though," she winked.


    Greta and August tried on the two dresses Greta had picked out, and there was no denying that the red and gold were perfect. August tookfort in the fact that both dresses had the same mermaid fit, so she wouldn''t be alone in how closely the material would be hugging her body. She was also pleased to observe how radiant Greta looked next to her.


    "You are glowing, Greta," August smiled and watched how Greta''s face lit up in response.


    "You think so?" she asked shyly.


    "Yes. How have you been feeling?" August asked.


    "I''m actually starting to get a little nauseous in the mornings. That''s usually a good sign, but I''m trying not to get my hopes up," she answered, and August saw her smile fall.


    "Why is that?" August asked.


    "We were pregnant before. We lost it in the first trimester," she replied quietly.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry," August said.


    "If everything goes better this time, I might actually be showing in this dress," Greta giggled and turned to observe herself from the side.


    "Already? How far along are you?" August asked, stunned. Greta wasn''t showing at all right now, and Samhain was only a few weeks away.


    "A little over a month from myst period," she answered. August''s confused expression caught her attention. "Oh, right. You''re human," she giggled. "Our pregnancies are the same duration as humans'', but our babies grow faster in the first trimester. The final trimester is mostly spent developing the lycan qualities that allow us to shift."


    "Oh, I see," August replied. Her discussion with Graeme about a baby returned to her thoughts, and she gulped. She was overjoyed for Greta and Sam, but she wasn''t ready for anything like that yet. It was terrifying. "Will there be another fertility ritual at Samhain?" She asked hesitantly.


    "No, not this time. Samhain really has so much tradition to fit in, a typical full moon ritual would not work well. It''s been a long time since there was actually a full moon on the same night," Greta exined. August breathed a sigh of relief. "You know you don''t have to participate in those, right?"


    August nodded. "Okay, that''s good to know. It was definitely a surprisest time."


    Greta chuckled. "Well you handled it well. Don''t let the thought of it bother you."


    Once they had changed back into their regr clothes, they returned the gowns to Lauren. "I''ll have the alterations der this week," she assured them. "Would you like to pick out the masquerade masks today as well? I have some that will match your dresses nicely."


    "Did you handmake these as well?" August asked, admiring the feather,ce, and glitter details of each.


    "Yes. They are so much fun," Lauren smiled. "I look forward to Samhain all year."


    "They are beautiful," August replied. She chose a mask with an borate ckce design that fit over the face and had arge plume of ck and gold feathers adorning one side while Greta chose a simple redce mask to match her dress.


    "We should help each other get ready that day. What do you think?" Greta asked as they left the shop. "We don''t want the guys trying to convince us to change, right? We''ll surprise them," a glint of mischief yed in her eyes.


    "That sounds fun," August agreed, now beginning to share in the enthusiasm for the uing festival.. It was something to look forward to amidst all the uncertainty.

 Chapter 111 - Rental

    Graeme watched as August''s mom arranged a rental car at the airport. With her flight being canceled, the airline had made her an offer that was difficult to refuse¡ªa free rental car, reimbursement on her flight, and a free round trip ticket that she could use to return to Eliade anytime she wished. Since August was still missing, she had opted to take the offer so that she could return again without n causing a fuss about the expense of another ne ticket.


    Damon had already told Graeme that she would driving, but he didn''t realize it was due to a canceled flight. A muscle feathered in his jaw as he wondered wether Andreas had anything to do with it.


    Once he heard the number of her rental spot, he hurried to the lot and attached a GPS tracker he had gotten from Finn. Thankfully it was maic, so it simply attached to the underside of the car with little trouble. The GPS unit synced with his phone so that he could do the job the council had given him without needing to be in the rearview of August''s mom''s car the whole way.


    He chuckled remembering the conversation he had with Finn after he left August at Greta and Sam''s. Finn begged to tag along with him to follow August''s mom home. Graeme almost felt bad telling him no when he saw the way Finn''s shoulders sagged in disappointment¡ªthat was until Graeme gave him another mission. He asked Finn to keep an eye on August while he was gone.


    "Don''t be obvious about it," Graeme told him. "Stick to the periphery so she isn''t aware you''re watching her, otherwise she''ll probably try to convince you she doesn''t need your protection."


    "Yes, sir," Finn responded with the most serious expression Graeme had ever seen on him.


    "If anything happens, call me right away. Understand?" Graeme asked for Finn to nod emphatically.


    "You have my word, Alpha. I won''t let her out of my sight. And she won''t even know I''m there."


    "Greta and Sam know you''ll be around, so don''t worry about your scent," Graeme added.


    Thankfully Finn was one pack member Graeme knew he could trust without question. His loyalty to Graeme had always been tantly obvious, and no one had thought to give him a hard time or keep him out of the council for it since he acted like such a goofball half of the time. He was like a puppy, following others around and yipping excitedly about everything that caught his attention.


    Once Graeme watched August''s mom drive away, he returned inside for his own rental. His trip was going to be much faster than hers. He nned on driving straight through to August''s hometown and settling a few other unrted issues before returning to Eliade to speak with Penelope.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once night fell and August had settled in Sam and Greta''s guest room, there was no conversation or activities to distract her, and her attention turned to the night sky out the window. What was Graeme doing right now? Was he sleeping outside? Was he safe somewhere? Was he in his wolf form?


    One side of her lips curled up slightly imagining therge, furry wolf that magically appeared before her a few times now. His dark, familiar eyes. His long, soft dark fur. She would give anything to have him resting in the same room as her right now¡ªin human or wolf form, it didn''t matter.


    Why was there so muchfort even in Graeme''s quiet presence? The soft, even breathing of him nearby that lulled her to sleep. She sighed, longing for the treehouse and for the man who had be her home.


    ''Goodnight, Bun Bun,'' she texted and smiled, waiting for his outraged response. He couldn''t tickle-punish her while he was gone, so she was going to take advantage of it. But a red exmation mark appeared next to the text bubble indicating that it couldn''t be delivered. She groaned. She couldn''t even text him?


    Instead, she grabbed the stuffed rabbit from the bedside table and tucked his floppy little body into her chest. "I miss you Bun-Bun. I wish you were here with me. Please stay safe," she prayed into the darkness. "Moon Goddess, if you can hear me, please keep my mate safe." Tears welled in her eyes with the words, and she squinted her eyes close against them.


    But rather than falling to sleep, her thoughts continued to wander. What was her mother doing right now? Was she thinking of her and wondering what had happened to her? The ambiguity of having a child disappear without any closure or answers had to be one of the most agonizing experiences a parent could go through. Guilt nagged her for it, and she wished she could somehow reach out to her mom and let her know she was all right.


    Realizing sleep was unlikely toe, August got out of bed and sat on the window seat with Bun-Bun watching the calm of the dark forest. There was no artificial light here to drive away the darkness, and somehow she had already grown used to it. But tonight seemed darker.


    Propped against the wall with her legs curled against her, her eyes had grown heavy when a sudden loud rustling shook the trees across the yard. There was some kind ofmotion happening in the shadows, and her body went rigid with the realization that something was out there.


    She held her breath, squinting to see if she could make anything out. But the disruption was over just as quickly as it had started, and she wondered if she had imagined it.


    Letting out a sigh, her eyes slid to the clock near the bed. It was 2:30 am. There was no way she was getting sleep tonight. Would it disturb Greta and Sam if she went downstairs for water? She contemted it for several moments before deciding to go for it.


    Once she descended the stairs as quietly as possible, she went to the kitchen and filled a ss under the sink''s tap. Everything seemed peaceful as she drank her water and watched the wilderness outside the kitchen window.


    "August?" a deep voice surprised her, and she jolted backward against the counter, clutching the ss in her hand.. The house was so dark that she couldn''t see who the voice belonged to.

 Chapter 112 - Something Bad

    "Are you okay?" there was movement in the living room, and finally August focused on a shape resting on one of the sofas.


    "Oh, Sam, you scared me," she let out a breathyugh and set the ss down.


    "I''m sorry," he said, shifting to a sitting position on the sofa. "You can''t sleep?" he asked in a raspy voice.


    "No. I''m sorry. I-I didn''t expect you to be down here," she exined. "I just came for water."


    There was silence until Sam finally spoke again. "He will be okay, August. He is the strongest lycan I know."


    August smiled in the dark. "Okay. Thank you. It''s just¡­ harder than I thought," she said quietly.


    "Trust me, it''s hard for him too," he replied, and August could hear the empathy in his voice¡ªthat there were times when he had been separated from Greta. He understood this feeling.


    August let out a deep sigh. It shouldn''t give herfort that Graeme was somewhere struggling with this feeling just like she was, but for some reason it did.


    "You need to be strong for him," Sam''s voice suddenly broke the silence again.


    "Okay," she replied. It was all she could think of to say. Was he scolding her?


    She saw the shadow of Sam run his hand over his face as if he was considering what else should be said. Maybe her presence was stressful. She was here in his home¡ªand for some reason he was sleeping on the sofa rather than next to his mate.


    "You''re not an outsider here. Maybe you need to hear that," he mumbled as if to himself. "You need to be strong for Graeme, your mate, but¡­ You also need to be strong for us. If you can do that, you will have endless loyalty and support from those around you. Nothing can match the strength and loyalty of a lycan pack. It''s a family. You are our family now, August."


    August stood frozen, gaping at the darkness from where Sam''s words hade. Quiet, calm Sam. She had never heard him talk so much. And wasn''t he just asleep?


    A new gratitude and warmth started to prick and bloom in her chest. But lining that reassuringfort was the sharp edge of expectation¡ªan immense pressure that also made her uneasy, because she knew so little about her own specific ce here.


    Right now her position was so ambiguous. Could she possibly be what they needed? What was really even expected of her here? What strength could she provide?


    "Thank you, Sam," she heard her quiet words answer. "I''ll head back up," she said after a few moments. "Oh," she remembered, pausing her steps. "Something was out there¡­ in the trees. Did you hear it?"


    Sam let out a short grunt in reply. "Nothing to worry about," he mumbled before lying back on the couch.


    August''s eyebrows threaded together, but she returned to her room without another word. Sam was lycan¡ªhe obviously knew when to worry about mysterious noises in the forest.


    The following day, August jolted up in bed. She had finally fallen asleep at some point, and now the sun was again shining with all of the optimism of a bright, warm autumn day. It would likely be one of thest of the season. She checked her phone for any texts from Graeme, but there weren''t any.


    ''Good morning, Bun-Bun,'' she tried, only to receive another red exmation point. Ugh.


    But the sun rising today meant she was one day closer to seeing Graeme, and today she had the pup''s art lesson to distract her. They would get to start working on the forest sculptures, and she couldn''t wait to see their responses to the project. She knew little Alexander would be into it, but hopefully the others would be interested as well.


    Greta had the pups meet them at the warehouse. Six long tables were set up with chairs on either side in case more pups decided to show up in the future. Today, nine were present, which was one more thanst time. But Lily still hadn''te. Maybe she and Greta could stop by her house and talk to the family at some point.


    "Let me exin a little bit about this project we are going to begin today," August started before exining the concept behind the sculptures that would be made with branches and other organic found material. She showed the pups the sketches she had made of possible designs they could do in their surroundings and exined the type of things they would need to look for.


    "Okay, since there are nine of you today, why don''t you split up in groups of three and make some sketches of your own, and then we''ll go out and find some good spots to practice. Sound good?" Excited yips responded.


    August watched as the pups split up with sketchbooks and started talking excitedly.


    "This was a great idea," Greta observed. "It looks like they are really interested so far," but as she spoke, she covered her mouth like she was about to get sick.


    "Oh no, Greta are you going to puke?" August asked. Greta had been queasy earlier in the morning, and it looked as if the nausea was still bugging her. August retrieved some crackers they had brought along. "Will crackers help?"


    Greta shook her head while keeping her hand over her mouth. "I just need some fresh air. I''ll be outside." August watched her exit out the door where sunlight was streaming in.


    Over the next ten minutes, August walked around to see what the pups were sketching and offer suggestions. They hade up with ideas for everything from creepy looking stick dolls hanging from trees to arge spider web stretched between trunks to an ambitious spiraling portalrge enough that people could walk through.


    "These are wonderful! I think you are all ready. Should we go try this out?"


    A chorus of excitement met her, and she watched as the pups ran and skipped out the door where Greta had exited.


    "Miss August," Isaac tugged on her sleeve. He was the newest one to show up today, and it seemed he was happy he did, given the enthusiasm his team had for their project.


    "Hey, Isaac. What is it?" She asked.


    "I know a really good spot, but it''s not by the warehouse. Can my team go that way?"


    "What makes it so much better than a ce closer to the warehouse?"


    "It''s a ce where something bad happened.. Our creepy hanging dolls would be perfect there."

 Chapter 113 - Change Of Plans

    "What bad thing happened?" August asked Isaac, goosebumps beginning to prick her skin.


    "It''s where the witches were burned," the young boy answered with a smirk on his face.


    August felt her arms go cold. There was a dark glint in Isaac''s eyes as he studied her for her reaction.


    "What I love about that suggestion," August started, "is that it takes into consideration something important that happened in themunity. That''s what urban interventions in cities are all about. It''s like the artwork enters into a conversation with the surroundings."


    August took a few more moments to think about how something like this could actually work beautifully¡ªthe pups could make their creations surrounding that spot as a kind of memorial to the alyko who were murdered. It was possible that the project would raise a few hackles in the pack for those who were against the alyko, but then again it was unlikely others would see the forest sculptures unless they specifically went to that spot. And everyone was telling her she belonged here, that she needed to be strong for the pack, that she needed to feel her value. There was value in this.


    "I love the idea, Isaac. It''s brilliant," she said with a smile and patted him on the shoulder before following the others out the door. Isaac watched her, dumbfounded.


    "Alright kiddos, listen up!" August called to the pups who were spread around gathering twigs and bark. "Isaac had a great idea, so we have a slight change of ns. We are still going to make your amazing ideas into a reality, but we are going to move them to surround the ruins where the alyko were¡­ taken back to the Moon Goddess."


    Some of the children''s eyes went wide. "You mean where they were killed?" Bear asked while raising his hand.


    August nodded her head with a gentle smile. "We''ll use the project as a memorial for them. It will make what you create that much more special."


    "Can we change our sketches?" Plum asked.


    "Sure¡ªif you think of something else you would like to do that suits this better, you can certainly change them," August answered. Plum gathered with the two other girls in her group and started whispering.


    Greta slowly stood from where she was resting against the building and gestured for August toe over. "I''m not so sure that''s a good idea," she whispered.


    "Why?" August grimaced, wondering now if she should reconsider. Would it be traumatizing for the pups? What had happened to the alyko back then was something they would not have personally experienced, but she couldn''t be sure what they had heard or been told by their families.


    "Well¡­" Greta started, but every objection that came to her mind seemed to be fueled by her own fear or fear of stirring up objections in the pack. She looked back at August whose pupils had be erged as she nced around their surroundings before zeroing in on something in Greta''s chest. "Don''t do that," Greta said suddenly.


    "Don''t do what?" August''s eyebrows pinched together in question.


    "Don''t¡­ look into my heart," Greta stammered.


    "What?" August breathed augh, but then she watched as Greta tucked the cardigan she was wearing tightly around herself as if covering herself from the cold.


    "I wasn''t," August murmured and averted her eyes with a pained expression. "That wasn''t my intention. I''m sorry you''re worried about it. I was just gauging the pups'' reactions to what I suggested," she cleared her throat and scanned the pups again. "I think this could be good for them and for the pack. And it works perfectly with the concept of the project."


    She heard Greta exhale, and when she turned to get her reaction Greta seemed to be searching the woods for something. "I may have to stay here. I''m still really nauseous, I''m sorry. But if you trust the pups to take you, you can go. It isn''t too far."


    August smiled in triumph. "Will you be okay here, though? I don''t want to leave you if you''re not feeling well."


    Greta nodded, her face still looking pale. "I"ll be fine. At least I''m sick for a good reason." She gave a weak smile, and August squeezed her arm.


    "Okay, we''ll be back," August reassured her. "Who''s going to show me the way?" she asked as she made her way back to the pups.


    Greta was right¡ªit wasn''t too far of a walk. As Isaac led them through the golden glow of fallen leaves, the pups talked excitedly about the uing Samhain celebration.


    "I was thinking we could make masks for Samhain. What do you guys think?" August asked.


    "How would we do that?" Plum asked.


    "Oh, I could make mine a unicorn!" Alice eximed.


    "I want to make a unicorn, too!" Clementine said.


    "You can''t copy!" Alice objected


    "Mine will look different," Clementine answered.


    "How would we make masks, Miss August?" Plum asked.


    "I want to do a skeleton!" one of the boys ahead of them called.


    "There is a process called paper mache where you basically sculpt the mask out of paper dipped in a kind of glue. The paper gets hard and really sturdy, and then you can paint it," August exined.


    "It sounds pretty easy," Plum said thoughtfully.


    "Can I make a lion?" Alexander asked.


    "Why would you want to be a lion when you''re a wolf, dummy," Isaacughed.


    "To be something different. Lions are so tough," Alexander answered. "Have you every heard a lion roar? Wolfs don''t roar like that."


    "Lycans are the toughest of all creatures," Isaac answered.


    "I don''t know about that. What about vampires?"


    "Oh! I want to be a vampire! Or maybe an alien!" Bear said.


    "Maybe you should be a bear," Isaac replied.


    "Very funny, Isaac."


    "You can make all of those things with paper mache. And Isaac, be nice," August said.


    Isaac scoffed in front of them, but he remained quiet. August watched the bright auras of the children hum around her, and for the first time it felt perfectly normal being here. All she needed was a bunch of pups absorbed in their own innocent lives to keep her mind off of all the rest of the madness. She could pretend she was one of them¡ªgoing on a little adventure in the woods equipped with only a sketchbook and her imagination.


    The shadow of a memory from Suicide Forest niggled at her mind, but she pushed it away.. This part of the forest was bright and happy, and she was far away from Eliade.

 Chapter 114 - Cottage

    As August and the pups continued walking through the woods, they began to hear the sound of running water.


    "There''s a creek near here?" she asked, wondering if it was the same creek that she had crossed when she followed the crow.


    "Yep! We''re almost there!" Alexander called from ahead, and the girls around August began jumping giddily with excitement.


    After one more small hill, August paused in awe. Just ahead was the creek, and two beautiful stone bridges crossed it to the ruins of a little cottage covered in ivy. Each bridge crossed at opposing sides of the cottage and appeared to lead directly into it¡ªone to the front door and the other to the rear, though the rear entry was obstructed by the forest''s overgrowth.


    Like the bridges, the cottage was also madergely of stone, as much of its exterior appeared unaffected by the fire. It still stood, though what little August could see under the ivy that crawled uninhibited up its side looked ckened. The arched front door had clearly been made of wood, as there was little left of it but arge gaping hole to the darkness of its interior.


    It was still charming after all that had happened. August could imagine how happy of a ce this had been. Graeme and Greta would have loved this home of Sylvia''s in their childhood, she had no trouble imagining it.


    Rising above the entryway was a pointed dark red roof that the ivy hadn''t quite ovee yet, and below it was a small wooden door to the attic with a circr window. The fire must not have burned long enough to reach it. It was sweet¡ªit beckoned to be explored by little ones with big imaginations.


    "Okay," August exhaled and looked at the pups around her. "Now it''s time to spread out and look for the materials you will need for your sketches. Then we can decide on a good cement for each of them before getting started."


    As the pups dispersed, August looked again at the bridge thaty in front of her and the darkness of the cottage that beckoned. She wanted to explore it, but she wasn''t sure she should.


    "Ours is easy. We just need small sticks to make the figures. You guys have seen The ir Witch Project right? Like that," she heard Isaac''s voice nearby.


    August walked to the small group of boys that consisted of Isaac, Bear, and Sage. They were all sitting on the ground around the sketchbook. Sage and Bear were looking at Isaac with wary eyes, but they didn''t protest to Isaac''s n. He had a considerable amount of aggressive energy, and they seemed to be submitted to it.


    "Isaac? Did everyone give their input on this design?" August asked as she gestured toward the boy''s sketch.


    "Well Sage doesn''t talk," Isaac replied.


    "People talk in more than one way. You just need to know how to listen," August said gently. "You know, I don''t think this idea is really appropriate for the location. We don''t want people in the pack to be afraid."


    "Why not?" Isaac asked with a scrunched face.


    "Well," August started and tilted her head in thought, "it''s hard to move forward with persistent fear. Rather than looking at what happened here with fear, don''t you think it would be better if we try to help people heal? Maybe even give them hope for a better future?"


    "With sticks?" he asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.


    "They''re not just sticks after you create something with them. That''s what art is about. It bes something else¡ªit takes on a deeper meaning. And you decide what that meaning is," she answered. "Now why don''t wee up with another design that everyone agrees on. What kinds of things could you make that would make people smile or give themfort?"


    The boys looked at each other. After a few moments, Sage scooted the sketchbook around until it was facing him, and he drew a star made with five sticks that were tied together. It was a simple design just like the creepy figures Isaac hade up with, but it conveyed something much different.


    "Oooh nice. I like it," August smiled.


    "Why is that so much better than what I came up with?" Isaac crossed his arms.


    "It''s not that it''s better, Isaac. It just gives a much different meaning. What do you think of when you see a star like this?" August asked. Isaac shrugged.


    "I think of the sky and the universe," Bear said.


    August nodded her head. "Definitely. What else?"


    "Wishing?" Bear added.


    "Wishing on a star, sure," August replied. "And wishing gives us hope. I think of how we are all made of stardust," a little glint shed in her golden eyes as she said this. "Every single one of us. And that is pretty magical, don''t you think?"


    Sage and Bear nodded while Isaac kept his arms crossed tightly against his chest.


    "I think of your eyes," Sage said in a small voice, and everyone turned to him, surprised. Even Isaac''s eyes widened. "Luna''s eyes."


    The littlement from Sage was so sweet and unexpected, August wanted to hug him, but she felt her cheeks go warm instead. "Oh, yes," she giggled. "My eyes."


    Once she realized all three boys'' eyes were on her again, she stood to leave them to talk it over. "If you have all decided that''s what you would like to do, the next step is to find sticks that will work for it. The stars can be different sizes, but in order for one star to work, the five sticks that make it will need to be about the same length. Okay?" They all nodded before she walked away to find the next group.


    The girls¡ªClementine, Alice, and Plum¡ªhad decided to do arge sun that stretched between two trunks and was made with sticks andrge pieces of bark for the sun rays. "Weren''t you originally thinking of a spider web?" August asked.


    "Yes, but we changed it to a sun. It''s happier," Clementine exined.


    "Lovely. I see you have started to gather the materials for it. Great! Let me know when you need the cord to tie everything together," August smiled.


    Alexander, Fern, and Sawyer decided to create arge portal, but they were having trouble with where to ce it.


    "Wow, this is going to be a big project for you three," August said.


    "Is that bad?" Alexander asked.


    "No, not at all. What do you think about making the portal so that you have to walk through it to get to the bridge?" August asked.


    "Yeah," the three agreed excitedly.


    "Okay, I think the best thing to do will be do get some of the materials. Once you have enough to get started, then you can begin creating the first part of the spiral."


    "Thanks, Miss August," Alexander said happily before the three darted off into the woods to look.

 Chapter 115 - Incidents

    August and Graeme are excited to announce a CHRISTMAS MASS RELEASE! On December 25th (U.S. time), all my dear readers get a special gift in the form of 8 chapters that day. Yay!


    If you haven''t seen the event on WN yet, you can view the books that have been invited to the mass release under "Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!" For every 30 minutes you read of one of the books listed, you receive a Christmas cracker to y.


    Happy reading and happy holidays to all! <3


    ***


    Driving from Maine to Wisconsin was beautiful but boring as hell. Graeme just wanted to get there, do what he intended, and get back so that he could speak with Penelope and return to his mate. But unfortunately he wasn''t gifted with flight or teleportation or anything else that could make the time pass more quickly. Even speeding was not helping as much as he would like.


    Thankfully the little red dot on his phone that tracked August''s mom kept moving in a predictable path. Otherwise he may have to backtrack to check on her. He prayed that wouldn''t happen. He needed all the time he could get. August''s mom had stopped the first night in Buffalo, New York, but she started back on the path home the following morning, albeit slowly.


    While Graeme was determined to drive straight through without any stops, the final four hours had his eyelids turning heavy. He wasn''t used to driving long distances. When he tracked strays, he typically did it in wolf form, because that''s how strays traveled. But eventually coffee after coffee, loud music, and the brisk autumn wind whipping through the car revived him enough toplete the drive without pulling off to the side of the road for a nap.


    The timing worked out perfectly, because just as he passed the "Wee to Wisconsin" sign, he received the text he had been waiting for.


    ''Located the second one,'' it said.


    ''Great, send it through,'' Graeme texted back.


    ''You owe me, man,'' the final text bubble read before it was followed by an address.


    Thankfully, this one was also in Wisconsin. He feared one of them would have moved across the country, but apparently neither was ashamed enough of their pasts to run. They had both stayed close to home. Graeme''s hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles went white.


    There were things he was good at, and this was one of them. He had honed his skills tracking strays and dispatching them for various offenses, and he had seen a lot of horrible things during that time¡ªlycan strays who had mutted humans, who had murdered entire families sometimes, but he had never seen the aftermath of r*pe. It didn''t seem to be something even strays did when they freed themselves from the confines of pack life.


    Or maybe he just hadn''t seen it. R*pe was one of those things that, despite its violence and the horrific toll it took on its victims, somehow bled into the earth and disappeared from view. The offenders were free to continue on, perhaps even believing that what they did was eptable, while the victims were made to carry the weight of those memories silently. Alone. But the earth they walked held the truth soaked into its soil.


    Graeme exhaled, breathing out the heavy knowledge of what had happened to August when she was so young and unable to stop it. His mate. Those men had vited her¡ªhad touched her, had fucking imed her against her will. There was no way they should still be breathing. He growled as even the ghost of an idea of what she had been through swept his thoughts.


    His phone pinged again with an iing text.


    ''I know you didn''t ask, but that wasn''t thest incident for either of them. The charges were dropped each time¡­'' Another three photos came through with police report after police report that named new victims each time, and Graeme mmed his hand against the steering wheel.


    "Fucking bastards."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August was helping Alexander''s group start the spiral of their portal design that looked like it would end up rising over seven feet high when Bear ran to her in a panic.


    "What is it? What happened?" she asked, seeing that he was panting and his eyes were wide.


    "Isaac fell through the floor," he said.


    "Through the floor? You mean in the house?" she asked, her voice rising. He nodded and ran across the stone bridge toward the entryway to the cottage. He stopped and waited for her by the door, and she turned back to the pups she was helping.


    "Keep working on it," she said quickly before darting off behind him.


    "Miss August!" Fern called after her.


    "Stay there! It''s not safe!" August called back. Fern turned to the two others in her group with her eyebrows pinched in concern.


    "Isaac?" August called out once she reached the threshold of the cottage where the old wooden door was ck and hanging crooked on its hinge. There was no answer.


    "How do you know he fell through the floor?" she turned to Bear who was standing nearby, appearing too frightened to go inside.


    "I heard him calling out, and he said he fell," he answered, his chest still heaving softly.


    "Okay, it''s going to be alright," August replied and put a hand on his shoulder forfort. "I''m going inside, but I want you to stay here in case it''s dangerous. Okay?" Bear nodded. "Make sure no one elsees in."


    August stepped through the doorway. The interior of the cottage was damp and smelled of mildew, but there was somethingforting about it. One would imagine the burned ruins of a horrific event like what happened here would leave a terrifying echo, but instead there seemed to be a quiet sadness¡ªlike the house was grieving.


    "I see. You feel forgotten," August whispered as she stepped carefully over the stone floor.


    The Veiled came gently to her eyes, and in the darkness with only slivers of sunlight breaking through holes in the roof, it resembled the quiet radiance of the forest¡ªonly the green mist world contained within these walls was stagnant and unmoving. There wasn''t the busy vibrance like that which hummed around her out under the trees where life was in constant motion¡ªalways persistently thrumming. Here, that life climbed the walls and embraced the past lovingly while keeping it hidden and preserved.


    A loud groan sounded from somewhere below her.


    "Isaac?"

 Chapter 116 - Another Way Out

    "Isaac?" August called into the darkness. She heard another groan. "Are you okay, buddy?"


    She walked carefully forward wondering where he had fallen, because below her the floor seemed to be solid stone.


    Past a small room that contained the remains of two chairs, a stone firece, and a stairway in the far corner, she entered what had once been the kitchen. There wasn''t much left of it, but therge porcin sink and stone countertop still remained.


    Shelves were carved into two of the stone walls where dishes were still nestled protectively, and ivy had prated through the one small broken window that looked out onto the forest in the back. A charred ck wooden ind stood¡ªbarely¡ªin the center of the room.


    August tried to piece together what she knew of the events that urred here, but it didn''t fit well in her mind. How had the alyko died here? The interior of the home was charred, but it wasn''t significant enough to indicate mass murder. Perhaps the alyko were bound. Yes, they must have been tied up and left before the fire was started.


    What a cowardly way to go about it¡ªnot that there was a good way. But her memories of witches being burned in film and dramatic reenactments were of the deaths being on disy for all to see¡ªas if the witnessing of the death was a kind of exorcism of evil for all who were present. Confirmation that the bad had been eradicated.


    This was true for stonings and hangings as well. There was an element of spectacle to it. The witnessing of the killing was instrumental in the casting out of what was perceived as evil. But this was different. There seemed to be shame involved¡ªas if they did not want to watch what they were putting into motion.


    Another¡ªlouder¡ªgroan echoed up through the room, and August followed the sound to a small gaping opening in the wall. She hurried over to it.


    "Isaac?" she called down, peering into the dark shaft within the wall. It looked to be a dumbwaiter, which was odd for such a small cottage. But sure enough, the opening ran up to the second floor as well as down to a lower level.


    "Hold on, kiddo. I''ming," she called again, though when she looked for the rope to pull the dumbwaiter up, it was dangling, unattached. It looked like Isaac had been ying in it, and the rope had snapped. She cursed under her breath. There was no way to get down to him that way without falling.


    August scanned the kitchen again for another way down. There must be a staircase to the basement somewhere, but she didn''t see one. There was no door other than one leading out to the back and another that she hade in from. Maybe there was a cer door in the backyard¡­


    A high-pitched scream rose from the dumbwaiter that had August gasping and running to the wall again with every one of her hairs standing on end.


    "Help! Help! There''s something down here!" He screamed with such conviction that she found herself climbing into the hole as every rational thought flew out of her head.


    August braced herself with her back against one side of the shaft and her shins and hands against the other, attempting to lower herself to Isaac that way. It almost seemed possible until she slipped and caught herself, now awkwardly positioned to keep herself from sliding further.


    Great. Now she was stuck. And unless someone came to help her, there was only way out of this.


    When Isaac screamed again, she panicked and lost her grip and before she knew it she had hit the cold dirt floor below.


    "Ah," she groaned. Something had crunched unnaturally in her ankle, and the pain rocked her, but she scrambled up on her hands and knees. "Isaac? Where are ya buddy?"


    He was whimpering somewhere in front of her, and she crawled blindly toward the sound until finally her hand found him. He flinched at the contact.


    "It''s me. It''s me. You''re okay," she said reassuringly, drawing herself next to him and wrapping an arm around him protectively.


    One of her hands instinctively searched¡ªrunning over his head to feel, to reassure herself, that he was in one piece. When he realized it was someone familiar who had found him, Isaac clung to her whilst continuing his whimpering.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t know," he cried. "I''m sorry."


    "Shhh. It''s okay," she said, trying to reassure herself as well as him, because right now she couldn''t see anything. There was no light in this space below the kitchen.


    As August looked around the darkness of the basement, she again opened her vision to the Veiled for whatever good it would do. There was a deep huffing noise from a distant corner, and Isaac squealed and shivered against her. She shushed him, patting his quivering form that seemed to be willing itself to burrow into her.


    "What''s making that noise?" she whispered.


    Several more deep huffing sounds resounded, and she tried as best as she could to sense what it was. Whatever it was seemed fearful of their unexpected intrusion, and it sounded massive in size. Big lungs were huffing out all of that air.


    "Does it smell like garbage to you?" she asked quietly.


    "What?" Isaac whimpered fearfully.


    Loud breathing interrupted them as therge body it belonged to shifted, and Isaac flinched.


    "We just need to find another way out," August thought aloud.


    "There is no other way out," he whimpered again.


    "How do you know?" she asked.


    "It''s boarded up."


    "But whatever this thing is got in here somehow," she countered. "And not by the dumbwaiter."


    After a few more moments of whimpering, she felt Isaac pull away from her. "Follow me," he said.


    "Isaac," she hissed, but she followed as he said. He was moving on all fours along a wall away from the sound.. August followed him, her hands finding the small disturbance of air that his feet left with each shuffle forward.

 Chapter 117 - Its Not A Wolf

    Isaac continued crawling forward in the darkness with August following him. The huffing had be more agitated, and one particrly disturbed growl sounded as if it was making its way toward them.


    "It doesn''t sound like a wolf," August whispered.


    "It''s not a wolf," Isaac confirmed.


    Finally they arrived at what felt like a doorway, and Isaac moved upward over damp stone stairs toward what were miraculous slivers of light above them. His hand pounded against the wood nks that were secured over the cer opening.


    "Help!" he cried. "Help us!" His voice cracked as it rose to a desperate pitch, and the gruff sound of therge animal closing in on them countered it.


    As August began to climb up behind him, she felt bristly warm bodies shuffling awkwardly around her. Her hands flew up, avoiding touching them until they began nuzzling her and squawking. An rmed roar sounded closer behind her, and suddenly her mind fit the pieces together.


    "Help!" Isaac called again, pounding frantically. "Anybody! Help us please! We are stuck down here! Please! Help us!"


    August moved up closer behind him, pressing her back against him and covering his body with her own.


    "Miss August?" A male voice called from above them.


    "Yes! She is here! Help us!" Isaac called again as the puffed up body of the mama bear entered the small passage to the exit. The heat of her huffing breath filled the space, and August heard the curious little bodies of her cubs shuffling around and out of the cramped area.


    "Back up! I''m going to break the boards," The same voicemanded from above.


    "We can''t!" Isaac cried again. "We can''t back up! Please!" He screeched, pounding harder.


    "Come here, Isaac," August said, pulling him back down the steps with her, blocking him between the wall and her back. She felt him trembling so hard behind her that little frantic noises were escaping out of him without his permission.


    "We''re down!" August yelled toward the exit.


    Someone kicked into the wood boards, but they didn''t budge. The firm, deliberate kick came again from above, but again the wood was holding steady. Those were not boards that had been weathered over the years like the rest of the cottage. They seemed to be in perfect condition.


    Another growl filled the space, so much closer this time, and then without further warning arge,zy arm swatted at August''s chest. The ws sliced deep into her chest wall, leaving her breathless with mes of pain roaring in their wake as she flew back and then crumpled on the cold stone floor.


    The groan of a wounded animal filled the space, and she wondered for a moment in her stunned state who else was injured. It didn''t ur to her that the groan was her own.


    Isaac shrieked, shriveling behind her before he tried scrambling back up the stairs. But before he could make it to the top where the persistent kicks were still pounding away, powerful jaws mped around his ankle and drug him back down.


    "No!" he screamed, the pitch of pain and desperation pulling August out of her dazed state. She sat up, supporting herself with one arm as the other hovered undecidedly over her chest. Isaac shrieked again as the bear gave another sharp tug.


    Something ancient and deep stirred and swelled inside of her, pushing itself up and out of her mouth with one firm and resounding, "Stop."


    One of the bear''s eyes glinted with a shard of lighting from above them, and it paused to study her.


    "Stop," she said more softly this time, and it felt as though a wave of whatever had filled her washed outward over the agitated bear. Her voice was calm, but it quakedrge in the air, and she watched as the chaotic energy that had built up to a frenzy whooshed back into therge, empty den away from them.


    The mama bear grunted and released Isaac''s leg, leaving the young lycan frozen and trembling next to her.


    "Tend to your cubs," August said in that same calm voice that was somehow more than her own, and slowly the magnificent creature backed up a few steps before turning to saunter away from them with a series of grunts calling to her little ones.


    August ced a hand on Isaac''s back as her head dropped against the wall in relief. A final kick above them split the wood blocking their exit, and then Finn was next to them with the green of forest daylight flooding in behind him.


    "Miss August?" he called nervously, but she closed her eyes and gestured toward the boy next to her.


    "Help him, please," she said hoarsely, all the energy gone from her now that someone was here to help.


    "But you''re in worse shape, Luna," he grabbed her arm to put behind his neck, but she pulled away from him.


    "Him first," she protested. She could feel Isaac''s fear and pain prating her like it was her own, and she was sure his trauma was significantly worse than hers.


    "He''s lycan, Luna. You''re not," Finn argued, and August finally opened her eyes to re at him. Whatever Finn saw there must have been enough to change his mind, because he gently lifted the shivering boy into his arms and took him out of the basement.


    More than pain, August regretted the reaction that this would cause from¡­ everyone. A small selfish part of her hoped that it would bring Graeme back more quickly when he heard, but she pushed the thought away. She would have to make sure he didn''t find out about this until he was back.


    He hadn''t even been gone two days, and she had managed to get herself attacked by a bear. A bear! How had this even happened?


    Sam''s words shed in her mind from the night before about how she needed to be strong for Graeme and for the pack¡ªfor the family that she wanted to prove herself to somehow. She had to suck it up and stop being dependent on Graeme or anyone else for protection. This situation was crazy¡ªshe could still hear the mama bear huffing warnings at her from across the basement¡ªbut she had handled it.


    And then something else urred to her. The map. Her whole body went cold. She wasn''t supposed to do anything to light up on the elder''s map.


    "Fuck," she whispered to herself and let her head rest back against the wall.. "So much for that."

 Chapter 118 - Healing

    "Isaac what happened?"


    "What happened, Isaac!"


    The pups who had been gathered around the cer door with Finn after he appeared from the woods rushed to Isaac''s side. His eyes were squinted closed in pain, and he clutched his leg as Finn set him down.


    "You''re going to be okay, little guy," Finn said reassuringly.


    Greta came running out of the woods with Alice and Clementine following behind her. When the pups all heard Isaac''s criesing from the basement and realized August was likely down there with him, the two girls had rushed to go get Greta for help.


    "Finn, what happened?" Greta asked as she rushed to kneel beside the boy.


    "I-I don''t know Miss Greta. Somehow they ended up trapped in the basement with a bunch of bears," he stammered with a bewildered expression.


    "Where''s August?" she asked.


    "Still down there," he replied to receive a glower from Greta as she shot up and ran to the cer. "She made me take him first!" He called after her in exnation. Greta groaned back at him.


    At the bottom of the cer steps, August was resting her head back against the wall. Greta smelled blood and the unique musky, sweet scent of bear that wasced with protective warning, which could only mean it was a mama with her cubs. Why would they be down here?


    It wasn''t necessarily unheard of for a bear to find its way into an abandoned basement and use it as a den, but most often they were found in hollowed trees or under coarse woody debris that provided enough shelter without an entire basement being necessary.


    "Goddess August," Greta said softly and put a hand testingly on her shoulder. Her sweater was shredded, so Greta took off her cardigan and draped it over August''s chest before lifting her to carry her up above. August groaned a little from the movement, but other than that, she didn''tin.


    Finn was already on his phone trying to dial Graeme for a second time when the girls appeared from the cer opening. For some reason his calls weren''t going through.


    "Have you heard from Graeme since he''s been gone?" Finn asked Greta when she approached.


    "No," she answered. "We should move further away from the cottage in case the bears decide to wander out of their new home tonight."


    Finn nodded and picked Isaac back up.


    "I can walk," August told Greta, noticing the pups looking at them worriedly but seeming too afraid to approach.


    "Are you sure? You''re badly injured. I need to take a look at the scratches to see how deep they are," Greta replied. She set August down on a soft patch of grass. "Finn, why don''t you lead the pups back to the warehouse. A few of their parents will being to get them in a little bit. The rest can just head home now."


    "Sure, Miss Greta," Finn answered.


    "And make sure to be smart about how you exin what happened if you speak to anyone, okay?" Greta added.


    "Miss August saved me," Isaac whimpered from Finn''s arms. "I didn''t know there would be a bear. I swear I didn''t."


    "You''re going to heal just fine, kiddo," Greta assured him before Finn carried him back the way they had came with the pups slowly beginning to trail him.


    "Feel better, Miss August!"


    "Yeah, feel better!"


    "Heal quickly!" A few of the pups called. T


    "Don''t worry, we''ll work on your projects next time!" August managed while holding Greta''s cardigan lightly against her.


    "Okay, let me see those scratches," Greta said, reaching for her cardigan before lifting August''s own sweater gently. "I''m going to have to take this off to get a better look," Greta exined, and she watched August for a reaction. She simply nodded and let her.


    There were five angry red gashes running diagonally across her chest, but they didn''t appear nearly as bad as Greta imagined with all the blood that had soaked through the sweater.


    "You''re healing already," Greta mumbled, and August''s eyes grew wide. Greta gave her a crooked smile. "The mate mark," they said in unison.


    "You''re healing like a lycan," Greta said with a satisfied grin before she took a deep, relieved breath. "Goddess, I was afraid there for a second. How did you get the bear to leave you alone?"


    August diverted her eyes guiltily. "Uh, well let''s just say that we may have a problem with the map."


    "Oh," Greta grimaced momentarily. "Oh well. It was necessary. You did what you had to do, and you saved yourself and that little shit Isaac. Don''t worry about it." Greta patted her knee. "We need to get home and get you cleaned up."


    "How are you feeling?" August asked as she pushed herself up gingerly from the ground. Greta offered her a hand and pulled her up the rest of the way.


    Greta giggled. "Only you would be bleeding from a bear attack and ask about the pregnantdy''s morning sickness."


    When they arrived back at the warehouse where Greta''s Jeep was parked, they saw Clementine standing nearby with her hands in her jacket pockets. A young woman with dreads was standing with her. August recognized her as being part of the band that was ying during the bonfire.


    "Hey Indigo," Greta called as they approached.


    "Hi, Greta," the young woman replied.


    "Is everything okay?" Greta asked.


    "Oh, yeah. Everything is okay. Clem just told me what happened, and I wanted to wait and make sure you were both all right," she said, and she turned to August with her hand out. "I''m Indigo. You can call me Indie," she said in a shy, awkward manner.


    August took her hand with a smile. "Hi Indie. I''m August."


    "I know," the girlughed.


    "You y violin?" August asked for the girl''s eyes to go wide before they darted around.


    "Oh, yes," sheughed.


    "I saw you at the bonfire. It was wonderful," August said reassuringly, because the girl seemed embarrassed.


    "Thank you," she looked down at her feet. "I''ve been hoping to get a chance to meet you. When Clem told me what happened, I couldn''t believe it. I can''t remember thest time anyone has been attacked by a bear around here."


    "It was definitely unexpected," Augustughed softly.


    "Are you okay?" Indie asked, her eyes now arriving on August again.


    August nodded and looked at Greta. "Apparently I''m healing quickly thanks to my mate," she said, and then she realized how natural it sounded speaking to someone else about Graeme that way. Her chest swelled with pride a little at the thought of Graeme being hers to refer to like that.


    "That''s so great," Indie sighed. "Well, Luna, if you need anything, please let us know." And the two girls gave August and Greta a happy wave as they turned to leave.


    Greta nudged August with an elbow and winked.

 Chapter 119 - Unprecedented

    "Just what were you thinking?" Andreas raged in his office as Zosime sat calmly across from him. "You put a lycan pup of ours in actual danger? Have you lost your fucking mind? His parents trusted me with this. I told them it was safe and controlled. He could have been mauled to death. Do you think lycans are invincible?"


    Thankfully the boy had healed quickly just as expected, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t put in grave danger. Statistically, bear attacks were usually directed at the head, face, or neck area, and all of those spots were potentially fatal, even for lycans¡ªespecially if the lycan in question was a pup who had not yet shifted for the first time. And especially if the bear in question was one protecting her young.


    The physical danger little Isaac had been in was only half of it. Andreas had already fielded two frantic calls from his parents withints about how the boy was fairing psychologically. He was still traumatized. He had locked himself in his room and was apparently too agitated to join them for meals. His mother and father said they overheard him talking to himself about how the bear incident had been his fault.


    "He keeps crying and saying, ''I''m sorry, I''m so sorry,'' over and over and over again! What did you do to our brave little boy? Why does he think he did something wrong, Andreas? He is loyal to this pack. He is loyal to you, and he shouldn''t be gued with these thoughts," his mother had cried into the receiver.


    "You better fucking fix this, Andreas," his dad had roared in a separate call. "I can''t handle it. I can''t handle hearing him whine like some hunted prey animal all day and night. We have been good to you over the years, always backing and supporting you when disloyal whispers have sprouted amongst pack members. Fix. This."


    Andreas wanted to roll his eyes at the apparent frailty of their son''s mental fortitude, but he was too caught off guard by the recklessness of Zosime''s n to point out the obvious. Isaac had not been psychologically up to the challenge. If Andreas had known that earlier, he would have never asked for the family''s help.


    Zoe hid the smile that threatened at Andreas'' question about the invincibility of lycans, and instead she sped her hands on her knees. "Isaac wasn''t mauled to death."


    Andreas growled like he wanted to maul her, but he forced his hands into his hair instead. If he wasn''t already greying, this girl in front of him would have been enough to do it.


    "What. Were. You. Thinking," he repeated through gritted teeth.


    "It seems obvious. This was a win-win for us. Either she would show whatever abilities she had, or she would have a dead pup on her hands to answer for. That would hardly endear her to the pack," Zoe smiled innocently. "Alternatively, we could have also had a dead Luna¡ªan ident that would have solved every problem you have."


    "Instead we a fucking hero Luna," he growled.


    "It was worth it," Zoe countered.


    "You can''t just do things like this without consulting me," he said, the growl of authority puttering in his throat.


    "Was it outside the bounds of the assignment?" she cocked her head to the side. "I''m sorry if it was. I certainly didn''t view it that way."


    "Fuck, Zosime," he groaned and pushed off the desk, turning away from her in frustration.


    "Would you like to see the results?" she asked. ''Or do we need to devote more time to this tantrum of yours?'' she thought to herself.


    "Yes," he groaned dramatically. "Show the way."


    In the conference room where the map was disyed, Andreas and Zoe stood behind Kai who was huddled behind hisputer. Kai was ying back the map recording of packnd the previous day when August and Isaac encountered the bear and her cubs.


    Andreas expected a single bright little light to illuminate on the ck screen like what typically urred when alyko used their powers. Instead, he saw a blooming of dispersed light in the darkness. It happened so quickly that it was difficult to discern if the scattering of dim lights throughout packnd had begun with the location of Maggie''s cottage or not.


    Kai had put the recording on a loop, so the event repeated over and over. It was as if an entire constetion had been activated in the night sky. The small points of light were numerous and extended all over the territory.


    "What does this mean?" Andreas asked with a bewildered look on his face.


    "We have no idea," Zoe squealed. She couldn''t contain her intrigue or her excitement. They had never seen anything like this.


    "What do you mean you have no idea? Is it a mistake? A glitch or something?" Andreas asked.


    Kai shook his head silently in front of them.


    "It can''t be a glitch," Zoe replied. "But honestly, we are baffled. It doesn''t make any sense at all. Every alyko who has ever disyed has always done so in the same manner. This is¡­" she trailed off, her face beaming as she shook her head in disbelief. "Unprecedented. Absolutely unprecedented. It''s a beautiful thing."


    "What good does this do us if we don''t even know what it means? Is she something else? Is she not a witch?" Andreas began to grow agitated again.


    He didn''t care for any of this experimental garbage. He wanted simple, easily understood results¡ªclear and straightforward.


    "Well this is the first event I have nned over the next few days. Perhaps we should just wait and see what the next one holds. It will be more personally directed at Augu¡ªI mean, Miss Cady¡ªand since we know she already disys in at least some manner, it should be really interesting to see what something even more personalized will create. This was¡­ a test round, let''s say," Zoe tilted her head again while looking at the screen with a pleased smiled on her face.


    Andreas'' frown remained as he shifted his gaze to Zoe''s deviously excited face. "More personalized?" he asked cautiously. "Exactly what does that mean? I need to know every detail this time, Zosime."


    She rolled her eyes, but the smiled stayed on her face. "Of course, Andre. I will fill you on everything.. You have nothing to worry about with this one."

 Chapter 120 - Blood And Bone

    [trigger warning - self harm]


    "Do the other packs have this?" Andreas asked with agitation as he stared, transfixed, at the video loop on Kai''sputer.


    "We disabled the feed early yesterday morning just in case there was some activity during Zoe''s experiment," Kai answered this time. "A few have called to report problems, but we told them we were doing maintenance. It''s back on now."


    Andreas breathed a sigh of relief. If the other packs saw some insane phenomenon like this happening on their pack''snd, it would take a lot of exining to diffuse any suspicion it caused. He didn''t need that right now. He had to figure out what was happening with this witch and how to deal with it without having to deal with any further issues.


    He cleared his throat. "Zosime, I don''t understand. This is impossible. She is one individual. If this is simply due to your little experiment, then why the multiple lights? And all over packnd?"


    "It is hard to understand, I know," she patted Andreas'' armfortingly as if he were a child. He red at her. "But you know, each of us being individuals is really debatable when you think about it¡ªin quantum physics for example, we see that the lines we so easily assume divide us are virtually nonexistent the closer you look. And one small electron can look like an individual while behaving as a wave¡­"


    "Zosime, Zosime," Andreas raised his hand to stop her. "I don''t want to hear your theoretical babble right now."


    "It''s not theoretical. These are tested and verified facts¡­"


    "They do not help exin how what we are looking at is possible," Andreas argued. "I need a simple exnation. What. Is. Happening?"


    "But how could you understand if you don''t listen? Fourth dimensional models suggest¡­"


    "Zoe!" Andreas roared. "Enough!


    Zoe''s eyes went wide in response to the scolding. He was loud and scary and treating her like a child again.


    "I don''t care about any of this quantum fourth dimension garbage. I need answers. I need action. Get me that. I don''t want to hear from you again until you do," he roared further, his face going red in anger before he stomped out of the conference room.


    Tears welled in Zoe''s eyes before she could stop them, and she covered her face.


    "Are you okay, Zo?" Kai asked.


    She sniffed and nodded before walking out of the room and down the hall to her office, the daylight blurring with her tears until everything around her seemed watery and beautiful and¡­ and hopeless.


    She hated him. She hated Andreas so much. He was in a position to be the only one who would ever show her love, and he routinely denied her that at every opportunity.


    She epted that he would not take her as his mate like he was intended, which was fine because she would rather choke on her own vomit than mate someone as ancient and ignorant as him. But he also denied her the love that he could have offered her as a father figure. Not only that, he scolded her and berated like a child. And he kept her hidden in here like a prisoner.


    She was left with nothing but this clinical, professional rtionship in which he still stifled her ability to perform at her highest capability. He didn''t understand anything, and yet he expected everything. She was only a tool to him.


    Zoe copsed heavily in her chair and buried her head in her hands. This was such an exciting discovery yesterday¡ªit waspletely unexpected and unprecedented, she had literally spit out the lemonade she was drinking when she saw it¡ªand yet Andre still couldn''t see the beauty and promise in it.


    That familiar heavy, hopeless feeling welledrger in her throat, spilling the tears from her eyes, and she hated that too¡ªthat he could make her feel this way. This was no way to live. She should be out there exploring all the fascinating, thrilling parts of this magnificent world, but she was trapped. Forever trapped to be Andre''s ve for whatever he needed.


    A quiet sob escaped, but she pped a hand over her mouth and squinted her eyes shut. The office door was closed, but what if someone heard her? She had an appearance to maintain¡ªhow could an emotional teenager without a wolf lead such an important team?


    With those thoughts, she bit the finger that was in her mouth, and that small pain brought some relief. Physical pain was easier to deal with.


    She sniffled and let the tears fall without wiping them, but her face turned somber. Slowly, her hand made its way to a drawer in her desk and slid it open. It opened too easily. She would have preferred it to open slow so that she had to put some effort into it¡ªsomething physical she could struggle with and make obey her.


    With her eyes trailing as emotionlessly as she could make them, her hand searched for the rough handle that she told herself she wouldn''t turn to again. But here she was, feeling too many things and hating everything, and she just needed it to go away. If she could store it in her skin, she would. Maybe it would actually work this time.


    The knife was rough and carved from bone. It was beautiful¡ªso rustic and unlike the sleek, modern decor of this part of the pack house. Instead, it reminded her of the woods outside her window that she so desperately wanted to wander. But most people in the pack didn''t even know she existed.


    Another swell of tears escaped with those thoughts, and she let them continue sliding down her face without interfering in their path. They were free. She would allow those tears to be free.


    She swallowed and brought the knife in front of her, turning it over in her hand and running her fingers over the deerskin wrap. It wasn''t shiny. It wasn''t sleek. But it was beautiful anyway.


    The pointed edge of the de rested against her wrist as she twirled the knife in her hand. She knew anatomy well. Even if it were possible for her, slicing her wrist would never work. People were often left with lifelong injuries and pain when they tried it. What she would give to be one of those people¡ªto feel something¡­ more.


    Her grip shifted so that she held the handle securely in her fist with the de point down. She gritted her teeth and pushed it straight down into her arm. That beautiful dark red liquid pooled around the carved bone before slowly receding back into her skin.


    Her arm had healed itself around the knife just like every other time.


    And then the tears came in force. She pulled the de across the width of her wrist, savagely slicing the flesh open so that for the briefest moment it gaped grotesquely before healing back to her smooth, porcin skin once again.. She looked at the de, remnants of her blood sliding down its carved surface before she threw it back in the drawer in disgust.

 Chapter 121 - Schoolhouse

    August hadn''t been kidding about her stepdad having money. Graeme stood outside of the restored old schoolhouse that was now her family home in Maiden Rock.


    The town itself was beautiful. It drew visitors for its quaint, historic charm and for the fact that it ran along the Mississippi while being only a short distance away from Minneapolis-St.Paul in neighboring Minnesota.


    n and Susan Smith. Her parents had suchmon, average names¡ªyou could almost expect to find them in every city in the U.S. n worked as a pharmacist in St. Paul, which was convenient at the moment seeing as how he wasn''t currently at home.


    "Isn''t it beautiful?" a female voice asked behind Graeme. He turned slowly with his hands in his pockets and saw a young attractive woman smiling at him.


    "Yes, it is," he agreed.


    "You don''t look familiar," she observed, and he didn''t miss the way her eyes slowly slid down his body before returning to his face with a flirtatious smile.


    A re of irritation lit behind his eyes when he scented her arousal, and the putter of a growl wanted to sound in his throat, but he clenched his hands instead. Why was he reacting to this female this way? It had never happened before.


    Graeme definitely wasn''t a stranger to attention, but he usually just ignored it. He had learned to maintain a low profile to keep out of the humans'' awareness for the most part, but today he had ended up in a very small town standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring at August''s childhood home¡ªhe looked down at the clothes he was wearing¡ªin a fitted white v-neck.


    He should have thrown something else on. For some reason, these simple t-shirts seemed to get a lot of attention.


    "You must be someone who appreciates beauty," the female said while allowing her eyes to run over his chest. "Architectural beauty, I mean," and she giggled unnecessarily.


    "More like history. Do you know much about this building?" He asked politely.


    "Of course," she replied. "This was a schoolhouse built in the 1800s. It was restored in the 80s and converted into a bed and breakfast for several years before the current owners bought it. Now, it''s a private residence."


    "You know a lot about it," he observed.


    She shrugged. "Well, I grew up here. In such a small town you tend to know everyone and everything there is to know about a ce. That''s why it''s nice when we get visitors."


    Graeme thought over what she said. That meant she knew August. He was so curious to ask if that was the case, but thest thing he could do was reveal that he knew her.


    "So a family lives here?" he asked.


    "Just a married couple," she replied.


    Graeme frowned. This was the right house. Maybe she responded that way because August had left for college.


    "Well, thank you for the information. I better be off," he smiled and started walking toward his car next to the curb.


    This unknown female reached for his arm, and as soon as she brushed it, he went rigid. "Already? Don''t you want to look around a bit more? I could show you more of the hidden gems of Maiden Rock," she suggested while drawing herself closer.


    "I don''t think so," he tried to maintain the polite smile as he left her there on the sidewalk without snapping her arm in two like he wanted.


    He got back in the car and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Why was he reacting so strongly to another female''s attention? It must have something to do with his mate. He had heard of possessive lycan mates before, but he couldn''t remember ever hearing about mate partners reacting like he did when approached by the opposite sex.


    Perhaps it had to do with the mark that August had given him the night of the full moon. A crooked smile bloomed on his face as he ran over the spot with his hand¡ªthe only scar he had ever gotten. She left a permanent mark on him. She was so innocent and unsure at the time, but her bite was fierce and possessive. At the time, he could feel her coursing through him sopletely, it was as if they were one being at that moment.


    And now he had to go days without her. He groaned in frustration, because his body was already reacting to that memory with her. Suddenly he understood the value of photographs that August had talked about in the sunflower field. He would give anything to be able to look at her face right now even if she wasn''t there to hold.


    He nced at her home through the car window and decided he would, in fact, stay for just a little awhile. But no one else had to be aware of it.


    Graeme ditched his car near one of the town''s bluffs and shifted into wolf form to move more discretely through the woods beforeing up behind the old schoolhouse. The building was surrounded by woods on this side, so there was no one in the vicinity who would see him enter from through the rear.


    He shifted back to his human form and slid in through one of the kitchen windows that was unlocked. Apparently break-ins weren''t a concern in this small, close-knit town.


    The interior was on the small side for a schoolhouse but incrediblyrge for a private residence. All of the floors appeared to be the original wood, and the walls were all brick.


    With the furnishings and spotless appearance, it would seem that n and Susan valued at least the appearance of perfection. Graeme wondered if August had feltfortable here or if, like him, she had the feeling that this house was mostly for looking at rather than living in.


    Curious as to whether her room would reveal more of the young girl who had grown up her, Graeme followed the long hallway through the middle of the home and up the curved staircase.. The wood creaked under his feet, and it wasn''t difficult to imagine it doing the same for countless kids who studied here.

 Chapter 122 - Faint Ghosts

    At least the windows at the front of the school house wererge and let plenty of light in. This was no gloomy historic building. He tookfort knowing his mate had been graced with so much light each day that she awoke in this home.


    The windows continued to stretch up the length of the house as Graeme arrived on the second floor. At the top of each of the three long rectangr windows was a small window in the shape of a half moon.


    The brick of even the interior walls between rooms was breathtaking, and Graeme paused at the top of the steps to appreciate how this had without-a-doubt been a schoolhouse. It was evident in every detail.


    The first room at the top of this floor and the closest to the front of the house had a typical school door. It was an old cherry wood with an inset window, which had been covered with a delicate curtain from the inside. Another rectangr window extended above the door to reveal the ornately carved white tin ceilings tiles. This was certainly a beautiful ce to look at.


    Graeme approached that room first. When he opened the door, he was met with August''s scent. He took a deep inhale and smiled.


    The room was simple with little flourishes of a funky, hippy side that he hadn''t seen but that didn''t surprise him. The brick walls were softened over her bed with strings of fairy lights where photos were clipped in between. He leaned in to take a closer look and saw candid photos of her mom and what looked to be stylistic shots from Maiden Rock.


    On another wall, there was a purple, red, and gold mand tapestry. He sat on her bed and looked around at every detail¡ªeach one having been selected and touched by his mate.


    A nightlight on her bedside table had cut out shapes of stars, and he reached to turn it on. Then heid back in her bed, surrounded by her scent, as he watched the faint ghosts of celestial bodies scatter and slowly turn around him, vanishing in the flood of daylight from the windows.


    A creak downstairs jolted him awake, and he looked out the window with the sudden realization that he had fallen asleep in August''s bed. The hours of driving must have finally caught up to him. It appeared to still be too early for her stepdad to have arrived home from St Paul, but with another creak from the first floor, he knew he was no longer alone in the house.


    He quietly sat up and realized he was also still naked after shifting from his wolf form to sneak into the house. Fuck. This was not good. How could he have let down his guard like this? Well, he knew how¡ªbeing surrounded by the calming, intoxicating scent of August.


    His eyes narrowed toward the stairs when he heard soft footsteps climbing the creaky wood floor there. Quickly, he stripped the white sheet from under herforter and wrapped it around his waist. By that time, whoever was approaching had heard the movement, and he could sense them standing cautious and unmoving on the other side of the door.


    The door slowly creaked open, and on the other side was a petite woman with long white dreads that loosened at the ends. She had golden olive skin and deep brown eyes. Graeme stood, holding the sheet around his waist, and they both stared at each other, speechless.


    "A lycan alpha?" she whispered, her hand still gracing the door. "Are you here for me?" she asked cautiously, but she was clearly trying to make sense of the picture before her. He seemed just as stunned as she was.


    "You''re a Winter," he said aloud. Her features were easily recognizable as one of the Winter alyko. They were all incredibly petite with the sameplexion of skin, and they had that characteristic glow that all alyko seemed to have.


    She tilted her head in response. "I am. Penelope Winter. And you are?"


    Penelope Winter was here? Why? The shock showed on his face, and he swallowed. "Graeme Hallowell."


    The recognition lit in her eyes. "Hallowell. What are you doing here? Don''t you track strays now?"


    "I do. I used to," he cleared his throat. "I actually wanted to find you¡ªto talk to you, but that''s not why I am here." He looked down at August''s bed, and she saw how his face softened with it. Penelope gasped softly when her eyes found the mark on his neck.


    "She''s your mate?" she said, finally understanding. "That exins why we have been unable to find her. She was there the whole time."


    Something fierce shed in Graeme''s eyes as they snapped back to her, and she held her hands up in surrender. "I do not wish to take her from you. I care only that she is safe."


    "But Eliade wants her back," he growled.


    "Yes, but my interests¡ªand when I say my interests, I mean the interests of all alyko¡ªthey do notpletely align with the humans''. Allowing someone like her toe into being is as far as it goes."


    Graeme red at her, running over her words in his mind as he did.


    "I give you my word," she said.


    "Then why are you here?" he asked, a muscle feathering in his jaw.


    Penelope''s eyebrows pinched together as she looked down at her feet. "May I?" she asked, gesturing toward the room.


    He took a step to the side in response, and she walked in to seat herself at a small white desk against the wall.


    "Did you run all the way from Maine?" she asked, tilting her head in gesture toward the sheet he was holding.


    "No. I parked near the bluffs," he replied. "I came in through the woods out back."


    "Ah," she said in understanding.. "Would you like to change first? We have a lot to discuss."

 Chapter 123 - Moon Mother

    "I don''t imagine there is anything that will fit me," he said doubtfully.


    "Of her stepfather''s?" she tried.


    "From what I know of him, I imagine him being quite a¡­ small male," he grunted and cleared his throat.


    "Is hepensating for his size with this house?" she chuckled.


    "Among other things," he said simply. It sounded to Graeme like n was both emotionally and physically abusive, and it was this knowledge that brought him to the conclusion that he must feel personally inadequate in some way if he had to dominate through those means. But perhaps Graeme was wrong.


    "You are not wrong. I met him," Penelopeughed softly, and Graeme found himself chuckling along with her.


    "So why are you not with your mate, Graeme?" she asked.


    "I needed an excuse toe find you and talk with you, and the elders gave me the task of following August''s mom home. I put a GPS on her car and drove straight through," he exined.


    "Why?" she tilted her head in question.


    "There are a few things from her past I wanted to¡­ tend to," he said. "I wouldn''t have left her for that, but it was an opportunity."


    Penelope nodded her head and sped her hands in herp. She knew what Graeme was referring to, because she had all of the history on August. Ever since the experiment was known to be a sess, she had been diving as deep into this girl''s life as she could to find out more about her.


    "Why did you want to speak with me? Because of the experiment?" she asked.


    "That and¡­ other things," he said. "But you haven''t answered my question about why you are here."


    She sighed. "Well, I imagine you won''t be thrilled about the answer. After Susan came to Eliade to search for her daughter, the researchers decided it couldn''t happen again. It would be too troublesome to have her continue poking around, and it''s clear based on how much she loves her daughter that she won''t give up."


    "What were you sent her for?" he heard himself growl.


    "I''m not going to hurt her, if that''s what you mean," she said, raising her hands defensively again. "It''s actually already been taken care of. But I needed to follow up with her room and home¡ªevery ce where there are physical traces of her left."


    "What does that mean?" his face scrunched in confusion.


    "I performed an enchantment on her mother that extends to every human she has known or encountered prior to Eliade. She is¡­ forgotten," Penelope said hesitantly, a sh of pain momentarily gracing her features.


    "What?" Graeme asked in disbelief. "You can DO something like that?" his voice rose.


    "I don''t like to," she shook her head, hiding her eyes from him. "But it was necessary."


    "Eliade knows your alyko?" he asked usingly.


    "No! No, of course not. They just think I bring insight of a very select, special kind of neuroscience. They don''t know about the enchantment. They think I will be aplishing it by a very extensive, very targeted amnesia," she exined before chuckling at how ludicrous that was. "Thankfully being what you call alyko makes me capable of convincing them of that. I would never tell them about us."


    "So why are you helping them, Penelope?"


    "It''s a long,plex story, and not one I would typically tell a lycan. But since you are her mate, I know this concerns you, too," she said softly and slid her eyes back to his.


    "It''s really perfect, now that I think about it. That she would be paired with you. It''s just such a shock¡ªwe don''t typically have mates in that sense," she said, gesturing to his mark again. "The Moon Mother knows what she is doing, always."


    Graeme continued to stare at her, waiting. He had so many questions. He didn''t know where to start, so he hoped she would start from the beginning for him and save him the trouble of having to piece everything together.


    "There''s only so much I can tell you," she said finally, "but of that, I will tell you all of it. The reason why August is immune to the pandemic is because she is fae."


    Graeme stared at her in disbelief, not understanding. "I''m sorry, fae?"


    "Yes."


    "She''s human," he countered. "Or alyko¡­ or something."


    "She is human as well, but within her gics there is just the right amount of fae. It must havee from both her mother and father, since the genes are recessive and typically stay hidden for generations. And, don''t get me wrong, it was hidden within her as well. But paired with the virus, it has been magnified considerably. More so even than¡­"


    Graeme sat down on the bed again, not hearing the rest. His head was swimming. Fae? Fae¡­ existed? He had only heard about them in folklore. In fairy tales.


    "Graeme, are you okay?" Penelope leaned forward and rested a hand on his knee. He nodded.


    "Go on," he said.


    "The alyko, Graeme. They are also fae¡ªjust a more diluted form," she said softly.


    His eyebrows pinched together as he snapped his attention back to her.


    "What?" His heart was in his throat. This was like finding out¡­ you were adopted or something, although that wasn''t the rightparison. But his thoughts were too jumbled to think more clearly than that.


    "The alyko¡­ my alyko? Maggie?" he whispered. "You know that they were innocent, don''t you?"


    "Yes, of course I do. They were innocent. I''m sorry," she said gently.


    "Are you sure? Can fae be¡­ be trusted?" he stood suddenly and backed away from her toward the door like he didn''t even trust his own eyes anymore.


    All those stories that Zoe had given him from the alyko files¡­ what was all of this? What was he supposed to believe now when he had not known something this vital about his origins and his own people for so long?

 Chapter 124 - Always Known

    "Graeme search your heart for the answer," Penelope rose from her chair as well.


    "You have always known. You knew they were innocent then, and you know they are innocent now. The only thing you didn''t know for sure was that they weren''t simply lycans without a wolf. Or simply witches with magic."


    She walked toward him beforeing stand right in front of him, meeting his eyes with the deep sincerity in her own.


    "But you did know that they were more¡­ in here you knew," she pointed to his chest. "You knew that they were more than all of that. The prejudices and distrust and fear that cast a shadow over them was because they were not understood. But, even without a properbel or a written history, your parents understood. And so do you."


    She gave him one final, prating look before she turned and retreated back to the chair. "It all began with La Loba," she said. His eyes snapped to hers. "You have heard this story?" she asked, seeing the light of recognition in his eyes.


    "A woman who had alyko family in my pack," he nodded. "Charlotte. She told my mate¡­ she told August about La Loba."


    Penelope nodded. "Well La Loba was the first. She was the first in our line, because she created the first lycan. What a miracle of creation it was," she spread her arms out toward him and gestured to the length of him with a genuine smile.


    "You see, the fae¡ªthe fae in their truest, purest form, each have abilities that correspond to the elements of nature. But La Loba was special even amongst them. She could channel all of the elements¡­ plus one."


    Penelope held up her finger to indicate that one, and then she pointed it upward.


    "The Moon?" Graeme asked. She nodded.


    "The Moon. On that night, when La Loba was performing her particr gift¡ªthe gift of creation using all of those elemental abilities¡ªthe Moon Mother added something," Penelope raised an eyebrow in emphasis.


    "It was a full moon," Graeme spoke the words softly, still bewildered by all of this information.


    His skin began to prickle, the little hairs on his arms standing on end as he recognized the stunning truth of it¡ªit resonated within him like a note that was perfect but that he had never heard yed. Until today.


    "There is something about a full moon, yes. When the Mother''s belly in the sky is full and round¡ªheavy with child. About to give birth. It sounds metaphorical, but perhaps that is only because its reality is more elusive to those who cannot see. Who rely on that which is physical to understand the reality around them."


    Graeme''s mind wandered back to the full moon ritual with August. He had felt the power of it, and somehow August was able to see it in action with her sight of the Veiled. Their fertility rituals were always held on a full moon¡­ what Penelope was saying made so much sense when he considered that.


    "August sees the Veiled," Graeme said, shifting his eyes to Penelope''s again.


    The corner of her lips turned up in a smile.


    "And she was able to somehow take physical strength from me to use as her own," he told her.


    She nodded. "That is not unexpected. And that is not all that she will be able to do. With the sess of the retrovirus in her system, she is now a much purer form of fae than any living alyko today. At least¡­ that any of us are aware of."


    Graeme swallowed, staring at Penelope in disbelief. What would this mean for August?


    "You fear for her, I know. As her mate, of course you will. But if there is one thing I can tell you that will help you more than anything, it is that you must allow her toe into her strength. And you must trust that she will."


    His eyebrows pinched together. "How do I do that?"


    Penelope chuckled softly. "Sometimes the simplest of things seems to be the mostplicated, doesn''t it? When you want so badly to protect her and keep her from harm. You can do that, of course. You can still protect her, and she will need you to," she nodded reassuringly.


    "But you need to know when the protection is needed. You have to sense it, and the mate mark she has given you will help with that. Don''t protect her so much that she is sheltered and not able to spread the wings that she has been given. If you can do that, Graeme¡ªif you can trust that your mate''s strength will one day rival your own¡ªthen she will soar most spectacrly. I can assure you that."


    Penelope''s eyes sparkled as she spoke, and Graeme felt his chest swell with hope¡­ and with pride for August. She had no idea how special she was, but he felt the truth of it.


    "The Moon Mother has brought you two together for a reason, as I''m sure you know. But your union with her is unlike any other union that our kind has seen¡ªand by our kind, I mean both alyko and lycan together. Fae and lycan. We are not separate as thosebels suggest. We are a family," Penelope grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Gically, we are variations of the same species. I am not fully fae, just as you are not without the fae gics."


    Graeme nodded, understanding perfectly now. Somehow this all made more sense than any other exnation he had been given about lycans and alyko.


    "My sister and I," he chuckled. "We canmunicate through touch. And she can influence people''s emotions through touch."


    "Ah, see?" Penelope squeezed his hand again. "There you go. A perfect example."


    "But why were you involved in bringing a purer fae into being through the virus? Why do it?" he asked, dropping her hand.


    She smiled sheepishly at him this time. "And now you have struck on the part that I cannot tell you."


    He frowned. "Why would you not be able to tell me about your motivation if I am to trust you?"


    "That is a fair question," she nodded. "And I sincerely apologize for it. You wille to find out eventually. It''s just not something that can be revealed right now."


    The necessity for even a small secret turned his stomach. "Will she be harmed?" he asked.


    Penelope''s eyebrows threaded deeply, and Graeme''s stomach flipped.

 Chapter 125 - Packing

    "I can''t tell the future," Penelope said softly. "So I don''t know. We all live with some risk of being harmed," she smiled sadly.


    "The reason why you have chosen to help create a purer form of fae," he said sharply, realizing that she was avoiding a direct answer. "That is what I am asking about, Penelope. Is it with the intention of some kind of harm to her?"


    "No, of course not. I would never do that," she shook her head and backed away from him. "No alyko would do that. It''s just¡­ I''m sorry, it''s not something I can tell you."


    She looked at him with those eyebrows threaded that spoke of how much weighed on her, but he didn''t know if it was guilt for not being able to reveal more information or for something else that involved August.


    "One other thing I can say, though," she started and bit her lip for a moment before her expression cleared, "is that you must trust her to be strong when you fear she is not." She sighed heavily. "I wish there was more I could give you. But know that the Goddess is in this. There is purpose for me, and there is purpose for you¡ªjust as there is purpose for August. When in doubt, you must remember that, Graeme Hallowell."


    He looked at her uneasily as she offered him a warm, reassuring smile.


    "So you are here to erase the traces of her?" he asked, giving up on learning more. "Her mother has truly forgotten her?"


    Graeme thought about that little red dot on his phone, moving steadily back from to her home. Did she really have no recollection of the reason she had gone to Maine? Could a mother really be made to forget her child?


    Penelope nodded slowly, an apology evident in her eyes.


    Graeme turned away from her, looking at the room that was his mate''s. August was going to be devastated, and his heart was already breaking for her. How was he supposed to tell her about this? It would be like giving her the news that her mother had passed on, except¡­ except perhaps this was worse. Her mother could actually be made to forget her.


    "Can I take it with me?" he asked softly, swallowing back the hurt for his mate that was slowly climbing in his throat.


    "Of course. You can take whatever you wish, but I will have to dispose of the rest."


    "Are you going to tell Eliade where she is?" he turned and scrutinized her.


    "No," she replied. "No, like I said¡ªI only care that she is safe, and she could not be safer than where she is with you. I was trying to figure out how to keep her away from Eliade, actually." A smile alighted on her face. "Will she be Luna, then?" her head tilted to the side.


    He smiled at the title and at imagining August in the role. "We''re working on that. Pack stuff is a littleplicated right now with my leaving at a young age and now returning¡­ but I have every intention of restoring my pack. They have suffered in my absence it seems," he grimaced and looked at his feet.


    "There was so much at work during that time that had nothing to do with you," she said. "Do not me yourself for someone else taking your legs out from under you when you were too young to even know what was happening."


    "Do you know what happened with my pack? Do you know who was responsible for my parents'' murders?" he nced up at her in surprise. It seemed Penelope knew much.


    She sighed and backed away from him, studying him for several moments before she spoke again. "Only because of the position you are in right now do I think it best that I not give you more than you already know. What you are doing now¡ªthe path that you are on¡ªwill bring you all the answers that you need. And you and August will be strong enough to deal with it when the timees."


    He stared at her in disbelief. "You know, and yet you will not tell me!"


    "Alpha," she protested with her hands up, "it is for your own good and for the ease with which things must happen, which is in their own time. You will have your answers, and you will have your pack."


    "I thought you said you couldn''t tell the future," he growled, and she chuckled.


    "I merely speak as someone who sees the Moon Mother working in you and in this situation. And She is telling me to keep my mouth shut."


    Graeme huffed in exasperation.


    "We don''t have all night. If there are things you wish to keep for her, you must gather them now," she urged, realizing the position of the sun outside the window. "That man will be returning soon, and he has no recollection of her. He can''t see these things."


    Graeme gave a small, puttering growl in his throat at being denied such vital information from someone who seemed to have all the answers, but he turned and evaluated the room for what August might want.


    "I will go find a box," Penelope suggested and left him to start gathering the pieces of his mate''s former life to take back home to her.


    When Penelope returned, Graeme had the nket and pillow from her bed, a stuffed bear he found hidden in her desk, and all the photos and lights from her wall. The rest of her things had probably been taken to Eliade with her, and it was unlikely they would ever be able to retrieve those.


    "I wanted to talk to you because there is something troubling going on in my council, but because of how much you know about¡­ everything," he chuckled sardonically, "you are probably already aware of it."


    "What is it?" Penelope asked as she began to gather the rest of what needed to be removed.


    "The map tracking the alyko," he said and nced at her.


    "Oh," he heard her say. "Yes, I do know of it."


    "Do you know the method that allows them to track you? Is it reversible?" he asked.


    "It is not reversible, no. And it''s been given to everyone¡ªnot only alyko. It''s just that it only works to track alyko, because of how the fae part of us interacts with the elements in our surroundings."


    "So lycans have been tagged for this tracking as well?" he asked, mouth agape. He wasn''t sure why he was surprised.


    "Yes. They put it in the water. All it takes is a certain volume of water, and then it stays with you.. Tagged for life," she looked up at him with a sad expression.

 Chapter 126 - The Worst

    Tagged for life by drinking water on packnd. Graeme growled to himself. "What do we do about it?" he asked Penelope.


    "Well, I suppose you could deactivate the map," she gave him a mischievous smile.


    "It''s as easy as that?"


    "Probably not," she chuckled.


    "Why?" he asked.


    "Well your pack is where the server and everything is located, but even if it were deactivated, someone else would find a way to restart it again. That''s all it would take. It''s widespread. There are many invested in that project," she exined as she continued scouring the room and removing August''s belongings.


    "What is it for?" he asked.


    "For tracking their witches," sheughed humorlessly, as if it were obvious.


    "And then what? What do they do when they know where they are?" he asked seriously.


    "It depends on the pack," she replied. "For some it means constant monitoring, increased suspicion, sometimes even imprisonment¡­ things like that. For others it means more drastic measures." She went quiet at this and focused on her work.


    "They kill them?" Graeme growled.


    "Sometimes," she replied quietly.


    "Who has ess?" he asked.


    "I don''t know the answer to that. That boils down to pack politics. Those who are allied love the idea of having information that other packs don''t, as they believe that gives them some kind of upper hand should they need it."


    "What else do I need to know about this?" he stopped what he was doing and turned to her.


    "You should know that your pack is the worst," she said with a straight face.


    "The worst?" he repeated. "What do you mean by that?"


    "What do you think I mean by that?" she met his eyes, willing him to understand without her having to put it into words.


    "We haven''t had any alyko in the pack since they were all killed together with Maggie," he scrunched his face in confusion.


    She didn''t reply. Instead she returned to what she was doing stuffing things in boxes.


    "Penelope," he called.


    "You can call me Penny," she responded.


    "Penny," he grabbed her arm to make her face him. "If there is something happening that I can stop, tell me, please. I don''t want anyone else getting hurt."


    "You''ll stop it. You don''t need me to tell you," she answered cryptically.


    "Stop speaking in riddles. Just tell me what to do," he countered.


    "Okay, let me ask you a question," she said, and he groaned.


    "You can''t just tell me?" he asked.


    "Being given all the answers you seek is not always the best way for things to unfold," she tried to exin. "Are there disappearances of any kind in your pack? Disappearances can take many forms," she added.


    The first thought that came to his mind was Marius disappearing, but he knew the cause of that.


    "Runaways," he growled. "Fuck," he raked his hands through his hair before running them down his face.


    He thought of how upset Greta had gotten at Sylvia''s the other night. She was saying how the council wasn''t taking Livvy''s disappearance seriously and that they weren''t helping to solve the mystery surrounding it. His eyes started burning with hot tears and he growled again.


    "Goddess, I can''t believe this," he started pacing the floor.


    "Graeme?" Penelope called, trying to draw his attention. "Here is the problem. You have a glimpse. Have you ever tried to untie a reallyplicated bunch of knots that are all tangled together?" she hurried on in this exnation, because she could tell she was losing him to his anger.


    "You can''t just pull on that one knot. It''s a mess. It''splicated, and you have to look at therger ball of knots¡ªtry to figure out therger picture¡ªbefore you can untangle everything. Does that make sense?"


    "I can''t sit back and do nothing!" he roared.


    "That''s not what I''m saying. But before you use the elders or anyone in your council¡ªbefore you take this to them in any form, you need to see therger knot. This is all very delicate," she tried to exin.


    "Your runaways are alive," she rushed, and he finally turned to listen. "They''re alive. Andreas thinks he''s tough and that he''s in control, but he''s a coward, Graeme," she said. "He''s always been a coward."


    "How do you know all of this?" he growled at her.


    "I just do," she said apologetically. "I just do."


    "Fuck," he repeated, turning around again. "I have to get out of here and get back to them."


    His heart clenched realizing how he had left them¡ªnot just now, but all this time. He had left his pack all of this time in the hands of those old hateful men. What was the extent of the damage over the years? How many innocent lives had been ruined or lost?


    Graeme grabbed August''s belongings before leaving without another word.


    "Remember what I said. Trust your mate, Graeme!" Penelope called down the stairs after him and groaned when he didn''t respond.


    Graeme didn''t bother with the kitchen window. He walked right out the back door in August''s sheet with a box under one arm and a pillow under the other. How could he have been so blind to all of this? And what else was he not seeing?


    It would take hours to get back home to them. Once he was at the car, he tossed August''s things in the back and reached for his phone. He needed to know that everyone was okay.


    He dialed August first, but the call failed to connect. By the time he was dialing Greta, his heart was in his throat. The call to Greta was also failing to connect. Oh Goddess, please let them be all right, he prayed and started the car.


    With his hand gripping the wheel, he closed his eyes and thought about what Penelope had said. He had to trust his mate. He took a deep breath. August was fae, and she was powerful. She hadn''t developed that power yet, but she was capable and he had to trust her.


    He had to focus and try to sense whether or not she needed him right now. Their mate bonds should tell him what he couldn''t verify over the phone. He searched deep within those parts of himself that she had flooded with her own being for any indication that she was in trouble.


    When he found what felt like a calm river running through his center, he reached out and stroked it with his thoughts¡ªtrying to pluck a string in their gentle rapids that would reach all the way to her. Almost instantly, he felt that same string reverberate back to him and stroke something inside his chest lovingly.


    He sighed in relief and pinched his eyes with his fingers to keep from crying. "I love you, August," he sobbed into the air. "I''ming home, my love."


    He would board a fucking ne--to hell with worrying about what the elders thought.. But first he needed to take his anger out on someone, and he knew just what someones that would be.

 Chapter 127 - Prey

    Graeme was back in his element¡ªhidden in wolf form in the woods tracking prey.


    This time those woods were located on a waterfront property in Madison, Wisconsin, and the prey was a 23-year-old business graduate sh sexual predator who routinely relied on his father''s money and influence to keep him out of trouble. Apparently he was relying on that same money and influence to create a sessful career as well, as his multi-million dor home suggested.


    Mr. Jeffrey Maura had been only a few weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday whenw enforcement documented August''s r*pe allegation, but there were never any official charges made. It wasn''t clear exactly why August didn''t go forward with pressing charges, but there were likely many factors.


    The statistics of cases like this were grim, which on their own would likely dissuade victims from pursuing justice. Believe it or not, out of every 1000 reported instances of ****, only 13 of those were referred to a prosecutor¡ªa menial 1.3%. But Graeme was going to enact his own form of justice for one of those cases today.


    He wanted to confront Jeffrey man-to-man rather wolf-to-man, but he wasn''t sure that was going to be possible. While this extravagant home was located on ake with a private dock, there were numerous homes within sight distance. It would be tricky to get him alone and out of every possible view. And a man like this definitely had security cameras.


    The benefits of being in wolf form on hunts like this were obvious, of course. It attuned all of Graeme''s senses to those of a predator. He could escape quickly, and the nature of the injuries would be med on an animal.


    Although significantly smaller than lycan wolves, timber wolves had made aeback in Wisconsin in recent years and could conceivably be med for such an attack. Their endangered species status also meant that the wolves would be protected from retaliation for something Graeme was responsible for. It really set up the perfect conditions for what was about to happen.


    As he watched Jeffrey prance around on his back deck smiling seductively into his cell phone, Graeme considered where to strike first. His mouth started to water with the anticipation of ripping into this guy.


    The neck was a good contender. With one powerful bite, he could cut off Jeffrey''s air supply and snap his spine, leaving him paralyzed. Maybe he could make him live out the rest of his days that way¡ªparalyzed from the neck down and unable to ever use his dick ever again¡ªthe horror of that night when a massive wolf ripped into his body left to haunt him. A guy like this who was so used to having everything and getting away with everything would be in a ce worse than hell with physical limitations like that.


    Or maybe Graeme should go for his groin. He didn''t relish the thought of sinking his teeth into that part of Jeffrey, but it was an appropriate life sentence for the smug little shit who was currently stroking himself to the lewd phone conversation he was having with someone named April.


    Another month name.


    The small detail reminded Graeme of why he was fantasizing about maiming the human, and a low, threatening growl escaped from him involuntarily, causing Jeffrey to nce toward the woods by his dock.


    "You''re so fucking sexy when you say that, but we''re going to have to continue this in person, angel. There''s a wild animal out here that I need to deal with," Jeffrey said into his phone. He chuckled to whatever reply April gave. "You keep saying you''re wild, but you have yet to show me. I''m not sure you can take what I have prepared for you."


    Graeme almost lunged out of the trees when he caught a whiff of this male''s strong arousal. It was a bitter, vile scent that Graeme had never smelled before¡ªthe impulse for matingced with a desperate need to satiate violent impulses. There was no other evidence needed to convict this piece of shit in Graeme''s opinion.


    Patience was much more difficult to maintain when he was in wolf form, and Graeme braced against the urge to take the fucker right now. Either he was going to strangle the human with his bare hands or he was going to rip his dick off with his teeth. Maybe both. He could do thetter before shifting and finishing him off in his human form.


    "If you don''t actually show this time, you better find someone else to fuck around with, because I''m done waiting angel," Jeffrey spoke into the phone before tossing it on the patio table.


    The human adjusted himself and groaned before focusing his attention back on the trees bordering hiske. His face widened into a cocky smirk, and after retrieving the wicked 460 Smith & Wesson from the drawer of his entry table, he walked down the steps out toward the dock.


    It was twilight, and thest rays of the sun were scattering in oranges and reds across the water. Jeffrey wished there weren''t so many neighbors or he would jack off right here before the conversation with April turned stale in his thoughts. He was beginning to think she was just another tease.


    Why did women pretend like they wanted it when they were too chicken shit to follow through? THAT was what was fucking criminal. Or they pretended like they didn''t want it when they really did, and he had to push them to follow through. And then they cried about it afterward.


    Seriously, women had a problem. They should just be honest with themselves. It was just sex, and everyone needed it like they needed air. Not to mention, he was a fucking catch¡ªany woman would be lucky to gain his attention.


    He exhaled deeply, breathing in thete autumn air. The trees matched the colors of the sunset, and for a moment everything seemed¡­ perfect. Another low growl rumbled from somewhere in the trees, and he remembered why he had ended the phone call with April in the first ce and retriever the monster of a handgun. There was a unicorn in his woods.


    The growl was undeniably that of a wolf. He read about the gray wolves, or timber wolves as they were also called. They were endangered to the point that a mere 300 was something to be celebrated. How badass would it be to have one mounted on the wall of his den? An endangered species? That was probably worth something that even money couldn''t buy.


    Jeffrey ran his thumb over the skull and antler design on his sexy ck revolver. The name of this model, "Bone Collector," was disyed next to the design, and it was the main reason why he had chosen this particr gun when he went shopping with his father.. Now he would finally be able to use it.

 Chapter 128 - What Are You

    Good, the prick had a gun, Graeme thought. At least this would be an interesting fight. Although, based on the way the human was holding the weapon, he doubted he had ever actually used it.


    Graeme stayed crouched, unmoving, watching Jeffrey make his way closer to woods. His lips curled away from his teeth when the human was only a few yards away. If he could be patient enough for Jeffrey to actually step into the trees, this was all going to be incredibly easy.


    And then somehow, unbelievably, the human''s eyes shifted to look directly into his. He saw the instinctual flicker of Jeffrey''s fear as Graeme was rising into his lunge, and then the gun went off and knocked them both back.


    Graeme groaned heavily as he hit the ground. It felt like the bullet had pierced and copsed his lung. The human male scrambled up and froze in ce at the shock of having fired his weapon at something unbelievably massive that was about to lunge for him.


    Was it a bear?


    ck bears were rare here, but it wasn''t unheard of. At first nce that is what this animal appeared to be, but the face and head shape had been wrong. And its underside was tapered like a canine. It had the coloring of a wolf¡ªbut maybe a dappled ck and brown variation of the timber wolf¡ªand that growl he heard¡­ it had to be a wolf.


    Jeffrey brushed himself off and cautiously approached, noticing when he got closer how the animal''s breathing was rapid and shallow.


    "Fuck me," Jeffrey breathed in awe. "What are you?" He crouched down and studied the bear-sized wolf closer as Graeme struggled to regain his breath.


    When the human reached out to touch Graeme''s rear nk, he growled threateningly and Jeffrey flinched back before chuckling to himself.


    "Father is going to shit when he sees this," heughed to himself. And then hisugh caught in his throat as he watched the wolf''s body begin to transform into a veryrge, very muscr human.


    "Is he now?" Graeme rasped and Jeffrey sprang up with a strangled scream. Graeme followed him to his feet.


    When the male shakily raised the revolver in one hand to aim it at the thing stalking toward him, Graeme dodged to the side and grabbed Jeffrey''s arm, pinning it under his bicep in an over hook that, with one violent shake, made the human drop the gun to the ground.


    "Ah!" Jeffrey cried in pain at the arm that was now squeezed and immobile against this creature. He tried to push off the chest of this thing, but the massive man beast grabbed his wrist and tucked it tightly under Jeffery''s other arm so that now both arms were painfully pinned.


    Graeme stepped through the space between them and flipped the male over onto his back with his arms still pinned under Graeme''s bicep.


    Jeffrey hollered with the impact and the feeling that both of his arms were about to snap. His legs kicked, but he was pinned to the ground. What the fuck was happening?


    Graeme squeezed the arm hold tighter, forcing another cry out of the human who was squinting in pain.


    "You enjoy hurting women?" Graeme snarled before turning his head to spit blood out of his mouth.


    "W-what?" the male stammered, his eyes still squinted closed against the pressure that Graeme was putting on him.


    "You heard me," Graeme growled, and he leaned in, forcing Jeffrey''s arms to angle further. The human cried out.


    "What women? I-I don''t know what you''re¡ª"


    "Don''t y dumb," Graeme growled, his teeth gritted in restraint so that he wouldn''t immediately snap the guy in two.


    At that moment he thought of how August''s eyes had gone vacant when she remembered what this bastard did to her¡ªthe way her chin jutted out defiant to the shame and guilt and helplessness she had felt because of something this male had put her through.


    "Was August Cady your first?" he ground out, focusing the sadness he felt for his mate into rage for the man below him.


    "Who?" Jeffrey groaned, his eyes still squinted in pain.


    The possibility that the male could do something to his mate and then deny it or have it be such an insignificant detail in his life that he had already forgotten it made Graeme''s anger re higher. But then he suddenly remembered where he had juste from¡ªPenelope said her enchantment would be such that no one from August''s past would remember her.


    If her own mother could forget her, then Jeffrey would have as well. Fucking Eliade. This meant that the bastard below him wouldn''t even remember what he had done whilst August would remain with the memory for life.


    "How many women have you r*ped, Maura?" Graeme tried again.


    "I don''t¡­"


    "I have reports with your name on them. If you lie, I''m breaking both of your arms," Graeme growled. He added enough pressure to the arm hold that Jeffrey could feel just how close that already was to happening.


    "Okay, okay," Jeffrey yelled. "That''s just¡ªthat word isn''t right. It didn''t happen like that," he cried.


    Graeme covered the male''s mouth with his free hand and yanked his two arms away from him, dislocating them both for Jeffrey to scream in pain. The human''s face was contorted and red, his screams muffled by Graeme''s hand.


    "How many?" Graeme growled again.


    Jeffrey was too lost to the pain to respond.


    "Answer or they''ll be ripped off next," he added.


    "Two! Two used me!" he screeched. "Oh fuck, my arms!"


    If he remembered two females using him, that would mean August was a third.


    "I lied, Maura," Graeme snarled next to his ear. "Your arms won''t be the only thing you lose before I''m done with you."


    The woods around theke of Jeffrey''s house had gone dark now that the sun slid thest of its rays below the horizon, and a clear sky let show a brilliant dusting of stars over this haven tucked into the city. It was a tranquil sight for anyone looking on unaware of the muffled, torturous screamsing from its shadows.


    When the struggle finally ended and those muffled screams ceased, allowing the full peace of the night to reign, Graeme''s wolf slipped into theke to rinse the blood from his fur and mouth. He was trembling from the adrenaline and from the repairing of the copsed lung his body was still working on.


    The frigid water made him huff out quick, shallow breaths, and once he finally climbed back onto the muddy bank bordering the trees, he shook the water from his body and quickly trotted deeper into the shadows.


    He had been wrong¡ªa timber wolf wouldn''t be med for that attack. It ended up being too gruesome. Who knows what the humans would make of it when he was discovered.


    Now that that first monster was taken care of, Graeme was eager to finish the second and get back to his mate and his pack. He needed to talk with Greta and Sam, find out more about what other devious things the elders were doing in his pack that Penelope had vaguely alluded to, and set about making things right.


    And he couldn''t wait to hold August in his arms again.. Every part of him ached for her¡ªhis entire being called for her, pulling him in the direction it knew she was in.

 Chapter 129 - Number Two

    Graeme tried contacting everyone again on his way to the next destination¡ªa small historic town in Wisconsin called Ripon¡ªbut the calls still weren''t going through. Was it possible that the elders had done something to make them all unreachable while he was away?


    It was still rtively early¡ªjust past 7pm¡ªbut he could feel his body trying to make him stop and rest. The nap at August''s hadn''t been enough, and now the wound to his chest was taking a lot of his energy to heal. This extra stress of not being able to get ahold of anyone was no doubt adding to his exhaustion.


    He groaned and pulled off onto the side of the road. He needed to think clearly rather than riding this wave of revenge. This wasn''t good. His thoughts were scattered all over the ce, and when that happened, he tended to make stupid mistakes.


    A good example of this was the possibility that had only just urred to him that Eliade may be alerted to the vicious killings of two males from August''s past. What if they thought it was her? The frustrated hunt for her that had proven unproductive so far would gain traction with an investigation into the killings, and who knows where that would lead them¡­ quite possibly back to Hallows Forest.


    Graeme didn''t know how much sway Penelope had over the researchers at Eliade or if she would even attempt to keep them from pursuing another search of the Grimm. As much as he wanted to fully avenge his mate, it wasn''t worth the risk.


    It would probably be better if he just focused on returning home now. If he could get a flight tonight, he could sleep on the way and see her as early as tomorrow afternoon. The thought of being able to see August and feel her under his hands¡ªto know in person that she was safe, to be able to reassure himself in that way¡ªwas enough to convince him that this was the best course of action.


    First, he checked the GPS tracker on August''s mom to make sure that she was still headed in the direction of her home. Now that he knew she had no recollection of her daughter, there would really be no reason for her to return to Maine.


    Sure enough, the little red dot that represented her car was still headed on the path to Maiden Rock. Susan Smith would be returning to a house with no trace of her daughter.


    How would that affect a person''s mental state? You would think that, even in the absence of the memories, there would be something else there¡ªan emptiness where her daughter had been carved away. A haunting of something that was missing.


    Graeme threw a look over his shoulder at the box of August''s belongings that he had gathered to take to her. That was set to be one of the most difficult conversations he was ever going to have. He had never been the bearer of news like that¡ªonly the recipient. And he would have to start by admitting that he hadn''t told her the real reason Eliade had returned to the Grimm to search for her: because her mother had been there.


    He raked a hand through his hair, imaging how he would even begin to exin that as well as all that he had heard from Penelope. His mate was part fae. In fact, all lycans were part fae! He still didn''t know how to feel about it, so he couldn''t even imagine how she would react. Perhaps it was best that at least this was something they would be learning and processing together¡ªa new awareness of both of their identities.


    Since he knew that August''s mom was still safely returning home, Graeme searched for flights back to Maine. Just as he feared¡ªthere weren''t any that night. It was toost minute to have been that lucky.


    As he scrolled through the list of flight options that were avable, it appeared that the earliest would be Friday morning. He groaned. It would be faster to drive. And he wouldn''t be able to do that until he got some rest.


    He pulled back onto the road to continue heading to Ripon. There would be a ce there where where he could get something to eat, and then he would sleep in the car before the long drive.


    Ripon wasrger than August''s hometown but still quite small. It had that quaint, historic feel with beautifully restored Italianate buildings in the downtown square. There was an energy here that wasn''t present in Maiden Rock, as well. Small clusters of people were out visiting the eclectic shops and restaurants in the square where it was decorated for the uing Halloween holiday.


    Graeme threw on a nnel jacket to cover the blood that had stained his t-shirt. The wound wasn''t bleeding anymore, thankfully. He could feel the internal healing at work, which meant he really needed to eat to help that repair along. If he didn''t have enough energy, the healing would continue to drain him, and he wanted to be at his full strength when he returned.


    He spotted the pub that he knew August''s second attacker worked at¡ªa small ce on the corner called Tap 28. It had a stone and ivy facade with seating out front. Even though it was a Wednesday, there were people seated outside with their food and drinks, enjoying the fall weather. It appeared to be a lively ce.


    Graeme exhaled deeply and averted his attention from it. He wouldn''t go in there. He would return to Ripon some other time or catch up with this Drew Jackson further on down the road. The fact that Jackson and Maura didn''t even remember August and what they had done to her now that Penelope had cast her enchantment sat uneasily with him as well.


    "Can I get arge dark roast and these as well?" Graeme pushed a water, sandwich, chips, and fruit and nut container across the counter of a small coffee shop. This would be enough for now, and then he would stop for a better meal on the way home.. As much as he needed to rest, he wanted to at least get started on the journey back.

 Chapter 130 - 28

    "Sure thing," the young barista smiled at Graeme. "You doing okay?" she asked.


    He looked up to meet her questioning eyes, realizing now that he hadn''t checked himself over well beforeing in here. Did he look like he had just mauled someone in the woods? He nced down at his clothes, and the girl chuckled when she saw his confusion.


    "You just look tired. And you''re definitely not from Ripon," her eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Are you lost?"


    He allowed a small smile to form. "No. Just passing through. I have a long drive."


    "And this is your dinner? There are a lot of good ces to eat here, you know," she smiled. It was innocent and friendly, and he smiled back.


    "Just don''t send him to 28," another girl working behind her interjected as she turned with his coffee and sat it down on the counter.


    The girl behind the register smirked. "Right. Although I think he would be safe," she answered, giving him a quick nce.


    "What''s 28?" Graeme cocked his head to the side. He knew they were talking about the pub, but he yed into the conversation to hear what was behind this. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled to attention.


    "Pub 28 across the square. There''s just this guy¡­" she started, and Graeme swallowed.


    "No, he''s not a guy," the second girl interrupted. She turned to give the conversation her full attention and scanned the shop to make sure no one was there. Other than Graeme, the ce was empty. She had a name tag with ''Emily'' and a smiley face handwritten on it. "Drew is not a guy. He''s aplete psychopath."


    ''Drew.'' The name made Graeme''s arms go cold. They were talking about the same guy he had been on his way to visit before deciding against it.


    The first girl, ''Skr'' ording to her name tag that was adorned with two smiley faces, winced in response.


    "You wouldn''t call him a psychopath? He has a horrible temper with men, he is annoyingly charming with women, he hates animals¡­ he hit that dogst month. Remember? Little Susie''s Australian Shepard? She was devastated. I swear he did it on purpose. I wouldn''t be surprised if there are bodies buried in his backyard," Emily huffed in frustration.


    Skr nced at Emily and chuckled nervously while she rang up Graeme''s items. "Anything else for you?" she turned her attention back to Graeme, trying to smooth over the conversation with a polite smile.


    "This will be fine. Thanks," he replied.


    "You just haven''t been the victim of it yet, Sky. Consider yourself lucky," Emily mumbled and started wiping down the counter.


    "Victim?" Graeme couldn''t help but repeat.


    Something crackled in the air between the two girls. They didn''t say anything, but he felt the atmosphere be heavier.


    Skr smoothed the ck apron she was wearing, drying her hands while Emily''s face flushed a bright red. The blush reminded him of August, and he gritted his teeth. Had this girl been through something simr?


    The frustrated anger she had been venting before transformed into something else, and her eyes darted around self-consciously before she caught Graeme''s on her.


    "Oh, nothing. Never mind," she forced a smile before turning back to the counter behind her.


    Graeme took the bag of food and his coffee as Skr gave him a sad smile. "Have a safe drive!"


    When Graeme stepped out, his eyes returned to the pub on the corner. Perhaps he would have to pay Drew a visit after all.


    Graeme threw his food in the car and stalked across the street.


    The pub was dim with booths lining the exterior walls. Several booths and tables were upied, but Graeme walked to the bar and sat down.


    "Hey, big man," an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair approached Graeme from behind the bar. "What can I get ya?"


    "How about tap 28?" Graeme asked.


    "You got it," he replied. "Anything to eat for ya?"


    "I''ll try the nachos," Graeme said after scanning the menu.


    Graeme sipped on the beer while he listened to the conversations of those around him. There was a young man with an apron leaning on one of the tables where several women were seated.


    "Drew!" the bartender called, and the younger man turned. "Order of nachos."


    "On it," Drew replied and disappeared into the kitchen.


    The women at the table he had left started chatting quietly. "God, he''s hot," one of them said.


    "He gives me the creeps," another whispered.


    "After Jane made that usation about himst summer, I can''t look at him the same."


    "No one actually believes that happened though," the one who thought Drew was hot replied.


    "She''s not the only one, Mari," one of the women replied. They all went quiet at that, and Graeme had heard enough.


    "You know, on second thought, I really have to be going," Graeme told the bartender and left him money to cover the drink and food. "Keep it."


    Graeme returned to his car and drove it out of town until there was a nice dark stretch where he could pull off. He pushed back the internal arguments about why this was not a great idea as he stripped and threw his clothes in the trunk, then he ran back into town, blending with the shadows.


    He had a feeling the trick to this guy was going to be getting him alone. Graeme waited, crouched in the bushes behind the small employee parking lot out back.


    Since the pub didn''t close until midnight, he decided to take a nap and catch up on some rest. During his time tracking strays, he had be ustomed to sleeping with one ear alert to his surroundings.


    So when the back door of the pub mmed shut at 12:15, his eyes shot open instantaneously and narrowed to follow Drew Jackson''s solitary form. He was alone after all.


    It took a split second for Graeme to scan the surroundings for other movement and scents. It waste, and movement in the town square had stilled. A gentle breeze blew the scent of impending rain.


    Drew was unlocking the door to his car when Graeme snarled and lunged¡ªgoing straight for the throat. There was a flicker of fear before the man went down with Graeme''s teeth mped around his neck.. Graeme bit down until he heard the spine snap, then he shook.

 Chapter 131 - The Violet Conversation

    Violet was working in her shop in the market with her mother just like every other day. Day after day of the same work, the same people.


    She knew all the faces here in the pack, and she was bored. The only thing that she found joy in these days was drafting new designs. That''s when she really felt like an authentic version of herself.


    It had been her idea to develop breakaway designs of clothing exclusively for lycans. One of the things she hated more than anything was tearing her clothes while shifting or having to stop and take everything it off. It was such a pain.


    Some of her friends agreed that fun, fashionable clothing that could easily tear away when shifting without destroying the clothes would be something they would wear. When Violet told her parents about her idea, they were supportive and found a way to pay for her online schooling in design.


    Even with all the sess that her shop was having now, there was an emptiness at the core of it. Everything she did felt like a cocoon she was spinning for herself to hide the emptiness that remained after Graeme left. Just like that emptiness she saw on the ultrasound that day after she bled.


    She had been bawling on the floor. There was so much more blood than there should have been, and she had horrible cramps at the time. Even then she knew what had happened without anyone needing to tell her.


    Graeme came and took her to Greta for an ultrasound. It looked like a white ring¡ªa small white ring that previously had a little beating heart in it, but now that heart was gone and only the empty ck hole remained.


    That image stayed with her. How could Graeme approach her like he did in the market with those same shared memories in his brain? His eyes were just as empty when he looked at her now as the ultrasound image was on that day that she lost the baby.


    "Violet, you can''t do this anymore," he had said sharply. "You have to move on."


    Rather than crumpling into a watery mess at those words like she would have in the past, she stared back at Graeme vacantly¡ªpushing all of the feelings into that cocoon she had spun for herself so that the emptiness inside could eat them.


    "Of course," she had responded with a small smile.


    That''s when he grabbed her by the arm and walked her inside. When he let go of her, his expression was fierce.


    "Then why are you ring at her like that?"


    "Like what?" sheughed innocently.


    "Look, Vi, you know I would have taken care of you," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.


    An aching cavern opened in her chest at those words¡ªat imagining it to be true. For a time, she had had him and everything she had dreamed of. And then in an instant, he was gone.


    Now she was just a joke to the rest of the pack. She was the lycan girl who was stupid enough to think she could be Luna. The lycan girl who had failed to carry an Alpha''s pup to term. And now she was the lycan girl who had failed where a human had seeded.


    And now Graeme was here, standing in her shop with those warm brown eyes and hair hanging over his face. She had to force herself to look away. It was too painful.


    "The Goddess had other ns for both of us. That''s why you lost the baby. I have a mate now," he emphasized. "Don''t you see how this is good news for you, too? You could have a mate out there¡ªsomeone who you can bond with in a way that we couldn''t. Someone who will light up inside just thinking of you¡ªjust being near you."


    When she looked up to see if he understood how painful those words were for her to hear, his eyes had abandoned her again. He was thinking about his mate. The stupid human. She could see the way everything he had just described was true for him, because it was like just the thought of her made him glow.


    "It''s always only been you for me, Graeme," she whispered. "After what we went through¡­"


    "I know it has been hard," he replied.


    "Do you?" she snapped, but then she bit her lip and dropped her eyes.


    "Yes. I lost people, too. I know what loss is, as you are well aware," he red at her.


    "I know, I helped you through some of those times. Don''t you remember?" she mumbled.


    He sighed. "I do. I also remember how you boasted about our friendship and how you nned to win me one day to every young girl who would listen. You told them I was lonely. That I was weak."


    Her cheeks burned, and she red at him. "I was young and foolish. I guess you wouldn''t know what that''s like, would you?"


    "Yes, I do. I was young and foolish, too. We both were. But now we have grown, and you should be doing more than ring at innocent people in the market."


    "Innocent?" she scoffed. "Everyone thinks she''s a witch out to im the pack for her own, Graeme. Haven''t you heard?"


    Graeme mmed his hand on the counter, causing Violet to jump.


    "Listen to me, Violet," he said through gritted teeth. "You will move on. You will leave my mate alone. You have had plenty of time to make a life for yourself after I left. There is no future with me, and you are only making yourself miserable by holding on to something that has passed."


    She nodded in defeat. It was all she could do. The weight of his tone was bearing down on her like a heavy cloak, making her shoulders sag in submission.


    "You deserve more than conversations like this," his voice softened. "I will always care for you."


    She didn''t raise her head to watch him leave.. He had sliced through anystst remaining hope she had, and her heart couldn''t take watching the ease with which he did it before walking away once again.

 Chapter 132 - Auden Visits Violet

    Auden walked into Violet''s shop for the second time, which was two times too many. No one saw that man walking around talking with anyone outside of the council, so why did he have toe bugging her?


    The elder always gave her the creeps. His eyes wererge and protruded out of his round face like a bug, and he fidgeted with his hands like he was eager to be doing things with him that he shouldn''t. No wonder he didn''t have a mate.


    He leered at Violet and leaned over the counter. "We need your help again, pretty one," he said in that strange gravel he always used.


    "If it''s involving Graeme, I don''t want to help," she said quickly. His eyes narrowed, and she began tidying things below the counter for an excuse to avoid looking at him.


    "That''s not what you saidst time," he reminded her.


    "He doesn''t want to talk to me, Elder Auden. He shut me down that day at the council, and he made it very clear the other day that he doesn''t even want me looking at his mate, so¡­"


    "His mate is not his rightful mate. She is a witch," Auden spit.


    Violet flinched. For some reason it hurt to have Auden say that.


    She didn''t buy into the prejudice against the witches. She had seen how much Graeme and others had hurt after the alyko were killed, but she also didn''t feel strongly enough to ever object when they were disparaged in front of her either. She always let others fight those battles.


    "That might be true, but he believes she is. I''m sorry there is nothing I can do to help you," she said quietly.


    "Violet," Auden sighed. "I didn''t want to bring this up. But we let you in on some very sensitive information in the council. Information that most are not aware of."


    Violet nodded silently. Previously when they had invited her to visit Graeme in his new role at the council, she had discovered that there was a secret team headed by someone named Zoe. But she didn''t know what the team did.


    It was all very strange and unsettling. That''s when she had found Graeme in a room looking over his parents'' file, so she assumed the team had something to do with that.


    "Being aware of that informationes with a price. You agreed to help us, and only you can do it," he added. She watched him nervously as he continued exining.


    "What we need from you isn''t involving Graeme directly. This is a vital time for our pack. What happens now will have huge implications for us all," Auden said. "I am sure you of all people know how fickle the boy''s feelings are. How can any of us truly trust his choices when he abandoned you¡ªthe one who carried his child¡ªto roam amongst the humans?"


    Auden gave her a pitiful look, and she set her jaw. She didn''t want this man''s pity.


    "All you have to do is be your beautiful, charming self my dear. You don''t even have to see or talk to Graeme or the witch. But if you can help us, we can expose her before she hurts him or anyone else. Don''t you want to help open his eyes to the truth?"


    Violet sighed heavily. What if Graeme''s mate really was a danger and Violet could help prevent her from hurting him?


    "What do you need me to do?" she asked reluctantly.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Look at that! You''re nearly healed," Greta smiled and stepped back from checking on August''s wounds so that she could button up her shirt.


    August didn''t know how to feel about it. Of course she was relieved and pleased to heal at an elerated rate like Graeme¡ªit was as if he were here protecting her even when he wasn''t¡ªbut this was so surreal. Had her physiology really changed so much? She felt different, but she didn''t feel THAT different.


    Everyone saidbels weren''t important, and as much as she agreed with that ideal, it was¡­ unusual finding yourself changed so drastically. It made her feel set adrift. Graeme anchored her in a way, as did the pack, but she was still different from all of them in ways that no one fully understood. The ambiguity of not having onebel to identify with was hard. Not that she wanted to be known as ''the witch'' or even ''the human,'' but her own sense of self was in question.


    "I bet you never thought you would be able to take on a full grown bear and be walking around the same day, huh?" Greta giggled.


    "That''s for sure," August agreed.


    "We''re still going to have you take it easy today to make sure the healingpletes before you run into anymore bears," Greta joked.


    "Speaking of which, Sam and Jack are working on luring the mama and cubs out of the basement today, but in case the family decides to make a return, maybe we shoulde up with an alternative project for the pups tomorrow."


    August nodded. "That''s probably a good idea. Are there cameras for the pups to do photography?"


    "Yeah. I got a few of those little cameras you had texted me about for the time being. The Holgas?"


    "Perfect," August smiled. "Has Finn been able to get ahold of Graeme?"


    "No. Do you sense that he is any kind of trouble?" Greta replied.


    "No. Would I know?" August''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. For some reason she imagined that the distance would be a factor in how connected they were.


    "It''s harder when they''re further away," Greta replied. "Instead of being alerted to fluctuations in feelings and physical conditions of your mate when they happen, you have to kind of dial in. It''s simr to meditating, I guess."


    "Now that you say that, I felt something from himst night," she smiled thinking about it. "Like he was¡­" she thought about the sensation she had, as if he had strummed a chord that connected them, and she felt it vibrate softly in her chest, "¡­like he was checking in," she smirked and looked down at her shirt to smooth it.


    "Good," Greta rubbed her arm reassuringly. "Regardless, Finn left this morning to see if he could get a signal on the other side of the Grimm."


    August exhaled deeply in relief, hoping Finn was sessful. She didn''t want Graeme to worry about the bear situation, but she wanted to know for sure that he was okay.. Who knows what job the council had sent him on.

 Chapter 133 - Tell Her

    "Today Sylvia is meeting with the group of women she mentioned the other night. Are you up for it?" Greta was sitting on one of the sofas drinking an herbal tea while August was reading more in her book about pack history.


    "Sure," August replied. "When is that?"


    "They meet at 3 and then have dinner together at Agnes and Ethel''s," Greta exined. "You might be cold though, so bundle up. They always eat out on the back patio."


    "Should I be nervous?" August looked up from her book.


    "No. I mean, they''re an intense group. But they will love you. Just be yourself," Greta replied before taking another sip of her tea.


    "What herbs help with morning sickness?" August asked, gesturing toward Greta''s cup.


    "This is peach leaf, peppermint leaf, wild yam root, and a little apple cider vinegar," Greta answered. "It''s an old recipe. I didn''te up with it myself," she chuckled seeing August''s bewildered expression.


    "Does it work?"


    "It does while I''m drinking it," Gretaughed softly.


    "It''s hard to believe that a little bundle of cells can make such a huge impact on how you feel," August smiled.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll make it for you too when you need it," Greta winked.


    August groaned and looked back at her book with a smile.


    "What is it? Do you not want kids?" Greta asked, setting her cup down and pulling her knees to her chest.


    "I do," August responded quickly. "I just¡­ not yet, you know?"


    "Of course. You two haven''t even been together that long," Greta said, gauging August''s expression.


    "Exactly!" August closed the book and gestured toward Greta before dropping her hand in herp.


    The two remained sitting like that quietly for several moments before Greta said, "You two got in an argument about the full moon ritual, didn''t you?"


    August nodded shyly. "How did you guess?"


    "It''s not hard to imagine. I was surprised you stuck around for it."


    "You and Sam were there?" August asked, her cheeks going crimson.


    "Of course!" Greta answered. "I mean¡­ most mated couples participate. Especially now with how difficult it has been for everyone to get pregnant and stay that way."


    "I''m sorry," August frowned into her hands.


    "Yeah, it''s a bummer," Greta said. "I just wish we could figure out why it''s happening. So many women¡­" she started but swallowed hard before continuing. "It''s hard to be excited now," she admitted, cing a hand on her stomach. "I keep thinking in terms of ''If this works out.'' If instead of when."


    "That''s got to be hard," August muttered.


    "I''m sorry if I''ve been more sensitive," Greta said softly. "Yesterday, when we were at the warehouse¡­"


    "No, don''t worry about it," August interrupted. "I get it¡ªI mean, I don''t know what you''re going through, but I think I would be ufortable being around me, too."


    "That''s not it. I don''t want you to think that," Greta protested.


    "It''s okay," August smiled reassuringly.


    "It was just¡ªthe idea of going back to Sylvia''s. I guess I still haven''t gotten over it. And that''s a deep sadness for me. But it''s a private sadness I guess I don''t want anyone else to witness," Greta smirked and looked down into her own hands.


    "I will never intentionally vite that, Greta. I promise," August said.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Finn stepped out of the Grimm into a rolling meadow that was beginning to brown with the changing season. He gave the trees around the clearing a sweep to make sure no one was around before pulling out his phone to dial Graeme.


    "Finn!" He heard Graeme exim on the other end. "What the¡ªhow is she? Is everything okay?"


    "Hey Alpha. We haven''t been able to get through to you at all," Finn said, stating the obvious.


    "Yeah I know, me either. Where are you?" Graeme asked, unable to hide the deep relief he felt at finally receiving a call from someone in the pack.


    "I had to go through the Grimm to get a call out. I don''t know why it''s not working at home," Finn huffed.


    "That is strange," Graeme said, a growl puttering in his throat with suspicion. "Is everything okay?"


    "Well Miss August was attacked by a bear yesterday¡­" Finn started.


    "A what?! A bear?!" Graeme roared into the phone.


    "She was with the pups¡­"


    "How bad was it? Where was she hurt?" Graeme interrupted.


    "Oh, it was real bad. She was stuck in a basement with a mama and her cubs¡­"


    "What the f-" Graeme squinted his eyes closed. He knew she was fine. He knew she was fine. He could feel it. "Finn," he said slowly.


    "Yes, Alpha?" Finn responded eagerly.


    "Is she okay now?" he asked, slow and deliberate, hoping for the same from Finn.


    "Oh, yes! She seems to be healing just like us now," the young lycan responded.


    Graeme breathed a sigh of relief. "I''m on my way back, but I won''t make it there until tomorrow sometime. Just¡ªwhere is she now?" he asked.


    "She''s at Sam and Greta''s. Greta was there when I left," Finn answered.


    "Make sure she doesn''t get attacked by anything else before I get back. Can you do that Finn?"


    "Of course, Alpha."


    "Where were you when this happened with the bear?" Graeme growled. Goddess, he couldn''t even imagine how that would havee about.


    "I was there, but she was with the pups in the old alyko cottage, and you told me not to let her know I was following her, so I was hanging back. But I was watching her, Alpha, I swear. Or I was listening¡­ Anyway, I didn''t know there was a problem until one of the pups started screaming," Finn exined.


    "The alyko cottage¡­ you mean Maggie''s?" Graeme asked. Why would August have been there? And with just the pups? Did his mate have nomon sense?


    "The only way in was boarded up real good¡ªit took me three or four kicks to finally get in through the cer," Finn continued.


    Graeme groaned. How could this have happened when he was gone for a day? "Well now that she knows you are following her, why don''t you just stick close to her okay?"


    "I can do that Alpha," Finn answered.


    "Good. Get back to them soon then," Graeme said.


    "I will."


    "And Finn?"


    "Yes, sir?"


    "Will you¡­" Graeme paused and swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. "Will you tell her I love her?"


    There was a pause on the other end before the young lycan responded with a chuckle. "I can do that, Alpha."


    "Thank you, Finn," he replied.

 Chapter 134 - Finn

    "You can''te," Greta protested. "It''s a meeting with wise women from the pack. They''re all Sylvia''s close friends. August will be safe."


    Finn was standing in Greta and Sam''s kitchen with a handful of walnuts after rying the conversation with Graeme. He was determined to not let August out of his sight, and as sweet as it was, he had actually tried following her upstairs to the bathroom shortly after arriving.


    "Do you really think Graeme wants you in the bathroom with me?" August raised an eyebrow, and he had gone to wait on the bed in the spare room. She groaned and closed the door, turning on the faucet to camouge the sound of her peeing.


    Now he was in the kitchen analyzing their movements for the rest of the day and insisting on being at Sylvia''s. "But Alpha said¡­"


    "You don''t have to call him Alpha. No one called my father Alpha all the time¡ªespecially not the males closest to him," Greta interrupted. Finn had only been here twenty minutes and he was already getting on her nerves. Maybe it was the hormones.


    The males closest to him? A swell of pride made Finn''s chest puff out at the thought that he could be characterized that way.


    "Graeme said to make sure that she wasn''t attacked by anything else before he gets back," he said soberly.


    August choked back augh, and the other two looked at her. "Sorry. It just sounds funny. What else could I get attacked by?"


    "Well no one would have imagined a bear attacking you, so who knows," Greta smirked. "It''s good you canugh about it one dayter."


    "Nothing else will get the chance, Miss August," Finn assured her.


    "She will be surrounded by strong women this afternoon. There is no need for extra protection," Greta said.


    "Thank you, Finn," August put a hand on his arm. "I appreciate all you''re doing. But we''ll be fine. Aren''t you tired? This would be a good time to rest."


    "I''m not tired, Miss August. I will be outside keeping a watch while you''re there," he insisted.


    "Finn!" Greta eximed.


    "No offense, Miss Greta, but I carried a message through the Grimm today of our Alpha''s love for his mate. He trusted me with that. He trusts me to be there. And I will be there," he said with finality.


    The girls both stood silently seeing the firm determination that set his jaw and the me of loyalty in his eyes. There was no talking him out of this.


    August nced at Greta and smiled. She had to hand it to Finn¡ªhe took his job seriously. At least she knew he could be trusted.


    "What does the council think you''re doing this whole time while he''s gone?" Greta asked, tilting her head.


    "Someone is filling in on my runs. I arranged it," Finn answered. "A friend who owes me one."


    "You surprise me," August smiled.


    "Why is that, Miss August?" he asked.


    August shrugged. "I guess because of how funny and friendly you are, I didn''t expect you to be this hard to persuade," she chuckled. "You are taking this job from Graeme really seriously."


    "I always take my job seriously, but that doesn''t mean I always have to be serious," he replied with a goofy grin.


    "He has followed my brother around like a puppy since day one," Greta rolled her eyes.


    "He''s the Alpha. Everyone should follow him," Finn said.


    "Were you outside the house the first night I was sleeping here?" August asked, suddenly remembering the movement that startled her in the woods outside the window.


    "Of course I was. I was outsidest night, too," he replied.


    "What happened that first night? I heard amotion in the trees around two, and it freaked me out," she said. "I wasn''t sure what was out there."


    "You were up thatte?" Finn looked surprised.


    "I couldn''t sleep."


    "I''m sorry if that scared you, Miss August," he said before tossing a walnut in his mouth. "It was Lucas."


    "Lucas?" August''s eyebrows pinched together. "He was here, too?"


    "In wolf. He was checking on you, too, and he tried pushing me around. Typical Lucas stuff," Finn shrugged.


    "Why would Lucase around?" August turned to Greta.


    "He''s part of pack security. He was probably just running through," Greta replied. "He might be an ass, but he cares about the pack. That''s his first priority."


    It was likely that Lucas still didn''t trust her and was making sure she wasn''t sneaking out at night to go do whatever plotting, malicious "witches" do when they infiltrate a pack. Who knows¡ªmaybe he had even been patrolling the treehouse. She wouldn''t have known since it was so high up. Maybe she shouldn''t mind Finn sticking so close.


    "Well we''re going to get ready to go," Greta told Finn. "You can meet us there, and don''t be obvious about it, okay?"


    "Why does it matter if I''m obvious? I was only keeping out of sight to make Miss August morefortable," he frowned.


    "You don''t have to call me ''Miss'' either, Finn," August said. "Just August is fine."


    Finn nodded, and something in his expression looked touched. Who knew Finn was such a sensitive guy.


    "I want you to not be obvious, because we are going to something that is considered sacred for these women. And many of them will be meeting August for the first time. It''s important today, and we don''t need you tailing her like she is either a threat or unable to fend for herself," Greta said with an edge of frustration in her voice. "Neither of those things are true," she added and looked at August.


    "Okay, I''ll meet you there," Finn agreed.


    "There''s also a dinner afterward, and you really need to hang back for that. Hear me, Finn. These are trusted, respected women. I know that you are determined to be close, but keep your distance for this and then you can hold August''s hand all day tomorrow until Graeme is back," Greta went on.


    "What if¡ª"


    "Nothing will happen, but if it does, I will answer for it. My brother trusts me as much as he trusts you," she cut off his protests and gave him a challenging re.


    "Did I do something to make you angry, Miss Greta?" Finn asked.


    Greta exhaled. "No," she said shortly.. "No, I just don''t like being treated as if I''m incapable either."

 Chapter 135 - Sacred Circle

    Greta and August arrived in front of Sylvia''s shop in the Jeep with Finn somewhere in the shadows. It was reassuring to know he was there, but the fact that August couldn''t hear him or see him was a little unnerving. That meant that anyone here could be a few breaths away, stalking just a few paces back in the woods without her even knowing.


    "Before we go in," Greta stopped. "I have an idea. Why don''t you try focusing your senses to see if you can tell where Finn is right now."


    "What do you mean? That doesn''t have anything to do with the Veiled," August frowned.


    "Maybe it does," Greta shrugged. "Just give it a try."


    August looked around, not even knowing where to begin. She let the Veiled growrger to her eyes, and she was met with the thrumming life of the forest on the air.


    She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes to focus on the forest around her. Maybe she could sense Finn in a different way that didn''t involve her eyes.


    The sound of womenughing in Sylvia''s shop came through the door, and the unique pulse eachugh yed along felt like it tapped August in the chest¡ªlike within her was an instrument they were ying. Or she was the music that theirughter was dancing along. It was overwhelming in a good way¡ªlike that day in the market when she was walking with Greta and felt connected to those who were passing by.


    Next to her, she felt Greta''s presence¡ªlike a unique energy signature that was strong, healing, warm, and something uniquely Greta.


    With that sense, she mentally scanned out into the trees, feeling the energy meet her from each direction. There was the calm peace of steady, rooted trees; the scurrying, yful energy of squirrels; the swift patience of birds; and then there was Finn. She chuckled to herself.


    "Found him," she opened her eyes and was staring out into the trees on the opposite side of the road near the market.


    "Well done!" Greta eximed, impressed. "How did you do that?"


    "Why do I have to hide again?" Finn peaked out from behind a tree.


    "Just get some rest in your wolf," Gretaughed and turned to go inside.


    They passed through the crystal shop into the back room where August had met Charlotte. Two women were in there chatting, and August could tell they were the two she had heard out front.


    "Ethel and Agnes," Greta smiled and hugged them each in turn before introducing August.


    "We''re so pleased you''re here with us," Agnes held August''s hands in her own before drawing her into a hug. "Come meet the rest of us."


    They led her through a door into another room¡ªthis one muchrger. It was about the same size as the crystal shop, and August''s mouth dropped open at both there even being another room¡ªSylvia''s shop seemed to continue on and on like a magical building that grew the further you explored¡ªand at the sight before her of the borate circle gridded on the floor.


    There were five more women in the room all gathered at the far end where there appeared to be a tea station, but in the center of the room was a circle created on the floor with pine tree boughs surrounding arge lit candle. There appeared to be ces for each woman to sit with small cushions and various materials arranged. August saw a circr dish of dried flowers and a bowl of water next to each cushion along with unlit taper candles in wooden holders.


    Was this another ritual of some kind? And why wouldn''t Greta have told her about this?


    "Wee!" Sylvia made her way from the other side of the room and gave both the girls hugs. "August, let me introduce you. I see you have already met these two trouble makers," she gestured toward Ethel and Agnes. "You know Charlotte."


    Charlotte came forward to embrace August before holding her hands. "Wee back, child."


    "It''s good to see you again," August smiled. Charlotte winked at her before backing up to let the introductions continue.


    "And this is Vera and Liv," Sylvia introduced two women who appeared to be in their thirties¡ªolder than Greta and August but younger than the rest of the women in the gathering.


    Vera had fiery red hair in a wavy bob, and Liv had long raven hair that reminded August of a starless night. Both of them embraced August and offered her a warm smile.


    "And Raya," Sylvia introduced thest woman who looked to be closer to Sylvia''s age. She had dark ck hair like Liv and piercing blue eyes.


    "We call this the ''sacred circle,''" Sylvia said, and August wasn''t sure if she meant the women who were present or the literal circle that they had created with pine. "And now we have nine, which seems the perfect number for this circle. Doesn''t it?"


    There were hums of agreement.


    "If anyone would like some tea, there are several herbal varieties," Sylvia gestured toward the back.


    "Oh, yes please," Greta said and walked to the other side of the room to get herself some.


    "And then we can get started. Make yourselvesfortable."


    August watched as the women slipped off their shoes and left them by the door before finding spots around the circle. Vera who reminded August of a funky, carefree girl with her bob, hoodie, and converse slipped off her shoes to reveal wildly colored striped socks before sitting on a cushion with her knees tucked into her chest.


    August slipped off her shoes just as the other women had and was grateful for the fact that her socks were clean and matching. She sat on one of the cushions cross-legged before Greta came with her tea and sat next to her.


    "Thank you everyone who could join us today.. This is truly a special day for the sacred circle, because we have in our midst¡ªfor the first time ever¡ªthe mate of our Hallowell Alpha," Sylvia''s kind eyes disappeared into smile lines as she focused on August who was seated across from her.

 Chapter 136 - Marigold And Rose

    "This circle of women was made after our previous Alpha and Luna were killed, but I know Genevieve would have embraced the wild feminine energy that we have tapped into and thepanionship we have forged together," Sylvia reached to hold the hands of the women on either side of her, and like an inverse domino effect, an unbreakable chain was created with each woman holding the hand of the woman next to her.


    "August Moon, we wee you to the circle," Charlotte spoke. Various "wees" and "wee to the circles" were repeated after Charlotte''s.


    "Thank you for having me," she replied shyly.


    "As you can no doubt sense already, our future Luna is of a quiet, sweet spirit," Sylvia smiled affectionately at her, and August felt her cheeks grow warm.


    "But she is also fierce enough to take on a bear," Greta spoke from August''s side. The women chuckled, and Vera pped with a little whoop before holding the hands of those next to her again.


    "We are d to hear you are healing well," Charlotte added.


    "Thank you," August heard herself say with a softugh.


    "Ah, the blessings of the mate mark," Sylvia said. "This circle, with these women, is our safe space to share whatever may be needed. We gather here to grow stronger from each other, to learn from each other, and to support each other."


    As Sylvia spoke, August felt the energy in the room bloomrger with the unique signature of each woman rising to meet and gather with the others. It was like the opening of a lotus above the me at the center of the circle, and August was mesmerized by it.


    There were several moments of silence when the women either exchanged deep, prating gazes or closed their eyes in a meditation that concentrated their energies to further entangle with the others.


    "Shall we begin?" Sylvia finally asked, and all of the women dropped their physical joining of hands for the energetic circle to remain.


    "You each have a candle," Sylvia said. "We will light our individual candles from the center, sharing in the warmth and light from the whole."


    Each of the women took their candles and leaned forward to light the wicks from the center before returning the candles to the holders next to them.


    "Now, we take our dried flowers, which represent the growth and harvest of a knowledge only obtained from the earth and the life around us and mix them with the water of our feminine energy, of the moon''s reflection, of our unconscious mind," Charlotte now spoke, demonstrating the depositing of the flowers into her bowl while each women did the same.


    "With this knowledge and wisdom of the feminine," she then held her bowl aloft with both hands, "we will wash our neighbor''s feet in a symbolism of humility and selfless love for the woman we find next to us. I will begin."


    Charlotte set down her bowl, and with the delicate skin of her hands, she cupped the water and patted it down Sylvia''s calves before taking each foot and dunking it in the bowl. When she was done, she patted Sylvia''s feet with a small hand towel.


    Charlotte was still bowed over Sylvia''s feet, patting them dry, when Sylvia kissed her on the head and the two exchanged a gentle smile. Sylvia turned to repeat the process with the woman on her other side, this time taking the role of foot washer, and when she was patting the woman''s feet dry, she received a kiss on the head.


    The ritual repeated until it had circled around to Liv who removed August''s socks and cleansed her feet with the marigold and rose water. When it was done, August held either side of Liv''s head and kissed her just as the others had done. Liv raised her eyes and they looked at each other, sharing that moment of acknowledgment before August turned to bathe Greta''s feet.


    She had never looked at Greta''s feet before, and as she did¡ªas she applied the water to her calves and gently moved each of her feet into the bowl¡ªshe was ovee by the simple honor and humility of this task. This person whose feet she was washing was dear to her.


    When she patted Greta''s feet dry and felt Greta''s kiss, she fought tears as she raised her eyes to the sister who she hade to know and adore. She saw that same adoration in Greta''s eyes as they gazed in acknowledgement of the other''s being before Greta turned to do the same with the one seated beside her.


    When the ritual wasplete and Charlotte''s feet were cleansed as well, August felt a fierce loyalty to these women. She wouldn''t have been able to exin exactly what had just urred, but maybe that was the point. It was simple and profound and perfect. And somehow they all looked back at each other anointed with a mutual care that surpassed exnation.


    This was a feminine energy she had never experienced before.


    "Sisters, we are many and we are one. What wants to be said tonight?" Charlotte asked.


    A beat passed when August felt Charlotte''s gaze sweep each of them, and then it stopped upon Greta.


    "Greta, you are with child," Charlotte said, both pleased and surprised. "Congrattions!"


    A wave of happy gasps and congrattions went around the circle.


    "Thank you. We are¡­ cautiously happy," Greta replied.


    "I understand, dear one," Charlotte smiled. "I feel that the arrival of your brother and his mate is but the first of many signs toe that there is hope for us yet. For the growth and flourishing of life that has seemed increasingly stagnant. Our future Luna just bathed your feet," Charlotte gestured toward August, casting her in the glow of her smile.


    "I agree," August heard Greta say next to her. "I''m just. I''m afraid."


    August''s chest clenched with the vulnerability she heard in Greta''s admission. She would have done anything for Greta before, but at that moment she felt a fierce protectiveness for her. This child would grow healthy and strong just like its parents.. And Greta would know the love of cradling a child in her arms.

 Chapter 137 - Trance

    Something was wrong.


    Graeme was driving on his way back to Maine, and he was making good time. But shortly before he got the call from Finn, he started to feel worse.


    It was possible that theck of sleep and poor food was inhibiting his healing, but that had never happened before. He was lycan. He was a lycan Alpha, for Goddess''s sake, he should heal fine.


    But the breathing that had been gradually getting better became shallow again, and he coughed up blood into a napkin from the Ripon coffee shop twice. He was still so far from home.


    After he felt the relief of hearing from Finn and knowing that his mate was okay, albeit healing from a freak bear attack, Graeme decided to pull of to the side of the road and check his injury. This was a low-trafficked twone road, so he didn''t bother to hide himself further before pulling off his shirt and trying to inspect the wound.


    It appeared to have healed over on the surface where the bullet had prated, but it was the interior pain that was starting to crest again.


    "I can bear with it," he grunted and pulled a clean shirt on. "I''ll just get some rest." He climbed into the back of the car and used August''s pillow to rest his head on. The scent of his mate seemed to instantly make him feel better, and he fell into a restless sleep.


    "Graeme," he heard her call to him, but his eyelids were so heavy. "Bun-Bun, wake up."


    Graeme groaned and fought to open his eyes. "Damn rabbit," he mumbled.


    "What happened to you, my love?" she whispered soothingly so close to him, but she was out of focus. Her golden hair fell over him, and he turned into it, feeling it tickle his face.


    "I got into a fight," he rasped. "You should see the other guy." He thought he heard her chuckle.


    "This might feel ufortable," she said softly. "Do you trust me?"


    "With my life. With my pack," he replied and squinted his eyes shut. "With my entire being."


    When she didn''t respond, he said, "Goddess, I miss you, Little Red."


    An ufortable sensation burned in his chest where the pain had been, reminding him of that night when August had taken something from around his heart. He hissed and gripped onto the pillow he wasying on.


    "There," he heard her say. "You should heal okay now."


    Her voice drifted away as a deep slumber overcame him¡ªone in which the pain was gone and he was walking through a field of sunflowers with his beautiful mate by his side.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Now I know why you didn''t want Finn there," August giggled. Her and Greta were driving to Agnes and Ethel''s for dinner after the meeting.


    "Did you like it?" Greta asked.


    "Yes," she answered earnestly. "I did not expect anything like that. It was¡­ profoundly moving. I don''t think I''ve ever felt that close to women I just met before."


    "Yeah, it''s special," Greta agreed. "I''m proud of you for being open about your vulnerability and your worry for Graeme. It seemed like you entered some kind of meditative trance when we allid hands on you," Greta nced at her as she drove. "How did it feel?"


    August exhaled and smiled. "At first, it was so overwhelming. Like the energy that can be generated from all of you is greater than anything I''ve ever experienced¡ªaside from mating," August admitted and flushed.


    "Yeah¡ªthere''s nothing like the unity thates from mating," Greta agreed. "Like the universe is moving through you, pulsing through your veins like you are one being brought together from two halves."


    August groaned. "Ugh, I miss him."


    "Tomorrow," Greta patted her leg. "You only have to put up with Sam and me for one more night."


    "I don''t have to put with you. You two put up with me," Augustughed. "Poor Sam. Why is he sleeping on the couch every night? He probably can''t wait to be rid of me."


    "He sleeps lighter on the couch, and he feels better about being down there in case someone were to break in on the first floor," she exined.


    August groaned again. "I''m sorry."


    "What are you sorry for?" Greta chuckled. "You are our family. There is nothing to apologize for. Everyone wants you safe. Except maybe that mama bear." They bothughed.


    "And Andreas," August added.


    "And the elders," Greta admitted.


    "And probably Violet," August said. Now Greta was the one who groaned.


    "You know, I did feel sorry for Violet when that all went down. When she lost the baby she was crushed, and that was genuine. But the rest of what she felt for him¡­" she trailed off, lost in thoughts of the past. "It was a very shallow imitation of the real thing. Violet has always been very image-conscious."


    Greta''s hands tightened on the wheel recalling it.


    "She wanted the status of being with my brother. And, you know, she loved the way he looked in that regard. But she never really knew or loved him in that deeper sense. I tried to warn him, but he was just trying to feel something, I think. Something hopeful. Something more than all the pressure and expectation and guilt."


    Greta''s eyes had turned sad.


    "I understand," August replied. "We don''t have to talk about it."


    "Well, it''s important that you know. She''s shallow, but I think Violet has a good heart in there. I hope."


    August looked out the windows at the forest that had gone dark. One more night''s sleep and then she would see Graeme.


    "I am totally andpletely lost," Augustughed.


    "It probably all looks the same," Gretaughed with her. "You''ll get used to it. And here we are!"


    Greta pulled off by a cottage nestled into the dark woods.. If not for the inviting soft glow of light from the windows and backyard, the house would seem like a menacing sibling to something from a dark fairy tale.

 Chapter 138 - Charcuterie

    "So Ethel and Agnes live together?" August asked as her and Greta approached the house with Finn trailing them somewhere in the shadows. "Are they sisters?"


    Greta giggled. "No."


    "Oh, I just thought¡­" August tried to recover. "Their names are so simr."


    "They are kind of simr aren''t they?" Greta tilted her head. "You know what I always thought was funny?"


    "What?"


    "That my brother and my mate''s names rhyme," sheughed.


    "That is a little weird," August agreed. "Sam and Graeme. You are the center of some very powerful rhyming men."


    "I am," Greta thought aloud. "And I have an old woman name like Ethel and Agnes."


    "That''s not what I meant. And I''ve always like the name Greta. I had a friend named Gretchen in school. It''s pretty."


    "Thanks, sis. Regardless, I''ll be an old woman one day to fit my name. Goddess willing," she winked.


    "My name was always made fun of growing up. It''s unusual for a girl. It''s also not terriblymon for a boy, so," August shrugged.


    "I like it. It''s unique. And there''s something¡­ promising about it," Greta said.


    "Promising?" August chuckled. "How so?"


    "Well the name individually and your full name. I''m not sure I can exin what I like about August. It''s timeless andes around every year. It''s a good month," Greta smiled and nced teasingly at the human beside her.


    August groaned.


    "No, for real¡ªit''s the sound of it or something. Like a breath of fresh air or a gust of wind off the ocean. It reminds me of a grey-blue sky on the coast when you can smell the ocean and feel it kissing your cheeks. And then you smell fresh and renewed the rest of the day with sand in your shoes and your hair¡­ an entire day of memories deposited in those little sparkling grains that are impossible to get rid of no matter how hard you try," she chuckled, and August stopped walking.


    "What?" Greta turned to her.


    "Nothing," August shook her head. "It''s just that¡­ that''s so beautiful. Thank you," she replied with a small smile.


    "It''s beautiful because it''s true. Come on," Greta backtracked to link August''s arm in her own before the pair started walking again. "And then there is ''Moon,'' which is obvious. And Cady¡­"


    "Hey you two! Finally. The food is already out,e eat!" Ethel appeared in the front door of the cottage and ushered them in. "The food is out back, but go ahead and grab some drinks in here. Agnes is burning some sage and cannabis out back if you need help with an appetite," she chuckled.


    August understood why this ce was chosen for dinner. In the backyard there was a pic table that stretched long enough to fit 18 people. At each spot, there were individual little benches with back rests, which looked incrediblyfortable while retaining the rustic charm of outdoor dining. And above the table was a criss-crossing string ofrge white bulbs that illuminated the table beneath.


    Agnes, Raya, and Vera were huddled together on one side of the table talking and passing a joint around, and August giggled.


    "There are the youngsters," Charlotte said, approaching August and Greta. "What did you think of our sacred circle?"


    "It was powerful," August replied. "I''m honored to have been included."


    "Oh, August Moon, the honor is ours. Believe me," she patted August''s arm and gestured for her to take a seat at the table.


    Down the center of the table was a long charcuterie board with a variety of crackers, cheeses, sliced cured meats, fruits, dips, and jams. August''s stomach growled.


    "We have soup, Greta, if none of this sounds good," Charlotte added. "Or more herbal tea," she gave Greta a knowing smile.


    "This actually looks really good. Thank you, Charlotte," Greta replied.


    "Sam will be relieved I''m finally eating," Greta chuckled as she and August sat next to each other sampling the food. "He''s starting to get on my nerves. How can I possibly eat when I feel like I''m going to throw up?"


    "This is all so good," August said. "I think I could eat this every day. Poor Finn, he has to watch us eat."


    Gretaughed. "He''s fine. He probably caught something to snack on."


    "Like¡­" August slowed her chewing.


    Greta shrugged. "A squirrel or something."


    "Are you serious? I''m going to find him and take him some food." August piled different slices of meats and cheeses on a te and rose from the table.


    "Are you serious?" Greta giggled.


    "Yes! He shouldn''t have to spend his night that way. There''s plenty," she answered.


    On the way to the shadows to find Finn, a few of the women stopped August to chat. It was crazy how all of these women were feeling more and more like close friends even though they had just met. But the intense sacred circle and the heartfelt sharing thatmenced afterward catalyzed that feeling of closeness.


    Agnes offered August a hit of cannabis, but she declined. The smoke was making her feel giddy already.


    When she finally made her way to the trees where she now felt the familiarity of Finn''s unique presence hidden amongst the shadows, she found him¡ªto her great surprised¡ªabsorbed in his own conversation.


    "Oh," August breathed without thinking, and both Violet and Finn turned to her.


    "Oh, Miss August¡­ I mean, August," Finn started, remembering how she had told him to call her. "Are you all right?"


    "Yeah," she breathed augh. "I just, um," she raised the te, "brought you something. I wasn''t sure if you ate."


    "Oh, thank you Miss August," he smiled and took the te.


    "Yes, that''s so nice of you to bring him your leftovers," Violet smiled cloyingly. Just having Violet''s eyes on her made her stomach turn with the memories that resurfaced.


    August''s eyebrows pinched together. "They''re not leftovers. I just got distracted¡­"


    "Violet brought me my favorite steak and cheese sandwich from the market," Finn smiled. "But I always have room for more. Thank you, August."


    "No problem," August smiled awkwardly before retreating back to the group of women and leaving Violet and Finn in the shadows.

 Chapter 139 - Come Feel

    Violet had a good heart. That''s what Greta said.


    And that''s why August didn''t say anything when she rejoined the women. Violet had probably seen Finn by the market when they were at Sylvia''s and was nice enough to bring him something to eat. It was a kind thing to do.


    Plus, the afternoon with these women had been so wonderful, there was no way August was going to jeopardize that by identally instigating a scene where a pregnant Greta ran off into the shadows to kick Violet''s ass again. That would be humiliating, and then Finn would wonder why August had said anything.


    Finn would see her as a tattle-tale or someone looking to cause a problem, and that wasn''t who she was meant to be here. She was meant to be strong¡ªa leader. Not someone who bes insecure because her mate''s ex is bringing someone a sandwich.


    So she returned to the women and, after chatting with Agnes and the two other tokers, began to feel even better than before. This was life¡ªunity, sisterhood, togetherness out in the forest with the stars and the trees and¡­ Agnes'' shirt was so detailed.


    "Agnes, look at the little designs on your shirt! I didn''t even notice them before. They''re so delicate," August was touching the fabric in amazement.


    "She didn''t even take a hit," Vera giggled. "Want toy down in the grass with me, August?"


    "Why? Is that good?" August asked, and Vera giggled, taking her by the hand.


    "Come feel how soft it is," the girl with the short red hair sat down and patted the spot next to her. August followed, and she instantly realized what Vera was talking about.


    "You''re right. This is amazing," August giggled.


    She spread her hands out on the bed of grass and moved them back and forth, feeling the soft des of grass tickle her skin with their soft edges as Vera mirrored her. Then Veraid back to look at the dark sky.


    "Lay down," she turned to August and reached for her hand¡ªthe skin so soft that it sent the hairs on August''s arms pickling upright. "Look at the stars with me."


    They bothid back and giggled for no reason other than the fact that everything was delightful right now. Everything was right with the world¡ªbecause they were alive and living it.


    "Did you know that stars sing?" Vera asked, breaking through the softughter that they were both consumed with.


    August turned her head to look at the girl with her eyes wide.


    "It''s true¡ªthey do. The movement inside of a star makes them vibrate like an instrument. The biggest stars sound low and deep," Vera''s voice did an imitation of a low and deep voice as she said it, and both the girls giggled. "And the smallest ones have higher voices. Like flutes."


    "I have heard them," August said in awe as she looked at Vera. The girl''s eyes were a beautiful hazel with blue, brown, and golden flecks in them.


    "You have?" Vera''s beautiful hazel eyes got wide as she gazed back into August''s golden ones. August nodded.


    They both turned to watch the stars again. "Can you hear them now?" Vera whispered, and they both hushed until the quiet became very funny and they beganughing again.


    "I don''t hear them now," August finally admitted. "But I hear the wind and the women and some water running. Is there a creek near here?" August turned over onto her stomach to look out into the darkness that surrounded the backyard.


    "You have leaves in your hair," Vera giggled and plucked them out.


    "Is there water near here?" August turned to ask her again.


    "Yeah. There''s a creek somewhere," Vera finally answered.


    "Hmm." August rested her chin on her hands and listened to all the sounds that had somehow be amplified in the night.


    "I''m so d you''re here with us, August," Vera''s expression sobered, and she put an arm around August''s back as they both looked out into the forest.


    "Me too," she replied with a smile before they both erupted in giggles again.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "They sure are having a good time," Finn observed.


    Violet was still keeping himpany, but her attention had turned to the women in Agnes and Ethel''s yard.


    "Yeah they are," she chuckled, forcing her tone to sound light and amused, but seeing August like this¡ªsuddenly so close and weed by the women in this tight knit group¡ªset a me alight in that ufortable part of her chest where her jealousy hid.


    It was an ugly feeling that she was very familiar with. She hated it, but as she pushed it down to keep the young Finn from being aware, she felt it roar back at her and start eating away at the delicate reparations she had set about doing since August arrived.


    This was different than August being Graeme''s mate¡ªthis was somehow worse.


    This particr group of women had never approached Violet toe and spend time with them, and yet¡ªthey were part of the same pack. Violet was lycan. She actually belonged here unlike the human or witch or whatever August was. What gave August the right to show up one day with Graeme and then start winning people over who had never even given Violet the time of day?


    And there August was¡ªrolling around giggling on the ground like a pup with Vera who had always acted too cool for Violet. Vera was weird, though, so it hadn''t bothered her. At least not until now.


    Ugh. This was not good. She hated these feelings. She wanted them to go away.


    She tried to block out the violently spiraling thoughts and return to the whole reason why she was out here in the shadows like an outcast to begin with. Finn.


    "I''ve never seen you running with any girls, Finn," she batted her eyshes at him and watched as his face spread into that innocent boyish grin of his.

 Chapter 140 - Violet Did That

    "I''ve never seen you running with any girls, Finn," Violet batted her eyshes at Finn and watched as his face spread into that innocent boyish grin of his.


    "I don''t have much time for that," he scratched his head.


    "You don''t have time? How will you ever find a mate if you''re so busy working for the council?" she stuck her thumbs in her back pockets and bit her lip. She was flirting with him, but he was kind of slow when it came to stuff like that, so she had to make sure he knew it.


    He seemed to get it after all, because his cheeks became pink and heughed nervously. "A mate? I haven''t even thought about that yet."


    Finn was pretty adorable like this. It made Violet feel better that she could have this affect on a young lycan like him, so she decided to y with him a little more even though it probably wasn''t necessary.


    "You mean you''ve never¡­" she raised her eyebrows and did a little flirtatious wiggle with her thumbs still in her pockets.


    Her breasts definitely looked good like this, she knew that for sure. She designed clothes¡ªit was part of what she took into consideration with every piece of clothing she wore. And she was going to take advantage of that knowledge with the way Finn was quickly bing flustered and shy.


    This might actually be fun. Maybe it would take her mind off of all this other shit¡ªall those feelings of inferiority and jealousy. Because the dted pupils and scent of arousal on the lycan in front of her didn''t make her feel inferior at all. It made her feel powerful.


    Like when she seduced Graeme.


    She thought back to when they were younger. Graeme was so confident on the outside, but he had that insecurity and guilt that always ate away at him. He really just wanted someone to hold him and tell him it was going to be okay and make him feel worthy of his title.


    And Violet did that.


    She gave him thatfort he needed, and then¡ªon top of that¡ªshe gave him the opportunity to feel that other kind of power that he hand''t discovered yet. Sure, the elders were supposedly training him to be a leader and an Alpha¡ªa man in charge of a pack. But she helped him discover what it was to be a man with a woman. Even though they were still so young, the power of that physical unity unfolded for them together. It was ageless.


    He discovered that with her. Violet was his first, and there was no taking that away. The way his eyes became heated and almost predatory when he finally decided to take her. There was a strength and a power that he found only with her when everyone else had let him down.


    She let him overtake her. Dominate her. Goddess, he was so fucking sexy. The scowl his forehead made when he was concentrating¡ªwhen he was looking at her lips, when he was undressing her.


    He was an Alpha. She could feel that power in him when he touched her. It was like the confidence sprang from somewhere hidden inside and came roaring to life with her in his arms.


    His lips, his jaw¡­ the way a growl puttered in his throat when he pulled her head back by the hair and kissed down her neck. He wanted to possess her, and she let him. Fuck, she would do anything to remind him of that.


    Violet wet her lips, pulling herself from the memory and back into the present. Finn.


    Shit, now Finn was definitely sensing her arousal. She didn''t mean for that to happen. He had been so rxed before, and now his stance was all rigid and tense with anticipation.


    Violet smirked. That was good, though. He was just where she needed him to be. Apparently all she had to do was think of Graeme, and all of this would work out perfectly.


    "I''m um," she cleared her throat. "I''m sorry, I don''t know what came over me. I should probably go."


    She backed away slowly, letting his eyes run the length of her, before she turned and left Finn frustrated and alone in the darkness.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It was finally the day Graeme wasing back!


    August sat up in bed with a big smile on her face. She slept so goodst night after they got back from the sacred circle dinner. It was so fun¡ªsheughed more than she had in a long time. And all of the women were just wonderful.


    She didn''t know what time Graeme was getting back today, but hopefully he wasn''t dyed. All she had to do was focus on the pup''s lesson¡ªand today was going to be fun and easy with only the few who were interested in photography¡ªand then she would see her mate.


    "Good morning," she called when she skipped down the steps to see Greta sitting on the sofa with her tea again.


    "You''re in a good mood," Greta observed with a smile.


    August squealed. "He''sing back today, Greta," she said, and Gretaughed at the excitement in her voice.


    "I know. Thankfully," Greta said. "Finally I can get rid of you."


    August scoffed and walked to the counter to pour herself a cup of tea as well.


    "Did Sam and Jack get the bears out yesterday?" August asked.


    "Yeah, he said it went well. They found another area of the basement where the foundation was damaged that appeared to be where the mama got in. They covered it and boarded the cer back up, but it would be best to stay away from there for at least a few days in case the mama wanders back. My guess is she''ll go find a nice hollowed out tree somewhere," Greta answered.


    August thought of the cave under that tree the crow had led her to.. That would be a great little ce for bears.

 Chapter 141 - Never Occurred To Her

    "So photography today then," August said. Greta nodded.


    "Yep. There are three. Sawyer, Fern, and Sage," Greta replied. "Easy day."


    "Not many of the pups are interested in photography," August frowned.


    She thought of what Graeme had said about pictures not being a thing around here. Maybe all lycans have a photographic memory and so only needed to rely on that rather than physical copies. Well, she would make it worth it for the three who were interested. Others might be interested over time.


    The Holga cameras Greta had gotten for the pups would be a lot of fun. They used film, which was a fun throwback and allowed a lot of maniption with light leaks and double exposures since these cameras were made from a cheap stic and didn''t automatically advance to the next picture.


    They were also lightweight and easy to use, which was perfect for pups just beginning in photography. And despite being stic, they took really decent pictures and could be used in a lot of different ways. Maybe she could even have the pups decorate their own camera bodies as she had seen was the trend when the camera became popr amongst hipsters.


    "I told them we would meet them there at 10," Greta said over top of her tea cup.


    "Feeling pretty yucky again today?" August asked. Greta looked slightly pale. She nodded.


    "The tea is helping," she said. "I hope this is just for the first trimester. If this goes the whole time¡­" she groaned.


    "Don''t you have higher amounts of the hormone if you''re pregnant with twins?" August asked. Greta froze, and her eyes gradually grew wide. August giggled. "Twins are hereditary, aren''t they?"


    Greta nodded silently, her eyes still wide. "Fraternal twins are. Oh Goddess," she swallowed.


    "It never urred to you that you could be pregnant with twins?" August chuckled.


    "I¡ªI don''t¡­ I don''t know," she stuttered. "I wonder if Charlotte would be able to tell."


    "Can''t you do a sonogram?" August asked.


    "It''s still too early, I think. I don''t know. Maybe I should try it," she answered. It was different seeing Greta flustered like this, and August couldn''t help but giggle.


    "How did Charlotte knowst night? Did Sylvia tell her?" August tilted her head in question.


    Charlotte had zeroed in on Greta very quickly after the sacred circle started, but she appeared just as surprised as everyone else to hear the words leave her lips.


    "Charlotte has an extra sense for things like that, particrly in that environment with all the women gathered around," Greta answered.


    After Greta admitted her fear for the pregnancy, all of the women present had gathered around andid their hands on her, praying to the Goddess to protect the pregnancy and keep Greta and her child healthy. It was so powerful, it brought August to tears.


    And that fierce protectiveness of Greta was solidified for August. She knew then that she would do anything in her power to help her mate''s sister avoid the heartache that she went through with the loss of herst pregnancy. Not that there was anything she could do¡ªbut if there were, she would do it.


    The sacred circle had continued that way¡ªwith each woman present standing before the others who were seated and giving voice to something she needed help with: a fear, a worry, a struggle of some kind. It was vulnerable and brave and beautiful.


    August was reminded of that trust exercise where one person stands in front of the other and falls backward, trusting that the one behind will catch them. The sacred circle was like that, only amplified considerably.


    When all of them had taken a turn, including August, it was as if they all wereid bare and then fortified. August had never experienced anything like it. She would cherish it forever.


    "Shit, I could be having twins," Greta murmured, still apparently stunned at the idea.


    "Are you okay?" Sam appeared in the doorway and looked between August and Greta.


    When he saw the stunned expression on his mate''s face and August''s gentle smile, he crossed the room and kneeled in front of her.


    "What is it, darling?" he asked, reaching up to cup her head in his hands.


    Her eyes slid to his. "I have a feeling¡­" she swallowed, the tea cup still cradled in her hands. "August just reminded me that there''s a chance¡­" she paused again, and Sam''s face furrowed further with worry. "What if we''re having twins?" Greta breathed the question.


    Sam''s face spread into a wide grin. "That''s what you''re worried about?" he chuckled.


    "Can we handle that?" Greta asked, and Sam bent his forehead to rest against hers. Heughed softly against her.


    "Of course we can. We can do anything together," he said and kissed her. And he kissed her some more.


    Happy tears pricked August''s eyes as she backed away to go back upstairs and let them have this moment. Her heart was so full for them. Seeing the way Sam was with his mate¡ªit was beautiful. And it made her miss Graeme that much more.


    "Only a few more hours," she whispered to herself and looked out the window. "A few more hours until you''re back with me."


    She imagined what it would be like to be expecting a baby with Graeme. It didn''t seem so terrifying when she saw Greta and Sam together. And all of the support of the women fromst night.


    Were it to happen, it wouldn''t be her alone facing an uncertain future. It would be a family gathered around. It would be her with her strong, powerful, sensitive mate. She exhaled and allowed herself to breathe in the possibility of a future so perfect. Things could be okay here. Yesterday had convinced her of that.


    That was, if she were what they all expected her to be and not something dangerous. A small, dark thought niggled in her mind with the fear that she might harm them all like the alyko stories from the council suggested.


    If any of what she read was true, the more people she got closer to here, the more people she could hurt.. She had to make sure that didn''t happen, even if she had to protect them from herself.

 Chapter 142 - Pictures In The Market

    Fern, Sawyer and Sage were all waiting in a group near Sylvia''s shop when August and Greta arrived.


    "Are you feeling better, Miss August?" Fern asked. She had big, curious brown eyes, and August smiled.


    "I am one hundred percent better. Thank you," she replied. "Are you guys excited to try out some photography today?"


    "Is it okay that it''s going to rain?" Sawyer asked, looking at the sky.


    "I think it''s only going to sprinkle," Greta replied, following his gaze.


    "And these cameras are great, because a little rain water won''t hurt them. A lot of rain water probably won''t hurt them either," Augustughed.


    August and Greta passed a camera to each pup, keeping one for each of themselves as well. After August showed them all the controls, they walked further into the market.


    "So these are actually real cameras?" Sawyer asked, turning it over in his hands. "It looks like a toy."


    "Yep, they''re real alright. Just wait until you see the pictures," August winked at him.


    The market was busy as usual. "Why don''t we split up?" August asked Greta who stared back at her nkly. "If we''re all in one group, the pups will all be taking the same pictures. We can let them wander around and do their own thing."


    "But stay in the market?" Greta asked, making sure August wasn''t nning on wandering off.


    "Of course," August giggled. "I''ll take Sage around and you take the other two?" Greta nodded, and they wandered off in different directions.


    August found that Sage was pleasant to spend time with, and he was a fast learner. He ran around taking pictures of different things in the market, and along the way August showed him how to n double exposures and add light leaks. Before she knew it, he was out of the three rolls of film they had brought along.


    "I tell you what," August said, grabbing the focus ring of her digital camera and bringing it around from her side to hang in the center around her neck. She took the camera strap off and put it on Sage.


    "How about we move on to the trickier stuff? The digital camera gives you so many more options and control over your pictures. But I''ll show you some basic things for now. This is where you focus. Look through the viewfinder and turn it," she pointed to the little window on top.


    "See how you can focus in like you couldn''t do with your Holga? There are different lenses that allow you to focus even more than this one, and each lens is suited for different kinds of photography. I have a prime lens on mine right now, and this one is good for portraits," August exined.


    Sage listened to every little detail, and August was impressed to find that he had a ster memory. He could repeat a process on the camera that she had shown him, and when he took some sample shots on the big camera around the market, it was clear he had an artist''s eye.


    "The way youpose these photos is wonderful, Sage," she told him for him to grin widely. "I''m serious. You are a natural. Let''s go see Woody and ra," August told him quietly. "I''d like to try getting a good photo of them that we can give them to keep. I think they would really like that, don''t you?" Sage nodded.


    The two walked down to where Woody and ra''s booth was set up, and after capturing a few candid shots of the couple amongst their handwoven creations, August greeted them and asked if Sage could take a posed portrait. Woody acted a little shy about it, but after some insistence from ra about how nice it would be to have a photo of them in the home and for their grandkids, they both agreed.


    "Oh, all right," Woody finally relented, and the couple came to stand next to each other in the center of their booth behind a table stacked with fabrics.


    August gave Sage some pointers on ways he could frame the couple in the shot. "Let''s try a few further away and then some close up, andter we can see which we like best," she winked at the young boy with emerald eyes. He nodded and did just as she said.


    "Thank you so much, Woody and ra. Sage and I will y around with these a little and bring you a few to look over. Then you can decide which you like," August smiled when they were done.


    "Thank you, dear. And thank you, young man," ra patted the boy on the head. "Please take a scarf with you as thanks. This one here matches your beautiful eyes." ra handed Sage a scarf with different shades of green. He gave her half a smile, seemingly unsure if he should ept it.


    "Thank you, ra. That''s so kind. And look at how handsome you are," August smiled warmly and wrapped the scarf around Sage. "I suppose we should look for the others, huh?" Sage nodded in agreement.


    After returning to the main market area, the two looked around to see if the rest of their group was anywhere near. While August was searching, she spotted a young girl feeding a ck bird, and she stopped to watch. The girl was throwing something that looked like bread crumbs, and the bird was pecking them diligently from the ground. August nudged Sage and pointed silently for him to try capturing the interaction between the two.


    "Let''s see if we can get some photos of the crow. What do you think?" she asked, excitement arriving in her eyes as she gazed down at her youngpanion. Sage smiled back.


    The two slowly walked forward after the young girl ran out of crumbs and scampered away. The crow hopped around, apparently looking for more to eat, before flying lowly and arriving at a further spot away from the market.. August and Sage followed, Sage with his camera poised, clicking away when he could get close enough.

 Chapter 143 - Unknown Male

    "Do you have anything to feed him, Sage?" August whispered, and Sage dug into his pockets before shaking his head.


    "I guess we''ll have to start carrying around little snacks for the crows if we want a good picture, huh?" she smiled down at him. "Okay, let''s head back."


    As they turned back toward the direction of the market, August heard raised voices deeper in the forest. The vicious intensity of the male''s voice made her freeze. It was as if her body bore a physical recognition of that level of anger from her past, and the trauma caught hold of her¡ªstealing her breath.


    This wasn''t just any argument she was overhearing. That male was abusive. He was going to hurt whoever was on the receiving end.


    Before she knew it, August was following the voices, her heart thudding in her ears as the man''s voice grew louder. Images of n standing over her mother shed through her mind, and her feet moved faster to find the source of the anger before it was toote.


    Finally a male and female came into view under the forest canopy. The man was towering over her, snarling out something incoherent until August''s presence had him stop abruptly and turn toward her.


    "Are you okay?" August heard herself ask, addressing the female some distance in front of her. She didn''t recognize her own voice. It was too brave for how her heart was quivering uncontrobly in her chest.


    The woman looked over to her, pale and shocked¡ªterrified¡ªbefore she slowly nodded.


    "Y-yes," she stuttered simply and forced herself to smile, but her lips were trembling and August watched as the smile faltered before she turned to hide her face from them.


    The male was still poised over her in rage. August heard his threatening growl echo off the trees before it reached her ears.


    "You''re not okay," August replied, answering her own question. "I am familiar with abuse. I know it from experience," her voice had started to shake as she said, finally betraying her fear, but she stood firm watching the couple before her.


    She saw the male''s body shift, and suddenly the broad side of his chest was facing her, his head tucked low as he red her way. Oh shit.


    "You know nothing," he snarled like the barely contained wolf that he was. The female reached for him, but he smacked her hand away.


    With that smack, August found her feet moving forward of their own ord, but a small hand grabbed her from behind. She turned to see Sage with fear in his eyes. When she turned back to the couple in front of her, the man had started to stalk her way. She felt her heart flutter up into her throat watching him approach.


    "They are mates," Sage said¡ªonly, he didn''t open his mouth to speak. His hand was still on hers, and she looked back down at him in surprise.


    Little Sage was like Greta and Graeme?


    She didn''t have time to ponder this before the furious snarl grew closer, and she looked again at the man who was close enough now to where she could see the bright me of rage in his eyes.


    "Mates?" she whispered, taking a step back.


    Her heart was pounding its own warning, and she wondered for a moment if they should run. But it was toote. She would never be able to outrun a lycan anyway, and now this one was so close. The only thing to do was stand her ground.


    "Sage¡ªgo," she turned back to him, but he didn''t move. "Go now," she pleaded, and he took a step backward as the worry swelled in his eyes.


    The threatening energy of the lycan was closing in, and she turned to face him while blocking Sage from view. Hopefully Sage would listen and run. She didn''t know where the violence harbored in that man''s energy would be released. It was a chaotic rage that wanted nothing but to be let loose.


    "You can''t treat your mate that way," she said as he approached, and she felt the anger prick her eyes and send nervous trembles down her body.


    The unknown male snarled, closing the remaining distance between them with two long strides and striking her across the face with the back of his hand. The impact threw her back against the damp ground. A rush of air was pushed out her lungs, and she turned over gasping to regain it.


    "Hallowell''s mate, huh? The fucking witch? I don''t care who you are. That female over there is mine. There are rules," he snarled again as he bent over her.


    Suddenly Sage was against him, trying to push him away from August. Without being budged by the boy''s attempts, the towering lycan turned his anger on Sage andunched him in the air against a nearby tree.


    "No!" August screamed, scrambling up off the ground, the pain in her face and lungs forgotten.


    What had she done by instigating him? And what could she do now?


    Seeing Sage in a heap against the tree sent bolts of rage through her, and suddenly she was engulfed in the Veiled around them. The male was surrounded by a pulsating dark aura as he turned back to face her.


    The idea of taking that dark aura into her was terrifying. She couldn''t do it and expect to send it on its way so easily, so she grasped for any energy around her¡ªit was but air itself¡ªas he came at her again with a snarl.


    Trauma lives in the body. Past events may recede and even seem to vanish, but the body instantly responds to the memory of violence when it arrives again. Now that August was faced with another threat of violence, the air around her seemed to crystallize, freezing its life-sustaining movement around them.


    Rather than hitting her again, the man slumped against her, his eyes filling with horror as he began gasping for air. She watched his face turn red and his eyes bulged as he let go of her and began wing at his throat.


    *******


    FUNTIVITY ALERT! CHANCE TO NAME A CHARACTER!


    Privilege resets tomorrow for January with the AllNovelFull daily reset (December 31st in the U.S., 11 am EST), and I am adding another privilege tier with 5 additional chapters!


    This means within 5 minutes of reset (11:05 am EST), 5 new chapters will be avable to read.


    As a "fun-tivity" for the readers who purchase the highest privilege tier after reset, I am offering a chance to name a character in Graeme and August''s story!


    Here is how it will work:


    Hidden within one of the new 5 chapters (in the highest privilege tier) is an easter egg. The easter egg will be heavily reminiscent of/almost identical to an image in a popr book and/or movie.


    I will leave ament at the end of the chapter in which this easter egg first appears. The first reader to REPLY to myment WITH A GIF of the original image from the popr book and/or movie will get to name a character in the story.


    I will offer this reader a few options of character profiles that will be uing in the story, and the reader can choose which character profile they would like to name.


    Does that make sense? If not, feel free to ask questions below!


    And may the odds be ever in your favor!

 Chapter 144 - I Did This

    The enraged male was bright red, gasping for air with his eyes bulging when August realized she was holding her breath. She was holding her breath, and the air seemed to freeze its movement around them. There was no way she was responsible for that. Was there?


    She tore her eyes away from the male wing helplessly at his throat on the ground in front of her and saw Sage and the woman struggling without air as well. August released the breath she had been holding and ran to check on the young boy who began gasping for air on all fours. He seemed to be able to fill his lungs again.


    "Oh Goddess, Sage, are you alright?" she cried, her hands shaking as she tilted his face up. He took in deep breaths, still gasping to bring the lost air back, but he nodded to her question.


    "I did this," she whispered, and she looked around to see the couple huddled against each other, coughing and sucking in deep breaths of air.


    Despite being the target of his anger moments ago, the female had chased after her mate to see if he was alright. She now raised her eyes to August with a new terror in her eyes. Terror directed toward August.


    "They were right. You are a witch!" the female''s voice sliced through the distance between them. "You almost killed us."


    "I¡ªI didn''t mean it. He was¡­" she trailed off, turning her attention to the male still struggling on the forest floor. Apparently he had gotten the worst of the oxygen depravation, and the female bent over him desperately.


    "Sage, I''m so sorry," August breathed.


    How could she have done something like that? She could have suffocated them. And she honestly didn''t even know how it happened.


    August found herself backing away from the three of them as they struggled to recover. She was dangerous like one of those alyko in the stories from the council''s files. This was what she had feared. She was going to hurt them¡ªshe was going to hurt all of them. Sage could have suffocated right in front of her.


    "I''m sorry," she whispered, and then she turned and ran.


    She was running in the forest again¡ªthis time from herself.


    A blur of autumn colors whipped by as August continued to run, unaware of what direction she was even headed in. How could she be expected to lead a pack when was dangerous like this? How could she even just teach pups art when she had this potential for serious harm? No one would dare trust her now, and they shouldn''t. She didn''t trust herself.


    Andreas'' words were sloshing around in the well of her mind, which was filling now. It was filling, and she was at the bottom.


    A powerful witch. One who was a danger to the pack.


    She had thought the elders were wrong about her and the alyko. It was unjust and wrong what they had done to the alyko who were here before, but perhaps they were right about her. Tears spilled from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks as the wind blew them back into her hair.


    They were right. They were right about her all this time. She was dangerous. She didn''t belong here.


    "Luna!" she heard Sage''s voice call aloud somewhere behind her. The small boy was following her¡ªthe pup she had hurt and that she knew had been through so much already as a stray.


    She ignored him and kept running¡ªfrom him, from the title, from anyone else she could hurt. She was finally free to run, and now she wasn''t going to stop.


    Maybe she could go home. Maybe she could reach her mom. Moms always made it better, didn''t they? If not her mom, who else was there? But the hopelessness of that thought was abyssal. Because she knew her mom couldn''t help her, and there was no one else. No one else but the mate that she had to save from herself.


    And then suddenly the ground was gone from beneath her, and she gasped, reaching to grasp at anything to stop the fall. Her hands dragged along the roots of a tree that were jagged, extending out over the air where its ground used to be.


    August managed to grab onto one of those roots to keep from falling, but now she was dangling over an unknown height with burning hands. She couldn''t look down to see how far it was, and her legs instinctively swayed back and forth trying to find the ground that wasn''t there.


    "Luna!" Sage cried above her.


    "Sage!" she called back. "I''m so sorry."


    She heard him sob above her somewhere, and the sound plucked at her heart.


    "I didn''t meant to hurt you," she whimpered.


    "You didn''t. Luna, you didn''t," he cried.


    The burning in her hands was too much, and she just¡­ let go. Gave into the fall. Because that was all that was left.


    She expected the fall to be longer¡ªto be able to look up at the sky and feel the rush of air surrounding her. Maybe she would have a few poetic moments where her life shed before her eyes. But instead, she ended up on her ass in the mud.


    She stood, unimpressed by the anti-climatic end, and looked up at the tree roots that formed attice a few stories above her head. Sage''s green eyes peered down between them.


    "I have to leave, Sage. I hurt you. I will hurt others," she called up to him. He shook his head in disagreement, but she turned to continue on her way.


    Sage scanned the area for an easy path down to reach her, but the only quick route was to fall the way that she had. He bent over, panting now with his hands on his knees. Luna was stubborn.. And she was going to end up in big trouble if he didn''t find a way to stop her.

 Chapter 145 - The Odd Three

    The border of the pack''snd was getting close, and beyond thaty the Grimm. Sage couldn''t let her get that far. Someone else could see her¡ªpeople from Eliade might be nearby. She wouldn''t be protected.


    And within packnd, there would be others pursuing her soon. Sage panted with his hands on his knees, thinking. He would have to do it.


    ''Moon Goddess, help Luna,'' he thought and projected himself forward to outrun her with his mind.


    As August ran, she couldn''t feel her legs or even the struggle with her oxygen-deprived muscles anymore. She was leaving. Whatever the consequences from Eliade or anyone else. She deserved whatever happened.


    All of this with Graeme was too good to be true, she knew it. The elders were right. She was an outsider. She was a danger. She didn''t deserve this family. Maybe she had even been used as a tool to manipte Graeme like they suggested.


    A gradual incline had her running upward, but she realized all the leaves and tangled roots and nts were gone from her path. The ground was green and smooth as it sloped up, and she slowed down with the thought that thisnd was upied by someone nearby. With the slower pace, her lungs suddenly shuddered with a burning need to rest.


    August''s gaze followed the incline before her feet, and she saw three trees at the top of a hill. Something about the trees before her was enchanting and mysterious. Her feet slowed to a walk as she followed the hill until she stopped before them, gasping for air.


    This was a good ce to rest¡ªit felt safe. She could think here.


    "You three are odd," she said between breaths, tilting her head in curiosity as she studied the trees that looked out over this part of the forest from their mount.


    The tree to the left was smaller than the others with delicate white flowers. She could see a few bees buzzing around it, gathering nectar. There weren''t any other trees in the forest like it that she could recall, which meant someone must have purposely nted it here.


    She turned around to look out over the forest below, but there didn''t appear to be any houses or people nearby.


    Unlike the first tree, the one to the far right looked ancient. It wasrge, towering over the other two with green and yellow lichens forming ace on its trunk. The lichens were also on its roots, which jutted up and crawled over the ground around the other two trees as if embracing them before sinking down into the soil. Many of its leaves had fallen, and yet its limbs still stood proudly, reaching even further yet toward the sky.


    August sat down on one of the roots and put her head in her hands. What was she doing? One moment it seemed like she belonged here, but then the next¡­ The next she was doing something frightening that she didn''t understand. She didn''t even know who or what she was anymore.


    "Please help me," she whispered to herself. "I don''t want to hurt anyone."


    "You want to protect them," a voice spoke.


    Without questioning where the voice hade from, for it seemed toe from the tree itself, she nodded and sniffled, still buried in her hands.


    "Yes."


    "You have pure intentions. But also fear."


    "I am afraid¡­ of myself," she said, tears welling and pooling in her hands.


    The voice hummed, and August felt it vibrate inside of her as if it wereing up from the root she was sitting on.


    "The fear is all you must be afraid of."


    "Really? Not a talking tree?" she raised her head to look at the ancient tree andughed softly through her tears. The root hummed beneath her.


    After wiping her tears, she stood and ced her hands on the trunk. Such a strong, wise energy flowed here. She exhaled deeply and leaned her forehead against it. "Thank you."


    When she let go and turned to leave, she finally took notice of the magnificent tree nestled at the center of the other two. It was full and green¡ªno leaves had fallen yet for the season. But the most striking part of this tree was its cascades of purple blooms that draped elegantly above her.


    Strange that she hadn''t noticed it immediately.


    August stepped forward under the cascades of the center tree and touched its trunk, too. At that moment, a crow cawed somewhere above and dove, alighting on the ground next to her. The blue sheen of its feathers caught the sunlight filtering between the canopy leaves above, and August slowly squatted by its side. The bird tilted its head and ruffled its wings before hopping away as someone approached.


    "Luna," Sage breathed, stopping a short distance from her. Her brows furrowed together.


    "I''m so sorry, Sage," she said.


    He shook his head and smiled back with his emerald eyes. The scarf ra had gifted him still hung around his neck.


    "It wasn''t Luna''s fault." His words were smooth and even in a confident voice she had never heard him use before. For some reason, he had no trouble speaking now.


    He held out his hand for her, gesturing for her toe with him.


    "Alpha is looking for you."


    "Graeme?" she whispered. He nodded in response.


    She looked uneasily at the hand he was offering¡ªin her mind she could still see him struggling without air. The fear of herself was still there. She didn''t know how to get rid of it.


    "Pleasee, Luna. We need you," he added.


    "But," she breathed, "the mates." The male and female¡­ she had hurt them. "They said I''m a witch. Everyone will fear me. And they¡ªthey should."


    "He hurt Luna. He should be afraid," Sage said, and seeing how she didn''t react to it other than a slight dip in her eyebrows, he added, "and he hurt me."


    With this, she met his green eyes, searching them.


    "Come," was his simple request as his hand remained outstretched for her.


    When August finally took his hand, a broad smile spread over his face. Together, they turned to walk down the hill.


    A warm sense of peace spread through her as they walked, and she gave Sage a crooked smile. "You''re like¡­ someone else I know," she said.


    He tilted his head at her without remarking on it.

 Chapter 146 - Missing

    Once August and Sage approached the tree with its exposed roots where August had fallen, Sage''s footsteps quickened and he pulled her into a shallow cave under the tree. August caught his panicked expression, and he met her eyes, pressing a finger in front of his lips.


    His eyes closed in concentration, and August peered out from the dark cave as leaves crunched under someone''s feet above. The sound of footfalls ceased, and she found herself holding her breath in anticipation. Sage''s eyebrows were threaded together as he gripped her hand tighter.


    It seemed like some kind of barrier was created to cover the cave opening, because the Veiled dimmed on the other side. She looked at the boy in surprise. Was he doing that? That would mean¡­ Sage was alyko?


    Suddenly a figure dropped into the mud in front of them. August recognized that silhouette. It belonged to Lucas.


    Lucas was facing away from them, and after pausing for a few moments, he ran off in the direction where they hade from. Sage''s eyes snapped open, and the barrier disappeared. He gently tugged her to follow him, and they exited the small space carved out of the earth.


    The pattering of rain sounded all at once on the leaves of the forest canopy above them like many small hands pping. August looked up and saw the leaves bending to the weight of the rain. Finally the water broke through the canopy and fell in big, fat drops that sshed at their feet.


    "Rain will hide our scent," Sage exhaled in relief. Now they had to find a way back up and around this tree.


    After they had been wandering for some time, slipping here and there in the mud, August asked, "Is Lucas dangerous?"


    "Always dangerous. But for Luna, I don''t know."


    August sighed. "Where the hell is Finn," she muttered under her breath.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August and Sage were missing, and Greta was positive that her brother was going to kill her. She tried to stay calm and sent the pups home before darting into the woods to where she could scent Finn.


    "Finn!" Greta called. "Where is she?"


    Finn jumped and his eyes went wide. "W-what?"


    She scoffed. "Are you serious?" And then Greta caught sight of her. Violet. With a shit-eating grin on her face.


    A threatening growl puttered in Greta''s throat before she sprang, knocking the the female down until they were both roaring and rolling over each other in the leaves.


    "Don''t tell me you''re into young boys now, Violet," Greta growled, twisting to a position on top of Violet''s back where she had the female''s legs and arms pinned.


    Violet roared in frustration under her. "Let me go! We were just talking."


    "The fuck you were," Greta snarled, tugging Violet''s hair roughly so her neck was craned backward. "I can smell the arousal on both of you. You were distracting him. Who sent you?"


    "M-Miss Greta¡­" Finn gaped.


    Greta''s phone started chirping, and she answered it with one hand while keeping Violet pinned with the other. "Yeah?" she answered, only slightly winded.


    "I''m at your house and no one is here. Where are you? August isn''t answering," Graeme said on the other end.


    "Oh Goddess," Finn muttered behind her and ran off to track August.


    Greta''s stomach dropped. "We were in the market with the pups," she replied.


    "Were?" his voice dropped. "And now?"


    "And now I''ve got your ex pinned on the fucking ground while Finn is running off to find her," Greta admitted. She heard him curse before the line disconnected, and she squinted her eyes shut in regret. He was definitely going to kill her. His wolf was probably already sprinting here.


    "You are lucky I have someone to find," Greta snarled in Violet''s ear before letting her go and standing to leave. "Get the fuck off of ournd if you want survive the day. If my brother doesn''t have it in his heart to kill you, I can assure you¡­ I do."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August and Sage continued walking silently through the rain until August''s chest suddenly filled with a warmth that she instantly recognized¡ªlike home had found her. Her heart sped up with the realization that Graeme had returned. How close was he? He must have just entered packnd, because she could feel him in a way that she hadn''t been able to while he was gone.


    It seemed so much further on the way back to the market. The trees they passed all looked the same to her, but Sage seemed to know exactly where they were headed, and they both kept silent, immersed in their own thoughts.


    "Oh no," Sage whispered and froze in ce.


    "What?" August frowned and looked over at him.


    "Finally," a voice sounded behind them, and she whirled around to see Lucas stalking through the trees toward them. "The rain made you hard to find," and no wonder, he thought¡ªshe was soaked and muddy. Her clothes were sticking to her like a second skin.


    "Why were you trying to find me?" She asked.


    "Apparently you did some witchy shit that has got folks worried," Lucas tilted his head in amusement. "Want to tell me about it?"


    "Am I answering to you now?" she asked, jutting her chin out defiantly.


    "Look¡ªI am just trying to do my job in keeping this pack safe," he chuckled. "If you threaten that, then we have a problem."


    "What about abusive mates? Is that not a problem?" she asked. "Or males who throw a small pup flying through the air against a tree? Is that not a problem?"


    "Is that what happened?" his eyebrows pinched together, and he looked down at Sage.


    Sage averted his eyes from Lucas but nodded his head.


    "What is wrong with him?" Lucas asked.


    "Nothing is wrong with him. He obviously just has excellent taste in character," August retorted.


    "You sure got brave," Lucas chuckled again. "If you did nothing to hurt those people, then why were you running?"


    August didn''t say anything, but her eyes never wavered from his.


    "Why don''t youe with me, and we will figure it out?"


    "Where would we be going?" she asked.


    "To the council. I don''t decide whether something is punishable. That goes to them," he answered.


    Sage''s hand tightened around hers, and then she sensed them¡­ more males emerging from the trees to circle around them.. The boy next to her was trembling.

 Chapter 147 - Sensitive Spot

    "It''s okay, Sage. Go home, okay?" August reassured him. He definitely didn''t need to be involved in this¡ªwhatever this was.


    Sage shook his head sharply, and the way he looked up at her made her heart sink. She knelt next to him so they were eye-level. She cupped his face and smiled before resting her hands on his shoulders.


    "You helped me so much today, Sage. Thank you. I promise you, I will be fine," she smiled her most reassuring smile. "I want you to go get dry and warm. We will work on photography again soon."


    Now that she thought about it, they must have dropped the cameras back where the mates were fighting. It hadn''t even urred to her until now.


    "Please," she added when Sage continued to look reluctant.


    When he finally left her side and scampered away into the woods, she turned back to Lucas and then looked around at four other males who were closing in around her.


    "Is there really a need for so many of you?" she asked, ring at Lucas.


    Lucas shrugged. "Who knows what you might try. Apparently you took down one guy without even lifting a finger."


    "Then what makes you think I couldn''t do it with five?" August asked, narrowing her eyes at him.


    "Careful, sweetheart. That''s not a threat you want to make," his voice dropped the teasing tone, and then he grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Let''s go. Maybe you can tell us what happened to Marius, too."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," she replied and tried to pull out of his grip.


    Lucas snorted in response. "Sure you don''t."


    "I don''t think Graeme is going to be happy about this," she muttered.


    "If your mate actually grew some balls, then maybe I would give a shit," Lucas spit and shoved her ahead of him.


    "Don''t push me," she turned and red at him.


    "Maybe we should try to rough her up and see what she can do," one of the other males suggested now.


    It sounded like that man-bun guy from the pack house. What was his name? Gunnar? She heard snickers of agreement pass amongst them.


    Lucas didn''t respond to the male. Instead he crossed his arms and appeared to think it over. After a few moments, he nodded once to Gunnar behind her who chuckled and approached.


    August turned to face the male with the bun who Greta had tossed through the air like a rag doll. If only she had Greta''s strength. He smirked and closed in on her until their chests were almost touching, a me of curiosity bright in his eyes. Good thing she didn''t fear him anymore after seeing his thoughts at the pack house. Gunnar was like a puppy with a big bark.


    "Will you show us some of your moves?" Gunnar smirked, and then he let his eyes wander over her, sizing her up or checking her out¡ªshe wasn''t sure. It made her skin crawl, and suddenly her confidence faltered. He must have sensed it, because something predatory shed in his eyes.


    "I think I found a sensitive spot," he whispered¡­ too low and too close. He was too close. A knot began to tighten deep in her stomach, and she backed a step away from him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer for a whimper to escape.


    "Let go," she demanded.


    "Don''t back down¡ªfight," Lucas growled behind her.


    "I don''t want to hurt anybody," she protested and tried pushing away from Gunnar, but he wouldn''t loosen his grip.


    "She thinks she can hurt us," one of themughed.


    "Let me try, Gunnar," another male approached and ran a hand through her drenched hair before he tugged on it, baring her neck to them. She twisted away from him and pulled herself free before turning to re at him next.


    "There''s the witch," the male taunted. "Is that why you have freakishly golden eyes¡­ witch?" thest word held so much venom, she flinched.


    "Fight, August," Lucas urged from behind her again.


    Suddenly Finn emerged behind them, and August''s anxiety rose considerably. He was young and outnumbered, but the degree of loyalty that young lycan had meant he was likely to try something stupid anyway.


    "You''re toote, Finn," Lucas barked and stared him down. Lucas and Finn started whispering heatedly when Gunnar took over August''s vision.


    "So you finally got the coward to mark you?" Gunnar snickered. "I bet he left the sweetest little mark, too."


    "You know what they say about small marks," one of the other males replied behind her.


    The rest of the malesughed like teenagers. How dare they disrespect Graeme.


    "Let''s see it," Gunnar urged this time, closing in on her again.


    He tugged her hair to the side to expose her neck once more, and rage red behind her eyes. She could feel this male''s breath, his disgust, his arrogance. And then his fingers grazed the skin where Graeme had marked her.


    August shoved him away, and he stumbled back, caught off guard. An animalistic snarl instinctively arose in her throat at that sacred spot being vited, and all of the males froze in surprise.


    Finn and Lucas both turned their attention back to her, their mouths hanging open. August sounded lycan. That was unexpected. How was that¡­ possible?


    The color from August''s irises had disappeared to be swallowed by a deep ck. She turned around slowly so that each male saw the fierce re that she shot their way.


    "My mate is no coward," she growled. "Nor am I. Leave. Me. Alone."


    August''s voice sounded like it had been split from one note into a chord of notes that were all strummed simultaneously. It was otherworldly, raising the hairs on Lucas'' arms and neck. The males, not knowing how to react, backed away from her while gaping in disbelief.


    No one heard of an alyko sounding like this or having eyes that behaved that way. What was she exactly?


    "What kind of experimental freak is she?" one of the males hissed and nced to the others.

 Chapter 148 - Until Now

    Lucas felt the hackles going up among the males around him, and he knew it would be a disaster if they shifted and went after August in wolf form. She couldn''t be harmed like that¡ªthat wasn''t his intention when he gave Gunnar the go ahead to antagonize her.


    If she was truly destined to be their Luna, Lucas thought a disy of her power for the males who were with him would be beneficial. He had no choice but to bring her in on the elder''s orders, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t use the opportunity to impress some of them and leave a conviction in their hearts about who she was.


    Many who worked at the behest of the elders were convinced of the inherent danger of the alyko as a whole and of August specifically. They believed she should not be here and that Graeme should not have returned.


    But Lucas was hopeful. And he was getting inpatient. He knew the elders were working in the shadows on something, because they had him running around doing strange things now that Marius was gone.


    Whatever they had nned could not be good for August or Graeme¡ªthe fact that she was in this position now was proof enough. What would it take to push Graeme far enough that he would do what was needed to right the pack?


    "Stand down, guards," Lucas ordered as their hackles rose higher.


    The males bristled at themand. Their instincts were that they were facing a significant, unknown threat, and being told to stand down meant they couldn''t defend or attack as well as they could in wolf form.


    When August''s ck eyes moved to lock with his, Lucas felt a chill of fear shudder through him. It was impressive. He wasn''t sure what he had expected from her, but it hadn''t been this.


    Lucas'' attention shifted when he realized another lycan male was headed their way¡ªand fast. This one was in wolf form. He could hear the threatening growl and massive paws pounding the earth at top speeding from the direction of the market. If it was someone who hated alyko, they wereing to attack.


    Without further hesitation, Lucas shifted and sprang in front of August in a defensive position, blocking her from whoever was quickly approaching. Once Finn realized what was happening, he did the same.


    August fell back at the shock of having Lucas shift so quickly and lunge her way. She watched wide-eyed as both his and Finn''s wolves braced themselves in front of her, facing the opposite direction.


    Meanwhile, Gunnar took the opportunity to grab this witch creature by the hair and tug her backward, effectively dragging her through the mud while she yelped in protest. He flipped her onto her stomach and pinned her hands. Maybe if she couldn''t see anyone with her freaky eyes, she couldn''t harm them either.


    "Let me go," she growled¡ªthis time with her regr voice¡ªtwisting beneath him to try to get free.


    Lucas turned to roar at Gunnar to stand down, and just as he did Gunnar''s eyes went wide. A massive wolf broke through the trees ahead of Lucas and Finn and leapt clear over them with a vicious snarl.


    Gunnar let go of August''s hands and stumbled backward, realizing now that this wolf''s eyes were set on him.


    This wasn''t just any lycan. This was the Alpha. The Alpha who hadn''t been seen publicly in wolf form for years. The Alpha whose full authority had never even been felt in this pack.


    Until now.


    Graeme was massive as a wolf¡ªbigger by far than any other male in the pack¡ªand the threatening putter of his snarl as he circled his mate defensively had Gunnar literally pissing himself in submission.


    Graeme stalked around the group taking in the scents of those who had threatened his mate and left her in this vulnerable position on the ground. Each male dropped onto their knees in fear, including Lucas and Finn. When he found them all fully submitted, he shifted back to his human form.


    He stood silently, letting the rage roll off of him like steam to settle heavily over the others. His chest was heaving as he gave himself a few moments to get control.


    These males in his pack had threatened his mate, and everything in him wanted simply to defend and attack¡ªgo straight for the throat¡ªbut he knew he needed control right now. They were trembling in fear. They were submitted.


    He had to remind himself that they were being deceived by the elders, and¡ªas the Alpha who had left them¡ªthat was at least partially his fault. This pack was hurting, and these males were not separate from that. They were a symptom.


    He didn''t dare look at August, because he knew that seeing her vulnerable would make him lose it.


    Graeme''s back was to her, and she was too stunned by him to move. He was¡­ glorious. The most rugged beauty and power she had ever seen¡ªand she was positive the others felt the same way.


    The air around them now was like the aftermath of an asteroid collision¡ªscattered anew, suspended in time almost¡ªand it was yet to settle. But when it did settle¡­ everything was bound to look different.


    "Lucas," Graeme finally spoke, the depth of his voice rumbling through all of them to their core. It wasn''t angry or out of control. It was calm. Commanding.


    Lucas rose from his knees shakily and met Graeme''s eyes with a small nod of acknowledgment.


    "My sister. Where is she?" Graeme asked, a threat evident but unspoken.


    "She threatened to kill a pack member, and the order was to imprison her for the time being," Lucas responded.


    A muscle feathered in Graeme''s jaw. Fucking elders.


    "Samuel is there as well. For fighting those who were taking her," Lucas added.


    August sucked in a breath. Greta and Sam were both imprisoned? How had so much happened in such a short time? She just saw Greta in the market.


    "Who did Greta threaten?" Graeme asked skeptically. That didn''t sound like her. She got into fights, sure, but she never threatened to kill anyone.


    "Violet."

 Chapter 149 - Alpha Returned

    "Who did Greta threaten?" Graeme asked skeptically.


    "Violet," Lucas answered.


    What the hell did Violet do for Greta to threaten to kill her? That wasn''t like Greta at all.


    Having the Alpha bloodline and being Graeme''s twin, Greta was aware that she was an overpowered lycan. Even when she was putting others in their ce physically, which was not unheard of but not entirelymon either, she never used the full extent of her strength. She always held back. The caring, nurturing spirit of a healer alway dominated her actions. And the pack only respected her more for it.


    Greta was beloved.


    Was the pregnancy really controlling her emotions so much that she had overreacted and threatened to kill someone? It was not likely, which meant Violet must have done something truly reprehensible to deserve it.


    Right as Graeme was wondering this, Finn shifted nervously in the periphery of his vision, and Graeme narrowed his eyes.


    "Finn?" Graeme acknowledged the movement that had drawn his attention.


    "Y-yes, Alpha?" Finn swallowed nervously.


    "Why did Greta threaten Violet?" Graeme asked.


    August''s eyes went wide. Oh, no. Violet and Finn. She had seen the two of them in the woods the previous night, and she had not said anything. Was that a preclude to something that happened today? What had Violet been up to? What if August could have prevented it?


    Graeme felt recognition dawn on his mate from where she was behind him, and now he was just desperate to talk to her. She obviously knew something that she couldn''t share in front of these males, and he needed to check her over. And hold her. And feel the center of his universe align with her in his arms.


    Finn''s face changed color like August''s often did when she was embarrassed.


    "I want to talk to youter," Graeme ground out, his eyes on the young lycan. He didn''t want to embarrass Finn, because he had a feeling now that he knew what happened, and the way Lucas was smirking was reinforcing that theory.


    A small pang of regret and annoyance red in Graeme''s chest. He had put a lot of responsibility on Finn when he left, and it wasn''t exactly fair.


    Finn was young and naive, and Graeme had only given him the job of following August around as an additional precaution. To Finn, it was a huge opportunity to prove himself to the male he had always followed around like a puppy and looked up to. But to Graeme, Finn was a convenient backup should something go wrong that Greta and Sam missed.


    Maybe Graeme had even taken advantage of the young lycan''s admiration. Without knowing what training Finn had received at the council, Graeme couldn''t fault him for his mistakes¡­ especially if there was a female working on his baser instincts.


    The whole situation felt too familiar.


    "Of course, Alpha," Finn replied, his face drawn and eyes downcast.


    "For those of you who put your hands on my mate," Graeme''s voice dropped to its threatening puttering growl once again. "Remember my mercy today, because you will not receive it again. Leave us."


    The males all slowly rose still with wide, disbelieving eyes. What had just happened? Had their Alpha really just returned? The way he could control them with his presence and voice¡ªcausing them to submit with how heavy the dread of his displeasure weighed on them¡ªthey had never experienced it before. It was as if, in this male''s presence, their arrogance was forcefully shed.


    As they turned to leave, Graeme growled once again. "Except. You."


    Gunnar froze, somehow aware without looking that the Alpha''s words were directed toward him. The words were like darts, and they hit their target.


    The other males left the vicinity, disappearing once again into the trees from which they came. Finn and Lucas left as well, with Finn shooting an extra guilt-ridden nce back at Graeme and Lucas with a smirk stered on his face.


    "You were dragging her," Graeme snarled at the remaining male. "My mate. Through the mud."


    Gunnar''s eyes were lowered in submission, but he was keenly aware of every movement Graeme made as therger male loomed dangerously over him. Graeme swallowed slowly, his tongue audibly rolling around the idea of ripping Gunnar''s throat out.


    The male started trembling involuntarily. It was horrifying to be in the Alpha''s presence much less the focus of his rage. He truly had no idea.


    "Yes," Gunnar admitted.


    "You pinned her to the ground," Graeme snarled again through bared teeth.


    Gunnar squeezed his eyes shut. He could hear it in the Alpha''s voice. He was not going to survive today.


    "Do you have a mate?" Graeme asked now.


    Gunnar''s eyebrows pinched together. Yes, he did have a mate. A mate who he would do anything to protect. A mate who would die of heartbreak if he were to be killed today. He had failed her.


    The male didn''t have to answer for Graeme to understand the reaction he had to the question.


    "And if someone dragged her through the mud? Pinned her down? Threatened her when you weren''t there to protect her?"


    Gunnar felt the hypothetical situation like a kick to his chest.


    "When you disrespect this female, you disrespect me. You disrespect this pack and its history. And you disrespect the Moon Goddess. Do you understand?" Each word was slow and deliberate, dropping with the weight of a powerful male who was restraining himself from bloodshed.


    "Yes, Alpha," Gunnar replied shakily. Thest word slipped out unintentionally. It was instinct. But now that it was out, Gunnar would have repeated it with his fullest intention as to its meaning, because it was clear to him now.


    Everything in Gunnar''s being was aware that this male looming over him with murderous intent¡ªhis posture, his scent, the heavy weight of his words¡ªwas his Alpha. His pack''s Alpha. The one they had all been needing so desperately but never expected to finally arrive. He would have cheered if he wasn''t convinced that he was about to die at that Alpha''s hands.

 Chapter 150 - How To Proceed

    As Gunnar awaited his fate at the hands of this powerful male who he had woefully underestimated for years, Graeme squinted his eyes closed in regret at this situation. The male shouldn''t get away with this¡ªhe didn''t want him to get away with it¡ªbut what would happen if Graeme retaliated in the way his instincts were telling him?


    It would definitely cause an issue with him retaking power. The elders could use violence against a male council member as an example of any number of things: how Graeme was out of control, unfit for power, under the control of his "witch" mate, a threat to the pack¡­ it would give the elders the ammunition they needed to keep Graeme from rising.


    He also didn''t want to hurt anyone like that in front of August. What would she think of him if he fully unleashed that inner beast¡ªespecially when this male was submitted? Gunnar wasn''t fighting or denying. He was owning what he did.


    Most of all, this male had a mate. Now that Graeme had found August, he understood the implications of that more than ever before.


    With these thoughts, Graeme searched that familiar ce inside of him where he knew August''s emotions ran together with his own like water¡ªthat beautiful river of theirs that flowed deep within them both. Now that he was back on packnd, he could feel it more clearly, and he wanted to know her feelings without having to search her or ask.


    How did she wish for him to proceed?


    August watched in stunned awe from where she was seated now in the mud, not daring to move. Whatever was happening between Graeme and the males who had left and now this male before him seemed like some kind of show of power that she didn''t want to interrupt. It wasn''t her ce.


    When Graeme asked about whether Gunnar had a mate, August knew the answer. She had seen his mate in his thoughts when he approached her that first day at the pack house after she, Greta, and Graeme had all met with the council. Gunnar cared for his mate deeply. He was not without ws, but he cared for his mate.


    The thought that Graeme could possibly kill him now for August''s sake and, in turn, kill his mate was horrifying¡ªregardless of what he had done to August. She wasn''t sure she could entirely me him. After all, the events of the day had made her terrified of herself. Why wouldn''t he or anyone else be terrified of her?


    Her thoughts ran over the series of events that had urred after photography with Sage in the market, trying to understand how this had all unfolded to a ce where Greta and Sam were in prison and Graeme was looming threateningly over a pack member who had dragged her by her hair through the mud. It was a nightmare¡ªone that she felt at least partially responsible for.


    When she met those mates earlier, the sickening familiarity with that type of abuse rose from a ce she thought she had moved passed. n was abusive to her mom, and she had witnessed it, but she didn''t realize her body had the physical memory of it that way¡ªthe sudden surge of adrenaline and fear and protection that came from deep inside of her somewhere.


    That whole situation in and of itself was upsetting¡ªand then to find out that they were mates? The female had looked at August with such terror and hatred afterward.


    ''They were right. You are a witch!'' She had said with more fear toward August than toward her abusive mate. ''You almost killed us us.''


    August just kepting back to how it was even possible that she had stopped the air from¡­ moving? From being avable to breathe? Her eyebrows pinched seeing it again. It kept repeating in her mind¡ªSage bent over¡­cking air. And the way he was gasping afterward.


    Just hearing about that incident would frighten anyone in the pack. And that was before the males with Lucas had witnessed her voice change the way it had¡­ another thing she couldn''t understand or control.


    No, she didn''t me Gunnar. If he cared about the pack and she was some kind of creature none of them had ever seen before, why wouldn''t he act that way? The question was why Lucas seemed to spring to her defense.


    Suddenly she felt Graeme stroking that ce inside where he lived within her¡ªhe was seeking her feelings about how to proceed with the male before him. August could feel his rage as if the threat of it was puttering in her own throat.


    Goddess, he was back. She was feeling him again¡ªso close that it was as if he was within her own skin. She sighed in relief at thatfort of him at home in her and at the way he was inviting her into this dilemma he felt.


    He still hadn''t turned to look at her. He was facing away¡ªhis stance protective in the way he had positioned himself between her and Gunnar. So she was forced to look at the beautiful rolling muscles of his back and the perfect round curve of his ass¡­


    Just as her mind started to wander, Graeme growled softly in her mind. She was distracting him with the direction her thoughts were headed.


    Clearly August was not eager to see Gunnar pay for how he had treated her. Graeme had to fight to not let his smirk show for how her thoughts were wandering.


    "Gunnar, right?" Graeme took one step back away from the male, allowing him room to breathe.


    "Yes, Alpha," the male responded, head still lowered.


    "Gunnar, I will take your behavior today as an indication of what I have alreadye to suspect: that our pack needs the leadership and guidance it hasn''t had. For that reason only," Graeme''s voice lowered again to its threatening depth, "am I sparing you today. Your mate needs you.. Remember that the next time you are graced with the presence of mine."

 Chapter 151 - I Missed You

    Once Gunnar had sucked in a breath at the surprise of being spared from Graeme''s wrath, he chanced a nce at the Alpha male who still stood in all the power that he had arrived with. He was met with a disapproving scowl that made his heart stutter. It was like when he would get into serious trouble with his father as a pup, only this was much much worse.


    "Th-thank you," Gunnar bowed his head low again and turned to leave without attempting another look at the female who was shielded from his vision by Graeme''s body.


    Once Graeme was satisfied that they were alone, he finally turned to face August who was getting to her feet. She brushed herself off and raised her eyes to meet his as he turned.


    It was like seeing her for the first time all over again. She was covered in the scents of the forest rather than the concentrated scent that he knew so well. The rain had covered every part of her, causing the long pale shirt she wore to cling against her body. She looked smaller than he remembered. And more beautiful.


    August''s eyes med a bright gold as he finally faced her and approached.


    "Graeme," she breathed, allowing the joy and relief of his presence to swell inside of her. Despite everything that had happened, he was here and somehow, again, everything felt like it aligned.


    The warmth of his presence embraced her before he did, and she saw that golden dust of their pulsating energy dance around them like little sprites celebrating their union. And then he was touching her face, studying the flush of her cheek where the male had hit her and running his hands gently through the hair that Gunnar had pulled.


    Every ce he touched ignited a small fire that burned and rushed to her chest¡ªa small firework lighting up the darkness where his absence was. And now he was popting it again.


    "What happened to you?" her eyes fell to his chest. There was no visible wound, but she felt the memory of a pain there.


    When her fingers alighted on the skin over that spot, he sucked in a breath as trembles raked him at her touch. Only she had the power to make him tremble with just the lightest touch like that.


    "I was¡­ shot," he breathed.


    "What?!" her eyes returned to his face and searched his eyes. "With a¡ªwith a gun? How could that happen? Are you okay?" she turned flustered and her hands fluttered over him, reassuring herself that he was in one piece.


    "And you were attacked by a bear?" he asked, incredulous, cupping her face in his hands and tilting her to him.


    "I''m fine," she said quickly.


    "So am I," he replied with that deep reassurance that spread through her, coating her from the inside out.


    August closed her eyes and nodded, letting it work. Letting his presence calm her.


    He gently brushed her cheeks with his thumbs, appreciating ever little detail that he had missed. Every delicate curve of her face and lips. Every little mole and light blonde hair. And she kept her eyes closed, letting him rediscover her¡ªletting him trace the boundaries that her skin created before he found the gates that would push beyond those boundaries.


    A loud exhale had his breath warming her face. He dipped his head to find her lips with his, requesting permission to enter. The gentle nip and tug of her bottom lip that had her scent spike higher and curl around him in eptance.


    And then he kissed her deeply, and the exterior world fell away. The boundaries fell away. What was left was that bright, weing interior warmth where they united.


    He was kissing her. Goddess, she was here with him, in his arms, and he was kissing her again. A small sob escaped him as he realized the deep fear he had been harboring on that long drive that something would happen and he wouldn''t have this opportunity again. When he arrived at Greta and Sam''s and she wasn''t there, that fear had only escted.


    And then he was sprinting desperately through the forest, feeling the fluctuations of her panic and fear and bravery like spears to his chest.


    Greta was missing. Sam was missing. He couldn''t track his mate, but he followed that pull in his chest, like his maic north, that led him straight to her. And straight to a circle of males with her at the center.


    His sob turned into the soft putter of his possessive growl, and he kissed her more desperately as they entered a space together that was weightless¡ªthat exceeded time. All that existed was her. Her under his touch. Her threaded within his own being. Her that lit behind his eyes. Her tongue dancing with his, her mouth, her heat, her scent, the draw that pulled him further and further into her until he was lost to all else.


    "I missed you," she broke the kiss and whimpered against him, using her hands to grasp at his arms and then his back, pulling him closer.


    "Goddess, I missed you, too," he replied, his forehead resting on hers. "I wasn''t here when you needed me. Again," he groaned regretfully.


    "Yes, you were," she argued. "You were. Your mark¡­ your healing. You were here with me when I needed you, because you are within me."


    "And you are within me," he smiled and kissed her again, recalling how he had dreamt that she healed him, and then when he awoke, it hade to be. "Your lips are absolutely the best thing I''ve ever tasted," he breathed and threaded his fingers through hers.


    "As are yours," she growled and kissed him again for him to chuckle.


    "Are you cold? You are drenched, Little Red. I know we got you a coat," Graeme''s smile fell to a look of concern as he ran his hands over her arms. She felt cold, and her lips were slightly purple.


    "I could never be cold when you''re near. I am fine," she leaned into him and let him embrace her, tucking her under his chin.


    "I need to get you home. Get you dry," he thought aloud. "And then I have to go get my sister and Sam."


    "No, we are doing that first," she replied, "and I aming with."

 Chapter 152 - Weakness Or Strength

    "I can''t take you with," Graeme argued. August was set oning with him to free his sister and her mate.


    ording to Lucas, Greta and Sam were in prison, which was located under the council''s chambers. Graeme didn''t know who would be there guarding it, but he did know it wouldn''t be as easy as simply going in and opening the door for them. And if there was any danger, he couldn''t fathom taking August along.


    "How long have you been out here soaking wet like this? You''re going to get sick. It is October in Maine."


    "I thought maybe I wouldn''t get sick since I have your lycan healing," August scrunched her face in confusion.


    "Healing from physical injury is different. We still get sick, Little Red," he replied. "It''s harder for us to get sick, but when we do, it knocks us down good."


    "What? How is that different?" she asked skeptically.


    "I will let my brilliant sister exin it to you sometime. Anyway, I would rather not take any chances¡­ I''m the one who had to sit helplessly by while you were in aa for three weeks, remember?"


    "I aming with you," she insisted. "They are my family, too. And I am the reason why they are in this position," she swallowed back the guilt that rose in her throat at the thought. It was true. This was her fault. And Greta was pregnant sitting in a cell somewhere.


    "No, you are not the reason." he replied. "That responsibility lies entirely with the elders. And apparently also with Violet."


    August diverted her eyes from him, shaking her head slowly. "You didn''t see what I did. It is my fault. I¡ªI walked into this situation with mates who were fighting. I didn''t know they were mates at first. I can''t believe mates could be abusive like that. I thought it was different than humans¡­" she trailed off, remembering the impassioned hatred in the male''s tone. "He sounded like he was going to kill her."


    The muscles in Graeme''s jaw clenched as he imagined her walking into a situation like that. An abusive male lycan would be infuriated that someone tried to intervene. Abusive mates weren''t umon. They weren''t the norm, but they weren''t unheard of.


    "Hurting your mate is like hurting yourself," he said, "but sometimes that just makes a person more¡­ enraged. At the¡­ weakness it brings," he answered.


    August''s eyebrows pinched together. "I am a weakness for you," she said softly, as if to herself.


    "No. You are a strength for me. You have no idea how much stronger you make me. Do you realize that I haven''t run through packnd in wolf form since I left, August?" he asked, as if that was exnation enough.


    "Why haven''t you?" she asked, finding his eyes again.


    "The dominance in wolf form is everything here," he replied.


    "You were amazing," she breathed, a crooked smile brightening her face. "I had no idea. You are not a cuddly wolf after all. I don''t think I can even call you Bun-Bun anymore," she giggled for him to growl. But he didn''t tickle her this time, just pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head in that endearing way that made her stomach trill appreciatively.


    She pushed him away gently so she could tilt her face up to find his eyes again, recalling how this conversation began.


    "The mates. I hurt them. And a pup," her face crumpled. "That''s why they came after me. I am dangerous, and now Greta and Sam¡­ I mean, who can me the elders or Lucas or whoever it was foring after me? Who wouldn''t be terrified of the danger I pose? I''m this experimental thing with no control¡­"


    "Don''t say that about yourself," he growled. "You are magnificent. If you hurt them, it was because you were trying to protect yourself or someone else. That''s what Lunas do."


    "But they couldn''t breathe¡­ I-I don''t know what happened. I can''t control it," she sputtered on.


    "You will learn how. You just need to understand more about your abilities and yourself. I promise to help you. I have so much to tell you about what I learned from Penelope, but I want to get you warm, and I need to get my sister. Please," he pulled her arms gently to bring her attention back to him.


    "Right. We are wasting time. Let''s go get Greta and Sam," she nodded and stepped back. "Lead the way."


    He tilted his head, ring at her stubbornness. "I''m not taking you like that."


    "Which means you are taking me?" she asked, a small smirk growing on her lips. He grunted his disapproval.


    "You are stubborn," he growled. "But if you agree to change into dry clothes, then yes. I will take you."


    "Are you going like that?" she raised an eyebrow as her eyes raked down his naked form and alighted on his cock, which twitched its approval. Her cheeks immediately pinked.


    "Don''t look at me like that," he groaned, "or this is going to take a lot longer."


    "Well I don''t care if you are lycan or not, I''m notfortable with you walking through the market like that. I might lose control of my freakish abilities again if any female so much as nces at you," she growled, her eyes shing.


    An amused grin spread over Graeme''s face. "Possessive, are we?"


    "You are mine," she stalked back toward him in reply, and he felt his body respond of its own ord.


    "Yes, I am," he met her advancement by iming her mouth and running his fingers along the mate mark on her neck, causing her to tremble under him.


    It was with great difficulty that he finally pulled back, squinting his eyes closed in restraint. "We have to go, my love. Hop on," he said. And without further exnation, he shook his human form free and gripped the earth with his four paws.


    August stood looking back at the massive wolf with the same deep brown eyes as her mate. Even like this, as terrifying as he should be, those eyes revealed the gentleness and care with which he regarded her.


    He lowered the front half of his body close to the ground, waiting for her hop on.

 Chapter 153 - Serum

    "So what do we have?" Andreas growled as he entered the map room. This time, both of the other guardian elders entered with him.


    Zoe thought the three of the elders together were a strangebination. Andreas was the no-nonsensemander of the the other two. And he was always the one in charge of anything to do with the alyko, including Zoe''s team.


    The tall, thin Pearce was highly intelligent and cerebral, and he chose his words carefully. He only spoke after each word had been weighed and considered, and he seemed to be incredibly bored doing it.


    And Auden was a squat, jittery, mostly dim-witted¡­ creep. Zoe couldn''t think of a better word for him. Like a bug that can''t stop moving and creeping, his eyes always darting around nervously.


    Pearce and Auden did everything they could to avoid Zoe all together, and their difort being in her presence today was palpable. Despite how different both men were, they wore the same smug look of distaste¡ªas if something foul could be scented in the air.


    Zoe didn''t let it bother her. She was excited, because today was truly another incredible day for unprecedented events.


    "Come see!" Zoe''s eyes were bright like a child, ushering the foremost elder forward to view the screen that Kai was seated behind.


    Once Andreas and the other two elders were positioned behind theputer, Kai yed the recording from just a few minutes prior when August had encountered the fighting mates in the woods.


    "It is just as before," Zoe pointed to the scattered points of light all over the pack territory. "Not one light from herself, but many. This would of course indicate that the previous incident was not a mistake. This is how she manifests her power."


    "That''s impossible," Auden snapped, the same look of distaste on his face.


    "What does this mean Zosime?" Pearce asked, ignoring Auden.


    "I can''t say for sure," she started, and Auden scoffed. "But I have a theory. It requires an open mind," she added and nced at Andreas meaningfully. He grunted and gestured for her to continue.


    "Given all of the literature that I have read, which¡ªlet me be clear¡ªdoes not mention this ever urring, I believe that there is a strong possibility that when she uses her alyko abilities, she acts as a conduit for others in the pack who do not otherwise manifest on their own."


    As the recording looped to y again, Zoe pointed to several of the other points of light that were not anywhere near hers.


    "They are everywhere, Zosime," Pearce spoke the obvious. "If these are members of our pack, they have never appeared on our map before."


    "I know," Zoe said.


    "So what would these pack members be experiencing at the time of this urrence?" Pearce asked.


    "I don''t know. They may experience nothing at all," she replied.


    "If that is the case, then what significance is there in this finding?"


    "Well, it helps us identify the others with alyko predispositions, however small or inactive. But it really tells us more about her," she stressed. "This human¡ªwitch¡ªwhatever you want to call her¡­ she is unique. There has never been one on the map like her. And somehow she is connected to others in this pack through some kind of unseen bond."


    Pearce looked over to Andreas uneasily. An unseen bond sounded an awful lot like a Luna bond.


    "You have deactivated this feed again?" Andreas expression turned fierce. "No other packs have this?"


    "Of course. It is for our eyes only," Zoe tampered her excitement, Andreas'' sudden anger eliciting a spark of caution in her mind.


    "They will be suspicious if we keep taking it offline," he grumbled to himself. As Andreas appeared lost in thought, Zoe caught the sharp daggers Auden was sending her with his eyes.


    "I want you to give her your serum or whatever it is," Andreas finally said. "Now, Zosime. I will have her brought in."


    "But.." Zoe started.


    "I need her controlled until I can get His team here. I will make the call today, but I need that safety measure in ce," he said sternly. There was no arguing with it.


    "It could kill her," Zoe spoke the argument anyway¡ªjust as a reminder. She didn''t want to be med if something went wrong.


    "It won''t," he said with a peculiar certainty that had her pinching her eyebrows in confusion.


    "Expect her in the dungeon. If you can''t find someone to administer it, give it to her yourself," Andreas said before leaving abruptly as the two other elders followed him out.


    "Wait!" Zoe scurried after them. "Where are you going?" she called.


    "To give the order to bring her in," Andreas called back. "And to buy us some time."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Zoe cursed to herself as she made her way through the secret passage to the prison below the pack house. It was dark and damp and all of the things she hated. It gave her bad memories.


    When she entered the back entrance of the prison, or dungeon as Andre liked to call it, she pushed the massive stone door to have it barely budge. She groaned. What had happened to her impressive team that used to do things like this for her? Now she was wandering through spider-infested corridors that smelled damp like mildew.


    The vial of her famous anti-alyko abilities position was in one hand, and she clutched it protectively. She didn''t like passing this way, but she was very excited to meet the infamous test subject from Eliade who was now amazingly mated to their pack''s Alpha.


    The underground prison was nearly empty. She stepped cautiously, aware that this was a space she rarely ventured into. It was equal parts exciting and terrifying.


    Zoe arrived in front of a door with a small barred window out of her reach. It was upied.


    "Hello?" the female from inside called, sensing someone stop in front of the door.


    "Hi," Zoe started shyly. "Um, I can''t¡­ I''m not supposed to be here. But would you¡­ would you like some water?"


    "Yes¡ªplease!" the female answered from the other side. "I''m so thirsty. Thank you so much. You won''t get into trouble will you?"


    "No," Zoe answered. "I will be careful."


    Zoe walked to where the pail of water rested against the wall and poured a cup before tilting her vial into it. She walked back to the cell and slid open the small door on the floor.


    "Here you go," she said in her most innocent sounding voice.


    The female sighed on the other side of the door. "Thank you, dear," she said. "You are a life-saver."


    A satisfied grin spread over Zoe''s young features, and she retreated back to the door from which she had came.. "I have to go!" she said as if she were in a hurry and afraid of being caught, and then she slipped back out from where she came.

 Chapter 154 - Saving Greta

    Greta was puking. Again.


    Sam was pacing the stone floor in his room. It was entirely enclosed apart from the small, barred window near the top of the door. He kept running his hands through his hair helplessly. His mate was nauseous and miserable.


    How had this happened? He groaned. He should have kept her safe from this somehow. Now he couldn''t get to her. He couldn''t help her. All he could do was listen helplessly as his mate got sick on the floor of her room. He growled to himself.


    "Stop, Sam. Please," she rasped. "I am fine. It''s just the baby. Or babies."


    "It is not. This is too much," the panic was starting to gain an edge in his voice. "This is not right." He groaned again. What could he do?


    Greta slumped on the floor of her cell and squinted her eyes closed, trying to will herself to be well. Perhaps she could keep herself from getting sick if she concentrated hard enough. But ever since she drank that water that was offered to her, she couldn''t stop puking.


    She didn''t want Sam to know, but she was starting to feel panicky as well. He could feel it. She knew he could, but she was trying to control the feeling so that he wouldn''t be overwhelmed by her own physical symptoms.


    They were going to get out of this somehow, and then she would be able to curl around the toilet in her own bathroom and sleep there if she needed to. She would stay there for the remainder of the pregnancy if she could just get off this horrible stone floor and away from the stench of her own vomit.


    As she crouched over herself, her head started to feel heavy. And very hot.


    "Greta? What''s happening?" Sam called out to her. But she couldn''t respond. Her eyelids were starting to close, and the fire that had begun heating her head suddenly raged throughout the rest of her.


    "Greta?" Sam called, his voice sounding far away now. "Greta?! Answer me! Please¡ªare you okay?" She heard his frustrated growl and him pounding on the door of his cell, and then it all drifted away.


    -------------------


    Now both fully dressed, Graeme and August entered an old wooden doorway hidden on the side of the pack house''s stone facade. It faced the woods, away from the front of the house where everyone entered. It was peculiar in the fact that no one would even realize it was there if they weren''t looking for it.


    The prison itself was exactly how August imagined it: a dungeon. They followed a dark, narrow hallway lined with massive stones before descending a set of stairs. Graeme led cautiously, keeping August tucked behind him in case there were guards stationed somewhere at the end of the stairway.


    But no guards were anywhere in sight.


    Thebyrinthine hallways below were dimly lit with torches and lined with empty cells. Graeme seemed to know exactly where he was going, though, because once he was confident no resistance awaited them, he hurried forward through the halls with August trailing him.


    "Graeme!" Sam called as soon as he scented him.


    Graeme tried the door to Sam''s cell, but it didn''t budge. He looked around for a key hanging on one of the walls, but there was nothing.


    "Look for a key," Graeme told August, and she walked further into the hall, scanning the walls that had the asional nail sticking out.


    One nail had chains hanging. Another had a whip. Another still had some kind of metallic tool she couldn''t identify. August swallowed back the fear that shot through her at what kind of nightmarish things happened down here in the dark.


    "Thank the Goddess you''re here," Sam sounded panicked and desperate behind his door. "Greta hasn''t answered me for thest twenty minutes. Please get her out of here."


    Several doors down, Graeme found Greta''s cell by scenting her. But that familiar smell of his sister was overpowered by vomit. There must be a lot of it.


    "Greta?" he called, but there was no answer and no movement on the other side.


    Graeme used his shoulder to try push all his weight against the door, but it wouldn''t budge. He bent down to look through the small area where food could be pushed through and saw part of his sister''s body lying immobile on the floor.


    "Greta!" he roared desperately, and then he was back on his feet trying to force his way through the door again¡ªmming his shoulder against it over and over again.


    August ran back to where he was, the spike of Graeme''s fear threatening to swallow her. He was panicking, which meant Greta was in serious trouble.


    ''No, not Greta,'' August thought desperately.


    Graeme erupted into a furious roar at the door still refusing to budge before he mmed his shoulder against it again.


    "I can''t find a key," August said.


    "I''m going to get one right now. Stay here," he snarled and turned to leave to go pay the fucking elders a visit.


    He didn''t care if it screwed up his chance at taking back Alpha. The time for reason and control had passed. Whether it made the pack members afraid of him and his mate or not, he was going to kill all three of the elders and anyone else who was involved in putting Greta here.


    "Wait," August called. Graeme stopped and turned, the rage and helplessness now evident in his eyes. "Wait¡­ I. I have a feeling I can do something. Just¡­" August nced back at the door and let the Veiled take over her vision.


    How had she disappeared under that tree? She still had no answer for it. She hadn''t even had time to tell Graeme about that yet after she confided in Greta about it, but she wondered if there was something.. something about that event that held a clue as to what more she could do.


    In the Veiled, there was always movement¡ªeverything seemed to consist of this movement at its most fundamental energetic level. When she reached through Greta and Graeme''s chests to try to help them, it had been like her physical existence reached through that movement, finding the spaces where their energy danced apart, and she slipped through.


    Maybe she could do that now.

 Chapter 155 - Saving Greta Continued

    This is what was weird: the cell door appeared solid.


    August could still see the solidity of the door, but then she could also see its permeability. It was just like what had happened when she reached into Graeme and Greta''s chests. She could see their physical boundaries, but then she could see¡ªand reach¡ªbeyond that.


    August exhaled loudly. "Here it goes," she mumbled.


    Graeme stood watching her with his eyebrows threaded, wondering what on earth she thought she could do. He had to remind himself of what Penelope had said: his mate was fae.


    In fact, all alyko¡ªand lycans for that matter¡ªhad the fae gics. But whereas lycan individuals had fae genes passed down and hidden in their DNA without being expressed, the alyko members of this lycan-alyko gic family showed the fae abilities. They were able to control the natural elements in different ways. They could do unexinable things that appeared like magic.


    And ording to Penelope, August was an even more potent form of that fae genotype after she caught the virus that reengineered her DNA.


    Graeme had promised himself he would trust her and support her while she discovered these new, mysterious parts of herself. So he reminded himself of that now as he watched August concentrating on the door. And he threw up a prayer to the Goddess that whatever his mate was thinking she could do would work for his sister''s sake.


    August slowly extended a hand toward the solid and yet somehow permeable cell door and watched as her hand was able to reach through it. Graeme sucked in a surprised breath next to her.


    "Can you unlock it?" he asked.


    She concentrated on the part of the door where the lock was located, but for some reason the metal wasn''t something she seemed to be able to grasp and move. She continued to try, and Graeme watched as she bit her lip in concentration. But it wasn''t working.


    "I''m going to get the key from the elders," Graeme said, seeing her difficulty.


    "No," she argued. "Just wait. I can do this."


    After failing again at trying to maneuver the lock part of the door, she let out a breath and just walked through. If she couldn''t get it unlocked, at least she could check on Greta.


    "August!" Graeme called behind her, rushing to the door and trying to go in after her. He groaned and rest his forehead on the door before hitting it with his hand. "Fuck!"


    "Is there water that I can use to clean her up?" August called to him. She bent down to check on Greta, and she felt the heat radiating off of her before she touched her. She was burning up, and there was so much vomit all around.


    "August," Graeme replied as patiently as he could manage, "that was really impressive, darling, but now you are both stuck in there." His chest was heaving, and he grasped his hair in frustration.


    "I''m not suck. But I will figure it out, I promise," she said. "Look for some water."


    "Fuck," Graeme cursed as he stepped away to find one of the water spigots and pails they had down here.


    "Oh Goddess, Greta," August murmured as she sat next to the girl who passed out on the floor


    "How is she?" Sam yelled the question from his cell.


    "Um¡­ she has a fever," August called back.


    ''Goddess, please show me how to help her,'' she thought. By seeing the Veiled, August searched to see what she could identify within Greta that she might be able to use to help her.


    There appeared to be inmmation, based on what August was seeing, all over. And she didn''t know how to help that. It wasn''t like the emotional pain or guilt or heartache that she had seen in Graeme and Greta on separate asions. This was more¡­ physical. But maybe if she could identify the cause of the inmmation, that would help.


    "Did something happen, Sam?" August called.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Before she started getting sick, was there anything that happened that you can think of that might have caused this?"


    "Just her morning sickness, which has be more like all-day sickness," he groaned.


    Graeme returned with a pail of water and pushed it through the opening in the door. August retrieved it as heid down on his stomach to watch what she was doing.


    "Any rags?" she asked, ncing through the opening at him.


    "No," he grumbled.


    She nodded and took off the coat he insisted that she wear beforeing here. Thankfully she had on severalyers. She removed the sweatshirt and tee before putting the sweatshirt back on.


    "Rip this for me?" she asked, handing the shirt through the opening.


    Graeme took it and bit one of the seams before ripping it into strips and passing it back.


    "The only other thing I can think of is a young girl offering Greta water before running off," Sam finally responded. "She''s been really thirsty with all the morning sickness."


    "Thank you," August mumbled to Graeme, taking the cloth back. She pulled Greta onto herp and set to work cleaning her with the rags and water. The water would help bring her temperature down as well.


    "So possibly something she ingested?" August said to herself. "Why would anyone purposely do something to Greta?"


    Graeme growled. "Who the fuck knows with these people."


    August focused her vision on what she could see when she searched Greta''s digestive area. This was¡­ weird. And it didn''t feel like there was something she could just grab and remove, especially if the effect of whatever she ingested had spread elsewhere.


    She cradled Greta in herp and considered how she had taken Graeme''s strength to overpower Marius¡­ how she had taken Greta''s healing energy to ovee her fever. Now August was the one who needed to give the healing energy¡­ but it didn''t feel like that was something she had like Greta. And she didn''t sense that healing aura around Greta now.


    ''I can do this,'' August squeezed her eyes shut and focused without the vision. ''Goddess, help me do this. Greta has helped me so much. Let me give this back to her.''

 Chapter 156 - First Sense

    We learn to feel as our first sense before all others¡ªin our mother''s womb, we feel before we see. And that ability to touch and be touched¡ªto feel a physical connection with another¡ªhas profound, unconscious effects.


    Perhaps seeing the Veiled wasn''t really just about seeing after all. August considered this possibility as she cradled Greta with her eyes closed, feeling the girl''s being moving and pulsing with life under her touch.


    When Sylvia performed the healing art of reiki, she did not use her eyes. She used other senses. She used movement. And she also used touch.


    August didn''t know how to perform reiki¡ªthey had never gotten that far in her meetings with Sylvia¡ªbut she remembered Sylvia saying how she imagined that August''s gift of the Veiled was connected to what reiki practitioners did in some way.


    August breathed out her own thoughts, her own preupations, and imagined a healing light entering through the crown of her head and spreading through her hands, which were now holding Greta. The healing light that August envisioned looked much like the moonlight that she had seen flooding the clearing on the night of the fertility ritual.


    Keeping her eyes closed, she ran a hand over Greta''s head¡ªwilling the light to enter Greta and flush out whatever illness was there. She repeated this with Greta''s chest and abdomen before repeating the process. August''s hands started to be warm as she did this, focusing all of her energy on this transfer of light from the universe into Greta with her as the conduit.


    Graeme watched through the small opening as his mate appeared like a mother with a child in her arms, rocking and caressing Greta over and over with a continuous whisper spoken from her lips that he couldn''t decipher. He was beginning to lose his patience in this process and the precious time it might be wasting when he noticed a soft glow orbiting the two girls.


    "What the¡­" he whispered, squinting his eyes as if this would allow him to see it more clearly.


    "Graeme! What''s happening?" Sam called from his room. "Is she okay?" He pounded on the door of his cell again, letting his head fall helplessly against it.


    "Shhh!" Graeme hushed him.


    Augusts''s whispering turned more urgent as she ran her hands over Greta, and the glow became brighter. And it was¡­ warm. Graeme could feel the heat of it from where he was on the other side of the door.


    August smiled as, in her mind, she saw this process working. She felt a change in the consistency of Greta''s energy¡ªit felt lighter, cleaner. The poisonous substance she had consumed was being flushed out into the air around them somehow. And August''s head began to feel very light.


    Her heart began fluttering quickly as the process sped up, and she felt Greta''s do the same. It felt as if their hearts had be twin echoes, both spreading a profound gratefulness and joy at the realization that this healing was taking ce between them.


    August had to squint her eyes more tightly to keep focusing¡ªto keep from being spirited away with this feeling that was quickly overtaking her¡­ like she could flutter away with it. Like she could be a being made entirely of light and energy that could take flight on the wind. Instead, she tried to anchor herself and her energy to this connection with Greta.


    As she concentrated harder, she suddenly became aware of two other small beings within Greta that she had not taken notice of before. Their hearts were also fluttering quickly in time with hers. August let out a soft chuckle as she saw them in her mind¡ªthese little twin beings that were safely enfolded within their mother. They were growing well. They were healthy.


    Finally, thest of the light passed from August to Greta, and August felt it dissipate into the air around them along with thest of Greta''s illness. "It is done," August breathed, and she opened her eyes to look upon Greta with her regr vision. How strange¡ªto see the physical body now rather than to feel the energetic one. She bent down and kissed Greta on the forehead¡ªa seal, keeping all of the healing in.


    Greta stirred before gradually sitting up.


    "Greta!" Graeme called from his side of the door.


    "Graeme?" Greta replied, her eyebrows threaded together in confusion. She opened her eyes to find August sitting next to her.


    "August? They got you, too?" she asked, her expression bing fraught with worry. "We should have never split up with the pups¡­ fucking Violet was distracting Finn¡­" she started rambling until she saw August''s huge grin. "Why¡ªwhy are you smiling?"


    "I am just d you are okay," August shook her head and leaned over to hug Greta close to her. "Thank the Goddess. You are okay."


    "Of course I''m okay. It''s just morning sickness," Greta chuckled.


    Graeme let out a sigh of relief and let his head fall back on the stone floor of the hallway. His mate just did something extraordinary. Penelope had been right.


    "Goddess, Sam? Are you okay? Why are you damn happy over there¡ªthis is hardly the time," Greta grumbled, feeling her mate''s overwhelming happiness rise up in her chest as well. "How are we supposed to get out of here?"


    Sam fell to his knees in relief and let out a chuckle. His mate was okay. She was back to her bossy self.


    "When did you get here, Graeme? And why are you just lying there?" Greta asked, realizing now that her brother was on the floor of the hallway.


    Graeme sputtered augh, remaining on his back as he gazed at the ceiling. "It''s good to see you, too."


    "Can I tell you something?" August asked, drawing Greta''s attention back to her.


    "What is it?" Greta asked, bewildered at the huge smile on August''s face.


    "I felt them¡ªyour babies. They are healthy," August''s smile grewrger, and she grabbed Greta''s hands in hers and squeezed them.


    "What?" Greta breathed, her brows pinched together again.


    "They are healthy. You have no reason to worry, momma," August repeated.


    Greta felt a wave of relief and joy rush through her mate somewhere nearby. "They are? They¡­ as in two of them?"


    Graeme had turned sharply back on his side to watch the girls again. He saw August nod excitedly to Greta''s question. His sister and Sam were having twins?


    Greta let out a happy sob and leaned to hug August again. "Thank you," she whispered.. "I don''t know how you know, but thank you."

 Chapter 157 - Another Event

    Zoe was sitting in her office, trying to find something to distract herself from the curiosity about the human-turned-alyko in the dungeon. Did the serum work? What was the reaction? Had it harmed her?


    She bit her nails nervously.


    Andreas was so arrogant. He was sure that August would not have any ill-effects, but as the scientist in charge of these operations, Zoe knew it was impossible to know the oue on a subject from Eliade. Her gics resembled that of the alyko, but there were still unknowns.


    Andreas must truly feel desperate at the bizarre way August was disying on the map.


    Zoe wished she had a chance to study August more. She was such an exciting, peculiar find. At the most, Zoe thought she would see August disy as alyko, but this¡­ she yed the loop on herputer that Kai had made for her of August''s two map events and watched as the small points of light activated across packnd simultaneously¡­ this was next level. This was like nothing ever seen before.


    August was the key to something big. Of that she was certain.


    "Zoe," Kai appeared at her doorway, leaning in with his headphones resting on his shoulders. "You have to see this."


    Zoe rose from behind her desk. What else could be happening?


    She followed Kai down the hallway to the map room and turned to the wall. The grid containing their pack''snd had another stunning constetion of stars lit against the ck. And this time, it wasn''t disappearing immediately.


    "What?" she breathed. "But¡­" she had given her the serum. It should have worked by now. It should have disabled her abilities or maybe¡­ killed her, but definitely not made her stronger.


    "It didn''t work," she whispered. "I have to go check on her."


    "Will you alert Andreas?" Kai asked.


    "I need to, but¡­ but he''s going to kill me, Kai. I have to go see this for myself first to know what I''m reporting," she replied.


    As she made her way back down to the dungeon, Zoe''s heart was thundering. She was equal parts terrified and excited. Terrified of Andreas and excited that August had surprised her yet again. What couldn''t this female do?


    When Zoe cautiously pushed open the heavy door leading to the hallway of cells, she was immediately mmed into the wall with a massive hand around her neck.


    "You," the voice snarled, and when her vision finally adjusted and focused in on the person holding her, her heart fluttered up into her throat.


    "You''re back," she croaked out.


    "Are you behind this?" Graeme snarled again, pointing down the hall with his unupied hand toward the cell where his mate was held.


    "Behind what?" she managed, despite still being secured to the wall by her neck.


    "Give me the key," he replied in the most blood-curdling voice Zoe had every heard¡ªa growl puttering in his throat that set her hairs on edge. She fumbled in her pockets before bringing out the key she had brought with her.


    Graeme took it and let her go to slump against the wall as he stalked away.


    She stayed there, gasping for air and watching his retreating form. The Alpha had returned. Now she was definitely dead.


    "Is she okay?" Zoe called after him. She couldn''t stop herself. And despite the rage that still lingered in Graeme''s wake, Zoe got up slowly to follow him.


    "Stay the fuck back, Zoe," Graeme growled over his shoulder as he unlocked the cell door.


    When he opened it, two females exited. Two. Zoe''s brows pinched together.


    Despite her odd hair color, the first female to walk out resembled Graeme with her oliveplexion and fierce, dark eyes. This must be Graeme''s sister. How did she get in there? The sister turned and red Zoe''s way, causing Zoe to take one step back.


    That meant that the other female¡­ Zoe gasped softly as she saw August turn her way. She had fair features. Her hair was a light gold that cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes¡­ her eyes were vivid. Vivid gold. Zoe had never seen anything like it.


    "You are her," Zoe found herself walking closer, unconcerned about anything else but the breathtaking specimen before her.


    Graeme grabbed her by the back of the neck. "Not another step."


    Zoe didn''t hear him. "You are okay. I was so worried," she confessed. "I was afraid it might kill you, but Andreas¡­"


    "You thought August was in that cell?" Graeme asked, the threatening growl deepening as his hand tightened around her.


    "She¡ªshe was," Zoe turned to him, confused.


    "Will someone let me out of here?" Sam yelled, pounding on the door.


    Greta retrieved the key from Graeme, shooting another re at Zoe as she did, and went to let her mate out. As soon as she unlocked his door, Sam burst through it and grabbed her, pulling her tight against his chest and burrowing his head in her shoulder.


    "Oh Goddess, Greta. I''m so sorry," he said, muffled against her. He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands so he could scan her. "I always think of you as indestructible. Don''t scare me like that again."


    "I''m okay," she smiled, looking back and forth between her mate''s dark, concerned eyes.


    Sam exhaled again in relief. "Fuck, I thought I was losing you." He dipped his head and kissed her fiercely before hugging her back to himself.


    "I''m¡­ confused," Zoe said after watching this scene unfold. Her curious eyes returned to August who was smiling at the couple hugging. "What happened?"


    "You did something to poison my sister, is what," Graeme growled next to ear. "Why?"


    "I¡ªI didn''t know she was your sister. I thought she was August," Zoe replied, batting hershes.


    August''s gold eyes were now back on her, and Zoe couldn''t help but gape at her appreciatively. "You are," Zoe gulped, "so beautiful. Do your eyes change color at all?" She tried to walk toward August again, but Graeme yanked her back. It didn''t seem to phase her much. "Were they always gold? Or was it just after the virus? Do they change when you use your abilities?"


    Zoe''s fingers twitched with the desire to get her hands on August and study her.. She needed to know more.

 Chapter 158 - Questioning Zoe

    Graeme scrutinized the change in the young girl.


    The innocent, cloying demeanor of Zoe''s that he was so used to seeing had vanished. In its ce was pure analytical curiosity. She didn''t even seem affected by the fact that he had started to raise her off the floor. Her feet began gently peddling at the absence of the ground, but she was still fixated on August, who¡ªnow that he nced at his mate¡ªseemed to be equally fixated on the girl.


    "August?" Graeme called to try drawing her attention.


    She was tilting her head, staring at Zoe with concern. He saw her pupils widen suddenly, only a sparkling golden rim left remaining around them.


    "Little Red?" he tried. She nced at him this time, but her eyes snapped back to the young girl in his arms.


    "Can you put her down?" she asked and approached them both.


    The way she was so focused on Zoe had Graeme''s stomach slowly twisting into a knot. Something strange was happening between them.


    "It''s okay. You can let her go," she put her hand on Graeme''s arm, and he rxed at the physical contact with his mate. If she said it was okay, then¡ªafter what he just witnessed her do with Greta¡ªhe was going to trust her. But he didn''t like it.


    Graeme dropped Zoe from the two feet he had raised her in the air, and she stumbled before righting herself again. This seemed to snap her out of whatever psychotic fixation she had on August, because she finally became aware of Graeme next to her again.


    "You are different," August whispered as she stood in front of Zoe. "Why are you so different?"


    "I wonder the same about you," Zoe beamed back at her. "That is incredible what your pupils are doing¡­ how does that change your vision?"


    "Hey, hey," Graeme snapped his fingers in front of Zoe''s face. "This isn''t some science experiment. What the fuck did you give my sister that was meant for August?"


    "I¡­" she locked eyes with Greta. "I''m sorry. It was something Andreas had me develop to stunt alyko ability."


    Everyone''s eyes went wide with that information. "What?" Greta gasped softly. "How long have you had something like that?"


    "Hmmm¡­ a few years now?" Zoe replied.


    "Who do you use it on?" Greta asked.


    "Alyko obviously," Zoe shrugged as a smallugh escaped her.


    "What alyko?" Graeme growled.


    Zoe''s smile slowly fell to a sober expression and she cleared her throat.


    "She can''t tell you that," August whispered, still studying Zoe with her ck eyes.


    "She has to," he growled the reply. Penelope had said this pack was the worst when it came to alyko. This had to have something to do with it.


    "No, she literally can''t," August turned her eyes on Graeme. "She wants to. But she can''t."


    "What?" Greta asked behind August.


    Zoe''s head dropped, and she looked at her feet, sping her hands together in front of her. Was the obnoxiously curious and clinical Zoe upset? Graeme was shocked by that alone.


    "I don''t understand. What did they do to you?" August asked as she crossed the remaining distance between them.


    She took Zoe''s wrist in her hand and turned it over so that her palm was facing up. August nced back up into the girl''s eyes before gently running two fingers along the pale skin of her upturned wrist. Zoe sucked in a breath and snatched her arm back.


    "You can''t help me," she protested. "Don''t bother trying."


    "So you meant to give this poison of yours to August?" Graeme asked, eager to return to the important question of how his sister ended up half-dead on the floor of a cell. He didn''t give a shit about helping Zoe.


    "Yes," the young girl said softly, attempting to regain the innocent persona by batting her eyshes at him. It wasn''t working.


    "Why?" Graeme barked, and Zoe flinched.


    "Andreas¡­ he is afraid of her. I didn''t want to. I wasn''t sure how she would react to it. I came back to check on her."


    "You came back because you saw her light up on your fucking map," Graeme replied.


    Zoe nodded. "Yes, that''s true. But I wanted to check on her. I was worried." She raised her eyes to August''s again. "You are so unique¡­ you have no idea. I would hate for something to happen to you before we got a chance to study you more."


    Graeme groaned and turned, raking his hand down his face in frustration. "She''s not ab rat!"


    "Maybe not to you," Zoeughed softly, and Graeme turned to advance on her again.


    "Okay, okay," August stepped between them to keep Graeme from attacking her. "Greta got the... poison instead. She puked everywhere and had a high fever. She passed out, Zoe," August told her. "What happens when you give that to lycans?"


    Zoe shrugged. "It''s never been done. I don''t know."


    "Never?" August asked.


    "No. The elders are fiercely protective of lycans in this pack," she replied.


    Graeme scoffed, and Zoe turned to him.


    "Think what you want, but I have tried to offer various exciting experimental possibilities to help improve lycan life, including increasing life expectancy, decreasing emotional response, mimicking the mate bond¡­ promoting more dominant physical and behavioral characteristics. But they have always refused. Well, Andreas and Pearce have refused. Honestly, I think Auden is quite supportive of all types of lycan experimentation."


    Zoe looked around at the disturbed expressions of those surrounding her. Greta''s face in particr was frozen in disbelief. How could this be going on in her pack this whole time? The elders had been sheltering this precocious young scientist with terrifying experimental tendencies. Who knows what else they had been up to over the years since Zoe had been here.


    "Okay, theoretically¡ªa lycan getting the alyko serum?" Zoe returned to the question. "Would¡­ have all of those symptoms. Yes. It is unlikely, after the serum had finished taking its affect on their gic transcription processes, that they would survive. The alyko who seem less prominent in their abilities have fared worse, because the serum seems to disrupt regr gic transcription in significant ways."


    Zoe continued: "That is probably why Andreas believed August would be fine. Her abilities appear significant.. But honestly, as part of the pandemic''s viral transformation and with the significant proportion of human genes she has, I did not have that confidence."

 Chapter 159 - Root Guardian

    "What''s next?" Graeme asked Zoe as he came to loom dangerously over her.


    "What do you mean?" Zoe asked sweetly.


    "Andreas wanted August to have no alyko ability. And then what? Was that it?"


    "Quite possibly," she shrugged. "She would no longer be a threat."


    August was able to see that Zoe was lying by the way her unusual aura threaded with a streak of deception, and she was about toment on it. But then her vision became blurred and she stumbled before catching herself against the stone wall.


    Graeme rushed over to steady her. "What is it, darling? What''s wrong?"


    Zoe clicked her tongue. "As you said, she lit up on the map again. What did she do before I arrived?" The young girl had her hands sped behind her back as leaned forward to study August like a specimen. August''s eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against Graeme.


    Before Zoe could get any closer, Sam shoved her in an open cell and closed the door behind her.


    "Hey! I''m just trying to help!" she called.


    "Greta?" Graeme found his sister hovering over them, checking August''s vitals.


    "I don''t know," she mumbled. "It could very well just be exhaustion."


    "A fair possibility if she healed you like I am assuming she did," Zoe called again. The young girl looked around her at the cell. "Did she walk through the cell door?" The realization just urred to her, and she almost exploded with joy. This was also something she had never seen documented or reported before.


    "Yep," Zoe sighed happily. "It is exhaustion or¡­ perhaps¡­" her head tilted in thought "whatever she healed the sister from is beginning to corrupt her as well. I am assuming she has no practice in it¡­ it takes a long time for alyko to develop their abilities to the point of something extreme like that. So many impressive things today¡­" she continued rambling to herself.


    "Shut up, girl!" Sam finally roared from the other side of the door.


    "Nothing can ever just be easy, can it?" Greta mumbled to herself. "Nor simple." She looked back up at her brother. "Let''s take her to mom and dad''s. It''s closest."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When her vision copsed around her, August found herself back sitting on therge lichen-covered tree root from earlier in the day. This time there were small white and purple blooms from the other two trees rising from the ground weightlessly into the air and spiraling toward the sky. She looked up to follow their paths, but the sun was so bright that she had to shield her eyes.


    "You are back," the tree seemed to hum beneath her.


    "It would appear so," she replied. "This is beautiful."


    She looked around at the ground beneath her feet. It was greener than when she was here earlier, covered now with a thick, fuzzy moss where the petalsy before rising from the ground.


    "But¡­ may I return? I miss him. He has only just gotten back."


    "The mate," the root spoke in reply.


    "My mate," she smiled softly. "Yes."


    "He can''t help you there right now. You must stay awhile longer."


    August''s eyebrows threaded together. "What is wrong with me that he cannot help?"


    The root rumbled beneath her but did not answer.


    At that moment a familiar crow alighted at her feet, and the petals made way for him. It tilted its head, its blue iridescent feathers catching the light.


    "You again?" August smiled, and the crow hopped toward her before fluttering up andnding on her shoulder.


    She giggled, and the sound was different here. Like the tinkling of chimes. What a strange, pleasant space.


    With her new friend remaining perched on her shoulder, August rose from the tree root. She looked down to find that she was in a long white dress with bare feet. It reminded her vaguely of when she awoke in the bed at the outpost before Marius arrived.


    "Have a look around," the root rumbled behind her.


    August walked through the three trees to peer down the other side of the hill. The white and purple petals were rising, spiraling up between the trees all around the whole wooded expanse below. Rather than the fall weather that she knew was the reality in Hallows Forest currently, all of the trees here were bright green and full. There were birds chirping happily in the distance, and the crow on her shoulder clucked a few times as ifmenting on it.


    And right at the bottom of the hill there was a spring of bright blue water with steam rising from its surface.


    "Wow," August whispered to herself before breaking into a grin.


    Behind her, the wise old root she had been sitting on crawled behind her, cracking open the earth in its path to follow August. Once it arrived by her side, it rose up to take the form of a woman.


    Initially the woman appeared to be made from the same woody pulp as the root she rose from, but then her form became smoother. The lichens that graced her surface shimmered to be a green and yellowce dress that swept behind her before disappearing into the ground. Her hair grew out behind her in ck, gentle waves, and she turned to smile at August with the most crystal clear blue eyes August had ever seen.


    "Hi," August said awkwardly.


    "Hi, August. I''m one of your guardians."


    "Guardians?"


    The woman nodded and gestured with one arm down to the hot spring. "It is very rxing if you would like to give it a try."


    "It looks rxing," August nodded. The crow on her shoulder clucked before taking flight andnding at the edge of the spring below.


    August smiled, but then her eyes drifted back up to the sky where so many petals were disappearing into the bright sunlight.


    The woman next to her hummed. "The mate."


    Augustughed softly and looked back down at her bare feet. "The mate," she repeated.


    "I suppose that is what mate bonds do. You can not fully rx while you are here and he is not."


    August looked up at her guardian guiltily. The womanughed¡ªthe same pleasant tinkling of chimes that seemed to clone themselves and hang delightfully in the air.


    "Well you are mates after all.. You can call him to join you."

 Chapter 160 - Returning Home

    Zoe was forgotten, left locked up in a cell still rambling and giggling to herself as the others left for Graeme and Greta''s childhood home.


    They climbed through the dark throat of the dungeon that led out to the forest before sprinting through the hilly expanse of trees that spread between the pack house and their parents'' deserted home.


    Graeme was carrying August in his arms unsure of whether she was going to make it. Again. Running through the forest with her unconscious. Again. This shouldn''t keep happening.


    But unlike when he found himself in this position in suicide forest, Graeme was positive about what losing this girl would mean to him now. He tried not to dwell on it at the moment. He wasn''t going to lose her. The conversation with Penelope was unsettling in many ways, but it also gave him confidence in his mate''s strength and capabilities. She was fae, after all. Fae. It was insane.


    And he had just watched her save Greta. That white glow that had emanated from both of them in the cell¡­ he still had a hard time believing that he witnessed that. He wondered if that was anything like what August saw when she saw the Veiled. Because if it was¡­ what an incredible way to walk through the world.


    His mate had saved his sister. Graeme swallowed back the emotion of it. And now August''s head was jostling against him as he sought a refuge for her¡ªa ce where maybe Greta could return the favor.


    How was this happening again?


    He ran up the side yard after Greta and Sam and followed them through the front door that he had walked through day after day as a child. Greta led through the living and dining room and into their parents'' old bedroom where Graemeid her down on the bed. Greta climbed in bed next to her to check her vitals again.


    Graeme ran his hands down his face as he watched, helpless once more.


    "I can''t find anything wrong," Greta finally said, looking up at her brother who was now pacing.


    Graeme groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "What about the thing she pulled from you¡­ or whatever. What if that is affecting her? What did Zoe say¡­ that it could be corrupting her?"


    "I don''t remember any of it happening. I don''t know. I don''t know how that would manifest or what to do if I can''t see the actual signs of it harming her," Greta shook her head.


    "Can''t I just have everyone I love safe for fucking once?" Graeme growled. There shouldn''t be a tradeoff between his sister or August. He needed both of them.


    "What did Penelope say?" Greta asked. "Anything useful?"


    Graeme scoffed. "Where do I start? What do you know about the fae?"


    "Fae?!" Greta repeated it in surprise. "As in¡­ from fairy tales?"


    "I mean, we are technically from fairy tales. Is it that surprising?" Graeme replied with a wry smile.


    Greta chuckled. "Fairy tales aren''t named after us." When she nced back at her brother, theughter died in her throat. "You are serious, aren''t you?"


    Graeme nodded, and she cleared her throat.


    "Okay, fae¡­ what do I know from the folklore? People began dressing up during Samhain to keep the fae from kidnapping them when the veil between worlds was thin, because once a mortal is kidnapped and taken to the underworld, they are trapped there at least until the next Samhain."


    Graeme frowned. He remembered those stories, too, but they weren''t helpful in this case. The alyko and his mate were here¡ªthere was no threat of an underworld.


    "Not useful?" Greta guessed. "Um¡­ what else? They are said to live in fairy hills," she added. "If you step inside a fairy ring in the forest, you are forced to dance with them until you die of exhaustion or go crazy."


    Graeme groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Nevermind." Obviously the folklore was not going to be helpful.


    "No wait¡­ Um¡­ There are hidden portals in certain areas of the forest that open during Samhain. Fairies are often depicted with wings. The females are seductresses¡­"


    Sam raised an eyebrow at Graeme, waiting for his reaction. Graeme just rolled his eyes and watched his sister continue searching the encyclopedia of knowledge in her brain. It was amusing when she really got going.


    "There are said to be elemental fairies who personify particr forces of nature and have the power to control those forces¡­" she continued. Graeme grunted in recognition, and her eyes snapped to him.


    "Sounds familiar, doesn''t it?" he asked.


    "Do you mean¡­ did Penelope say the alyko are fae?" Greta''s mouth dropped open. "That''s impossible. They are born from lycans. That doesn''t make any sense."


    "Unless we have those gics as well," he replied.


    She scoffed. "What?"


    "Penelope said that La Loba was fae¡ªa, I don''t know, an extra special fae of some kind. She had control over all of the elements, and that night when the first lycan was created through her fire song or whatever, the full moon added a little something extra that made it happen," he tried to summarize theplicated exnation that Penelope had given him.


    "Fae?" Greta repeated, still unable to process it. "La Loba was fae?"


    He nodded, one arm crossed over his chest while the other ran over his beard thoughtfully.


    "And that makes August¡­" Greta started, leaving him to fill in the rest.


    "Apparently August is a purer form of fae¡ªshe has more of the fae genes than most alyko, thanks to whatever the virus did when she was infected," his eyebrows pinched together in thought. "Penelope made it sound like August would be¡­ very powerful."


    They all stood silently thinking about what August had just done in the cell room by healing Greta. Was it because she was fae?


    "I have a question," Sam spoke. "The fairy thing is crazy and all, but¡­ isn''t it just a matter of the name being different? What does it matter if they are called alyko or fae?"


    "It may matter and it may not," Greta replied.. "If we know more about the fae in the folklore, it may give us more clues about our alyko as well as what we can expect from August."

 Chapter 161 - Harmful Parts

    "Do you think the elders are aware of the fae connection?" Sam asked.


    "That is a good question. I mean¡­ why would they be? But who knows what they know," Greta answered. "I would have never imagined they had some kind of insane child hidden in the council doing research for them and making potions."


    "Zoe is¡­ creepy," Sam grunted. He couldn''t think of a word that quite fit her. She was really young and yet clearly very intelligent. And she was strangely fixated on August. "Didn''t August say something about her being different?"


    "Yeah. I wonder what she meant," Greta replied.


    "She was talking about how she saw Zoe with the Veiled. Her pupils were ck when she was looking at her," Graeme mumbled. "We should have brought Zoe with us. Maybe she could have helped."


    "No way. I don''t trust her at all. Whatever useful information she has would bepromised by her own motive," Greta replied.


    "August didn''t seem afraid of her," Sam pointed out.


    "That doesn''t mean she is not a threat. Look at what she is capable of," Greta scoffed.


    Sam''s expression became pained as he thought about Greta lying unconscious on the cell floor¡ªof not being able to reach her when she was in trouble. He swallowed back the panic that immediately rose again in his throat at the fresh memory. "Point taken."


    "So what now?" Graeme exhaled heavily and returned his attention to August. She appeared so peaceful, as if she were just sleeping.


    "We keep her safe andfortable and¡­ wait," Greta sighed. "Like I said, I can''t find anything obviously wrong with her, but I can run some tests. I don''t have any of that stuff here, so it will require going home to grab some things." She turned to look at Sam, and he nodded.


    "Maybe it really is just exhaustion," she added.


    "That theory sounds familiar," Graeme grumbled. They had thought it was just exhaustion when August copsed after biting Marius, but then she was in aa for three weeks. "She can''t be out that long again."


    "Then get close to her¡ªlet her know you are here. Your presence helpedst time. Maybe it will help this time, too."


    "It''s not like I''m nning on leaving her," Graeme red at his sister. "Even if I do want to raze the council chambers to the ground as soon as possible."


    "How do you do that without harming the pack house?" Greta asked. "They are connected."


    "I don''t mean it literally," he rolled his eyes.


    "I know, but¡­ this is the question we are going to have to address, isn''t it?" Greta countered. "How to extract the harmful parts without hurting the whole? How do we know or separate those who are a threat to the pack from those who aren''t?"


    Graeme frowned. He thought about how Lucas was braced to defend August right next to Finn when Graeme came charging at them. Graeme would have assumed he knew where Lucas'' loyalty resided, but apparently even someone like him was tooplicated to make assumptions.


    "It will not be easy," Graeme sighed. "But I definitely know who to start with."


    "Do you?" Greta asked. Graeme groaned in response. Why did she always have to be so philosophical? And careful? And intelligent? And usually right?


    "Greta, you threatened to kill Violet! Is she really the first one who needs to go? Violet is¡­ nobody. Why would you threaten her?" He growled. "And yet, you would question whether I should retaliate against Andreas and the elders?"


    "I''m¡­ sorry. I''m not questioning whether or not they should go. It''s more about the timing," she exined.


    "So I wait for them to get more chances? To do more damage?" He gestured toward August on the bed. "And how does that reflect on me and any authority I have?"


    Greta groaned. "It''s all soplicated. I''m sorry. I don''t know the answers either."


    "Let''s go get what you need from the house," Sam suggested to his mate. They all obviously needed some time to think.


    Greta nodded and rose to leave. "We''ll be back soon," she told her brother.


    "Be careful," he called after them.


    It was risky¡ªGraeme wasn''t sure he should let them leave in case the elders were bent on throwing them back in the dungeon for something stupid. But he guessed that now that news of his return had spread, Andreas would be smarter than antagonizing him in such a direct way as going after his sister.


    Everyone loved Greta, and to put Greta in a cell not once but twice would require some major leverage against her. If all they had was something Violet imed had happened, it was too lightweight. Andreas knew that. Graeme would have her free in a heartbeat with the majority of the pack behind him.


    Then there was always the added information about Greta being pregnant, which few knew about now, but if it were toe out in the open, it would be big news. Pregnancies were sacred in lycan packs.


    Family was primary when it came to their species, and pregnant females were inherently protected. Not to mention that Greta was a Hallowell. Her children would carry on the Hallowell name and, in the absence of any descendants from Graeme, would inherit the Alpha responsibility.


    No, Graeme assumed that today the elders were just getting Greta and Sam out of the way so they wouldn''t have trouble taking down their real target: August. Zoe said that Andreas was frightened of her. Good. He was d the elders were frightened of his mate.


    He sighed and grabbed some water from the kitchen faucet before returning to her side. He pulled a chair next to the bed and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips so he could run them over her knuckles.


    "I love your hands," he spoke aloud as if she were awake, listening. "It''s strange, isn''t it? How we could identify someone by their hands alone. I look at yours and know they belong to you. My mate. The one I never imagined existed out there for me, let alone what her hands would look like in mine."


    A small smile curved on his lips.. She had changed everything in such a short time.

 Chapter 162 - Second Guardian

    As he held August''s hand, Graeme''s eyes caught the photo on the bedside table of his parents with him and Greta as kids¡ªthe one August had picked up to study that day when they were here to retrieve the Wagoneer.


    "I still remember my parents'' hands, even though they have been gone now for so long and I was just a pup when I lost them," his eyebrows pinched together. "My mother''s were delicate and strong. She had more prominent knuckles," he recalled, running his fingers over August''s knuckles. "And her fingernails always looked perfect. She never painted them," he chuckled, thinking of his mother. Effortlessly beautiful and always happy.


    "And Dad''s¡­" he started, but his voice caught. He looked at his own hands. They looked just like his father''s. "I don''t have to try to remember. Mine are the same," he whispered.


    He stayed sitting like that, holding August''s hand against his lips, until he finally decided toy next to her. They needed to be closer. He wanted her to be assured that he was there if there was a chance it would bring her back sooner.


    Graeme got up and carefully pulled the nket and sheet down from under her so that he would be able to pull them back up and tuck them both in. This reminded him of being in her childhood room in Maiden Rock¡ªof falling asleep on her bed and then having to quickly strip it and wrap a sheet around himself before Penelope unexpectedly arrived at the door.


    That was still a conversation they had to have¡ªabout her mother¡ªand he was not looking forward to it.


    "Little Red," he said softly, climbing in next to her and cradling her in the crook of his arm before reaching for the covers. "Darling," he whispered and kissed her forehead. "If you need to rest, that''s okay. I will be here waiting for you."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August had walked down the hill to the crow''s side and bent down, dipping her hand in the hot spring.


    "Will you not call him to join you?" with some creaks of the earth breaking open to amodate her, the root guardian was again by her side in the form of a woman.


    "How do I do that?" August squinted up at the woman with the raven hair andcey lichen dress.


    Her guardian did not answer but only smiled gently.


    August looked back down at the water and the reflections that danced off its surface in patches where the steam was not hovering. There was movement on the other side of the spring as something made its way through the underbrush toward the water. August stood and squinted, waiting for the creature to appear. She was safe in this ce wasn''t she?


    "It is safe," the woman spoke next to her, answering the question that was in her mind.


    "Then what is it? It looks big," August whispered.


    "Either somethinging for water or somethinging for you," the woman replied.


    August looked at her sideways. Did this forest root guardian woman need to be vague and mysterious all the time?


    The woman giggled with her chimeughter to August''s unspoken thought.


    August, the root guardian next to her, and even the crow perched at her feet all looked toward the movement on the other side of the spring, waiting for whatever was there to finally make its way out into the open.


    Atst, a regal set of antlers rose up through the green underbrush and out into the sunlight. Only, the antlers were themselves made with light. Whereas the rays given by the sun appeared a warm gold, the antlers of this now more fully emerging stag were a cool, glowing blue.


    It continued walking forward until it reached the edge of the water where it stopped and regarded the three of them on the other side. The steam rising from the spring made the breathtaking animal appear to be a floating apparition.


    August''s mouth hung open. The stag appeared to have been cut from the surface of the moon itself, and it was staring back at her with white and purple petals spiraling up through the trees into the sky around it.


    "He," the woman, her root guardian spoke softly, bending toward her.


    "What?" August asked.


    "You keep thinking of him as ''it.''"


    "He?" August repeated and looked back to the animal that glowed like the moon.


    After several moments of enchanted silence, the stag started walking around the spring toward where they were standing. The closer he came, the more the light shimmered from within him until he was standing right before her as a dazzling light so bright that August had to shield her eyes and look away.


    When the brightness around her faded, she turned back toward the animal only to find that he was gone. And in his ce was a familiar young face.


    "Sage?!" August gasped. "That was¡ªthat was you?"


    He was beaming at the look of surprise on her face.


    "What are you doing here?" she squatted down and grabbed his arms.


    "Sage helped create this ce for you. Earlier when you were running away from the pack, he opened this space for you to be able to rest and reflect. And heal," the woman exined next to her.


    "You did all that?" August gasped again.


    "Yes, Luna," he nodded once and smiled. "You needed help. Moon Goddess helped me help you."


    "You are alyko, Sage?" August asked, reaching up to touch his cheek as if verifying that he was real. He didn''t answer but smiled back at her.


    "What a remarkable young man you are," she said. "Thank you for helping me. This ce is the most beautiful ce I have ever seen."


    "He opened the door for you," the woman said, "now you are the one filling it. But he is another kind of guardian. One that can help you find your way back if needed."


    "Wow," August breathed.


    Sage looked around at the petals that were still spiraling up around them. "It looks like Luna is healing well."


    "How can you tell?" she asked, following his line of sight.


    "The flower petals," he pointed.


    "Is that what that is?" she asked in awe for him to nod.

 Chapter 163 - Come See For Yourself

    "The petals show your regeneration," the woman with the raven hair and lichen dress exined further. "Once thest of them goes up, then you are healed. You will even have your blue eyes back."


    "What? There was something wrong with my eyes?" August asked.


    "You noticed they had changed, didn''t you?" the woman giggled.


    "Yes, but¡­ I figured that was permanent. I didn''t realize it meant there was something wrong," August replied.


    "When your gics began changing after Eliade''s catalyst, there was much your physiology had difficulty with. And while you are now adjusting quite well, the process still isn''tplete. This is why you had fevers before. This is why you are here now. But your time here will do much to help," the woman exined.


    "And my eyes? Why were they gold?" August asked.


    "It is as I said," the woman spread her hands as if it were obvious.


    "Luna''s eyes changed because they couldn''t see everything at once," Sage added. "They weren''t strong enough."


    August''s eyebrows threaded together, thinking it through. She still wasn''t sure she understood it, but perhaps that was how it would remain. She turned to the root guardian again.


    "When I received the mate mark, I felt healed," she said.


    The woman hummed appreciatively. "He helped you much. If he were here, this would likely go faster."


    "How can hee here?" August asked.


    "You marked him as well, didn''t you?" the woman''s eyes twinkled. August nodded. "Then you two are threaded together in all ways and in all ces where your body and soul reside, including here."


    "How does he find his way here?" she asked with a stunned expression.


    "Call him," the woman repeated what she had said before. "Although for him toe, Sage must leave. There is only room for one other here with you."


    "I will go, Luna," Sage said and gave her another smile. "Heal well."


    "Thank you, Sage. You have done so much for me. I¡ªI don''t know what to say," she bent down and kissed him on the cheek before he turned to walk back around the spring.


    As he walked, his corporeal form began shimmering again until he appeared to consist of walking moonlight. He turned to look at her and waved before disappearing back into the underbrush where his stag first appeared.


    "See you soon," she called softly, knowing that he would not hear her but saying it for herself anyway.


    The crow fluttered up to her shoulder again as she looked at the space where Sage disappeared. When she turned back to the root guardian, she was also gone. August spun around to look for her, but not even the root was bulging out of the earth anymore. She must have gone back up to the top of the hill.


    August sighed. "I guess I don''t need guardians anymore," she said softly to the crow. "Unless you are also one."


    Although she couldn''t see him, the crow tilted its head and plucked the shoulder of her dress with its beak.


    "Now what?" she breathed. "Are you able to bring him here for me?"


    The crow clucked a response and bent its legs before taking flight out over the steam rising from the hot spring. Pretty soon, it had vanished into the underbrush as well.


    "Graeme," August whispered. "I wish you were here with me. I am sorry I am always failing to be as strong as you need me to be."


    After staring absently into the rising steam before her and realizing she was utterly alone in this ce, she took a few steps to test the water with her feet. It felt real. This ce felt so real. The water was a beautiful, vivid blue and warm like hot tub water.


    She continued walking in, thinking how nice it would be to disappear into the steam. The water soaked into the material of her dress and climbed further up, causing it to stick to her legs before bing submerged and floating to the surface like one of those flowers that glides on water.


    When she had walked far enough in that the water was up to her chin, all of her muscles rxed and she let out a deep sigh. It seemed like the water was sighing around her as well, and their sighs rose together into the same sky where the petals were disappearing. This was healing, all right.


    "How are you even more beautiful in my dreams?" Graeme''s deep voice skipped across the surface of the water and prated deep into her chest. She gasped and twirled around to face where the sound wasing from, wet sections of her hair gliding in a circle around her.


    He was sitting on the ground near the edge of the spring with one leg extended, the other bent where his arm rested. And his smile¡­ his dazzling, sexy smile with white teeth that contrasted against the olive tone of his skin. Her stomach flipped with the realization that his smile was just for her.


    Thankfully her face was likely already flushed from the heat of the spring.


    "You are here?" her eyebrows pinched together. How had it happened?


    "It is my dream," heughed, and the sound danced around her, causing her lips to curve up into a smile as well.


    "No, it is mine," sheughed. "I guess¡­ I invited you. Unless it was the crow."


    "I don''t see a crow," he looked around, and a section of his long hair fell over his face. "Mind if Ie in, Moon?" The smile had slid from his lips to his dark eyes.


    "I¡­ would love that Bun-Bun," she replied.


    "Ah, now I know you are only in my dream. You said earlier today that you couldn''t call me that anymore because you finally saw my fierce side," he raised an eyebrow at her and pulled the white shirt he was wearing over his head, ruffling his hair and revealing every perfect masculine inch of him from the waist up.


    "Would the dream me drool?" she whispered to herself.


    "Are you drooling, Moon?" Graeme smirked.


    "Don''t you have sharp vision as a lycan?" she asked.


    "Only at night."


    Something unspoken passed between them as they gazed at each other appreciatively.


    "Thene see for yourself," she finally replied and backed further away from him, disappearing into the steam and sending ripples of blue top at his feet.

 Chapter 164 - You Are Here

    "I have to admit, I have never had a dream like this," Graeme said to himself, watching the water ripple out to him before inviting him back in as it receded back toward his mate. He looked up at the petals that were rising all around. "I have never had one even close to this."


    He walked in, feeling the heat meet his body temperature. Wasn''t this too hot for someone like August who naturally ran cooler than lycans?


    "Moon, are you too warm out here? Maybe this is not good for you," he called.


    "The fierce wolf is so concerned for me. I think you don''t like how right the name Bun-Bun really is for you," she teased, and as he walked further in, the steam thinned enough to where he could finally catch a glimpse of her face beaming at him¡ªlike the sun burning away the fog.


    "You are so flushed. Are you sure you are okay?" The water was up to his chest now, but she was in chin-deep. As he closed the space between them, he bent his knees to meet her height and pulled her against him so she was seated on his thighs.


    "I am okay, Graeme," her smile gradually fell from teasing to thoughtful. Hearing his name on her lips always did something to his heart. Perhaps that is why he disliked the nickname so much.


    "I love it when you say my name like that," he breathed against her and nced down at her lips.


    "Like what?" she asked softly.


    "Like it is precious to you."


    "It is."


    He smiled and then his forehead became lined with that tension that she recognized¡ªwhen he was fighting something internally or something was troubling him. It tugged at that center part of her chest where he was always enfolded so deeply¡ªregardless of how far away he was. Where, when she concentrated, she could feel him even when he had been gone for days to follow the Eliade search team out of the Grimm and then speak with Penelope.


    But here he was right in front of her, looking troubled and vulnerable, and all she wanted to do was caress his face¡ªhis beautiful rugged face¡ªand soften those deep lines of his, regardless of how they added to the irresistible, fierce look of his that made her knees weak. She wanted to send his worries away.


    "Why do you look like that?" she asked, reaching out of the water where he held her softly against him and running her hand over his forehead, brushing the long hair from his eyes where it became wet against the side of his face and clung there, obeying her.


    "I missed you," he breathed again.


    "I missed you, too," she replied.


    "And now you are hurt again and I don''t know how to help you. I am never able to help you the way you need me to," he confessed.


    "You are here," she smiled. "You heard me call to you. You came. That is exactly what I need right now."


    "This is a dream, my love. How can I help you here?" he rested his forehead against hers. His lips were so full and tempting, his broad shoulders peeking out of the water as he held her weightless body securely against his as if she might float away.


    "I know it seems that way," she said softly, adjusting herself on his thighs, allowing her legs to curl under his and secure her to him. "And I don''t know how to show you that it is more than that. But it is more than that. I was here before you."


    He pulled his head back from hers and searched her eyes. Her¡­ blue eyes. "Your eyes are different."


    "Are they?" she asked, surprised. She didn''t expect them to have changed back so quickly.


    "They are blue with just the smallest bit of gold," he said, looking closer in wonder.


    "She said that would happen," August nodded.


    "She?" his eyebrows pinched together.


    August tore her eyes away from her mate and nced at the hill behind him for any sign of the tree root who had transformed into an enchanting woman and called herself a guardian.


    "Yes, she. I don''t know how to exin her without sounding crazy," sheughed, and it sounded like chimes.


    "What is this ce, Moon?" his eyes had gone wide with the sound of herughter, and it seemed as if he was beginning to believe her.


    "She said it is a ce that will heal me," she answered. "She told me to call you. That you would help speed up the process even more since we are mates. Since I marked you." She nced down at her mark, which had water sluicing down its pale skin, and she licked her lips.


    Seeing the delicate pink of her tongue peek out from between her lips to moisten them made Graeme''s chest rumble a response. Her blue eyes snapped to his.


    "There is the fierce wolf," she smirked.


    "Your eyes are even more beautiful like this," he remarked, reaching up to run his thumb over her eyebrow and around the orbital bone before making its way to her lips¡ªthat full bottom lip of hers that he loved to bite and tug on. "The eyes you were born with," he said and returned his focus to those eyes that were as enchanting a blue as the clearest summer sky. They twinkled back at him.


    "She¡­ my guardian," August gestured toward the hill. "She transforms from an old, ancient tree root covered in lichens, I know¡ªit is crazy¡­" sheughed softly, "she said that after whatever happened with Jonathan in the forest, after the catalyst from Eliade, I had not fully recovered yet. I was still struggling with whatever transformation was happening. That is why my eyes were different and why I was having fevers and why I passed out today after Greta," her eyebrows threaded together.


    "So this ce is supposed to help with that?" he asked, allowing himself to look around once again.


    This ce was absolutely enchanting, and now that he thought about it, not entirely surprising considering the new information he had gained about August''s gics. This looked like a ce in which one would find faeries.

 Chapter 165 - Always Want You

    "There''s something that I need to tell you," Graeme said then, turning his vision from the white and purple petals still spiraling up toward the bright sky and back toward his mate. "But if this isn''t a dream, then can I take you out of the hot water to somewhere cooler?"


    "Are you serious?" sheughed in those enchanting chimes again. "What are you so worried about? Does this not feel like a healing hot spring to you?"


    "You are so flushed and red¡­" his eyebrows were pinched in worry again. There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead and pebbles of sweat that had formed above her top lip, but before he could continue his train of thought, she pulled him toward her by the neck and found his lips. His perfectly shaped full lips that moved expertly against hers, iming her mouth and instantly seeking more as if they were only awaiting her invitation.


    When she kissed him, that''s when he was certain this wasn''t a dream. The taste of her was so alive¡ªso vivid and wrenching, the desire for her spiraled wildly down inside of him and he groaned, pulling her closer to create that delicious friction between them with only ayer of material in the way.


    "Goddess, August," he groaned again.


    "You''re too worried about me. I''m fine here, and I want you. I want to hear that possessive growl you make when you want me, too," she rushed in a desperate whisper as she wed her hands down the sculpted muscles of his back.


    "I always want you," he whispered back, and then their lips were entangled again, tongues dancing, fighting for domination as he cupped her flushed face in his hands, fingers grasping the wet strands of her hair. It had been too many days since they were alone like this without something else urgent interfering.


    The steam rose around them, obscuring the rest of the mystical wooded ce from their position in the middle of the spring. They had quite literally be swallowed in the middle of their own world, but they were unaware of it.


    "Your dress," Graeme growled in a moment when his lips pulled away from hers before finding them again. When her arms were not holding it down, her dress was still floating around her like a graceful white lily.


    "Your pants," August countered, a grin spreading over her face. She freed his legs from her own and reached for his waistband as he gathered the white flower around her and pulled it over her head.


    When they were both free from the material confines, Graeme paused, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks and watching the trails of water that followed. He wanted to appreciate the way her eyes danced right now for him, bright and vivid and desiring as the rest of her body underwater pulled him closer¡ªher legs bracing his, curling around his thighs and locking behind his knees.


    His lips found hers again, this time brushing against them softly¡ªfirst along the top before he gently kissed the side of her mouth. Then he brushed his lips along her full bottom lip with its soft ridges that were so enticing to tug on with his teeth. He gently kissed the other side of her mouth, and she smiled softly, letting him worship her slowly like this.


    She wanted to cherish every small movement, feeling him with her again, his skin against hers¡ªhis breath mingling with hers. When she tilted her head up for his lips to kiss along her jawline and then the mate mark on her neck, she felt that gravity deep within tug to be aligned with him again.


    In the steaming water between them, her hands ran over the broad chest muscles and then the smaller ribbed muscles of his abs that formed a kind of enticingdder, leading her down, down, down to the v at his waist that she loved so much and that made him shudder beneath her touch. And then finally she had him in her hands¡ªthat part of him that throbbed and reached, seeking to find her. Only her.


    An encouraging groan broke through his lips as she ran her hand down his length and back up, and August watched as that tension lined his forehead again, but this time she was in control of it. That full bottom lip of his that curved perfectly over his beard dropped open, and then his eyes were watching her behind heavy lids, their darkness beneath silently pleading.


    Feeling that release slowly building within him, gliding under her hand, August hummed in approval. He was vulnerable like this¡ªopen and raw and exposed in his desire for her¡ªand yet she could sense his power coiling tighter beneath those perfectly sculpted muscles that lined every inch of him, his strength waiting to be released until finally his eyes turned from pleading and desperate to hungry.


    Something predatory shed in his eyes, sending a bolt of excitement shooting through her so severely that she gasped. A glimpse of the fierce wolf.


    He wanted to devour her. Possess her. Make her his again. She could feel those urges tighten in his chest and his arms as he finally cupped her behind and slid into her. The gentle care with which he always approached her shed itself, and his chest rumbled with that possessive growl she had been waiting to hear.


    He attacked her mouth, fierce and demanding as moans tore out of her, one after another, and he devoured them.


    "Goddess Graeme, yes," she cried, wing again at his back as her breasts rose above the water over and over again, red and flushed and glistening.


    He had shed the fear of hurting her, instead relying on the rhythm of their beings that took over, guiding them in the sacred collision that broke every threshold¡ªbuilding with every fierce thrust of his that she met and cradled¡ªuntil it crested, at once sending mirroring explosions of light behind their eyes.


    They remained entangled like that, panting against each other, until August finally chuckled and rested her head on Graeme''s shoulder.


    "I like this ce," he spoke deeply into her hair for her to chuckle again.


    Around them, the steam gradually dissipated.. When August looked up, she caught thest of the petals disappearing into the sky.

 Chapter 166 - I Vow It

    August looked back at Graeme with a bright smile.


    "Look, you did help," she pointed to the disappearing petals.


    "I don''t see anything," he replied, squinting in the direction she was pointing.


    "They said the petals going up like that had something to do with how I was healing," she exined, and when he gave her a confused look, she shrugged. "I don''t know," she giggled. "I don''t get it either. But they''re gone now, which means it''s over."


    "I need to tell you about my conversation with Penelope," he nodded and began pulling her with him toward the shoreline.


    "You were able to talk with her?" August gasped, realizing now that he hadn''t had a chance to tell her anything about this yet.


    "Oh yeah. I learned a lot," he grunted.


    They rose from the water, walking onto the mossy ground together holding hands. When Graeme looked down at his mate''s body, he frowned. She was bright red.


    "It''s just because I have fair skin," sheughed, realizing the cause of the spark of concern in his eyes. "I don''t have that beautiful tan skin like you."


    "Are you sure?" he nced back up, and she drew herself into his chest.


    "Yes, Bun-Bun," he whispered against him.


    "You don''t even y now with the one ''Bun.'' You just go right in for the kill¡ªcrushing all of my masculinity in the process," he smirked and tickled her side for her to wriggle in his arms.


    "No one could crush your masculinity," she giggled. "But I definitely don''t want you to feel that way. I''m sorry¡­ Graeme."


    He hummed appreciatively, hearing his name in that way that seemed to prate him on a deeply spiritual level. When he bent to kiss her, he imagined lying her down on the soft moss of the earth here and exploring her with his mouth in all the ways he was unable to in the water. Her skin, which was always so soft anyway, was even more so after the hot spring water, and she was slippery under his fingers as he ran his hands down her sides and then over the curve of her hips.


    "Fuck, I''ll never get to finish a conversation with you at this rate," he groaned to himself, raising his hands to run up her sides again, and she shivered under his touch.


    Her hair clung together in sections that fell longer than usual, as it was wet now, and the front had fallen over her shoulders and clung to her¡ªobscuring her breasts from view. Why were breasts so alluring? And not just any¡ªas a lycan he had seen many¡ªbut his mates especially so. The round of them that fit so perfectly in his hands as he gently palmed the underside of them both and ran his thumbs over the pink tips that had turned hard with his touch and the cooler air outside of the spring.


    "Graeme," she whispered, covering his hands with her own.


    "When you call me like that," he whispered back, tearing his eyes away from her body and alighting on her bright blue eyes, "I will alwayse for you. Anytime you call me. I will be there or here or anywhere you are. I vow it, August," he said, his brows pinched together in sincerity.


    He didn''t know how he would fulfill that vow, but it had chosen to speak him rather than the other way around. And it had spoken him in truth. If she called for him, he knew he would be there. Something about this ce made it so. Perhaps he was a bit fae after all.


    "That must be how you got here, then," she smiled.


    "What are we supposed to cover you with?" he dropped his hands to her hips and looked around.


    "I suppose you will do," she raised an eyebrow, and he almost choked on theughter that sounded like chimes from him as well.


    "This ce has made you quite brazen, Little Red," he smirked.


    "It might be the only time we can be alone for awhile," her smile gradually turned sad.


    "I don''t care if I am at the pack house mmed with Alpha responsibilities from dawn until dusk, I will always find time to be alone with you. It is my most favorite thing," he replied.


    "I wonder why that is," she smirked back and then threaded her fingers through his. "Will you have to leave me again? When you are running the pack?"


    "When we are running the pack?" he corrected. "I hope not. I will fight to make sure that''s not the case. Goddess, I was so worried about you."


    "I was worried about you, too. Not being able to reach you on the phone¡­"


    "I know, I have to get to the bottom of that, but since Finn was able to connect with me on the other side of the Grimm, I don''t think it would be much of a stretch to imagine the elders are to me somehow. I wouldn''t be surprised if they orchestrated the whole bear attack and the fighting mates either," he frowned. When he got out of this dream world, he was going to rip the council to shreds.


    "I don''t think that''s wise yet," August interrupted his thoughts.


    "What?" he asked.


    "You are thinking about how to retaliate, right? I don''t think it''s wise yet," she breathed.


    "How can you say that? I haven''t told you anything about what I found out, much less what they did locking Greta up and¡­"


    "I understand, I do," she replied. "It''s not that they don''t deserve it. It''s just that¡­ I feel something," she touched a spot over her chest. "Like an instinct that I can''t exin. If we retaliate with force now, without feeling out where loyalties lie within the pack and council¡ªwithout working to gain the trust and admiration of the pack members¡ªI feel like opportunities will be lost and¡­" her eyes became unfocused and distant as she searched that feeling she was talking about. "And it might just all fall apart."


    "What do you mean?" he asked, searching those deep blue eyes of hers that he was still getting used to. "Do you know something?"


    "No," she shook her head. "Not exactly. It''s like I said¡­ it''s a feeling. But it''s strong.." She took one of his palms and ced it over the spot on her chest where that feeling felt as if it was lodged deep inside of her. "Can you feel it, too? If you try?"

 Chapter 167 - Encouraging

    "Yes," Graeme whispered. "I do feel it."


    She was right. If he concentrated on those instincts that welled within her regarding the whole council and elders situation rather than the reactionary response that he instinctually had, he could feel what was she was talking about.


    It was like there was a guide there¡ªwithin her¡ªreaching out to them both.


    The ground suddenly shook and creaked open, rumbling down the hill toward them as what appeared to be an old, ancient root rose up through the mossy green. Graeme''s heart thundered up into his chest as he sprang in front of his mate, blocking her from whatever nefarious thing had found its way here.


    "Oh," the woman with the raven hair materialized, attached to the earth by thecy lichen dress that flowed out behind her. "Were you not just thinking to call a guide? I am the guardian here. A guide of sorts."


    The guardian? Graeme stared at her cautiously, scenting the area for danger or the stink of lies on her, but all he scented was¡­ earth. It was the scent he knew most, above all scents, aside from his mate. And it calmed him nearly as well as hers.


    The woman smiled warmly at him as if she knew as much.


    "Yes, I could not describe her well, see?" August slid from behind him and stood at his side. "She is the guardian I mentioned."


    "Here, some clothing might make you morefortable," the woman spoke so smoothly, it reminded Graeme of the oceanpping gently on the shore. She reached and tore a section of her dress, which immediately mended itself, before stepping forward and handing the fabric to August.


    "Thank you," August said. The fabric was strangely soft given that its origin was that of a tree root. August turned and wrapped it around Graeme''s waist, much to his surprise. He raised an eyebrow at her, taking the material in his hand to tie it obediently. He didn''t realize that having a human as a mate would mean that he would also finding himself being more modest.


    A fierce glint lit in August''s eyes as she nced over his exposed chest and abs, and he smirked in response. She was protective of what was hers. He knew the feeling.


    A tinkling of chimes drew their attention back to the woman who then tore another piece of her dress for August. His mate may well have used this to cover the rest of him, but Graeme watched as she wrapped it around herself this time.


    Goddess, this female of his was adorable.


    "August is right," the guardian sighed, bringing his attention back to her. Her sigh sounded like a gust of wind. "You must wait. There are too many who will not be helped if you rush."


    "Too many who?" he squinted at her, emphasizing thest word. Who? Who would not be helped?


    She opened her arms wide, gesturing toward the ce around them. "Too many fae of course."


    "Too many¡­ what?" August''s eyebrows pinched together in confusion.


    "Right, let''s talk," Graeme spoke next to her ear, tugging her gently away from the woman with the root dress who watched them affectionately.


    Graeme drew her to the side of the spring where he then sat, pulling her down next to him. Fresh flower petals arrived at their feet and began spiraling up into the air, as if it was their constant, unfulfilled mission to do so.


    Seeing this too, her eyes went wide, and suddenly he was worried all of this was too much for her to handle at once.


    "Okay, hey," he nudged her chin, bringing her eyes back to him.


    They were gold again.


    He pushed down the rising fear of whatever the hell else that could possibly mean at this of all times and focused instead on what he had nned to tell her. August was fine, he told himself. She was going to be fine. Penelope said to trust her strength. She was strong. The only one of her kind.


    Behind her, he could see the root guardian bend their way a little, as if trying to catch a closer glimpse of them¡ªas if she, too, was wondering what had urred.


    "What is it?" she asked.


    "When I talked to Penelope, she spoke about the fae. Just like your¡­ guardian over there. Which together with this incredible ce, I can only assume means that it is true," he said.


    "What is true?" she asked, not understanding.


    "You, my love, are fae," he said.


    She squinted, still unclear about how these disparate things wereing together. "Like¡­ as in, faeries?"


    "Yes," he nodded.


    She sputtered augh and rolled her eyes. "That''s crazy."


    "Is it?" he asked, looking around at the petals that had popted the air once again.


    "But¡­" the word hung in the air as her mind ran over it.


    "Penelope said that La Loba was fae. All lycans and alyko have the fae gics. And apparently as a human, you also had fae genes, though hidden, before bing infected with the virus. They are what made you immune. They are what came out after the catalyst from Eliade. And they are stronger now¡­ Penelope thinks stronger than any alyko, though she wasn''t exactly clear about how," he exined.


    "I am¡­ a faerie?" she asked, her mouth hanging open.


    "Not only you, Moon. Not only you," he rushed. "The alyko¡­ they, I don''t know, express their genes like faeries, too. And lycans have those genes¡­ we just also have, you know, this," he said, gesturing to himself and apparently to the wolf inherent within. "This is all news to me, too. I know how it sounds¡­"


    Augustughed strangely. "I don''t think you do know. Because where Ie from, faeries are like this big," she said, squinting her eye with two fingers less an inch apart in front of it as her size reference. "And they like grant wishes or something and sprinkle dust over things to make them fly. Not to mention the fact that they also have wings."


    She was clutching the fabric around herself, apparently ignoring the fact that it had been handed to her by a woman who manifested from a tree root and called herself a guardian.


    "Hey, listen," Graeme found one of her hands and held it in his. "I just wanted you to know, okay? This doesn''t change anything between us. The name, thebel¡­ it doesn''t change who you are. It''s just¡­ maybe it will be helpful in trying to sort out these truly incredible abilities you have."


    He nodded encouragingly, and she found herself nodding along with him.

 Chapter 168 - Reinforcement

    "Come here," Graeme said, tugging at August''s hand and drawing her into his chest as they sat on the mossy floor. One of his arms rubbed hers, and he kissed the top of her head. "It is going to be okay."


    "So the alyko have always known this about themselves?" August whispered against him.


    "I don''t know if all of them have, but I am guessing based on Charlotte knowing about La Loba from her family and Penelope knowing about this extra detail¡­ I am guessing that the answer is yes. And it just hasn''t been recorded. For obvious reasons," he replied.


    "Is this why they are being tracked?" August asked. "Did Penelope know about the map?"


    "She knew," he replied. "There is no way to remove yourself from that visibility once you are¡­ tagged in that way. She said even lycans have been exposed to that tracer. Apparently all they have to do is put it in the water. But you only show up on the map if you are alyko. Or¡­ fae. Even though all of us have some of that inside of us. I wonder if the elders even realize that. That they, too, have a portion of this inside of them. That, at least in some quantity, it is what makes them who they are as well¡­"


    They were both silent for awhile, and he felt her thinking it over. "Why are the petals back?" she suddenly whispered, changing the subject to something she could see and concentrate on with her own eyes.


    He didn''t respond to it, instead rubbing her arm some more tofort her.


    "Maybe we should rest here. What do you think? Can you get some rest with me?" he asked soothingly. After several moments of silence, she nodded her head and he felt her nuzzle closer, burrowing herself into thefort of his chest.


    There was something about being together like this, just having the weight of their bodies resting together that made everything else seem easier and doable. It activated a deep calm, and soon August''s breathing was heavy and even. Graeme exhaled in relief. There were so many unknowns, but at least they were together. They were together, and she was safe.


    "Why are the petals back, guardian?" he asked in a hushed voice even though the woman was not near them.


    "It is nothing to be concerned about. There is more at work than I was aware of, but with a little more reinforcement here, she will be ready to return," the woman''s voice reached him from where she remained standing in her original position by the spring.


    "Reinforcement of what exactly?" Graeme asked, looking at the sky. What was this ce?


    "Why of her of course," the woman raised her hands to the sky.


    "What¡­" he trailed off, not even sure how to phrase the nascent questions in his mind.


    "I will send the bird with her," she continued.


    "The bird?" Graeme repeated.


    The woman nodded once with a small smile.


    "Is this going to be something she needs to repeat? Coming here?" he asked.


    "Perhaps," she answered. "That is why we are here. Takefort in it."


    "Why didn''t she have you before? Where were you during those three weeks when she needed a ce like this and we were stuck sitting by, hoping she would pull through?" It seemed so long ago now even though it had barely been two weeks.


    "Ah, well a ce like this always requires a second fae to open the door," she replied. "Otherwise, anyone would have ess."


    "A second fae? Someone opened the door for her?" Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together.


    "Oh, yes. This is why you must be patient. You need to acquire more knowledge. There are those who will be in danger if you proceed without caution," she said, apparently referring to his nned retaliation against the council.


    He huffed a frustrated breath, and August stirred against him before sinking back into sleep.


    "Do you see? Measured breaths are required when so much rests on you who is the ground in which others will grow and flourish or crumble. Wisdom is not reactionary," she said.


    "But protection is," he countered.


    "Do you know who it is you are protecting and from whom? If it is protection from an immediate threat and but for a moment, then reactionary protection is necessary. But as a leader and for the long term, you need so much more," she said. "These things you have learned. Not all that long ago."


    Graeme frowned. How would she know that.


    "It is a shared wisdom that has been passed down to you," she answered his silent question. "It is understandable that reactions would guide so much of your decisions now, after everything. But they will trap you if you are not careful. And reactionary thinking is not often synonymous with the caution required to outsmart the oppressors."


    "The oppressors¡­ are we talking only about the elders? I know there are other leaders who are also against the alyko¡ªparticrly whoever else has shared ess to the map¡ªbut is there something I am missing? Something bigger?"


    The guardian adjusted her posture, folding her hands before her and tilting her head to the sky.


    "It is always bigger than we think. And with implications that are far-reaching. Not even I know the extent of how any one decision will affect all that is. But what I have said will remain true in every situation," she said, as cryptically as always.


    Graeme sighed. He was so focused on this conversation with the root guardian that he missed the fact that the petals had once more disappeared into the bright sky above them.


    From somewhere on the far side of the spring, a crow appeared and soared over the steam to alight on the ground next to August where she was still asleep, cradled in her mate''s chest.


    "Perhaps you should rest as well, Graeme," the guardian said, gesturing toward August.. "You may just awake with a firm resolution about how to proceed in the wisest manner for all within the realm of your responsibility."

 Chapter 169 - Like Us

    Somehow he had fallen asleep. Thest thing he remembered was that voice of the root guardian that sounded like chimes on the breeze. It seemed like a dream now.


    When Graeme looked around, he was still in his parents'' bed, but August was no longer with him. Realizing this, he shot up and attuned all of his senses to what he could gather from the house. Had someonee in and taken her while he was asleep?


    Instead of sensing a threat, he heard Greta and Augustughing in the next room. They were at ease.


    Graeme slowly let go of the fistful of bed covers he hadn''t realized he was grasping in panic and ran a hand down his face. How long had he been out? Apparently the days away with little sleep in addition to the drama when he returned had finally caught up to him.


    When he walked out of the bedroom, he saw Greta and August sitting on the sofa. Greta was drinking tea, and his mate was turned toward her with the most beautiful smile on her face. Hearing him emerge, the girls both turned to face him, and he paused his tracks.


    August''s eyes were blue. The clearest, most vivid blue he had ever seen with just the slightest crown of gold around the pupils. She gave him a dazzling smile, and he felt his heart stutter in his chest.


    "There is Sleeping Beauty," Gretaughed before taking another sip of her tea.


    "Why did you not wake me?" he replied once he found his voice again.


    "You needed the rest," August was the one to answer. "You were sleeping so deeply, and we assumed you hadn''t gotten much sleep while you were gone."


    She rose from the sofa and walked around to meet him. He opened his arms to receive her and hummed with satisfaction once she was tucked back into his chest again.


    "You are okay," he spoke softly into her hair, running his hands through it and kissing the top of her head.


    "I am okay," she replied, smiling against him. "Thank you for staying with me and¡­ meeting me there."


    "It wasn''t a dream then I take it?" he asked.


    "Not unless we had the same one," sheughed softly and tilted her head to look up at him.


    "Wow, your eyes are so blue," he said, searching them as if he was getting to know her again. His eyebrows dipped at the small gold that was still there. "But they still have the gold. Does this mean that you didn''t fully heal?"


    "They were always like that, don''t worry," she replied. "My mother''s are the same."


    He thought back to when she had awoken in the treehouse pool in his arms¡ªhow vivid gold her eyes were at that time and how shocked she had been to see them for herself in the mirror. Now they were bright and vivid in a different way, and it suited her.


    "Is it that hard to get used to?" she giggled, pulling out of the embrace, but he kept hold of her hands, refusing to let her go far.


    "No, not at all. They are just so much different. They suit you," he smiled. "Did you tell Greta about the¡­ ce that we were in?"


    "Um, yes. I tried. It is difficult to exin without sounding crazy," she replied, turning back to see Greta watching them from the sofa.


    "So you remember being there?" Greta asked, a spark of interest lighting in her eyes.


    "I do. How long was I out?" he realized the sun was shining bright through the windows and Greta had gotten cleaned up from how they found her in the cell.


    "Two days," Greta''s eyebrows shot up and August nced back at him.


    "Two days?!" he asked, walking to the windows to look out as if there would be some kind of exnation written there in the sky.


    "Everything has been calm. No antagonizations from the elders," Greta said, seeing the distress in her brother''s expression. "We would have awaken you if anything had happened."


    "Where is Sam?" Graeme turned back to look at his mate and sister who seemed much too calm for what had urred here only a few days ago.


    "He went to get some things from the market. We were thinking that we could all stay here for the time being. It''s closer to the pack house, to the market, to Sylvia''s, and there is plenty of room," she went on to exin. "It just feels like a good idea if we are all together."


    He was about to respond to his sister when he caught a strange scent from her. He had passed her to look out the front window so quickly, he hadn''t noticed until now when the air was whirling back around in his wake.


    "Greta¡­" he walked slowly back to her and bent down before a smile slowly spread over his face. "You are pregnant," he whispered in awe.


    She rolled her eyes. "We already knew that, remember?"


    "Yes, but¡­" he scanned her scent before looking back up into his sister''s eyes. "But now I can sense it. How do you feel?"


    "Awful most of the time, but not so bad right now," she smirked.


    "Goddess, sis, what a miracle," he croaked with small pools of emotion springing to his eyes, and Greta''s own eyes went wide in surprise.


    "Are you okay, Graeme?" she asked, her voice low with concern nowpared to the carefree tone she had earlier. She set her cup down and put her hands on his shoulders. "Why are you upset?"


    "I''m not upset," he chuckled. "I guess I just hadn''t fullyprehended it before¡ªit was merely the idea of it happening, but now I can sense it with everything in me. Your scent, your¡­ my little sister is having a baby." The smile on his face widened, and he chuckled again as the small pools of tears in his eyes escaped. Greta gasped when he pulled her into a hug.


    "Babies," August corrected him from nearby.


    "Is she really having twins?" he gaped at her before turning back to his sister. They both nodded. "Just like mom," he chuckled.


    "Just like mom," she repeated, a soft smile spreading over her face.


    "I wonder if they will be like us," Graeme thought aloud.

 Chapter 170 - Zoes Cell

    Andreas left Zoe in the dungeon cell for an entire 24 hour period. It was horrifying.


    At first, she thought perhaps Andreas didn''t know where she had gotten herself lost to. In that case, it would only be a matter of time until he learned from Kai that she had gone to investigate the map event and gotten herself into trouble. He would be down anytime to free her. Or he would send someone, and then she could return to her isted butfortable life.


    Eventually it became clear to her that that wasn''t the case at all. Either he didn''t care enough to even notice that she was gone, or he did notice she was gone and didn''t care enough toe and retrieve her. Or he was punishing her.


    What had she done to deserve this treatment? All she ever did was what he asked.


    Andreas'' behavior toward her had definitely turned worse since the Alpha and his mate had arrived. No, it was actually after Marius had disappeared that he had truly be the ugliest version of himself that she had ever seen. He was impatient and easily angered and now cruel on top of it.


    She wished she could find out what happened to Marius and bring him back. Andreas would be so much easier to tolerate, as would all of the elders. Marius had no problem doing the worst of whatever it was that the elders needed. But she didn''t know how to go about finding him. It was so unlike him to run off. He lived for the council.


    After several hours alone in the cell, even Zoe''s tion from finally meeting August began to wear off, although she kept thinking about her eyes. Those bright, golden eyes. They looked like a pair of suns or matching twin crowns. There was no way that August had those eyes as a human before Eliade''s experiment. They were too unusual. But no matter how much she ran it over in her mind, Zoe could not think of a good reason for why her eyes would have changed like that.


    It obviously had to have something to do with the new gic material she had gained from the virus, but there was nothing inherent to the virus that would exin it¡ªnothing that she was aware of, anyway.


    The eerie way in which August''s eyes glowed reminded Zoe of the transgenic experiments that had been done with green fluorescent proteins from jellyfish. There was one highly controversial experimental artwork in particr that Zoe remembered reading about with extreme interest in which the artist had created a glowing rabbit with the protein. The pet bunny was just like any other albino bunny, albeit with one important exception: the way it glowed a vibrant neon green under blue light.


    August was like that bunny. If only Zoe could have her as a pet to study.


    In addition to the golden glow of her eyes, August''s pupils had gone abnormallyrge¡ªblown like someone who had experienced brain damage. And the way she was looking at Zoe when that happened¡­ it was as if she could see into her soul or something. It was unnerving. And wildly fascinating. Zoe got goosebumps just thinking about it.


    Perhaps the blown pupil phase of August''s eyes had something to do with the multidimensional variability that she theorized the alyko to have. She had never heard of alyko whose eyes had manifested in that way, but now that she saw them in August, she had to figure out what it meant. And who knew what else was possible in alyko!


    As yet another exciting example of something Zoe had never before known possible for alyko, it would seem that August had walked through the cell door¡ªthe very cell door that was ensuring Zoe''s entrapment now. She walked through a solid object! How else would she have not been in the cell initially? Unless she had shrunk down in size and crawled through the food door?


    And August had obviously done something to help heal the Alpha''s sister, who otherwise would have been suffering extreme side effects from the serum Zoe had mistakenly given her. But that was less surprising. Alyko were known for their strange healing abilities. It was not something they all possessed, but it also wasn''t unheard of.


    Still, all of these things together meant August was the most fascinating and gifted alyko that Zoe had ever heard of. Was she even still considered alyko? Were there other genes present in the virus that Zoe didn''t know about? Perhaps genes from alternate creaturemunities?


    There were so many fascinating questions to investigate. Zoe wanted so badly to just go back in time and collect August for study. The elders were foolish to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.


    But instead of being able to do anything to investigate more what she had witnessed today or to convince Andreas that he needed to jump on the opportunity of having such an unusual specimen for study on his packnd, Zoe was stuck in this cell. This damp, dark, smelly, lonely cell.


    Hours went by in which Zoe upied herself with the thoughts of August and the theories she had about her rather than the growing difort and horror of her surroundings. She tried to ignore it when the candles outside the cell seemed to blow themselves out, leaving her in utter darkness. She tried to ignore the squeaking and scratching sounds of rats scampering up and down the hallway outside her door. She tried to ignore the growing ache in her chest that spoke of her loneliness.


    But eventually she couldn''t ignore it. The cold and the dark threatened to swallow her and instead of thinking about August, she began thinking of Andreas and cursing him. Cursing him for all the times that he had made her feel inferior.


    How dare he leave her down here. She knew Kai would have alreadye for her if he wasn''t terrified of going against the elders'' wishes. He must have been instructed not toe for her.


    Zoe made herself as small as she could, hugging her knees to her chest to try to keep warm until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a door creaked open down the hall, footsteps approached her door, and a key clicked in the lock.

 Chapter 171 - Now What

    "Now what?" Andreas growled, pacing relentlessly behind his desk.


    Graeme was back. They had been so close to bringing in his witchy mate for something that they could easily vilify her for¡ªan attempt at suffocating pack members with some mysterious ability that would surely strike fear into anyone who remembered exactly why they were to fear alyko in the first ce.


    She had even run afterwards, making her guilt that much more evident. Had Lucas and his men seeded in bringing her to the council for questioning afterward, they could have secured her in a cell while deciding how best to proceed. They could have had time to build the pack''s fear revolving around her presence. Auden had even guided the mates involved in the incident with how best to tell their story to gain the most significant effect.


    But now¡­


    Now Graeme was back. And he was really back.


    Pack members had been both excited and terrified when they unexpectedly witnessed the massive Alpha wolf go bounding at top-speed through the market that day. Their Alpha was back! It was a singr power in the pack¡ªthe power of an Alpha¡ªand to witness it, to be even in its most fleeting presence, was to feel the alignment of the wolf within you to the wolf within him.


    All were innately called to align with the Alpha''s lead. It was undeniable.


    The pull to be aligned with the pack''s Alpha was in a way simr to the mate pull in that it was instinctual and overpowering. To deny it meant great personal cost to your own power as an individual lycan as well as to the contribution you could offer the pack.


    Until now, no one in their pack had felt the full gravity of that pull toward their Alpha¡ªat least not since the former Alpha and Luna had passed on¡ªbecause the Alpha had been absent. And when he did return, he had always done so in a weakened form.


    Graeme had never called upon or awakened the awareness within of that power he naturally held. And he never shifted into his intimidatingly massive wolf on packnd to avoid the confusion that would result from it. He had not wanted to be Alpha. He had walked away from that responsibility.


    For these reasons, the elders believed themselves to be in the clear from the pack''s instinctual drive to be aligned with him. He had left early enough, before arriving at that realization of his full power, to have truly felt what he was capable of or to feel that mutual connection with the pack that came from his status.


    But then something unexpected had happened. Graeme had found his mate and returned to them. He had marked his mate. He had even engaged in a full moon ritual with his mate. And now he had shifted into what appeared to be the fullest manifestation of his Alpha power that existed.


    Even those who did not witness Graeme''s presence in the market that day had still felt it. Andreas had even felt it, for fuck''s sake, and he was all the way in his office awaiting the delicious moment when he would be told that the human was in the dungeon.


    But when Graeme had shifted and be the Alpha that he was truly meant to be to their people, Andreas felt it just like the rest. The sickly familiar feeling of having your core pull away from you and seek another¡ªlike a sunflower bending from its stem to follow the path of the sun. The pack members were the stems, Graeme was the sun, and the damned wolves inside of them all were the blooms that could not be reigned in to do their own stems'' biddings.


    He would rather rip his own bloom off than be forced to follow the damned sun again. If he couldn''t find a way to snuff out the sun that had unexpectedly risen in their sky that day, he would do just that.


    "The only possibility I can see at this point is arranging for their final removal," Pearce opened his fingers that were tented together in front of his face.


    "And what until then?" Andreas snarled. "It''s not like He can just arrive with a solution within a day''s time."


    "And she is still with her powers," Auden hissed. "We must find a way to get her the serum."


    "Now that it has already been mistakenly given to Greta by my own personal walking nightmare Zosime?" Andreas scoffed. "Like they won''t be anticipating that? We will never get near her again."


    "Where is Zosime now?" Pearce asked with a slight curl to his lip. He was known for being collected and measured, but it was difficult to hide the extreme distaste he had for that girl.


    "I left her in the dungeon cell where they found it convenient to throw her," Andreas replied.


    "Do you suppose they tried to kill her?" Pearce raised an eyebrow.


    "If they had, I am sure we would have heard of it by now. Or they would have taken her. No, somehow she was offered mercy," Andreas muttered.


    Pearce sighed. "A small reason to hope. Perhaps she will have some ideas about how to proceed."


    Andreas let out a shrill, hystericalugh. "Trust her ideas again? I don''t think so. Every allied pack saw thatst map event. The feed was not disabled. She should have known better. I have been holding our friends off so far without a satisfactory answer as to how it urred and why¡ªgibberish about technical glitches and system updates¡ªbut they will be visiting soon enough to investigate personally once their curiosity gets the best of them. This must all be taken care of before that can happen. There must be no trace of Graeme or his mate."


    "Can you imagine what they would think of us? A witch Luna?" Auden''s face paled.


    "It is much more severe than that, Auden," Andreas sneered. "Did you not see the way our entire packnd lit up on that map? We will all be burned at the stake."


    ******


    Let''s grow G and A''s story in Power Stone votes! If we can average 100 PS votes a day for one week, I will do 4 chappies mass release at the end of January.. The goal is to finally get LMSF to rank within the top 200 books on WN in PS votes by February! Every vote helps, my little wolves. <3

 Chapter 172 - Another Cell

    "We are going to me it on Zosime. That is what we are going to do," Andreas jabbed his finger into the desk. "With the way this went down, she is no good to me at the moment anyway."


    "And how is that going to work?" Pearce asked.


    "We call Graeme in and apologize. We exin that in her overzealousness she orchestrated scenarios in which to test his mate. We im ignorance as to the extent of it, and we leave her in the dungeon."


    "You will leave her in the dungeon," Pearce repeated, his eyebrows tented now like his hands.


    "It is not without cause," Andreas shrugged.


    "And what if Graeme doesn''t wait for an exnation from us?" Pearce asked.


    "If that were the case, he would be here already. If he seeks to do what is best for the pack and truly be a leader, he will do his best to be reasonable. And that includes us. That will always include us," he growled.


    "He needs us," Auden grumbled to himself.


    "He is going to see right through this," Pearce argued. "You will me a young girl?"


    "He has met Zoe, remember? He knows how intelligent she is. Besides, it doesn''t matter. What matters is that we keep things civil to buy ourselves time," Andreas said.


    "How much time?" Pearce asked.


    "I will make the call when we are done here. As much time as we need. A few weeks?" Andreas walked to the window and looked out across the sight that had be hispanion for years now. At one point, this was the Alpha''s office. But now it was his. And the view¡ªthe tree tops that rolled on and on into the horizon¡ªthat was his now as well. He wouldn''t give any of it up.


    "What should I do about Violet?" Auden asked.


    Andreas scoffed as if it was the smallest of problemspared to everything. "Have her take a vacation," he shrugged. "She doesn''t need to be running her mouth about anything. Make sure she understands," he nced over his shoulder at Auden.


    "Shall I send someone to make Zosime morefortable for her extended stay downstairs?" Pearce rose from his seat. By no stretch of the imagination was Zoe his favorite person, but Pearce was also aware that she should be treated with care. Even if Andreas was unhappy with her and had chosen to use her as a scapegoat, he would be wise to remember that.


    Andreas turned halfway from the window to consider Pearce''s question. "Yes," he said simply.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Zoe could tell from the footsteps that whoever wasing to let her out was not Andreas. He didn''t even care enough toe do it himself. What if she wasn''t even in the cell anymore? What if something truly had happened to her?


    She groaned internally at the impossibility of it. If only she could be in danger like that. He never had to worry about anything like that when it came to her. No one did. It was one of the things she regretted most about her existence. That she couldn''t just be vulnerable in a normal way like everyone else. That she couldn''t be considered precious and fleeting in that way.


    It was also one of the reasons why she had a hard time empathizing with others. How could anyone me her if they were to know? When she saw Graeme down here in the dungeon enraged over the threat to his sister''s life and his sense of protection for those he loved, they were not emotions she could understand personally, even if she could appreciate them and respect them. Neither were they emotions that anyone would ever feel for her.


    Life was beautiful and fascinating from a clinical, scientific perspective. But Zoe was limited to that view of it. She could never really touch it. She could only observe it from behind ss.


    Life had this fragile fascination about it that she wanted to enter into and be a part of, but the only way she could do that was through her research and experiments. Through her highly active brain. That was the only part of her that truly worked like everyone elses''.


    When the key slid into the lock of her door, she considered acting like she was just like everyone else. That she was weak and vulnerable. She kept her head tucked and her arms around her knees. She didn''t look up to see who it was that hade for her.


    Whoever it was stood there in silence for several moments before walking over to finally stand in front of her.


    "Zoe?" it was a male voice she wasn''t familiar with.


    She didn''t respond. If she didn''t already know this male, it was highly unlikely that he knew too much about her. She could pretend she was exactly how she seemed: a young, vulnerable, naive girl who hadnded herself in some kind of trouble. Maybe she could even get some sympathy. It was rare that ever happened, and the idea of getting some kind of sympathy now was mouth-watering. She needed attention so badly. She hadn''t even realized how badly until now.


    "Are you Zoe?" the voice spoke again, and she slowly lifted her head to the speaker. He was holding a torch in his hand. She slowly nodded to his question, squinting at the light that was such a huge contrast to the darkness she had been immersed in.


    Lucas cursed under his breath finding someone so young and apparently defenseless in here. She was shivering and appeared absolutely terrified. What the hell were the elders up to? He cleared his throat.


    "Another cell has been arranged for you at the request of one of the elders. I think you will find that it is morefortable than this one," he said gently. "There is even a bed and nkets. If you are cold, I can see about getting a portable heater outside the door. And food will being for you shortly."


    "A-another cell?" her bottom lip trembled, and this time she wasn''t even pretending.

 Chapter 173 - Spring Growth

    "Andreas has requested to speak with me," Graeme said after hanging up his phone.


    He had only been awake long enough to sit down and have a meal with his sister and August, although Greta didn''t actually do much eating. Sam wasn''t even back from the market yet.


    "And you didn''tugh in his face?" Greta gawked at him.


    "Well, he was on the phone. How was I supposed tough in his face?" he smirked in response.


    "Wow. I''m d you can joke about it. Are you really going to just walk in there and meet with him after everything that happened?" she asked.


    "Yes. It is the best thing right now. I have to at least hear what he has to say," his face turned serious again.


    Greta was getting ready to argue, but he went on. "There is much more at y here than we realize, sis. The little we know so far is concerning¡­"


    "Concerning?" Greta''s eyebrows shot up in protest.


    "More than concerning," Graeme interrupted. "But I think we can all agree that there is likely much more going on in this pack than that. What we have seen is only the spring growth on a deeply nted problem. How do we get to the rootball of that problem if I only go for the bright green shoots of growth at the ends?"


    "We figure it out along the way. We get rid of the elders and dig it up ourselves," Greta raised her hands, offering the idea up to him.


    "No. It is not good enough," Graeme shook his head. "I wish it were that easy, because trust me¡ªI''ve never wanted to kill someone more," he growled, clenching his teeth as the memory of that anger arose¡ªof his mate and his sister in danger. Of all the alyko that had been killed and harmed and who knows what else since he had been gone. But he squinted his eyes closed, remembering the root guardian and what she said.


    Now was the time for wisdom. For patience. Not for reactionary thinking. He needed to be better if he was going to be the leader this pack truly needed and deserved. He owed them that.


    "You will go alone?" his mate''s calm voice broke through his thoughts. She had been listening to him, watching quietly. Somehow she was at peace with this, as if she had a shared memory of that conversation with her guardian. Or perhaps she just felt the wisdom of it.


    "Yes," he replied, his voice matching that same calm that she offered him. "Will you be okay?" he asked.


    "Of course," she smiled.


    "You two don''t think this is some kind of trap?" Greta asked.


    "No," they both turned to her and replied in unison. August nced back at her mate, smiling shyly.


    Greta''s eyes went wide. "Wow. Well, clearly you two are on the same page and know something that I don''t."


    "It''s not that," August said softly. "It just wouldn''t serve them to trap him right now. In fact, it would work against them. Since I woke up¡­" she nced at Graeme again, since she hadn''t had time to tell him this. "Well, actually before that¡­ but especially since I woke up, I have felt this connection that is difficult to exin. The feeling is like all these individual strings that connect to my chest, in here," she pointed to that ce in her chest where she was talking about.


    August went on to exin. "I think it is somehow a connection to the pack members. I don''t understand it, but I can feel their excitement at having Graeme back. When he transformed into his wolf the other day and stood against the males who were bringing me in to the council, something big shifted in them¡ªin the pack as a whole. And it''s¡­ powerful."


    "You feel all of that?" he asked, looking at her in awe.


    The Luna of a pack was special of course, but this was something above anything he had ever heard described. He knew his own mother had a special rtionship with pack members and felt like a kind of mother to all of them. Pack members approached her with all kinds of issues, and she always made time for them and helped them in whatever ways she could¡ªwhether by finding them resources or acting as a mediator or just listening and sharing space with them like any caring elder would. She had apassion for them that seemed to know no bounds. But she had never spoken of something like this.


    What August was describing as her experience of a connection with the pack was much more. Graeme wondered if it had to do with her being alyko¡ªwith manifesting so strongly as fae¡ªin addition to being a Luna. He was certain there had never been an alyko Luna before in any pack anywhere¡ªunless it had gone unreported.


    It would be interesting to see how his mate experienced this role by his side. If she was so deeply enfolded within the pack''s overall emotional state, it would be very beneficial to their leadership together. But he couldn''t help but wonder if there would be some kind of drawback to that as well.


    "If what August is describing is true, then she is right¡ªyou will be safe," Greta interrupted his thoughts. "It makes sense now that I think about it that way. You seem much more full of yourself than before."


    "Full of myself?" Graeme frowned.


    "No, that''s not what I mean," Greta hurried on to exin, and August chuckled at the apparent offense Graeme had taken to it. "You are more fully yourself. There is something about you now that is confident and solid. Assured," she nodded, approving of her revised description. "You feel like an Alpha now," she added, the tone of her voice turning contemtive.


    "I agree," Augustughed softly. "You are the Alpha they have been waiting for. That is how it feels to me." She walked up to him and patted his chest proudly.


    "And you two will be okay here?" he asked.


    August and Greta looked to each other and nodded. "Yes."


    ******


    Let''s grow G and A''s story in Power Stone votes! If we can average 100 PS votes a day for one week, I will do 4 chappies mass release at the end of January.. The goal is to finally get LMSF to rank within the top 200 books on WN in PS votes by February! Every vote helps, my little wolves. <3

 Chapter 174 - Pup No More

    "Wee home, son," Andreas opened his arms wide in greeting as Graeme walked into the office. "Atst you are who you were born to be."


    Even just the presence of Graeme in the same room had its effect. Andreas could feel the way his own body was attempting to betray him by bowing in submission, and all Graeme was doing was watching him cautiously.


    "Have a seat. We have much to discuss," Andreas gestured toward the chair on the opposite side of the desk.


    Instead of sitting, Graeme remained there standing and staring at him silently. The look in his eyes held a challenge, and Andreas maintained a steady gaze until finally, after what felt like an eternity of ego-filled moments strung together one after another, Andreas looked away and stood back from the desk.


    After this silent exchange, Graeme stalked around the side of the desk and took the seat behind it as Andreas moved to the opposite side, taking the seat he had offered to Graeme.


    "This was to be my office," Graeme stated, examining the desk with Andreas'' sses and cigar and the stack of papers.


    "And it still shall," Andreas responded. "Atst you were provoked into taking your ce."


    "Was that the motivation behind it? To have me take my ce?" Graeme growled, attempting to control the rage that was still brewing close to the surface.


    "No, there was no motivation," Andreas quickly replied. "Miss Cady had harmed members of this pack. She was being escorted to the council just as any other pack member would have been in the same circumstance."


    "My mate was in a position to exercise self-defense," Graeme stated through clenched teeth.


    "Forgive me, but that self-defense was in a very unusual and quite honestly terrifying manner. She is capable of depriving others of the very air that they rely on to breathe," Andreas replied, his expression one of the most genuine concern he could manage.


    "She was attacked. Twice while I was away, Andreas," Graeme replied.


    "Yes¡ªthat was all very bizarre indeed. Thankfully the pups she has taken to teaching were not harmed. And I was told she has received your healing ability thanks to the mate mark, which is fortunate," Andreas replied.


    Graeme tilted his head, studying Andreas from across the desk. The elder had plenty of experience in twisting events to his benefit.


    "How do you exin the condition I found my sister in when I went to retrieve her from the dungeon?" he asked. "She was unconscious. She may have not survived."


    Deep lines formed on Andreas'' forehead. "Zosime¡­" he shook his head. "She has been given a great deal of freedom in her research, and I fear I have not kept her ountable like I should. But don''t worry, she is being held ountable for this. She will not be conducting any experiments or doing any research for the foreseeable future. I intend to keep her imprisoned until it can be determined¡­"


    "I intend to keep her imprisoned," Graeme corrected.


    Andreas paused with his mouth still agape before he promptly snapped it shut and sped his hands together. "Yes, of course."


    "We need to discuss how to execute the transition of power in the pack from council-led to Alpha-led," Graeme stated, watching as a vein in Andreas'' forehead threatened to pop. "I want to meet with the council first thing tomorrow. I will be evaluating everyone and making changes as I see necessary. And there will be a pack-wide gathering to follow in theing weeks. Every member of this pack deserves to be on the same page."


    "Of course," Andreas said. "Perhaps the Samhain festival is the most opportune time for this gathering and announcement of official transition, as it is already nned and highly anticipated. It is also a full moon this year," he added.


    Graeme nodded. "Where are Pearce and Auden? Should they not be here?"


    "Typically they spend Sundays rxing at home, and I thought whatever discussion we had could bemunicated to them tomorrow when everyone returns. But I wanted a chance to meet with you before then. These have been extraordinary circumstances, and I was still quite honestly trying to sort out the events of everything that had urred. With you having returned with your mate in an unofficial position of power within the pack, it was really only a matter of time before something explosive like this happened, don''t you agree? It is¡­ confusing for pack members when there is the Alpha present without his official status not to mention an Alpha''s mate who is not of our kind," Andreas was rambling, his eyes following the narrative he had painted for himself around the room.


    "It will be good for them¡ªfor all of us¡ªto have these confusions sorted out. I am sure the transition of power will be a smooth one, so long as your mate does not give anyone reason to fear her unique abilities. You know there has never in the history of lycan-kind been a Luna that is not lycan. What is she, even? Is she alyko?" Andreas asked, his final question posed as if with an innocent curiosity.


    "Why is it thatbels are so important to you?" Graeme growled.


    "Well they are not only important to me. They are important to everyone. It is how we form our basis of understanding¡­ everything, really. Labels are the structure upon which we build our reality," he replied.


    "And what reality has been built on the alykobel? One that reflects events as they have actually unfolded or a collection of fictitious stories meant to malign the alyko and frighten everyone else?" Graeme asked.


    "We have gathered stories as they were reported," Andreas stated. "They plotted to kill your parents, Graeme."


    "No," Graeme protested, his voice low and threatening. "It was not the truth. It was a convenient story. Such ignorance will never be repeated on our ancestors''nd. I was but a pup then and could not object to how the respected elders of our council responded, but I am a pup no more, Andreas.. No alyko will be presumed guilty in this pack based on thatbel alone."

 Chapter 175 - Whats Ours

    "You were a pup then and could not have seen the truth that was before you," Andreas grumbled. "We did the best we could with the information we had at the time, and we tried to protect you with it."


    Graeme shook his head. "The first thing I want done is that map destroyed."


    Andreas paled. "That is preposterous! You can''t simply destroy years of hard work and research the moment you return¡­ the money that is invested isn''t just our own, and our allies¡ªit is a political matter. You do not understand the implications and the response it would have. We will have packs who have trusted us for years turning on us overnight. They will show up here. No, you will have to meet with them and do this the right way. The repercussions are too great."


    "Andreas," Graeme interrupted. "It will be destroyed. But meetings, yes. Let''s begin with a meeting with Zoe''s team. I want every one of them in this office this week."


    "You don''t realize how an act against the map will be perceived. It will be akin to an outright attack on individual packs. That is not the first act you want to do as a returned Alpha. We are not prepared for it," Andreas protested.


    "Then we will be prepared for it. We will do everything in our power to prepare for taking that map out of cirction," he said. "The map was created here and it will be destroyed here. I will correct the error that has led to its proliferation."


    "If you are to lead, you must allow us to guide you, particrly in this delicate matter," Andreas tried. "If the Moon Goddess has seen to bring you back to lead, then I honor that. We will all honor that. But let us not turn our packnd into a war zone before you even get started."


    Graeme sat up, folding his hands on the desk in front of him as he searched Andreas with dark unreadable eyes. He was trying his best to remain calm and not unleash the fury that was warring within him just being in this old man''s presence. This was going to be the most difficult time, reigning in the justice he felt should be swift and severe. How was he supposed to learn the extent of everything that was happening within this pack when Andreas would be set against him at every turn?


    "I am bringing in additional wisdom for guidance during these unprecedented times. Those from within our pack who have been around as long as you and respected as much as you and the other two elders, though they have managed those reputations on the ground rather than from a tower," Graeme said, his eyes remaining impassive. "They will bnce what guidance you may offer, and they have been present within the pack during the time I have been away, so they are not ignorant to pack matters."


    "If they have not been in discussions with our allies or involved in official business¡­" Andreas began.


    "They will be included from now on, so prepare to make room," Graeme interrupted. "And I hate this pretentious desk. Have someone bring the desk that was my father''s. You can move all of this to the office you had cleaned out for me before I left and conduct your business from there, understood?"


    And just like that, the power Andreas had enjoyed for himself began crumbling before his eyes. He swallowed back the bile that had crested in his throat. This was going to be the longest two weeks of his life.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sam came in with food from the market while August and Greta were cleaning up. The house was still in excellent condition, but it had been empty for so long that it needed some life breathed into it. Greta had opened all the windows to circte the fresh fall air through.


    "Do you two mind putting these away? Apparently Graeme wants me at the pack house now," Sam said after setting down all of the bags. "I guess he woke up and got right to work?"


    "Yeah, you could say that. Please be careful," Greta answered. "He is attempting to work with the elders. But that will leave them an opportunity to steer things their way and be deceptive about their motives. I don''t know that this is the best way. It seems too risky."


    "We need to trust that he will find the best way. Your brother is the Alpha, remember?" Sam said, giving her a meaningful smile.


    "You don''t say," she smiled back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And does that finally make you the Beta now, my love?"


    "If that is what the pack needs of me, then sure," he answered. "Although I would be happy as a simple farmer growing old next to my best friend and our pups," he said, kissing her and cing a hand on her stomach. "As long as they are safe."


    "You are too good of a male. My brother is lucky to have you by his side. And so am I," she murmured. "Now go keep Graeme in line for us."


    Sam shot Greta a wink as he left, closing the door to her childhood home behind him as she stood watching, praying for his safe return. They had just been in the dungeon together and now he was leaving to take up his role by Graeme''s side as Beta. It was too soon and too easy. Would Andreas really roll over and submit with such little struggle?


    "Do you think they will be okay?" Greta called up to August who was descending the steps after Sam left.


    "Yes, I do," August replied simply. "They will be. Don''t worry."


    There was something so confident about August now¡ªlike she finally knew who she was¡ªthat Greta couldn''t help but be reassured. It was a strange feeling, because she was used to being the one who was alwaysforting and reassuring others. It seemed that now it was her turn to be in the position to receive.


    "They better be or I am ming you, sis," Greta mumbled for August tough.


    "Let''s hurry and put this away. Then, we can go grab some things from the treehouse and have everything settled before theye back tonight. Are there more things you''d like to grab from your house?" August asked, and Greta gave her a worried nce.


    "You would trust that we are safe to go out, too?" Greta asked.


    "This is our home. If we hide and allow others to control us with fear for what may happen, then how can we offer a better pack for anyone?" August asked, something fierce shing in her blue eyes. She truly was different now. "You are strong, and apparently I am, too.. Let''s go take what''s ours. What do you say?"

 Chapter 176 - Return To The Treehouse

    "Okay, I hear you. Yes, we should be able to go get our stuff and not be worried. But I''m going to call on some of our friends to see if they are avable to meet us," Greta said. "Is that okay?"


    "Of course," August smiled.


    Greta and Sam had brought the Jeep back when they left to get supplies from their house the first time. At that point, August was unconscious and Graeme was watching over her. They were shocked to return and find the opposite to be true. Greta chuckled now remembering it.


    "What''s so funny?" August looked over at her from the passenger''s side.


    "Just thinking about how Sam and I came back to find you awake like nothing had happened and Graeme passed out like sleeping beauty on the bed next to you," sheughed.


    "He was so peaceful, wasn''t he?" Augustughed along with her.


    "You know, we talk about how his mate mark has helped you with the elerated healing and everything, but I think your mark has done just as much for him," Greta said thoughtfully.


    "You think so?" August tilted her head to the side in thought.


    "He was in that ce of yours with your guardian, and I imagine what was happening was a kind of healing. A different kind of healing that the physical, perhaps, but still healing," Greta exined. "He seemed more controlled when he awoke. That''s what he needs. I can see that."


    August sighed. "If I can offer him even a small measure of the help that he has given me, then that will make me happy."


    "Oh, you have. There is no question, August," Greta replied. "He returned with you. You were the only one who could have brought him back to us. But that''s just the beginning¡­ I can''t believe he has embodied the Alpha and is really positioning himself to take control. It was something he said he would never do. Whatever happened when he left, whatever he found out from Penelope¡­ and then returning to find you in trouble¡­"


    "And you," August reminded her.


    "That triggered something. You are a gift to all of us," Greta looked at her as she drove through the woods to the treehouse. "You healed me," she added softly, as if to herself.


    August didn''t reply to it. It was an ability she didn''t fully understand, and she didn''t think it was something she could take credit for. It was more like she had opened herself as a conduit for the healing that came from elsewhere.


    "It was the Moon Mother," August whispered. "Not me."


    When they arrived at the treehouse, Vera and Liv were waiting at the base of the stairs to greet them.


    "Hey, so you two are going to be roomies?" Vera smiled and gave them both hugs as Liv did after her.


    "It looks that way," Greta replied. "At least for the time being until things are a little more settled."


    "That sounds fun. You should have us over for sleepovers. We can kick the boys out," Vera winked.


    "What all are we moving out?" Liv asked once they were up in the main living area looking around.


    "It doesn''t have to be a lot. Just the art stuff and some clothes, I guess," August shrugged. A wave of sadness rolled over her as she wondered whether or not they would be back. This was their ce where they were alone. Where she was birthed into this new world for the first time.


    Graeme had sat next to her for weeks, waiting for her to awake. He had held her in that pool and kissed her for the first time while she was sitting on this table and made her more meals here than she could count. They had made love for the first time in that bed.


    August looked around the treehouse, seeing the ghost of those memories they had made together y out as if they were happening before her eyes. It had been such a short time, but in many ways it had felt like a lifetime already. She had grown attached to this insanely high treehouse with the endless steps and the reliable, solid tree at its center.


    When the memory of Marius showing up here threatened to break through the door of those recollections, she finally turned away. They could alwayse back. Maybe at some point, it would make sense to stay here with him again.


    Or maybe the honeymoon up in the treehouse was over. Graeme would be needed in the pack house now more days than not. It was time to take on the responsibility that was needed of both of them. Living closer to the pack house would make more sense than being this far away.


    Living in Graeme''s childhood home had so many more advantages as well. They were so close to Sylvia''s house, to the market, to her shop¡ªto everything. This was the next step forward. It was a good thing.


    But as she watched her new lycan friends walking out the door carrying some of the things she hade to recognize as her own, August couldn''t help but feel the mncholy of a transition from one phase of her life into another.


    Greta, Liv, and Vera had all gone down the steps for a final time, and August was doing onest sweep to make sure nothing essential was left. They could alwayse back, she knew, but if multiple people were required as extra security for awhile, who knew when that would be feasible.


    A crow on the deck outside caught her attention. It was tilting its head her way, and she smiled. Was this the crow¡ªher crow¡ªfrom the ce with the trees? She was about to walk outside to greet it properly when there was a knock on the door.


    A knock? It wasn''t Greta or the other two girls if they were knocking. She gave the crow a curious nce as if it would know the answer before walking to answer the door.


    Sage and an unfamiliar young woman were waiting for her on the other side.


    "Sage! It is so good to see you again," August smiled. "And to see that you are okay after everything."


    ******


    I can''t believe how great PS votes are going! Within one day, we made it to 80 PS votes, so we just need a bit more and then to maintain it over the course of a week, starting today (Sun is the first day of the WN week when PS votes go back to 0). I think we can do it by the end of Jan! LMSF is ranked in the 300s right now, so we''re getting there! Thank you so much for voting for our lycan and his mate! <3

 Chapter 177 - Unexpected News

    It was odd seeing Sage again. It was as if now the young boy held one of the most familiar faces to her, and yet in reality they knew very little of each other. He offered her a reassuring smile.


    "Um, please¡­e in," August said, gesturing toward the kitchen as her eyes met those of the young woman who apanied him. The pair slowly walked through before turning to watch August close the door behind them. "Did you see Greta down there?"


    Sage nodded. "Yes, she told us toe on up," the girl next to him answered.


    When neither of the two offered an exnation for their visit, the events that had urred with Sage and the fighting mates in the forest began to y back in August''s mind¡ªas did the guilt revolving around it.


    "Sage¡­" she started, realizing anew how young he was. "Thank you for that day. For helping me. I''m sorry for what happened."


    The boy looked up at the young woman by his side whose hand he was holding. She had the same jet ck hair and emerald green eyes. "About that¡­" the girl spoke, and August braced herself for the scolding she deserved. The two were obviously rted. This must be Sage''s older sister, and she must be upset about the danger he had been in.


    "Please¡­ don''t tell anyone," her green eyes were pleading with August''s blue ones.


    "Don''t¡­ tell anyone?" August repeated.


    "About Sage. About his¡­ abilities," the girl said.


    His abilities? Had she told anyone? Now that she thought about it, she hadn''t. Why hadn''t she? He was there with her when the mates were fighting, he helped her find her way back after she ran away, and¡ªperhaps most importantly¡ªhe had opened up whatever door had led her to that guardian world. The root guardian spoke of him as if he was also a guardian to her. And yet¡­ she hadn''t told anyone. It was almost as if she inherently knew not to.


    "No one knows about him," the girl continued. "It would put him in danger."


    "Of course I won''t," August replied, her eyes softening further at the worry she recognized. "Sage is remarkable, and I''m so grateful. You have nothing to worry about from me," she said. "What''s your name?" August extended a hand.


    "Sh," the girl said, epting August''s hand to shake. "I''m Sage''s sister." August smiled at the obvious rtion.


    "He is lucky to have you," she replied.


    "Um, Luna¡­" Sh started. "Are you moving closer to the pack house? This is very near the perimeter of ournd. With Eliade''s return to search for you¡­ it seems too much of a risk should they return again."


    "Yes, we will be staying nearer the pack house," August replied. "You knew about the search team from Eliade?"


    "Oh, yes. Forgive me," Sh said. "I didn''t exin. I work at the council."


    "Oh, that makes sense," August nodded. "But you are so young."


    "Not really. There are many close to my age," the girl replied.


    August thought of Finn. They were probably simr ages. It just seemed so young to have such responsibility.


    "It is a relief you are moving closer. Especially now," Sh''s eyes seemed to hold more than what she was saying, and August saw Sage tug at her arm before the girl nced back down at him. Sh''s lips pressed together.


    "Is there something I should know, Sh?" August asked, studying the girl''s face. She was from the council. Maybe she knew something important. The brother and sister exchanged a look again before both pairs of emerald eyes focused back on her.


    "Luna¡­" Sh started.


    "Please call me August."


    "August," Sh offered a gentle smile. "You wouldn''t know this yet, but¡­" she trailed off, picking her words carefully. "You know that ce at the top of the hill with the trees?"


    August''s eyebrows threaded together. "Yes."


    "When you saw them for the first time¡­ how many trees were there?" she asked cryptically. It seemed as if whatever she had to say was being dyed by this question.


    August thought back. The most obvious was the old, ancient tree. "There were three trees."


    "Yes, three," Sh smiled. "Do you remember the tree in the center? Was it blooming?"


    August''s eyes were far away now¡ªin that ce with the trees the first time she encountered them while she was running. "I didn''t notice the center one at first. It was only after I had gotten up to leave¡­ I noticed how beautiful it was. It had purple flowers. And when I touched it, there was a crow that hopped down by my feet," her eyes shifted back to the deck, but the bird was gone. "I think it might be following me." The words sounded crazy even as they left her lips, but Sh didn''t seem surprised.


    "I know this maye as a shock, Luna August," Sh said slowly, "but you are pregnant."


    "I''m¡ªI''m sorry?" August let out a small chuckle. "What¡ªwhat does that have to do with the trees?"


    Sh and Sage exchanged another look. "Those trees represent the maiden, the mother, and the crone. The mother tree was blooming, which means you are with child."


    August''s mouth fell open and she heard herself sputter augh. "No, you must be mistaken. Greta¡­ Graeme''s sister is pregnant, and that is wonderful. But not me, I''m¡­ I''m not. That''s not¡­ I can''t be¡­" she trailed off before gripping the counter next to her.


    No, she couldn''t be pregnant. She told Graeme she wasn''t ready for that. They couldn''t worry about a baby right now or protect one when there was so much going on. That was thest thing they needed.


    "Luna, are you okay? Please sit." Sh moved to help her, pulling a chair out from the kitchen table for her to sit in.


    August suddenly felt lightheaded. The room was spinning. This was too much too soon. A pregnancy wasn''t right for her and Graeme right now. She couldn''t be pregnant. It was that damned fertility ritual¡ªshe just knew it.


    A ss of water appeared in front of her, and she looked up to see Sage''s sweet face watching her worriedly.


    "Thank you, Sage," she smiled even though it felt like more of a grimace holding back the sudden nausea that was surfacing. "Are you¡ªare you sure?" She turned to Sh.


    "Yes, Luna."


    "And¡­ the crow?" August squinted, trying to bring all of these disparate elements together in her mind where they could collide into some kind of sense.

 Chapter 178 - Ignore It

    Sh became thoughtful and pulled out a chair to sit as well.


    "The crow could be many things, but let me give you an example of whates to my mind," she said.


    "Each of us is like a vessel of sorts. A beautiful, living vessel entangled with the universe¡ªwith all of matter¡­ and when we die, when we pass on¡­ our souls disperse into something simr to a cloud of stardust. Not literally, understand," Sh dipped her head and looked at August through her darkshes. "It is imagery for a kind of scattering that urs between dimensions¡ªoutward and inward¡ªin all directions."


    August nodded. She didn''t know why she was nodding, because what was being said was going way over her head. Perhaps she was just nodding so Sh would continue. Seeing August''s acknowledgment, Sh did just that.


    "Okay, so in line with that imagery¡­ those countless particles of soul dust return to mingle with all the other beautiful particles of passing souls in the universe until the pulse of a new life beckons them," Sh paused, watching to see if August appeared to be following. August''s eyes were wide, but she listened on.


    "When that happens, these particles of soul dust unite once again not unlike a magnificent bird, maybe in a new configuration¡ªsoaring through space and time and matter, through the dimensions of the universe we cannot see with our eyes¡ªuntil they alight on that new life. Your crow is likely a kind of physical manifestation of this."


    Sh''s exnation wound around the thoughts running through August''s mind, and she found herself envisioning it¡ªdazzling, golden birds soaring on their massive wings through starlight to their next bright vessel.


    "So the crow is a guide of some kind? A soul? The soul of my child? Or the soul of another?" August asked, her eyebrows pinched deeply together.


    "I don''t know for sure. I just imagine that its wings soar between worlds rather than only within our own," Sh replied.


    August buried her face in her hands, trying to will it all to sink in. The bird imagery was poetic, but it wasn''t exactly helpful. These weren''t straight answers that she was being given, and she wanted the straight answers. She wanted everything to be made simple and easy.


    The thing that Sh was very straightforward about was that August was pregnant. But what would that mean for her and Graeme and everyone else at this point in time?


    "Is Luna okay?" Sage touched her arm and asked in his wordless way.


    August uncovered her face to look at the young boy with a reassuring smile. "Yes, Sage. I''m okay." She looked back at Sh and extended her arm across the table to take the girl''s hand. "Thank you for telling me."


    Sh nodded.


    "How long before¡­ before my mate knows?" August asked.


    "If you don''t tell him first, he will¡­ sense it. Likely soon. Maybe a week? Maybe two?" she replied.


    "Okay," August nodded as she rose from her chair.


    "There''s one more thing," Sh said quickly as she rose, too.


    August wasn''t sure she wanted to hear it. What else could there be? She watched Sh expectantly without asking to know what it was.


    "I have to go off packnd for an extended period of time for the council. Normally I wouldn''t be too concerned about leaving Sage, but now that he has used his abilities, I''m afraid he is at risk of being found out. He hasn''t used them for so long for that reason, but now¡­" Sh worried her bottom lip as she looked down at her brother. "While I''m gone, do you think¡­"


    "He can stay with us, of course," August nodded. "We will make sure he is safe."


    "Really?" Sh''s face spread into a wide grin.


    "Of course. We are staying at Graeme''s childhood home. Do you know where that is?" August asked.


    Both Sh and Sage nodded that they did.


    "We are just picking up a few more things and then heading back there for the rest of the night, I believe. When were you leaving?"


    "I have to leave tonight," Sh replied.


    "Okay. Do you want to just bring him by before you do? I''ll make sure we have the room set up for him and everything. It will be fun," August gave Sage a reassuring smile and squeezed his shoulder. "Do you like pizza?"


    Sage nodded his head again.


    "Graeme makes the best homemade pizza, but maybe you and I can help him this time," August winked.


    "Alpha makes pizza?" Sage said softly with wide eyes for August to giggle in response.


    "Yeah, believe it or not I am not a cook. Maybe I should learn now that he is going to be a bit busier, huh?" she chuckled. "Okay, we will see you tonight, buddy. I can''t wait."


    "Thank you so much Luna August," Sh replied before pulling August into a hug.


    "No problem at all, Sh. Be safe on your trip," she said and then watched as the brother and sister walked down the steps.


    Before she followed them out, August sat down at the kitchen table for a moment alone to let the news that Sh gave her sink in. She groaned into her hands.


    What was she going to do? She couldn''t even imagine how she would tell Graeme. He was sorting things out at the council and dealing with the massive task before him of bringing this pack back under Alpha leadership. There were just too many things going on right now to worry him about a pregnancy on top of everything.


    Who even knew if Sh was right. A blooming tree? That was hardlypelling evidence. Maybe the best thing to do would be to just ignore this news¡ªpretend she didn''t even hear it. She may not be pregnant. If she ignored it, who knows¡­ maybe it would just go away. There was so much else to focus on right now.


    "Yep. That''s what I''m going to do," she whispered to herself and stood from the table.


    Out on the deck, a crow tilted its head her way and gave a few clucks before soaring down to wait for her by the Jeep.


    ******


    I can''t believe how great PS votes are going! Within one day, we made it to 80 PS votes, so we just need a bit more and then to maintain it over the course of a week, starting today (Sun is the first day of the WN week when PS votes go back to 0). I think we can do it by the end of Jan! LMSF is ranked in the 300s right now, so we''re getting there! Thank you so much for voting for our lycan and his mate! <3

 Chapter 179 - United Front

    ''August and I are getting things from the treehouse and my house if you need anything,'' Greta texted her brother while she was waiting for August down by the Jeep.


    ''Alone?'' his response came.


    ''Some friends met us.'' She texted back.


    ''Call me if you get a chance without eavesdroppers,'' he sent.


    Greta frowned at her phone and looked up to the treehouse where August was still talking with Sage and his sister. Liv and Vera were chatting by the tree. Greta climbed into the Jeep and closed the door behind her before dialing her brother.


    "What is it?" she asked when he picked up.


    "There is a delicate matter that I haven''t had a chance to deal with yet," he replied hesitantly.


    "Okay¡­ Are you going to tell me what it is?" she asked.


    "Uh," he sighed deeply. "There are some things of August''s at your house. They are from her mom''s. It would be confusing if she saw them before I have a chance to talk to her more about my visit and everything that happened when I was gone."


    "Oh. Shit. Okay," Greta replied.


    "Yeah. Do you think you could make sure she doesn''t see that stuff yet? I will find a time to talk to her about it tonight," he said.


    "Okay, you got it," she answered.


    "Thanks, sis. You are both okay, though?" he asked.


    "Yep. All good. We''ll probably just head back now," she said.


    "Alright. Be safe. See youter," he replied before hanging up.


    Graeme sighed and set the phone down on his father''s desk. Rather than wait, he and Sam had moved it out of storage and up into the office along with the desk Sam''s father had used. They were going to share an office for the time being.


    The office wasrge enough, and it would be beneficial having Sam within throwing distance while they waded through whatever shit came their way, which was going to be substantial. But he was ready, and the fierce hunger that shed in Sam''s eyes as they discussed how to move forward as Alpha and Beta told him that Sam was ready as well.


    Sam had been waiting for this opportunity his whole life. Unlike Graeme, he had never stopped wanting the leadership he was born into. It was natural. It was his birthright. It was what he was trained for, and that part of him had never been allowed toe into being until now.


    "Do you think we''ll actually be sitting at these desks much?" Sam chuckled, leaning back in his chair behind the desk that was facing Graeme''s.


    "I sure hope not," Graeme replied. "We need to sage this room or something and get the stink of the elders out of here. Purify it."


    Samughed. "I''m sure my mom has something for that. Should I call her?"


    "Actually," Graeme''s eyebrows shot up, and he walked around to sit on the corner of his desk. "I want to bring Sylvia in officially."


    Sam''s forehead creased. "I don''t follow."


    "We can''t rely on the elders for guidance, even if we are stuck with them for the time being. But that doesn''t mean we don''t need wisdom or guidance, especially since we know not the entirety of what we will face. I was thinking of bringing in an alternative set of elders. Some that don''t thrive on the kind of power and greed and prejudice that seem to have been at work here for far too long," he exined, growling at the end of it.


    "I want to know what it was like here when my father was Alpha," he mumbled to himself. "All I have are the memories of a child."


    "You are thinking to bring in my mother as an elder?" Sam asked.


    "Yes, Charlotte, too. We don''t have an alyko elder, but Charlotte''s knowledge of the alyko and her experience with those who were of her close family will be akin to one. They will both bring important alternative perspectives. If your father were here, he could instruct us about how everything operated in their time¡­" Graeme said, and they both became quiet. They had both lost their fathers¡ªboth of them leaders of this pack.


    "Mother will be a good one," Sam smiled. "They shared everything. I am sure she would appreciate being involved. She never stopped hoping that you would return."


    "Will you see if we can get them both in here sometime tomorrow? Perhaps we can have Sylvia over for dinner tonight to christen the old ce," Graeme suggested.


    "Christen the old ce? Is that how it works?" Sam chuckled.


    "The old ce made new," Graeme grunted. It was hard believing he was going to be staying in his childhood home again. He had avoided it for the memories it brought, but this would be different¡ªwith all of them there. His mate, his pregnant sister, his Beta. There would be enough life in its walls to resurrect the joy that had lived there before and hopefully overshadow the grief.


    "Are you sure you are okay with staying there? All of us?" Sam asked, apparently reading Graeme''s thoughts.


    "Yeah," Graeme answered. "It will be good. It''s about time we open the house again, and I don''t like the thought of having you and Greta so far after what happened. Let''s see theme after us when we are all together. The Hallowells will be a united front."


    "Okay, but don''t expect Greta and I to behave just because you and your mate are downstairs," Sam chuckled.


    Graeme groaned. "Seriously?"


    "What? I''m just being honest. And if you think that you are going to be stalking around the house acting like my father, I can already tell you right now we''re going to have problems," Sam chuckled some more.


    Graeme threw a pen at him. "I have no ns to act like your father," he smirked.


    "You get protective of your sister," Sam said. "Are you sure? You''re not going to barge into our bedroom if it sounds like¡­"


    "Samuel!" Graeme interrupted. Sam erupted into a fit ofughter.. "We''ll look into sound proofing the ce or something," Graeme managed and raked a hand down his face and beard.

 Chapter 180 - Priorities

    "Who is this handsome guy?" Sylvia asked as she came into the Hallowell house for dinner that night.


    "This is Sage," Greta introduced him. "He''s going to be staying here while his sister is away."


    "She said she was leaving on work for the council?" Graeme asked, taking a seat at the table next to his sister and August. "I wonder what it is that she does exactly."


    "She didn''t say," August replied, noticing how Sage seemed to look ufortable at the topic. She hadn''t told Graeme about his abilities yet, but she imagined Graeme wasn''t one of the people Sh was worried about. If anything, Graeme knowing more about Sage should be better for his protection from anyone out to get the alyko.


    "Sage, it is so nice to meet you," Sylvia said, introducing herself. "Are you going to be helping look after August while Graeme is busy doing important Alpha things at the pack house?"


    Sage gave a shy smile and nodded. August winked at him. They both knew that in reality he had already helped her so much, but she hoped nothing like that would be necessary again.


    "Well if staying here with four noisy adults ever gets to be too much, you shoulde keep an olddypany. You know, Sam had his own loft at our house. I bet you would like it. There is a window that overlooks the forest and a cozy ce to sit and read books. Maybe we can go take a look at it after dinner. What do you say?" she asked.


    "Yeah, I want to take that walk through the woods and over the rickety bridge that Graeme was telling me about. Is that how you came here, Sylvia?" August asked.


    "It sure is. The bridge is still holding after all these years, I am happy to report," Sylvia chuckled. "It is nice being back in this house. I missed it," she sighed and put a hand over Greta''s who was sitting next to her.


    "So are you going toe hang out with Graeme and I tomorrow, mom?" Sam asked before scooping some of the wild lettuce sd in his bowl that they had begun to eat while the pizzas were cooking.


    "You need my wisdom, do you?" she chuckled. "I don''t know howfortable I will be in those stuffy council rooms. I don''t have to be stationed there do I? I certainly can''t imagine staying up in an office looking at the woods from my window all day."


    "Will it help if you cleanse the rooms?" Sam chuckled. "Graeme was wondering. He thinks our office needs cleansing from the elders presence."


    "Oh, that I am sure it does. I will bring my sage," Sylvia chuckled before taking a bite of her sd. "You have a great name, young man," she winked at Sage. "And bright green eyes to match."


    "You won''t need to stay in an office there. But I would like to bring you and Charlotte in officially and discuss some issues about how to move forward during this transition. Having you as official consultants will also allow me to bring you into the fold about information and issues that aren''t made public to the pack. We need you," Graeme emphasized at the end. "I need you. It is important to have your insight into some of the things that have been going on in the pack for years."


    "Then of course, I will be there. Charlotte will, too," she replied. "Thank you for the honor of being held in such high esteem by you."


    "No, Sylvia," Graeme replied. "Thank you. The honor is mine."


    And with that deep, resonant voice of his, the table went quiet afterward except for the clinking of utensils.


    "The pizza smells delicious. Who made it?" Sylvia asked.


    "Mostly Graeme," Augustughed. "But Sage picked out the toppings for his pizza and made it himself. I think I''m going to have Sage teach me." She winked at him again. "Honestly cooking to me seems like magic. I need all the help I can get."


    "Is squirrel andtle still your favorite, Graeme?" Sylvia asked, and August''s face scrunched involuntarily. Graeme caught the reaction and chuckled, squeezing her knee under the table.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sure it''s really good," Augustughed. "I should give it a chance, but I can''t get over the idea of eating squirrel."


    "They are not the meatiest of creatures," Sylvia acknowledged. "I suppose ites down to a tradition born from convenience and essibility."


    "Lots of squirrel in Hallows Forest," Sam grunted and took a drink of his craft beer.


    "Is that the Moon Maeve?" Graeme asked, gesturing toward his mug.


    "No, this is an ale we''ve been working on. It''s not quite right yet. Would you like to try it?" Sam asked and rose to get Graeme a mug. "Come on, give me the Alpha''s opinion. That way we can put a stamp on it, ''Alpha-Approved,'' when itunches," heughed over his shoulder. Graeme groaned.


    "You better get used it now, Graeme," Sylvia chuckled.


    "Those are all the things I don''t look forward to," he grumbled. "I''m still me. I don''t need flowers thrown at my feet or that starry look in their eyes when I pass by. Or farm breweries shamelessly using me for promotion."


    "They have always treated you that way. Nothing is going to change," Greta rolled her eyes. "Now you are just in a position to ept it."


    "You just ignore it if if bothers you," Sylvia added. "It is everyone''s instinct to defer to you in that way. You can hardly me them for it. You bring security. Safety. But, most importantly, warmth. Whereas the elders have been associated with security and safety thates from impersonal aloofness and condescension."


    "What can we do about helping the Bets?" Greta abruptly changed the subject. Sage, who had been keeping his head down while listening and eating, snapped his eyes to Greta''s in interest. "If you are Alpha now, we need to help that family. We need to make finding Livvy a priority. Bringing her home would be huge for this pack and for the way it views your leadership moving forward."


    Graeme nodded. "I agree that it needs to be a priority. Are you really trying to argue for it in terms of how my leadership will be viewed though? Is that how I am to make decisions, sis?"


    "I mean, you need to consider it," Greta threw her hands in the air.


    "Do I?" he tilted his head.


    She scoffed. "Yes, of course. But if you are willing to make her a priority just based on concern alone, then that''s great."


    "You honestly think it wouldn''t be based on concern alone? That I would need other motivations for it?" he asked, the edge of offense beginning to sharpen his tone.


    "This is why you need people around you who advise you on all fronts. Obviously you can''t even fathom thinking of something like appearances to your pack," Greta snapped.


    "Okay children," Sylvia raised her hands. "It is somewhat endearing to hear this sibling bickering, but I think you are both on the same page for this one. No need for it to escte."


    "So how do we focus on helping find Livvy?" Greta asked.

 Chapter 181 - Now Is The Time

    "I don''t know exactly," Graeme replied to Greta''s question. "But when I spoke with Penelope," he cleared his throat. "When I spoke with Penelope, she made it seem as though there were disappearances in our pack that had to do with the alyko."


    "What do you mean?" Greta asked, setting her fork down. "What would it have to do with the alyko? They''re not to me!"


    "No, no that''s not what she meant. That''s not what I mean," he shook his head. "We were talking about the map."


    Graeme paused what he was saying and gave a sideways nce to Sage. He was a pup. Did he really need to hear this? When Graeme caught August''s gaze next, she nodded in a way that put him at ease. For whatever reason, she felt the conversation was eptable for him to hear. And Graeme trusted his mate. Penelope had said that he should trust his mate. He gave her a small, appreciative smile¡ªthe kind that only takes a moment and yet says everything. The kind that could still make August''s cheeks go pink.


    "We were discussing the map, which Penelope knew about. She said there are many who are invested in the map, and Andreas sure made that clear today when I told him I wanted it destroyed," he grunted.


    "I would have loved to see his face when you said that," Greta chuckled.


    "Today was hard for Andreas," Graeme nodded. "Anyway, she said we were the worst pack when it came to how we deal with alyko. I told her we didn''t have alyko. And, in response, she asked if there were disappearances in the pack," Graeme recalled.


    Greta''s mouth dropped open. "You mean," she started, "you mean¡­ Livvy?"


    "I think so," Graeme replied, his hand tightening around the fork he was holding. "I think so, sis."


    "So does that mean¡­ Livvy''s disappearance was intentional? Something happened to her because she''s alyko?" Greta asked, her expression still one of shock.


    Sage froze his eating and didn''t dare look at any of the adults around him. His sister had warned him about this. She had told him that was why Livvy had disappeared. That is why she had made sure he was so careful¡­ why he had never used his abilities prior to helping August in the forest just the other day. Even before Livvy, Sh knew there were people watching who would know if alyko were here in the pack. People who would make the alyko disappear.


    When Sh found out that Sage had helped August the way he did, she was beside herself. She yelled. She cried. She shut all the blinds in their burrow and peered out of them like she waiting for a siege of wolves at any moment. When none of those things happened, she finally agreed to find August and talk with her.


    Sage had opened the door for August, another fae, to enter into that exclusive healing space that only fae could enter. It was a tremendous, brave thing that he did. It had likely saved their Luna from either leaving the pack for good and falling into the hands of Eliade or from allowing herself to be taken by the council. And, perhaps worst of all, without that entry into the fae wisdom that speaks from the mouth of nature itself, August would have likely lost all confidence and hope in herself.


    And then Sh had decided she needed to leave. It was time to do what she had been wanting to do for so long after gaining the knowledge of all that was against the alyko. Now that August and Graeme had returned¡ªand August, an impressively powerful fae who was also the Luna of the pack¡ªit was finally the opportunity Sh had been waiting for. She was going to do what was within her capability with the knowledge that she had to help, and hopefully Graeme and August would be there to have her back when the shit really hit the fan.


    "But, how would they have known?" Greta was still trying to understand¡ªto process this new information. If Livvy was alyko, how would anyone have known that in advance? Why wouldn''t Greta have caught on? Or her family?


    "The map," Sam stated the obvious.


    "So she¡­ used her abilities somehow? And they saw it?" Greta replied. Her eyes were filling with involuntary tears. She should have known. She should have been there to help. "Fuck!" she mmed her hand on the table.


    "We are going to make sure it doesn''t happen again," Graeme said in a low, reassuring growl that puttered in his throat.


    "It already happened!" Greta eximed, rising from the table. "How many¡­ how many others have there been? Oh Goddess," Greta bent over, clutching her side. "All this time. This has been going on all this time, and I had no idea." She let out a strangled cry and mmed her fist on the table again, making Sage jump.


    Sam rose and embraced his mate around the shoulders. "Calm down, love. We are going to deal with it. I vow it."


    "We have failed them," she cried into Sam''s shoulder. "I should have known. I could have kept this from happening. I could have protected them. It''s Maggie all over again."


    "Greta, please calm down for a moment," Graeme said. "Penelope told me one thing. They are alive."


    "They?" Greta asked. "How¡­ how does she know? How does she know any of this? Does she know where they are?"


    "She wouldn''t tell me anything else," he replied. "Something about things unfolding in the right time. But she did say that Andreas is a coward."


    Greta scoffed in response. "How can you go in there and face him without ripping his fucking face off?" she growled.


    "Because Penelope also told me this is a gigantic, delicate mess that needs to be approached carefully. And after I was with August and her guardian¡­" he trailed off. Sage caught August''s gaze and gulped softly. "I just realize that this is going to take finesse to do in the right way¡ªin the way that is best for the pack. To really get to the bottom of all of it."


    Graeme exhaled deeply and scanned the faces of those who were sharing this meal with him. "I know with the help from all of you, we are going to figure it out and give this pack what it needs and deserves. This isn''t about me or my mate, although it feels like my entire universe orbits around her, I won''t deny it," heughed softly, catching her eye. "This is about making things right. Let''s do that.. Now is the time, and I won''t let you down."

 Chapter 182 - Not The Issue

    Sage was up in the loft with Sylvia while August and Graeme walked around the outside of her house, holding hands. For some reason, Graeme insisted that Sam and Greta have some time alone, so he left to walk the path through the woods to Sylvia''s with August¡ªshowing her the bridge that he and Greta had walked over so many times as kids on the way to visit Sam.


    Sage had a st finding his way. He scampered ahead of them, and August giggled watching him enjoy himself. She hoped that he had plenty of opportunities like this to enjoy himself rather than worrying about issues like those that hade up at dinner, of which he was obviously already aware. It was too much for someone his age.


    Surely, as an alyko, he had to worry about being targeted by the elders and others who had ess to this map. It was unfathomable to her¡ªhaving to worry about your identity from such a young age and trying to hide it. Of being followed by that worry every day of your young life when you should be running and ying and learning and¡­ not worrying about being snatched away or enduring some kind of unknown violence.


    "What is it, Little Red?" Graeme squeezed her hand, drawing her out of her thoughts.


    "Oh," she chuckled to herself. "I''m sorry. I was just thinking about everything that was said at dinner."


    "I''m so sorry you were drawn into this messed up situation with my pack. I wish it was better for you. You deserve better," he replied, his eyes doing that sad puppy thing that tugged at her heart.


    "It''s not that. And I want to help. I''m proud to be here with you, now, in a capacity to help as your mate. I''m just¡­ I''m just proud of you," she stopped and gazed up at him.


    "That means more to me than anything, honestly," he said deeply.


    She chuckled. "Well, it shouldn''t. You have so many other people to worry about than me. You are doing just fine on your own there, Alpha," she replied and patted his chest.


    "Don''t say that. Your feeling about this is everything to me," he took her hand and kissed it before sping it against his chest. "Listen, there''s something else I need to tell you about when I talked to Penelope. There''s more I learned."


    Her eyebrows pinched together over those crystal blue eyes of hers that shone so bright in the moonlight, and for a moment his heart stuttered self-consciously. How was he going to do this? How was he going to have this conversation with her and watch her heart break right in front of him?


    "Okay," she licked her lips and swallowed, preparing herself. She could feel the gravity of whatever it was he was about to say. It felt like a heavy weight that he had been ignoring, but now¡ªgiving it his attention atst¡ªit was threatening to sink him. "Just tell me. I can feel how much it''s bothering you. It will be worse the longer you put it off." She squeezed his hands and nodded to reassure him of her words.


    Graeme cleared his throat and dug his foot into the dirt and thenughed at himself for doing it. Somehow August made him feel like an insecure pup again. And yet¡ªat the same time¡ªshe made him more confident and assured than he had ever been. She had given him the confidence to fullye into his role as Alpha. But here he was stalling, searching for words, so concerned about hurting her.


    "Whatever it is, it won''t change anything between us. Okay? It could never," she took a step closer to him,forting him with her physical proximity.


    She was like a drug. There was nothing else like just being close to her. And somehow she only got sweeter¡ªher scent more enticing, her gravity stronger in its pull on every part of him. He wanted to whimper with just the thought of her heart being affected by this information he had.


    "Goddess, tell me already. Just get it over with, and then we''ll deal with it. Okay?" she chuckled and then schooled her features again, presenting him with the sober, capable expression of someone who could take whatever he was so worried about telling her.


    "Okay," he exhaled deeply. "But, I wasn''t honest with you from the beginning. I am most regretful for that."


    "What?" she breathed the question. "What were you not honest with me about?"


    "When the search team was here, close to the border. Eliade¡­ they came back," he said and then grimaced. "They came back because your mother was with them¡­ searching for you."


    August''s mouth dropped open and she took a step back. "She was here?"


    "Yes," he answered, his face an apology.


    "Oh," she said, not hearing herself. She was sinking, and thankfully Graeme sank with her, leading her to a chair that was nearby bordering Sylvia''s fire pit.


    "I''m sorry. I should have told you. I just thought that if you knew, you would try to find her and they would get you. I thought I was protecting you."


    August nodded, seeing it in her mind. Her mother in suicide forest, searching for her. Not giving up, because she wouldn''t. Her mother would never give up looking for her.


    "I understand," she said, grasping the hands that he had offered her. "I do. I would have done the same thing. I¡­ I probably would have wanted to go to her when she was so close."


    "There''s more," he said regretfully, and she met his gaze with fear in her eyes. He swallowed but pressed on. "I was tasked with following her home. With making sure that she made it back without returning to look for you. I went to your hometown."


    "What?" she gaped. "Maiden Rock? You said you were driving. Were you even gone that long¡­"


    "I barely slept," he interrupted. "I drove straight through."


    "Did she make it home okay?" she asked.


    "Yes, that is not the issue."

 Chapter 183 - What Is The Issue

    "Okay, what is it? What is the issue?" August asked, searching his eyes.


    "When I went to your home, I beat her there. I was in your room waiting. I fell asleep in your bed," he chuckled softly before remembering himself. "And then Penelope showed up. That''s how I had a chance to speak with her. She was actually there. I didn''t even have to look for her at Eliade."


    "Why?" August asked. "Why would she be at my home? You were in my bed?"


    Her face scrunched, trying to picture it. Trying to understand it. Both of these people in her home that had never even known about her in her previous life. Both standing amongst her things.


    "Eliade was concerned that your mom would keep returning to search for you, and that was going to create an issue for them. So they had Penelope do what they believed was some neuroscience-y stuff and, um¡­" he ducked his head.


    "What?" she asked. "What did she do?"


    "She felt horrible about it," he replied, his voice reaching that depth of his that was usually so reassuring, but it didn''t work this time. This time it sank into the pit of her stomach and sat there, heavy and foreboding.


    "Goddess¡­ WHAT did she do?" August stood up and backed away from him. Why was he prefacing even telling her his truth with a defense of Penelope?


    "She did an enchantment that made it so that no one remembers you. No one from your past remembers you, love. I''m so sorry," he said, beginning to walk forward¡ªto cross the distance tofort her.


    "What?" she chuckled, taking another step away from him. "That''s not possible. Is this a joke?"


    "No, I''m sorry. It''s not. I didn''t know how to tell you¡­" he started.


    "You didn''t know how to tell me¡­ that every person I have ever known no longer knows me," the words came out slow, as if she were testing them on her ears, because they didn''t make sense in her mind. "That''s not possible," she repeated, shaking her head.


    This time Graeme didn''t reply. He just stood there watching her, waiting for it to sink in, willing her to believe him and dreading the moment she did at the same time.


    "Why was she there, though? Why¡ªdid she need to be in my home to do it?" she asked, trying to work it out little by little.


    "She came to¡­ erase the evidence," he raised a hand to run it through his beard.


    For some reason these words are what hit her, piercing deep inside and ying her open to the harsh truth of it. She was the evidence. And she was gone.


    She turned and walked toward the darkness, toward the further cover of trees. Why was she always drawn to them? To disappear into them when it was too much to handle? As if there was a womb there waiting to embrace her back into itself, beckoning her home.


    "August, wait," he called behind her¡ªhim whose voice alone could arrest her.


    "Please, Graeme¡­ I just," she stopped with her back to him, listening to his request but wishing for him to understand her need right now. "I just need to be alone for a minute. My mom she was¡­" she faltered in her words, and then the hot tears finally came, running down her cheeks, burning and salty and holding all the fullness of those memories. The pure affection of a child toward their parent before the faults of the parent be known to them. That raw need and vulnerability that only a parent can answer.


    "Your mom was your mom," he said,ing up behind her with his warmth that embraced her before he did. "And she still is. All hope is not lost. She is alive."


    The extra meaning of those words to him¡ªthat his hope truly was lost to have his parents back, that he knew the loss she was feeling¡ªthey bloomed in her chest as his arms embraced her from behind and he nuzzled into her neck.


    "You are a powerful fae. More powerful than Penelope. Perhaps, with time, there is something that can be done to fix this," he spoke against her, his words feathering down her neck as he squeezed her closer to his warmth, allowing her that feeling that perhaps she could fully retreat into him¡ªthat deep riverbed in his chest that would dly allow her to burrow in and be safe.


    "This shouldn''t be possible. To be done or undone," she whispered. "I don''t want to have to be a part of it. How could she do that?" Her throat started to copse around the words, leaving it raw. "So all of me is gone? Every trace of me?"


    "No, you are right here with me," he replied, husky and deep.


    "You know what I mean, Graeme," she wiggled a small protest against him.


    "I took some of your things with me. They are at Greta and Sam''s, because that''s where I went to find you when I got back. Would you like to get them now?"


    She was shocked by this. He thought to take some of her possessions with him?


    "Really?" she asked, turning now to face him. "What did you take?"


    "Let''s go find out," he grabbed her hand.


    "But Sage¡­" she stopped him.


    Graeme tugged her behind him into Sylvia''s house. "Sylvia!" he called out and found her in the kitchen with Sage and a big mixing bowl surrounded by ingredients.


    "We thought to make some cookies," she smiled back at them.


    "That sounds fun," August replied, happy to see the joy on the boy''s face.


    "We are going to pick up some stuff from Sam and Greta''s. Will you two be okay?" Graeme asked.


    Sylvia looked down at Sage who beamed back up at her. "I think we''ll be okay," she winked at Graeme in response. "Why doesn''t Sage just stay here in the loft? Do you want to try it for tonight?" she turned her attention back to him.


    He turned to gaze at August as if checking for permission. It was endearing. She could see in his eyes that he truly adored Sylvia, and why wouldn''t he? Sylvia had a warm, maternal way about her, and she had raised a son. They were kind of the perfect match in a way.


    Graeme viewed this silent interaction between the boy and his mate, and he quickly realized there was something more to this rtionship between them than just an art teacher and her student¡ªor even a Luna and a pup in her pack.. There was something deeper.

 Chapter 184 - You Are More

    Graeme and August had taken the Jeep without Greta''s permission. The way Graeme did it¡ªwith a mischievous glint in his eye, hushing August and sneaking out with the key¡ªmade August giggle despite the circumstances and the news she had just heard.


    As they were driving through the dark woods, August looked out the window numbly, watching the blur of trunks and underbrush pass by.


    "So Sage¡­" Graeme started, leading the way into a conversation, but August didn''t respond to it.


    The window was rolled down, the wind gliding across her face and through her hair, and she closed her eyes to feel it licking, cooling, purifying her. Out here it was easy to just believe the rest of the world didn''t exist anyway, much less people who had known her and now no longer did. Or other alyko who were powerful enough to make that happen.


    "Why is Penelope helping them? Why do you trust her not toe for me now that she knows where I am?" she murmured the words into the wind, but she knew Graeme''s lycan hearing would pick them up and divert them to himself.


    "She assured me that she only wants you safe," he replied, clutching the steering wheel and looking ahead through the windshield but recalling the memory of Penelope in that room¡ªthe surprise of her presence and how genuine she seemed. He did not doubt her.


    "You believed her," August acknowledged it. "Why?" she finally turned to look at him in the darkness of the car, and his face was obscured in shadow.


    "There is a way to discern truth. It''s not foolproof, but she felt true," he replied. It was hard to exin.


    "How did she feel true?" August tilted her head, understanding but not entirely¡ªshe wanted to hear him speak on it more.


    He didn''t know Penelope before this. She had shown up at August''s home and told him of this horrific enchantment that erased the entirety of August''s past in the minds of everyone who had known her. Was just her honesty about this enough to convince him of her genuine character?


    "She seemed to care about you. Or¡­ about your existence. She was relieved you are okay, and she seemed pleased that I am your mate. She spoke of the Goddess, but she called her Moon Mother¡ªas if the Moon was guiding all that she does and¡­ and it just felt true to me," he exined.


    "I suppose if she wished you harm, she could have easily aplished it. Unless you are part of the n," August murmured some more.


    "What do you mean? What n?" he turned to her with worry now¡ªworry that there was doubt and paranoia creeping into her thoughts about her presence and the force behind it.


    "She cares about my existence. It is not about me¡ªit is about what I am. Again, why is she helping them? If Eliade wants me back for experimental purposes, will she not also aid them in that?" she asked, her tone and eyes biting and usatory as if he was implicit in the potential for this to all go wrong simply by not thinking of it.


    "I did think of this. I asked her," he replied, reassuring her. "She said her interest aligns with Eliade only insofar as someone like you being possible. It seemed to me that you are important to not only her but all the alyko on arger scale separate from Eliade''s n. This is about the alyko. About the fae." He reached to grab hold of her hand andfort it with the warmth of his own.


    "But she did not exin it further to you?" August scoffed. "What if shees for me? Or more fae? What if they truly seek to take me from you in some manner? Or get back at your pack?"


    "The way she speaks of you is with much awe and respect. I do not think she will try to do anything that you yourself would oppose," he said. "She seems to think you have the potential for incredible power. More power than I do, that''s for sure."


    It put knots in her stomach¡ªthe idea of having so much power was unfathomable. She didn''t know how to use it or have anyone physically able to guide her as to how. Perhaps it would be best if Penelope did abscond her away to teach her more about herself and what she was capable of.


    If there were alyko in this pack who could help her, they would nevere forward. They would have been hiding sessfully this long to protect themselves, and she could never encourage them to put themselves at risk with the map still in ce and the elders around. And who knows how many in the pack truly hated alyko and viewed them as witches¡ªprejudice like that was not something easily ovee.


    "You were going to ask about Sage?" August reminded him, returning to the subject now that it was fresh in her mind¡ªhow the alyko in this pack were forced into hiding. Alyko pups had potentially been taken somewhere and were in need of rescue. Where could they possibly be? Where was Livvy? Livvy had disappeared the same day that August arrived in the pack with Graeme, which was now more than a month ago. If they were to find her, what state would she be in?


    "He is alyko, isn''t he?" he asked, squeezing her hand.


    "How did you know?" she looked at him in surprise.


    "I am your mate and you know. Perhaps that is why," he gave her a small grin. "Perhaps there is a certain knowledge that is shared. And he seems closer to you than I would have expected."


    August hummed her understanding. It would seem that way after what they went through and how he helped her.


    "Is he the second fae who opened that ce of the guardian to you?" he asked, truly shocking her this time.


    "How did you know that was how it worked? Shared mate knowledge?" her eyes were wide, staring at his shadowy face.


    He chuckled in response. "You were asleep against me, and your guardian¡­ she talked to me. She told me some things. That was one. I asked why she hadn''t been there¡ªwhy that ce hadn''t been there to help you before. After Marius."


    "And that''s what she said?" she whispered.


    "She is very cryptic," he chuckled again. "But she said that a second fae was always needed to open the door. Otherwise anyone could enter."


    "You know you are also fae right?" a smile curved on her lips. "Being my mate?"


    "I guess I always was a bit fae to begin with," he nodded to it. "The gics areplicated. It''s confusing."


    "But now you are more, because you are mine," she leaned toward him, growling softly against his cheek before nipping it between her teeth.


    ****


    Oh no! We are falling behind in our goal to average 100 power stone votes a day for a 4 chapter mass release at the end of January. If you have power stones to spare, consider voting for Graeme and August to get that mass release! <3

 Chapter 185 - Tasting Whats Mine

    "That''s not fair," Graeme''s deep voice puttered in his throat. "Come here, let me get a taste of your cheeks."


    Augustughed softly and backed away against the passenger door.


    "Nope, you have to concentrate on the road."


    It was always so easy with him¡ªeven when the disbelief and sorrow about this ridiculous enchantment of Penelope''s was like a low-hanging dark cloud¡ªshe was still drawn to the joy that burned inside when he was with her. Her twin me. Her mate. The one other being in this world who was threaded through and enfolded within her own self. The hope that he brought just with the reassurance of his presence alone was enough to make the future more possible.


    "I think I can do both¡ªnibble on you and steer. Let''s try it," his hand found her in the darkness and tugged her closer, but she wiggled to free herself, letting giggles slip loose in the process.


    "Don''t crash your sister''s car! She''ll never forgive us," Augustughed, pushing him away and gluing herself to the door.


    "You started it, Little Red, and now all I can think about is whether or not I''ve felt that part of you between my teeth," he replied in that deep, gruff voice that sent electric bolts of desire down into her core. But sheughed and continued to wiggle free of his relentless fingers that had decided instead that tickling her was their next mission.


    "Graeme! Stop tickling! I didn''t even call you Bun-Bun," she squirmed and continued giggling. He was definitely going to crash into arge tree trunk in these dark woods if he kept it up.


    "That''s it," he growled yfully. Mock outrage red in his eyes that she recognized even in the dark, and she sucked in a breath as he hit the brakes and took back his hand long enough to put the Jeep in park.


    "What are you doing?!" she protested, eyes wide as she watched his upper half lunge somehow unimpeded by the center counsel, fingers merciless as they sought all of her sensitive spots. She squirmed, shrieking and giggling, unable to contain it, because somehow he knew just the right spots to poke and tickle.


    "I''m tasting what''s mine," he growled low, and his hands stilled to hold her as he bent low where she was slouched back, panting against the door watching him with equal measures of surprise and thrill.


    He bit the fleshy part of her cheek and tugged gently, a purr of approval rumbling in his chest. A small gasp left her with the sting of it, and he let go only to do it again lower, creating small flushed patches where his teeth had tested her before letting go. When he got to her neck, nipping at the thin skin there before licking it, August pulled away to do the same¡ªsinking her teeth into that thick, corded part of him that didn''t give way easily. Why did his flesh smell so good? Why was it so tantalizing to bite into him like this and feel that warmth and pulse of him in her mouth?


    "Graeme," she breathed against him before nuzzling in his scent and warmth. One of his hands was bracing against the seat, the other tangling in her hair, angling her exposed neck that he was drawing into his mouth with small, gruff noises that had her wing at him, drawing him in closer.


    "You smell different," he mumbled against her, and she ducked her head, blocking his ess to her neck.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, surprised.


    He chuckled at her sudden reaction, pulling back to look into her eyes. The smallest bit of worry seemed to well there.


    "It''s not a bad thing," he reassured her, nipping her cheek again.


    "But why would my scent be different?" she pushed gently against him, and he ran a thumb over the wet part he had left on her cheek before retreating back to his side of the car.


    "Scents vary a little bit. It''s normal, Moon. It can be affected by food or physical activity or other things going on in the body," he shrugged. "You were around some different people today. Maybe that''s why. But it''s still yours¡ªthe best scent of all." He sighed happily at the truth of it. It was the best scent. Like home.


    "Oh," she said softly, shifting in her seat to face the front again as he started driving. He kept one hand on hers the whole way as she silently convinced herself that what Sh had told her earlier in the day was only a vague possibility rather than a fact.


    The possibility of her being pregnant hadn''t actually changed. It was always going to be possible until she had her next period. Her knowledge about that possibility hadn''t changed¡ªthey both knew that already. She wasn''t deceiving her mate in any way by not telling him, because a blooming tree in some strange alternative dimension or reality or whatever the ce was where they had journeyed was not definitive in any way, nor was Sh''s peculiar knowledge about it.


    And early miscarriages happen all the time. In fact, it would probably be cruel if she were to tell Graeme and get his hopes up when it was very likely untrue. It would be too early for even a proper pregnancy test at this point, so they wouldn''t even be able to verify it. Yes, it was definitely better to just keep it to herself for now.


    They needed to focus on dealing with everything else that they were facing right now, which was much, and they would take each new hurdle as it came. This was not a hurdle right now. This was just a silly, very distant possibility. If the Moon Goddess knew what was best for everyone, she definitely would not give her and Graeme a baby. There was just no way.


    August nodded to herself in the dark and squeezed Graeme''s hand.

 Chapter 186 - Pivotal

    The next day, Augusty in bed looking up at the ceiling. The males had already gone to the pack house, and Greta had some house calls to do. She was also going to check in on the Be family to see if she could get more information about Livvy''s disappearance that the family would have given the council at the time.


    Graeme was having Charlotte and Sylvia in his office to discuss their level offort with bing official elders within the high ranks of the council before he proposed it to the full councilter in the day. As Alpha, his word was the deciding factor. The council members could debate and argue as much as they wanted, but they had no power to go against something he was set on.


    The Alpha having the ultimate say in any decision or policy or change that affected the pack was why having guardian elders was so important to their tradition. The elders gave wisdom and insight to help guide an Alpha in his decisions. Clearly, though, the current elders could not be trusted.


    August was nervous for him. Today would be the pivotal change for leadership in the pack, and Graeme didn''t seem entirely sure how the council would react. He realized that the elders did not want him to take leadership, but it was possible the rest of the council members would be supportive. Today would determine everything.


    She squeezed the teddy bear that Graeme had given her the night before¡ªthe one he retrieved from her bedroom in Maiden Rock. It was cute that he had thought to bring it. Now Bun-Bun had a friend.


    Last night Graeme also hung up the fairy lights that had been strung up on the wall in her old room. Fairy lights. August giggled. Who knew.


    Now the fairy lights graced the side wall of his parents'' bedroom that was opposite the master bathroom. She told him he didn''t have to hang them. They felt pretty juvenile¡ªlike something a teenage girl would use to decorate her bedroom, but he insisted. The wall had been empty anyway.


    Graeme was about to clip all the old pictures back between the lights like they had been in her room, but she told him she wanted to take new ones¡ªnew memories of their life together. That meant that today, before the pups lesson, she would have to retrieve her camera from where it had dropped in the woods when she confronted the fighting couple.


    Graeme wasn''t aware of her n to search for her camera. She knew he would only worry, and there were things she had to prove to herself¡ªlike the ability to walk through this pack on her own without fear of something happening. If she were really Luna and really a powerful fae, then she should be able to do at least that much. If she were meant to help him lead, then she couldn''t stay locked up and under watch forever.


    She put her teddy next to Bun-Bun on the bed so she could get ready. After dressing, she picked up the one photo she had kept out from the stash Graeme had brought with him¡ªa ck and white photo of her mom smiling at the camera.


    Her mom was standing next to their car in the drive way. They had just gotten back from grocery shopping or something. Usually August tried to get candid shots, but this time she told her mom to smile. It was the perfect photo, capturing even in ck and white the vivid light eyes and wild, wavy hair that was caught swirling in the wind.


    What was it about photos? August picked up her smiling mother and walked her over to the wall, clipping her between two of the fairy lights on the string¡ªthe only photo representing her previous life. She backed away, watching her mother''s smiling face grow smaller as she did.


    This was a day that was memorialized forever¡ªa moment with her mother that had been frozen in time. And it seemed to capture something of her spirit. Not all photos did that. August supposed that was what she was after when she took pictures. Somehow capturing the essence or spirit or aura or energy of a person before it could take flight into the next moment.


    Something of her mother lived in this photograph. Was it the light in her eyes? The genuine smile that curved on her lips? Was it theposition that brought her mother to life? It was hard to pinpoint. All those disparate elements could be broken down and analyzed, and if they were, the photo became only a collection of pieces. A structure that could be rebuilt to portray anyone''s face. But not the spirit within them. Not the essence of who they were. What was it that made this photo more than that?


    August stood there wondering these things until the photo in front of her became blurry, tears that had welled up spilling down her cheeks. Her mother was still out there. She would see her again. She would find a way to make this right.


    "I love you, mom," she whispered to the photo and turned to leave.


    Thankfully the market was close, because it was a chilly day. August had wornyers, preparing well for it. A green heavy weight full-length ruana that ra and Woody had given her was the finalyer, making her feel like a hobbit on a quest.


    The walk was peaceful and necessary. The fresh air filled her lungs and scattered all the pent-up worries on the wind. She left the hood of her ruana down, letting her hair fly free and whip around her. And soon she was skipping down the dirt road leading to the market.


    When she passed the pack house, she sent a prayer up for Graeme that things would go well today for him. Her mate was so strong and vital to this ce. Surely all the council members felt it and would help open the way forward for him to start making things right here.


    ******


    Oh no! We are falling behind in our goal to average 100 power stone votes a day for a 4 chapter mass release at the end of January.. If you have power stones to spare, consider voting for Graeme and August to get that mass release! And thank you to all you lovies who are voting, it means the world to me. <3

 Chapter 187 - That Light

    "I thought this would be a good ce to meet," Graeme was standing next to the ck map on the wall of Zoe''s conference room with the council members, Sam, Sylvia, and Charlotte all gathered.


    He looked fierce: dark eyes glinting with usation as he scanned the faces around him, hair tossedrge and wild around his bearded face like the mane of a lion, posture wide andmanding. And the aura that extended even further than his physical presence was every bit the Alpha he was born to be. There was something benevolent and yet threatening about being in the presence of an Alpha¡ªa maism that drew one in with trembling limbs, bent involuntarily in submission.


    But the council members here were not bent or trembling. Many of them stood with admiration and respect, finally able to behold the will of the Hallowell Alpha. Among them were the nine representatives, three from each area of the pack¡ªMeadowside, Lakeside, and Woodside¡ªall male, who had slightly bewildered and appreciative expressions. They had clearly never seen this room just as they had never seen the fully developed Alpha version of Graeme that was within it.


    "As you can see, this room has the required space. It was created to hold an impressive team of people¡ªthe head of which, a 14-year old named Zosime, is currently locked up below in our dungeon. Was the entirety of the council aware of this operation that plots alyko on a global map?"


    Andreas'' face was impassive as everyone but the elders looked around at each other. A small curve of Pearce''s top lip made it appear as if he would snarl an obscenity at any moment, but his reserved nature was keeping him in check.


    "The council members who represent their given areas of the pack congregate for pack matters and are put onmittees for pack matters. This is something much different," Andreas said in his most professional voice he could manage, although the edge in his tone was clear.


    "This does not concern the pack? The tracking of alyko?" Graeme asked, head tilting to the side in question.


    "It is much more than that," Andreas answered through gritted teeth.


    "Why would we not be aware of it at least?" a middle-aged male from Meadowside asked. "This appears to be a massive operation."


    "That is a great question James," Graeme replied, recognizing the male. "How often do issues revolving around the alykoe up during council meetings?"


    The members murmured amongst themselves while the elders shifted at the far side of the group. Andreas was openly ring at Graeme now.


    "It typically does note up, though since you arrived with your mate, we have heard more reminders from the elders about the danger of witches. The fear we should all have with one back in our pack. We have not had any here since your parents died," a short, balding male answered.


    Graeme nodded in response. This was as he expected, and it was a bit of a relief. At least the alyko files and map and Zoe''s team were not done with the blessings of the full council. The elders must have been concerned that it would not pass a vote or that there would be too much division about it within the pack once everyone learned of it.


    "Then this is something we must discuss together and at length. There is much happening within the pack that you are not aware of and that I have juste to learn. Our elders have taken a great deal of liberty in their decision making when ites to this subject specifically and with wide implications," Graeme exined.


    "It is simply because the witches are such a distinct threat. Security is paramount and unquestionable," Auden growled, the force of his words lifting him nearly off of his feet as his thin white hair flopped up and down against his forehead. "You are endangering our pack and lycan-kind simply by revealing this¡­" he continued before Andreas grabbed his shoulder and cut him off.


    "I am endangering our pack by revealing this to our own council members?" Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together. "Until we are able to discuss this matter and learn more of its details, its team, how long it has been going on, with whom it is shared, and whom within our pack has been affected by its surveince, I am shutting it down," he said with finality.


    "You would be making a grave mistake, son," Andreas replied.


    The word ''son'' made Graeme''s eyes go steely. By using it, Andreas was asserting a kind of innocent dominance that was meant to sound endearing. But it was for that effect only.


    "You are not to call me son, Elder Andreas," Graeme bit back. "You can exin to us all the depth of my mistake in your petition to resurrect this map." Graeme walked out into the hallway and called for the young lycan who was Zoe''s colleague.


    When Kai walked in, Pearce turned to him with his hands folded conservatively behind his back. "Kai, please tell us of the most recent event that urred on our map. I think it will illuminate the Alpha''s motivation today."


    Kai froze mid stride on his way to shut down the map feed as Graeme had instructed. This Alpha version of Graeme was intimidating, and his eyes darted to that intimidating presence in question. What was he to do? Listen to Elder Pearce or wait for some kind of approval ormand from the Alpha?


    As Kai fumbled internally for an answer, he be aware of the thirty eyes that were trained on him in surprise, expectation, concern, and confusion. This was not his ce¡ªhe should not be put on the spot like this. Zoe was always the one to answer questions and exin the map. Kai just kept his head down and did his job.


    "Yes, perhaps if our council members had a glimpse of what the map does, it would expedite the need for this discussion. I would prefer not disconnecting the map at all, so if we could have this discussion now¡­" Andreas added.


    "Do you have the team assembled for us to interview?" Graeme asked, gesturing with a hand toward the door.


    "No, but most of them could be gathered quickly enough. They have other jobs, you see. This is not a full-time duty for most," Andreas replied.


    "I would like to see what the map does," one member said, interest piqued now with how much contention seemed to surround therge ominous map disyed on the wall.


    "Me too," another member agreed, followed by a chorus of simr calls for demonstration.


    Behind Kai on the map, a light blinked to life on the western side of the U.S. before going dark.


    "What was that light? Did you see it?" one male asked, turning to the members around him as he pointed to the ce where the light had appeared.


    "I saw it, too," someone replied.


    Andreas walked to the center of the room next to Kai and turned to address them.


    "That light was a witch."

 Chapter 188 - Balanced

    "That light was a witch," Andreas spoke with a deep, resonant drama that Graeme was sure he had practiced.


    It hit just right, as the audible gasps from council members in the room indicated.


    "They light up like that?"


    "How?"


    "Why did it go out?"


    "Are there any near us?"


    Questions were humming, the council members curiosities truly piqued now as to what mysteries this map could reveal. Graeme questioned whether he should have just ripped the servers to shreds without telling anyone. The tide of energy seemed to have turned to benefit the elders at the moment.


    "This is why I wanted you all aware of it and why we must have a formal meeting with all of the details revolving around the map project. It has been going on in the shadows, and the elders have much to answer for," Graeme''s voice rose, ushering the voices of all the others into silence.


    "Our very recently returned Alpha is right. You all deserve details. But I would present to you my belief that he wishes to turn this off simply because it has revealed to us when his mate of questionable affiliation uses her abilities," Andreas countered to receive a warning growl from Graeme. "I am sure you heard that she was able to restrict the air and keep two of our pack members from breathing just a few days ago outside the market," he added.


    Eyes widened with fear and disbelief as hushed murmurs circted amongst the council members. To the side, Sylvia and Charlotte silently watched this group of males whispering amongst themselves like gossiping pups.


    "I believe what our Alpha is concerned about, Andreas," Charlotte interrupted in her rich voice as she stepped forward to challenge his central position in the room, "is that this map is being used tomit atrocities simr to what urred in our pack not that long ago. And without due process."


    Themanding essence of Charlotte had everyone hushed again, regarding the regal way her gown flowed behind her and her coarse hair twisted around her like a crown. One from outside the pack might step into this room and believe her a queen to these people. Her chin was high, back straight, gaze unwavering as she challenged Andreas with her truth¡ªa truth that included the death of her sister and mother, two alyko from within this pack who were not allowed a defense in the silent verdict that came down upon them, judging them guilty of conspiring against the Alpha and Luna with no evidence. They were killed by the elders'' orders. They were killed by the three males in this room who dared think themselves wise in the prejudice they upheld.


    "Your Luna and this map are two separate issues," Charlotte turned to address the room. "Do not confuse them."


    Graeme nodded to Kai to shut it down.


    "This is outrageous, Andreas. We need answers about this immediately," one of the males eximed.


    "I agree," Andreas growled, watching Kai follow the Alpha''s orders. "We will get the team here and discuss it as quickly as possible this week."


    "Members," Graeme boomed, bringing the attention back to him as the map blinked off. "As you have already noticed, Charlotte Demeter and Sylvia Wilde are here to help bnce my elder guidance. The elder guardians exist to help the Alpha make wise and fair decisions that reflect our traditions and histories, but that guidance is meant to be varied and diverse."


    Graeme continued: "The current elders have been working together unanimously in my absence and with Head Elder Andreas enjoying increasing dominance among them. Now that I am returned, resorting back to the traditional Elder-Alpha rtionships is vital and yet unattainable currently. Charlotte and Sylvia will help bnce that. I will also be seeking one more elder female if any of you would like to put forth nominations."


    "This is quite without precedent¡­" Pearce began.


    "Everything about our current situation is without precedent," Graeme interrupted. "No Alpha and Luna have ever been simultaneously murdered in our pack prior to my parents. No alyko have ever been rounded up in our pack and exterminated in mass, at least not that I am aware of," he grumbled thest part before continuing.


    "And no Alpha has ever abdicated his role. This is all without precedent. I am here to get us back on track. This is how we do it. And this is not up for discussion. Charlotte and Sylvia are in." The depth and finality of his voice rumbled in vibrations on the air that made everyone''s hair stand on end by the time he had finished speaking. This was their Alpha. There was no denying it.


    Some of the council members nodded, eyes gleaming at the authority they felt from him. Finally. Their Alpha. It was a relief¡ªa reason to breathe easier. They could trust his lead.


    Others shifted ufortably, eyes darting to where the map had been disyed, the words Pearce spoke about thetest ''event'' that Graeme didn''t want them aware of echoing. This was undeniably their Alpha, but was the new alyko truly meant to be their Luna? Was she not dangerous?


    But not one of the members spoke against him.


    "You should bring your mate in. Why is she not here now?" Andreas asked, splintering the silence. "Is it not tradition to have the Luna involved in council meetings?"


    "She is new to this. I didn''t want to overwhelm her with the first meeting when there is much to sort out," Graeme replied.


    "Was it also because she was meant to be brought in for her actions the other day? You are protecting her," Pearce spoke calmly, though the usation was clear.


    "Yes, I am protecting her. She was attacked that day. She was defending herself," Graeme growled.


    "Perhaps she is not truly your mate, and that is why you are protecting her. What witch has ever been a Luna?" Auden hissed venomously.


    Graeme lunged without warning, scattering the males around him as they watched him cage Auden against one of the tables by his throat. Theputer that had been there mored to the floor as Auden gasped, wing at the arm that was cutting off his air.


    "Don''t ever disrespect my mate," he snarled and before Auden even had a chance to register what was happening, Graeme tore his head from his body, sttering Auden''s blood all over the white table and floor of the pristine room.


    Graeme stood, letting Auden''s body slump to the floor in front of him with a sickening thud. Everyone else in the room stood motionless, eyes and mouths wide¡ªeven Pearce and Andreas behind him.


    "I no longer need nominations for another female elder.. The elders are bnced," he growled and stalked out of the room.

 Chapter 189 - Trust The Moon

    "I just needed to hear your voice," Graeme sighed into his cell, raking a hand through his hair.


    He was back in his office, sitting at his father''s desk.


    "Are you okay, Bun?" August asked on the other end. It sounded like she was panting lightly.


    "Yeah, I''m okay. Where are you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing into the empty space in front of him.


    "Uh, I''m in the market. I have to find my camera. I dropped it somewhere in the woods the other day," she admitted, chuckling and biting her bottom lip.


    Graeme groaned. "Are you okay? You walked there?"


    "Yeah! It''s not far. I''m going to be fine, I promise," she replied.


    "It''s not the nicest of days today," he remarked, looking out the windows of his office at the grey chilly day. He imagined her walking all the way from his parents'' house to the market in this. She had to be cold.


    "I bundled up. Don''t worry about me, okay? You have a lot going on there today. I just want to grab my camera and the little stic toy camera Sage was using, and then I''ll go home until the pup''s lesson," she assured him.


    Her voice was so soothing, calming the spiked edges that had erupted in his chest with Auden. It was a relief that ignorant male was gone. But he wondered if he told August about it, how she would feel. She wasn''t used to that kind of violence. Eventually she would learn about his nature¡ªabout how easy it was for him to just end someone like that. Like how he did to those two bastards from her past. He wasn''t sure how she would feel about that either.


    "Graeme?" her voice brought him back to himself. Back to her. "Are you sure you''re okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m okay now. Thanks, Moon. Be careful and call me if anything happens, okay?" he replied, ncing to the door of his office as Sylvia, Charlotte, and Sam walked in.


    "I will. Love you, buddy," August replied before they ended the call.


    "Did you tell her?" Sam''s eyebrows shot up, amused at his own question.


    "No," Graeme grumbled, tossing the phone on his desk.


    "I understand why you did that, Graeme. I do. And I don''t necessarily disagree. But¡­" Sylvia began, walking to a chair and sitting down. "Do you think it''s possible that the council members will be more suspicious about our Luna now? You silenced his dissension."


    "No one questions mate bonds," Graeme growled. "Questioning mine just because she isn''t lycan will not be tolerated. I don''t care how it looks."


    Sylvia crossed her legs and looked at him the way he imagined his mother would have¡ªin a way that suggested he think about what he just said.


    "You are different, Alpha. Others will question you," she responded gently. "Your decisions affect everyone."


    "The mate bond is not a decision," he argued, allowing his arm to fall heavily on his desk.


    "You could have rejected her and stayed away," Sylvia pointed out.


    "Is that what I should have done?" Graeme red at her now.


    "You are changing the subject, my dear. Of course I don''t believe that. But it was a decision that you made. You followed the calling of your soul. Youpleted the bond that the Moon Goddess gave you. I am simply saying that others may question that decision if they fear how it affects them."


    "Sylvia is right, Graeme," Charlotte approached the desk. "You must be prepared for how you will react the next time it is questioned."


    React. React. He had reacted without thinking of the long term. It took him back to what August''s tree guardian had advised him when he was with her. The leadership for this pack needed more than that from him. But honestly, he couldn''t regret what he did to Auden. Perhaps it would make others less likely to spew their ignorant, hateful opinions about the alyko or about his mate in the future.


    "I value your opinions. That is why I brought you here, thank you," he replied genuinely. "And thank you for agreeing to advise me in matters like this. So what do I do now?"


    "You need to prepare your response to Andreas'' argument for the map," Sylvia suggested.


    "And they need to meet your Luna," Charlotte added. "She was brought here for a purpose. They will see it. You cannot protect her from them forever, for it is them who also need her."


    He nodded. "You are right."


    "What would convince them that she is our Luna and not an imposter of some kind? That she is an alyko who can be trusted?" Sam asked.


    They all looked around at each other, considering it.


    "She is the Moon Goddess'' choice for us. It should be apparent to them. Just as Graeme was certain she was his mate when he found her running through the forest, they will realize with certainty that she is their Luna," Charlotte answered.


    "Is it really that simple?" Sam asked, running a hand down his beard.


    "Don''t you believe she is your Luna, Samuel?" Charlotte questioned to which he nodded in response. "And how did youe to that realization?"


    "I suppose it was seeing them together for the first time. The way Graeme acts around her is like nothing I have ever seen from him before, and I''ve known him his whole life," he replied honestly.


    "And do you believe it is possible that the special abilities, the power to create enchantments that the alyko possess could be responsible for Graeme''s feelings about this female rather than the mate pull that is divinely created?" Charlotte asked.


    Graeme''s fingers curled on the desk in front of him. He was so tired of this. Would he and August always have to face this scrutiny? Just because she was alyko or fae or whatever the hell she was without a wolf?


    "I am only asking, Graeme, because it is what will be going through some of their minds. The distrust of the alyko is that strong. Some believe that these so-called ''witches'' possess the ability to do anything, even mimic a mate-pull or mate bond," Charlotte spoke, realizing the tension that had been created in her Alpha.


    "I don''t believe that, because I don''t feel that way about the alyko. I never have," Sam replied. "I haven''t witnessed an alyko be devious in that way. They were always kind."


    "But some of our council and pack members do believe they are capable of it," Sylvia spoke to her son. "What would they think? That is what we need to anticipate."


    "How do we convince anyone who is prejudice against them?" Graeme growled.


    "We have to trust that the Moon will lead them," Charlotte said reverently, "And us."

 Chapter 190 - Dormant Feelings

    "Sam, can you do me a favor?" Graeme asked.


    "Of course," he replied, standing a little straighter in response to Graeme''s question.


    "August is in the market alone. She''s looking for something she lostst time she was there. I don''t want to doubt that she will be okay on her own with the pack, but I don''t want to be wrong either. Especially right now in the wake of dispatching Auden. Any immediate issues would obviouslyplicate things," he exined to his Beta.


    "I will make sure she is safe, Alpha," Sam replied with a small smile, understanding what Graeme was wanting of him.


    "Thank you, Beta," Graeme chuckled at the use of formal titles and nodded as Sam left Graeme with Sylvia and Charlotte.


    "I truly appreciate you bothing today and agreeing to be two of my advising elders. It''s clear already how right of a choice it is. You have helped me tremendously," Graeme stood from behind the desk and walked around to the front to more casually sit on its edge.


    "Your father used to sit on his desk like that," Sylvia chuckled, the fondness of this young male clear in her eyes. She had known him since his birth. Today, to be in his office¡ªa chosen elder to advise him¡ªand to be able to fully appreciate the male he has bing, it was a gift.


    Graeme''s expression softened with the memory Sylvia recalled, and he nced down at the way his body was positioned. He had been in this office and seen his father sit just like this, although he had forgotten it until now. Those memories had been obscuredter by the cold atmosphere of this office when it was upied by Andreas.


    That was a torturous period of time between his parents'' deaths and his departure from the pack. The lessons. The training. The cold disappointment in the eyes of the elders that followed him everywhere¡ªwith every task. He was nothingpared to his father, and they made him always aware of it.


    And the memories of his father¡­ the way hemanded a room with only his breath. The honor and respect that ran through his veins and had Graeme always in awe of him as a pup. His father was like the sun with every face turning toward him, following him, in awe.


    Graeme had realized, especially after Violet had gotten pregnant¡ªa female whom he felt to his bones was not his mate¡ªthat he could never live up to his father. And the guilt¡ªthe guilt of all the alyko being killed¡ªit weighed on him and only got heavier with time.


    The guilt he had constantly carried all those years had still only recently been relieved after meeting August. That night she had reached past the threshold of his skin and stolen something from his heart¡­ that night had changed him¡ªas did every day and night now that he had spent with his mate¡ªand now Graeme was empowered to be the male he was intended to be. The male sitting here on the corner of his desk in the same position his father used to.


    But being here even now, there was still that lingering fear that had been instilled after his father''s death that he could never live up to the position that wasst Derek Hallowell''s.


    "You are not your father," Charlotte echoed his thoughts, somehow aware of what had suddenlye to trouble him. The delicate, paper thin skin of her hand was resting on his shoulder. "It is true. But then you were never meant to be him, were you?"


    Graeme dropped his eyes to the floor, eyebrows threaded considering this. He had always thought he was to be the male his father had been, and that seemed to be the expectation that was silently ced upon him by the elders during his training. It was an unfair standard, one that could never be achieved. Because he was not Derek Hallowell. He was himself.


    "Your father was the right male for his time. Just as you are the right male for this one, Graeme Hallowell. The Moon Goddess does not make mistakes. Allow yourself to feel this to the fullest and wee it. Be at peace, Alpha," Charlotte''sst words were gentle and reassuring. He didn''t know until now how badly he had needed to hear them. And hearing them from her¡ªit was as if a final burden had been lifted.


    Graeme exhaled heavily and offered the elder female a genuine smile as repayment for her words. "Thank you, Charlotte. Genuinely, thank you."


    He stood and returned behind his desk, flipping a few papers there.


    "Now, would you both prefer not being present for the day-to-day activities of the council? Sylvia mentioned thisst night, and I understand. I don''t want to be greedy with your time. I can always call on you when needed or let you know the schedule for meetings in which your presence would be most wee."


    He found the sketch he was seeking¡ªone he had asked August to make for himst night before they went to bed.


    "Alternatively," he said, spinning the sketch around so that it faced the two females who approached, "I could have a much less ustrophobic space created for you here in the pack house. One that retains the sophistication and respect of your positions and yet is more aligned with what you both value. And one that serves an evenrger purpose."


    "And what is that, Alpha?" Sylvia asked, eyes glinting with surprise.


    "Greta hasmented in the past about how the pack housecks a space weing of our females and pups who are in need of more support. Whether they have lost mates or families or have been brought in as strays¡­ there should be a ce for them here that is specific to their needs. Where they feel embraced by the warmth and affection of family. That is what our pack is, after all. That is what I want for it," he exined, pointing on the sketch to some of the spaces he and August had imagined creating that would offer these things.


    Charlotte and Sylvia both looked positively shocked as they huddled over the drawing.


    "It is a crude sketch that my mate helped me with at thest minute, and we can change it as you wish. I think we can clear some of these existing offices in the central area of the pack house and build up from there. A ce that is open to the sky¡ªletting in the light and the stars at night¡ªand withfortable areas for females and pups to stay if needed. We can arrange all of this¡­" he stopped abruptly when he realized Sylvia''s chest was heaving with quiet sobs¡ªa palm covering her mouth to keep the sounds from escaping. But when Charlotte approached her with aforting hand on her arm, the sobs broke free, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the gush of tears, wrapping one arm tightly around herself while the other stayed mped against her mouth.


    "Sylvia," Graeme inhaled, rounding the desk once again. "I am so sorry. Have I said something?"


    She unwrapped her arms from around herself and aggressively embraced him, sobbing now into his shoulder like a pup. He stood stunned for a moment, arms out to the side, until it urred to him what was happening. This n had touched her deeply on a personal level.


    He sighed tormentedly, realizing how much she had needed something like this when she lost her mate. "I''m sorry I wasn''t here for you," he said, embracing her and letting her empty all of those dormant feelings into this moment. "As your Alpha, I should have been here. You were not taken care of as you should have been."


    She silently shook her head against him in protest to his words but grasped him tighter, crumpling the back of his shirt in her hands.

 Chapter 191 - Heart Of The Market

    August entered the market after hanging up with Graeme. She was relieved that he knew where she was. Somehow it felt like a betrayal to not have given him a heads-up to begin with.


    The colors of the vendor tents and their goods were vibrant against the dull grey sky. This was so much better than being at home. There was an energy here with everyone walking around and visiting that gave the ce a kind of glow that would exist in any weather. It was like visiting the heart of the pack¡ªreliably beating, weing you in, bringing life to the inhabitants.


    But as soon as August entered into the heart proper and began passing people, something unexpected happened. Every male, female and pup that she passed sent what felt like little bolts of lightening straight into her chest. She froze, eyes going wide as the sensations started lighting her up.


    It was like her soul wasposed of a peculiar form of static, attracting an acknowledgment or an affiliation with each soul that she passed. Soon she realized that the pack members seemed to be aware of this as well, as they each whirled around to face her in turn, eyes going wide in wonderment or fear or simply surprise.


    Perhaps it was not wise toe here alone after all. She didn''t imagine getting this kind of enhanced attention from every single one of them, and she didn''t know how to soothe them or¡­ or exin. It was not something she was consciously doing or could turn off.


    She turned around in a slow circle, the green ruana she was wearing flowing into a circle at her ankles. Everyone was staring at her now. There was no more friendly visiting, no more movement in the heart. Instead, it was this static electrifying the space around her, connecting her to all of them.


    And she felt them. She felt all of them. The pain of the pup who had just sprained his toe and was whimpering next to his mother who was irritated that he hadn''t listened to her to begin with. The frenzy of excitement from a pack of young pups who had congregated with their new wooden trinkets. The fear that was scattered amongst some of the juveniles and adults when they realized the connection she was manifesting with them. The hatred from a few grown males and females, their faces scrunching in disgust as they backed away¡ªwishing to separate themselves from whatever unexpected involuntary union was happening. And the joy weing her. The giddy, indescribable joy that was bubbling to the surface between them, bright and vivid and overwhelming.


    Her bottom lip dropped open, blue eyes welling as the Veiled came to her eyes without any effort. There was a breathtaking gxy of energy uniting them like nothing she had witnessed before, dancing and spinning around them in glistening perfection. This was her pack, her family. She wanted to embrace each one of them¡ªthey were all so beautiful,posed of light and energy, separate and yet connected, and somehow all connected to her at the center.


    Just as the love and joy brimmed so high that she thought she might burst from the feeling of all of their souls connecting to hers, the male and female that she recognized all too well as the fighting mates from the woods cut through the crowd, slicing into the orbit and scattering its energy.


    "What are you ying at witch?" the male snarled. "Leave us alone before you hurt someone else!"


    "W-what? I''m s-so sorry, I¡­" she shook her head, wanting to exin to them. Wanting them to understand. "I never intended to hurt anyone."


    "Luna!" a small voice called from behind the crowd that had gathered. "Luna!" it repeated, and slowly, the crowd started to part to make way for the one who it belonged to.


    A panting Sage threw his green scarf back across his shoulder as he ran the rest of the way to her, jet ck curls bouncing against his shoulders as he raised an arm above his head to present his stic camera. "I found our cameras, Luna!" Her digital camera was hanging around his neck, swinging heavily against him as he ran.


    She watched him approach, speechless. How did he know? How did this pup know to retrieve them and that she needed an ally at this very moment?


    When he reached her, he took the digital camera off and handed it to her before turning to face the male who had confronted her. Small, soft pants came from him as he stared the male down with his wide, innocent eyes.


    "You threw me against a tree. Luna was protecting me," his small voice said unwaveringly as he blocked the space between this male and August.


    Even as a snarl curled his lip, the male visibly deted just the tiniest bit in the face of this pup''s truth.


    "What''s going on?" a deepmanding growl fractured the crowd a third time as Sam stalked forward.


    The beautiful orbit of energy had fallen like spring petals from a tree, and everyone gathered stood awkwardly, wondering what all of this had been about in the first ce.


    The abusive male rxed his aggressive stance as Sam advanced to stand in front of Sage, blocking both August and the pup from the venom that had been spilled, thick and poisonous in the air. August reached down and grabbed Sage''s hand, squeezing it gently in thanks for his help at just the right moment. He truly was a guardian, wasn''t he?


    "Samuel," the male grunted and adjusted his shirt in front of him.


    "Terach," Sam replied with threatening condescension. "Strike any more pups or females, including your mate, and you will wish you were dealing with our Luna next time. I can assure you of that."


    Terach''s jaw and fists clenched in unison as he watched Sam circle around to face August this time, raising an arm to lead the way for August and Sage out of the market.


    "I apologize Luna," Sam said, bowing his head slightly as he waited to follow her out of the crowd. Over Sam''s shoulder, August caught Terach''s troubled, dark eyes. His female grabbed his shoulder in an attempt atfort and he shrugged her off before stalking away.


    ******


    Let''s grow G and A''s story in Power Stone votes! If we can average 100 PS votes a day for one week, I will do 4 chappies mass release at the end of January.. The goal is to finally get LMSF to rank within the top 200 books on WN in PS votes by February! Every vote helps, my little wolves. <3

 Chapter 192 - Weeks

    August had been working on paper mache masks with the pups for the uing Samhain celebration for a few weeks now, and they were having a st. The festival was less than a week away, and the excitement leading up to the event was drawing in more pups to art lessons than usual. August even had a few pups from other areas of the pack when word got around about what they were working on.


    Lily had even started attending, which was such a relief to Greta, who had truly begun to worry for her. August took extra care to attend to Lily and help with her project, which was a rabbit mask.


    "You know who loves rabbits and even has a stuffed rabbit at home?" August whispered confidentially to Lily one afternoon when they wereyering the gooey strips of paper onto the long ears of Lily''s mask.


    "Who?" Lily''s eyes had turned wide to the question. It wasn''tmon for lycans¡ªeven lycan pups¡ªto have an affection for rabbits. The small, dainty animals were prey. They were food. Not something to be adored or cuddled.


    "Alpha," August''s answer was even more of a hushed whisper as she held her hand up and bent low near Lily''s ear. "Don''t tell anyone, though. It''s our secret." They both giggled, and Lily had a smile on her face the rest of the day imagining the big, intimidating Alpha carrying around a stuffed rabbit.


    Greta hadn''t gotten anywhere with the details from the Bet family about Livvy''s disappearance. It seemed like the pup had quite literally disappeared into thin air, which was hard to do with so many siblings constantly surrounding her.


    Graeme was dealing with his own difficulties in advancing toward uncovering the mystery within the council. August wasn''t sure exactly what was happening, but he had be increasingly stressed and distant.


    After his first day at the council, he asked if she woulde to the pack house and meet the council members, and she readily agreed. But then he didn''t bring it up again. And she didn''t have much of a chance to talk with him about it. He was getting hometer andter, and he and Sam were always busy discussing what had happened during the day. August had the increasing feeling that he was intentionally shutting her out, but she didn''t know how to address it. This was his pack, and the transition to Alpha was obviously a difficult one.


    She was beginning to wonder if it had to do with how she reacted to his news about Auden. He told her about how he had dealt with Auden''s disrespect the first day, and she probably hadn''t reacted as well as she could have. But honestly, she was horrified. Her mate whom she adored, who was the twin me of her soul, had ended someone''s life with such little hesitation. She couldn''t understand it.


    Perhaps this was why Graeme didn''t discuss much with her after that. Instead, she often ended up shutting herself in the bedroom with a sketchbook and falling asleep before he eventually came to bed. It had only been a few weeks like this, but it felt like an eternity. The silent space that yawned between them was bing excruciating.


    It was only the pups'' art lessons and the uing festival that kept her hopeful and looking forward to something.


    With even Sylvia and Charlotte busy at the pack house these past weeks, August found that she had be dependent on the pups for much of her socialization. After the confrontation in the market, August had avoided even going there¡ªworried about confusing the pack members if something simr urred.


    Sylvia assured her that the connection she had felt with the members that day had something to do with being a Luna, but when August asked Graeme and Greta about this, they couldn''t confirm that simr feelings had ever been experienced by their mother or any previous Luna. It was yet another oddity that came with August''s presence.


    The one individual who had be increasingly prevalent was the peculiar crow that hopped around her when she was alone, clucking for attention or staring with intense blue eyes from a nearby perch. It seemed present so often now that she was no longer surprised when she would walk out the back door to the porch on a grey, misty morning and find it waiting there for her. August had taken to carrying around bread crumbs and popcorn, dropping little piles for her feathered friend before carrying on with her day.


    It was one such morning when Greta had left to attend to her healer obligations and the males were already at the council that August sat troubled with her thoughts on the back porch. How could she help her mate? He was bing more and more closed off, as if he was frustrated by not being able to clear the way for their joint leadership more efficiently.


    And he wasn''t relying on her. He wasn''t confiding in her. It was bing painful if only by the way it was stifling their bond. They were physically and emotionally distant, and she felt so alone. She couldn''t go to the pack and be amongst them. And¡­ she couldn''t go home.


    This final thought had her finally giving into the tears that had been threatening to take over for days now. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. No one to be important to.


    Her phone buzzed on the patio table, but she ignored it. It was Graeme of course. He felt her like he always did, but all she could do was just assure him that she was fine. She was physically fine. It wasn''t a lie. It wasn''t anything physical.


    The crow swooped down by her phone and clucked, pecking at her phone with its beak.


    "I should text him back, should I?" she chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes and grudgingly leaning forward to retrieve the phone.


    ''Are you okay, August?'' the text read. No nicknames. He was irritated, she could feel it, and it made a fresh wave of tears crest and spill over.


    ''Yes, I''m okay Graeme.'' She sent back. Now he didn''t have to worry about her.. He could carry on with his day.

 Chapter 193 - Following The Crow Again

    It was selfish to feel his way. To want more of him when he was dealing with so much. To be included. Or was it? It hadn''t been that long ago when he told her he would always have time for her regardless of how busy he was. Now she would wake up to find that he hade to bed and was turned away from her, facing the other wall¡ªjust his back lightly brushing hers.


    "What do I do?" August''s question directed to the crow was watery and desperate. "He won''t talk to me. How do I help him?"


    The crow stayed on the patio table facing her, one eye trained on her as its head tiltedically.


    She chuckled and wiped tears off her cheeks. "Do you know? I feel like you would."


    The crow continued to watch her for several moments as if it was thinking seriously about the question she had posed. Finally August sighed and waved her hand.


    "I''m sorry. It''s a heavy question for such a sweet bird. Hopefully something will improve soon," she sighed and raised her eyes to the trees. There were still leaves that had yet to fall, but soon they would and the forest would be eerily bare during the cold dark months ahead.


    The crow clucked and ruffled its feathers, pping them and then allowing them to settle in an attempt to gain her attention.


    "What is it?" she tilted her head and pulled the ruana closer around her shoulders.


    It clucked again and dove off of the table, alighting on the ground below before hopping away into the yard. It stopped and turned back to her, tilting its head with one blue eye staring.


    "You seriously want me to follow you again? I''m not so sure that''s a good idea. Last time I fell into a creek. And then we narrowly escaped¡­ something," she recalled in objection, though as she did she stood and walked hesitantly its way.


    It clucked again and hopped further before stopping to wait for her.


    "Oh Goddess, I must be crazy," August murmured to herself as she continued following the crow across the yard and down through the trees that led to the pack house.


    As she walked, those familiar strange pulling sensations across her abdomen that had been happening for days now had her eyes tearing up again. It wasn''t a painful feeling, it was just¡­ peculiar. They were bing more frequent, but she had tried to ignore them. She had a feeling she knew what they meant. They meant that Sh was right after all, but the problem with that was that she didn''t know what to do about it. Things weren''t exactly great right now. How could she justy news like that on her mate?


    The ground was slippery, and she hadn''t worn the best shoes for this. She had walked out to the back porch not expecting to go anywhere, much less on a hike following the crow through the woods again.


    "Can I really trust you?" she mumbled out into the fall air between her and the bird, who was repeating its pattern of hopping a few yards and waiting until she got closer to hop further.


    It clucked something that sounded more like "I don''t know," than an affirmation of any kind.


    "You know, as great of amunicator as you are, you would think you would have reminded me to bring my phone," her usation hung in the silence between the trees. "Sage is busy with friends today, so he isn''ting to my rescue this time. Don''t get me in trouble," she grumbled.


    The crow suddenly took flight and dove for her, causing her to stumble backward in fright. But it perched on her shoulder and pecked at her hair until she straightened again and sighed, letting the small panic turn calm again and even out her breaths.


    "Okay, what now?" she asked.


    ck wings tore away from her and soared through the remaining trees where she lost track of them. She walked through the soggy underbrush and found herself face-to-face with the door to the prison under the pack house.


    "You have got to be kidding me," she scoffed, turning her gaze usingly to the ck bird that was waiting patiently at the foot of the door. "Who else is down there besides Zoe? Because I can tell you right now, I have no interest in talking to her. Unless you are suggesting that I go lock myself in."


    The crow clucked, tilting its head and raising its wings in a way that looked an awful lot like a shrug before unceremoniously flying away.


    August exhaled deeply and stared at the door. Thest time she saw it was when her and Graeme hade to look for Greta and Sam. That had not been the most pleasant experience, and she wasn''t eager to repeat it.


    "What the hell," she grumbled and trudged forward, opening the heavy door and peering into the darkened stone pathway leading down into the underbelly of the pack house.


    The way down seemed much longer than when she had gone this way with Graeme. It got colder the further down she went, running her hands along the wall to steady herself since there was not much light and the stairway was steep and curving in odd directions.


    When her feet finally found arger, wider expanse of stone that seemed to indicate an end to the stairs, she gripped the ruana around herself and stood rethinking this whole idea all over again. A few distant torches were perched on the walls of the hallway ahead.


    She took another deep breath, this time willing into herself the confidence of a Luna¡ªof her ce in thisnd. She wasn''t just a lost and scared human wandering into the dark. She was the Alpha''s mate. She was a powerful fae. A dark dungeon under the pack house where her mate was currently working was nothing to be afraid of.


    As she started walking, she became aware that there were several upied cells this time around. Previously, she didn''t recall anyone being down here except Greta and Sam. She heard the prisoners shuffling around and grumbling to themselves, chains nking. One male growled viciously as she passed, causing her to jump away from the solid door that had only the smallest barred window near the top and a small opening at the bottom through which to slide food.


    When she found the area where Greta and Sam had been kept, she peered through the food openings but found the cells to be empty. Graeme had mentioned Zoe was still down here, but he didn''t say anything about her being moved. August turned around and scanned the rest of the hallway, eyes squinting into the darkness. Further down, she saw what looked like a small portable heater ced on the floor pointed toward one of the doors.


    She approached the cell quietly, stopping at the door to listen for any sounds. She heard none.


    "Zoe?" she called softly.

 Chapter 194 - [Bonus ]What Else Do We Have

    "Samhain is nearly here. Don''t you think it''s time to bring your mate to meet the council members? They will meet her there whether you are prepared for it or not," Sylvia stood in Graeme''s office, arms folded.


    Graeme sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He had intended to bring August here weeks ago, but then Andreas and Pearce had dumped copies of the entirety of the horrific alyko tales on each individual council member''s desk. They had been prepared to plead their case, to say the least.


    That day, the council voted to reinstate the map and a fierce revival of old fears had begun as eyes were glued to it. The council members were obsessed.


    After August had gone to the market that day¡ªthe same day that Graeme had killed Auden¡ªthe pack was in silent upheaval. Council members returned to their areas with stories of what they had read about the alyko in the pack house¡ªndestine information gathered from the elders'' alyko team that had been working in the shadows for years to protect the pack from infiltrating witches. And now that the Alpha had returned to im power with his alyko Luna, the elders had deemed it prudent to share the information they had gathered. Ast-ditch effort to protect the pack from the witches who were obviously bent on revenge. That was the narrative. And Graeme didn''t know how to stop it.


    It hadn''t helped that Graeme had killed Auden and the council members were allowed to carry that gruesome story to their constituents as well. Graeme was pissed that he was in a position to actually start regretting that action. That ignorant little shit deserved what he got.


    And how could he tell his mate any of this? How could he bring her here to let the vultures peck away at her piece by piece? He knew that she was hurt that he hadn''t included her yet, but he couldn''t allow them to do that to her. He was protecting her the only way he knew how. But now Samhain was speedily approaching, and there wasn''t much time left to try to figure this whole bloody mess out.


    "You are not trusting her. You are not trusting yourself," Charlotte''s gentle voice came now, and he shifted his head from the burrow of his protective hands to rest instead on his fists as he gazed at both of the females who had so graciously agreed to see him through problems like this.


    It was always going to be a rocky start. This was no surprise.


    "Okay," he nodded before mping his mouth shut again. His eyes ran along the coarse woodgrain of the rustic desk before him, seeking answers. Seeking his truth. "That will be all for today. I thank you both."


    The gazes of both females lingered before they btedly departed. He did not meet their eyes. He couldn''t.


    "Have we been able to find anyone willing to negate the written ounts of the alyko?" Graeme asked his Beta who was seated across from him.


    "There are a few whose names are recorded who deny the stories attributed to them and their packs, but they are both international. It will take some time before they are able to leave their packs to offer the in-person testimony the council requests," Sam answered.


    "Honestly, I can''t see it mattering anyway. What are two voices from remote, unknown packs against the elders here?" Graeme grumbled, running a hand down his beard.


    He was touching his face a lot these days, he realized. Perhaps it was forfort. Perhaps it was a symptom of how little he had been findingfort with his mate.


    He was avoiding her. It pained him, but he was simply¡­ afraid. And he was ashamed of that fear. He didn''t wish for her to see it in his eyes or feel it in their bond. She was undeserving of it. How could he let her down in this way? She deserved so much more than this. She deserved a pack who was proud of her. A mate who could prove her worth to all. Why was he left fumbling around like this, blindly seeking his way? It felt like a repeat of the past was looming ever so closely, and that was the most terrifying thought of all. His heart shuddered to imagine it. If he lost her¡­ if he failed the alyko again¡­


    There had to be another way to uncover what the elders had been up to all these years¡­ to show to the pack how the elders had worked against them¡ªagainst all of them¡ªrather than this narrative of the elders ceaselessly working for their protection.


    "Finn called and said he has a location on Violet. He was supposed to connect with her today. If he can convince her to return, they should be back close to the time of the festival," Sam reported.


    "Was it wise to send Finn? I''m still not sure," Graeme replied gruffly.


    "He realizes it was a ruse, and there is no benefit for Violet to maintain it. Maybe she feels guilty and will return to help us," Sam suggested.


    Graeme groaned. "I''m not staking any hope on it. What else do we have?"


    Sam evaluated the notes in front of him. "Uh, aside from Penelope appearing with some kind of earth-shattering revtion? We have Zoe and her team, the rest of which have still been conveniently absent aside from Kai."


    "It''s not like the elders can keep all of this from imploding on them forever. Don''t you get the feeling that they are simply biding their time?" Graeme slumped behind his desk.


    "Definitely," Sam replied without hesitation. "And we are left spinning our wheels while they do."


    "They have something up their sleeves yet that we don''t seeing. How do we prepare ourselves for it?" Graeme thought aloud.


    "Protection. For you and your mate," Sam offered.


    "That hardly matters if it is pack opinion that they are weaponizing. It''s the pack we are here for. It''s the pack we want to help," Graeme huffed, frustrated. "Why can''t they see that?"


    "Who? The pack members?" Sam asked for Graeme to nod in response. "How do you know that they can''t? You haven''t trusted them with it. You assume what everyone is telling you about what they believe and how they are feeling. Admit it, you are scared brother."


    Graeme shot a re at his Beta, but it had no weight behind it.. Because Sam was right.

 Chapter 195 - A Deal

    "Zoe?" August called softly into the damp air.


    There was faint rustling inside the cell room, and August dropped to the ground to look through the food door. Two wide, terrified eyes glinted back at her, nestled under a nket on a cot raised off of the cold stone floor. It looked like a mouse or a rat was hiding in that pile of nkets.


    "Zoe? Is that you?" August called again, wondering why she was doing this. But now her curiosity had taken hold, and she had to know what Zoe was up to in here. How she was doing, how she was being treated. Why she was the way that she was¡ªso different and eerily, creepily intelligent and detached.


    "Eliade?" a croaky voice called out in response, muffled by the nkets.


    "Uh, yes. I am from Eliade. August, remember?"


    It was cold being pressed against this floor, and August sighed. If she weren''t quite likely pregnant, a reality that was bloomingrger in her mind with every passing day that she had little else to entertain herself with, she would possibly consider passing through the cell door again just so she didn''t have to deal with the difort that this position caused.


    But who knew if passing through physical objects affected a fetus. The question almost had her chucking out loud. Literally, who would even know the answer to such a ridiculous question? She would likely have to return to her cryptic fae tree guardian to get that answer, and she didn''t even know how to do that.


    "I remember," Zoe croaked, and she slumped off the cot onto the floor before crawling to the opening right in front of August, her dark hair greasy and matted together and her eyes haunted.


    "Goddess," August gasped, seeing Zoe like this. It was like another person entirely.


    "Your eyes are blue," Zoe mumbled in a gravelly voice.


    "Yes," August whispered. Why had the crow suggested shee here? What was the intention? She looked back and forth between Zoe''s eyes, wondering. What good coulde of this?


    "Why did they change? They were gold," Zoe croaked again, and August turned to look for water. The girl was in desperate need of it.


    "Have you been drinking, Zoe? Have they been feeding you?" August asked.


    Zoe''s eyes went hard and vacant. The small glimmer of curiosity that had appeared to light them momentarily with August''s arrival promptly disappeared with the subject of her current situation. She sat up and slumped into herself.


    "He abandoned me," the cry tore from her throat, but she choked on it and started coughing.


    August scrambled to find water, draining some from a spigot into a nearby pitcher and passing it through the space into Zoe''s cell. The girl took it reluctantly and drank, water spilling sloppily from the sides of her mouth onto the floor.


    "I alway did everything he asked. Everything. My team we did amazing things for him. And then he abandoned me in a dark, cold cell. He''s noting for me, is he?" she asked in a haunted, empty tone that sounded resigned to this fate¡ªone of being hopelessly lost and alone.


    "I-I don''t know," August admitted.


    "Why are you here?" Zoe returned her attention to August, who now she could only see a knee and hand of.


    "Honestly, I don''t know that either," she replied and chuckled softly. "But I am sorry that you are here. That you are feeling so alone, Zoe. I wouldn''t wish it for you¡­ if it were my choice."


    There were several minutes of silence that stretched on as both females sat there, staring at the dark door between them. In that time, an unexpected empathy moved inside August for the girl inside.


    "I feel alone, too," she finally spoke. The words were safe to admit down here. "Maybe that is why I am here."


    "You are different," Zoe replied, understanding without being prompted.


    "Yes," August replied, and a sudden surge of grief erupted out of her without any warning.


    She mped a palm over her mouth, but soft sobs escaped around it until she finally removed her hand and let theme¡ªlet the tears escape, free to fall inrge droplets on the stone floor and exist here in the dungeon where no one could hear or care except the souls who were also so alone like her. Maybe her mate bond couldn''t even reach down here. It seemed a ce truly cut off from everyone above.


    Zoe just sat, listening, eyes calmly brimming with her own well of tears that glimmered dully in the darkness.


    When August''s soft sobs finally ceased, she wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. "I''m sorry. It''s stupid of me to cry when you have it so badly in there. You must think I''m truly the worst."


    "Why would you care what I think?" Zoe said numbly.


    August exhaled deeply. "Do you care what I think, Zoe?" She didn''t really wonder about it, but sitting poised here like this, with Zoe an apparent mirror image on the other side made the reflection of Zoe''s thought tumble from her lips.


    "Yes," came the surprising answer, so soft from the inside of the darkened cell. "I do."


    "What? Why?" August asked, a kind of mild outrage and disbelief ring in her voice.


    "You are the Luna here. And you are magnificent," was the simple, innocent answer.


    "You believe me to be Luna?" August asked in a simr tone as before, though this time there was surprise breathed around her words.


    "What is there to believe?" Zoe chuckled. "It is the truth, is it not? A terrifying truth for Andreas, to be sure. You, August, are his worst nightmaree to life. I wish I had that honor. I really do."


    August gaped at the door, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she crouched down and pressed the side of her face against the stone so that she could peer up at the haggard Zoe within.


    "What has he done to you, Zoe? You can tell me. You are so young. And bright. Why would you end up with a mean old bastard like Andreas who would leave you to rot in a ce like this?" she asked.


    Zoe matched her position, cheek squashed against the floor as she met August''s eyes.


    "I will make you a deal, Luna," she croaked, her throat dry again having soaked up all the water and now in need of more.. "You tell me what you see with those eyes of yours and how they turned blue, and I will tell you everything you want to know about Head Elder Andreas."

 Chapter 196 - Begin For Me

    "There are some things that I can''t tell you. I think you realized it before when we met. I would but¡­" Zoe started, then looked into her hands.


    "Yes, I¡­ I noticed that. Why is that, Zoe?" August asked.


    "I''m not like you. I''m not like them. I''m¡­ a different kind," she replied, running a finger over her deceptively normal-looking wrist.


    August''s eyebrows pinched together. "I don''t understand. What kind?"


    Zoe chuckled dryly. "I can''t tell you. That is part of it."


    "Did the elders do something to you? Is that why?" August asked, reaching her hand through the hole in the door and gingerly touching Zoe''s ankle. The girl flinched and withdrew it from her reach.


    "No," she exhaled deeply. "It wasn''t them. I was a gift, I guess you could say."


    Hot, bitter tears welled as she admitted this. She had never discussed this with anyone. There was no one to talk to about it, and why would she? It was not something she was proud of. Perhaps if Andreas was proud of her, then she could live with it. But clearly that would never be the case.


    "I know I look this age to you. I look young. In many ways I suppose I am. I think¡­ emotionally I don''t age like others. But I am far older than you, August from Eliade," she chuckled as she said it.


    August''s broad eyes were stunned at this confession. Was this why Zoe was so intelligent? And felt so¡­ wrong? It was as if there were warring attributes within her that didn''te together easily into a cohesive whole.


    "H-how old are you?" August asked, lips trembling involuntarily.


    "You are frightened of me now," Zoe watched as August stealthily withdrew her hand back to the other side of the door. "I am not very dangerous. Maybe just my knowledge, but all of my physical defenses were¡­ clipped long before I came here."


    August''s mind was reeling, attempting to uncover possibilities of what it was Zoe couldn''t name, couldn''tbel herself as due to some prohibition. Was she the product of an experiment as well? Were the researchers responsible for the pandemic up to something else prior to this? But then¡­ Zoe was a gift to the elders of this pack?


    "Why were you¡­" August swallowed, "gifted?" Thest word came out painfully, full of sympathy even if it was for something she didn''t know or understand. To be a gift meant Zoe had been treated as an object. And now she was stuck down here¡­ a discarded object.


    "A deal was struck," Zoe exined. "Like the deal we are making now," a sour smile spread across her face.


    "Between who?" August eyebrows pinched together in question, but she knew before Zoe replied. She couldn''t tell her. August saw the war within her¡ªhow internally she would fight against these restrictions and how they pushed back on her, on every part of her as if they too made up her constitution. It wasn''t a simple thing August could take from her like she had from others. These warring restrictions on her were threaded so dark and sopletely through Zoe''s being, there was no apparent way to free her from them. Visually, it appeared like the nervous system¡ªfibrous and¡­ and everywhere.


    "I''m sorry," August''s face crumpled.


    It had to be torturous. She could see Zoe was in emotional distress, and not just from her present circumstances. She had seen it before when she was down here with Graeme¡ªthe lingering pain and the physical ces where Zoe would repeatedly try to release it. Her wrists. Her forearms. Her thighs. shes of pain that could never free her, and yet they were repeated over and over again in futile attempts. Always with the same result.


    "How can I help you?" August asked. "I want to¡­ I wish I could."


    "How about you tell me about yourself. It will make me very happy. Something to entertain my mind while I am stuck down here," the eerie glint of curiosity was back, lighting her dark eyes, and August was hit with fresh recollection as to why Zoe was so terrifying.


    "Sure," August swallowed, licking her lips. "What do you want to know?"


    "Everything," her eyes became greedy, and she lowered herself back to the floor to look upon the alyko Luna.


    Augustughed nervously. "Like¡­ about my childhood everything? Or just after Eliade everything?"


    "After the pandemic everything," Zoe replied without hesitation.


    There were ravenous questions wing to get out of her eyes, and August felt herself involuntarily back up. Zoe''s eyes narrowed at this action, and August stilled herself, cing a hand between her cheek and the stone floor to make it morefortable. This was going to be a long conversation, especially if she wanted to get as much dirt on Andreas as she could.


    "Okay, but there are things I will not tell you. You know that right? So ''everything'' is¡­ ''everything'' with that caveat. There are personal things I will keep to myself," she wasn''t sure why she was exining this, as if it were the use of some formal paperwork they were drawing up between each other. Maybe she feared Zoe would im she hadn''t given her enough to satiate her thirst for knowledge and would back out of the deal.


    "Of course. I don''t really mean everything. Anything would honestly be¡­ very satisfying," Zoe licked her lips, clearly unaware of how disturbing she could quickly be when her brain took over. "Don''t worry, I am hoping you can hurt Andreas with what I give you. I would enjoy that very much as well."


    August cleared her throat, attempting to make it sound natural. Then she sighed, an act meant to prepare herself for all that she would need to recall. Most of it was not pleasant. "Okay, it''s a deal. I suppose I must start?"


    "I fear that with the first fact I deliver to you about Andreas, you will scurry away to your mate with so much excitement that you will forget me entirely," she batted her eyshes innocently, "So yes, please Luna. Begin for me.. I will hold up my end."

 Chapter 197 - Quid Pro Quo

    August started by exining to Zoe how the pandemic began for her.


    It was only visible on social media at first. News articles and warnings were spread along with opinions mostly dismissing it. People wereparing mortality rates of the novel virus with other viruses and weighing itsing impact. It was going to be another short-term distant threat.


    At least, that was August''s understanding of it.


    Then things like toilet paper and water started disappearing from store shelves. It was kind of funny at first¡­ the ridiculous temporary hoarding.


    "It''s not umon, you know? In my town, when a big winter storm ising, the bread, eggs, and milk would be gone. I took a picture of it once. Mom and I would joke that at least everyone could make french toast," August chuckled. "But¡­ when we walked into one of the superstores and the shelves were empty, I remember having goosebumps. Suddenly I realized this time was different."


    "That is crazy," Zoe nodded, boredom evident in her voice. "Can you fast-forward a little bit to when you got sick?"


    "Well I never did," August shrugged. "I mean, I must have, but I never had symptoms. I just got this rash on my shoulder."


    She took the ruana off one arm and lifted her sleeve to reveal what almost looked like a constetion on her left shoulder. She tilted it down toward the opening in the door where Zoe was peering up at her.


    "Fascinating," Zoe said. "Can I touch it?"


    "Uh," August hesitated. It was a strange request, but maybe she was just going to have to get used to the fact that Zoe was strange. "Sure." Sheid down against the cold floor again, this time with her shoulder close enough that Zoe could reach through and run her fingers across the skin there.


    "You are a wonder," Zoe whispered before drawing her hand back. "Thank you, Luna."


    August went on to tell Zoe a little about her family, about her jerk of a stepdad who had been the one toe home one day with information about Eliade and how he was probably aware of the experiment. Zoe didn''t seem to be bothered by this at all.


    "You should thank him. We all should," she replied to the story.


    August scoffed. "Are you serious?"


    "Would you have preferred not to be here? Not to be as incredible as you are?" Zoe asked, an eyebrow dipping over her one visible eye. "I''m sure the Alpha is grateful."


    August''s mouth dropped opened to reply, but it was not something she could answer easily. What n did was undeniably shitty. Worse than that. He was¡­ awful. But August couldn''t deny that Zoe was right. There was no simple answer to it¡ªright or wrong. Every step had brought her to where she was now.


    "Okay, then what? Tell me about Eliade," Zoe prompted, the conditions of her cell seemingly forgotten for the time being. She was gobbling up everything August gave her.


    "There''s not a whole lot to tell. I was there for a short time. I started sses, made a few friends¡­"


    "Others who were included in the experiment. I wonder if there have been any other sesses," Zoe interrupted, her eyes ring with interest.


    August thought about her friends who were with her in suicide forest who didn''t make it out. Thest time she saw Elsie¡­


    "They had you doing frequent tests while you were there?" Zoe asked, interrupting her thoughts once again.


    August nodded. "Yes."


    "Then they gave you the catalyst in suicide forest, you survived and escaped with a gps imnt in your arm, and the Alpha found you," Zoe narrated for her.


    "That''s right," August sighed.


    "All the interesting stuff has really happened since you''ve been here," Zoe said. "What happened with Marius?"


    "W-when I bit him?" August stuttered.


    "Yes, of course. When else did you have contact with him?" Zoe answered. August couldn''t see her whole face at the moment, but the girl''s voice sounded amused, as if she suspected there was indeed more to August and Marius than that one encounter.


    "Right," August replied quickly. "That was the first time I saw something unusual¡ªbefore I bit him. There was an unusual aura around Graeme, and I was able to draw it into myself somehow. I felt his strength, and I was able to use it when Marius bit me."


    This was the first real revtion in their conversation, and Zoe paused to soak it in. She was salivating. This was¡­ groundbreaking information. It helped exin how August experienced the arrival of her alyko abilities.


    "Okay, when this happened you had a fever? Pain?"


    August groaned. This felt like being in a doctor''s office or a therapist''s office, being poked and prodded and examined, having to recount minute details. She imagined Zoe in a whiteb coat with one of those eye pieces that flips to increase magnification. Zoe''srge eye ball was studying her right now, narrowing in clinical assessment.


    August didn''t want to relive any of this. And she consciously chose to avoid telling Zoe about the thoughts she saw from others. Greta had said it was a dangerous ability. Really, what August was telling Zoe about taking the auras into herself and using them was a dangerous ability as well. But she had to give the girl something, and maybe she could make it seem as if Graeme was the only one she could do this with.


    The council already knew she could do something with the air. Zoe was aware that she had somehow healed Greta. Information about how she had overpowered Marius wasn''t really a necessary secret at this point. She was different. She was alyko. Everyone knew it at this point.


    "What did it look like? Is this what happened when your eyes went ck the other night? Could you see something like that around me?" The questions wereing at her rapid fire now.


    "Before I tell you all these details regarding the vision I have and my eye color, I think it''s time you give me some information in exchange," August replied, shifting on the floor to try to find a morefortable position. "Quid pro quo. I want to know some things about the elders."


    *****


    BEFORE YOU PURCHASE PRIVILEGE! Privilege resets on the 1st of Feb, which is Jan 31st US time. Since privilege is a subscription rather than a bulk buying of chapters, that means that on the 1st you will have to repurchase the levels you paid for in Jan if you want to remain at the same ce in the story.


    If you are considering purchasing privilege chapters and it is the end of Jan, save money and wait a few days if you can! I don''t want anyone having to pay double or dropping the book because they are upset. <3

 Chapter 198 - You Are The Portal

    "But you''ve hardly even told me anything!" Zoe began whining promptly proceeded by a protruding bottom lip. It was such an unusual thing to witness¡ªthe clinical scientist and the emotionally immature teenager sharing one body.


    "I told you how I overpowered Marius," August pointed out. "What do you make of what I saw around Graeme and how I was able to use it? Do you suppose it was because he is my mate?"


    Perhaps if Zoe was allowed to discuss her theories about this, it would give her more of a sense of satisfaction about their conversation and make her more willing to reciprocate based on this information alone.


    One corner of Zoe''s mouth tipped up thoughtfully as she scanned the contents of her knowledge. "The thing that interests me the most about the alyko is how their abilities seem to reach beyond three dimensional space. I have always had a theory about how the proteins involved in their gic transcription fold differently in the fourth dimension¡­"


    "Whaaa¡­ what does it mean¡ªto reach beyond three dimensional space?" August''s eyebrows pinched together.


    "Well there are the three dimensions of space¡ªheight, width, and depth¡ªthat everyone knows. But it is clear that there are more. I mean, you walked through a door, which is inconceivable in the way we understand space right now," she chuckled.


    Her voice began speeding up enthusiastically, like a motor that had been wound and was now happily thrumming along: "Without going into all of the Einstein space-time continuum stuff and how something like gravity, for instance, doesn''t fit into the standard model of physics, let''s just say there are gaps in our understanding of space and everything with in it¡ªhow it all fits together cohesively¡ªand our ability to fit everything together is limited," she exined.


    It sounded like this may go on for some time, and August leaned back, creating a pillow with her hands against the floor.


    "But when we theorize something like 10 or more dimensions¡ªone superstring theory has 27 dimensions¡ªthen piecing everything together into a cohesive whole bes more possible. It''s just something we are limited in currently by the instruments we have to measure it, by our own senses, and so on. But alyko are like this brilliant key to understanding a little bit more of it," Zoe turned back to focus on August, her eyes gleaming.


    "So, for instance, when we take something like M-theory, which elegantly brings together every superstring theory that has been posited, it vastly expands not only how many more dimensions there are than what we can physically be aware of, but how many universes are possible with different ways of shaping hyperspace and differentws of nature. There are literally 10 to the 500th power number of universes that would be possible in M theory."


    August''s eyes widened as she listened. Most of this sounded like gibberish, but 10 to the 500th power number of universes?! What?


    "And many believe there would be portals that exist within our universe in which we could ess other universes. Where in the universe would these portals exist, you might ask?" Zoe chuckled to herself, as if she had told a hrious joke.


    "Out there maybe," she looked past August with a distance in her eyes, "or perhaps within our own minds, as some have posited. You know there have been fascinating experiences with things as simple as meditation, ritual, certain hallucinogenic substances, all of which arguably include the mind as a portal? But I think," Zoe turned in her cell, no longer lying on her side but on her stomach with her chin tilted so that she could continue peering through the little space at the bottom of the door.


    "I think," she repeated, her voice somehow shifting to amodate the peaks of awe, curiosity, and desire all at once, "you are a portal, August. Or you are able to pass through one."


    The hairs rose all over August''s body at this¡ªthe words that were spoken, the way Zoe said them, the look in her eyes as she did¡­ as if she were a hungry predator getting the first glimpse at its prey. And, like prey, August froze in reaction to it.


    Once she was able to shake off that instinctual reaction to the girl''s creepy demeanor, the talk of portals made her instantly think of the tree guardian¡­ of that ce that Sage apparently ''opened'' for her as another fae.


    "I have made you realize something. What is it?" Zoe asked, eager eyes still trained on August.


    "I uh¡­" she scrambled for something else. She wasn''t offering Zoe knowledge of that ce. There was no way. It wasn''t that she feared it would do harm, but it felt like a vition to expose it to this kind of analysis. "I disappeared under a tree once. Not long after I got here. I went under this tree¡­ I was alone and sort of following a feeling while I was able to see different things, you know, with my eyes, and I ended up under this ancient tree. There was a growl somewhere above me like I was being pursued by something. I was scared, and I moved further into this dark cave under the tree. And then suddenly I was back at the treehouse. At the base of Graeme''s tree."


    Zoe was silent as she gazed at August with wide, unblinking eyes.


    "I still don''t know what happened to this day. I didn''t see anything. I didn''t feel anything. It was just like I skipped from one location to another," August shrugged. "Like a dream."


    "Fascinating," Zoe said softly and shifted toy back on her side, staring into the air above her.


    August''s eyes darted around. Did Zoe suspect there was more? How much was she going to have to reveal to her? This conversation didn''t feel right. It made her uneasy.


    "Do you think it''s a portal like that? Like what you were talking about?" August asked, licking her lips in reaction to the nerves that had started dancing around in her stomach.


    "I don''t know. It certainly sounds like a portal of some kind, doesn''t it?" Zoe said in a strange sultry way.


    Again, it was as if the tone of Zoe''s voice alone indicated that she was aware there was more August was not saying, causing the girl to draw conclusions left unspoken. And August had no idea what those conclusions might be. But Zoe''s thoughts were taking her somewhere, because she was no longer focusing on the alyko sitting next to her cell.


    *****


    We didn''t reach our goal of averaging 100 power stones a day yet (we haven''t hit it once, but I know we can!), so sadly there won''t be a 4 chapter mass release this weekend, but fear not! I am doubling the mass release to 8 chapters next month once we are able to hit 100 votes a day for a week!


    Thank you so much all of you for reading, voting, and supporting in your own way. I truly appreciate you! <3

 Chapter 199 - Zoes Revelations

    "Tell me about Andreas," August finally spoke, drawing Zoe out of her silent reverie.


    Zoe cackled so suddenly that August startled in surprise.


    "Oh, Andreas. Hmmm¡­ where to begin," the girl hummed mischievously to herself, still staring into the space above her as sheid on her back on the floor. What could she disclose first that would harm him significantly and yet not send August immediately running off to tell her mate?


    "Graeme believes the pup who went missing recently, Livvy, was¡­ disappeared in some way because she is alyko. Is that true?" August ventured.


    There was a moment of silence in which Zoe seemed to be weighing her response. "Yes, it is true," she finally replied.


    August blinked. Had she really just confirmed it? It couldn''t be this easy, could it? Getting the answers they were seeking? She opened her mouth to say something, but she was suddenly overwhelmed with how unprepared she was for this conversation. She needed a list of questions or something. She needed paper to write things down!


    Zoe giggled, as if mocking her silence. "How could anyone in this pack truly believe no alyko has existed here since they did away with the others? What would that be, the best luck ever? To not have any ''witches'' to shelter or fear? The odds of that are ridiculously low. Clearly no lycan here is a statistician."


    "How many have been taken?" August asked quickly before Zoe could get started on another dense scientific exnation of something.


    "Are we counting those that were never born?" Zoe replied, amused about something. Probably still the ignorance of the pack members.


    "You¡­ made it so that they were never born? Do you mean¡­ miscarriages?" August''s eyes grew wide in horror. Her mind went to Greta and the pup that she had lost.


    "Oh yes. It''s much easier to control the alyko poption that way," the girl confirmed matter-of-factly.


    "How¡­ how did you know they would be alyko before they were even born? How did you do it?"


    "We calcted the likelihood. We didn''t know for certain. But every mated pair has had their DNA sequenced as a precaution, and then statistical probabilities made the decisions for us," Zoe said proudly. "Science is very reliable when ites to this sort of thing. But there will inevitably be those that slip by. And then we take other measures."


    Grief and rage and shock were all warring for control over August as she sat there, horrified into silence. She had to keep it together. She had to get more information out of this monster.


    But the image of Zoe as an abused, neglected child who could be coaxed out of the twisted shelter Andreas had given her¡ªthe Zoe that could be saved and liberated through care and love¡ªwas incinerated in August''s mind. She didn''t want to help this girl anymore.


    "How did you make the miscarriages happen?" she asked, the warmth dead in her voice, leaving a cold, brittle husk of what was left.


    "Oh, pfff. That was easy. Misoprostol. Although there was one instance when it didn''t work, and we had to wait until the pregnancy was further along to stage a pretty significant ident¡­"


    "You are a monster!" August screamed, pounding the door with her fist and causing Zoe to rise in surprise. "A monster, Zoe, do you hear me?! How could you do that to those families and those females?! Are you truly that dead inside?" She continued pounding the wood with her fist, roaring with an anger and outrage that escted each time her hand connected with the solid resistance of the door.


    "I¡ªI don''t know what you mean!" Zoe cried, scrambling away from the sudden outburst. "I only did what he asked of me! That was my job. That was my whole purpose! I thought it would please him that I am good at what I do!"


    August roared as she hit the door one final time. "How can you not see it?! I''m sure Andreas even felt guilt for what you were doing. How can you have so much pity for yourself and none for others?!"


    Zoe gaped at the door. A monster? That''s truly what she thought of her?


    "You deserve to be in there, Zoe!" She huffed, the anger still so full within her that she had to walk away.


    Zoe''s shocked eyes began glistening in the silence that had suddenly pooled back around her. August was leaving. Her chest heaved at the realization and she scrambled back up, pressing herself against the door.


    "Don''t leave me! Please don''t leave me down here!" she cried. "Luna! There''s more. I''ll tell you all of it!"


    August froze in ce and buried her head in her hands. Would she be able to stomach this? What other nightmares would be uncovered? Her skin pebbled with goosebumps at the thought of just how deep this may go.


    She reluctantly returned to the cell. "Where is Livvy? How many other pups have disappeared?"


    "Livvy is the second. I-I c-can''t tell you where," Zoe stumbled over the words. "It''s something I can''t, I just can''t¡­"


    "You can''t tell me, I get it," August growled in frustration. "What else then? What can you tell me?"


    "There is something really big¡ªthe biggest¡ªth-that you need to know about the elders. There is still a lot that I c-can''t tell you about it, but I think I can help you prove it. I''m just¡ªI''m afraid, that will be it for me, and I don''t know what will happen. What your mate will do¡­" she went on.


    The truth was striving for release from inside the girl but her words wereing out as stumbling blocks, tripping it in its escape. August groaned. She touched the door that Zoe''s head was resting against on the other side and imagined giving the words wings, allowing them flight free of the fear that was blocking them.


    Zoe''s troubled eyes eased and she sighed in relief. This was it. She was just going to tell her.


    "The elders were responsible for the Alpha and Luna''s deaths. They struck a deal with someone who wanted the pack''s alyko, and that entity organized a team of strays to kill Derek and Genevieve Hallowell. The elders gained the power they sought and eliminated the witches they dreaded in one swift move."


    ******


    BEFORE YOU PURCHASE PRIVILEGE! Privilege resets on the 1st of Feb, which is Jan 31st US time. Since privilege is a subscription rather than a bulk buying of chapters, that means that on the 1st you will have to repurchase the levels you paid for in Jan if you want to remain at the same ce in the story.


    If you are considering purchasing privilege chapters and it is the end of Jan, save money and wait a few days if you can! I don''t want anyone having to pay double or dropping the book because they are upset. <3

 Chapter 200 - In Pursuit Of Her

    Graeme was gripped by the sudden staggering rage and anger burning his mate like wildfire, and she wasn''t answering her phone. He tried reaching her twice that way before he was running out of his office on his way to find her, Sam following on his heels.


    "Stay here and watch things," he turned tomand his Beta before continuing on his way out.


    He hadn''t left his office to visit with anyone in the main area of the pack house ever since Andreas and Pearce unleashed the alyko tales from their private library, but now as he descended the stairs leading to the front entryway, concerned faces of pack members sped by in a blur. He didn''t see them. He didn''t care. But they sensed the distress of their Alpha, and they bristled with the urgency to follow and help as he passed.


    When a group of males trailed him out the door and onto thewn, he red at them over his shoulder. "Do not follow me," he growled.


    "Is it the Luna?" One male called after him. "Is it August?"


    Graeme whirled around and stalked back in the direction of the voice. "You dare use my mate''s name?" he questioned.


    He didn''t know what had suddenly caused the tumultuous emotions in August, but it had set his hackles on end¡ªhad someone from the pack threatened her? Attacked her? Called her a witch again? Were theying after her in his parents'' home?


    How would he ever bring his mate and his pack together? It was the question that he had been struggling with and the reason why he had initiated this distance between himself and August¡ªto protect her until he could figure it out.


    But now, despite his effort to protect her from the brewing distrust and hatred in the pack after the map and false alyko stories became known, something had apparently happened to her anyway¡ªenough to create mes of anger in her so intense that he could feel it scalding the back of his own eyes.


    "She prefers her name, does she not?" the male replied uneasily, stumbling backward as Graeme advanced on him.


    "How do you know this?" Graeme growled the question.


    "Everyone knows it, sire. From her time with the pups and in the market. My sister speaks of her as August, forgive me," The young male ducked his head as Graeme and his raging Alpha aura came to loom over him.


    This male was trembling. Was he truly concerned for his Luna? Were all of them?


    "Who is your sister?" Graeme asked.


    "H-her name is Ana, sire. She is a vendor in the market," he answered. "She makes gto."


    That''s right, August had gto that day that they were in the market together. Graeme''s stance rxed, his face softening a hair as he finally took a moment to evaluate the males who had followed him out. They all appeared truly concerned.


    "I apologize for being quick to anger. Thank you for your genuine concern," he said gruffly, the wariness of the past two weeks exposing itself in lines on his forehead and around his eyes. "Please stay here. Everything will be fine," he put a hand on the young male''s shoulder and forced himself to smile before he turned and continued on home.


    The concerned males had taken the edge off of his anxiety, and as Graeme made his way through the woods he thought of how he had been failing them. His pack and his mate. By keeping them apart, he was failing to trust that they would find a way through all of this together.


    When he got to the house, it was empty. She wasn''t here. "Dammit. August where are you?"


    Recalling what Penelope had told him and in light of the revtion that he had been failing in this regard to fully trust his mate like he said he would, Graeme copsed onto the sofa. He rubbed his face with one calloused hand. What was he doing? Why did he believe he needed to do this alone? Or that he could do it alone, for that matter?


    He exhaled heavily and searched for his mate internally like he had when he was in Wisconsin, stroking that bond between them¡ªcalling out to her from his innermost being. From his soul.


    "Are you well, my love?" he asked gruffly into the silent house.


    Within an instant he received an answer. The light of reassurance somehow bloomedrge in his chest, putting him at ease. So she was okay. It was not as urgent as he had assumed it to be. He could have discerned this earlier before he tore out of the pack house, but in his mind she was already teetering on the precipice of danger just being here in his pack until he could make it safer¡ªuntil he could disprove all the negative alyko bullshit of the elders''.


    But he should be letting her help him in that regard by just¡­ showing them herself. Obviously she has already touched many of them, as was evidenced by the males who had followed him out of the pack house. He would need to tuck his fear back behind his hope and trust.


    Why was August letting him get away with this?


    His eyebrows pinched together with the thought. She was so confident before. He was likely hurting her by how he had been keeping her at a distance. But why wasn''t she fighting him on it? Did she believe she deserved it?


    His heart sank. Would he ever get this right? He had to find her and apologize.


    Graeme rose from the couch and followed her scent out back. The trail of her smelled slightly off. He had been noticing thistely, but with how distracted he was with everything else, he hadn''t given it much thought. They were in a different house now sharing space with Greta and Sam. Sage was staying with Sylvia, but he was popping in regrly to visit. He had dismissed her scent difference as something to do with these changes.


    His pace sped up as he followed her trail¡ªthe most familiar of scents somehow now turned sweeter. The scent of home now with something even more alluring. As he reveled in it, a sh of protective instinct¡ªdifferent than the usual, more intense¡ªshuddered through him. He froze in response to it.


    Wait, was she¡­ was his mate with child?


    His mouth dropped open, tears welling as the sudden awareness lit him from within. His beautiful, neglected mate was carrying his child?


    "Goddess," he groaned, tearing off through the trees in pursuit of her now for a different reason.


    *****


    We didn''t reach our goal of averaging 100 power stones a day yet (we haven''t hit it once, but I know we can!), so sadly there won''t be a 4 chapter mass release this weekend, but fear not! I am doubling the mass release to 8 chapters next month once we are able to hit 100 votes a day for a week!


    Thank you so much all of you for reading, voting, and supporting in your own way. I truly appreciate you! <3

 Chapter 201 - Lucas In A Dark Hallway

    August''s mouth hung open as she stumbled slowly away from the cell door in shock.


    The elders were responsible for the deaths of Graeme''s parents. Not only that, but there was someone they were working with¡ªsomeone who¡­ wanted the alyko?


    "Zoe¡­" August gaped. "Are you saying¡­ are you saying the alyko weren''t murdered? Are the alyko alive?!"


    Graeme''s memories of Maggie shed through her mind. All of his wonderful, loving memories of her¡ªthe way she hadforted him and Greta after their parents were found. And then the trauma he had gone through seeing her and the other alyko dragged off as the pack members who med them for the Alpha and Luna''s deaths hurled insults and hatred. She could still feel how it had utterly shattered him. And the guilt¡­


    August''s lip curled back as a snarl tore out of her throat.


    "I wasn''t even here at the time, Luna!" Zoe protested andid her hand against the door. "I don''t know if they are alive. It''s been years. But they didn''t die here."


    "How do you know this?" August asked. Was this a trick? Was Zoe just after revenge and wanted to falsely implicate Andreas in this?


    "Because¡­ I-I was part of that deal. I was part of the p-payment," she admitted. "I came here afterwards. I am the only one who knows of it other than the elders."


    "Where were they taken? Where are the alyko?" August asked, advancing on the door again.


    "I c-can''t t-tell you that part. It''s part of why I have this restriction built in," Zoe stuttered her truth.


    "Jesus," August whispered and ran her hands through her hair. How was she going to tell Graeme this? This was explosive news. And dangerous. "Why should I believe you, Zoe?"


    "I can prove it. I can prove it if you let me out of here!" Zoe assured her.


    "You need to be set free to prove it? That''s convenient," August growled.


    "No. I mean it. Look, there was a ring that Andreas would always brag about having because he said it was meant to keep the Luna safe. He requested it to be retrieved when she was killed. He showed it to me once. It''s a purple stone of some kind. I think¡­ I think maybe it starts with an ''s''," she exined desperately.


    "Sugilite," August whispered, fingering the pendant that Sylvia had given her. Graeme had said his mother had a ring like it.


    "Yes. That sounds right. It was in his desk, but I don''t know¡­ I haven''t seen it in years. I don''t know if it still there or what he has done with it," Zoe replied.


    "There has to be some other kind of proof. Is there anything else?" August asked, unsure if a simple ring would be enough to condemn Andreas for so serious a crime against his pack.


    "asionally he is still in contact with¡­" Zoe scrunched her face up, fighting against that part of her that pushed back on her words. "¡­with Him. But I don''t know how to prove that to you. He has likely been in contacttely. In fact¡­" Zoe trailed off, unsure now how condemned she herself would be with all that seemed to be spilling out of her.


    "In fact what?" August asked, a sudden dread washing over her. This feeling was familiar. It was the same slow, certain dread that she had felt in suicide forest when she watched death''s eye slowly gliding her way. "He''sing for me," she said with certainty.


    "Yes," Zoe said regretfully. "I have nothing to do with it, I''m sorry. I will admit though, I am very interested to meet him, if the opportunity presents."


    August scoffed at Zoe''s shameless honesty. "Fuck, August, what are you going to do?" she whispered to herself.


    "August?" A male voice called, causing her to jump back against the cell door in surprise. A dark silhouette was advancing toward her in the hallway.


    "Lucas?" She replied, her eyes squinting in confusion.


    "What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously.


    "I uh, I bring Zoe food once in awhile," he replied to her question first, lifting the tray he had carried down from the pack house to show her.


    "Lucas!" Zoe called excitedly from the other side of the door, and August moved away from it to allow him to approach. But he didn''t. Instead, he stood gaping at her.


    "What?" August asked, backing up further now with the way he was staring at her.


    "N-nothing, I just, um¡­" he lifted the tray again as if it were part of the exnation he was about to give her, but instead he kept staring, losing his words. "You are. So beautiful," he swallowed, his wide eyes glistening in the dark.


    "W-what?" she asked, her heart stuttering in her chest in sudden fear. "Lucas, are you all right?"


    He nodded but didn''t respond. He seemed to be entranced, and she continued backing away¡ªafraid to take her eyes off of him but certain that she did not want to be here with him looking at her like that.


    "You should''t be down here, Luna," Lucas warned in a haunting voice as he kept still, his eyes narrowing in on every small movement she was making in retreat.


    "Do you want to lock me up down here, Lucas?" she asked, willing a measure ofughter to y at the words. She smiled stiffly. Another step back. And then another. Her right arm brushed roughly against the stone wall, causing her to flinch and his narrowed eyes caught all of it.


    "I do not wish that, Luna. Forgive me. I am but surprised," he swallowed dryly after the words left his mouth. Still frozen. Still watching her. What was wrong with him?


    "I will leave," August finally said, both to herself as well as to him.


    "Wait! Luna! There is more I need to talk with you about. Will youe back? Please don''t leave me," Zoe cried from her cell, breaking the eeriness of Lucas'' unwavering gaze. Strange, how Zoe could break the eeriness of anything and offer some measure offort.


    "Someone will certainly be back for you, Zoe," August assured her, and she gave Lucas one final confused re before turning to find her way back out.


    "I shoulde with you," Lucas suddenly stuttered back to life, setting the tray down abruptly and moving to follow her.


    "No, Lucas. I am fine," she insisted, turning to halt him with her hands. ''Please, don''t follow me. Please stay here,'' her thoughts were racing.


    Just then, a blood-curdling snarl echoed through the dark hallway, and August gasped.. Hairs bristled on her arms, saluting the possessive approach of her mate.

 Chapter 202 - So Much Truth

    Graeme barreled down the hallway, gripping August''s waist as he approached and pulling her protectively against him.


    Lucas'' eyes grew wider at Graeme''s advancement, but he didn''t back away. He didn''t change his position. He didn''t lower his eyes. He was still fixated on her, and with that realization, she nestled herself further into Graeme''s warmth. The warmth she had missed so much. But why and how was he here?


    "Don''t fucking look at her," Graeme spit, and August nced up at him in confusion before he tucked her behind his back¡ªsafe from Lucas'' eyes.


    What was happening? Both of these males were acting strange.


    Lucas tore his eyes away from the couple in front of him with much effort¡ªthe Alpha and his rightful Luna. He found himself smiling at the ground like a fool.


    A further warning growl puttered in Graeme''s throat as he stared Lucas down. Then he turned and gripped August possessively by the waist again as he led them out, leaving the dungeon and its darkness behind them.


    Graeme didn''t speak as they were climbing through the dark throat of the dungeon that led out to the forest, but August could feel his heart hammering in his chest like they had narrowly escaped something grave. She was in trouble. She could feel it. He was angry.


    And then finally August saw green and felt the fresh forest air. The green of growing things. The green of home.


    "Why was Lucas looking at me like that?" she asked, but Graeme cut her off, whirling her around to face him.


    "Why were you down there? What were you thinking?" he scolded, his eyes angry and worried.


    "I was¡­ I followed this¡ªwhat does it matter?" she tugged herself away, ring up at him. Why was he suddenly so concerned and angry with her?


    "It matters because you are precious, August. Don''t you understand that?" he growled, reprimanding her with his eyes.


    "So precious that I get to sit at home and do nothing¡­ learn nothing about what is happening with you? You have shut me out!" she cried, backing away from him.


    His face was stoic, unchanging¡­ but his eyes. His eyes crumpled at her words. She saw it, the truth that injured him.


    "Why have you let me?" he asked more softly now. This was a true question he was asking from the depths of him. He didn''t understand why she had not fought him on it.


    "You needed time. This is your pack, and I¡­"


    "This is our pack," he interrupted, and closed the distance between them, his expression softer now. "You know that. You feel it as I do."


    "But I reacted poorly after you killed Auden, and now you are punishing me," she said, her eyes darting to her feet and the soft green beneath it. "You are hiding things from me."


    He sighed and pressed his lips together. "Is there anything you are hiding from me, Moon?" he asked gently, reaching to tug her closer to him and his warmth that was soforting¡­ so tempting, it called to her to give in and relinquish all of her defenses.


    She searched herself. Was she hiding something? His question did not sound like a question. It sounded like he knew the answer to it but was searching for her admission.


    He dropped to his knees and pulled her against him, peering up, seeking her eyes that were so stubborn that they were admiring the ground instead of him. She allowed herself to be drawn against him, and she grudgingly met his gaze. There was more gold there today amidst the blue, and his eyebrows threaded together with the realization. When was thest time he had searched her eyes like this? Had the gold been there long?


    "Are you okay, darling?" he asked, genuine this time¡ªseeking her truth.


    "I think so," she breathed, lost in him for good now. He was back, he had returned to her.


    "Did you know? Were you hiding it from me?" his grip tightened on her waist, and he leaned forward to kiss her stomach. She gasped softly, drawing his eyes back to her. "You did know."


    She shook her head, eyes wide in disbelief as she grasped his broad shoulders. "No, I didn''t know¡­ for sure. Are you saying¡­?"


    "You thought it was possible and didn''t discuss it with me?" His face crumpled. How could he have shut her out to this extent that she wouldn''t discuss it with him? She must have felt so alone.


    "I was scared," she admitted, her voice wavering. "I¡­ am scared. And you are so busy. And I didn''t know for sure. I didn''t want to worry you or get your hopes up. So I''m¡­ truly pregnant?" her shoulders sagged as she said it. So much truth today. How could she tell him about his parents after this? Would those two memories be coupled forever in his mind?


    "Yes, Moon. You are," he smiled, his voice bing choked with emotion, and he pulled her further against him.


    The surge of his joy crept from her toes all the way to her shoulders, as if it was dressing her in the beauty of its light. This wasn''t a feeling she had experienced of his before. It was different¡ªholding different promises. Different hope.


    "Please be happy," he said, muffled against her.


    "How can I not be happy for something that is created with you?" she muttered honestly, though it was a sweetness apanying her silent despair. She wasn''t prepared for this. Not at all.


    He rose to his feet swiftly, grasping the sides of her face in his hands and seeking her mouth¡ªemptying all of his emotion there, warring with her in dominance and possession but also in surrender. This of all things¡ªher carrying his child¡ªstripped him of all of his defenses against her. He was wholly hers. She was carrying all of him. She couldmand him at will, and he would obey.


    August''s arms rose to embrace him, finding their home behind his neck as he bowed over her, seeking tomit himself all over again. Making promises with his tender, persistent mouth that begged and devoured in session. That possessive growl she adored rumbled in his chest, making its way up the column of his thick neck and passing its vibrations into her mouth where she epted them, allowing them to stir her own passion that hadin dormant, tucked safely away until the time that he returned to her.


    ******


    BEFORE YOU PURCHASE PRIVILEGE! Privilege resets on the 1st of Feb, which is Jan 31st US time. Since privilege is a subscription rather than a bulk buying of chapters, that means that on the 1st you will have to repurchase the levels you paid for in Jan if you want to remain at the same ce in the story.


    If you are considering purchasing privilege chapters and it is the end of Jan, save money and wait a few days if you can! I don''t want anyone having to pay double or dropping the book because they are upset. <3

 Chapter 203 - Home Again

    Graeme scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the woods with their foreheads pressed together.


    They were silent as the trees passes, all green and golden and rouge. Slick leaves at their feet. The smells of autumn.


    August closed her eyes, allowing his warmth and breath and proximity to feed her. To calm her. He was her home. If she could but stay like this, always with him, there would never be a problem in the world. She believed this whole-heartedly, because her heart sang to his.


    When they arrived back at the house, he sat her gently on the bed before kneeling next to her and taking off her heavy ruana, dropping it unceremoniously to the ground.


    "Why were you there? I need to know, August. Why did you go the prison? What made you so angry?" he pled, searching her eyes.


    "It wasn''t nned. I was distraught and missing you and wondering how I could help and¡­ it was the crow that led me there," she admitted, scoffing at herself for how ridiculous it sounded.


    "The crow?" he gazed passed her into the distance. Her tree guardian had said that she would send the bird to be with August. The bird must also be a guardian of some kind.


    "Yes, I didn''t understand it. But now I do," she breathed.


    His eyes snapped back to her. "Why? What happened?"


    She exhaled deeply. How was she going to tell him all of this?


    "Can I ask you something first?" she asked, resting her hands on his forearms that were on either side of her, framing her on the bed.


    "Yes, of course love," he replied, his expression soft and searching.


    "How did you know I was pregnant? And¡­ and why was Lucas looking at me that way?" she shivered recalling it.


    She could be vulnerable now that she was with her mate, and because of that the full uneasiness of it hit her. She didn''t know what hade over Lucas, and being alone with him in the dungeon like that when he couldn''t seem to take his eyes off of her was more than unsettling. It was like he was possessed or something. As unpleasant as Lucas often was, he had never acted like that around her before.


    Graeme sat back on his heels. "I knew because your scent is different," he replied, shifting his hand to hold one of hers, running his rough thumb over her fingers. "I think I noticed it before, I just didn''t allow myself to realize it until today. I''m so sorry, Moon."


    "How is it different?"


    "You''re sweeter," he smiled. "It''s subtle, but it''s clear because your scent is so familiar to me. It''s like home. It''s precious." He picked up her hand and kissed it before running his thumb over it again, as if he was memorizing it by touch or reassuring himself that she was there.


    "And you left the pack house, because¡­" she started, confused about how he had known to find her.


    "Your anger. It was burning me alive, and I feared something happened to you. Things in the pack have escted after I killed Auden and after the lies Andreas and Pearce have been feeding everyone. Old fears and hatred," he groaned and studied her hands as he thought of how poorly he had acted.


    "I kept you out of everything. I kept my distance from you, and it wasn''t right. I hurt you," his deep eyes returned to her face, studying the features that he had hid from for days now so he wouldn''t be confronted with the hurt he was causing her. So his fear wouldn''t be allowed to suffocate him as he imagined losing her.


    "I''m so sorry. It wasn''t my intention to hurt you. It''s just that... I don''t know what some in the pack might do. The elders are stirring them up, instigating unrest. Paranoia. And I can''t find a way to negate what they are iming. I fear for you," he admitted, his strong, masculine features crumpling before her eyes as he did. "I can''t lose you too, August. Not you."


    She ran her hands over the sides of his face and drew him against her chest,forting and hushing him like a mother might. The past was returning to haunt him again now that he was in the position of power. Now that he was ountable.


    "You aren''t going to lose me, Graeme. Not if you let me help you," she reassured him. "That''s why I''m here. You need to let me help you. I don''t want to lose you either."


    How would he react to the knowledge she had gained today? His understanding of the events that had urred was settled into the foundation of him¡­yers of sadness and guilt. This was going to dredge that up even more and rearrange it. It was going to be a massive storm. Hopefully he would let her help him weather it.


    "Please don''t shut me out again," she shivered in his arms, and he drew her closer to him¡ªsheltering her with his warmth. How had she managed so many days not having him close and open and vulnerable to her like this? "I don''t want to feel lonely in the same room as you. I didn''t think it was possible, but you were so far away. It was worse than being alone."


    "That''s how you felt?" his eyebrows dipped in guilt. She licked her lips recalling the emptiness of it and nodded. "Fuck, I''m so sorry, Little Red." He burrowed into her neck and squeezed her tighter and she sighed in relief. They were home in each other''s arms again.


    "And I haven''t heard you call me Little Red or Moon in so long," sheughed against him.


    "You haven''t called me any names either," he reminded her, nipping the skin by his mark once he did.


    "And what names would those be?"


    "I''m not going to say the stupid name," he grunted and nipped her again.


    "You mean Bun? Or is it¡­"


    "Don''t you dare say it," he growled.


    "Why? You were the one to name the rabbit that. I think it''s cute, Bun-Bun," she smirked, anticipating the tickles toe.. He poked her a few times, making her giggle, but then he ran his lips gently over her forehead, feeling the soft little blonde hairs that framed her face almost invisibly¡ªmemorizing this, another part of her that he hadn''t had a chance to yet.

 Chapter 204 - Radiant

    Special shout-out to annachomer for inspiring the nickname "Moon Bun" used in this chapter! <3


    ******


    "Do you know what was going on with Lucas?" she asked. "That was disturbing. He''s never acted like that. And then he was going to try following me out of the dungeon when I was leaving."


    Graeme groaned and pulled away from her, but then he started chuckling, running his hand over his beard. "I''m sure he was trying to follow you."


    "What does that mean? Why?" she frowned.


    "He just had a unique experience, my love. One he has never had before. No one younger than me has ever experienced it. I have never experienced it, for that matter. Not until now," he smiled, his eyes gleaming with affection.


    "What are you talking about?" she asked, thoroughly confused.


    "His eyes beheld the singr beauty of a radiant, pregnant Luna in our pack. You are glowing, Little Red," he replied, pride swelling within him.


    She chuckled. It was amon expression to say pregnant women were glowing. "No, really. Be serious," she prompted him for the truth.


    "I am being serious. You have the most beautiful ethereal glow about you. Like the moon," he hummed to himself appreciatively, reaching to run his thumbs over the contours of her face.


    "What?" she sputtered augh caught somewhere between confusion and surprise.


    "It signals for the pack that their Luna is pregnant with the Alpha''s heir. That way they know to be extra vignt in protecting her. Your scent has likely also vanished for everyone else but me," he exined. "It is said that these things are meant to protect a pregnant Luna from enemies. She cannot be tracked or followed by her scent, and it is only members of her pack who are able to see the radiance she has been given."


    August''s mouth was hanging open, her eyes having grown wide. How much weirder could things get around here? "You are saying that I am literally glowing right now? And Lucas could see it?"


    He nodded, reaching again to cup her face. "It''s the most beautiful thing¡­ I''ve only ever heard about it," he swallowed, rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs as his voice went deeper with emotion. "Thest time was when my mother was pregnant with Greta and me. I couldn''t stand Lucas'' eyes on you, seeing the beauty of your truth to me and to this pack before even I did. My true Luna."


    August gaped back at him, attempting to soak it in. She was literally glowing? No one had mentioned this was something to expect.


    "So it just h-happened¡­ it just started now? Today?" she stuttered. Was it like a light switch was flipped and now suddenly everyone could see this strange phenomenon on her skin?


    "It seems that way," he chuckled.


    "Zoe didn''t seem to notice when I was speaking to her," she whispered.


    "Then Zoe is not part of our pack," he replied.


    August licked her lips. Her mouth had gone dry with this startling additional confirmation of her pregnancy. It was really true, then. This was happening. All the denial vanished, reced instead by the stark realization that this irreversible and life-changing thing was truly underway. And she would be performing it in front of everyone. There would be so much attention. All of their eyes would be on her from here on out.


    Was she ready for this? How could she be ready for this? What kind of strength would this require of her? A ''true Luna'' birthing an heir? And she was going to be a literal glowing beacon walking amongst them?


    "Your thoughts are racing. Take a deep breath, darling. It''s going to be okay," Graeme soothed her, his words somehow coating the anxiety that was escting. "I''m here now. And I''ll always be here. We''re in this together."


    She was shaking. She couldn''t help it. But as she clutched his shirt in her hands, something bright passed between them again. It came from deep within Graeme and sprang to life in her chest and in her mind. Joy. She chuckled softly, breathing her eptance of it against her mate. There was really a life inside of her¡ªa life that her and Graeme had created together. It was almost iprehensible.


    Graeme tilted her head up to meet his eyes--those vulnerable eyes of his that no one else in the world got to see but her. His expression was one of unrestrained love and trust¡ªit reminded her of a child. He was right¡ªit was going to be okay. Looking into his eyes then, she felt it flood her¡ªthe immense love and gratitude for him and the boundless depths of his love for her.


    "We''re going to have a baby? For real?" she breathed.


    A radiant smile spread across his face. "A little moon," he cooed, and she shook her head.


    "A little Bun," she countered.


    Graeme leaned in to kiss her. "A Moon Bun, then," he smiled against her lips.


    "I like that," she giggled softly. "Our little Moon Bun."


    "Thank you," he whispered against her. "Thank you for being here. For being you and being mine and being fierce and beautiful and strong and embracing all the things the Goddess has gifted you. For putting up with me. This is a chaotic time, and I haven''t been fair to you. I will do better. For all of us," he promised, resting hisrge calloused hand over her stomach as he did.


    "Are you hungry?" he asked suddenly, shooting up from his position in front of her and walking toward the kitchen to see what he could make for her. "I need to have Greta bring you some vitamins. Those are important, I''ve heard. You haven''t had any nausea like Greta have you?"


    August shook her head, amused as she watched him be a flurry of thoughts and activity.


    "Wow," he stopped suddenly, leaning against the counter. "Both you and Greta are pregnant at the same time," he chuckled in awe.


    "That is a little crazy, isn''t it?" August nodded.


    "It''s perfect. There has never been a more beautiful time in my life than this."


    *******


    A new month of privilege starts tomorrow! I will be adding TEN NEW CHAPTERS and changing up the tier structure a little bit. And since so many new chapters will be added, I''ll be taking one day off of the regr two chapter update for Feb 1st.


    If you have questions about privilege, please ask. You can catch me in thements, on Facebook @author.emmez, on Instagram @author_emme_z, and on my discord server where you shoulde hang out anyway if you aren''t already! The invite code is 5y9Xn9FEXG.


    And Happy Chinese New Year! <3

 Chapter 205 - But Theres More

    "Everything is going to be different now," Graeme mumbled into her hair.


    They were lying next to each other in bed after he felt she had been properly fed, and he couldn''t stop nuzzling into her neck, breathing in her scent, nibbling her mate mark. And August just let him love her like this. It had been too many days since he had been like this with her. She had missed it.


    "Everyone is going to stare," she said self-consciously.


    "Weren''t they already staring?" Graeme smirked, ying with a lock of hair on shoulder.


    "No, not like this. Why does the Luna have to glow?" she grumbled to herself


    "Every pack is very protective of their pregnant females. It''s instinct. But it''s even more the case when the Luna is carrying the Alpha''s heir. She carries the future of the pack¡ªit a sign of hope, of a legacy continuing," he exined, thinking of his parents as he did. Of their legacy. He didn''t deserve this¡ªthis beautiful mate carrying his child. But his parents did. They deserved to be immortalized in this way, with their genes carrying on.


    "Will this help you?" August asked, turning to search his eyes.


    "With what?" he frowned at the way she phrased it like it was strategic.


    "With everything. With the elders and with people doubting me," she answered, wiggling further into his warmth.


    "I think anyone who is against the alyko with find a reason to doubt us regardless," he grumbled. "We could have the Moon Goddess physically manifest in front of the whole pack to bless us, and people would still question it."


    "I have some things to tell you," August spoke against him, reveling in the warmth of his chest and the joy that was burning there for one moment more before she pulled away from him to sit up in the bed.


    She tucked her legs beneath herself and searched for the best way to ry all of this, bracing for his reaction to it. They had both be absorbed in discussing the pregnancy, and Graeme hadn''t yet thought to circle back to what she had learned during her little dungeon visit.


    "I spoke with Zoe. She had a lot to say," she started. "She wanted to know more about me, and I agreed to tell her a little bit in exchange for information about the elders."


    "It''s not a good idea to tell her anything," Graeme growled.


    "Why? What are we hiding?" she chuckled. It was an honest question. "I didn''t tell her much, but at this point¡ªeveryone knows that I can do things. Everyone assumes I am alyko."


    "It''s not that we are hiding. It''s that we don''t know what her creepy intelligent little mind is up to. Who knows what else she is capable of," he growled again, bing further agitated at the mention of her.


    "Well, it was worth it. I assure you," she nced at him.


    "Why? What did she say?" his voice lowered in suspicion.


    "Three really significant things. First, she confirmed that Livvy was taken because she was alyko. Apparently there was another pup as well, though she didn''t say who. And¡­" she faltered, grasping her own hands for support. "The miscarriages Greta spoke of. The elders were responsible for that as well. They suspected those babies would be alyko."


    "How would they even know that so early?" he asked skeptically.


    "She said it was based on statistics or something. They used some kind of drug," she replied.


    Graeme exhaled deeply. Miscarriage was a kind of disappearance, wasn''t it? Alyko disappearing before they even had a chance to live. His eyes stung when his thoughts started wandering to the females in his pack who had suffered. Like Greta. Now his own mate was pregnant, and the thought of the elders conspiring to end it¡­


    "What else did she say?" his eyes shed with the question.


    "She is apparently some kind of¡­ other creature. She''s not lycan. She''s not alyko. But she couldn''t tell me what," her eyebrows pinched at this.


    "What?" he chuckled in disbelief. "Andreas described her as lycan when he first told me about her. What did she say that led you to believe otherwise?"


    "Well, she said that despite her appearance, she is older than me. Apparently she doesn''t age the same or¡­ I don''t know," she was trying to recall Zoe''s words. It sounded crazy the way she was repeating it. "Her intelligence is advanced but her emotions aren''t. It sounded strange, but she literally said she was ''a different kind''."


    Graeme frowned, searching his memory for what that different kind could be. "We''ll have to ask Greta about it," he mumbled. "Anything else?"


    August took a deep breath. This was going to be the big one.


    "Yes. I was so angry when she told me about the miscarriages and one pregnancy they had to stage an ident to¡­ to terminate. That must have been when you felt those emotions from me. I was about to leave, and she didn''t want me to. She sounded desperate for me to stay," she recalled. "She told me that she would tell me everything and that there was one huge thing that would condemn the elders. It was also part of why she was ''gifted'' to Andreas, as she described it."


    August fidgeted with her fingers in herp, picking the words.


    "Just tell me, Moon," Graeme put a hand over hers, and she met his eyes.


    She took another deep breath. "Zoe said that the elders made a deal with someone¡ªsomeone she couldn''t name."


    "What kind of deal?"


    "She said the deal was for this¡­ someone to orchestrate a group of strays to¡­ to kill your parents in exchange for the alyko from this pack," she told him.


    He stared nkly at her, the words not registering, not sinking in. "That''s ridiculous," he finally huffed in response. "We can''t trust Zoe. She could just be trying to get out of there," he said dismissively.


    "But Graeme, she said she could prove it. Andreas requested to have your mother''s ring returned to him after she was killed. Zoe said it was a purple stone and that he had shown it to her, apparently joking about how it was supposed to protect your mother," she rushed on, hoping the information would help convince him.


    "Where is the ring?" Graeme''s voice had gone t. And so deep. It sent a shiver down her spine.


    "In his desk," she replied, and he jolted up out of bed.


    "Wait!" she called after him.


    "You need to stay here," he told her, fixing her with his eyes. "I''m going to look for it."


    "But there''s more," she said. "There''s so much more.. Don''t you understand? That means the alyko¡ªMaggie¡ªmay be alive!" she eximed.

 Chapter 206 - No Wonder

    "Don''t shut me out again," August cried, hooking his heart with her words. "I can help you with this. Stay with me. Let''s figure this out together," she rose from the bed to where he was frozen in the doorway, staring hard at the wood frame that had his and Greta''s heights tallied throughout their early childhood.


    ''Graeme, 6.'' The short pencil line was drawn by his mother. And just beneath it ''Greta, 6.'' The lines moved further apart the older he and Greta got, with the final lines demarcating their height at 12 years old where Graeme was a full 2 inches taller than his sister. That was the year the marks stopped being recorded. The year their parents were killed.


    He gripped the door frame. The fucking elders were responsible for all of this? The end of these pencil lines. The emptiness of this house. The hauntings in his memory. The loss of his parents, of his ce in this pack, of the alyko. So much loss all because of them. And why? So Andreas could sit up in the highest office, the smug top dog of a neglected pack?


    "I don''t know, August," he growled, "I really want to go take care of this right now." He was squeezing his eyes shut, clenching every muscle trying to restrain himself from the instinct of tearing off after those two fucking traitors right now. He already took care of Auden, and clearly it was too merciful of a death. The other two were next. Slowly. In front of the whole pack, baring their sins for all to see.


    No wonder the strays responsible for his parents'' deaths were never caught. No wonder all of the pieces never fit together properly. Andreas, Pearce, and Auden were behind it all! And this was why they had umted all of this bullshit false information about the alyko¡ªto make their story usible! To give them warrant.


    And they were still doing it¡ªstill seeding at pulling the wool over all of these wolves'' eyes. Well, not any longer.


    August approached his side wordlessly, extending her arms to embrace him¡ªone around his waist, one on his arm. A heavy huff of air escaped his lungs when he felt his tense muscles slowly rx to her touch.


    "My reaction was much the same," she spoke softly against his bicep where her lips were brushing his skin. "But let''s do this right."


    "What do you suggest?" he asked, slowly releasing his grip on the doorframe.


    "Samhain is just a few days away, and all the pack with be together. It would be a good time to reveal it to everyone."


    It was perfect, actually. How often did the whole packe together like that? They hadn''t since August had been there, and it sounded like much of their events were split into the areas of Lakeside, Woodside, and Meadowside.


    "And how do we prove it to them? A ring isn''t going to do it," he turned toward her, breath slowly returning to normal, she noticed.


    "What if we have Zoe¡­ tell them?" she suggested. "Like a testimony. Many don''t even know who she is or that she exists. That alone will strike them as odd, won''t it?"


    "How do we know she would follow through with something like that?" he scoffed at the thought of Zoe holding all of the pack''s attention. She would undoubtedly get a high off of the attention, he was sure of it. But what would she say to them? For all they knew, she could tell an entirely different story¡ªone that supports Andreas rather than condemns him. A n like that could backfire in the worst way.


    "For some reason, Zoe¡­ cares about what I think. Maybe it is because she is so interested in this situation," August made arge gesture epassing the entirety of herself. "She feels betrayed by Andreas. He was supposed to take care of her, it sounds like. All that she did she did for his approval."


    "I''m pretty certain she is a very innocent looking psychopath, but a psychopath nheless," he countered.


    "Maybe you should talk to her," she suggested.


    "If I talk to her, I might rip the door off of her cell," he growled. "And not stop with the door."


    "Don''t you think it''s strange that Andreas has even left her down there with all the truth she holds?" she thought aloud.


    "Exactly my point. She could by lying. How do we know?" Graeme asked. "Why would he do that?" he began thinking in earnest now. If all of this were true, Andreas didn''t imagine Zoe would say anything. If that were the case, he certainly didn''t think much of her. Or he had tired of her to the extent that he couldn''t even bring himself to imagine that she would be a threat.


    Graeme hummed to himself in thought. Zoe had screwed up giving Greta her anti-alyko serum rather than August, and then one of them shoved her into a cell before leaving the dungeon. All Andreas had to do was leave Zoe there afterward as a convenient scapegoat for the mistake with Greta.


    Fuck, it made sense. Andreas was a coward. Penelope was right. He always had someone else making the moves for him while he waited, hands clean in the shadows.


    "I think¡­ maybe¡­" he started, shifting his eyes uneasily to August, "maybe you are right and we need to retrieve Zoe from the dungeon. If she is telling the truth about all of this and Andreas decides she is a threat, he might get to her first. She definitely has more information than we could ever hope to get on our own."


    August nodded in agreement.


    "But what the hell are we going to do with her?" he growled again. They needed her locked up, just¡­ locked up away from where Andreas could get to her.


    "There is a spare room," August pointed out.


    "You think I''m going to let her stay here in this house with us? With you?"


    "She said something about having all of her defenses clipped or something. That she wasn''t dangerous. That just her knowledge is," August''s eyebrows dipped recalling it. What in the world did she mean?


    "Well, knowledge is still something she could gain if she were here staying with us. There is no way I''m going to risk waking up in the middle of the night to see Zoe standing over our bed, scrutinizing you while you sleep like some kind of scientific stalker."


    August''s face paled at the thought, precisely because it wasn''t a stretch.


    "Not to mention what Greta might do to her when she finds out everything that Zoe and the elders have been up to," he reminded her. "There''s no way she is staying in this house.. I just don''t know what else we would do with her."

 Chapter 207 - Side By Side

    "Lucas was down there because he was bringing Zoe food. I think he has a soft spot for her," August said thoughtfully.


    "So you think Lucas would want to babysit her?" Graeme chuckled. "I highly doubt it."


    "Maybe he would do it for us. If we asked him. He''s more than capable of it," she thought aloud.


    Lucas was aplicated male to figure out. He was the one who reported to the council that Graeme had brought August onto packnd in the first ce. He was the reason Marius showed up at the outpost that first day. And he was always appearing at eerily convenient times and apparently following the elders'' orders. On the other hand, he told August that he cared about the pack first and foremost and that if she was Graeme''s rightful mate, it would make everyone''s lives here easier.


    On top of all of that, there was Lucas'' response in the dungeon to August''s appearance. Her ethereal glow was undeniable proof now that she was the pack''s rightful Luna, and his reaction¡ªwhile super unsettling¡ªseemed to indicate his eptance of this. Or at least his awe of it. He tried to follow her out of the dungeon, which may have been the instinct to protect her that Graeme had mentioned.


    Something told August that despite how things had begun with Lucas, he would be on their side now. Especially if he was aware of what the elders had done against the previous Alpha and Luna.


    "Regardless of whether Lucas watches her for us or not, if we want her out of there for the information she has, we should probably do it. If Andreas finds out she talked to me, she could disappear," August said softly.


    Graeme groaned. Was he seriously going to have to entertain saving Zoe?


    "There''s something else she said that I forgot to mention," August added. "Whoever the elders were working with in this plot to kill your parents is still someone they are in contact with. And that person is uh¡­" sheughed uneasily, "going to being for me at some point."


    So it wasn''t only his pack he needed to fear when it came to August''s safety. It was this previously unknown threat.


    "Let''s go," Graeme growled without further hesitation, stalking out through the back of the house toward the woods. There was no doubt they needed Zoe if she had more information about this person or could help them know what to anticipate.


    "When we were in the dungeon getting Sam and Greta, the rest of the cells were empty," August shot a look at her mate as they made their way back to the dungeon.


    Graeme grunted. "That''s true."


    "Then who is in there now?"


    He was quiet for a moment and she focused on her feet tracing back through the leaves, the damp smell of the earth, the nature here that always managed to make all her problems seem small and temporary.


    "Those in the cells have spoken against you," he said gruffly.


    August stopped her walking. "You can''t do that," she cried. "You can''t lock them up in there just for that. That''s not the way it should work!"


    "How should it work?" he frowned.


    "You will just make it so people fear to speak their feelings! I don''t want that."


    "Little Red, it is not about what you want. It is about what will keep you safe. And it is about respect for the leadership in this pack," he exined.


    "But they don''t see me as leadership right now. They don''t see me at all!" she started walking again as Graeme had continued ahead of her, and she had to catch up to him else her words would fall on only her ears. "You have been hiding me from them. If they see me¡ªif they see us together¡ªwho knows, perhaps their perceptions will change."


    Graeme turned to wait for her, catching her hand as she slid down an incline next to him. "What would you do instead, my Luna?" his voice dipped low, intense eyes seeking her thoughts, holding space for what wisdom she might offer rather than dismissing her too quickly.


    She was his partner in this, and he had shut her out until now. He wouldn''t do that again, but it didn''t mean he would endanger her safety either.


    August''s breath caught with the depth of intensity she was suddenly bathed in again with his eyes. It was so easy to forget this¡ªhow he could enrapture her with just his gaze and the fullness of emotion he held for her there, causing her to stumble for her thoughts that had just been there in her mind but fluttered away like disturbed butterflies.


    The corner of Graeme''s lips tipped up in amusement at how she turned momentarily flustered.


    "My Luna?" he prompted teasingly, his voice still holding that depth that seemed to rumble through her to her toes.


    "Stop looking at me like that," she blushed, "My Alpha," she added in the same teasing manner.


    "Like what?" he asked, feigning ignorance as to how he affected her.


    "You need to set those pack members free. Whoever has been locked up for my sake, please. They haven''t even had much of a chance if any to know me, and the elders have been deceiving them all these years," her scattered thoughts came back to alight on the prior subject.


    "How can anyone be med for how they have been led astray by such deceit as theirs? The people here have believed the alyko responsible for your parents'' deaths. I mean, we have only just learned the full truth today! If you let them go back to their homes and enjoy Samhain and we find a way to have Zoe share her truth with everyone, then each member of this pack will have a chance to judge the past and the change in leadership more fairly."


    As she spoke, her eyes had been darting all over the forest, following her thoughts as they manifested¡ªseeing the ns in her mind¡ªbut when they arrived back to her mate and saw how his fondness had only turned deeper somehow, she licked her lips and smiled shyly.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?!" August giggled and pushed yfully past her mate to continue walking, but he caught her around the waist and drew her securely into him.


    "Because you are the center of my everything: my thoughts, my desires¡­ the entire universe of my being and you have been for weeks, that hasn''t changed," he breathed against her radiance, "But now you are even carrying our child. Suddenly everything inside of me is so full. I don''t know how to contain it. It will leak out of me, I think. What should I do to not be consumed by these feelings every moment of my waking days, my moon? How can I concentrate on anything else but the brilliant, radiant gift of your light and the kindness and patience you offer others who would speak against you?"


    August''s wide eyes were glittering with surprise as she breathed against his warmth, caged against him by his arms. What had she done to elicit this emotion from him? She was just talking about his prisoners! Was it only because he had been distant for days and now their bond was surging with all that had been suppressed?


    "Concentrate on my words, my Alpha," she spoke softly against him. "It may help."


    "That is what has made me so profoundly in awe of you at this moment," he spoke just as softly in response. "You are what I have been missing. I was so angry and frustrated and getting nowhere with only Sam and the others. It was because I needed your optimism and hope and light to help guide us. Even Sylvia and Charlotte speak so wisely, but their words do not thread through and pierce me the way yours do. I am sorry that I let my fear blind me to your truth."


    "You have already apologized. There is no more need for it," she pushed with her slight resistance against his arms.


    "So you would have me free them now, my Luna?" he asked, releasing her so they could continue their walk side by side.

 Chapter 208 - Releasing Zoe

    "If they can be released safely right now, then yes! How long have they been in there?" August asked as they stepped through a slippery patch of leaves and Graeme''s hand tightened around hers.


    Whoever had been put in the dungeon initially for ''speaking against her,'' whatever that even entailed, likely hated her even more now. It was a very lonely, miserable ce to be. And they were in there simply for voicing their feelings¡ªthese pack members who had been deceived for years, being presented with a truth by the elders about the alyko that may have even run in contrast to their own instincts. But after being given one story for so long and having lived through the fallout of a tragedy, anyone''s feelings could sour.


    August didn''t me those who would be at least suspicious of her, if not entirely opposed to her presence. But they needed a chance to hear the truth. Once they got to know her and see how she and Graeme could lead withpassion together, then they would hopefullye around. The pack could heal.


    "Let''s focus on getting Zoe out now, and then I will take care of the others," he replied. August evaluated his sincerity with a sidelong nce, and he chuckled. "Before Samhain. I vow it."


    "What about the treehouse for Zoe?" the thought suddenly urred to her. "Would Maggie''s enchantment work for her? If she were there, could no one with ill intentions enter?"


    "That''s how it''s supposed to work, but after Marius showing up there, I don''t know what loopholes there are to it," Graeme grunted. "And it would''t keep her from leaving if she wanted to."


    "If we have her share her truth with the pack on Samhain, then we only really need to keep an eye on her for a few days," August pointed out.


    "Okay. We''ll take her to the treehouse," he agreed and pulled out his phone.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I''m sending Sam a message to have him find Lucas and bring him to meet us at the treehouse. Hopefully your instincts about Lucas are right and he won''t mind watching her for a few days," Graeme mumbled as he typed away on his phone.


    As they once again entered the dark stairway descending into the dungeon, August wondered why she couldn''t see this supposed glow that was so apparent to everyone else.


    "I have a question," she whispered, as if she was still concerned with evading guards down here rather than walking down as the Alpha and Luna of the pack.


    "What is it, my Luna?" there was the hint of a smile in his voice even though she couldn''t see his face clearly.


    "Do I illuminate the darkness with this strange glow of mine?"


    "You do a bit, yes," he chuckled. She was whispering like a child who had learned something unfathomable.


    "How much?"


    "It''s a soft glow," he smiled in the darkness.


    "Should I walk ahead and light the way for you?" she teased.


    "I can see quite well in the dark, Moon," he squeezed her hand.


    Zoe''s cell was quiet again when they arrived in front of it. August and Graeme nced at each other wordlessly, and she could see that he still had a measure of doubt about what they were about to do.


    "Zoe?" August called out gently as she further approached the door.


    "Luna?" An excited reply instantly came with what sounded like scrambling from within until the were rustles of movement just on the other side.


    "Yes, I''m back. I brought Graeme with me, and we are going to let you out, okay?" she replied, ncing at Graeme as she did.


    Zoe went quiet, fearing perhaps what may happen to her now. She had revealed many things that were kept secret in this pack for so long. Had she been unwise to do it?


    Sure, she wanted to get back at Andreas. He obviously cared nothing for her and had forsaken the agreement to make sure she was well taken care of¡ªhe hadn''t even visited her down here to exin himself! If her predicament was a temporary situation to advance some scheme of his, then he could at least let her in on it! Seeing the expression on his face the moment he realized she had rebelled against him would bring her a great deal of satisfaction indeed.


    But Graeme must be furious to learn of how he had been manipted and deceived. This was going to be tricky to get him to see her as simply a¡­ a tool used by the elders rather than a mastermind of some kind. Rather than the cause.


    "Will he try to hurt me?" she asked cautiously, not that she could do anything to avoid it. And it wasn''t the actual hurting she was fearful of, it was the trying.


    Graeme and August exchanged nces again before he went to retrieve the key to the cells from further down the hall.


    "I have asked him not to. He is very angry though, Zoe. So please cooperate, okay?" August answered.


    "Thank you foring back for me. Thank you thank you thank you. Lucas tries to visit as much as he can because he knows how lonely I am, and he brings me food too because most prisoners in here are only fed once a day, but he was the one who moved me from the first cell into this one, and he must have been surprised to see someone who looked so young abandoned in here like I was. He even brought me the heater outside the door hoping it would make me morefortable. He is very friendly. But even with all of that, this is the worst ce I have ever been left in since I''ve been in this pack," she continued on until Graeme returned with the key and she heard it sliding in the lock.


    Graeme slid open the heavy door to reveal the pitiful looking Zoe wrapped in a nket with a fiery gleam of hope in her eyes.

 Chapter 209 - Back In The Treehouse

    Lucas was standing in the treehouse living room consciously diverting his eyes from August, because every time they lingered on the mesmerizing radiant glow of her skin, a low, threatening snarl from Graeme would snap him out of it.


    When he entered with Sam only minutes prior, the Beta seemed equally as shocked and transfixed by the visible change in August''s condition. Apparently no one was made aware of the pack''sing heir prior to today. Lucas smirked to himself with the knowledge that he was one of the firsts to know. It was a unique honor he would cherish. Something to tell his children one day.


    Sam seemed to be having a much easier time reverting back to his duty-driven mentality, though. Every time Lucas nced August''s way, his eyes betrayed him. It wasn''t that he wanted to make her ufortable, which seemed to be the case, it was just that he never imagined actually seeing this¡ªtheir Hallowell Luna radiantly expecting. It was only a few months ago that Graeme was still out wandering the countryside supposedly tracking strays, unlikely to ever return. And now¡­ now this stunning visible promise of hope stood before them.


    Graeme snarled again, shaking Lucas from his silent reverie. That''s when he noticed August''s hands folded in front of her, cheeks flushed, eyes on thefort of her mate. She wasn''t ustomed to this attention yet. It was something she would need to get used to soon.


    "Should I find someone else for this job, Lucas?" the threat in Graeme''s question was obvious. "For some reason you have won the honor of your Luna''s confidence, but you have yet to gain mine."


    Lucas'' chest puffed slightly at this revtion. She was the one who suggested him for this responsibility?


    "You are right, it is an honor. I apologize. Honestly, I never imagined there was truth to the stories of an expecting Luna nor did I imagine to witness it so soon or at all in my lifetime," he bowed with the words that he hoped would alleviate any difort or distrust, as they were the truth. "I will endeavor to earn your confidence as well, Alpha," he added.


    "Let''s go outside so we can talk in confidence," Graeme turned to open the door to the deck and waited for August to walk out so he could follow her.


    Sam and Lucas followed them out, leaving Zoe to her bath, which she was enjoying immensely. She wouldn''t shut up about how she had never seen a tub as beautiful as this one and how amazing and unexpected the treehouse was, if not ridiculously high and impractical.


    She pretty much hadn''t stopped talking since they sprung her from the dungeon, and Graeme was gritting his teeth to keep from snapping. He was trying his best not to scare her off for the time being. Just two days. Two days until Samhain.


    "Greta should be here any minute," Sam said as they all pulled out chairs and sat around the table.


    "So what''s the deal with Zoe? Is she a stray or something?" Lucas asked. "Another test subject from Eliade?"


    A frown feathered August''s forehead and she shifted in her seat.


    "No. She''s been here for years. You''ve never seen her?" Graeme replied, watching the surprise alight on Lucas'' face.


    "No. Are you sure she''s been here?" he asked, dumbfounded. He knew everyone in this pack.


    "Yes. Have you noticed anything unusual about her since helping her out in the dungeon?" Graeme asked.


    "She talks a lot," he chuckled. "But she''s young. And she was terrified of being left down there. I couldn''t understand why she would be imprisoned, so I just assumed she was a stray. But we don''t usually treat young female strays that way."


    "And we won''t," Graeme mumbled, thinking of the n Silvia and Charlotte had been helping him revise for a new space in the pack house. Once all this shit was over, that was one of his first priorities.


    "So you thought she was from Eliade," August finally spoke, bringing Lucas'' eyes back to her. He nodded.


    "It was the only thing that made sense to me."


    "Well she is not from Eliade. She has been in charge of her own secret research team tracking alyko globally. It''s a whole huge operation," Graeme replied gruffly.


    "Oh that thing that everyone has been talking about. The map? She was in charge?" Lucas chuckled as if it were a joke.


    "Yes, her intelligence is impressive. And honestly terrifying," Graeme answered.


    "Hey guys, did I miss much? I came as quickly as I could. What''s going on?" Greta hurried out onto the deck and then stopped, frozen in ce as her eyes fell on August. Her mouth dropped open in surprise before slowly turning into a wide smile. She nced to her brother, her smile growing, and then she squealed, rushing over to embrace August in her chair.


    "What?! When did this happen? Why didn''t you tell me? Why didn''t I sense it?" sheughed, swaying back and forth excitedly with August giggling, still trapped in her arms. "Did you know?!" she smacked her brother''s arm usingly.


    Graeme just smiled in response to Greta''s excitement, ashamed to admit that he hadn''t known. How had he not?


    "We are pregnant together! We are going to have babies together!" Greta continued to squeal and jostle August in her arms.


    "Greta, perhapster would be a better time for this," Graeme interrupted regretfully.


    "What?! This isn''t what you called me for?" she replied, confused with the smile still on her face.


    "Why would we bring you to the treehouse for that?" Sam asked, amused at his mate.


    "I don''t know. W-why is Lucas here?" she let go of August and stood straight, the seriousness of whatever was happening slowly bing apparent. They wouldn''t have Lucas here for just any reason.


    "Zoe is inside getting cleaned up. We have asked Lucas to keep an eye on her for a few days," Graeme answered.


    "Zoe?! The one who nearly killed me?" Greta scoffed. "You let her out? Why, so she could do it to someone else?"


    Graeme grimaced. How was he going to tell his sister Zoe had actually done so much more than nearly kill her?

 Chapter 210 - What Kind

    "August learned some startling things from Zoe today," Graeme started, easing into the rest. "We need her. We need to keep her safe until she can reveal what she knows to the whole pack. Everyone needs to be on the same page."


    "What did she say?" Greta frowned, lowering herself into a chair between August and Sam.


    Graeme looked uneasily at his mate, unsure of how best to reveal all that was discovered and also keep Greta from killing the girl. August sensed his dilemma and shifted her eyes back to Greta, seeking the best words for these revtions.


    "Maggie may still be alive," August blurted out. It was the most hopeful news of everything they had learned, and it seemed the best to lead with.


    Greta, Sam and Lucas were visibly stunned at her words. Their Luna may as well have just struck them with lightening.


    "What?" Greta scoffed. "Zoe said that?"


    "Not in so many words," Graeme added.


    "I don''t understand. How many words?" she asked. "What did she say exactly?"


    "A deal was made," August said. "ording to Zoe, the elders made a deal with someone who organized the murder of your parents in exchange for the alyko of this pack."


    Silence descended on the table as the others soaked in this new information. Graeme felt the instant that the realization hit Greta, because her confusion turned to rage.


    "The elders killed our parents?" her summary of what August had said was repeated so low and threatening, it sent a chill down August''s back.


    "Without getting their hands dirty, yes," August breathed.


    Graeme was bracing for how his sister''s reaction would explode into unrestrained fury. He locked eyes with her, their twin expressions warring between sorrow and fury, but he was willing her to control it and hear what else needed to be said. The fire that had exploded behind her eyes dimmed just enough when Sam put an arm around her shoulders, calming her with his embrace.


    "Who was this deal with?" Greta growled.


    "She is unable to say," August replied.


    "Are you kidding me?" Greta scoffed.


    "No, truly. She couldn''t tell me, otherwise I am positive she would have," August answered. Greta shook her head, a sarcastic chuckle escaping her lips in disbelief. How could August be naive enough to believe that?


    "I can see it, Greta. Zoe says she is not lycan. She is not alyko. She is another kind of¡­ of being. Of creature. Remember when we were in the dungeon after I healed you and I could see something was different about her? She truly is different. She has a restriction threaded throughout her being that does not allow her to speak about this one person and his or her activities. Every time she tries, it is as if it is physically painful for her."


    "It''s only physical pain that is preventing it?" Greta scoffed again.


    "No," August''s face crumpled with the frustration of being unable to exin this properly.


    "We know enough," Graeme interrupted, cing a hand over August''s infort. "We know this significant lie that has been perpetuated for years against the alyko, and we know the elders were responsible for the former Alpha and Luna''s deaths." He nced at Lucas to gauge his reaction to this news and recognized the fierce fire of vengeance that had lit behind his eyes. Good. That meant he was not loyal to the elders.


    "We are asking Lucas to keep Zoe safe here until we can have her share this truth with the entire pack on Samhain. Everyone will be together. It is an opportune time," Graeme continued.


    "But that will take too long. We need to find the alyko now! Where have they been taken?" Greta eximed.


    "It has been ten years, Greta," Graeme responded. "We need two more days."


    Greta rose from her chair and walked to the railing overlooking the forest. Everything she had believed about her parents'' murders was a lie. She had been living amongst the elders ever since, and they were the ones responsible for the tremendous loss she had endured? That they all had endured?


    "They ran you out of here," she mumbled. "They didn''t want you to take leadership. They didn''t want you to find out. And you were always sympathetic toward the alyko," she turned to her brother. "I''m sorry." Her eyes filled with tears, and she buried her head in her hands to avoid sharing the weakness of her tears with everyone present.


    "Why are you sorry?" Graeme was up and next to her in an instant, tugging her into thefort of his warmth.


    "I should have seen it. I''m the smart one," she chuckled through her tears, letting her brother embrace her.


    "We were so young when it happened, Greta. We trusted those around us. I should be the one apologizing," he grumbled next to her. "I left you all to be led by those who deceived us. I should have stayed and protected you."


    "We have the information now," August''s voice rose from behind them. "Why do you two always feel that you must me yourselves? We have been given this information now for a purpose, and we need to concentrate on how to proceed with it."


    Everyone''s eyes shifted to the radiant Luna in their midst who sounded confident and determined.


    "Lucas, are you able to watch Zoe here until Samhain? It is important that this truth be shared with the pack from her, if possible. If the elders be aware that she has shared this with us before then, they will try toe for her," August turned her attention back to the male.


    Lucas nodded, still reeling from all that he was hearing. His emotions were warring in his chest as well, but the way August pierced him with her eyes and her unwavering voice brought his focus back to the duty that was given him.


    "I understand how this is presented to the pack is important, but I wish to search for the alyko now. Maggie could be out there!" Greta eximed.


    "There are others here who need us as well," August replied. "We will find the alyko. We will find the fae. I feel this is part of why I am here," she added with unwavering confidence.


    Greta swallowed and nodded silently.


    "I think there is something else important to answer about Zoe if we are going to trust her with such a huge role in this revtion of our pack," Sam spoke up.


    "What''s that?" August asked.


    "What kind of creature is she?"

 Chapter 211 - The Gift

    "I''m sorry, did you say fae?" Lucas found his voice to speak amidst everyone else here who was sofortable with each other. "Like from the lore?"


    The four others turned to him. Whoops, did August say fae aloud?


    "We need to catch you up on some things, Lucas," August murmured.


    "The very first lycan was created by a fae called La Loba. All of us have fae gics, although those of us who don''t have wolves are closer gically to the original fae who created us. Therefore, the alyko could be considered fae," Greta quickly summarized before turning to August in silent question as to whether that was sufficient.


    August smirked, offering her nod of approval as Graeme scrutinized Lucas'' reaction. Every small change in scent, every nonverbal gesture, every shadow or light that hovered over Lucas'' eyes was silently passed through the highly attuned radar of Graeme''s senses. He wouldn''t let this male be trusted lightly, and he wouldn''t be deceived.


    "What else do we know about Zoe?" Greta questioned. There were very few creatures that she was aware of. Any nonhuman creatures that still existed would do so secretly, tucked away into time by myths and legends rather than making themselves known.


    "She said she is older than me, though she didn''t say by how much. So she doesn''t age like us," August answered.


    "What?" Lucas scoffed. "She acts so young."


    "That''s what is so strange. It''s like her emotional maturity matches her appearance rather than her¡­ intelligence. It''s like watching two different people inhabiting her body, honestly," August recalled the way Zoe''s personality would almost seem to switch when she was talking with her in the cell.


    "That doesn''t sound familiar to me," Greta''s eyebrows furrowed in thought, "but I could do some research on it."


    "Vampires don''t age," Lucas suggested, standing now from his seat. This conversation was too intense to have sitting.


    "Vampires exist?" August gaped. But why was she so taken aback by it? Lycans exist. Faeries exist. Still¡­ vampires?


    "They also drink blood," Sam pointed out. "And we haven''t heard of any vampires in¡­ well, forever. Why would there be one here?"


    Everyone stood in silent thought as the possibility loomed.


    "In this deal," August swallowed with difficulty before continuing. Her mouth was so dry. It was like shock or stress absorbed the moisture in her mouth. Fucking vampires? For real? "In this deal between the elders and¡­ whoever, Zoe was also gifted to Andreas. Why would she be a gift?"


    "Her intelligence, obviously. She made that anti-alyko shit she gave me, she has led a team in hunting down the alyko and tracking them on a map. Despite how creepy and annoying she is, she has a lot to offer in that department," Greta huffed in disgust.


    "She''s not a vampire," Graeme''s sonorous voice cut off the possibility.


    "Have you met one?" Sam asked, arms crossed against his chest.


    "No, but she isn''t one. She has none of the other characteristics," he said dismissively.


    But August was absorbed with this idea, as if the very word ''vampire'' had nted itself inside of her and was burgeoning forth with blooms and tentacles, curling around her thoughts. Zoe had said her defenses were ''clipped,'' whatever the hell that meant.


    And what was a vampire in the real world, if they actually existed? Did they sleep in coffins, sensitive to light, avoiding garlic and crucifixes and holy water while stalking their next victims? Did they sparkle in the sunlight?


    "Can''t we just ask her?" Lucas shrugged, and as if summoned, Zoe opened the door to join them out on the deck.


    "Zoe, what kind of creature are you?" Greta asked, eyes narrowing, visibly bristling at the presence of the young girl.


    Zoe''s eyes slid to August''s before she started batting hershes in that disy of innocence she had perfected. August didn''t exin for her this time¡ªthat Zoe was unable to answer. She was curious to see how Zoe would respond to the question in front of all of these other people, but she could see the internal battle that Zoe suffered.


    "W-what do you mean?" Zoe stuttered, diverting her eyes from all of those that were on her, scrutinizing her unapologetically.


    She avoided the stares and took in the fresh autumn forest air that was so pure this high up, relishing in it. She never got to be outside. Even the short time with August and Graeme on the way to the treehouse and being up here, away from the pack house, away from the dungeon, and in this bright, free nature like some wild creature who could scamper off into the trees or glide away on the wind¡­ it was a gift. This is how she wanted to live. She loved her research, she loved herb, but this is where her heart longed to be.


    "You know what I''m asking," the curt, unkind voice of the Alpha''s sister sliced through the perfection of this moment. "Are you lycan? Are you alyko?"


    "No," Zoe sighed, sping her hands in front of her.


    "Then what are you?" Greta''s head tipped to the side, a distasteful frown riddling her features. You are different. You are wrong. You are unwee. That is what she was saying. Zoe recognized it without the words needing to be spoken.


    "I can''t tell you," Zoe said simply.


    "What do you mean, you can''t tell me?" Greta growled, beginning to advance on the girl.


    Zoe shrugged. "It is as I say. I am unable to tell you. Otherwise I would."


    Greta crossed the remaining space between them and grabbed Zoe roughly by the arm.


    "I heard you were a gift, Zoe. Is that true?" a threatening putter rumbled in Greta''s throat. "What if I break the gift? What will happen?"


    A decision formed itself in Zoe''s mind at that moment, and it brought a crest of tears to well. She couldn''t tell them what she was, but perhaps she could do something else.


    "Did you also hear that I caused the loss of your pregnancy? We determined there was a good chance your offspring may be alyko, and so like so many others, Andreas ordered the termination of it," she said, her wide, doe eyes watching the transformation of Greta''s expression into something terrifying.

 Chapter 212 - Fall

    Why would Zoe tell Greta that? August gasped internally. Could she really be that intelligent and that stupid at the very same time? Did she want to die?


    August felt her mate go rigid, tensed next to her with every muscle poised in anticipation for what his sister may do in response to this information.


    Greta''s fingers curled tighter around Zoe''s narrow arm, and Zoe knew it wasing. But there was a moment when Greta nced back at her mate, feeling the swell of their mutual loss ripple between them for the life they had created together.


    Lucas saw the exchange between Greta and her mate and realized it for what it was¡ªa request for permission. He shoved past one of the deck chairs to stop her, but Sam seized him by the shoulders.


    "Greta, no!" Graeme sprung from his ce next to August when he registered the first movement from his sister, but her speed and strength was nearly equal his, and he ended up grabbing onto her just as Zoe was beingunched over the ss railing of the deck.


    Zoe was falling, the fresh wind whipping past her, pushing with its resistance to her weight, and she closed her eyes to imagine herself flying like one of the birds out here that had no restrictions on their natural given abilities. She stretched her arms out, willing them to be feathered wings but they only bent back with the air''s resistance instead.


    Gravity would im her. It was exhrating and terrifying and sad. Another person had attempted to take her life. Was it that or the inevitable oue that left such a profound emptiness inside of her as she fell the remaining distance?


    Graeme cursed under his breath as he and Lucas tore through the house and down the steps. It was over a 70 foot drop. A lycan dropped from that height would take days to recover, if not longer.


    August rushed to the railing and looked over, but there was no direct line of sight. Too many leaves and limbs obscured the drop to the ground. Her shoulders sagged. Now how would they reveal to the pack all that was needed without Zoe to aid them?


    Next to her, Greta was trembling in rage as she also peered over the railing. So this was why there were so many miscarriages. This is why all these females had suffered the crushing loss of their pregnancies and of their hope. Zoe and the elders were behind it.


    The elders were responsible for her parents'' deaths, for the alyko, for the miscarriages, for Livvy''s disappearance. Why didn''t they just march into the pack house now and take the remaining two old men out? What was the point in waiting for Samhain? Someone like Zoe could never be trusted, and they didn''t need her. Greta huffed, waves of rage rolling off of her as she turned and stalked through the house after the males.


    August was left alone on the deck, and she turned with her back to the railing, sliding down the smooth ss until she was sitting on the ground watching the water in the pool rippling in response to the breeze. They hadn''t been here to clean the pool and hadn''t thought to cover it, and it was littered with brown and gold leaves across its surface.


    She let out a shaky breath, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them to her. Zoe hadn''t even made a sound when Greta threw her over. It was like she knew it wasing. Like she had expected it. Was this her way of escaping having to face the pack and the elders? It just didn''t seem like something Zoe would do. Then again, she didn''t know Zoe at all.


    "Wait," August let her legs unfold awkwardly in front of her before she sprung up and made her own way down the steps around the tree following the other four who had descended in front of her.


    She slowed as she approached the final steps and heard Greta roaring in frustration nearby.


    "So what? You can''t die?"


    Lucas was crouched defensively in front of Zoe who was stiffly pulling herself up into a seated position. Graeme and his Beta were standing aside, gawking at the young girl who had no scratches or abrasions of any kind after that massive fall.


    "I can''t tell you what I am. So I thought perhaps I could show you something," Zoe sounded morose, a stark contrast to her usual chipper and heedless rambling.


    August approached with the intention to evaluate Zoe, but Graeme snatched her by the wrist, pulling her back behind him.


    "She could be anything. She could be a damn aswang for all we know," he growled.


    "I don''t know what that means," August replied softly from behind him.


    "It''s a demonic creature that shape shifts and feeds on unborn babies," Greta snarled without taking her eyes off of Zoe.


    "No, I just¡­ like science," Zoe shrugged.


    "What does that have to do with you surviving a 100 foot fall?" Sam snorted.


    "It was 74 feet, actually," she stood up and dusted herself off. "I wish I could die. I really do." August''s eyebrows pinched together hearing the truth and pain in her voice.


    "That makes you what? Immortal?" Greta asked, every word dripping with disgust.


    "For now," the girl sighed. "Surviving the fall doesn''t have anything to do with being a scientist. I was referring to the miscarriages. The serum. The experiments. All of this has been in service to Andreas. I don''t¡­ eat fetuses." Her face distorted.


    "Right, because that would be beneath you," Greta scoffed.


    "Okay," August stepped out from behind Graeme.


    Regardless of what Zoe did, she couldn''t take all of this venom that was being hurled at the girl. Zoe was creepy and she felt wrong in so many ways. She had done some terrible things, but August had also witnessed the pain and struggle that she dealt with internally. Zoe just wasn''t a simple being that could be easily categorized.. She wasplicated.

 Chapter 213 - Made By Him

    "I''ll help you. Andreas was supposed to take care of me, and he didn''t. He left me. So I''m leaving him in the only way I can," Zoe''s eyes stung with the words that were so true and pathetic. She knew they sounded pathetic, but what else did she have in this world other than to rely on the elder? Who knew what would be of her after this, but this was the next step.


    "Are youfortable with Lucas staying with you here until Samhain?" August asked as gently as she could. She heard Greta snort nearby at the concern she was giving the still unidentified creature that was Zoe, but even in light of everything Zoe had done there was a need forpassion here. August wasn''t blind to it.


    Zoe nodded wordlessly. Lucas was kind. Plus, she couldn''t wait until the rest of these sensitive lycans left so she could ask him about why he was staring at the Luna so differently. It didn''t escape her highly attuned eyes, and there was so much about August she still wanted to know. She hadn''t even chipped away at the surface. Hopefully they would allow her to stay in the pack so she would be allowed to witness all that the Luna had yet to manifest.


    Graeme raked a hand down his face and beard. This was a lot simpler when Zoe was a lycan in his mind. Or even alyko.


    "Are you some kind of vampire, Zoe? One that doesn''t require blood?" his stern face studied how she squirmed in reaction to the question, wringing her hands together and finally pleading to August for help with distress in her eyes.


    August''s face paled. Graeme had struck on something with this question even though Zoe wasn''t able to answer. With the Veiled, August could see how the question created a frenzy of chaotic, panicked energy rather than the typical reaction she had to questions that she couldn''t answer. It was as if this restriction that Zoe had on her very physiology itself didn''t want them following this line of questioning. August had never seen anything like it.


    "How many different kinds of¡­ creatures are there?" August gulped, eyes widening as she found herself far adrift again from thefort of what was safe and known. It wasn''t just lycans and alyko or fae. She was staring into the eyes of some kind of vampire-like creature who seemed unable to at least easily die. Vampires. Seriously?


    "It''s impossible to say," Greta shrugged regretfully, "most don''t want to be known."


    "And if there are portals between all of those universes I was telling you about," Zoe piped up, the excitement returning to her voice, "then the possibilities might as well be infinite. Each of those separate universes would have different naturalws¡ªonly the fundamental structure and configuration of the strings and dimensions that gave rise to the multiverse would stay the same across them. Almost any creature you could imagine would be possible. Portals would allow creatures to travel between worlds¡­"


    "Are you some kind of vampire, Zoe?" Graeme tried again, cutting off her rant while August was suspended in the idea of portals between worlds. Her experience with the tree guardian in that other ce she and Graeme had visited seemed to fit the description from the little that she understood of Zoe''s ramblings.


    A tortured groan made its way from Zoe''s throat. She shook her head, objecting to the question and to what it was doing to her.


    "She is," August sighed, her own face twisted in empathy for the pain Zoe was struggling against.


    "How do you know?" Lucas'' mouth dropped and he stepped away from the girl so he could watch her more carefully.


    "It''s hard to exin. I can see things that you can''t see, Lucas. And I can see her reaction to this question. There is at least something about it that hits too close to the truth."


    "Fuck," Graeme spit, digging a foot into the ground in thought. "What did the elders get us into?"


    "Would that mean that whomever gifted this vampire-like creature to the elders in exchange for the alyko and organized the deaths of our parents was also¡­" Greta began, her thoughts tumbling out into words as they arrived, plunking into the air like stones before she shot a worried look at her brother. "... Also a vampire?"


    Graeme nodded. "Or something more dangerous."


    A wave of shock had August''s teeth chattering. This thing that was responsible for Zoe''s presence here would be returning, and it would be returning for her.


    "Zoe told me she was excited to meet him¡ªwhoever he is. And one thing that we know about Zoe is that she is fascinated by things that are different," August spoke of the girl as if she wasn''t standing right there before them, with wide, fearful and yet somehow simultaneously exhrated eyes.


    "So I''m confused, she hasn''t met him?" Sam asked. "But was gifted by him?"


    "And when would she be meeting him, then?" Greta turned to look at her mate before directing her gaze toward August and her brother.


    August felt a tremor run down the length of her. They hadn''t mentioned that part. They hadn''t even really had time to think about that part in more detail yet.


    "He wants you too doesn''t he? Whatever psycho this is that we''re talking about," Greta growled. "Well you have the whole pack behind you now. We''ll figure it out. And Zoe will tell us all she can, won''t you Zoe?" Greta grabbed the girl again and shook her.


    "I d-don''t know what I can tell you."


    "Why have you never met this guy?" Lucas asked patiently beside her.


    She sighed, concentrating on her feet. "I don''t know what I can tell you," she repeated.


    "Try," Greta snarled, shaking her again for a small whine to escape the girl.


    "I n-never met him.. But I was m-made by him," she said through gritted teeth, tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

 Chapter 214 - No Wandering

    "If you''re a vampire, why don''t you rely on blood?" Greta asked.


    A surge of anguish rose from Zoe''s mouth, and she fought, teeth gnashed together, against the sobs that came one after the other. "I-I''m m-more than th-that."


    "More than a vampire? Are you a hybrid or a scientific experiment of some kind?" Greta persisted impatiently, her hand tightening around the girl''s arm.


    The anguished noises kept erupting from the girl, but she nodded her head even in the midst of it. August found herself moving closer to Graeme, seeking the security of his warmth as she watched this unfold.


    "Is your maker a vampire, Zoe?" Graeme''s sonorous voice was calm. He was the ground here, he was the solid ce for all to rely on¡ªthat was his role, his birthright, and he felt the steady stream of that reliability coursing through him now in the midst of this threat and uncertainty that could unsettle his pack. It was the leadership of the Alpha emerging. His wolf was poised, ready for the danger that might be lingering in the shadows.


    August shuffled closer to him as Zoe strained against the invisible chains that were painfully cutting into her.


    "He is," August whispered as if to herself, but Graeme heard her.


    He looked down at his mate who had unconsciously snuggled into his side where the physical connection between them was a natural balm to the fear and anxiety he felt welling up inside of her.


    "Are you sure?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist to secure her to him. She nodded and looked up at him, eyebrows arched with the fear of this knowledge. There was a vampire responsible for creating whatever hybrid or experiment that Zoe was, and that vampire would being.


    "I think we know enough for now," Graeme turned to the others. "Lucas, you are to stay here with her at all times, and if you need something, let me know directly. You have my number. If you learn of anything else, let me know as well."


    Lucas gave an obedient nod, his back straightening hearing the responsibility given to him by the Alpha. It was thrilling. Their Alpha was back. With his true Luna. And he was serving them in an especially sensitive matter. It electrified the pulse of purpose within his innermost being. This was what he was created for.


    "Zoe, if you think of anything else that would help us, you are to tell Lucas. Is that understood?" Zoe nodded silently, her bottom lip quivering in the aftermath of the turbulence within her.


    Lucas took Zoe and began leading her up the steps back to the treehouse, leaving the others to figure out the rest of the details for theing days.


    "Sam, I need a tux for the festival and I haven''t had time to get it yet. Can you arrange that? Greta, I''ll need you to find something for Zoe to wear since she will be apanying us. It is convenient that this will be masquerade, as she can remain obscured from Andreas'' notice until the appropriate moment."


    "Do you already have an idea of how you would like this to be unveiled?" Greta asked.


    "There is a point in the night when everyone gathers to receive a me for their hearth."


    "The end of the night?" Greta scoffed. "You would wait until then?"


    "It will give our pack members a chance to enjoy what they havee for. The traditions, the food, the fellowship. They will have seen their radiant Luna who is expecting with the future heir. Rather than just a revtion of what truth Zoe holds, the night also needs to be a celebration of us, of what this pack is truly meant to be. We are a family, and there are many who need to remember that. It has been too long."


    Graeme''s face was lined with a determined knowing, a wisdom that Greta hadn''t ever seen there before. It made something swell within her¡ªa hope and promise that was so raw in its beauty, it nearly stole her breath.


    "Before we deliver this unexpected news that will shake the foundation of what they have believed to be true, I want them to remember what is most sacred about this ce. What we mean to each other," the depth of his voice reached deliciously low as he tugged August closer against his side¡ªhis Luna, the pack''s Luna, the hope for the future of them all.


    August was the assurance they all needed to contrast against the darkness that would be revealed in the elders¡ªthe deceit that had been living amongst them all along. Her presence and the glow she had been gifted by the Goddess from their conception was the hope that would allow the pack to recover from this, he knew it. The timing couldn''t have been more perfect.


    "That makes sense," Greta spoke softly, nodding in agreement. She could see the vision he had for it. "I have to pick up our dresses anyway. I''ll find one for Zoe. Do you want toe with me, August?"


    "No, she is not going to the market," Graeme answered first before August had the chance to herself.


    "Why not?" August scowled up at him.


    "We don''t know when this threat ising for you. You are staying with me at all times."


    Her eyes broadened at the possessiveness that had found its way back home to him. He had kept her at a distance for days, barely even brushing against her while he obsessed over how to negate all that the elders were rying¡ªhow to make this ce safer for her. And now he wasn''t going to let her out of his sight?


    "B-but¡­ what about the pups? They need to finish their masks¡­" she pouted. It was her first concern, which caused a crooked smile to slowly form on Graeme''s face. His mate was adorable.


    "They cane to the house, if it is that important to you."


    "All of them?" she gaped.


    "Of course," he shrugged. "Have them gather in the back garden or something. We will figure it out. But you aren''t wandering around, Moon.. Not now."

 Chapter 215 - Pure Fire

    "How do we prepare for an unknown vampire?" Sam growled, pacing the dining room as Graeme stood behind the counter watching him, one hand running through his beard as he thought through what was known to them about vampires. It wasn''t much.


    August and Greta were in the backyard with the pups who were finishing their paper mache masks for the festival. Samhain was tomorrow, and the pups were so excited. Graeme watched his mate as she seemed to dance from one pup to another, filled with the same excited energy as they were. Something about working with them made her light up inside.


    "Increase perimeter security and runs. Once the elders are outed, it will be easier to determine who is loyal to them rather than us. I don''t want to alert Damon about this yet," he told his Beta, shifting his attention away from his mate and back to the serious dilemma at hand.


    "You think Damon is aware of it?"


    "I don''t know, but he preferred Andreas stay in leadership."


    It was hard to believe anyone outside of the elders and Zoe would know the extent of their acts given that they were so heinous, but it would be naive to assume anything at this point. There were still a lot of unknowns.


    "Lucas called with information about the roles of those who were on Zoe''s alyko team," Sam recalled, consulting the notes he had set on the counter.


    "Zoe likes to talk," Graeme grunted knowingly.


    "There were team members in gics, interpackmunication, obstetrics," he paused, a muscle feathering in his jaw as he shot a re at Graeme, "but everyone else was some kind ofputer genius, it sounds like. And we don''t have names. She ims to not be able to say."


    Graeme groaned.


    "She did say that the only one left on packnd is Kai. The others are scattered. After everything was up and running, they weren''t needed except for asional consultations," Sam clicked his tongue and shoved the paper back down on the counter.


    "Zoe did tell me at one point that she had a friend from her team who went to study gics off packnd. It could be that the others did something simr. They would have had their schooling done offnd anyway if it was that extensive."


    "Could they even be from other packs?" Sam asked.


    "That''s possible. Andreas definitely made it clear there are many others invested in the project," Graeme growled. Andreas acted terrified of the map being put out ofmission. It wasn''t just his own pet project¡ªit was important to many others. "And Kai hasn''t been able to tell us anything?"


    "No, he only knew his specific role. He doesn''t know anything about Zoe other than that she never left her wing of the pack house," Sam confirmed.


    "So that wasn''t much help."


    They stared at each other, lost in thought as the happy sounds of the pups outside broke through, peppering the silence.


    "We need more time," Sam mumbled. "We have no idea what''sing."


    "Let''s just worry about how tomorrow is going to go. We can torture Andreas and Pearce for information afterwards," Graeme replied, the cold certainty of that future for the elders evident in the snarl that apanied his words.


    "Calix has all of the preparations underway at the pack house now. There''s also a haunted forest some of the older pups from Meadowside had presented as an idea for something different this year, so that is being set up in the woods south of the pack house."


    "The pure fire will still be lit in back?"


    "Yes, the fire churn is being assembled right now as is the frame for therger fire next to it. And the torches are already made for each family''s hearth," Sam nodded. "Calix prepares for this all year. It should be spectacr as always."


    "Perfect."


    One ritual that was absolutely sacred to the pack''s celebration of Samhain was the annual lighting of the pure fire at the pack house using arge apparatus known as a fire churn.


    The fire churn consisted of a wooden frame with a hearth log along the bottom and a moveable, six foot long double pointed wooden spindle nestled at its center. The wooden spindle was made to rotate on its point against the hearth log when the rope wound around it was pulled back and forth, creating the friction needed for the fire to spark below.


    This highly symbolic fire for the pack was ignited in the early morning of Samhain by pups who were selected for the honor¡ªnine males who were the first born in their families¡ªand it often took quite some time. While much of the festivities urredter in the evening, many pack members attended the early morning lighting of the pure fire as well to cheer the pups on and rejoice in the sess of their efforts.


    Once the fire was ignited in this special way, it was stoked and transferred to the frame for the bonfire that would burnrge and brightter that night¡ªa cleansing fire that served to symbolically burn away the old and wee the new for the pack as well as to mark the beginning of the darker, colder days of winter.


    And from this fire, each family would take a torch to their own home. A torch was also taken to light the hearth in the pack house that would burn there all winter long. The symbolism served to unite them¡ªone fire to warm and protect the whole pack during the dark days of winter.


    During Samhain, ns were also discussed for the pack''s uing year, and often ceremonies were announced for those newly mated. It was actually the perfect time to bring the elders'' sins into the light and have the pack see their Alpha and Luna officially presented to them for the first time.


    "This will be the first Samhain you have attended in years. The symbolism is¡­ perfect," Sam smiled, as if reading Graeme''s thoughts.


    Graeme nodded his agreement. He couldn''t wait to see the reaction everyone had to the evidence that their true Luna was among them and had conceived his heir. This would be a historic Samhain for many reasons, and he reminded himself to focus on cherishing the hope and promise of the pack''s future rather than being ovee with only the need to burn the sins of the past.. They both deserved equal weight.

 Chapter 216 - Masks

    Out back, August and Greta were enjoying the distraction of helping the pups with their masks.


    Lily was finishing her rabbit mask, painting it with all the colors avable. Its cute bunny face was brightened with the colors of the rainbow, and August smiled watching the girl bite her lip in concentration, covering every bare spot that stillcked color so that it would be perfectly filled.


    Lily hade a long way. She was still quiet and shy, but the withdrawn pup who had avoided art sses all together was nowhere in sight. There was something about being here and creating things with her hands that seemed to heal a part of her.


    Often August looked upon the pups through her Veiled vision. There was a unique energy when they were creating, and it hummed amongst them all, as if they became one vibrant organism that thrived in the space of creation. Wounds were slowly healed and forgotten as newness was brought forth from their own imaginations and they tapped into amon impulse to create.


    This is what art was about. The thrill of helping others, particrly pups, find that magic soared through August every time she was able to share in this creative bing with them.


    It helped August as well. There was so much fear and uncertainty about theing days and the threat that was looming, but when she was with the pups, shivering in the fresh fall air, skipping from project to project and pup to pup to see what their brilliant little minds were bringing forth into the world, all of that receded into something less important. This was what was important and vital. This moment. These souls. This space that they shared together.


    The pups were also thrilled that their Luna was glowing. They asked so many questions, she couldn''t help but be a little overwhelmed, but their curiosity was adorable. Lily wondered if she was part of the moon. Clementine asked if instead the baby was part of the moon and maybe August had swallowed a piece that broke off and fell into the forest. Bear seemed quite aware of how these things really worked, and he rolled his eyes at the girls who preferred fantastical stories that would exin the radiant light that emitted from August''s skin.


    But all the pups seemed drawn to her, cooing in awe and touching her flesh, getting up close to her fair, glowing skin with their eyes, as if upon further inspection they could discern where the light wasing from.


    "Maybe a magnifying ss would help," one of them suggested.


    "You think?" she chuckled, watching as they all bent close, inspecting her.


    "More like a microscope," another countered.


    "I have one!" someone eximed.


    "Are you all done with your masks?" the booming voice of their Alpha startled them all into silence, and they spun around to peer up at him.


    "Yes sir," Isaac was the first to respond, followed by little hums of affirmation from the others.


    "Let''s see them then," Graeme prompted with a tilt of his chin, walking forward amongst them with his hands sped behind his back, inspecting the work of the pups who August had been mentoring in different forms of creative expression.


    There was a devil, a bear, a rabbit¡ªGraeme gave his mate a sidelong nce and she giggled to herself before raising her hands innocently, a gesture showing she had nothing to do with that choice of animal¡ªa fox, a goblin¡­ the masks were all truly impressive with the details they were able to achieve in the paper mache medium.


    "Are you all excited for the festival tomorrow?" he finally asked after evaluating all the pups'' creations.


    "Yes, Alpha!" they replied in unison, a chorus of excitement.


    August beamed as she watched them all. They were glowing more than she ever could. This was the pack''s hope¡ªthese little ones right here. They were full of curiosity and questions and dreams and love and forgiveness.


    "Okay, don''t forget to take your masks with you!" Greta reminded them.


    "I can''t wait to see you all dressed up tomorrow!" August beamed.


    "Wait Luna,e see what we brought for you!" Plum grabbed her hand, drawing her around the side of the yard and toward the front.


    "You brought something for me?"


    "Yes! Come see!" the other pups skipped and ran around her in excitement until they came to the front of the house.


    Around the wild, overgrown fall grasses and flowers, they approached the front porch where over a dozen pumpkins with goofy and scary carved faces were waiting. It was such an impressive collection of characters that August''s face lit up in surprise.


    "Did you all make these?"


    "We heard it is a custom where youe from," Alexander said proudly.


    "We wanted to surprise you!" Clementine added.


    "This is such a huge surprise! They are all wonderful!" August giggled, approaching the ghoulish faces that stared nkly at her, awaiting for the candle light that would animate them from within.


    "You like it?" one of them asked.


    "It was my idea!"


    "No, it was mine!"


    "You had never even heard of it until I told you about the video I saw."


    "Your mom told you about it, Bear."


    "She did not!"


    "I can''t wait to put candles in these tomorrow. They will look amazing, especially all together. Thank you so much for the surprise, pups. I love it," August interrupted the arguments that were unlikely to cease on their own.


    "Do you have a mask for tomorrow, Luna August?" Lily asked, grabbing hold of August''s hand.


    "I do, but it isn''t as impressive as any of yours. It is a masquerade style with feathers andce that matches my dress," she answered.


    "What color is your dress?"


    "It''s gold," she smiled in response to the curiosity that was continuously brimming in all of them. Their excitement for the festival was at its peak, which was understandable since it was only 24 hours away.


    "That sounds so pretty!"


    "It''s about time for all of you to head home. Grab your masks before you leave!" she reminded them, sending them scurrying back to the rear of the house in pursuit of their creations.

 Chapter 217 - We Will Have Tonight

    Sage took ahold of August''s hand as she stood watching the rest of the pups running to the back to grab their masks before leaving for the day.


    ''You are glowing, Luna,'' he said wordlessly, a small smile brightening his face. He was so quiet most of the time, and he rarely vocalized his words for all to hear. It made her wonder why. She knew he could¡ªhe had spoken well so many times.


    "Yes, Sh was right after all wasn''t she?"


    ''I am the one who told her,'' he giggled.


    "Oh, it was you who knew? That makes sense," she echoed his smallughter with her own. "You were there with me when I was at the trees so you saw the middle tree blooming, right? The mother tree?"


    Sage nodded. ''Are you happy now?'' he tilted his head in question. He witnessed her reaction to the news when Sh told her, and it was obvious that she was shocked and upset by it at the time.


    "Yes. I feel much better now," she sighed. "Somehow it is going to be okay."


    ''Alpha is happy. I can tell,'' Sage beamed, his green eyes sparkling.


    "He definitely is," she giggled. "Do you know when your sister will be back?"


    Sage''s smile wilted, and he shook his head. "Hopefully soon," he spoke aloud this time.


    "Well you have us until she''s back," she squeezed his hand. "And after that too of course."


    ''Thank you, Luna,'' he replied silently before his eyebrows pinched together and he tugged her down closer to him.


    "What is it?" she asked as she allowed herself to be tugged, and his eyes widened when he got a closer look at her face.


    "Luna''s eyes have more gold in them," he whispered.


    Her eyes were still predominantly blue, but the gold had visibly increased.


    "Yeah, I noticed. Is that bad?"


    "Hey, there you two are!" Greta came around the corner of the house. "I''m going to be honest with you, sis¡ªyou not having a scent is freaking me out more than anything. I''m used to relying on my nose, and it''s like you don''t even exist here anymore. It''s very strange. I don''t like it at all. I had to scent for Sage instead, hoping that you would be with him."


    "What do I usually smell like?" Augustughed, her attention now stolen.


    "I don''t know, you just smell like you," Greta shrugged. "Like maybe... the promise of rain. With something sweeter."


    From this angle as Greta walked toward them, August noticed the visible curve of her stomach when the fabric of her tunic swirled around in the breeze. August''s eyes popped wide in surprise.


    "What?" Greta froze. Could August perhaps see that something was wrong with her?


    "Oh, nothing¡ªyou''re just¡­ you have a little belly already!"


    "Oh," Greta giggled and looked down at herself. "I told you that would happen, remember?"


    August nodded, recalling their conversation when they were shopping for dresses. Greta said that lycan babies grew faster in the first trimesterpared to human babies. And on top of that, Greta was having twins!


    "Does your dress for tomorrow still fit?" August gasped, her mouth lingering open in surprise.


    Greta scoffed and pped August''s arm yfully. "Yes!"


    "Are you sure?" Augustughed, defending herself from another hit.


    "I tried it on of course," the peach-haired girl chuckled. "Hey, so I was looking for you because I forgot to tell you about a tradition the females of each family have the night before the Samhain festival. Did you tell her about it, Sage?"


    The pup shook his head in silent reply. Sylvia had exined it to him earlier in the day though, and he was really excited. He had never done anything like it before. His sister was always busy or gone in previous years, and no one else would have thought to include him.


    "We make something called soul cakes in remembrance of loved ones we have lost over the years and then take them to share with the pack during the festival. Most families bake them at home, but some of us get together to make it a little more fun. The past few years, Sylvia''s sacred circle has gathered at Ethel and Agnes'' to bake together so that none of the females who have lost mates are alone. It''s something we all look forward to. And you have toe, of course."


    "Okay. It sounds special," August agreed.


    "Both of our mates have insisted oning as well," Greta grumbled, rolling her eyes in the process, "but I guess I understand why. So as soon as the pups are gone, we''re going to leave. Graeme wants to stop by Sylvia''s shop first where Charlotte is so he can consult with them about what we learned from Zoe."


    "Okay, I will just run in and grab a jacket."


    August left Sage with Greta and made her way through the front of the house to grab one of the ruanas that Woody and ra had given her. They were proving to be a staple in her wardrobe, as she rarely left the house without one anymore.


    "Hey Little Red," Graeme called from the master bathroom.


    "So you are the only one who can scent me?" she chuckled, making her way to the closet. She hadn''t made any discernible noise upon entering, so that must be how he knew she was there.


    "Mhmmm," he appeared behind her smelling minty from brushing his teeth and wrapped his arms around her waist. "And I love that fact. Because your scent is irresistible, especially right now."


    "Really?" she giggled for him to rumble an affirmation as he nipped her ear, causing her to shiver in his arms. "And why is that?"


    "Why is your scent irresistible? Let me see..." he nuzzled into her neck and inhaled before slowing running his tongue along that area once and then twice¡­ and then his teeth came out to nip the supple skin there that was pulsing with her scent.


    "You''ve always been irresistible. But now¡­" he growled that low, affectionate way that sounded like a purr. "It must be the baby, I don''t know. Maybe we should tell Greta and Sam we''ll catch up with them."


    "Sage is out there waiting, too. I can''t do that to him," August bit into the smile that had formed on her lips, wanting to give in to the heat that throbbed through every inch of her at his touch.


    "Greta will be with him," he murmured, his hands slowly gravitating to the regions they desired while his teeth were gently biting into her neck again. "I miss you."


    "I miss you, too," she groaned. "But we have to go." She spun out of his hold and tugged him toward the door, a pout forming on his face as she did.. "We will have tonight."

 Chapter 218 - Exponentially More Complicated

    In the dark middle room of Sylvia''s shop that smelled of incense, the two female elders were processing all of the information they had been given about the lycan''s fae origins, the deal the elders had made in exchange for the pack''s alyko, and the likelihood of vampiric involvement.


    "What I find to be odd about the timing of this information," Charlotte finally spoke in patient, measured words that sounded almost melodic, "is the folklore of the fae as it coincides with the Samhain festival."


    Everyone else squinted or frowned in puzzlement.


    "What do you mean, Charlotte?" Greta asked. "That''s just folklore, and the timing of all of this is coincidental. What does it have to do with anything?"


    "Folklore can''t be entirely dismissed can it? Here we are talking about the reality of the fae, about our origins existing within them. And now another unexpected being has emerged to take part in our story¡ªone that the elders have invited in."


    "Do you know anything of vampires?" Graeme asked from his seat on the couch next to August.


    "I have only heard of one vampire in my days. A miserable, solitary creature that keeps to himself and is said to be so old that his name has been lost to time."


    "Are there stories or rumors about him?" Sylvia prompted, just as curious now and without the history of knowledge that Charlotte had to draw from.


    "Nothing more than that he buried himself in the shadows of the world, wishing to cease existing all together."


    "Not exactly helpful," Sam mumbled to himself.


    "It''s reminiscent of Zoe in a way though, isn''t it?" August said. "She spoke of wishing she could die."


    "Aren''t vampires technically dead already?" Sam asked.


    "How can something dead¡­ die?" Greta shook her head. It was impossible to make sense of any of this when they had such little information to begin with.


    "How can something dead live?" Charlotte asked in return, her eyes twinkling mischievously as if she found this to be entertaining¡­ a riddle for the ages.


    ''They have not found a way to do either,'' August heard Sage speak against her, as his arm was resting against hers. Her eyebrows threaded together as she turned to look at him, wondering if he knew more of what he spoke. Did little Sage know something more of the mysteries they were facing?


    "What will you do with Andreas and Pearce? Perhaps they can provide us with more helpful answers," Sylvia suggested.


    "They will be questioned," Graeme nodded.


    The way his voice dipped with thest word made it seem like a euphemism masking a more sinister n for retrieving information, but August pushed the thought away. Those two males deserved whatever they were subjected to. She trusted her mate with that judgment.


    "So there are more vampires or this elusive, ancient creature is the one with our alyko," Greta growled in frustration. "What are we waiting for? Let''s just go get Andreas and Pearce now!"


    "They''re not going anywhere," Graeme assured her. "It''s only twenty-four hours from now."


    "How are you so patient when they have the answers we need?!"


    "I have been told to consider the visibility of my decisions and to not react with haste when a more measured approach is more beneficial," he red at her. "They can go nowhere. We need their surprise to get a true reaction from them in response to Zoe''s usations."


    "Andreas will not know where the alyko are," the certainty of Charlotte''s wise voice graced them again. "A creature that has the ability to span the eras of time and continue on existing even after all around us has crumbled does nothing out of ignorance."


    Charlotte was right. August felt the truth of it slowly sink into the pit of her stomach. There would be no finding the alyko without the creature itself leading them there.


    "When I spoke with Zoe in the dungeon, she went rambling on about some theory of all these universes¡ªmultiple universes¡ªthat are possible. And then at the treehouse she got very excited when she brought it up again. She said it would mean all these creatures¡ªan infinite amount almost¡ªwere possible¡­" August recalled, the path of her thoughts carving a deeper hole in her stomach. She swallowed. "What if¡­"


    "Zoe is crazy, August," Greta interrupted. "We know this."


    "She is also something like this vampire that we are talking about. And she came from wherever he is, whether she would be able to point us there or not."


    The room became quiet at the possibility August was suggesting¡­ that the answers were exponentially moreplicated than what they were imagining. That this creature may not just live on a remote mountain somewhere.


    "She suggested there are portals between¡­" August gulped, that familiarity of Zoe''s words circling her again.


    "That''s ridiculous," Sam huffed dismissively, and as he did Sage''s hand found August''s and squeezed it.


    As crazy as it sounded that there were multiple universes and portals between them¡ªas hopeless as that truth would be¡ªit felt too familiar and too reminiscent to be easily dismissed.


    The ''door'' Sage had opened for August into that ce with the tree guardian where she healed¡­ the vision of the rotating eye in suicide forest when Jonathan had given her the catalyst¡­ the way she disappeared under that ancient tree and reappeared at the treehouse¡­


    Maybe there were other exnations for all of these events. Maybe there were, but something told her this crazy theory of Zoe''s was the one exnation that united them all.


    "Moon," Graeme''s depth tugged her out of her thoughts. "It will be okay," he shifted hair from her shoulder and pulled her into his side, tucking her under his chin once again in that ce that was warm and perfect.


    If only she could just stay here always, tucked into him, safe away from all the terrifying realities. It was tempting¡ªto surrender to his shelter. No one would ever question it. She was carrying his heir. The promise of that hope must be kept safe.


    But if the taken alyko were truly unreachable in the way she was beginning to believe, then there was only one way they could be found and only one person amongst them that was likely able to do it. Her. And it would mean leaving the protection of Graeme''s warmth.


    *****


    We didn''t reach our goal of averaging 100 power stones a day yet (we haven''t hit it once, but I know we can!), so sadly there won''t be a 4 chapter mass release this weekend, but fear not! I am doubling the mass release to 8 chapters next month once we are able to hit 100 votes a day for a week!


    Thank you so much all of you for reading, voting, and supporting in your own way. I truly appreciate you! <3

 Chapter 219 - You Find Her

    Andreas hadn''t been sleeping.


    He had revealed so much more than he wasfortable with when the information about the alyko map came out and those false stories were distributed to the council members, but it was thest remaining line of defense in all that he and Pearce and Auden had constructed over the years.


    Auden. What an unfortunate bastard, but Andreas couldn''t say he missed him. He was never very smart¡ªalways stating the obvious and spouting his vile hatred of the alyko.


    Andreas despised the alyko as well, but he knew when to tread lightly around the sensitivity of pack trauma. And he didn''t truly believe that the alyko were witches in the sense that they were evil, which is usually what the term implied. Rather, ''witch'' was just a convenient slur that invoked the distrust and hatred in their pack.


    But Auden believed the alyko were witches in every nderous sense of the word. He relished in helping create those stories of the alyko wrongdoings, because he believed them capable. He was fueling a fantasy that excited the lurid parts of his brain that wanted them to be true¡ªthat needed them to be true so he could drool over their wicked retribution.


    Even though Andreas, Pearce, and Auden all knew that their pack''s alyko were not killed in that fire at Maggie''s cottage, Auden relished in the idea. It was more convenient for Auden''s twisted mind to believe the fantasy that they had created for the rest of the pack than to weigh the truth of their vampire partner.


    The vampire excited Auden as well, but it only did so alongside the idea of the evil witches. It was strange the way Auden''s mind worked; Andreas didn''tpletely understand it. But he wouldn''t have to anymore. Graeme had made sure of that.


    The only thing that kept Andreas from beingpletely relieved at Auden''s departure from the world was that they had one less person upon which to rely, and that made his and Pearce''s job maintaining this borate facade that much more difficult.


    Andreas had finally begun to rx. Atst, the Samhain festival was tomorrow. With just one more day of immense pressure in this ufortable, cramped office, he would be free to enjoy the fruits of his sacrifice on the pack''s behalf once more.


    The joy of having the Alpha and Luna return to the pack was a most delicate situation to eradicate, but Samhain provided the perfect cover. Their Luna could tragically vanish, and the folklore surrounding the holiday could be med. The whispers and fear about Miss Cady''s experimental alyko identity would be allowed to fester and grow and be sorge as to overtake the small, burning hope she had begun to light in them. And with her death, Graeme would cease to be a threat. It was as simple as that.


    A small smile began to curl on the elder''s smug face when Pearce appeared in haste at the door of his office.


    "She is with child," the typically calm male huffed, panting softly to give away how he had rushed to deliver the news.


    "Who?" Andreas grimaced, not understanding why such personal news about anyone in the pack would concern him. As much as he cherished the lycans in theirmunity and their way of life together, he could not stomach much that had to do with their females and offspring.


    "Graeme''s mate," Pearce panted again, swallowing in an effort to help catch his breath.


    The chair Andreas had been leaning back in gave a loud thud against the floor as he allowed it to sumb to gravity and the weight he ced upon it. This. This was not good.


    "How do you know?" his voice was grave with the question it carried.


    "She is glowing. Many have witnessed it."


    Andreas sat frozen in the silence that ensued. This could not be. It hadn''t even been that long since she was here and was¡­ awake.


    "The fertility ritual," he snarled.


    "It would seem so. You must call off tomorrow''s n."


    Andreas chuckled. He actually chuckled¡ªit was not something typical to his nature. And then his face contorted in quiet rage.


    "Call it off? It cannot be undone," the snarl puttered in his throat, a threat against the stupidity of Pearce''s statement. One does not simply call off a vampire.


    "But the pack already knows that the two have conceived an heir and that Graeme''s mate is the Moon Goddess'' chosen Luna for this pack. There are whispers everywhere, and tomorrow they will all see it for themselves," the other elder argued. "That can''t be taken away from them. The pack will never recover from it, nor will our leadership."


    "Oh we will recover and so will they," Andreas'' snarl remained deep in his throat. "If we consult with Zosime and get the required medication administered in some way tonight, we may be able to avoid such a disy tomorrow at Samhain. She will have already lost it."


    "There is not enough time," Pearce shook his head.


    "There is no way around it!" Andreas shot up from behind his desk and mmed his hand on the ornate wood. "We have no choice. Have Damon retrieve Zosime from he dungeon. Graeme is not here. He will never know."


    "Damon is home with his family in pre-celebration."


    "Then I will do it myself," the rage tore from his throat as he stalked forward, briskly passing Pearce in the doorway and heading for the dungeon.


    Down in the darkness of the dungeon, Andreas looked at the empty cells. All of those that had been upied were now empty, including Zosime''s.


    "Perhaps you should not have left her here as you did," Pearce spoke from behind him. "Did you check on her? Visit her?"


    "What is she, my mate for Goddess'' sake?" Andreas growled.


    Pearce allowed the question to remain unanswered, suspended in the dank underground air. He knew that was what she was intended to be, but Andreas'' rejection had kept a vital part of her from maturing and growing to its full capacity. Perhaps she truly could have been a good partner.


    "We need to find her now!"


    "Andreas, if she is gone it is because she has decided to talk. And they have chosen to listen."


    "Where could she possibly be?" Andreas scoffed, dismissing the idea that Zoe could be out of his reach. "Find her."


    Pearce bristled at themand. He was not the one to follow such orders, but their demotion from the Alpha''s office meant that he had increasingly been doing things on his own, particrly now that the least among them¡ªAuden¡ªwas gone.


    "It is your fault she is gone.. You find her."

 Chapter 220 - Lucas And Zoe

    Lucas held the ck dress out for Zoe to take, but she stared nkly at it as if she had no idea what he wanted her to do with it.


    "It''s your dress for tomorrow, Zoe. Greta said for you to try it on," he gestured with the dress, trying again to have her take it from him.


    She reluctantly got up from the lounge chair on the deck where she had been spending most of her time staring at the trees. She didn''t have anything interesting here to read or research, but she was used to that from sitting in the cell for thest few weeks anyway. Being so close to the trees and watching all of the life forms that flitted and flew by was captivating enough in itself.


    In the pack house, she was only able to watch all of this through ss. It was why Andreas had created that wing of hers to be so bright with all of the windows facing the woods¡ªhe never intended to let her enjoy being in the outdoors. Instead he kept her sequestered away from anyone who would question her identity. As a concession, she had those huge windows to give her the sense of openness.


    It was a cage. He kept her highly active brain entertained with the alyko files, the map, the equipment and research and objectives and challenges, but when it really came down to it, it was a cage all the same.


    Zoe walked forward to take the dress from Lucas, inspecting the fabric, running it through her fingers.


    "I''ve never worn anything like this before," she whispered. "I''ve never even seen the majority of the people who live here. And tomorrow¡­ I will see them all. And they''ll all be looking at me. They''ll all be hating me like you all do."


    It was rare to see Zoe subdued like this. Usually there was something to make her overly active curiosity fire like crazy, but Lucas watched as she became morose simr to how she was after being thrown off the deck by Greta.


    There was something about Zoe, perhaps her innocence and the ill way she had been treated, that tugged on a soft spot within Lucas. It was an ufortable feeling. It made him squirm, particrly with the new knowledge that she was something other than lycan. She was mysterious and unknown and unpredictable. But he still felt drawn to her¡ªperhaps for that reason.


    After Zoe stood staring at the fabric for several silent moments, Lucas cleared his throat and shifted in the doorway.


    "Why don''t you try it on? If it doesn''t fit, we will need to find something else," he suggested, rying Greta''s message.


    Why Greta couldn''t juste in and deal with female stuff herself¡­ well he knew why. She may be tempted to throw Zoe out of the treehouse again. But still, he didn''t know anything about how to help this emotionally-challenged and severely sheltered charge of his.


    "Right," Zoe nodded and headed through the house to the bathroom.


    Lucas sighed and pulled out his phone to turn on some music. He had found a wireless speaker in the bedroom the day prior and set his phone to shuffle stations in order to pass time and try to lighten the awkward, tense mood.


    Zoe had already grilled him about August''s visible glow to all pack members, and she was fascinated¡ªemotionally detached from the significance and hope it held for Lucas personally¡ªbut fascinated all the same.


    That conversation took up most of the previous night, along with Zoe''s bemoaning that she was unable to view it with her own eyes. She kept asking for more metaphors, more details, moreparisons that would help illuminate August''s appearance to him in her mind, and finally Lucas fell asleep on the couch as she paced, talking to herself excitedly in the living room.


    "I like this music," the soft voice of Zoe, which was so uncharacteristic of her, called as she made her way back to the living room.


    "Does it fit?" Lucas turned to see her enter the doorway. She looked so much older in the gown, and he smiled appreciatively. "It looks nice, Zoe."


    "Really?" a shy smile spread over her face, and she looked down at herself.


    "Yes, you look good."


    After a moment, her eyes peered back up at him while her head remained tilted down, making her look like a child working out some kind of devious prank in her mind. It was yet another eerie expression that she was capable of, and his eyebrows pinched together wondering what she was nning.


    "Lucas¡­" she said, batting hershes rapidly, which he hade to realize was a sign of impending maniption.


    "What?" he asked warily.


    "There''s something I have always wondered about," she fisted the skirt of her dress and began stalking toward him. Would it be a huge blow to her self-esteem if he backed away?


    But Lucas stood his ground, and Zoe came to stand right in front of him, toe-to-toe.


    "I am old by human and lycan standards," she said. "And I have never kissed or been intimate with anyone."


    ''Oh shit,'' Lucas groaned internally. How was he going to get out of this one?


    "How old are you?" he asked, attempting to divert the direction of this topic.


    A beat of uncertainty passed in her dark eyes like she was debating whether or not to answer. "Sixty-three," came her soft answer.


    Lucas'' eyes bulged in surprise; he couldn''t help it. She was old enough to be his grandmother.


    "Precisely," she replied to his unspoken reaction. "It has always been a matter of at least scientific curiosity for me¡­"


    "That''s not old by vampire standards," he interrupted. "Right? You''re still a baby."


    She snorted at the joke. "I guess I wouldn''t know. I have never met one."


    "How is that possible?"


    She shrugged. "I don''t recall ever meeting one."


    "Then what do you recall about your life before here?" he asked, easing away from her as casually as he could.


    "It was dark. And cold. Like the dungeon," her expression cleaved, and she became lost in a memory.


    Minutes passed as she remained distant and unmoving, as if she was reliving something in her mind, unaware of how much time was passing in her current surroundings. Lucas watched patiently, curious as to whether this was a peculiar trait of every vampire who must experience time in a much different way.


    Finally she sighed deeply, awaking from her reverie. "I''m going to change." Her mncholy had returned like a dark cloud.


    Lucas watched as she walked away, her scientific curiosity forgotten.


    ******


    Dear readers, I''m not sure we''re going to make our goal of avg. power stones a day for the 8 chapter mass release at the end of the month. So I''m adding a second way to gain it!


    For every 25 Golden Tickets the book gets between now and February 25th, 1 chapter will be added to the February 28th daily update (with a total of 10 chapters possible)! I''ll also be adding privilege chapters next month, which makes it possible to read 20 brand new chapters within 2 days time. Say whaaat?


    We''reing up fast on V2. Can''t wait to share the next arc in this story with you all! <3

 Chapter 221 - Hunting A Monster

    Cursing and growling drifted up to Lucas'' sensitive lycan ears even with his music ying. He turned down the volume, tilting his head to get a better listen. Was he imagining it? He padded out onto the deck in his bare feet.


    Zoe was back to sitting in her chair staring out into the cross section of woods that was visible this high. Her vision had always been very good, and right now she was watching one solitary golden leaf rocking with the breeze, clinging on to its tree in a futile refusal to submit to the season.


    It would fall, just like all of the rest of them. Why wouldn''t it just let go?


    She became aware of Lucas'' presence after he stood frozen by the railing, focusing on something below. It was the tension in his body that drew her attention.


    "Is something down there?"


    "Fuck," he cursed to himself. "It''s Andreas."


    He heard the girl''s breath hitch and be shallow as she drew her legs up into herself¡ªmaking herself smaller.


    "It will be okay. Stay here," he growled as he passed her, grabbing his phone in the living room and cing a call to Graeme on his way to the door.


    The other male picked up on the first ring.


    "Andreas is here at the treehouse, but for some reason he''s pacing down below."


    Graeme cursed on the other end of the line and then proceeded to give a brief exnation of Maggie''s enchantment. Lucas couldn''t help but chuckle. So the elder was stuck, prevented froming any further.


    "Should I go down and confront him?" Lucas asked, poised at the top of the stairs leading around the tree.


    "No, Sam and I will be there."


    "Oh wait," Lucas pulled the phone away from his ear and listened to the movements of Andreas down below. "He''s leaving."


    "Well there''s only one ce he will go. Thanks, Lucas," Graeme grunted before hanging up and turning to his Beta. They were still at Sylvia''s, though he and Sam had moved into the front crystal room as soon as Lucas'' name came up on the phone.


    "Pack house?" Sam asked.


    Graeme nodded. "He still practically lives there. There is nowhere else he would go, especially if he failed to retrieve Zoe."


    "So he knows she is cooperating with us. What will he do?"


    "We''re going to have to throw him in the dungeon after all," Graeme growled. "Just so he doesn''t get any stupid ideas. Who knows what a cornered Andreas will resort to."


    "Greta and August?" Sam''s eyebrows shot up in question.


    "We can meet them afterwards. It won''t take long."


    Graeme peered back into the middle room where everyone was still seated and caught his mate''s eyes. She was glowing so beautifully in the dim light¡ªlike an artist''s rendition of some celestial being or goddess set against the night sky. His expression softened, and he tilted his head, gesturing for her toe to him.


    She stood, graceful and flowing in her approach, and he had to swallow back the instant desire that arose as she did¡ªhis eyes taking in every ripple of movement from the sway of her hips to the swing of her arms¡­ the subtle brush of hair against her cheeks and shoulders¡­


    "What is it?" the soft, searching concern tugged him free of his distraction, and he grabbed her hand to lead her back into the glittering room of crystals and nts.


    "Andreas showed up at the treehouse, so he knows Zoe is out and talking with us. We are going to put him in the dungeon just to be safe. It shouldn''t take long," the depth carved with his voice sought to shelter and protect¡ªto reassure. ''I am leaving, but not for long. You are safe.''


    She seemed to hear that which was deeply felt but left unspoken; despite the news, a small smile curved on her face, and the blush that he loved returned to her cheeks.


    "Will you be okay?" she asked, reaching for him and gravitating toward the warmth of his chest, but somehow it was him who was being held and reassured this time.


    "Will I be okay?" he chuckled, smoothing her hair and letting his chin rest atop her head. "Do you have your phone?"


    She nodded against him.


    "We will catch up with you at Ethel and Agnes'', but if anything else happens, I''ll call you. So don''t leave your phone lying in the woods somewhere," he teased. She seemed to always misce or lose things¡ªlike her camera.


    She giggled. "Okay. We will be fine."


    "You better be fine. You said we would have tonight," he breathed into her hair.


    "And we will, Bun," she chuckled and withdrew her heat from him.


    After the rest of the females as well as Sage were filled in with the reason for their departure, Graeme and his Beta left to make the short trek to the pack house.


    The pack''s excitement was palpable as they passed the road to the market. Pups were whooping andughing, chasing each other withnterns and wooden horses covered in sheets and eating snacks that would spoil their dinner.


    Pumpkins and gourds were piled on hay bails further into the vendor area. There was a scent Graeme picked up that was only ever detectable on these few days surrounding Samhain. Like most scents, it wasplicated¡ªthe separate origins not easy to parse, but it elicited an excitement in him every time with the nostalgia that apanied it.


    He had been a pup darting around these woods, seeking mysteries and excitement and relishing in the ritual of something sacred that came only once a year. It made the hair on his arms bristle with excitement, regardless of the task that he and Sam were set toplete at the moment. If anything, it actually added to it.


    He and Sam were out to track a monster this Samhain¡ªone that he would have never expected. One that had been living amongst them all along.


    Saliva pooled in his mouth and a growl puttered in his throat in anticipation.. The hunt was on.

 Chapter 222 - Rifling

    Andreas was in Zoe''sb, rifling through the bottles of medications. He had to look up which was the one he needed, and in his anger and frustration, bottles were being carelessly knocked over and spilled all over the counter and floor.


    This room was a pristine white like all the others of Zoe''s with floor-to-ceiling one way windows that allowed a view of the woods from the inside while reflecting the forest when viewed from the outside. It was another beautiful fucking room that he had designed for her and equipped with all of the state of the art equipment that she requested.


    And now she was staying at a treehouse being protected by Lucas¡ªa lycan he never thought would go against him. But he could scent Lucas all over that area, and there was no other reason he would be there.


    Lucas was the one who they had relied on when Marius disappeared. Sure, he didn''t know the elders'' secrets, but he seemed just as unlikely to switch sides as anyone. He called them when Graeme showed up on packnd with the unconscious human. He helped Marius when Miss Cady bit him. He helped the elders get the sample of her DNA and kept them informed on her movements.


    Lucas being trusted by Graeme was just more evidence of the drastic sway the Alpha and his mate had on their pack members. It was necessary to get this pregnancy taken care of tonight so no one else would witness the glow that the witch apparently had.


    Not finding the name he was looking for on any of the medication bottles thus far, he roared in frustration and threw all of the remaining bottles off of the shelf to go ttering against the floor. He watched as they bounced and rolled, scattering into disorder. Once they all finally stilled, he moved on to the microscope and centrifuge and the other equipment, sweeping them all with one arm so they would go crashing down into pieces.


    He had put up with that freakish Zosime for what seemed like so long¡ªall of her relentless scientific rambling and tangents and theories¡ªnot to mention the endless void of longing he would catch in her eyes when she wasn''t batting them innocently like a school girl. And now she might actually be off gossiping about him? How could she? After everything he had done for her, she couldn''t handle two weeks without being pampered?


    Zoe was meant to be a gift from that psychotic ancient creature who bartered for their pack''s alyko, but she felt more like a curse. And if she was going to be the end of him, that is exactly what she was.


    If the truth really dide out about how the elders had set up Derek and Genevieve Hallowell, effectively sending them to their deaths that day, Andreas and Pearce would be mauled in the streets¡ªtorn limb from limb in a way that would make Auden''s death appear merciful. There was no forgiveness for the kind of betrayal that they were involved in. Andreas understood it, and if it were as simple as the elders plotting against the Alpha and Luna, he would wholeheartedly agree.


    But it wasn''t that simple.


    The ancient one had approached Derek and Genevieve first, attempting to strike a deal for all of their alyko. He would give them money, a more powerful political position amongst the packs¡­ pretty much anything they could have asked for if He could take their alyko poption. If they refused, however, He assured them that He would kill every lycan that walked theirnds. In effect, the Hallowell wolves would be extinct.


    After discussing the dilemma with the elders and receiving their unanimous advice to make the trade for the alyko¡ªor the "cursed witches," as Auden had called them in the meeting¡ªthe Alpha and Luna had still refused. They were going to risk the lives of the entire pack just to save the small number of them who were despised by many in the first ce.


    Derek and his mate were trying to find a solution for another way to deal with this monster who was demanding their alyko. They had spoken with some of the Winters, trying toe up with a way to either kill or appease Him. But time was running out, and they had not found the answers or alliances they needed to keep the pack out of jeopardy.


    That is when Andreas, Pearce, and Auden decided to take matters into their own hands. They approached the ancient one. They made the deal to have the Alpha and Luna killed¡ªa staged attack by His strays¡ªin order to spare the lives of the rest of the pack.


    Did the elders get additional perks from the deal? Sure. They were given ess to resources they never had before¡ªZoe being one of them. But now that resource was going to be all of their undoing.


    Andreas gripped his thinning hair in frustration and stalked to another cab on the far side of the room, opening doors and shuffling through materials looking for more medication storage. Maybe Zoe kept what he was looking for in her office.


    On his way back through theb, stepping over spilled bottles and equipment, another cab caught his eye that he hadn''t searched yet. He opened it to find what he recognized as the anti-alyko serum, the misoprostol pills he was looking for, a mortar and pestle, and a few other instruments he didn''t recognize.


    "Finally," he grumbled to himself and seized the pills along with the small mortar and pestle.


    If he could crush up enough of this and get it into a drink, it would be easier to administer without her knowledge. Hopefully she was at a social gathering. That would be ideal.


    But he had to take care to make sure she didn''t somehow overdose.. The vanishing that was nned on Samhain was essential for all of this to go smoothly.

 Chapter 223 - Soul Cakes Part 1

    There was a collective gasp when August walked into the kitchen where the rest of Sylvia''s sacred circle of females was already gathered, preparing to bake soul cakes. She stood there with a shy smile, holding Sage''s hand as Sylvia, Greta, and Charlotte followed in behind her.


    One by one, the other females slowly started to approach her as if they feared she were an apparition. Agnes advanced on her left, a soft grin on her face as she gently touched August''s arm. Liv and Raya were staggered behind her, Raya''s expression quickly turning emotional and watery when she drew her trembling hands up to her mouth in surprise. Vera was bouncing up and down excitedly with a high-pitched girly squeal.


    "Thank the Goddess," Ethel whispered at August''s right. "You carry his heir."


    "It is breathtaking to behold. I never imagined¡­"


    "Our true Luna."


    "Goddess! This is so exciting!"


    So much emotion was pulsating in this space that August''s stomach flipped with how overwhelming it all was. She could feel the expectations and excitement and awe¡ªall focused on her, all pressing in to surround her in order to see her closer and touch her glowing skin.


    She loved these females, but she did not love this stifling form of attention when it was apanied by such an intense swell of emotions. Their expectation and hope was now thick and palpable in the air, and it pulled on her as if each of them had a small, invisible string that attached to her chest.


    How would she be able to handle the expectations of the whole pack tomorrow if she was feeling overwhelmed by her friends?


    Little Sage squeezed her hand. ''Usually Alpha would help bnce this energy, Luna. But Luna needs to to do it instead. Be both Alpha and Luna.''


    ''How do I do that?'' she thought, and somehow Sage seemed to hear her.


    ''Berger.''


    August almost giggled with the suggestion from him, because bingrger physically is what it sounded like he was suggesting. But he meant that her own energy needed to bnce that which was overwhelming her.


    "It''s so nice to finally see all of you again," she eximed, tugging back on those little invisible strings that it felt like they had been pulling on. "Graeme and I are very excited, too. It was a huge surprise. No one told me that I would have all of this going on, though," she chuckled, gesturing down the length of herself to her glowing form.


    They all went quiet as she spoke, the silent happiness still visible on each of their faces, but they were holding it closer to themselves, tucking that joy and hope into their hearts and letting it illuminate them from the inside rather than flooding her as it had.


    "This kitchen is breathtaking," August changed the subject and admired their surroundings. She had been in here only briefly before, and it was dark. Now there was waning daylight shining in, making it clear how huge the kitchen truly was.


    "Oh, thank you, dear. Agnes loves to bake, and I love to cook, so the kitchen really became the focal point of our home," Ethel exined, backing up as she did to let August walk further in and appreciate it.


    Rich wood floors ran the length of the kitchen toward a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors that let in the brilliant greens from the backyard. Light grey walls were offset by white cabs with open shelves that disyed beautiful stacks of dishes and baking supplies¡ªss containersbeled with flour; white, brown, and powdered sugars; different pastas; baking powder; and pretty much anything you could think of needing.


    The kitchen ind that August approached was extraordinarily long, which reminded her of the pic table in the backyard that had seated them all just a few weeks ago. There were ck countertops and stools, and the ind had a sink in the center where whomever was cooking or baking at the time could visit with guests seated at the ind.


    "You love to entertain," August noted. That is what this space said. These females cherished being surrounded by friends and family.


    "Entertain? You mean you are entertained by the design?" Ethel''s head tilted to the side as if she didn''t understand the meaning.


    "Oh, I mean that you love to have people over to visit and prepare dishes for," she exined.


    "Oh yes, we sure do," her face brightened, and there were hums and chuckles of agreement.


    "This is the party house," Liv giggled, approaching the ind to sit as well.


    Everyone seemed to rx, their attention no longer solely on the glow of August''s skin, although some gazes lingered in silent appreciation.


    "We were about to get started," Agnes piped up, walking around to the other side of the ind where she could retrieve all the ingredients that they were needing. "Have you ever heard of soul cakes, August?"


    "No, I haven''t. Are they little individual cakes?" she asked, offering Sage a hand as he climbed up the stool next to her.


    "They can really be anything you want, but the traditional recipe is more of a scone or a biscuit than a cake, so you will see a lot of those at the festival tomorrow. But we have made it a custom to make more specific desserts that honor the memories of our loved ones. My brother loved spiced cake when he was alive, so I make a spiced cake with cream cheese frosting. Ethel''s mother loved lemon cookies," Agnes exined.


    "She sure did," Ethel chuckled.


    "So that is what Ethel makes," Agnes smiled affectionately at her partner.


    "Dad didn''t really like sweets," Greta said as she approached the ind, "but mom loved all different kinds of pie. So I usually make a different vor of miniature pie each year instead of the traditional soul cakes."


    All the females began sharing the special desserts that their loved ones enjoyed and that they had chosen to honor them with. Many were strange vors that August had never heard, which reminded her of Mama May''s menu of pizzas (though she was relieved to hear there would be no desserts featuring squirrel). Raya was making asiago lemon thyme shortbread; Liv olive oil, rosemary, and salted dark chocte chunk cookies; Vera miniature pumpkin cheesecakes; Sylvia caramel apple oatmeal cookies; and Charlotte honeyvender cookies.


    "Wow, I see why you need all of this space!" August eximed, impressed with the ambitious number of projects that would be all be going on at one time.


    "We stay up most of the night," Livughed.


    "Yeah, the space definitely isn''t an issue, but sharing the ovens can be," Sylvia''s rolled her eyes and then smiled.

 Chapter 224 - Soul Cakes Part 2

    "Is there someone you would like to bake for?" Agnes asked the glowing Luna seated at her ind.


    "My mother," August nodded.


    She had been thinking about it as everyone took turns sharing their memories, and while her mom was still living, she was lost to her in a way akin to death. It was upsetting to think of it that way, but she didn''t know if her mother would ever remember her or if she would ever see her again.


    "We have so many ingredients here prepared for this night, so whatever you wish to make, I''m sure we have it," a soft smile spread over Ethel''s face. Like Sylvia, Ethel was another whose eyes always seemed to be smiling.


    "How about just chocte chip?" Augustughed. It was so simplepared to the rest, but she wouldn''t be surprised if they didn''t have just chocte chips as an ingredient here with how sophisticated all the others'' tastes seemed to be.


    "Absolutely," Agnes beamed, walking to arge pantry and disappearing only toe back a few momentster with yet another ss container. This one wasbeled ''choc chips.'' "I am a baker, dear. I collect ingredients," the older female responded proudly to August''s visible surprise.


    "And how about you, little one?" Ethel turned her attention to Sage, who had been listening quietly to each of them tell stories about their loved ones. He shook his head quickly. "Are you sure?" she pressed, and he nodded emphatically to the question.


    "Then maybe you can help us all, Sage. What do you think of that?" Sylvia asked from the far side of the ind.


    "And we always need a taste-tester," Agnes winked at him.


    Sage brightened, nodding with his glittering emerald eyes.


    August wondered what the pup''s story was. He was a stray who had been taken in along with his older sister. But he had never opened up about it, and he seemed ufortable being asked if he wanted to bake for anyone. Maybe one day he would confide in August about his own past. Or maybe he had been too young to even remember much.


    "August, Sylvia and I were impressed by your sketch," Charlotte pulled August from her thoughts. "The pack would benefit greatly from a designated space for females, pups, and strays."


    "Yes, August, it is so beautiful," Sylvia agreed. "I wish there had been something simr much earlier. It will bring those together who desperately need to be surrounded and supported." Sylvia''s voice started to waiver, and she looked back down into the dough she was mixing.


    "It will also be a good ce to receive reiki or other alternative forms of wellness," Greta added. "Did Graeme say when they would start on it?"


    "There is a lot happening at the moment, but it is a priority when things settle," Charlotte replied.


    "I thought it was a great idea, too. I went through some things in my teen years that were¡­ traumatic," August started to exin, "and it would have been such a huge help to have a ce like that to go to be with others. With humans at least, it seems like everyone avoids the subject of what you are going through if it makes them feel ufortable. But then it makes you feel that much more lonely."


    "It is like that here, as well," Charlotte spoke those wise, measured words of hers that were always so aware and weing and calm. "Particrly when it has to do with the loss of our alyko."


    August and Greta''s eyes met, and they both seemed to wonder if Charlotte would reveal the information about the fae, the elders, and the possibility of the alyko still being alive. It was an unspoken agreement that they would wait for Graeme''s n to unfold tomorrow. But Charlotte moved on.


    "What has our Luna had to deal with alone?" Charlotte asked.


    August felt all of the blood drain from her face in an instant. "Uh¡­ my step father. He was abusive to my mother and just cruel in general," she said quickly, avoiding the event that she had truly been referring to. It wasn''t a lie, but it wasn''t the extent of her truth either.


    She felt their eyes on her as she added more chocte chips to her bowl. They knew she wasn''t telling them something. Even Sage''s attention hade to rest on her in curiosity. But that wasn''t something she would ever tell them. They would certainly think less of her, their Luna, if they knew.


    "Did Graeme pay him a visit while he was offnd?" Greta chuckled as she pressed the pie crusts into miniature pans.


    August raised her eyes to stare nkly at Greta. She had never asked him if he saw n. She just assumed that he would have mentioned it, because that would have been a big deal. But the conversation with Penelope had so many huge revtions, it overshadowed everything else he might have ryed to her otherwise. Hopefully he didn''t meet n.


    Then again, Graeme did say he was shot¡­ August''s face paled even more. Why hadn''t she gotten the details of that? With everything else that happened in such quick session after he returned, she never thought toe back to the subject to ask him how it had urred. He was fine, and she was fine after the bear attack, and they just kind of left it at that. She didn''t want him fussing over her, so at the time she had given him the same consideration¡ªsomehow believing the injury to be rted to his wolf form. But now she wondered about it, and the worry began to carve itself deeper into her stomach. What had happened? Why was he hurt?


    When there was no answer to Greta''s question, she looked up and met August''s confused expression. "It just seems like something he would do. I can''t imagine him letting anyone off the hook who hurt you."


    August''s mouth fell open as the realization hit her¡ªthe truth of Greta''s words. What had likely happened. She was suddenly so sure of it.. He had gone after those two guys who had raped her.

 Chapter 225 - Soul Cakes Part 3

    This chapter is dedicated to Sravanthi82 who won the opportunity to name a character earlier this month. <3


    ***********


    How could he not have told her about what he did? Was he trying to hide it from her? Was it a secret? This was her past and her life prior to him¡­ he should have at least¡­ let her know!


    So many emotions were running through August at the realization of what she was now so sure had happened when Graeme was off packnd and had gotten shot.


    There was relief at the deaths of those who had hurt her and overwhelming love for her mate who had desired to avenge her. But there was also anger and profound grief that this event from her past was being allowed to continue to affect her life now.


    Graeme shouldn''t have felt the need to do that. And he was hurt! Probably badly hurt. Who knows what had happened exactly and how much danger he was in.


    Her stomach turned at the thought of those faces that he had seen¡ªthe ones she spent so much time trying to burn out of her mind. But here she was thinking about them again.


    "August, are you okay?" Sylvia at some point had stopped her stirring and approached her quietly, gently touching her arm and bringing her attention back the room of beautiful, strong females she was in.


    "Yes, I''m okay," August smiled in reassurance.


    "You don''t have to hold anything in here. We are together precisely for the purpose of supporting one another, and that includes you."


    August''s eyes fell on Sage who had flour on his nose and shirt, and she smiled. Sylvia was right, but the extent of August''s past truth was definitely not something a pup needed to hear.


    "I know, and I love you all for that. Thank you," she said. "You all are so beautiful and strong and inspiring. I''m blessed to be here with you, truly."


    Eyes glittered with joy and adoration before ncing back to their bowls and pans, stirring love into the memories of those who had passed on.


    August''s thoughts returned to her mate. To what he had done for her and what he was doing for her now, and suddenly all she wanted was to be near him. To tell him that she knew what he did in Wisconsin. To thank him and hold him and feel his warmth and strength and protection and give him her own.


    "I''m hungry," Greta grumbled. "All this food, and none of it is baked yet. I can''t eat any of it."


    "Oh, poor mama," Ethel gave Greta a squeeze around the shoulders. "We can bring some food from the market for dinner instead of cooking. What do you feel like eating?"


    "Honestly? Spaghetti, salt and vinegar chips, olives¡­"


    A roar ofughter and cackles erupted as she continued to name the odd cravings she was having.


    "I''m sure we can get some of that," Ethel patted her arm. "Who wants to run to the market for food?"


    "I can go," Liv offered, and Vera quickly agreed to go with her.


    "Finally, those babies are allowing you to eat are they?" Raya asked. "Have you thought of any names yet?"


    "I really haven''t given it much thought. It is still so early, especially since we don''t know the sexes yet. But it seems to be all Sam thinks about. He has already decided on one girl name and one boy name," she giggled.


    Sylvia began beaming at this line of questioning, though she stayed quiet. She had already heard the girl name that Sam and Greta agreed upon. It was funny how Greta had less interest in naming the pups than her son at this point, but it really didn''t surprise her. Sam was much more sentimental than perhaps many realized.


    "Ooooh you have to tell us!" Vera was squealing again.


    "The girl name he picked out is Gia," a wide smile bloomed on Greta''s face. Her mate was adorable and so was the name he had chosen.


    "I love it!"


    "It reminds me of you¡ªlike a smaller version of you. Greta and Gia. That''s so cute!"


    "A. And it carries on the G tradition."


    "Adorable!"


    "How did hee up with it?" Liv asked.


    "It means gift from God. Or Goddess of course," she replied, beaming with joy as she did.


    "It''s so perfect," Vera replied to have everyone agree with little hums of approval.


    "And how about the boy''s name?"


    Greta paused, ncing toward Sylvia. They hadn''t discussed this with Sam''s mom yet, and she didn''t want to put her on the spot.


    "Have you talked about a boy''s name?" Sylvia asked, her gentle, kind eyes weing the topic.


    "Yes. We agreed that he would be named David," Greta''s eyes welled as she spoke the name of Sylvia''s mate. If they had a son, they were absolutely going to name him after Sam''s father.


    Sylvia''s eyes went wide in surprise at first, and then she smiled as the tears came.


    "Is that okay?" Greta asked softly, and Sylvia nodded, not able to answer as she swallowed back the emotion.


    Charlotte, who was closest to her, gave her a firm squeeze around the shoulders.


    "It''s perfect of course," Sylvia finally was able to answer. A chorus of soft murmurs about how precious the names were filled the kitchen along with the smells of the first pastries beginning to bake.


    "What if they are two girls?" Raya asked, an eyebrow cocked in amusement.


    "Can you imagine Sam with two girls? He won''t know what to do with himself."


    "They will have him tied around their little fingers," one of them giggled.


    "I don''t know. Maybe Davy or Davina," Greta shrugged.


    "What does David mean, Sylvia?" Vera asked.


    "Beloved," Sylvia smiled in that fragile way when one is close to tears. "And he certainly was."


    "Beloved by many," Greta agreed.


    "I love the names you and Samuel have chosen," Sylvia sighed happily. "Your pups are beloved gifts from the Goddess indeed. We have so much to celebrate this Samhain.. It is a fresh start for the Hallowell pack."

 Chapter 226 - Not Here

    Themon area of the pack house was lively when Graeme and his Beta entered. It was likely to get even livelier tonight, but the spirit of the holiday was already underway here just as it was in the market.


    The spiced scent of the traditional soul cakes recipe carried through the house from the kitchen. The kitchen here was used by whomever wished to cook, but often it was the guards, security, and others working in some capacity for the council. Many of those individuals were unmated but found a sense of intensepanionship with those they worked closely with on a day-to-day basis. It was thatpanionship that made them so effective at doing their work to help secure and protect the pack.


    There was not often a need to protect the pack in a grand way, at least not in several decades. Suicide forest made it so that the packnd was virtually unreachable by any humans, and strays were well aware to steer clear unless they were females or pups who came seeking protection themselves. This sometimes made it difficult for those whose job it was to guard and protect to stay focused when there was little to threaten the safety here.


    When Graeme arrived with August, it was one of the most exciting times for those who did perimeter runs and the like. They finally had a specific threat looming that they could anticipate. Graeme knew that their knowledge of an Alpha and Luna now residing here, leading them but also expecting their devotion and highest level of performance, brought an even greater sense of purpose and belonging for most of them.


    The Alpha and Luna leadership was a powerful force for uniting and harmonizing all of the pack members. And tomorrow when they saw the radiant, divine proof that August was their true Luna carrying the next heir, it would solidify that sense of oneness that they all had been missing. And they would do anything to protect that sacred belonging.


    That was unless Andreas did something stupid.


    Faces turned when they felt Graeme enter. Their excitement at his arrival was palpable¡ªit always was, but now it was even more so. It was the eagerness and anticipation of Samhain, but he could also feel something else in it. They must have heard from the pups that were at August''s art lesson today that she was glowing.


    Despite his reason foring here with his Beta, he grinned. He couldn''t help it. He was proud to finally be in a position here and with his mate that felt in alignment with the pack family and their legacy and traditions. They were facing some challenges for sure, but everything was falling into ce.


    His grin was like a wildfire that spread around the room for those who witnessed it. They didn''t even need to ask if the rumors the pups had started were true, because the way Graeme''s typically serious and stern expression softened and gave way to the joy underneath was enough. No one saw him grin like this. It was rare, at least since his parents had passed.


    He gave a silent nod to those who were looking his way before alighting on the steps that climbed to his office, Sam following closely behind.


    "Will he be in his office or Zoe''s area?" Sam murmured behind him low enough that no one else would overhear.


    "Zoe''s," Graeme''s expression returned to one that was inscrutable. He couldn''t afford to be distracted. "The question is, where is Pearce?"


    "Maybe they are together."


    "Maybe."


    Not many were moving around upstairs, and those who were thinned out even further as they made their way toward Zoe''s wing of the pack house. Graeme and Sam walked past her office, the conference room, the library not finding either elder. But Andreas'' scent was here. He had been here recently.


    "There is ab on the floor below this one," Graeme recalled, stalking toward the stairs that would lead them that way.


    He had never been down in theb. It covered the length of the entire floor above them and resembled it in design with white counters and tables and chairs. Ab coat was hanging by the door where they entered, continuing the white theme of everything in the space. It was like an extension of Zoe.


    Theb had evidently been ransacked. There were bottles and broken pieces of equipment littering the floor like someone was in a hurry. Either that or they were absolutely furious.


    "He''s not here," Sam growled as he stalked further in, stepping over pill bottles that shuffled and rolled under his feet.


    "He was. And he was looking for something. Hopefully he didn''t find it." Graeme''s eyes lingered on all of the medication bottles and the empty shelves behind cab doors that were hanging open on their hinges.


    "Why? What would he be looking for?"


    "Trouble. We know that for sure. Trouble in pill form, it seems."


    "Maybe he needed Zoe to help him with something, and that''s how he discovered she wasn''t in the dungeon any longer."


    "I think we can be certain about that. He hasn''t shown any interest in visiting her since she''s been down there. He only uses her for what he needs." Wait¡­ was he starting to feel sorry for Zoe now?


    "Maybe he came down here just out of anger that she was gone¡­" Sam thought aloud.


    "None of these spections are helping us. We need to find him quickly. I will look in his office. Why don''t you ask around the pack house to see if anyone has seen him? Call me if you find anything helpful," Graeme turned to retrace their steps, his pace quickening this time as he took several steps at a time on the way up to Andreas'' office.


    What was the elder be up to?


    The office door was closed with no sign of movement inside. Graeme kicked it open easily, but there was no Andreas. He let out a growl of frustration, but then his eyes fell on the ornate desk that appeared so out of ce in this small office. It took up almost the whole length of the wall.


    Zoe told August that his mother''s ring was in this desk at one time.


    He circled around the desk and began rifling through drawers, shoving papers and folders and cigars aside. The central narrow drawer just above where Andreas'' chair was pushed in was locked. Graeme pulled it off the hinges, all of the contents spilling out as he did. There were pictures and a pocket watch that he had seen the elder carry when he was younger. And a simple grey ring box.


    Graeme stared at it for a moment, preparing himself for what it might hold. The truth of Zoe''s words found in something precious that had adorned his mother''s finger for as long as he could remember.


    He held his breath and reached for it, popping it open in his hand.


    Sure enough, the vibrant purple and violet stone was revealed in a simple sterling setting. And with it, a flood of memories.


    "You''re dead old man," Graeme snarled and headed for the door, tucking the ring box into his pocket and leaving the mess behind.

 Chapter 227 - Violet Is Back

    Sam wasn''t having any luck. No one seemed to have seen Andreas all day. It was likely that he was using a back door to leave without having to converse with pack members as he did, or else he was leaving through the dungeon.


    Graeme was descending the main staircase just as Sam returned to it.


    "Alpha!" a familiar male voice called from the front door.


    "Finn, finally," Sam grunted, turning to face the young male who was approaching. "Did you return with her?"


    "I did," Finn''s back went straight with the pride of havingpleted a mission given him.


    "Where is she then?" Graeme''s eyebrows pinched together.


    "The medical wing. There''s something you should know," Finn''s expression tensed.


    "Goddess, you didn''t get her pregnant did you?" Graeme groaned.


    Finn''s jaw dropped as his face turned bright red. "Alpha, n-no. W-we didn''t do that, I swear. We were just talking¡­ I''m sorry about that. It was a mistake and¡­"


    Graeme raised a hand, cutting him off from going on and on with his exnation. "What is it then?"


    "Something happened to her when she was passing through another pack''s territory¡­"


    "Why would she do something stupid like pass through another territory?" Graeme growled. It was Violet, so his guess was that she was trying to get hurt or maybe even worse in an effort to gain his sympathy. "What happened?"


    "She was attacked by one of the guards. Just to run her off, it seems, but the strange thing is¡­Well, I think you should see for yourself," Finn swallowed nervously.


    "We are in the middle of something at the moment," Sam objected, but there was a haunted quality to Finn''s expression that gave Greame pause.


    "Sam, keep looking. I will check it out," he growled and gestured for Finn to lead the way.


    They had already passed through medical on the way to Zoe''s wing, but Graeme hadn''t been in any of the rooms here since he had been back on packnd. It was an older areapared to the modern furnishings and design of the conference room and offices where Zoe resided.


    "Did she give you any trouble on the way back?" he asked the young lycan.


    He couldn''t imagine Violeting back easily unless there was an incentive. A request for help in providing her truth about the elders'' conduct and whether she had been used as a distraction for Finn was hardlypelling enough to lure her back. It would only be an embarrassment for her. So the fact that Finn had such an effortless time surprised him. He didn''t expect for Finn to seed, at least not prior to the festival.


    "No, she came with me without resistance," Finn said softly. Again, it was as if there was something unspoken and mysterious in the tone of Finn''s voice. What had happened?


    Finn led him to one of the treatment doors and stood by, allowing Graeme to open it himself. Graeme gave him onest curious nce before knocking twice and then entering.


    Violet''s back was to him. She sat on the bed with rounded shoulders, looking out the small windows on the wall. She didn''t even seem to react to him entering the room, apart from a small amount of tension that entered her back.


    "Violet," he called in his deep authoritative voice with the impliedmand that she turn and face him.


    But she did not. Instead, her head bowed, shoulders sagging further along with it. Was she crying? He sighed in frustration. He didn''t have time to be manipted in this way by her. How long would it take for her to realize that the world did not revolve around her?


    "Violet, what happened?" he tried again.


    "I made a mistake. I scented the other wolves, I just¡­" she finally spoke, shaking her head in regret, but she remained facing the opposite direction.


    "I''m sorry. I was hating myself for everything that has happened. For listening to that disgusting elder who asked for my help and dredged up all those feelings that I had made myself move past. I thought I had moved past them. But then he said that your mate wasn''t true. That she was a witch and was manipting you. That she didn''t deserve you and would hurt you and the pack. I listened to him, because I wanted it to be true. I wanted to think that I could help you."


    She sighed. She wasn''t crying. She just sounded¡­ defeated and grief-stricken. And exhausted.


    "I deserve this, I want you to know that. I went into their territory on purpose because I didn''t care what happened to me anymore. I know I deserve it."


    Graeme found himself walking forward, confused by what she was trying to say. She deserved what? Why wasn''t she turning around when she always made it a point to meet his eyes at every opportunity with her silent yearning?


    When he got to the edge of the bed, she stiffened and turned her head the other way as if afraid to be seen by him.


    "Tell me what happened to you," he said, firmer now.


    If Violet was ying games with him, she would pay for it. He had no problem putting her in a cell for postponing this hunt for Andreas. In fact, this could easily be another ploy to distract him while some other n of the elders'' was underway.


    She didn''t respond and didn''t move. Graeme grabbed her shoulder, forcefully pulling her around to face him. She shrunk back, whimpering at the contact that he made and scrambling back away from him on the bed.


    Graeme''s eyes grew wide at the series of red, angry sh marks across her face that didn''t appear to be healing.


    "When did this happen?" he asked.


    "Right before Finn found me," she gulped and diverted her eyes from his.


    "It should have healed by now," he shook his head, not believing her. But Finn would be able to substantiate it. Unless he had done it. "Did Finn do this?"


    "No!" she shook her head.


    "That doesn''t make any sense. Are there other injuries?"


    She was shrinking into herself, attempting to make herself smaller instead of answering him¡ªlike she wanted to disappear.


    "Violet, tell me."


    She nodded without looking at him.


    "Show me," he said more gently.


    She shook her head adamantly again, pulling her knees up into her chest.. He scented her fear. Since when was she ever afraid of him?

 Chapter 228 - Violet Is Back 2

    "Why are you afraid of me?" Graeme demanded.


    Violet''s eyes went wider in fear at the firmmand of his voice, but she quickly shook her head.


    "I-I''m not. I''m not afraid of you," she insisted. But her posture and scent and dted pupils all said otherwise.


    "Where else are you hurt?" he asked again.


    Her eyebrows pinched together and she looked down, tears beginning to well.


    "Has someone been in to look at you yet?"


    "Yes. She is bringing me some things," she said vaguely.


    "Do you have any clue as to why you aren''t healing?"


    She bit her lip, tears falling soundlessly. "I don''t want to tell you."


    "Why?"


    "It''s because¡­ it''s because I went against her. This is my fault. I deserve it," she said softly, beginning to rock back and forth with her knees tucked up into her chest.


    "You went against who?"


    Her eyes darted back up to his. "Your mate," she whispered. "He had the same eyes as her. He must have known what I did somehow, right? Or the Moon Goddess... she knows and is punishing me. He had the same eyes as her," she repeated, now ovee by the memory. "They were like... like mes. He bit me, and¡­" she tilted her head to the side as she said it as if she were protecting her neck.


    The same eyes as August? And he bit her? An uneasy feeling rushed through Graeme''s body like blood rushing to a wound.


    "Let me see where he bit you," he said, easing toward her on the bed. She froze, avoiding his eyes. Everything she did was akin to a prey animal in the face of a predator.


    As he leaned closer, reaching to lift the hair from her shoulder, she began trembling. Her eyes squeezed together when she felt Graeme lift her hair and ce it behind her back. He didn''t move or make a sound, but she kept her eyes closed tight, the trembles gradually bing more violent. Because when she closed her eyes she could see him. The male who did this. The one with the mes in his eyes.


    "He marked you?" the growl puttered low in his throat. "Then he will being here for you."


    "No," Violet''s eyes shot open. "Please don''t let him. I don''t think he meant to mark me, so maybe he won''t."


    "He didn''t mean to?" Graeme''s face was severe. What kind of monster would do something like this? There was a gaping wound of shredded muscle in Violet''s neck right where her mark would be, should she get one.


    "He wasn''t one of us," she flinched, realizing that she could now put herself in that category as well. "And he said he was taking my wolf," the sob tore from her throat before she could stop it. How was it possible? How could he do that to her?


    That sounded too familiar to be a coincidence. This wasn''t good. Was there someone else out there like August?


    "I''m going to talk to the healer who is helping you. I''ll make sure you are taken care of," he said gently and rose from the bed.


    Back in the hallway, Finn was still standing by the door as if he were standing guard. He had obviously overheard everything that was said.


    "Did she tell you any of that on the way back?" Graeme asked.


    "She wouldn''t discuss it," Finn shook his head. "But it was obvious she was hurt badly. She just said she was sorry for everything she had done. That the only thing she wanted was to get back to the protection of our pack. That she should have never left. She kept repeating it over and over. And¡­ and thanking me," Finn grimaced recalling how broken she sounded.


    "You did good helping her back here, Finn. Well done. I''m going to find the healer who is preparing treatment for her," Graeme said and began walking from there. He paused and turned back to the young male who hadn''t moved from his position. "You may go now and rest. You deserve it."


    It was the eve of Samhain and surely Finn would want to spend it with his parents and older brothers. Or perhaps he would prefer joining those who were celebrating downstairs.


    "I will stay guarding Miss Violet, if that is okay with you," Finn answered.


    Graeme gave him a lingering gaze and nodded, impressed with the young male who was maturing before his eyes. This situation with Violet had obviously shaken him to such an extent that he preferred to stay by her side. Traumatic things often did that.


    Graeme found the healer, an older female named Beth whom he recognized as having worked in the medical wing for many years. She was busy filling a cart with supplies to dress Violet''s wounds. It appeared she also had clean clothes for her to wear and a pile of nkets.


    "Oh, Graeme," she smiled as he rounded the corner. "What a surprise to see you here on the eve of Samhain."


    "It was not my first choice," he chuckled, offering her a friendly smile before allowing his expression to turn serious again. "I spoke with Violet. She has severe wounds. Do you know why is she not healing?"


    "I don''t. It doesn''t make any sense," her face twisted in concern. "Honestly, if I didn''t know better, I would think I was tending to a human and not a lycan female I''ve seen grow from a pup."


    "That is odd indeed," he replied in such aposed way that there was no hint as to the raging thoughts within. This was just like what happened when August bit Marius. What the hell was going on? Was this the vampire? Was it something else?


    "What other injuries does she have?"


    "There are simr gashes all over her body. Ligature marks on her wrists and ankles and throat," Beth grimaced. "She will need to stay here and recover for some time. It''s not usually necessary, but I''m going to hook her up to some fluids as well and give her intravenous antibiotics."


    Graeme nodded his approval. "Whatever she needs. If there is something we don''t have that would help her heal better, send someone. Or call me directly."


    "There is something else," the female added, although she seemed uneasy about revealing it.


    "What is it?"


    Beth wrung her hands together nervously. "She was¡­ vited. I need to do a full exam, but if there is extensive damage and she is not healing, she may need help that we don''t have here."


    Graeme''s eyes went hard, a muscle feathering in his jaw. Violet was not pure of heart by any means, but she didn''t deserve this¡ªeven if she was looking to enter harm''s way.


    "There are surgeons offnd who are from the pack. Call them if necessary," he ordered before departing to find an outlet for his rage.


    ******


    Dear readers, I''m not sure we''re going to make our goal of avg. power stones a day for the 8 chapter mass release at the end of the month. So I''m adding a second way to gain it!


    For every 25 Golden Tickets the book gets between now and February 25th, 1 chapter will be added to the February 28th daily update (with a total of 10 chapters possible)! I''ll also be adding privilege chapters next month, which makes it possible to read 20 brand new chapters within 2 days time. Say whaaat?


    We''reing up fast on V2. Can''t wait to share the next arc in this story with you all! <3

 Chapter 229 - Ghost Of The Woods

    Graeme met his Beta in the dungeon.


    Sam called him there so he could verify if his own nose was correct or if he was overthinking this. He had followed Andreas'' scent down here, but then the scent trail vanished.


    "Is it because he came down here looking for Zoe and then he went back up through the pack house? Or was this more recent?" Sam asked the question aloud that he had been pondering silently.


    If Andreas knew how to hide his scent, then the faint scent that would be left behind like that which Sam had identified on Marius at the treehouse would have already dispersed. It wasn''t an identifier scent in terms of helping pinpoint who exactly it belonged to, and it didn''t hang around long. Both of those characteristics made it unlikely that any lycan would typically pick up on it at all, which was why Marius had been so surprised that Sam had caught on to it.


    "What do you think?" Graeme asked, watching as Sam''s mind worked. "He is an elder. His fighting days may be over, but we can be sure he has picked up a few tricks in his years."


    Sam nodded. "I believe he masked his scent to leave without anyone being able to track him."


    "Where the fuck else would he go?" Graeme snarled. "He practically lives here."


    "Somewhere to hide," Sam guessed.


    "He''s not getting past the guards, is he?" Graeme asked.


    "No, even if his scent is gone, he is slow and there are so many guards covering the perimeter right now, they wouldn''t miss him."


    "He still has a house. I guess one of us will check there."


    "What if we can''t find him? Without a scent, he could be anywhere."


    "If he is still in hiding by tomorrow, we will have everyone looking for him by the end of the day, especially after they hear of his crimes."


    "I''ll check his house," Sam sighed.


    "Okay. I''ll be talking with Pearce while you do that. Perhaps he knows, unless they are together."


    "I only scent Andreas," Sam shook his head. "I don''t think they are together."


    "I''m bringing him to a cell once I do talk with him. But I''ll let you know if I find out anything helpful."


    "Should I check on our females?" Sam asked, growing more concerned now the longer Andreas was missing.


    Graeme nodded.


    "Wait, what''s the deal with Violet?"


    Graeme blew out a breath. "It''s crazy Sam, but I think she was attacked by someone else from Eliade."


    "What? Why do you think that? How could that be?"


    "She isn''t healing from her wounds. Something bit her and appears to have tried marking her. She said that his eyes looked like August''s and that he told her he was taking her wolf."


    His Beta stared at him in disbelief. This sounded like Marius all over again. But this time the taking of the wolf through the bite was intentional.


    "Could she be lying?" Sam asked. It would be a great ploy for sympathy and to implicate August in some kind of vile, evil race. Not unlike the false alyko tales. "Maybe the elders set this up¡­"


    "No. Her fear and the wounds¡­ everything is genuine. She didn''t want me to touch her. She didn''t want to tell me any of it. And she ims she deserves what happened," he recalled.


    "So is this an entirely new threat we have to worry about?"


    "I don''t know. But let''s prioritize our bad guys for now. Let''s focus on finding Andreas first, then we''ll worry about the unknown vampire. Thest priority is solving this Violet mystery, but it will need to be done."


    "So there is the possibility of another August out there who instead hurts others?" the thought kept spinning in Sam''s mind, as if its wheels were stuck in the mud.


    "Not only that, one who is aligned with another pack. Those were lycan scratches on her. And she was attacked when she crossed into another pack''s territory."


    "That''s what Finn said. Why the fuck would she knowingly do that?" Sam scowled. "What pack was it?"


    "I didn''t get that far yet. But we''ll find out."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Andreas lit a torch in Magnolia''s cottage. How disgustingly fitting that he would end up back here trying to battle an alyko once more. Only this one was pregnant with the pack''s heir. This one had apparently gotten the Moon Goddess'' blessing.


    Well fuck the Goddess. This could not happen. It would throw the pack in chaos and it would not only end Andreas'' position in the pack but also his life.


    He didn''t fear death, of course. He had always been ready to die. Most unmated lycans were not afraid of their own deaths. It was the mated ones that had that kind of trouble. Because then your death meant your mate''s own death or at least intense and in many cases insurmountable anguish. One''s own death meant hurting most severely the person you held closest to yourself.


    Not that Andreas understood that. He refused to be tied to anyone in that way, so he closed himself off to any possibility of a mate connection. He severed the pull between the Moon Goddess and himself. He didn''t want to feel her gentle guidance or the perfect vibrational attunement that came from being aligned with her and with any other universal powers that be.


    Andreas wanted to be free to pursue his own interests, unhindered by anyone else. Even the Moon Goddess herself.


    These were his thoughts as he dropped the white pills into the mortar and pestle and began grinding them into a fine powder. It would be getting dark soon he realized, ncing toward the windows. It would be much easier to move around at night without being seen. Without his scent, he would be like a ghost of the woods.


    He chuckled at the irony of it. It was the eve of Samhain when folklore spoke of the thinning between worlds. The thinning of the veil. Initially, disguises were worn to avoid being identified and captured by faeries who would spirit away humans and lycans alike, taking them to a realm said to be suspended in time until the next Samhain.


    But tonight he was going to be the mysterious figure lurking through the woods, and no disguise would fool him from finding his target.

 Chapter 230 - Ghost Of The Woods 2

    Night began to fall, the sun slowly sinking and creating a pattern of linear shadows on the trees.


    Finally. The time couldn''t be going any slower for Andreas. He wanted to dart out of Magnolia''s cottage right now with his dissolved concoction in hand and find the glowing Luna without further ado.


    He was losing precious time. The drug would require a number of hours to work, and in order for it to be worth the trouble at all, she would need to lose her visible proof of the conception before anyrge numbers of pack members witnessed it.


    Plus, this dark and dpidated cottage gave him the creeps. He knew no one died here, but it felt like they did. There was a heavy feeling of loss and loneliness that seemed to hang like a mist in the air¡ªclose to the floor where in horror films an arm could be expected to grab onto ankles, yanking victims down and into the abyss of unknown horrors.


    But he didn''t fear death.


    Maybe it was that he feared the past.


    While he was waiting for the final rays of sun to flicker out of the forest, his eyes wandered to the burn marks on the floor that destroyed the wood andid waste to everything it touched. And yet the structure was still standing. He could see the palimpsest of a happy life here, one that belonged to Magnolia and those she cherished.


    Andreas had been here before. He was a memory living in the glow of that happy palimpsest under the char and the soot that was here now.


    Magnolia was one person who had managed to slip through his defenses, like one of those waning rays of sunlight in the forest. Her smile and her overabundance of joy and knowledge lit up the dark wooden structures he had built around himself.


    He thought that he had severed any ability to feel drawn to someone like he was drawn to her, but Maggie made him realize that it was only tenuous defenses he had erected to try to keep warmth and light out. And his defenses had cracks¡ªcracks that let her light through.


    When you have lived in self-istion and darkness for so long, any light that manages to peek in is explosive. Unbeknownst to her, she shattered him. She shattered him wide open.


    No, why had he chosen toe here of all ces. Now the memories wereing alive in that low-lying mist around his ankles, climbing to burrow themselves under his skin.


    Magnolia being such a close friend of Derek and Genevieve''s meant that he often saw her at unexpected times. It wasmon for her to be in the pack house with the Luna or spending time with the Alpha and Luna in their home.


    On one such asion, Andreas came by to alert Derek about a disturbance that had been noted in an allied pack. Derek invited him in, and there sitting on the sofa with her flowing dress and hair was Magnolia.


    She always had a smile on her face and exuded such generosity, he often found himself stunned into silence just being in her presence. It drove him mad at first. He was desperately grasping at the walls he had built around himself, trying to pull them back up. It would seem he was sessful for a short time before he would find himself thinking about her again. Or he would run into her, once again blinded by her light.


    Gradually, he had stopped fighting. He weed the way she could warm a room just by being in it. And he started purposely seeking her out, stopping by this very cottage on asion to ask about what healing herbs she suggested or to bring her things from the market.


    One day, he came by to bring Magnolia some of the new lobster that had arrived in the market. It was a beautiful summer day, the ring sun prating through this denser part of the forest. He had the lobster wrapped in brown paper and tucked under his arm as he approached the bridge leading to her door.


    The windows were open, a light breeze ruffling her curtains and pulling them out into the forest. And then he heard her crying out in distress. She sounded like she was being hurt, and so he sprinted across the bridge and through the quaint living room where she often received him, following the noises that alerted him to her location up around the staircase. He burst through her bedroom door and saw her in rapt ecstasy, sensuously dipping her hips back and forth on some other lycan''s cock.


    He remembered the scent of her room¡ªso deliciously, richly her with the addition of an incense that curled smoke through the air. Magnolia was so enthralled in her love-making, her head thrown back with that lovely, shiny brown hair cascading behind her, that she didn''t even hear hime in.


    If he would have been a more dominant male, he would have fought the one she was riding and took her for himself. Instead, he slowly backed out of the doorway and traced his way down the steps, the sounds of her pleasure pursuing him as he went.


    He left the lobster on her counter like a fucking coward and never allowed himself to be tempted by her light again. The walls around himself were boarded up really tight after that. No one would ever get in again.


    Andreas groaned, the sickening knots in his stomach twisting tighter and tighter from the flood of emotions that sprang loose with those memories. He thought Magnolia was his mate, he really did. It wasn''t untilter that he discovered the alyko, those cursed fucking witches as Auden would say, did not experience mate pulls the way lycans did.


    At least, that was the case until Graeme arrived with his alyko-like mate¡ªthe freakish experiment from Eliade who had at least enough of the alyko abilities to convince Zoe of her status and then to light up their map like a constetion.


    Graeme had an alyko mate¡ªone he had created an heir with, for fuck''s sake. One who was glowing like the blessed Moon herself.. It was just one more reason to hate them both and whatever twisted fate the Moon Goddess had nned, including their heir.

 Chapter 231 - Ghost Of The Woods 3

    Andreas looked down at the dissolved misoprostol in his hand. That''s why this concoction of Zoe''s was so important. Hopefully he had gotten the dosage right. It was essential that Graeme''s mate lose the pregnancy tonight.


    The light outside the cottage windows was nearly gone, so he rose from where he was sitting on thest step and began to make his way to the door. Just as he passed the first window, he heard the excited chatter of pups approaching outside in the darkness. The were on the other side of the creek. He bent down and peered through the window with its shattered ss.


    There must have been a dozen or more pups hooting and skipping and making all kinds of racket just on the other side of the bridge.


    "Luna is going to be so excited!"


    "She loved the surprise today. She will love this one, too!" a boisterous young female eximed.


    "Okay, everyone break up into the teams we were assigned," a male pup ordered. "Once the smaller projects are done, we can all help Alexander''s team on the spiraling portal they are creating. That''s going to take the longest by far."


    Andreas'' ears perked up, recognizing that voice. He knew that pup, but he couldn''t ce who it was with the confidence it exuded.


    He couldn''t believe his luck. He had to leave now, but both the doors led out the same way¡ªover bridges that crossed the creek right toward where the pups were now settled, chatting and working on something out there. He was going to have to find another way out.


    Zoe had set up that whole ordeal with the Mama bear and cubs here not too long ago, and if he recalled there was a trap door in the kitchen that led down to the basement rather than having to slide down the broken dumbwaiter. Once down there, he could exit out the cer. Just as the alyko had when they were rescued from the burning cottage.


    Andreas tiptoed through the house back toward the kitchen as quietly as he could. Whether he was going to be able to get the trap door up as quietly was another question entirely. It was hidden in the floor of the pantry. Getting into the pantry was no problem. But the metal ring attached to the floor looked as though it would crumble the charred wood if it was pulled.


    He set the precious bottle of his drug solution on the ground and gripped the ring in both hands before slowly and gingerly pulling the hatch up toward himself. It creaked loudly, and he paused, listening for a reaction from anyone outside. He couldn''t hear much that was happening with the pups out front, so he imagined they couldn''t hear him either.


    Andreas grabbed the bottle he had set down and lowered himself through the hole. Someone had done a good job of cleaning up after the bears, because he could only pick up a vague scent that they had left behind.


    The basement was, however, pitch ck. He struggled to light a torch that he had with him just so he wouldn''t have to feel blindly through the darkness beforeing to the cer door.


    Outside, a few of the pups ears had perked up at an unexpected noise from Maggie''s cottage. If August and Isaac hadn''t had such a horrific encounter with bears in the basement there, they probably would have ignored it. But now many of them were backing away from the bridge with wide eyes, anticipating arge furry predator toe bounding after them.


    "Do you suppose it''s haunted on Samhain?" Bear asked with a tremulous voice, swallowing to coat his suddenly parched mouth.


    They shouldn''t havee here without any juveniles or adults. This was stupid. They had snuck off together on this mission to surprise Luna August with their finished forest sculptures, but they never considered that the risks associated with Samhain might be true.


    "It''s not haunted," Isaac scoffed.


    "Well what about faerie portals then? Maybe theye into our world through Maggie''s cottage. Maybe they are in there right now, and we aren''t even in disguise!" Bear''s eyes were growing wider and wider with each horrifying possibility that entered his mind.


    "Those stories aren''t true," Clementine argued, but the tremor in her voice didn''t sound so sure.


    "I think we should go tell someone. Maybe we should get Luna. She can fight off bears," Plum said quietly.


    "Any lycan with a wolf can fight off bears," Isaac rolled his eyes. The problem was, there weren''t any of those lycans here with them at the moment.


    "What''s the problem, pups? Why are you all all the way out here?"


    They jumped at the unexpected deep voice of a male behind them.


    "Oh, Mr. Lucas¡­ we heard a noise in that house. That''s where Luna August and Isaac were attacked by bears," Alexander exined.


    "Do you think they are faeriesing to get us?" Lily squeaked.


    "Maybe your portal sculpture opened it for them, Alexander," Bear groaned.


    "Oooh, what portal?" a girl that looked just old enough to soon be getting her wolf spoke up from behind Lucas.


    All the pups looked at her dumbfounded. She was new. They had never seen her before. Did Mr. Lucas bring an outsider? Or was she a faerie?


    "W-who is th-that?" Plum asked, backing away with some of the others.


    "This is my friend, Zoe. Don''t worry," Lucas assured them.


    "Have you fallen in love with a faerie Mr. Lucas?" Bear asked in his same tremulous voice. "You have to be careful. They make you fall in love with them and then they take you to their world."


    "She''s not a faerie, okay? I promise. She will not take me or you away. But, just to be safe, how about you all go back to the market or the pack house or¡ªbetter yet¡ªgo home!"


    A few of the pups giggled, others screamed¡ªtorn between fear and excitement¡ªbut the others just stared silently before running off away from Maggie''s cottage and the weird things that went on there, promising to themselves up and down that they would never return, not in a million years, and especially not on Samhain.

 Chapter 232 - Pleasing Lucas

    Graeme called Lucas to see if Zoe had any ideas about where Andreas may go. It was urgent, he said. Andreas had been in Zoe''sb looking for something, and now they believed he had masked his scent and disappeared to hide somewhere on packnd.


    "Oh yeah, he can do that," Zoe nodded emphatically once Lucas ryed this theory to her. "He used to brag about it to me all of the time. He said it so arrogantly like it made him superior."


    "Well most lycans can''t mask their scent like that, because it is extraordinarily hard. Instead, we tend to work on offense. There''s a stigma associated with masking your scent as well."


    "What stigma is that?" Zoe tilted her head in curiosity. She was batting hershes less and less, much to Lucas'' relief. It made her seem less creepy and maniptive. And not quite as young.


    "If you mask your scent, then you are considered a coward," he exined. "And someone who can''t be trusted."


    "I would say that''s urate," Zoe replied in her matter-of-fact scientific voice, causing Lucas tough out loud.


    Zoe''s eyes went wide at the sound of Lucas''ughter. "W-was I funny?"


    This made him chuckle more, and he nodded.


    "I was funny? Me?" a genuine smile spread across her face at the surprise of making someoneugh. Especially someone who she thought hated her.


    "So do you have any ideas about where he might have gone after making it so no one could follow him?"


    "I think so, yeah. There is one good ce. One really good ce. Andreas was the one who suggested it to me when I wanted to test August''s alyko abilities to see if she would show up on the map," Zoe thought aloud.


    "When was that?"


    "The bears."


    "The bear attack in Maggie''s basement?" Lucas gaped, mouth hanging open. "That was you?"


    "Yes!" she beamed proudly.


    "That''s not something to proud of, Zoe," he scoffed.


    "But¡­" her smile slowly fell. "But it worked. It aplished what Andreas wanted," she whined.


    And then the smile slowly came back along with the excitement in her voice. "And it was brilliant. Do you know how hard it was to lure that mama and her cubs into the basement? I had to call in some of my old team members to help me, because that is not a job I would have been able to do by myself. It was so exciting too, because that was one time when I was finally able to actually do some work outside as long as I made sure no one saw me. I got to run through the woods and taste the air and see bears up close¡­ Why, why are you looking at me like that?"


    "I''m sorry that you have been locked up unable to interact with anyone, but you need to learn how wrong it is to execute some of these scientific curiosities of yours," he groaned. "So the ce you think he might be is at Maggie''s cottage?"


    "Yes," she said softly, feeling the sting of his disapproval.


    She liked Lucas. He listened to her and took the time to exin to her when she was behaving in a way that was distasteful or ''wrong.'' She still didn''t get it, but she was willing to learn if he was the one teaching her and if it meant she might have a chance to stay in the pack after the elders were disposed of.


    "Well, I have good news for you, Zo. We are going on a field trip. Come on, grab a coat."


    "Where are we going?"


    "Back to the cottage. We''re going to see if you''re right."


    When they approached the cottage through the woods, Lucas heard the hushed, rmed voices of the pups up ahead. What he couldn''t understand is why they would be out here at this time of night on Samhain. Had someonee across the human custom of visiting haunted houses online or something? Whey else would be be hanging around the abandoned house?


    But then he recalled how August had gotten them started on some kind of art project out here before her and the pup Isaac were attacked by the bear. Why would she have chosen this ce to have them do those sculptures?


    "Zoe, did any of the pups help you in this assignment to get August out here?" he finally asked her once the pups had left.


    "Yeah, yeah I told Andreas I needed a pup in on it," she nodded, confirming his suspicion.


    He grunted in reply as he walked across the bridge toward the dark cottage. How could Andreas do something like that? And bring a pup into it?


    "All right, shhh," he turned back to her, showing her the finger covering his lips that indicated she should not speak.


    She nodded and followed him quietly as they approached the house. Lucas froze, his ears perked toward a noise that came from the basement. Zoe wanted to giggle at how much he looked like a dog right at that moment.


    Then without any warning, Lucas jumped from the bridge into the creek and bounded up the bank into the backyard. He was chasing something.


    Excitement bubbled up through Zoe watching him take off on the hunt, and she jumped off the bridge into the water, too. Unfortunately, her head went under, and she paddled in a panic to try recovering. Finally, her feet found the muddy bottom of the creek where she was able to push herself above the surface.


    Wow, Lucas sure made that look easy. She gasped, coughing out the water she swallowed and climbed up the bank as he did, fully drenched now. While Zoe might not be able to die, she certainly didn''t want to be choking on water and gasping for breath like that again. That was awful.


    Sounds of a struggle drifted from the backyard, and she heard Lucas snarl. She was right, then! Andreas must have been here. Hopefully Lucas would be pleased that she actually proved to be helpful at something.. Maybe then the Alpha and Luna would be pleased, too.

 Chapter 233 - Unexpected Zoe

    When Zoe rounded the corner to the rear of the old abandoned cottage, she saw Lucas sitting on Andreas'' back. Andreas was struggling against the hold Lucas had on his wrists.


    "Stay still, old man," Lucas spat, yanking Andreas'' wrists harder to get him to stop struggling.


    As Zoe got closer, Andreas heard her approach and caught her scent.


    "That little bitch told you where I was, didn''t she?" the elder sounded absolutely unhinged with rage. "She''s too damn smart for her own good," he snarled.


    Lucas rose and pulled Andreas up to stand with him, and the elder sent such a vicious re her way, she stumbled back a little.


    "What happened to you?" Lucas asked, noticing that she was drenched in water and shivering.


    "I fell in the creek," she shrugged, teeth chattering. "So I was right!"


    "Of course you were right. You know everything about me. You think that makes you smart? No, it makes you a fucking traitor, Zosime. Does this guy even know what you are? Does Graeme?" Andreas was snarling, spit dripping from his mouth as his eyes narrowed menacingly at her.


    "We all know she''s a fucking vampire old man, so don''t even worry about it," Lucas shoved him in the direction of the pack house.


    "A vampire? She told you that?" Andreas'' voice plummeted. They weren''t entirely right, but they weren''t wrong either. But she wasn''t supposed to be able to divulge any of that information.


    "No she didn''t tell us, she let Greta throw her off of the treehouse. And then when she didn''t get hurt, we kind of figured it out. Keep walking."


    Andreas began chuckling. It started out small like a death rattle in the elder''s throat, but then he was quickly roaring with enormous, unrestrainedughter. Lucas stopped walking, wondering if Andreas had actually lost his shit.


    "I would have loved to have seen that," he guffawed. "Maybe we can make it a local attraction. Throw Zosime from the treehouse."


    "Whatever. You can make yourselfugh all night with that shit while you''re sitting in a cell," Lucas growled. "Zoe, he dropped something on the ground back there when I grabbed him. Go get it please."


    Zoe jogged back to the area where both males had been struggling on the ground. It waspletely dark now, but thankfully her vision allowed her to see better than most. A ss bottle was lying on its side with a clear liquid in it. She picked it up and examined the contents visually. It appeared that there was some crushed up white powder in the bottom of the bottle.


    Jogging back to catch up with Lucas and the elder, who was still being shoved ahead through the forest, Zoe shook the ss bottle so that Lucas could see.


    "What is it?"


    "It looks like Andre was trying to dissolve pills of some kind. That must be why he was in myb."


    "Yourb? I gave you all of that, you ungrateful, fucking psychopath. That''s myb!"


    "What drugs are in the bottle, Andreas? Who is it for?" Lucas twisted his wrists tighter.


    "You think you can make me tell you by hurting me, pup?" the elder snarled.


    "Oh, you know what? I bet whatever it was he ground up in the cottage while he was in there. I''ll go look and catch up with you!" Zoe said before darting away from them.


    A snarl puttered in Andreas'' throat.


    "What, is she on to something there, Andre?"


    "You sure got cocky fast. I seem to recall you helping us on several assignments."


    "I never knew what it was for. And I never knew all of the sick things you did," Lucas hissed.


    "So you''re believing that vampire girl, are you?"


    Lucas was done answering or bickering with the elder. It was going nowhere, and it was annoying. Instead, he used one hand to call Graeme to let him know what was going on.


    By the time Zoe caught back up to them, they were already nearing the dungeon. Graeme and his second were waiting for them there, so Lucas handed him off. Andreas groaned and rubbed his wrists, shooting a re at Lucas as he did.


    Graeme didn''t find it necessary to hold his wrists, as there was no chance for Andreas now. He was outnumbered and significantly overpowered.


    "Good work, Zoe," Graeme nodded to the girl who was proving to more helpful than he thought. "Did you find out what was in the bottle?"


    "Yes, it was misoprostol. He ground it up and tried to dissolve all of it. That was the procedure we used when¡­"


    Andreasunched at her unexpectedly, knocking her down with a big thud against the ground before she could get the words out to implicate him. He was going to bite her fucking tongue out for saying anything against him. How could she? She came with a guarantee to be loyal to him, and now she was speaking of his transgressions right in front of his face¡ªright in front of the Alpha!


    Zoe screamed in surprise, and then she felt him try to mp down on her face. She wiggled beneath him, shaking her head back and forth and pushing him away, but eventually his teeth caught a good hold on her and he shook.


    It was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt in her life. She didn''t even know that kind of pain was possible.


    Lucas and Graeme pulled Andreas off of her. Graeme had to grab the elder''s jaw and unlock it from the girl in order to tear him away, and he dislocated his jaw in the process, causing it to hang gruesomely open to one side.


    Zoe was screaming between haggard breaths, and she didn''t even appear to realize it. Her face was frozen in shock, mouth open, blood pooling and covering her in red. It was dripping into her eyes and running down her cheeks and into her hair. All the males stared at her in horror, aside from Andreas who would have smiled if he could.


    She wasn''t supposed to be able to get hurt, but there were two gaping crescent-shaped wounds on either side of her face¡ªone under her right eye and one low on her left cheek. It appeared as though Andreas truly wanted to rip the girl''s face off.


    Aftering to his senses, Lucas tore his shirt off and bent down to put pressure on the bleeding that wasn''t stopping. Why wasn''t it stopping?


    "I thought she was a fucking vampire!" he growled, annoyed that he hadn''t foreseen something like this happening.


    The death rattle of a chuckle knocked eerily in Andreas'' throat.. No one realized that he was the only one who could hurt her, not even Zoe.

 Chapter 234 - Purification By Fire

    Lucas carried Zoe up through the dungeon into the medical wing of the pack house. He had gotten her to hold the shirt over her face in order to keep pressure on the wounds so that he could make it there faster. She finally stopped screaming, instead only letting out the asional whimper when he jostled her too much.


    "I''m sorry. I''m really trying to be careful," he murmured.


    Once Beth saw Lucasing with Zoe in his arms, she ushered him toward a room before following him in.


    "What on earth happened?" she gasped when the shirt was removed to reveal the bite wounds on Zoe''s face.


    "An elder happened," he growled, still not believing what he had witnessed.


    "Okay, wait here. I will go get the supplies to clean and stitch it," Beth said before turning to leave.


    "You will need to numb it," he called after her.


    "Pardon?" she asked, a startled look on her face.


    "She is not lycan. You will need to numb it," he repeated.


    What was going on with these strange cases today? Beth hurried off to find the tools for stitching up the girl''s gruesome wounds and then checked to see where they had numbing agents. She hadn''t used anything like that in as long as she could remember. All lycans, even pups, had a very high tolerance for pain. It was only the alyko who needed things like numbing agents for wounds.


    When she returned to the room and got the girl cleaned up, she began stitching her facial wounds. "If these don''t heal quickly, it would be better if she had surgery. I am no stic surgeon, honey. I can''t guarantee how these will look when they heal."


    Lucas sped his hands together in front of his face, wincing every time Zoe flinched from the needle piercing her skin and weaving the ragged ends back together like a yed stuffed animal.


    "Did you give her enough to numb it?" he squirmed ufortably in his chair.


    Beth gave him a sidelong nce before answering. "Yes. Do you hear any sounding from her?"


    She was right. Zoe wasn''t screaming or crying, but a continuous stream of tears was dripping from from her eyes, and she had to keep blinking to make them fall. He wished she would just pass out or something so she wouldn''t have to experience this.


    "Are you mates?" Beth asked softly as she continued focusing on her task.


    "What? Just because I care that she almost got her face ripped off? Does she have to be my mate for that?" he snapped.


    How could anyone think that she was his mate? He just felt responsible for what happened to her¡ªlike a big brother who should have protected a weaker sibling or something. Plus, she literally had no one else. The one person she was supposed to have just mauled her.


    Beth chuckled softly.


    "Is this funny?" he screwed his face up in question.


    "No, of course not. I just always find it endearing."


    "What do you find endearing?"


    "Our strongest malesing in here so sensitive and concerned for their females, whether they are friends or siblings or whatnot. And they are always so angry," she mimicked a growl as she said the final word. "Angry that they are not in control, that something has been taken out of their hands, that they are helpless in some way."


    Her description deted the anger that was burning in his chest. She was right. He exhaled heavily and rested his head in hands, taking a break from watching her work.


    How had Zoe survived a 74 foot fall without a scratch on her but then sumbed to Andreas'' bite? None of this made any sense. Were there only certain types of injuries that could truly harm her and a lycan bite just happened to be one of them?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "He sure didn''t want Zoe talking, did he?" Sam remarked as they descended into the dungeon with Andreas being shoved ahead of them.


    Graeme reached a cell and walked in with the elder before tossing him roughly in a corner. Sam stood outside the door and watched quietly.


    "Look what I found today, Andreas," Graeme removed the ring from his pocket. "I broke the drawer off the hinges that held this ring just like I dislocated the jaw from your face." Graeme squatted over the elder who was crumpled onto his back.


    Graeme''s eyes looked ck and empty in the darkness of the cell. He was recalling all of the pain he had been through that this male was responsible for, and if he wasn''t wrong, Andreas had been nning more of it¡ªso much more.


    "That bottle was for my mate, wasn''t it?" Graeme''s snarl was low and clear in its threat as he bent even closer to Andreas'' face and the eyes that pricked with surprise and fear. "That bottle you had with you when you masked your scent, hiding from us like a fucking coward¡­ that bottle was for my unborn child¡­ wasn''t it?"


    He allowed the question to remain ringing in the air like a death knell.


    That is the only exnation for why Andreas had absconded off into the darkness of Maggie''s cottage after raiding Zoe''sb. He was nning to go after August in order to remove the evidence that she was, in fact, the pack''s true Luna.


    "You have given me great ideas for how to deal with you, Andreas," Graeme stood, clicking his tongue in thought. "We could have you mauled to death like my parents were¡ªsurely that is a painful way to go, wouldn''t you say?" He red down at the elder. "But the one good thing about my parents'' deaths is that they passed on from this world beloved and revered by their people."


    "No, I think what is most fitting for someone like you who so desperately desires to be exalted is to be stripped bare in front of the whole pack¡ªnaked to all of the ways that you have hurt them," Graeme snarled. "Have your offenses listed one by one for all to hear. And then we can have you dragged away with a mob of angry pack members cheering at the idea of watching you burn," Graeme squatted in front of the elder again, his expression fierce.


    "But this time they will get to actually witness it.. Purification by fire."

 Chapter 235 - Questioning Pearce

    "Purification by fire." The snarl curled on Graeme''s lips as he gave Andreas onest deadly re before leaving him.


    It was the same thing he told Pearce when he threw him in a cell earlier: the elders'' minutes in this lifetime were numbered.


    The conversation with Pearce had been much less dramatic at first. Whereas Andreas seemed to have blown a fuse in the desperate scramble to find a solution to stop August''s pregnancy, Pearce was decidedly calm. He had epted his fate, it seemed.


    "There''s no point in lying anymore about any of it," Graeme had told him.


    Pearce imed to not know where Andreas would be hiding, but maybe he would reveal more than Zoe was able to about... everything.


    "Ten years ago, we had no choice but to make the difficult decision we did," Pearce slowly exined. "He wasing for the witches one way or another. It was either going to be us offering them willingly or the entire pack being wiped out in order to get to them."


    "My parents would have never let that happen," Graeme shook his head, arms crossed over his chest, imagining his father considering the threat.


    "Your parents were out of time. They couldn''t figure out how to stop him. No one could. They even sought help from others, including other alyko outside the pack. But there is no way to stop this creature. There is no way to kill him." Pearce''s sober eyes held Graeme''s to assure him of this truth.


    "You''re telling me that the hatred and prejudice against the alyko had nothing to do with your n?" he asked through gritted teeth.


    "It made the decision easier to make. And it made the n easier to formte and execute. The witches were always distrusted and feared, so implicating them in the Alpha and Luna''s deaths was an obvious choice. But ultimately, no¡ªthe decision was to save the pack. And in order to do that, we had to remove the leadership." Pearce was so matter-of-fact in the exnation that Graeme wasn''t sure if it was refreshing to finally hear it all being freely offered or infuriating to be privy to their twisted logic.


    "It wasn''t about power?" Graeme huffed his disbelief.


    "I am being straight with you, Alpha," Pearce said calmly. "The ultimate reason was as I have told you. The power, particrly for Andreas, was of secondary benefit."


    "You can''t tell me that personal hatred of the alyko and desire for power had no sway in the making of this decision. And you can''t turn a traitorous act like having the Alpha and Luna killed into something noble. They were the rightful leaders of this pack. It was the Moon Goddess who filled those roles with their souls¡ªnot yours, not Auden''s, and not Andreas''!"


    Graeme''s chest was heaving, fists and jaw clenched as the conviction of what he was saying flowed out of him and into the cell. The elders wanted to believe that they had saved the pack! They thought their actions honorable.


    Pearce''s stoic exterior bristled a little with surprise. Graeme seemed a capable Alpha, much to his surprise.


    "They had no solution," he gave the calm, well-worn rebuttal.


    "So you provided one? A solution that also happened to be most convenient for your interests."


    The elder did not respond but held Graeme''s re with unwavering eyes. It had been so many years now, any doubt Pearce may have once had about the decision the elders made together was worn well away and polished into a brilliant luster. These were the circumstances. This was the decision they made. These were the reasons. In so doing, they saved the pack. It was simple.


    "Who is this male that demanded the alyko? What can you tell me about him?" Graeme finally asked.


    "He is very elusive. I have never spoken with the creature personally. Allmunications go through Andreas."


    "What is his name?"


    Pearce sighed. "I do not know."


    "You don''t know his name, Pearce?"


    "I know it sounds hard to believe¡­"


    "It is impossible to believe," Graeme scoffed.


    "But it is the truth," Pearce finished. "He is ancient. A name would almost be a disservice."


    "How so?" This was ridiculous. They didn''t even know this guy''s name?


    "When a name is given to someone, it assigns them the ability to die¡­ to pass on from this world. It also creates a unique power over them. We assent to our name when called even when we don''t respond. There is a silent internal acknowledgement of the call. For this creature¡­ none of that applies."


    "What is he, a god?" Graeme rolled his eyes. Did the elders worship him or something?


    "Andreas certainly thinks so."


    It was the truth. Andreas revered the ancient, unnamed one. And who was anyone to argue? After all, if something can''t die, they are not truly alive in the sense that everyone else is. They are more akin to a god or some kind of force of nature.


    "What does this thing want with the alyko?" Graeme asked.


    "No one is aware of the motivation behind acquiring the witches, at least not to my knowledge. Andreas is not aware of it."


    "Where are they kept?"


    "That is also not known, as I am sure you can imagine. Once they are gone from here, we know nothing of their whereabouts."


    "What about the two pups who have gone missing?" Graeme growled with the thought of them out there somewhere separated from their pack and families.


    "It is as I said. We do not know."


    "If this thing wants the alyko, then why have you been aborting them?" the snarl echoed off the walls of the cramped space.


    Pearce shuddered with the intensity of the sound as it echoed back at him. This question. This act. It was never something he wanted to have done. It wasn''t something Andreas wanted done. It was simply a necessary evil.


    "He would havee for them, too. He never stops. His demand was for all of our alyko¡­ forever.. We wanted to avoid that as much as possible."

 Chapter 236 - Questioning Pearce 2

    "You three elders, the wise males appointed to this pack, made a deal to hand over all of our pack''s alyko forever?" The thought was inconceivable.


    "Yes," Pearce swallowed back the uneasiness of having to admit such a thing in front of the pack''s current Alpha. He knew how it sounded. They had made a difficult decision to sacrifice the lives of their descendants¡­ to be handed over to this vampiric creature for Goddess knows what purpose.


    The disgust was in on Graeme''s face. And increasingly as Pearce sat here speaking with him, it became more of a revtion that he wasn''t just speaking with the pup he had known¡ªthe Graeme Hallowell that he had so easily made feel small and insignificant and unworthy of his ce in the pack in order to prevent him from rising¡ªhe was speaking with the Alpha.


    The aura of this male was the aura of the Alpha. It was truly something to be in his presence now. He hadn''t appreciated it¡ªhe hadn''t had a chance to.


    "What if you were aborting lycans?" Graeme tilted his head usingly. He was outraged either way. Lycans and alyko weren''t separate species to be parsed. They were all precious lives gifted to pack families by the Goddess.


    But wasn''t that a w in their logic if they truly cherished the lycan lives of this pack? It was unlikely that they could be absolutely certain that a given fetus was a future alyko.


    "It was necessary risk," was Pearce''s response.


    The truth was difficult to stomach. Graeme felt his own twisting in knots with grief for those that were already lost. He raked a hand miserably down his face. Those losses felt like his own, because they were. He was responsible for protecting these people.


    "What is Zoe?" he asked, emotional exhaustion now making his voice husky.


    Pearce''s face twisted in distaste, but he did not answer. He seemed to be considering whether or not he should.


    Rather than pushing him for an answer, Graeme let the fullness of his Alpha dominance unleash itself from within and cloak the room. He wondered what his mate would perceive with her eyes if she were here, because the affect of this force on Pearce was undeniable.


    The elder''s eyes grew wide even as they held Graeme''s re, but then his body was ovee with trembles at trying to resist the force bearing down on him and he submitted, looking down into his hands.


    "She is like him¡ªvampiric in nature," he finally answered. But then he stopped as if he were going to end it there.


    "We know that already. What else?"


    Graeme watched a muscle feather in Pearce''s jaw. The elder swallowed uneasily.


    "She was alyko at one point. Decades ago. Taken from another pack, but Andreas said she doesn''t remember any of it. Her memory from that time is gone. She has very few memories prior to arriving here, in fact. But she was an experiment of some kind."


    Graeme became very still as he processed this information. She had been alyko. An alyko juvenile, it seemed. That was thest thing he expected, and the knowledge gutted him.


    Zoe was so fascinated with the alyko and with August as an experimental subject from Eliade¡­ it all made sense. It was like Zoe held the memories of what she was tucked deep inside her unconscious and she was trying to get back to them.


    "You had her working on a project to malign, take down, and destroy that which she once was," the words came out softly as if Graeme was speaking them to himself.


    Pearce grimaced at the depiction. "It is not like she remembers it!" he spat.


    When Graeme''s eyes returned to the elder, they were the eyes of the Alpha male. They were the eyes of his wolf, narrowed and menacing¡ªfree from any warmth or desire to understand.


    "It is still a part of her," the cold depth of his voice made Pearce shiver. "So this could be what has happened to our alyko, Pearce?" Graeme stalked toward the elder, crossing the small distance left between them in this cramped space.


    He grabbed the elder by his neck and raised him against the stone cell wall, high enough that his feet were dangling, unable to find the ground. Pearce''s eyes were bulging, and he grasped the wrist of Graeme''s hand that held him, cutting off his air supply.


    "There are things worse than death," Graeme snarled, tightening his hold the more the elder struggled against him. "The wise males of our pack who were meant to guide, to be guardians to all, have sentenced this pack to something worse than death. With this deal you struck for our alyko, you have inflicted a wound that continues to bleed, that will not heal. And you continue to feed it."


    Without air, Pearce was bright red, the terror of being denied his breath bared to Graeme through his eyes. Graeme watched as he struggled, wing at the arm that held him, the instinct to fight for life racking his body with desperation.


    Graeme held him there, never easing his grip, until he saw the fire of resistance start to die in the elder''s eyes and his struggle begin to wane. It was the veryst moment before he would lose consciousness¡ªthat''s when Graeme dropped him to the floor.


    Pearcended on his hands and knees, coughing and sucking in air and then crumpling against the ground, no energy left to even hold himself up.


    "You will answer for all of this tomorrow," Graeme squatted over him. "In the morning, the pure fire will be lit. By nightfall, you will be in it."


    Pearce''s chest heave as he watched the new Alpha leave while the heavy weight of his dominance stayed, lingering in the air.


    That was Pearce. Lucas arrived with Andreas shortly after.


    Now both elders were locked in the dungeon, their cells at opposite ends to prevent them from conversing.


    "Post guards who we trust at the entrances," Graeme told his Beta. "No one ising or going in here tonight unless it''s authorized."


    "Consider it done," Sam replied.


    Graeme nodded his approval.


    "I''m heading up to medical to see how things are there. And then I want to get back to my mate. I''m sure you do, too," he sighed internally. He needed August.. He needed to share all of what he had learned in just these few hours, but he also just needed her close.

 Chapter 237 - How Is She?

    Zoe was all stitched up and sleeping when Graeme arrived at the room to check on her.


    The stitches were done crudely, tracing her wounds in ck with ragged ends sticking up in various directions. Graeme grimaced. It made her look like a version of Frankenstein''s monster. He didn''t want to perpetuate that experimental status for her here. They needed to figure out a way to help her¡ªhelp her heal or whatever it was she really needed.


    Given that she was not only born as alyko but turned into some kind of vampire, he could only imagine how she must have been treated by Andreas and the others. That, and other than her team which had now departed, the elders were her only real opportunity for social interaction. No wonder the way she behaved was so bizarre and seemingly removed from natural emotions.


    She would need a lot of guidance in learning what was appropriate behavior and in considering the feelings and well-being of others over her curiosity and desire for knowledge. Maybe if she were weed into a family, she would re-learn what it meant to reciprocate care. They could help show her that. Hopefully it wasn''t toote.


    Lucas was reclined in a chair against the wall deep in thought. It took him a moment to realize that Graeme was standing in the doorway, but once he did, he sat up straight to give the male his full attention.


    "How is she?" Graeme gestured toward the bed, his voice betraying the exhaustion he felt.


    "I have never seen her sleep," Lucas answered, bewildered at what he was witnessing. He couldn''t put any of it together.


    "What do you mean you have never seen her sleep? Not at all since you''ve been with her?"


    Lucas shook his head slowly. He couldn''t exin it. "Not once has she slept in two days. Her mind is going all the time. It never stops. I fall asleep watching her pace, talking excitedly to herself about theories and whatnot."


    Everything about this situation was strange. The only thing they could do wase up with theories as to why, but that was hardly helpful at this point.


    "I can''t believe Andreas did that. I have never seen that male out of control until tonight. He just¡­unched at her," Lucas said, watching it happen again in his mind.


    "You don''t need to stay here," Graeme told him, offering the male a reprieve from his guard duty. "She won''t be running away like this, and the elders are locked up now."


    "You have guards down there?"


    "Yeah, Sam is taking care of that now."


    "It''s just that¡­ when she wakes up¡­" Lucas started before trailing off in thought.


    "She will be alone," Graeme finished for him. "The choice is yours." He stood waiting for Lucas'' decision so he could make other arrangements if Lucas left.


    "I will stay," he croaked.


    He didn''t want to, but he couldn''t in good conscience leave her. She didn''t have anyone. No one here even knew who she was even though she had been staying in this very house for years.


    The beginnings of a smile pulled on Graeme''s lips, trying to break free but he contained it. Lucas really surprised him.


    "I learned something from Pearce," he told him. If Lucas cared about the girl, then it would help if he knew her situation. Zoe needed all the patience andpassion she could get.


    "About Zoe?"


    "Yes. She was alyko before this happened to her. She has no memory of it."


    "You''re shitting me," Lucas'' lips parted in surprise. That was not what he was expecting. He imagined Zoe as being entirely foreign to their kind, because she was just so strange.


    "Pearce called her an experiment, but the only one who likely knows the full details of it is Andreas," Graeme sighed.


    "She was one of us," Lucas whispered. And she was frozen at this age, which meant whatever experiment she underwent happened when she was so young.


    Graeme let out a heavy breath. "I have some other things to do. Let me know if she needs something."


    "Will do," Lucas answered.


    Down the hall, Finn was still standing outside Violet''s room. What a weird fucking night this was.


    Graeme stopped to evaluate the young male who was so clearly exhausted.


    "Finn," Graeme rested a hand on his shoulder. "You need rest. She is safe here."


    Finn''s wary eyes slid to Graeme''s. "If I hadn''t allowed her to distract me, she wouldn''t have had to leave."


    "There is no part of this that is your fault, son. You did well bringing her back. Let the pack care for her. We are all meant to work together, don''t you agree?"


    A frown wrinkled Finn''s forehead, but he slowly nodded. "If you want to continue keeping an eye on her, I understand. But you need rest. You can''t do anything well without it."


    "I understand, Alpha. I will go home."


    "Good," Graeme watched him as he finally left the post he had been keeping.


    Once he disappeared from the corridor, Graeme sought out Beth. She had also likely treated Zoe. This was unlikely to be a night the healer would soon forget.


    "She is of fragile mind right now, which is natural given what she has been through," the female told Graeme. "It was good you came to talk with me first before visiting her. I just wouldn''t rmend it at this time. I gave her some sedatives to help her sleep, so we will see how she is doing in the morning."


    "Will she need further treatment for her injuries?"


    "I think she will be okay with the treatment we can provide her here, but it will just require keeping an eye."


    Graeme hummed, running a hand through his beard as he thought over thest time someone who wasn''t lycan and therefore didn''t have advanced healing needed treatment here. Other than August, he couldn''t recall one.


    "There is something you should know," Beth said cautiously. "Violet has been talking to herself¡ªeven in her sleep. She keeps apologizing over and over for plotting against your mate. She seems to think what happened to her was some kind of retribution."


    "She feels guilty," Graeme stated.


    "Well¡­" Beth paused, grimacing as she did, "the way she is saying it, it almost sounds as if she is implicating your mate in the attack."


    "It probably just sounds that way. She has a guilty conscience. I''m sure once shees to her senses, it will cease."


    "Yes, I am sure you are right."


    "Has anyone in her family been contacted yet?" Graeme was surprised to see that her mother wasn''t here. He hadn''t scented her in the area either.


    "She doesn''t want them to know. She feels she is no longer lycan," the female healer frowned.


    "Perhaps she just needs some time to heal," Graeme thought. But it would help her to heal if she had family members here who wereforting her.. Maybe he could talk some sense into her tomorrow.

 Chapter 238 - Trained Pet

    "It seems like a lifetime since I saw youst," Graeme groaned into his mate''s hair, nuzzling against her neck, uncaring as to who saw.


    Agnes and Ethel''s house smelled divine. Love and memories, tears andughter were all baked into the chosen desserts for this Samhain''s soul cakes.


    "What are you baking?" he pulled away from her only far enough to look into her eyes. His eyebrows immediately threaded together with the increase in gold he saw there, even more since he left her earlier in the evening.


    "Chocte chip cookies. My mom loved them. I mean she loves them," sheughed softly, trying to dispel the mncholy with little forced flights of breath in herughter. "They are done already. Would you like one?" she turned to grab one off of the counter to offer him.


    Graeme''s eyes burned intensely into hers, forcing her to pause and acknowledge the depth of him. Once she did, her hand suspended in the air with the cookie offered, her cheeks turning pink, he leaned forward and took it slowly from her with his mouth.


    He had such full, perfect lips. They were this soft, almost feminine part of him where the rest of him was mostly powerful angles and edges. But his lips were full and plump. August found herself watching them as he chewed, his eyes never straying from her as the buttery dough and melted chocte was consumed by him. She was consumed by him.


    Given that her hand was still suspended in the air where he had taken the cookie, he bent and took her thumb in his mouth next, causing her cheeks to me brighter. "Why are your eyes behaving this way?" he whispered, drawing her attention away from the sensuous feel of his tongue that had wrapped around her flesh.


    "I-I don''t know," she sighed and withdrew her hand.


    "Let''s get you home."


    Once August gave hugs and said all of her goodbyes and made sure Sage was okay staying at Sylvia''s again, she and Graeme left the house alone to make their way back home. Sam and Greta had chosen to stay for awhile and assured them they would be along soon enough. Greta''s miniature pies had taken longer to make, and so they were put into the oventer.


    "Let me carry you," Graeme insisted when they had gotten outside.


    "What? Why? What about the car?"


    "Sam and Greta can drive it back," he said. He didn''t want the distance between them that the Jeep created in the front seat. He wanted to feel her body against his. He needed it.


    "You are a strange wolf," sheughed and jumped onto his back when he bent down to receive her.


    "Good thing I''m with an even stranger human," he teased, lifting her into position, his hands under her thighs as she nuzzled against his neck with her arms around him.


    "Mmmm," she hummed. "I like this. You are so warm. I missed you," and she nipped the skin of his neck, causing him to shudder under her.


    "Behave back there. I don''t want to drop you."


    She giggled at imagining this massive male of hers losing hold of her.


    It was a quiet journey through the woods while their souls spoke to each other through their shared warmth, their shared closeness. By the time they were back at the house and Graeme opened the front door, it almost felt wrong to break the peaceful silence of theirmute.


    August wanted to confront him about what she suspected he did while he was in Wisconsin, but the current situation with the elders was more important at the moment.


    "So what happened?" she asked, following him into the kitchen where he poured himself some water.


    "So much. I don''t even know where to start, Moon."


    He took a long drink before setting the ss down on the kitchen ind, focusing on the curved transparent material and how it bent light, seemingly adhering it to its surface.


    "Did you get Andreas?"


    "Yes. After much else happened. Zoe was able to help us, thank Goddess. He was going to try slipping you something tonight to end the pregnancy," his eyes slid up to hers and he watched how her forehead creased and her hand unconsciously moved to her stomach. She had not wanted this, but it seemed she did now. He could feel the protective instinct swell in her.


    "And I learned that once upon a time Zoe was alyko," Graeme sighed.


    "W-what?!" August gasped, her mouth hanging open. "Are you sure?"


    "Pearce cleared some things up for me. He said Zoe was alyko before, but she has no memory of her life prior to whatever fucked up transformation or experiment she underwent."


    "She doesn''t know?"


    "No, oh and get this¡­ she and Lucas found Andreas and brought him to us, so we were all at the entrance to the dungeon. Right when she was getting ready to exin what Andreas had likely been nning tonight, he mauled her¡­ two bite wounds to the face." He pointed to his own face to indicate where the bite marks were.


    "But¡­ she can''t get hurt."


    "She did this time. It''s the craziest thing. I checked on her beforeing here, and she was all stitched up and resting," his gaze turned distant as he thought of how much he despised her only to have it turn out that she was alyko. "She looked like Frankenstein''s monster," he whispered.


    "Don''t say that," she grimaced.


    "Say what? That she looks like a monster?"


    "Yes, that," she rolled her eyes at him repeating it. And then she remembered how she had called Zoe a monster in the dungeon after the girl admitted what her and Andreas had done. Her acts were despicable. But had she known any better?


    "I wonder if she can be helped," August thought aloud. "So why was Andreas able to hurt her?"


    Graeme shook his head silently, bracing himself against the counter. In doing so, the tendons in his forearms became more visible, and August found her eyes wandering over him again.


    "It must have something to do with her being a gift to him. Kind of like¡­ handing over the leash of a new pet to its owner," he said.


    August shook her head in disgust. That''s what Zoe was, wasn''t she? A highly intelligent, trained pet.


    ******


    Dear readers, I''m not sure we''re going to make our goal of avg. power stones a day for the 8 chapter mass release at the end of the month. So I''m adding a second way to gain it!


    For every 25 Golden Tickets the book gets between now and February 25th, 1 chapter will be added to the February 28th daily update (with a total of 10 chapters possible)! I''ll also be adding privilege chapters next month, which makes it possible to read 20 brand new chapters within 2 days time. Say whaaat?


    We''reing up fast on V2. Can''t wait to share the next arc in this story with you all! <3

 Chapter 239 - Contentious Space

    "What else happened?" August asked. She could feel his mind running over something else that he wasn''t saying.


    "I''m worried about your eyes," he pushed off the counter and rounded the ind toe stand next to her.


    "It''s not like there''s anything wrong with me," sheughed softly and looked away from his intensity.


    She didn''t have an answer for this, and she didn''t want him to worry about it when there was so much else going on. When she looked back up, his forehead was still creased, eyebrows threaded together as he looked her over.


    He couldn''t feel or sense that anything was wrong with her, but¡­ why was this happening? He ran a hand down the side of her face, his thumb lingering, tracing her eyebrow and the curve of her orbital bone. What mysteries were there still inside of his mate? He thought of the male Violet had described who had the same eyes. Perhaps she was mistaken, but¡­ the mention of him stealing her wolf. He gulped and dropped his hand.


    "There is something else," she said, sensing the flicker of distance between them as his thoughts wandered. "What is it?"


    He raked a hand through his hair. How was he supposed to exin this? He could feel the looming unknown of her reaction to what Violet had said, particrly because of August''s early fears about harming this pack. Now there was someone simr to her¡­ Simr to her and yet so different. Hopefully she would understand that.


    "How do you get back to that ce?" he asked, eschewing the topic for now.


    "ce? What ce?"


    "That ce where you healed. With the tree guardian."


    "I don''t know. She never mentioned it, and I didn''t think to ask."


    "Last time it was when you just copsed after healing Greta. It can''t always take something extreme like that. I want to know what''s going on with your eyes. And if you can heal there, I want you to do it," he said it almost like it was amand. They couldn''t have anymore unforeseen issues like August copsing out of nowhere.


    "If I knew how to get back there, I would," sheughed, suddenly feeling defensive. Was it her fault this was happening and she didn''t know what was going on?


    "You have to figure it out," he told her, and her eyebrows dipped at his firm insistence. "It needs to be a priority. Would Sage know? Or the¡­ the bird?" How ridiculous did it sound that he even suggested that.


    "The bird?"


    "Yeah, your crow that led you to the dungeon to talk to Zoe. The same one that was at your healing ce."


    "I don''t know," sheughed again. "Is this really what we need to be worrying about right now? If I needed to be there, I would. Okay? It''s just an eye color. Who cares."


    "If it means there is some underlying issue with you, then I care. Everyone cares¡ªand you should, too."


    "I care, it''s just¡­ I feel fine, okay?"


    "Maybe it has to do with the pregnancy," Graeme was thinking aloud, ignoring her as he searched his memory.


    When the petals started spiraling up a second time, the tree guardian said that there was something else unexpected at work that the guardian had been unaware of. It could have been the pregnancy. Was it harming her? His eyes snapped back to hers in worry.


    "Will you stop looking at me like that?!" she eximed and turned for the bedroom. This conversation was not what she expected.


    "Maybe if we lie down¡­" he went to follow her, thinking of ways that they could get back to her fae ce.


    "I have an idea! Why don''t you heal me, Graeme?" she replied sarcastically, turning to face him. "You seem so sure that there is something wrong with me, and you are fae too, remember?"


    "I¡­" he looked at his hands while she rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom. "I''m not like you!" he called after her.


    "There is nothing wrong with me, stop worrying!" she yelled through the door.


    She stared at herself in the mirror, those amber fments in her eyes again. They were burning darker because she was angry, which of course made them more obvious. Why was he being so pushy about this right now? Her eyes had been like this all that time before she even met the tree guardian with no ill effects.


    Graeme found himself alone in the bedroom looking at his own hands as he searched for answers. How had this turned into an argument? He was concerned about her and what was still unknown, but he didn''t want to fight about it.


    Perhaps the urgency he felt for getting August''s eyes back to normal was in part due to Violet''s story about this other dangerous male that sounded as if he, too, was from Eliade. If Violet started telling people what happened to her, August''s gold eyes may cause some pack members to fear her when there was no reason to. And it may cause August to again fear herself.


    He let out heavy breath and sat on the bed. "I''m sorry Little Red," he muttered.


    He was failing at trusting her again¡ªthat she would know if there was an issue with herself. And he was unknowingly allowing Violet''s experience to create insecurity about how the pack would receive August rather than trusting that her presence wouldmunicate all that was necessary. She was their Luna. They would feel it.


    August felt her mate''s emotions buoying up an apology on the other side of the door. Tomorrow was going to be a long, important day, and she really didn''t want to argue with him on the eve of all of that. They would be surrounded by the whole pack all day tomorrow, and she really just wanted to enjoy him alone while she could. But while they were in this contentious space together, there was something she wanted to know that she might as well ask now.


    August opened the door to find Graeme sitting on the bed. He raised his head to have his puppy-dog eyes meet hers.


    "Tell me how you got shot in Wisconsin."

 Chapter 240 - Thats Where Youre Wrong

    Graeme''s expression flickered from remorseful to confused.


    "What?"


    "Greta said something tonight that got me thinking," she exined, walking slowly from the bathroom door toe stand before him. He tilted his chin up to look at her, rubbing his hands together as he did.


    "Oh? What was that?" he definitely hadn''t prepared for this conversation.


    August watched the dark intensity of his eyes that returned to being remorseful.


    "The n for the new part of the pack house came up¡ªthe one I sketched for you. I mentioned how I could rte to needing something like that at one time in my life," she gulped and looked away from him. "I told them it was because of n. Anyway¡­ Greta asked if you had paid him a visit while you were away. She said she couldn''t imagine you would allow anyone to get away with hurting me."


    Her cheeks had gradually turned pink as she was talking, and he raised a hand to her face, running a thumb along the brighter part of her cheek¡ªsorry for the reason it was there. Regardless of what he did¡ªmarking her, avenging her¡ªthose emotions were still there to haunt her, weren''t they? Maybe they always would be.


    "You found them, didn''t you?" she licked her lips, trying to will the images of their faces away¡ªbut how could she speak of them without having them return? "You went after them?" It was a question that had started out usatory and turned tearful with her eyes welling again over this. She groaned as they did.


    "What is it?" he asked, eyebrows pinching together, continuing to caress her cheek.


    "It still puts knots in my stomach. It still makes me fucking emotional. I hate it." She lifted a hand to wipe the tears as they came, dismissing his hand in the process. "You''re not denying it?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.


    "I''m not," he said softly.


    "You got shot, Graeme! You shouldn''t have done that! You shouldn''t have gone after them! Can you imagine¡ªwhat if something had happened to you? We have this beautiful thing together now that I could have never imagined having or deserving, and you risked it for them?! What if you hadn''t healed from that wound? Then I would have lost my mate due to this¡­ event that happened years ago that''s over and yet was still able to reach me, still hurt me in such a profound and even worse way than before!"


    The anger at him for this, for what could have happened, fueled her words as they came out passionately, one after the other, pelting him with their truth, and he flinched as he felt it.


    "You''re right," he soothed with the deep calm of his voice, reaching up to caress the side of her face again. "You''re right, okay? Come here."


    He pulled her down next to him on the bed where they both turned toward each other.


    "If that would have happened, it would have been horrible. But I never would have done it if there were a chance it would take me away from you."


    "But Graeme, you were shot!" she argued, the surge of her anger returning.


    "I was shot. You''re right, but I''m okay," he gave her a reassuring smile, continuing to caress her face. He knew the connection of their skin calmed her, because it did the same for him.


    Now it was her eyes that became worried as she looked back to his chest and that area she had felt like the memory of a wound when he returned. She ced her hand over it.


    "Who did it?" she gulped, avoiding his eyes again.


    "Look at me," he tilted her chin back to him. "It doesn''t matter. They are gone. They can''t hurt you or anyone else anymore."


    "You think they hurt others?" her eyebrows pulled together.


    It was something she had considered, of course. The idea that there were others who could be victims like she was¡­ but she had tried not to think about it. Maybe it was just the one time. Maybe when she initially reported it, even though the case hadn''t proceeded to a stage where they could be held ountable, maybe that was enough to scare them. Or perhaps they knew how wrong it was after the fact. Or it could be that they were¡­ just kids. Or just drunk. Or temporarily out of their minds¡­


    "Regardless of whether or not there were others, I still would have killed them for what they did to you, I won''t lie."


    Why did it make her heart soar to hear that? It shouldn''t. Killing was wrong. But she could feel the heavy emotions tied to that event flutter and lift from her chest. She had a male that cherished her this much¡ªto avenge her, and to do so only with that motivation in mind. He may have not even told her about it unless she asked.


    "But there were others. I discovered that both continued to be predators. They wouldn''t have stopped unless someone made them, I am certain of it."


    "Wow," she released a heavy breath. "You saved someone, then. I''m sure of it." She gave him a small smile.


    "But I couldn''t save you," he said regretfully.


    "That''s where you''re wrong," she sighed. "You have done so much more than that."


    She intertwined their fingers on the bed.


    "Are you still angry with me?" he asked, shifting himself closer to her.


    "I don''t want you to risk yourself for me," she answered. She wasn''t angry, but she didn''t want him to do something like that again.


    "I will always risk myself for you," he chuckled, and she pped him on the arm.


    "Ow," he feigned hurt.


    "Why could I still sense the wound when you returned? Were you hurt badly?" She could see now that he was fine, but at the time it was as if the wound still lingered.


    "I was hurt pretty badly," he recalled, and her eyes red. "I had to pull over to the side of the road. The pain was really intense, and it felt like I wasn''t healing like I should."


    August groaned and buried her face in her free hand.


    "But do you want to know what else happened?" he tugged on her. "I pulled over to rest, and when I finally fell asleep, I had this dream that you visited me. You removed the bullet with your hand."


    "What?"


    "Somehow you were the one who healed me without even needing to be there, Moon," the intensity came back to his eyes as he tugged her nearer to him and ced her hand back on his chest. "So you see? I was never really in danger after all. I have a powerful fae as my mate."


    He offered her a winsome smile then, the dimple behind his beard appearing and causing her to smile in return.


    "I don''t know how I could have done that," she shook her head, "but if I somehow knew you needed me then, will you trust me about my eye thing? I don''t feel like there is anything wrong. I promise you."


    "Okay," he nodded, epting her words. "I believe you. I''m sorry. It''s just that you''re precious to me. And you''re also pregnant now."


    "Graeme, females have been having babies since the beginning of time," she told him.


    "Not my female," he argued. "Not you."


    His hand went to rest against her stomach, and she chuckled.


    "You know I''m like two weeks along, right? We probably wouldn''t even be able to see it at this point."


    "That''s where you''re wrong, my love.. The whole pack sees it," he grinned, reminding her of how her skin had changed to make this tiny embryo obvious to all.

 Chapter 241 - Nectar

    Graeme got up and closed the door, locking it once he did.


    "What are you doing?" August asked.


    "Spending time alone with my mate. Finally," he smirked and August''s stomach flipped. "I hate these living conditions," he added, climbing onto the bed and crawling toward her like arge predator.


    She backed up against the headboard, watching as his eyes narrowed at her movement.


    "Why do you hate it?" she giggled.


    "Why do you think? My sister and her mate under the same roof," he had finally reached where she was and growled affectionately as he nipped at her neck. "What if I wanted to make love to you all night long?" He said low and husky in her ear before biting it gently. She shuddered beneath him.


    "All night?" she breathed, her chest starting to heave in response to his close proximity and the heat that instantly rose, curling up within her seeking him.


    "All night," he repeated and lowered his mouth onto hers.


    "But," she pulled away, earning a growl of protest from him that made her giggle, "how would that¡­ even work? Are you being serious?"


    Her cheeks had pinked again. Oh, this innocent mate of his.


    "Deadly serious, darling. When Greta and Sam finally move back to their home, I will show you. I vow it," he said sensuously before taking her mouth again while finding the waistband of her pants to remove them.


    "What are you doing?" she breathed against him.


    "Has it been so long that you have forgotten?" he groaned to have her giggle.


    "Yes, and that''s your fault of course."


    "I will make up for it tonight, Moon."


    "But I''m a little¡­ nervous," she giggled again when she received a fierce reprimand with his eyes.


    "Nervous?" his eyebrows shot up.


    "I just¡­ you look like¡­" he looked fucking sexy is how he looked, but the intensity of his desire and the predatory way he approached her, the muscles in his shoulders rolling, the fierce light of possession in his eyes. She feared what she herself desired.


    "I look like what?" he removed a stray hair from her face, giving her the patience she needed.


    "A wolf," she giggled, pressing herself against the headboard.


    "I am a wolf."


    She nodded wordlessly in agreement.


    "Do you know what you look like?"


    She shook her head, a shy smile grew on her face as she anticipated his answer.


    "My meal," he growled, lunging the short distance to tickle her sides and mp down on her neck to keep her from twisting away.


    While the sweet taste of her flesh was in his mouth, he licked and sucked, and then the tickles that had her shrieking inughter turned possessive and searching until his hands were bracing either side of her face, fingers running through the silky strands of her hair while he kissed her deeply, fighting for dominance with the passion that surged inside of her, unleashing itself on him as well.


    Then August was up on her knees, rising to meet him, hands grasping for him like his were for her. She pulled at his shirt, freeing it over his head and running her hands over his chest, his abs, while her mouth still explored his and sought to devour him while being devoured.


    He broke the kiss long enough to pull her shirt off roughly, his eyes seeking hers, searching for the soul that he shared there in her¡ªwith her, entangling with her¡ªand when he found it lighting her beautiful golden eyes, his lips returned to their home on hers, pressing deeper to taste as far as he could go. He wanted all of her. He wanted to be at home in her again.


    "August," he whispered, pulling away from their intensity and making her whimper because of it. "Lycans don''t say it much, I don''t know why. Maybe because¡­ we can scent each other''s feelings¡­ but I know humans do. And I want you to know how profoundly in love with you I am. I love you, Moon. So much it hurts. It aches in every part of me that reaches to be with you. All the time. You are all I think about." His eyes teared as he spoke these words that were his most sincere truth. She had all of him, even when there was distance between them. She had every part of him all of the time.


    "I know," she smiled. "I feel the same way. I love you more than anything I could have ever imagined. You are like the sun," she whispered, kissing him once more with the haze of passion in her eyes. "And I''m your flower."


    "I think it''s the reverse," he breathed augh against her face, his breath and joy simultaneously warm andforting and alluring. "I will follow you anywhere."


    He pulled her legs toward him and leaned her back against the bed, hovering over her with his broad, delicious chest exposed to her¡ªa shield, a weapon, a home to cling to. It was the sensitivity he bared to her, the exposed vulnerability under all of that power and strength, that made her most in awe of him. Heid all of that down for her, allowing her the reigns over him.


    Graeme kissed down her neck, slowing the tempo of his expressed need and pushing it deeper, stoking that fire between them with his hands that caressed and loved and brushed her sensitive parts, causing uncontroble shivers to rake her.


    "If you are my flower, though," he spoke against her skin before kissing it again, allowing his tongue to lick the sweet salt of her¡ªthat unique vor she carried that belonged to him. "Then I want to taste your nectar, darling."


    She bit her lip and wiggled under him, but his hands braced her sides, keeping her still for his mouth that wasn''t done yet. Every ce he kissed and nipped and licked turned pink from the attention, creating a rosy path where his mouth had been.


    "What do you mean?" she breathed above him, cheeks ame as she did.


    "I want to taste our child on you," he remarked before continuing to explore her with his mouth, his hands finally dipping under her waistband and sliding her pants down, exposing all of her beauty to him.


    His eyes sought hers again, the eyes of his mate that despite their regal golden beauty appeared worried and insecure.. But he smiled, assuring her again of his profound love before he slowly lowered himself on his forearms and buried his face in the divine nectar this flower of his offered.

 Chapter 242 - Say It Again

    It was hard letting go. Despite the fact that Graeme had done this with her before, she was inexperienced and insecure and¡­. and his tongue was demanding more and more from her that she was resistant to give.


    While hepped up the nectar she was involuntarily giving, caressing her legs and stomach as he did, she pushed against him, biting her lips, tucking them into her mouth, trying to tame the whimpers that wanted to break free and break her apart as they did.


    "Rx, darling," he soothed her before pushing both of her legs up, exposing her more fully. How was she supposed to rx like this?


    "Oh, Goddess!" she breathed, lifting her head to watch him and his beautiful dark eyes that met hers as his mouth worked, seeking her pleasure, eating her up like the big bad wolf that he was. He hummed and sent a lightening bolt of sensation through her as he did¡ªone that shot straight through her aiming for the sky.


    He kept going, persisting as long as she resisted him. He would make her give in and lose herself to him. She had to let go of these insecurities and give herself over to it.


    ''Stop thinking. Just feel,'' he sent to her, hoping she would hear him. They didn''tmunicate wordlessly like that, but maybe they could. Or maybe she could feel what he was saying in the absence of the words themselves.


    August cleared her mind of the fearful thoughts and gave over to the sensation of his tongue and his hands that were hitting the nerve endings she didn''t even know existed within her. Little flickers of light began spreading across the darkness of her eyelids, and soon she was lost in that celestial sea with him, spinning and rolling and bucking toward a release that seemed to exist at the bright center as she climbed higher and higher toward it.


    Sounds she didn''t even know were possible for her to make were escaping from her lips as he devoured her, pushing her further toward that bright light that beckoned to have her join it and be one¡ªbe lost in the open of that sensation it offered.


    Finally she reached it, and it shattered as one with her¡ªraining shards of bright crystals all around her in an explosion of light and color.


    "Oh Graeme," she panted and shivered. "Oh Goddess," she was trembling, and he came up next to her side, running a handfortingly over her hair and shoulder and arm, bringing forth more trembles as he did. She shivered and curled into him, seeking the protective shelter of his warm chest where she could slowlye back to herself and return to normal.


    Once the trembles began to cease, he tipped her chin up and gently kissed her, tugging on her lips with his teeth to ignite that fire again, and this time it was quick to obey.


    "I want to send you there," she whispered against his lips and turned him over where she could dominate.


    "Where?" he croaked as she worked on removing his pants.


    "To that bright light. To the center of the universe. It is where you sent me," she exined, and she wrapped her palm around his cock before surrounding it with the heat of her mouth. He deserved it just as much as she did.


    Graeme groaned and dropped his back against the bed. Her mouth, her lips, her tongue¡­ the wet warmth of her was taking him in so eagerly. She licked down one side before tracing her tongue up the other. He groaned again, eyebrows threading together as he watched her innocence unfold and bloom into something only he was allowed to see. Only he was offered this part of her. She was his.


    ''Mine,'' the word wed possessively at his mind, and he squinted against the urgency of it.


    The wolf part of him was carnal and inpatient and desperate to devour. August was so sweet and eager and¡­ slow. His hands fisted the sheets on either side of him as he restrained himself, allowing her to take her time with him. It was perfect torture.


    He had to focus on something other than the pink plump of her lips and the heat in her cheeks¡­ the intensity of her eyes as her head bobbed over him, taking him deeper each time. Finally, she went down as far as she could, his cock touching the back of her throat and she hummed with him in her mouth. He cried out in the surprise ecstasy of it, eyes shooting open, fists white. How was she able to do that?


    As he whimpered, she backed herself off of him, those innocent doe eyes meeting his and wondering if he was okay. He curled up into a sitting position and attacked her mouth, groaning into her with all of the restraint he was holding before flipping her over on her back.


    "We can go there together," he breathed against her and sought her mouth again, taking himself in hand and finding that entrance of hers that belonged to him. She was slick and weing, ready to ept him and he plunged into her without any hesitancy.


    She cried out and gripped his shoulders, her eyes wide and chest heaving. With every thrust, her breasts reacted, bouncing beautifully under him to the point that he had to lower his head and take one in his mouth to suck on. His tongue ran over the nipple before pulling it further into his mouth, eagerly seeking from her like a pup would. She whimpered and grasped his hair, tilting her pelvis up to meet him with each powerful wave he brought to her.


    "You''re mine," he growled, the possessive wolf in him breaking through as he continued seeking their union and withdrawing, seeking and withdrawing¡ªa tantalizing rhythm that seemed to move with the waves of starlight above them, around them, inside them.


    "I am yours," she whined, and those words coupled with that noise from her sent him into a frenzy, as if his wolf was unleashed. He mped down her neck with his teeth and moved with a flurry of thrusts, pushing moans from her lips as she grasped his back, her nails digging in to secure herself to him.


    They climbed to the center of the universe and shattered it, a constetion of their own stars raining around them as they did. Graeme stayed inside of her, allowing their breaths to slow together, his forehead resting against hers as they came down until finally he rolled over on his side and brought her tucked safely into him where he could feel her breaths on his neck.


    "Say it again," he said in between soft pants.


    "I am yours," she repeated and bit where her mark was on his neck.

 Chapter 243 - Shower

    "That was short," August said breathlessly, and her mate stopped breathing. "Are you okay? Why aren''t you breathing?" she giggled.


    "That was short? That''s what you have to say?"


    "Well, I just meanpared to the all night thing that you mentioned," she giggled again. "Can you me me for being skeptical?"


    "If you want to try it tonight, I''m all for it. I was worried about Greta and Sam, but honestly I could give a shit now. But you''re out of breath. Can you hold up to an all-nighter?"


    "Can you?" her eyes went wide. Was he really serious?


    Graeme growled and scooped her up in his arms.


    "Where are we going?" she gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "I have wanted to have you in the shower," his growl puttered in his chest before he locked onto her mouth again, stirring her desire with his tongue as his hands gripped her tighter.


    She groaned into him, her sounds getting lost in his mouth.


    "Or maybe just right here," he breathed and repositioned her so her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked her up against the wall.


    "Right here is okay," she nodded, totally lost to him.


    "Goddess, why can''t I get enough of you?" he panted, forehead pressed against hers. "If I carried you around like this all day, do you think anyone would mind?"


    "It might be distracting," she giggled and writhed against him, causing him to moan.


    Graeme settled her down on top of him, causing her to suck in a breath and grip the sides of his face as he mimicked her expression.


    "Are you okay, Moon?" he breathed against her without moving.


    She nodded wordlessly, getting used to him like this¡ªso full within. When she met his eyes again, hers were a bright, vibrant, glowing gold.


    "I''m here, I''m yours. Take me," she whispered, and he did as she said.


    The family picture that was on the side table shook and jolted before toppling over as Graeme found leverage against the wall to rejoin the warmth of his mate in that perfect repetition that united them, bringing them home to each other over and over again¡ªbut this time it wouldn''t be short.


    Little beads of sweat had appeared on the ridge of August''s top lip and along her the hairline where tiny blonde hairs sprouted, sparkling and catching the light from her glow. Graeme was glistening with evidence from their exertion as well, making him slick and sweaty and more feral in appearance as his eyes stayed focused on her¡ªnarrowing with every little quiver, every little sound¡ªlearning how the swirl of his hips one way made her eyes roll back and fingers dig in and how just the right angle had her sensuous, pink mouth dropping open and panting.


    She bloomed for him, opening up to be her most vulnerable and most trusting in his arms, and he gobbled up every morsel that she offered of herself. She was reaching that peak over and over again, getting used to its height, getting used to the surrender it required of her. And then her eyes would be hungry and possessive as she turned on him, desiring for him to follow her, desiring to coax that same vulnerability from him.


    Graeme carried her into the bathroom still wrapped around him while he leaned to turn the shower on and tested its temperature. His mate was limp against him, her head resting on his shoulder.


    "I''m sorry," he murmured against her hair before her kissing her there.


    "For what, my Alpha?" she breathed augh against him with the little strength she had left in her.


    "You are exhausted. I''ve been greedy."


    The water fell in his hand at the perfect temperature and he stepped in still holding her, still inside of her. When the cascade hit them both, she hummed her approval, one hand rising to y with the hair at his neck.


    "You haven''t been greedy. You''ve been perfect," her head rose from his shoulder, and she traced the drops of water over his face before her gaze alighted on his eyes and all the depths of affection they held.


    "I wore you out," he whispered, leaning to kiss her again.


    It was meant to be short and sweet, but her hand snaked sensuously across his back and she opened herself to him again¡ªoffering him the fullness of her mouth and the tension in her legs that squeezed around him and pulled his hard length further into her.


    "You didn''t wear me out," she replied softly and urged him again with her legs.


    "Moon¡­" he groaned, trying to resist. He knew she was tired. He could feel it.


    "You wanted me in the shower," she whispered and offered him those innocent, beseeching eyes as her breasts pressed against him, bing slick with the water that slid, finding unobstructed pathways between their flesh.


    "I also want you able to walk tomorrow," he chuckled, but she felt the temptation working on him and she grinned.


    "Am I too weak to handle my mate?" she asked coyly and gripped the hair at his neck tight before tugging his head backward, exposing the thick length of his neck to her. "I gave you this mark," she reminded him before pressing her mouth against it and allowing her teeth to threaten their pration again.


    "I remember," he gulped, exposed and vulnerable.


    "Shall I bite you again, Alpha?" she asked, tilting her head to receive his answer.


    "If you wish to, my Luna," his words were strangely shaky, reminding her of the power she had over him.


    She returned her mouth to that spot and let the broad t of her tongue lick it slowly. The action teased a fierce, prickly possessiveness to the surface, and he groaned feeling it crest in her. She was going to bite him again, he could feel it.


    "I want you to bite me, too," she growled against his skin and felt the canines in her mouth seem to elongate and sharpen in response to her mate''s proximity.

 Chapter 244 - Shower 2

    August licked that spot where her mark had pearlized on his tan skin, and her hips started swirling against him, causing him to almost swallow his tongue with the sensation it created.


    She urged his mouth to lower over her neck as she rode him, circling the head of his cock with the sensitive rim of her entrance and finding her own rhythm, her own way toward that brilliant center of ecstatic being that promised to explode when she finally reached it.


    "Oh Goddess, Graeme," she gasped, throwing her head back as she held onto his neck.


    Graeme watched, transfixed with his mate and her movements, the ming red of her skin where the water hit it, the perfect curve of her breasts that beckoned him with each little bounce in his direction, the graceful line of her neck as she arched away. He was holding under her ass to give her leverage, and he cursed inwardly at not being able to grab her breasts and her neck and golden hair¡ªshe was teasing him being this exposed and sexy as hell.


    When August attempted to bend even further away from him, chasing the fiery trail of ecstasy that was circling her, her hand on his neck slipped. She slid away from him, but Graeme caught her around the shoulders and growled, taking her mouth and taking control of the movements as he pushed past the teasing swirls of her and thrust straight into her center.


    She gasped, her eyes flying open to reveal the brightest gold he had ever seen there like twin suns that would burn him if he flew too close.


    "Are you okay?" he panted, repositioning his hold on her to make sure she was secure and wouldn''t slip.


    "Yes, yes," she nodded, surging higher¡ªcloser to her goal, and he needed toe with her.


    In her mind, she was reaching for him, pulling him along as they got closer and closer to that bright, brilliant light that was like a home they could only ever touch briefly, because once they did, it shattered and had to be rebuilt.


    "Come with me," she told him.


    "I''m with you, Moon."


    "Mark me again," she pulled herself closer where his neck was once again within reach.


    Both of his arms wrapped around her back, securing her to him as he continued that delicious, perfect slide and lowered his canines over her neck. She could feel the prick against her skin, but he hovered there, unsure.


    "Oh Goddess," she groaned as his thrusts found that spot that sent bolts straight through her eyes to the dark sky. "Yes, yes, Graeme," she whined, sending a sh of predatory hunger through him as he sought to clench on and own this vulnerable mate in his arms.


    Without further hesitancy, he sunk his teeth deep into the bend between her neck and shoulder. August cried out with the pleasure and pain that coupled and spun together as she felt his soul flowing directly into her from its source.


    He was everywhere. He lit up behind her eyes more intense than he had ever been. They were mates; he was always there. But this was a profound deepening that seemed to reach even further, feathering out into every cell, filling any void that had begun to be carved out again with insecurity or worry, distance or shame.


    That surge of him that was rushing through her, coupling her feelings with his own and indenting them on that tender part of her skin made her mouth water for him, and she bent her head down and sunk the sharp tips of her canines in that were seeking his flesh, his being to connect with her own.


    And then the circuit of their starlit souls entangling and enfolding, spiraling together, was madeplete in a way it never had been. All of him was flowing through and offering itself fully to all of her that was spreading its light and warmth through all of him to do the same.


    They were a sensual and spiritual ouroboros with no end, only a continuous, entangled path of being and bing that pierced through and invalidated time. It was eternal. It was perfect.


    The distance that had been forced between them during those weeks of silence and avoidance copsed, pping together like thunder that Graeme mimicked now with each crash into her, each return he made after sliding away¡ªa rhythm that promised more, that promised an eternity of this. Whenever they parted, he would find her again. He would return.


    This eternal return of their two parts into one was so assured, it was like breathing¡ªonly this was the breath of the spirit that required not life but only existence. It was a given. There could be no worry here that they would cease to be mates or cease to be together or cease to exist, for they were the definition of existence¡ªnow and always. Whether it was here in these forms or as formless, scattered starlight that danced ever together amid the sky. They would always be, for here they were¡ªthe proof of it forever circling, filling, bing.


    Once the sacred knowledge of this certainty filled them both sopletely, they both let go with their teeth,ing up for air with gasps and moans that crescendoed once the light within them peaked and shattered.


    Graeme steadied himself against the shower wall amid the tremors that raked him with his mate still in his arms. Once he was certain he could walk, he stepped out with her and grabbed a towel, covering her back with it as he transferred them to the bed. She was trembling uncontrobly as well. What they had experienced was so much more than what their bodies knew how to handle.


    "Goddess, Moon, what was that?" heid her down, climbing in next to her where they could stay pressed against each other without the risk of losing strength or falling to the weight of what had just happened.


    "It was¡­ everything," she whispered in awe and then felt him licking her bite wound, simultaneously cleaning and healing it. "You are everything," she pulled away from him so he would meet her eyes. A radiant grin spread across his face as he did.


    "What?" she asked, mirroring his expression.


    "I healed you," he gasped and then chuckled, tears welling in his eyes as he ced a hand on her cheek. "Your eyes are blue again, my love.. I healed you after all."

 Chapter 245 - Pillow Talk

    Today''s update is dedicated to Peaches1, Grace_Gilbert_4063, Nyx1663, Sunny_Enoch, and Cindi_127 for your recent generous gifts this month. Thank you so much! <3


    *********


    August was tucked into Graeme''s warmth under his chin, relishing in the closeness and feeling of wholeness that had been restored between them.


    "Would you ever want me to spoon you?" she spoke against his chest, nuzzling further in and wrapping an arm around his side to press herself as closely as possible even though she could feel him humming through her entire being¡ªthe warmth and closeness of his physicality was something she would never get sick of.


    "How would that work, Little Red? You''re half my size."


    "I am not half your size!" she chuckled.


    "You''re not?"


    "No, not even close."


    "Well if you tried spooning me, I''m pretty sure you would only manage to spoon the upper half," he breathed into her hair.


    "That''s okay. The upper half is good too," she giggled and took the opportunity to nibble on his chest. The little action sent a tremor through him. "I still make you tremble?" she smiled.


    "Yes, of course you do." He kissed the top of her head. "You should try getting some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."


    "What happened to all night?" she teased him, tugging him closer around the waist.


    "I don''t want you to be exhausted tomorrow. Don''t tempt me," he smiled into her hair.


    "I get to dress up with Greta. That will be fun."


    Graeme thought about the formal part of the masquerade. With everything else happening, it was thest thing on his mind. But he would have to wear a tux. He groaned at the thought.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I don''t like dressing up."


    "What?! It will be so much fun. I can''t wait to see you in a tux."


    He groaned again and she bit him in reprimand. "It goes against my nature," heughed.


    "And what is your nature?"


    "I feel mostfortable without any clothes at all."


    She wiggled against him yfully. "That''s not so bad either. But there''s no way the whole pack is seeing you naked."


    "Most of them have already."


    Now a possessive growl vibrated in August''s chest, stirring the sensation in his own.


    "They better not."


    "You are jealous of the pack seeing me naked?" his eyebrows rose. It was cute, but he could hardly keep it from happening when he shifted back and forth between his wolf.


    "Would you want them to see me naked?"


    He clenched his teeth as the image shed through his mind. "That wouldn''t happen. You''re not lycan."


    "What''s going on with my teeth then? Why am I able to mark you like that so well?" She recalled how the canines in her mouth had suddenly felt so powerful and sharp¡ªlike they were urging her forward, desiring to sink into her mate and prepared to help her.


    "I don''t know," his eyebrows threaded together. It wasn''t something he had an answer to. "Maybe it''s because you''re my mate."


    "Has that ever happened before in human and lycan mates?"


    "That I don''t have an answer to. There has never been a pair like that here on packnd before you and me. Anyone who found their human mate was able to because they left to work or study amongst the humans and then they stayed living out there. They don''t typically find the lure toe back to the pack when they have so much of their lives invested elsewhere."


    "I woulde back," she murmured. This ce was like a warm, safe haven away from the world. There was so much shit to deal with out there that felt like it couldn''t prate the protective barrier of suicide forest.


    He rubbed her back, running his rough hand over her smooth skin that had been protected from the wild that he was exposed to. She had only seen what this life was like for weeks with him now, but perhaps her mind would change. Would she ever get tired of this ce and wish to return?


    "There is a lot that we can''t offer here," he said softly. "There are schools and industries¡­"


    "But you are here," she interrupted.


    "I wasn''t for many years."


    "Maybe you were out there looking for me," she smiled into him at the thought even though she knew it wasn''t true. He had found her here. How strange was that? He found her just outside the ce he had been avoiding for so long.


    Graeme''s thoughts unexpectedly shifted to Violet who had left packnd only to return with what appeared to be a mate mark. It wasn''t consensual. He searched his memory for what he knew of nonconsensual marks. Was that even possible? It had never happened here. There was too much respect and ountability within the pack for that which was divinely destined. Who would dare go against the Goddess and force a lifelong connection like that?


    He wondered if that gruesome bite on Violet''s shoulder had in factpleted the bond. She was likely one of only two people who could say for sure. She would have felt it¡­ unless she was in such abject terror that she didn''t recognize it for what it was. Or it was so horrific to be tied to that individual that whatever she did feel she was denying or repressing.


    But if the mark had taken, then it was likely that whoever this mysterious male was would be seeking her out soon enough. And what would that mean for Violet and the pack? Graeme couldn''t let her just be dragged off with a male who had raped her¡­


    August was leaning back, tilting her head up to watch her mate. Something troubling was running through his mind that he hadn''t shared with her yet, and he was drawn into it to such an extent that he didn''t react to her questioning gaze. His hand still ran over her back, but whether or not he was soothing her or himself was the question.


    "What are you thinking about?" she finally asked, and his eyes found her once again.


    He exhaled heavily and pulled her back in close with her head under his chin. Somehow this position helped him think. Perhaps it was because his body felt the assurance that his soul''s priority was safe, so he was free to focus on other things.


    "Violet is back."


    August listened, staying against him as she did. So this distraction had to do with Violet. No wonder he seemed reluctant to tell her.


    "She was attacked off of ournd in another pack''s territory."

 Chapter 246 - Pillow Talk 2

    "Is she okay?" August stayed put against Graeme''s body, tooforted there by his warmth and the delicious feeling of his protection to move. For some reason she had a feeling she would need thatfort for this conversation.


    Graeme''s silence in response to her question was answer enough. But Violet had made it back here and she was lycan, so how bad could it really be?


    "What happened?" the words were cautious, unsure of whether it was their true desire to be answered.


    "She is not healing," his voice grave.


    "What do you mean?" August finally pulled away, shock and confusion warring for expression on her face.


    "She has wounds all over, and they aren''t healing as they should."


    "But why?" a frown creased her forehead. No wonder his thoughts were so unsettled about this.


    "She says it was from a bite," his eyes searched hers, wondering if she would be able to hear this without it affecting her own feelings about herself.


    "Why would a bite cause that?"


    He was dragging his feet telling her the extent of this, she could feel it. Graeme cleared his throat. "I need you to hear me fully on this, Moon."


    She frowned. "Why wouldn''t I?"


    He sighed. "She says¡­ that she was bitten by someone with gold eyes like yours. Someone who imed he would be taking her wolf."


    The words remained on the exterior of herprehension, waiting to sink in. But they wouldn''t.


    "W-what?" she breathed, her thoughts stumbling over what he said. That just wasn''t possible.


    "It sounds like it was someone else from Eliade."


    She shook her head slowly. "No. That can''t be right. That''s not¡­ possible."


    But of course it was possible. Why would she be the only one? Did she think she was special? There was an entire matricting ss at Eliade who had experimental subjects just like she was, and that was only at this one University. There were universities elsewhere, of course. This was a global operation, and it would be bearing fruit by now. What would that mean? What would that mean for them here, but also¡­ what would that mean for humans? For the world?


    And someone like her had known what they could do? That their bite would take the wolf from a lycan?


    "So Violet''s wolf is¡­"


    "I don''t know for sure, but that''s what she says and believes. And she isn''t healing like she should. The healer caring for her said she was healing like a human."


    "Oh Goddess," August''s eyes were wide now that the possibility was sinking in. It wasn''t just a possibility, this sounded too much like what she had inadvertently done to Marius. This was a probability. There was someone nearby who was like her.


    "Unfortunately, there is more," Graeme groaned. He couldn''t keep any of this from her even if he wanted to. As leaders of the pack, they would need to learn to do it together.


    "M-more?" That wasn''t enough? Violet being deprived of her wolf? If Violet hated August''s existence before and questioned the truth of her mate bond with Graeme, it was certainly going to be worse now when August belonged to the same unexinable, mysterious kind as this male who had harmed her.


    Graeme nodded. "I think it''s a mate mark, but I don''t know for sure. She would be the only one who could tell us, but she''s so shaken up at this point, I don''t know if she even knows. Or if the bond did take, she''s probably refusing to believe it."


    "Why did he do it? Why did he bite her? Are they actually mates?"


    "I don''t know if they are actually mates. She didn''t characterize it that way, but like I said¡­ if they are, maybe it''s just that she isn''t allowing herself to process it. She made it seem like she was attacked because she crossed into another pack''s territory. She was attacked by other lycans first."


    "Plural? How bad is it? And she''s not healing?" August gulped.


    "She''s being cared for. She will be okay, but it is pretty bad."


    "Maybe I can help somehow," she sat up, wrapping a sheet around her shoulders.


    Graeme frowned and sat up facing her.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    "Why not? I know she doesn''t like me for obvious reasons, but maybe¡­"


    "She thinks¡­ she thinks that since this male is simr in appearance to you that you are part of the reason he bit her and took her wolf. That it was payback somehow for her helping in the plot against you."


    "That''s ridiculous. How could I even know that guy? How would he know?" she scoffed.


    "I know. It doesn''t make a whole lot of sense. But she isn''t thinking clearly. It must be from the trauma." His eyebrows pinched together.


    "There is something else you aren''t telling me," she said, the words spilling out as the realization bloomed in her mind. He was holding something else back.


    Graeme closed his eyes and raked a hand over his face. "She was raped."


    The words shook her. She felt like they physically shook her. That or the air was quaking around her with her remaining unmoving at its center.


    Graeme watched as the color drained from his mate''s face and she wrapped the sheet tighter around herself. He shouldn''t have told her yet. She wasn''t going to be able to sleep.


    August dropped her head, staring into the void of herp where the sheet criss-crossed. That exined why Violet was so traumatized. Now she knew she had to help her.


    "Maybe I can¡­" she started, and Graeme reached to stop her, cing his hand over hers under the covers.


    "No," he shook his head.


    "What?" her forehead crinkled as she raised her head to meet his eyes again. Why was he telling her no.


    "You are not going to do that to yourself."


    "Do what to myself?" she frowned. "She''s part of this pack, too. Maybe I can help her like I helped Greta in the dungeon. I can try¡­ I can see if there is something¡­"


    "I don''t think that''s going to work, Moon," he said softly.


    "How can you know that?"


    "What if this male is her mate? You think you can heal her from that?" he asked patiently. "It wouldn''t be possible. You can only hurt yourself in the process."


    "Why would that hurt me though? Just to try?"


    "I honestly think she is terrified of you at this point anyway, love. It''s not your fault.. And it''s definitely not something you should put yourself through."

 Chapter 247 - Pie For Breakfast

    The morning of Samhain came with August finally sleeping.


    Graeme slid out of bed as noiselessly as he could, removing the warmth andfort of his proximity that had finally lulled her to sleep. She was trying to argue with him to let her go visit Violet in the early morning hours, but he kepting up with reasons not to that she couldn''t deny.


    Violet was attacked by someone who had eyes like August''s. August''s were blue again, much to Graeme''s immense relief, but Violet knew what they had looked like before. She associated the male with August because of that simrity.


    August also had that luminous, true Luna glow, which made it clear with one nce that she was with child and also Graeme''s true mate¡ªsomething Violet had aspired to. So instead of finding August as afort¡ªsomeone who had experienced something simr and could rte¡ªshe would likely see her as a threat.


    If anything, August''s presence would likely do more harm than good.


    It was that final idea that had allowed her mind to finally rest and drift into sleep. But it had taken a long time.


    As Graeme dressed near the closet, he watched her peaceful face, radiant like the morning sun peeking over the horizon to herald a new day. Today was that day. A slow grin tugged at his lips, and he tiptoed to unlock the door and leave her to rest as long as possible.


    He had healed his mate somehow. It waspletely unexpected, but it came with such a profound pride and joy that he was still riding that high this morning. He walked around the dim light of the kitchen to make some tea, wondering how it was possible. Was it truly just¡­ sexual healing? He chuckled to himself at the thought. Was it the second mark somehow? Their joined marks? Could it be because he was also part fae and had some healing abilities that could manifest through his mate? Perhaps she had just healed herself¡­ Or was it the emotional and physical distance that had been taking a toll on her and was finally ovee?


    Whatever the case¡­ her having the crystal blue eyes back took a huge weight off of his mind. There was so much else to worry about. Thankfully her wellness was one fewer thing on that list.


    The creak of his sister''s footsteps started on the steps leading from the second floor. It was a sound he recognized from countless mornings during their childhood. Greta was like an elephant when she woke up¡ªa graceful elephant, but an elephant nheless. He couldn''t understand how that was possible when she was quite small for a lycan female¡ªshe was nowhere near his size, and even he could walk down the stairs without sounding like a herd of wild animals was passing through. But it was as if the heaviness of sleep and dreams yet to be burned away by the morning sun weighed down her steps.


    When she alighted on the bottom step and turned to face him in the kitchen, Graeme put a finger over his lips. He didn''t want August waking up until she had plenty of rest. It would only make her more worried if she were tired today.


    Greta did an exaggerated tiptoe walk through the living room toward him, and he rolled his eyes.


    "Everything okay?" she whispered when she arrived in the kitchen, walking around to sit at the ind to watch him make tea.


    Graeme nodded. "She was just upte."


    Greta wiggled her eyebrows at him.


    "Ugh, sis. It''s not like that."


    "Are you sure?" she gave him a crooked smile.


    "That''s not why she was upte. Did Sam tell you about Violet?" he asked, bringing down another cup from the cab to ce on the counter for Greta.


    Greta''s eyes dropped to her hands. She nodded.


    "Yeah. That''s why."


    "Why would she be so upset about Violet?"


    Graeme grimaced. He hadn''t told Sam that Violet was raped, and he didn''t feel it was his ce to share that with anyone other than his mate. No one knew about August''s past either unless she had chosen to share it with them herself.


    "There is someone else out there like her who is hurting people. Maybe that''s why," he answered. It was also the truth.


    Greta hummed her understanding. "When are you going to watch the pup''s light the fire?"


    "They start at what time?" he squinted at the clock over the stove.


    "They start when the sun rises, so around seven. It should take the better part of a half hour for them to get it going," she answered, erupting into a big yawn once she did.


    "Why aren''t you still sleeping?"


    "There''s that Samhain excitement in the air. Once I''m up, I''m up. And I heard you down here, so I thought I would keep youpany," she winked.


    Graeme poured the tea and handed her a cup before leaning against the counter, mentally running over the ns for the day.


    "I brought August''s cookies from the housest night," she offered, raising the cup to her lips and letting the steam curl up over her face.


    "That''s right. Thanks, sis. Are you going to let me have one of mom''s pies for breakfast?"


    "I suppose," she grinned. She couldn''t remember thest time Graeme was here for a Samhain. "Why don''t we split one?"


    "Why don''t we split two?" he offered instead, turning to inspect the pies that wereid out on the counter. "Which vors do you want?"


    "Hmm¡­ apple and date," she answered, already drooling as she did. "You pick the other one."


    "Strawberry rhubarb sound okay?"


    "Of course."


    Graeme ced the two miniature pies between them on the counter and handed Greta a fork.


    "To mom," he said, forked poised in the air.


    "To mom," Greta repeated softly and clinked her fork against his.


    They both stared at each other in silence for a moment before digging in. The vors were like little snapshots of memories from childhood. Graeme''s face lit up.


    "Thanks for doing this."


    "Doing what?" she asked, switching pies with him to try the other one.


    "Baking these every year for her."


    "It''s tradition. But you''re wee," she offered him a smug smile. "Good right?"


    "Very good," he agreed, taking another bite.. "There''s no better way to start Samhain."

 Chapter 248 - Pre-Dawn Walk

    Graeme was trying to quietly get ready to leave without waking August. Greta told him she would stay behind with her in case she woke while he was gone.


    "Don''t you think she''ll want to see the fire lit?" Greta raised an eyebrow toward him.


    "I¡­ I want her to get some sleep," he turned back hesitantly to look at Greta. Should he be waking her? "Do you think she''ll be mad?"


    She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.


    "Would you be mad?"


    "Yep," she replied, making a popping sound with her lips like she could foresee theing fight between him and his mate. She raised the tea cup to her lips with a smirk when Graeme groaned and looked down undecidedly at his feet.


    "Ready brother?" Sam called after he descended the steps. "What is it?" he asked after seeing Graeme run a hand through his hair.


    "Should I wake August?" he asked his Beta, wanting a second opinion.


    "Nah. She can hang here with Greta. All the fun stuff ister."


    Graeme grunted his approval of the perspective and avoided the way his sister''s eyes rolled when he passed her.


    Once the males were out the door, Greta groaned and went to knock on her parents'' old bedroom door.


    "August?" she called before opening the door a crack. "Hey, sis. Do you want to go watch the pups light the pure fire this morning?"


    August groaned under the covers, causing Greta tough as she came to sit on the end of the bed.


    "Hey, Luna," Greta rubbed her over the nket.


    August shot up, clutching the sheet against her. "Oh no, did I sleep in?" Her blonde hair was sticking up every which way, making Greta giggle. She squinted her eyes toward the window that was still dark.


    "No no, no worries. But the ritual lighting of the fire will be happening shortly. Would you like to be there?"


    "Yes, of course," she rubbed her eyes so she could focus better. "Where''s Graeme?"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Graeme Hallowell!" the reprimand from his mate rumbled through the trees, and he and Sam both stopped and turned. It sounded like a mom scolding a pup.


    August and Greta were jogging to catch up to them. His mate''s hair was loose and wild, bouncing around her shoulders against the long red ruana she had quickly thrown on with her other clothes. His heart stuttered at the singr beauty of her¡ªand out here in the woods, emitting the soft glow of her unique promise to them all.


    By her expression, he could tell she was angry with him. But he still stood there, grinning like a damn fool as she approached. If it meant seeing her chase after him like this¡ªfierce and wild and beautiful¡ªhe wouldn''t mind making her angry.


    "Why didn''t you wake me?" she used as she drew up on him, chin tilting to keep his gaze. He was so much taller than her.


    "I''m sorry, Little Red," he reached up to touch the hood that had blown onto one shoulder. "Are you warm enough?"


    She scoffed, rolling her eyes at how he wouldn''t engage in the argument and then moved on to yet another concern for her.


    "I don''t need you to worry for me so much. If I''m not warm enough, I''ll deal with it," she snapped and starting walking past him. He stood there as his sister passed with a smug look on her face.


    ''Told ya so,'' sheughed wordlessly as she grazed him walking by.


    Finally, his gaze turned to Sam who was clearly amused. His Beta shrugged, chuckling as he ran a hand over his beard. Apparently he gave Graeme the wrong advice.


    "You''re fired, Beta," Graemeughed and then began walking after the females.


    "Sorry, sire," Sam chuckled and went to follow him.


    The night before, Greta and some of the other females had filled August in on what to expect during festival day. It was hard for her to imagine the fire churn they were describing and how to operate it¡ªmuch less how pups were supposed to operate it.


    Then again, the pups were impressively strong. She had learned her lesson about that when little Lily almost plowed into her the first day she was introduced to the group she was teaching now.


    Graeme almost didn''t let her out of his sight again after that. Why was he always overreacting about everything? She sighed and shook her head as they clomped through wet underbrush toward the pack house.


    "You know he just worries because he''s crazy about you," Greta said out of the side of her mouth. "It''s his job to take care of you just like it''s your job to take care of him."


    August sighed again and then allowed herself to chuckle. "Yes, I know."


    "The only reason Sam isn''t like that is because he knows I''m stronger than him," Greta giggled.


    "What was that?" Sam called from behind them.


    "Nothing!" she called back, and both of her and August giggled together.


    As they came up to the side of the pack house and turned to walk around back, August heard her crow friend cawing somewhere above her. Apparently he was interested in the rituals today, too. She hadn''t seen him since he led her to the pack housest time to speak with Zoe.


    Zoe¡­ Now the alyko-turned-Vampire was up being treated for bite injuries. August reminded herself to visit the girl at some point during the day to see how she was healing and check on how her mental state was after what happened with Andreas.


    When the area behind the pack house came into view, August gasped softly. White lights were strung up around the whole area, illuminating the dark pre-dawnwn. She could make out gands of ribbon and flower adorning the trees and wooden poles where the lights were anchored. And pack members were gathered in small groups chattering with excitement for the uing events of the day.


    Graeme came up next to August and put an arm around her waist.


    "Are you ready to greet our people, Luna?" his warm breath feathered her way as he pulled her in closer, tugging her yfully against him.


    She tilted her chin up as a small smile bloomed on her face. "Let''s do it, Alpha."


    ******


    Dear readers, I''m not sure we''re going to make our goal of avg. power stones a day for the 8 chapter mass release at the end of the month. So I''m adding a second way to gain it!


    For every 25 Golden Tickets the book gets between now and February 25th, 1 chapter will be added to the February 28th daily update (with a total of 10 chapters possible)! I''ll also be adding privilege chapters next month, which makes it possible to read 20 brand new chapters within 2 days time. Say whaaat?


    We''reing up fast on V2. Can''t wait to share the next arc in this story with you all! <3

 Chapter 249 - Pure Fire Renewed

    August was thankful for the warm glow of the lights that were strung around the exterior of the area. She didn''t get the gasps and swarm of people she imagined would happen when they saw the way her skin luminesced. It must not have been too apparent.


    She and Graeme walked through one of many triangr arches set up around the perimeter with Greta and Sam following. The arches looked to be made with stripped tree boughs and branches and adorned with flowers. It reminded her of a wedding arch, but these were meant to be passed through.


    "What is the significance of the arches?" she asked Graeme as she looked around.


    "They are gateways. Any time we have arge outdoor gathering with the whole pack included, they are used. It used to be that an alyko would put an enchantment on them like the one Maggie ced on the treehouse. With the arches, the enchantment was to keep the pack safe so that no outsiders could enter and ambush during a festival. Now I guess they are more of a¡­ vestige."


    "A beautiful vestige," she observed.


    "Each one will lead to something else going on over the course of the day. There''s a haunted forest that some of the pups came up with this year, and it should be going on that way," he pointed to an arch on the far side of the clearing. "There will also be bobbing for apples and other activities for the younger ones¡­"


    "You don''t like bobbing for apples?" she interrupted with a teasing smile.


    "I don''t think anyone would want to see me bobbing for apples," he chuckled.


    "Why is that?"


    "It''s symbolic now," Greta interrupted, rolling her eyes at him. Why did she seem to be doing that so often?


    "Still¡­" he argued, "the feeling it evokes is the same."


    "The same as what?" August asked, looking back and forth between them.


    "Well it also once meant fertility and abundance if you caught one, so it''s actually quite appropriate, Alpha," Greta grinned.


    "I have proof of that standing next to me. I don''t need to catch an apple."


    "What else did it used to mean?" August tried again.


    Greta gave her brother another amused nce. "It used to be something only unmated juveniles engaged in as a fun way of determining who would be next to find their mate."


    "And I have found mine," he spoke deeper, something firm in it signaling an end to the banter.


    A hush fell over everyone as nine male pups approached the fire churn that was set up in the center of the clearing.


    Four lined up on one side of the rectangr looking apparatus and lifted a rope from the ground that was wrapped around a center wooden spindle. The remaining five pups lined up on other side and grabbed a different rope that was simrly wrapped.


    "It is time to light the pure fire for the uing year," a male sauntered slowly toward the middle of the clearing near the pups. He was smaller than most grown males August had seen in the pack, and he was impably dressed¡ªespecially for so early in the day.


    "As everyone knows, this Samhain is particrly auspicious. Our Alpha has returned," he turned and bowed with an extended hand toward Graeme. "Would you like to say something sire?"


    A muscle feathered in Graeme''s jaw as he strode forward proudly holding August''s hand at his side. He hadn''t nned on saying anything, but he supposed it was appropriate.


    Once they turned to face everyone, August heard the gasps she had anticipated earlier. All of their eyes were on her, and she saw the shock and awe wellrge over them. Graeme squeezed her hand in reassurance, but she didn''t need it¡ªshe felt them. She felt the connection with all of them like plucked strings vibrating in her chest. It was overwhelming and¡­ and so beautiful.


    "Calix," Graeme acknowledged the male who had been speaking. "It is with great pride that I rejoin you all," his sonorous voice then spoke, drawing their attention to him.


    "This pack, this family, has been through much. The Goddess has provided us with a time now in which to learn truths about our wounds so that we can properly heal. And she has gifted us with a promise." He turned to his mate, unable to contain the huge grin that bloomed on his face as he did.


    There were excited whispers around them as Graeme lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. And then someone broke the low whispers with a joyous whoop of celebration for others to join in. Graeme''s eyes didn''t leave hers as those around them began cheering their approval, and she gave a shyugh at the intensity of it¡ªof her mate, of his deep adoring eyes that all could clearly witness, of the growing crescendo of happiness she felt among those around them. In this moment, all of it felt right.


    "So let''s begin this new chapter for our pack with the lighting of the pure fire," Graeme called for another roar of cheers to erupt.


    The attention turned to the chosen pups who were still holding onto their ropes, and they began the ritual that was so familiar to all but new to August. She watched in fascination.


    The pups on one side of the fire churn pulled, each gripping a portion of the rope, and theirbined effort caused the spindle to pivot in a clockwise direction. That team then gave way to the other team of pups pulling the spindle counter clockwise.


    It looked like a muchrger version of creating fire by rubbing a stick back and forth in your hand. It also reminded August of tug-of-war, except the goal was a shared one and in achieving it both sides would win.


    Initially, the spindle started to turn slowly, and she watched as the pups clenched their teeth and squinted their eyes in determination to get it moving. They were all so impressive.


    Eventually the spindle started to pivot more smoothly, and the motion of the pups pulling back and forth on either side created a reliable rhythm that sped up. Slices of morning sun came filtering through the trees just as the first evidence of smoke appeared on the hearth log where the friction from the spindle was concentrated. And finally another wave of cheers weed the first small mes and the culmination of the pups'' hard work.


    The pack''s pure fire was renewed.

 Chapter 250 - The One Who Named Me

    Zoe opened her eyes with a gasp.


    She was in a room she didn''t recognize. Her face was burning and tight, and it seemed one of her eyes was swollen almostpletely shut. And she felt it¡­ she felt pain. There was pain registering in the awakened cells of her body like little explosions of sensation.


    And she had slept. She had dreamed!


    Lucas turned from where he was staring out the window watching the sun rise on this Samhain and saw her chest heaving and eyes darting around like she was remembering something.


    "Zoe," he called to her, and she jolted in surprise, having not sensed him in the room.


    Slowly she pushed herself up in bed, eyes watering as the stitches pulled. Then she noticed a difort in her wrist, and she raised it in front of her good eye to examine it.


    "Are you okay?" Lucas approached the bed, studying her reactions.


    "M-my¡­" she gulped, her non-swollen eye widening in horror at the catheter taped to her wrist. "My¡­ my wrist," her mouth hung open looking at it.


    There was something in her wrist. There was something in her wrist.


    She had to keep repeating it in her mind, because it wasn''t sinking in. She had tried so many times to puncture her wrist or slice it or¡­ anything. Anything to bleed like a normal person, but it never worked longer than a split second before she healed. But now¡­ but now there was a catheter in it with fluids running into her. She could feel the cool fluids running in her veins.


    "Lucas?" she asked, eyes darting to him now as she continued to hold her wrist up. "My wrist. And my¡­ my face," she reached her hand up to feel the spiky ends of the stitches running under her eye and on her cheek.


    "Do you remember what happened?" he asked, hiding his hands in his pants pockets.


    She looked rough this morning. Her face had significant swelling and bruising. It looked incredibly painful. He hadn''t really been in a position to appreciate this kind of injury lingering the way hers was, and he was surprised to find that it made him a bit squeamish. Bite wounds were verymon in the pack¡ªeither from y fights or real battles of aggression¡ªbut they always healed very quickly. But this was different.


    "Yes, I remember what happened," she licked her lips and searched her memory.


    The shock and horror of Andreas lunging for her, struggling to get a grasp on her face, biting down, shaking¡­ the hatred that she felt mping down on her and desiring to be rid of her for good. He not only wanted to silence her, he wanted to end her.


    She whimpered. "I don''t want to remember it."


    Lucas stood there at a loss for what to say. There wasn''t anything he coulde up with tofort her. That wasn''t something he knew how to do.


    "You slept," he finally said.


    Her eyes slid to find his before looking back down at her wrist.


    "Yes," she said softly. "And I had a dream. I met him. I remembered him¡­ the one who made me. And before him¡­ I had people like you. A pack like this. But I was locked away just the same."


    "You remember all of that?" His eyebrows pinched together.


    She seemed so different now, perhaps because she was hurt and in pain, but¡­ she was more subdued. More thoughtful.


    "I was different even then before all of this. And the ones who were supposed to actually¡­ be my family," she scoffed and shook her head, wiping a tear away. "They feared me, too. Just like everyone here does. Back then I was actually good," she recalled with a small smile.


    She had dreamt of another dungeon at another time in a pack simr to this. She basically grew up in a dungeon. She had always been trapped, it seemed, and it had only continued. At least when she came here with Andreas she was given a job and a task and an ability to see the sky.


    "What is he like?" Lucas asked, interrupting her thoughts.


    He was trying to be sensitive by not pushing too much, but if she remembered the creature that made her, that would be a big help. They could at least have an idea as to what wasing.


    "Him?" her eyebrows threaded together, and she appeared to be truly lost as to who he was referring to.


    "The vampire that made you."


    Her one non-swollen eye went wide with realization, and she nodded.


    "Right. Yes. Him."


    She cleared her throat, testing if she was able to speak freely about what she did and did not remember.


    "Vampire," she whispered the word. "Wow," she raised a hand to her neck and smiled.


    She could be hurt, she could sleep and dream, and she could speak freely. All of this freedom at the expense of one horrific encounter. Andreas could have done this the whole time? He was aware of it? She clenched her hands into fists on the sheet. What a bastard.


    "The, uh¡­ vampire," she said again, equally as shocked the second time. "He was terrifying. He seemed to have no emotions¡­ grey eyes. Long white hair that would turn ck when he drank blood. He drank my blood¡­" she whispered, recalling it. "And his eyes would change."


    "What else do you remember?" Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed now, riveted.


    "Everyone here is so um¡­ broad and rugged and burly," she squared her shoulders and put her arms out in imitation of the lycans she had seen. "But he wasn''t. He had delicate features. Kind of feminine I guess. Beautiful."


    Lucas was struck by how different it was to listen to Zoe now. She sounded so much more measured and mature. The creepy dual nature to her¡ªthe little girl and the highly intelligent female¡ªseemed to be gone.


    "He would just appear out of nowhere," she gulped. "I don''t know how he did it. But it would be ice cold right before he did. Like the cold arrived first and then him."


    She searched for more¡­ all of these memories were blooming like flowers in what had been a barren desert of her mind. But she couldn''t remember everything. There were still those that were hidden, but she could feel them nudging toward the surface, pushing to get through.


    "Does he have a name?" Lucas asked.


    "I don''t know, um¡­" she kept running over the dark shadows of memories that were arriving. "Someone called him Zagan."


    "Zagan?" Lucas repeated.


    She nodded. "Yes, Zagan. I''m sure of it.. And he is the one who named me Zosime."

 Chapter 251 - Dont Call Me That

    "Your name wasn''t Zosime before?" Lucas asked.


    She slowly shook her head.


    "What was it?"


    "It doesn''t matter," she dismissed it, avoiding his increasingly curious eyes.


    "W-why? Do you prefer Zoe?"


    She screwed up her face. She didn''t prefer it since it was him who gave it to her. But¡­ she didn''t have a better alternative.


    "It''s fine." She fidgeted with the tape on her wrist that was keeping the IV catheter in ce. "There''s still a lot I don''t remember."


    "I''m going to let Graeme know you''re awake," he told her, pulling out his phone. "Is there anything I can get you?"


    "Ice water?" she asked.


    "How about some ice for your face?" he finished texting on his phone and looked back up to catch her feeling the stitches again.


    "Will that help?" she asked timidly.


    "Yes, I think so."


    "Okay," she agreed.


    "All right, I''ll be right back," he assured her and left the room.


    Once he was gone, Zoe let out a long exhale and whimpered. Then the prickle of welling tears had her sobbing into her hands with the freedom she suddenly felt apanied by the ache of painful memories.


    What had this life been for? She had been unloved, feared, and hidden and then turned into a frozen tool to be used, feared, and hidden. But at least now she was free. She was free.


    She wiped away the tears and looked at the sun out the window. Maybe she could actually be truly free for once in her life.


    Lucas returned with arge cup of iced water and an ice pack for her swelling.


    "Thanks," she smiled, taking a long drink of the water before gingerly raising the ice pack to her face. "What now?" she asked.


    "Maybe we should wait for Graeme toe. He''s just outside the pack house with August since the pure fire was lit this morning," he gestured out the window. "Do you mind filling them in on what you remember?"


    She shook her head silently. She didn''t know what the pure fire was, but she didn''t have the desire to know either. It was like all of her curiosity had been depleted with the intense scientific digging she had been involved in for years. Now she was just exhausted. Her brain was back, it was hers, and it wanted to rest.


    August entered first and brought with her a palpable concern and warmth that Zoe had never noticed. It was like a calming haze that followed her, gravitating toward whoever was her focus at the time. The Luna stood sping her hands together at Zoe''s bedside before grabbing a chair and pulling it up to sit next to her.


    "I''m so sorry this happened, Zoe," she said softly and took Zoe''s hand in hers, patting it between her own.


    "You know, don''t you?" Zoe thought aloud.


    "Know what?" August tilted her head to the side.


    "I was alyko. You know," she smiled with a softugh and looked into herp. "That''s why you''re being so nice now."


    "Pearce told me," Graeme answered from the doorway.


    Zoe nodded her head in understanding.


    "You remember?" August''s mouth dropped open in surprise. "Or did you always know and couldn''t tell us?"


    "I didn''t remember," she shook her head. "Not until this morning."


    August nced at Graeme with a frown. How strange was it that Andreas'' bite is what had allowed Zoe to suddenly be able to remember her origins?


    "Are you feeling¡­ more like yourself now?" August asked, nudging gently with her words. "Lucas said you were able to sleep and that you hadn''t previously when he was staying with you."


    "More like myself?" Zoeughed. "I''m sorry, I just¡­ I don''t know who that is. Is it this girl with the stitches in her face? Is it the one named Zosime? Is it the one before? It was so long ago. I don''t¡­ I''m sorry, I just don''t have any clue."


    August squeezed the girl''s hand. What could she possibly say to that?


    "I do feel free though," Zoe sighed and removed the ice pack from her face. "Like my mind is my own again."


    "And how does that feel?" August gave her a cautious smile.


    "Like a huge relief," the girl admitted. "And also like I''ve missed decades of sleep. It''s exhausting realizing so much that was hidden from me."


    "I''m curious about something," Graeme pushed himself off of the door frame he had been leaning against.


    Zoe''s eyes followed him, too tired to fear the Alpha but she knew she should.


    "The scientist Zosime. Was that you? Or was that something created?" He stood with arms crossed examining her, waiting to evaluate her response. Waiting to scent the degree of her honesty.


    All the research they had done, all the time spent obsessing over theories and ways to test theories¡­ all the reading and tracking and plotting and manipting¡­ it all came flooding back at once, crashing into her consciousness like someone else''s memories, and then she was bent over heaving, vomiting it out in the form of bile onto the floor.


    Graeme gave Lucas a nod to get something to clean it up while August stood next to the girl, rubbing her back soothingly.


    "I guess that''s our answer," Graeme grunted and August shot him a re.


    "Oh I''m sorry," Zoe pulled back with a hand over her mouth and August handed her a towel. "Why are you being so nice to me?" the girl looked at August in disbelief. "Do you know half of the things I''ve done?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know. But if you were manipted, Zoe, it wasn''t our fault."


    "Please, don''t call me that," the girl whimpered, tears forming in her eyes.


    She thought it would be okay to continue being addressed that way, but when she heard August say the name, there was just something unbearable about it. epting that name as her own meant epting the things that she had done as her own.


    "I didn''t care," Zoe said. "Everything we did¡­ I knew the results, I understood logically how people would be affected, but I just¡­ I didn''t care. He took that from me."


    A look of concern passed between August and Graeme as Zoe pressed the towel against her mouth.


    "I''m so sorry," she whispered the apology to no one in particr.

 Chapter 252 - Compelling Witness

    "You couldn''t help what happened before," Graeme said, although he had trouble feeling the truth of the words.


    Was she truly meless in everything? It was hard toprehend.


    "But you can help us now," he finished. "Tell us about this Zagan character. If he ising after August, what can we expect?"


    That''s right. He would being here for August, but that meant he might alsoe for her. Zoe''s eyes dted in fear.


    "You can expect it to be wless," she answered him, staring like a deer in headlights. "He can''t be stopped."


    Graeme bristled at the suggestion that they had no chance. That was impossible.


    "Why do you say that?"


    "He''s been around for centuries. Maybe longer¡­ he passed all of that knowledge into me that I had, all of that skill and logic and wless execution. If Andreas would have let me, I could have done so much worse than I did. So much worse," she shook her head, mouth hanging open at the stunning realization.


    She hated Andreas, but his tendency toward caution that she always thought of as cowardly had actually been a good restraint. If allowed, she would have proceeded with many, many experiments on the lycans of this pack. Her quest was always for knowledge.


    "He gave me all of that intelligence and took away my grasp of most emotions. And what he gave me is only a fraction of what he truly is. He would never allow himself to be rivaled by someone like me."


    "How did he do it?" Graeme asked. "How did he give you intelligence like that and make your memories of him and of your past vanish?"


    "Um¡­" she searched her memory. "They were trying various things with me. I don''t know what all they were, because I was''t told. I was just kept in a room with some things I requested to keep me rtively happy. I rarely saw him unless he wanted my blood. There were others who would take me around sometimes and test me¡­ but I think I was quite a disappointment as alyko go," she chuckled.


    "I couldn''t do anything. He must have been frustrated. I don''t know. I started losing time, cking out, and then one night I was taken into a different room. It was huge¡­ with a ss ceiling and windows that curved," she traced it in the air with her fingers. "I was mesmerized by it. I hadn''t seen the sky in weeks probably, and it was so clear that night. I could see the moon. That was thest day before I became Zosime."


    "What happened?" August asked from beside her.


    "I don''t remember that part. At least, not entirely. There was a couch he led me to. He told me to lie back, and then he was sitting next to me. He was so terrifying, but at that moment, he was almost¡­ nice."


    ''There''s one more test I have for you, little one,'' he had told her, t ck eyes skittering over her face. The voice, so smooth and hypnotic curled in her memory like smoke.


    Zoe let out a tremulous breath. "And then I became who you met. Frozen in time."


    "Do you know where the alyko are kept who are taken?" Graeme asked as he stood over her.


    "No, I don''t," she said apologetically. "I mean, I know where I was kept. But I never saw any of them. And I don''t know¡­ how to get there or where it is geographically." She raised the ice pack back to her face.


    Graeme groaned internally. Of course she didn''t know.


    "Can I talk to you, Graeme?" August stood and gestured to the doorway. He nodded and followed her out.


    "I know we need information from her, but she just came out of whatever state she has been in for who knows how many years. She seems so much different. Even the way she talks¡­ she sounds like a different person. I can''t imagine what kind of trauma that is¡­ to go through what she''s gone through ande out the other side realizing you''ve been someone else this whole time. I think we should give her some time to recover and let thingse back to her," August said in a hushed voice. "By leading her with questions, I think we''re going to miss things that could be important."


    "But these are things we need to know now," he argued.


    "I know, but¡­" she sighed, trying to think of how to exin the feeling she was getting from that girl in there. "It will be better if she makes connections on her own and then brings them to us. We know a little bit. Let''s give her a chance to heal and allow the memories to continueing to her. She''s not the same Zosime. That''s someone else in there, and she''s grappling with that fact in a much more personal way than we are."


    Graeme''s arms were crossed like he was attempting to block himself from what she was saying, so she tugged gently on one of them until they both fell at his sides.


    "Today is Samhain. There is a lot going on. Let''s deal with all of that first, okay? And then maybe tomorrow she will be even more rested and able to help. I just don''t know how to exin what I''m sensing from her¡­ I feel that it is not all there for her right now in her mind. And pushing is only going to make it harder for her and for us."


    Graeme sighed and nodded. If his mate could sense that this wasn''t going to be as helpful for them right now as he was hoping it would be, then she was probably right.


    "Are we still going to have her speak to everyone tonight?" she asked.


    "She is a much morepelling witness now than she was before," he nodded. "Especially with the wounds he inflicted on her."


    "Okay," she replied.


    She felt badly that Zoe would need to be put on disy for the whole pack to see and hear when she was stilling to terms with what had happened to her. But today was the day the elders'' truths would be cast into the light. There was no avoiding it.


    "We''re going to let you rest," August told the girl. "But I''ll be backter, okay?"


    Zoe nodded, the ice pack still pressed against her face as she drank her ice water through a straw.


    "Lucas, you should rest, too," Graeme told the male who was back to standing by the window.


    "I''m okay, sire," Lucas replied.


    Graeme studied him for a moment before nodding his eptance of Lucas'' wishes. He was still refusing to leave her.


    "We''ll see you both this afternoon, then."

 Chapter 253 - Mortal

    Once Graeme and August had left the room, the girl who wished to no longer be called Zoe lowered the ice pack from her face and turned to Lucas.


    "You don''t need to stay here with me. I''ll be fine," she told him. "Thank you for the water."


    She couldn''t understand why he would stay¡ªunless he was guarding her, worried this was an act and would carry out some nefarious n in his absence. Maybe she would. With the knowledge of what she had done all these years, she couldn''t say she trusted herself either.


    "Do you want me to leave?" he asked. Maybe he made her ufortable and she would be better off recovering alone.


    She didn''t answer, seemingly suspended in the question he had posed. She didn''t know what she wanted, and for once he made it seem like she actually had a choice.


    "I don''t know¡­ I just. Maybe I''ll rest."


    "What was your name before you were named Zoe?" he asked. "Or what would you prefer we call you?"


    She sighed. "I don''t know what to be called. Maybe I should think of a new name."


    "Well today is the perfect day for that," he replied, walking toward the bed and sitting in the chair August had upied.


    "Why is that?"


    "With the fire tonight, we burn away the old and make way for the new. You can do that, too. You cane up with a new name for a new¡­ you."


    She nodded and slid back under the covers against the pillow. She didn''t particrly want to be seen by anyone tonight. The role she yed in this pack was not a good one, and now she had a mangled face to match the monstrous way she would be perceived by everyone.


    Even if she were back to being alyko rather than the vampire mutate or whatever it was the ancient Zagan had made her, it wasn''t like this pack was weing of alyko either. Even as the very obvious true Luna of the pack, August was facing that same prejudice.


    "Maybe they''ll just throw me in the fire. No point in a new name," she mumbled. If that happened, at least now she would have an opportunity to die. That in itself was a relief.


    "It sounds to me like you were not really to me," Lucas frowned at where her thoughts were leading her.


    "I''m sure that''s not how everyone will see it, Lucas," a sad smile pulled at her lips. "And they wouldn''t be wrong¡­ it was me, even if it was a¡­ different me."


    "All that knowledge and scientific curiosity¡­ is it still there?" he asked, genuinely curious. He couldn''t sense that insatiable me of inquisitiveness in her any longer.


    She shook her head. Attempting to think about the theories that had riddled her mind before made her nauseous now. It was like she had been given a high-powered light that could slice through any fog or confusion when it came to difficult mathematic forms and dense scientific literature, but that light was dimmed back to its original strength now and she preferred to just turn it off all together.


    Lucas hummed in response. She seemed deted and exhausted.


    "Maybe you should eat something and then rest more," he suggested.


    She grimaced. Eating did not sound good. Her face was painful and pulling at the knots of nerves in her stomach.


    "I''ll find you something," he stood to leave. "Any requests?"


    She shook her head again, remaining silent. There was nothing that sounded good, but she didn''t want to keep him from leaving. He was probably hungry. Lycan males ate a lot to maintain their energy and strength.


    "Should I think of a name for you?" he stopped at the door and gave her a teasing smile.


    Her eyes broadened in surprise at the question. Even the swollen eye lifted a little. But she still remained quiet. He was probably joking or woulde up with something cruel.


    "I''ll give it some thought," he answered for himself before disappearing out the door.


    Once he left, she eased herself out of the bed and went to the attached bathroom, pulling the rolling cart of fluids along behind her.


    "This is ridiculous," she mumbled to herself as she tried to maneuver herself and the fluids into the bathroom so she could close the door.


    After realizing she just wasn''t going to fit in the bathroom with the awkwardly rolling metal stand, she decided to just disconnect herself. She had been a brilliant scientist, for Goddess sakes¡ªshe could definitely disconnect herself from these fluids in order to go to the bathroom.


    The tape holding the IV catheter in her wrist was itching like crazy anyway. She pulled it off, relishing in the sensation that was somewhere between painful and ticklish. All of these feelings were new again to her, awakening that reminder of who she was prior to Zosime. A person who could feel so much more than the container she had been trapped in.


    When she pulled the foreign object out of her arm, she was transfixed by how soft the skin was, allowing the catheter to slide out so easily, and then by the blood that quickly followed. The small entry into her skin wasn''t healing like it would have in the past. Blood was actually flowing out. She smiled and put two fingers over the wound, watching how the pressure hindered the bleeding. Then she let it go again, watching it resume. A bright smile bloomed on her face, and even with the pulling of the stitches, she let it.


    Lucas came back into the room and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of blood. He followed it into the bathroom where the girl was standing next to the sink, watching blood trickle out of her arm and run down the white porcin into the drain.


    "What are you doing?" he quickly set the food down on a table in the room before returning to the bathroom where he retrieved a pile of gauze pads from the vanity that he then held over her wrist.


    While he was holding the gauze there, he nced at her. Was she going to try to hurt herself now that she knew she could die? Or why had she just been standing there looking at her own bloody wound with such a satisfied look on her face?


    "I''m mortal," she whispered to herself, unfazed by his presence.

 Chapter 254 - Second Chance

    "That''s right, you''re mortal," Lucas answered her dreamy expression, trying to jolt her back to reality. "That doesn''t mean you get to make a huge bloody mess proving it yourself."


    Her smile fell down as she came out of whatever state she had been in and realized that Lucas was applying pressure to the wound on her wrist and the bleeding had stopped.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. I can do it," she ced her fingers over his, but he didn''t let go. Instead he looked at her with his eyebrows raised, clearly doubting her words.


    "I''ll get it cleaned up for you," he sighed and removed the gauze pads to rece them with a new, clean stack. Then he wound a bandage around to keep it in ce before turning on the water and focusing on cleaning the blood from her hand.


    She swallowed, watching him work, feeling like a child again as he cleaned and dried it. The bandage was too tight, but she dared not say anything. He nced at her ufortable, uncertain expression and how she was focused on the wrap, so he peeled it off and readjusted it back into ce where it wasn''t as tight.


    "Thank you," she said softly, avoiding his eyes. "I have to go to the bathroom."


    "Don''t hurt yourself," he replied in a stern, reprimanding tone she hadn''t heard from him before.


    "I''m¡ªI''m not," she frowned. "I have to pee."


    A smile pulled at Lucas'' lips. He cleared his throat to mask the chuckle that was forming and turned, pulling the rolling liquids along further back into the room to give her privacy. Did she pee as a vampire, too? Or was he going to find her mesmerized by that as well?


    In the bathroom mirror, the girl finally saw the visual evidence of what Andreas had done to her. It was not pretty. She grimaced at herself and shuddered with the memory of him mped onto her. Now she had his marks on her face as a reminder.


    "What do you think about Angelica?" Lucas called from where he was seated at the table eating in the other room.


    There were soul cakes downstairs that a bunch of the guards had made the previous night. He grabbed those, some breakfast sausage and juice. It wasn''t a five star meal by any means, but it made a pretty decent breakfast. And he was starving.


    He heard the water running before she finally came out of the bathroom, looking at him warily.


    "Angelica?" she asked, clearly unamused. "You are joking."


    He chuckled and continued eating. "Come sit down. Eat something. It will help you heal."


    She slowly walked to the table and examined what he had brought. The smell of the meat and spiced cakes brought her stomach to life, and she was surprised to find that she was actually hungry. She reluctantly sat down.


    "What are these?" she asked, pointing to the small pastries that were of the traditional recipe, each with arge crescent moon indented in its surface.


    "They are called soul cakes. You''ve never had one?" he asked, and she shook her head. "They are traditional Samhain cakes that are made to honor those who have passed on. Each family usually makes them the night before, but these were made here in the pack house by the guards."


    "Why?" she asked simply.


    "Why do we make them?"


    She nodded.


    He thought about it and shrugged. "It''s tradition."


    This made her chuckle. "You don''t know why it began as a tradition?"


    "Does there need to be a deeper answer for it? Tradition isn''t enough?" he smiled at how he was able to at least get her tough, if only briefly. "Try one."


    "But I haven''t lost anyone," she replied, sitting on her hands as she looked at the food.


    "You lost your pack when you were taken," he pointed out.


    "I wasn''t taken. I was given," she shook her head, stressing thest word. "There''s a huge difference. I never had anyone there to lose either."


    "I know one person you lost, Zoe," and he saw her frown at the name.


    "Who?"


    "Yourself." He put a soul cake on a te and slid it to her. "Want some juice?"


    "Sure," she picked up the cake and turned it back and forth in her hand.


    "Are you going to eat it or study it?"


    She didn''t answer. "You must have been hungry," she grumbled as she watched him shoving food into his mouth.


    "I was. When was thest time we ate? I don''t even remember," he replied between bites.


    Something warmed in her chest at the word that he used. ''We.'' But she shook it off, not wanting to get her hopes up that this might actually be one friend she had. Her team and everyone else here that knew her knew her as Zoe or Zosime¡ªthe research leader, the team leader, the one who they reported to. It was unlikely that any of them actually regarded her as a friend since she was so removed from regr emotions anyway.


    She took a bite of the small cake. It was different than what she expected. It tasted like a scone.


    "Do you like it?" Lucas asked, pausing his own eating to get her reaction.


    "Mhmm. It''s good," she hummed her approval.


    "So you''re not crazy about Angelica?" he asked.


    She almost spit out the bite she had taken and had to raise her hand to cover her mouth. "Are you serious?" the question was muffled against her palm.


    "Is the name that bad?" he chuckled. "I think it''s nice."


    "Oh no, you''re right. It''s nice. It''s beautiful. It just doesn''t suit me, Lucas," she rolled her eyes and finished eating her cake.


    "Want another soul cake?" he put another on her te along with some sausage.


    "Thanks," she said softly.


    Lucas watched her continue eating, offering more names to lift her spirits. It was a relief that the old Zoe was free, but this mncholy that had settled around her needed to go.


    "How about Heaven?" he suggested.


    "Pfff. Are you trying to make me spit my food out?" sheughed.


    "Miracle?"


    "No."


    "Precious?"


    "Ugh."


    "Beauty?"


    "People name their kids that? Isn''t it more of a horses'' name?" she smirked. "Besides, look at this face."


    "Eh," he shrugged. "You''ll heal, kid."


    "I''ll heal with some ugly scars," she replied. "And who are you calling kid?"


    "Scars are beautiful," he said, and she chuckled again thinking it was another joke, but he wasn''tughing.


    "You think scars are beautiful? Lycans don''t have them," she scoffed.


    "Precisely. They''re unusual. And they tell a story about where you''ve been, what you''ve ovee, and what you''ve survived" he said thoughtfully. "They are kind of precious in that way."


    As he said this, his eyes became distant before they finally refocused on her face. He had scars, too. It was just that they weren''t the kind that could be seen.


    "And I''m calling you kid because..." a grin spread over his face, "have you looked in the mirror? You are one."


    "I''m not a kid," she scoffed, thinking of all the years she had been frozen as Zoe.


    "Do you feel like you''re in your 60s?" he asked, curious. She didn''t act like she was.


    "No," she chuckled. "Maybe I''m somewhere in the middle, which would still make me older than you."


    "Nah. I think you''re still fourteen. And now you have a second chance at life."


    She shook her head. "Why would I get second chance?"


    "Because you never really had a first chance. It was taken from you."


    She looked at him now, really looked at him. He surprised her. Why did he even care to have this conversation with her when he could be doing literally anything else?


    Lucas met her eyes and cleared his throat, a small chuckleing to pass on his lips.


    "Destiny?" he offered, changing the subject.


    The name broke her from her train of thought, and she chuckled. "Absolutely not."


    "Chance?" he smiled.


    "Ugh," she groaned, "Just stop."

 Chapter 255 - Personal Guard

    "So you''re still not going to let me see her?" August pouted after leaving Zoe''s room and walking out of the medical wing of the pack house.


    Graeme was guiding her out with a hand at the small of her back, which she knew must be purposeful to keep her from straying to find Violet''s room.


    "She hasn''t even had her family in to visit her yet. Let''s just allow the healers to care for her right now. I told them to make sure she has whatever she needs," he reasoned.


    "Do we have that here? If she is healing like a human¡­ does she have pain medication?" she turned to face him. Had he thought of all of that?


    "She has what she needs, Little Red," he replied, but when she continued to look skeptical, he added, "I''ll have Sylvia check on her. How does that sound?"


    She brightened a little at that. If Sylvia were going to check on her, August could give her some ideas first about what Violet may need.


    "Let''s get you home so you can take a nap," he said as they were descending the steps toward the front door.


    "A nap?" sheughed.


    "Aren''t you exhausted? It took forever for you to fall asleep," he spoke low for only her to hear.


    She sighed. She was exhausted, but she didn''t want to admit it. Graeme hummed in recognition. She didn''t have to tell him. He could feel it.


    "You are going to be much more tired now with the pregnancy, Moon. There''s no reason to feel bad about it. And you don''t want to wear yourself out."


    "Fine," she groaned.


    "Want me to¡­"


    "No, I do not need you to carry me," sheughed, anticipating his question. "How am I ever going to appear like a dignified Luna if my mate is always carrying me everywhere?"


    "Being carried undermines your dignity?" he frowned.


    "I¡­ yes, doesn''t it?" she giggled. She had no idea how to behave as a Luna, honestly. "Did your dad carry your mom around?"


    Graeme smiled. "Yes. They were very yful together. You know, y is an important part of the pack. It is fun, it promotes camaraderie and trust. It doesn''t matter your age or position."


    August let out a shriek as he finished his exnation and swung her up on his shoulder.


    "Graeme! Let me down!" sheughed, her face ming red in embarrassment as she struggled tond a hit or kick that might deter him from continuing to walk with her like a sack of potatoes he was carrying home.


    Themotion drew some appreciative stares from pack members who watched as their Alpha smacked his mate on the backside and walked out the front door.


    "I''ll put you down if you let me carry you piggy back," he paused on the porch, offering her thepromise.


    She groaned. "This hurts my stomach," sheined, and he instantly allowed her to slide down against him until she was back on her feet.


    "Ha!" sheughed and sprinted away from him across the frontwn toward the woods leading home.


    Graeme chuckled and put his hands on his hips watching her try to escape. She was so slowpared to lycans, but it was cute seeing her try. Her light hair was bouncing around her, falling on the long red ruana that trailed behind her.


    "Oh, Finn," he heard her say as she came to an abrupt halt.


    Graeme descended the steps to greet the young male who was likely returning to check on Violet.


    "Luna," Finn''s mouth hung open. "It''s¡­ wow, so good to see you, Luna. I-I''m, um¡­"


    The small putter of a growl rumbled in Graeme''s chest as he approached them both and saw Finn practically drooling over his mate. Finn snapped his mouth shut, eyes darting between them both.


    "Congrattions, sires," Finn bowed. When he raised his head again, he couldn''t help his straying eyes that sought to admire the glowing Luna in front of him.


    August had been unconsciously gravitating to Graeme''s side with the weight of Finn''s eyes on her. She didn''t realize she was doing it until she felt Graeme''s signature warmth against her arm and the instantaneous calm that came with it.


    "Finn," Graeme snapped, his teeth bing visible as his top lip curled back.


    "Yes, Alpha," the male tore his eyes away from his Luna''s luminescent presence to see the threat ming bright in Graeme''s eyes. "I''m sorry," he swallowed and dropped his eyes from both of them.


    "Where are you headed?" Graeme asked through clenched teeth.


    "I was going to check on Violet," he gestured behind them toward the pack house.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea right now," Graeme replied. "If you want to stand guard outside her door, that''s one thing. But I don''t want you knocking on her door or going in and bothering her. Unless she specifically asked for you, that is."


    "No. I just¡­ feltpelled," he said.


    "Can you do something for me instead?" Graeme asked.


    "Of course," Finn nodded, staying conscious of where his gaze was, avoiding making August more ufortable than he must have already made her.


    "It''s important. Do you think you can stay focused?"


    "Yes, Alpha. I will never make that mistake again, I vow it."


    "Good. I need you to be an extra guard for August tonight."


    He wanted to give Finn another chance, because he knew how loyal he was. Finn was a good male who was blindsided by the attention of an older, maniptive female. He was young and inexperienced¡ªlikely in every sense of the word. Graeme sensed that the mistake Finn had made that day would make him an even more impressive guard.


    If Finn could prove himself and keep his staring in check, Graeme had every intention on assigning him as August''s personal guard.


    "It would be an honor. Where shall I meet you?" the young male asked, maintaining his avoidant gaze.


    "I''ll call you when we''re on our way so you can meet us at the front. Make sure you''re dressed early so that we don''t need to wait for you."


    "Of course. I will just go hang out in the pack house and see if there is anything I can help with until then," Finn nodded and waited until they both passed him on their way home before he looked up.


    He smiled to himself. He was getting another chance at proving himself to the Alpha and his mate.. There was no way he was going to screw it up.

 Chapter 256 - Background On Lucas

    "I need personal guards?" August frowned.


    "There''s some kind of ancient creatureing after you. I''d like you to have someone with you at all times. I''m going to try to make sure that person is me of course. But it might not always be possible. It''s just a precaution."


    "What in the world do you think Finn can do against a vampire?" she asked. "I mean honestly¡­"


    Graeme didn''t answer. The question made him uneasy, because he simply didn''t have an answer to it. What would any of them do against a vampire?


    "Maybe you should have let me stay and question Zoe until we got more answers," he grumbled.


    She sighed. "It isn''t all there for her yet. It hasn''t alle back to her. If we press her, it might confuse her even more."


    "You could see that?"


    "Yes. With the Veiled. I can''t tell you the difference, it''s incredible. All of those restrictions that were on her¡ªthat were threaded through her whole system¡ªthey''re gone. But there''s a heavy shroud that seems reluctant to leave, and she doesn''t seem quite strong enough to fight it yet. If she isn''t, it could suffocate what she''s gotten back so far."


    "Okay," he sighed and grabbed her hand. "Then you get guards until we figure out more."


    "You know what else I get?" she tilted her chin. "To walk through the woods without being carried like a pup."


    "That''s what you think," he smirked and she pulled away from his hand to run, but he was too fast¡ªcatching her around the waist and swinging her up in a bridal carry with her legs kicking the air.


    "Ugh!" She groaned withughter, throwing her head back to dangle over his arm. "You''re so fast."


    "Why did you even say anything? I would have forgotten," his deep chuckle brought a grin to her face.


    "I like when you chase me," she confessed, swinging her legs in the air over his other arm.


    He rumbled in response, lifting her closer to him so he could taste her lips. "I like chasing you."


    After he kissed her, she started swinging her legs again like a child. "Can I ask you something?"


    "Of course, darling."


    "What''s up with Lucas? Does he like Zoe? I''m surprised that he hasn''t left her," she thought aloud.


    "You can''t see that with the Veiled?"


    "I''ve never tried," she tilted her head in thought. "We have a shared aura. You and me. It happened after you marked me and we¡­ mated," she giggled, her cheeks turning pink.


    "Really?" he smiled. She never mentioned that before. "That''s not surprising, I guess."


    "It''s gold," her blue eyes sparkled. "I''ve never noticed one between other mates."


    "Lucas and Zoe aren''t mates, I can tell you that much."


    "Oh? How do you know?"


    "He had a mate already. You don''t get two."


    "He had a mate already?" her eyebrows pinched together. "What happened?"


    "They hadn''tpleted the bond, because she was younger. She was too young to even realize it yet, actually. So he stayed at a distance, watching over her from a distance like mates do when the bond is dyed," he exined. "And then there was an incident."


    August''s stomach knotted at this, anticipating the tragedy that he hadn''t spoken yet. She swung her legs to be let down, so he dropped her onto her feet and they continued on walking side-by-side.


    "What happened?" she crossed her arms, unconsciously attempting to protect herself from the full impact of what wasing.


    "This was shortly before I left the pack, so it''s been years now. Her and some friends were curious about the Grimm. They slipped past the perimeter between runners, and they ran into a stray. None of the females had their wolves yet, and they couldn''t defend themselves. Her friends got away, but she didn''t."


    "What?" August was squinting, imagining it. "Why would this stray hurt her?"


    "Strays can be fucking ruthless. That''s why I was tracking strays for the council when I left¡ªto make sure those who were reported were handled. That incident actually helped cement the decision for me. Lucas had asked to be given that role, but the elders gave it to me since I was abandoning Alpha."


    "Is that why he despised you so much?" she asked, biting her lip in the process. Lucas'' behavior would make that much more sense.


    "Oh, I''m sure that had something to do with it."


    "What was her name? How old was she?"


    "Cora. I believe she was thirteen," he raked a hand through his hair.


    That incident was devastating for the whole pack, for Cora''s family, and for Lucas in particr. Graeme didn''t have to be told that Lucas med himself for not being there. Any male would have felt the same way had she been their mate. It didn''t matter that it wasn''t his fault, he would still be haunted by it.


    "Thirteen?" August repeated, fitting the pieces together now.


    There must be something about Zoe that stirred those feelings of responsibility he had for Cora years ago. Perhaps that was why he was reluctant to leave Zoe now.


    "I guess that also helps exin why he was so angry when you brought an outsider here," she thought aloud. "He had seen what outsiders were capable of."


    "Hmmm. You may be right," he hummed, recalling how furious Lucas was when Graeme showed up with August that night.


    "Maybe watching over Zoe will be good for him," she said softly.


    "Maybe it won''t," Graeme replied. August turned to him questioningly, and he sighed. "I still don''tpletely trust her. if he ends up withplicated feelings for her, as impossible as that seems to me," Graeme screwed up his face, "and she is even a fraction as nefarious as she was before, he will end up in a difficult position."


    "That''s not going to happen," August shook her head, refusing to believe it. She felt the pure depth of Zoe now. Zoe needed time, yes. But she had pushed through the most difficult part of her situation so far¡ªrealizing the monster that she once was in contrast to the truth of her actual being.. And it was that truth she felt Zoe striving for.

 Chapter 257 - Sleepy Head

    Graeme waited until Greta and Sam arrived back home before leaving to check on the two remaining elders in the dungeon. August had almost instantly fallen asleep when sheid down next to him in bed, and he wasn''t going to leave her there alone.


    "Want me toe with you, brother?" Sam asked as he watched Graeme heading out the back door.


    "No, that''s okay. I''ming right back. I just want to check on the situation over there. Make sure they are secure."


    What he didn''t say is that it would make him feel better knowing both Sam and Greta were at the house while he was gone. They were two of the most powerful lycans in the pack other than himself, so he knew his mate would be safe.


    "Have you tried on your tux yet?" Greta called after him.


    He rolled his eyes. The tux was literally thest thing he was concerned about. If it didn''t fit, he could probably get away with going shirtless since the party was masquerade theme¡ªnot that August would let him. That reminded him¡­


    "What is August wearing?" he paused on the way out the door to ask his sister. Greta and August had gone shopping together for this asion, but he never heard details about what they settled on.


    "It''s a surprise," Greta answered with a smirk.


    "What do you mean it''s a surprise?" he growled. What kind of nonsense was that? The party was in just a few hours.


    "I mean it''s a surprise. You will have to wait and see," she shrugged.


    "Is it appropriate?" he asked gruffly, annoyed that she was ying this game with him right now.


    "Of course," she scoffed. "What do you think I''m going to do¡ªdress her inappropriately? What kind of stupid question is that?"


    He groaned and walked out the door, heading for the woods toward the pack house once again.


    "We''re still here," the dry voice of Andreas greeted him as he entered the hallway where their cells were.


    "No one you can count on to free you?" Graeme asked with a smug grin that Andreas didn''t have to see to realize was there.


    The elder didn''t answer.


    "Well I hope you didn''t have anything special you wanted to wear tonight, because I''m taking you out just as you are," he told him. "I''ll see you in a few hours."


    Graeme walked to the other end of the hallway to check on Pearce. The elder was there, quiet as usual. He didn''t bother to greet Graeme. He seemed to be absorbed with his thoughts and the sense of doom that had finally materialized as a looming reality.


    With a nod to the guards, Graeme returned to the pack house proper through the passageway from the dungeon. He told August that he would ask Sylvia to visit Violet, so he intended to arrange that now with a call from his office.


    Once he exined the full extent of Violet''s injuries over the phone, Sylvia agreed toe check on her. While he wouldn''t disclose that information to just anyone, Sylvia was someone with deeppassion and respect when it came to sensitive personal matters for everyone in the pack. He knew she could be trusted to only use the knowledge about Violet''s ordeal to serve the female in getting well and finding the resources she needed to do so.


    "Can we meet at your shop beforehand?" he asked before they ended the call. "I want to find something special to give August tonight, and I thought you would know how to help."


    "Of course, Graeme. I will head that way now."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "It''s time to wake up, sleepy head," Greta rubbed August''s back while sitting next to her in bed.


    It waste afternoon, and they needed to start getting ready. Graeme still had yet to return, but he assured his sister he wouldn''t be too much longer.


    August rolled over bleary-eyed and squinted at the peach-haired girl.


    "What time is it?" she asked groggily.


    "Time to get ready. You should probably eat something little before we go, but there will be tons of food there tonight. So we need to start getting dressed."


    August could hear the excitement that was just short of squeal in Greta''s voice. She had been looking forward to this.


    "Why are you waking me up again?" August chuckled, slowly sitting up. "Where''s Graeme?"


    "He wanted to check on some things before everything started happening tonight. He''ll be back soon."


    August stretched and yawned. It was true that she had trouble falling asleep the night before, but she couldn''t believe how much more tired she wastely. She felt like lying back down and letting the pleasant cloud of tiredness consume her.


    "Have you been taking your vitamins?" Greta asked, tugging gently at August''s sleeve as she did.


    "Yesss," August groaned, pinching her eyes closed like a child who was being pestered by her mom.


    Gretaughed.


    "Have you tried one of the pies I made yet? That will give you some sugar to get you going. I''ll heat one up for you. How about strawberry rhubarb?" Greta stood and started walking back into the kitchen.


    "E. Why do you guys have such weird vors here?" August whined. "Don''t you have just cherry or apple or something?"


    She heard Gretaugh from the other room. "Cherry it is, your highness!"


    "Coming," August yawned and threw the covers back. She could truly sleep for at least another hour. "Can you make coffee?"


    "You''re limited to one cup," Greta called.


    "That''s all it will take," August grumbled, shuffling to the bathroom to ssh some water on her face. She would take a full shower after she ate.


    She looked into the mirror at her bright blue eyes and remembered the dresses that her and Greta had picked out. Her dress didn''t match her eyes anymore, but it was still so beautiful. Her stomach began fluttering as if little excited winged creatures were trying to escape and fly free into theing night. Hopefully the dress still fit. Why hadn''t she picked something less form-fitting. Did it really look okay on her when she tried it on?


    She giggled and dried her face off before trudging out to the kitchen where a pie was waiting for her on the ind and Greta was pouring steaming water into the elegantly shaped chemex. Greta made the best coffee and tea.. And apparently also pies.

 Chapter 258 - Alpha Glare

    "Mmmm," August hummed in approval after taking her first bite of the pie. "This is good."


    Greta shot her a grin before turning around to slide the coffee across the ind for her.


    "I''m spoiled," Augustughed.


    "Yes you are," Greta rolled her eyes. "But that''s okay. You deserve some spoiling."


    She watched August continue enjoying her afternoon snack before she pushed away from the counter. "I already showered, so I''m going to go get dressed. Come up when you''re ready, okay?"


    August nodded, eyes going wide as she sped up her bites and took a sip of the coffee. Unfortunately, the coffee couldn''t be rushed so once she was done with Greta''s delicious pie, she carried the mug with her back into the bathroom where she quickly showered.


    She heard Graemee into the bedroom as she was drying off.


    "Everything okay?" she asked, opening the door to let the steam out.


    Graeme was sitting on the bed removing his shoes when his mate came walking out of the bathroom in only her towel, steam billowing out around her.


    "Hey beautiful," he smiled. She did a yful little wiggle on the way to the closet in response. "You seem excited," he chuckled.


    "Greta fed me, so I''m happy," she giggled. "And now we get to dress up!" She pulled a robe out and changed into it, flipping her hair over the back of the fuzzy cor.


    "How about we just stay here," Graeme approached, pressing his chest up against her and she groaned with the temptation of his warmth and proximity.


    "Greta is going to be pounding down this door any minute," she turned and pushed her palms against his chest. "Behave."


    "How can I behave when you''re teasing me like this?" his voice was that deep purr against her ear, and she shivered but continued pushing him away¡ªas difficult as it was. The only thing that kept her from giving in and backing him up against the bed was the idea of Greta walking in on them.


    "Teasing you like what?" sheughed. "I just got out of the shower."


    "Exactly. And you''re walking around like this," he leaned down and bit her ear. "What was that cute little wiggle you did?"


    "What? I don''t know what you''re talking about," she giggled, tilting her head to remove ess to her ear, but he just switched sides and nuzzled into her neck, humming against her skin as his arms wound around her.


    "August?" Greta knocked on the door, forcing a groan out of Graeme who froze but didn''t let go of her.


    "Yeah!" August called back, muffled against Graeme''s chest.


    "Graeme, you better get your hands off of your mate right now! I need her to get ready," Greta scolded from the other side of the door.


    Graeme let out a huff of air against August''s neck and eventually pulled away, his eyes still hungry and still fixed on his adorable mate who was standing there blushing with wet hair dripping on the shoulders of her robe. She bit into her lip feeling his absence, and that little behavior lured him back. He tilted her chin and kissed her deeply, bending to pick her up in his arms as he did. Greta, the dress, all of Samhain be damned. All that mattered was being with her.


    "Graeme Hallowell!" Greta yelled as the door creaked open and knocked against the wall.


    He ignored her to continue tasting the pure sweetness of his mate, delving deeper with his tongue, pressing her to continue battling with him for possession, and when he felt Greta''s arm on his shoulder, he had nearly forgotten where they were. He snarled at the attempt of being pulled away from the only thing in the universe right now that mattered¡ªhis warm, vulnerable, alluring mate in his arms.


    Greta backed up, a mixture of shock, fear, and amusement in her expression.


    August''s hands raised to cup his bristly face where they ran over the familiar texture, and he sighed, resigning to the fact that he had to let her go. He bent his forehead to hers, taking a moment to allow the gentle strokes of her fingers to calm him before he finally let her down. His heart ached doing it. Why was he so fiercely possessive of her right now? He didn''t even want to let her go upstairs.


    Once August''s warmth and scent left the room, he shot a re at Greta who reached to pull the door shut behind them. He saw the nervous way she gulped, realizing btedly that she had crossed a boundary that she should not have.


    He groaned and raked a hand through his hair before deciding he might as well shower before putting on the wretched restraints of his tux.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "I''m sorry," Greta muttered as her and August walked upstairs toward the spare room where the dresses had been kept.


    "Why are you sorry?" August asked, slowing her steps as Greta was behind her.


    "I shouldn''t have done that. I should have left you two alone."


    It wasn''t like Greta to apologize, especially for reprimanding her brother. Greta seemed to be the mature, level-headed one most of the time. When her and Graeme bickered, it was always light-hearted and yful. But apparently not this time.


    "I just haven''t fully looked at him as my Alpha yet, you know? He''s Graeme. He''s my brother," Greta chuckled nervously to herself. She saw the Alpha warning in his re today, though. It was unmistakable.


    "I understand," August told her, pausing at the top of the steps for Greta who gave her a small smile before leading her to the spare room.


    "Your dress is stunning," she told Greta as she followed her.


    The red satin mermaid dress looked like it was made for her. It had a sweetheart neckline and small straps that criss-crossed in the back. Even Greta''s round little tummy managed to look sexy in the dress.


    "It is pretty, isn''t it?"


    "No, it''s stunning," August chuckled. "Has Sam seen it yet?"


    "No. He had to meet with Jack about something, but he will be back before we leave. Let''s see how yours looks, shall we?"


    Greta pulled the gown from the closet, and August almost gasped. She had forgotten how beautiful it was.. She had never seen a dress like it before.

 Chapter 259 - Getting Dressed

    Greta did August''s hair and makeup, leaving her golden locks down and flowing in loose waves over her shoulders. The makeup was simple and natural, entuating the blush of her cheeks and pink of her lips with some extra shimmer on her eyes and above her cheekbones.


    "Why do I need makeup if I''m already literally glowing?" she asked as Greta was applying the final touch of mascara to hershes.


    "I wish you could see it," Greta smiled in response. "It must be strange to know you are seen that way and yet you can''t see it yourself. It''s not an overpowering glow or anything. You''re not blinding anyone," she giggled.


    "Well that''s a relief," August rolled her eyes.


    Although, maybe it would be better to be blinding. It would at least prevent stares. She thought about how Finn couldn''t take his eyes off of her, and her stomach began to twist with nerves about how much of that she may have to deal with tonight. At least Graeme would be with her.


    "Okay, time to put the dress on and view the final result."


    August slid the beautiful fabric on and allowed Greta to zip up the back.


    "I''m not sure I can go through with this," August gulped, turning back and forth to look herself over in the full length mirror Greta had set up in Graeme''s old bedroom.


    The dress itself was absolutely breathtaking. It had a silky nude strapless lining that was form-fitting all the way to August''s knees where it then gracefully fell to pool around her feet. Covering the lining with the same silhouette was the sheeryer with intricate glittering gold designs resembling leaves with swirling vines connecting them.


    The curve of August''s waist and re of her hips¡ªevery line of her down to her knees¡ªwas entuated in this dress. The only saving grace was the beautiful cape that parted from the strapless neckline of the dress over her breasts and swept over her arms and back, flowing behind her and covering the obvious shape of her backside.


    There was no way she would wear this dress without the cape. Even though the cape was sheer, the gold detail and the way it glittered was enough to distract from the fitted mermaid shape underneath¡ªat least, she hoped it did.


    "Greta, you can see my boobs," she gulped again, turning to get every angle. Why had she agreed to this? There was no backing out now.


    "What do you mean? You can''t see them," Greta frowned, looking at August''s reflection. The shape of her breasts was obvious, but the dress wasn''t sheer.


    "No, I mean¡­ they''re just¡­ there''s no hiding anything in this dress," August bit her lip. If she was worried about people staring because of her glow, this was only going to make it worse.


    "You''re forgetting that it''s not unusual for everyone in the pack to have seen everyone else naked at some point in time. That doesn''t phase anyone here," Greta chuckled as she adjusted the way the cape fell behind the dress and admired it in the mirror with August''s reflection.


    "But¡­"


    "August," Greta circled around to stand in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Just breathe. You look gorgeous. I wouldn''t let you go in this dress if you didn''t. And I wouldn''t let you wear something inappropriate, okay? Trust me. This dress looks like it was made for you."


    August nodded and took a deep breath before turning back to her reflection again. The hand applied gold ents of the dress reminded her of her and Graeme''s shared aura that only she could see. Greta was right. This dress was perfect.


    "You look fae," Greta giggled beside her.


    "I do?" August''s blue eyes went wide.


    "Doesn''t this look like a dress a faerie would wear? There''s just something so magical and ethereal about it."


    "I guess you''re right," August smiled, smoothing the fabric of the skirt.


    "I wonder how Graeme is going to react," Greta muttered with an amused smile as she continued smoothing the cape out behind August.


    "Should I be worried?" August asked, catching Greta''s eyes in the mirror.


    "He might try to keep you from leaving the house, I''m not going to lie," Gretaughed.


    "Well if Sam lets you leave in that sexy thing, then hopefully I''ll be safe."


    "He knows he has nothing to worry about. No one will mess with me," she winked. "Look! Isn''t it cute?" She turned to the side so her profile was in view and slid a hand over the small swell of her belly.


    "Your sweet little baby bump? I love it. Is it still called a baby bump when there are two little ones in there? Or is it a babies bump?" August giggled.


    "Twin bump," Greta suggested, her eyes shining.


    "I''m so happy for you," August said softly, admiring the pride and adoration Greta already had for the lives she had created with her mate.


    "For us," Greta grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Have you had any nausea at all?"


    August shook her head. At most, she had some difort across her stomach like the muscles were stretching. Other than that, it was as if she weren''t pregnant at all.


    "Maybe you''ll be one of the lucky ones and have no morning sickness at all. That or it will hit you any day now."


    "Lovely," August sighed.


    "Don''t worry, we''re all here to help take care of you. We can take care of each other," Greta tilted her head to rest on August''s shoulder as they looked at their reflections in the mirror.


    "Thanks, Greta," August whispered and squeezed the girl''s hand. "Thanks for always being here for me¡­ for everyone. I always wanted a sister, but I never imagined she would be as wonderful as you."


    "Aww. I feel the same way about you," Greta smiled and turned to look at her rather than their reflections. "You are the Luna all of us need, August. Don''t doubt it. Just live the truth you feel inside, and you won''t go wrong. My brother is blessed to have you.. We all are."

 Chapter 260 - Lets Find You A Coat

    "Onest thing," Greta said as she looked August over.


    "What?"


    "I know Sylvia gave you the ne, and it''s beautiful. But it doesn''t match. Is it okay if you don''t wear it just for tonight?"


    "Oh," August looked down at the purple sugilite pendant that Sylvia had given her at their first reiki session. She rarely took it off. "Of course."


    She unsped the ne and left it on the small end table next to Graeme''s bed.


    "Then I think we''re ready," Greta nodded.


    While Greta was doing August''s hair and makeup, Sam had returned and both males had gotten dressed. Now Greta could hear them pacing impatiently downstairs and the asional grumble from her brother about how much he hated dressing up.


    "This is one tradition I don''t understand," Graeme mumbled, pulling the emerald velvet sleeve of his jacket.


    "You and me both," Sam chuckled with his handsfortably in his pockets watching Graeme fidgeting with the bowtie around his neck. "Mom exined it to me like this: it is only for the rarest asions that we choose tomemorate it this way. The suit or tux alone shows that this event is important to you, these people are important to you, and your role as a member in this pack and its tradition is taken seriously."


    Graeme groaned and gave his Beta a sidelong look. "I''ll be right back."


    He went back into the bedroom, took the jacket off and loosened the bowtie. There was no way he was going tofortable all night long in all of this. It didn''t even make sense. They were going to be outside around a fireter. No one wore clothing like this to the regr bonfires.


    There was going to be so much going on tonight, and he didn''t want to be fidgeting with his stupid clothes the whole time. With that thought, he made up his mind and removed the bowtie, unbuttoned and removed the perfectly pressed dress shirt and dug through his closet for something else that would work.


    Greta was going to kill him. He smirked and pulled on the ck tank top before putting the jacket back on and buttoning it.


    "Much better," he mumbled, ncing in the mirror to make sure it didn''t look too ridiculous before heading back out the bedroom door.


    "What are you wearing?" Greta''s voice reproached him as soon as he emerged.


    "Something morefortable," he grumbled. "What are you wearing?" His eyebrows shot up at the fitted red satin dress that showed off every bit of her figure, ncing at Sam behind her who had an amused look on his face and that unmistakable adoration in his eyes whenever he looked at his mate.


    "Something fabulous," she smiled and turned with her hands on her hips so he could get the whole view. The slight swell of her belly was entuated with the close fit. His heart fluttered with the visible evidence of her bing a mother. His little sister was going to have pups of her own.


    "You look beautiful," he said as he approached and kissed her cheek. "I just hope my mate is more decent."


    "This isn''t decent?" she asked, ring at him.


    He chuckled at the flicker of anger from her and put his hands up in surrender. "I''m just kidding."


    "Well you better not kid around with your mate and make her second guess anything," she said through her teeth. "And she''s dressed more decently than you. That''s for sure," Greta rolled her eyes. Leave it to Graeme to buck tradition when it came to clothing.


    Graeme heard footstepsing from upstairs, which could only be from August. He left his sister behind with Sam and walked through the living room so he could meet her at the bottom of the stairs. There was something he wanted to give her before they left. He felt in his pocket to make sure it was still there but froze when he got to the staircase and saw hering down.


    "You look handsome," she smiled, alighting on the bottom step and staying there where she wasn''t so short inparison to him. "Emerald green like the forest," she said, running her hands down his sleeves affectionately, "and so soft."


    When she met his eyes again, she dropped her hands, sping them together in front of her. "What''s wrong? Is this not okay?" She looked down at herself worriedly, smoothing her hands against the skirt as she did. Little bits of gold fluttered around her onto the floor.


    "It''s¡­" he started, trying to find his voice and failing.


    He was quite literally speechless. He had never seen anyone more stunningly beautiful than the female before him. Greta had done something to bring out the natural piercing blue of his mate''s eyes. Her fluttering ckshes were long and delicate, and there was a blush on her cheeks that was growing darker as he stood there not finding words to reassure her. And that dress¡­ His mouth hung open as he scanned every inch of her before grabbing both of her hands that were fidgeting insecurely waiting for his response.


    "You are breathtaking," he said, his voice breaking toward the end. "You''re always breathtaking but," he licked his lips and swallowed because his throat was suddenly so dry and gravely and¡­ how was he supposed to let her go out like this and be seen by the whole pack looking like a goddess?


    She could feel the force of the feelings that he couldn''t put words to, and she smiled shyly, pulling him closer to her with their intertwined hands and pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.


    "Thank you," she said, smiling with the knowledge of what was unspoken by him.


    "You''re going to be so cold," he breathed against her and chuckled softly. "So stay by my side, please. I''m going to have to scare off anyone who dares look at you anyway."


    "There''s nowhere else I would want to be, Bun Bun," she spoke against him, and he growled softly, making herugh.


    "I have something for you," he remembered, pulling the wooden ring box from his pocket. "I know where youe from there is a custom where partners exchange rings¡­"


    "We already share so much. You didn''t have to get me anything," she nced back up at him with glossy eyes.


    "I know. I wanted to," he shrugged, waiting for her to open it.


    Sylvia had tried to help him, but he didn''t know what to get for her. He just knew he wanted to get his mate something, and now as he waited for her to open the box, he felt unsure about it. Maybe she would think it was stupid.


    August pulled the box open and saw two bands nestled together. One was a ck tungsten with a small crescent moon engraved in the center and the other was silver with a simrly engraved sun.


    She grinned, immediately understanding the significance and slid the silver sun on each of her fingers, seeing which one it fit best. After it nestled perfectly into ce on her middle finger, she took the other band out.


    "Is this one for you?" she asked, offering him the ck ring with the crescent moon. He nodded silently. He seemed shy about it, which was so unlike him. It was cute. She took his hand to slide the band on his ring finger where it fit perfectly. "I love them. You are my sun, Bun Bun. I will follow you anywhere," she grinned.


    "And you are my Moon. And my Little Red. And my Luna," he said in his deep gravel with those intensely vulnerable dark eyes.. "Now let''s find you a coat."

 Chapter 261 - Medallion

    Dear Readers, so far for this month, golden tickets have earned 8 bonus chapters! You all are amazing! Starting tonight, I will release 3-4 chapters a day until the end of the month to repay you for the love. I hope that works for you all rather than one big chunk at the end! Hugs! <3


    ********


    "You can''t go like that," Greta sauntered over to Graeme and appraised the in ck tank under his jacket.


    "Yes I can," he replied with an edge in his voice that made her recall the way he snarled at her earlier.


    "It just needs something else, okay? Let me grab something from my room," she told him in a gentler tone before turning to climb the stairs.


    August smiled, amused at the bickering between the two and looked down at the new ring on her finger. The fact that Graeme thought to get her anything was so sweet, and the happiness of this love between them bubbled up in her throat making her feel as if she could absolutely squeal with joy.


    Feeling the intensity of this rush of emotions in his mate, Graeme grabbed her hand and brought her wrist to his lips, brushing them against her pulse and her scent that only he was privy to now before kissing her there. August felt the contact spike up her arm before sinking deliciously low through her body, and Graeme winked, nipping the skin this time and causing her to shiver.


    "We could just stay here," he breathed against her skin.


    "No you couldn''t," Greta''s voice was back as she stepped carefully down the steps while holding the skirt of her dress.


    Graeme rolled his eyes for only August to see, and she giggled.


    Once Greta was standing before them, she held up a silver medallion against her palm for Graeme to see.


    "That was dad''s," his eyebrows pinched together and he took the chain from her, examining the medallion that hung on it.


    "Maggie gave it to him. Once you came back, I considered giving it to you if you stayed. And since you have, it''s yours," she exined with a small smile.


    August studied the silver medallion in Graeme''s hand. It had what appeared to be an abstract design on it that was hard to decipher.


    "Is that a bird?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "And a sun?"


    "He never exined it to us," he told her, running his thumb along the texture of the piece that he had seen around his father''s neck without fail.


    "You don''t know what it means?" August asked, looking from him to his sister.


    Sam walked up behind them to take a look. "I wonder if my mom would know."


    "How did you get this?" Graeme''s attention went to his sister whose eyes were gleaming seeing him admiring it.


    "I found it here in the nightstand one day," she shrugged.


    "But he rarely took it off," he frowned.


    "They were traveling that day," she shrugged. "Maybe that''s why. Here let me put it on you."


    Graeme handed her the ne and stood still as Greta walked around to sp it at his neck. Once that was done, she checked him over again and nodded with satisfaction.


    "Much better," she smiled.


    "As long as the boss approves," he rolled his eyes before lifting the medallion to look at it again and then letting it fall against his chest.


    "Hello, my children. Happy Samhain," Sylvia opened the front door and greeted them with Sage walking in behind her. He was holding the paper mache mask he had made.


    "Wee! Happy Samhain," Greta smiled and hugged her as soon as she was in the door.


    "Well, don''t you all look beautiful," Sylvia''s eyes disappeared in her smile.


    "So do you, mom," Graeme kissed her cheek with Sam walking up behind him to do the same.


    August bent down to greet Sage. "I need help with something," she whispered as the adults moved further into the house.


    His eyebrows tilted up in question.


    "We need to light the jack-onterns before we leave," she told him. When he didn''t seem to understand what she was referring to, she added, "the pumpkins out front. They need candles in them so their faces light up."


    "Oh," he replied with his sweet little voice that was so rarely heard.


    "Can you help me?"


    Sage nodded, and she went to retrieve the tea lights Greta had gotten for her before following him outside. It was cold, especially in the dress that was so beautiful but very light.


    "Here, let me do that," Graeme said,ing to find her out front shivering next to Sage as they were lighting the small candles and cing them in the pumpkins. "You need a coat, Moon," he removed his jacket and put it on her shoulders before taking the matches from her. He squatted down next to the pup who was closing up one of the pumpkins with its lid.


    August shook her head, smiling at the lycan of hers who wasn''t bothered by the chilly air despite being in a tank top now. She watched him work with Sage, lighting the candles and then passing them to the pup to insert into the pumpkins. It was touching, and for the first time she found herself thinking of what he would be like as a dad. Seeing a male as strong and powerful and handsome as him holding a baby¡­ she wasn''t sure her heart would be able to take it.


    "Raven and Sun," Sage''s voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and she saw him pointing to the medallion around Graeme''s neck.


    "You know this?" Graeme asked, lifting the pendant so he could see it closer. Sage nodded with a grin.


    "What does it mean?" August walked closer to where they were, surprised that he had picked up on what the abstract design was.


    Sage turned to meet her eyes before looking back at Graeme. He seemed to be surprised that they didn''t know what he was referring to. When they continued waiting for him to speak, he stood from where he was crouching by the glowing faces.


    "Raven set the Sun free," he said simply, as if that would exin it.


    August continued watching as Graeme''s eyebrows threaded together. "I remember that story," he finally said.. "Maggie told it to Greta and I when we were pups."

 Chapter 262 - Raven And Sun

    "Greta, do you remember the story about the raven and the sun?" Graeme asked as he, August, and Sage all filed back into the house and August shrugged off his jacket to return it to him.


    Greta scrunched her face up thinking when Sylvia piped up behind her.


    "You mean the legend of the raven and the box of daylight?" Sylvia walked forward from where she had been perched on the kitchen ind.


    "Yeah, that''s what it was. Maggie told it to us once," he nodded.


    "It speaks of how the light came into this world, including daylight, moonlight, and starlight," she said. "Oh, you''re wearing the talisman Maggie gave your father."


    "Talisman?" Greta repeated, walking forward to stand next to her.


    "Yes, it was blessed as a talisman for your father, carrier of the Alpha title and the appointed light for our pack who would guide us. She would be so pleased for you to wear it. How appropriate is it that you should have it now? After a period of darkness for all of us," she smiled and squeezed his arms affectionately.


    "What is the story? I don''t think I remember it," Greta asked.


    "Oh, I''m not sure I remember all of the details, but it speaks of a nobleman and his daughter who held light from the world as treasures rather than sharing them. The raven was the one who freed it," she exined.


    "The raven was a spirit," Sage spoke up, and everyone turned to him in surprise. "He saw that the girl drank from a stream every morning. Raven be a small leaf in the stream so she would drink him too, and then she became pregnant with him. Raven was born the grandson of the nobleman," Sage recited as if the story was dear to him.


    "They loved Raven so much. The nobleman gave him everything he wanted, including the box with the sun inside. But then Raven opened the box and set the sun free to be shared with the rest of the world. The nobleman was angry, and he trapped Raven inside where there was fire. Raven was white first, but then he became ck from smoke."


    Sylvia''s face was beaming as she listened to Sage tell the story while everyone else looked on dumbfounded. They had never heard him speak so much.


    "That is fascinating," August spoke first, finding her voice. "Thank you for sharing the story with us."


    "Yes, you tell it quite well," Sylvia smiled. "Much better than I would have."


    "Why did Maggie choose the raven and daylight for the talisman?" Sam asked.


    "I just always assumed it had to do with being a light to guide us. But it wasn''t exined to me by Maggie," she replied, folding her hands in front of herself as she admired it on Graeme. "Perhaps it is something more meaningful to the alyko, like the story Charlotte shared with us about La Loba."


    "Well Graeme is revealing some truths for the pack tonight, isn''t he? Perhaps he is more like the raven than the daylight in that respect," Greta chuckled.


    "Right, we should be going," Graeme reminded them. "Greta, where''s mom''s dress coat?"


    "Oh, it''s upstairs. I''ll grab it," she said.


    "I''ll get it for you," Sam stepped in. "If you keep running up the stairs, you''re going to trip," he winked at her.


    "I''m very graceful," she objected but let him go anyway. "You know where it is in my closet?"


    "Yeah," he called down.


    "We''ll take the jeep," Graeme told his mate, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it.


    "We can''t all fit," she said, looking around the house.


    "You and I will take it," he replied.


    "But shouldn''t we all go together? I''ll have a coat. I''ll be fine. It isn''t far," she told him, rubbing his arm in that soothing way. "We just walked through the forest path this morning," she chuckled.


    "You had more clothes on," he replied, looking at her bare shoulders and chest. At least her hair was down.


    "But I have you to help keep me warm," she whispered, leaning in to him and that warmth she spoke of, allowing him to tuck her under his arm.


    "If you wish to walk, then we will walk," he relented, a smile forming as he sumbed to her influence on him. He kissed the top of her head and then let her go to grab the coat from Sam as he came down the steps with it.


    Everyone began to file out the front door while Graeme wrapped her in his mother''s dress coat that she only ever wore to events like this or Yule. There was a nostalgia attached to it, and a swell of emotion caught in his throat once he saw August dressed in it, the glittering skirt of her dress flowing out the bottom that she scooped up in her hand in preparation for their walk.


    "I could carry you," he said softly in her ear, causing her to roll her eyes.


    "Oh, I know you could," she giggled, and they went through the door to follow the others.


    "This looks so lovely," Sylvia said as they emerged. She was looking at the impressive group of joyous and ghoulish jack-onterns that were now flickering on either side of the front door.


    "Wasn''t that so thoughtful of the pups?" August smiled broadly as she turned to view them next to Sylvia.


    Above them a crow cawed loudly and swooped down to alight on a tree nearby where it stopped and stared at them. No one seemed to notice except August and Graeme who both followed the sound to the ck bird''s perch and then looked at each other warily. That was August''s crow. She had not seen it since she went to talk with Zoe in the dungeon that day. Why had it beenpelled to appear now as the evening of Samhain approached and the sun slipped toward the horizon?


    "Let''s go have some fun," Sylvia''s bright voice drew them away from the troubled thought, and they all started off through the trees toward the pack house.

 Chapter 263 - Moonlight Set Free

    Once the pack house came into view, August could immediately see the difference from the morning.


    A long arched path was constructed that led to the front door and was draped with hangingnterns and gands of marigolds. There was a noticeable pulse of excitement as people filed under the archway, some skipping, others clustering together, hanging onto each other''s arms and jumping up and down and squealing with excitement behind masks ofce and feathers and sequins.


    "Calix does all of this?" August asked, turning to herpanions.


    "Oh yes. This is Calix''s specialty," Greta chuckled.


    August met him earlier in the morning after the lighting of the pure fire. He was charming, bowing and kissing the back of August''s hand as Graeme introduced them. She was relieved that he didn''t stare like many others. It was as if a glowing Luna was something he anticipated, and it put her at ease¡­ a little too at ease actually.


    Calix was very smooth, and she could see why he was put in charge of delicatemunications between packs. Graeme told her he was often offnd handling the exchange of goods or other deals that required finesse. He knew how to deal with expectations and putting others at ease. And apparently he was also very good at maintaining the traditions that involved spectacle.


    Their group put on the masks they brought with them, Greta helping make sure August''s was in ce without messing up her hair and vice versa. Graeme''s mask was a glittery ck that hid his cheekbones, only exposing the bristly hair of his beard and entuating his voluptuous lips that were left exposed where everything else was hidden save the tip of his nose. How was it possible that even his nose with its somehow aggressive curve and re of nostrils was sexy? August wondered this as she turned and searched for his eyes, finding them now guarded as he looked on at the pack house and the exuberance they were about to enter.


    "Stay close to me," he murmured in her ear, grabbing her hand and surrounding it with the warmth of his.


    This action of his brought her whatever confidence had started to ebb when she realized the size of this event all over again. Everyone was in one ce. They were meant to expose some difficult truths on this night that might bring to the fore divided loyalties.


    What would be the pack''s reaction to the betrayal of the elders? Would they believe it? Would some of them defend their actions? Were Andreas and Pearce really going to end up being subjected to the purifying mes of the fire that was ignited this morning by nine of their pups?


    Graeme squeezed her hand, dousing the rising nerves once again. Their group started down the incline toward the arched pathway that led the way to the door, but Graeme pulled her to hang back behind everyone.


    "August Moon," he purred in a low gravel that she felt reverberate in her own chest, because it was synced with his. "You do not have to worry when you are by my side. I will defend you. I will protect you. Everything that is mine, including my position in this pack, is shared equally with you. If I could relieve the burden you feel by being so beautifully luminous for all of us to see, I would happily wear the moon''s light and blessing for you." August giggle softly at the thought and looked down at her feet. He knew she was insecure about it. He squeezed her hand again to bring her eyes back to him.


    "But know that they stare, my love, because you are the most beautiful symbol of hope that they have seen in many years. You are the moonlight that has been set free to shine on the darkness the elders cloaked us in. It is you who has been freed from the box by the raven," his eyes shone as this thought just urred to him¡ªhow perfect the metaphor of his talisman was for the female who was standing by his side. Perhaps he was the raven. He had set his moonlight free to shine on the pack.


    "Do you understand the significance of your presence?" he breathed, bringing her wrist to his lips once again so he could brush against her pulse point where her scent was concentrated. He kissed her there and felt the pulse beneath his lips flutter in response to his touch and affection. If his mate were not covered in a coat, he would see the flush of her skin that reacted to him.


    "I understand. Of course I do. It is significant to me as well," she whispered.


    "Much will happen tonight with the dramatic revtions nned forter, but let''s enjoy each other and our pack first. I want to dance with you," the depth of his voice and smile that lit under the mask with those beautifully tempting lips made her thankful for her own disguise that shielded with sequence,ce, and feathers the heat rushing to her cheeks.


    "Dance?" she asked innocently. Why had no one prepared her for this either?


    "Oh yes, Moon. Dancing is a big part of tonight," there was something mischievous about the way he answered as if he had kept this from her on purpose to reveal it at precisely this moment. "Shall we?"


    She nodded, allowing him to lead her with her hand in his. At least he was not carrying her. She giggled internally at the thought, the joy of being his and being led by him to this wondrous pathway where each pack member was drawn filling her to the brim and threatening to bubble out of her.


    It was hard to contain how he made her feel¡ªthe connection between them and how intertwined their emotions were was so overpowering, sometimes it felt like the only thing that mattered or would ever matter. Everything else could fall to dust around them, and she might hardly bat an eye if his hand held hers as it did at this moment, guiding her through softly glowingnterns and marigolds.


    Every step she took next to his would be one made with certainty about her ce. She was next to him.. As long as they were together, wherever they were headed was somewhere she wanted to be.

 Chapter 264 - Arrived

    Themon room in the pack house had been cleared of all furniture, and it appeared so much bigger than what August realized was possible. ss doors that lined the back wall were slid fully open so as to open the space entirely to thend out back where the fire had been lit that morning and was now transferred and roaring in a healthy bonfire off to the side.


    There were steps down from the entryway, and August and Graeme paused there to admire the way the space had been decorated. Candbras were set up around the perimeter of the room to add a romantic glow and chandeliers hung elegantly from the ceiling. A stage was set up off to the right with the small folk band ying that August recognized from thest bonfire, only this time they were dressed up in velvet suits and top hats and romantic, flowing dresses.


    Despite having a mask on, August recognized Clementine''s sister, Indigo, as the one ying the violin by her ck dreads that were jolting and swaying with her impassioned movements, an artist of her craft surrendering to the rtionship between herself and her instrument. And that energy created by the band was buzzing throughout the whole space. Everyone was excited,ughing and talking happily in groups, holding tes of food or drinks and admiring each other''s formal attire.


    "Where are the pups?" August asked, searching the crowd for the familiar masks or faces of her students.


    "They are likely outside by the fire or doing activities that are arranged for them out there. There should be long tables set up outside for dining now as well, if you''d prefer that," he turned to pull her closer to him, removing her coat and stealing thisst moment together before being taken over by the sea of people below.


    Greta, Sam, and Sylvia had already gone down to join the others, and Sage had run off to find his peers outside.


    "Luna August," a familiar voice called, causing both her and Graeme to turn.


    Finn stood at attention, dressed in a grey suit with a ck bowtie and mask, his curly light hair teasing the formality of the rest of him and giving away his identity. There was something distinctly yful about the young lycan, and August wondered if it wasn''t the bounce of those curls that had something to do with it.


    Graeme took a step forward to be aligned by August''s side and ced his hand at the small of her back. "Thank you for meeting us, Finn. I expect you to help protect your Luna tonight, but that doesn''t mean you need to hover. Just stay within her orbit if I get pulled away."


    "Understood, sire," Finn bowed.


    It was then that everyone below became aware of their presence as well, as the chatter quieted and eventually fell silent. August looked down to see every masked face turned and angled up toward where her and Graeme stood. Even the band slowed and then stopped their music, turning their attention to the Alpha and Luna perched at the top of the steps ready to grace them.


    What must she look like to them? August gulped. Exposed in this fitted, glittering dress with her skin glowing like moonlight. She couldn''t even imagine. At least she had the mask¡ªits plume of feathers and glitteringce feeling like a crown. Her head remained poised to maintain the slice of grandeur it loaned her for the night.


    There was a collective intake of breath that she could feel, although it wasn''t entirely audible. Those who had only heard of the visible evidence that their Luna was with child but had yet to see it for themselves were now beholding her for the first time, their eyes assuring them of this fact. Graeme had his rightful mate. Their Alpha had returned to them, and the union with his female was blessed by the Moon Goddess. There was no denying it when the evidence was before them in such a spectacr way. The Hallowell heir, the next in line to take leadership amongst them, had been conceived.


    August became aware of her mate''s warmth next to her, steadying her, his hand holding hers¡ªthe power running through his veins as his birthright flooding her as well. They were a pair. They were together in this. The Veiled assured her of this as she opened herself to it and saw the gold of their mated aura thrumming powerfully around them. It was dazzling to see, realizing it was something they created together. And while others could not see it, it was apparent that they too felt it.


    Eyes were alight with hope and wonder and awe as a gentle hum of whispers greeted their descent on the stairs to be amongst them. August kept a gentle smile on her face, her hand trembling slightly in Graeme''s who squeezed it, reassuring her that all was well. He was here. This was family, and he was their protector as well as hers.


    "Our Alpha and Luna have arrived," Indigo''s rich feminine voice announced through her mic, and with that, the quiet hum of whispers broke into apuse.


    The band started again, fingers plucking guitar and violin strings and the harmony of voices rising around them.


    "Wee," Calix was quickly by their side with his slicked back blonde hair above a red mask, hands sped together ready to please. "Everything hase together as expected. Please let me know if there is anythingcking, and it shall be taken care of."


    "Thank you, Calix," Graeme told him, withholding hispliments or praise until the night was further along.


    August noticed this as one difference between them¡ªshe felt moved to congratte the male right away on the sess of putting all of this together. It was an impressive feat after all, but it would be premature. The night had just begun, and there was still much to happen. She could feel a deeper reluctance in Graeme toward Calix as well, as if he didn''t fully trust the smooth-talking male or his trust was yet to be fully won.


    Calix grinned, his eyes twinkling with the aplishment of this night.. This was something he found a great sense of pride and purpose in, and he bowed to them both before turning to deal with the next pressing issue as a sea of bodies swallowed him.

 Chapter 265 - Feeding The Babies

    Greta appeared with two tes of food. There were fruits, meats, and soul cakes, and she grinned as she handed one to August.


    "You need this too, sis," she said, taking a bite of a chocte covered strawberry.


    "Thanks," August said cautiously, studying the te.


    "Trust me. Eat before it gets too busy. Then you won''t have a chance to and you''ll be starving all night," Greta mumbled.


    Graeme chuckled next to them, still holding August''s hand secure as if he was reluctant to let her go for even a moment.


    "Should I get you some food too, Alpha?" Greta asked, taking another bite of fruit.


    "I''m okay right now. I can share with my mate if necessary," he smirked, admiring the two most important women in his life right now who were standing before him on this auspicious night. He was blessed.


    August sampled a traditional soul cake¡ªone she had not yet tasted¡ªand nodded her approval before turning to Graeme to offer him a bite. He allowed her to feed it to him, taking the whole rest of the cake in his mouth and making her giggle.


    "Feeding the babies?" Sam came up next to Greta and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled in response to it.


    "Good evening," came Charlotte''s gentle voice, greeting them as she appeared like magic out of the sea of bodies around them that parted for her. "You all look beautiful."


    She hugged each of them and kissed the air next to their cheeks, pausing as she beheld August. "And you, my dear, look like a Luna."


    "Thank you, Charlotte," August smiled. "I love your dress."


    The regal air with which Charlotte carried herself befit the asion. She truly looked as if she could be the queen here. Her hair was twisted out around her head like a crown, and she had a gold mask that shone brilliantly in its contrast against her dark skin.


    "Thank you, dear. Yours is heavenly," she replied before turning to Graeme. "And our Alpha has decided against his bowtie I see," she chuckled.


    Graeme cleared his throat, for the first time feeling the pang of guilt at changing as earning the disapproval from the elder female would mean the disapproval of someone he greatly respected.


    "It wasn''tfortable," he answered, trying to maintain the dignity of his status with the deep husk of his voice, though in truth he sounded like a pup objecting to clothes his parents were trying to force on him. The females around him¡ªGreta, August, and Charlotte¡ªall grinned in amusement.


    "You look as you should," Charlotte chuckled. "I see you have your father''s medallion," her hand gestured toward his neck.


    "Do you know much about it?" Greta asked. "We were talking about the raven and daylight myth beforeing here, but no one knows why Maggie chose it for our father."


    "I know of the legend, but I am not sure why she chose that one specifically for your father," she answered. "Magnolia was very close with your parents but not with many others. It is unlikely anyone else knew but them."


    They all stared at the pendant resting against Graeme''s chest as they considered the mystery that might not be solved.


    "But I know they all would have been proud to see you wearing it," Charlotte added, admiring it on him. "We are blessed to have you back with us." She grabbed his arms and patted them again, offering him a blessing of her own.


    "Can I get you some food, Charlotte?" Sam offered from Greta''s side.


    "No, thank you Samuel. Our circle is outside seated at one of the tables there if any of you should wish to join us," she turned to smile at Greta and August, her eyes crinkling as she did, "though I suspect you will be kept busy most of the night."


    "We wille find you," August assured her, and with that Charlotte nodded her departure.


    "I don''t think I''m going to be able to eat this," August told Greta, offering her the te.


    "Oh, okay. Is something wrong?" Greta''s face scrunched in concern.


    August shook her head, cing a hand over her stomach. "My stomach just feels a little off."


    A spark of understanding lit on Greta''s face, and she winked. "It''s starting," she said, nudging her.


    "I hope you''re wrong," Augustughed, though it turned into a groan as she imagined dealing with the kind of nausea she had seen Greta have.


    "Lycan pups are ornery in the womb. I wouldn''t be surprised if you are sick for awhile," Greta smirked.


    "You look too happy about it," August chuckled.


    Greta shrugged,ughing as she did. "I''m sorry. It''s just a good sign. Your pup is healthy. Remind me tomorrow after all of this and I''ll give you a check-up. Maybe we can even hear the heartbeat. Wouldn''t that be fun?"


    August''s eyes went wide behind her mask imagining it, and she felt Graeme''s arm snake behind her back and surround her once again with the warmth of his proximity. Her male was touched by this thought of hearing their child''s heartbeat as well. She could feel the way it soothed something deep within him. Who would have known it was a pup that would bring him such reassurance about their future here.


    "I would like that," August answered.


    "Are you going to monopolize your mate all night?" Greta then asked, shooting a look to her brother. "I want to take her out back where Charlotte and the others are."


    "We just got here," Graeme replied, a small bite to his tone reserved only for her. "We will make our way back there, I assure you."


    August ran a hand up his back against the soft velvet of his jacket. In truth, she didn''t wish to be parted from him either, and she could sense the eagerness of those around them to be the next to speak with them both. The pack members desired to witness their Alpha and Luna together. It was like a pulse of excited expectation in their surroundings.


    Greta grabbed one of August''s hands and squeezed it with a small smile. "You know where to find me, then."


    "Shall I stay by you, brother?" Sam asked, requesting permission to depart with his mate.


    Graeme shook his head, allowing his Beta the freedom to go enjoy the night until things began heating upter.

 Chapter 266 - You Are An Angel

    All the names and masked faces of those wishing to greet their Alpha and Luna were dizzying, but August tucked each one of them into her heart, determined to remember them all¡ªif not by name, then by feeling. By the signature energy that they brought that she recognized.


    Many of them August had seen before out in the market. Some she even knew already, like Ana who made a pumpkin gto especially for Samhain and brought August a small cup of it to try. August lifted the spoon to Graeme''s lips, allowing him the first bite, hoping that would please the young female because honestly August''s stomach was not up for trying anything new, especially anything pumpkin vored, at the moment.


    Ana grinned at the reaction Graeme gave. "It is very good," he told her.


    Woody and ra brought their grandchildren to introduce to August and Graeme as well, and August beamed seeing the family together. The pups were respectful despite their obvious desire to be running around elsewhere, but one little girl tugged on August''s dress, looking up at her with starry eyes. August bent down to show she had her full attention.


    "What''s your name?" August asked the pup who appeared to be around three or four years old.


    "ra," she answered.


    "You are named after your grandmother?" August asked, smiling at the elder ra who stood above them. The little girl nodded her head slowly.


    "Are you an angel?" the little ra asked.


    "No, I''m not an angel. But maybe you are," August winked at her.


    "But you are glowing like an angel," the sweet voice answered.


    "That is because she carries a very important baby in her belly," the elder ra told her.


    "Wow!" the pup eximed, shifting her eyes to August''s midsection as if she would be able to see evidence of it there. "Is your baby an angel?"


    "Come ra, let''s go see what games they have outside," her grandmother told her, tugging gently on her hand.


    August giggled and pushed off of her legs to stand back up next to her mate. "I''ll see youter!" she called after the pup who was being pulled away but couldn''t manage to take her eyes off of the glowing Luna.


    "Where are Andreas and Pearce?" a harsh voice drew August''s attention back to her mate. The male who it belonged to didn''t bother wearing a mask. His face was lined in fury, dark eyes shing a threat that held no care for the title of those before him.


    "Damon," Graeme acknowledged the male by name.


    August could feel the restraint that climbed her mate''s body, which was reacting to the threat it sensed from the male before them. But the only evidence of this was the way his hand held hers just a little tighter. Graeme was the picture of control like any good Alpha should be, confident of himself and his leadership. There would always be much that threatened to try his patience.


    "Tell me. They have been missing all day," Damon spoke low, attempting to keep his own emotions controlled but he was clearly having a much more difficult time with it.


    "Why is it you were seeking them?" Graeme asked, head tilting to the side with the question. Unspoken but implied was the second question of whether Damon was ignoring the change of power that had urred, as Andreas and Pearce were Graeme''s elders¡ªreporting to him just as Damon should be. Should the elders still bemunicating with Damon about jobs they had for him, they would be considered ndestine and a potential betrayal of authority.


    Damon did not respond to it, but his eyes became steely as he attempted to pierce through Graeme''s calm.


    "Damon, we have not met," August spoke now, drawing the male''s attention away from her mate.


    His eyes flickered to her and she saw a small waiver in his exterior, a desire she brought to him to ept the hope that was painted on her skin. She offered him a genuine smile. This was a member of their pack, just as every other individual in here. And with that, the small fault line that had begun in him with her voice and her appearance gave way, splintering across his fury and breaking it open to reveal the warm loyalty to his pack underneath.


    "We have not," his voice turned gentle much to her surprise, but she allowed herself to appear as if it was expected. She was his Luna. It was what she brought out in him. He bowed his head slightly, eyes touching the floor before returning them to her, and she saw the glow of her promise reflected there. "It is a pleasure, Luna."


    While she did not fully understand why, she lifted her hand for him to take gently and kiss before allowing it to fall back by her side. It was if this was a practice she had done many times with all members of the pack, but truly this was the first. And the acknowledgment it brought from him¡ªthat she was his Luna, that she was the Moon Goddess'' blessed choice for this pack¡ªdissolved the rest of the anger he had brought with him to her mate.


    She felt something from Damon connect with her at that moment just as she had felt with others in the pack before. It was like an invisible bond that vibrated in acknowledgment both ways, and if it were visible, she felt it would lead straight from her heart into his. He seemed to feel it too, as his eyes broadened slightly and watered before fluttering away from her and to Graeme, whom he now also looked upon differently. With nothing more than a slight bow to Graeme as well, they watched as Damon turned and walked away from them, the demand for an answer to his question abandoned.


    Graeme let out a soft exhale and, with no one demanding his attention at the moment, turned to his remarkable mate by his side. Did she realize what she had just aplished in that short but significant exchange? No one could have guided her on how to handle that better than how she had. He would have actually preferred to keep hostility like Damon''s far from her in order to protect her from whatever fallout may ur, but instead, she had somehow touched that male deeply.


    "I think little ra was right.. You are an Angel," a grin pulled at his lips as he raised her hand to brush against them.

 Chapter 267 - Dance With Me

    Music Rmendation for this chapter: Ocie Elliott "Without You"


    "Dance with me," Graeme took her hand and raised it to his shoulder, bringing her nearer to him with a hand on her waist. And then she was consumed by those dark, intense eyes of his and the warmth that cloaked her.


    August saw Indigo trade her violin for a guitar and then the band started a slower song. Like all the others, this song was one she had not heard yed before. These were not melodies that were familiar to anyone living outside this pack. They were unique to this ce and to these people, and in that way they were like a living soundtrack for their lives which were special and hidden and sacred.


    August wasn''t sure if it was the chords she felt piercing and vibrating her chest or if it was this connection with the male in front of her and the way his entire being sang to hers that made her body light from within. With one hand on her waist and one hand holding her own, Graeme guided her. Other mated couples were dancing around them as well, each pair in their own little universe. Each existing solely for the other.


    Indigo''s voice started, rich and resonant and breathy in ces, lilting along with the chords. "I want to know you," she sang and gazed out over the heads of those dancing as the light from the chandeliers sparkled in her eyes, "you want to know me."


    The male in the band joined her, his voice the perfectpanion to hers. "I want to hold you, honey," he sang between the plucking of strings, "You want to hold me."


    "They''re mates," August smiled and closed her eyes, feeling their lyrics. She could hear it in their voices, in the way they rose and fell and danced with each other. They were speaking to each other.


    "Can''t you see," Indigo''s voice joined her mate''s in the chorus, and without watching them, August could feel the way the male''s head angled toward Indigo''s to catch her eyes as they sang, "I need you."


    "This music," August spoke softly to Graeme, seeing the music behind her eyes now¡ªthe golden waves that passed over them all in this room. "Do you feel that?" she asked him.


    He watched her light up in his arms with her eyes closed listening, and he bowed closer to her warmth.


    "Close your eyes," she whispered to have him obey, "I''m not talking about just us and how we react to the music. Listen to how their voices start and run along the length of their throat, vibrating in a way that''s unique to each of them. If you listen, you can actually see them just by how the sound moves along their bodies. Can you see it... even in this area?" she asked, taking her hand from him and running it along his nose and cheeks. "You can feel iting through them."


    Without warning, he suddenly felt or heard or saw what she was describing--just not with his eyes. He was somehow seeing it, feeling it, with his body. The voices of the singers lit, vibrating against the membranes in their throats and mouths and even up into the rest of their physical being, which somehow shaped the sounds of their voices that were then shared in waves on the air.


    Was this what the Veiled was like for August? Was he feeling it through her? It was like an entirely new sense that was illuminated through his connection with her, as if she were sharing it with him. He could feel their mate bond as deep and profound as always, but now it was like it was branching out, connecting to the bodies around them in a rhythm that united them all.


    "And the guitar strings," she continued exining this sensation, "how each string is its own but also more than that when united with the others in each chord¡­. just like us¡ªour bodies swaying with it feeling it move through us, extending out into the room and everyone in it in waves, moving through everyone and rippling back, uniting us all," she sighed, breathless and mesmerized by the feeling she was trying tomunicate to him.


    Indigo''s voice lilted with the male''s in harmony: "Can''t you see? I need you¡­"


    Graeme felt the music run up his legs and over his knees before the abrupt stop of a high note hit him in the chest, and he clutched August tighter, bowing closer to her as the darkness lit behind his eyes with the golden music she was describing. Softer notes from Indigo''s guitar continued ying like a palimpsest in the background that danced across his shoulders and neck before lifting away from him to whirl in the air like a wing taking flight. It was beautiful¡ªthis Veiled vision his mate was able to share with him.


    "It''s like the negative space, the distance, that appears to be between all of us is an illusion," he spoke deep and quiet for only her to hear, "We are the strings and it just takes the right chord to feel us all moving together."


    "You feel it," August smiled, her eyes still closed as Graeme''s opened to study her now in amazement, seeing her in an entirely new way. She was a portal to this intimate connection with his pack. He looked at her now, he felt her, and in so doing he could feel them all. She was more of a Luna than he ever knew it was possible for anyone to be.


    And safely enfolded within her was a life they had created together¡ªone that further united them all.


    His bottom lip dropped with the full force of this revtion. He knew all of these things before, but he had not felt them this deeply. He had not seen what she could see or felt the chords that connected every member of his pack the way she could feel them.


    "August," he whispered.


    His voice sounded different, like it was choked with emotion, and she opened her eyes to meet his. They stopped dancing. The music continued, but between the two of them time had ceased.


    Graeme reached to lift the mask from her face, removing his own as well, and for several moments all that she was aware of was the breath shared between them softly lifting her chest and causing her lips to tremble at the well of tears in her mate''s eyes. This was the pulse of existence between them. They were at the center of it.


    And then he slowly closed the distance between them¡ªso slowly, her breath caught anticipating his lips on hers that when she finally felt them, it was like an explosion of sensation. And like an explosion, the kiss that began slow and then deepened rushed with shared force through the bodies of everyone in the pack.. They all felt it, all heads turning in their vicinity to behold the Alpha and Luna at their center.

 Chapter 268 - Of Course Its A Real Name

    "Holy shit, what was that?" Lucas almost fell over in his chair with the sudden bright burning wholeness that med at the center of his chest.


    Zoe, yet to be renamed so grudgingly epting the previous moniker, had her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched the festivities urring out the window down below. There were pups running and dancing around the huge fire, chasing each other further out into the cover of woods where activities seemed to be set up for them. Long pic tables were filled with people eating and visiting. It looked like a family reunion¡ªa giant family reunion. And she was on the outside looking in like usual.


    She had told Lucas to go enjoy himself with the rest of the pack, but for some reason he was still stubbornly here acting as if he actually wanted to be.


    But when Lucas braced himself from falling and grimaced with a hand over his chest, she sprung from her perch by the window.


    "What''s wrong?" she stood before him frozen, unsure if she should approach him to try to help. He was lycan, he should be fine. Right?


    He let his hand drop to his side and gazed into the space in front of him, analyzing what that feeling was. It was like there had been something missing and now there wasn''t.


    "Nothing''s wrong," he shook his head, realizing the girl was still staring at him. "Check out the window," he told her, because he had a feeling now what it might have been. If he was right, it would probably be pretty obvious.


    Zoe''s eyebrows pinched together over her dark eyes not understanding, but she walked to the window anyway. Everyone seemed to have their heads facing the same direction¡ªtoward the pack house. The running and ying had ceased. Some pups were slowly returning to their feet from where they had toppled onto the ground, and they were looking around like they were in a daze.


    "What happened?" she asked as Lucas came to stand next to her, viewing the initial confusion that turned into a sudden apparent joy. People were sping their hands in front of themselves, hugging, jumping up and down, spinning around alone and together, rushing into the pack house and out of view.


    Zoe turned to Lucas who hadn''t responded but had a huge grin on his face. And then he chuckled to himself.


    "I wish you could feel it, Zoe," he said softly.


    She took a step back, distancing herself from whatever thing she wasn''t apart of. "Feel what?"


    He sighed and continued gazing out the window. Was that¡ªwere tears actually welling in his eyes? Her mouth dropped open.


    Lucas cleared his throat. "I had a mate," he said. The admission felt like a sharp stab through his center. It was still painful, nearly taking his breath even now. "She died before she even knew what I was to her."


    Without realizing it, Zoe had taken a few more steps back, her arms folded over herself as she listened. But Lucas was so young¡­ he had a mate already? And lost her?


    "I haven''t felt this¡­ hopeful in a long time," he sighed again, turning to cast her in the light of his smile.


    Zoe didn''t know what to do with any of this information or what it meant. But she was happy for him.


    "Maybe you should go enjoy it with the rest of them, Lucas. Don''t you need to get dressed or something?" she asked.


    "Nah," he shrugged off the suggestion. "Nobody cares what I''m dressed in. I''m not worried about it. Especially since we''ll be showing upte."


    "Why are you still here?" she asked miserably.


    She didn''t mean for it to sound so miserable, but the dread of having to face all of these joyous people and tell them what she had been involved in was bing greater as the day went on. And now whatever happened that had made them so happy would mean a greater fall into shock and despair and anger for them all. She could feel it like a looming, sure threat¡ªtheir hatred of her. A heavy knot was forming in her stomach, and she gulped back the bile that rose with it.


    "Do you want to be alone?" he asked.


    "Maybe," her voice was quiet.


    She didn''t know what she wanted other than for this night to just be over with. Everything was looking up for this pack, and she was happy about that¡ªespecially after the part she had yed here. But the sinking feeling of loneliness that had gued her all of her days had grown¡ªeven more so after watching the way Lucas lit up in response to some unseen connection to his people. She would never have that.


    "Yeah¡ªyou know, I need to get dressed anyway. You should go," she nodded, turning away from him to avoid his eyes or his stubbornness.


    "Okay. I''lle back, Dolores," he said.


    She stopped and turned abruptly with a confused look on her face.


    "And I''ll bring a masquerade mask for you, so don''t worry about the stitches," he added, making his way to the door.


    "Dolores?" she asked.


    "Do you like that one?" he paused, grinning as he turned to get her reaction.


    "I''m not a Dolores," she sputtered augh.


    "Nancy?" he asked. She giggled and shook her head. "Camille? Cami? O?"


    "O?" she repeated, screwing her face up. "Is that a real name?"


    "Don''t be immature, O. Of course it''s a real name."


    She shook her head, fighting against theughter that he seemed to effortlessly draw from her.


    "How about Olga?" he tried as she walked him the rest of the way to the door since he was having trouble leaving by himself. "Virginia? Suzanne?"


    "Bye Lucas," she chuckled, rolling her eyes as he finally disappeared through the doorway and she shut the door behind him. She leaned against it and let out a soft exhale. Finally she was alone. A small frown settled on her face.


    The door opened slightly, pushing her forward as it did, and Lucas stuck his head through.


    "Naomi," he offered the final name before letting her shove him out.


    She closed the door once again behind him, locking it this time with a sputter ofughter escaping her lips.. And then she turned to find the dress for tonight withughter continuing to bubble in her chest, frown forgotten.

 Chapter 269 - Meant For All

    Graeme wove his fingers through August''s hair, cradling her head in his hands as he kissed her¡ªhis female, his mate, the mother of his unborn child, the Luna of his pack. And the whole pack felt the depth of their connection.


    At that moment, it didn''t matter that their Luna was human or alyko or whatever she technically was that wasn''t lycan, because they felt the union between her and their Alpha in the centermost part of their being. It zed through them all with a uniting me that burned away any doubt. How could they doubt what they felt so assuredly in the very center of themselves?


    Graeme and August felt it, too. This was no ordinary kiss. With it, all of the pack members came alive behind their eyes like golden beings of light. They were aware of them all without having to see them or scent them. They could feel the pulse of their existence and each of their unique energy signatures. Like the undergroundwork of rhizomes that connect sprouts of new growth from the soil, they were all energetically inteced.


    When Graeme reluctantly pulled away, he rested his forehead against August''s for a moment and exhaled, adjusting to this new awareness of all of those around them. The joy of the pack was rushing in, surrounding them. It was an overwhelming sensation.


    August''s chest was rising and falling with deep, measured breaths as she tried to adjust to this as well. She had gotten twinges of this connection between her and various pack members prior to this, but whatever had just happened between her and Graeme that expanded to the rest of the pack was so much more consuming. She could feel them all. There had to be a way to turn this off and only use it when it was beneficial¡ªjust like the Veiled.


    Graeme sped her hands in his and kissed her forehead and her eyes and her cheeks, bringing the connection between just the two of them to the fore of her awareness so that everyone else settled into the background. She giggled softly. His love and affection and strength bnced the tide of attention that was heading their way.


    "You and me, Moon," he breathed against her.


    She smiled and nodded her understanding. They were in this leadership role together, and anything she felt overwhelming her would be bnced by him¡ªthe steadying power and strength by her side.


    Finally, they both looked up to meet the sparkling eyes of their pack members who had gathered around, drawn to the source of this brilliant unseen me that united them all. Not only was this female mated to their Alpha glowing with the assurance of the Moon Goddess'' blessing, but she was a part of them¡ªan indispensable part of of them that they could feel now without any doubt.


    Her and Graeme stood there speechless but holding hands, allowing themselves to be seen and appreciated by everyone flooding into the pack house, pressing in and jumping up and down to get a glimpse of their Alpha and Luna. Tonight was unlike anything the people here had expected. It was not a typical Samhain.


    Finally Charlotte, Sylvia, Sam, and Greta were able to make their way through the crowd toward where the Alpha and Luna were standing in the center of all of this attention.


    "You two are remarkable," Charlotte spoke as she embraced them.


    "There is much to celebrate," Greta eximed, turning to address the whole of the crowd while also using her enthusiasm like a shield for the stunned Alpha and Luna behind her. "This is a historic Samhain. We have an Alpha and Luna for the first time in many years, and as we all can see, they are expecting the next heir of our people. And all of this on a full moon!"


    The excited cheers and raised voices pulsing with energy to celebrate this remarkable feeling they were sharing as a united pack rose in agreement to Greta''s words.


    "Let''s thank our Mother Moon tonight for all that we have been given this season before the dark months of winter. Graeme and August will be able toe around and visit with each of you throughout the evening, and then we will have the pure fire to disperse for everyone''s hearthster," she added, gesturing toward the open doors at the back of the room where most of them had rushed in.


    Gradually the thrilled faces of those in the pack made their way back out the doors toward the forest and the fire, waiting untilter for an opportunity to touch and embrace the couple that had unexpectedly invaded something deep and necessary enfolded within them.


    When Greta turned back around to her brother and August, they smiled appreciatively. August was now visibly trembling, and Graeme pulled her in closer to his side, reaching up to ce a hand against her cheek knowing that feeling his skin against hers would calm her even more just as it had the first night he found her.


    He grinned remembering it now¡ªhow all of this had started when he found her in the Grimm that day. How August had been in the ice bath anticipating a shot of medication from Greta to relieve the pain she was in, and he had been afraid to even touch her again. Her pain and vulnerability caused him so much fear at the time for the weakness it would likely bring him. But when he wrapped his arm around her in the bath that night, she had instantly rxed¡ªbelieving it to have been the medication that took effect rather than the mate bond that her body recognized and was soothed by.


    And now not only had she strengthened him in ways that he would have never imagined at the time, she had touched his entire pack, bringing them all full circle to a ce where they wereplete.


    August let out a tremulous breath. "That just happened," she said softly, giggling at how iprehensible this was. She was connected to all of these people, to this entire pack, through her bond with the male next to her. Other than when Graeme had marked her and they mated, this was the most intimate and touching thing she had ever experienced.


    Greta walked forward and hugged her, holding her in her arms for longer than usual as their hearts spoke to one another.


    "You are incredible, sis," Greta finally spoke into her hair, giving her an extra squeeze before letting her go. "Thank you for being here."


    "Where else would she be?" Graeme''s deep voice spoke from August''s side, squeezing her hand again. "She wasn''t just meant for me, she was meant for all of us, wasn''t she?"


    "You are certainly right about that, Alpha," Sylvia agreed.

 Chapter 270 - Visitor

    Andreas was wilted in his cell, sitting in the corner with his hands hanging over his knees. The pain from his healing jaw was finally gone, the bones set as they had been prior to Graeme''s interference between him and Zosime. Now there was only a lingering soreness to remember the injury by.


    It was Samhain. The day had finallye, but now all he could do was sit back and wait to see how everything unfolded. Either he would end the day burning in the pure fire¡ªsomething that was too horrendous to fathom¡ªor he would be back in his position as a venerated elder in the pack.


    He hadn''t been given any water, so he still had Zosime''s dried blood on his face. It tightened over his skin, creating a mask that he was itching to be rid of. Even if he shifted into his wolf, it would be difficult to get the blood off. No amount of licking his paws and running them over his muzzle was going to do at this point.


    And that meant her scent was choking him. She was all he could smell. It was maddening.


    At one point, he was banging on the cell door demanding water from a passing guard, but he was ignored. His throat was dry. His face was dry. Her blood was dry.


    All he could do was wait. Wait in this seemingly endless darkness.


    And then it happened. The burning wholeness that med through his center.


    At first he thought he was in the mes of the fire. Perhaps he had cked out from dehydration and was mercifully spared the humiliation of facing the pack and hearing the evidence against him and Pearce. Straight to the mes. He could handle that.


    But then the fire was gone, leaving a glowing warmth in his chest like a precious metal that had been forged into a new form. He sat stunned. What had just happened?


    He now had a hopeful sense of being...plete with a fierce instinct to protect that source ofpletion. But he hadn''t marked anyone. He hadn''t been marked.


    "Fuck," he grumbled, rising to his feet. He wed at the tightness of his face and raked a hand through his hair as he began pacing the cell.


    Something profound had obviously happened between Graeme and his mate. Something¡­ perfect and divine that pierced through his center. If he felt it, everyone else had felt it.


    How could he repair the pack after losing an Alpha and Luna now? After this?


    His pupils dted in fear over it for the first time. The pack could ovee losing the supposed Luna. Half of them didn''t believe she could truly be their true Luna anyway given that she wasn''t even lycan. They could even get over losing an unborn pup who was the Hallowell heir. But now¡­ but now he didn''t know if they could get over this.


    He had to get out of this cell. He had to run. Or warn them. Maybe if he told them what he had done and what wasing, they would have a chance.


    He paced, chuckling maniacally to himself. This new stupid bond he somehow shared with his Alpha and Luna was responsible for the panicky thoughts. He felt like a pup who could be sheltered if he ran home to his parents despite how hopeless he knew the situation was. They could never fight back against the ancient creature that wasing. Andreas would be cowering behind them, facing the same sure end as they were.


    "Fuck," he repeated, pulling at his hair.


    He had done everything he could. He had done everything right. How had ite to this? Now he couldn''t see a way out.


    Just as the true hopelessness of this situation was beginning to make itself known, creeping from the dark recesses of his mind, an eerie crackling sound had him freezing in his tracks. It sounded like the first pops of logs in the fire, but there was no fire here.


    His eyes darted to the darkest corner of his cell where the sound happened again, this time louder before splintering toward him along the ground and under his feet. The ground had turned from a dull stone to a frozen glossy sheen, and a deep cold sprung from it, rising in the air and pebbling the skin under his clothes.


    "Andreas," a voice raspy with disuse, sounding somehow frozen itself called him from outside the cell door.


    He was here. And He had chosen to visit Andreas first.


    The lock of the door fell, dislodged by an unseen force. The heavy weight of it hitting the floor made Andreas jump in his skin. Then the door slowly creaked open.


    The ancient one stood unmoving behind it, the smallest glint of light shining in His otherwise pitch ck eyes. Andreas couldn''t look away. He was frozen like the ground beneath his feet.


    Finally the creature took a step toward him, still holding Andreas captive with those empty soulless eyes of His.


    "You have not taken care of your gift," the voice crackled and sliced through the air. A cold hand shot out from beneath His cloak and gripped Andreas face, the thumb running along his cheek and sloughing off the dried blood beneath.


    "Sh-she betrayed me," Andreas stuttered, trembling despite himself.


    "Zosime is capable of no such thing," He answered. "Unless she was first betrayed."


    Andreas was freed from the icy hand, but he stood shaking, unable to move.


    "She is no longer yours," He said then, beginning to retreat from the cell room.


    "Z-zagan," Andreas stuttered in an idiotic moment of desperation to stall the monster in his cell.


    The retreating form froze before rushing back to him with terrifying speed. The hand was around his throat, piercing ck eyes boring usingly into his.


    "You do not speak that name," He said, lifting the elder lycan now by his throat. "Who have you told of that name?" The voice had turned deep and chilling like an entirely different person was speaking now.


    Andreas shook his head frantically, making choking sounds as he instinctively grasped at the arm holding him in an attempt to release himself.

 Chapter 271 - Haunted Forest

    Dear Readers, so far for this month, golden tickets have earned 8 bonus chapters! You all are amazing! Starting tonight, I will release 3-4 chapters a day until the end of the month to repay you for the love. I hope that works for you all rather than one big chunk at the end! Hugs! <3


    *******


    "Luna August!" the familiar pups called, racing to her when they saw here outside.


    "Luna!"


    "You look like an angel!"


    "She looks like a faerie!"


    "Look at our masks!"


    "How did you and Alpha do that, Luna? I can feel you in my heart!"


    "I feel them, too!"


    "I felt it first! You didn''t even know what was happening, Bear!"


    "You are so beautiful, Luna!"


    All of the pups she taught in art gathered around her, talking excitedly and making herugh. Graeme was speaking with some males in the pack a few yards away, ncing toward her and smiling at the exuberance of the youth who adored his mate.


    "You all look so wonderful," she told them. "Are you happy with your masks?"


    "Oh yes, look!" Clementine answered, and she put her mask over her head, little eyes peaking out through the holes they had made in the flower mask.


    "Look at that. What a beautiful flower," August''s eyes crinkled.


    The rest of the pups put their masks on as well, all falling rtively silent as they waited to be simrly adored and praised by their Luna.


    "Come," Alexander pulled her hand. "You have to see the haunted forest! It''s so creepy and cool."


    "Haunted forest?" she said, imitating a scared expression as they pulled on her hands, leading her away from the fire.


    She looked back at Graeme who was watching their interaction as he continued his conversation, and when their eyes met, he nodded. He knew where they were taking her, and the events that had transpired now with the whole pack feeling the union between them gave him the assurance that she was safe. It was without doubt now¡ªshe was home here, which meant she was safer now here than anywhere else in the world. Each one of their people wouldy down their life for her. The immense peace of that realization was unlike anything he had felt prior to this night. It was like they were truly a family for the first time since his parents'' murders and perhaps even before that.


    Alexander pulled her under one of the triangr arches leading out of the backyard area behind the pack house with the rest of the pups skipping or running around them toward the haunted forest. The white lights strung up around the outdoor area did not continue this way nor did the bonfire light reach far past the tree line, so there were eerie angr shadows cast in front of them as they went further into the darkness of the forest. If it weren''t for the excited chatter and squeals around her, August imagined that this walk would be quite frightening.


    After making an abrupt turn further into the denser part of the forest, they caught sight of what was apparently the entrance to the haunted area. Up ahead, there were red lights hidden on either side of the path somewhere in the underbrush and tilted upward to make the trees on either side and vines hung between them appear like gates to the underworld.


    While August was walking forward, eyes trained on the glow of the entrance in front of her and the pups who were now sprinting ahead, something dark and solid bumped into her side and she screeched, jumping back with eyes wide to readjust to the depths of shadows. The object swung back, creaking on its rope before slowly swinging her way once again, gradually losing momentum. She squinted and realized it was a stuffed figure hanging from a tree before recognizing that it was not the only one. There were many of these hanging shapes all lining the path toward the entrance of this haunted forest.


    She shivered. It was too reminiscent of the true horrors she had seen traces of in suicide forest the day she wandered away from Eliade. Did the pups really enjoy these kind of scares?


    "Come on, Luna!" one of the sweet voices called from ahead, and she tore her eyes away from the hanging figure and continued walking on, less enthusiastic now about whaty ahead.


    "Are you okay, Luna August?" Finn''s voice surprised her from behind, causing her to jump again and then giggle at how scared she already was.


    "Finn!" sheughed, cing a hand on her chest. "I guess I am already jumpy out here."


    "Is it okay if I join you?" he asked, his expressioncking any amusement. Clearly he was back to taking his job very seriously.


    "Of course," she nodded, shifting to walk on the side of the path where he would have room next to her.


    "This is the first year for something like this," he thought aloud. "I heard it was some of the juveniles who came up with the idea."


    "This kind of thing is very popr during the whole month of October where Ie from. There are actually some haunted attractions that operate all year long," she told him, thinking back to all of the haunted houses and hay rides that would be advertised near Maiden Rock.


    "Wow," he responded in amazement. "You would go to them?"


    "I only went to a few when I was much younger, but they were fun. It''s all about the jump scare," she chuckled.


    "What''s a jump scare?" he tilted his head her way as they got closer to the red trees ahead.


    "Oh, well it''s something that scares you purely because it''s a surprise. Like if someone jumps out of the shadows unexpectedly. Have you ever watched scary movies?"


    "No, Luna August," he shook his head, bewildered.


    "If you watched a scary movie or two you would understand immediately," she giggled.


    "I don''t scare easily," he told her. "I don''t think most lycans do, honestly, which is probably why we have never had a haunted forest before."


    "Hmmm, I can understand that. But the pups seem to enjoy it," she smiled, nodding toward those who were running and shrieking ahead of them.


    "Most of them don''t really scare easily either," heughed. "I think it may be the novelty of this that they like the most."


    "If they don''t scare easily does that mean this haunted forest is going to be super terrifying for someone like me?" she asked, amused now at her growing understanding of how something like hanging figures wouldn''t phase the pups she was with. It made sense. Lycans had their senses attuned differently to help identify true threats.


    "It''s possible, Luna August," Finn smirked.


    "Well it''s a good thing you''re here then, Finn.. Although I should apologize now, because you may hear me scream."

 Chapter 272 - Haunted Forest 2

    It was funny walking through the haunted forest with Finn, because he walked casually, barely blinking an eye at any of the supposed scares and chatting with her as if they were out on just any walk through forest. Meanwhile, the pups and juveniles were doing their best to scare both of them, and they were at least seeding with their Luna who was jumping and releasing little shrieks of surprise every time they were able to catch her off guard.


    There was one point when Finn bristled a little with anxiety, and that was when someone jumped out of the forest draped in a sheet covered in leaves. It was as if a piece of the forest hade alive, as there was only the leafy shapeless form that sprang into their path. Finn darted in front of August, shielding her with his body as a snarl erupted from his throat.


    "Mr. Finn! It''s just me!" the young lycan pulled off the leaf-covered disguise, raising his hands in surrender beforeughing at the sess of fooling one of the perimeter runners for the council.


    August stood watching Finn''s back fighting a smile until he visibly rxed and turned to face her.


    "The leaves disguised his scent," he grumbled, unhappy that he had been taken by surprise.


    Suddenly Sage ran toward them, grabbing August''s hand excitedly and pulling her forward. "Luna, follow me!" he said, a wide grin on his face.


    She allowed him to tug her along, and then they were bumping into ghosts and stepping on something crunching under their feet.


    "What are we walking over?" she grimaced, ncing down, afraid to truly know.


    "Bones," Sage giggled as he stomped harder ahead of her.


    "Bones?" she asked, emphasizing the word to make sure she heard him right. "Real bones?"


    "Some are real," Sage shrugged.


    The instantaneous horror of that revtion was erased when she saw the pure joy on the pup''s face. For some reason, he was really enjoying this. There were times during art ss and when she saw him with some of the other pups that she caught that joy breaking through little by little, but much of the time Sage was so reserved and serious.


    Finn was crunching along behind them, and August turned to him to confirm what Sage said. "Are these really bones?"


    "They might be," he chuckled at the look on her face.


    "What? What kind of bones?" her eyes widened.


    "Small prey animals like birds and squirrels, I''m sure. Or they could be using pretzels. It feels like abination to me," he looked down at the dark path under their feet.


    How could he tell when they were wearing shoes? August decided not to ask, but she paused her steps, slowly lifting a foot before cing it back down to feel the crunch again.


    "You are easy to scare," Finn chuckled.


    "I told you," she joined him in the softughter. "But you know, a collection of bones is not exactlymon for me."


    "Really? But they have so many uses," he replied.


    "Like what?" she asked, bewildered.


    "Well, props for a haunted forest for one," he smirked.


    "I don''t make many haunted forests," she chuckled. "Besides that."


    "Fertilizer is the most obvious," he shrugged.


    "Really? Bones help nts?"


    "Bones have phosphorous, which is needed for nts to grow. When we nt gardens, we ground up bones and add them to the soil. You''ll see it in the spring," he smiled.


    "What else do you use bones for?" she asked, head tilting with curiosity.


    How had she not known that bones were aponent in fertilizer? It made sense¡ªwhen animals die, their bones get absorbed by the earth, which in turn uses the remains to promote more life. Life and death were not exclusive events but rather twin movements, inextricably tied.


    "They were used for musical instruments at one time," Finn exined. "They''ve also been used for dishes and decoration and jewelry."


    "Wow," August nodded, increasingly aware of how naive she was about something so simple. "How have I gone through life without collecting my own share of bones?" she asked, smiling to herself.


    "Well it''s never toote to start, Luna," he teased, reaching down to find a small bone and offering it to her.


    "You know, I think maybe I''ll wait and start my collection another time," she chuckled, backing away from the offering and allowing him to drop it back on the ground.


    "I tried," he shrugged, turning back to the dark path in front of them.


    Sage had scampered away again to investigate the next exciting thing, leaving Finn and August to walk at a casual pace once again.


    "Ugh, what is that smell?" August pinched her nose and looked around. It smelled like rotting flesh.


    "Cheese," Finnughed seeing her expression.


    "Cheese?" she cried. How could that be cheese? How could anyone eat something that smelled like that?


    "Luna," Finn called, gesturing for her to lean closer. "There are some pups hiding up ahead that are waiting to scare you."


    "Oh," she nodded, whispering back. "How do you know?"


    "Scent," he told her. "I just don''t want you to be too scared when it happens."


    A crooked grin bloomed on her face and she touched his arm in thanks.


    "I have a feeling this will be the best part of the night for these pups¡ªseeding at scaring their Luna," she giggled.


    Maniacalughter erupted from somewhere in the distance, and August froze as goosebumps pebbled over her skin. "They are really good at this," she mumbled to herself.


    "Are you able to see them with your¡­ other sight?" Finn asked.


    "With the Veiled?" August hummed, wondering the same thing. She hadn''t tried it. "I don''t think I want to," she whispered.


    "Why not?"


    She stopped walking and closed her eyes, attempting to tap in to what her and Graeme had ignited between the two of them earlier. It was like the Veiled, but it was stronger. She could sense each one of them in this pack like potent forms of energetic beings that illuminated behind her eyes and threaded through her.


    Sure enough, she sensed the pups crouching down up ahead, waiting for her to draw closer before they could spring onto the path. There was a bright eagerness and suppressedughter she could also sense, like little wellsprings of joy¡ªmuch like she had seen in Sage.


    "Yeah, I feel them," she giggled.


    But then she sensed something else¡­ like negative space cut out of the darkness that did not belong. There were forms lurking within the forest here that were not connected to her like the others.


    A frown settled on her forehead as she tried to focus closer on what this was. Were these people on theirnd that did not belong?

 Chapter 273 - Haunted Forest 3

    "We need to go back," August whispered to Finn. "Something is wrong."


    "What do you mean?" Finn replied, eyebrows pinching together as he frowned. "There is nothing to truly be afraid of, Luna."


    "We need to get the pups out of here, too," she said, ignoring him and scanning the area to see if she could determine how many pack members were all the way out here.


    She didn''t know what it was that she was sensing or what those forms were out there in the woods that weren''t connected to her like the rest of the pack, but it made her uneasy. Even if she was mistaken and there was nothing out there¡ªeven if it was just a result of the heightened fear that she had being out here in this silly haunted forest¡ªshe didn''t want to risk continuing on. It didn''t feel right.


    Thankfully she didn''t have to think of an excuse to lure the pups back toward the pack house, because a male about Finn''s age came rushing down the path from behind them, causing them both to turn.


    "Livvy has returned!" the male eximed.


    "The pup who disappeared?" Finn asked. The male nodded his head emphatically, a wide grin on his face that was obvious even in the dark.


    "What?" August gasped, her face brightening to the news. "How?"


    "Sh arrived with her. They''re out front of the pack house. I''m trying to locate all of her sisters," the male told them before rushing on, causing the pups to emerge from their hiding spots and start talking excitedly as the news spread.


    Gradually, they all started running down the path back toward the fire and the pack house to see the news for themselves. One of their friends had been missing for weeks in a mystery that no one was able to solve, but now she miraculously returned? The rush of excitement flooded through them all, and August could feel it spreading through the pack as well.


    August caught sight of the male who had delivered the news running back past them with Lily by his side holding her rabbit mask. There was indescribable relief and joy lighting Lily''s face as she raced at full speed to go see her sister.


    Sh had left Sage all this time to go retrieve Livvy? August thought she had gone on work for the council. How did Sh know where Livvy was? Did that mean that Sh knew where the rest of the alyko were taken? Was Livvy okay? What would Livvy be able to tell them?


    "Shall we go with them, Luna?" Finn asked, waiting at August''s side as she stood watching the pups empty out of the haunted area as all of these questions assailed her.


    She nodded but turned back uneasily, wondering what to do about the others she had sensed out there.


    "How far are we from the perimeter?" August asked, staring out into the darkness.


    "A few miles," Finn answered, following her line of sight.


    "Do you scent anyone out there, Finn?" she asked softly.


    He frowned again and shook his head. "There are probably a few pups who are still out here. Why do you ask?"


    "We need to make sure they all get back," she said simply.


    "Most don''t wander on Samhain with the legends surrounding it and all," he told her. "They wille back. You don''t need to worry."


    "I thought lycans don''t scare easily," she replied, scanning the darkness as she did.


    She wasn''t worried about the pups wandering off, but she didn''t know how to tell him what she was concerned about. He already knew she scared easily, and she didn''t want to sound like a hysteric speaking about dark creatures that she thought were lurking within packnd. It wouldn''t be possible anyway with how many guards they had on the perimeter, right?


    "It''s not fear that keeps them from wandering. It''s more about honoring the folklore surrounding Samhain. Like how we make soul cakes and wear disguises and light the pure fire. But maybe there are a few who are scared," he chuckled.


    "Has anyone ever gone missing on Samhain?" she asked, eyes darting back to his.


    "Not that I know of. But now we can say someone hase back," he smiled, shifting his weight to start back on the path. He wanted to see the pup as well. It was a miracle to have her returned.


    "I want to make sure they all get back," August told him.


    Finn paused with his body turned halfway, one foot pointed toward the pack house and one remaining by August''s side. He regarded his Luna who obviously was bothered by something that she wasn''tfortable fully exining. There was no way he was going to leave her.


    "I will go get them," he told her, nodding with the finality of his decision. "It will just take a few moments. Wait for me here."


    August frowned, unsure if that was the best choice, but Finn ran past her before she could think of an alternative. And then she was left suspended between two extremes. She could feel the boisterous activity and relief and joy of those who were gathering where Sh was presumably back with Livvy. Her mate was there, too. She could sense his focus there. And then there was the darkness of the unknown where Finn had disappeared to retrieve thest of the pups. And all she could do was wait there, wringing her hands in front of her as she nced back and forth from one end of the path to the other.


    "Luna," a small voice made her jump, and she looked around to see Sage appear from out of the underbrush.


    "Sage," she chuckled. "You scared me! Did you hear that your sister is back?"


    Sage nodded, a bright smile on his face.


    "Go see her! I''m just waiting for Finn.. I''lle along in a minute," she told him, but he grabbed her hand in an attempt to bring her along with him.

 Chapter 274 - Luna, Run

    "I have to wait for Finn," August smiled, pulling back on Sage''s hand.


    "Then I will wait, too," he said simply and started jumping on the path to make the bones crunch under his feet. He was more like a pup tonight than she had ever seen him, and it made her happy.


    "Did you know that your sister had left to go find Livvy?" she asked as she watched him ying. It distracted her from the creeping fear of increased silence that had surrounded them.


    He paused his jumping and nodded.


    "You did?" she said, surprised. "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I couldn''t tell you. People would go after her," he exined before jumping some more.


    "How did she know where to find her?" August asked, but this time he just shrugged. He didn''t seem to want to talk about it.


    This added to the mystery of Sh and Sage''s background before they came here as strays. But perhaps it wasn''t even about that. Maybe Sh had learned something working at the council.


    "Did Sh work with Zoe?" she tried this time, the possibility suddenly dawning on her.


    "Yes," he said simply, jumping further back down the path to try getting all the bones that were avable to break. It reminded August of popping bubble wrap, only this was more¡­ morbid.


    Sh worked with Zoe. That made sense, but even Zoe seemed unable to tell them where the alyko were. So there must be more to it.


    Before she could think more on it, a rustle in the woods captured her attention, and she flinched, anticipating another swinging figure to bump into her. But this time there was nothing. What was taking Finn so long? He said it would be quick.


    "Sage, I want you to go back," August told him, trying to keep her voice even. He kept jumping, so she walked the short distance to where he was and crouched down, cing a hand on his shoulder.


    He turned to face her and then his eyes went wide when something caught his attention in the distance.


    "Luna, run," he whispered, grabbing her hand and tugging her to follow him as he took off with her down the path toward the pack house.


    She tripped after him, attempting to turn around to see what had caused him to panic, but he was going too quickly and in trying to keep up, she didn''t see anything. This dress was not made for running, that was for certain.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Zoe had slipped the ck dress on that she had originally tried on at the treehouse. Now she felt like an entirely different person wearing it.


    She looked in the bathroom mirror at her bruised, swollen face and sighed. She had done and said so many stupid things in her time as Zosime, but now she recalled wearing this dress and suggesting to Lucas that she was interested in intimacy from a scientific perspective. Ugh. How humiliating.


    How was it possible to have been so different just a few days ago? It was like being intoxicated with¡­ knowledge and curiosity and yet beingpletely detached from reality. And now she was steeped in reality, and it demanded she answer for those past actions.


    The dress left her too exposed. There was too much skin showing. She was already going to be baring the truth about some of the horrific things she had participated in here, she didn''t want to be exposed physically as well.


    She crouched down to look through the case of clothes that had been brought for her, wondering if it would be inappropriate to wear one of herb coats over the dress if she couldn''t find anything, when the splintering sound of ice erupted into the quiet room from the doorway. She froze, arms suspended over the mussed clothes.


    "No," she whispered to herself, eyes going wide with instinctual fear to the familiarity of that sound and what it meant.


    The ground beneath her turned glossy and slick, and she shot up, slipping and catching herself against the bed when the door jolted away from its frame and slowly creaked open.


    He was standing there in the doorway. The ancient one who had done this to her.


    "You dressed up for me," his smooth, amused voice shattered the silence, and she gulped, swallowing against the dryness in her mouth. She didn''t dare respond. She couldn''t even blink. He was here, which meant he hade for August and any other alyko he could find. And that included her.


    His footsteps were slow and sharp against the icy floor he had created, and Zoe pressed herself against the bed watching him approach. His face seemed to soften as he finally stood before her, eyes narrowing at the damage she had taken to the face from Andreas'' bite.


    "Zosime," he said, drawing her name out on his breath as he reached up to touch one of the stitches, running his thumb along the crescent sutured line. "You were not taken care of. It is time toe back with me."


    Her heart was thudding in her ears, but she nodded silently, epting that this was what must happen now. There was no fighting him.


    Approaching footsteps wereing from the hall, and they both turned their heads to the sound. It had to be Lucas. More than fear for herself, she now was terrified about what this creature would do to the lycan male who had watched out for her.


    "Zagan," she said, drawing his attention back to her with those dark eyes. He gritted his teeth, wrapping his long slender fingers around her neck.


    "That name is not to be spoken, Zosime. Have you forgotten?"


    Fear. She was oozing fear just as everyone else did in his presence, but there was a me of rebellion he caught and narrowed in on. This was no longer his Zosime. Andreas'' bite had released her from that, but she was stronger than the alyko he had known before. His lips curled in amusement.. He was pleased that he would have this one back.

 Chapter 275 - Zoes Visitor

    Lucas saw the door to Zoe''s room was open and slowed his steps. Had she left? Would she run to avoid revealing her truth to the pack?


    For some reason the air was cold the closer he got. He could see his breath, and this confused him further.


    When he finally arrived at the doorway where he could peer in, he saw a dark slender figure gripping Zoe by the throat. He snarled and lunged toward the figure, but then he was mmed against the wall by a force he couldn''t identify.


    "Zagan, no," Zoe cried, resisting against the creature''s grip on her.


    "You assign value to this animal?" the chilling voice released her and stalked closer to where Lucas turned over onto his side, waiting for his vision to stop spinning.


    "No, of course not," Zoe insisted, the desperation clear in her voice though she was trying to hide it. She knew he wouldn''t spare Lucas if he thought there were feelings between them.


    Zagan''s lips curled again at her attempted lie. How cute. He squatted over the lycan male and tilted his head in curiosity. This one didn''t seem special. He extended one finger toward Lucas'' forehead intent on looking deeper into the mental recesses of his mind, but when his finger was almost against the skin, he found resistance. It was as if an invisible barrier was in his way.


    "Zoe, you impress me," he chuckled, ncing back at her. She was concentrating hard on them, perspiration pebbling her forehead and above her top lip, which was quivering. "You never showed power like his before. Perhaps you had nothing to care about at the time."


    "Leave him alone," she said with a tremulous voice. "If you don''t, I''ll jump out that window and take one more alyko from you."


    "Threats now?" he chuckled further, piercing through the barrier she had put up between him and the lycan and digging into Lucas'' temple with the w of his thumb.


    Lucas groaned and then started roaring in pain to the intrusion of this creature into his mind. Memories, thoughts, feelings, all unspoken and all personal began flipping behind his eyes as if they were being transferred¡ªdownloaded like a file from aputer, except this was excruciating.


    "Stop fighting, mongrel," the creature said, and Lucas gritted his teeth, digging deep to try to stop whatever was happening. He would fight. That''s all he knew how to do. It was what he was good at.


    "Leave Zoe alone," he managed to say, and a choked cry came from the girl watching.


    "Don''t worry about her. She is mine. She has always been mine. I loaned her to Andreas who obviously didn''t know how precious a gift she was," he said calmly as he continued to read into the recesses of Lucas'' mind.


    He was only entertaining a conversation with this lowly mutt in order to distract him so he could harvest more information from his thoughts and memories.


    "And you couldn''t appreciate or protect a gift like that either, could you? You didn''t protect Cora. Your personal gift from the Moon Goddess herself," he smirked, feeling how deep his words sunk and the pain that bloomedrge as a result. This lycan was soft. He would be easy to break.


    But behind him, Zoe screamed with rage that broke free from its restraints, and Zagan suddenly flew back away from the male lycan on the ground of the hallway. He was back in Zoe''s room, eyes wide at the surge of power he felt holding him down. As Lucas slowly recovered and attempted to get to his feet, the door mmed shut, separating the two from each other.


    "Zoe!" Lucas rose, weak but standing and pounded on the door, trying the handle to get it open.


    Zoe couldn''t respond. Her chest was heaving with the effort of keeping the door shut and the vampire on the ground.


    "Let me up," Zagan growled.


    "Then leave him alone," she said through gritted teeth.


    "You are a prize," he chuckled, attempting to resist against the force she had on him, but it was shockingly difficult. He hadn''t fed enough before his trip here, clearly. He was too weak to fight against Zosime. "Let me feed from you, and I will leave him be," he relented.


    "No, Zoe! Don''t do it!" Lucas roared now from the other side of the door, continuing to pound on it before backing away and throwing himself against it.


    She felt his body hit the door like it was hitting something within her, and she flinched. She had never used this ability before. If she couldn''t keep this strength up, Lucas was going to break the door down and fall right back into Zagan''s grip.


    "Yes, yes. I''ll do it," she said quickly, letting Zagan up while continuing to focus on keeping the door shut and Lucas out.


    Zagan stood from the cold floor, brushing the hair away that had fallen across his face. It had been a long time since he faced a truepetitor like this feisty little alyko, and it was one of his own that he had created long ago. Pride swelled in his chest as he sauntered toward her.


    "Swear to it," she said through gritted teeth as she watched him approach.


    He raised his elegant hands in surrender. "You know me," his lips curled into a grin. "I cannot go back on a swear. I swear to leave him alone, dear one. Now let me taste you."


    He extended a hand, waiting for her to offer herself. She watched him warily, further floods of memories sweeping back across her thoughts. There was more to him that she had not yet remembered until seeing his face and being in his chilling presence.


    "Zoe, don''t do it! Not for me!" Lucas yelled, causing her to wince with the pounding against the door that she could feel as if it was against her chest. She was weakening, and she didn''t know how much longer she could hold that door closed.


    She gave Zagan her hand, and he raised his eyes with disappointment.


    "Only a wrist? I guess I will make do with it," he said grudgingly before lowering his mouth over her and piercing her delicate skin with his fangs.


    They were so sharp, she almost didn''t even feel it.. But she felt him drawing that life source from her, and before too long, the room staring swimming before goingpletely ck.

 Chapter 276 - Sacrifice

    When Lucas finally broke down the door, they were both gone. There was no indication of how they had exited or where they went, but they were gone.


    "Fuck," he yelled, mming his fists against the wall before running back out into the hallway.


    He saw Violet, looking weak and shaken, standing outside a room with her arms crossed in front of her.


    "Has she taken more revenge on us?" she asked with a tremulous voice, one hand toying with a chain that was around her neck.


    "What?" his eyebrows pinched together. "Violet, stay in your room. It isn''t safe," he said before running off the other way.


    They couldn''t be far. They had just disappeared. Surely they were still on packnd.


    Lucas descended the steps leading to the front door of the pack house. Once he alighted at the bottom, he looked around to see themon area nearly empty of people. Had the vampire done something here as well? Where was everyone?


    He pushed out the front doors and found what appeared to be almost the entire pack gathered on the frontwn. They were all clustered around something at the crowd''s center.


    "Graeme!" Lucas called, pushing past people toward the center of whatever had their attention, which he imagined was where the Alpha would also be.


    People were murmuring, their eyes shing with excitement. It was the opposite of what he expected, which was a pack terrorized by a dark creature who was draining unsuspecting victims of blood. Instead, there was a pulse of joy and relief.


    "Graeme!" he shouted again, causing some to turn and frown. Who was this male who was shouting in the midst of so much happiness?


    Finally he arrived near the eye of the circle to find the pup, Livvy, who had been missing for weeks now being cradled in her mother''s arms with all of her family members cing their hands on her in wonderment and love. Graeme was there as well, speaking with her father and another female who stood by¡ªSh, if he recalled correctly. He recognized her from the council.


    He approached Graeme, more reserved now in his volume but still pushing forward with pressing urgency. The Alpha male finally noticed him and turned to give him his attention.


    "I need to speak with you," Lucas insisted, gesturing for him to leave the circle so they could converse privately.


    Graeme''s brows threaded as he regarded the apparent panic that had settled on Lucas'' features, and he gave Livvy''s father onest pat on the shoulder before he nodded to Lucas and followed him beyond the reach of the crowd.


    "Zoe is gone," Lucas panted, eyes darting around to see if there was any trace of her.


    Graeme crossed his arms across his chest. "She escaped?" he asked usingly.


    "No, it''s not like that," Lucas shook his head. "He is here. The creature we were warned about. He took Zoe with him," his voice faltered in the end, much to his dismay.


    He had failed to protect her. This was like a fucking pattern of failure in his life. And not only that, she had sacrificed something for him. He didn''t even understand the extent of what that meant¡ªonly that she had given something of herself in negotiation for him to be spared.


    "But we are heavily guarded tonight," Graeme''s much deeper voice objected. "No one should be able to get through. Are you sure she didn''t just run to avoid speaking in front of the pack?"


    "I saw him. I am positive," Lucas gulped, thinking how this encounter was much more than simply ''seeing'' the vampire in question, but he didn''t know how to exin what had urred. It would sound crazy.


    The dawning of realization lit in Graeme''s eyes, and he slowly uncrossed his arms.


    "August," he said, a hint of desperation in his tone. He didn''t know where she was. Last he knew, she was following pups toward the haunted forest with Finn trailing behind her.


    Graeme raced through the front doors of the pack house and themon room toward the back where the fire was still zing, licking the dark sky above. Lucas trailed him along with Sam and Greta, who had caught sight of the urgency in the conversation between Lucas and Graeme.


    Once Graeme arrived in the back clearing, he froze. Andreas was standing there, free from his cell and seemingly entranced by the fire. He didn''t take notice of anyone around him as he walked ever so slowly toward the leaning pile of logs that had long since been consumed by the pure fire transferred to them from the churn that morning.


    "How did he get out?" Graeme snarled, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.


    Not sensing an immediate threat back here, Sam darted toward the dungeon to investigate what had urred and whether Pearce was still contained within his cell. Greta watched him go before turning back, mouth agape, watching her brother watch Andreas. Should she follow her mate? Should she remain here? But more than those questions was the one that brought her the most trepidation: where was August? Where was their Luna?


    Andreas continued walking toward the fire, and finally Graeme growled, calling out to him.


    "Andreas!" he roared, but the elder did not appear to hear him. He stayed transfixed on the fire in front of him, making steady progress in his approach toward the mes.


    Sam returned in haste to Graeme''s side.


    "Pearce is still withheld, but the guards are dead."


    "How?" Graeme turned to him, a frown of discontent feathering his features.


    "They were beheaded. The cuts appear swift," Sam reported, a knot of nerves twisting in his gut. He had never seen anything like it. He would have guessed a sword of some kind did it, but none of them had ever battled with swords in this pack or in any others.


    Graeme''s head turned to catch Andreas'' first steps into the fire.


    "What the¡­" Graeme gaped, watching the elder continue walking forward, attempting to merge himself with the mes without feeling any apparent pain or reservation over the task.


    Graeme sprang forward, chasing after Andreas whose flesh was already charring. He could scent it¡ªsuch a horrific smell, the smell of burning flesh. This had been his intent for the elder tonight, yes, but perhaps he was wrong to have nned it. Watching Andreas offer himself up in sacrifice to the fire was itself horrifying. Forcing it on him would have been worse.


    He grabbed Andreas out, unbuttoning his jacket and covering the elder in it to extinguish the mes that had already taken hold.

 Chapter 277 - Outsiders

    Dear Readers, so far for this month, golden tickets have earned 8 bonus chapters! You all are amazing! Starting tonight, I will release 3-4 chapters a day until the end of the month to repay you for the love. I hope that works for you all rather than one big chunk at the end! Hugs! <3


    *******


    "H-he just tried walking into the fire," Greta stuttered. "Why would he do that? Why would he do that?"


    Graeme shoved himself off of Andreas, pointing to the elder as he rose. "Get him back in a cell and stay here to help protect the rest of the pack. I''m going to find August."


    "Everyone will help find her," Sam told him, rushing over to grab Andreas from the ground with Graeme''s jacket still covering him.


    "I''m the only one who can scent her," Graeme reminded them before sprinting off toward the woods with Lucas following on his heels.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August was panting, stumbling after Sage in this stupid mermaid dress that was keeping her from running as quickly as possible. What was worse was that she was holding Sage back, because he was slower trying to keep hold of her hand.


    "Sage¡ªgo!" she told him. "Go get Graeme. You''re faster without me."


    He paused, looking back at her briefly with wide, worried eyes. "I can hide us," he suggested.


    "No, there''s no time. Go quickly," she insisted, and he watched as she reached down, tearing at the hem of her dress to make slits for her to have more freedom to run.


    "But¡­" he was backing away, considering listening to her but unsure of whether it was the best thing.


    "Please, Sage!" she interrupted, ncing up at him desperately, pleading with her eyes for him to listen.


    "Okay," he panted quietly and then took off in a mad dash down the path.


    Her hands were shaking, and this fabric was surprisingly determined to stay in one piece. She tore the mesh ovey, making gold glitter fall around her feet onto the dark path before grabbing the lining in her trembling hands and doing the same, seeding at ripping it up to her thigh just as she heard the rapid cracking of bones behind her on the path.


    Maybe it was Finn. The thought of him had her frozen in ce for a moment with indecision. What had happened to Finn? She wanted to check¡ªto try to sense him¡ªbut she was too terrified to concentrate and instead darted off the path into the dense woods, running blindly through the darkness.


    "Get her!" A gruff male voice roared deeply behind her. There were bodies approaching on all sides,rge dark forms peeling themselves away from the shadows anding alive.


    "Why does she have no scent?"


    "Use your eyes, for fuck''s sake," this time the voice was much closer, and with that realization she felt every restraint in her body bleed away out into the darkness. She didn''t feel the limits of her muscles or her breath. There was only the fear driving her body quickly, so quickly away from them.


    The forest air and the twigs and underbrush seemed to part, allowing her quicker passage through as she raced away from the unknown threat pursuing her. Where was Graeme? Where was Finn? Did Sage make it back okay? Her thoughts raced along with her, and she used them to propel herself forward.


    But there was one thought that was beginning to drag her down. Why was she running? Should she be fighting? She was a Luna. She had a duty to lead and protect, and yet here she was back where she started¡­ running away. She owed all of them more than this.


    Her steps slowed and she turned, dragging her tattered cape behind her as she braced herself against a tree trunk and panted softly, listening to see if they were close. She heard them running through the leaves toward her much further in the distance than she would have thought. Had she really been that fast?


    If they truly couldn''t scent her, then maybe she had a chance.


    She steadied her breath and concentrated, reaching out to sense her pack members. Their beautiful golden forms lit up behind her eyes once again. Most of them were at the pack house still focused on Livvy who had returned. Those who were there were still celebrating, still joyous, not even aware yet that theirnd had been infiltrated. That was good. That meant they were safe.


    "Finn, Finn¡­ where are you?" she whispered against the rough tree under her hands, her eyes squinted shut as she searched for him. But she couldn''t sense him. He was nowhere to be found.


    "He didn''t make it, I''m afraid," a chilling voice whispered at her shoulder, and she jumped, turning and pressing herself against the tree.


    She saw his grey eyes and jet ck hair illuminated by the moonlight before she suddenly fell away from him, swallowed by a hollow in the tree and stumbling out the other side in an entirely different area. She twirled around, confused by the change in the density of the forest and in the increased moonlight that shone on the ground around her.


    What had just happened? That was the vampire Zoe told them about, she was sure of it. But then he was gone from her sight, and now she was¡­ where was she?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Graeme shifted into his wolf, because he was faster and better able to follow August''s scent that way.


    Once he arrived on the path heading toward the haunted forest, he immediately realized something was off. He couldn''t scent anyone else but members of the pack, including his mate, but he was positive there were others here. Outsiders. It wasn''t something he could exin, but he was certain of it.


    And then he got a whiff of her fear. His mate''s fear still hung in the air, and he snarled,unching himself faster, paws pounding the ground in pursuit of her.


    Lucas was following a few yards behind him, unable to keep up with Graeme''s speed.


    Graeme veered off the path, following August''s scent into the dense woods when he became aware of the movements of others around them. There were still no scents to inform him of what they were facing, but the sounds and movements were familiar enough.. These outsiders were lycans.

 Chapter 278 - Outsiders 2

    "It''s a good thing I came to this harvest," Zagan hissed as the alyko he was after disappeared into thin air right in front of him.


    She was the one Andreas had called him about, but the old lycan neglected to tell him not only that she was mated, which was unique in and of itself for an alyko, but also that she was a Luna. He had caught on to both of those facts very quickly after arriving.


    A Luna alyko. How positively mouth-watering. That position had toe with considerable power.


    Why had Andreas not told him of this? He sunk his fangs into his lip in frustration, stalking away from the tree before leaping onto a high limb to see if he could spot where she had gone.


    If Zagan had been informed about the potential challenges they would face tonight trying to capture a Luna, his crew could have prepared better. Typically, he wouldn''t evene to a harvest like this anymore. The lycans in his crew were so well adept now at disguising their scents and stalking unsuspecting alyko with absolute stealth, it was quite a simple job.


    Had he note, tonight would have been very unlikely to go their way. Thankfully he was curious about the abnormalities that had been urring on the map in this part of the world. Zoe''s team had exined it away to everyone as some kind of glitch that was urring, but nothing like what they were all seeing had ever happened before. The entire area of this pack''snd had been dotted with lights. And the lights did not immediately go out.


    To learn now that there was a Luna alyko here had to exin the unusual map phenomena, but it was still unclear what would have caused that many alyko markers to go off.


    He was no fool when it came to gics. He knew it wasn''t as simple as two distinct groups of lycans and alyko when it came down to the building blocks that made them up. Lycans obviously shared much of their gics with alyko.


    Gics themselves were even moreplicated than most people realized, with multiple genes often working in tandem to create one visible characteristic. Something like height, for example, was determined by far more than two simple alleles on a gene. And that was before taking environmental factors into consideration like nutrition. Good nutritional intake along with other environmental factors would help bring out different potentials in genes that may have otherwiseid dormant.


    But he had never seen arge group of lycans who were capable of shifting into wolves light up on their map like alyko. It just was not possible. At least, it had been previously considered theoretically as well as practically impossible. That would be a massive change in some external factor within their environment to bring about such an unexpected alteration in phenotype.


    However, add a Luna alyko into this mind boggling scenario, and it suddenly began to make sense. Now it was just a matter of catching the intriguing little mouse.


    He scanned the area for her movements. Eyesight greater than even an eagle meant he would be able to spot her if she was within a five mile radius of where she disappeared.


    As he searched, he took note of how his lycans were doing. A heavy discontent weighed in his chest. As good as they were when it came to hunting most alyko, they were so much slower than him. When he came to harvests, it meant he was always having to backtrack to bring them up to speed on what he had found. He brought the unconscious Zosime to the third inmand under him, a male named Rico who was likely still taking her back to their truck. It would have been faster to do it himself.


    If only there were more of his kind here within this realm. But no others like him cared about what he was after.


    While one eye continued searching for the missing alyko Luna, his other focused in on the new Alpha who was in wolf form getting dangerously close to his crew. His lycans already realized it and were falling back. Under no circumstances were they to harm other pack members unless absolutely necessary. It would disrupt the power system here, and as powerful and impressive a species as lycans were, they were quite delicate creatures when it came to pack and familial ties. The pack here was still nursing the loss of their Alpha and Luna a decade ago. Of course, part of that was because Andreas was not nearly the leader he should have been, and the two other elders around him were just as hopeless.


    Another reason they were to harm no one was to keep their presence as invisible as possible. Tonight was obviously going to be another matter. Taking a Luna was much different than taking a pup. All members in a pack had value¡ªindeed, this was one curious thing about lycans that he both admired and hated¡ªbut a Luna was a top dog, so-to-speak.


    He hadn''t calcted the fallout from tonight in his mind just yet, but it was possible it would be substantial. He may need to employ one of his alyko for damage control¡­ unless he could make it look like the Luna had caused all of this. The distrust of alyko was such that it might work. Still, killing the Alpha was not something he wanted to resort to. This pack needed a leader else it would fall. And it produced too many alyko for him to let that happen.


    Again, he could have figured all of this out beforehand if Andreas would have informed him it was a Luna they were after. His lips curled into a smile when he imagined the elder burning. He was stupid enough to deserve it. Tonight could have been so much worse. Somehow it was only the Alpha and one other lycan who was searching for the Luna at the moment.. He was lucky the whole pack hadn''t descended on her location in an attempt to protect her.

 Chapter 279 - Worth The Trouble

    In fact, if the Alpha was on his way here, why were there not more of theming?


    While keeping an eye on the Alpha, he used his other eye to focus on the pack house where it seemed everyone was still gathered for the Samhain festivities. But they appeared to be in the front of the pack house rather than the back where they had been when he passed by earlier.


    His eye narrowed in, sifting through individuals and attuning his ears to what was urring.


    A missing pup had returned? Was it the pup he had just snatched from the woods? Surely they wouldn''t have discovered that one to be missing already.


    That little male was a surprise. Zagan knew immediately upon spotting him that he was another alyko, although he must not have shown up on the pack''s radar yet. Typically one his age would have been discovered and ns already underway to remove him. But not this one. Which meant he was either quite weak in terms of ability or¡­ the opposite. Wise. Wise beyond his years. That would be the only other way to hide. And it may be possible¡­ male alyko were notmon. In fact, they were quite rare. Another rarity tonight, and an unexpected bonus for the harvest. How exciting.


    But if it was not the male pup that the pack was celebrating, then who were they all fawning over to the extent that they hadn''t noticed their Alpha tear off into the woods leaving the festivity behind?


    Zagan''s sharp mind thought for a moment, eye scanning the crowd. It couldn''t be the same alyko pup they had taken from here a few months prior, could it? But missing pups were not exactly amon urrence in most packs. It would be unusual for another to go missing as she had.


    His second eye snapped to join the one already focused on the group of lycans, searching now for the specific pup they were all celebrating. Outrage red through his core when he finally saw the young one at the center of their gathering. He hadn''t met her yet, but he recognized her all the same. The one they called Livvy.


    A male was holding her in his arms, and she was clinging to him. Young females were gathered, jumping up and down and putting their hands on her, making sure she was really there¡ªverifying the truth of it by touch as was their nature.


    Lycans were so reliant on touch in their rtionships. He didn''t understand it. Even the lycans in his crew. He saw how they gathered around each other, unaware that they were doing it. Unaware that they unconsciously sought sce andfort in each others'' presence.


    They were a very physical, social species. It was why he couldn''t get the alyko to fully turn to be one of his kind. Well, he didn''t know exactly why he couldn''t get them to fully turn, but he suspected this had something to do with it. It was just one part of the many mysteries surrounding the lycan-alyko species that fascinated him so.


    What he needed was an alyko that was much less like their lycan counterparts. There were all kinds of variations among them, and this was part of the fun in gathering the alyko and sorting through what they could do.


    The alyko already held the promise of not having mate bonds. They mated of course. But the inability to be inextricably tied to another through the deepest part of their inner selves meant they were that much further removed from their lycan rtives. That was until this mated Luna he discovered tonight. She was an outlier¡ªonly one of her kind that he had seen.


    But Zagan was searching for those alyko who were even further removed than simply not having mate bonds. He was searching for the alyko who were more like the one who had made their species to begin with.


    The La Loba. A fae. And not just any fae. No, not just any fae. La Loba was even special amongst her own. He still had not gotten even close to finding one like her. And now he had lost another potential one of his subjects.


    He bit his lip, drawing Zoe''s blood from the flesh there as he watched Livvy being weed and adored. It was unlikely now that he would get that one back¡ªat least not for many years. How had this happened?


    He let out an uncharacteristic sigh. Another setback. Somehow it wasn''t surprising that it hade from Andreas'' pack.


    Zagan shifted an eye to the tall bonfire licking the darkness at the back of the pack house. They had obviously kept the elder from walking into the fire since he wasn''t roasting back there yet¡ªsomething that surprised him, surely the Alpha had intended Andreas for that fate if he was locked up in the dungeon cell¡ªbut no matter, Andreas would keep attempting to return himself to those mes. He would never stop. His mind was no longer his own. Zagan could have ended the old lycan himself, but as satisfying as that would have been, this was much better. The dignity of an elder falling sopletely as to subject himself to the pure fire. Either the pack members would see his willingness to do it as a tacit admission to some deep seated guilt, or it would be med on an alyko¡ªin this case, their Luna.


    One eye shot to the surrounding dense forest once again looking for the Luna. Although she was mated, which was very strange indeed and not particrly attractive for his purposes, this alyko held promise. She had used a portal. That was rare indeed. He had only seen that ability in one other alyko over the years, and that one was the closest he hade to a true fae.


    Perhaps the mate bond was not an issue.. It may create problems with the Alpha''s likely persistence in seeking her after her disappearance, but if she was powerful enough to use portals, then it would be worth the trouble.

 Chapter 280 - Vulnerability

    Zagan gave a high-pitched whistle to his lycans who were already departing the immediate area, indicating to them where to gather next.


    The Alpha and the male trailing him were still following the Luna''s scent, which would cause them some confusion for awhile when they were unable to continue tracking her. That would buy Zagan''s crew enough time to find her and depart without further incident. There were already too many casualties tonight for his taste.


    The young guard the Luna had referred to as Finn was one unfortunate casualty. But he had walked into a nest of other lycans disguising their scent, so it was unavoidable. Zagan had to swoop in and quietly slice his throat, catching the poor male''s head before it hit the ground in order to avoid any unnecessary noise.


    If his team had carried out that execution, it would have involved snarls and growls and males turning into wolves¡ªall kinds of chaotic noise that would have drawn attention and made a mess. This way, the death also mimicked the guards in the dungeon. It was a pattern that could be conveniently exined away. It was the lore of Samhain. Or it was the curse of an alyko Luna. The pack would think of something to fit the circumstances.


    Finn''s behavior was admirable. A small part of Zagan that he would rather ignore pricked with warmth at the still unbeating organ in his chest. It was a side effect of drinking blood that he hated. It brought these tendencies toward emotion that he couldn''t entirely control, and when he caught that male''s head in his arms, the shock and disappointment at having failed at his task to protect the Luna he was guarding still evident in the lycan''s glossy eyes, a part of Zagan ached for him.


    "You were brave. You did not fail young one. I cannot be stopped," he whispered words of assurance that sounded alien to his own ears, but that was because they were propelled by Zosime''s blood. Zosime''s emotions. He had to ept the tradeoff of using her strength while gaining her sentimental vulnerability.


    Zosime. He sighed again, feeling the cold wintery breath escape his lungs. Zosime was another matter he was going to have to figure out, but he was pleased to have her back. Perhaps that was simply because he was feeling nostalgic and now¡­ emotional as well. But she didn''t deserve to be mauled by Andreas like that. She was exquisite. He had put a lot of work into her, and it wasn''t something he did often.


    Zosime was the closest he hade to attaining one of his own kind from a turned alyko. It wasn''t something he even tried anymore, but she had so little ability at the time that it was either try to create something useful from her or exterminate her. And for some reason he couldn''t kill her.


    Who knows what blood he had been feasting on at the time to sway him like that, but it ended up being beneficial. She was nearly emotionless. She was highly intelligent and analytical. She required no sleep and couldn''t be injured through normal means, much like him. But the fact that she was not fully vampiric meant there was one weakness she needed to be given that he did not share: she must have an avenue of death.


    What was so brilliant was that Zagan was able to engineer it for her, and in this case too, he had been swayed by some underlying alien emotions that he couldn''t fully understand. It was almost what he would imagine might be¡­ paternal.


    In any case, he made it so that Zosime would be allowed to reenter her previous alyko mindset and vulnerable physical being when someone attempted to seek that physicality from her¡ªwhen someone sought to pierce through her cold, robotic exterior to touch the trapped alyko inside. But it could only be one specific person, otherwise all the work Zagan had poured into her would be lost quite easily the moment anyone attempted to even harm her in the most innocent of ways.


    So he waited to finalize that part of her vampiric-alyko creation until the right person came along who he could program for her. Until that time, she was like a machine, learning and experimenting, gathering as much knowledge as she could about the fascinating world around her. It was a joy to watch her, honestly. When the time finally came when he had to make her forget him, again he¡­ felt something. A kind of sadness, he supposed. Blood be damned.


    Andreas had seemed like the right person to offer her to. He and the other two elders had presented Zagan with an enticing deal for all the alyko in their pack that went around the Alpha and Luna''s objections. Prior to Andreas'' offer, it truly appeared that he was going to have to destroy the whole pack just to get the alyko the Hallowells had at the time, because he couldn''t go back on the threat and Derek and Genevieve were not budging. They seemed willing to sacrifice everyone rather than give up only a select few. It was truly madness in Zagan''s eyes.


    He was practically pulling his hair out at the thought of having to wipe out the whole pack. What a bloody mess that would be, and it wouldn''t go unnoticed. He did not anticipate that Derek and Genevieve would refuse. But refuse they did. And he was left nning a mass execution until Andreas came along.


    So at the time it seemed that Andreas deserved Zosime. Back then, it was time for Zosime to move on, and she was helpful to the Hallowell pack¡ªable to continue her work in what fascinated her until Andreas could offer her more¡­ a real life. Something Zagan could never have nor give her.


    In that time, Zosime was able to arrange a team to set up the the marking and tracking of alyko through the map, discovering more about their gics¡­ all things Zagan had suggested to Andreas that she would be good at. It was quite the sess until he realized that she had not been taken care of the way he had hoped.


    When he arrived at the pack today, scouting out what his team was walking into, he noticed her absence. And then when she appeared in one of the windows of the pack house, stitches covering her face, he realized what had happened.


    Had Andreas mated with her, she would not have remembered Zagan. Her memories and intelligence would have been the same, but the swell of emotions and the return to her natural physical state would have fixed on the male who she was gifted to. That was how Zagan had arranged it.


    Instead, Andreas snatched all of that away from her. Everything she had been given was gone when the singr being who was capable of reaching past the cold, nearly emotionless exterior did so with the sole purpose to harm her.


    Zagan''s eyes went back to their dull, lifeless grey as he jumped down from his perch to reconvene with his team.. It was better not to be open to the vulnerability of hope or emotions.

 Chapter 281 - You Must Go

    Graeme followed the tangy scent of fear that he recognized as his mate''s, snarling with increased fervor the longer it took him to find her. Every time his paws hit the ground, the sound of desperate, unrestrained rage was expelled from his lungs¡ªinviting the intruders toe after him rather than his mate and threatening those who didn''t.


    But no one stepped into his path. No one challenged him. In fact, it sounded as if the invading lycans were scattering, leaving the area and making way for him to follow her trail.


    Behind him, Lucas realized too that those around them were leaving and he whined for permission to follow them rather than trailing Graeme. He didn''t want to lose the opportunity to tail them if it meant catching one and discovering more about who they were and what they were after.


    Graeme huffed his approval without breaking stride or slowing down, and he heard Lucas veer off to give chase. He would follow the outsiders as well if August''s scent wasn''t still leading him in another direction. He would find her first and then deal with this vampire and his group of traitorous lycans.


    Perhaps they were the same lycans who had killed his parents¡ªstrays who had been brought together under a new Alpha. A vampiric Alpha. The thought had rage ming higher, all but consuming him with its intensity. All of these problems were here on hisnd right now. He wanted revenge. How could Andreas, Pearce, and Auden have invited this evil in?


    The trail ended. The scent of his mate ended, and he spun around, searching for her, searching for the trail that would lead him to her. But it was just¡­ gone. Cries of desperation joined the snarls erupting from his throat, and he wed at the tree where her scent stopped, shredding its bark with his ws, trying to follow wherever she had gone.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August spun around, not recognizing the ce where she had ended up. She didn''t think she had been in this part of the packnd before. But aside from the light of the full moon, it was dark. Perhaps she wouldn''t recognize it at this time of night anyway.


    "No," she whimpered, shivering in the cold air now that the adrenaline had bled out of her and she was left covered in beads of perspiration. "No, no, no."


    Which way was she to take? Could the sense that she had of her pack lead her to where they were gathered? She closed her eyes to find them again, hoping that the brightness of their forms would be able to lead her like a beacon back to them, back to her mate, back to the ce that had be home. The ce where she belonged.


    "August," a female voice surprised her, jolting her from her thoughts.


    She gasped and turned, backing away as she did. Out from under the shadows of trees and into the moonlight stepped a petite female she had never seen before. She had long white dreadlocks that shone against her honey skin and eyes.


    "Who are you?" August asked. This female was definitely not a pack member. She didn''t feel that connection like she did with the others.


    "My name is Penelope," she said, pausing a few yards away with her hands sped loosely in front of her.


    "Penelope?" August repeated, mouth dropping open in recognition. "The Penelope?"


    The female chuckled softly and looked down at her feet. "I suppose you could say that. I''m sure your mate has mentioned me."


    The air between the two grew heavy with the weight of August''s thoughts as she recalled all that this female was responsible for. At one time, she had wanted to meet Penelope to learn what she could about the alyko and have some of her questions answered. Perhaps that was still a conversation August longed for. But things had also changed most significantly.


    "Everyone I have ever known has forgotten me," August stated, a surprising anger arising from somewhere unknown and making her movements feel rigid. She gritted her teeth. This female alyko was the one responsible. The powerful alyko known as Penelope. A Winter alyko, as Graeme called them.


    Penelope gave her a curt nod and shifted her hands behind her back. "Yes. I did that."


    August said nothing more, but she became more aware of the breaths that were causing her chest to rise and fall as she tried to control her temper. This alyko was not what she had imagined at all. And if she was waiting for an apology, it wasn''ting.


    "Why are you here?" August finally asked after the two had stared at each other for several moments, Penelope''s eyes solemn and August''s using.


    "To convince you to go with him," Penelope answered quickly, causing August to sputter inughter. "And we don''t have much time."


    "Him? And by him you mean Zagan? The vampire?" August let out an outraged chuckle. "And you''re serious?"


    "Don''t¡ªdon''t use his name," Penelope unsped her hands from her back and extended them before her cautiously, her eyes going wide. "How did you even learn it?"


    "Why? Who is this guy¡­ fucking Voldemort? What do you mean don''t say his name?" August''s eyebrows pinched together angrily, and she crossed her arms defensively in front of herself.


    "When he is close enough to hear, it alerts him to your presence," her eyes darted around. "And he has excellent hearing. Plus, it angers him immensely."


    August set her jaw, watching the sudden paranoia of Penelope as she began to approach her.


    "If you do not go with him August, your pack will be killed. As many as it takes, including your mate, until he gets you. He can''t be stopped. At least¡­ not yet," she told her. "He doesn''t want casualties. He would rather take you and leave."


    August''s bottom lip began trembling at this revtion. She dropped her arms. "Are you sure?"


    "I am sure. It has happened before. This is what he does," she replied, finally drawing up on August close enough that they were only a breath away. "I''m sorry. There is no other choice at this point.. You must go."

 Chapter 282 - Defeat

    "But what will that mean for Graeme? I can''t¡­ I can''t leave him," August answered with a tremulous voice.


    A crow squawked above and she raised her eyes to the tree where it was perched watching her. Her crow. Was it encouraging her? Warning her? Rebuking her?


    Penelope saw her shivering and removed her shaw, wrapping it around August''s shoulders.


    "I can only imagine how impossible this seems at the moment. I have never had a mate, August. But if you do not leave with the ancient one, and I mean quickly¡­ there will be no mate to leave behind. Graeme will find you and will fight until the death for you. Of this, I am sure you are well aware."


    A wave of nausea suddenly crested in August''s stomach and she doubled over, arms wrapped around herself. The idea of leaving Graeme made her physically sick. Was this really her only choice? She couldn''t leave her mate. She couldn''t leave Graeme. How could they go on being separated from one another? It was unfathomable. But to think of him being killed defending her¡­


    "Okay," August nodded. "I''ll do it. I''ll do it." She grimaced hearing the words of agreemente from her own lips. "But you have to tell me how to kill him."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "I spotted her," Zagan said tly to his second, a rugged lycan male known as Seth.


    They had rendezvoused in the woods behind the Hallowell home, which was only a short distance from the pack house. But they were still waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.


    Seth nodded to the information given from his leader. He had expected as much. Zagan''s vision was terrifyingly sharp.


    The lycan had his thick arms crossed over his chest as he eagerly awaited details of her location and instructions for how to take her. It had already been too long since their pursuit of her began. The longer she was out running around with knowledge about their presence, the more likely it was that everyone would soon be aware of them. And then a battle would be unavoidable.


    "Why were you so slow in following her?" Zagan asked, his annoyance for the dy clear.


    "Her speed is unusual," Seth''s eyebrows dipped recalling how this alyko tore away from them so swiftly, even with the formal dress snagging behind her.


    "Faster than usual?" Zagan asked, interest further piqued.


    "Much," his second affirmed it.


    "She is an unusual one," a smile curled on his lips. This trouble would be worth it.


    "She also has no scent," Seth added.


    "No scent? She has learned how disguise it?" the vampire chuckled, amused.


    "Are alyko capable of that?" Seth asked, confused.


    He had never encountered such a thing, but he had also learned not to underestimate the alyko. They had dealt with a lot of unusual and surprising abilities¡ªsome that would make masking your scent tame byparison.


    "I honestly don''t know," Zagan smiled, eager to learn more about what this alyko Luna could do. "I don''t rely on scent like you do. Unless it is the scent of blood, which cannot be masked."


    Another male from their crew arrived, sprinting up next them. "One of them is following us. Do you wish to kill him?" the male asked, panting as he did.


    Zagan jumped up into the tree above, narrowing his eyes on the lycan who was following. He was too close for them to avoid all together, but the haunted, determined eyes were familiar. They belonged to the same male whose mind he had peered into outside of Zosime''s room. It was the same male for whom Zosime had offered herself to protect. Zagan could not go back on his word to her.


    He jumped back down, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves as he did.


    "I will take care of him," he said in what was the closest to a grumble he was capable of and vanished before their eyes.


    Lucas couldn''t scent the infiltrating lycans, but he was following their movements as they sprinted like ghosts ahead of him in the night. This was a group of lycans who had disguised their scents and were working in tandem with the vampire. It was so unthinkable that he would have never believed it were he not experiencing it for himself.


    Why would lycans do this? Had he brainwashed them or something like he had with Zoe? There was no other way Lucas could think of that Zagan would have ess to so many of them and have them working together like a pseudo pack. The fact that he did was¡­ chilling. This was a significant threat that they had never been aware of.


    As Lucas was pushing himself forward, paws pounding the leaf-strewn forest floor in pursuit, he was suddenly knocked off his feet from something that barreled straight into his left side. His canine body was thrown airborne, twisting slightly as it flew until he crashed onto his side and rolled before springing back up, hunched defensively in the direction of the unseen threat.


    He felt the stabbing pain of broken ribs from the impact of whatever wrecking ball had mmed into him, but he ignored it. They would heal.


    A sh of movement flew past him so quickly that he barely registered it, and he spun, teeth bared at nothing. The shining orbs of his wolf scanned the darkness uneasily.


    He was hit unexpectedly on his other side, more ribs breaking, this time the sharp end of one piercing his lung and copsing it. He groaned and snarled in one agonizing sound as hey on the ground with the weight of what hit him still on top of him.


    "Stay down, wolf," Zagan hissed.


    Lucas'' breath wasbored, wheezing loudly in his chest. The vampire waited, knowing a lycan wouldn''t give up so easily. When Lucas went to spring up and knock Zagan off of him, Zagan shoved him back down easily, adding pressure on the offending rib and pushing it further into his lung. Lucas groaned, this time coughing blood out onto the forest floor.


    "I said stay down," Zagan repeated, tilting his head in amusement at how pointless such determination was. "Remember that you owe her your life. Otherwise you wouldn''t have the luxury of pain right now."


    And then tired of toying with the furry animal, Zagan mmed the side of his hand against Lucas'' carotid artery with just enough force that blood ceased its flow to the wolf''s brain, rendering him unconscious.

 Chapter 283 - How Do I Kill Him?

    "How do I kill him?" August asked with a grimace, the nausea still eating away at her stomach as she imagined following through with this decision to leave Graeme. But she would do it to protect her mate. She would do anything to protect him.


    "I don''t know how," Penelope shook her regretfully. "But if it can be done, you are the one to do it."


    "What?" August chuckled in disbelief. "Why just me?"


    "Gically, you are the closest to a fae that any alyko has been. At least, that is my belief. And it is only a fae that can kill him."


    "Why is that? Why a fae?" August''s eyes went wide.


    "You know the story of La Loba?" Penelope asked her, eyebrows raised, white dreadlocks shining in the moonlight. If August didn''t know better, she would say Penelope was fae with how petite and ethereal she appeared out here under the full moon. "The fae who created the first lycan?"


    "Yes," August replied softly. It was the story Charlotte had told her, Greta, and Sylvia with such reverence as if it were a sacred oral history passed through generations. And if it were true, that is precisely what it was.


    "La Loba had the unique ability to breathe life into something that had lost it. She did this over and over again with different desert animals whose bones she would lovingly collect¡ªthose who she feared would be lost to the world for good if they were not brought back. It just so happened that one night on a full moon just like tonight, the Moon Goddess aided her in this when she sang a female wolf back into being," Penelope told her, reminding August of the key points.


    "The ancient one who collects the alyko," Penelope''s voice got lower and she looked around uneasily as if she were waiting for him to spring from the shadows at any moment, "he is the only one I know of in our world. He is not living, August. He needs a fae like La Loba to breathe life back into him. That is the only way he will be able to truly die. That is the only way he can be killed."


    "He needs to be given life in order for it to be taken away?" August whispered the question to herself, her eyes squinting as she thought it over.


    "Yes. Otherwise he is trapped¡ªendlessly suspended somewhere between life and death, unable to attain either," Penelope exined.


    "But I don''t understand. How is that possible? How did he be like that?" August shook her head, not understanding. How could he be neither living or dead?


    "I do not know the answer to that question. It is truly a mystery. Perhaps when you go with him, you will learn of it. But what is more important than how he became that way is how you will give him the life he does not have," Penelope said in a hushed voice, eyes continually darting around.


    "So I am supposed to be able to do what La Loba did? The one who created the lycans?" August scoffed.


    "Yes. That is the goal," Penelope replied.


    "That''s not possible, Penelope! I''m just¡­ me! I''m not La Loba. I''m not powerful like that," she argued. "Has anyone ever even seen La Loba? How do they know she was real?"


    "August," Penelope grabbed the girl''s hands, making her focus on the deep sincerity in her eyes, "I believe you are that powerful. You just haven''t realized it yet. You have only been like this for a short time. There are abilities you will have that you will need to learn how to wield."


    Penelope took a deep breath, her eyes welling with emotion as August listened, stunned into silence.


    "This is why I was involved with the pandemic research in the first ce. I would never help those human researchers if it wasn''t for this very important reason. Don''t you see? You could help save all alyko from this monster. If he dies, no alyko gets taken. No alyko gets enved. We will finally be free from him. You are the one hope we have right now. We need you."


    August wet her lips, the gravity of this responsibility sinking in as she recognized the desperation in Penelope''s eyes.


    "How long will it take?" she asked with a tremulous voice. How long would she be away from Graeme?


    "I can''t answer that," Penelope dropped her hands and offered August a regretful look. "I don''t know how long. It depends on your abilities. It depends on how long it takes to learn how to use them. It depends on a lot of things."


    "Will Graeme¡­ will he be okay?" August wrapped her arms around herself. "Will he wait for me?"


    "He would wait for you until the end of time, dear girl. You are his soul''s mate," she replied. "He will be heartbroken, just as you will be. But he will have his leadership here to keep him anchored. And he will look for you. He will search for you. That will keep him busy."


    "Will it put him in danger?" August''s eyebrows pinched together, concerned as to the lengths that he would go to find her. "Will he find me before it is time? Before I kill the vampire?"


    "It will not be possible for him to find you, I''m afraid. Once the alyko are gone, they are not found again," Penelope told her.


    "But Livvy!" August eximed, throwing her arm out as if it were pointing to the pack house, when in reality she didn''t know where the pack house was from this mysterious location she had arrived upon. "Our pup who was taken! She was just returned tonight."


    Penelope frowned in disbelief. "That can''t be true. None have evere back."


    August sighed deeply. "Well she did. So it must be possible."


    "Either way," Penelope said quickly, "you must go. If there is a chance Graeme may find you, then hopefully you canplete your task of killing the creature before he does."


    "No pressure," August grumbled. "How do I find the vampire now?" she asked, her teeth beginning to chatter with nerves. She was really going to do this. It was really going to happen.


    "He will find you," Penelope told her. "Or, I suppose, you could say his name. But he might be angry."


    "Okay," August swallowed, nodding her head as the trembles migrated from her teeth throughout the rest of her body.


    "I have to leave before hees," Penelope told her.


    "I understand," August said.


    "Will you be okay?" Penelope asked, noticing how nervous August had be.


    "No," August said honestly before allowing a small chuckle to escape. "Go. I will be fine."


    Penelope gave her onest lingering look before she turned and darted back into the trees from where she had emerged.

 Chapter 284 - Obvious

    Penelope exhaled deeply. She had done it. She had seeded in finding August alone and exining the situation to her.


    When Penelope discovered Graeme that day at August''s childhood home and found out they were mates, it was quite a shock. Alyko did not form mate bonds. They would mate and, due to their empathic and sensitive nature, often develop very strong bonds of love and loyalty thatsted a lifetime. But the mate bond was different. The mate bond was something involuntary.


    Most alyko considered themselves blessed not to be subjected to the mate bond. While their lycan family members viewed the bond as a blessing, it restricted them of their freedom. It cemented them into a rtionship that was not of their choosing.


    Sure, most of the time that rtionship was healthy and fulfilling. Most of the time the pair involved allowed the full possibility of that bond to bloom and grow and take hold, making them both stronger as a result. But that wasn''t always the case. There were abusive rtionships that couldn''t be broken. There were those who were shackled in their lives without a way out. And for alyko, the likelihood that they would be resented and mistreated and even abused by their mates was greater due to the stigma that followed them.


    But August was different. She wasn''t a typical alyko. She had been gically reengineered to more closely resemble a fae. But somehow¡­ somehow that came with the mate bond. And she was mated to an Alpha, of all people.


    The great thing about this that Penelope could see was that he would protect her when it was needed. She may even develop extra abilities that could be attributed to their bond rather than her alone. But they were also each other''s weakness and vulnerability. And this would likely cause August to hesitate in certain situations¡ªlike this one, when it was necessary for her to leave with the ancient one.


    She had to go with him. August was their best hope right now to be able to harness enough power like La Loba to give that creature the life he needed to die. That''s why Penelope hade tonight, hiding herself with a cloaking enchantment so she would not be discovered crossing the perimeter into packnd.


    A small part of her felt guilty having not given Graeme the whole truth about this situation when they had talked. He was aware of it¡ªthat there was something she was hiding. The true purpose behind Penelope''s reason for helping the researchers at Eliade. He knew there was something August was meant for with the enhanced power she would have. He just didn''t know it would mean that August had to leave him in order to achieve it.


    Graeme was going to suffer in his mate''s absence, that was for certain. Penelope grimaced. He didn''t deserve that. He had already been through much in his life, she was aware. But it just simply could not be helped. The ancient creature was going toe for August regardless, and it was best if Graeme stayed out of the way. He did not need to die right now. His pack had already experienced enough loss with the deaths of their previous Alpha and Luna and also the loss of their alyko.


    "If I didn''t know better," a chilling voice interrupted her thoughts, and Penelope spun around to find the dreaded creature standing directly behind her, "I would think today was my birthday."


    She had never seen him before, and now¡ªlooking upon the creature that haunted every alyko and was the subject of her whole life''s work¡ªshe was struck by how¡­ beautiful he was. Why was he so beautiful? What a ridiculous thought to have right now, but her mind had created him into something hideous to look upon. Withered by time and as monstrous externally as he was internally. A grotesque being without the ess to life and everything beautiful and vital about it. But that was not the case.


    "You are a Winter," his head tilted as he studied her. "So rare to catch one."


    "You have caught a few," she retorted, allowing the hostility to bleed into her words.


    He smirked. "And now another," he walked casually, circling her with an amused expression.


    She turned, watching him warily as he circled, waiting for him to attack.


    "Will you not try something on me?" He stopped and spread his arms wide in invitation.


    "We both know that is pointless," she replied.


    He chuckled, dropping his arms. "It is not pointless if I get to see what you can do," there was mirth in his eyes. He was enjoying this immensely. "You are not part of this pack, Winter. Why are you here? To help the Luna?"


    "Have you already gotten her?" Penelope asked, dodging his question.


    "I''m saving her forst," he smiled widely, his fangs bing visible, and she shivered.


    A real vampire stood in front of her. She knew of his existence, but she had never seen him with her own eyes. To see him was to be taken, no longer able to tell others about the experience.


    "She is different," he said, head tilting again. "You must be aware of it if you are here. And you were trying to help her, which meant that you knew I would be here."


    His voice was searching, as were his eyes. He was trying to figure her out. Penelope jutted her chin out in defiance.


    "How did you know I would be here on this night?" He asked her directly, the curiosity biting away at him.


    She scoffed. "Graeme rising to power with an alyko Luna. The elders desperate to be rid of them both. Given their track record with you, it was obvious you were called in to retrieve her. And what better night than this one? When everyone gathers, distracted by a variety of festivities steeped in the thrill of Samhain lore?"


    His eyes narrowed. He didn''t like her tone and how she made him seem so predictable.


    "It was pretty obvious¡­ Zagan," she did her best growl, and then he pounced.

 Chapter 285 - Memory

    August told Penelope she understood why she needed to go with Zagan. She needed to protect her mate and her pack who would be decimated if she stayed to fight. Zagan couldn''t be stopped, ording to Penelope. He couldn''t be killed. Not yet anyway.


    Penelope¡­ August clenched her teeth. The powerful alyko who had supposedly made everyone from August''s past forget about her. Why was a Winter alyko not powerful to take care of the vampire? And how had she even gotten on their packnd in the first ce? How did she know precisely where August was? There were no answers for it. And she wasn''t sure the questions mattered at this point anyway with what she was now facing.


    The knots of nerves wound tighter in her stomach where her nausea was still rising at the thought of leaving Graeme. She missed the time when she naively believed people from Eliade were the biggest threats to her here. At this point, human researchers seemed such a simple thing¡ªso easy to dodge. They were nothingpared to a creature who was neither living nor dead and could not die for that reason. They were nothing like a vampiric psychopath who collected the alyko for some unknown purpose.


    Just seeing what Zagan had done to Zoe was terrifying enough. What else did he do with the alyko he gathered?


    August shivered under Penelope''s shawl in the moonlight. She should just call the vampire''s name aloud and get it over with¡ªinvite him to take her.


    Her crow swooped down andnded before her on the ground.


    "Is this truly what I am meant to do?" she asked, teeth chattering as the words came out hushed and uncertain. "Leave him? Right when everything wasing together?"


    The ck bird clucked softly, tilting its head and focusing one eye on her.


    "Do you know?" she chuckled, tears beginning to fall of their own ord.


    It hopped a few times in her direction but gave no indication about its knowledge regarding the situation, if it even had any.


    "He kissed me tonight, and the whole pack came alive. It was perfect. I could feel them all¡ªand so could he. I can feel them still, even now. How could everything be so right and then¡­ and then this? Leaving them goes against every instinct in me. And to not be able to talk with Graeme about any of this before I leave¡­ to not get him to understand and maybe develop a n or something. To not say good bye."


    The tears really started falling with that thought, and she let them. She didn''t care if she was weak because of it. She was mourning the loss of her mate for an unknown period of time. Who knew when she would be back and what would have transpired here while she was gone.


    "I don''t suppose I can take us all to that ce with the tree guardian, can I? The whole pack¡­ allow us to live there safely away from all of this? Is there room for it? Is it even possible?" she mumbled aloud, giggling at how ridiculous it sounded as she wiped the stray tears away. "What am I saying¡­ I wouldn''t even know how to get there myself if I tried."


    The crow suddenly cawed loudly and flew away through the trees as if something startled it.


    August wrapped the shawl closer around herself as she turned and stared into the darkness. Was he here? Was he listening?


    Rather than call Zagan''s name and invite her own disappearance that much sooner, she started wandering to see if she could figure out exactly where she was. After walking for awhile, a two story log house came into view. There was nothing else surrounding it. Its remote location reminded her of how a witch''s house was often depicted in storybooks¡ªunexpectedly arrived upon out in the woods with nothing else around.


    She stopped, wondering if approaching would put whoever might be there in danger once Zagan found her. But there were no lights on in the windows, and she didn''t see any indication of movement.


    "What the hell," she told herself, deciding to explore. Maybe there was a reason why whatever portal she had disappeared through brought her to this location. It might be helpful.


    She opened the door and frowned. Why did this ce look so familiar?


    The logs on the exterior continued inside, making the ce lookfortable and homey. There was an old id couch and chairs facing a firece in the living room with a kitchen beyond and stairs off to the left leading to the second floor.


    She walked in, running her hand along the couch as if inviting a memory to resurface. When she got to the bottom of the staircase, she looked up, following the steps with her eyes.


    A ghost of something scurried up the stairs beyond sight, and her eyes grew wide. She followed, slowly putting one foot in front of the other as she ascended into the dark second story.


    At the top, there was a long hallway with rooms on either side. She stopped at the first, opening the door to find a dark bathroom with a tub. Suddenly the ghost of a memory lit in front of her eyes, ying out like a movie reel.


    August watched herself shaking in pain in the bath tub that first night when she arrived here at the outpost. This was the outpost. That''s why it looked familiar.


    The memory of Greta rushed past her out the door, and she saw Finn crouched by the bath tub, holding a garbage can for her to get sick in. A sob rose in her throat as she watched these people taking care of her. They were strangers at the time, but now they were family.


    She tore her eyes from the bath tub and saw Graeme standing in the corner, tense with his arms crossed over his chest watching this female who he had saved from the Grimm being cared for. He knew she was his mate at the time, but he was staying away from her.. She could see the fear in his eyes.

 Chapter 286 - Memory 2

    This memory that seemed like a lifetime ago was only a few months old.


    She walked into the bathroom toward the ghost of her mate and studied him, a smile blooming on her face. He was so worried for her¡ªshe could see it in the tension that lined his forehead and his eyes, pulling at those handsome features and making them more intense, more angr. His hair and beard were longer than they were now since Greta had been insisting he remain more groomed in his appearance. August chuckled softly thinking of that first time she saw them bickering in the treehouse over it¡ªthat morning before they left to go before the council.


    This Graeme in front of her looked wild¡ªstraight from a life in the woods. His dark eyes that looked resistant to whatever pull she unknowingly had on him at the time. But despite whatever reservations he had about having a mate, he had chosen to save her that night from death or Eliade, and she was so grateful that he did. Who knows what would have be of her that night without him.


    "How can I leave you now when you have given me so much?" she whispered and extended her hand to touch the bristly bearded cheek of this apparition. When she did, he vanished right before her eyes along with the entire bathroom scene.


    She looked around at the darkness that was left. It was hard to believe that had urred here.


    Holding the shawl tightly around herself, she walked back out and continued down the hallway to thest room. She stood there, looking at the closed door warily. She knew what memory awaited her in this room.


    When she opened the door, the room was bright like it was morning rather than the evening of Samhain. She saw herself sleeping under the quilt Greta had described as being a healing quilt that many hands had made together. Greta said it was powerful. August hadn''t seen the quilt since and had all but forgotten about it until now. What had be of it? Maybe it was stained with Marius'' blood, never to be used again for its healing purpose.


    She walked in, looking around at the room, and that''s when she saw him in the corner. The Graeme of this time who was watching over her resting in bed. He looked tired. She wondered just how much sleep her mate had lost during those first weeks after he found her.


    The love and gratitude for him burned so brightly now, filling her up. She walked over and crouched down in front of him.


    "I am so happy you gave us a chance, Graeme Hallowell. You have brought me more joy in these past few weeks than I could have ever imagined. Even if this was all the time that we have¡ªeven if I fail in this task before me now and I¡­ I don''t see you again," she swallowed with the difficulty of that thought, "this was enough joy to fill a lifetime."


    She kissed the air where his cheek would be, imagining the coarse texture under her lips, and smiled as she drew back from him. He was a male like no other that she had known. How blessed was she? And then unbelievably, the ghost of him smiled¡ªrevealing that dimple under his beard that she loved so much. It had to be a coincidence that he smiled at that exact moment, right?


    At that moment, her crow cawed, drawing her attention to the window as the ghostly scene dissolved around her. What she just experienced may have only been a vision of what had happened in the past, but somehow it made her feel better. Her and Graeme had ovee so much already. She was certain that this next part of their story would be no different. She didn''t know the details of all that would happen, but she would meet her mate again when it was done. Nothing could separate them permanently. Not even an ancient vampire whose name dared not be spoken.


    August rose from the floor with renewed hope. She was ready to face this Zagan.


    She walked to the window where her crow waited and saw that it held something shiny in its mouth. A chain of some sort.


    "Is this for me?" she asked, reaching her hand out to what it was offering her.


    When it dropped the chain in her hand, she recognized the medallion Graeme had worn around his neck tonight. It was the abstract depiction of the raven and sun.


    "Is he okay?" she asked, a frown ruffling her brows as she looked back to the crow who had retrieved the ne for her. It simply stared back at her as if it either hadn''t heard the question or else thought it was a stupid one. "Right," she said, looking back down at the silver medallion in her hand and rubbing her thumb over the raised texture of its surface. "If he were not okay, I would know. Thank you for bringing this to me."


    She slid the ne over her head and allowed the medallion to fall on her chest where she reached up and grasped it in her hand. Graeme must have shifted into his wolf and lost this in the process. That meant he was aware of the threat, and that meant that she had to hurry before he got himself killed trying to save her.


    She hurried to the closet, sliding the doors open in hopes of finding something warmer and more appropriate to wear other than this tattered, highly revealing dress. Thankfully there was an assortment of clothes tucked within it for whomever ended up here. She quickly changed out of the gown and into a teeshirt, sweatshirt, and some joggers. There was even socks and a pair of hiking boots that were only a littlerger than her actual size. It wasn''t fashionable by any means, but it felt so much better. And she was finally warm.


    Tucking Graeme''s ne under her sweatshirt and turning the ring he had given her around on her finger, she took a deep breath and¡ªafter one final lingering look at the room¡ªturned to leave.. It was time to summon a vampire.

 Chapter 287 - Graeme Finds The Portal

    Graeme was pacing at the tree where August''s scent disappeared like a stupid canine. He would run a few yards in each direction to make sure that her scent didn''t reappear unexpectedly before returning to the tree and pawing at it, whining helplessly.


    What the fuck happened to her? Even if that creature had taken her, he should have been able to follow the scent trail out of the territory.


    He huffed, blowing a frustrated breath out of his nose. Now what? He was reluctant to leave this spot. It was where she disappeared. If he left, it would mean giving up and admitting defeat. And then what?


    The urge to howl his loss rose in his throat, but he licked at the air, choking the howl down¡ªrefusing to make her disappearance real. He recalled how he was able to feel her when he was in Wisconsin, and he closed his eyes to concentrate on that connection between them.


    She was still here¡­ she was still in the pack territory. He could tell that like he could tell where the rest of his pack members were. Whatever happened between him and August tonight had changed his ability to perceive the others here in the most beautiful and profound way. But it didn''t include a way tomunicate with them, which would have been helpful at the moment.


    Greta and Sam were still at the pack house keeping an eye on everyone there¡ªmaking sure that they were protected without creating hysteria. But he couldn''t pinpoint where his mate was.


    Where was Finn? Where was Lucas?


    He growled and tore off back to the path where August had veered from and followed the faint scent of Finn who had continued on without her by his side. There was no one else here. It seemed the pups had fled back to the pack house when news of Livvy''s return spread.


    He raced over what felt like small squirrel and rabbit bones underneath the path and through an array of figures hanging from trees before scenting the blood. It was a male lycan''s blood.


    His mouth instinctively started watering as it always did in his wolf form when the scent of blood was in the air, but his heart was racing with panic. He immediately knew whose blood it belonged to.


    As he grew nearer to the where the blood was originating, he shifted out of his wolf form and sped to where Finn was lying, sliding beside the body that was slumped over on its side, separated from its head thatid several feet away.


    As a lycan who was responsible for the deaths of many and had seen the deaths of many more, Graeme was not one to be squeamish about blood or death¡ªor even decapitation. But he couldn''t bring himself to look at the state Finn was left in. He squeezed his eyes shut and rested a hand on the male''s body. Finn deserved so much more than this. He was a brave male. He was of the purest heart. And he had died being true to his duty, which was protecting his Luna.


    "Thank you, Finn. You did well," he said softly, and then he grunted back the tears that had started to pool and fall, rising to once again search for his mate who was still here somewhere on packnd.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August left the outpost through the front door, leaving it open as she went. Her mate was out here in the night somewhere searching for her. She looked up at the full moon, allowing herself a moment to appreciate the beauty that it held¡ªso alone and full in the starry night sky.


    "Watch out for him for me," she whispered.


    Then she settled her eyes back on the trees before her¡ªthe trees of her home. The predator was out here somewhere looking for her as well.


    She took a deep breath before shouting his name. "Zagan!"


    Her fists were balled at her sides as she waited. No animals made any noise¡ªnot even the smallest buzz of insects could be heard. She looked up at the window where her crow had flown to greet her. It was still there, peering down at her silently.


    When she turned her head to once again search the woods for any sign of him, he was directly in front of her. She jumped back involuntarily, a small noise escaping her lips as she did. This vampire literally made no sound at all. There was not even a disturbance of wind that she detected prior to his arrival before her.


    "You have decided to make this easy, I see," he spoke, his eerily sharp eyes flitting over her face, giving her the impression that he picked up every micro expression, every small quiver of breath.


    She gathered her frayed nerves at having him arrive so suddenly and schooled her features.


    "I do not want my mate or my pack harmed," she said as steadily as she could manage. Being near him with the frozen way he held himself¡ªhe didn''t even seem to be breathing¡ªwas instinctively terrifying.


    "How wise of you, Luna," he replied without blinking, a smooth incline of his lips curving to reveal the sharp fangs beyond. "Shall we?" he asked, offering a hand to her that she stared at uneasily. Was he really going to just walk her out of the forest in such a civilized manner? That was unlikely.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Graeme raced back on all fours, following her scent trail once again, until he was standing before the same damned tree. This time he closed his eyes and searched for her, focusing harder than before. Perhaps there was a different kind of trail that he could follow. One that wasn''t created by her scent.


    He found her again, somewhere on the packnd. Still here. But her essence seemed scattered, like she was everywhere. Like she was all around. Like she was part of the air itself.


    The image of her as golden flower petals spiraling up into the air suddenly formed in his mind¡ªlike the petals from her guardian ce. He told her at that time that he would arrive whenever she called him¡ªwhenever she needed him. Had she not called for him now with this looming threat?


    His eyebrows pinched together at this thought, but then a trail of those petals aligned before him disappearing straight into the tree. She had told him once about disappearing under a tree. Perhaps she had been able to do it this time as well. That made perfect sense¡­ he would have lost her scent trail.


    With his eyes still closed, he walked forward, following where this trail was leading. And surprisingly the solid trunk of the tree that he knew was there did not stop him. He was following her trail through the portal.

 Chapter 288 - Biting Stone

    Graeme continued walking through the portal, reluctant to open his eyes for fear of ending up in the exact same ce he was previously¡ªstuck staring at the tree where August disappeared.


    When he felt the air around him change and the tense silence of his surroundings that was in contrast to where he had just been, his eyes snapped open. It took him a moment to get his bearings. He was still on packnd, and this area of the forest was familiar. Where was it exactly?


    His nose tilted upward as he sniffed for her scent, and it was there. So strong and sweet. The relief of finding it flooded over him, and he bolted forward in pursuit of his mate who had to be close. As he ran, he realized where they were. It was just outside the outpost where he had first brought her the night he found her in the Grimm. How strange that she would end up back where they had started.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August stared at Zagan''s outstretched hand. Were they just going to walk out of here? She assumed he would knock her out or drink her blood or something.


    The smile that had formed on his creepily serene face vanished and his head snapped to the side, eyes narrowing in the distance. And in that moment she felt him¡ªshe felt Graeme approaching. It was like they were two masing together, and the force of him tugged at her center wanting to instinctively drive her forward toward him.


    Without realizing it, her feet had started moving toward the approaching Graeme who she could now hear huffing with each stride, a small grunt being released each time he hit the ground. He was excited and desperate to find her, and her heart soared in the light of that force drawing them together just as his did. She couldn''t leave. What had she been thinking? Her mate was here.


    Zagan watched as the lure of the mate bond yed out before his eyes. The Luna had been brave and confident in her decision, wanting to protect her mate and pack by leaving voluntarily, but now a dreamy quality had taken over her eyes to the extent that she had apparently forgotten the threat in their midst. This is why mate bonds were so intriguing and so dangerous. He didn''t understand it at all.


    He grabbed her hand, jolting her back to reality with the cold grip of restraint. Her eyes went wide with the sudden realization of what she was doing by approaching her mate¡ªshe was putting him at risk¡ªand she wilted, all the joy bleeding out of her as she let Zagan pull her into his side as he prepared to leap into the trees above.


    But the Alpha somehow increased his speed and before Zagan could leave the ground with the prize alyko in his arms, he was knocked backward with two veryrge paws on his chest.


    Graeme had aimed all of his weight at the creature''s chest, avoiding his mate who toppled to the side out of the vampire''s arms. There was an immense sense of relief at finally seeing her, but it was coupled with the most indescribable rage toward this thing that was trying to take her from him.


    Snarls were tearing out his throat as he attacked the vampire''s neck and the face, instinctively going for the vulnerable spots that would help in disabling the threat. But there was no soft flesh to give way. No blood was set free to begin draining the life force from his opponent. It was like he was attempting to bite into stone.


    Zagan growled and shoved the beast off of him, annoyed at this disturbance. He had taken too long with the Winter alyko. He should have retrieved the Luna and been gone by now. All of his prizes from this night''s harvest were tucked safely away in their trucks some distance from the perimeter where the rest of his crew was waiting¡ªall but one prize of course. And he wasn''t leaving without the Luna. She was the cherry on top, as he had heard humans say.


    Graeme shook his head after being shoved off. It felt like he had broken some teeth trying to bite into this creature. What was he made of if not flesh?


    "Graeme," August cried. "I have to go with him!"


    She saw one of his ears tilt toward her, but Graeme didn''t take his eyes off the vampire who was casually rising to stand in front of him, a string of threatening snarlsyering one over the other with his lips curled back and body hunched trying to decide how to attack him. How could he disable a vampire? Because there was no way he was letting August go with him, regardless of what she said.


    Zagan pulled at the cuffs of his sleeves, adjusting them with an air of arrogance. He didn''t attack the Alpha, not yet. He wanted to wait and see if she could talk sense into him before Zagan was forced to end this his way.


    "Graeme! Look at me, please!" she cried again, seeding this time in drawing his attention to her when his eyes instantly softened, a look of immense love and desperation there. He was pleading with her not to leave him. "I have to go, but I will return to you. I promise."


    Zagan''s eyes narrowed at this, but if a simple promise was all it would take to be able to leave with her, then he would let her make it. He would let them both believe it.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Graeme noticed the reaction the vampire had to August''s words of reassurance. He knew just as well as Graeme did that she wouldn''t return. No alyko ever returned once they were gone¡ªhow would August be different?


    "Livvy returned," August said when she noticed Graeme''s attention shift.. "If she can return, I will too."

 Chapter 289 - Healing Graeme

    That''s right, the pup his team had retrieved such a short time ago that Zagan had not even had the chance to meet her yet and see what she could do had somehow miraculously returned to her pack. He bit into his lip, drawing more of Zosime''s blood to lick off and savor on his tongue. It kept him from growling his denial that any such thing would happen again.


    This mystery of the returned Livvy truly troubled him. Who had retrieved her and how did they know the location and how to ess it? That was a massive breach. Someone would answer for this, and then Zagan would have to reevaluate everything he had built.


    Unless she had somehow escaped herself without any intervention, which had urred a rare number of times¡ªalyko were unpredictable after all and their abilities had the potential to vary widely¡ªthe only thing that would exin this unprecedented situation was if someone inside his ranks was involved and had schemed against him, but he couldn''t imagine that happening.


    While his thoughts were running over these troubling issues, the Luna had approached her mate, speaking softly to him, assuring him of her return and safety. Zagan almost scoffed aloud listening. Where did she get such confidence in her ability to return or to stay safe for that matter? She didn''t know anything about him or where he was taking her. But maybe she was just trying to appease her mate.


    When she finally got close enough to Graeme who was suspended in his divided attention, his soft eyes unable to look away from her but his body rigid and bristling in caution of the threat just at his side, she reached out and stroked his head and down the side of his neck. HIs fur was so soft. She yearned to just cuddle up there and stay next to his warmth.


    Graeme allowed her to hold him and run her hands along his fur. It was like she had put a spell on him with her words, lulling him into the belief that she held so firmly. His head became hazy with the intoxication of her scent and her touch and the way all of his sharp edges and ends softened and rounded to amodate her.


    He nuzzled into her hold, calming against his better judgment. She was not panicking. She did not have the tangy scent of fear. His mate truly believed that this was what she needed to do. And then she spoke. She spoke to him without words just as Graeme and Greta were able to do together.


    ''Penelope was here,'' she said wordlessly. ''She told me there is a way to kill him, and it''s possible that only I am capable of it. I have to go with him now, but I will return to you. I vow it, Graeme.''


    His eyes were still soft and pleading, but he let out a low growl of argument.


    "That''s enough," Zagan said cooly. He didn''t like the way the mates were staring so intensely at each other like they were having a silent conversation. "Your Luna ising with me. Shall we¡­ August?"


    Graeme spun to face him, snarls and spit dripping from his mouth that bared their teeth in warning. He blocked August from the vampire. If this creature wanted his mate, he was going to have to kill him first.


    Zagan smirked, cocking his head.


    "If you insist," he sighed and then in an instant catapulted himself high up into the night sky and, before Graeme had even tilted his head all the way up to follow the disappearing form, came rocketing back down onto Graeme''s back. The earth shook with the impact, sending shockwaves and tremors radiating out around them, shaking the leaves that were left on the trees.


    It was so fast, happening in less than a blink of the eye, August had just opened her mouth to scream her protest at both of them. But before the sound even had a chance to take flight from her lungs, her mate was crumpled, unmoving on the ground. Zagan stayed on top of him, pulling the limp wolf head up to check his eyes. The pupils were blown, indicating at least brain damage, but the heart in the animal''s chest was still beating.


    As she screamed, the Veiled erupted in front of August''s eyes, flooding the scene in front of her in moving particles and auras of energy, but the vampire in front of her was like a ck hole¡ªa colorless vortex of nothing. She raced forward, not feeling her body, not hearing any sound¡ªfocused solely on the limp body of her mate on the ground.


    Before she got to him, she used the Veiled to send Zagan flying through the air against a tree, knocking it down as he hit. Graeme''s aura was dim now. It was so dim.


    "No!" she screamed, sliding next to him and cradling his heavy furry head in herp.


    "He made his choice," Zagan spat, pulling her roughly by the shoulder, but she turned and roared with such unrestrained pure anger, throwing him once more through the air using only the energy surrounding her that the Veiled gave her ess to.


    ''I will heal him before Ie with you!'' The words were unspoken but somehow pierced into his mind, crippling him into stunned silence at themand of this she wolf. Her re lingered, her lips curled back over her teeth, making sure he would not advance on her again before she was ready.


    He nodded, slumped against a tree where he hadnded.


    Satisfied that she could concentrate on her mate now, August returned to him, cradling his head in herp. She bowed over him, resting her face against his forehead. And she began murmuring something even his vampiric hearing could not decipher.


    A soft glow began orbiting the Luna and the Alpha wolf in her arms. Zagan''s mouth fell open in awe. His mouth never fell open in awe. He had never seen anything like this. No alyko abilities he had ever witnessed even came close. She was healing him.. She was healing her mate.

 Chapter 290 - Healing Graeme 2

    Any prior insecurity or disbelief in the power or ability August had vanished, it had no bearing on this moment right now with Graeme''s limp head cradled in her arms. Without hesitation or restraint, she became the healing energy around her. She didn''t even need to concentrate. The healing light flowed into her as if that was what it had always done.


    All that mattered was Graeme now. She could feel the current of healing passing through her hands into his body. It lingered over his head and down his spine, lighting its way toward making him whole again. And as it did, she sent him the eternal well of love that she had for him. It was that well of love that fueled this ability within her¡ªit wasn''t hers alone. She was made stronger, she was made brighter and fuller in her innermost being because she was inextricably woven together with him.


    She wouldn''t let that die. Not here. Not now. It wasn''t going to happen.


    She murmured these things against his fur, passing her energy into him. This was like the reverse of what had urred just a few yards away in the outpost when August overcame Marius. She had used Graeme''s strength at that time as her own, but now she was giving him all that was flowing through her¡ªthe healing light from the universe but also the light from within herself.


    When that light warmed, burning its brightest between them and she felt his body start to noticeably respond, she smiled. Nobody could take him away from her.


    And then without warning, she slipped into another space of consciousness¡ªthis one without time. She was lying on her back, looking up at a different sky but one that she recognized nevertheless. Petals were spiraling up into the air, and when she sat up, the steam from the hot spring greeted her.


    "You are back," the voice of the tree guardian said calmly, and August looked over to see that her guardian was standing there before the hot spring, her lichen covered dress trailing behind her and up the hill from where she came.


    "Thank the Goddess, I am back," August exhaled softly. "Graeme,e to me," she said, calling out across the healing water toward an opening in the trees where she had seen Sage appear when he came to visit her here.


    Only a beat of her heart passed before she saw hisrge form appear from out of the shadows of the underbrush. She sucked in a breath and ran around the exterior of the spring until she met him, jumping into his arms and nuzzling against his warmth.


    He groaned at the impact, and she pulled back, looking over him worriedly before letting herself slide back down, feetnding softly on the ground. His eyes were full of light and adoration as always when he looked upon her, but she could see he was in pain.


    "Is it your back?" she asked, walking around to get a view of that part of him.


    He was without a shirt, so her eyes ran along the flesh of her mate that she had gotten to know so well at this point as if it were her own. She ran a hand along his broad, solid muscles that appeared fine before reaching up to caress his neck. He winced.


    "I am okay, Moon," he insisted, but she could hear the strain in his voice.


    He was okay, in fact. But they could do better than okay.


    "Come into the spring with me," she said, pulling him by the hand toward the water. But he didn''t allow her to tug him, and she found herself whirling back around to face him instead.


    "Why are you insisting on going with him?" he asked, his voice pained.


    "It''s what must be done," she told him, her eyes darting away. She couldn''t stand to see the look of pure anguish in his.


    "No," he argued. "That can''t be the only way."


    "Let''s talk about it in the water. Come with me," she said, attempting to pull him again but his silent refusal remained.


    "I don''t need this, August. You should not have allowed yourself to be drained because of me," he replied, pulling her back towards him so he could get a better look at the gold that had filled her irises once again¡ªlike bright twin crowns.


    "Fine, I need it. Come with me," she insisted and began removing her clothes, throwing first the sweatshirt and then the shirt to the side.


    He sighed and looked down at his feat. When she took thest item of clothing off and began walking toward the water without him, he finally raised his head to watch her¡ªthe retreating form of his mate. Something about seeing her walk away had him instantly moving to join her.


    Once August got to the middle of the stream, she ducked her head under and came back up, smoothing the hair back off of her face. Before she opened her eyes, she felt him. His arms drew her close, caging her body against his.


    "I wonder how long we can stay like this," she grinned, raising her hands to smooth his hair back as well.


    She hoisted herself up, hands on his shoulders, trying to push him under where he would get the full benefit of whatever magical healing this hot spring had to offer, but he wouldn''t budge. Instead, he took advantage of how her breasts had emerged right in front of him, water sluicing over their soft swells, and cupped them in his hands. His head leaned forward, mouth finding her and taking her into himself like it was a delicacy he might not get again.


    August softened under his hands, and when he pulled away and tilted his head to look up at her it was with the most heart wrenching emotion. He couldn''t let her go. He couldn''t let her leave him.


    She slid back down against him.


    "Graeme," she spoke softly. "I would never leave you if there was another way. I need you to trust me that I will return. I might be able to help all of the alyko¡­"


    "I don''t care about all of the alyko if it means sacrificing you. There is no contest," he hushed her, and with those words she felt a lump form in her throat.


    "I am not sacrificing myself," she said.


    "What about our child, August?"

 Chapter 291 - Healing Graeme 3

    "What about our child, August?" Graeme asked, his expression pained as he held her in the water, her knees finding his muscr thighs where she anchored herself.


    Her cheeks were already red from the heat of the spring, which gave her that characteristic flush that he associated with her. She was always blushing with embarrassment¡ªat least when they first met. It was adorable.


    She let out a deep breath, her expression mimicking his. She didn''t know what to say about it. It wasn''t something she could predict, but the words she chose here were important. There was no downying that the pregnancy was a significant matter. There were things she would need, including check-ups and ultrasounds and so many other typical routine processes that it was unlikely she would have ess to.


    "Well they won''t know, right?" she asked softly, looking down at the reflective surface of the water. "They won''t scent it."


    He just stared at her, his brow feathering further in concern. She would be alone in the pregnancy without him or anyone else who cared for her. It was the worst possible idea, and his stomach turned even considering it.


    She sighed, feeling the weight of his silence and the thoughts unspoken. Her eyes welled with tears. It wasn''t any use to ask why¡ªwhy was this happening? Why now? Why be blessed with the conception of a child when they would be separated during what was meant to be a magical time in both of their lives?


    "I don''t know what to say," she admitted. "I am only following what feels necessary. Penelope said that in order to kill him, he first needs to be given life. And¡­ and I don''t know how to do that right now."


    Graeme gritted his teeth. He didn''t want to growl with August in his arms, but the fact that Penelope had been on hisnd in order to convince his mate to go with that vampire was outrageous. He had spoken with her before¡ªif this was the n, if this was the purpose for her work with Eliade, why didn''t she mention it? Why didn''t she prepare them for this? He could have¡­ figured something else out.


    "She said I am the closest to La Loba that she has known of," she continued exining. "Maybe it won''t even take that long to find a way to give him life like that, I mean¡­ I healed you tonight. It was much easier and quicker than with Greta. It felt like it was a natural ability that I didn''t even have to think about."


    "But maybe that is just because your mate was injured," he argued. "And you ended up here on top of it."


    "I wish you would trust me," she said softly. "I know it is hard¡­ or impossible even. But the Moon Goddess has given us each other, this child, the pack, and now¡­ put this in our path. It''s hard, but life is hard. We have to fight for what we cherish."


    "That is what I am trying to do," he growled softly, "fight. For you, for us, for the pack that needs both of us."


    Everything in him was riddled with guilt that he had failed in that fight so quickly and easily. He didn''t even have a chance against the vampire. If it was his mate''s death the vampire was after, she would have already been gone. He wouldn''t be able to hold her in his arms right now.


    "Maybe you could try to trust me instead," she murmured. She knew it was too much to ask of him. She wouldn''t be able to just let him go either if the roles were reversed. In fact, she would likely be hysterical.


    Trust. The word rang clear in his mind. That was his issue, all right. It had been for some time. He didn''t want to trust her with anyone else, which had included his pack during the time when he and August were barely speaking. He was trying to protect her of course, but it had hurt her instead. It had hurt both of them.


    But now he was supposed to trust her in the hands of a vampire?


    "Not him," August replied to his unspoken thoughts. "I know you can''t trust him. Neither can I. I am asking you to trust me," she said.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if we faced him together?" he replied.


    "How?" she asked, eyebrows pinching together as she finally met his eyes again. "How can we do that? I don''t know how to give him that life that is needed yet, and any dy while I am trying to figure it out will be too long. He will be able to end you and me and the pack if he wants."


    The flower petals continued spiraling up around them, but Graeme noticed how her eyes were returning to their clear cerulean blue. She was healing from the exhaustion of helping him. That fact gave him a small measure of relief.


    "I need time. And hopefully it won''t be long," she whispered, perspiration lining her forehead and above her lip. Graeme reached up to smooth the small beads over her lip and cherished the way she leaned into him instinctively, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment.


    "Do you trust me?" she asked directly this time.


    He sucked in a breath. Penelope had told him to trust his mate, but then she was also aware that they would find themselves in the vampire''s crosshairs.


    "I want to," he said finally, and he watched as her shoulders slumped. "Do you understand how terrified I am of losing you? That is why I can''t give you the answer you are seeking, my love."


    "I am terrified of losing you, too," she replied. "Will you please allow me to dunk you so you can be healed here? It will be faster than recovering on your own. I don''t want to leave you in pain."


    His lips tilted up on one side. "I will be fine. I''m lycan."


    "I''m lycan, too," she replied, not missing a beat. "Remember the way I healed from the bear attack because of you?"


    He hummed. It was true. She wasn''t as fragile as a human anymore, but that didn''t mean she would be safe with a vampire.


    "And not only that, but I am fae. More fae than even you," she smirked.


    "What is that supposed to mean, Moon? That you are more formidable than me at facing this creature?"


    "Maybe I am," she shrugged. "Penelope seems to think so."


    "Penelope..." he grunted, cursing under his breath, "I can''t believe she snuck in to convince you of this. I feel betrayed."


    "She seemed very genuine. She is worried about all the alyko," August told him.


    "Of course she is.. Whereas I am just worried about one."

 Chapter 292 - Feel Better?

    "Graeme," August said softly, looking now at his lips and drawing the edge out of his voice.


    "Yes, my love," he became aware that their time was running out. Somehow he knew it like an instinct, like the smell of rain on the air with the approaching storm. It bled into his senses, causing his heart to go racing in protest.


    "Wherever I am, I will whisper your name like a secret prayer," she said, drawing herself closer to him, a breath away as she curled one arm around his neck and with the other hand tugged lightly at his hair, running her hand up against the direction of its growth before weaving her fingers through and tugging lightly again, her breasts pressed against him, slippery with the water that managed toe between them when it seemed that nothing else could. Not even this. Not even a vampire.


    "There is no distance that can take you from me," she continued, caressing the silence with the hypnotizing melody of her voice that was like no other voice, her face that was like no other face.


    He felt her knees slip off of his thighs and fold themselves around his waist, bringing her even closer. Burning the shape of her body onto his skin. She was luring him into this fantasy that they would be okay, that she could be trusted to kill a vampire and return to him so they could live happily ever after¡ªMoon Bun and all. Another fairytale.


    Another fae tail.


    His mate was fae. He had to remember this. She was powerful¡ªher abilities would dwarf his. That is what Penelope said. If it were true, she could do this.


    "I need you to believe in me," she breathed against his skin before allowing her cheek to run along his as she pulled back to tilt her gaze to him.


    The me of pride that he already had for her deep inside red brighter in an instant as he gazed back into the blue of her storybook sky. She was going to do this. She was going to defeat Zagan. He stared in awe of this assurance that wasing from somewhere beyond himself.


    Was she persuading him of this or was it something else? It feltrger¡ªlike the prating truth of the universe that was beyond time, assuring him of what had alreadye to be and woulde to be again. She would seed because she had already seeded. He had already faced the loss of letting her go and had her again by his side.


    He was the reader of their story who had skipped along to thest page and, being satisfied that all would be well, continued where he left off, trusting the intricate weft of words written by an invisible hand.


    "I believe you," he answered softly against her, the awe shining in his eyes of how suddenly, openly true it was. His heart had been yed and the entirety of their story tucked inside, the aching beauty of its wisdom pumping through him.


    "I do too," she nodded, her forehead pressed against his as the sigh of relief at his agreement fell from her lips.


    And then, as if they heard the whistle of an oing train calling to take her away, they joined lips, joined mouths, joined bodies, hands pulling at each other in onest desperate attempt to fully be one enough to not be physically parted.


    Graeme tugged her hair as she had previously done to his, exposing the elegant curve of her neck. He groaned, bending to take her in his mouth, one hand in her hair and one gripping the soft flesh of her ass as he guided her down over his cock one more time before she left him.


    She whimpered when he entered her, the sweet sound driving him further, harder home to her. He wanted more whimpers. He wanted to hear every reaction to how he made her feel. He wanted fucking screams.


    "Fuck, Graeme," she cried, her body opening fully to him and exploding into sensation that sizzled down every nerve ending. "Yes, Graeme. Oh Goddess, yes!"


    His own feral noises rumbled against her skin as he kept her neck in his mouth, gripping her there possessively. This female was his. This female would always be his. His arms wrapped her tightly against him in resistance to the thrusts that were jolting her body, threatening to send her away each time as he pulled her back and repeated the process, creating that pleasurable tease of parting and returning, mming back into each other with such force of desire that it sent them apart again. An eternal return to the other. A slide of creation, piercing the threshold of being over and over again, pumping it with life.


    "August," he groaned, finally releasing her from his teeth so he could pray her name to the sky. "You feel so good. Fuck, you feel so good."


    She shifted her heels to rest on his hips, gasping the instant he returned to her at this angle. And then his mate moaned¡ªthe feral moan of an animal fully given over to the body with no reservations left in the mind. She had be her body, dipping to meet him again and again, breasts jolting, eyes rolling back and mouth hanging open to allow those animalistic sounds to escape. She had be the act of mating, chasing and chasing that hill to its peak where they finally shattered together into starlight.


    "Oh Goddess," August gasped as they rode the momentum together downhill. "All the goddesses. Praise them all," she chuckled, chest heaving as she gazed fondly at her mate whose eyes were still squeezed shut against the brightness that had shed behind them.


    She took the opportunity to catch him off guard and push him under the surface of the water, covering him with the force of its healing. When he came back up, he shook his head, throwing the wet hair off of his face and sending water droplets flying through the steam. He growled teasingly.


    "Feel better?" she giggled at the fierce glint in his eyes.


    "Oh you have no idea."

 Chapter 293 - Feel Better? 2

    Graeme pulled her toward him under the water. She felt weightless as she glided back into his arms, and he held her. He just held her. They didn''t speak, didn''t allow their words to steal these final moments by demarcating them with fears or insecurities. Maybe if they just stayed here, just stayed like this, silent in each other''s presence they could stretch out these moments indefinitely.


    Here there were no pack members, no researchers, no vampires, no expectations. Here they were just allowed to be. And that was afort in itself.


    Graeme carried her through the water toward the shore andid them both down on the soft, lush grass that didn''t reflect the fall season. It was like an eternal spring here¡ªthe time of rebirth and regeneration for the world. Everything was green and blooming and new. There was even a noticeable freshness to the air.


    "Do you think all fae have ces like this?" He asked as hey next to her on his side, head propped against one hand. His wet hair was tossed back with only a section falling over his eyes, creating that effortless physical appeal that still made her heart stutter in her chest.


    "I hope so," she smiled, turning to watch thest of the petals spiraling up into the sky. "Does your neck really feel better?"


    He nodded, raising a hand to caress her cheek. Hershes fluttered closed and she scooted closer to him, nuzzling against his chest with her head tucked under his chin. This was her favorite position. This was her favorite ce to be.


    Graeme sighed as the soothingfort of their contact spread through him as well, his arm draping over her, locking her against him. He tried to resist the pull of sleep¡ªtried to keep his eyes open to appreciate every moment here with her until those moments ran out. But eventually they were both lulled into dreams by the warmth of the sun, the pleasant sounds of the forest, and the overarching peace that pervaded this ce where they were safe.


    "I love you, August Moon," he murmured as his conscious thoughts started to drift away like the petals that had disappeared into the blue sky above them.


    "I love you, Bun Bun," she breathed against him, hearing the soft vibrating growl of protest in his chest. Her lips quirked up into a smile.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Zagan watched as the healing glow between the Luna and her mate burned brighter and stayed surrounding them like a luminous mist. As a cold creature, he was particrly sensitive to variations in the temperature around him, and there was a noticeable warmth associated with this healing that she was doing. It was almost like witnessing the birth of a miniature sun.


    He was mildly concerned about what more challenges this alyko would present once she was done with her mate. The strength she possessed to not only fling him through the air but also to speak directly into his mind, which had never been done before, was much more than he anticipated. So he sat alert, poised in preparation for whatever mighte hurling his way.


    But it never happened. Once the glow subsided, he rose and walked casually to where the two were draped over each other. Their breaths were soft and even. Were they¡­ sleeping? He chuckled. That was certainly unexpected. Apparently she had a ways to go before she was strong enough to do this without draining herself of energy.


    "You need to learn to ground yourself, little one," he muttered. "Then it won''t take so much out of you."


    He leaned down to hoist her into his arms where she flopped over his shoulder like a rag doll. The Alpha was clearly deep in slumber as well. It would be quite the shock for him once he awoke and found her gone. But at least there would be no more resistance here tonight.


    Zaganunched into the air, alighting on the limb of a tree. It would be faster for him to leap between trees and avoid any perimeter guards that might get in their way.


    His lycans were already back at the vehicles awaiting his return, and he had intended on just dropping her there with them after this harvest and letting them take her to thepound as usual. It was so slow and mundane to ride in vehicles. He absolutely detested it. And he never saw the alyko to their area of thepound anyway. That was a job for his team. He usually never even visited them after they arrived until several weekster. It was best that they got settled, got used to their routine and living conditions before Zagan came to visit.


    This time though, he considered adjusting the typical routine. The Luna was unusual. She was unique. She was promising. And he needed to make sure that she was cared for appropriately.


    It wouldn''t surprise him if his lycans were rough with the alyko when they were out of sight. Zagan never gave them specific orders not to be. As long as the alyko were fed and given the necessities and maintained in one physical piece, he didn''t deign to concern himself over the details of their treatment.


    But he didn''t particrly like the idea of carrying her all the way there. Perhaps he would have to take the dreadful ride in one of their trucks in order to keep an eye on her. Would Seth and Rico be able to make sure she was cared for like the prize she was? These strays acted like a pack when they were on missions, but as there was no true hierarchy between them, there was also no clear chain ofmand once Zagan left them. Strays cherished their independence, and that was something that would never change.


    Coming upon the vehicles, Zagan jumped down from the final tree to startle a few of his team members. They hated when he did that, but it also kept them on their toes.


    "Boss," Seth nodded, acknowledging Zagan''s presence. Apparently he was sessful in retrieving the alyko they came for. She was draped limply over his shoulder.


    One of the males opened the back door of their SUV, and Zagan ced her inside to be cuffed. The cuffs went around both the wrists and ankles and cut off an alyko''s ability to interact with multidimensional energies, which is where they received their power.. This safety measure kept the transports back peaceful without any unforeseen issues.

 Chapter 294 - Back At The Pack House

    Everyone who was celebrating the return of Livvy had gravitated back to the pure fire behind the pack house. This was a historic Samhain indeed. They had their Alpha and Luna and the most incredible feeling of unity like none they had previously known, and now they had the surprise of the returned Livvy.


    Sh stood back, watching the family and the pack members wee the pup back into the pack. She had done her job, and after being gone for weeks on her own private mission to retrieve the young female, she finally let herself breathe a sigh of relief. She had seeded somehow.


    What she did was a huge risk, but with Graeme and August taking over the pack leadership and even conceiving the next heir, she knew it was her chance to reveal what had been going on in this pack for so long. None of the regr pack members knew of the deal the elders had made with the ancient vampire Zagan, but Sh was well aware. And it wasn''t only because she was a member of Zoe''s secret team. Her and Sage had a history as strays that no one in this pack had knowledge of, not even the elders. Not even Zoe. No one knew where they hade from, but it was time to reveal all of it if it meant helping bring justice to those who were oppressing the alyko.


    Sh scanned the crowd for Graeme and his mate. When she and Livvy were crossing the Grimm, they both felt the connection to their pack me bright with hope like their Alpha and Luna had reached out to wee them personally even from such a long distance. It was incredible. At that moment, Sh knew her timing was perfect. The return of Livvy on this night was meant to be.


    But now she couldn''t find them anywhere. She hoped to be quickly ushered into a private room so they could learn of what had happened. She had nned out what to tell them¡ªthe scheming of the elders, the real mission of Zoe''s team, the faked alyko tales, the vampire¡­ everything. But they were absent.


    While everyone continued celebrating, Livvy''s parents took her up to the medical wing to have her looked over and evaluated. Her sisters followed, reluctantly pausing on the steps when their parents told them to wait down below.


    "You can see her more in a little bit. Let''s give Livvy some space right now," their mother told them, donning a gentle but firm tone that attempted to bring order to the giddiness of joy and relief that they all felt. She and her mate needed to make sure their pup was okay, and that was difficult to do when so many hands and eyes and voices were alling at her at once.


    After seeing Livvy disappear upstairs with her parents, Sh went in search for Graeme and August who were still unounted for. Something wasn''t right. Her forehead feathered with concern. Something definitely wasn''t right. Under normal circumstances, the Alpha and Luna would have been at the front of the crowd weing the pup back. What was happening?


    Now that she thought about it, of all the pups who had rushed Livvy when they heard of her return, she had not seen Sage. Where was her brother? Surely news would have reached him by now that she was back and that she had seeded. A knot of nerves that she thought had finally been relieved once she crossed the border into packnd started twisting again in her stomach. Where was Sage?


    She spotted a pup her brother''s age and grabbed him as he was running past her. "Plum, have you seen Sage?"


    The girl squinted in thought. "Yes! When we were in the haunted forest," she giggled.


    "Haunted forest?" Sh repeated, unfamiliar with that part of the Samhain tradition.


    "It''s new this year. It''s so fun!" Plum eximed.


    "Did you see him after that?" Sh asked, but Plum shook her head, unable to recall seeing the ck hair and piercing green eyes of her friend since they were hiding behind trees waiting to scare the Luna.


    "Okay, thank you," Sh sighed and watched as the pup skipped away.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Where the fuck is Graeme?" Greta asked, wringing her hands in front of herself as she stood in blocking the path to the so-called haunted forest, making sure no one wandered too far away from the pack house. Her and Sam were working on keeping everyone together without creating panic just yet. Panic would be bad.


    Too much time had gone by and neither Graeme or August were back. She didn''t know how this new connection with their Alpha and Luna worked, but she hoped it would be apparent if something had happened to them. She hoped and simultaneously feared it as well.


    "I''m going to look for them," Sam told her, feeling the same level of anxiety as she did, though he was able to hide it better.


    Greta turned her worried gaze upon him, torn as to whether that was actually a good idea. But her mate was the Beta. He was technically the second inmand. She had to trust him.


    "I want toe with you," she confessed when she realized he was waiting for her approval. He was a strong male, but he respected her opinions and instincts as much as his own.


    "I know. But they need you here," he told her.


    It was true, but he also didn''t want her putting herself directly in harm''s way since she was pregnant. The pregnancy didn''t affect her strength by any means¡ªin fact, lycan females often became more formidable when they had pups to protect, even in utero. But they also had more to lose, and this was a significant threat they were facing. A vampire? No way was his mate going up against a vampire.


    Greta sighed and nodded, agreeing that he should go find out what he could about their location. It had just been way too long not to hear anything at all. Why hadn''t Graeme returned? Graeme should have at least returned, but she could see her brother following his mate out into the sunset if that was what was required of him.


    Sam leaned forward, kissing the top of her head before racing out into the darkness to follow Graeme''s scent.

 Chapter 295 - Seeking Their Alpha

    Lucas felt nauseous when he finally came to, and there was a jarring, splitting pain in his head and his chest. It took him several moments to even recall what had urred, he was so blinded by the pain. He looked around at the dark, empty forest and gradually rose to his feet. His four feet. He was still in wolf form.


    He shook his head as if trying to shake off the pain, groaning as he did, and then shifted back into human form. It was the fucking vampire. The vampire felt like a wrecking ball when he mmed into him. But he was already healing¡ªthat was part of the pain. He recognized the way the blood rushed to those areas and worked at repairing the damage. Tissues were being threaded back together like torn fabric, ribs had already started to snap back into ce.


    "Dammit," he hissed, reaching up to feel the flesh over his ribs.


    How long had he been out? Where had the undead creature gone? Had Graeme found August?


    The silence around him revealed nothing. The forest was keeping its secrets at the moment.


    He had a sh of Zoe¡ªof hearing her agree to give herself to the creature as long as Lucas would be spared. What the fuck was she thinking? Did she have any idea how unworthy he was of being saved? Did she have any fucking clue? He had so much atoning to do for the past, and now this. And now her¡­ acting like some kind of hero.


    He rose to his feet and stumbled around beforeing upon a tree trunk where he braced himself, wincing at the bright res of pain that were erupting throughout his body. Why couldn''t the healing hurry the fuck up? He groaned and mmed his fist against the tree, angry at how hopeless he felt in this moment. How hopeless and worthless and alone. He had failed. So many times, he had failed.


    He yelled, continuing to m his fist against the sharp bite of the bark until his knuckles became raw, and then he found himself hugging the tree desperately, hanging onto its steady, rooted assurance as actually tears slipped free. Tears. He was crying. It had been so long, he almost didn''t even recognize the wetness on his cheeks. But when he did, he gritted his teeth and shoved it all back where it belonged once again¡ªbehind a wall inside him somewhere. Where he didn''t have to focus on it.


    He heard paws racing his way, and he quickly wiped the tears away with the back of his bloodied hand as he growled a threat. With the pain that was consuming his senses, he couldn''t register who it was that was approaching, so the growl was precautionary. If it were an enemy, perhaps they would slow their advance.


    Sam sprinted to his side, shifting mid-stride. "What happened?" the Beta asked, realizing the condition Lucas was currently in. He was healing, and he was in pain.


    "Fucking vampire," Lucas spit, hunching over slightly as he wrapped an arm around his throbbing ribcage.


    "Are you okay?" Sam asked, eyes narrowing on the dried blood on Lucas'' face. He had apparently been coughing up blood.


    "Yes," Lucas growled, angry that the attention was on him rather than the intruders.


    "I suppose you don''t know where Graeme is?" Sam sighed.


    "He still hasn''t returned?" Lucas nced up, meeting the Beta''s eyes now. That wasn''t a good sign.


    Sam shook his head.


    "I was chasing the lycans. I left him. He was still following August''s scent," Lucas recalled.


    "Well I can''t scent her obviously, but I followed him to a tree. There are w marks on it. He shredded the trunk like he was trying to¡­ I don''t know¡­ pass through it. Her scent trail must have ended there," Sam said, eyebrows threaded together in confusion.


    "His scent ended there?" Lucas asked.


    "Yeah. I don''t get it," Sam replied.


    "It''s a portal then," Lucas said definitely, like it was obvious.


    "A portal?" Sam repeated.


    "Yeah, haven''t you heard any of the Samhain lore about faeries and shit?" Lucas asked, still cradling his ribs.


    "But it''s¡­ lore," Sam stressed thest word.


    "And that makes it untrue?" Lucas scoffed, rebuking Sam''s disbelief.


    "Okay, so there are faerie portals on Samhain. Let''s just say that''s even possible," Sam growled at the sarcasm, "how do we find them, then?"


    Lucas thought carefully, searching his memory. "Unless we can follow into the portal, I don''t know. The lore says they disappear into some kind of faend not to be seen again until the next Samhain," he mumbled.


    Sam groaned. "Right, let''s rely on the lore then. That''s super helpful."


    Lucas rolled his eyes.


    "Fuck," Sam spit. "You said you were following lycans? I don''t scent them."


    "They hid their scents. I was following the sound as they ran. They didn''t seem to want to attack or engage. It was the vampire who finally got me. I must have gotten too close."


    Sam looked around, marking the map in his mind as to where they were. They weren''t far away from the Hallowell house. He sighed. It was no help in establishing an idea about where Graeme might be.


    "I''m going to find the perimeter guards to have them on alert, and them I''m just going to search until I find Graeme''s scent I guess. Greta is back at the pack house if they return. I don''t know what else to do other than that." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Will you be okay?" His eyes returned to Lucas who was pale and sweating. It would likely take some time before he was able to run again in wolf or human form.


    "Yes," Lucas hissed, annoyed at the question. "I''ll return soon."


    Sam nodded and shifted into his wolf form before darting off in the direction of the perimeter where the guards would be running. They had something to answer for tonight as well.. Lucas slumped against the trunk, cursing under his breath at not being of any help.

 Chapter 296 - Seeking Their Alpha 2

    "Greta," Sh panted, finally finding someone who might be able to give her some answers.


    "Sh," Greta greeted her, stering on that assuring expression that she was so good at. Her healing,forting aura was probably glitching out at this point with all the stress of the current situation, but she tried her best. She dared not touch Sh just in case¡ªwho knows what kind of stress and anxiety she might pass on ident instead of the positive emotions she usually gave. "You brought Livvy back. I can''t imagine¡­"


    "Where is everyone?" Sh cut her off, the panic of still not finding any indication of her brother beginning to take its toll.


    "What do you mean?" Greta asked, her face stretched almost painfully with the effort of hiding her own panic.


    "Graeme, August¡­ my brother," Sh rushed on. "I can''t find any of them. What''s going on?"


    Greta''s smile froze as she considered how to respond.


    "I know there is something wrong. Please just tell me. I can''t find Sage. I left him¡­ if I left him and something happened to him while I was gone, I¡­ I don''t know what I''ll do," Sh exined, her eyes going wide with the possible scenarios that lit behind them.


    Had she made a mistake? Had she rescued Livvy and somehow left Sage open to attack? Being an alyko, her brother was vulnerable, and they had always been so careful. But when August started showing her abilities, Sage got pulled in. He could have left himself exposed to identification if he was in the wrongpany. No one was supposed to know. No one was supposed to know what her or her brother could do. They had been so careful¡­


    Greta''s face softened seeing the panic on Sh''s face, and she reached out to touch the girl''s arm infort. Sh''s eyes snapped to hers. Her eyes got wider, and her bottom lip fell as if she was being told the most horrifying news. Greta took her hand away, realizing btedly what had just happened. Somehow she hadmunicated her own thoughts to Sh.


    "August is missing? Graeme is¡­ Graeme is missing as well?" Sh gasped, eyes welling. "He''s¡­ he''s here? Tonight?" The vampire? He was here?


    "You know of him?" Greta asked, realizing who she was referring to.


    Sh''s expression crumbled, and she nodded. She knew him, yes. She knew him well. But she had no idea he would be here tonight. Her brother¡­


    "He took Sage," she said aloud, giving voice to her fear. "Sage was probably with August. He must have them both."


    "Don''t say that!" Greta objected. "That can''t be the case."


    "No one has heard from them? And Graeme¡­ he is probably out there endlessly searching for his mate who is¡­ It''s hopeless at this point," Sh replied, her green eyes haunted.


    "Nothing is hopeless," Greta objected, grabbing the girl''s arm again, this time uncaring as to what emotion was beingmunicated between them.


    "I know from experience," Sh said through gritted teeth. "I know when it is hopeless. And I''m telling you¡­ if he got his hands on our Luna and got any kind of indication of what she is capable of, it is hopeless. He will never let her go."


    And that horrifying truth went for her brother as well. Sage was more exceptional than any of them knew. If Zagan came to know of it¡­ she would never see him again. It was as simple as that. Hopefully Sage knew how to disguise the extent of what he could do and resisted any kind of urge to save the Luna that he had grown so fond of.


    Sh ran off to follow the trail to the haunted forest that Plum had mentioned. There was a bit of her brother''s scenting from that direction, and she was going to follow it. She would follow whatever hope was left until all hope was gone for good. And even then she would continue resort to whatever means necessary to find him, just as she had with Livvy.


    "Where are you going?" Greta hissed behind her.


    "I''m going to find them," she mumbled without turning to acknowledge the question.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sam gave the perimeter runners the news that they should be on high alert. None were aware that the border had been crossed by infiltrators. Most had not ever faced a threat like what he was telling them was already upon them. Their eyes were wide with shock and fear that was quickly reced by determination and excitement. This is what they had trained for. An actual present danger.


    One runner told Sam of allowing Sh and the pup Livvy to cross. He recognized them both and realized what a miraculous thing it was to have the pup return. It was a Samhain miracle for the ages. But other than that, he had not seen anything out of the ordinary. There wasn''t even a hint as to anything being off or unusual in any way.


    After consulting with all the runners he came across, Sam darted off toward the center of the packnd again, this time determined to find his Alpha. Graeme was here somewhere, Sam was sure of it. Hopefully he was unharmed.


    Sam knew well that Graeme would sacrifice himself for his mate if it came to that. There was no question. He would do the same for Greta. Hopefully it hadn''te to that. They needed Graeme. They needed both of them. And he couldn''t see how Graeme could survive against a vampire.


    The memory of Greta telling him about how August took down Marius shed in his mind. It was unlikely that Graeme or August could take down an ancient creature like this vampire separately, but maybe together¡­ maybe together they had a chance. He wouldn''t be surprised at this point. They were experiencing so many surprising things as a pack with Graeme and his uncategorized mate. She wasn''t lycan, but she wasn''t exactly alyko or human either¡­ she was proving to be of her own kind. Or was it just that August was fae and they didn''t have enough experience with a purer form of fae to recognize it? If so¡­ perhaps the strength to take down an undead vampire was not out of reach for their fae Luna and lycan Alpha.


    As his paws pounded the earth, Sam prayed to the Moon Goddess that was the case¡ªthat Samhain would end in an entirely expected kind of triumph, one in which a vampire had been ovee.

 Chapter 297 - Seeking Their Alpha 3

    In searching for Graeme''s scent, Sam ran to the treehouse first thinking that would be the most likely ce Graeme and August would be if they were still on packnd and had the freedom of picking their location. But the treehouse was deserted with only the faint scent of them that was days old.


    From the treehouse, he ran through the forest path to Mama May''s, to the sunflower field, to Maggie''s cottage, and still not finding even a hint of Graeme''s scent trail, his anxiety began to escte. So much time had gone by, and if he truly was going to need to cover the entirety of packnd to find them, it was too big of a job to handle alone. He was going to need help.


    Sam returned to the pack house and found his mate waiting anxiously where he had left her. She rushed to him as soon as she sensed his return, desperately hoping that he had found something. People were starting to notice Graeme and August''s absence and were asking questions. She didn''t know what to tell them, so she was as vaguely reassuring about their eventual return as she could be, but at this point she was close to bursting into tears.


    "You didn''t find anything?" she asked, the terror pricking her eyes that reflected the mes from he bonfire.


    "I found Lucas. He was hurt," Sam told her.


    "He has already made it back," Greta nodded.


    Lucas hade struggling past her out of the woods and toward the pack house holding his side. She asked him about what had happened in a hushed voice to avoid alerting others, and he told her everything that he had ryed to Sam. There were unknown lycans out in the woods. The vampire had attacked him. He didn''t know where Graeme and August were.


    "So there is another pack here as well?" Greta asked, referring to the lycans that Lucas told her about.


    "I don''t know. If they are working with the vampire¡­" Sam trailed off, not being able to finish the thought.


    If another pack was working with the creature, then that would be war on another front once they found out which pack it was. And who would be stupid enough to do that? There wasn''t a single pack he could think of that would align themselves with a vampire for the purpose of gathering alyko. It made no sense.


    "Lucas said they all had disguised their scents," she whispered.


    It was extremely difficult to disguise one''s scent and took a lot of practice. If a pack actually had members who were capable of it, they were typically only a few in number. To have an entire group of them like that? It was unfathomable.


    "That''s what Lucas said, and I didn''t scent any outsiders anywhere. I also didn''t see any, but I found some of their tracks," he said. "Listen, we''re going to need more people helping to find them. There''s just too much ground to cover."


    "What''s going on my loves? Where are our Alpha and Luna?" Sylvia approached them, sensing the tension that was building between the two. Charlotte was right behind her.


    Greta and Sam nced at each other, the agreement that it was time to ry the news to the two elder females passing between them. Greta exined everything they knew that had urred, including Andreas'' escape from the cell and voluntary walk into the fire.


    "We need to search for them," Sylvia said quickly, turning to Charlotte to get her input. Charlotte nodded, her expression grave.


    "The time for protecting the pack from this information has passed. Let''s not make a big announcement yet, because hysteria will add to the chaos and difficult in finding them. But the guards can all be told to slip out and meet you in the market for the details and an organized search n," she spoke with the calm wisdom of her station.


    "I''ll go spread the word to the guards," Greta said, running off.


    "Let''s ask our females to help," Charlotte turned to Sylvia.


    The females she was referring to were those in their sacred circle. They were a reliable, mature group who could be depended upon to keep this under wraps for the time being. And the fact that they were also a close knit group meant that they would work well cooperating together.


    Sylvia nodded her agreement. "Raya and Liv are excellent trackers," she added. "I''ll go gather them."


    "Everyone will meet you in the market, Sam. Come up with a way to organize them for the search. You should also consider where the intruders might gather if they are still on packnd," she suggested. "I will stay here and look out."


    "Thank you, Charlotte," he touched her arm as he passed her in the direction of the market.


    This was where the Beta position became so important. Sam was second inmand, but he never would have imagined that he would be needing to organize something like this in Graeme''s stead, much less a search with Graeme as the target. Tonight was going so differently than what they had nned.


    "What''s going on?" his cousin Jack jogged up next to him, seeing the look of distress and determination on Sam''s face as he walked away from he pack house.


    "Walk with me, I will fill you in," Sam told him. Jack would be a good asset as well.


    After everyone who was rounded up gathered in the center of the market awaiting instructions, Sam sent them off in pairs to specific locations. He had made a grid out of the packnd to ensure that everywhere was covered. Graeme''s scent should be found within a short time this way, and once it was, Sam was to be notified.


    "Where are we looking?" Jack asked after everyone had dispersed. Sam had chosen Jack as his own partner for the search.


    "There is one ce I haven''t looked yet that could be a possible location for the vampire and his team to hide out. The outpost.. That''s where we are headed," Sam told him, and they both shifted into their wolves before racing off in that direction.

 Chapter 298 - Come Back To Us

    Sam and Jack were still at least a mile from the log house that served as the pack''s outpost when they scented Graeme. It was the unmistakable scent of the Alpha male that they were all familiar with.


    Sam picked up speed, racing ahead now that his nose had finally caught the scent trail it had been seeking. Graeme was here all right, but his scent was strangely¡­ peaceful. There was no level of fear or anger that could be detected, which actually worried Sam more. Was he under the vampire''s control? That thought caused a host of all kinds of horrifying, dystopian scenarios to erupt into Sam''s mind. Their Alpha under a vampire''s control would be the end of them all. Was Graeme simply unconscious?


    Once he got close enough that Graeme''s body finally came into view, he shifted mid-stride into his human form and slid next to the Alpha wolf. Graeme seemed to be sleeping. He ran his hands over the length of Graeme''s body, feeling for any wounds or other physical issues that might be able to exin why Graeme was just lying here with August nowhere in sight.


    Jack ran up next to him and stood watching apprehensively as his cousin evaluated the Alpha.


    "Make sure no one is in the house or the surrounding woods. I am going to call Greta and have here check him over if it''s safe," he told Jack without turning to look at the male.


    Graeme appeared fine, if not for the unusually deep slumber he was in. Sam lifted the Alpha''s head, canine tongue flopping to the side when Sam opened his mouth to check the refill time on his gums. The gums were a nice healthy pink and quickly returned to that color after Sam pressed on them.


    "You are not in shock," Sam mumbled to himself.


    How the hell had this happened? Did the vampirepel him to sleep rather than kill him?


    "No one is around the perimeter or inside of the house," Jack reported after a few minutes.


    "Good. Help me get him in the house," Sam replied, moving to lift Graeme under the arms and hoist him up.


    It took both of them to eventually lift Graeme''s massive bear-size wolf and carry him through the front door. As soon as they got him to the couch, Sam called Greta to let her know where her brother had been found and his current condition.


    "And August?" she asked, biting her lip.


    "There is no sign of her," he sighed.


    "That means he got her. That''s the only exnation," she groaned. "Should I let everyone know they can stop searching?"


    "No, if there is a chance any of them are still here or that August is still here maybe hiding somewhere, then it will be good that they all finish searching their areas. That''s the only way we will know for sure," he replied.


    "All right. I''m on my way," she told him before hanging up and giving Charlotte and Sylvia an update on what was happening.


    They agreed to stay with the pack for the time being in case anything unexpected urred at the pack house. They were better at keeping a calm and reassuring exterior right now than Greta anyway. How did they do it? Greta''s nerves were a mess.


    Greta did not appreciate the eerily familiar set of circumstances when she rushed through the front door of the outpost to find Graeme unconscious on the couch. She had been called here when her brother found August in the Grimm that first night. August had been unconscious on the couch just as Graeme was now.


    Now that she thought about it, that was also the day Livvy disappeared. And now the pup had reappeared, and Greta was back at this outpost. The symmetry was bizarre and made the hairs on her arms prickle.


    "Graeme," Greta called, opening his eyelids and shining a light in each eye to see how his pupils would respond. They constricted just as expected. All of his vital signs were as they should be. He was in perfect health. He just didn''t want to wake up.


    "What do you think is happening?" Sam asked behind her, his arms folded across his chest.


    "He seems to have gone sleeping beauty on us," she said, stumped as to what could be causing it. "I don''t know."


    "Do you think the vampire did something to¡­ to make him this way?" Sam asked.


    "I honestly don''t know, but it reminds me of when he and August were out together in mom and dad''s room. Remember? After August healed me and passed out, and then Graeme joined her and stayed in a deep sleep even after she came out of it," she recalled. "He looked peaceful like this, and I knew from August what had happened, so I didn''t worry about it."


    "Could something simr have happened? Maybe that would exin why August isn''t here," he thought aloud. "If she passed out, the vampire would have no trouble taking her."


    "That would exin this," Jack said, holding up the torn gold dress that he found in the upstairs bedroom. "She was definitely here."


    "And she had time to change," Greta sighed. "I think she might be gone, guys. We need to get Graeme awake to find out what he can tell us."


    Her heart throbbed in her chest. Not only was it their Luna who was taken, but it was her brother''s mate and her dear friend. They had to find a way to get her back. If Livvy could return, then so could August.


    "We need to find Sh," Greta raised her eyes to find Sam''s. "She obviously knows a lot about where August may have been taken. She retrieved Livvy."


    Sam turned to his cousin,municating with one look that he expected him to find the female Greta was speaking of.


    "On it," Jack said and ran out the door.


    "Graeme, where are you?" Greta whispered, petting the soft fur of her brother''s canine form.. "Come back to us, please."

 Chapter 299 - Awake

    The night was growingte, and the pack members were still awaiting the return of their Alpha and Luna to the festivities¡ªthe majority of them being unaware that anything at all was amiss.


    "We will need to do the pure fire," Charlotte said, observing the way the energy around them was slowly growing anxious, transitioning from the high everyone had been riding earlier at the overwhelming union of their Alpha and Luna as well as the return of Livvy. She and Sylvia were sitting at one of the tables, awaiting more updates from Greta about the Alpha''s condition, but it seemed possible that he would not be making a reappearance tonight.


    The guards and other searchers of the packnd had already returned, having found no evidence of lingering outsiders. But the Luna was also not found.


    "I think you''re right," Sylvia affirmed, her gaze searching and studying these familiar faces of her tribe that she knew so well. They had to be reassuring so that no one would lose hope tonight.


    "We will not tell them the full extent of what has urred," Charlotte added as if reading Sylvia''s thoughts. "We do not know enough at this point. Graeme will awaken," she nodded, agreeing with herself it seemed as her delicate wrinkled hand gave the table a soft pat before she pushed herself up to stand and approach the fire.


    Sylvia watched the elder with reverence. Like many of them, Charlotte had been through so much. She had lost people who were dear to her. And through it, she had be this precious source of wisdom¡ªpolished to a smooth luster throughout time. Sylvia stood to follow her, and both the elder females came to stand before the pure fire where everyone had gravitated throughout the night, ready to take a piece of this burning hope home with them.


    Charlotte stood there, hands sped together patiently waiting for the pack members to notice her and Sylvia''s presence and quiet down. It didn''t take long. It seemed everyone was somehow anticipating an announcement, as it became more and more obvious that their Alpha and Luna were absent. An announcement or exnation was expected.


    Once thest of the murmurs had been hushed in the crowd, Charlotte waited a few moments to ensure that all eyes had found their way to her. Her gentle, wise smile preceded her words, giving them that silent reassurance first to prime their hearts for what would be spoken¡ªthat they should not hear a tacit threat to their peace but rather a vague exnation to dispel their worries for the night.


    "Our Alpha and Luna have been unexpectedly called away," she said, noticing how she received looks of confusion and worry. "We all have something like a pure fire inside of us now, don''t we? It''s not one that we can see in front of us," she turned and gestured to the fire behind her. "But rather, we feel it inside uniting us, connecting us all to our Alpha and Luna. And if you search that fire within you, you will feel as I do that despite them not being before us at the moment, our Alpha and Luna are okay. Their union burns strong within us all. Today is a historic Samhain. Our pack has been given a hope that it has not seen in a long time."


    Charlotte turned and nodded to Calix who was standing next to the pile of torches that had been prepared for each family''s hearth.


    "Will each familye and receive their torch and light it in the pure fire?" She asked, gesturing toward the male who held an unlit torch in his hand awaiting the first family.


    The crowd of pack members gradually separated into their family units, each one awaiting their turn to walk forward and take a torch from Calix to light from the pure fire.


    "Now carry this symbol of hope and renewal through the darkness as you make your way home tonight to light your own hearths. As with the fire within, these pure mes unite us. And they will burn true through the dark winter months until the spring," she told them, watching as each family took their torches off into the night.


    Once thest waiting family took their torch and lit it from therge bonfire, Calix took a torch and carried it into the pack house to light the firece in themon area there. Charlotte and Sylvia took their own small portion of the fire for their own home, honoring the tradition.


    "I will light the Hallowell hearth and take one to the outpost as well. I want to check on my kids," Sylvia said softly.


    "We will see what the daylight brings," Charlotte squeezed her friend''s arm reassuringly. Sylvia smiled, appreciating how Charlotte always found a way to stay positive and hopeful.


    When Sylvia arrived at the outpost, she walked into a much different atmosphere. Greta and Sam appeared emotionally exhausted.


    "He won''t wake up, Sylvia," Greta said, choking on the words as they left her and she heard them spoken aloud.


    Sylvia walked over to add the torch she brought to the firece beforeing to sit next to Greta. She put an arm around her and let the female who was as much a daughter to her as Sam was a son lean on her and cry.


    "Can you try reiki? Do you think it will help?" Greta finally asked as she pulled away and wiped her tears. Sam hade to stand behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.


    "We know it can''t hurt," Sylvia said softly.


    Greta and Sam watched as Sylvia moved her palms over Graeme starting at his head and gradually moving down toward his feet. She worked slowly and with intent, and when she was finished Greta somehow felt better even though her brother was still asleep.


    "There is nothing physically wrong with him. In fact, his physical state feels perfect. He just is reluctant to wake. His mate was taken," Sylvia exined.


    "August healed him like she healed me. I just know it," Greta said.


    A groan came from the couch, and they all turned to watch Graeme transform back to himself. He sat up and squinted his eyes against the light of the room.


    "Oh Goddess, Graeme!" Greta eximed and rushed forward to embrace him. Sam smiled and threw a nket toward the groggy Alpha male.


    Graeme looked around at the three faces greeting him, confused about how he had gotten here and what had happened. "What happened?" he asked with a gravely voice.


    "We were hoping you could tell us that. Was August taken? Did she heal you? Were you hurt?" Greta asked quickly, stepping back to give him some space.


    He frowned, pushing the stray hairs back off his face and pulling the nket over himself.


    "Who is August?"

 Chapter 300 - Awake 2

    August opened her eyes to see the most brilliant ceiling. It was made of windows, arching up toward the center in a pattern that mimicked a flower with the very center peaking even further toward the sky beyond. Soft sunlight streamed in through the green metal beams onto her bed.


    She sat up and looked around, realizing this was actually a long hall of beds like some kind of infirmary. Long ornate windows continued from the ceiling to line the walls, but there they alternated with beautiful old stone pirs that seemed to give additional support to the ceiling. It all looked so fragile like arge hand could palm the ceiling and shatter it into a million pieces, and yet it was so ethereally beautiful.


    Behind the tall windows along the walls she could see green life¡ªnts and trees that were obscured in detail by the ss but gave the infirmary a cozy, homey feel. Anyone within these walls was exposed to the sun and yet lovingly embraced by the earthy green of growing things. It was like the the infirmary was burrowed into a part of the earth.


    The floor beneath the line of beds was made ofrge stone blocks, and each bed was draped in white linens, including hers. She looked down and noticed that she too was wearing white¡ªa white hospital gown. Something must have happened to her, but she felt okay¡ªif not slightly lightheaded and dreamy like she had been medicated.


    There was a beside table with amp next to it and a ss of water, but she didn''t see any way to call a nurse.


    "Hello?" She called out, finding that her voice was hoarse.


    Just as she threw the sheet back and was considering getting up to wander around, a set of double doors opened at the far end of the hall, echoing as they mmed back shut behind the small female who was approaching.


    "August, you''re awake!" she said, approaching with quick steps to cover the long distance between them.


    She wore a long white doctor''s coat, but it was open to reveal the vibrant colors of a whimsical v-neck floor-length dress beneath andyers of nes that seemed a bit unusual for a doctor. One of them in particr caught August''s eye, but her gaze flitted back to the female''s face when she finally arrived at her bedside.


    "How are you feeling?" she asked, removing a stethoscope from where it was nestled around her neck. August''s head quirked to the side in curiosity when she realized the ponytail of this doctor consisted of rows of white-blonde dreadlocks. What an unusual ce this was.


    "Oh, um¡­" she suddenly remembered that a question was asked of her. "I¡­ I don''t know. I feel fine. What was wrong with me? Where am I?"


    "You don''t remember anything at all?" the female in the white coat asked, a slight arch to her eyebrows that might indicate surprise, but her tone seemedpletely unaffected as if she had suspected this would in fact be the case.


    August thought back to herst memory¡­ it seemed difficult to reach it like it was down a long, dark corridor that stretched so much further than she could see. She had been in the woods. She had been running in the woods. But beyond that, the rest of her memory dropped off into another ne of consciousness that she didn''t have ess to.


    "I can''t¡­ I don''t remember anything," she said slowly, dazed with that startling revtion.


    "It''s okay. You can take your time," the woman patted her arm and turned to retrieve something from one of the drawers. "You have been through quite a lot. You were missing from Eliade for nearly a week when rescuers finally found you. They say you were turned around and lost in the woods. You were severely dehydrated. Who knows what happened to you during that time. It must have been traumatic."


    August''s eyebrows pinched together in confusion. None of this felt right, like something internally wanted to reject the information but was prevented from doing so. How could she not remember anything about that time?


    "Are you sure?" she found herself saying, the words just tumbling out of their own ord.


    The woman in the white coat who had been rifling through the drawer stopped and turned to look at August in surprise. Something else shed in her eyes, but she turned around quickly before August could decipher what it was.


    "That is what they told me," she answered softly, little conviction in her tone. "Now do you mind if I take some blood?"


    August held her arm out in tacit consent.


    "What''s your name?" August asked before she felt the pinch of the needle.


    Brown, kind eyes rose to meet hers. They were guarding something, but their kindness was true.


    "Penelope Winter," she answered, a small smile on her lips before she lowered her eyes once again to the vile that was filling with thick red blood.


    "Are you a doctor?" August asked. "Are we at Eliade?"


    "I am a neuroscientist. You can call me Penelope," she answered with that same slight smile. "And no, we are not at Eliade."


    "Why not? Where are we?" August asked. Since when did neuroscientists take blood?


    "We are on a small, private ind," she answered simply, seemingly reluctant to give more information.


    "An ind?" August scoffed in surprise. "Why?"


    "Hospitals all over the country are stretched to their limits right now with the pandemic, and this ind is owned by a benefactor of the University. Your case got a lot of news, and when you were found he offered to have you cared for here while you recovered. sses have been canceled now for awhile anyway due to the number of positive cases, so Eliade is pretty much on lockdown. I think you''ll find itfortable here for the time being," Penelope smiled. "It''s better than the university, that''s for sure."


    "Wow," August whispered. "And you are here just for me?"


    "Oh, no," Penelopeughed. "There is a medical facility here that also does pandemic research.. I''m a researcher, but I''m happy to work with you as well."

 Chapter 301 - Dark Rooms

    "How does some food sound?" Penelope asked afterbeling the vials of blood and dropping them into her pocket. "Any requests?"


    August grimaced thinking about what might sound good as her eyes drifted back over the ceiling. Her stomach felt a little off. "Maybe just¡­ crackers?"


    "Crackers?" Penelope repeated. "That''s it? Are you not feeling well? You should be starving," she chuckled.


    "Maybe some soup or tea if you have some," she added, and Penelope noticed the sour expression on her face.


    "Okay, no problem. I''ll see what I can do," she squeezed August''s arm and walked out of the hall.


    On the other side of the door, Zagan was waiting. His hair and eyes had started to take on a dull gray appearance in the 24 hours since she had seen himst. Penelope''s gaze darted away from him as she continued walking down to theb he had shown her the day before. There was a lifeless quality to his stare thatpletely unnerved her.


    "What was all of that about neuroscience and pandemic research?" he hissed. "And we agreed you would use a different name."


    "When you have to lie, it is best to stay as close to the truth as possible. You don''t know that?" she asked, not looking at him as he stalked behind her, making the little hairs on her neck instinctively raise.


    "Careful, little one," he cautioned her, not appreciating the condescending tone. No one dared talk to him like that around here. Why did she think she could get away with it?


    "Besides, you must have heard that the enchantment is working. She doesn''t remember, just as you wanted," she ignored him. "What is the harm in telling her my name? I was not a significant part of her time there to be able to suddenly jog her memory. That''s not how it works."


    Zagan continued walking behind her, fixing his deadly gaze upon her back. Penelope was not going to be an alyko that was easy to control like his others, but since they discovered that their goals were the same, he decided to allow her more freedom than he would under normal circumstances. But they were still working on the fine details of their joint mission. Penelope thought it best to handle the Luna one way while Zagan preferred to go about it differently.


    "Does this mean the enchantment worked on the Alpha as well?" he asked, his long ck jacket dusting the floor as he walked.


    "Most likely, yes," she answered, approaching the heavy arched wooden door that passed into theb area.


    All of these doors were unnecessarily heavy, and the metal rings intended to help open them were in fact no help at all. She pulled on the ring, grunting a little with the effort of it before standing to the side in defeat as Zagan came to pull it open for her. He wore an arrogant, highly amused smirk on his face that made her roll her eyes behind his back.


    The interior of this room was dark. The natural light that shone through the hallway''s angled ss ceiling and long windows stopped abruptly at the door.


    The infirmary, which really looked more like a greenhouse, and the hallway leading out of it were the only parts of this entire castle that she had seen graced with rays of sunlight. Despite their tall arched windows, the rest of the rooms were shrouded in nearly constant darkness.


    Zagan exined how over hundreds of years he had trained the trees around this castle to arch over top of it, effectively obscuring the entire structure from view. The only thing that could be seen from the air now was a mass of green overgrowth. There was only one circr area cleared of trees in the very center of the grounds that allowed the infirmary exclusive ess to the sun''s direct rays. A bird flying over might look down and see arge green eye with a shimmering pupil at its center where the infirmary''s ss ceiling reflected the sun.


    "Must I follow you everywhere to open doors for you?" he asked as he stood back and allowed Penelope to walk through.


    "If your doors weren''t so heavy, then no," she said through gritted teeth.


    "Are all the Winter alyko so petite? I recall the few I have collected to have this same quality," he thought aloud.


    Penelope clenched her fists as she avoided answering the question. How could he talk so casually about those who had been taken as if they were collector''s items?


    "Really? Perhaps I could see them to judge for myself," she turned with a fake smile, making him chuckle darkly.


    "Nice try."


    So far when Penelope tried to get information about the current state of all the alyko he had taken over the years, where they were kept, what he had them doing¡­ he had quickly shut her down. She didn''t entirely understand why. He had been forting with so much else during the short time they were in each other''spany.


    "How do we know if your enchantment worked on the Alpha?" he pressed. This was something he was particrly concerned about.


    "We won''t know unless you have someone keeping an eye on the pack. I suppose you could call them up and ask," she shrugged, adding August''s blood samples to the diagnostic machines in front of her as she did.


    Zagan didn''tugh at her joke. "Will there be any indication in her blood?"


    "Of the enchantment? No," she chuckled. "It doesn''t work like that."


    This was the first time he had acquired an alyko who was so scientifically adept. Penelope was, in fact, a neuroscientist in the human world. Her ambition was impressive. He was eager to see what all she was capable of, particrly whenbining her strength as a notorious Winter with her scientific skill. Zosime had also been of an impressive scientific mind, but he created her that way. Unlike Penelope, she had note to him with the ability.


    "What makes you so concerned about Graeme trying toe after you? You said there was no way any of them could find us here."


    "I am not fond of the fact that our Luna has a mate. I have never had a mated alyko," he exined. "For that reason, it has always been fairly clean¡ªthe process of separating alyko from their packs.. Mates are quite another story¡­ one that I don''t have experience reading."

 Chapter 302 - Just Like A Virus

    So Zagan didn''t want to deal with messy situations when taking alyko? Penelope would have snorted if this whole thing wasn''t so tragic. So many lives had been ruined by this cold, unfeeling monster beside her, and now he was worrying about it getting messy.


    "You are a highly intelligent¡­ creature," Penelope said, unsure if he found the ''V'' word offensive.


    "Vampire," he corrected her, drawing out the word in that emotionless tone of his. It made the hairs prickle on her neck and arms. "Are you afraid to say it?"


    "Are you a highly intelligent vampire?" she asked quickly, proving that she was not afraid of the word. No, the word was not what she was afraid of.


    He chuckled, although it sounded more like a death rattle in his throat.


    "I just mean, you are a highly intelligent creature, but that doesn''t necessarily mean that you are a highly intelligent vampire. You might be an average vampire. I don''t know anything about your kind," she exined innocently while also trying to use the opportunity to gain more knowledge about him. Were there more vampires that they would need to worry about in the future? Or was he the only one?


    "I have been alive for centuries," he said slowly while maintaining that deathly rattle.


    She turned to look at him in silent question, offering her naive expression as an open invitation to exin whatever he wished.


    "I am patient. My ego does not bruise easily," he added. "And whenpared to those whose elders barelyst a century, yes, I am highly intelligent."


    "Why did you ask if I could see evidence of the enchantment in her blood?" she asked then, head tilting.


    Why did she remind him of a curious little pet that one might alternately want to scratch behind the ears and kick across the room?


    "Are you not a highly intelligent creature yourself?" he asked, borrowing her question. "The way you try to act innocent while seeking information, believing that I will react to an implied challenge to my ego? Do you think I am vain? Do you think a creature who wishes so desperately to die could possibly be vain?"


    Somewhere between the teasing repetition of her question to the end of his honest one, he had indeed be quietly furious. The slight amused smile that was initially on his face vanished, and by the end of this sustained string of thoughts, he was trembling with restraint. Penelope was able to witness the small light go out in his eyes as if something had switched it off. He didn''t like to be yed with.


    The dull grey eyes looked past her, looked through her, as if they were seeing the pulse of life sustaining her and wishing to take it for his own. He was thirsty, and he hated it. Endless thirst that he could never satiate. An endless yearning for life that he could never have. For death that he could never ever have. No matter how much life he drank from, he could never actually possess it for himself. No matter how much death he caused, he could never die for himself.


    "It''s not the blood," she whispered, pressing herself backwards against the counter as he loomed ever closer to her, his eyes narrowing in on the soft pulse in her neck. He licked his lips, running his tongue over the sharp points of his fangs. Zosime''s blood was almost out of his system, and now he was thirsty. He wasn''t thinking straight.


    Zagan squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to regain control. He wasn''t going to drink from Penelope. She would fear him more, resent him, and then they would be unable to work together on this. And this was much too important. The Luna might actually be his chance.


    When he opened his eyes again, he was bracing himself on the counter with hands on either side of the Winter. Her eyes, which had initially widened in fear with his sudden change in demeanor, had regained their curiosity. He softly pushed himself away from her.


    She was the first he had told his true intentions to. It wasn''t something he nned, but when he learned of her extensive work with pandemic researchers to engineer a virus that could create an alyko so close to a fae that he or she would be able to finally end his lifeless, deathless existence, he was very impressed.


    Admittedly, his first reaction was¡­ Why hadn''t he thought of that? He was so busy studying the live alyko subjects and testing their abilities that he hadn''t considered attempting to engineer new ones through a virus. Existing macroscopic life was far more fascinating and intriguing to study.


    "That''s actually quite appropriate," she had chuckled, sitting next to him in front of the firece in her room. She had insisted on the fire. It was dark in the castle during the daytime, but at night it became dark and cold.


    "What is appropriate?" he asked.


    "You are just like a virus. Of course you would have your attention on the vectors that sustain that temporary life for you rather than a fellow virus," she chuckled some more. Apparently this was funny.


    "I am just like a virus?" he asked again.


    The novelty of asking so many questions in session suddenly hit him, and he felt further intrigued by this Winter alyko. She gave him the novelty of interesting conversation. He had never considered himself like a virus.


    "Viruses are neither living nor dead," she exined. "They are rather little bits of gic material surrounded by a protein coat. They can''t replicate without others. They can''t ultimately live without others."


    "I can think of a way that we are different," he said challengingly.


    "I can think of several ways that you are different, but it doesn''t change the fact that you are also the same in that regard," she smiled with ease, forgetting for a moment that she was sitting next to a terrifying monster like himself.


    "Viruses wish to live," he ignored her interruption.


    "Viruses have no wishes," she chuckled, smiling into the mes of the firece.


    He watched the mes reflecting in her bright, lively orbs as she sat unaffected at the moment by his stare.


    "Then I am not just like a virus, Penelope," he finally said, startling her with the use of her first name. "I have one wish. I wish to die."

 Chapter 303 - Rabbits

    "And yet you arepelled to mimic life," Penelope had said, looking him square in the eyes. "By taking that pulse of life into yourself."


    "By drinking blood," he corrected her. "Why are you so indirect?"


    "It is not about being indirect. It is about looking deeper. Drinking blood and taking the pulse of life into yourself are not the same things. One is a practical truth while the other is a philosophical one," the intensity in her words had grown, and one of her hands came up to emphasize her point.


    "You are helpful," he finally said after gazing at her nkly for several moments. His lips turned up in amusement.


    The passion that inted her lungs, preparing to further argue this philosophical perspective, slowly eased out. He had punctured it by framing her as helpful¡ªlike how a tool was helpful. At least he didn''t simply say she was amusing. Maybe she could actually help him learn something about himself and the errors in how he had approached this whole death wish of his.


    What Penelope feared was that he did not actually wish to die but only thought he did. It seemed possible that he was too amused with this whole alyko operation to truly desire to reach its end point. If that were the case, hopefully he would only realize it after he was made vulnerable¡ªafter August had seeded at giving him the life he thought he wanted.


    But regardless of whether Zagan truly wanted to die, Penelope was going to help him get there. Unfortunately it meant trying out his way first before she could persuade him otherwise. And his way meant keeping the mates from remembering each other for the time being.


    She tried to tell him that August wouldn''t be as strong in her mind, her will, her abilities or anything else unless she had that conscious connection to Graeme. August''s whole being was entangled with her mate''s. It was the truest expression of herself, and the well of that truth would be where her power came from. There was no keeping that hidden from her forever¡ªto try would only weaken her anyway.


    But Zagan was used to working on his terms. He couldn''t see that his insistence on the mates forgetting each other was also an insistence for power and control. And as long as he prioritized those two things, he was not truly seeking death, and ultimately he would not seed in achieving it.


    But maybe Penelope wouldn''t have to convince him of that anyway. She stared back at Zagan now in the darkb, watching him regain control over his thirst.


    Now that she had spoken to August, it was clear August would regain her memory in no time. She was already questioning the validity of Penelope''s exnation about the events leading up to this. If the enchantment had truly worked like it was meant to, August would question nothing. The mind becamepletely malleable to ept exnations for that which had been taken from it. But that was not the case for August. Her mind was resisting. And that meant this whole experiment of Zagan''s would need to be revised on Penelope''s terms once August came back to herself.


    "What do you mean it''s not the blood?" Zagan''s gravely voice suddenly shook her from her thoughts.


    "What?" she asked, her thoughts racing over what they had just been speaking about.


    "You said, ''It''s not the blood,''" he reminded her, ring at her now out of the corner of his eye. He was still thirsty. It appeared he was weak because of it.


    "I meant that¡­ you won''t find what you seek in drinking blood," she gulped, trying to resist the instinctual urge to slide away from him with his one predatory eye on her like that.


    "I know that," he gritted his teeth and stared instead at the counter in front of him.


    She turned to focus on what she had been doing, pipetting August''s blood into separate small vials for testing before taking them to separate diagnostic machines. She was going to make sure that August was healthy while she was here. That was their best chance.


    "Will you be sequencing her genome?" he asked.


    "No," she chuckled, typing in information on one of the diagnostic machines.


    There was silence that followed, and despite trying to ignore his presence, the silence became increasingly tense. Finally, she snuck a peak at him and saw those emotionless, gray eyes staring nkly at her again.


    "Give me the blood," he said so deathly low it made her shiver.


    "T-the blood?" she stuttered, looking from him to therge sample of blood that she had gotten from August.


    He smiled. "It''s your blood or hers, I''m afraid."


    "Have you considered raising rabbits or something to drink from?" she asked, grabbing the vial.


    "What do you think the alyko are?" he asked, leaning closer to her now. "They are my rabbits."


    Penelope dropped the vial, causing it to shatter and send a pattern of gruesome red across the tan stone floor.


    "I''m sorry," she gasped, crouching down with a towel to quickly wipe it up.


    Zagan stayed frozen in ce, only his eyes moving as they narrowed in on her cleaning below him. She had dropped it on purpose, and he let her. Just as he was letting her clean it up instead of stopping her and insisting on stealing a taste of the Luna''s blood.


    This was a game for both of them, but he wasn''t sure what the purpose was or who would win¡ªonly that for some reason he enjoyed ying it. He would let her win this one.


    When Penelope looked back up, Zagan was gone. He had slipped out of the room without her even realizing it. The way he was able to move so quickly and deftly was terrifying. At least she had kept him from sampling August''s blood for now.


    Penelope''s forehead furrowed in worry as she recalled something August had said.. There was one more blood test Penelope needed to run, and she didn''t want Zagan to know about it.

 Chapter 304 - Positive Test

    "No," Penelope whispered, looking at the result of the pregnancy test. "No, no, no. What have we done?"


    August was pregnant. August was a mated pregnant female. And not just any mated pregnant female. She was a Luna. She was carrying Graeme''s heir¡­ the Hallowell heir. And she didn''t remember any of it.


    The pregnancy alone could be one reason why August seemed more resistant to forget her time with the lycans. She could never truly forget her mate, but that was especially the case when half of him was literally, physically inside of her. And not only was she carrying a child that was half Graeme, she was carrying the future hope of an entire pack.


    Penelope''s stomach dropped, and she had to brace herself against the counter before she sprang into action, destroying the test results and getting rid of August''s blood. Theplete blood count and chemistry panel all came out normal. August seemed healthy in that regard, at least.


    Penelope was going to have to keep an extra close eye on her. Maybe she could convince Zagan to let August stay in a room next to hers. But would he think that was suspicious? Despite them both having the same ultimate goal, she knew he didn''t trust her fully. He was likely to view every suggestion with skepticism.


    All kinds of scenarios erupted in Penelope''s mind about what this could mean for August here. Zagan couldn''t know about it. She had no idea what he would do with that information, but it wouldn''t be good. He would either regard the pregnancy as an impediment to his goal or as a strength. Either way, it would only be seen through that lens with no consideration for August or the child or the Hallowell pack.


    One huge relief was that, as a pregnant Luna, August''s body was going to show very little indication of the pregnancy to outsiders. In fact, she should have no scent detectable by other lycans, which was great given the number of lycans working for Zagan. Penelope wondered how they had even tracked her down. It must have been more challenging than they were used to.


    At least Zagan''s lycans were strays, so it was unlikely to ur to them why August didn''t have a scent.


    Oh Goddess, the whole Hallowell pack was going to be furious their Luna was gone. August''s disappearance would have been upsetting regardless, but if they were aware she was carrying Graeme''s heir¡­


    And poor Graeme was unlikely to recall any of this at the moment. Hopefully his sister and the others around him would be able to help keep the Hallowell leadership strong until August could seed here and get back to them. Penelope would watch after her until then.


    With thoughts racing, she left theb in search of the kitchen. She had only been here for a few days, and this ce was a maze. A cold, dark maze that echoed every footstep she took and carried that information to the vampire''s sharp ears. He didn''t need security cameras in this old, abandoned looking castle, his eyes and ears probably served him just fine.


    Clearly the rest of the alyko were not kept here with him, or else she would havee across someone. She got the impression that they were somewhere else on the ind. They were within the vampire''s reach, living under the shadow of his hand but not being crushed by it.


    Once she finally wound through the hallways correctly and stumbled across the kitchen, she grabbed a tray and began searching for what she needed. Despite the vampire not eating regr food, there was ample supply of it. The pantry and refrigerator were both stocked. She took crackers, fruit, and nuts and put them on the tray for August. While water for tea was heating, she began gathering ingredients to make a stew.


    "Have I forced you to make your own food here?" Zagan suddenly appeared behind her, causing her to jump.


    With one nce, she saw that his hair and eyes were back to their deep ck hue¡ªlike a moonless night.


    "I see you ate," she mumbled and set the carrots and celery on the counter next to the potatoes.


    "Rabbits," he replied simply. It turned her stomach that he could make jokes about it. So the alyko were on the ind here somewhere. "I have people who will make food for you. That is why they are here," he told her, the sly smile that had been on his face fading.


    "Where?" she said, turning around to scan the empty room. "I don''t see them."


    "They have other jobs they do for me as well. It just takes one phone call," he exined with a flourish of his hand. "Or I can bring ready made food from elsewhere."


    "Oh really? Do you have a McDonalds nearby?" she asked sarcastically. "Is there an alyko-run town in the area that I can visit?"


    "Tell me what you want, and I can have it arranged," he sighed, swinging his jacket out of the way to stuff his hands in his pockets.


    The behavior struck her as so normal¡ªunlike how stiff and frozen he appeared in his posture and mannerisms earlier. He even had a patient, slightly amused expression on his face as he regarded her. It must have something to do with how drinking blood affected him.


    "It''s not for me. It''s for August. She hasn''t eaten real food now for a few days," she told him, removing the tea kettle from the stove.


    "The Luna said that she isn''t hungry," he reminded her.


    "She said maybe soup," Penelope replied, disappearing into the pantry now to grab some tea she had spotted there and to look for stock.


    "We have canned soup," he told her.


    He could hear Penelope groan, and he chuckled.


    "I will call someone for this. Just take her the tray, Winter. I need you focusing on other things," he gestured toward the tray with a tilt of his head.


    "I don''t mind taking care of her," she said softly, setting more items on the counter.


    "I need you focusing on other things," he repeated.. "Come see me when you are done with her."

 Chapter 305 - Familiar Things

    "Have you figured out a room for her?" Penelope asked, walking to pick up the tray from the counter.


    "You don''t think she''ll want to stay where she is? There is light there," he replied in surprise at the question. He imagined that she would stay there for some time.


    "There is light there, but it''s not very cozy. She will probably prefer a room," she told him.


    He groaned and rolled back on his heels. He never had alyko staying with him in the castle, and now he had two of them. He didn''t want the Luna kept with the others where she could be vulnerable to mistreatment by his lycans, and when he discovered Penelope''s exceptional scientific skills in addition to her Winter affiliation¡ªthe Winters being a family whose reputation preceded them¡ªshe seemed like a natural choice to help him with the Luna rather than one of his other alyko.


    "She might prefer to be close to my room in case she needs something," Penelope offered, taking his silent pondering as an opportunity.


    "Sure," he said, thankful for the offer. It wasn''t like he had to worry about the two of them plotting to kill him.


    "O-okay," Penelope replied, surprised by his easy eptance of it. "Is there a room ready? Or should I¡­"


    "I''ll have one of my crew take care of it. And the stew," he raised his eyebrows as if reminding her that it was under control. "They work fast."


    Then he just¡­ walked off. He was so casual and at ease now. It reminded her vaguely of a drug addict who had gotten his fix and now found the world to be very agreeable.


    She watched the doorway where he had disappeared, stunned by how easy of an interaction that just was. She had gotten her way.


    With that thought, she left the kitchen with a satisfied grin¡­ at least until she realized how hard it was to find her way back again. Why couldn''t he have stuck around long enough to show her the way? Maybe she should create little sticky notes with arrows to help her navigate in the future.


    When Penelope entered the brilliant light of the infirmary, she found August standing next to a window looking out. She still had on the white hospital gown, and her arms were wrapped around herself in a self-soothing kind of way. Penelope felt a pang of guilt when she saw her standing like that¡ªlooking so lost and alone¡ªbut she reminded herself that this was for everyone''s benefit. And August would remember everything soon, including her baby. She would make sure of it.


    "I brought a few things for you, and there will be stew done a littleter. How are you feeling now?" Penelope asked, setting the tray on the side table before ncing back up at the forlorn girl.


    "Confused," August mumbled, one of her hands ying at her neck as if something should be dangling there. "I don''t remember anything, but I feel like I should."


    "Amnesia is like that. Don''t worry, it wille back to you," Penelope encouraged. "Would you feel better getting into some clothes? There is a room being made up for you right now."


    "A room? I''m staying here?" August turned to look at her surprised. "Can''t I just go home?"


    "No, not just yet. We want to keep you under evaluation for the time being," she exined.


    There was also the issue of August''s family not remembering her, Penelope thought, grimacing internally. The home that she recalled was no longer avable to her. This memory alteration was not her favorite enchantment to perform, but it could always be reversed. That was the thought that kept Penelope sleeping at night.


    "But I''m fine," August scoffed, looking down the length of herself as if it were obvious.


    "You may feel fine, but we still need to keep you for observation. And honestly, part of it is pandemic restrictions," Penelope told her.


    August took a look at the tray and Penelope thought she saw her visibly pale. She must really be feeling the effects of her pregnancy at this point.


    "Try the ginger tea," Penelope offered, knowing that as a natural anti-nausea supplement, ginger may help ease the girl''s difort.


    "Thank you," August replied, hesitating but eventually picking up the cup and wrapping her hands around its warmth. She sat on the edge of the bed with the overwhelming urge to cry.


    "It will get better," Penelope told her, sitting on the neighboring bed.


    "Where did you get that ne?" August asked, gesturing toward one of the chains hanging around Penelope''s neck.


    "Which one?" Penelope asked, looking down with a curve on her lips.


    "The silver medallion. Is that a¡­ crow?" August asked, taking a test sip of the tea.


    "Uh, I don''t know. I actually found it. Would you like to wear it?" Penelope offered, removing the ne.


    "Oh, no. No, that''s okay," August shook her head. "I just¡­ it reminds me of something I guess."


    "What does it remind you of?" Penelope asked, setting the ne on the table between them where the tray of food was.


    August picked it up in one hand and ran her thumb over the raised surface of the design. "I don''t know," she mumbled, but as she did a small smile formed on her face.


    "It has no sentimental value to me at all. Why don''t you keep it? As a gift from me," Penelope said, patting August''s knee.


    August nced up at the interesting neuroscientist sh nurse. "Are you sure?" she asked. There was something about this medallion that brought her a kind of peace.


    "Absolutely," Penelope smiled. "How is the tea?"


    "It''s good. Thank you," she answered, taking another sip as her eyes continued to wander over the strange silver design in her hand.


    "Good. How about I go check on your room and give you a chance to get dressed? There are some clothes for you¡­" Penelope trailed off, rising from the bed to approach a small cart that was stationed nearby.


    She opened a drawer and removed the freshlyundered clothes that August was ''found'' in. She could have easily gotten her new clothes, as Zagan seemed to have an endless supply of whatever was needed, even clothes in Penelope''s small size, but she hoped that giving August back the clothes she had on previously would further help in jogging her memory.


    Zagan may insist on doing things his way with this memory enchantment, but that didn''t mean Penelope couldn''t encourage August to remember on her own.

 Chapter 306 - Zosime Awakes

    Zosime had a headache. She awoke on a hard stone floor with sunlight shining on her face. And there was a horrible smell nearby.


    She groaned, pushing herself up to find that she was lying on a bed of hay. There was hay stuck to her face and her forearms.


    "Goddess, have I been reincarnated as a pig?" she groaned again and squinted, looking around. She was in a pen.


    "You have got to be kidding me," she mumbled, slowly standing and then quickly catching herself on the wire fencing that surrounded her. She was dizzy.


    "Call the boss," she heard a male voice announce from somewhere nearby.


    When she finally was able to open her eyes again and focus, she realized there was a sweaty, hairy male sitting outside of her enclosure facing her. He was sucking on peanuts and spitting the shells on the ground while keeping his eyes on her.


    "You hungry?" the male asked between peanuts. She actually felt like she might vomit, especially with the sucking noise he was making. "Boss said to feed you."


    "Boss?" she asked. Everything felt rather hazy at the moment.


    The male snickered, revealing a set of teeth that didn''t appear to have been cared for this century.


    "You stupid or something?" he asked, clearly amused. "You don''t remember nothin?"


    She frowned, swaying on her feet as she searched her memory. Oh yeah, she was saved from making the most humiliating admission to the Hallowell lycan pack on Samhain, but the tradeoff was that she returned to the psychopathic vampire from her nightmares. Now that she was capable of dying, it seemed like a pretty good time.


    Why had Zagan kept her alive? So she would have the distinct privilege of ending this wretched, cursed life herself?


    "He said to give you these when you came to," the hairy creature said, sliding a small te of cookies into her cage. A cup of juice followed, the orange liquid sloshing around with the friction of the bumpy ground beneath.


    She looked at the gifts warily, wishing to be stubborn and refuse everything offered to her here. But if there was a chance it would make this horrendous headache ease, she would take it. After ncing back up at the male who stood watching her with hungry eyes, she stooped to pick them up. That was when she realized she still had the formal dress on that was intended for Samhain. No wonder this creep was ogling her.


    After taking a bite of one of the cookies, she paused her chewing and growled at him. He smirked and returned to his seat. Fucking males.


    The te of cookies was nearly emptied when Zagan finally appeared in front of her. She expected him. Of course he would be here to check on her.


    "Zosime," he purred, and she gulped the rest of the cookie down, wiping any crumbs from her face.


    "Don''t call me that," she said bitterly.


    The vampire tilted his head to the side in amusement. His hair was a nice shiny ck, and his eyes matched. He had been feeding well, she could see.


    "But that is your name," he replied.


    "It is the name you gave me. It is not my name," she argued, crossing her arms in front of her.


    "We need to get you some different clothes," he mumbled as his eyes lowered to her chest, which was far too exposed in that dress.


    Despite how young she appeared to be, it would likely entice the males here. There were not many new females that they had the chance of seeing, and he didn''t trust them to stay away from her. When the lycans were out of his sight, who knows what they did. Zagan let them indulge themselves in whatever they fancied without interference, because that is what kept them loyal to him when the time came. They were living creatures¡­ they had appetites. And he could understand appetite, even if his only consisted of one thing. The living had the ability to crave so many things. Perhaps he envied them for it.


    But now he was suddenly finding himself¡­ protective. Zosime was like a daughter to him.


    Zagan removed his long ck leather coat and grabbed the cage door, jolting it open with one pull. No lycan''s strength could match his own.


    Zoe remained standing with her arms folded in front of herself like a stubborn teenager. He wondered how much of the superior intellect he had given her had remained after her memory returned.


    The alteration of Zosime''s memory was harsh. It wasn''t something he liked to do, and he avoided it ever since.


    Did he like control over his alyko ythings? Well, yes. Of course he did. But when he altered their memory with his own vampiric ability, it also tended to alter their personality and behavior. He had to fill in the gaps, and what he ended up creating were little replicas of himself. They had temporary immortality. Temporary increased intelligence. But they were so¡­ robotic. They were too much like him. That wasn''t what he was after.


    Zagan didn''t want progeny, he wanted the qualities that the alyko had that were out of reach for him¡ªlife. Harmony with nature. A way of controlling the elements in a gentle, cooperative way. Portals into multiple dimensions. And so much more that he may not even know about yet. The Luna would give him more insight into what was possible.


    "What should I call you then?" he finally asked, offering his jacket with an outstretched hand to the stubborn girl in front of him.


    He was going to give Zosime another chance. She was obviously quite powerful as an alyko now, despite how hopeless she had been years ago. He wanted to see if she could blossom into something that was more¡­ her. More her than the version he had created.


    He saw her mind working, and her jaw feathered with the effort of it. She grabbed the jacket from him resentfully and slipped it on, wrapping it fully around herself to cover any exposed skin. Her chin jutted out in defiance.. Even though she was taking his jacket, she wasn''t his tomand anymore.

 Chapter 307 - Call Me Fred

    "Who else did you take?" Zoe asked, increasing her pace to keep up with Zagan who had asked her to follow him to a morefortable location.


    He was considering bringing her into the castle as well, even though he neglected to tell her that. What would his private residence be with so many alyko staying there? Not to mention that the attitude Zoe was projecting now made him feel with certainty that she would strongly object to the memorypse of the Luna whose pack she had been staying with.


    "Why are you concerned with it, Zosime?" he asked.


    She scoffed. "Why am I concerned with it?" her voice rose toward the end of the question, and he stopped, turning to face her increasing irritability.


    "I have been taking alyko for decades," he told her. "Decades, Zosime. It is what I do. And if Ie across any alyko who are particrly special, it is like¡­ a prize for me. Very little excites me. I have lived for centuries," he emphasized. "But when an exceptional alyko appears, it is like Christmas morning. It is like unwrapping a gift. There is no excitement like the process of unwrapping a gift, am I right?"


    Why was he being so honest? Who had he fed from this time? He should keep a collection of the most heartless alyko he could find and only feed from them. Were there not any heartless, uncaring alyko in his possession? What was with all these emotions? He gritted his teeth, but when he met the young girl''s gaze, his own softened.


    "I would''t know," she mumbled. "Stop calling me Zosime."


    "You have never received a gift?" he asked, his bottom lip falling open despite his awareness of it. He hated expressions of emotion, including surprise. But truly¡­ this female had been alive for at least sixty years. Had she truly never experienced the joy of opening a gift?


    She red at him¡ªher only response. Well, he was going to have to fix that unfortunate fact. He would find her a gift¡­


    "Oh, don''t take that as me wanting a gift from you," she chuckled, having emphasized thest word as if it were the most ludicrous thought she could imagine.


    Was he disying his thoughts and feelings that obviously? Fuck these blood donors. He had softened in recent years, only taking blood from those who were willing, but clearly those who were the most willing were also the most emotionally weak.


    "So," he began, changing the subject as he started walking again. "You do not wished to be called Zosime. Then what should I call you?"


    "Anything else," she ground out.


    "Anything else?" he chuckled, ncing at her. "So¡­" he trailed off, considering what would strike her as highly offensive.


    "Yes, literally anything else will do," she answered quickly, interrupting his thoughts. "Call me Dog Shit for all I care."


    He bristled at this suggestion despite himself. He couldn''t bring himself to call her that. He just didn''t think of her that way.


    "Fred," he said finally, nodding his own approval.


    "Fred?" she scoffed, taking long strides to stay by his side.


    "It''s perfect," he smirked, enjoying her recoil.


    "Fine. Fred," she grumbled. "So who else did you take from the Hallowell pack? You didn''t answer the question."


    He sighed at her insistence. "Want to see?" he asked, diverting on his path toward more rows of pens where the iing alyko were kept.


    She slowed her steps, surprised, he supposed, by his willingness to show her.


    They trekked down a row of pens where pigs were grunting, nosing their food and stomping around their small, personal territories¡ªhappy to have a spot in the sun''s rays. He imagined this was how alyko were as well.


    Once upon a time, he had kept all the alyko he captured in the dark. He thought that would help him gain control over them¡ªdepriving them of the nature that they so enjoyed. It was the fae in them that needed nature in a way that he couldn''t understand.


    Fae were creatures so closely intertwined with nature. They had no mates, but if there was something that came close to the mate bond for fae, it would be their connection to nature.


    Most fae had one element of nature that they bonded with more than others. There were those who bonded with air as well as those who bonded with earth, fire, and water. Some of the alyko he collected revealed evidence of these tendencies. Their abilities called upon one element more than others. They could manipte the wind, create swells in the ocean tide, ignite fires when they were angry¡­ it was fascinating. He couldn''t ess natural forces that way.


    Zosime was one of the alyko he had kept in the dark before he realized how much it was preventing the alyko from essing their full abilities. They needed the air. They needed the sun. They needed¡­ life.


    Their requirement of nature was like his requirement of blood. And if he ever hoped to attain an alyko whose abilities most resembled those of a fae, he realized they needed exposure to that which gave them greatest ess to their power.


    That was why he put the Luna in his makeshift infirmary. It was actually a greenhouse in which he typically grew a wide range of nts, never tiring of marveling at their ability to grow and bloom so brilliantly with few necessities. He rarely gave his nts more than water and sunlight, and yet¡­ they thrived. It was phenomenal.


    Life was something he had never had ess to, and it intrigued him. nts were a particr preference of his. Most of the time he avoided the alyko on this personal ind of his and kept to the nts¡ªuntil he needed sustenance, of course.


    Unlike those with blood running through their veins, he could coexist with green things without being viewed as a threat. He was a caretaker.. And now he had given up his precious greenhouse to put the Luna there, believing she would be the one who was finally worth all of this time and work and study.

 Chapter 308 - Glimpse At Sage

    "I don''t remember the pigs being a thing before," Zoe grumbled as she followed Zagan down another row of the grunting, smelly creatures that were rooting around in their hay-filled areas. They appeared to be well cared for at least.


    "They provide food for the alyko who live here," he exined.


    "So you don''t keep all the alyko locked next to pigs?" she asked, not seeing evidence of anyone else so far.


    "No. They are quite happy on this ind, I think," he said thoughtfully.


    Zoe scoffed, but he ignored her. She wondered if he actually meant the pigs were quite happy on the ind rather than the alyko.


    "Even pigs as neighbors is an improvement on how I was treated," she grumbled again. "What happened to the dungeon?"


    "I don''t do that anymore," he said curtly.


    She stared at his profile as they walked, surprised by the change. "Why? Why was I so lucky?"


    He sighed, ncing at her as he did. "I realized it was not conducive to bringing out abilities."


    "You don''t say," she replied. Perhaps that was why she had such a hard time manifesting any abilities while she was here. "So do you still brainwash everyone? Or how do you keep the powerful members of your collection in check?"


    Zagan clenched his jaw in restraint. He felt protective of Zosime, sure, but he also had the strong urge to backhand her at the moment for her smart mouth and sarcasm. Perhaps this was truly what it was like to have a child.


    Zoe sighed in defeat, realizing he had tired of answering her questions. She trudged along beside him a short distance more before they stopped in front of a tall cage simr to the one she had awoken in.


    At first she didn''t see anyone. It just looked like a bunch of hay piled and strewn about. Zagan rapped the back of his hand against the metal of the door, and then a mass of ck hair appeared. Sage crawled out from behind the pile of hay in the corner, his bright green eyes looking back and forth between Zoe and the vampire.


    "That''s Sage," her mouth dropped open.


    She knew about Sage, because his older sister Sh was on her team. Zoe and Sh had worked closely together, particrly when the alyko map was first getting set up. Sh was one person Zoe would have considered as a friend. Whether or not that was in fact the case was hard to say.


    It was ufortable to think about her interactions with others as the scientist Zosime. She was so focused on the work that she likely missed out on all the nuances of feeling and emotion and the deeper personal lives of those around her. The perfect example of this was the fact that Sh''s younger brother was apparently an alyko, and she had never caught on to that fact. So why had Sh helped with the project? Did she even have a choice?


    It was the perfect cover, now that Zoe thought about it. What better way to keep Andreas and the other elders from questioning her or her brother if she wasplicit in developing the alyko project? And she also had the scoop on all the ways they were tracking alyko, what they were doing with them, what other packs were involved¡­ all details that would be beneficial to know if one were trying to hide.


    And Sh had seeded. She hid her brother well up until now. The fact that he had been caught by Zagan identally was just¡­ bad luck. An alyko couldn''t hide from the vampire once they crossed paths. It was like he could smell it on them, even though Zoe knew that wasn''t actually the case. But it was eerie how good he was at identifying them.


    Sh was going to be devastated. She always spoke so fondly of her brother, and here he was¡ªthe spitting image of her. The resemnce was uncanny.


    "You know him?" Zagan asked, his eyes narrowing on the young boy. A male alyko. It was so rare.


    "I do," she replied, ncing away from the boy who likely knew her as well. Who knows what his sister had said about her. It couldn''t have been good, and it sent a shiver of guilt through her now. "What will you do with him?"


    Zagan nced at Zoe before turning back to look at the male¡ªanother rare find from the Hallowell pack. The way Zoe''s heartbeat had sped up upon seeing him indicated surprise and possibly fear. She cared for the child.


    "He will be tested to determine what level of containment is necessary," Zagan finally answered.


    Two words stood out to Zoe from that statement¡ªtesting and containment. She wondered if the tests had changed much since she had been here.


    "I will stay with him," she offered.


    Zagan shook his head and chuckled. "I don''t think so."


    "I do. I am staying with him. Here, take your jacket," she said, removing it and throwing it at his chest for him to catch with one arm. He red at her.


    "I am not leaving you out here," he snarled.


    "And why is that?" she asked, crossing her arms back over her chest. "You are leaving him out here. Put me in with him."


    Inside the cage, Sage''s brow furrowed in confusion. If he wasn''t mistaken, that was Zoe. But he never expected her to be one to stand up to the vampire or offer to stay with him.


    Zagan grabbed her arm in warning. She tried pulling away from him, but the vampire might as well have had a steel vise for a hand. He just continued to re at her, his eyes hardening further in anger as she continued tugging in an attempt to retrieve her arm.


    Without another word, Zagan began walking with her away from Sage''s enclosure.


    "You are hurting me!" Zoe yelled in objection.


    "You are hurting yourself by trying to get free," he growled, not looking at her.


    Finally she stopped fighting, stumbling along beside him as he kept the grip on her arm.


    "Slow down at least," she whined, tripping dramatically so that he had to lift her back up to her feet. "Where are we going?"


    "To get you a change of clothes," he mumbled, sending invisible daggers with his eyes to the male lycans whose ears had perked up at their approach.. He saw their eyes raking Zosime''s body, and he finally threw the jacket back over her shoulders before grabbing her arm again to lead her to the castle.

 Chapter 309 - Dark Walk

    "I don''t understand why you can''t leave me with Sage. He''s just a pup," she protested, still stumbling along beside him when they entered a dense mass of trees.


    "He''s not the only pup," Zagan hissed, growing increasingly impatient with these emotions.


    "Let me go," she tried again, only to have him ignore her. "Zagan!"


    He whirled around on her, the light gone in his eyes. She had said the forbidden name.


    "Why do you hate that name so much?" she asked in a tremulous voice. Maybe he needed a new name, too.


    Having him re at her like that was like staring directly into the eyes of every spine-chilling nightmare. He became them all.


    "Should I call you Fred?" she tried, attempting to remain cool while the tremors in her body gave her away.


    Suddenly the air around them rxed, the shadows eased into a gentler darkness, and the vampire''s eyes softened. Nothing had changed. He hadn''t moved, hadn''t made a sound, hadn''t even breathed since he had no need for it, but the terrifying aura he had been cloaked in dissipated. And then he smiled.


    He let go of her arm, and she reached up to rub it. She had lost feeling in that hand from how tightly he had held her.


    "Yes, call me Fred," he chuckled. "But then what will I call you?"


    Her eyebrows pinched together. Okay, so she was seriously supposed to call him Fred?


    "I''ll think about it," she mumbled, watching him cautiously. The visceral terror of him was gone, but this¡­ his drastic change in demeanor and mood? That was scary in a different way.


    "Well we can''t both be Fred," he said, amused.


    They walked a dark path with trees curving up to form the walls and ceiling over them. It looked like they had entered an architecture of nature.


    Zagan was no longer dragging her, and she was no longer resisting following him. She didn''t want to risk setting him off again. Maybe it would be better to go along with him for awhile and learn more about this ce. Sage didn''t seem to be in any immediate danger, but she was going to make sure she found a way to get back to him. She owed it to him and Sh¡ªshe owed it to everyone who was captured here. All she had done for thest several years was make it easier to track and capture the alyko.


    "I have a question for you," the vampire finally said as they walked. "Under normal circumstances, I would not have even been at this most recent harvest to get the Luna. I do not attend those anymore. My team does well without me. But there have been strange phenomena on the map in that area. Do you know what I am talking about?"


    Zoe pretended to think about it, scrunching her face in concentration. "Describe the phenomena."


    "Rather than one light that we would see indicating the alyko use of abilities, this was a smattering of lights," he said.


    Of course. Zagan had witnessed those anomalies and be curious. It made sense. Without the strange activity on the map, he wouldn''t have even been there. Zoe sighed. Sage would have escaped this fate and she likely would have also. If Zagan had not gone, it was also likely that August would have gotten away. As a pregnant Luna, she had no scent.


    Zoe''s eyes went wide when she suddenly remembered August''s pregnancy. She nced up at the vampire who was still walking a little ways in front of her. Hopefully he didn''t know. What kind of experiments would he want to perform if he discovered it? She had no idea what that knowledge would mean for August and her unborn child.


    "What did you just realize?" she heard him ask without looking at her.


    "What?" she asked, panicking internally at the question.


    "Your heart jumped and sped up," he exined.


    "It did?" she replied, stalling in her answer to think of a reason. "I was remembering the nightmare of being your possession."


    "Was it better being Andreas''?" he asked, stopping to look at her stitched face. "I never did this to you."


    "No, it was not better," she grumbled, raising a hand to her face. "Must I be someone''s possession? I want to be my own. Although he did let me see the sunlight," she remarked, looking up at the canopy of trees that were threaded together so tightly as to keep any light from breaking through.


    "I should have given you that," he replied, beginning to walk again. "I did not know better at the time."


    "So the alyko here have freedoms now?" she asked, genuinely curious about it.


    "Some of them do. It depends on the level of containment. But they all have ess to sunlight. I want my little nts to grow," he told her.


    "Why is this part so dark? Where are we going?"


    They finally came upon an area that opened up before them. There was a crumbling arched stone entryway that they walked under, and then she saw it. A castle fit for a vampire.


    The canopy of tightly woven trees rose higher, covering the castle from above. "Was this always here? Are we in the same ce you had me before?"


    "So many questions and yet you have yet to answer mine," he said simply.


    "The map," she nodded. "It behaved strangely when August demonstrated."


    "So many lights went on at once. It looked like a constetion all concentrated within Hallowell borders. That was when the Luna used her abilities?" he verified what he had nowe to suspect.


    "Yes," she confirmed. "I thought it was a glitch."


    "Ohe now, don''t lie Zosime," he chuckled and, hearing her growl at the name corrected himself. "Don''t lie, Fred. You knew it was not a glitch. I made you smarter than that."


    "But the map has never lit up like that. It had to be a glitch," she argued.


    "No. It was that something entirely new has been created¡ªsomething closer to fae than the typical alyko. Penelope Winter is here. She was on the Hallowellnd that night. She told me about the pandemic and the Luna''s origin.. It seems she has helped me," he grinned.

 Chapter 310 - Burning Hope

    "What do you mean ''Who is August,?" Gretaughed. "You are kidding right? Please tell me you are kidding."


    She backed away from her brother who was sitting on the couch still looking half asleep and confused. He raked a hand through his hair and squinted at her.


    "What''s going on?" he asked, his voice lowering now in suspicion. "Is this some kind of joke? Because it''s not funny."


    Greta''s throat bobbed and she nced at Sam before her eyesnded on Sylvia. Sylvia''s hands were covering her mouth and her eyes were wide in reaction to Graeme''s words, but when she saw Greta watching her, she gave her a weak, reassuring smile¡ªsping her hands in front of her.


    "Graeme," Greta sat in the chair across from her brother, leaning forward and cing a hand on his knee. ''Do you remember your mate?'' she asked through touch in the wordlessmunication they shared.


    He instinctively scoffed out loud at the question, but his eyebrows threaded together when he noticed how serious and concerned his sister was. ''What mate, Greta?'' he asked back. ''What is going on?''


    Her face crumpled and she withdrew her hand. Graeme just stared at her in confusion, searching her for any clues as to what this was all about.


    "This can''t be happening," she mumbled, wrapping her arms protectively around herself as a sudden wave of nausea crested over her, making her lightheaded. "What did that monster do?"


    "Gret, are you okay?" Sam kneeled next to her, feeling her physical reaction as his own.


    "No. No, I''m not okay. None of this is okay. What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice rising in panic.


    Sam pulled one of her arms into hisp and squeezed her hand.


    "What do you remember, brother?" he asked without letting Greta''s hand go.


    "I was headed this way through the Grimm," Graeme answered groggily, rubbing his eyes. "There was a stray I tracked down not far from here. I figured I woulde visit afterwards."


    "That''s it?" Greta used in her high-pitched voice that was now near hysterics. "That''s all you remember? That was months ago, Graeme!"


    "What are you talking about?" he answered defensively, his voiceing close to a growl. Why was Greta so upset? She was always overjoyed to have him home.


    "It''s Samhain!" she yelled despite Sam tightening his hold on her hand.


    Graeme chuckled. That was impossible. It was September.


    "Seriously, whatever this is isn''t funny," he rose from the couch, wrapping the nket around himself before heading to the stairs.


    "Where are you going?" Greta called behind him.


    "Clothes," he called back simply, annoyed with this weird conversation and unable to entertain any more of it.


    Sylvia, Sam, and Greta all watched in stunned silence as their Alpha walked up the stairs without another word.


    Greta stood from the chair and started pacing. "What are we going to do?" she asked with a choked sob. "He doesn''t remember anything! How could he not remember his mate?! It''s his mate, for Goddess'' sakes! This can''t be happening."


    "The ancient one must have done something," Sylvia said, her shock taking on a calm, grave quality in contrast to Greta''s growing panic. "He must have altered his memory."


    "What does that mean?" Greta asked as Sam stood by, at a loss for words but hoping he would somehow be able tofort his mate.


    "Maybe this is like what Zoe went through. She couldn''t remember her past because of something the vampire did, but it all came back to her. Maybe it''s reversible," he thought aloud, arms akimbo as he watched Greta continue to pace, her eyes fixed on the floor in thought.


    "So someone needs to bite him in the face?" she scoffed, not seeing how this was the same.


    This wasn''t the same as Zoe at all. Graeme didn''t seem like an entirely different person. He seemed¡­ like Graeme before all of this. The Graeme who avoided his pack like the gue and rarely came to visit. The Graeme who was still traumatized by the loss of their parents and the alyko.


    But there was no way that all that had happened the past several weeks could just be gone. August and their mate bond had transformed Graeme''s entire being in such a profound way, she didn''t believe that even the vampire could reverse all of that. No one could make that vanishpletely. And tonight had transformed the entire pack in such a profound way¡­ how was the pack going to react to this?


    "The whole pack¡­" Greta said, trailing off at the horrific thought of how they would react to a missing Luna and an Alpha who didn''t even remember he had taken power.


    Sam stopped her pacing¡ªputting his hands on her shoulders and then wrapping his arms around her, inviting her into his warmth. She gradually softened to his touch and let himfort her.


    "We will be the leaders the pack needs until Graeme and August are back," he whispered into her hair. "It''s going to be okay. There is no way they have truly forgotten each other. I could never forget you. If someone forced me to, I know that deep inside I would be fighting to the very core of my being to get back to you, whether I was aware of it or not."


    Greta started weeping quietly against him. It had been so beautiful tonight¡ªso achingly beautiful when the whole pack felt their Alpha and Luna deep within. She still felt it even now.


    "You''re right," she said, wiping her eyes and pulling out of his embrace. "I still feel them both. Don''t you?" She asked, looking from Sam to Sylvia.


    Sylvia nodded. "You are right," she whispered. "That hasn''t changed. That unity is still there, burning with hope. I can feel it."


    Greta let out a heavy breath. "Okay," she said. "As long as there is still hope, I can do this.. Let''s try to figure out how to help him remember her."

 Chapter 311 - Ghosts

    Graeme entered thest room on the left where he knew there were always clothes avable. The outpost was used by every guard and perimeter runner, every scout at some point in time. Given the nature of their work shifting to and from wolf form, they were often in need of extra clothes.


    The door was already open and when he walked through the doorway, he stopped. He wasn''t sure why. But it was like the ghost of a memory hit him as soon as he walked in. And there was the most enchanting scent¡­


    He stared at the bed for a moment before he walked to the closet, which looked like it had already been rifled through tonight. He pulled on a pair of joggers and a tee shirt and then sat on the bed, stumped about what to do next. Why had he cked out? Why was Greta messing with him about a mate? Had she put this intoxicating scent in here to lure him into believing he had a mate?


    He had sworn off the whole idea of a mate after what went down with Violet. When she had gotten pregnant, it was like his whole life shed before his eyes, and it was all one massive disappointment. And when Violet had the miscarriage, it somehow made him feel even worse. Not only had he gotten a female pregnant who wasn''t his mate, but he felt relieved when she lost it.


    He couldn''t be trusted with this pack and their progeny or their sess. He couldn''t be trusted with the delicate emotional lives of his people.


    And now he was getting nostalgic and emotional in the bedroom of the outpost. This is why he stayed away and focused on tracking strays. This was no way for an Alpha to feel or act, and he didn''t want to be reminded of how much he fell short when measured up against his father. He didn''t want the stares of lingering hope that he got from pack members. He wasn''t the Alpha, and he never would be. The council was doing just fine.


    "I''m going to the treehouse for the night," he said after trudging down the stairs into the living room.


    "Graeme," Sylvia tried, approaching him. "I wouldn''t lie to you, son. Would I?"


    He looked at her¡ªthe worn, concerned look on her face. Sylvia had been through so much. He knew that she hoped he would return and change his mind, just as many of them did. But would she lie to him?


    "No, Sylvia. I know you wouldn''t lie to me," he admitted, resting his hands on his hips and staring at the hardwood floor. She deserved respect. In his mind, she was as good as an elder in this pack.


    "Then please hear me," she said, walking a few steps closer to him. "A lot has happened that you don''t remember. Greta is telling the truth, son. It is Samhain. And your mate was just taken."


    He swallowed, trying to process this. Why would Sylvia be in on this? Had the whole pack gotten together and decided how to manipte him into returning?


    "I really can''t do this right now," he said, and he walked outside.


    The air¡ªthe season. It was all different. It was cooler. More of the leaves had fallen. He could smell theing winter. And there was something else¡­ the growing feeling of loss. But that was usual when he visited. He felt the loss of his parents, of Maggie, and of all the alyko so acutely that it nearly gutted him if he lingered on it.


    Greta and Sam followed him out the door and saw him frozen on thewn. He shook his head and started jogging toward the treehouse, leaving the three of them behind.


    The smell of a bonfire hit his nose as he ran. His body realized the truth before he did. It registered the time of year by the level of moisture in the air, the scent that apanied the fallen leaves and their dposition, the waning energy of the nts around him that were beginning to curl up and go dormant for the winter. It was muchter in the season than he thought.


    Was it actually Samhain?


    His heart started tugging at him, pulling him back¡ªtelling him not to run away from those who held the truth to what had urred here. But he was stubborn, and he kept running until he was at the bottom of those steps that he had climbed a million times throughout his childhood.


    He looked up at the old tree, the one that Maggie had enchanted to protect them. It was an old friend. He missed the tree and the treehouse as much as he missed Greta when he was away. Sometimes he imagined that the tree held a piece of Maggie¡ªthat she was there, living inside of it, looking out for him and weing him home. It was at least partially true, because her enchantment lived on. He could feel it when he got close¡ªthe beautiful invisible barrier that let him walk through.


    He took the steps four at a time, running up the winding staircase he knew so well that his feet could anticipate the next steps without him even looking at them. There were odd scents here this time, but he didn''t take time to analyze them. He had been gone a long while. Perhaps others had wandered up here. Perhaps Greta had been here with others while she was watching over the ce, as she always did.


    The front door creaked slightly when he pushed it open, and then the most beautiful scent met him. It was the same scent that had lingered in the bedroom of the outpost. His pulse quickened, and his body started aching for her. He didn''t know who she was¡ªthe one who this ache belong to¡ªbut he felt the truth of her being light within him. She had been here, in his favorite ce. In the ce that was the closest thing to home for him.


    He walked through the darkened rooms, not bothering to turn on any lights. She was in every room. She was in his bed. She was in the bathroom. And if he was honest, she was inside of him. He stopped when he crossed back into the living room, turning to look out at the pool that was shimmering in the light of the full moon.


    "I have a mate," he murmured to himself, entranced by the light bouncing off of the water.. "Moon," he whispered.

 Chapter 312 - I Can Scent Her

    "Yes, you do," Greta spoke from the front door. "You have a mate. Thank the Goddess you remember. We need to find a way to get her back."


    "I don''t understand," he replied, a distant look in his eyes as if he were stuck, wheels spinning in his mind trying to retrieve the memories of her. "I can scent her," his lips quirked up into the beginning of a smile. "But¡­ there is nothing in my memories of her. She actually exists? Are you serious?"


    "Yes," Greta chuckled, her eyes watering as she walked forward to grab his face between her hands. "You have a beautiful, wonderful, kind and generous mate who is the Luna of this pack, brother. I assure you. It is no lie. Everyone here can attest to it."


    "Luna?" he repeated, his eyes growingrger. "What do you mean by that?"


    "I mean you have marked her, you have mated, and everyone in this pack has felt the truth of your union and your divinely appointed leadership. We all felt it¡­ tonight," Greta chuckled. "It was the most beautiful, hopeful thing that this pack has felt in a long time."


    He swallowed, his mouth having gone dry. "It is truly Samhain tonight?"


    "Yes, brother," she smiled. "Goddess I''m d you awoke. I was so worried," she pulled him into a hug as Sam and Sylvia came into the room behind her.


    "I don''t understand what happened then," he spoke, trying desperately to wrap his mind around what she was saying. "How did I end up at the outpost?"


    Greta looked back at her mate and Sylvia, hoping they could help her exin it. How were they going to ry the details of everything that urred tonight much less over thest several weeks when he couldn''t remember any of it? That was such a huge task.


    "Are you pregnant, Greta?" Graeme gasped, pulling back from her to look at the soft but unmistakable swell of her belly. "You are pregnant! You smell different."


    Greta giggled. "Yes. You already knew that."


    "We are having twins," Sam added, walking up next to Greta and putting an arm around her shoulders.


    Graeme''s mouth hung open before he chuckled. "Like us?"


    "I doubt you and August are having twins. The genes are carried by females," Gretaughed and then caught her mistake, her eyes going wide in realization. Of course Graeme wouldn''t remember that his mate was pregnant. "Oh, you mean like us¡ªlike how you and I are twins? Oh¡­ yeah, yeah, yeah," she nodded and giggled nervously, somehow thinking that would cover her slip up and he might miss it.


    "Wait¡­" he took a step back, a deep frown settling over his features. Greta could feel the air around him change, and she gulped. "My mate is¡­ my mate is pregnant?"


    She could see the moment this news truly came home to him. She could feel it.


    Graeme stood frozen, hearing the words that his sister had thoughtlessly said and then hearing in her tone how she regretted saying it. She had let a truth slip that he wasn''t prepared for, and now he was left reeling even more so than before.


    He had a mate. He had a mate he didn''t remember. That in itself was a lot to digest. But he had a child on the way? His true mate¡ªthe one whose scent this belonged to¡ªwas taken somewhere and was carrying his child? And he couldn''t remember any of this?


    It was like realizing the most brilliant, inconceivable thing had been given and taken away in the same breath. It stole the air from his lungs.


    Why did this feel like some sort of cruel joke? Or why did it feel¡­ like something so appropriate for the pattern of events in his life? He deserved this, didn''t he? He left his pack. He failed his pack. And then ording to Greta, he was weed back with a Luna by his side and aing heir, surely giving this pack a renewed hope for the future, only to then lose it all? To fail them all over again? And to fail his mate?


    "How did I not protect them?" he asked through gritted teeth.


    "You are surely in this state because you tried," Sam spoke up from next to his sister. "It was a vampire."


    "What?" he scoffed. "A vampire?"


    "It is true, son. And it is a long story. Perhaps we should fill you in," Sylvia gestured for them all to sit on the couch.


    Filling Graeme in on everything that had urred and all that was revealed about the elders was going to take all night, but it was necessary if he was not able to remember it himself. They needed him. And perhaps the information would help jog his own memory about the events as they unfolded.


    Graeme learned about how his mate was actually human and part of the ndestine pandemic experiment that Eliade was participating in. He heard about how she had overpowered Marius and had other impressive alyko abilities¡ªeven healing Greta at one point.


    Discovering that his mate was alyko was quite the surprise, but it brought him a strange sense offort and happiness. She would face a lot of obstacles as an alyko, even more so as an alyko Luna, but it made him proud that his mate¡ªthe one the Moon Goddess had chosen for him¡ªwas of this very special kind of lycan. In his mind, the alyko were more than just lycans without wolves. They were sacred.


    "She marked you as well," Greta told him, shocking him from his thoughts.


    "Marked¡­ me?" he repeated.


    "At the full moon ritual," Greta smirked.


    "I participated in a full moon ritual? With my mate? And she marked me?" He asked each question slowly, his voice getting lower each time as he tried to process the details. This memory was definitely one he wanted back.


    He pulled the cor of his shirt to the side, trying to see the mark.. When his fingers ran over it instead, the touch set off a jolt of electricity that he felt in his bones.

 Chapter 313 - Inside The Eye

    August had changed into the clothes that were toorge on her, but at least they werefortable. She was back in bed with her knees up to her chest, clutching the medallion like a lifeline, waiting for when Penelope would return.


    The tea was fine, but she didn''t have an appetite for anything else. Shouldn''t she have been hooked up to fluids or something if she were dehydrated? Why did none of this make sense? A wealthy benefactor offering to help in her case when the hospitals were full and Eliade was on lockdown?


    Maybe her mother would be able toe to visit if August wasn''t actually able to leave. She wondered where this ind was anyway. Penelope hadn''t told her.


    She looked at the silver medallion in her hand, continually running her thumb over the strange abstract design. It appeared to be a bird and a sun. She had never seen anything like it, but at the same time it felt so familiar to her¡ªalmost precious. Maybe she was losing her mind.


    A fluttering sound caught her attention, and she noticed ck wings beating against one of the windows behind her. She got up and approached the ss, looking for a way to open the window, but there didn''t seem to be one. Instead, when the beating of the wings didn''t stop, she put her palm t against the ss.


    When the ck shape disappeared from the small panel her hand was on, she pushed her nose against the ss to try to see where it had gone. But the ss was not translucent, having trapped condensation between its panes that she couldn''t see through.


    August looked down the corridor to see if Penelope wasing yet as she had made it seem like it would not be too long before she would return¡ªonly time enough for August to change. But the double doors were still closed, daunting in their borate, heavy design that arched so high.


    Without thinking more on it, August decided to wander looking for a door to get some fresh air and maybe look for the mysterious bird. Perhaps she could even get an idea of where this ind was.


    She passed a few more beds like hers that looked as if they had never been used. The beds were perfectly made¡ªcrisp white sheets and perfectly shaped pillows. Finally, she found a door between two beds that was made of panes of ss identical to the windows. It camouged with the windows so well¡ªa nearly invisible door to the outside.


    She shot onest nce at the double doors down the hall before grabbing the ss door''s small metal handle and pushing it out. What met her was a world of green. She closed the door softly behind her and walked into the lush overgrown grass and garden that nked the infirmary''s greenhouse exterior.


    August gasped when she noticed the way the trees arched unnaturally, reaching over the exterior of a crumbling stone mansion and toward the circr opening of the sky above the infirmary. Why were they like that? How had they grown that way? It felt like the trees were prisoners in their own growth, desperately wanting to be freed from the uniform perfection that was forced upon them. They wanted to be wild, but they were forced to maintain this constant bend¡ªfrozen performers in someone else''s y on life.


    She gulped, gripping the silver ne that she had brought with her that was dangling in one hand. What kind of twisted person lived in this ce? And if he was so wealthy, why did the exterior look like it was in such desperate need of repair? The finer details of the mansion''s facade were hard to see, because the shade from the bent trees made it quite dark everywhere else but under the circle of sky above her. It was like she was looking up from inside the pupil of a massive eye.


    A shudder of recognition passed through her, and suddenly she was back in suicide forest with Jonathan and her friends. There was a massive eye. A clock. The ck forest was a clock, and at its center, turning slowly her way, was an eye arching high above the treetops. Herst memory was of that eye and the fear that she was about to be taken into the terrifying void at its center. The center held everything¡ªall knowledge, all being, all existence¡ªbut to be taken into it meant death. Its knowledge was ipatible with life.


    But¡­ but now she was in it, wasn''t she? She was in the void. It had gotten her. ording to Penelope, she had disappeared, and her memories were gone after that point. Did that mean the eye had finally turned its gaze on her, snatching her into its depths? And now here she was, at the center of it¡­ trapped. Why did she feel trapped?


    A curious clucking sound stole her attention, bringing her back to the reality of the living things around her. She wasn''t dead. She was just trapped. There were nts and flowers and animals. There was a crow sitting patiently, focusing its one eye on her and tilting its head as if trying to decide what to make of her. Was she worth its time?


    She exhaled heavily, pushing away the fear of the memory that had decided to haunt her. Perhaps it wasn''t real. It seemed like more of a nightmare, and it certainly didn''t exin how she had gotten here. She hadn''t been sucked into a mysterious portal in suicide forest, surely.


    "Hi there," she called softly to the bird, crouching down as she did to seem less intimidating to the small winged creature. "Were you fluttering against my window? Did you want my attention?"


    The crow hopped toward her, continuing to study her with its blue eye. When it was finally close enough, it approached her hand and pulled on the shiny silver chain that was dangling there. August giggled.


    "Oh, you want the shiny thing? What a typical crow you are. I don''t think so," she giggled more. "This isn''t mine."


    ''Whose is it?'' the crow tilted its head, its blue eye piercing her with the unspoken question.. She gasped and fell back against the earth.

 Chapter 314 - Remembering

    August''s eyes were wide, mouth agape, heart hammering in her chest. She had just imagined that, right? Crows don''t talk.


    ''Do you remember whose it is?'' the same voice asked in her head. The crow was still staring at her intently.


    "Crows don''t talk," she said aloud, either reassuring herself of that fact or reminding the crow, she wasn''t sure.


    Maybe if it were talking, she could convince it to stop, because this was not okay. It was not okay to hear voices. What had happened to her in those woods?


    ''Will you not put it on?'' the bird''s ck, iridescent head dipped as if gesturing to the shiny chain in her hand before its blue eyended back on her.


    "What?" she asked, frowning at the bird that hadn''t moved. "You want me to put it on?"


    Rather than hearing another wordless answer, the crow just tilted its head ever so slightly. It was waiting to see if she would do it. When she didn''t, it hopped past her and started tapping on the door with its beak. She watched it in horror, unsure of what to do.


    It felt like she had be a prisoner of an Edgar Allen Poe poem. The crow would not stop tapping on the ss door, having abandoned the telepathicmunication that startled her and opting for this behavioral alternative.


    The stato of rapping noises quickly went from terrifying avian behavior to simply annoying, and August groaned, pushing herself to her feet and walking over to join the crow by the door.


    "What? You want inside?" she chuckled, pulling the door open and watching as the ck bird pped around the infirmary like it was searching for something.


    It pped and fluttered in front of the table next to her bed, tugging at the drawer with its beak. She watched it trying to get the drawer open for a few moments before she walked over and helped, easily pulling the drawer open with her fingers, which the bird thought was quite unfair.


    Once the drawer was open, the curious bird flew up and perched on her shoulder to get a look into the drawer from above. There was something else in there that she needed to see. Perhaps it would help jog her memory more than the medallion.


    August saw it immediately: a silver ring.


    She picked it up and turned it over in her fingers. There was a sun engraved on one side.


    "Why does this seem so familiar to me?" she whispered to herself, and then she slid the ring on her middle finger as if she knew exactly where it would fit. "Did someone give this to me, crow?"


    The ck bird, still perched on her shoulder, didn''t answer. But it bent and pecked at her hair, fussing with it and pulling it to the side.


    "Stop!" she chuckled, raising a hand to her neck to protect herself from the sharp beak. And when she did, a jolt of electricity shot through her. There must be a sensitive spot there¡ªa wound of some kind¡ªthat was still healing.


    As she ran her fingers over that spot, her featheredpanion flew off down the hall and back out the door. She followed and closed the door behind it, leaning against the ss panes with her hand against her neck. What the hell had just happened?


    There were no mirrors here. She wanted to see what this spot on her neck looked like. Every time her fingers ran over that spot, it sent shivers through her.


    All of this was so disorienting. She got back into bed, pulling the covers up to her chest as she sat against the head board and twirled the ring around her finger that the crow had wanted her to find. It had also asked if she remembered who the ne belonged to.


    What did all of this mean? Had she truly lost her mind?


    She pulled her hand above the covers that was still gripping the medallion and stared at the silver design once more. Had the crow wanted her to put it on? She chuckled softly at how intently she was focused on this bird''s strange behavior, even entertaining the idea that it had spoken to her. But what the hell?


    She pulled the chain over her neck, letting the medallion fall against her chest. And in that instant, a universe of the unseen appeared before her eyes. She gasped, her eyes taking in every small particle of energy that emerged, illuminating a world of energetic auras around her.


    And then every memory over the past few months rushed to meet her at once.


    "Graeme," she choked on the name, all of him flooding her at once as if it had been waiting, dammed up and waiting to be released on her. She sobbed, feeling it all at once¡ªevery memory, every particle of her being entangled with this male who was her mate. How could anyone try to keep this from her? How could she have forgotten?


    Her mate, her pack, her unborn child¡­ she ced a hand over her stomach protectively.


    "Penelope," she growled, teeth clenched in anger.


    Penelope had made her mother forget her. This had to be her doing. August sprang up out of the bed and stalked toward the ornate doors at the end of the hall, determined to find those who were responsible for this betrayal. She hade here willingly, why would they need to alter her memory?


    Penelope felt the exact moment her enchantment on August and Graeme failed, as if an invisible burden on her shoulders suddenly lifted. She was carrying the finished stew to the infirmary, this time more familiar with the way so as not to get lost.


    When the enchantment lifted, Penelope almost fell over in surprise. And then, while still carrying the tray of stew, she ran as fast as she could the rest of the way. She had to catch August before Zagan realized the enchantment was off.


    Penelope didn''t know what Zagan would do next. Would he imprison August? Would he use one of his methods for controlling memory on her? Would he find out about the baby? And if he did, then what¡­


    Penelope''s thoughts were going wild with possibilities. When she finally arrived at the infirmary and reached to open one of the giant doors, it flew open and knocked her off of her feet.. August was standing there, ring at her with golden rage-filled eyes.

 Chapter 315 - Remembering 2

    "What did you do to me?" August snarled, but Penelope quickly sprang onto her feet and shoved the girl back into the infirmary, looking behind her down the hall to see if there was any evidence of the lurking vampire.


    When she didn''t see him, she closed the door shut behind her and turned to face the girl whose rage was palpable on the air.


    "I had to," she said simply, hissing as she realized that her clothes were covered in the hot stew she had been carrying. She took off the whiteb coat, the wet sleeve scorching her skin.


    "And what is this? Some kind of poison you were going to give me next? What''s the real reason I''m here Penelope?" August took another step closer to the petite Winter, towering over her in height. She could sense the power Penelope had, but right now¡ªwith all of the anger and outrage she felt¡ªshe was certain she could take her in a fight.


    "No, you''re pregnant. I wanted to make sure you''re fed," Penelope said in an urgent whisper. Any moment Zagan could materialize, so she had to have this conversation quickly. "Come away from the door. I need to talk to you before hees back."


    August stood, frozen in ce while Penelope started to walk toward the bed.


    "This is serious. Come with me," Penelope hissed, gesturing with her arm that August should quickly follow.


    "I don''t trust you," August growled.


    Penelope was surprised at just how lycan August sounded. In fact, if she didn''t know better, she would assume August was lycan. It must have something to do with her mate bond.


    "I understand that," Penelope said quickly. "But I wanted you to break the enchantment, okay? That''s why I gave you the talisman back."


    "The talisman?" August repeated and then looked down at the ne, reaching up to grasp it in her hand. Penelope had given it to her. "This is why the enchantment broke?"


    "It was taken from you sometime after you arrived, but of course they don''t know what it is," Penelope mumbled. "I wore it to see if you would recognize it. You were already fighting against the enchantment, so I imagine it just helped you along¡­ much more quickly than I would have thought though. But you are strong. It amplifies your own power."


    "How? How do you know all of this?" August asked, eyes squinted in suspicion.


    "I recognized it immediately among your things. Derek Hallowell used to wear it as a talisman, because Magnolia made it for him to ward off enchantments from other alyko. If he had any unknown alyko abilities, they would have strengthened those as well," Penelope exined, still ushering August back toward the center of the infirmary and away from the door.


    "If you wanted me to remember everything, then why did you do this to me in the first ce?" August scowled.


    "He insisted on it. He has his own way of doing things, because he''s thousands of years old and extremely stubborn," she replied, gritting her teeth with the truth of it.


    "So you were helping him all along? And you persuaded me to leave my mate to lure me into whatever the hell this is?!" August eximed, throwing her arms wide.


    "No!" Penelope scoffed. "He caught me after I spoke to you. I am a prisoner here just like everyone else."


    "And yet you are wearing ab coat and taking my blood and performing memory altering enchantments? That doesn''t add up," August replied, beginning to follow Penelope now, but she wasn''t simply obeying the wish to move away from the door. She was stalking her like a predator.


    Penelope recognized the way August''s chin tucked and her eyes took on a fierce glint. "August¡­" she started, backing away with her palms out in surrender, "I''m telling you the truth. I was not helping him."


    August''s fingers began tingling with the need to throw Penelope up against the wall. As soon as the very thought of that action registered in her brain, the Winter alyko wasunched through the air and mmed against the ss panes lining the infirmary. She gasped for air, trying to catch her breath as shards of tinkling ss rained down around her. Bracing herself against the floor with ss cutting into her palms, Penelope unsteadily pushed herself back up, bloody hands raised in front of her.


    "He''s going to see, August. Stop!" she yelled desperately. "You might hurt yourself or your baby!"


    Penelope had never felt power like that. Her hands were shaking from the sudden pain of the ss intruding into her flesh. She looked down and realized there was ss sticking into her knees as well.


    August''s eyes had gone wide in horror at the sudden violence she caused without even putting any effort into it. She stared helplessly at Penelope who was bleeding everywhere.


    "Goddess, I didn''t mean for that to happen," she said tremulously, approaching the trembling Penelope. "Let me help you."


    "I''ll take care of it," Penelope replied, still holding her palms out as if she was worried August would strike again.


    After the two continued staring at each other for several moments without anything else happening, Penelope turned up her palms to look at the damage.


    "Sit down on the bed. I''ll find some bandages," August instructed her.


    "I said I''ll take care of it," Penelope refused, walking unsteadily to a nearby sink and gingerly removing the ss pieces before dropping them onto the counter.


    As soon as she would remove a shard, more blood would spill out, and soon the sink and her hands were a bloody mess. She turned on the water, letting it wash away the sshes of red before allowing the water to run over her hands. She winced. The water made the pain worse, and she still had ss in her knees to remove.


    "It''s important that you listen to me," she spoke while rinsing her hands. "You may not trust me yet, but we are in this together now. And I don''t want him to hurt you or your baby."


    Penelope turned to look at August, hoping the deep sincerity of her words would show in her expression.


    "Why do you seem less like a prisoner?" August asked softly, trying to control her thoughts. She didn''t want to hurt Penelope more than she already had.


    "He discovered that we have the same goal in mind," Penelope replied, grabbing a towel to pat her hands dry. She sat on the bed nearby and began removing the ss from her knees.


    "And what goal is that?" August scoffed.


    "Well, lucky for us, he ims to want to die."

 Chapter 316 - Remembering 3

    "He wants to die?" August scoffed. "That''s great. Let''s go take care of it right now then."


    "He has a certain way he wants to do things. Like I said, he is¡­ ancient," Penelope mumbled.


    "So he''s old. What does that have to do with anything?"


    "He is stubborn, he is controlling, he likes doing things his way, and he is patient. And he seems to really enjoy whatever he has going on here with the alyko, which tells me he wants to draw this out with you and see what all you are capable of first."


    "I don''t like any of that," August shook her head. "I just want to get back to Graeme. I''m not here to y a game with him."


    "Well, unfortunately you will have to. Otherwise I don''t know what else he will choose to do with you. There were other alternatives to the memory enchantment, believe me. This was the best way. And he can''t learn that you''re pregnant," Penelope stressed, lowering her voice as she did. "If you pretend to not remember anything for now, you will be treated very well, and maybe he''ll make himself more vulnerable to opportunities."


    "You expect me to pretend to not know anything?" August eximed. "Are you crazy?"


    "Look, I know this is difficult. But there is a lot that could go wrong here. It is the best chance we have," Penelope exined. "For your child, you need to try. Otherwise he might choose to take the fetus, he might want to experiment on it or on you as a pregnant fae, he might decide to imprison you here during the duration of the pregnancy¡­ honestly, there are so many horrific possibilities, I don''t even want to try to imagine them all. He may im to want to die, but he still has a lot of curiosity left where the alyko and fae are concerned. If you intrigue him anymore than you already do, he might just decide he wants to stick around rather than die."


    August''s face paled when Penelope began listing off possibilities concerning her unborn child. She swallowed back the panic that was rising in her throat. Who knew that being pregnant would cause such an increased risk here.


    "Okay," she said softly. "Okay, I''ll pretend to forget. I''ll do it."


    "This wasn''t my n to be here," Penelope sighed, finally taking thest of the ss shards out of her knees and dropping them onto the counter, "but I''m d I am, you know?" She looked up at August then and gave her a soft smile. "I''m d I can help you."


    August nodded slightly, fidgeting with her hands in front of her. This was going to be tricky. She was really hoping it would be pretty straightforward. Get here, kill him, get home.


    "Don''t worry. We''re going to figure this out," Penelope added, seeing how nervous August suddenly became.


    "Won''t he know? That I''m pregnant?" August asked, her eyes darting towards the door now. "Doesn''t he have super vampire senses or something?"


    "The great thing about you being a Luna is that your body has all these extra defenses to keep others from picking up on the pregnancy. It''s to protect the next heir of any pack. If we''re lucky, that will also mean he won''t be able to pick up on the heartbeat. I imagine you''re too early now anyway for him to hear it, but once you are further along¡­"


    "I''m going to start showing! We need to finish this before then!" August whispered urgently.


    "You may take longer to show as well. It''s possible," Penelope tried to calm her. "Honestly there has never been an alyko Luna. It''s possible that you have all kinds of impressive superpowers to protect yourself while you''re pregnant."


    "Goddess I hope so," she whispered.


    "The only thing that I think we can''t expect to fool him with is your blood, so don''t let him have it. Ever," Penelope shot her a look.


    "Will he be asking for it?" August screwed up her face.


    "He tried to take some from me in theb, but I found a way out of it," she answered, patting her knees.


    August rushed to the counter and started gathering the ss pieces to throw in the garbage.


    "I can handle that," Penelope told her.


    "I want to help," she said. "I didn''t meant to do that. It was only a thought, and then¡­ it happened. I''m sorry," she grimaced.


    "It may be the talisman. You need to be careful about what you do, but I wouldn''t take it off. It will help protect you," Penelope replied.


    "How would it have broken the enchantment?" August asked, lifting the medallion in her fingers and staring at it again.


    "Well, it amplifies your power. You were already fighting against the memory block. And like I said, it is meant to protect the wearer from alyko enchantments, so it was Magnolia''s power in the talisman against mine I suppose," her lips tilted into the beginning of a smile. Magnolia was such a wonderful alyko. She had such beautiful abilities.


    "What did you mean when you said that he would see? Does he have a map here?" she asked.


    "Oh yes. He sure does," Penelope answered. She had seen it already but only briefly. He ushered her past it as if she would get a clue about where they were or how many alyko he had here. "And that means we are going to have toe up with some kind of story to exin all of this," she added, looking at the broken windows.


    August spun Graeme''s ring on her finger nervously, trying to think of an excuse for why she would have used her abilities and hurt Penelope.


    "I will think of something," Penelope assured her. "You can''t remember anything. Just¡­ act confused and afraid about all of this, and I will handle the rest. I''m surprised he isn''t here already. He seems to drop out of the sky at the most unexpected moments.. This is the first time I haven''t had him breathing down my neck."

 Chapter 317 - Shock Wave

    Zagan and Zoe were still walking through the dense woods when a sudden shock wave radiated out from the direction of the castle. It was strong enough that it pushed Zagan back several feet, his shoes sliding against the earth as he leaned forward into the st to stay standing.


    His ck eyes narrowed. That either had to havee from the Winter alyko or the Luna, and at this point he wasn''t sure which seemed more likely.


    "Come on," he snarled, stalking off toward the castle now that the air had returned to normal.


    But then it urred to him that there was no longer the soft, reliable rhythm of Zosime''s heartbeat at his back. He turned to face where she had been standing to find that she wasn''t there. Zosime had literally vanished.


    Zaganunched into the air andnded on a tree limb high enough to see out into the containment area of the ind. There was no trace of Zoe anywhere.


    "Now what?" he growled, jumping between trees before alighting on the grand stone walkway outside the containment facility.


    The facility looked anything but designed for containment, but that was the trick he had discovered over the years. Finally, he seemed to have figured out how to keep the alyko contained and yet also thriving.


    The so-called containment consisted of four separate symmetrical wings, one designated to each element that the fae drew their abilities from: earth, air, fire, and water. Once new arrivals from an alyko harvest arrived, they were cycled through the elements to see where their power predominantly lied before being assigned to a wing. And then that wing is where they stayed.


    While each of the wings were the same size and shape¡ªeach were six stories high with curved windows lining the exterior walls to the outside¡ªthey were all significantly different in design. There were copper staircases and fireces licking the interior walls in one, fountains and water cascading down walls in another, an interior forest climbing themon area of the third, and so on. It was a marvel of modern architecture that sharply contrasted with the crumbling old castle obscured by its bending forest of trees.


    When viewed as a whole, the most striking part of the facility, though, was the central, elevated area that rose far up above the other four wings. It appeared to be an borate roof garden with a lotus shaped dome that was left open to the sky. A reflection pool sat in the center of the dome, reflecting the sunlight, moonlight, and starlight. It gave the whole building the appearance of a flower with four petals and one elevated stigma that could beam someone up into the heavens under the right conditions.


    No one upied that central area of the facility yet. It was viewed as a bit of a mystery by the residents. Even when they were allowed to wander onto their own respective roof gardens and get a better look at the central lotus with its glittering windows, there were no hints as to what its purpose was.


    Zagan nced up at the earth and air wings that jutted out on either side of the front entryway. If Zoe had mysteriously disappeared from right beside him, he wondered if anything strange had happened to the alyko here. There were strong barriers built in to some of the more interior and underground rooms where the powerful alyko were kept, but the rest of the facility was breezy and open with minimal restrictions. The alyko allowed to wander rtively freely throughout those areas had weaker abilities and posed little risk to the lycans on Zagan''s team.


    But now that a powerful Winter and an alyko Luna were here on his ind, perhaps he would need to rethink the barriers in ce. He didn''t know what caused the shock wave that nearly knocked him off of his feet, but if it was also somehow responsible for Zosime vanishing, then he was woefully underprepared for what else it might cause.


    "Boss!" Seth spotted Zagan and came running out of the ss doors. "I was just about to call you."


    "Did something happen?" Zagan asked, his face unreadable.


    Seth was used to it. The vampire rarely revealed what was lurking below the surface of that steely dark facade. Sometimes Seth imagined Zagan was just an empty vessel, walking around for the next hunt only. The hunt seemed to be what drove him.


    "All of the alyko from the exterior rooms seem to have just¡­" Seth''s throat bobbed. He didn''t know how to exin it. It was impossible.


    "Vanished?" Zagan finished for him.


    "Yes. How did you know?" the lycan asked, stunned.


    Without answering, Zagan strode forward into the facility that he so rarely visited. The lobby was bright and sunny, light cascading in through the sky lights above. A security desk sat in the very center with a young lycan standing, staring in disbelief at the video feed from various parts of the facility.


    A second male came running into the lobby. "It is as it looks. They are gone," he reported.


    "And the inner rooms?" Zagan asked, circling around to the center of the security desk where the young lycan moved out of the way.


    "They are secure," Seth reported from his side. "How could this happen?"


    Zagan didn''t know, but he was going to find out. He was eager to get back to the map in his office to see what had been recorded.


    "Gather everyone and search the ind just as you would during a harvest," he told his second. "Alert me the second you find anything."


    Before Seth could ask any more questions, the vampire was gone.


    Zagan alighted in front of the new male pup''s cage and ripped the door off. His patience was gone. He was going to have to tear down this whole ind to find his missing alyko and then reimagine a way to keep them.


    Sage''s head popped up in surprise from where he had been nestled against the hay. He was tired and weak and dirty, but he was hanging on to the hope that he would see the Luna again. Hopefully she was okay. Sage knew exactly where he was, and if the vampire had gotten him, he had likely gotten the Luna as well.


    "You are still here I see," Zagan said and strode forward, grabbing Sage by the cor and lifting him up out of the hay.

 Chapter 318 - There Is Hope

    The timeline will seem off in this chapter, but hang tight, because the exnation for this ising soon. Time is going to get a little wonky on us.


    *********


    "I can feel her," Graeme said upon touching the mate mark on his neck.


    It felt like his mate was scattered throughout his whole being like star dust¡ªeach particle singing to the rest and filling him with a rhythmic vibration. It was like he was an instrument that only she knew how to y, and she was doing it without even being here.


    He ran his fingers over the spot again, marveling at how he had been marked by a female. The skin even felt different¡ªsmooth and scarred as a permanent reminder of who he belonged to. His stomach trilled at the thought, calling for her.


    And then the profound desire to have her back filled him from his toes, and it didn''t matter that he couldn''t remember anything else about her at the moment¡ªhe knew from the core of his being that she belonged here with him¡ªwith all of them.


    "You said ''Moon.'' I heard you when I walked in," Greta said. "She has not truly disappeared from your memory nor has she disappeared from the unity all of us feel. This is some temporary bullshit that this vampire Zagan has used to try to separate you two. But he can''t. We will get her back."


    Graeme''s heart ached with the absence it suddenly felt so deeply.


    "Moon?" he repeated, puzzling over it. The word certainly felt dear to him, but the moon was.


    "It''s her middle name. You call her that sometimes," Greta said softly.


    How unfair was this that Graeme who had been through so much and grown so profoundly in just thest few months would have this block in his memory? If Greta could take on the vampire herself, she would. She would go after him straight away. How dare he mess with her family? And this wasn''t even the first time!


    Sam could feel her sudden rush of anger, and he ced a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Greta was usually the one to calm everyone else, as it was her gift, buttely she had been the one needing it.


    "August Moon," Graeme whispered to himself, feeling how the sound of it resonated deep within. Yes, she was there within him. The memory of her was right below the surface, so close to wing its way out.


    "What do you think we should do?" he asked with a deep exhtion, looking from Greta to Sylvia to Sam. "Sam, you are my Beta?" Graeme asked, smiling at the realization.


    It was one of the things he regretted¡­ that Sam had been kept from that role that he had looked forward to his whole childhood. Sam looked up to his father just as Graeme did, and they both spent many hours together as children talking about what it would be like when they were the two head males leading the pack.


    "You got that right, brother," Sam answered. "I am sorry we were not able to stop this maniac."


    A muscle feathered in Graeme''s jaw with his own guilt. There was no excuse for not protecting his pregnant mate and the Luna of their pack¡ªwhether it was from a vampire or something else.


    "Jack went to track down Sh who is a female that may have answers for us. She brought back a pup tonight who had been taken. We can find out more from her hopefully. But we also need to think about how to address the pack in the meantime. It is doubtful we will be able to retrieve August overnight," Greta said regretfully.


    "They will need to know the truth," Sylvia told them. "We cannot keep something like this a secret. We have our Alpha to lead, and that will keep them hopeful and following you. And they will fight."


    "We don''t know how to fight a vampire," Graeme growled to himself. "If I failed, it will take more than force. It will take knowledge that we don''t presently have. Hopefully this Sh will have it."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sh had followed her brother''s scent, but it vanished in the middle of a path between the pack house and the haunted forest. She knew exactly what that meant, but she wasn''t going to stop searching packnd until she was satisfied that they were, in fact, gone. If she could somehow catch up with Zagan''s lycans at least, she may be able to stop them and free Sage. If Zagan were actually here though like Greta thought¡­ well, then that was another story. But she would rather die trying than just give up and let the vampire have him. Sage was too important. She couldn''t lose him.


    She followed Graeme''s fading scent through the woods, hoping that he hade across something. When she came upon the shredded tree where his scent ended, she realized what had happened. Their Luna could use portals, and apparently her mate could as well. She ran her fingers over the w marks that Graeme had left.


    "Then there is hope," she whispered to herself. "Hang on, Sage."


    Sh had a lot of knowledge about alyko abilities, and the ability to use portals was notmon¡ªnot even close. There was only one other alyko that she knew of who had that ability, and unfortunately Zagan was in possession of her. In fact, she was the key to much of Zagan''s sess over the years. She created cuffs to keep alyko abilities withheld, she created barriers within the containment facility that kept alyko from leaving or affecting others with their powers, and¡ªprobably her most profound addition to Zagan''s arsenal of supernatural ablities¡ªshe kept his hideout hidden.


    The ind that Zagan inhabited, which was the same one where he kept his collection of alyko, could only be essed through a portal. It made finding him as impossible as looking for an invisible door in an entire forest of trees.


    The reason why Sh knew this was because she had grown up there.. The powerful alyko who could use portals and who was the key to so much of Zagan''s sess was her and Sage''s mother.

 Chapter 319 - Need For Revenge

    "He found Sh," Sam reported after ending a phone call with his cousin Jack.


    "Did she find her brother? Did she find Sage?" Greta asked, standing up from her spot on the couch next to Graeme who was wing his hands through his hair in frustration.


    It was now past midnight on Samhain, and they were all still at the treehouse discussing how to move forward. Greta had finally gotten Graeme to stop pacing, but now he was raking his hands through his hair and his beard, growling to himself.


    Why couldn''t he remember more about his mate? Why couldn''t he remember August Moon? She was there, threaded through every part of him. He could feel her like he could feel his wolf wing to get out, but she just wouldn''t fully surface in his mind. If he knew what had happened with the vampire tonight, maybe he would be of more help in trying to figure out how to get her back. Waiting around for someone to give them more information was driving him crazy.


    "Jack didn''t say anything about Sage. I don''t think she found him," Sam said with a frown. "But they are on their way here now."


    "I can''t just sit here," Graeme growled and stood to begin pacing the room again.


    Sylvia brought some tea in and set it on the coffee table. She wanted to do more to ease their Alpha''s mind, but she wasn''t sure what that would be at the moment. They were all on edge. At least Graeme had finally epted that all of this was true. At the outpost, she was worried that he would leave packnd without hearing any more of what they had to say, and then she had no idea what they would have done.


    "Well home or the pack house are two other options," Greta told her brother. "But Sh and Jack are on their way here now, so how about we stay put for the time being? I''m going to change really quick, though. I can''t think in this dress."


    She walked to the closet that held August''s clothes. There were still a few left behind that had not gotten moved, and she pulled on some sweats and sweatshirt. When she turned around, Graeme was gazing at the closet with a pained expression on his face.


    "Oh," she mumbled and looked down at the clothes guiltily. They still held August''s scent.


    He ran a hand down his face miserably and turned away. This was torture. When he looked down at his hands, his eyes lingered on the ck ring with the engraved moon. He rubbed it between his fingers, feeling the smooth cool metal orbit his flesh where he had ced it when his memory was intact. What did her ring look like? The question hovered at the perimeter of his thoughts.


    "What do you mean by ''home''?" he asked Greta. She had mentioned home or the pack house as alternative options. "Mom and dad''s?"


    "Yeah. The four of us were staying there. It just felt safer, particrly with all that was unknown about the elders. We were still figuring stuff out," she exined.


    He could not imagine staying in their childhood home with all of the memories there. It was still painful to think about. How had he been okay with that? So much had changed in such a short amount of time. Apparently finding your mate really did alter everything.


    "I''m not sure now is the best time to bring this up," Greta started, ncing at everyone, "but has it urred to anyone else that it''s possible August is with Maggie right now? If the other alyko of ours are alive, she could be seeing them as we speak. Isn''t that just¡­"


    "How is that supposed to be helpful right now?" Graeme growled the interruption, shooting daggers at her with his eyes. "If Maggie is alive, she is somewhere unreachable enough that no one has ever heard from her again. For a decade, Greta. Ten years! Are you saying that is what has happened with my mate? That she is somewhere so impossible to find, I may never get to see her with my own eyes?"


    Angry tears were welling in his eyes as he gritted his teeth against the infuriating thought, and Greta''s mouth fell open.


    "I-I¡­ no, that''s not what I meant¡­" she said, searching for the words to exin how hopeful she actually considered that possibility. But obviously he took it very differently.


    "You put on clothes that smell like her, this whole treehouse smells like her, I have a ring on my finger, I have this feeling throughout my whole body like she''s calling to me, and I¡­ and I can''t remember her," he ground out. "I can''t go to her to help her. My own mate! I couldn''t save her from whatever hell she is in right now."


    His whole body was braced against the sense of failure that was so familiar to him, he had been running from it all this time. Now it had caught up to him and was threatening to take him under for good.


    "And then there''s the thought that Maggie has been out there¡­ needing us, needing ME to see through the elders'' bullshit and believe that she and the others are alive so I cane after them. And I never have, Greta!"


    Then the tears finally won, and he stalked out onto the deck so that no one else would see them except the moon. The new shower enclosure caught his eye, and he realized at once what had happened. He had built it for his human mate. He chuckled through his tears at how lovesick he must be to do something like that.


    "Fuck," he groaned, pinching his nose as the tears continued toe.


    He hunched over the ss railing, looking down at the wet leaf-littered ground that smelled of Samhain. Why had these circumstances defined his life even until now? His parents'' deaths, the loss of the alyko, his failure to lead¡­ All of it came back to this fucking vampire. A vampire, for Goddess'' sake. And the elders.


    The elders.


    "Andreas," he growled the name and knew exactly what he needed to do at that moment.. He needed revenge.

 Chapter 320 - One To Go

    "Wait¡­ Graeme!" Greta called, watching her brother stalk back through the treehouse with the clear look of determination on his face. "Where are you going?"


    "The dungeon," he growled through his teeth without looking at any of them.


    This was something he needed to do right now¡ªto face the fuckers who put his mate and his family and his entire pack in this situation. ording to Greta, Sylvia, and Sam the elders had signed the pack up for unlimited future donations of their alyko to the vampire. They had also helped orchestrate his parents'' murders. And they were responsible for what happened tonight.


    "But¡­ but Sh¡­" Greta stuttered, reaching after him without any real conviction. If he had made up his mind, there was no stopping him.


    "I''ll go with him," Sam reassured her, grabbing her outstretched hand and kissing it to earn a soft smile from her. He did the same to his mother''s hands before jogging off to catch up with his Alpha.


    "Be careful!" Greta called btedly, watching the empty doorway where her mate and brother had disappeared.


    After staring at the void that was left in the males'' absence, Greta turned to Sylvia and released a heavy exhale.


    "Why is this happening?" she asked.


    "We can''t know, can we?" Sylvia replied, walking over to the sofa and sitting down. "But we have to trust that somehow it wille out better in the end for all of us."


    "But he is so broken right now," she whimpered, shoulders sagging as she joined Sylvia on the sofa.


    Sylvia put an arm around Greta and let the girl who was like a daughter to her rest her head on her shoulder.


    "It''s going to be okay, hon," she said softly, squeezing Greta against her. "We are going to figure this out."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Graeme stormed into the dungeon, using all of his senses on the way to avoid any pack members who were still out wandering around. Sam was following closely the whole way, but Graeme ignored him. He didn''t want to talk. He wasn''t in the mood. They had all talked so much already, and he couldn''t take any more knowledge without action. Someone had to pay. Someone had to pay for all of this.


    As soon as they entered the dungeon, Graeme heard Andreas snarling and banging against his cell door. Obviously the elder wasn''t in the talking mood either. He sounded feral¡ªlike a wolf that needed to be put down.


    "Graeme, maybe we should wait," Sam tried from behind him.


    "Are you fucking kidding me, Sam?" he growled back, continuing his way to the elder''s cell. When he finally arrived in front of Andreas'' door, Graeme''s lips were curled up over his teeth in a snarl, he was so enraged.


    He gave Sam a warning look, and after Sam handed him the key, he stood back, allowing the Alpha to carry out his n. He would just remain there as backup if it became necessary. And as formidable as Graeme was, it sounded like he might need help after all¡ªAndreas was clearly not himself.


    Graeme pulled open the door, allowing Andreas to spill out into the hallway where hended on all fours. But instead of attacking Graeme, he sprang up and tore down the hall in the opposite direction. Graeme took off in chase, leaping after the elder andnding on top of him, smashing his skull against the stone floor and shattering his cheekbone in the process.


    Graeme heard the crunch of the bone and expected Andreas to react with howls of pain, but the elder was still trying to pull himself up, his bloody, broken nails wing against the stone floor as if he could feel none of the pain that he should be in. Graeme snarled, lowering himself threateningly over Andreas'' immobilized head and baring his teeth.


    This was the male who was responsible for all of the loss Graeme had suffered over the years, and it had persisted up to this very moment. The pack was on the verge of losing its leadership once again, but even more than that¡ªthey were on the verge of losing that precious hope that they had finally regained.


    Being this close to him, Graeme could see the healing burns from when Andreas had walked into the fire earlier in the night. Sam and Greta told him he had pulled the elder out of the mes and ordered him locked up. Why? Why had he beenpelled to show this bastard any mercy?


    The faces of his mom and dad shed in his mind¡ªtheir smiling, loving expressions on the day they left and never returned. It was supposed to be a routine trip off of packnd, but it had ended in an ambush. And then Graeme and his sister watched as Maggie and every other alyko was dragged away, held responsible for the tragedy while bing one themselves.


    Graeme had heard the alyko screaming while those mes engulfed the cottage. Those screams haunted him. Those screams were not faked.


    "You want to burn?" Graeme snarled, spit dripping from his mouth into Andreas'' eye and onto his cheek. The elder just blinked and snarled back. "Then go burn."


    He stood from where he hadnded on Andreas'' back and watched as the old male pushed himself up and ran as if he hadn''t even been deterred. Graeme watched him go, a satisfying me of hatred sizzling through his chest and down his limbs, sparking at his fingers that curled involuntarily with the sensation. And then he followed, taking his time stalking after Andreas who had made his way out of the dungeon and into the yard behind the pack house.


    Graeme got to the doorway just as Andreasunched himself onto the mes of the pure fire that was still burning strong. No one remained out back to see it. Only Graeme and his Beta who appeared in the doorway behind him stared on while Andreas charred and blistered and finally caught fire, bing one with the ceremonious mes.


    "One to go," Graeme growled and turned back toward the dungeon.

 Chapter 321 - A Stop On The Way

    "Everything is going to be okay," Sh muttered to herself as she and Jack walked through the forest toward the treehouse.


    She was trying to calm herself down after her failure to find Sage. She had searched everywhere. It was unlikely he was still on packnd, but she still felt a nagging hope that he would be.


    "Can we make a stop on the way?" she asked the male who was leading her.


    She knew where the treehouse was, but he had been walking ahead, allowing her to stay in her own private little bubble of thoughts. Sh had been muttering and wringing her hands, eyes darting all over as she thought of scenarios and sketched ns in her mind for sneaking back into Zagan''s world.


    "Where?" Jack stopped and nced at her suspiciously.


    "There''s just one more ce I would like to look. Just in case¡­" she trailed off, bing lost in her thoughts again. "He might be there," she whispered to herself and then took off at a sprint with Jack giving chase.


    Jack was calling for to her to stop, growling to himself that the one important task he had been given was going sideways. Just when he was considering shifting into his wolf so he could easily overtake her, he realized where she was headed. His speed eased, allowing her to maintain the distance in front of him.


    They came upon Magnolia''s old cottage, lying eerily vacant in the light of the full moon. There was the recognizable flicker of mes through the window, and for a moment the past shed before Jack''s eyes. He was a pup when the alyko had been burned in this cottage. He watched the mes engulf them and heard their screams just like everyone else. It was something that haunted him to this day.


    Sh disappeared over the bridge and into the cottage, and a muscle feathered in his jaw. Was he really going to have to follow her in there? He wasn''t afraid of much, but this ce gave him the creeps.


    "Someone brought a pure fire to this hearth," Sh told him when he finally entered. "There is fresh wood."


    "That''s¡­ interesting," was all he could say. Did someone do it in memorial or was it some kind of sick joke?


    Both of their ears pricked to the sound of shocked murmurs at the back of the cottage. They looked at each other, a question widening in their eyes, before running to the back to follow the sound.


    Sh stopped abruptly when she saw a small group of females huddled together, gazing at the cottage and the forest and the moonlight as if they were lost. Jack looked on, eyebrows pinching together when he couldn''t immediately tell who these females were.


    "Call Greta," Sh said softly without taking her eyes off of the group. "We are going to need a healer."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Graeme stalked back into the dungeon, fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to release some of the fury that had overtaken him. Watching Andreas burn had not been as satisfying as he hoped.


    "Graeme," his Beta called softly behind him. He didn''t pause, didn''t turn, didn''t make any indication that he heard him. "Graeme!" Sam finally roared, insisting on having a conversation before Graeme added another elder to the fire.


    Graeme spun around, fuming.


    "This is not the way," Sam said. "You are angry¡­"


    "Should I not be angry?" Graeme puttered, the sound of his voice so deep, it resonated even in Sam''s chest.


    "Of course you should be, but this will not bring your memory back¡­ This will not bring any of them back. It will not make you feel better. It will only make you more angry and bloodthirsty," Sam replied. "You know how it works. Once a lycan lets this level of fury take over his emotions¡­ he can get lost to it."


    Sam was right. Lycans were naturally more inclined to the blood thirst that allowed them to kill without remorse, but the strong unity and familial bonds of a pack kept that from happening unless needed in extreme circumstances.


    But following the sizzling hatred that was leading him was the most appealing thing right now. It allowed him to do something rather than remain helplessly on the sidelines, waiting for something that may nevere.


    "They deserve this fate," Graeme growled.


    "They do. They deserve worse," Sam agreed. "But this pack has been through so much, and the loss of their previous elders in such a brutal way without exnation¡­ they may not understand it."


    Sam was asking him to consider this rationally with the pack''s mentality above his own?


    "You are Alpha now," Sam reminded him. "You need to consider how every action of yours will be affecting every other person in this pack. They look up to you for guidance and security."


    "This concerns their security," Graeme growled again.


    "This is not about security right now. This is about revenge," his Beta replied, telling him what he already knew. "And the pack members still have yet to know about the elders'' crimes against them. We didn''t get that far tonight."


    "They will not trust me, their Alpha, to make a decision like this for them?" Graeme tilted his head challengingly.


    "You are making it for yourself!" Sam snapped, ring at his childhood friend who was failing to admit what was driving him.


    Hatred like this could only lead to more of the same. It would not purify the pack. It would not release the crimes of the past. It would not bring back the people they had lost.


    "I don''t know how to feel anything else right now," Graeme admitted, gritting his teeth and curling his fingers over the hatred that was still sending sparks down his arms. "The loss¡­ all I have ever known is loss. And now I''m choking on it."


    "Let''s go back to the treehouse and hear what Sh has to say. Goddess, she brought a pup back! She must know how to go after our Luna and the others. Focus on that hope. I know you can sense it¡­ the hope that blooms in the darkness even now. We never stopped hoping for you to return," Sam added, taking a small step toward his friend. "And you did."


    Sam''s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he answered it, watching Graeme be restless again without Sam''s hopeful thoughts to anchor him.


    "They are where?" his eyebrows pinched together.. "We will be right there."

 Chapter 322 - The Returned

    When Greta and Sylvia arrived, Sh was speaking quietly to what appeared to be five females¡ªthree pups and two adults¡ªwhile Jack stood to the side, looking on. A shiver of familiarity ran through Greta as she scented the females first.


    Sylvia froze in her tracks. "Cam?" she whispered. "Elsie?"


    The two adult females turned when they heard their names.


    "Sylvia?" One of them answered with a gasp.


    Sylvia sputtered augh, and then Greta watched as the elder ran forward, sobs overtaking her as she embraced the females that she recognized.


    "Goddess, how¡­ how are you here? And you look exactly the same!" Sylviaughed between sobs.


    "Is Charlotte here? Is she okay?" One of the females asked. She had long dark hair that was graying at the roots and the same beautiful mahogany skin as Charlotte.


    "Yes," Sylvia answered. "She is okay. I can''t believe it. Look at all of you!" She squatted down to get a closer look at the pups who were trembling in the center of everyone.


    "Let''s get you somewhere warm," Sylvia said, standing and ncing back at Greta who still remained motionless, staring on in disbelief.


    These females were their alyko. She recognized the pups who were around her and Graeme''s age when they were taken. She hadn''t known them well, as they were from other areas of the packnd, but she recognized them alright. And they were¡­ the same age. How was that possible? It was as if no time had gone by.


    "Oh, uh¡­ yes. The pack house?" Greta asked, having trouble thinking straight at the shock of this unexpected arrival.


    Had August somehow done this? Greta couldn''t imagine how¡­


    Just then she sensed her mate close by, and shortly after he and Graeme ran out of the trees. She caught Sam''s eyes as he appeared. He was scanning her from afar to make sure she was all right, but she couldn''t bring herself to give him the reassuring smile that she usually did. She was too shocked. This didn''t feel real.


    His eyebrows pinched together at her dazed expression, and then he caught sight of the alyko further ahead of them. His jog toward them all slowed to a walk, and then he froze in his tracks. She could see the moment it urred to him who they were.


    Graeme passed him, striding forward to take in the faces and scents of those whom he recognized. She finally walked forward to join them, oveing the initial shock that had immobilized her.


    "It is as if no time has gone by," Graeme marveled with his mouth agape, embracing the females who were just as surprised as everyone else to be back on their home turf.


    "Graeme? You have grown!" One of the females eximed¡ªthe one who looked like Charlotte. "Are you Alpha now?"


    Greta and Sylvia giggled, and Graeme nced at them with a sh of uncertainty before answering. "I am," he said with a crooked smile.


    "How did you arrive here?" Greta asked, reaching to reassure one of the trembling pups as she nced Sh''s way. Sh was standing to the side, quietly watching the reunion.


    "We don''t know. We were wondering the same thing. One minute we were in our rooms, and the next, we were here," one of the adult females answered.


    "Do you remember Cam and Elsie?" Sylvia asked, looking back at the others. "Cam is Charlotte''s sister."


    "Of course," Graeme answered without missing a beat. He recalled all of their faces. They were etched into his mind, reying in a nightmarish loop from the day when they were dragged away. "We thought you were all killed. We should have looked for you¡­" his voice faltered, and he cleared it.


    "How could you have known?" Cam offered him a soft smile, recalling that same day when their deaths had been staged and they had been taken by the vampire''s group of lycans.


    "Well let''s get you somewhere out of the cold," Greta offered, pulling two of the pups into her sides where they naturally seemed to gravitate. It was not unusual for others, particrly pups, to react to her presence that way. Her healing aura had a calming effect for those who were in distress.


    "We were thinking the pack house," Sylvia told Graeme who nodded his approval, and Sylvia began walking that way with Cam and Elsie, her arms threaded through theirs as Greta followed closely behind with the pups and Sam at her side.


    Graeme hung back and watched them, the magic of this moment seemingly glittering along with the light from Samhain''s full moon. It was hard to believe¡ªindeed, it was a scene he never would have imagined possible. The alyko who everyone had watched led to their deaths¡ªthe alyko whose screams he had heard as they were seemingly engulfed in mes¡ªthey were alive. They were here.


    Was it possible his mate had something to do with this? Was she truly that powerful?


    And one other question nagged at him, but he was reluctant to ask it aloud for fear of the answer. Why was Maggie not amongst those who had returned?


    "I can''t believe it," Sh eximed beside him, tugging him out of his thoughts. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. August must have done something, but I can''t even imagine what that would be. It was hard enough getting one of them out, but this is just¡­ extraordinary. And to have them returned here directly? Transported to the very ce where they were taken? It should not be possible."


    "You must be Sh," he replied simply, beginning to walk in the direction the others were headed.


    While he was not entirelyfortable with the idea of being Alpha, he was going to use that authority to make sure these females were put in the mostfortable, secure rooms avable at the pack house. They would be cared for and guarded 24/7 now that they were back. At least there was no fear now of Andreas getting loose and scheming to have them returned.


    "I am Sh, yes," the female next to him confirmed.


    "Then we have a lot to discuss," he said.

 Chapter 323 - Sages New Room

    Zagan returned to the containment facility with Sage dangling from the scruff like a stray kitten that had been caught by a predator.


    "Put this one in an inner room," the vampire growled, tossing Sage toward one of the lycans who had been left behind to guard the ce while the others searched the ind.


    Sage was taken through the lobby and into the central part of the facility essible by elevator. The elevator had doors on either side¡ªone side opened to therger, public areas of the four wings where there were fewer restrictions on alyko residents and fewer containment barriers and procedures in ce while the other side of the elevator opened to a restricted area that few ever saw.


    The restricted area was still beautiful to behold. Sage found himself in a room shaped like a rectangle that had been molded around a circle on one side. It was long with four ss walls, but the walls were curved. The longest wall where his bed was positioned faced nothing but the stone facade of a building. But the shortest wall¡ªthe inner wall¡ªopened to a cylindrical atrium that Sage was immediately drawn to.


    He pressed his face against the ss and looked up. Water and beautiful green vines cascaded down the wall of his room and other rooms that he could see surrounding the atrium like his did. His room was only one of many, but most of them appeared empty. Either that or their inhabitants were not close enough to their atrium sided walls to see.


    An old tree rose from the ground two floors below and twisted through the very center of the atrium, drawing his eyes along the beautiful ridges and furrows of its bark and up toward where its limbs that reached for the sky. A ck crow swooped down and perched on one of the vines dangling over Sage''s wall, turning to look at the pup with its one blue eye and tilting its head before pecking at the ss. Sage put his hand t against where the crow was rapping with its beak, and the bird stopped.


    Sage sighed and retreated back to the bed, sitting down and staring at the crow who stayed watching him. It was as if they were both thinking, considering a way for Sage to get out of here.


    "Hi there," a voice called, and Sage startled, hopping back further on the bed before he looked around to see where the voice hade from.


    An older female with long dark hair and a kind smile was standing in a room next to his that shared his wall. He had been so taken by the atrium that he hadn''t noticed his room shared its side walls with two other simr rooms.


    Sage smiled uneasily without returning the greeting.


    "Are you new to the ind? You must be so scared," the female said, her brows tilting up. She had on a simple natural linen dress with long flowing sleeves. "It isn''t as bad as it seems. It isn''t great of course, but we are safe in here," she tried to reassure him. "Did you get tossed with the pigs?"


    Sage nodded and looked down at himself. He must look like he had been with the pigs. There was hay still clinging to his clothes.


    The female chuckled seeing him examine himself. "We all started there. I still can''t understand why."


    "It''s because they look at us like animals," another female answered on the opposing side of Sage''s room.


    This female was older as well, but she appeared far less weing. Her green eyes were narrowed and her pale hair was unkempt, sticking up in all directions. She looked like she had just gotten out of bed.


    "Which is rich considering the lycans are literally wolves," she grumbled.


    The first female kept a soft smile on her face. "Or perhaps they wish to remind us that we are indeed animals just like them."


    "What''s the difference?" the second female snapped.


    "What is your name child?" the first female asked, ignoring the second.


    Sage looked down at the bed. He had pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.


    "Speak up!" the second female snapped again.


    "It''s okay. We are friends. Even she is nicer than she seems," the first female smiled and gestured with her head toward herpanion across the way.


    "What? I don''t seem nice?" The cranky response came, causing Sage to giggle a little.


    "I am Sage," he finally answered.


    "Hi, Sage. Wee to the lotus. I am Maggie."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once Zagan dropped the male pup off for containment, he returned to the castle''s map room. He was eager to see the two alyko¡ªone of whom had to be responsible for whatever the hell just happened¡ªbut he wanted to first check if his other alyko were lighting up anywhere on the ind. If they were not here¡­ he didn''t even want to consider that possibility. But it was a possibility. And if it were the case, he would need to dispatch his lycans to find them immediately¡­ wherever they had gone. Perhaps they were just outside the portal.


    Zagan''s personal map was located in an office adjoining the bedroom that he kept despite the fact that he slept very little, and when he did sleep it couldn''t really be called that. He would be bored or exhausted or thirsty and uninterested in drinking from anyone. The monotony of such a long life wore on him, and most days lost all of their interesting color¡ªturning instead to a dull grey that matched his eyes and hair once they lost their blood-given luster.


    But no matter how long heid in that bed, no matter how weak or depressed he became, his life never came to an end. Eventually he would find the spark deep within to get back up and find something else to do. And the alyko had provided that entertainment well, particrly now.. Now this was more entertainment than he bargained for.

 Chapter 324 - He Summons You

    Zagan kept reying the loop of what had urred on the map. He couldn''t understand what his eyes were seeing. He had never witnessed anything like this before.


    "You called for me?" Seth appeared behind him, and they both watched the map illuminate with streaks of light that resembled something more like lightening than a typical alyko event. There was no singr light source. It began with a sh that spread over the entirety of the ind.


    Zagan paused the recording and traced his fingers over the light paths that spread and interconnected. Where had he and Zosime been when this urred? His finger hovered over one point that should have been about where they were both walking in the bent forest. Light illuminated that area. It was like it swept past them in that shock wave and spirited Zosime away.


    "Where did they go?" he muttered to himself.


    His long, elegant fingers spread out along the map, seeing how the light was heavily concentrated around the containment facility.


    "We have not found any trace of those who went missing," Seth reported. "Don''t they usually show up as little pin points of light? What is this?" He ventured the question.


    He didn''t usually try to speak casually with Zagan, but what he was witnessing on the map was bizarre. He could tell Zagan was puzzled by it as well. The vampire made a noise in his throat somewhere between a growl and a death rattle that would have made Seth instinctively shiver if he wasn''t already so used to it.


    Zagan changed views on the map, this time bringing into focus the expanse of North America and reying that feed during the time of the event on the ind. Points of light appeared briefly across the map, some concentrated in familiar areas, before they immediately went out.


    "They went back," he hissed.


    Just then, a phone rang on his desk and his eyes narrowed in its direction. Seth watched as he walked swiftly over to answer it, his expression remaining unreadable as he listened to what was being said on the other line.


    "Keep her there until we arrive," was all he said before cing the phone back on its receiver.


    Zagan stared at the desk. Nothing about his expression or posture changed, but Seth could feel the air get heavier in the office.


    "Zosime," he said, his voice that eerie death rattle. "It seems she is back in her original pack."


    "What?" Seth scoffed.


    A muscle feathered in Zagan''s jaw, and he curled his knuckles on the desk. Should he go after Zosime or stay here with the Luna and Winter alyko? What other unexpected events could ur if he left?


    "They recognized her after all this time?" the lycan in his office asked.


    "They recognized her simply because she is an outsider alyko who reappeared in the dungeon from where she was originally taken," he replied. "Which means the others may have also returned to where they were taken."


    "How is that even possible?" Seth''s mouth hung open.


    "Power like we have not seen," Zagan''s eyes slid up to Seth''s. "I will need you to go retrieve Zosime. You will only need a few others. It should not be difficult."


    "Consider it done," Seth gave a curt nod and turned to exit the office.


    "Seth," Zagan stopped him, "she is not to be harmed."


    The lycan''s eyebrows threaded together at the apparent emotion in the vampire''s voice. It was out of character, and it surprised him. But he nodded and left to gather his team.


    Once Seth left the office, Zagan continued staring at his desk. If all the alyko who went missing returned to their original packs, it would be a painstaking process to retrieve them. Not all packs wereplicit in their alyko''s departure, which would make retrieving some of them nearly impossible. Many of them were assumed dead or runaways. The pack''s leadership might kill them or wee them back¡ªit was hard to say.


    At least the most powerful alyko in his collection had remained. He was going to need one of them to help him with the Luna. She may not remember anything, but clearly she was still a huge threat.


    Zagan picked the phone back up and dialed his second. "Before you leave, bring me Nedra."


    Nedra.


    Seth sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He wished there was a better life for Nedra rather than the prison of this ind. But there was no escaping Zagan for someone like her. She was the most powerful alyko they had evere across, and for that reason she was also the most precious. Zagan had used her to make the harvesting of alyko more sessful, and she did it because she felt it would at least make their lives better. That and the fact that Zagan held something else over her head as a constant, tacit threat.


    Seth arrived at the door to her cottage, which was perched overlooking the sea. She enjoyed a lot of freedom on the ind, because Zagan knew there was no issue with her. She would not run. She would not fight. She had agreed to work with the vampire, because she realized the inevitability of his pursuit once she was unable to kill him.


    Instead, she did what she could to make the ind as hospitable and pleasant as it could be, allowing Zagan his gloomy bent forest and crumbling castle. And she stayed as far away from him as she possibly could. They may need to exist in the same dimensional portal, but that didn''t mean she should need to see him. And because she was so helpful, Zagan agreed to allow her the space she desired.


    She answered the cottage door with worry already welling in her eyes. The vampire was calling for her again. That was the only time anyone came to see her anymore.


    "Nedra," Seth bowed his head respectfully to the breathtaking female in the doorway who had long, flowing ck hair and emerald eyes.. "He summons you."

 Chapter 325 - Building A New Cage

    "I need a cage built," Zagan said in a deceptively calm tone.


    Nedra was someone he tried not to bother with too many requests or issues that could potentially put her emotions in upheaval. She had done a lot for him, and they were on good termstely. But it was always tenuous ground with Nedra. He didn''t want to revisit any of the old arguments or issues that they had gone through in the past. She hated him. He was aware of it, and he deserved it of course. The problem was that he was not going to let her go, so they had to coexist as peacefully as possible.


    "Another cage? You have so many," she replied, leaning against the chair in front of his desk rather than sitting in it.


    "This new one will be here in the castle," he told her, standing from behind his desk and pushing the chair in. He didn''t like to be the only one sitting. He was in a hurry to get this conversation over with anyway so he could check on the two alyko in the infirmary.


    Nedra studied his impassive expression for any hints as to what was going on. The Veiled around him gave no hints, as usual. He was like a ck hole in the Veiled¡­ the energy around him was like a bright, frantic event horizon that dropped off into nothing inside of his being. Whenever he moved, the absence of energy moved with him¡ªparticles around him scattering as if they were running in fear.


    The only aura she could ever pick up from him would be vague ghosts of the person he had recently drank from, which was appropriate of course. It was only through blood that he partook in life, and even that was an imitation. He was like a parasite.


    When she didn''t answer, Zagan looked up to find her staring at him in distaste. He sighed, dropping his ck eyes back to papers on his desk. Would she cooperate? That was always the question. It got tiring having to remind her of why she needed to.


    "Where do you need it exactly?" she finally asked, the loathing clearly evident in her tone.


    "The room right next to this one," he answered, walking out of the office and into the room he was referring to.


    It was arge bedroom with a four poster bed and adjoining bathroom.


    "Why not just use cuffs, Zagan?" she asked, using his name on purpose. She was the only one who could. Zagan clenched his teeth, biting into his lip in the process, but he didn''t otherwise react.


    "They will not be appropriate in this case," he exined, even though he shouldn''t have to tell her anything. But he needed thispleted quickly, and if it meant answering her prying questions, then so be it. "I do not want her wandering."


    But he would put cuffs on Penelope; that was a good idea. The lycans probably shouldn''t have taken them off in the first ce.


    Nedra turned slowly, looking at the space that she had to work with.


    "How long will it take?" he asked.


    "You want the whole room done?" she asked.


    Zagan looked around, thinking about it. "Will it affect the time it takes or just the effort you need to put into it?"


    She red at him without answering.


    "Yes, the whole room," he decided. If it took longer, it took longer. It would best if the Luna was able to use the restroom without needing to be let out from her barrier.


    "It will not take long," Nedra grumbled. "But I will need somewhere to rest."


    "Pick a room and rest as long as needed. I will need it ready when I return," he replied, turning to leave.


    "I need to rest in my home," she added, causing him to stop. "I will not stay in this dark, cold castle like a corpse. I will do this for you, but I need you to return me to the cottage afterward."


    "Okay, I will have someone take you back. But pick a room to rest in until then. You will awake in your own bed, Nedra," he assured her, and then he left.


    She watched the door where he disappeared and growled once he was gone. Who was he imprisoning in a room right next to his? It must be someone very impressive if he wasn''t just putting them in containment. Hopefully this one would be able to kill him, and then they could all finally be free. The nightmare of her life would be over.


    When Zagan entered the infirmary, he immediately smelled blood. His fangs ached with the overwhelming stench of it, and he froze in ce, shaking his head to get his unexpected urge under control.


    Both of the female alyko turned to see him enter, Penelope standing quickly from the bed to greet him. August remained where she had been seated next to her, her eyes darting around in panic. Penelope told her to follow her lead, but would she be able to fool a vampire? Would she be able to pull this off and act like she still didn''t recall anything that had happened?


    Penelope walked down the hallway to Zagan before he was able to approach August. She needed to prime him with the story of what had happened, but he seemed oddly ufortable. He had his hands on his hips, and when she got close he put up a hand to stop her.


    "You are hurt," he hissed, not looking at her.


    "Uh¡­ yes," she replied, looking down at her cut hands and knees. "There was an ident."


    Zagan nced up, his eyes narrowing on the Luna who was still sitting in bed.


    "What kind of ident?" he asked, his whole body rippling with the tension of Penelope being this close whilst bleeding and his desire to taste her.


    "I startled her, and she was emotional¡­" she started to exin before trailing off. "You know, this is because she doesn''t remember anything and it is confusing, and¡­ what am I supposed to tell her about why she is able to move things with her mind?"


    He red at her, his nose ring to get more of the scent that the rest of him was trying to ignore.


    "I-I am sorry.. Is this making you ufortable?" she asked, backing away when she noticed the bloodlust in his eyes.

 Chapter 326 - Compelled

    "She threw you with her mind?" Zagan asked, ignoring Penelope''s question about hisfort.


    He was ancient. He had been dealing with the temptation of blood for centuries. Penelope''s blood should not be more difficult to resist than any other''s. And yet¡­


    "Yes. It was an ident. She didn''t even realize what happened, but she admitted she was frustrated and suspected that she had somehow thrown me against the windows herself. I told her that it may have something to do with the virus or something she encountered during her time lost in suicide forest. There is enough lore revolving around suicide forest that I don''t think it is a stretch for her to imagine exposure to the forces there affecting her in unusual ways. The upside of this is that we have an excuse to keep her in quarantine for a longer period of time to monitor these strange behaviors of hers and¡­ w-what are you doing?"


    Zagan had approached her and grabbed her hand, turning it over so the palm faced up. Why was the scent of Penelope Winter''s blood affecting him like this? Her hand was so smallpared to his own, the beautiful honey color of her skin contrasted with the red that was still leaking out, wafting its sweet scent his way.


    "Z¡­Zagan," she risked calling him by his name, because he didn''t seem to hear her. He was focused intently on her hand, which he was now clutching in his own.


    He responded with a soft puttering growl in his throat, but there was no anger. He lifted her hand closer to his face, passing it under his nose and feeling the way its aroma affected him everywhere. It was as if his not-living yet not-dead body craved her blood specifically¡­ it was calling to him, singing to him, luring him closer, wanting to feed him.


    "Penelope," he whispered, his cold breath fanning across the skin of her wrist and causing her to shiver.


    For some reason, his voice now took on a kind of tantalizing quality, and she found herself bing lost to the sound of it as it entered her ears, alighting on the nerves that transmitted it to her brain for recognition. It was hypnotic¡­ the sound of her name on his tongue.


    His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and he saw the distant look in her eyes. What had he done? He had not meant to hypnotize her. It was not his intention topel her, and yet she was so mouth-watering. He wanted nothing more than to taste the blood that was calling to him. Maybe just this one time¡­


    Zagan licked his lips, imagining how delectable she probably was. A Winter alyko. He had never tasted one before. And now he had one bleeding before him andpelled to do as he wished.


    He groaned and dropped her hand, squeezing his eyes closed to focus on something else. Death. Focus on death. How much he wanted to die. The endless days of lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing for it all to finally end. The misery of being so alone in this eternity of nothing but thirst.


    Penelope stood, enraptured by his presence, waiting for the next words he may utter.


    "Bandage yourself up in theb so you are no longer bleeding. Then go to my room and wait there. I have something for you," he told her, hating himself for not taking advantage of this situation. "If you have trouble getting the door open, I will be there. Wait for me."


    She smiled as if she had been told the most agreeable of things, and she walked past him out of the infirmary toward theb.


    If it didn''t always end badly, Zagan wouldpel everyone on this ind for how happy it made them. Then they would be able to walk through their days as if each were a dream that only he could give them. If only he could create the same fantasy for himself.


    He exhaled heavily and set his eyes on the Luna who was swinging her legs nervously on the bed like a small child. Throwing someone across the room without touching them was hardly unusual for an alyko. That was a fairlymon ability, but he had not expected it so soon from her when her memory was hindered.


    Zagan had to stall long enough to make sure that Nedra had enough time to finish the Luna''s cage. She was typically very quick in her abilities, but sometimes when she became temperamental she took longer. In fact, her emotions greatly affected her performance. It was actually quite surprising how much control her emotions had over her. That was why he was so careful to not upset her unnecessarily.


    If Zagan did not drink blood, there was no way he would be able to understand how something like that was possible. But unfortunately he had his share of being ovee by emotion. It was like the swell of an ocean waveing to carry you away. Consent was not part of it. Rationality was not part of it. The tides had their way.


    The shiny ck dress shoes Zagan wore were loud against the greenhouse''s stone floor as he approached the powerful alyko before him. He would need to be careful not to startle her. If she did something else without her express desire, it would be too suspicious, and it was unlikely he would be able to cease from revealing his true nature. It always came out when defenses were necessary.


    "August Cady?" he asked as he came closer.


    Her golden eyes snapped to his, her defenses instinctively lowering when she recognized her name. Names were dangerous in that regard. They provided a sense of familiarity, of vulnerability, of weakness. Names were the gateways to death. No one could truly die who was not first named.


    "Yes?" she asked, her legs ceasing their childlike swing.


    His eyes caught sight of the silver medallion around her neck that Penelope had been wearing earlier, and he took note of it. Why had Penelope given her that ne? It could be a simple animalistic type of sentimentality that was characteristic of lycans and alyko and humans alike¡ªaforting gesture between two individuals who were trying to connect and possibly be friends¡ªbut he filed it away as something to ponder in time.


    "My name is Cian Vesper," he imed, giving her an easy smile. "I am the owner of this ind. I am pleased you were found and that you are able to recover here. I hope we can make youfortable during your time here. I know this must be confusing and frustrating, but the pandemic has made things quiteplicated, as I am sure you can understand."


    He was giving her his most charming, persuasive smile. It would be so much easier topel her as he had Penelope, but that would backfire. It always did.. He avoided doing it as much as possible.

 Chapter 327 - Hypnotic Eyes

    "Thank you for having me, Cian," the Luna smiled. "Is.. Pen-el-ope going to be okay?" she asked, stumbling over the name as if she had just learned it.


    "I believe she will be, yes," he smiled, his facade unperturbed. "I think she just needed to clean herself up. Did something happen to her while you were alone together?"


    August''s brow furrowed in apparent thought. "I think I¡­ I don''t know¡­ I may have done something? I don''t understand how it is possible. All I know is that I was upset, and she startled me, and then¡­ she flew against the ss. It doesn''t make any sense. Maybe it has something to do with what happened to me in suicide forest," she mumbled.


    "Do you remember anything about your time when you were lost?" he asked, head tilting curiously.


    "I just remember exploring with my friends. That''s thest thing. Was my camera recovered maybe? I was taking some pictures of the forest. There were all of these things left behind by others who had been there before us¡­ wrappers, water bottles, clothes, ropes hanging as if someone had, had¡­ you know, but maybe there are some clues on my camera about what happened to me. Do you think I tried killing myself? Maybe the photos I took would help me remember what happened¡­ but I don''t see any marks," she turned her wrists over, appearing to examine them for any self-inflicted harm.


    "There is no reason to believe that you were out to harm yourself while you were lost," Zagan replied, his words quick to console her of that possibility. Alyko who doubted or disliked their identities did not end well here. They never reached the pinnacle of their power, and they often just withered away. He certainly did not want that to be a possibility in this case. August Cady was a singrity.


    "Then why¡­" August trailed off¡­ her gaze bing distant.


    "Well the important thing is that you are here now and in good care," Zagan interrupted her thoughts. "We will get you home as soon as possible, okay?"


    August''s eyes snapped to his, her inner being reacting to his assurance of this small but entirely essential fact. She wanted to be home as soon as possible.


    "Promise?" she breathed, her eyes sessfully locking with his.


    Suddenly Zagan felt as if he, himself, waspelled in some way. The golden stardust in her eye was mesmerizing. Had her eyes been gold when he took her from the forest? He couldn''t remember, but now they were bright and prating¡ªseeking something from him that he could not tug free from.


    "Yes," he whispered back to her, meaning it. He did not make promises, but somehow these words to her were plucked from his empty core. He would get her back home. Would he? What was he saying? But he couldn''t deny it, because the answer he gave her took root in the dark emptiness inside of him, and now it would grow until he killed it or plucked it out or¡­ delivered her home safely as promised.


    August''s lips tilted with the hint of a smile, but then she looked down into the folded hands in herp.


    "Thank you, Cian," she replied, unaware of how she had cursed him to do her will.


    A muscle feathered in his jaw. He needed to get this one into that enclosure Nedra was making before she did anything else that he would have trouble reversing. For the time being, he was definitely going to avoid those hypnotic eyes of hers.


    "Allow me to show you to your room, will you?" he asked, hand extended in an offer of chivalry as he bowed to her¡ªa nonverbal acknowledgement of her preeminence that even he realized toote.


    August watched him bowed before her, her eyes ring in surprise, anxiety, anger, fear¡­ but she swallowed it back and took the hand offered.


    "Thank you," she said.


    As they walked past the broken, glittering ss on the floor and down the hall, Zagan held her warm, trembling hand in his.


    "Are you enjoying your studies at Eliade?" he asked, demonstrating what he imagined was his mastery at passing conversation. Small talk was easy. It was all about establishing amon ground and mutual affability between the speakers.


    "No," she said quickly, scrunching up her face in distaste. "It is disappointing."


    Zagan''s eyes darted toward her. She was not one of those predictable, superficial conversationalists who would assent to polite questions and inquiries about her interests, choosing instead to draw the person with whom she was speaking in deeper.


    "Oh? Why is that?" he asked as they began passing into the darker part of the castle.


    August gasped and turned around, looking behind her toward the bright infirmary. "Why is it suddenly so dark?" she asked, an innocent lilt in her voice that reminded Zagan of a child. Perhaps the youthful countenance was amon side effect of the memory enchantment. He would have to ask Penelope once she shook off herpelled state.


    "The trees above the castle are very dense. They do not let light through," he told her.


    "Why would you not clear them?" she asked, turning back to continue walking alongside him.


    "I like it dark," he said simply, a cold edge to his voice slipping through.


    A shiver ran down her back at how he seemed to drop the guise with that answer. Her steps slowed. Should she just blindly follow him? Where was Penelope? It wasn''t like she had much of a choice. Where would she run if she decided not to follow through with this act? But little alerts were going off in her mind, warning her not to go further into this dark castle, not to follow the scheming vampire, not to drop her defenses¡­


    "Are you cold?" Zagan asked as he led her up the grand stairway toward the bedrooms.


    "Oh, a little. I will be fine," she chuckled nervously, rubbing her arms with her hands.. She had thefortable oversized sweatshirt on that she had put on at the outpost, but it didn''t help against the instinctual chill of fear that Zagan created.

 Chapter 328 - Hand Me Your Wrist

    "This is where you will be staying," Zagan stopped in front of a bedroom door and gestured for her to enter.


    August stared at the open door, remaining in the hallway as she did.


    "Is something wrong?" he asked, gaze flitting over her face without getting sucked into the golden suns of her eyes again.


    "I just¡­" she wrapped her arms around herself, "I guess I am hungry."


    "Did you not eat?" he asked. "I can have something brought up for you."


    August thought of the stew that Penelope had brought and then dropped, scrambling to clean it as well as herself before Zagan arrived. They were lucky he had taken so long to get there.


    "Okay," she said softly, and when his polite smile grew wider without him otherwise moving a muscle, it was clear he was waiting for her to enter the room. She clenched her teeth and walked forward, stepping over the threshold to get a better view of the stately space where she would be staying.


    There was an ornate four poster bed with a gold and maroon bedspreadplete with an impressive number of pillows, tall windows with the curtains drawn, a firece, a desk, a standing full length mirror, and several area rugs covering the wood floors. And it was dark. Very, very dark.


    "Does the firece work?" August asked, slowly turning around to face him.


    "Yes, of course," he smiled, following her into the room. "As you can see, you have an attached bathroom as well. I will have someonee up and start the fire for you and show you how to work everything."


    "Will¡­ Penelope being again to check on me?" she asked, wondering if it was suspicious of her to ask. But she didn''t want to be left in here. Something just didn''t feel right about it.


    "Oh, yes. She will need to investigate that strange manifestation that happened in the infirmary, I imagine. Don''t worry, Miss Cady. We will take care of you," he smiled. "And food will be brought to your room promptly."


    With that, Zagan disappeared from the doorway, silently fuming at the promise the Luna had gotten out of him as he stalked down the hall to find where Nedra had decided to take her rest. When he passed his own room, he could smell the scent of Penelope''s blood. Did she not know how to clean and bandage herself properly? Would he have to do it?


    His eyes flickered to their narrow, predatory slits before he shook the urge to taste her. This was all going terribly awry, and that was not something he was used to. He was used to being in control. The alyko could perform as many crazy, awe-inspiring, inter-dimensional abilities as they were capable of as long as it was done within a confined, controlled space. Shattered ss and blood and shock waves and disappearances were not anywhere within the realm of eptable.


    Nedra was passed out in the bedroom on the other side of his. It looked like she barely made it to the bed. Her legs were hanging off the side, and she was sprawled out with her arms extended above her head. Usually she curled up in a little protective ball after performing a difficult enchantment in order to make herself as small as possible. Was she getting weaker that she couldn''t even make it that far?


    He gathered her up in his arms and brought her to his room. She would not be happy to know the he was taking care of seeing her home himself, but all of the lycans he would typically put in charge of her were gone to retrieve Zosime.


    The Winter was standing obediently just inside his office door, waiting for him as instructed.


    "Stay here Penelope. I will return shortly," he told her over his shoulder, and then he took Nedra out his window and swiftly jumped between trees before arriving as close to her cottage as they could get him.


    He walked through her quaint garden and into the home that she kept so secluded from everyone. Everything inside was colorful and quite¡­ strange, if he was honest. The stairs leading to her second floor were painted three different shades of green. She had vintage floral wallpaper covering the walls, an old velvet tufted sofa the color of the ocean, and there were canvases stacked in one corner that she had been working on. Painting was how she passed her time, he was aware.


    Rather than carrying Nedra up to her bedroom, heid her on the sofa. With onest lingering look to make sure she appearedfortable enough, he finally made his way back to the castle. He wouldn''t be getting a status update on Zosime for at least another few hours, which gave him time to make sure the two alyko sharing his home were secure.


    "Penelope, I want you to wear these from now on," he told her, sping the golden cuffs around her wrists and ankles. They glowed with a brilliant light that smoothed the cuff surface to one without sps before the light receded and left ordinary looking bangles in its ce. She would not be able to remove them herself. That is the way Nedra had designed them.


    "Okay," she agreed, looking at the bracelets around her wrists in a daze. His lips curled when the scent of blood once again wafted his way.


    "Now go check on August Cady. Once you enter her room, you will forget you werepelled and act normally. Report everything regarding her behavior to me," he told her.


    She nodded and turned to leave him. Finally, he would be alone. He would need to drink from someone after this. All of this restraint was sapping his energy.


    "Penelope," he growled, squeezing his eyes closed.


    He couldn''t resist. He deserved it, did he not? He had been dealing with a lot. And she would never need to know. He rose from the bed and walked to her, towering over her as she stood there, wide-eyed and unsuspecting¡ªtotally vulnerable in herpelled state.


    "Hand me your wrist," he instructed her, and she did as he said. Her wrist was so small and delicate in his hand. "You will feel no pain when I bite you, Penelope," he said quietly, focused on the visible pulse of blood just under the surface of her skin.. He would allow himself to enjoy this.

 Chapter 329 - Passing Of Time

    "So like I was saying, I think you should let us share a room," Penelope found herself saying, standing in the center of Zagan''s office.


    Suddenly she felt lightheaded, and the room swayed before she caught herself on his desk. The vampire was standing on the opposite side of the room looking at his map, ignoring her it seemed. She didn''t remember how she got here or how this conversation started.


    "You wish to share a room with the Luna?" he asked without looking at her. "Won''t that seem odd to her when she views you as her doctor?"


    "I¡­ um," she started to answer, though her head was fuzzy and wasn''t allowing her to concentrate. Was that what she was saying? She felt like she could pass out, but that was thest thing she wanted to happen in his presence.


    "You can sit down if you must," he told her, still studying the map.


    "No, that''s okay," she said tremulously.


    "Penelope, sit down," hemanded.


    She was too lightheaded. He had drank too much from her. Inwardly, he was cursing himself. The Winter was important, and he didn''t want to ruin this opportunity to use her. When hepelled people though, it wasn''t unusual for him to drink until they simply were no more.


    It was like an addiction¡ªthe way thepelled ones became supple and entranced, no terror or disgust making them flinch away. Their heart rates stayed even and calm, their blood warm and weing of the intrusion that often lured them peacefully to their deaths. But luckily he was able to stop with Penelope before her blood loss reached a critical amount.


    He heard her stubbornness finally give way when she lowered herself into his chair, and when she rested her head on his desk, he felt an unusual pang of regret.


    "Are you all right?" he found himself asking, a softness in his tone he wasn''t ustomed to hearing from himself.


    It must be because he was drunk on her blood¡ªher emotions were buoying him up into the spectrum of feeling that he was usually immune to. Since thisst harvest, he had been keeping his energy up with more blood than usual, and it was making him feel too much.


    "I am just tired," she murmured. And then she fell asleep. On his desk.


    He groaned and considered moving her, but he didn''t trust himself. He may end up finishing what was left of her. Instead, he went to find the lycans who helped him with castle matters to instruct them to bring both of the females food. Penelope''s blood pressure was not so low that it should have caused her to lose consciousness, which likely meant her blood sugar was low. She would need a snack once she awoke.


    Each of the lycans Brandt and Emmett could be considered house or groundskeepers for Zagan, but he very rarely called on them. They woulde in and clean asionally and take care of little tasks that Zagan found to be too menial to bother with himself.


    While the vampire asionally enjoyed a fine meal, it was notmon. But like most of the stray lycans Zagan had gotten to know on his ind, both of the males were excellent cooks. There was something about lycans and their enjoyment of good food¡ªit puzzled him, but then their kind was very connected to the pleasure of their physicality. They enjoyed all that could be experienced with their senses. It it what made them living, he supposed.


    And maybe that is part of why they held judgment against the alyko. As gically more simr to their fae ancestor La Loba, the alyko were able to manipte that which could not be normally witnessed with the senses¡ªthings like the Veiled that couldn''t be scented, touched, tasted, or seen in the regr ways.


    That someone like the alyko, or more powerfully so the fae, would be able to manipte energy and interact with multiple dimensional fields was obvious to Zagan, because he was not so entrenched in the physical experience of life like lycans were. He knew of the multiple dimensions. The portal in which this ind and castle and containment existed was an example of one¡ªa kind of bubble in space and time that had been created to exist apart from others.


    But even the lycans who routinely lived here with him, passing in and out of the portal as needed, had a hard time wrapping their heads around it. For example, the sun never went down on the ind. Time itself tended to behave much differently¡ªasionally speeding up or slowing down but usually remaining rather stagnant. It may seem as if days had gone by here when in fact they hadn''t. The lycan and alyko body would need to eat and rest, the vampire would need to drink, so there was a consistent depletion of energy that would seem to indicate time passing, but it was not so¡ªat least not in the familiar way.


    He found it curious how Penelope had been experiencing these fluctuations while he had her in the castle. She referred to night and day and insisted on having a fire in her room at ''night''¡ªeven apparently experiencing a temperature difference during this duration she identified as night¡ªbut since she had remained in the castle, she was not yet aware that there were no perceivable nights here. It was as if her body continued on with its expectations of time. It was fascinating, and he realized since he was not around alyko in containment, he had not appreciated how this strange phenomenon of the portal affected them.


    "Brandt, I need you to see that the alyko upstairs are fed well," he said upon entering the kitchen and finding the young lycan rifling through the pantry.


    "Yes, sir," the male called and then reappeared in the doorway to the pantry. "Anything special that I should make?"


    "The doctor will need juice and something high in sugar. She is in my office. But make whatever you wish for their meal. I am sure your ideas for it will be better than mine," he told him.


    "Would you like the greenhouse reconverted?" Brandt asked before Zagan could disappear on him.


    Zagan thought about it. Now that the Luna was in Nedra''s cage, it was unlikely he would have her returning to the infirmary.


    "Yes, have Emmett move the nts back in," he replied.. When Brandt appeared ready to ask him something else trivial, he quickly added, "That is all for now," and swiftly disappeared from there.

 Chapter 330 - Mountain Cell

    "No, no, no," Zoe whispered to herself, hands curling around the bars she found herself behind.


    This couldn''t be happening. This had to be some kind of nightmare. There was no way she could be back in her old pack. Had she died while she was walking with Zagan? Was this some kind of cruel afterlife where she was bound to repeat her worst, most vulnerable moments? Was this perhaps repayment for beingplicit in the tracing and capture of other alyko all these years?


    When Andreas had bitten her and Zoe finally got her memory back, this was one ce she would have preferred remain forgotten. Zagan was not her favorite person by a long shot, but being with him¡ªeven in the dark¡ªwas better than being here. No one expected a vampire to treat them well, but when it was your own family guilty of imprisonment and neglect, that was the most painful kind of hurt. It was the kind of hurt that made you feel lost and wrong and unloved in the innermost part of yourself. If your family couldn''t love you, then¡­ how could you even love yourself?


    Zoe slid down with her back against the bars and just let the tearse. The craggy inner wall of her room that was built into the mountainside glistened with water flowing down its face, mimicking her tears. After all of these years, she recognized that constant drip, drip, dripping of water that had not changed. It echoed somewhere deep within her¡ªa familiar pool of hopelessness, the depths of which were always waiting to swallow her whole. And here she was, back at the mouth of it.


    "Goddess Selene in heaven, who are you?" a startled elderly male voice cried behind her.


    Zoe scrambled up and turned to face him, grasping the bars in her hands. "I am not supposed to be here. Please let me out!"


    "Are you alyko? We aint had no alyko locked up here in years," he gaped, stumbling back away from her.


    "I¡­ I belong to the ancient one. The vampire. H-he will be looking for me," she said, stumbling over the words.


    Was she really iming to belong to Zagan? But if it could get her out of this dark, crying room and away from her pack, then she would say just about anything. She would even go with Zagan if she had to.


    "Dagum, you look like you were ate by a wolf and shit over a cliff," the male remarked, eyes wide as he stared at the stitches on her face.


    Zoe pounded the bars in frustration at the old man. "Let me out!"


    "I don''t have the keys," he said, backing away from her. "But I will let the Alpha know, darlin," and then he scampered away down the dark cave.


    Zoe groaned, wiping the tears from her eyes. She wasn''t going to be stuck in here. She was going to find a way out if it killed her.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "She looks like Annabel, Alpha. I remember her," the elderly male reported, standing in his leader''s office. "Same cage and everything."


    "In one of the mountain cells?" Alpha Kane asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion. They had not had anyone down there in over a decade. The male nodded. "But Annabel was removed so long ago. She would not look the same."


    "I''m just telling you what I saw," he replied. "And she''s mad. Got her tail in a real kink."


    Kane debated going down there or calling the vampire first. He decided to just call. Even if it were not one of the vampire''s alyko, he would be the one Kane called to remove the creature anyway.


    "Well, it looks like someone from the ancient''s crew will be paying us a visit," Kane said after finishing the call with Zagan. "It has been a long time since they were herest. Let''s make sure she is secure," he told the old male who had waited in his office.


    "Why were you down here at this time of night?" Kane asked the male as he led them toward the cave with a torch.


    "My cabin started flooding again. Hasn''t happened in ages. Figured it wasing from the mountain. Followed it to that cave, and there she was¡ªcryin in the dark."


    They were approaching the mouth of the cave, and Kane stopped walking, recalling again how risky it could be dealing with alyko. What if she were a powerful one? Wouldn''t she have to be powerful to have returned here without the guards catching her crossing the border? Maybe she was back for revenge.


    The old male shuffled to pass him, not needing the me to show him the way. "Is something the matter?" he asked the Alpha who looked¡­ afraid.


    "Perhaps we should wait," Kane said, waves of heat rippling off of the torch in his hand.


    "Wait? Why?" the elder scoffed and squinted at the Alpha. "You fraid of the dark?"


    "No, I am not afraid of the dark," Kane growled at the ridiculous question. He wasn''t afraid of the dark, he was just wary of alyko who appeared out of nowhere and made the mountain weep.


    "She aint goin nowhere, Alpha. She was tryna get out when I was here," the male reassured him.


    Kane grumbled something indecipherable and continued into the cave. The steady sound of water did not escape his awareness. There had not been water running down this mountain in ages, and now the sound of it was eerie, as if it were luring them closer.


    "Hello?" Kane called out in his most authoritative voice meant for intimidation, yet somehow the sound of water and the darkness that swallowed it won.


    They approached the mountain cell she had been in, the elder making sure to point out the exact one. But she was not there. Kane got closer to the bars, shifting the torch to cast more light into the darker crannies that greedily kept their shadows. And syed out, unmoving in one of them was the figure of a young female. She appeared to be unconscious.


    "Hello?" Kane tried again, but she didn''t move.


    He growled and reached for his keys, eventually finding the right one and unlocking the door to make sure the vampire wasn''t on his way here to retrieve a dead body.

 Chapter 331 - Zoe Jumps

    As soon as she heard the keys jingling, Zoe knew this was her chance. But they were lycans, so she had to be careful and wait for just the right moment¡­


    One of them came into the cell and approached her. She could feel him getting closer without needing to rely on her eyes to confirm it.


    "Wyatt,e see if she is breathing," the male with the deep Alpha voice said. He sounded nervous, and it took a considerable amount of self-restraint to keep from smiling at that realization.


    "Well is her chest movin or not?" the elderly male asked, shuffling inside of the cell.


    Zoe focused on what she knew she was capable of, having thrown Zagan around at the Hallowell pack house and even keeping him down and away from Lucas¡­ if she could do that to a vampire, then she could do it with these two. She just couldn''t use up all of her energy, because she still needed it to run and figure out how to get out of here. Hopefully she could remember thend well enough to navigate herself out of it, but having been locked up most of the time that she was here, it was going to take a miracle.


    "Her eyes are movin," Wyatt said, bending over her.


    "What do you mean her eyes are moving? They''re closed," Kane growled. Putting up with this old male was taking all of his patience tonight.


    "I mean they''re movin," Wyatt answered, turning to face his Alpha whose face was obscured by the fire he was carrying. "Don''t your eyes work? Why do you have that torch anyway?"


    When Wyatt looked back down at the young female, her eyes were now open staring at him. He jumped back in surprise, and Zoe''s face contorted with the effort it took to throw both of these grown males against the craggy walls. They flew in opposite directions, her arms wide as she used her hands to focus the energy she sent to throw them off of their feet. And then, taking advantage of their surprise and confusion, she jumped up and ran out of the open cell door.


    She was barefoot, and the jagged rock of the mountain was cutting into her feet, but she barely felt it. All of her senses were focused on finding her way out of the cave and down the mountain. Her dress caught on one particrly sharp rock, and she groaned with the effort to free it, tearing it in the process.


    Snarls came from behind her as she heard the males shifting into their wolves, and then the breath in her lungs grew shallower and her feet went faster knowing that they were in pursuit. She wasn''t going back to that cell. This wasn''t her pack anymore. This wasn''t her home. This had never been her home.


    The sound of rushing water caught her attention, and she veered off the forest path she was on to try to find it, sliding down a steep, rocky embankment with the sound of growls and snarls getting closer behind her. A small whimper escaped her lips when she heard how close they were. Her desperation to escape was so great. She was free, and she wasn''t going back.


    ''They are not going to catch me. They are not going to catch me. They are not going to catch me,'' she repeated in her mind. She was not going to be taken prisoner by this pack again.


    She sprinted forward to finally reach the rushing water that now sounded so close, but then there was no more earth to take her there¡ªthe ground fell away at the edge of a small cliff, and she was reeling backward using her arms for bnce to keep from falling forward. The dark mountain river was there below her glittering in the moonlight, but it was a huge drop. It was such a huge drop.


    The two male wolves appeared above her, eyes fierce and hungry. And that''s when she jumped¡ªwithout even a second thought. It would be better to die from this fall toward her freedom than to be caught.


    The fall was so free and empowering. She was in control of where she was headed for quite possibly the first time ever. And then the ice cold water hit, taking her under and rolling her like a rag doll in its current.


    Alpha Kane saw Zoe jump and the current take her. She would be lucky to survive those rapids, but he knew exactly where they were headed and he sprinted back to the path cutting through the forest to intercept her before she got to the waterfall further down.


    It was Samhain. It was a full moon. What did an alyko reappearing in one of their old mountain cells foretell about the dark winter ahead for Kane''s pack? This was not a good omen, especially if the girl died when the vampire''s team was already on the way here to retrieve her. That would not go over well. It might be worse if they simply lost her, though, so Kane pounded the earth on all fours to make it downstream as quickly as he could to try to cut her off.


    Zoe couldn''t tell up from down as the rapids took her, and her whole body went almost instantly numb from the freezing temperature. But somehow she was able to right herself and find the life-sustaining night air above the surface of the water. She gasped for breath, trying to paddle with her numb arms, but it was nearly impossible to move them.


    When she was taken underwater once again, swallowing water instead of air, she realized this was probably going to be it¡ªshe couldn''t breathe, she couldn''t move her limbs. She wasn''t going to survive this. And there was one regret that shed through her mind¡ªhaving helped plot against the alyko. If she could survive to do just onest thing, it would be to help free them.


    She took in another mouthful of water, and this time she stopped struggling. The river seemed to realize when she gave up, taking her as an offering, pulling her down and whipping her around with its unseen force. And it was so loud. It sounded like it was speaking to her.


    ''Ne-OM-ah. Ne-OM-ah. Ne-OM-ah. NE-OM-AH.''


    Kane was closing in on the river, and he saw the limp body of the alyko being tossed around and pulled under. He growled and lunged forward when she was finally within reach, aiming to retrieve her with his teeth. But somehow, all he came out with was a wet muzzle. His teeth mped down on nothing but the river.. He shook his head free of the water and looked around, eyes narrowing on the dark rapids that rushed past. Had she just¡­ vanished?

 Chapter 332 - New Name

    Shout-out to the very special Raichyl_TinyTAnima for the name idea used in this chapter. <3


    **********


    ''Neoma, Neoma, Neoma,'' the voice of the river rushed in her ears, and then she was spit out onto the earth.


    Zoe coughed and coughed, forcefully puking up all of the water she had taken in from the river. When it was all finally out, she copsed onto the ground, sucking in deep breaths of the glorious night air. She could breathe. She was out of the river. It was a miracle. But how had it happened? And¡­ and where was she?


    She turned over onto her back to see the sky, and she realized she was in a clearing¡­ with a roaring bonfire at her side. She gasped and sat up, looking around in a panic. Whose bonfire was this? Where was she now? What danger would she have to face here?


    "And who, my dear, are you?" a lilting male voice startled her, and she whipped her head around to the sound. There was a small male lycan with shoulder length golden hair staring at her with an amused smirk.


    She was behind the Hallowell pack house. She was back! Somehow she had gotten back, but¡­ how was that even possible?


    "Graeme," she gasped, trying to get back up on her feet, but there was no strength left in her body after that fight with the river.


    "Your name is Graeme? What a coincidence. That is our Alpha''s name," Calix chuckled, pleasing himself with his own humor.


    "I need to¡ªI need to speak with him," she panted, giving up and leaning back on her elbows.


    "Of course," Calix assented. "Must I carry you? Or can you walk on your own?" With his hands folded in front of him, he stared down at the drenched female who looked like she had been washed up from the Gulf of Maine.


    Zoe red at him. Why was he so calm and proper? Couldn''t he see this was an emergency? Didn''t he know that their alyko were missing?


    "What is your name?" she asked, a bite to her tone that he found amusing.


    "I am Calix," he bowed politely.


    "Calix, can you tell me where Graeme is? Or Greta? Or¡­ or Lucas?" She panted.


    Calix sighed and pulled out his phone. It was amusing to find a drenched young female next to the pure fire sote on Samhain, but now she was making him work.


    "Zoe?!" Lucas called from the back doors of the pack house.


    He was in different pants and a t-shirt, leaning against the doorway and clutching his side like it was painful. But once he confirmed it was her who was sprawled out on the ground beneath Calix, he ran¡ªpain forgotten¡ªand slid next to her side, only wincing a bit as he did.


    "How did you know I was here?" she gasped, her one non-swollen eye going wide with how quickly he was next to her.


    "I was up in medical staring at the fire," he exined. "I saw you¡­ you just¡­" he nced up at Calix who was staring at them with a mild look of annoyance on his face.


    Perhaps Calix had not seen her appear out of thin air, and who knows how the male felt about alyko. He nced back down at Zoe who was still in her dress, although it was torn, and somehow she had managed to get soaking wet. And she smelled of blood. She must have gotten injured as well.


    "Give me your jacket," Lucas demanded of the male next to them. If he annoyed Calix enough, he knew he would leave.


    "What? Me?" Calix scoffed, turning around to see if there was anyone else in the area Lucas may be addressing.


    "Yes, Calix. Give it to me," Lucas extended his hand.


    Calix groaned and rolled his eyes as he took off the jacket he was wearing. It smelled like the bonfire anyway. Once he passed it to Lucas, he sauntered away to see what else needed to be attended to after the Samhain festival. Lucas could deal with the rug rat.


    Lucas wrapped the jacket around Zoe who had started trembling violently. The adrenaline had worn off, and she was exhausted and freezing. At some point she had either given Zagan''s leather jacket back to him or lost it¡­ she couldn''t remember now. The events of the night were a blur.


    "Goddess, Zoe, how did you get wet? What happened?" Lucas asked, tilting her chin up to look at her face. "Did he hurt you? How did you get free?"


    She let out a heavy exhale. Finally she was somewhere safe. She was safe.


    She took a deep breath, readying herself to tell him all that had happened, but then the relief of being here¡ªjust of seeing the friendly face of someone she could trust¡ªbrought a wave of tears crashing over her, and she ducked her head to avoid his eyes.


    Lucas drew her into his chest and sighed. "You are safe now," he breathed, throwing a prayer of thanks up to the Goddess that somehow she had escaped the vampire. "We aren''t going to let anything happen to you again, I vow it."


    He picked her up off the ground as she clung to him, crying quietly in his arms. When he initially found her in the dungeon, she seemed lost and discarded and lonely, but there was always something false and guarded about her back then. Now she was open and vulnerable and so genuinely broken. It made him ache for her, for a way to help fix it.


    "Have you decided on a new name yet?" he teased as he carried her back through the pack house, trying to lighten the heaviness of whatever she had gone through that she wasn''t ready to discuss yet. "Can I call you O?"


    She sniffed and chuckled, wiping some of the tears away as she stayed curled up under his chin.


    "Neoma," she whispered, remembering the name that the river had given her when she was swept away in it.


    "Neoma," he repeated, nodding his approval.. "I like it."

 Chapter 333 - Dont Tell Me Who To Save

    Lucas returned from his search of the healer Beth with bandages and supplies to take care of the injuries on the newly renamed Neoma''s hands and feet, but she was resisting his help.


    "I don''t need to be babied like this, Lucas. I came to help get the alyko back," she insisted.


    That was the only reason she could imagine that she was saved from the river and delivered here. It was the one lingering thought she had before dying¡ªthat she would want to help remedy the wrongdoing she had been involved with when she was the Zagan-created-Zosime. And the river had given her a new name for that quest. She wasn''t going to squander it.


    "Well your job is already half done then and you can at least let me take care of your injuries," he gave her a smile that she returned with a puzzled look.


    "What do you mean it is already half done? I don''t count," she replied, teeth chattering and lips purple despite having a nket covering her.


    "You were not the only one to return," he told her, taking out a water basin from under the sink and filling it with warm water to clean her feet. "Would you prefer a shower or bath? You are cold."


    "I don''t¡­ no, I am perfectly fine," she said stubbornly. "What do you mean? Who else returned? Is Sage back? August? Was August taken?"


    Lucas set the basin of water on the floor and gestured for her to put her feet in.


    "No, those two have not returned," he mumbled, his eyebrows pinching together. "Five others did, though. Alyko who were taken years ago. We thought they were dead."


    He saw the alyko being checked over by Beth and Greta when he went to search for the healer, and he was just as stunned as they all appeared to be. Zoe, or Neoma¡ªhe corrected in his mind¡ªwasn''t the only one to return. He recognized all of the females who were believed to be dead, because they looked exactly the same. It was as if no time had gone by.


    "August is there with Zagan then," Neoma whispered. "She must have done something to make this possible¡ªto bring us all back. I was walking with him," she gulped. "And then all of the sudden I was back with my old pack. I would have preferred the vampire to that ce,"she said bitterly.


    "What happened?" he asked, sitting on the floor next to her feet that were soaking.


    "I woke up in a pig pen first. Sage was there, too. Zagan was being weirdly protective," her eyebrows threaded together, "almost like I was his kid or something."


    "What do you mean?" Lucas asked, lifting one foot out of the water to inspect the bottom of it.


    "He made me wear his jacket and told me I needed to change. I think he was taking me away from his lycan guards for a reason, like he doesn''t trust them. I don''t know," she grimaced, recalling it¡ªrecalling his eyes and his looming presence and his anger when she said his name.


    Lucas'' eyes flitted over her. She was gripping the nket that was around her shoulders, holding it closed in front of her chest. He hadn''t thought about it when he saw her, but he supposed she had been pretty exposed in that dress. It was only some kind of sick predator who would think of taking advantage of her. A muscle feathered in his jaw at the thought.


    Once he was satisfied that her foot was clean, he patted it dry and gave the same attention to the second one. She had some nasty gashes on her feet that would need ointment to be sure they didn''t be infected. It looked like she had been running for her life.


    "What else happened, Zoe? I mean Neoma," he corrected himself, offering her a gentle smile at the mention of the new name.


    "With Zagan? I didn''t recognize where we were. It was different from before," she muttered. "And then, I don''t know. One second, I was walking behind him, following him to a huge castle that looked like it was in ruins. The next, I was back in the cell from my childhood."


    Lucas put ointment on her feet and wrapped them before standing up and pulling a chair next to the bed where he could sit and examine her hands.


    "You escaped," he said, putting his hand out in silent request to see hers.


    "Thank Goddess," she shivered, feeling the cold of the river that saved her.


    She freed a hand from where it was clutching the nket andid it palm-up in his. They both stared at her scraped hand in his before he bent down and grabbed a rag to clean it, and a profound feeling of gratefulness came over her for this moment. Somehow she had gotten back to someone she could trust¡ªto a ce that felt safe. And he was so tenderly caring for her. Why?


    "Do me a favor," Lucas said after several moments of them sitting in silence while he cleaned her hands. "Don''t ever risk yourself for me again."


    Neoma frowned, and he nced up and noticed the deep furrow of her brow.


    "I just¡ªI can''t live with myself if that happens. Save yourself, okay? What you did with that vampire¡­ the deal you made with him for me. I don''t deserve that, and I don''t want it to happen again," he told her.


    "Of course you deserve it," she scoffed. "Why wouldn''t you? He would not have stopped until he killed you, and then he would have taken me and whatever else he wanted anyway. If I can reason with him and save someone¡­"


    "Don''t," he interrupted. "Not for me."


    "But then you wouldn''t be here right now," she said softly. "And I wouldn''t have a friend."


    "You may not have ever made it out, though! You could have been trapped there with him forever and made to do¡­ who knows what. You could have been killed," his tone became sharp, which never happened when he talked with her. He was always patient and goofy, and the change had her pulling her hand back instinctively where it disappeared behind the nket she was holding.


    "Don''t tell me who to save," she replied. "I have done nothing but help evil ns seed in this lifetime. If there is anyone who doesn''t deserve saving, Lucas, it''s me."

 Chapter 334 - Selahs Backstory 1

    Lucas sat looking at the girl who was jutting her chin out stubbornly, shivering under the nket.


    "Thank you for this," she said, looking down at her bandaged feet.


    "You need to warm up," he told her.


    "I''m fine," she replied, bing annoyed at his insistence, "I know I look like a kid, but I''m not. I told you before, I''m older than you."


    "Then act older than me and take care of yourself," he chuckled, throwing a towel at her. "If you are not going to take a shower, you should at least dry yourself off. How did you get wet? You didn''t say."


    The river¡­ she shivered more violently recalling it. "I had to jump into a river to get away from the Alpha of my old pack and this weird old man who found me."


    "Where is your old pack?" he asked curiously, wondering how far it was that she had seemingly traveled through space to end up back at their fire.


    "In the Appchian mountains," she mumbled, hating this topic. She would prefer to never mention it again. Hopefully she never had to return there. "I need to talk to Graeme. It''s important."


    "I will make you a deal, Neoma," he said, making a point to get her name right. "Dry off, change your clothes, blow dry your hair, and I will get Graeme for you."


    She rolled her eyes in response, but the effect was lost with the way she was trembling under the nket. He was right that she needed to warm up, and she knew it.


    "I will take that as your agreement," he chuckled and stood, turning to leave.


    "Lucas?" she called after him.


    "Yes, Neoma?" he smiled.


    Why was he so adorable with that wavy blond hair of his that fell over those bright blue eyes? It was annoying. And he should really stop smiling like that. It was starting to do something weird to her heart.


    "Do you really like the new name?" she asked softly, embarrassed to even ask.


    "It''s different, but it''s perfect. ''New moon,''" he nodded, recalling the meaning.


    Lycans knew all of the names associated with the moon, and this one fit her. She had a new chance at life¡ªa kind of rebirth, which is exactly what the name referred to.


    "That''s what it means?" her one non-swollen eye grew wide, and a different kind of goosebumps spread over her body.


    "You didn''t know that when you picked it?" he chuckled.


    "I¡­ I didn''t pick it. I heard it in the river," she mumbled. "I was certain I was going to die, and all I kept hearing was the rush of water in my ears repeating that word. I didn''t even know it was a name."


    "So the river named you?" Lucas asked, impressed. Why did that not surprise him? She was alyko, after all¡ªan alyko capable of passing through a portal to the one ce, he guessed, she associated with home.


    "The river named me," one side of her mouth tipped into a smile. "I like that."


    "Get warm, Neoma. I will go find your Alpha," he winked before closing the door behind him.


    "My Alpha?" she repeated once he was gone. Could she be lucky enough to be a part of this pack?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Graeme, Sh, and Sam were all seated in the Alpha''s office. Graeme was looking around, startled to be sitting behind the desk that was his father''s. Apparently all of this about him being Alpha was actually true. He had moved his father''s desk into the office where Andreas had been, as had Sam with his father''s desk. It was uncanny¡ªlike walking into the past.


    "My mother is there¡­ with the vampire Zagan. I was born there. I sort of grew up there, at least part of the time. That''s how I knew how to get back," Sh exined. "My brother was born there, too."


    "Sage," Graeme repeated the name she had said previously. He was doing his best to pretend that his memory wasn''t affected, but it was difficult. asionally he would nce at Sam to judge whether or not he was being believable.


    "Yes, and now Zagan knows Sage exists," she said, a deep frown settling on her forehead.


    "Wait¡­ he didn''t know about Sage?" Graeme asked, confused now.


    "No, he doesn''t know about me either," she replied.


    "How? How is that possible when you were born there and grew up there?" he asked.


    "Well my mom has her own house, her own cottage. She''s the most powerful alyko he has. She is the one who created that portal for him, and she''s done so many other things to ensure the alyko are kept happy and secure¡­" she started to exin.


    There was so much backstory to give him, but she was desperate to get her brother and August back as quickly as possible.


    "Can we just skip to the part where I lead you back there and we sneak in and get them back?" she asked.


    "Do you think that will work?" he asked, twirling a pen in his hand. "Won''t he see they are missing and juste right back for them? And kill us all in the process?"


    Sh''s frown deepened. This didn''t sound like someone whose mate had been taken just a few hours ago.


    "It may not work, but isn''t it worth it to try?" she scoffed.


    "We need to know how to beat him first," Graeme replied, running his hand through his beard. "What is your mother''s name? Can she help us?"


    "Her name is Nedra. I doubt she''ll help us. She has given up trying to fight him," she said bitterly.


    "Tell us more about how you were able to exist within this portal world of his without being discovered," he said, "maybe we can use that."


    "My mother is able toe and go as she desires, within limits. He can''t know about it, obviously. But he leaves her alone most of the time, and she is able to create alternate portals to use rather than the main one that everyone else knows of and uses. When she was pregnant with me, she spent most of her time outside of the portal. There was one lycan who knew how to find her if she was summoned. Zagan rarelyes to find her himself. They don''t get along," Sh exined.


    "Why did she spend most of her time outside when she was pregnant?" Sam asked, realizing this was going to be important for their Luna as well. Graeme''s gaze flickered his way.


    "Time is weird there. It seems to go faster. Like¡­ days could seem to pass while only a few hours have gone by here. But at the same time, the sun doesn''t go down. There is no moon. And people just don''t seem to¡­ age," she shrugged. "I can''t exin it. My mom really couldn''t either¡­ something about there being different naturalws within different dimensions. Anyway, she realized when she was pregnant that the pregnancy wasn''t¡­ progressing. She wasn''t getting bigger. And she couldn''t tell Zagan that she was pregnant, because she didn''t know what he would do. He might have experimented on her or, at the very least, taken the baby¡­ me. So she snuck out."


    Sam and Graeme exchanged a look.. So this meant that August''s pregnancy was¡­ on hold? That sounded like it could be good news as long as the vampire didn''t find out about it.

 Chapter 335 Selahs Backstory 2

    Chapter 335 Sh''s Backstory 2


    "Okay, obviously something is going on that you are not telling me," Sh groaned. "Just tell me what it is so I can help."


    "What makes you say that?" Graeme asked, brows furrowed. Was he that bad of an actor?


    "Because you are not nearly enraged enough to have just lost your mate, and you two keep exchanging these weird looks. Something is going on. And I get it! You aren''t going to surprise me with whatever it is, okay? You have no idea the kind of shit I have seen both in the portal and outside of it," she exined. "When a vampire gets involved, much less alyko of varying capabilities, things get wonky. But I can''t fully help you if you don''t tell me what it is."


    Graeme and Sam exchanged another look, and Sh rolled her eyes.


    "Okay," Graeme relented. "You''re right. I¡­ I can''t remember anything," he groaned, raking a hand down his face. "I can feel her. I know August is my mate, but I can''t remember anything that has happened within thest two months or so."


    "And¡­" Sam began, nodding to Graeme to indicate that he thought it was best to tell her everything.


    Graeme''s eyebrows shot up. Really? He needed to tell her everything? Sh looked between the two males, waiting for the rest.


    "And August is pregnant," Graeme reluctantly finished.


    Sh gripped her pant legs beneath the desk, trying to hide the tension that shot through her with that information.


    "Okay," she nodded, giving them both a hopeful look. "Well my guess is that there is a memory enchantment on you," she told Graeme. "An enchantment like that would have been created by an alyko, possibly my mom, and that we can break no problem¡ªespecially if you are so epting of the fact that there are significant memories you have lost. That is a good sign."


    Graeme''s expression visibly rxed.


    "Well that''s great to know," Sam confirmed from beside them.


    "And the pregnancy?" Graeme asked, eyes squinting slightly as if he was awaiting horrible news.


    "Well," Sh sighed, eyes darting around the room as she thought about how many challenges her mother had faced. And her mother had her own private residence, her own mostly private life. She was trusted by Zagan, and that is why she had seeded in having two babies that he didn''t even know about. "August is a Luna, which means her body will hide the pregnancy better than most." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Graeme grunted his knowledge and approval of that hopeful fact.


    "That and the time effects of the portal mean everything should be fine until we get her back. As long as Zagan doesn''t drink her blood," she added.


    Sh watched as Graeme closed his eyes and then looked down into hisp, hiding the emotions that the thought caused. There was a possibility that this undead creature would drink his mate''s blood and find out about the baby, and then they would both be at risk of who knows what. What the hell kind of story had his life be? He had to stop this. His future was not going to be defined by the whims of a fucking vampire. The past may be something he couldn''t control, but the present and future sure were. And he wasn''t going to lose a mate or a pup or anyone else to this creature.


    "How did you sneak in to retrieve the pup you brought back to us?" he asked, his voice taking on a cold, emotionless quality as his brain went into plotting mode.


    "My mother created a back door for me¡ªa portal to use when I want to visit her so I won''t be caught," she told him.


    "And who is your father?" he asked, piercing her with his questioning eyes. If they were going to trust her, they needed to know more about this backstory of hers. Was Zagan her father? Was it even possible for vampires to breed? Because if she was his child, that was going to be an issue.


    "A lycan there. One of his lycans," she said it like a whisper.


    "Who?" he repeated. "And does he know about you?"


    Sh''s mouth twitched, almost forming an embarrassed smile before it vanished.


    "No, he doesn''t know. She wasn''t sure she could trust him," she admitted. "It''s different for alyko, you know? Even when you find someone¡­ there are no mate bonds to cement it or to ensure your awareness of your partner''s feelings. And this male serves Zagan, so¡­ No, he doesn''t know."


    "Even after Sage was born?" Sam frowned his disapproval. This male should know about his pups, and if he couldn''t be trusted, then why did she continue to mate with him?


    "Look, I know what you''re thinking. But you have to try to understand, she has been alone there for years¡­ years! And they love each other. The only reason she is still there and has agreed to help Zagan at all is because Zagan knows about how she feels and has threatened to kill him if she doesn''t cooperate," Sh eximed.


    "What''s his name? Your father?" Graeme asked again.


    "His name is Seth," she sighed. "He is Zagan''s second-inmand."


    "Second-inmand?" Sam''s eyebrows shot up. This fact was something they could potentially exploit. "Maybe it''s time for Seth to know about you and your brother."


    "No," she scoffed. "No, that is not a good idea."


    "It could help your brother, Sh. And it could help us," Sam exined.


    "Or it could get my brother killed. At the very least, it could get Seth killed if he decides that he might actually care," she told them.


    These were all things her mother had already thought about, and as much as she hated her mom''s choices, she trusted her judgment about the males on that ind. Because Sh knew nothing about them. She had not ever even seen her father. Her mother insisted she stay far away from any lycans on the ind lest she be scented and found out.

 Chapter 336 Debating Zoe

    Chapter 336 Debating Zoe


    "Don''t worry, Sh, we won''t tell your father about you and Sage unless you agree to it," Graeme said, causing an objection to bubble up in Sam''s throat that the Beta then choked back down when Graeme shot him a silencing re. "How do we bring my memory back?"


    Lucas rapped his knuckles on the door frame of the office entrance, leaning on it and wincing afterward. He wasn''t resting enough to allow his ribs to heal as quickly as they could.


    "You lost your memory?" he asked, having overheard the question. "You might want to, uh, keep your door shut in the future," he added when three pairs of eyes turned to re at him. Graeme growled as Lucas began limping in.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone Alpha," Lucas groaned before copsing into one of the chairs in front of the desk.


    "What happened to you?" Graeme scowled.


    "Ah, just a vampire. No worries. Zoe is back," he told them. "She wants to speak with you, although if you can''t remember anything¡­"


    "We are working on it," Graeme snapped. He knew how Lucas felt about him, and he didn''t imagine it had changed now that he was Alpha.


    "Zoe?" Sh muttered. "Shouldn''t she have the same fate as the elders? What do you mean she is back?


    "She was taken by the vampire and then apparently vanished from there like our other alyko did, arrived back at her original pack, escaped, and then used a portal to return here to help us," Lucas exined.


    "Wait¡­ are we talking about the same Zoe?" Sh asked, shifting forward in her seat.


    "I don''t know. Are we?" he chuckled.


    "Andreas'' little minion who is like a creepy replica of Zagan?" she asked.


    "A lot has happened," Sam piped up from the side, mostly for Graeme''s benefit who looked thoroughly lost and then rmed at the thought of a Zagan replica being here. "Maybe we should focus on the memory issue if it is an easy fix. Then we won''t have to exin so much."


    "Zoe is alyko. Whatever hold that vampire bastard had on her was broken when Andreas attacked her. She''s back to her old self now," Lucas told Sh, doing his best to defend the broken girl who saved his life.


    "And now she is powerful enough to use portals?!" Sh asked,pletely shocked by this news. "That''s not amon thing¡ªthat''s¡­ before August, my mom was the only one known to be able to do it. Not even my brother¡­" she trailed off, eyes going wide with the small detail she just let slip.


    "Your brother is alyko?" Lucas asked.


    Sh groaned, plunging her head into her hands. Well, what was the harm in speaking of what Sage was capable of now? He was with Zagan anyway.


    "Yes," she said. "He is an exceptional alyko¡ªhe will probably surpass my mother one day. But we have been careful in making sure he doesn''t use his abilities¡­ he is the whole reason why I came here and helped Zoe and Andreas, acting like a stray with these proclivities toward gics so I would have insider knowledge about how to protect him and keep him safe, and look how it turned out." She threw her hands up in the air helplessly.


    "We will get him back, Sh," Graeme assured her.


    "I think Zoe saw your brother while she was with Zagan," Lucas said. "She asked me if Sage and August had returned, too."


    Sh''s eyes went wide and she stood quickly, almost knocking the chair over in the process. "I have to talk to her," she said. "Where is she?"


    "She wants to talk to Graeme," Lucas replied.


    "She will speak with me, too, whether she wants to or not," Sh snapped. If Zoe had seen her brother, she wanted to know about it¡ªabout where he was kept, how he looked, how he was being treated¡­


    "Now just hang on," Lucas said, struggling to get up from the chair. "You aren''t going to go in there and upset her. She just fought for her life tonight, and she''s all torn up¡­"


    "I''m sorry, who are you?" Sh scoffed. Why was this male protecting Zoe? Did he know what she had been involved in here? She was hardly some damsel in distress.


    "Graeme, will you tell her?" Lucas appealed to the Alpha, eyebrows raised expectantly, but Graeme just stared at the male in front of him. "Oh do you¡­ sorry, do you not remember me?"


    "How could I forget you, Lucas?" Graeme glowered at him. In his memory, Lucas was still the male who hated him and made a point to let him know every time he visited.


    "Lucas was babysitting Zoe for us for several days leading up to Samhain," Sam exined to Sh who was squinting at Lucas, failing to understand how he fit into this whole situation.


    "Babysitting? I was guarding her," Lucas corrected. A babysitter? Please.


    "You were guarding her?" Sh repeated. "Lucas, do you have any idea the kinds of things that Zosime has been involved with here? She is just as much of a monster as Zagan." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Maybe Zosime was, but that girl was manufactured by the vampire. When Andreas bit her¡­"


    "Andreas marked her?" Sh''s mouth dropped open.


    "No," Lucas screwed up his face. "Gross. Are you serious?"


    "That''s what was intended," Sh shrugged.


    "No, he fucking mauled her face because she was trying to reveal the truth about how he has been aborting fetuses in this pack for years," Lucas spit.


    "They have been aborting fetuses," Sh corrected. "They, Lucas. Not just Andreas."


    "You knew about it?" Graeme asked.


    "I-I¡­ yes, but¡­" Sh stuttered, seeing the fierce expression on the Alpha''s face. "I didn''t help¡­"


    "Zoe was in some kind of twisted alternate persona that Zagan created. What''s your excuse?" Lucas asked.


    Sh looked around at all three males who were now focused on her, their eyes using.


    "Who was I supposed to tell?" she replied, chuckling at the impossibility of her situation. "Who was there to step in and take leadership? Graeme wasn''t here then. Why do you think I finally took the chance to go and save Livvy? Because finally there was someone to appeal to. Finally Graeme was here, and he had returned with an alyko mate, so I knew if I showed you evidence of what had been happening¡ªif Livvy could tell you and I could show you the lies¡ªthen something could finally be done about it. There was someone here to take on the elders and help shut this all down. But before that¡­" she shrugged.


    Graeme let out a heavy sigh. "You''re right. I understand. I should have been here for everyone in this pack, and I wasn''t, so that''s on me. We will go talk to Zoe and see what she knows, but first¡­"


    "Uh, can I say something?" Lucas held up his hand, wincing as he did.


    Graeme groaned. "Yes Lucas?"


    "She is different now, right? Zagan is the one who named her Zosime after he created her and erased her memories and filled her with all the creepy intelligent stuff, and I would say she is dealing with a fair bit of resentment and self-loathing¡­"


    Graeme growled a ''get-to-the-point'' warning.


    "¡­ So naturally, she hates the name he gave her. When she opened this impressive portal that brought her back here to help us, she felt that she was renamed. And we should all respect that," Lucas told them, nodding his agreement with his own statement.


    The three others in the room just stared at him.


    "What was she renamed?" Sh asked, breaking the silence, an expression somewhere between fear and awe on her face. "And what element of nature renamed her?"

 Chapter 337 How to Break the Enchantment

    337 How to Break the Enchantment


    "What do you mean what element of nature renamed her?" Graeme asked the girl with piercing green eyes.


    "How did... how did you know?" Lucas'' eyebrows threaded together at the strange question from Sh that was also weirdly urate.


    "So I''m right. It''s happening somehow," Sh whispered. Lucas'' response was confirmation enough. "If Zoe was renamed by an element of nature, she is not just alyko, she is fae. And fae are what Zagan has been searching for. But... Zoe wasn''t fae before. She couldn''t have been. She would have never been able to be manipted by Zagan in the first ce if she were. That means she has changed somehow, and my guess is that all of this has something to do with your mate," Sh told Graeme.


    "I don''t understand how any of this is possible," Lucas mumbled.


    "What was Zoe renamed?" Sh asked again.


    "Neoma. She said it was the river that was repeating it when she jumped in," he replied.


    "Neoma. New Moon," Graeme said, recognizing the Greek name. "I want to speak with her, too." He stood, and Sam followed suit.


    "Are we agreed that she is not the same person as she was before?" Lucas asked before they all went charging toward her room.\


    "I hear you, Lucas," Sh said. "But I will judge that for myself."


    "Sh, before we get too distracted..." Graeme said. "How can we get rid of this memory enchantment?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Oh yeah," she nodded, searching her memory. "There are two ways that I know of. You can have an alyko make you a talisman that prevents and breaks other enchantments. Or, since you have a mate, you could... vite the mate bond." "What?" Sam scoffed.


    "Why would that work?" Graeme frowned.


    "The memory enchantment isn''t deeply prative. It doesn''t change who you are. It is directed to work on your conscious... on what you are able to consciously recall. When you have a mate who you havepleted the mating process with-the marking and everything-that alters who you are on the deepest possible level. The enchantment might be able to make you consciously forget them, but that mate is still woven within the fabric of your being," she exined. "If you vite the mate bond by being intimate with someone else, it causes that deepest part of you to revolt against the betrayal, and that will snap you out of it."


    "That''s out of the question," he growled, causing Sh to smile.


    "It usually is," she chuckled knowingly.


    "How do you even know that works? How do you know any of this?" Lucas asked skeptically.


    "My mother has told me a lot of stories," she replied. "The memory one is a popr enchantment, especially with the work she has done for Zagan. And the one who performs the enchantment can typically tell when it breaks."


    "Really?" Sam asked, surprised. "Why would that be the case?"


    "Maintaining an enchantment takes energy. When one breaks, it''s like a relief for the alyko who performed it. At least, that is how my mom describes it," she exined.


    "What about something like the enchantment on the Grimm? On suicide forest? That one has been going for hundreds of years," Graeme asked.


    "I don''t know. I will have to ask her," she replied. "But that is a good question."


    "Graeme, you have a talisman. Greta had you wear it earlier for Samhain. It was the medallion your dad always used to wear. Do you remember it?" Sam asked.


    "I know what you''re talking about, but I obviously don''t remember wearing it," he answered. "I didn''t realize it was a talisman."


    "Apparently Maggie made it for your dad," Sam told him. "It must have fallen off at some point. Maybe when you shifted."


    "You shifted when we were on the path toward the pups'' haunted forest," Lucas recalled.


    "Did you see it fall off of him?" Sam asked.


    Lucas shook his head. "I was shifting, too. I didn''t notice." "I will go search for it," Sam offered. "It can''t be far. If we can find it, then we can get your memory back. Easy fix."


    "Thanks, brother. We will go talk with Zoe," Graeme said. "Neoma," Lucas corrected him.


    Graeme tried not to growl at being corrected by the male. "Neoma," he repeated, giving Lucas a quick re. "Come find us afterward, Sam."


    When they were closing in on the door to Neoma''s room, Lucas jogged forward and knocked, calling to let her know who it was so she wouldn''t be rmed. She opened the door for them and stepped back to let Graeme and Sh walk in. Lucas came inst and nced at her questioningly to confirm she was okay. She gave him a small smile. Her hair was dry, and she had changed into what looked likefortable, dry clothes.


    "Sh, hi," Neoma said timidly. She wasn''t expecting the former member of her team to be here as well.


    "Zoe," Sh acknowledged the girl in front of her. "I hear we are supposed to call you Neoma now."


    Neoma nced at Lucas and then at her feet. "Sh why didn''t you tell me? Why didn''t you tell me your brother was alyko?"


    Sh clenched her fists at her sides. She didn''t like hearing this girl mention her brother, much less that he was alyko. They had tried to keep that information a secret for so long, she wasn''t sure she could ever get used to hearing it spoken as if it weremon knowledge.


    "The Zosime I knew would have wanted to experiment on him," she answered. "Why would I tell her that?"


    Neoma nodded, epting the truth of the usation. "You''re right. I wish I could take back my involvement with the map, the files... with all of it," she grimaced. "I don''t know what to say except that I am so... so sorry." She looked between Sh and Graeme. "I want to help get everyone back. I want to make up for what I did."

 Chapter 338 Feeling Ill

    338 Feeling Ill


    Once Zagan left orders with Brandt in the kitchen to make sure Penelope and the Luna were well fed, he started to feel ill. Feeling ill was not something he was terribly familiar with. As a non-living being, he didn''t have much that could go wrong with his body. At most, he would feel weak when he had little blood to sustain him. But other than that, there were no bodily processes that he had to concern himself with.


    But now it felt like fluid was making its way up his throat, and he found a vacant room to shut himself in for the time being. He bent over the arm chair to brace himself, and then he did something extraordinary. He coughed. It was not a pleasant feeling.


    And then he coughed again. And again. And when he drew his hand away from his mouth, there was a stter of red blood there. Penelope''s blood. The blood looked ck in the dark room. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zagan''s chest began to ache, and he walked around the side of the chair to copse into it. What the hell was happening to him? He was coughing blood and had a painful chest? He had never experienced either of those things in his multiple centuries of existence.


    A massive thump rocked him to his core. And then another thump. His pupils constricted, and he took a massive inhale as if it was his first real breath. Another thump. He groaned and grasped at his chest that was hammering so loudly now¡ªwas someone knocking? Was someone asking to be let in?


    His heart took off like a hummingbird. His heart! He had a heart, and it was beating.


    Zagan snarled a string of curses and toppled out of the chair onto the floor, kicking the chair over with him. What the fuck was happening to him? What had Penelope''s blood done?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Penelope awoke on Zagan''s desk with a headache. How did she end up here of all ces?


    She raised a hand for her forehead to rest on, squinting against the pain that was hammering in her head.


    "Ugh," she groaned.


    Her mouth was dry. She had to get out of this room. Why was she here? And where was August?


    The final questioning thought had her jolting up out of the chair she was slouched in. Thest thing she remembered was being with August in the infirmary. August had thrown her against the window, and then they cleaned everything up, and then Zagan finally came¡­ but her memory went ck when she tried to remember past that point.


    She hobbled to the door, grasping at her chest as she did. The ache in her head had camouged a milder ache in her chest, but it was growingrger and harder to ignore. There was no way she could make it all the way down to the infirmary like this to check on August. She was going to have to rest in her room.


    Penelope entered the hallway and then slumped against the wall, panting with the effort it took just to get that far.


    "Penelope?" August walked out into the hallway and then rushed to where the Winter alyko was braced against the wall as if she were in pain. "What happened? Penelope? What''s wrong?"


    "Oh August, you are okay," Penelope winced.


    "Yes, I am okay," August reassured. "But what is wrong with you?"


    "I don''t know. I woke up in his office. Where is he?" Penelope looked around now with eyes wide, anticipating the terror of being caught out here in the hallway.


    "Come into my room. You can rest there," August told her, wrapping an arm around Penelope''s back to help her in getting that far. She didn''t look like she would be able to make it otherwise.


    Once they were in the room, August closed the door and then helped Penelope to the bed.


    "What is it? What hurts?" August asked as she watched Penelope ease herself back against the bed.


    "My head and my chest," she replied, panting as if she were out of breath. It felt like a cage was encircling her heart, keeping it from beating to its fullest¡­ holding it captive.


    "Did he do something to you?" August asked, hands hovering helplessly over the alyko that she didn''t know how to help.


    "I don''t know," Penelope winced, curling into herself against the pain.


    "Did he drink from you?" August asked, unsure of what else could have happened. He was a vampire, right? That would be expected. That''s what he did.


    Penelope''s eyes shot open again. Maybe he did. That would make sense, wouldn''t it? But then why did it hurt like this? Losing blood didn''t hurt¡­ not that she would know what it felt like to be a vampire''s meal.


    Someone knocked at the door, and both the females'' eyes went wide this time. They stared at each other for a full thirty seconds before August calmed herself, closing her eyes in concentration to get her innocent, forgetful facade back in ce. Then she walked to the door.


    She opened it just enough to see who was waiting on the other side. It was a male she didn''t recognize.


    "Miss Luna?" the male asked. He was holding a tray of food. "I was told to bring you a meal. Is the other alyko in there with you? I have some cookies and juice as well."


    "Oh, yes!" August eximed and grabbed the tray out of the male''s hands before mming the door in his face.


    She almost cackled on her way back to the bed where Penelope was still lying, panting for air. Getting rid of that male was easy.


    "You were definitely a blood donor, dear. I''m sorry to tell you. But he sent juice and cookies. That is probably a sure sign," August sat on the edge of the bed and ced the tray between them.


    "What if it is poisoned?" Penelope panted, raising her head just enough to look at the tray in question.


    "Why would he go to all of this work just to poison us? Two highly valuable alyko?" August smirked.


    "You are enjoying this for some reason," Penelope observed, propping herself up against a pillow and wincing as she did.


    "We are going to win, Penelope. I can feel it."

 Chapter 339 Feeling Ill 2

    339 Feeling Ill 2


    As Zagan struggled to understand what disturbing process was happening to him now with a beating heart in his chest, he sent a hastily typed text to his second.


    ''I must return to Gray Vale. I will not be long. Bring Zosime back to containment and wait for more instructions. The Luna is in containment in the castle, and the Winter has on cuffs. I instructed Brandt to keep them fed.''


    While Zagan was typing, the loud knocking of the heart in his chest ceased its beat once again. It felt like he had been thrust into the world of color and life, blood rushing loudly in his ears, before it all came to a screeching hault and knocked the breath back out of his lungs. The room fell dark and cold, the soft rosy pink of health faded from behind his skin, and once again Zagan was sucked out of the living world into a frozen, undecidable space where he existed between life and death.


    It was rming. He felt back to himself in the sense that the silence within him had returned, but when he raised his hands in front of his face, they were ashen gray. He pulled a section of hair over his shoulder and found that it had also returned to its brittle colorless white. But he had just drank blood¡ªit should take weeks for him to be this corpse-like. This was not typical at all. Now he was going to have to return home and find out what this meant with as few others knowing about it as possible.


    "Penelope Winter," he hissed in the empty room.


    If he didn''t want to be discovered returning to Gray Vale, he would consider bringing her with him. But bringing an alyko into vampire territory would certainly get her killed and it would also get him discovered. So he would be making the trip alone, and hopefully it would be quick. His precious alyko could not be left for long.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Penelope sat up in the bed in August''s room.


    "It''s gone," she sighed in relief. "That horrible pain is gone."


    August was sitting next to the bed studying her with the Veiled, trying to see if there was any clues as to why she was feeling ill.


    "Did you see anything?" Penelope asked, cing a hand over her chest where the ache had been that vanished in an instant without any exnation.


    "It looked like a dark aura around your heart, if that makes any sense," August replied. "And then it disappeared right before you said the pain was gone."


    "It had to be Zagan," she whispered.


    The unexined pain was terrifying, especially since she didn''t know what caused it. And why didn''t she remember him drinking her blood? She turned her wrists over to check for a conspicuous bite mark somewhere and saw the gold bangles instead.


    "What are those?" August asked, noticing the gold bracelets as well.


    "Shit. They are cuffs," she cursed. "They keep alyko from using their abilities." Penelope pulled up her pant legs to check her ankles, and¡ªsure enough¡ªthey were there too.


    "Why would he do that to you?" August frowned and checked her own wrists.


    "He must not trust me. I don''t know," Penelope grumbled.


    "But I don''t have them. Shouldn''t I have them, too?" August asked. "Not that I''mining."


    "They wouldn''t work on you anyway with the talisman around your neck, but he doesn''t know that. My guess is there is something else in ce for you," she looked around the room as August raised her hand to feel the sacred silver medallion around her neck that belonged to Graeme''s father and was now the secret to protecting her here. She wished she would have left it for him in case he needed it as well, but the crow brought it to her that night. It must have thought she needed it more than her mate.


    "I''m going to leave before he finds me in here," Penelope finally said, kicking her feet off the side of the bed.


    "Why? The servant guy who brought the food knows you are in here anyway," August frowned again. She didn''t want to be left alone here. What was she supposed to do with herself?


    "If he finds us talking, he may get suspicious about the enchantment and who knows what he will want done to you next," she replied.


    "But how am I supposed to figure out how to kill him if I have to keep pretending that I can''t remember anything?" August asked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What kind of n was this? And now Penelope couldn''t use any of her abilities?


    "We don''t know enough yet," Penelope hissed. "We will take the opportunity while your memory is supposedly blocked to learn as much as we can. We don''t even know where the other alyko are on the ind yet."


    "And how are we supposed to learn where they are if I am stuck here pretending to be a college student who got lost in the woods?" August asked.


    "Patience, dear," Penelope answered, making her way to the door. "Like you said, we are going to win this, but we need patience to do it. I wille back to check on you in a little while. Make sure you eat, okay?"


    "But¡­" August began to object, and then she watched as Penelope appeared to bounce off of the air in the middle of the doorway and stumble back. "What¡­ what just happened to you?"


    "Great," Penelope grunted as she got back up. "That''s what he did. He put you in a cage, which means now I am in a cage, too."


    "What?" August gasped, approaching the door that Penelope couldn''t seem to walk through. She put her hand into the space within the door frame without any issues and then did a dramatic leap through the air into the hallway.


    "It''s the talisman. You are not affected by the barrier since you wear it. He must have had one of his other alyko create this to keep you in," Penelope groaned.

 Chapter 340 Sneaky

    340 Sneaky


    "Do you want to wear it to get out of the room?" August asked, grabbing the medallion that hung around her neck to offer it to Penelope.


    "Thanks, but that''s not a good idea. I don''t know what will happen if you take it off. Your memory may be affected again. And if he hears I was in here, how do I exin how I got out?" Penelope sighed. "It looks like you are stuck with me for the time being."


    "Well that''s not such a bad thing for me," August smiled, thankful for thepany. "We should find the alyko responsible. If they are impressive enough to make a cage like this, then they will be good to have on our side."


    "The trick is finding them," Penelope sighed. "And now I can''t even sneak out and wander around."


    "Is that what you were nning to do?" August asked, her golden orbs erging first in surprise at the risk that would entail and then with the spark of inspiration. "You can''t sneak around here now, but¡­ I can."


    "No, that''s not a good idea," Penelope shook her head in adamant refusal. "Then he will know you got out, he will find out about the talisman, he will destroy it, and then who knows what else he will do."


    "But we can''t make decisions here based out of fear. I need to get back to my mate, Penelope! I need to get back to Graeme! When I left him, he was fine, but¡­ but I can''t feel him here like I usually can. I don''t know if that''s the distance or if it is something else."


    "You would know if something happened to him," Penelope insisted.


    "That is not enough for me! I can''t simply wait until I feel that something is terribly wrong. He is counting on me¡­ the whole pack is counting on me toe back!" she eximed, chest heaving with the truth of it. "If you will not take the talisman from me to get out of this room and look around on your own, then I will do it."


    "And here you were so happy to have mypany. Now you are nning on ditching me," Penelope chuckled. "Well if you are truly determined to do this, I obviously can''t stop you," she said, holding up her wrists as she did. "So you would probably have the best chance since you can actually use your ability. And you are powerful, August. I felt it in the infirmary when you threw me. You are very powerful. But you will need a n."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Zagan arrived at the gate to Gray Vale that automatically opened to receive him. It parted its steel teeth to allow him passage, and what greeted him was the dense fog that characterized this area of the vampire territory.


    The vampires existed in a dimension only essible by one of their kind, much like how the fae were believed to exist. Although no vampire had ever truly seen a fae, they knew of their existence. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Both the vampires and fae possessed a kind of immortality. But while vampires were neither living nor dead, the fae were rumored to be something like pure, constant life. Theymuned and gained power from the natural elements and the seasons as well as from the cyclical patterns of the Earth. And because of that, fae like La Loba could breathe life back into earthly creatures who had lost it.


    Fae could not only see the Veiled, but that is where their kindmonly traversed¡ªin liminal spaces where separate dimensions otherwise butted up against one another. Because of this fluidity, creatures who walked the Earth experienced encounters with fae as if they were ethereal spirits of nature or ghosts whose whispers spoke of unknowable things¡ªhidden secrets of the past and events yet to unfold in the linear future.


    While vampires and fae were not exactly opposites, they were each the others'' answers to an end to existence. Fae were believed to have the ability to bring vampires life, which would of course make them finally capable of dying. And it was believed that vampires held a simr ability to end the fae, though it was not clear how this would be aplished.


    There were those who had theories. Some believed drinking from a pure fae would draw and trap their essence in the vampire''s body and therefore in the neither living nor dead ne of existence. But there was no known proof of the theory working in practice. Neither vampires nor fae cared to seek the other kind out to test it. Each kind was satisfied to keep to their own dimensions and preserve their unhindered immortality.


    Zagan was the exception to this, and because of that, he was also an outcast.


    Zagan''s determination to find the closest thing he could to a pure fae threatened not only his own immortality, but everyone else''s as well. The only reason there was not a greater attempt to stop him was because he spent all of his time hiding in his own private dimension with his lycan and alyko pets¡ªa mongrel race that was neither fae nor wolf nor human and fell short of anything exceptional by the immortals'' standards.


    He was seen by the rest of his kind as foolish. And why would he want to die? No one else could understand it. There were always things to keep one entertained.


    So when Zagan returned to Gray Vale looking for answers about the bizarre episode he had experienced after drinking the Winter alyko''s blood, he did so very carefully. The dense fog allowed him a considerable amount of cover while passing through the gates, but his senses had to be on full alert to avoid bumping into anyone if it could be avoided.


    Unfortunately the ancient texts he was seeking were located at the undead heart of the vale right along the river. Because the blood river provided sustenance for any vampire who happened to be strolling by, it was not unusual to run into others in that area. And on top of that, Zagan''s senses were dull and his energy at an all time low with how depleted the blood was in his system. It would be best to approach the river straightaway before setting out on the rest of his task simply so he had the energy to follow through.


    With that thought in mind, he made his way to the most secluded spot along the river he could think of to get a drink and replenish what the Winter alyko had somehow taken from him.

 Chapter 341 Gray Vale

    341 Gray Vale


    The trees in Gray Vale were white from their roots to the tips of their leaves, but those that were fortunate enough to be nted close to the river had lush red leaves like the those in fall.


    It was under this cover that Zagan approached the blood river and drank from it without being noticed. In the midst of drinking, he considered what a river full of Penelope Winter''s blood would do to the creatures residing in Gray Vale. There was something intoxicating about just the scent of it, and he imagined it luring all of them in for a taste before each shriveled up into the dried corpse of themselves.


    It was a satisfying thought. The vampires being toppled. Perhaps they were right to make him an outcast.


    With dark ck hair and eyes restored along with the sharp senses he was ustomed to, Zagan sliced through the fog toward the athenaeum where the ancient texts were housed. Hopefully there was an exnation from centuries past about why he had suddenly felt a beating heart in his chest before promptly losing all vitality.


    The steepled building of the athenaeum was one amongst many in the vale¡ªall gray, all pointed upward through the fog, all with their sharp points like teeth threatening an unseen sky. This ce was positively ancient, and the weight of all of those years fell like a heavy cloak on Zagan''s shoulders. He hated it here. It was lifeless, obviously, and colorless and joyless¡­ not that he truly knew what joy was, but he knew it did not exist in Gray Vale. This ce was like an borate crypt whose dead had risen, making the crypt their home.


    Zagan was determined to get in and out of this ce as quickly as possible.


    The athenaeum was empty as far as he could tell, much to his relief. He knew this ce well, having spent many years hidden within these walls exploring the worlds that would open for him within books. Science and literature provided an escape and a reason to dream of more, and he found that "more" amongst the humans, lycans, and alyko. His precious alyko¡­


    He hurried to the section in question, picking books and quickly discarding them when he could find nothing of use. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Zagan?" the voice sent a shiver down his back, and he froze.


    Names had power in Gray Vale. Knowing someone''s name and using it wielded a unique power over them, and it was because of this that Zagan responded with such instinctual rage when others said it outside of vampire territory. Names were a weakness¡ªa vulnerability. And right now, Zagan was feeling that vulnerability slide down his spine like ice.


    The one who had called him by name moved slowly for a vampire, descending the steps behind him with a measured grace that came with the confidence of station. But other than the use of his name, Zagan didn''t detect any other threat. Still, he waited, frozen in ce staring at the wall of books before him until the other one came to stand by his side.


    "Rx, it is only I, Nelo," the male ced a hand on Zagan''s shoulder, and with the offering of his own name, Zagan realized at once that he was not in danger.


    Nelo was the athenaeum''s caretaker. He had no interest in Gray Vale politics nor any stake in reporting that Zagan had returned. He cared about the ancient texts within his care, and that was about it. Zagan had spent much time with him during his time of intense study here, but it had been many years now.


    "How are you old friend?" Nelo asked, shifting so that he could see Zagan more clearly.


    "I am well¡­ mostly. And you?"


    "I am the same," Nelo offered him a gentle smile. The smile in and of itself was unusual amongst their kind. Nelo was unique, and Zagan imagined it had to do with how he spent his time. "What brings you here? You are not finding what you seek, I see," he dropped his eyes to the stack of books that Zagan had discarded on the floor.


    "I will return them to their proper ce," Zagan replied, realizing the work he was creating for the elder vampire.


    "That is not a concern. I appreciate the work," Nelo chuckled. "As I would appreciate helping you with what you are looking for. It must be important if you have returned here to find it."


    "Yes," Zagan let one side of his lips curve into a smirk. Nelo was aware that he should not be here. "I experienced something unusual. It is not something I recall reading or hearing about."


    "Oh, interesting. Tell me of this unusual event," Nelo''s eyes sparked with a deep curiosity.


    Zagan''s thoughts zipped around, searching for any reason why he should be wary of sharing the information with anyone, but he had already piqued Nelo''s curiosity. It would be difficult to avoid sharing details. Plus, he didn''t know enough about this event to even know if it would be sensitive information.


    "I drank from someone," he started, being careful to avoid using the term alyko or, worse, fae. "And afterward, rather than having vitality restored, it was immediately depleted to near its lowest point."


    "Immediately?" Nelo asked with his studious air, his eyes turning to scan the books on vampire vitality before them.


    Zagan paused a beat too long, and Nelo returned his eyes to him. "Not immediately. What else happened?"


    "I felt¡­" he began, and then a sudden instinctual warning prickled the hair on his neck. He should not mention a heart. This was why he was cast out, because he was a danger to the vampire race. Coming here was unwise.


    "You felt what, son?" Nelo prompted.


    "Never mind. I should be returning," he replied, bending to pick up the books that he had plucked before returning them to their resting ce.


    "Zagan, I cannot let you leave until you share this most intriguing mystery with me," Nelo chuckled. As innocent as it sounded, the use of his name sent that threatening shackle down his spine again.

 Chapter 342 Gray Vale 2

    342 Gray Vale 2


    Zagan stared back at the elder vampire, meeting the challenge of hearing his name with a re. But Nelo appeared at ease, smiling kindly with the knowledge that he would hear what he wanted now. There was no use for Zagan''s resistance.


    "I can help you. I know all there is to know within these books," Nelo encouraged. "Give me something to ponder. It will bring me great pleasure."


    Zagan stared at the gray stone floor, clenching his teeth together. He did not like being forced to do anything. It went against his vampiric nature.


    "I felt a heart beating within my chest, and I coughed up some of the blood that I had taken from her," he forced through gritted teeth.


    "From her?" Nelo repeated the detail. "What is her name?"


    Requesting a name was requesting control. "Why do you wish to know it?" Zagan asked, his re intensifying.


    "Out of curiosity. This female is important to you," Nelo chuckled.


    "No, she is not," Zagan scoffed. He was not withholding her name for that reason.


    "You do not understand her importance, I see. But I am telling you a fact. If her blood has done this to you, then she is not only of paramount import to you, but also to the rest of our kind," he told him.


    "Why?" Zagan growled, a protective instinct arising from somewhere he didn''t recognize.


    Nelo smirked and gestured toward a pair of chairs. "It is a very interesting story. Let us sit and discuss it."


    Zagan grudgingly took the seat that was offered. He hated his kind. He hated that he must rely on another vampire for the answer to his question, but Nelo appeared delighted.


    "Do you know how vampires are made?" Nelo asked, a teasing smile gracing his lips.


    "Turning one who is bitten," Zagan rolled his eyes.


    "Has that ever worked for you?" Nelo tilted his head in curiosity, but he clearly knew the answer. It had not.


    "I figured there was something¡­" Zagan frowned, trailing off in his admission.


    "You figured there was something wrong with you?" Nelo guessed. "There is nothing wrong with you. It does not work that way. Why do you think all of our kind remains in this dimension? We could go out and turn all kinds of creatures into the undead, virtually taking over one dimension after another, but we do not. Our numbers remain as they are."


    "But that is what we are told," Zagan''s frown deepened. "These are lies?"


    "They are stories," Nelo shrugged. "Stories are meant to entertain and inspire. But they are also a vehicle of control." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Control?" Zagan questioned.


    "Control over knowledge and belief. This is a tool used by the dynasty," Nelo exined.


    "What does this have to do with my situation?" Zagan grumbled the question in frustration. He did not have any interest in what concerned the dynasty of royal vampires.


    "If I am correct, you have found something exceptionally rare that has not happened in centuries. You have found a mate," Nelo said, eyes gleaming. He looked like a predator that had just captured a fat, tasty meal.


    "What?" Zagan sputtered augh. "That is preposterous. Only royals have mates. That is why they are royals."


    "That is not the kind of mate I am referring to," Nelo replied.


    "That is the only kind of mate that vampires have," Zagan countered.


    "You have been misled as most have who do not spend their endless days within the walls of an athenaeum. The royals do not have mates. They have partners who are strategically chosen to maintain power and the purity of the race. If they were mates, they would breed. But they are incapable," Nelo exined.


    "That is because vampires are incapable. We are not living. How can we breed?" Zagan replied venomously. This was ridiculous.


    "And yet you were living for a few moments after drinking from that female," Nelo pointed out. "Were you not? You felt a heart beating in your chest. Your body was preparing to mate."


    "No," Zagan shook his head, refusing the information that was being given. It was impossible.


    "It is best that the royals do not find out about this," Nelo whispered. "You will never see your female again, nor will you be allowed to leave the gates of Gray Vale."


    Nelo stood from the chair while Zagan sat, dumbfounded. This went against everything he knew about his own kind.


    "There have not been new vampires in centuries, but it seems that might change," Nelo smiled. "I will give you a book to take. It is not one you would find on any bookshelf. And then I think it is best that you leave vampire territory and avoid returning¡­ at least until youe with purpose."


    With purpose? What purpose would that possibly be? Zagan wanted no part of thesends nor of his kind, and he absolutely wanted no part in creating new members of his kind.


    When the elder vampire returned with the small book and handed it to Zagan, he ced a reassuring hand on Zagan''s shoulder once again.


    "I do not want to mate or breed," he confessed. "I do not want any part of it. I hope you are wrong."


    "I have been around for a very long time. I am rarely wrong," Nelo smiled. "And this is something that has called to you, has it not? You left ournds to forge your own, and in the process you have stumbled upon something that was forgotten to most."


    "I did not leave for that purpose," Zagan hissed. "I am unsatisfied¡­"


    "Perhaps you are unsatisfied because your destiny lies elsewhere. Perhaps you are unsatisfied because those who are in leadership here are not true or honest or right," Nelo whispered.


    These were treasonous words. This whole conversation was treasonous.


    When Zagan appeared ready to object further, Nelo patted him on the back and then disappeared from there. So the male was capable of moving fast.


    Zagan red at the empty room now surrounding him and then down at the ancient book in his hands. Like a vampire concerned with protecting its identity, it bore no name. He tucked it safely into his jacket and rose to leave the territory he so despised.

 Chapter 343 Exploring the Castle

    343 Exploring the Castle


    "The great thing is that no lycans can scent you," Penelope spoke quietly to August who was preparing to venture out and explore the castle. "If you see him¡­" she emphasized thest word, "or anyone for that matter, then just act lost or something. But don''t take too long and hurry back."


    "Why don''t you just say his name? What is the big deal? Zagan. See? I said it," August replied.


    Penelope winced with the sound of his name. "Focus on what you''re about to do. And don''t go walking around the castle saying his name, for Goddess'' sakes."


    August grumbled something under her breath and peeked her head out of the doorway, looking both ways down the hall before she finally walked out and turned to give Penelope a big grin.


    "I honestly don''t think you are going to find anyone here. I haven''t seen anyone," Penelope told her. "They are likely on another part of the ind." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It doesn''t hurt to look. We have to start somewhere," August shrugged.


    "If someone tries attacking you, just st them with whatever you''ve got," Penelope said, biting her lip afterward at the thought of something like that happening. Hopefully it didn''te to that.


    "I got it," August nodded.


    For whatever reason, she was supremely confident about this exploration mission. It was like there was something telling her that regardless of what happened, she was going to be okay. Maybe the talisman also helped in that regard¡ªgiving the wearer the belief and confidence in their abilities.


    "Can I make myself invisible?" August whispered to Penelope.


    Penelope scoffed. "If you could, don''t you think I would have suggested it already?"


    August giggled and Penelope watched as she walked away as if this wasn''t dangerous at all. Maybe it was a bad idea letting her explore like this, but August was set on doing something other than just sitting around waiting. She was impatient. She wanted to get back to her mate. That was something Penelope could understand, but only as an outsider. Being alyko, she would never know the feeling of a mate bond.


    Penelope had given August an idea of how the castle wasid out from her minimal time traversing it, but August had her own ideas about how this adventure was going to go. She was going to explore Zagan''s room and office if she could, and then she was leaving the castle to find the alyko.


    She couldn''t get Graeme''s memories of Maggie out of her mind. She wanted to find Maggie for her mate. He had dealt with guilt revolving around the supposed death of the alyko for so long, and she wanted to see them reunited. That would make all of this more than worth it.


    The hallway was so dark. This entire castle, at least the parts she had seen other than the infirmary, reminded her more of a crypt than someone''s home. Was Zagan here all of the time? How depressing.


    She missed the forest where even the cool autumn season was so bright and cheerful. As she ventured into Zagan''s dark office, she imagined the forest that Graeme had made her home being tucked into her heart, lighting her with an unending warmth and belonging from the inside.


    And she needed that inner warmth, because a heavy sense of dread immediately surrounded her as she walked to the ck wall on one side of his office. There were outlines that made it look like it was a map. Was this an alyko map? There were no lights that appeared as she stood staring at the foreboding wall, but this had to be where he viewed them.


    She grimaced and made her way to his desk. There wasn''t much else to the room aside from the gray stone floor and walls and a sad looking firece that didn''t appear to have ever been used.


    His desk was clear, and there were no drawers. This was not turning out at all how she expected. She hoped there would be a stack of papers on his desk with photos and details about each of the alyko that were kept here¡ªor maybe a video feed of where they were held. But there was nothing of the kind. No incriminating evidence to indicate what he had been doing with alyko all these years.


    There was a room adjoining the office, but when she went to grab the door knob, it wouldn''t budge. There seemed to be something blocking her from entering¡ªnot a lock, but something else. She could see it with her use of the Veiled, and it reminded her of when she saw Zoe for the first time in the dungeon of the pack house. It was of a ck thread-like nature that was barring the material of the door. This must be how Zagan''s power manifested.


    "Dammit," August cursed under her breath.


    She walked to the tall arched window in his office and peered out. There was nothing visible but trees bending over and blocking the sky. If she were going to venture out to look for the alyko, it might be one heck of a journey. It was difficult to say. But what else was she going to do? Sit around and wait for him to¡­ to what? And all while Graeme and the rest of the pack were waiting for her to return, unsure of where she had gone and what had happened to her?


    Without further hesitation August left the room, first ncing both ways once again before she jogged on her tiptoes further down the hallway where Penelope said there should be a side staircase leading down. But wow the hallway was long! And there were so many rooms, all with doors closed. She wondered if she should stop and search any of them.


    For some reason, she just didn''t imagine other alyko being up here shuttered in bedrooms on the same floor as Zagan. When he had an entire ind at his disposal, why would he keep them here?

 Chapter 344 Zagan Returns

    344 Zagan Returns n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zagan returned to the room in the castle where he had departed from and was about to go straight to his office to read this mysterious unnamed book that Nelo had given him when he remembered Penelope was passed out in his office when he left. Would she still be there? He grimaced at the thought.


    Now how was he supposed to act around her? What if her blood called to him the way it seemed to in the greenhouse and he couldn''t help butpel her again so he could drink from her freely without her objections? Just the thought of that¡ªof the taste of her blood¡ªhad his pupils constricting with predatory hunger. What was happening to him? He never had a problem controlling his hunger anymore. This was highly unusual.


    If he couldn''t keep this apparentpulsion under control, not only would he return to that corpse-like state that required an ample amount of blood to regenerate him¡ªand he couldn''t keep returning to Gray Vale to drink from the blood river that was mercifully purified of the emotions of its bearers¡ªbut what was worse was that he would have to feel the pain of a heart thundering away at his chest. He didn''t want to go through that again unless it ensured that his swift death would follow.


    While Zagan didn''t believe this mate theory Nelo had told him, he didn''t want to be around Penelope until he could read more about it and be sure. If she were by some impossible stroke of fate his mate, maybe there was something in the book that could tell him how to end it. Could he just kill her and be done with it? Would that have a negative effect on him if he did? Would she turn into one of his kind? There were too many questions for him to just be able to walk about his own home freely. What if he bumped into her again?


    He approached the doorway and used his sensitive hearing to determine if there was anyone close by. He was on the bottom level of the castle, and with all of the thick, heavy stone walls, he could really only hear within a small radius. This included the kitchen where it sounded like Brandt was banging dishes around.


    "Did you feed them?" Zagan asked abruptly after arriving in the kitchen. There were ingredients all over the kitchen ind, and Brandt was lighting several mes on the stove.


    "Oh, hi boss," Brandt greeted, not surprised by the way Zagan seemed to appear out of thin air. "Yes, I did feed them as you asked. I am working on dinner now."


    "Was the Winter still in my office? Or was she in her own room?" he asked, thinking now of how he should have instructed Brandt to take her to her room if she was still unconscious. Why hadn''t he thought of that at the time? He didn''t want to have to move her himself.


    "They were in a room together. The room next to yours," the male answered, remaining focused on the food he was preparing in front of him.


    "Together?" Zagan hissed.


    Penelope had gone into the room with the Luna? When he released her from thepelled state, that was the first thing she had requested¡ªa shared room with the Luna. He thought it was odd, but usually people said odd things when they regained the autonomy of their conscious thoughts. It was like being roused from anesthesia.


    "Hmm. They are together. That is fine I suppose," he thought aloud.


    In fact, that was perfect. Now he would not have to worry about identally running into Penelope if she were out roaming in the castle halls. He knew exactly where she would be. Maybe he could eventually have her moved to containment where he wouldn''t have to risk being close to her at all. He would just get someone else to look after the Luna and pretend to be her doctor for the time being. There were plenty of alyko who could fill that roll.


    "Is the greenhouse restored?" he asked.


    "I believe Emmett is still working on it," Brandt answered.


    "I will be there for a time. Keep me updated on the two upstairs," Zagan told him.


    "Will do, boss."


    "When you took the food to them, did the Winter alyko drink her juice and eat?" he asked, the question nagging at him as he was about to leave.


    "I did not see her, boss," Brandt frowned. Was he really supposed to wait there and make sure she ate and drank?


    "I thought you said you saw her in there with the Luna," Zagan growled.


    "I scented her, and the other one said she was in there," he replied.


    "When you take their meals up, make sure you see her eat," he growled again, annoyance evident in his tone.


    Brandt opened his mouth to stutter a question¡ªwhy in the world would he need to watch her eat¡ªbut before the words could even formte, the vampire was gone.


    Zagan pulled the book out of his jacket as he entered through the heavy double doors of the greenhouse. His lips curled into the beginning of a smile when he thought of how initially Penelope was unable to open them on her own and she had to grudgingly allow him to assist her.


    "She is stubborn," he chuckled to himself, flipping open the book.


    "Boss," Emmett nodded as Zagan walked in.


    "The cobra lilies are back in ce. Lovely," Zagan nced around without returning the greeting. The cobra lilies were one of many carnivorous species Zagan kept in the greenhouse. They were beautiful and deadly, which is why he was so fond of them. "But I don''t see my chair."


    "I will get it, boss," the male answered.


    "Don''t worry about it."


    There were a few beds that had yet to be removed, so Zagan approached one and flopped down onto it with the book in his hands. Emmett stared at him in surprise. The vampire''s movements were always so poised and rigid. He didn''t imagine he would ever see him lounging on a bed reading a book.


    "Carry on," Zagan lifted his eyes to the male who appeared frozen before him.

 Chapter 345 Crow and Dove

    345 Crow and Dove


    The first page of the ancient looking book Zagan held in his hands had an old ck and white drawing of two birds circling toward each other in the air. The two birds¡ªone ck and one white¡ªlooked as if they were preparing to fight.


    It was elegant, Zagan thought, this moment that was depicted before the first draw of blood that would inevitably break the ck and white spell with its garish ssh of red. The inscription "Crow & Dove" was the only other thing on the page.


    It appeared as if Nelo had given him the wrong book, which would be a huge inconvenience. Zagan was willing to go back to Gray Vale if he had to in order to retrieve the right information when it was regarding something as crucial as this, but it was certainly not ideal. He gritted his teeth, drawing blood from his own lip with one of his fangs.


    When he flipped to the next page, it was nk¡­ with the exception of several ck and white feathers drawn at the bottom. On the following page, there was a simple heading: "The Liminal." Apparently the book started here. There was no table of contents or page numbers. It began with "The Liminal." He groaned but then read what followed.


    "Two opposing drawn together, forces against the grain.


    One liminal blooms from the center, this red or gray gateway.


    A ceasing withers inward, gray heart plus two it makes.


    Within this sacred fold, either the fluttering of new or perishing of old.


    It cannot be both that wakes."


    Zagan groaned again after finishing the verse. He wasn''t sure what he was expecting, but it was definitely something less lyrical and more practical¡ªlike a how to manual or something about vampiric anatomy and mating behavior. Even a series of parables would be vastly more beneficial than whatever this was.


    He flipped through more pages and found simr verses that seemed to want to simultaneously disguise and reveal. No dark secrets were brought to light. No answers were given. Why would Nelo hand him a book that told him nothing at all? If Penelope was his mate, he wanted to know how to take care of it immediately.


    "For example, is it safe to kill her?" he hissed through his teeth.


    "What boss?" Emmett called from the other side of the ss-paned room.


    "Nothing," he called back with a dismissive flourish of his hand.


    Zagan flipped to the end, hoping to find something of use hidden within. The final pages listed a series of dates and initials in small script. He squinted to read it and quickly recognized some of the dates and initials corresponded to vampires he was aware of that existed. So this was a list of vampires in existence and the dates they were created? He scanned through all of the entries before arriving at another familiar date and initial: "A.D. 1028, Z."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    August finally arrived at the staircase Penelope described. If only she had a light of some kind, because the stairway was pitch ck. Her confidence wavered a bit as she imagined what kind of creatures could be waiting in the dark to jump out and scare her. But then she thought of who else could be waiting¡­ a countless number of alyko who had been trapped on this ind for years, many of them with families who believed them to be kidnapped or dead. Among those imprisoned here could also be Greta and Graeme''s beloved Maggie. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She closed her eyes and concentrated on the memories she had seen and felt of Graeme''s¡ªof Maggie''s kindness and the reassurance and love she gave to the Hallowell twins who loved her like a close family member. And then she concentrated on Graeme, on the mate bond between them. If something did end up happening to August now, she wanted him to feel how profound her love for him was in the hope that it could sustain him when she was gone.


    She found that golden cord within her that somehow connected her and her mate across space and time, but he felt so distant. It made her ache to pull on that cord and draw him into the world where she was. Maybe if she tried it, he would actually appear in this stairway with his deep, consuming eyes and powerful angles that sculpted every delicious part of him¡­ and with his warmth that was like the sun.


    She twisted the band on her finger. He was her sun. She was his moon. Just the thought of him gave her strength, and she let out a deep, calming breath. If she imagined he was right next to her, she could do this. She could do this. She could walk blindly into the darkness, believing in the light at the other end. If it was for him, she could do anything.


    In the dark staircase, August''s twin golden suns could be seen glowing. But she couldn''t see anything beyond the ck air. Her hand traced the stone wall as she descended, steps believing in the ground that had yet to fail in meeting them, rewarding their faith. After what seemed like an eternity of her heart hammering in her ears, she finally felt the even ground under her feet.


    A minute amount of light was enough for her to see that she had arrived on another floor with the same gray stone walls. Now she just had to find a door that would lead her out onto the castle grounds. If she followed the exterior wall, assuming this was the exterior wall, it would inevitably lead the way.


    This logic paid off when she finally arrived at arge arched doorway with a fragment of crumbling stone jammed at its base, keeping it open to the outside. She looked around for the person responsible. Clearly someone had put this here, but the hall was empty. The nking of pots and pans then arose a short distance away, and without further hesitation she scampered through the opening into fresh air and the sound of nature that she so missed.

 Chapter 346 Back in Neomas Room

    346 Back in Neoma''s Room


    "Goddess, did Andreas really do that to you?" Sh asked the girl in front of her who had been renamed by the river. "I thought you couldn''t be hurt."


    "So did I," Neoma chuckled.


    It wasn''t actually funny. It was a truly horrific experience having Andreas maul her like he did, but that is what it took for her to be free from Zagan''s spell so it was worth it.


    "How do you think you can help?" Graeme asked, arms crossed against his chest. He was doing his best to keep up with all of these details without getting too overwhelmed by them. It was still difficult maintaining the posture of an Alpha when he didn''t recall rising to that title or anything else since.


    "Have we destroyed the map and servers?" Neoma asked him. Both Sh and Lucas looked to him for how we would answer. They knew he didn''t recall anything, but they weren''t going to be the ones to divulge that information if he didn''t want it revealed.


    "Hey, what have we missed?" Greta interrupted, entering the room with Sylvia on her heels. "All of the females are doing really well. Charlotte came to be with her sister, and everyone looks healthy. They are happy to be back but also understandably weirded out that we have all aged while they apparently haven''t."


    "The pups are okay?" Graeme asked. "You put guards on them?"


    "Yes, they are guarded and the pups are okay. They are nervous to see their families, so we decided to wait until the sun rises to contact them. That would probably be the best time to announce to the whole pack what has happened with their return. It''s going to be mind-boggling for a lot of them. I wonder how they will handle the news," Greta said, turning to Sylvia with a worried expression.


    "If we frame it as the miracle it is, then it should be received well," Sylvia spoke softly.


    "Some may think it is further evidence of witchcraft," Lucas mumbled only to receive res from both Graeme and Greta. "I don''t think that. I am just saying that those who consider them witches will likely think that. It''s best to be prepared for that response, don''t you think?"


    "He is right," Sylvia agreed. "That is a possibility. We need to make sure they are well-protected. It should go over better with the pack now that they have a Luna who is also alyko though. We were all profoundly touchedst night when we felt the union of our Alpha and Luna, and I think that experience will have changed some perspectives."


    "It better have," Greta growled, imagining the nerve of anyone in their pack who might object to the return of their alyko. There was no way their alyko were going to be ridiculed or cast out or threatened ever again. "History will never repeat itself here so long as I am living to help prevent it. And now Graeme is Alpha without any scheming elders free to undermine his rule."


    Just then, Sam jogged into the room. Graeme looked at him expectantly, but the Beta shook his head. "I can''t find it anywhere, and I checked from here to the haunted forest and the tree where your scent ends. It is not there."


    Graeme raked a hand down his face and groaned, turning to pace in frustration. The talisman was the answer to this memory issue. Now what? He couldn''t fake his memory, and when the sun arose in the morning, there was going to be a whole pack looking to him for answers and guidance and leadership that he didn''t know how to give when he didn''t remember the truth of everything that hade to pass.


    "You can''t find what? What is it?" Greta asked.


    "Your father''s talisman. Sh says it would break the memory enchantment," Sam answered.


    "You lost it?" Greta asked her brother, mouth dropping open in surprise.


    "Can another one be made?" Graeme turned to Sh with the hopeful question.


    "Yes, of course. It takes an experienced alyko, though. One who knows how it is done," she told him and nced at Neoma. Neoma may be a powerful alyko now, given that she essed a portal, but she was certainly not experienced.


    "Perhaps one of the alyko who returned?" Graeme suggested, looking to Greta and Sylvia in question. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "We can¡­ we can ask them," Greta replied before turning to verify this with Sylvia.


    "I will go find out if any of them is aware of how to make one," Sylvia nodded.


    "Is that the only hope of getting your memory back?" Greta asked her brother once Sylvia had left.


    "You don''t remember anything?" Neoma gasped. Was it Zagan who had done it simr to how he had altered her memory?


    "No, Sh says I can vite the mate bond and it should snap me right out of it," Graeme grumbled in answer to Greta''s question.


    "It''s certainly not something I rmended," Sh put her hands up defensively when Greta shot daggers at her with her eyes.


    "That is out of the question," Greta growled. "What? Get your memory back so that you can deal with the anguish of having done something like that to your mate as well as to yourself?"


    "Well, okay," Lucas spoke up. "What qualifies as a vition? Because if it''s just, you know, kissing someone¡­"


    "Ugh, Lucas," Greta groaned.


    "Isn''t it a fair question though?" he asked. "If that''s all it takes, then¡­"


    "I''m not discussing this, especially not with you Lucas," Graeme snarled, effectively ending the discussion.


    "I was just trying to help," Lucas mumbled to himself.


    "If one of our alyko can make a talisman, then it doesn''t matter anyway. We won''t have to worry about it. There is no way in hell he will do that to August," Greta said. "Wait¡­ when did Zoe get back?"


    "That just urred to you?" Lucas chuckled in response to the dyed reaction. "You''ve been in this room for a good five minutes now."


    "Did youe back at the same time the others did?" Greta asked, ignoring Lucas'' smart ass remark. She would roll her eyes, but it honestly wasn''t even worth the effort at this point.


    "I had a detour," Neoma answered her. "I went to my old pack and escaped from there."


    "She used a portal," Lucas added. "I saw her arrive out of thin air right down by the fire."


    "Why wouldn''t you just stay with your old pack? You''ve done enough damage here, don''t you think?" Greta asked venomously.

 Chapter 347 Back in Neomas Room 2

    347 Back in Neoma''s Room 2


    "Goddess, she''s trying to help, Greta," Lucas growled.


    "Why do you care so much, Lucas? Have you had to deal with any of the heartache that her and Andreas and the other elders have caused? Sam and I lost a baby because they were apparently calcting probabilities about the likelihood of alyko births. And you think we should just wee her into our pack with open arms now that she''s suffered some minor injuries and supposedly grew a conscience?" Greta seethed.


    Neoma''s shoulders sagged and she dropped her eyes to the floor. She deserved this. She deserved so much more than this.


    "Yes, I have dealt with my share of heartache and you know it. I have been in this pack the same as you have, Greta. I have seen what''s happened to those around me. But how can we hold her responsible when she was under that psychopath''s control and had no memory of who she really was? Before Zagan got control of her, she was treated horribly like most other alyko out there. But she saved me tonight. She sacrificed herself¡­"


    "I don''t need you defending me, Lucas," Neoma spoke up, grimacing at the words exchanged concerning her. It was painful hearing all of it¡ªhis defense as well as Greta''s truth. "I returned because I want to help. I know I can never take back what I did or what I was involved in, even if it was as the monster Zagan created in Zosime, but I can help you now. But I will let you decide if my help is something you actually want. If not, I will leave."


    Greta watched as the girl she knew as Zoe spoke these humble words with her eyes downcast, but it did not soften her feelings. It couldn''t. This could all just be some borate act to get their favor. How could they possibly trust her after everything?


    "I don''t know if we have destroyed the map," Graeme replied to Neoma''s earlier question. "Have we destroyed the map, Sam?"


    "Yes, we did," Sam whose hand was resting on Greta''s shoulder,forting the rage and heartache he felt welling within her nodded.


    Neoma nced at Sh, and Sh nodded her understanding. "I will make sure the servers and everything else is properly destroyed as well," she said.


    "From what I know of Zagan, he will have likely replicated our work here for his own use to ensure that it is not vulnerable to any hups on our end. So us destroying the map and servers here will take down the feed from all of the other packs, which is good, but Zagan will still have ess to whatever setup he has created. There is nothing we can do about that," Neoma exined.


    "What else do you know about Zagan?" Graeme asked, a growl puttering in his throat as he imagined having a go at the vampire who had created all of this mess they were dealing with now.


    "He is unkible," Neoma frowned, "but he has vulnerabilities."


    "What vulnerabilities?" Greta asked, eager to exploit whatever opportunities they had avable to them.


    "I seem to be one of them," Neoma replied.


    "What?" Greta scoffed. "What does that mean?"


    "When he came for me earlier, I was able to make a deal with him in order to spare Lucas. I might be able to do something like that again. If I am as important to him as it seems, perhaps he would make a trade," she suggested.


    "No way," Lucas growled an objection from his side of the room.


    "Let''s do it," Greta smirked, shooting a re Lucas'' way.


    "What makes you think you are that important to him, Neoma?" Graeme asked, his forehead feathering with a deep frown. He didn''t like the idea of trading one life for another, even with all that this young girl was apparently responsible for. It didn''t sound like she had any control over her prior actions¡ªmuch like he didn''t have control over gaining his memory back.


    "Wait? Neoma?" Greta asked. "Who gave her the honor of being named ''New Moon?''"


    "An element of nature named her, Greta," Sh replied, her voice soft. "Perhaps you could just listen."


    "He acted strangely¡­ protective of me," Neoma shrugged. Recalling it much less putting the impression into words made her ufortable. "I know he spent a lot of time with me before I came to this pack teaching me things and making me a little replica of himself, I guess. He was hoping things would turn out differently for me with Andreas, and it upset him that this happened," she gestured toward her face. "For whatever reason, he seems to care about me. And I think I could use that to help benefit you. Maybe I can get the remaining alyko back¡­ maybe even August."


    "You think he values you over the others?" Sh asked.


    "I don''t know, but he was taking me to his castle rather than wherever he keeps the others."


    "So you saw Sage?" Sh asked, swallowing as the thought of her brother being alone there made her anxiety skyrocket.


    "Yes," Neoma said softly. "He was okay when I saw him," she offered a small smile for whatever reassurance it could give.


    "He keeps the others in a containment facility that my mother helped him create. His own residence is separate¡ªa castle within a dense forest of trees. So, yeah, if he wasn''t taking you to containment¡­ then I wonder what he was going to do with you," Sh exined.


    "How do you know all of that? Have you been there? Wait¡­ your mother?" Neoma asked, stumbling over the facts, eyes growing wider with each new revtion that alighted in her mind.


    "I was born there¡­ it''s a long story," Sh replied quickly. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "So that is how you were able to retrieve Livvy?" Greta asked.


    "Yes. I know how to get there and how to ess it through a side portal that no one else is aware of."


    "Well things are looking up for us after all," Greta smiled.

 Chapter 348 Catching up with Violet

    348 Catching up with Violet


    "I''m sorry, I am quite tired. Is it okay if we continue thister today?" Neoma asked, finding herself suddenly dizzy from exhaustion.


    She had been unconscious for who knows how long in Zagan''s pig pen, but then she ran from those two males in her pack and ended up fighting against freezing river rapids. Now that she had talked to Graeme like she wanted, there was no energy left in her.


    "Whoah," Lucas darted over to her side when he saw her starting to melt toward the floor and helped guide her to the bed.


    "Yeah, let''s leave her to rest. I''m sure everyone else could use some sleep after the excitement today," Graeme said. "We will pick this upter. After we tell the pack about¡­ all that has happened," he sighed, "we wille up with a n for going to save the rest of them."


    "Sounds good," Sh said and started to make her way out.


    "Sh, thank you for everything," Graeme told her as she was leaving. "And everyone else, too. Thank you. I know I am not myself. I will thank you all properly when everythinges back to me."


    "We understand, Graeme," Greta said, giving him a crooked smile as she patted his shoulder. "Sam and I will sleep at the house. Will you being?"


    "No, I''ll stick around here and find an empty bed. I am really not tired," he replied.


    "Well you were out good when we found you. Maybe that has something to do with it," she said. "Come here, give me a hug. Call us if something happens¡­ if anything happens. Okay?"


    "Sure," he agreed, "thanks, sis." Greta gave him a lingering smile before she and Sam left.


    "Are you two good?" he turned to ask Lucas and Neoma.


    "Yeah," Lucas said, ncing down at the girl who was already nodding off to sleep. "I will stay here with her."


    Graeme watched the apprehension feather Lucas'' jaw and brow as he looked at Neoma. It felt like he had lost a lifetime of memories, because the Lucas he knew was not this caring and considerate. He grunted softly to himself before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. He should go check on the alyko. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Graeme?" a timid voice called from down the hall, and he squinted to see a familiar face peeking out from one of the rooms.


    "Violet?" he asked, surprised to see her here in the medical wing. "Are you hurt?"


    Violet stepped cautiously out of the room into the hallway, tightening the sweater that was around her shoulders as she did. "Can I talk to you?"


    He nced back down the other half of the hallway, hoping to find some indication as to what Violet was doing here. Was this something else he should know about?


    "It will just take a minute," she added.


    "Of course," he replied, walking down to the room where she had turned and disappeared back into.


    When he entered, he was surprised to find that no one else was here with her. If she were injured, her mother would likely be here. Her and her mother were very close.


    Violet''s demeanor was odd as well. She was typically very confident, but now she was huddled on the bed with the clear scent of fear saturating the room around her.


    "What happened, Violet?" he asked, eyebrows pinched together in confusion.


    "Um, I heard you all talking. I''m sorry, I wasn''t meaning to eavesdrop. It was so quiet, and then¡­"


    "What did you hear?" he asked gruffly.


    "You lost your memory?" she nced up at him, and that''s when he noticed the red marks on her face. Clearly something had happened to her. "I want you to know something that you might have forgotten. It has to do with your mate."


    A muscle feathered in Graeme''s jaw. It would not be out of character for Violet to take advantage of this situation, so he braced himself for what wasing.


    "What about her?" he ground out.


    "Please don''t get angry, okay?" she said tremulously, and he noticed her hands shaking as she readjusted the sweater around her shoulders again. "I left the pack for awhile, and I ventured into another territory. I was wanting to get hurt, I think. It was stupid, but I had helped the elders try to set up your mate, and then they basically told me to get lost for awhile."


    Graeme crossed his arms across his chest, taking in this new information. Damn, so much had happened.


    "I was¡­ I was attacked," she said, her lips quivering as she did. "I''m sorry," she wiped the tears that had started falling from her eyes before regaining herposure. "They were lycans¡­ the ones who, who¡­ um, who attacked me. But there was this other male. He had the same eyes as your mate. He bit me and¡­"


    A growl puttered in Graeme''s throat as he imagined the scene unfolding that she was describing. Had she been raped? What kind of fucking monsters would do something like that? Violet jumped at the sound and pushed herself back into the bed away from him, her whole body shaking with tremors as the scent of her fear spiked in the room.


    "Violet, I''m sorry," he said softly, approaching the bed with his hands up to show he had no ill intent. "That was not for you. It was instinct. Are you okay?" He squatted next to the bed so he wasn''t looming over her any longer.


    She nodded, her chest heaving and pupils dted but she took a deep breath and curled the sweater around her again.


    "He took my wolf. The male who looks like your mate. He bit me, and my wolf is gone," she sputtered. "I think all of this is happening because of your mate. And I''m sorry. I just want her to know that. If you could tell her¡­ I just, I just want my wolf back. I''m not healing¡­" she said, gradually pulling the sweater down to reveal the bite mark on her neck.


    "Did he mark you?" Graeme asked, clenching his teeth to try to keep his growl at bay.


    "I don''t¡­ I don''t know," she stuttered. "Goddess, I hope not."

 Chapter 349 Catching up with Violet 2

    349 Catching up with Violet 2


    "I would know if I was marked, right?" Violet asked. "I mean, th-that''s a p-pretty major thing."


    Graeme pressed his lips together. He wasn''t sure what it would be like if a mark was forced on someone. Did that even qualify as a marking? Did it have to be consensual?


    "Have you talked to anyone else about this?" he asked, assuming that there was someone else who would know better than he would how to handle this or what to tell her or how tofort her.


    "Yes. Sylvia came and talked to me. And Beth, the healer," she sniffed.


    "Good," he sighed heavily and studied the floor. "Where is your mother?"


    "I haven''t called her yet. I left without telling her anything, and I don''t know if I want to see her. I don''t know how she will react," she shrugged. "I don''t have a wolf, and I am all banged up everywhere, and I don''t know if I want anyone else to know other than those who already do."


    "She will want to know. Your mother loves you, Violet," he reassured her.


    "I know, I know she does. But I am so ashamed," she said and then her face crumpled, and she buried her head in her hands so he wouldn''t see her cry.


    Goddess, he was not the person for this. He didn''t know what to do or say, so he just gave her time to regain herposure. She had wanted to talk to him for a reason, so he would wait and hear everything she had to say. If that''s all he could do for her, he would do it.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t mean to put this on you, especially when there is so much happening and you have all of these other things to deal with. That''s not why¡­ I just¡­" she said, wiping more tears from her eyes as she searched for the right words. "I heard your mate is gone, and I want you to consider not going to find her."


    Graeme rolled back on his heals. "And why is that?"


    "Can''t you see that she is responsible for all of this? There is a male out there who looks just like her¡­ like some kind of psychotic mutant with bright, glowing gold eyes, and he took my wolf. He took my wolf! Just imagine what she can do as the Luna of our pack¡­ maybe she brainwashed you and now this is your chance to have a clear head to see her for who she really is and all of the things she has done!"


    Graeme sighed and stood up, turning away from Violet so he could think more clearly without the terror in her eyes swaying him.


    "Why do you think she is responsible for any of this?" he asked.


    "Because you changed so quickly. You didn''t want a mate, am I right?" she chuckled. "And then you were back and determined to insert yourself into the Alpha role that you had sworn off. You weren''t being yourself. She has some kind of hold over you. How do you know she isn''t after the pack?"


    "People change quickly when they find their mates, Vi. That''s not unusual," he argued. "And what would she want with the pack?"


    "Who knows, but that other male like her¡ªI would bet anything that he was from the same screwed up human experiment as her¡ªand the other lycans around him were acting like he was their Alpha. If he took over that pack and she takes over this one¡­ that''s not a coincidence, is it?" she asked.


    "Are you implying that I can be fooled into thinking I found my mate?" he asked, turning with narrowed eyes.


    "No, no¡­ I-I am n-not saying that," she stuttered, shaking her head. "It''s just that¡­ how do we know they can''t manufacture a mate bond?"


    "Who is ''they'' Violet?" he asked. What kind of crazy conspiracy theory was this?


    "The ones who made her. The researchers at Eliade. If they can change her genes around with a virus to make her whatever she is now, then a mate bond is small potatoes don''t you think? I mean, would she even be your mate if it wasn''t for the human''s pandemic?" Violet''s eyes were wide with the possibilities that were alive and multiplying in her mind.


    "Look, you have been through a lot," Graeme started, sighing heavily. "Maybe you should get some rest. And in the morning, you need to call your mother and let her know what has happened to you. It is not good for you to be alone here with these wild ideas."


    "I know, I don''t want to be alone," she muttered, eyes darting to the dark corners of the room.


    "Do you need¡­ anything? Pain medication?" he asked.


    "What if hees for me? He marked me," she muttered again, this time like she was talking to herself.


    "So he did mark you?" Graeme asked, his hands curling into fists at his sides.


    "I think he did," she whimpered, her face crumpling again before her eyes went wide in terror. "He''sing for me, isn''t he? You don''t mark someone and then leave them alone. He is going to follow me here. He is going to find me¡­"


    "Calm down," he said.


    What Violet was saying was entirely possible. If that unknown male marked her and realized it afterward, he would be driven to find her and take her back with him. And anyone getting between a male and his mate would have a really hard time.


    "But I''m right, aren''t I?" she asked. "He is going toe for me."


    "Can you feel him? Can you feel the mate bond?" he asked.


    "I don''t want to feel it," she shook her head. "It was supposed to be you. You were supposed to be the one to mark me." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His stomach turned when she said that. He didn''t want to go down this road with her again. It was hard enough breaking it off with her after she had the miscarriage, because he felt so guilty. He shouldn''t have been with her in the first ce¡ªhe knew she wasn''t his mate, but it felt good for awhile¡­ to be needed by someone, to feel like a hero in her eyes. Because no one else viewed him like that at the time. He always felt like a disappointment and a failure who could never live up to the role his father had left to him.


    "I know that''s what you wanted, Vi, but it wasn''t meant to be," he said softly.


    "I know," she nodded, tears running down her cheeks. "I''m just so scared. What did I get myself into? I have no wolf¡­ I can''t even defend myself."


    "We aren''t going to let anyone take you who you don''t want to go with, okay?" he told her, sitting in the chair next to her bed. "This is your pack. You are safe here. We will protect you if ites to that."


    "Thank you," she whimpered and wiped her nose with the sweater she was clutching like it was a life line. "Do you think you can stay here with me?"


    Why did he have a feeling this is what wasing? The suggestion made him sick to his stomach. "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    "I''ll call someone in the morning. I''m just afraid to be alone," she said, her eyes darting to the window as if she would see someone peering in from outside.

 Chapter 350 Camila and Elsie

    350 Cam and Elsie


    "No one is out there, Violet. You are safe," Graeme reassured her, leaning forward in his chair and letting his arms rest on his legs.


    "How can you be sure? Someone was able to take our own supposed Luna away," she said, terror making her eyes look wild as she used every corner of the room.


    Graeme bowed his head and sighed. What could he possibly say to that? It was true, and he had failed to protect her¡ªhis own mate. He wasn''t going to let anyone else suffer a simr fate in this pack.


    "I have something to do, and then I will be back to check on you," he told her, rising from the chair without giving her another opportunity to object.


    She pulled her legs closer to chest on the bed, clutching them against her as if they would protect her from whatever it is that was haunted her mind. She nodded quietly.


    "Try to get some rest," he said before leaving.


    When he closed the door behind him, he could hear her whimpering. Seeing Violet in this state was upsetting. She was certainly capable of maniption, he knew that from their history together. But everything about her demeanor now was genuine. These were true fears and beliefs she held about his mate and the mysterious male who had marked her. He needed his fucking memory back, and fast.


    When he tracked down the alyko who had returned, he was relieved to see that there were two guards on either side of the door. They greeted him as he passed, knocking before entering.


    "Graeme, you are such a sight for sore eyes," Elsie, the smaller one smiled as he entered. "You were just a pup when we left. You have grown," sheughed.


    He took note of how she used the word ''left'' as if they had simply decided to move from the pack. That was one hell of a euphemism. But what was she supposed to say? When their deaths were staged and they were taken to a vampire''s alternate dimension?


    "We feel the same way," he said gruffly, walking forward to allow himself to be embraced by the two adults who remembered him from before he had even shifted for the first time.


    "So handsome," Elsie smiled, patting his cheeks. "Just like your father."


    "And you both look just as I remember you," he smiled.


    "Yes, it is a peculiar ce we were in," Cam said as she made her way back to sitting next to Charlotte.


    Charlotte had aged so much during the time that her sister was gone, bing a wise elder while Cam still looked to be middle aged¡ªstill with a smoothness to her features where Charlotte''s had be wrinkled and thin like delicate tissue paper. The sisters looked overjoyed to be reunited.


    "I have heard a little bit about it. Time sounds to be different there," he said.


    "Yes, it felt like we were there for ages and ages, but the sun never went down. It was almost like the sun was on a loop, moving around the horizon rather across it," Elsie said, using her finger to trace the path of the sun''s orbit in the air.


    "I met the woman who is responsible for creating that world. Nedra is her name," Cam said, turning to Charlotte. "She is the most powerful alyko in existence, they say, but she is trapped there like all of us were. I still don''t understand how we suddenly returned as if it was the easiest thing¡­ even she couldn''t do that." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Charlotte, Graeme, and Sylvia who was sitting next to the huddled pups all listened patiently. These would be stories that would live on in this pack forever¡­ the alyko who were taken and survived, not even aging upon their return. Lucas'' words about those in the pack who would fear their arrival alighted once again in Graeme''s mind together with an acute unease. Would he still face the challenge of convincing this pack that the alyko were not witches to be feared?


    "We have someone here who is familiar with that world you were in, but I am sure you can help us even more. My mate has been taken there," he told them.


    "We heard, Graeme. I am so sorry. We will help in whatever way we can, although we were confined the entire time we were there. I''m not sure how much we can contribute¡­" Elsie spoke, turning to Cam in question.


    "Was she the one who sent us back? She is alyko as well, ording to Charlotte," Cam said.


    "It seems likely that she had something to do with it," he replied, the thought of his mate being capable of returning these lost females to their pack once again blooming pride in his chest.


    "Extraordinary," Cam replied. "The Moon Goddess has chosen a powerful mate for our Alpha." Everyone in the room hummed their agreement or, in the case of the three pups on the bed, stared on in wonder.


    "Is there anything you need that I can get for you?" he asked.


    "No, we are veryfortable," Cam scanned the faces of the pups, ensuring that she was not mistaken. They were too shy in front of the Alpha to speak up if there was something they needed.


    "We were discussing the talisman," Charlotte spoke now, her voice even and measured even in such a joyous time. "They have never made one¡­"


    "But we can try," Cam interrupted. "I can try and Elsie said she would try as well. It is not an easy enchantment, though. It may take some time, I''m sorry."


    "I understand," he said, trying to disguise his disappointment. "My father''s talisman must be in the woods somewhere. We will continue searching for it. Please don''t exhaust yourselves with trying. If it can''t be done, we will find another way."


    "Your mate is strong. She will find a way to break the enchantment," Cam reassured him.


    "I am sure you are right," he smiled. "The important thing is that you have returned. Was Maggie well? Was she kept with you?"


    "As far as we know, she has been well," Elsie nodded, looking to Cam for confirmation.


    "Maggie is a powerful alyko in her own right. She was kept separate with others of simr ability. Perhaps that is why she did not return with us," Cam added.

 Chapter 351 Seeking the Island Alyko

    351 Seeking the Ind Alyko


    August darted beneath a crumbling stone structure once she was out into the forest air, feeling a surge of relief at having escaped that corpse of a castle. Looking back at it reminded her of the skeletal remains of a giant creature.


    It was dark on the outside of the castle, but the green tint of the trees made it weing¡ªlike a womb that one could burrow into and stay protected. She wondered if this was part of the appeal for the vampire.


    It was interesting. Zagan was a non-living, non-dying thing that apparently wanted to experience both, and it seemed as though he had made himself a kind of womb to live in until the time came¡ªa womb of tightly woven trees. The trees bent protectively over his corpse-like home, shielding him from the light and keeping him hidden.


    But he had still allowed light, hadn''t he? Her gaze followed the path of the bending trees toward where they hailed the sun, bowing before where it shone through in that one circr opening above the infirmary. It was like an eye with the tree trunks imitating the furrows of a hazel colored iris.


    "He wants to live before he dies," she whispered to herself, somehow knowing it to be so.


    It was true¡ªhe wanted to die. But he also wanted to live. Why else would he have surrounded himself with so much life? And the infirmary was clearly a greenhouse at some point with the panels of windows along the walls and ceiling, so he had even created a dedicated portion of his home to the flourishing of green life.


    A shback of her vision in suicide forest of death''s rotating eye lit in her mind. This ce reminded her of it, but it was different¡ªsuspended rather than rotating. It needed someone to set it in motion. What a massive job¡­ was this what she was intended for? To see the vampire''s desire for life, the purpose behind this organic structure he had created, and bring the final needed element to make it so?


    These trees were like the kindling of La Loba''s fire and the castle the scattered remains of a creature that she had chosen to reanimate, but August wasn''t La Loba. She didn''t know how to aplish something of that magnitude. She didn''t have the song or the words that could resonate across dimensions and pull something back into being.


    She sighed and released the metaphor from her mind, focusing on the task at hand¡ªto find the other alyko on the ind. She would worry about how to birth a vampire amongst the livingter. Perhaps a solution would manifest itself in the interim. Perhaps La Loba would make herself known when the right circumstances aligned.


    The truly beneficial thing about how Zagan had bent these trees so that they were all reaching inward was that it made navigating out of the dense forest remarkably easy. After she nned the path she would take out, she closed her eyes to feel the Veiled moving through and around her, hoping it would guide her better than her eyes, for she didn''t know where the lycans on this ind were. They were likely concentrated where the alyko were, so she would need help and highly attuned senses to avoid them.


    Penelope said she couldn''t make herself invisible with alyko abilities, but honestly¡ªwhat did Penelope truly know about the potential of the alyko? If August was meant to do the impossible by bringing about the vampire''s death, then surely they had to keep the realm of possibility open to more than what was already known. And Sage had hidden both her and himself when Lucas was chasing after them that one time¡­


    Was Sage remarkable amongst the alyko? Perhaps he was. He had opened the portal for her into that healing space where the tree guardian resided. There was so much she needed to ask Penelope. Did Penelope have ess to a ce like that? Did all alyko? Or was it just those who were more fae in their gic makeup? And what was the threshold between alyko and fae, if there was one?


    Thankfully Sage was safe. Last she saw him, he was running to alert the others about the threat in the woods. She couldn''t bear the thought of him being here somewhere if he had stayed with her and been caught.


    When August neared the edge of the dense woods, it became even darker with the tree trunks clustered tightly together and the opening to the sun above the infirmary far back behind her. But then she broke through the tree line, and the sun was blinding. She had to shield her eyes from it until they adjusted. She stayed close to the trees behind her so she couldn''t be easily spotted.


    Penelope was right, at least the lycans wouldn''t be able to scent her. That was a huge advantage, particrly now when she was momentarily blinded and couldn''t immediately tell if any were close by.


    "Now where?" she whispered to herself.


    Thend here was beautiful. The grass was a lush, happy green and there were trees that were left to freely grow their own way rather than being manipted like the ones over the vampire''s castle. It reminded her of the shire where one might expect toe across merry hobbits going about their day, preparing for festivities. This was not how she would have expected Zagan''s ind to be. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She started out toward where a foot path had been worn in the grass, but she didn''t walk directly on it¡ªinstead keeping as close to the surrounding trees as she was able. Thankfully no one appeared to be around. If only Penelope could be here figuring this out with her. She thought about Penelope stuck in the room with gold cuffs around her wrists and ankles and felt a stab of guilt. But if August could find the alyko, hopefully it would make their time here shorter.

 Chapter 352 What is Taking So Long?

    352 What is Taking So Long?


    Why wasn''t August back yet? Had she been caught? No, if she had been caught he would have brought her back here, surely.


    Penelope was pacing the dark room where August had left her. She felt like a caged animal. Not only that, she had only drank a little juice that was brought in and she was feeling faint. Was it the juice? Had he put something in it? Or maybe it was simply because she was going out of her mind with worry.


    August was their best hope of stopping this monster who had been kidnapping and imprisoning alyko for decades. If something happened to her and Penelope was stuck here¡­ not only would they have failed to kill him, but Penelope would be stuck here indefinitely. She couldn''t imagine a hell worse. Pacing the confines of a small room with nothing to live for. No hope for tomorrow. Just awaiting the next meal or the next alyko trick that the vampire wanted her to perform. No, she would starve herself to death before she let that happen.


    But she was getting ahead of herself, her thoughts racing towards an end that was not going to happen. It simply couldn''t happen. August was fine. She was enjoying the freedom and couldn''t resist the lure of continuing to look for the alyko wherever they may be. And this castle was huge¡ªit was really like a giant maze if you didn''t know where you were going.


    "Goddess, I hope she didn''t get lost," she whispered to herself.


    A rapping knock startled her, and her eyes focused uneasily on the closed door. Shit.


    "Who is it?" she called, hating the way her voice shook when she did.


    She was a celebrated neuroscientist working on a global ndestine experiment for Goddess'' sakes. She was brilliant and aplished and confident. Not only that, she was a Winter alyko. That was a source of great pride to her. She was not going to cower before anyone, especially not a simple knock at the door.


    "Your meal is here," a male voice responded.


    More food? She nced at the tray of mostly uneaten food from before. Was he trying to fatten them up for the ughter or what?


    Penelope tiptoed to the bathroom and turned on the water before closing the bathroom door. Hopefully that would be convincing as to where August had gone. Honestly, the fact that there was a powerful giant cage in this room would likely keep them from questioning too much. How would August manage to escape? It would bepletely unexpected.


    She took a deep breath and walked to answer the door. There was a young, clean-shaven lycan on the other side with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair. He looked vaguely familiar. He pushed the cart of food forward so she could pull it into the room without him having to enter.


    He chuckled. "I don''t think so. Boss says I''m supposed to make sure you eat." He put his hands in pockets and remained standing just outside the door.


    "Did he make this?" she asked, ncing over the food uneasily. There was baked salmon with some kind of ze, steamed broli, butternut squash with brown sugar, side dishes of fruit, and water.


    "No, ma''am. I made it," he corrected her.


    "Is there something weird in it?" she red at him.


    "No, ma''am," he frowned.


    "Why does he want you to make sure we eat?" she asked, biting her lip in an unconscious slip of the underlying apprehension that was brewing.


    "Just you," he corrected.


    "What?"


    "He told me to make sure you eat," he exined.


    "Oh, well I will," she waved at him dismissively and was about to close the door when he stopped her.


    "I have to watch you eat. If I don''t, he will juste up here and make sure of it himself," he said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Penelope groaned. "I am not hungry."


    He sighed. "I will wait as long as I have to, but none of it is going to be any good once it gets cold. Maybe the fruit will."


    Her stomach turned. She was going to have to eat this. If she was stubborn or dyed too long, this male would start to wonder why August hadn''te out of the bathroom yet. Alternatively, she could shut the door in his face like August had, but then she could expect a visit from Zagan, which would be so much worse than this harmless pup.


    "How much do I have to eat?" she asked, staring at the food with a frown.


    Her fear was that there was something in it. Why had her heart behaved that way before? Even if Zagan had drank her blood, she couldn''t understand why she would have had chest pains like that. It was terrifying.


    "You are a Winter, right?" the male''s head tilted to the side, and crossed his arms in front of himself.


    "Yes."


    "From what I understand, you are among the most powerful alyko there are. Why are you afraid of the food?" he asked.


    "I''m not afraid of it," she scoffed.


    His eyebrows arched, indicating he didn''t believe her. "There is nothing nefarious about my food. I take pride in cooking. I''m one of two lycans that he allows in his private residence. And if he wanted to do something to you, trust me¡ªit wouldn''t be underhanded like this. He would just do it."


    Penelope sighed. He was probably right about that much. She picked up a fork and cut into the salmon, trying a piece. Her face lit up.


    "It''s good," she said.


    An instant smile bloomed on his face.


    "What is your name?" she asked, taking another bite.


    "Brandt."


    "Compliments to the chef, Brandt," she added.


    "Thank you, ma''am. Once you are both done, just go ahead and roll it out into the hallway. I will be by to get itter."


    "Penelope," she said between bites.


    "What was that?" he asked, pausing as he was about to walk away.


    "You can call me Penelope. Not ma''am," she told him.


    "Okay. Sounds good, Penelope," he smiled.


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