My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

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 the lack 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 two lane 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 penetrated, 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 uncomfortable," 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 uncomfortable 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 was laying on.

"There," he heard her say. "You should heal okay now."

Her voice drifted away as a deep slumber overcame him—one in which the pain was gone and he was walking through a field of sunflowers with his beautiful mate by his side.

————————

"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 all laid hands on you," Greta glanced 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—aside from mating," August admitted and flushed.

"Yeah—there's nothing like the unity that comes 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," August laughed. "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 explained.

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 both laughed.

"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 and completely lost," August laughed.

"It probably all looks the same," Greta laughed 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.