My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

"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 become 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 manipulation with light leaks and double exposures since these cameras were made from a cheap plastic 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 plastic, 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 popular 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 occurred to you that you could be pregnant with twins?" August chuckled.

"I—I 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 know last 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, particularly 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 and laid 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 her last pregnancy. Not that there was anything she could do—but if there were, she would do it.

The sacred circle had continued that way—with 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 were laid 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. He laughed 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—it 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 from last 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.