My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

Graeme and August had taken the Jeep without Greta's permission. The way Graeme did it—with a mischievous glint in his eye, hushing August and sneaking out with the key—made 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 to come 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—the 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 explain.

"How did she feel true?" August tilted her head, understanding but not entirely—she 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—as if the Moon was guiding all that she does and… and it just felt true to me," he explained.

"I suppose if she wished you harm, she could have easily accomplished it. Unless you are part of the plan," August murmured some more.

"What do you mean? What plan?" he turned to her with worry now—worry 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—it 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 accusatory 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 a larger scale separate from Eliade's plan. This is about the alyko. About the fae." He reached to grab hold of her hand and comfort it with the warmth of his own.

"But she did not explain it further to you?" August scoffed. "What if she comes 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—the 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 never come forward. They would have been hiding successfully this long to protect themselves, and she could never encourage them to put themselves at risk with the map still in place and the elders around. And who knows how many in the pack truly hated alyko and viewed them as witches—prejudice like that was not something easily overcome.

"You were going to ask about Sage?" August reminded him, returning to the subject now that it was fresh in her mind—how 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 place 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—why that place 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 genetics are complicated. 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.

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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