My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

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—he had spoken well so many times.

"Yes, Selah 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 small laughter 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 Selah 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—you 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?" August laughed, 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—you'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 trimester compared 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 slapped August's arm playfully. "Yes!"

"Are you sure?" August laughed, 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 explained 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 to come, of course."

"Okay. It sounds special," August agreed.

"Both of our mates have insisted on coming 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 Clara 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."