My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

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—one 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 the last word made it seem like a euphemism masking a more sinister plan 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 glared at her. "They can go nowhere. We need their surprise to get a true reaction from them in response to Zoe's accusations."

"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—multiple universes—that 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—an infinite amount almost—were 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 more complicated 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—as hopeless as that truth would be—it felt too familiar and too reminiscent to be easily dismissed.

The 'door' Sage had opened for August into that place 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 explanations for all of these events. Maybe there were, but something told her this crazy theory of Zoe's was the one explanation 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 place 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—to 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.

*****

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