My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

Isaac continued crawling forward in the darkness with August following him. The huffing had become more agitated, and one particularly disturbed growl sounded as if it was making its way toward them.

"It doesn't sound like a wolf," August whispered.

"It's not a wolf," Isaac confirmed.

Finally they arrived at what felt like a doorway, and Isaac moved upward over damp stone stairs toward what were miraculous slivers of light above them. His hand pounded against the wood planks that were secured over the cellar opening.

"Help!" he cried. "Help us!" His voice cracked as it rose to a desperate pitch, and the gruff sound of the large animal closing in on them countered it.

As August began to climb up behind him, she felt bristly warm bodies shuffling awkwardly around her. Her hands flew up, avoiding touching them until they began nuzzling her and squawking. An alarmed roar sounded closer behind her, and suddenly her mind fit the pieces together.

"Help!" Isaac called again, pounding frantically. "Anybody! Help us please! We are stuck down here! Please! Help us!"

August moved up closer behind him, pressing her back against him and covering his body with her own.

"Miss August?" A male voice called from above them.

"Yes! She is here! Help us!" Isaac called again as the puffed up body of the mama bear entered the small passage to the exit. The heat of her huffing breath filled the space, and August heard the curious little bodies of her cubs shuffling around and out of the cramped area.

"Back up! I'm going to break the boards," The same voice commanded from above.

"We can't!" Isaac cried again. "We can't back up! Please!" He screeched, pounding harder.

"Come here, Isaac," August said, pulling him back down the steps with her, blocking him between the wall and her back. She felt him trembling so hard behind her that little frantic noises were escaping out of him without his permission.

"We're down!" August yelled toward the exit.

Someone kicked into the wood boards, but they didn't budge. The firm, deliberate kick came again from above, but again the wood was holding steady. Those were not boards that had been weathered over the years like the rest of the cottage. They seemed to be in perfect condition.

Another growl filled the space, so much closer this time, and then without further warning a large, lazy arm swatted at August's chest. The claws sliced deep into her chest wall, leaving her breathless with flames of pain roaring in their wake as she flew back and then crumpled on the cold stone floor.

The groan of a wounded animal filled the space, and she wondered for a moment in her stunned state who else was injured. It didn't occur to her that the groan was her own.

Isaac shrieked, shriveling behind her before he tried scrambling back up the stairs. But before he could make it to the top where the persistent kicks were still pounding away, powerful jaws clamped around his ankle and drug him back down.

"No!" he screamed, the pitch of pain and desperation pulling August out of her dazed state. She sat up, supporting herself with one arm as the other hovered undecidedly over her chest. Isaac shrieked again as the bear gave another sharp tug.

Something ancient and deep stirred and swelled inside of her, pushing itself up and out of her mouth with one firm and resounding, "Stop."

One of the bear's eyes glinted with a shard of light coming from above them, and it paused to study her.

"Stop," she said more softly this time, and it felt as though a wave of whatever had filled her washed outward over the agitated bear. Her voice was calm, but it quaked large in the air, and she watched as the chaotic energy that had built up to a frenzy whooshed back into the large, empty den away from them.

The mama bear grunted and released Isaac's leg, leaving the young lycan frozen and trembling next to her.

"Tend to your cubs," August said in that same calm voice that was somehow more than her own, and slowly the magnificent creature backed up a few steps before turning to saunter away from them with a series of grunts calling to her little ones.

August placed a hand on Isaac's back as her head dropped against the wall in relief. A final kick above them split the wood blocking their exit, and then Finn was next to them with the green of forest daylight flooding in behind him.

"Miss August?" he called nervously, but she closed her eyes and gestured toward the boy next to her.

"Help him, please," she said hoarsely, all the energy gone from her now that someone was here to help.

"But you're in worse shape, Luna," he grabbed her arm to put behind his neck, but she pulled away from him.

"Him first," she protested. She could feel Isaac's fear and pain penetrating her like it was her own, and she was sure his trauma was significantly worse than hers.

"He's lycan, Luna. You're not," Finn argued, and August finally opened her eyes to glare at him. Whatever Finn saw there must have been enough to change his mind, because he gently lifted the shivering boy into his arms and took him out of the basement.

More than pain, August regretted the reaction that this would cause from… everyone. A small selfish part of her hoped that it would bring Graeme back more quickly when he heard, but she pushed the thought away. She would have to make sure he didn't find out about this until he was back.

He hadn't even been gone two days, and she had managed to get herself attacked by a bear. A bear! How had this even happened?

Sam's words flashed in her mind from the night before about how she needed to be strong for Graeme and for the pack—for the family that she wanted to prove herself to somehow. She had to suck it up and stop being dependent on Graeme or anyone else for protection. This situation was crazy—she could still hear the mama bear huffing warnings at her from across the basement—but she had handled it.

And then something else occurred to her. The map. Her whole body went cold. She wasn't supposed to do anything to light up on the elder's map.

"Fuck," she whispered to herself and let her head rest back against the wall.. "So much for that."