My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

When they were finally walking back toward the car with their bags from the sweet older couple, Graeme put his arm around August's shoulders. He seemed much more relaxed than when they had initially entered the market.

"You seem to have had an okay time," he said lightly. August decided not to tell him about running into Lucas. He was in such a good mood now, and she didn't want to spoil it or give him more anxiety about her safety.

"This place is great," she said. "And you?" she tilted her head to read his face. She didn't want to directly ask him about Violet. The incident at the bonfire still felt too raw, and the memories were still threatening to return.

He sighed and looked down at their feet that were walking in time. His mate's small feet. They were so cute in the boots Greta had gotten for her. He stopped abruptly and looked around at the market that was now behind them, wondering if there was somewhere else they should go while they were here. Did she need more shoes? He had let Greta take care of all of the clothes and hygienic things while August was in a coma, but he had never thought to ask August if she liked them.

"Do you have everything you need? Do you like the clothes that we have for you?" he asked suddenly. "I never considered that you might want to shop for your own things."

"Everything you guys got for me is great," she replied, wondering why he didn't answer her question.

Did he not want to talk about Violet because seeing her made him remember his feelings for her? She bit her lip imaging it—the pull Violet must still have on him. Violet was indeed beautiful. And they had created a small, unborn life together. It was hard to comprehend even though she had witnessed it herself.

Graeme must have been devastated when Violet miscarried. Was that—was that part of what had made him leave the pack? And maybe that was why he wanted to take part in the fertility ritual… The ugly feeling accompanying these thoughts seemed to spiral larger in her as they made more and more sense.

Graeme snapped his gaze back to her. "Something is happening. What is it?" he asked worriedly, scanning the length of her first before glaring at their surroundings. "What's wrong?" he asked again, as he had found nothing obvious. "We can fix it. Whatever you need, we can get. Just tell me."

"No," she chuckled, shaking her head and avoiding his eyes. "It's not anything like that."

"Then what, my love?" he asked.

"Do you…" she looked around shyly before slowly raising her eyes back to his. "Did seeing… her… do something? Do you still have feelings for her?" She swallowed uneasily and looked down at her feet.

"What?"

"I know you said that you and I are different, but it's just that I know you two have a very complicated history, and it wouldn't be unusual. And you know, with what happened between you two, and then you left for so long and haven't seen her. And she… she longs for you, desperately. It's painful. I-I felt it. I can understand if there's still something there for you, too…" she started rambling uncomfortably, feeling the wretched heat return to her cheeks as she diverted her gaze from him, afraid of what might be revealed there if she didn't.

"No, August, no," he stopped her and turned to grab both of her hands in his. The turbulence he could feel in her was dizzying, and it threatened to spiral out of control.

"Feel the truth in this, please," he said, reaching into her with the penetrating warmth of his eyes. His next words were slow and deliberate, as if dropping the weight of them like stones into water. "There is no one else in my heart. No one but you. You have all of me. My soul—my everything. You—you swallowed me whole," he gulped.

Each word sank deep into the frenzy that had started in her mind, the warm comfort of their truth rippling around them and sending her fear scattering like the fallen leaves at their feet. A small smile quirked one side of her lips, and he squeezed her hands reassuringly for it to grow wider.

"I just didn't want her approaching you again like she did at the bonfire or glaring at you like she was today. I think she has the closure she needs now," he explained.

"Okay," she said softly.

"Okay?" he repeated, his eyebrows raised in question as he scanned her face and squeezed her hands again.

"Yes," she breathed and smiled reassuringly. Once they started walking again, she decided to change the subject. "I had peanut butter gelato."

"Mmm. Are you hungry?"

"Sure, if you're cooking," she smiled and climbed into the passenger seat of the Wagoneer.

"You're not going to fight me to drive?"

"Um, no. Greta had to start it for me," she admitted.

Graeme laughed in response. "I have a surprise for you," he said after sliding in behind the steering wheel, and he lifted a pile of folders from the seat to hand to her.

"The alyko files?" she whispered the question. The conversation with Charlotte resurfaced, and she looked at the folders in her hands. Charlotte had said the real story was not recorded. So what was this?

"Well some of them. I practically risked my life for those. How are you going to repay me?" he glanced at her teasingly while starting the car.

"Hmm," she hummed, brought back to the man next to her. "How about I abandon everything I've ever known and live the rest of my days in a forest full of mythical creatures with you?"

"Eh. I guess that will do," he chuckled.

"What did you have in mind, Bun?" she raised a hand to play with the hair at his neck before running her fingers along the rough texture of his beard. He growled softly at the nickname.

"Damn rabbit. What am I going to call you?" he turned into her hand, grabbing her thumb in-between his teeth before letting it go.

"Moon," she said.

"Not nearly as embarrassing as Bun."

"I could call you Bun Bun," she said, and he flashed her a look of warning before poking her ticklish side.

"What! I didn't call you that. I said I could," she laughed. "Such a sensitive wolf. I'm sure you can come up with something equally teasing for me."

Graeme gazed at his mate still wearing the scarlet ruana that had been given to her, and he reached to flip the wide hood over her head. "It seems Woody and Clara have unknowingly done it for me, Little Red."

August groaned in realization and pulled the hood back down. "I suppose I can never wear this again," she laughed lightly and looked into her hands. "It's a little too obvious."

"But it looks beautiful on you," he said softly.

She smiled when an idea occurred to her. "How does the story go? What great big EARS you have… Bun Bun."

Graeme froze with his hand prepared to shift the car into drive and looked at August out of the corner of his eye. She sat with a wide, guilty smile caught somewhere between amusement and fear. Slowly his head turned toward her, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, that's how you remember it, is it?"

And before August even registered the movement, Graeme had lunged to her side of the seat and was tickling her relentlessly. She shrank back against the door, laughing and squirming, trying to get free from his hands that were taking turns finding her most sensitive spots.

"Stop, please, I can't take anymore," she squealed, still trying to dodge the tickle attack.

Graeme stilled his onslaught and placed a hand under her chin, tilting her now flushed face up to meet him. She beamed up at him before dropping her eyes to his lips. "I think you forget how the story ends, Little Red," he teased.

"You mean…" she said between breaths, "what great big teeth you have?"

"Mhmm," he hummed, leaning in so that his lips were next to her ear. "All the better to… eat you with, my dear" he whispered.

Her smile fell except for one side of her lips that remained quirked in amusement. But he drew his lips back from her ear so slowly, catching her eyes with his own, that her stomach trilled and dipped. Something predatory flashed in his eyes, and she gulped.

"Don't worry, my love," he smirked, returning to his place behind the wheel and shifting the car into drive, "Like I said, you are the one who has swallowed me whole."