"But what will that mean for Graeme? I can't… I can't leave him,

" August answered with a tremulous voice.

A crow squawked above and she raised her eyes to the tree where it was perched watching her. Her crow. Was it encouraging her? Warning her? Rebuking her?

Penelope saw her shivering and removed her shaw, wrapping it around August's shoulders.

"I can only imagine how impossible this seems at the moment. I have never had a mate, August. But if you do not leave with the ancient one, and I mean quickly… there will be no mate to leave behind. Graeme will find you and will fight until the death for you. Of this, I am sure you are well aware.

"

A wave of nausea suddenly crested in August's stomach and she doubled over, arms wrapped around herself. The idea of leaving Graeme made her physically sick. Was this really her only choice? She couldn't leave her mate. She couldn't leave Graeme. How could they go on being separated from one another? It was unfathomable. But to think of him being killed defending her…

"Okay,

" August nodded.

"I'll do it. I'll do it.

" She grimaced hearing the words of agreement come from her own lips.

"But you have to tell me how to kill him.

"

————————

"I spotted her,

" Zagan said flatly to his second, a rugged lycan male known as Seth.

They had rendezvoused in the woods behind the Hallowell home, which was only a short distance from the pack house. But they were still waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.

Seth nodded to the information given from his leader. He had expected as much. Zagan's vision was terrifyingly sharp.

The lycan had his thick arms crossed over his chest as he eagerly awaited details of her location and instructions for how to take her. It had already been too long since their pursuit of her began. The longer she was out running around with knowledge about their presence, the more likely it was that everyone would soon become aware of them. And then a battle would be unavoidable.

"Why were you so slow in following her?

" Zagan asked, his annoyance for the delay clear.

"Her speed is unusual,

" Seth's eyebrows dipped recalling how this alyko tore away from them so swiftly, even with the formal dress snagging behind her.

"Faster than usual?

" Zagan asked, interest further piqued.

"Much,

" his second affirmed it.

"She is an unusual one,

" a smile curled on his lips. This trouble would be worth it.

"She also has no scent,

" Seth added.

"No scent? She has learned how disguise it?

" the vampire chuckled, amused.

"Are alyko capable of that?

" Seth asked, confused.

He had never encountered such a thing, but he had also learned not to underestimate the alyko. They had dealt with a lot of unusual and surprising abilities—some that would make masking your scent tame by comparison.

"I honestly don't know,

" Zagan smiled, eager to learn more about what this alyko Luna could do.

"I don't rely on scent like you do. Unless it is the scent of blood, which cannot be masked.

"

Another male from their crew arrived, sprinting up next them.

"One of them is following us. Do you wish to kill him?

" the male asked, panting as he did.

Zagan jumped up into the tree above, narrowing his eyes on the lycan who was following. He was too close for them to avoid all together, but the haunted, determined eyes were familiar. They belonged to the same male whose mind he had peered into outside of Zosime's room. It was the same male for whom Zosime had offered herself to protect. Zagan could not go back on his word to her.

He jumped back down, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves as he did.

"I will take care of him,

" he said in what was the closest to a grumble he was capable of and vanished before their eyes.

Lucas couldn't scent the infiltrating lycans, but he was following their movements as they sprinted like ghosts ahead of him in the night. This was a group of lycans who had disguised their scents and were working in tandem with the vampire. It was so unthinkable that he would have never believed it were he not experiencing it for himself.

Why would lycans do this? Had he brainwashed them or something like he had with Zoe? There was no other way Lucas could think of that Zagan would have access to so many of them and have them working together like a pseudo pack. The fact that he did was… chilling. This was a significant threat that they had never been aware of.

As Lucas was pushing himself forward, paws pounding the leaf-strewn forest floor in pursuit, he was suddenly knocked off his feet from something that barreled straight into his left side. His canine body was thrown airborne, twisting slightly as it flew until he crashed onto his side and rolled before springing back up, hunched defensively in the direction of the unseen threat.

He felt the stabbing pain of broken ribs from the impact of whatever wrecking ball had slammed into him, but he ignored it. They would heal.

A flash of movement flew past him so quickly that he barely registered it, and he spun, teeth bared at nothing. The shining orbs of his wolf scanned the darkness uneasily.

He was hit unexpectedly on his other side, more ribs breaking, this time the sharp end of one piercing his lung and collapsing it. He groaned and snarled in one agonizing sound as he lay on the ground with the weight of what hit him still on top of him.

"Stay down, wolf,

" Zagan hissed.

Lucas' breath was labored, wheezing loudly in his chest. The vampire waited, knowing a lycan wouldn't give up so easily. When Lucas went to spring up and knock Zagan off of him, Zagan shoved him back down easily, adding pressure on the offending rib and pushing it further into his lung. Lucas groaned, this time coughing blood out onto the forest floor.

"I said stay down,

" Zagan repeated, tilting his head in amusement at how pointless such determination was.

"Remember that you owe her your life. Otherwise you wouldn't have the luxury of pain right now.

"

And then tired of toying with the furry animal, Zagan slammed the side of his hand against Lucas' carotid artery with just enough force that blood ceased its flow to the wolf's brain, rendering him unconscious.