That's right, the pup his team had retrieved such a short time ago that Zagan had not even had the chance to meet her yet and see what she could do had somehow miraculously returned to her pack. He bit into his lip, drawing more of Zosime's blood to lick off and savor on his tongue. It kept him from growling his denial that any such thing would happen again.

This mystery of the returned Livvy truly troubled him. Who had retrieved her and how did they know the location and how to access it? That was a massive breach. Someone would answer for this, and then Zagan would have to reevaluate everything he had built.

Unless she had somehow escaped herself without any intervention, which had occurred a rare number of times—alyko were unpredictable after all and their abilities had the potential to vary widely—the only thing that would explain this unprecedented situation was if someone inside his ranks was involved and had schemed against him, but he couldn't imagine that happening.

While his thoughts were running over these troubling issues, the Luna had approached her mate, speaking softly to him, assuring him of her return and safety. Zagan almost scoffed aloud listening. Where did she get such confidence in her ability to return or to stay safe for that matter? She didn't know anything about him or where he was taking her. But maybe she was just trying to appease her mate.

When she finally got close enough to Graeme who was suspended in his divided attention, his soft eyes unable to look away from her but his body rigid and bristling in caution of the threat just at his side, she reached out and stroked his head and down the side of his neck. HIs fur was so soft. She yearned to just cuddle up there and stay next to his warmth.

Graeme allowed her to hold him and run her hands along his fur. It was like she had put a spell on him with her words, lulling him into the belief that she held so firmly. His head became hazy with the intoxication of her scent and her touch and the way all of his sharp edges and ends softened and rounded to accommodate her.

He nuzzled into her hold, calming against his better judgment. She was not panicking. She did not have the tangy scent of fear. His mate truly believed that this was what she needed to do. And then she spoke. She spoke to him without words just as Graeme and Greta were able to do together.

'Penelope was here,' she said wordlessly. 'She told me there is a way to kill him, and it's possible that only I am capable of it. I have to go with him now, but I will return to you. I vow it, Graeme.'

His eyes were still soft and pleading, but he let out a low growl of argument.

"That's enough,

" Zagan said cooly. He didn't like the way the mates were staring so intensely at each other like they were having a silent conversation.

"Your Luna is coming with me. Shall we… August?

"

Graeme spun to face him, snarls and spit dripping from his mouth that bared their teeth in warning. He blocked August from the vampire. If this creature wanted his mate, he was going to have to kill him first.

Zagan smirked, cocking his head.

"If you insist,

" he sighed and then in an instant catapulted himself high up into the night sky and, before Graeme had even tilted his head all the way up to follow the disappearing form, came rocketing back down onto Graeme's back. The earth shook with the impact, sending shockwaves and tremors radiating out around them, shaking the leaves that were left on the trees.

It was so fast, happening in less than a blink of the eye, August had just opened her mouth to scream her protest at both of them. But before the sound even had a chance to take flight from her lungs, her mate was crumpled, unmoving on the ground. Zagan stayed on top of him, pulling the limp wolf head up to check his eyes. The pupils were blown, indicating at least brain damage, but the heart in the animal's chest was still beating.

As she screamed, the Veiled erupted in front of August's eyes, flooding the scene in front of her in moving particles and auras of energy, but the vampire in front of her was like a black hole—a colorless vortex of nothing. She raced forward, not feeling her body, not hearing any sound—focused solely on the limp body of her mate on the ground.

Before she got to him, she used the Veiled to send Zagan flying through the air against a tree, knocking it down as he hit. Graeme's aura was dim now. It was so dim.

"No!

" she screamed, sliding next to him and cradling his heavy furry head in her lap.

"He made his choice,

" Zagan spat, pulling her roughly by the shoulder, but she turned and roared with such unrestrained pure anger, throwing him once more through the air using only the energy surrounding her that the Veiled gave her access to.

'I will heal him before I come with you!' The words were unspoken but somehow pierced into his mind, crippling him into stunned silence at the command of this she wolf. Her glare lingered, her lips curled back over her teeth, making sure he would not advance on her again before she was ready.

He nodded, slumped against a tree where he had landed.

Satisfied that she could concentrate on her mate now, August returned to him, cradling his head in her lap. She bowed over him, resting her face against his forehead. And she began murmuring something even his vampiric hearing could not decipher.

A soft glow began orbiting the Luna and the Alpha wolf in her arms. Zagan's mouth fell open in awe. His mouth never fell open in awe. He had never seen anything like this. No alyko abilities he had ever witnessed even came close. She was healing him.. She was healing her mate.