n

n

n

"August,

" Graeme whispered, finally rolling to his side and taking her with him where he tucked her into his chest. She hummed a response, and he felt it in his bones. He kissed the top of her head and nudged her closer.

"You are hungry, my love. I can feel it,

" he said then. She laughed quietly.

n

"You can feel that?

" she asked, muffled against him.

n

"Yes,

" he answered, kissing her again.

"I'm going to make you something. But that means I have to get out of this bed.

"

nShe grumbled an objection and pulled him closer for him to chuckle.

"I don't have to eat. Just stay,

" she said, tilting her head up to kiss under his chin.

n

"It won't take me long. I promise,

" he assured her. She growled but let her grip on him ease, and he slipped away toward the closet, pulling some clothes out to dress that gorgeous, divine body of his that was now hers. 'Mine.' The intensity of the thought startled her and comforted her at the same time.

nSuddenly a new golden aura came to life before her as her second vision opened to meet it. This one was rich and mesmerizing, thrumming around her while also stretching to embrace her mate across the room. It was theirs together. August smiled at the realization and sighed, wrapping herself in the sheet as she watched him and the aura that connected them.

n

"So I have a domesticated wolf?

" she teased.

n

"You basically hit the jack pot, what can I say?

" she spotted his dimple as he bent, pulling flannel pants on.

"What sounds good?

"

n

"Whatever is your favorite,

" she replied.

n

"That would take a lot of preparation. We need food now,

" he growled, returning to the bed to kiss her again—his beautiful mate that he could finally feel within him. She smelled like him, but her taste was her own, he thought to himself, tasting her again before pulling himself away.

n

"Goddess, you could not be more beautiful if you were the moon herself,

" he said softly looking at her wrapped in his bed. Wrapped in his scent. The blush rose to her cheeks again, and he smiled happily seeing it.

"I'll make something quick. Don't move,

" and with that, he disappeared through the doorway.

nAfter August had wiggled out of her cocoon of happiness in bed to dress and wander out to the kitchen, Graeme was already scooping something into a bowl for her. Her body felt weak and satisfied and… weightless. This was her home. Graeme was her home and her anchor. She felt it like she felt the air passing in and out of her lungs, and her heart suddenly trembled with the love that threatened to break it open.

n

"I told you not to move,

" Graeme said, stealing her from her thoughts.

n

"Ah, well I couldn't wait,

" she replied.

n

"Did Sylvia give you the purple stone?

" Graeme gestured toward her neck. He had made steak and rice bowls with cilantro and creamy avocado salsa, and August ate every bit of it only to have Graeme return the bowl to her full again.

nAugust nodded.

"It starts with an 's.' Sylvia mentioned it being a shield of light.

"

n

"Sugilite. I know it,

" he nodded.

"My mom had a ring like it.

"

n

"Did you find anything out about your parents today?

" August tilted her head curiously, remembering how he had mentioned being given access to their case.

"What were their names? You never mentioned it.

"

n

"Derek and Genevieve. Dad called her 'Evie,'

" he replied with a small smile—a smile that fell when he thought about the pack house and that room with his parents' file.

"I looked through what they gave me, but it's hardly compelling that Maggie orchestrated it. It doesn't seem there was much effort put into competing theories. Certainly not enough for murdering every alyko in the pack,

" he mumbled to himself. And certainly not enough for tracking every alyko in existence.

nAugust could feel the sorrow start to swell in him, and she put down her fork.

"What do you think happened?

"

n

"I honestly don't know,

" he shook his head gently, meeting her eyes.

"And it's been 10 years now. I'm not sure I'll be able to find out.

"

n

"Maybe I can help,

" she offered.

n

"How do you mean?

"

n

"Maybe there is someone who knows more, and I can do my thing where I read their thoughts,

" she shrugged.

n

"No way,

" he shook his head again.

"Not happening. I'd prefer to not know rather than have you experience that. Plus, it's dangerous.

"

n

"But your mark… You said it makes me safe,

" she replied.

n

"It does in the sense that I can feel when you're in danger, and it cements your importance to me,

" he looked at her again with that depth that sent bolts of electricity through her.

"No one will touch you now if they value their life. Threatening you is the same as threatening me—and threatening the future of the pack. The people here have wanted their Alpha and Luna back for so long, your presence with the mark is significant to them all as well. They'll fight for you, too.

"

nGraeme knew how true it was—that it was likely the reason Sam had felt the nagging pull to reconsider the scent near the treehouse he couldn't place. And why he had returned in such haste.

nAs the uninitiated Beta, Sam would feel as strong a responsibility to protect the future Luna as any pack member would, perhaps second only to Graeme himself. In truth, that was part of the reason Graeme had openly displayed the affection for August that morning—to hopefully endear her place in Sylvia's and Sam's minds despite the fact that she hadn't received Graeme's mark yet.

n

"But anyone backed into a corner will fight to get out of it. If someone is hiding information about what happened…

" he trailed off.

"Just let me worry about it, okay?

"

nAugust pressed her lips together, unhappy that Graeme was intent on excluding her from helping with something so important to him. Wouldn't it put him in danger, too? If the experience at the outpost taught them anything, it was how much more powerful they were together.

n

"What do we do now? Aren't the elders going to be upset? About the mark?

" August asked.

n

"Andreas may as well have suggested I no longer breathe, and he knows it,

" Graeme rose from the table with his bowl, walking to retrieve August's as well when he leaned down to add,

"you are the very air itself,

" and kissed her forehead.

n

"Why did he say it then?

" Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Graeme walk to the sink.

n

"Fear. Doubt. An attempt at control,

" he sighed.

"It will be interesting to see how they react now that their spy Marius is gone. That will likely tell us a lot. Until then, we just behave like we know nothing about it.

"

n

"Sam invited us to a bonfire Thursday night,

" August remembered.

"Before all of this happened.

"

n

"Right. The full moon,

" he said quietly.

"Then we should go,

" he turned around and smiled..

"I want everyone to meet my beautiful mate.

"

n