My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

"Greta," Selah panted, finally finding someone who might be able to give her some answers.

"Selah," Greta greeted her, plastering on that assuring expression that she was so good at. Her healing, comforting aura was probably glitching out at this point with all the stress of the current situation, but she tried her best. She dared not touch Selah just in case—who knows what kind of stress and anxiety she might pass on accident instead of the positive emotions she usually gave. "You brought Livvy back. I can't imagine…"

"Where is everyone?" Selah cut her off, the panic of still not finding any indication of her brother beginning to take its toll.

"What do you mean?" Greta asked, her face stretched almost painfully with the effort of hiding her own panic.

"Graeme, August… my brother," Selah rushed on. "I can't find any of them. What's going on?"

Greta's smile froze as she considered how to respond.

"I know there is something wrong. Please just tell me. I can't find Sage. I left him… if I left him and something happened to him while I was gone, I… I don't know what I'll do," Selah explained, her eyes going wide with the possible scenarios that lit behind them.

Had she made a mistake? Had she rescued Livvy and somehow left Sage open to attack? Being an alyko, her brother was vulnerable, and they had always been so careful. But when August started showing her abilities, Sage got pulled in. He could have left himself exposed to identification if he was in the wrong company. No one was supposed to know. No one was supposed to know what her or her brother could do. They had been so careful…

Greta's face softened seeing the panic on Selah's face, and she reached out to touch the girl's arm in comfort. Selah's eyes snapped to hers. Her eyes got wider, and her bottom lip fell as if she was being told the most horrifying news. Greta took her hand away, realizing belatedly what had just happened. Somehow she had communicated her own thoughts to Selah.

"August is missing? Graeme is… Graeme is missing as well?" Selah gasped, eyes welling. "He's… he's here? Tonight?" The vampire? He was here?

"You know of him?" Greta asked, realizing who she was referring to.

Selah's expression crumbled, and she nodded. She knew him, yes. She knew him well. But she had no idea he would be here tonight. Her brother…

"He took Sage," she said aloud, giving voice to her fear. "Sage was probably with August. He must have them both."

"Don't say that!" Greta objected. "That can't be the case."

"No one has heard from them? And Graeme… he is probably out there endlessly searching for his mate who is… It's hopeless at this point," Selah replied, her green eyes haunted.

"Nothing is hopeless," Greta objected, grabbing the girl's arm again, this time uncaring as to what emotion was being communicated between them.

"I know from experience," Selah said through gritted teeth. "I know when it is hopeless. And I'm telling you… if he got his hands on our Luna and got any kind of indication of what she is capable of, it is hopeless. He will never let her go."

And that horrifying truth went for her brother as well. Sage was more exceptional than any of them knew. If Zagan came to know of it… she would never see him again. It was as simple as that. Hopefully Sage knew how to disguise the extent of what he could do and resisted any kind of urge to save the Luna that he had grown so fond of.

Selah ran off to follow the trail to the haunted forest that Plum had mentioned. There was a bit of her brother's scent coming from that direction, and she was going to follow it. She would follow whatever hope was left until all hope was gone for good. And even then she would continue resort to whatever means necessary to find him, just as she had with Livvy.

"Where are you going?" Greta hissed behind her.

"I'm going to find them," she mumbled without turning to acknowledge the question.

—————————

Sam gave the perimeter runners the news that they should be on high alert. None were aware that the border had been crossed by infiltrators. Most had not ever faced a threat like what he was telling them was already upon them. Their eyes were wide with shock and fear that was quickly replaced by determination and excitement. This is what they had trained for. An actual present danger.

One runner told Sam of allowing Selah and the pup Livvy to cross. He recognized them both and realized what a miraculous thing it was to have the pup return. It was a Samhain miracle for the ages. But other than that, he had not seen anything out of the ordinary. There wasn't even a hint as to anything being off or unusual in any way.

After consulting with all the runners he came across, Sam darted off toward the center of the pack land again, this time determined to find his Alpha. Graeme was here somewhere, Sam was sure of it. Hopefully he was unharmed.

Sam knew well that Graeme would sacrifice himself for his mate if it came to that. There was no question. He would do the same for Greta. Hopefully it hadn't come to that. They needed Graeme. They needed both of them. And he couldn't see how Graeme could survive against a vampire.

The memory of Greta telling him about how August took down Marius flashed in his mind. It was unlikely that Graeme or August could take down an ancient creature like this vampire separately, but maybe together… maybe together they had a chance. He wouldn't be surprised at this point. They were experiencing so many surprising things as a pack with Graeme and his uncategorized mate. She wasn't lycan, but she wasn't exactly alyko or human either… she was proving to be of her own kind. Or was it just that August was fae and they didn't have enough experience with a purer form of fae to recognize it? If so… perhaps the strength to take down an undead vampire was not out of reach for their fae Luna and lycan Alpha.

As his paws pounded the earth, Sam prayed to the Moon Goddess that was the case—that Samhain would end in an entirely expected kind of triumph, one in which a vampire had been overcome.