Chapter 102 - Not Bad

"No, I know you're not bad," Greta reassured August. "Please don't let yourself think that. And you heard what Charlotte said earlier. Even if you are alyko, you aren't bad. Okay?"

Tears started to fill August's eyes again, and this time she didn't fight them. "I don't want to hurt him, Greta," she said, and her eyebrows pinched together as she looked down at their clasped hands. "I don't want to hurt him, and I don't want to hurt the pack. There is so much expected now, but I'm terrified that the elders are right about me. What if they're right about me?" Her eyes became wide with terror as she looked back up at the peach-haired girl in front of her.

"The elders are ignorant old men who will not admit their mistakes for fear of losing power. They know nothing about you," Greta answered.

"But what happened to me under that tree, Greta?"

"That is a good question. But we'll figure it out, okay? You don't have to carry this mystery alone now. We'll figure it out together," Greta nodded reassuringly and squeezed August's hands. "One thing I do know, August, is that you are not bad. If you are a danger to anyone, it's to those damned old men who don't want anything to change," she added with a smirk.

One side of August's lips turned up in a smile, and she nodded along with Greta.

"You need to tell Graeme though. It's not a good idea to keep things from your mate. He needs to know what's happening so he can help you. You two make each other stronger."

"You're right," August sniffled. "Thank you, Greta."

"You're welcome, sis," Greta smiled. "Should we go find the men? I think they're making s'mores, and chocolate can only help us at this point," she laughed and rose from the window seat for August to follow.

"Did you find anything useful?" Sylvia asked as August and Greta came to join them around the bonfire.

"Seeing thoughts is not something August needs to worry about in regards to the little light on Andreas' board," Greta answered.

"On the map you mean?" Graeme corrected for Greta to roll her eyes.

"Yes the map," she snapped.

"You seem more sensitive than usual tonight, sis. And emotional," Graeme replied with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Is everything alright? Is there something you want to tell us?"

Greta's mouth dropped open. "Sam! You told him?! How could you do that without me?" She groaned and hit Sam on the arm.

Sylvia and August looked back and forth between everyone, confused.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "He asked me to be his Beta to take back power in the pack, and I just thought he should know…"

"Well you said yes, didn't you?!" Greta interrupted.

"Of course!" Sam flinched away from her with a cautious smile, anticipating another hit. "I just wanted him to know that you and our baby will always come first."

"What!" Sylvia gasped, and August's mouth dropped open. Sylvia ran to embrace her son and Greta, happy tears escaping as she shrieked excitedly about being a grandma.

August felt the joy light them all up, and she laughed along with them, at one point catching Graeme's eye as Sam, Greta, and Sylvia were all huddled, laughing and crying, in a group hug. Like her, Graeme was beaming with happiness for them. When he turned his gaze on her and she saw the joy overflowing there, she was swallowed by it.

Graeme, in his white t-shirt that hugged every deliciously powerful inch of him, had become emotional at the thought of his sister and Sam having a baby. August's cheeks grew warm at the beauty of this mate of hers as he sauntered over to her, beaming with happiness.

He didn't say anything as he approached, just pulled her close so that she was wrapped in his aura and his heat, and then he kissed her. It was soft and sweet—a chaste kiss—but with his hands running down her arms before resting on her hips and then tugging her softly toward him, nothing was chaste. Every touch was the kindling to a roaring fire just beneath the surface.

He tucked August into his side as he turned to watch the three others and the ball of happiness they had become. Sylvia was kissing Greta on the cheeks and rambling on about herbs and vitamins.

"Greta will be an amazing mother," August said, chuckling at the scene before her.

"Yes, she will," Graeme agreed.

Once Sylvia loosened her hold on the soon-to-be parents, Graeme and August walked over and exchanged hugs with them as well.

"Congratulations, sis," Graeme whispered deeply next to his sister's ear as he hugged her. "I'm so happy for you and Sam. You'll be the perfect mother. Just like ours was." Hearing this, Greta hugged him tighter.

"Thank you," she whispered back, her voice breaking. "I'm afraid, Graeme."

He pulled back and looked at her intently. Sam and August were busy talking excitedly with Sylvia a short distance away. "What are you afraid of?" he asked her, searching the dark eyes that matched his.

Greta's eyebrows dipped, and she looked down before responding. "I've lost one before. It's happening to so many of us now," she whispered, still avoiding his eyes. "I don't want to have to go through that again. We were going to wait to tell anyone for that reason—not that it was something we would have been able to hide for long."

He squeezed her arms that he was still holding. What could be the cause of something like that? "What can I do?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Nothing. This is something you can't fix," she smirked and met his eyes. "If there was something to do, I would do it. I just don't know what's causing it."

"Well you could start by not getting into stupid fights for no reason," he answered, and she rolled her eyes.

"That has nothing to do with it. Are you talking about the bonfire? That wasn't for no reason. Besides, that was before we knew," she replied.

"So you literally just found out?" he asked.

Greta nodded. "You didn't scent it, did you? That should tell you how early it is." She was right—he hadn't scented a difference in her like what was typical with females who were expecting.

"Was it the bonfire?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"No. Probably a few weeks before," her cheeks quickly seemed to turn a darker shade of red than what would be caused by the firelight alone.

"Are you blushing?" he teased.

"No," she laughed.

"Well, let me know when you need something I can help with. Okay?"

She nodded.. "Of course I will."