Chapter 145 - The Odd Three

The border of the pack's land was getting close, and beyond that lay the Grimm. Sage couldn't let her get that far. Someone else could see her—people from Eliade might be nearby. She wouldn't be protected.

And within pack land, there would be others pursuing her soon. Sage panted with his hands on his knees, thinking. He would have to do it.

'Moon Goddess, help Luna,' he thought and projected himself forward to outrun her with his mind.

As August ran, she couldn't feel her legs or even the struggle with her oxygen-deprived muscles anymore. She was leaving. Whatever the consequences from Eliade or anyone else. She deserved whatever happened.

All of this with Graeme was too good to be true, she knew it. The elders were right. She was an outsider. She was a danger. She didn't deserve this family. Maybe she had even been used as a tool to manipulate Graeme like they suggested.

A gradual incline had her running upward, but she realized all the leaves and tangled roots and plants were gone from her path. The ground was green and smooth as it sloped up, and she slowed down with the thought that this land was occupied by someone nearby. With the slower pace, her lungs suddenly shuddered with a burning need to rest.

August's gaze followed the incline before her feet, and she saw three trees at the top of a hill. Something about the trees before her was enchanting and mysterious. Her feet slowed to a walk as she followed the hill until she stopped before them, gasping for air.

This was a good place to rest—it felt safe. She could think here.

"You three are odd," she said between breaths, tilting her head in curiosity as she studied the trees that looked out over this part of the forest from their mount.

The tree to the left was smaller than the others with delicate white flowers. She could see a few bees buzzing around it, gathering nectar. There weren't any other trees in the forest like it that she could recall, which meant someone must have purposely planted it here.

She turned around to look out over the forest below, but there didn't appear to be any houses or people nearby.

Unlike the first tree, the one to the far right looked ancient. It was large, towering over the other two with green and yellow lichens forming a lace on its trunk. The lichens were also on its roots, which jutted up and crawled over the ground around the other two trees as if embracing them before sinking down into the soil. Many of its leaves had fallen, and yet its limbs still stood proudly, reaching even further yet toward the sky.

August sat down on one of the roots and put her head in her hands. What was she doing? One moment it seemed like she belonged here, but then the next… The next she was doing something frightening that she didn't understand. She didn't even know who or what she was anymore.

"Please help me," she whispered to herself. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You want to protect them," a voice spoke.

Without questioning where the voice had come from, for it seemed to come from the tree itself, she nodded and sniffled, still buried in her hands.

"Yes."

"You have pure intentions. But also fear."

"I am afraid… of myself," she said, tears welling and pooling in her hands.

The voice hummed, and August felt it vibrate inside of her as if it were coming up from the root she was sitting on.

"The fear is all you must be afraid of."

"Really? Not a talking tree?" she raised her head to look at the ancient tree and laughed softly through her tears. The root hummed beneath her.

After wiping her tears, she stood and placed her hands on the trunk. Such a strong, wise energy flowed here. She exhaled deeply and leaned her forehead against it. "Thank you."

When she let go and turned to leave, she finally took notice of the magnificent tree nestled at the center of the other two. It was full and green—no leaves had fallen yet for the season. But the most striking part of this tree was its cascades of purple blooms that draped elegantly above her.

Strange that she hadn't noticed it immediately.

August stepped forward under the cascades of the center tree and touched its trunk, too. At that moment, a crow cawed somewhere above and dove, alighting on the ground next to her. The blue sheen of its feathers caught the sunlight filtering between the canopy leaves above, and August slowly squatted by its side. The bird tilted its head and ruffled its wings before hopping away as someone approached.

"Luna," Sage breathed, stopping a short distance from her. Her brows furrowed together.

"I'm so sorry, Sage," she said.

He shook his head and smiled back with his emerald eyes. The scarf Clara had gifted him still hung around his neck.

"It wasn't Luna's fault." His words were smooth and even in a confident voice she had never heard him use before. For some reason, he had no trouble speaking now.

He held out his hand for her, gesturing for her to come with him.

"Alpha is looking for you."

"Graeme?" she whispered. He nodded in response.

She looked uneasily at the hand he was offering—in her mind she could still see him struggling without air. The fear of herself was still there. She didn't know how to get rid of it.

"Please come, Luna. We need you," he added.

"But," she breathed, "the mates." The male and female… she had hurt them. "They said I'm a witch. Everyone will fear me. And they—they should."

"He hurt Luna. He should be afraid," Sage said, and seeing how she didn't react to it other than a slight dip in her eyebrows, he added, "and he hurt me."

With this, she met his green eyes, searching them.

"Come," was his simple request as his hand remained outstretched for her.

When August finally took his hand, a broad smile spread over his face. Together, they turned to walk down the hill.

A warm sense of peace spread through her as they walked, and she gave Sage a crooked smile. "You're like… someone else I know," she said.

He tilted his head at her without remarking on it.