Chapter 181 - Now Is The Time

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"I don't know exactly," Graeme replied to Greta's question. "But when I spoke with Penelope," he cleared his throat. "When I spoke with Penelope, she made it seem as though there were disappearances in our pack that had to do with the alyko."

"What do you mean?" Greta asked, setting her fork down. "What would it have to do with the alyko? They're not to blame!"

"No, no that's not what she meant. That's not what I mean," he shook his head. "We were talking about the map."

Graeme paused what he was saying and gave a sideways glance to Sage. He was a pup. Did he really need to hear this? When Graeme caught August's gaze next, she nodded in a way that put him at ease. For whatever reason, she felt the conversation was acceptable for him to hear. And Graeme trusted his mate. Penelope had said that he should trust his mate. He gave her a small, appreciative smile—the kind that only takes a moment and yet says everything. The kind that could still make August's cheeks go pink.

"We were discussing the map, which Penelope knew about. She said there are many who are invested in the map, and Andreas sure made that clear today when I told him I wanted it destroyed," he grunted.

"I would have loved to see his face when you said that," Greta chuckled.

"Today was hard for Andreas," Graeme nodded. "Anyway, she said we were the worst pack when it came to how we deal with alyko. I told her we didn't have alyko. And, in response, she asked if there were disappearances in the pack," Graeme recalled.

Greta's mouth dropped open. "You mean," she started, "you mean… Livvy?"

"I think so," Graeme replied, his hand tightening around the fork he was holding. "I think so, sis."

"So does that mean… Livvy's disappearance was intentional? Something happened to her because she's alyko?" Greta asked, her expression still one of shock.

Sage froze his eating and didn't dare look at any of the adults around him. His sister had warned him about this. She had told him that was why Livvy had disappeared. That is why she had made sure he was so careful… why he had never used his abilities prior to helping August in the forest just the other day. Even before Livvy, Selah knew there were people watching who would know if alyko were here in the pack. People who would make the alyko disappear.

When Selah found out that Sage had helped August the way he did, she was beside herself. She yelled. She cried. She shut all the blinds in their burrow and peered out of them like she waiting for a siege of wolves at any moment. When none of those things happened, she finally agreed to find August and talk with her.

Sage had opened the door for August, another fae, to enter into that exclusive healing space that only fae could enter. It was a tremendous, brave thing that he did. It had likely saved their Luna from either leaving the pack for good and falling into the hands of Eliade or from allowing herself to be taken by the council. And, perhaps worst of all, without that entry into the fae wisdom that speaks from the mouth of nature itself, August would have likely lost all confidence and hope in herself.

And then Selah had decided she needed to leave. It was time to do what she had been wanting to do for so long after gaining the knowledge of all that was against the alyko. Now that August and Graeme had returned—and August, an impressively powerful fae who was also the Luna of the pack—it was finally the opportunity Selah had been waiting for. She was going to do what was within her capability with the knowledge that she had to help, and hopefully Graeme and August would be there to have her back when the shit really hit the fan.

"But, how would they have known?" Greta was still trying to understand—to process this new information. If Livvy was alyko, how would anyone have known that in advance? Why wouldn't Greta have caught on? Or her family?

"The map," Sam stated the obvious.

"So she… used her abilities somehow? And they saw it?" Greta replied. Her eyes were filling with involuntary tears. She should have known. She should have been there to help. "Fuck!" she slammed her hand on the table.

"We are going to make sure it doesn't happen again," Graeme said in a low, reassuring growl that puttered in his throat.

"It already happened!" Greta exclaimed, rising from the table. "How many… how many others have there been? Oh Goddess," Greta bent over, clutching her side. "All this time. This has been going on all this time, and I had no idea." She let out a strangled cry and slammed her fist on the table again, making Sage jump.

Sam rose and embraced his mate around the shoulders. "Calm down, love. We are going to deal with it. I vow it."

"We have failed them," she cried into Sam's shoulder. "I should have known. I could have kept this from happening. I could have protected them. It's Maggie all over again."

"Greta, please calm down for a moment," Graeme said. "Penelope told me one thing. They are alive."

"They?" Greta asked. "How… how does she know? How does she know any of this? Does she know where they are?"

"She wouldn't tell me anything else," he replied. "Something about things unfolding in the right time. But she did say that Andreas is a coward."

Greta scoffed in response. "How can you go in there and face him without ripping his fucking face off?" she growled.

"Because Penelope also told me this is a gigantic, delicate mess that needs to be approached carefully. And after I was with August and her guardian…" he trailed off. Sage caught August's gaze and gulped softly. "I just realize that this is going to take finesse to do in the right way—in the way that is best for the pack. To really get to the bottom of all of it."

Graeme exhaled deeply and scanned the faces of those who were sharing this meal with him. "I know with the help from all of you, we are going to figure it out and give this pack what it needs and deserves. This isn't about me or my mate, although it feels like my entire universe orbits around her, I won't deny it," he laughed softly, catching her eye. "This is about making things right. Let's do that.. Now is the time, and I won't let you down."

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