Chapter 287 - Graeme Finds The Portal

Graeme was pacing at the tree where August's scent disappeared like a stupid canine. He would run a few yards in each direction to make sure that her scent didn't reappear unexpectedly before returning to the tree and pawing at it, whining helplessly.

What the fuck happened to her? Even if that creature had taken her, he should have been able to follow the scent trail out of the territory.

He huffed, blowing a frustrated breath out of his nose. Now what? He was reluctant to leave this spot. It was where she disappeared. If he left, it would mean giving up and admitting defeat. And then what?

The urge to howl his loss rose in his throat, but he licked at the air, choking the howl down—refusing to make her disappearance real. He recalled how he was able to feel her when he was in Wisconsin, and he closed his eyes to concentrate on that connection between them.

She was still here… she was still in the pack territory. He could tell that like he could tell where the rest of his pack members were. Whatever happened between him and August tonight had changed his ability to perceive the others here in the most beautiful and profound way. But it didn't include a way to communicate with them, which would have been helpful at the moment.

Greta and Sam were still at the pack house keeping an eye on everyone there—making sure that they were protected without creating hysteria. But he couldn't pinpoint where his mate was.

Where was Finn? Where was Lucas?

He growled and tore off back to the path where August had veered from and followed the faint scent of Finn who had continued on without her by his side. There was no one else here. It seemed the pups had fled back to the pack house when news of Livvy's return spread.

He raced over what felt like small squirrel and rabbit bones underneath the path and through an array of figures hanging from trees before scenting the blood. It was a male lycan's blood.

His mouth instinctively started watering as it always did in his wolf form when the scent of blood was in the air, but his heart was racing with panic. He immediately knew whose blood it belonged to.

As he grew nearer to the where the blood was originating, he shifted out of his wolf form and sped to where Finn was lying, sliding beside the body that was slumped over on its side, separated from its head that laid several feet away.

As a lycan who was responsible for the deaths of many and had seen the deaths of many more, Graeme was not one to be squeamish about blood or death—or even decapitation. But he couldn't bring himself to look at the state Finn was left in. He squeezed his eyes shut and rested a hand on the male's body. Finn deserved so much more than this. He was a brave male. He was of the purest heart. And he had died being true to his duty, which was protecting his Luna.

"Thank you, Finn. You did well," he said softly, and then he grunted back the tears that had started to pool and fall, rising to once again search for his mate who was still here somewhere on pack land.

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August left the outpost through the front door, leaving it open as she went. Her mate was out here in the night somewhere searching for her. She looked up at the full moon, allowing herself a moment to appreciate the beauty that it held—so alone and full in the starry night sky.

"Watch out for him for me," she whispered.

Then she settled her eyes back on the trees before her—the trees of her home. The predator was out here somewhere looking for her as well.

She took a deep breath before shouting his name. "Zagan!"

Her fists were balled at her sides as she waited. No animals made any noise—not even the smallest buzz of insects could be heard. She looked up at the window where her crow had flown to greet her. It was still there, peering down at her silently.

When she turned her head to once again search the woods for any sign of him, he was directly in front of her. She jumped back involuntarily, a small noise escaping her lips as she did. This vampire literally made no sound at all. There was not even a disturbance of wind that she detected prior to his arrival before her.

"You have decided to make this easy, I see," he spoke, his eerily sharp eyes flitting over her face, giving her the impression that he picked up every micro expression, every small quiver of breath.

She gathered her frayed nerves at having him arrive so suddenly and schooled her features.

"I do not want my mate or my pack harmed," she said as steadily as she could manage. Being near him with the frozen way he held himself—he didn't even seem to be breathing—was instinctively terrifying.

"How wise of you, Luna," he replied without blinking, a smooth incline of his lips curving to reveal the sharp fangs beyond. "Shall we?" he asked, offering a hand to her that she stared at uneasily. Was he really going to just walk her out of the forest in such a civilized manner? That was unlikely.

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Graeme raced back on all fours, following her scent trail once again, until he was standing before the same damned tree. This time he closed his eyes and searched for her, focusing harder than before. Perhaps there was a different kind of trail that he could follow. One that wasn't created by her scent.

He found her again, somewhere on the pack land. Still here. But her essence seemed scattered, like she was everywhere. Like she was all around. Like she was part of the air itself.

The image of her as golden flower petals spiraling up into the air suddenly formed in his mind—like the petals from her guardian place. He told her at that time that he would arrive whenever she called him—whenever she needed him. Had she not called for him now with this looming threat?

His eyebrows pinched together at this thought, but then a trail of those petals aligned before him disappearing straight into the tree. She had told him once about disappearing under a tree. Perhaps she had been able to do it this time as well. That made perfect sense… he would have lost her scent trail.

With his eyes still closed, he walked forward, following where this trail was leading. And surprisingly the solid trunk of the tree that he knew was there did not stop him. He was following her trail through the portal.