August and Graeme are excited to announce a CHRISTMAS MASS RELEASE! On December 25th, all my dear readers get a special gift in the form of 8 chapters that day. Yay!
If you haven't seen the event on WN yet, you can view the books that have been invited to the mass release under "Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!" For every 30 minutes you read of one of the books listed, you receive a Christmas cracker to play.
Happy reading and happy holidays to all! <3
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The stairs to the loft at Sylvia's house split the main floor down the middle and had a cute little bookcase nestled behind it. Greta led August up to the cozy loft space that held a small twin bed on one side and a dresser on the other. But the most captivating part of the room was a deep window seat nestled against a round window overlooking the woods out back.
"Can you believe this was Sam's room? Isn't it cute?" Greta asked as she walked to the window seat. There was enough room there for both girls to sit facing each other with the file of physics literature between them.
"It's incredible," August agreed. "I love it."
"When we were kids I was so jealous of his room," Greta laughed.
"It must be something to have a mate who you were such close friends with growing up," August said.
"Looking back on it, it's a bit strange. But I had a feeling early on before we actually knew we were mates. I was always drawn to him. I always felt protective of him, too, and I guess he felt the same way," she smiled, recalling it. "It was more of a shock to Graeme, however."
August laughed. "How did he take it?"
"After the shock wore off, he was okay with it. But the two of them butted heads for awhile afterward. Sam didn't like how close Graeme and I were. I think he was jealous," Greta scrunched her face.
"Really?" August tilted her head and chuckled. That surprised her. Sam seemed so easygoing about everything.
Greta nodded. "Well twins are a different thing, you know. Plus the communicating through touch made him uncomfortable since I couldn't do that with him."
"Hmm. Those are unique circumstances," August agreed.
She watched as Greta began flipping through the pages and reading. Greta's forehead was lined in deep concentration behind her soft, peach waves, and August found herself gazing out the window next to them into the dense trees. These trees seemed different than the ones at the treehouse. They were bristlier and closer together, and the darkness that settled in their shadows seemed deeper.
"Greta?" August spoke softly, unsure if she actually wanted to give voice to her thoughts.
Greta looked up, "I think I found something. It doesn't seem like what you can do with touch will trigger this… the change in entropy that is measured by whatever mysterious process they have set up around pack lands will only identify the exchange of energy between the alyko in question and their environment. So it's something more like what happened with Marius at the outpost."
Greta flipped the folder shut and squinted her eyes in thought. "That makes sense when you think about it, because Graeme and I can communicate through touch and we are still lycan. I don't think you have anything to worry about when it comes to seeing the thoughts of others."
August nodded uneasily. She never wanted what happened with Marius and Violet to happen again anyway, but it was good to know just in case.
"We still need to find out how they tagged you, assuming they already have, and if we can do something to reverse it. It would be much better if you can practice whatever abilities you have without alerting them so that you can flex when the time comes," Greta went on.
"Flex?" August repeated.
"Yeah, you know—use your badass skills to put little shits in their place like me," Greta chuckled.
August laughed with her, recalling how Greta had such impressive strength for such a small person. "Speaking of that… what happened at the bonfire? Who did you get into a fight with?" she asked.
"Oh," Greta's eyes went wide and she looked back down at the folder in her hands.
"What?" August laughed. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I kind of got into a fight with Violet," Greta admitted.
"What?" August gasped. "Oh Goddess, that is so embarrassing," she covered her face with her hands.
"She should have never approached you like that. It wasn't even an actual fight. Violet is barely even lycan when it comes to anything physical, but then her bitchy little friend stepped in, and I had to take care of her, too," Greta mumbled. August groaned.
"And then there was Lucas," Greta continued.
"What?!" August flung her hands down and gaped at the harmless-looking girl in front of her. "You got into a fight with Lucas, too?!"
"He made some stupid comment. I don't even remember what it was now, to be honest," Greta shrugged and looked out the window.
August laughed before her mouth went back to hanging open in shock. "So you got hurt because of me?"
"Hurt? What makes you think I got hurt?" Greta screwed up her face in question.
"You had scratches on your face," August replied.
"Do you see them now, sis?" Greta turned her head side-to-side before laughing. "You don't have to worry about me."
August sighed heavily. After imaging Greta out there defending her against Violet and Lucas, she groaned again.
"You're welcome," Greta smirked.
"Thank you," August replied. "But please don't do that again."
"If someone comes after you, they're going to have me to deal with. That will never change," Greta raised her eyebrows defiantly, and August couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head.
"Was there something you were going to tell me before?" Greta asked.
"Oh, yeah there was," August replied, looking down at her hands uncomfortably. "Something happened that I haven't told anyone about. It scared me, and I didn't understand it. I didn't want to worry Graeme or-or scare him. But after reading all those horrible stories from the council about alyko, I think you should know. Just in case maybe…" August trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.
"What is it?" Greta asked, and she reached out to grab August's hands in reassurance.
"That night when I took that heaviness from Graeme? You know, like you told me not to?" Greta nodded to the question. "Before he got home that night, I had walked through the woods. I was seeing everything—the Veiled—and I was following this crow that seemed to be guiding me. It felt safe. It felt… natural to be out there," August shrugged.
"I found this creek where I could literally see Graeme—like a ghost of him. In the past. I crossed the creek—well I fell into the creek actually—and then the crow ushered me under this ancient tree. There was a cave under its roots…"
"I know the place. I know the tree you're talking about. You were there?" Greta asked in shock.
August nodded slowly. "I went in and… and then all of the sudden I was back at the treehouse. At the base of the tree. I don't remember anything else. I don't know what happened."
After admitting the events that had seemed nothing more than a dream, they suddenly became more solid in August's mind. More realistic.
"Greta, do you think I'm… bad? Am I a danger to Graeme?"
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