My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

"It's okay, Sage. Go home, okay?" August reassured him. He definitely didn't need to be involved in this—whatever this was.

Sage shook his head sharply, and the way he looked up at her made her heart sink. She knelt next to him so they were eye-level. She cupped his face and smiled before resting her hands on his shoulders.

"You helped me so much today, Sage. Thank you. I promise you, I will be fine," she smiled her most reassuring smile. "I want you to go get dry and warm. We will work on photography again soon."

Now that she thought about it, they must have dropped the cameras back where the mates were fighting. It hadn't even occurred to her until now.

"Please," she added when Sage continued to look reluctant.

When he finally left her side and scampered away into the woods, she turned back to Lucas and then looked around at four other males who were closing in around her.

"Is there really a need for so many of you?" she asked, glaring at Lucas.

Lucas shrugged. "Who knows what you might try. Apparently you took down one guy without even lifting a finger."

"Then what makes you think I couldn't do it with five?" August asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Careful, sweetheart. That's not a threat you want to make," his voice dropped the teasing tone, and then he grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Let's go. Maybe you can tell us what happened to Marius, too."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied and tried to pull out of his grip.

Lucas snorted in response. "Sure you don't."

"I don't think Graeme is going to be happy about this," she muttered.

"If your mate actually grew some balls, then maybe I would give a shit," Lucas spit and shoved her ahead of him.

"Don't push me," she turned and glared at him.

"Maybe we should try to rough her up and see what she can do," one of the other males suggested now.

It sounded like that man-bun guy from the pack house. What was his name? Gunnar? She heard snickers of agreement pass amongst them.

Lucas didn't respond to the male. Instead he crossed his arms and appeared to think it over. After a few moments, he nodded once to Gunnar behind her who chuckled and approached.

August turned to face the male with the bun who Greta had tossed through the air like a rag doll. If only she had Greta's strength. He smirked and closed in on her until their chests were almost touching, a flame of curiosity bright in his eyes. Good thing she didn't fear him anymore after seeing his thoughts at the pack house. Gunnar was like a puppy with a big bark.

"Will you show us some of your moves?" Gunnar smirked, and then he let his eyes wander over her, sizing her up or checking her out—she wasn't sure. It made her skin crawl, and suddenly her confidence faltered. He must have sensed it, because something predatory flashed in his eyes.

"I think I found a sensitive spot," he whispered… too low and too close. He was too close. A knot began to tighten deep in her stomach, and she backed a step away from him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer for a whimper to escape.

"Let go," she demanded.

"Don't back down—fight," Lucas growled behind her.

"I don't want to hurt anybody," she protested and tried pushing away from Gunnar, but he wouldn't loosen his grip.

"She thinks she can hurt us," one of them laughed.

"Let me try, Gunnar," another male approached and ran a hand through her drenched hair before he tugged on it, baring her neck to them. She twisted away from him and pulled herself free before turning to glare at him next.

"There's the witch," the male taunted. "Is that why you have freakishly golden eyes… witch?" the last word held so much venom, she flinched.

"Fight, August," Lucas urged from behind her again.

Suddenly Finn emerged behind them, and August's anxiety rose considerably. He was young and outnumbered, but the degree of loyalty that young lycan had meant he was likely to try something stupid anyway.

"You're too late, Finn," Lucas barked and stared him down. Lucas and Finn started whispering heatedly when Gunnar took over August's vision.

"So you finally got the coward to mark you?" Gunnar snickered. "I bet he left the sweetest little mark, too."

"You know what they say about small marks," one of the other males replied behind her.

The rest of the males laughed like teenagers. How dare they disrespect Graeme.

"Let's see it," Gunnar urged this time, closing in on her again.

He tugged her hair to the side to expose her neck once more, and rage flared behind her eyes. She could feel this male's breath, his disgust, his arrogance. And then his fingers grazed the skin where Graeme had marked her.

August shoved him away, and he stumbled back, caught off guard. An animalistic snarl instinctively arose in her throat at that sacred spot being violated, and all of the males froze in surprise.

Finn and Lucas both turned their attention back to her, their mouths hanging open. August sounded lycan. That was unexpected. How was that… possible?

The color from August's irises had disappeared to be swallowed by a deep black. She turned around slowly so that each male saw the fierce glare that she shot their way.

"My mate is no coward," she growled. "Nor am I. Leave. Me. Alone."

August's voice sounded like it had been split from one note into a chord of notes that were all strummed simultaneously. It was otherworldly, raising the hairs on Lucas' arms and neck. The males, not knowing how to react, backed away from her while gaping in disbelief.

No one heard of an alyko sounding like this or having eyes that behaved that way. What was she exactly?

"What kind of experimental freak is she?" one of the males hissed and glanced to the others.

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