Graeme continued walking through the portal, reluctant to open his eyes for fear of ending up in the exact same place he was previously—stuck staring at the tree where August disappeared.
When he felt the air around him change and the tense silence of his surroundings that was in contrast to where he had just been, his eyes snapped open. It took him a moment to get his bearings. He was still on pack land, and this area of the forest was familiar. Where was it exactly?
His nose tilted upward as he sniffed for her scent, and it was there. So strong and sweet. The relief of finding it flooded over him, and he bolted forward in pursuit of his mate who had to be close. As he ran, he realized where they were. It was just outside the outpost where he had first brought her the night he found her in the Grimm. How strange that she would end up back where they had started.
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August stared at Zagan's outstretched hand. Were they just going to walk out of here? She assumed he would knock her out or drink her blood or something.
The smile that had formed on his creepily serene face vanished and his head snapped to the side, eyes narrowing in the distance. And in that moment she felt him—she felt Graeme approaching. It was like they were two magnets coming together, and the force of him tugged at her center wanting to instinctively drive her forward toward him.
Without realizing it, her feet had started moving toward the approaching Graeme who she could now hear huffing with each stride, a small grunt being released each time he hit the ground. He was excited and desperate to find her, and her heart soared in the light of that force drawing them together just as his did. She couldn't leave. What had she been thinking? Her mate was here.
Zagan watched as the lure of the mate bond played out before his eyes. The Luna had been brave and confident in her decision, wanting to protect her mate and pack by leaving voluntarily, but now a dreamy quality had taken over her eyes to the extent that she had apparently forgotten the threat in their midst. This is why mate bonds were so intriguing and so dangerous. He didn't understand it at all.
He grabbed her hand, jolting her back to reality with the cold grip of restraint. Her eyes went wide with the sudden realization of what she was doing by approaching her mate—she was putting him at risk—and she wilted, all the joy bleeding out of her as she let Zagan pull her into his side as he prepared to leap into the trees above.
But the Alpha somehow increased his speed and before Zagan could leave the ground with the prize alyko in his arms, he was knocked backward with two very large paws on his chest.
Graeme had aimed all of his weight at the creature's chest, avoiding his mate who toppled to the side out of the vampire's arms. There was an immense sense of relief at finally seeing her, but it was coupled with the most indescribable rage toward this thing that was trying to take her from him.
Snarls were tearing out his throat as he attacked the vampire's neck and the face, instinctively going for the vulnerable spots that would help in disabling the threat. But there was no soft flesh to give way. No blood was set free to begin draining the life force from his opponent. It was like he was attempting to bite into stone.
Zagan growled and shoved the beast off of him, annoyed at this disturbance. He had taken too long with the Winter alyko. He should have retrieved the Luna and been gone by now. All of his prizes from this night's harvest were tucked safely away in their trucks some distance from the perimeter where the rest of his crew was waiting—all but one prize of course. And he wasn't leaving without the Luna. She was the cherry on top, as he had heard humans say.
Graeme shook his head after being shoved off. It felt like he had broken some teeth trying to bite into this creature. What was he made of if not flesh?
"Graeme," August cried. "I have to go with him!"
She saw one of his ears tilt toward her, but Graeme didn't take his eyes off the vampire who was casually rising to stand in front of him, a string of threatening snarls layering one over the other with his lips curled back and body hunched trying to decide how to attack him. How could he disable a vampire? Because there was no way he was letting August go with him, regardless of what she said.
Zagan pulled at the cuffs of his sleeves, adjusting them with an air of arrogance. He didn't attack the Alpha, not yet. He wanted to wait and see if she could talk sense into him before Zagan was forced to end this his way.
"Graeme! Look at me, please!" she cried again, succeeding this time in drawing his attention to her when his eyes instantly softened, a look of immense love and desperation there. He was pleading with her not to leave him. "I have to go, but I will return to you. I promise."
Zagan's eyes narrowed at this, but if a simple promise was all it would take to be able to leave with her, then he would let her make it. He would let them both believe it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Graeme noticed the reaction the vampire had to August's words of reassurance. He knew just as well as Graeme did that she wouldn't return. No alyko ever returned once they were gone—how would August be different?
"Livvy returned," August said when she noticed Graeme's attention shift.. "If she can return, I will too."
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