Chapter 192: Weeks

August had been working on paper mache masks with the pups for the upcoming Samhain celebration for a few weeks now, and they were having a blast. The festival was less than a week away, and the excitement leading up to the event was drawing in more pups to art lessons than usual. August even had a few pups from other areas of the pack when word got around about what they were working on.

Lily had even started attending, which was such a relief to Greta, who had truly begun to worry for her. August took extra care to attend to Lily and help with her project, which was a rabbit mask.

"You know who loves rabbits and even has a stuffed rabbit at home?" August whispered confidentially to Lily one afternoon when they were layering the gooey strips of paper onto the long ears of Lily's mask.

"Who?" Lily's eyes had turned wide to the question. It wasn't common for lycans—even lycan pups—to have an affection for rabbits. The small, dainty animals were prey. They were food. Not something to be adored or cuddled.

"Alpha," August's answer was even more of a hushed whisper as she held her hand up and bent low near Lily's ear. "Don't tell anyone, though. It's our secret." They both giggled, and Lily had a smile on her face the rest of the day imagining the big, intimidating Alpha carrying around a stuffed rabbit.

Greta hadn't gotten anywhere with the details from the Bennett family about Livvy's disappearance. It seemed like the pup had quite literally disappeared into thin air, which was hard to do with so many siblings constantly surrounding her.

Graeme was dealing with his own difficulties in advancing toward uncovering the mystery within the council. August wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but he had become increasingly stressed and distant.

After his first day at the council, he asked if she would come to the pack house and meet the council members, and she readily agreed. But then he didn't bring it up again. And she didn't have much of a chance to talk with him about it. He was getting home later and later, and he and Sam were always busy discussing what had happened during the day. August had the increasing feeling that he was intentionally shutting her out, but she didn't know how to address it. This was his pack, and the transition to Alpha was obviously a difficult one.

She was beginning to wonder if it had to do with how she reacted to his news about Auden. He told her about how he had dealt with Auden's disrespect the first day, and she probably hadn't reacted as well as she could have. But honestly, she was horrified. Her mate whom she adored, who was the twin flame of her soul, had ended someone's life with such little hesitation. She couldn't understand it.

Perhaps this was why Graeme didn't discuss much with her after that. Instead, she often ended up shutting herself in the bedroom with a sketchbook and falling asleep before he eventually came to bed. It had only been a few weeks like this, but it felt like an eternity. The silent space that yawned between them was becoming excruciating.

It was only the pups' art lessons and the upcoming festival that kept her hopeful and looking forward to something.

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With even Sylvia and Charlotte busy at the pack house these past weeks, August found that she had become dependent on the pups for much of her socialization. After the confrontation in the market, August had avoided even going there—worried about confusing the pack members if something similar occurred.

Sylvia assured her that the connection she had felt with the members that day had something to do with being a Luna, but when August asked Graeme and Greta about this, they couldn't confirm that similar feelings had ever been experienced by their mother or any previous Luna. It was yet another oddity that came with August's presence.

The one individual who had become increasingly prevalent was the peculiar crow that hopped around her when she was alone, clucking for attention or staring with intense blue eyes from a nearby perch. It seemed present so often now that she was no longer surprised when she would walk out the back door to the porch on a grey, misty morning and find it waiting there for her. August had taken to carrying around bread crumbs and popcorn, dropping little piles for her feathered friend before carrying on with her day.

It was one such morning when Greta had left to attend to her healer obligations and the males were already at the council that August sat troubled with her thoughts on the back porch. How could she help her mate? He was becoming more and more closed off, as if he was frustrated by not being able to clear the way for their joint leadership more efficiently.

And he wasn't relying on her. He wasn't confiding in her. It was becoming painful if only by the way it was stifling their bond. They were physically and emotionally distant, and she felt so alone. She couldn't go to the pack and be amongst them. And… she couldn't go home.

This final thought had her finally giving into the tears that had been threatening to take over for days now. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. No one to be important to.

Her phone buzzed on the patio table, but she ignored it. It was Graeme of course. He felt her like he always did, but all she could do was just assure him that she was fine. She was physically fine. It wasn't a lie. It wasn't anything physical.

The crow swooped down by her phone and clucked, pecking at her phone with its beak.

"I should text him back, should I?" she chuckled, wiping the tears from her eyes and grudgingly leaning forward to retrieve the phone.

'Are you okay, August?' the text read. No nicknames. He was irritated, she could feel it, and it made a fresh wave of tears crest and spill over.

'Yes, I'm okay Graeme.' She sent back. Now he didn't have to worry about her.. He could carry on with his day.

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