Chapter 76: Morning After

August sucked in a quick breath, shooting upward into a sitting position. Was all of that a dream? Trees were swaying outside the treehouse, filtering the morning sun.

"August," Graeme sighed next to her. She was panting like she had a nightmare. "Are you okay?" He had mimicked her posture, sitting upright next to her. "I was worried," he breathed.

"I had a dream," she said in a haze, turning to meet his gaze. A smile curved on her lips. "It wasn't a dream," she laughed softly to see him shake his head. He cupped the side of her face, drawing her into a gentle kiss.

"I didn't know that would happen—I'm sorry," he explained. "It's the full moon—I've never experienced one with you."

"The full moon," she whispered to herself, remembering the scene in front of her eyes from the night before. The moonlight had come alive. "What was that? And the flowers?" the scent of the flowers around her had seemed intoxicating.

"It's a fertility ritual," he said next to her for her eyes to go wide.

"A what?" she gasped.

"All mated females get those flowers before the drawing down of the moon," he explained.

"What? How could you not… not… run that by me first?" she asked, mouth agape. A fertility ritual? Seriously?

Graeme scooted closer, nuzzling into the curve of her neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how powerful it really was," he groaned, nipping the skin by his mark. She whimpered in response to it.

Reminded of the mark, she quickly turned to him. "Are you okay?" Her gaze shifted from his eyes to his neck.

She bit him last night. How could she have done that? What if she hurt him? What about his wolf? Why had she even wanted to bite him?

Her eyes were full of terror as she ran a finger over the spot where a pearlized mark had formed on his skin. Lycans weren't supposed to have scars…

"I'm perfect, love," his voice was deep and reassuring, but he could see she didn't believe him. "I promise. I even shifted this morning just so I could tell you for sure that you have nothing to worry about," his eyes were sincere. August let out a breath of relief.

"Promise?" she asked, even though he already had.

"Yes, Moon," he smirked, kissing her gently before tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. "Are you mad at me for not warning you?" he asked.

She was still stunned. A fertility ritual? The words kept repeating in her mind.

"That was so… insane," she breathed, not answering his question. There was no other word for it. Her body shivered, remembering.

And then she recalled another detail—this one truly horrifying.

"W-we did that out in the middle of—of everything? Did people…" she gulped. '…see us?' her thoughts finished.

How had she done that so easily last night? With no shame or shyness at all? Graeme's eyes shifted away from her guiltily.

"Oh Goddess," she gasped again, her hand flying up to her mouth in horror. A small smile bloomed on Graeme's face even though he was still avoiding her eyes, and she slapped his chest. "How is this funny to you?"

"It's not, I'm sorry. It's not funny. You're just adorable. And I love how you sound when you say 'Goddess,'" he explained, his eyes wide with mirth as they finally met hers again.

August groaned and flopped backwards into bed. "I can never face anyone here ever again!"

Graeme chuckled and lowered himself over her. "Should I remind you that you're the only human here? None of them think that way. There's nothing to be ashamed of," he said so smoothly that she felt it somewhere deep inside of her.

"In fact, it proved something to them—especially to anyone with doubts. Not to mention that everyone there was doing the exact same thing."

He kissed her neck so softly that she shivered, and he lifted her against him with a chuckle. She groaned but let herself be nuzzled and kissed with his coarse beard tickling her face and neck until she couldn't stop the smile that slowly bloomed on her face as well.

"You are amazing. I'm so proud of you, my love," he spoke into her hair as he swayed back and forth with her in his arms. "Are you cold?" he asked then, tightening his arms around her to secure her more closely against him.

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It was delicious being this close to him. His broad, warm chest. It was like slipping into an instant calm space. Her head went fuzzy again, and she groaned an incoherent response that made him chuckle above her.

"I'm hungry," she finally formed a thought into words amidst the nuzzling. A quick mental check made her realize she had somehow made it back to the treehouse, into pajamas, and into bed.

"I'm on it," he rumbled above her, and he pulled a blanket over her before disappearing from her side. She almost regretted saying anything, as he had scrambled out of bed so quickly.

After checking the bathroom mirror for any glaring issues, August made her way to the kitchen where enticing aromas were beckoning her.

"Aren't you going to the council?" she asked sleepily. It was Friday, after all.

"No way am I leaving you today," he said before dropping a plate in front of her.

"What? Why? Is that… wise?" she asked, suddenly worried.

She saw him shrug before he sat down across from her. "It's common after a full moon. No worries," he said.

What he didn't say was that he could honestly give a shit what the elders thought at this point. After last night—after experiencing that… the most insanely spiritual thing he could imagine and then carrying his exhausted mate home under the moonlight—watching as her eyelashes brushed her pale cheeks and feeling her body that trembled involuntarily in his arms with the scent of the forest and the flowers around her neck enveloping them both—no one could pry him away from her. He wasn't sure he could ever leave her side again after that. It was hard enough before, but now?

"I'm sorry I passed out," she said quietly, staring at the mouthwatering food in front of her.

Graeme shook his head. "Don't be. It's common. And your experience was more intense than most," he reassured her.

"You're just being nice," she smirked, somehow knowing this to be true. He didn't want her to have another reason to feel weak.

"I can tell you for sure that no one has experienced it like you did," he said.

"Because I was with you?" she raised an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Well that…" he chuckled, "and you have your freaky human-mutate powers to witness it all in an entirely different way."

"In other words, too much for my human body to handle," she laughed softly.

"Did I say that?" he asked.

She laughed, taking a bite of sausage. "You didn't have to. But it's okay. My mate is the Alpha, so… I guess it compensates."

Graeme moved from his place across from her to the chair at her side. "You know, I find myself wondering if you aren't the Moon Goddess herself, August," he said deeply. "You don't need anyone to compensate," and his dark, warm eyes threatened to swallow her whole.

"Okay, buddy. It's too early for all of that. Let me eat my breakfast," she laughed nervously, nudging him with her arm as she gulped softly at his words.

After they had finished eating and Graeme was clearing the dishes, August found herself wondering aloud. "So… fertility ritual… Are you wanting a little Graeme so soon?"

The thought terrified her. They were still getting to know each other. People from Eliade were more than likely hunting her. She didn't know anything about the lycans or Hallowell pack or what was happening with her supposed genetic reengineering. There were barely a handful of people she could trust. Throw a defenseless child into all of that?

Graeme didn't turn to answer her. "More like a little August." She heard the teasing in his voice. "Whenever the time is right, I'll be overjoyed with it."

Realizing his words were met with nervous silence, he turned to face her. "It won't happen before its time," he said with that soothing depth of his. "Don't worry about it, okay? All I care about is you being next to me."

She stared back at him looking vulnerable with the morning light filtering in through her pale hair, lighting it like the ethereal halo of someone's painted saint. He groaned internally. She was perfect. With bed head and the baggy sweatshirt dwarfing her cute shape underneath. Everything about her was perfect.

"Are you feeling up to wandering around today?" he asked. Seeing more of the land and meeting its people would be good.

"Sure," she said quietly.

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