Chapter 80: Lily

They pulled off the road, finally approaching a house that looked like a smaller version of Graeme's childhood home. "This is Greta and Sam's," Graeme answered the question in August's eyes. "The kids should be around back."

When they rounded the house to the backyard, August saw a small wild garden that gave way to the woods. Young voices could be heard coming from beyond the trees, and when they moved further into the woods, they caught Jack walking around two kids paired up. He was instructing them as they moved toward and around each other, trying to anticipate the others' moves. Jack saw them and flashed a smile.

"Teams!" Jack roared into the woods, and the two kids who were by him quickly ran further in beyond view. Jack approached August and Graeme with a nod. "This is their last exercise before we're done. Sam's further in on the other side of the group," he explained.

Just then, a young woman came out the back door with a large smile on her face. August couldn't help but feel that she seemed familiar.

"Graeme!" the woman called happily from the back door as she started to make her way to them. Jack ran back into the woods before August realized he was gone.

"Hey Amelia!" Graeme called to her as she jogged her way through the garden to where they stood beyond the tree line. Her round, kind face was beaming with an infectious smile. She hugged Graeme and squeezed his arm as she pulled away. "It's so amazing to see you. I missed you at the bonfire last night," she said before turning to embrace August as well. "Hi August, I'm Mel."

"Nice to meet you," August responded, matching Amelia's smile.

"And it is beyond nice to meet you, August. You have no idea," she replied, glancing at Graeme with her eyes twinkling. "So I hear you are an artist. The kids will love that. We don't have anyone doing art with the pups right now in Woodside. Of any kind. I think this younger group will especially love whatever you can introduce them to."

The three of them continued to visit while the fighting exercise was going on in the woods, only occasionally hearing grunts or growls from further in. August learned that Mel was May's daughter, which explained the familiarity she had upon seeing her. Mel had the same bubble of contagious happiness surrounding her as May.

"They should be done anytime now," Mel said. August was nodding when all of the sudden Graeme spun her around to face the opposite way with her nestled protectively against his chest.

"Graeme—" she started to object when he released her and turned back to where she had been standing. A young girl was panting, sprawled out on her back on the forest floor, staring up at Graeme with evident terror in her eyes. It only took August a moment to realize that the girl had bounced off of Graeme's back and would have otherwise tackled August had she still been standing there.

"Lily—what happened?" Mel gasped. The smile that seemed always on her face had vanished.

"I-I'm sorry," the girl panted, not daring to move as she stared up into Graeme's steely eyes. She looked terrified. This was the Alpha. While she had never personally met him, she knew it by his scent. By the energy that surrounded him. By the terror that glare inflicted on her. The Alpha was glaring down at her like her minutes in this life were numbered. How could her luck be this bad?

August saw the girl trembling, frozen on the ground—not daring to move as Graeme glared at her. Mel also didn't move, glancing nervously over at Graeme as the energy around him had turned into a storm front threatening to bring devastation with it. August sighed to herself, moving past her mate who attempted to stop her with a hand on her arm, but she slid away and extended a hand to help the girl up off the ground.

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"Lily?" August asked softly. The girl who couldn't have been older than eight was trembling as she took August's hand and glanced nervously at Graeme. Lily nodded.

"I'm August," she gave Lily a warm smile. Lily's eyes went wider. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. August felt Graeme relax behind her, and with that Mel seemed to also relax.

"Lily, you must be careful," Mel hissed from the side, and Lily met her with guilty eyes. "That's how friendlies get hurt."

"Well, it's a good lesson then," August gave her a smile, seeing how young and vulnerable the girl seemed. There was something off about her, August thought. After a moment considering it, she opened her second vision and saw what could only be described as a wound surrounding the girl called Lily. It was like a deep, throbbing bruise—dark and painful with her at its center. August winced internally from just viewing it.

Feeling the reaction she had, Graeme glanced at her in concern. August's eyes were dark, but she gave him a reassuring smile before turning down the vision for the aching energy to vanish from view.

"Enough training for today, little one," Graeme said, gentle but stern. The young girl nodded, her cheeks having gone red. Mel put an arm around Lily's shoulders and led her into the garden where the two had a quiet conversation.

"Are you okay?" Graeme asked of his mate.

"Of course," she shrugged her shoulders. "Lily seems harmless."

"She could have killed you, August," he replied.

"Come on," she scoffed. "Her?"

"Yes, her," he said, deeply serious. "Even a pup in human form—the impact could be devastating to someone like you."

August saw how the thought turned him cold again. She really was too weak, wasn't she? The fact of her weakness was unavoidable. He could pretend like it wasn't there for the sake of her pride, but when it came down to even a ridiculous accident like this—she was a vulnerability of his. She could see it now. No wonder he didn't want a mate—much less one who couldn't defend herself.

"Well…" she took a deep breath, brushing it off, "I didn't even realize she ran into you. So I guess you make up for the hits I can't take," she smirked at him. The rigid line of his jaw didn't ease, and she sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Bun," she tipped her chin up to whisper against his neck. Apparently the new nickname worked, because she felt him soften within her embrace. He growled quietly, finally returning her embrace and kissing the top of her head.

"Damn that rabbit," he grumbled, and she chuckled under him.. Maybe this was her gift—softening him and pulling him back from the extremities. It was a kind of strength, wasn't it?

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