My Lycan Mate of Suicide Forest

August squeezed her eyes shut to try getting control enough to push Violet's private thoughts back, but the person who greeted her in those thoughts startled her. And suddenly Violet's memories slipped loose—tumbling one after the other into August's mind.

There was a young Graeme. A young Violet. They were friends. A flip book of memories featuring Graeme's face slid forward. Violet had a crush on the Alpha's son as so many girl's did, but the two got closer over time.

General memories like this provided a hazy background leading to one specific memory with painfully exquisite detail. Graeme making love to her. She saw Graeme's clean-shaven face and nakedness through Violet's adoring eyes as she cherished every touch—every moment being the object of his affection.

Violet's memories skipped forward like a stone over water, a rush of history reflected on its surface, until it settled on another memory. Violet discovering she was pregnant.

The joy of realizing she would bear the future Alpha's heir and solidify her place next to him exploded through her. She would be Luna next to Graeme, and the pack would treat them like royalty. It was her dream. The man, the family, and the status in the eyes of the pack.

Graeme's handsome face had drained of color when she told him, but he came around. He was happy.

Skipping forward once more, Violet was on the floor with blood on her hands. She had lost his child.

The tsunami of emotions spiraled through her with Graeme comforting her but for some reason remaining distant. He was slipping away. She was losing her chance. Not long after, Graeme ended it between them and then eventually left the pack altogether.

Now the man Violet had loved all this time was finally back as she had feared he would never be. But he hadn't returned for her. He had brought a human with him.

A human? For Graeme? It was laughable. There was no way it was possible that the Goddess had chosen a human for him.

And now the human with her stupid name smelled like him and had his mark. The mark she coveted. The mark she deserved after having been with him for so long. Loved him for so long. Waited for him for so long.

Despite her sweet exterior, Violet was full of longing and hatred, and her hatred for August was immense.

At some point Violet had finally let go of August's arm, leaving August trembling in the wake of these intimate thoughts that were not her own. All the thoughts and feelings had tumbled out at once in a horrifying cascade that felt like eternity, when in reality Violet had only held onto August for a few moments before catching Greta's scent and quickly departing.

"Miss August?" Finn called, touching her arm gently, and she flinched back. She looked up to see the silhouettes of Violet and Tara's retreating forms, and she shifted her eyes to stare absently into the massive fire in front of her.

"Finn, could you get me another drink?" she asked, downing the mug that had gone cold in her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," he said softly, and she felt him leave her side.

On the other side of the flames, she saw Lucas lift his drink toward her with a sneer before emptying it and turning to his friends.

Greta returned from somewhere behind the tree line looking deflated. "I tell you what, if you get a handle on this reiki thing, I could really use your help," she sighed.

Finn was quickly by her side with another mug. "Thanks, Finn," August said, taking the mug from him and drinking it quickly as she stared into the fire.

The burn from the alcohol felt good. She wished she could burn the new images she had inherited from Violet with the heat of the large flames in front of her, but unfortunately she was stuck with them now. Just like she was stuck with Marius' even after his death. She seemed to be a vessel slowly filling with the haunting thoughts of others.

"I met Violet," August said quietly to Greta while keeping her eyes trained on the flames.

"What? What happened?" Greta asked, watching August looking vacantly at the fire. "Did she threaten you?"

August scoffed but didn't immediately answer. Violet's memories were replaying behind her eyes. So much history. And time. And longing. She shivered.

"I saw her… memories," August confessed quietly.

Realization arrived on Greta's face. "Oh goddess," she whispered. "W-what did you see? Are you okay?"

"Uhm… Greta?" Finn called nervously from her other side.

"What is it, Finn?" Greta snapped.

"Does… does Miss August know there's moonshine in the wine?" Finn asked.

"What? Why? How many has she had?" Greta asked.

"I—I lost count," he said. "Lucas brought her one."

"Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have left," she turned back to August. "What more could happen?" Greta approached her slowly, putting a hand on her arm. August sucked in a deep breath and turned to look at the peach-haired girl.

"I need to be alone," she mumbled.

"No, you don't," Greta whispered, rubbing her back. "I'm here for you."

The image of Graeme's face and body in Violet's memory seemed stuck in a cruel loop in her mind. The way he looked at her. And… touched her. The expectation of the baby.

"I'm going to be sick," August said suddenly. She turned and walked swiftly for the trees, willing herself to stay calm until she reached their cover where she could lose herself to the shadows.

She kept walking forward, feeling Greta trailing her. The darkness was so close, like a womb reaching out to embrace her.

After she passed the tree line, she continued in for a few yards before finding a tree to collapse against. The forest air was cool on her flushed skin.

"Greta, leave me alone," she hissed, feeling the girl's presence next to her. "I don't want to keep needing you.. You have enough people needing you," a sob suddenly broke free, but she put her hand against her mouth to stifle it.