Chapter 504: Further Along
"Your pup is healthy," Greta smiled, placing the ultrasound wand back in its place and wiping the warm gel off of August’s stomach. She had convinced August to stop at the medical wing of the pack house first before returning home.
"I thought so," she sighed.
"He is strong like his parents." Greta’s eyes danced over her, wondering if the reference to the baby’s sex would surprise her.
"He needs to be, doesn’t he? Already facing so many challenges, and he’s not even in the world yet," August frowned, pulling her shirt back down.
Greta smiled softly. August already knew she was carrying a male. It didn’t surprise her—August had quickly become such an exceptional alyko. It seemed she had grown even more in her abilities since she was gone.
"You are further along than you should be. Do you suppose it has something to do with the portal you were in?" Greta asked. The pup was measuring even further along than hers were, which shouldn’t be the case since Greta had conceived first.
"Yes, that is definitely why. The time there is strange," August said, running her hands over her stomach. If the baby was healthy, then the accelerated growth hadn’t affected him. She was thankful for that. She intuitively knew that her child was okay, but it was nice to have the additional reassurance from Greta.
"I don’t understand, though. The alyko who returned didn’t seem to age at all. Why would age be sped up in your case?"
"Apparently it has to do with movement. If you move through the world there normally, then time doesn’t pass you like it would. If you don’t move for long periods, then it passes you more quickly," she explained. It sounded ridiculous. She didn’t blame Greta for being confused.
"Oh, yes. Maggie mentioned something about that. There was someone kept in a cell next to hers who was trying to age more quickly, and she stayed in bed as much as possible," Greta nodded, remembering the bizarre conversation. "But then why were you not moving? Were you caged?"
August’s forehead cleaved in thought. She didn’t know why she had been out so long. "I met Graeme when he was hurt from Violet’s mate. We were in that... place," her eyes slid to Greta’s, gauging how much she had to explain. Greta should already know about the healing portal.
"Right. The place the whole pack went today," Greta nodded.
"What?" August’s eyes went wide.
"When Neoma came back. We were all there. We all saw it. You didn’t know that?"
August frowned, searching Greta’s eyes. How had that happened? "No, I didn’t know."
"It was beautiful. Graeme was there, too. It was just as you both described it only even more beautiful than I could have imagined. So calm and peaceful."
"What happened when you were there?" August asked, shocked by this revelation. If that was her healing portal, then how had the pack arrived there without her?
"There were petals spiraling up into the sun. And then someone starting singing. Indigo, I think. We stayed there until the petals were gone."
August remained staring at her, confused by the mystery of it. But apparently however it had happened, it was what was needed to bring both Neoma and Finn back. She supposed that was all she really needed to know.
"The time you were there with Graeme was long enough to speed up the pup’s age?" Greta frowned. Graeme had not been out long here.
August’s shook her head, her thoughts running from one mystery to another. Perhaps there were some things she would never understand even about her own abilities. "Yeah, I guess so. It was strange. But I woke up and suddenly I had a belly."
"Do you want to talk about it? Your time away? I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have you back. You came right in time."
"I’m not really back. Not yet anyway. I have to return to finish something. It’s complicated. I wouldn’t know where to start, honestly," August sighed, suddenly so tired.
She didn’t have the energy for that whole conversation, because it would lead to so many questions. And she doubted Greta would be satisfied with her explanation about how Zagan had changed from the ruthless vampire he was after being mated to Penelope, even if he were mortal now. Greta would not accept it. She wondered if anyone would.
"You have to leave again?" Greta frowned.
Graeme had been so patient and trusting, not chasing after August when everything in him insisted that he should. She knew how much her brother had been struggling without sleep, restless to have his mate back. And now that she had returned, she would need to leave again?
"It won’t be long. I was close to returning anyway. I just have a vampire to kill," she said, her thoughts returning to the unnamed creature stuck in that invisible cage they had created. Nedra and Penelope were probably wondering what was taking so long, but at least they both had their mates there to keep them company.
"Weren’t you always there to kill a vampire?" Greta’s head tilted to the side at the curious way August described it, as if the hard part was over and now killing the vampire was a simple task that had to be completed.
"This is a different one," she chuckled.
"A different vampire?" Greta’s eyes went wide. "There is more than just the one?"
"Well, there is only one now," she said cryptically. "I will tell you about it eventually. I just want to get home. I’m worried about Graeme."
"He is going to be okay," Greta patted her leg. "Sam took him back, and I’m sure it will only be a short time before he is awake. We heal better in our wolf forms."
"Do you heal better with your mates by your side?" She asked. It seemed obvious. Graeme would be more comfortable if she were there with him, regardless of whether or not he was conscious.
"Yes, of course," Greta smiled, taking the hint.
As they both stood to leave, the pearlescent design on August’s arm caught her attention.
"Where did this come from?" She gasped. She had not noticed it before with all that was happening in the chambers.
"Oh," August lifted her arm to look at it herself. "I am not sure where it came from. It just sort of appeared. When I woke up with a belly, I also had this."
