* * *
"Sage?" Remus called out, and she left her water bottle and went to pick up Ronan before continuing off towards them. Had they planned this better and Nathan's arrival been announced, then they wouldn't have outed the twins.
Simply Ronan would've been enough to document for now, however it was the stares that the pup received that Sage did not like.
Nor did the pup as he pouted and cuddled further into his mama, but like how everyone's told her before—She needed a reason to hate someone. So she would wait for that reason and then attack it with everything she had.
"This is Ronan, and this is Rue." Sage introduced, and while the Luna's in the group—Who Sage couldn't identify all that well, all came closer and she took an instant step back.
"Rue has a pup cold, Sage has been jumpy these past few days—She actually caught the cold." Guilt flashed in the two Luna's eyes but the males remained passive.
"And we're supposed to believe this is your pup?" Alpha Calvin questioned, and while Sage was going to link Ronan—The pup seemed to understand well enough or was just fed up with the looks he was receiving because he shifted without being asked and started barking and growling.
Sage tried her best to soothe him, whispering that Rue was sleeping. But it was a slight comfort for either of them as Ronan was a fluffy ball and could fit much better beside his sister who was still in the carrier on her mama's chest.
"Now that I'm thinking about it...Did Alpha Harlow have to make sure his son was his?" There was a product of lies that followed, all mumbo jumbo that didn't really give Sage any reason to listen because she knew it wasn't true.
She had a feeling that Remus' warning on their pups being targeted was going to be a future fear for sure.
"As I told Alpha Hayes, we're here to take Alpha Nathan back for a full investigation—"
"There's no need, is there? There's nine of you here and Alpha Hayes, I think that's enough of a council vote to put an investigation through." Remus had already placed the order to get Alpha Nathan from the cells in the basement, and of course, the male complained as he was escorted out.
"Fucking pups, ruining our system left and right...Throwing me in a cage for goddess sakes." Sage turned to glare at the male and huffed.
"One night in cage...Must be hard."
Yes you beautiful beautiful wolf, that's the kinda sass we need! Let it rip!
"You listen here you little bitc—" The second the finger pointed in her face, the world snapped into place as Sage's eyes turned black once again and her teeth lengthened to pinch her lips.
"Step. Back. Now." She growled, and it was clear that the male did not listen for the second day in a row. So Remus placed himself in between the two, turning to the rest of the council members, and smirked.
"I'd like that on record as well Hayes, and I believe I found the punishment suitable for harassing my mate, twice, with my pups." The council waited to hear it, and the single word caused them to turn ridged.
"Alpha Remus that's—"
"Is it? You're a father, Alpha Calvin, so maybe you can explain it better to this male that newly made mothers are much more prepared to fight and defend themselves when their pup is involved or nearby. You even claimed that Alpha Nathan acted without proper cause from the council. Without a warrant. I'd think you'd want to rectify it just as much as me." The silence was only interrupted by the soft grunts from the pack's Enforcers just to the side of the packhouse.
"Alpha Remus, we promise to have a full investigation once we return to—"
"Then you have no problem with me keeping him in my basement until the matter is settled?" He knew that they wouldn't be alright with it, and the look on Nathan's face said it all.
But outing the truth would out their plan, which they were waiting for.
"You have a lot of nerve Remus—"
"It's Alpha to you, Nathan," Remus said standing his ground, his head tilting in temptation. But it was Calvin's offering gesture that stalled either of the two to not brawl in public over this trivial matter.
"What you're asking for, Alpha Remus, isn't constituted with Council policy."
"That sounds like being above your own rules, if he acted on his own, brought Enforces and didn't give my mate any chance of stating her peace...that doesn't constitute with Council policy either, Alpha Calvin." Remus was hitting nerve after nerve, and Sage's black eyes still hadn't returned to normal nor left Nathan's figure.
She did not like that male and didn't hide it.
"I'm sure we can come to an agreement—A settlement of some kind—" A Luna offered, but Calvin shook his head and stood his ground. "The council will follow protocol. Same as always."
"And Crescent Moon will follow its own protocol, and our protocol is death. I have the ticket right here in fact. My Luna and pups were in harm's way. My pack wants justice." Calvin was surely not prepared for that, the male switched to look at the Luna.
As usually a Luna would somehow give some sense to their mate, but Sage was heavily pissed. "You come here with no approval, no warning and you ask me things I don't know. I want you dead."
Jesus, Mary and Joseph Stalin, you're one bad ass bitch!
That a good thing?
Yep! Very good!
"I don't know what 'investigation' is, but that doesn't sound like punishment. You aren't going to punish Nathan, so we will." Sage turned to look at the males that had released him, to begin with, and while he did struggle and fight against the restraints.
Nobody spoke from the council's group.
"Let him go, Alpha Remus."
"I don't think I will. Because you're on my land and on my jurisdiction. And if you can allow Moon Valley to allow another fourteen deaths on their account—Eight of which are unknown? Then this constitutes as being reasonable." The facts were piling up bit by bit.
But the mention of Moon Valley sparked a nerve in Calvin—As that was his son's ruling. "Watch your tongue, pup."
"Like Nathan watched his when he spoke to my mate? My mate who's still learning English and speaking to others, who is still hormonal since the birth of our pups?... Bring him back to the cells." Remus ordered, it was then that Nathan had started to yell out in damnation.
"Well screw you, you fucking traitors!" Remus smiled to himself and then to his mate.
Ring a fuckin' ding. Here it comes!
"Seven days. Unless I hear about the results of that Investigation and punishment suitable to what his crimes were. He has my pack to answer for too. They're protective of their Luna, especially now." There were no further arguments, instead, Calvin turned to his fellow councilmen and women and shrugged his shoulders.
"Then we'll take a vote...All those in favor of sentencing Alpha Nathan to death, raise your hands." Remus took a headcount to see who in fact decided death.
Luna Diana—Drake's mom, of Whitelaw.
Alpha Trevor—Troy's father, of Moon Stone.
Of course Hayes.
And lastly, Luna Brianna—Issac's mother, of Grey Hallow.
But the four did not surpass the five others, and while those raising their hands had heard their children's warnings on the situation. They had a duty to hold up to the council's standards.
"All those in favor of sentencing Alpha Nathan to leave his position as Council Member, raise your hands." It seemed that had been the consensus. But Remus shrugged his shoulders.
"As you can see, Alpha Remus, we do not need to resort to your father's methods—"
"Alpha Calvin, Crescent Moon does not need your ad-vice. Nathan is not Council Member anymore so we can have him."
Let me just say this winging thing is perfect, that came out beautifully, wolfie. Keep it up. The last time the council had to answer for their shit was when the Lunas hurt you.
So while there was a single second of Alpha Nathan having a smug face, he realized that his position as councilman had just been revoked. There was no longer a title and he was under Alpha Remus' jurisdiction.
"Alpha Remus...Death doesn't have the be the answer." Another Luna tried to settle, and Remus had to admit—Having the she-wolves act as a white flag was smart.
For a second or two that is.
"So you all care about this one male over the pack members in Moon Valley, smells kinda fishy to me."
"Enough! Alpha Nathan will be dealt with on the council's territory. Hand him over Alpha Remus, or the consequences will reflect your next actions." Eli couldn't believe how trivial all this had been over one male, and his Alpha had added a beautiful addition.
The crimes in Moon Valley were suspicious, they needed first-hand knowledge—Maybe they needed to send rescue parties because this was starting to get out of hand and the council didn't care at all.
"Sage?"
"Fine." She growled, her eyes staring at the male in question and not daring to take them far from him. He hurried to stand behind his former councilmen and woman but didn't say anything more.
"There...See, simple as that. We just need the Underground data system, and we'll be out of your hair, Alpha." Alpha Miles called out and Remus turned to his mate for a moment licked his teeth.
The fact that they actually just tried to pull the run under him set the precedent for the next few 'consequences,'.
"Beta Eli," Remus called out and Eli had come forward and handed the envelope of the given reports that they managed of the wolves that were accounted for and a bit of the witches.
But nothing more, and he saw the written confusion as to what was happening.
"I think you misunderstood me Alpha, the data—"
"You are not getting the data system, since you failed to act against the male, I don't see any reason to give up my property."
"Y-yours? Yours?! You're lucky to still be running a pack if it wasn't for Alpha Hayes, you—" Remus wasn't afraid, he wanted the other male to hit him.
The Enforces surrounding them would have a field day with one another and if the basement ended up filled with councilmen it would be the easiest outcome.
But alas, Alpha Miles was held back, by Alpha Calvin out of everyone.
"The data systems are not your property, Alpha Remus."
"I don't see your name on it." Sage tested back, and it was then that Sage's arms had gotten tired to the point of Amy taking Ronan from the set argument.
It was hardly good for them to begin with, but one wrong look in Sage's direction could set Remus off.
And that's what they were hoping for. I was a dirty play, sure, but they needed all the breaks they could get.
"But what is my property...Is the money my pack makes and so readily gives to the council to its funds. I wonder how long it'd take for Moon Valley or Shadow Pack to refund the money they owe me."
Goddess, how are you not jumping that mate of yours. He knows how to talk.
I will later.
Okay. Okay. Goddess, I was kidding!
Well I'm not! I'm angry and wolf wants mate.
"Perhaps what we need to talk about as a council, is why all the money is going to five packs—When they aren't making an equal equivalent to one pack...And I don't just mean just Crescent Moon. That includes Grey Hallow, White Paw, Moon stone, Mystic Grimm, Moon Ridge, and Silvertail." The sudden stares of uncertainty sparked to the group, and Sage smiled at the she-wolf that spoke first.
"Is this true?" Brianna asked, and Diana soon itched closer to her as well. "Well? Is it?!" She joined in, and Alpha Calvin growled.
"Our packs need it more than yours, it's equal in the end."
"It's a blatant fucking lie! And you know what else is, you knew Nathan was coming here—You said he was heading to Shadow Pack to help his son!" Remus growled in that conclusion and called upon his enforcers.
This is exactly what he needed.
"Take this as my resignation, fucking liars. What good is money when your son doesn't know what the fuck to do with it?!" Diana said, rising up to the plate against Calvin and the male growled.
"My son, how about yours who—"
"Oh? You mean Drake and Haylee? Number fourth in the state, sixth in resources? Moon Valley is dirt bottom, always has and always will be." Diana had said all that she needed before coming over to the other side, along with Alpha Trevor and Luna Brianna. "I apologize, Alpha Remus, keep the Data System. They wouldn't know what to do with it anyway." She spat, and that surely rocked Calvin's last straw.
"You stand with the pack that killed your—"
"Remus has done nothing! Sage has done nothing! You let your pack's new generation die. If anything you should be hung!" Sage placed a hand on the she-wolf's shoulder and smiled.
This was not their fight, this was the Alpha and Luna of Crescent Moon's business.
"Have you quit too, Hayes? Do you side with Remus?"
"I side with my pups, who you've managed to wrong all at once," Hayes said, crossing his arms.
No matter the number of Enforcers and Alpha's in range, they were outnumbered just by the pack itself.
"You want to leave alive, you transfer the funds back to the packs and hand over Nathan." Remus offered, and that left the remaining members in an uproar. "You're crazy!" A luna called out, and Sage locked eyes with her instantly.
"And you're a thief. You take and don't give, what help are you?"
"We are what's keeping the packs in unity!" Sage twisted her body and looked to those who just quit the council and then to her father.
"You keep your packs in unity and steal from us. Return the funds." Sage said, her voice wavering, tapping into her Alpha tone. And perhaps it was because these were no longer seasoned Alphas, it was starting to work.
The settlement had been reached, Remus had received a notification of the funds being returned. And the former Alphas and Luna had caught the notification on their phone.
"And if we're talking about crimes for faking data reports...Unless you want to put that all on Alpha Nathan? Like you did with targeting my mate?"
"You're a fool, Remus."
"And you're a fool for taking advantage of me." Remus snapped, punching Calvin directly in the jaw just as Sage had done to him the first time they met.
He was channeling that much anger.
"Protect the Luna!" A voice cheered, and close to instantly had Sage and Rue been surrounded by her father, Eli, and the former leaders at her sides.
As the roar of a battle commenced just a few feet away.
______
Date: 01/18/2022
Time: 1:22
Words: 2611
Author's Note:
What do we think?
Is Remus in the wrong for standing up against the council and outing them?
Should he have stayed quiet?
Guess we'll find out in the next update on Friday!
And be on the look out for an update for -The Luna of Crescent Moon- on Wednesday