* * *
The cold air hadn't bothered Sage, not when she had experienced another type of chill—One that consisted of an artificial and controlled climate.
Here she could feel the drop as it naturally decreased, the soft decline of chips as the birds started to hunker down for the night while the insects rose to the occasion.
They hadn't set a time for when the two would be coming home, but neither couple back at their house was going to tell their Alpha couple that they have a curfew.
Instead, the two were stargazing, though Remus was finding it difficult considering Sage's flushed face was addicting to look at. Especially when it made his heart swell with pride, only he could make her feel like that.
Only he has made her feel like that.
While they weren't tied together anymore, either needed to break from the constant mating that even his own heart was beating roughly in his chest—Even with Sage laying down beside him, Remus still made it a point to place a hand onto her stomach.
"There's no pup in there anymore."
"I know munchkin, making sure you're still breathing." She turned her head his way for a moment and she huffed before grunting out the phrase, "Cocky male," as her father would always say.
But he remained silent and breathed in the compliment, he would certainly feel cocky after what they just accomplished, though the way that she was starting to trace his chest tattoo was starting to give him the sense that she was indeed ready to partake in round four.
"Miss me already hun?"
"No, I want to swim." She ushered, rising to her feet which left the remains of her dress to fall. Better yet he watched from his position on the blanket as he was gifted the sight of Sage's beautiful backside descending into the water. The moon's rays illuminate her with the goddess' natural grace.
"It's not cold." She promoted, letting her arms wave back and forth for a moment or two as she titled her head. But he still hadn't moved, mesmerized by how damn breathtaking his mate appeared to be, and she scoffed. "You're no fun."
Which allowed her to splash her face with the fresh water and hum, her heated skin adoring the cooling texture.
"Alright alright, goddess—I need to have another talk with Mary about corrupting you." He grumbled, knowing full well that she didn't come out of the blue with skinny-dipping.
Sage's grin widened ear to ear as she watched his figure starting to join her, however, a small something brushed at her ankle, and when she stumbled in the sand a bit. She bumped into a thick and scaly body, and just as she was about to call out Remus, a lock had caught onto her ankle and yanked her with unbelievable force.
"REM—" The call of her wolf had broken through to his own, he hardly caught what had caused her to panic, but the last image he caught was her hand attempt to reach to grab anything to hold onto.
"SAGE?!" He yelled, his voice calling all of his Alpha power to level the water's for her to hear him under the water.
Alpha?...Is everything—
Something grabbed Sage in the water!
The silence over the other side of the link truly didn't mask Remus' own panic as he started rushing over to her final spot and diving forward to see if there was anything that might point him in the right direction.
And while his eyes weren't adapted to the deepest depths of underwater life, he could've sworn a scaled tail was swimming off and away—Farther into the depths.
Rising up in a gasp for air he called an order of boats and diving gear, but the panic of the pack started trickling in.
ALPHA!
What?! What's happening?!
Theres Rogues attacking your house, Blake linked and said Raven can smell the demonic essence, whatever the fuck that means. You need to come home!
Sage was taken by a scaly beast, protect my pups, Eli!
Speaking of the she-wolf, Sage could hear both the confusion from her mate and pups as she tried to scramble upwards. While her lungs were starting to burn, Sage certainly suffered worse.
However the glowing likeness of the bottom of the lake caught her attention, while she wanted to appreciate the area she uncovered, a gasp escaped her. Precious bubbles of oxygen had started to float to the top as she stared directly at the scene before her.
Sage's eyes flashed back and forth between the flying beasts that were highlighted by the moon's beaming rays within the water, and the words of her mate had entered her mind.
That they are vicious and very protective of their land.
But this wasn't their land to take claim to.
She wiggled her way free of the vine bind and thrust her hand out towards the one closest to her—While it took a moment, the vine had suddenly become clear.
It didn't need air to live, and the tentacle gave Sage an upper hand. Their attack was prompted for reasonable defense, but she let out a dangerous muted yell as both her hands met together forward—But no part of her was prepared to be launched for her hands to meet the beasts throat.
The scales had been a foreign feeling, as were the sharpened tridents that poked at her skin in a warning.
"MY LAND!" Her wolf established, and the eyes around her widened in hearing what the she-wolf had to say. Their voices sounded like harsh snaps and the pressure of the water was causing her to start to really feel the pressure burn in her lungs.
Especially when the sharp edge had cut skin, with a flinch she watched the small trickle of blood start to float up to the surface. Yet the slit noses the beasts had in sequences started to smell the new scent
Sage?! What the hell are you—I leave you for the night to go and mate with fluffy and this is what I'm called to?!
Help! I can't link Remmy and I can't breathe.
Try it, sweetheart.
What?!
Try to breathe.
She stalled, but there was no further relief in her lungs and thus she listed to her shadow, the trust had already been established tenfold. And once she had, she realized her lungs hadn't flooded with the water, instead it felt normal.
Darius...What—
You need to get out of here sweetheart, get out. Now.
Sage didn't need to be told twice, but the way the beings had all turned to her with a new sinister glare caused her to really try and swim away. Which came in the form of summoning more plant life, not at all tested, but the movement of the seaweed had caught and trapped the mermaids.
The surface had been much deeper than she first thought, however when she finally had come up. Splashing and hoping to make as much noise as possible to grab the attention of...the boats?
"Help! They're coming!" She shouted, letting her arms strive off towards them off in the distance. And the beautiful light of safety allowed Sage a moment of relief, only stabbed with the same pointed stick as before.
The injury caused her to pause her journey to the boats, but the enforcers had caught the location of their Luna. And Remus didn't hesitate to start swimming off towards her.
Whatever type of weapons these underwater creatures were throwing and nipping her with caused her to scream, they were painful and sharp to the touch. Nothing a cage pup hadn't been exposed to before, so it really hadn't been a surprise that scaled arm wrapped around to hide suffocate her again.
"SAGE?!" Remus had been too late once again, his arms flailing to keep himself floating above the water as it was far into the deepest part of the lake that he was sure to have passed the pack's territory.
"Alpha?!" Liam called out, shining the light off and around—Only to uncover the air bubbles that Sage had been creating on her own accord.
Remus wasn't much of a swimmer, but he dove down and followed the small bubbles that tickled his face—The only indication that he was going the right way.
Just as he was going to return back, he caught the same light that Sage had during her first abduction. He swam closer to the small red glow only to stop in his tracks by a mermaid.
What the hell are mermaids doing in my lake?!
He shouted over to those in the enforcer group, the trident nicked his neck causing a small strain of blood to spin in its account. However, the opposite effect had than when Sage's was spilled.
Instead, the mermaid had docked their trident on their back and swam in a much more friendly motion. All in an effort of either greeting or a guide. Thinking that the mermaid had smelled the Alpha in his blood, he followed in pursuit of the male off towards the same glowing light.
Goddess have mercy on them!
Sage had been tied to a clay pole, one that had been used to drown unwanted visitors as the Skeltons below Sage's feet had indicated.
"Son of Randal Moon...What brings you to my depths?"
Remus looked at the female in pure question and temptation, the ownership had been damning for more than one reason. This was still a part of his land, even if it was infested by these fish.
"Our truce I had with your father remains, you may breath my lake's air...For now."
He did just that and sucked in deeply, not daring to question the magic at all. It would just give him a headache later.
"If our truth remains, why is my Luna tied and injured by your people?!"
He issued, and the looks had started to swap too and fro. The confusion was telling, and thus the leader or Queen had waved her hand and allowed Sage's binds to be cut and parted. A female had smothered her arm and stomach with a goopy paste. But Sage was beyond the point of suffocation.
Or so Remus thought.
"She's of Mystic Blood."
"And she's the mother of my pups, my heir!... The truce no longer sheds hate on Mystic Grim. Only those in Coldridge."
"Coldridge you say...Very well, we'll discuss and reestablish our truce in the future."
Remus gave a stir nod as he reached for the offer of Sage's floating corpse, perhaps it was the lack of light or the stilled sound of her heart—But Remus was not hopeful.
Or was until her eyes flashed pure white.
"Sage wait—!"
She did not wait.
Instead, it was an awakening.
An awakening that had been at the back of everyone's mind, the break of character and control—And while Remus hadn't doubted that the life or death situation would've made her enraged.
But the way she seemed bared her teeth had been completely wolf, yet the way she shot forward and the body of water starting to sway back and forth had erupted the mermaids to full panic to swim away, yet Sage had written up a vendetta.
The relationship between her and water had always been stressful and daunting, but the way it coursed around her and into her lungs—It was a beautiful concoction that was always meant to intertwine. And while Sage didn't know what her flailing arms were doing, the start of a whirlwind had to keep the Queen or leader or whomever it was in front of her without interruption.
"You want to fight?!"
"No wolf, I apologies for—"
"I'm not just a wolf!"
It was proven with the frozen pitchforks, as she made it a gesture that she did not appreciate the threat of the spiky forks. However, with the way that the female had smiled with her own sharpened spikes, Sage slowed down her train of thought and tilted her head.
"You are the mate of the Alpha of Crescent Moon?... You have Mystic blood, we were to protect these waters from those with your blood."
"Not anymore. Not me, my pups, or anyone with Mystic Blood. My name is Sage. What is yours?"
"I am Queen Assyria, leader of the Neesor Lagoon. I apologize, Hybrid. We will escort you to the surface."
Sage nodded, but with a calming exhale she no longer floated in the depths and stood on the ground to look around. From what the Luna knew about biology, this was not at all the way that lakes would form. Nor would it be this deep, however in her calmness, she started to stop the waves and Remus was being held by another set of tridents, yet the look either female had given them turned the male mermaids to straighten like soldiers.
"Sage? Are you okay?
"Naturally, Alpha...The depths are the safest place for Dowsers."
Remus narrowed his brows, but in seeing Sage so comfortable in the company of mermaids...Even after being attacked—Hell, he was confused as to why she could breathe underwater the same way he could if she was labeled as the enemy.
In finally coming to the surface of the lake he used his remaining strength to aid his mate to the helpful hands above, yet the moments she inhaled pure oxygen into her lungs, it caused her to start violently coughing up the lake's water. The sound of her choking had Liam instantly start CPR, but it was all in a failed attempt.
Even with the female turning to the side and getting all the water out, it was then that Liam noticed the slits on the side of her neck.
"Water—She needs to go back in the water!" Remus had just dropped into the boat's deck and cleared his throat. The night's darkness did not aid in the chaos, especially when those using the flashlights were all scoping the water.
Unsure of what was lurking below.
"Alpha, she needs—" Liam's voice had been instantly stalled as the boat rocked to accommodate a new weight. Queen Assyria had peered off below as her eyes locked onto Sage and her convulsing form. "The gills will leave shortly. I expect a meeting soon, Alpha Remus. And bring your Dowser mate." Was all the female said, not giving enough time the enforcers could scramble to find a pistol on the small fishing boat.
Alas, Sage had found the balance of returning her lungs to obtain oxygen normally instead of filtering through the water for it. While either of their lungs still suffered from the unnatural change, there was still a beating panic in the Alpha.
"What about the demon dogs?"
"They disappeared after you went down there," Liam explained while wrapping his sister up in a towel, while it hadn't been cold under the water, the dropping temperature above it had started to cause her teeth to clatter, and her lips to turn blue.
Much like a pup, Sage remain unresponsive as either her mate or brother warmed her up through the towel and they returned to shore. As they docked, Remus hoisted her into his arms—Yet the second she spotted the water she scrambled to try and get closer.
"Hey—Hey, we need to get home. The pups are in trouble." The small motion that she had done caused the water to bend and move. "W-water." She bustled out, the demand eager to supply her with some comfort.
"We'll get you in the bath when we get home, sweetheart. Let's get home first and make sure everyone is okay." She resorted to biting her wrist to stop herself from reaching out, instead, she silently waved goodbye to the water's edge.
Though she could've sworn she caught sight of watchful heads peeking up from the waves. With no more energy to give, Sage simply gave in to the exhaustion just as Remus rose them both into the passenger seat of the truck.
______
Date: 04/05/2022
Time:1:03
Words: 2812
Author's Note:
Mermaids in the lake! Damn, can these two catch a break?
Seems like there's just more than the average Vampire, Witch and Wizard in this world that we might get a chance to meet.
Wouldn't that be fun to explore?
The Luna of Crescent Moon is winding down to the last chapters for this semester, I promise to work on it more in the future as I think it's sweet to see the alternative to Sage.
Friday we'll find out what the Mermaids are offering and what they potentially know regarding Crescent Moon and Mystic Grimm.
How did you all like this chapter? Let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts!
Hope you all have a fantastic week🤗✨