* * *
The brothers hadn't slept as well as Sage had. Granted, they doubted she knew where they were headed and why. Luke had gotten little to no sleep since the last time he called their parents. The family bond was whirling around now that the silver was leaving their system. But with the sun starting to rise, he decided that it was time to get back on the road.
It was a simple gesture that Liam whispered to the sleeping wolf, and an almost painful whine escaped her throat. He went ignored as she continued to sleep.
"Should she be this tired?"
"Guess traveling, and the escape wore her out. When we get home, she'll get back to a routine." Luke knew fully well that his mother would adore the lights out of Sage. And the girl could use a female figure in her life, one that didn't blush at the idea of reminding her to cover up her breasts.
Their aunt lives in White Paw, which is located in Washington. While they were heading towards New England. "Mom say anything about losing the car?" Liam asked, and Luke's smile grew at the thought of their mother's scolding voice about losing the family car.
"Nah, but I'm sure she'll bring it up when we get there. Nothing in there anyway." The conversation ended from there, as their drive remained silent more or less. The radio eased the tension, creating a calm atmosphere for the three over extorted wolves.
Within the hour, Sage started to stir. The moving car she was used to now, but her eyes danced to all the vehicles soaring past. The tree-line separating the highway from other roads and civilizations.
Neither of them knew she was awake just yet, so out of the corner of Luke's eyes, he turned to his left from the passenger seat and smirked to see that Sage hadn't shifted back to skin.
"Well damn, look who's finally awake." He chuckled, and in response, she licked her chops just as playful as his comment. She was getting better at hearing the teasing in his voice, unlike the time he ordered her to take her shoes off the seat.
It's not like he actually cared about this fucker's care anyway.
"Did you get enough sleep?" Liam asked, eyeing her through the rearview mirror. Only for her to let out a soft yowl. It was odd to know that her wolf expressed more emotion and spoke more than her human, but instincts seemed to overtake her entire form.
"We'll stop in a bit for food. Clothes are by your feet if—" Her attention to the open window had her disregard everything as she stepped forward and leaned closer to the window.
Liam, who was trying to keep his attention on the road, started to laugh at what Sage was gesturing to do. And Luke's shoulder was the perfect place to rest her head, silently pleading with him. So he picked her up and placed her right onto his thigh so she could stick her head on out the window.
The wind was a newfound experience. While it was enjoyable to get all the smells to identify everything at once, it was also irritating as Sage needed to blink more than she usually would. Still, the breeze was exhilarating that she didn't dare move away.
Her entire body wiggle with excitement that Luke had to tighten his grip so she wouldn't fall.
"Do you think the Alpha will let her join?" Liam asked, smiling to see Sage's ears perk at his voice. "She doesn't smell like a Rogue," Luke replied, as though it was the most straightforward argument to battle, but Liam shook his head. No, the girl didn't smell like one, but she did have such an odd scent that it wasn't a familiar scent to them.
Usually, a scent would give a stranger a summary of the other, all in one sniff. It made things easier to distinguish when they were in fur. It would often highlight the basics: whether they're male or female, their age and rank, or their mate status.
Often time it could even give a family identifier.
"We haven't initiated anyone into the pack in nearly a decade. The Alpha's pride is on the line," Liam's reminder had caused Luke to growl in realization. Still, the mention of a pack had perked Sage's interest as she turned away from the window.
Her soft eyes looked up to his in anticipation, she knew the weight of the conversation, and it called to her wolf with ease. "You want to join a pack, hun?" He said with a small smile, running his hand through her fur to calm her beating heart.
He wondered what it would take to be allowed to enter her mind, so he closed up the window and looked directly at her.
Sage hadn't seemed to mind as he took hold of both her cheeks into his massive hands, to keep her gaze focused on him. "Let me into that head, Sage. Let me see." She felt a slight prickle in the front of her skull, and whined at the pressure.
The young wolf snuggled up against his warm body in hopes that it would stop, but when she looked back at what he said prior, her wolf agreed. So she stopped fighting, and instantly her mind was filled with thoughts and memories.
His thoughts and memories.
Pack knowledge and Luke's life had filled up her mind, allowing her to swim freely to see what a wolf's life was meant to be. They were in small glimpses and offered quick faces that Luke thought kindly of, and her wolf thrived on knowing how beautiful life is.
While Luke suffered through absolute hell.
He couldn't place a proper age to when Sage first started getting attacked, or the first time she had been injected. Even seeing that dead guard taunting her throughout the years was utter torture for him to witness. But Luke sorted through her memories more fluently than she did, but there was nothing more to view. Nothing but the same cell, the same gym, and doctors' offices.
There were even the same faces.
But when he finally came across himself and his brother deep within her mind, he was almost blindsided by a new emotion. Everything prior had been dull and painful, but this was like a ray of sunshine to everything dark and deceiving.
"You were there your whole life, weren't you?" Luke whispered, and Liam nearly choked at the thought. Sage hadn't responded verbally and instead cuddled further into his offered hug. It was warm and inviting, filled with love as he continued to try and find out if there was anything more.
Anything at all that could give them a clue as to who she is.
But there was nothing. Sage never responded to the question because she didn't have an answer.
From there, Luke didn't allow her to return back to her seat just yet. Nor did she want to leave his embrace either. But of course, Liam ruined the moment as he wore that same god damn smirk from before. Making Luke growl in defense to his gentle exterior.
"She's turning you soft." Liam's taunt went ignored as Luke didn't want to disturb Sage's peaceful nature.
"Are you hungry? We made some good distance already, sure that wallet we snatched will give us a few more days." Liam asked, though it wasn't the proudest moment between the two brothers.
They did what they had to do.
Are you hungry?
Sage didn't understand the connection she started with Luke, not until his voice filled her head. All without moving his lip.
Turning her gaze from Liam, she turned over to look back up at Luke. Taking in his dirty blonde hair that was a scattered mess at the top, much like his brother had--Though Liam had more bangs that covered his face.
It was their signature hairstyle. Wolves rightly didn't care about their appearance like humans did. It's not like Sage looked any better at the moment, either. Her usually tangled hair would need to be controlled soon if they wanted to sit down and eat somewhere.
Food?
Food. Bet they have chicken and potatoes too.
The sudden mention of her favorite foods made her once still tail thump against the seat, and her wiggle returned with full force as if she had been told good news.
Since Luke was now connected to her as a sibling, her emotions were just that. That this was what she considered good news.
It hurt more than he was prepared for it to, and to settle his dooming thoughts, Luke thought back to the bucket list that he was wracking up already. And he knew the rest of his siblings would be just as willing to join her.
Swimming. Hunting. Fishing. Fighting.
All of it. All they have to do is get back home.
"Your clothes are in the back. Get dressed. Next diner we find, we're stopping." Liam hummed in his own satisfaction. He had been joking and only hinting at the fact that he was hungry since everyone in the car felt the same way. But he couldn't wait any longer, and thinking about it--He could eat a whole deer by himself right about now.
Sage took the order and hopped into the back, shifting back into skin in an instant.
Both had to admit her form was flawless, but in thinking about it again, what did it take for her to learn it?
The question burned in Liam's mind, sure his father and brothers pushed him to excel in his own training, but abuse? Nothing ever turned into abuse until it was pack laws that decided a deserved punishment.
Luck was on their side as the next exit provided a decent-looking diner, and that was good enough for three starving wolves eager to get something to eat.
Liam turned the car off as he turned back to look at Sage's outfit. "Missing your shoes, hun." He reminded, but she returned his soft words with a huff.
But in giving it another thought, she did want some chicken and potatoes and decided the best way to receive them is to speak. Henry always gave her extra food if she tried to talk to him.
"No." She said, pairing it with a pout while Luke chuckled at her defensive nature. It's safe to say that Sage does not like shoes.
"It's not up for discussion, Sage. We're with humans. Humans wear shoes." She contemplated his words, as it was similar to what Liam had said before when he first introduced them. That humans liked to have them on, even if wolves don't.
Soon enough, she leaned down to dig them back out of their bag and tried to put them on like Liam had before. And he had nearly missed the fact that she was putting them on the wrong foot as he was too busy glaring at his brother's smug smirk.
"Goddes, I got it. Just sit tight." She stilled, but her pout continued as she grabbed the hair tie and attempted a braid. Her technique was decent at best, but truthfully they looked normal enough to pass as traveling humans.
Liam had joined her to tie up her shoes after putting them on the proper foot. While Luke was waiting for the two of them against the opposite car door, making sure that he didn't pick up any wolves scents in the area.
Say 'thank you,' when he's done. That's what we say when someone does something nice for us.
Sage watched intently, but the two words of appreciation didn't sound correct in her mind. But as Liam tapped her nose and smiled with the light mumble of 'all set,' Luke's voice popped back into her head.
"Thank you?" She spoke, but it came in the form of an unsure thankfulness that sounded artificial. Even then, it startled Liam. Though after a minute, his eyes shifted to Luke. "Asshole." He cursed under his breath while Sage's ears soaked up the word and repeated it. Causing both of the males to still as though a small child cursed instead.
At this point in time, there wasn't much of a difference.
"No. You can't say that word. That's a bad word." Luke reprimanded, and she looked mightly sad as his finger pointed off in her direction.
The sadness continued to pass over as they found their seat in the corner of the diner. Sage picked the window seat just as Liam slid in beside her, while Luke took up the better part of his own bench.
She tilted her head for a moment before he motioned down to the menu in front of her, and the mere image of food had caught her attention.
Her eyes widened at the pictures. The bright visible display of what to eat was perfect for her to get a better understanding.
"You still want chicken and potatoes?" Liam questioned with a slight grin, but they wanted her to start making her own choices, so he urged her to continue to look through the menu.
Luke went ahead and ordered a few appetizers along with their main courses not to draw any suspicion. They made it a point not to order Sage anything too sweet to drink. A key reminder of how she handled lemonade.
She was well enough with water anyway, and ate through her appetizer of mozzarella sticks with ease--Her hums filling their little corner with pure content.
"You missy need to start eating more. I don't wanna hear any of that dieting nonsense either. You're a beautiful young girl." The waitress had said after refilling her glass of water and clearing their plates away.
It had been her first real experience with a human, one that didn't talk down to her in any way. Sage smiled as her eyes followed towards the waitress, or did until the words didn't make sense.
"Eat...More?" She questioned, unsure if she even managed to understand what the woman said entirely.
"Yeah, gotta grow big and strong, girlie," Luke said, flexing his arms back and forth to make them bulge wider. And of course, she thought it was hilarious, as her adorable giggle sounded through the room.
"Have about three more days of this," Luke called off, and his brother leaned back after taking a long sip of his beer.
"Yeah, and I'm sleeping for a fucking week. Right after this one meets mom." Liam admitted, and his brother had agreed outright.
But that word hit Sage hard.
Mom.
She did have a mom. She knew that much. She always heard a small reference or comparison to another she-wolf. And as Luke watched her intently bitting her inner cheek in thought, it caused him to frown.
It wasn't a reaction he saw her often make, so what prompted it?
"You okay, Sage?" Her eyes popped up, meeting his sparkly blue ones that looked more than worried for her well-being. An added comfort as she was currently playing with her straw, liking the way it bends up and down to make a satisfying sound.
He watched in silence and knew that her lack of a reply meant that she wasn't.
"Come on, Sagey, mom's going to love you. She's always wanted a daughter." Those words felt like knives diving under her skin, and Luke finally realized what was bothering her.
Family.
The poor girl was locked away, so what happened to her parents?
"Sage?... Do you know anything about your parents?" Her cheeks started to flare at how much she was nipping at them. Sure there were little mentions of her mother throughout office visits, and so she nodded.
"Mom." She said in a very low whisper. Causing Liam to wrap his arm around her to bring her closer.
"Do you know your mom's name?" She searched her mind, closing her eyes as though the action could help.
And it did.
"Luna." She said, smiling a little at finding the right word in her head. But the males didn't have a moment to properly react as the waitress came on over with their large trays of extra piled food.
"You finish this, hun, and I'll cut you a nice big piece of my homemade apple pie. It's coming fresh out the over. Let me know if you need anything." The woman was nice, and a beautiful smile caught Sage's attention again.
Especially since they were painted in such an odd color that was far too bright for her eyes to handle, but she still managed to say a small 'thank you' in passing. Courtesy of Luke's teaching in the past hour.
If it hadn't been for the name she had given her mother, either of the brothers would've expressed how proud they were for correctly using the phrase. Yet their stomachs had dropped, and now their appetite was put on hold.
Sage, however, looked at her food in victory. Grabbing a fork and filled it to the brim of warm and buttery mash potatoes, causing her to close her eyes in complete and utter bliss.
Unaware that the males beside her were still frozen and silently conversing to one another in their link about what she said.
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Date: 10-07-2020
Time: 10:46
Words: 2314
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EDITED
DATE: 07-29-2021
WORDS: 2835