* * *
With the sun setting over the horizon, neither brother dared to try and take Sage away from the moonlight. She seemed content and safe as she looked up upon the heavenly deity before her. Her hands so easily taking in handfuls of grass, as there appeared to be an endless supply.
Amplifying her blissful aura.
"Guess we'll sleep out here tonight." Liam hummed his own response while Sage's smile continued forward, completely unaware of the light bit of laughter coming beside her.
The Alpha and Luna had gone home, but they gifted a phone for Luke to call if they needed anything.
But it also gave the two a chance to call their family before Jade and Harlow went home. Just so Sage wouldn't be left by herself.
They didn't have the chance to explain the whole story regarding their sister just yet, deciding that it was more of an in-person conversation than anything else. Besides, Luke was comfortable with having her head just resting on his chest as she embraced everything she was neglected of.
"You think she'll let me in?" Liam asked, not wanting to push Sage into bonding with him as she had with Luke. But it was due time to give said push to settle their relationship. "She calmed down. I think she trusts you." With the go-ahead, the small prickling sensation returned to Sage's temple and caused her to let out a steady whine—Trying to fight the tension.
"It's just Liam. You can let him in, can't you?" Luke's soothing arm rub settled her further into his hold, and she closed her eyes and lowered her walls. Her wolf thumping her tail in anticipation and yelping a greeting to Liam's lightly colored grey wolf.
Hey there, hun. Can you hear me?
Le?
I kinda like that. Is your stuffie still in the car?
Liam considered it her first real toy or gift, and Sage smiled at the reminder of how much comfort the thing brought to her. It was hers, and some small part of her was still grasping at the fact that if she had something to call her own, that wouldn't be taken away.
"She gave me a nickname, told you she likes me better." Liam taunted, and Sage only narrowed her brows in confusion. She liked both her brothers. They were warm and inviting. Not to mention their smell was familiar and brisk. She felt comfortable being around them.
"She called me Lu in the car ride over. Try again, brother." The two were fighting to be her favorite, but it was obvious that Luke took that place due to him being the oldest and in charge of their road trip back home.
It had been another round of coaxing to get her back into the house, and even then, she wouldn't budge at the idea of sleeping alone. So the brothers settled on sleeping in the den, each taking a couch—But when Liam thought Luke had fallen asleep, he offered up his blanket, and Sage curled up on the same couch as him. And with the air condition blasting, Sage shivered without a blanket on her small figure, even if Liam was acting as her personal furnace.
The following morning, Jade entered the cabin with a tower of serving trays with Beta Josh just a step behind her.
And the smell of freshly cooked meat defiantly woke up the two brothers, though Sage only snuggled further into Liam's side.
"Oh, there were guest rooms—"
"Sage got scared. It's alright. Couches were comfortable." Luke explained as he narrowed his eyes at Liam, while the younger of two tried to nudge the little wolf on his chest awake.
"Goodmorning, Sage. Hey, I think I smell some potatoes." He whispered, and it earned him a fitful yawn as she stretched, mindful not to hit Liam as she sat up in confusion.
"I think someone had a good night's rest." Sage nodded, but Liam taunted her by sticking out his tongue, causing her to do the same while she managed to get to her feet. Her eyes scanned the room, and a smile graced the newcomers as she recognized the wolves from last night.
Liam groaned as Sage stole the blanket they shared, throwing it over her shoulders as she made her way over to Jade.
It was a polite gesture, as it was the start of Sage making her own choices and came forward with the action. And it defiantly brought the morning to be better than the last few days. Even though Sage still remained silent in the company of others.
The young she-wolf found herself drawing and writing the words she's seen before, and while they didn't make much sense to those around her, it proved that she was trying, and that's all that mattered.
Jade offered to help her figure out the shower, but ultimately the Luna remained in the bathroom in showing her the nobs and what products to use.
In the end, it had destroyed Sage's fear of showers, and she liked this one in particular and even enjoyed it. It was warm, and the pressure wasn't as rough on her skin. Not to mention Jade was soothing her scalp, all while giving her some much-needed privacy every now and then.
With the showdown between her and the mirror yesterday, Jade felt the need to plant her in front of it, introducing her to her own reflection as she's bound to see them from now on. That, and she felt it was important that Sage had the option to watch what she was doing behind her. Jade was simply brushing and drying her hair, and she finally got the chance to see just how long her hair had grown.
Whenever the nurses would cut it, they'd make it just above the shoulders in such an unsettling way that she couldn't even hide behind.
Now, it was flowing past her breasts, which was one of the things Luke had asked the Luna to address.
Jade quickly realized what the male had meant when she saw that Sage held no regard for decency. The scientists expected her to strip when asked or to shift when told. All of this must've shaped her to be too comfortable showing her skin out to the world.
So there was a lesson on not showing her private parts to others.
"Males. Males don't get to see those." Sage pointed to them, and Jade nodded her head. "They're breasts. That's how we're able to feed our pups." Her wolf definitely understood that idea and nodded.
They weren't for show.
Soon after, Jade threw over a comfortable sports bra for Sage to settle into. It was tight around her chest that she tried to settle in correctly, but it didn't work.
"No." She said with a huff, causing Jade to grow amused. "You have to wear it. It protects them. And no more males get a peek at them, alright? Hide them."
Although it was an odd sort of rule in her mind, Sage sort of understood the concept that followed with wearing shoes like the humans did. "Shoes?"
"No, you don't have to wear shoes right now...You know, if you ever want to change packs, Sage, you give me a call. I'll be more than happy to set you up here in Mystic Grimm." Sage didn't realize this was starting to be a goodbye, not until she was pulled into a hug with the kind she-wolf.
And Sage bit back a whine, wondering why her wolf felt so content to stay when she has only met this female not too long ago.
Mystic Grimm gifted the three traveling wolves supplies and money, as well as gassing up the Mercedes in hopes it will get them closer to Crescent Moon without the need of stopping. They already made it halfway. It'd be more or less than a straight shot from here on.
On top of this offer, the GPS system was finally safe for them to use, allowing the brothers to ditch the crummy map and just follow the directions given to them by the console.
By early lunch, the car had been packed, and Sage was once again led outside to head to said car. But she was heavily confused about what is going on, and she looked to Luke in hopes of an answer.
"We gotta get moving hun, do you want to take a turn in the front?" That comment had made Liam groan at the idea of being trapped in the back, but Sage absolutely hated the idea of being at the front.
With that, the males had returned to speaking with Alpha Harlow, leaving Sage to stand idly by until Jade had come forward, but it earned her a frown.
Jade smelling like salty tears was an odd emotion for Sage to grasp, she knew the female is sad, but it was the way that confused her. However, when Sage leaned in for another hug, something about Jade's scent was different. As the males were all busy discussing the message sent throughout the surrounding packs, it left the two to stand alone.
And it was a good thing, as Sage's attention went straight to Jade's stomach.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to say I hope you have a good trip back to Crescent Moon—" The stuttering realization struck the Luna as she soon understood what it meant. It was assumed that Sage hadn't fully comprehended what she discovered.
Not until her wolf had come forward to mumble one simple word with her: "Pup."
The idea of pregnancy was odd in Sage's mind. She understood in bits and pieces of what urges her wolf felt. But no male has caught her attention, and until then, she felt content to wait for her own pup.
Her wolf began to scratch at something, pawing at it in temptation and with a hurriedness to get a move on.
"Are...Are you sure?" Jade whispered in disbelief. She and Harlow have been together for a few years now, and in those given years, they had only been trying for a pup the last three times or so...And now?
"Strong pup." Sage ushered out, a small hand being placed to the near flat stomach. It's strange to the Luna how this she-wolf could smell her pregnancy before even she or her own mate could.
So what in the world was happening? Does she take her words as a simple curiosity, or could Sage actually tell?
Sage knew that she had to go on and leave, so she rubbed her cheek in a departing gesture before allowing one last look of the blessed Luna before her. "Bye..." She mumbled, following into the back as Liam held open the door for her. Curling up into the familiar leather of the right side, she gripped onto her small stuffed animal as she smiled down to its face.
"Did you say bye to Jade?" Luke asked, and it caught her attention in the rearview mirror as that was the only way she could see his eyes.
She nodded, petting through the soft fur that the toy offered, and watched out the window as Jade gave her a small wave, once she returned.
"Pup." She whispered, and Liam turned to look over his shoulder. "Did you see a pup?" She inhaled, not knowing the right word for them to understand. Or partly, as it was Luke's now knowing smile as to what the deal was.
"Think Sage found out Jade's little secret. Maybe you'll be a tracker, hun. Got the nose for it." Luke said with a grin, only for his brother to scoff. "Nah, she's gonna be a runner. You haven't seen her. She's like a bullet." It was true. However, she managed to accomplish such a title from stress and forced endurance.
They wanted to break her.
The drive was easier now than before. They weren't low on money, they have a phone, and they were driving with the intention of packs knowing their predicament.
Something Harlow had made sure as he made the call to the surrounding Alphas and shared the license plate in case they came across them.
They simply wanted to return back to their home. Why take a detour to avoid other wolves when it could save time?
Liam thought it'd be a good idea for Sage to point out colors, as it was a suggestion that Jade brought out. To simply play a game that pushed her to become more verbal than just huffing and puffing.
"Did you pick a favorite color yet?"
"Favor-it?" She questioned, and he nodded. "Yeah, I like red." The car driving alongside them had soon passed them, but it was that color that caused her eyes to soften.
"Purple." She spoke, her hands close to pressing against the glass alongside her forehead. They could work with purple.
But it was still strange. At first glance at Sage, one would assume she'd talk about other males or some type of female trend. But then, out of nowhere, she'd come and ask what something is when it's something so obvious as a car or a truck.
She was missing so much humanity that it worried Luke about how the pack would feel on liability. His parents were one of the biggest things, considering they all still lived under the same roof—Courtesy of his worrying mother not wanting her sons moving out.
Liam had been the one to claim they should just get a motel for the night. Pushing themselves wasn't worth it anymore when they getting so close to their destination. They could make the rest of the journey by tomorrow and get something to eat, the chance to rest.
Sage was too polite to say that she is hungry, that and Luke doubted she wanted to bother them with something like that.
Finding a Wendys was fortunate as it was another case of ordering close to everything on the menu. However, with the parts they were in, they simply looked like a group of stoners in need of satisfying the munchies.
Not that Luke cared what some humans thought about them.
The group of them started digging into the fries between the drive-through and to the given motel.
As late as it already is, there weren't enough rooms available for them to share a connecting suit. However, the two beds were enough, as Sage was still scared of sleeping alone.
Hauling their food and backpacks, Sage scanned the room before looking up to Liam. Her height was close to their mother's. The girl probably had a few inches on Mrs.Elwood. Otherwise, it was the same gesture of looking down to have a conversation.
"Just for tonight, unless you wanna stay in the car?"
"No car." She spoke, but her curiosity took the better of her as she took a look out the window.
"At least it smells clean." Liam chuckled, a keen reminder of the last motel they stayed at on their way to their aunts. The smell of sweat and sex was too much for two adult wolves to sleep near, let alone in.
"Alright, eat first, then we'll take showers...Sage, hun! I've got some chicken!" Luke cheered, and the girl instantly followed in pursuit of the offering package. After a keen sniff, there were hints of chicken. And the bonus of it being wrapped in bread and layered in toppings made it all the more enjoyable.
Sage was far too involved with her fries and sandwich that she didn't grasp whatever it was that Luke and Liam were discussing. Harlow was right in one regard. This little female had higher-ranking blood running through her veins.
The Alpha had gotten the feeling simply from her scent as well as her ability to not fall under pressure from his submissive growl. Granted, it could've been passed off as her not seeing him as an Alpha. Her Alpha. But the moment he had taken a look at her wolf, it was indeed the final indicator that she was a high-ranked female.
The two were running through a list of Alphas and Lunas, even those who had fallen out of power. As a betrayal could've landed Sage into the arms of those scientists.
"You think she's a bastard child?" It wasn't unheard of for an Alpha to have children with others, before finding their fated mate, but that meant her mother had to have some sort of stance as well. And no she-wolf in that position would find themselves to be a mistress.
So no, that is not the case here.
It was filled with dead ends, and he would have to call Harlow in the morning to question if his APB was sent out to Canada as well. Her wolf was too odd to be from the States.
Sage, however, managed to eat four burgers alone before curling up at the end of the bed. All with her shoes on and without a pillow. "Go take a shower. I'll tuck her in."
"Alright, is it your turn to sleep with her?" The male shrugged, kneeling down beside the young wolf to pry off her sneakers before tugging off her sweater.
The room was fairly warm, so he had to crack open a window to get the natural smell in, just if anyone wandering Rogues decided to come to their location to snoop. Soon enough, Sage woke up, her face screaming in annoyance as she glared at Luke.
"Hey, you need to get dressed for bed first. Guess you can take a shower in the morning. Yeah?" She nodded, remembering that JAde had a few t-shirts and shorts in the packed bag.
Between the group of them, their wounds were healing quickly.
Sure, Sage's fist was still in need of taking it easy, but by tomorrow their advanced healing would make it as though she hadn't been hurt at all.
Whatever Jade had said to her, Luke was happy for it. She looked towards him in the sense of waiting, wanting him to turn around before she changed. And once she was done, she crawled up to the top of the bed and rushed underneath the covers. It wasn't as comfortable as Liam's chest, or the bed from yesterday. But anything was better than the cell's sorry excuse for a mattress.
Luke came forward and handed off the small wolf toy, as he knew it'd make his own brother happy to see her attached to it. Which wasn't a lie in any regard. The girl defiantly favored the little thing.
Just as much as the oversized scrunchy that she toyed with around her wrist.
Either of the two meant so much to her that it was still hard for him to remember what he had seen down in the labs.
"We're going to get home sometime tomorrow, and we're going to be a lot of wolves like we did with Jade and Harlow. He spoke softly, and although he knew she was tired, she did her best to stay awake and pay attention to what he had to say.
"Pack?"
"Yup, it's our pack. You're going to be living with us. We have three other brothers. Caleb, Cameron, and Casey. And Casey's just a lil pup." The names were starting to register in her head to remember.
Brothers. That's what Liam and Luke are to her.
"Brother." She repeated, her hand coming towards his cheek in such an innocent manner that it calmed his short-tempered wolf. Sage closed her eyes and sent him a memory. It was a sweet gesture, one of which reminded him of how cold and distant he was towards her in the beginning.
Even when she offered her food up.
He sighed, guilt riding him through and through. "I'm sorry, hun. I'll make all that up to you, I promise. When we get home, we're going to teach you everything." The intention sparked interest as she leaned up on her elbow.
"Everything?" He hummed, reaching forward to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
"We're going to go hunting. We're going to teach you how to swim. Fish. We're going to eat all the chicken in the world, and you are going to learn more than just basic colors and numbers." Sage rumbled in approval, knowing that she is more capable of much more, but the words fumbled around when wanting to learn. And nobody ever talked to her in the way that Luke and Liam had.
Jade is another story, the Luna of Mystic Grimm is indeed a sweetheart and a mother wolf practicing for her own. It was a little secret that the males walked away with, but knew that it was meant to be kept hidden from the rest of the world until they announced it.
Jade had trouble letting go, and both she and her mate couldn't help but feel the same overprotective nature for her.
The young she-wolf turned out to be a blessing, and with that blessing came the reveal of a pup growing inside Luna Jade's womb.
As Liam had gotten out of the shower, he caught Sage fast asleep with his brother just leaning against the bed beside her. "What's wrong?" Luke didn't bother looking up to his brother in regards to this.
This guilt he's been feeling.
"I've been an asshole..." Liam knew where this would be going and nicked his head to go and get a shower in. He never blamed Luke for being overly cautious with another wolf trapped alongside them. It was natural.
Their parents relied on Luke to keep him safe. And even in the beginning, he was glad that Caleb and Cameron didn't join them.
Had either of their brothers joined them, things could've gone differently when being targeted. But if they were never captured, Sage would continue to live her life still imprisoned.
The water had turned long cold, not that he blamed his brother for using the hot water up—But his shower had gone on for long enough that he forced himself away from the spewing water.
Wiping down the fog-covered mirror, did he finally take a moment to pause things. He frowned in seeing how lean his body had gotten, and he'd surely need to gain it all back.
After, he thought, after Sage is all settled in.
Settled in could mean a multitude of things. For one, neither he nor his brother has been away from her for very long, and if one was—There was still the other.
That was one of the first tasks, and a constant reminder of how his own family would react was going to be an even bigger worry.
Their brothers were relieved to hear that they are safe and on their way home. But as Luke laid down beside Sage, who is curled up into a ball beside him, he smiled.
His family is going to love her.
And that's exactly what she needed. Love.
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Date: 11-07-2020
Time: 10:49
Words: 3410
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EDITED
DATE: 08-10-2021
WORDS: 3842