* * *
"Oh no..." Camilla whispered, looking back to her boys with the same dreaded expression. Sage didn't know what she was getting into.
It was as if the goddess herself was playing a trick. Sure, Sage had thrown a beautiful punch to rectify her anger, but the way the Alpha was standing there. Waiting.
This was just the start of their courtship, and to do it properly--Remus would have to allow her a proper headstart.
From where he was positioned, his beast felt like it was almost a game of cat and mouse.
"Alpha, she doesn't know anything about mates, she's—" Jack tried, as did the rest of the group as Kenzie had been the first outsider to hear this news.
After her people had taken Kelly to the infirmary, she went up to Luke and whispered softly to him. "Sage is the Alpha's mate?" As though she couldn't believe it herself.
Cruel.
It was cruel that the first-ever heartbreak that Sage had dealt with was due to her mate's selfishness.
But here he was, readying himself to shift and run after her in terms of a formality after finding one's mate.
"You think he's gonna catch her?" Camilla smacked Liam upside the head. This was a mother's business now, and she would need to do her daughter justice as she stormed directly up to the Alpha.
She was mated to the Master of Arms, and she wasn't going to allow her adopted pup to be played around like this.
"You listen here, pup, my daughter doesn't know what mates are, and I swear to the goddess above if you try to—"
"She didn't reject me." Liam scoffed at the Alpha's thought process.
"This is also the same girl who tried pizza two weeks ago. Alpha, please—" Luke shook his head for his brother to quit his teasing. He knew Sage was still angry about being subjected to leave, so he shrugged.
"If he thinks she's going to let him mark her, he's sorely mistaken," Luke grumbled, and it caught the attention of Remus' wolf. Anger crackling through the air quickly by his comment.
"Why?"
"Well, Alpha, it might be part of her being evicted? Bet she's halfway through the pack by now." Remus turned to gaze back to the edge of the woods and took a long inhale. The male had been correct in terms of speed. However, it stopped.
The she-wolf stopped.
Every single one of the Elwoods could not intervene. Their words of warning were one instance, but the interruption of their wolves would constitute a challenge for either Sage herself or the union.
As the Alpha awaited the commencement of a challenge, he grumbled happily as none had come. It allowed him to continue after his mate.
His wolf ripped through his skin as he took into his natural form, his paws gripping the earth. The aggravated growls and yaps were all in damnation.
His anger was partly due to the fact she had thrown a punch in his direction.
It stung, but he was upset about the offense than the physical pain, as his wolf wanted nothing more than to praise her for her defense against her title.
To not take any shit from the she-wolf standing in her place.
He rumbled with applause as he knew she would hear.
With their rocky start, Remus made sure to make his steps known. Offering out a gentle warning that he was close by. And Sage knew very well that his scent was starting to trickle in.
If anything, she was intrigued by the Alpha.
This wolf was pretty in her mind.
He's strong, though it didn't exactly intimidate her as it did the others.
Coming out from the underbrush, he caught her figure across the pond, sitting right on her rump as she waited for him.
He was right before, Sage had stopped their courtship run.
But what was the reason?
Being the Alpha, he had the ability to get into anyone's head, but as he attempted to slip into hers. He was abruptly thrown out and blocked. A growl sparked from her throat while her eyes narrowed.
She was testing him.
And he was going to pass.
His wolf came over with a sense of adoration, prancing with his tail high in the air as he was attempting to flirt. Sure, her eyes held amusement, but it flickered between this and defense.
She was both weary and curious, which caused him to lay on his stomach and crawl the rest of the way forward.
His apology came in the form of small licks on her paws, and when her attention turned down, he threw his neck up to lick her jaw.
Sage had not been prepared for his change of pace and growled, informing him that he was stepping out of bounds.
His third mistake was attempting to slip into her mind again, and she didn't hesitate before snapping her teeth down and huffed. His ears pinned down as he continued to blink silently. He didn't want to cause any more reason for her to be mad.
He then turned up to sit on his rump, his wolf towering hers.
Sage was already considered to be a larger wolf than most, the same size as her brothers, more or less.
The three weeks in Crescent Moon had done her well. Granted, the bandage had transferred to her wolf skin, and it threw an ounce of irritation to Remus' mind as he didn't know why it was there.
Had she been injured in the Rogue attack?
The Moon Goddess had blessed him with a beautiful mate, and he would surely give his thanks in a prayer or two before bed.
Not only was she beautiful, but her wolf was not phased in any regard at his size. Instead, she huffed once again, almost asking what he wanted.
As though she didn't know.
Of course, she didn't know.
There was no explanation given to her.
But if she just allowed him into her mind, then Remus would be happy to explain anything. Everything.
Truthfully, Sage was already bored with this male staring at her and trying to touch her. And it didn't take much to mute her feelings as she rose back to her feet and darted further off into pack territory.
Remus was left to sit in awe as he watched her shadowy form dominate the terrain, but this was the time to act. He followed after her, calling the strength of his elders teaches to catch up with her.
He surprised her by nipping at her feet, but the girl did not stop in any regard. Even if he was playful and adorable, it didn't catch her eye for long.
And that was starting to piss off his wolf.
So before he had any room for negotiation with his beast, he knocked her over, watching her tumble off to the left of the trial.
After slowing down his pace, he watched her with patience as he was entirely prepared to chase her again. But he didn't know how Sage liked to surprise those around her.
The stance she took was on the offense as she began to stalk and size him up. He leveled a growl in warning. Remus wasn't entirely sure she would be able to handle this. But the last thing remembered before she incited the attack is that she tied with his Delta...
It left the question open if the battle went on, who would truly win.
A thunderous roar had the birds hidden in the trees scatter up and around as it was a song of pain. Jack wasn't kidding when he said she had a bite.
Tackling and creating a roll had he separated her from his side. Once again, he attempted into her head. The feeling of hostility to the situation caused another push, but she still wasn't giving in.
Her growl was deeply rooted, and it was clear that she was hurting.
Remus could tell from their bond that it wasn't from Kelly's challenge or being knocked down.
She was angry with him, and if it aided their relationship, then he would allow her this moment.
But he wouldn't make it easy.
Seemingly her anger hadn't made her sloppy in any regard. She was quick, agile, and strong. So it hadn't been Kelly's sloppiness that caused her to lose, this she-wolf before the Alpha was indeed fit for the position of being Luna.
But she needed to be reminded of her place.
He jumped into gear, his heated nature no longer simmering. The bond between them strangling them for acting violently in hurting one another.
But the slight pains didn't stop Sage as she continued to nip and scratch at any open position she could in hopes of gaining the top.
Blood managed to coat patches into either of the battling wolves, yet the fight hadn't left his mate's eyes. Even with a limp and chunks of fur missing.
Eventually, Remus had gotten tired of this nonsense, and with Sage still scratching in damnation, he huffed. And instead of throwing another attack, he began licking all the areas he believed to have hurt or currently bleeding.
A whine settled that she felt the calming sensation of a mate's salvia to an injury. It tingled and nulled the pain. And she licked her chops in confusion.
And as a thank you, she had leaned up and licked his jaw and whined.
It wasn't rightly in acceptance yet, but he was going to take this as Sage starting in the first stages of warming up to him and his wolf.
By the time Remus was done, her entire upper half was partly soaked by his kisses, and she huffed a bit of laughter as her tongue laid out lazily.
The level of content that he felt while laying behind her was uplifting, for now, he was still paying attention to her right forepaw.
She flattened it to the ground to showcase that it felt better, but it didn't pass in Remus' mind. She yelped, causing him to peep up his attention to see what she wanted. So she moved closer to him, and started to lick his own wounds.
The Alpha blood had already begun healing them, but the additive of his mate's kisses managed to speed up the process. Carefully he had inched into her mind, and this time it hadn't been a fight. He was instead was gifted a small wiggle and her tail thumping onto the floor.
Feeling better?
He questioned, and she huffed and blinked towards him in response. Part of him forgot how lacking she was in her humanity and her wolf form.
How about we go find some deers?
Tilting her head did she lean forward and ask further.
Hunt?
This caused Remus to growl in approval, though internally, he was battling his wolf from purring at the fact that her small voice filled his head.
He had been the first to get to his feet, and in fear that her leg was still on the mend, he had put his head under her stomach and aided her back to her feet. Though she didn't need it, his wolf yearned for her to hold his scent.
And she was starting too already.
Run?
Goddess, did she have a limit? Remus nudged with his nose as he offered her an idea as to where deers would be. Her tail shook her entire bum with gleam and understanding.
Then off she was like a bullet in the wind.
For the third time in a row he followed after her. Her nose was the perfect instrument as she pinpointed three deers.
Sage had crawled down onto her stomach and peeked through the bushes to give a bit of cover. While Remus found himself up top, either leg boxing her in.
Which one?
He asked in terms of an agreed-upon kill, this would be his second test.
To provide.
And his wolf was just edging to continue further with this. First the chase, now the second mention.
Number three.
It was the one he had been eyeing as well, so leaning down, he had licked the beginning of her ear in a sign of good luck before she darted off after the third deer in the clearing.
The prey had little to no chance of making an escape as she tackled him to the ground.
She was like a ram without the antlers, a bear without the claws.
The scent of the deer's blood had caused him to zero in on the hunt as he darted after his mate and aided her. They switched positions from lead to assistant again and again.
Until finally, the beast had fallen with a loud thunk.
This had been Sage's fourth deer, and it was an adorable yowl in glee. But instead, the Alpha had thrown his chin into the air and began to sing a demanding tune. And Sage had made the mistake of joining in.
Excitement and cheers had followed through after their song had ended, pack members were in a fit of blessings, and Sage couldn't understand why. Currently, she was more concerned about the deer before her and cleaning the blood off her chops as the Alpha dove in first.
Luke made sure she knew proper formalities in eating. As he assumed that it would pass over into other interactions but failed entirely.
Though a whine had pulled her back, Remus' entire snoot had been covered in blood due to digging around for the best piece of the prey.
Sage's eyes grew wide as she watched it drop down to her feet as an offer. Followed by a playful ark and a low tail wag.
He wanted to present to her the best piece, the heart. It was adorable to see her eyes spark up in pure bliss as she bent down and ate it within two gulps.
She licked her chops before finding the incentive to clean the blood from his jaw as well. He took note that the she-wolf did not like her coat being drenched in blood.
As Sage managed to dig her way into the hole he had made, he allowed her to get her fill, taking the liberty to be the lookout for other predators that now smelled the blood.
However, a nudge pulled him back into reality as Sage dropped her own sharing of the kill. The liver.
It was personally his favorite piece, and his wolf whined in endearment to this gift. Instead of eating it, he delayed the meal to lick her clean.
She fought him, sure, but it was more to get a reaction or something from his mate.
Nudging her nose to it caused her to huff. And when he swallowed it whole, she wiggled with glee. Was she not hungry?
Eat.
He spoke, nicking his nose to point to the body. But then it caused her to tilt her head in confusion.
Alpha eat first.
His wolf was indeed amused, so this she-wolf can punch him in the jaw but eating first was against the rules.
Alphas and their mates eat first.
Mate?
Yes. Mate. I am your mate, and you are mine.
This had her cock her head to the opposite side, and he did the same. She thought it was hilarious to see this big Alpha act playful. Which caused her to let out another wiggle once again. This prompted him to pounce, either wolf completely disregarding the fresh kill a few feet to her left.
They tumbled and playfully, nipping one another as gentle love bites sparked their bond further, these sensations were odd to the she-wolf, and she was in between liking and hating.
These emotions were completely foreign to her, but the act of playing was not.
However, at the current moment, her mate had her pinned on her back. Her belly connected to his as he laid his head into the crook of her neck, and with her bandage completely abandoned, she flinched at the contact.
Hun, you alright?
Hurt.
His wolf went into overdrive to feel the proper sensation as to where her pain was coming from, and it seemed to be at the base of her neck. He remembered that her family said that the pack healer didn't know where it originated from, so he put his attention into licking it again. And then the thought sparked as to what she was craving...
Did Sage's wolf know that he was close?
Does it still hurt?
Doesn't hurt.
As far as Remus knew, her speech was fine. Clear, cut, and didn't beat around the bush in any regard. However, when she started to wiggle underneath him, he growled in warning.
Don't. Don't do that.
Her wiggling was an expression of happiness, so in seeing the hurt in her eyes, he began the trial of forgiveness as he licked her neck clean. But she was in between following his order and sharing her happiness.
Instead, she found another version, her tail thump back and forth, and that ultimately allowed Remus to lean down and continue to soothe her sore neck.
This had turned into a very submissive position as she fought her wolf in baring the entirety of her neck.
Do you accept me as your mate?
Accept?
What did that word even mean?
To her, it was a yes or no question. But it was hard to respond when the question didn't make sense in the first place. She blinked her eyes in hopes he would explain further, but he waited patiently for her to speak again.
Accept?
She bustled out, and now he understood where she would be having issues. The idea of a mate was one, but not understanding the question was another.
Everyone has a mate, Sage. Like Camila and Leo. Alpha Harlow and Luna Jade.
To him, it had been a perfect response to her confusion, but it distracted her at the mention of Jade.
Luke said no mates.
Now he understood why she wasn't taught about mates. Granted, he didn't have a sister or any siblings himself to know how a conversation like that would go.
But it did leave the reminder that her brothers would be the biggest challenge in winning her affection.
I no leave?
Her broken English was causing his wolf to howl in agony. He took his weight off of her and allowed her to gain support on her own feet. However, he laid down beside her with a protective paw fawning for her to listen.
No. I'm sorry, Sage. I never came to properly meet you. I've failed you as a mate and Alpha. Can you forgive me?
She surely felt the sadness in his voice, but didn't understand what was wrong. Sure she was angry about having to leave, though now she could stay and this wolf in front of her was different than any other male she's met before.
This was the mistake of having the chase so early.
Sage was bonding with his wolf more than his human, his wolf had done nothing wrong. In reality, his wolf had been antsy for the entirety of her arrival, and it was an ignored hint.
I stay here?
Yes.
No cage?
Never. Never again.
To be honest, the girl didn't ask for much, so this prompted a paw to his chest, causing him another rumble of approval. Her wolf was strange but in a very good way.
Eat.
The order went through this time as she rushed to the opening and took her time chewing the tender meat of their kill. It was delicious, better than the first or second time eating deer. But this was because the mate bond was starting to enact. And she was reminded of that fact when their fur brushed against each, causing her to jump.
It's okay...That's what happens when we touch. That's the mate bond, munchkin.
He groaned at his inability to come up with a nickname on the spot, but her wolf hinging her snoot up and yowling caused him to ignore his shame.
I promise I'll think of something better, but I kinda like munchkin.
Yowling again only confirmed the nickname now. He adored this reaction and was going to use it against her every time.
Home?
It piqued his interest as his heart stopped at the idea of her coming home with him. But one look obviously meant her home with the Elwoods.
I'll walk you back home. How about we do this again tomorrow?
She wiggled in delight.
To be fair, anyone who asked for plans would get that type of excitement. So he shouldn't feel as elated as he is, but he indeed felt like the king of the world.
He sent word out to the hunters that he left a deer in the woods so it could be stocked in the packhouse freezer or head to the pack's butcher. And he hummed at the idea of grilled venison.
Run?
Her question was one she asked at least a dozen times a day, but she found the one person that would never deny her that opportunity.
And off they went, joining on the run side by side back to the Elwood residence.
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Date: 11-22-2020
Time: 8:47
Words: 3320
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EDITED:
DATE: 09/17/2021
WORDS: 3442