* * *

Sage was thankful that the house was filled with people, all the Elwoods, Hayes, and the higher-ups. But sweet goddess above, Sage had never craved chicken anymore in her life than she did right in this very moment.

Julia knew and had Gigi prep them since the first howls, even Remus was stuck at the table with his mate. Scarfing down the food in front of him while the pups were being entertained for ten minutes.

It was good to introduce them to others of their kind, especially those they would see the most on any given day. Amy had no problem with the idea of two Alpha pups to nanny, she liked the challenge.

And right now, Remus couldn't think properly about hiring another nanny. However, Hayes couldn't hide it any longer when Harlow had called him.

"Hey—Yeah, yeah that's fine. Talk about that later—Let me enjoy holding my grand pup. Call you later." Hayes pretended to hang up the phone, and Sage giggled at the roar on the other end.

So Hayes simply changed the call from voice to a video call.

"That was mean...." Sage directed at her father, and Harlow growled in confirmation.

"How're you doing, Mama wolf?"
"Really good!" She smiled, and anyone could tell that she was enjoying this milestone in complete and utter bliss.

It wasn't hard to miss the baby babbles over the phone, as Hayes like dragging things out. But once Jade had gotten onto the phone, her first concern was Sage.

"Oh Goddess, I think Harlow and I ate everything in sight the first few days!" Remus had his own comment, but it fell on deaf ears as it was inaudible with the amount of food he has in his mouth.

He stopped eating and glared off towards Hayes, so he took one last bite before joining her back on the couch. He supposed he felt the excitement from the Mystic Grim side as well. Better yet, they were the parents of his children's cousin.

Hardin and the twins were cousins.

"Come on, I have money on the pup being a girl!" Harlow whined, and Sage grinned wildly. However Remus had offered his arms up from Julia, who couldn't get enough of the lil pup.

While Rue hid away with Luke and Elenor.

"Perhaps in the New Year, Hardin can meet his cousin, Ronan," Remus said, holding the pup a bit towards the camera. But the object held little to no interest to the pup as he continued to wiggle around the two males.

"Awe, look at the little Alpha! I see some Mystic Grim eyes in him."
"Oh, believe me, son. I already boasted on that." Sage held Rue close to her chest as she joined the camera.

"Rue has the same eyes, too." The gasp on the other end of the phone caused a devilish smile flashed towards her mate, and for once, Remus wasn't on the receiving end on her pranks.

"TWINS?! Oh, sweet goddess! Harlow, we didn't get them enough—"
"We have plenty, believe me," Remus said, trying to get Ronan to settle down into his hold properly. But seeing mama and his little pouting face caused Sage to nudge him and trade up the babes.

"Do you want a blanket?" Elenor asked, and Sage nodded as she sat on the other end of the couch and started the process of feeding the little Alpha—Though he wasn't at all convinced that it was the same as in fur.

But he tried and found himself just as addicted.

"Sounds like the little fellow's hungry—Call if you need anything you two!" Jade said, and it was only then that the house was left empty to give the Alpha couple some privacy.

But Sage stopped Luke for a moment, and when she opened her mouth, the words didn't come out. Her brother was patient, as it had been some time since she needed to speak to form a conversation with more than a few words.

"Is Blake okay? And Raven?" She questioned, and her brother turned to look at Hayes—They agreed that everything could wait for another day, but the weight of being Luna had returned quicker than expected.

"Yeah, they're fine...Why don't you relax, little mama? Take care of those pups. Maybe I'll swing by tomorrow. Levi's excited." Sage let out a small gasp and nodded.

It sounded like a plan. However, Remus was thankful that his mate hadn't been told the truth. Even he needed to sort through it all. So when it did come time for getting the pup's into the bathtub, he realized that it was another blessing not to have to worry about anything tonight.

After getting them dressed into diapers and little night onesies, they were placed in the shared crib. Just for tonight, by tomorrow, they'd be able to get together a better-suited situation for them.

However, Remus caught Sage eyeing the crib once again and huffed. Causing the babies to whine at their mama's stress. "Only at night, now...Let's go get some more dinner. I'm going to wash up, and then I was thinking we sleep until these two want their own late-night snack." Remus watched his mate conform into his hold, nuzzling close into his underarm and relaxing in his scent.

"You alright, munchkin?"
"Tired and happy. But really tried." He found himself letting out a laugh, a light one as not to disrupt the pups and their first night in skin.

They themselves were downright exhausted, but the newly made parents continued out of their room and quietly made themselves a proper dinner downstairs.

Once again, eating everything that was displayed before them.

"Can we have pizza tomorrow?" Sage asked in between the bites of her wrap. And he nodded, humming at the idea of how it'd taste. "Pizza, tacos, everything." The two didn't speak much more, but in seeing Sage tilt her head for a moment and stop chewing—It caused him to pause as well.

And if on cue, one of the pup's was crying.

"Do want me to—"
"It's okay, Rue is just scared." She said rising up from her seat with one final bite and hurried upstairs. But in looking back at his mate's words he realized that he hadn't gotten that explanation from a cry.

Hell, he didn't even know it was Rue or Ronan.

His wolf huffed and sought the determination to learn it, of course Sage had a handle on the sounds and what they meant. It was how she communicate and understood those around her for so long.

Sage returned within five minutes after resettling the pup and Remus smirked, piling her plate back up with fries and another slider.

"I missed walking on two feet."
"Same here hun, and we get to sleep in a bed tonight." He could feel her wolf rumbling at the mere idea of their fluffy mattress upstairs.

"Oh...I didn't clean up the—"
"House is spotless, sure someone made the bed for us before we came home...Come on." Sage hardly had a moment on her feet before Remus hauled her up into his arms.

"I'm not a pup Remmy." She chimed in, and he growled deep into her neck. Leaving a kiss directly onto her mark and she hummed in damnation. "I know, but my wolf likes treating you like a Queen." They made it to their bedroom with ease, and just like he expected. Their bedroom felt clean and fresh.

He allowed her the moment to lay down and get comfortable in bed as he went to go and finally take that quick shower he's been dreaming of.

Yet of course another one of the pups had begun to cry. "Hun?"
"It's okay!" She responded, and his wolf relaxed. He hated hearing his pup's tears, and at this stage, he would need to get a handle on it.

They would cry for everything, whether it be hunger or being uncomfortable.

Remus finished his shoulder, and Sage did not return back just yet. Instead, he had gone to venture to find her, only to find her gazing lightly to the sleeping pup's down in the crib below.

"They look so cute...." She whispered, and he had taken the few cautious steps to come up behind her. Wrapping his arms around his waist and locking his head back onto her neck. Giving him the perfect view over her shoulder.

"Can't stare at them all night, munchkin...They need their sleep."
"Do we need new godparents?" She posed a valued question, and he nodded.

"Luke and Elenor are a good pair, but maybe they're better off with Rue. She really liked them." It wasn't hard to see the relationship between the two forming, and it left the godparents to Ronan up for question.

"Issac?"
"We can talk about this tomorrow, you and your wolf need some real sleep." She nodded and followed after her mate before curling up into bed. Goddess, she moaned at the idea of not being on the solid floor anymore, granted Remus added his own growl. Offended that his mate made that noise for anything but him.

"Remmy?"
"What's up, Munchkin? Do you want some water?" They had a nightly routine when she was pregnant. To have a glass of water at her bedside, but seeing her deny it, he stopped his attempt to get up.

"Is there something wrong?... We're going to Kenzie soon, you and the pups. Make sure everyone healthy." She fumbled at the question, not knowing how to phrase it as she pouted in silence.

"Let me in, Sage." So she closed her eyes and huffed. "Do you still want to mate with me?" Remus' brow narrowed in confusion. What on earth did she mean?

"Munchkin..."
"Do mates mate after pups?"
"Of course we can. Miss me that much?" Her unsureness varied as she whined in her throat. She already was holding onto his arm—Her wolf madly aware of the fact that the pups weren't nearby. But she remained curled into his side, the pup's needed to get used to it just as much as them.

"You still need to heal, later...When the pup's sleep through the night." The two new parents had crashed seconds later, and it was a full-hearted blessing when morning came, and the combination of Rue and Ronan had been their alarm.

Remus chuckled in seeing that it was exactly six, and he hadn't recalled hearing any wails before. "Did they wake up last night?" She shook her head and peeked her eyes open.

"Uncomfortable."
"You're comfortable?" He said, feeling her stomach and down a bit further. Worried that the afterbirth had been too much, but Sage shook her head. Sliding his hand off and away. "Not me, pups."
"How can you tell?" He questioned, and Sage yawned while rubbing her eyes.

"Rue higher than Roe's." He followed her out of the room like a zombie, both having slept like a rock. In opening the room, he smelled just what was making them uncomfortable.

Sage had no issue in prepping up a cloth on the floor and starting to change their diapers. But only after they were both free of them and their pajamas.

"Goodmorning puppup, did you sleep okay?" She cooed down, and they were a trans of looking at their mama and what she was doing in terms of cleaning them up. So Remus kneed down and kissed the top of his mate's head.

"I'll make some tea hun, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Egg sandwich."
"Think I can manage that. Do you want to start using a bottle for the pups?" He questioned, and Sage shook her head, as the explanation of a breast pump had freaked her out a little bit.

And Remus couldn't blame her. But it'd make things easier to have stored milk for when they needed it, and she wasn't there.

"Sandwich will be ready in a bit...." She made a kiss sound before returning to the task of cleaning up both pups and redressing them. She thought it was best to get dressed, so she hurried with both pups in arms and settled them on the bed.

They rejoiced in their parent's scent and found the quick bit of entertainment. Sage recalled that the feeding blanket was downstairs, and by the starting pouts coming from Rue, and she realized that perhaps it'd be smart to feed her during breakfast and switch.

However, it was the best attempt in introducing them to pacifiers right then and there, stalling them until she brought them downstairs. "There's my beautiful pups!" Hayes cheered, coming closer to kiss his daughter's forehead before scooping up Ronan from her hold.

"Hey!" Hayes put on his best pout before nicking his head.
"I made breakfast." It earned him a side-eye, but she huffed in acceptance of it before grabbing the feeding blanket and the high chair. "Let me get that hun, go sit down." It was rather hard in trying to do things with one hand, so she went to go side down and fixed herself a plate with Rue in her lap.

Once her plate was set, she pulled the privacy blanket up and over and settled Rue onto her breast so she too could get some breakfast.

Hayes had settled Ronan in the booster seat, and once he caught sight of his mama and the blanket, he huffed and pouted. Course Sage only responded with a light tap on his nose, as her mouth was full to really respond.

"Can we shift later?" She asked, and Remus nodded—Only for Hayes to laugh. "Not tired of four legs yet, Bubbles?"
"Yeah, but pups like four legs. And you can meet them in fur too." Perhaps Sage didn't understand the gravity of how strange it felt to have Hayes in the house. Even though he had been on the pack grounds since the pups were born.

But mortal enemies to father and son were still making their way through the conversation, so it was a blessing for Sage not to detect that. Or else she would feel just as strange, if not stranger.

When Rue emerged from the blanket, she looked rightly settled. A happy smile gracing her face as she was stuffed with milk. But her little fingers went in the direction of her father, and Remus couldn't deny that, which allowed him to get the chance to burp her.

"Is it bad healers can't see Rue?" Sage questioned, leaving the males to look at one another. "No, I don't think it's bad, healers can be wrong sometimes."
"Nothing to worry about sweetheart, they're a clean bill of health in my eyes." It was a nice defusion of the situation, as neither male could really determine a medical reason as to why it wasn't possible.

"Any puppy stories? I remember Harlow wouldn't sit still, even for a second." Remus smirked, nicking his head off towards Ronan in the booster seat. "He tried sneaking out of the den a few times."
"Ah, an adventurous little boy, huh? Sure that's going to be fun. Especially when they grow up and start saying no." Sage pouted and pulled Ronan into her lap.

"Roe is going to be a sweet little pup forever." She deemed, and Remus made a face of pure guilt. "I hate to say it, hun, but remember when I said I was an asshole in high school?" The temperature dropped tenfold as her face fell from a smile.

"No swearing, Remus, not good for the pups." He threw his hands up in a sign of a white flag, he reiterated what he was asking and she nodded.

"He might have inherited a few Mystic Grimm features, but I was a trouble maker too." She huffed, turning back down to the baby and whispering things that the little boy couldn't really agree to or promise. But it was sweet never the less.

Hayes had cooked them up a feast, and Remus was thankful for it. And with the pups fed and burped, the idea of them leaving the house caused them to squeal and wiggle. Trying to get into the grass beneath them, but the clothes they wore made them confused if they could shift just yet.

So while the pup's grandfather shifted and greeted them first, it was clear that they recognized him instantly. Rue had even gripped him and hugged his fur.

Sage sniffled, looking at how cute the picture was in front of her. And Remus tried to defuse her emotion by kissing her cheek, then her lips. Course it earned him a warning growl from Hayes below, but the babies thought it hilarious that Grandpa was angry.

Sage instead bent down to start undressing them both, while Remus had shifted somewhere off behind her. But it was a sweet gesture that Ronan looked up to his mother in waiting.

"You can shift, Roe." It had been almost a year since Hayes had seen such a young pup shifting at this age, but once he caught the black fur caused his own wolf to yip and pant.

Good, you have a handsome coat on you already, my boy.

Hayes called out, his nose making its way to the pup's neck and licking him in affection. But he was surely aware of Ronan's father watching every one of his action.

It's alright son, not doing anything to hurt him...My wolf's just excited.

That makes two of us. Remus laughed through the link, but Sage, who was still in skin, scoffed.

"Three. I'm here too!" She said, all before coaxing her daughter to shift now that she was free of clothes like her brother was. And while it took a little longer, she reappeared in the complete opposite shade as her brother.

Ha! That makes it easy to know who's who.

Remus huffed towards the other male and went off to greet Rue, licking her stomach. Leaving her to try and protest against her father, but goddess they loved the nature of being free, where their limbs were able to move the way they wanted.

Sage soon joined in,  the pups stopped their playful nips and went to go and say hi to mom, which followed with a wolfie laugh before checking on them properly.

Goddess, I don't think my wolf's wanted to act like a puppy this much in my life.

Wait until they start practice howling grandpa, Roe? Do you want to show gramps?

Saying his name over the link caused the pup to tilt his head, twisting it one way then the other. So Sage mimicked the action of a howl, and Ronan didn't waste another second before letting his head back, letting his yips form into half howls.

But he didn't have the strength to make it any longer, yet it was adorable non the less.

"Is this a puppy party and I'm not invited?!"

______

Date: 01-01-2022

Time: 3:39 AM (I'm sorry!!)

Words: 3345

Author's Note:

How are we liking the start so far? My friend/Beta reader said that this was a very wholesome beginning, then followed up after finishing the entire story that it's calm before the storm. And she'd like to say there's a big storm coming!

Did catch Sage's concern about Blake? What might that be about?

And it's not officially mentioned, but Luke and Elenor adopted Levi! I know some of you readers wanted Sage and Remus to adopt him, but they have their hands full with the twins.

__

So sorry that this is late, the day and celebration kinda snuck up on me. And what a crazy year it's been. I'm so happy that Lacking Humanity: Crescent Moon had surpassed its goal by the end of 2021! I initially hoped for 30k reads but now it's sitting at 41k and counting!

So happy!

Sorry, rambling again. I like to keep author notes short, but happy new year!
See you all Monday with another chapter of Blue Moon!