* * *

After Sage's first run and hunt going as well as it did, Leo decided that it'd be the perfect time to show her the proper way to fight against one of her own kind. If she was joining Crescent Moon, Sage would need to learn the appropriate way in sparring and all of that.

Which led her to be in the ring with Caleb.

"I don't want to hurt her." Luke didn't want to ruin his brother's ego, but his money was on his lil sis—Who was listening intently to what their father and Liam were discussing.

And it seemed to be passing along properly as she nodded along with every piece of advice.

"Go easy then if you want, but she needs to learn. If you fake it, then it's not going to help her. She knows this isn't the same. Sage will be fine." Luke rolled his eyes when his brother frowned. Reminding him just how much of a worried Caleb is.

"Alright, keep it in the circle and shift when I say...START!" Leo ordered, and that had Sage enter the circle and go straight into the center. Her tiny fists curling and up in a boxer position, such a human move.

The two started to mirror a walk around the circle, and instantly Liam noticed that Sage was a very patient she-wolf.

While his brother was both unexpecting and unprepared for the quick jabs that she threw his way.

"She's got a bullet punch too, damn. That was nice." Liam cheered as his brother tumbled back, knowing full well that he was going to bruise in a few seconds.

While the brute relied on heavy punches, Sage instantly responded with a duck and spin, attacking her target's side.

And to make matters worse, she added a kick to the opposite leg.

Leo was smirking widely at Sage's technique. The little devil found weakness easy in her opponent. The confusion that this would take in his son definitely confused him as he was slow in calculating. Part of him was furious, but then again, the bond didn't want him to actually hurt her.

"You're gonna let a she-wolf beat you, Caleb?! Come on, Callie!" Rage fueled the male as Liam pulled out their mother's girl's name against him.

And moon goddess have her, it worked.

He finally locked on properly, but the female was too quick for him. There was no using her surroundings like she often did in the gym, but here in the yard, there was nothing for her to use.

His extended punch behind caught an elbow heaving down into his forearm really brought his tempter through the roof as he growled in retaliation. Tackling the she-wolf as they wrestled and tugged at one another.

"SHIFT!" Instantly Sage cracked her bones in more or less the same time that Caleb had. This earned a more bloody battle as Sage felt damnable for this male, thinking they had a chance against her.

The bites were strong, blood had already started to coat the grass below them, but the hold she finally gained on his neck had him go limp and showcase his neck in defeat.

When it was a tap out, Sage instantly started to whine and lick up his open wounds. Leaving Luke to go and grab one of the extra t-shirts laying out and head over towards the two wolves. Caleb huffed, feeling Sage licking him clean of his wounds.

As if his ego wasn't bruised enough.

"Hey, he can do that on his own. Come on." He forced her wolfy head through the shirt's hole. Once her body was covered under the protection of the overgrown male's t-shirt, she shifted. But when her human eyes returned, and all he could see was the build-up of tears.

"Shh...Shhh, hun, you did good. You were perfect." His compliment didn't reach her as she didn't pry her eyes away from Caleb's healing figure.

"I...I hurt...him." She spoke, causing Leo to chuckle.

The father went ahead to kneel down beside his eldest as he shook his head down to his little adoptive pup.

"It's either you hurt him, or he hurts you. Don't be afraid of that. You need to control it." It was strange to see Sage so riddled with guilt. So Liam took the next turn to get into the ring against Cameron.

As Luke said in the very beginning that he'd never be able to go against Sage in the ring.

Now off on the sidelines sitting beside Caleb, who's sporting his wounds with an ice pack while Luke had to hold it up to Sage's cheek.

Since she would've refused it otherwise.

The young she-wolf stared intently at what was happening before her. She understood that this was a rougher form of playing. This wasn't what the scientists wanted.

There wasn't any brutal testing happening between the two brothers.

She wouldn't be getting hurt unless she allowed them a moment to get the better of her.

Cameron was brought down by Liam quicker than the previous sparring. The poor male was having a rough few days, but considering that his brother that had been tested to the limits beat him?

It felt oddly familiar and very aggravated.

"You want to try against Liam?" Luke questioned, and the girl looked to the male in question and fitfully shook her head. "Come on, please? It'll make me feel better." Caleb pleaded, causing her own lip to pout in that regard.

"Sage, don't think you have to if you don't want to fight—" Liam stopped talking as soon she stood up, swimming in the borrowed basketball shorts that had been tied tight to secure around her tiny waist.

She was petite, so how in the hell had she managed to take down Caleb?!

Liam glanced over to his father in worry, which caused the elder wolf to broadcast his own filling of insight, which calmed him enough to take his position back in the circle. Bite marks still rallying onto his body from Cameron's attempts, and now he growled in warning at Sage.

This would bring her to hate him, but this was a lesson she needed to learn. So she rallied with her own growl,

She just needed to see this as a more violent form of play.

When it's her kind and organized, then it's playing.

Humans, it's hurt.

"Come on, Sage! Throw him on his ass!" Caleb cheered, still icing his sore shoulder as he turned off to Luke, who was eyeing him.

"I don't see you getting in the ring with her, and until then, don't fucking start." Luke huffed, but returned his gaze to see Sage begin her little dance.

The she-wolf made it entertaining.

Quick on her feet, even if it was a kick. It had been powerful considering how far back it threw Liam, and instantly she threw herself into the mix for a proper tackle.

It was exactly what he worried about. That she would see this more of playing than an actual sparring session, but he was hoping that when the time actually came to defend herself, and Sage would come to learn the difference between a friendly spare and an aggressive wolf wanting her to submit.

Dad called out the go-ahead to shift, leaving Liam to allow her to make the first move before clamping his jaws off towards her neck.

Instant understanding flooded through her veins as she found the same rage she had when fighting against Caleb. The growls and whines had been a combined sound as the two toppled and turned. This had been a much fairer fight in terms of being trained by the damned institution.

Sage took in the way her brother fought, taking notes and studying before he would rally his own attack. She was indeed a bullet, and Leo shook his head at the scene before him,

Perhaps she would need to go against Luke or himself if she continued winning these matches.

Although Liam bested her a few times, she came out victorious and instantly licked him of his wounds as soon as he gave up his neck.

She hadn't meant to cause so much damage, but this time she refused to change back to human form.

Growling to both Luke and Caleb as they came closer to Liam.

"Hey, I swear I'm alright, see? No harm done." The male had shifted back and was already partly dress, minus the lack of a T-shirt. He pulled Sage into a hug under his shoulder, rising to his feet with her in his arms.

"Did good pup, just have to work on feeling sorry for the wolves you beat. Hurt or get hurt." Leo pointed out, and her jaw shifted before it showed a big wolfe grin.

"Don't get cheeky now, or I'll make you take a lap." Leo reprimanded, but for someone who was trapped in a cage, that wasn't much of a punishment. Causing her to wiggle and whine at the idea.

"She has more energy than Casey...your turn." Liam spotted, placing her down to the ground while he patted Luke's shoulder.

Run?

How could anyone deny her a run?

And considering Liam had to go and patrol in about ten minutes, he was the only one that could accompany her.

He was waiting for the day that Sage could be independent. Though for the sake of the pack and for her, he would escort her everywhere for the time being.

"Sure thing, hun. Have to stay with me. No running off." She nodded her head, sitting down on her rump and licking her front two paws in anticipation. Something she would constantly do in the cell, looking to either of the males in hopes they would play.

And here they were, playing and running with her.

Her wolf was still in utter bliss, but partly due to the fact that she was oblivious to what's around her.

Crescent Moon was the highest-ranked pack on the east coast. And truthfully, their only real rival in America would be Mystic Grimm.

However, that war and feud had ended just over a decade ago. All thanks to their current Alpha, Remus Moon, demanded that they shed new peace at the expense of a brutal and personal sacrifice.

All in the name that his father's wars should be put to an end.

It earned them respect from their pack members as well as receive a new ally in one another. One that proved useful now that it gave three wolves a safe haven for a night.

Luke almost felt bad for not allowing her to reach her full potential of speed, and that was another thing they could test—How fast does she actually go?

He planned to share one of his favorite spots with Sage, a small body of water that would lead into something further off north, which was where they would attempt to go swimming tomorrow.

Sage inched closer to the water, her eyes staring directly down to her reflection that seemed to have a sort of moving rhythm to it. Much like the mirror incident had she stomped her paw down to her wolf face in the reflection.

That's you. Drink up hun.

As odd as that order sounded, she complied and realized that the whole tub in front of her was water.

Water.

She whispered into the back of Luke's mind, and he growled in confirmation. Although he wasn't intimidating to her, his wolf surely was. He took that into account as she never rightly tried the playful act with him, well not easily anyway, as she took to playing with Liam anyway.

It's a Lake. Tomorrow we'll come back.

As they had their fill of water, it allowed Luke to teach her a few lessons on the way. And the unfortunate squirrel that appeared on the trail had met its untimely demise as she ripped the little thing into bits and pieces.

She had no class when diving into a meal.

Then again, she had been as desperate for fresh meat as either of them. It had most likely been her first deer yesterday, her first heart. They would get to proper etiquette later.

For right now, he had to lead her back to their home, only to find Camilla pulling the given eight boxes inside. Luke groaned inwardly, her favoritism showing brightly, but it was necessary for Sage to feel a mother's touch.

And besides, the girl could use some color.

"There you two are! The boys ordered pizza and wings. Luke, go on and get cleaned up. Sage honey, I'll run you a bath." Luke waited for his mother to leave before rolling his eyes. He had been the first to shift back and fixed Sage into the black t-shirt that fell close to her skinny knees.

"Pizza."

"Yeah, there's one in town. Promise we make it better than humans." The she-wolf still didn't know what pizza is, but anything with cheese was a favorite in her book, so they assumed she would like it as well.

Sage was getting better at cleaning herself, and she wasn't as afraid of showers as she seemed to be before their arrival. She was simply sitting down on the couch with her hair in a wet braid, watching one of Casey's tv shows.

Camilla didn't want Sage to see the room until it was done, something she has been attempting to finish all morning and afternoon.

The young she-wolf didn't understand the word surprise, and the only gift she'd ever received was Liam's wolf stuffie he won in a claw machine.

Luke had been sent with Cameron to go and get the food down the road. While out, they met up with Delta Jackson, who wanted to meet Sage for himself.

A survivor of the scientists, the little miracle.

"I thought Eli was joking when he said you brought someone back." The two had shared a few details about their new sister, but otherwise, anything else would be said within the protective walls of their home.

Instantly Sage stilled at the new scent lingering in the house, it permeated quickly, but it wasn't as demanding as Harlow or the male who was here earlier.

"Delta! Delta!" Casey yelled, stepping onto Sage's lap to lean up and over the couch while Sage eyed him in suspicion. Causing the male to instantly laugh.

"Goddess, you two already imprinted on her. Why didn't I expect anything different?" He cheered, coming all the more closer. Although it did help in seeing how her brothers were beside this new male...But did it mean she should trust him?

"Sage, I'm Delta Jackson, but you can call me Jack." He suddenly remembered the little scent thing she favored, and she leaned in with a small sniff in clarification to name and smell.

"Delta." She replied, which threw in a recall that she lacked verbal communication.

"You need anything hun, you call alright?... I'll talk with those two. Honestly, she's a lil piece of sunshine, aren't you?" Now Sage had far too much patience, but as of right now, she growled in response to his pup talk.

"Oh, she might look it! But it'll fool you, Jack! Girl's got a nasty bite." Now that comment earned her a smirk, something she started to pick up from Caleb himself. He hugged her from behind.

The male wanted a sister just as much as the next brother. But then again, he had always been the sensible one.

"Run?" She questioned, and she knew from studying her youngest brother that a pout would always work. But Caleb instantly disagreed before either of the others gave in. "Nope. It's dinner time, and after dinner we...?"

"...Stars" The smile had been so pure, and Jackson had to admit she was a fine-looking wolf. But he would have to save those thoughts elsewhere.

Not in the home where four of her brothers can rough him up.

"She never saw the moon until we managed to get to Mystic Grimm." It was one of the three damnable explanations that the brothers had to share.

Never seen the moon.

Immune to Silver.

Never hunted.

Striking another one off the list did they manage to give her sanctioned first under their doing. And she looked internally grateful each and every moment.

"Think she likes you better than Eli." Liam chuckled, and instantly that earned her a wink from Jack.

Flirting wasn't something she rightly understood, but her ideal of lust in humans was greatly unnerving.

This was different.

This was plausible and attainable.

Leo was roped into helping Camilla get Sage's room all prepared for tonight, although he learned from his mate that his two sons stayed the night all in this room to be closer to Sage.

He wondered how long it'll be before they start to feel comfortable to sleep in their own rooms again.

The two mates had finished and taken their own pizzas out on the patio to discuss what they wanted for Sage. The tutor was a good idea, and they had no plans of moving Sage out of their care.

But it was going to be a lot of work, not minding the fact that she needed to learn how to be both human and wolf.

Sage did like the salad of the meal, yet it turned out she wasn't that hungry. But all her brothers pushed her to finish her plate.

It was the first time that the girl didn't devour everything in front of her, which caused Liam and Luke to go into a slight panic.

"She's warm..."

"Bro, we're wolves, of course we're warm...I think you're overreacting, huh?" Jack leaned his hand over the young she-wolf and shrugged.

"If it gets worse, bring her to Kenzie. I think you two are just mother henning too much. See you tomorrow, yeah? I'll bring the speakers." Sage waved off to him as he watched him leave, but the growing gaze from both Liam and Luke was giving her anxiety.

"Does your stomach hurt?" His hand was placed over her stomach as she shook her head. "No hurt."

"Does anything hurt?" She shook her head again, and then a yawn escaped her as either brother in relief.

"Bedtime!" Casey cheered, his arms being thrown up for Sage to pick him up, but Liam beat her to it.

"Come on, Sage. Mom wants to get you ready for bed." They called for the elder she-wolf to introduce the surprise.

Yet the second the young she-wolf caught the change in her room, her jaw dropped. Different shades of purple lingered around the space, and to make matters even better...Clarissa thought it was damn wrong that the girl never saw the moon, so she hooked up a small moon in the corner so Sage would always have one illuminating for her.

Another addition to the guest room had been the glow-in-the-dark stars. It was a theory that she was scared of sleeping in the dark. And this was both adorable and practical. Otherwise, a bookcase moved in the corner where it'd house her things once she obtains belongings.

Her stuffed wolf stayed on the bed where she had left it, but the wall stickers of birds were what really made her smile. "Morrigan..." The girl whispered, her hands brushing against the birds in flight.

But the second she let out a wiggle, the mother squealed. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it! And if there's anything you want to add, we can get it." She promised, but Sage could've done without any of this.

Soon her eyes darted back to the moon in the corner as she remained mesmerized by the shape and glow.

"What kind of moon is this?"

"Full...Waning...Third." Liam changed the setting to see all the different cycles, and she had gotten them all correct.

She finally learned the eight phases.

Another yawn escaped her, and that had Camilla rush out the remaining males while Liam was torn.

"You want me to stay?" He noted the fear, and as much as she wanted to try to sleep alone, she nodded her head. This was as close to embarrassment as she would feel.

"Hey, it's alright...I want to stay too. Gonna put some pajamas on, be right back, hun." Her smile had been small but very telling. She hopped onto the bed and took her side. But as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was already asleep.

Luke wandered in, taking another look around the room as he really couldn't imagine anything else for his sister. Casey's room held far too many fandoms for them to count. Hopefully, they'd only see Sage like purple and the moon, but he wasn't about to hold her back from personalities.

A small whine erupted from Sage's throat as she peeked an eye open to see who had entered.

As her sight failed her, she opted to take a small inhale. "Lu?"

"Go back to sleep. We're gonna have a long day tomorrow." Whenever he said that it usually ended with exhaustion and fun, so a light wiggle was all she responded with.

But even then, had it fallen short as she fell back asleep.

Liam already told him that he would stay for the night, which left Luke to wander back to his own room. He's only entered to grab clothes or find his laptop. Otherwise, it was just a reminder of the life he almost lost.

But as much as he tried, he couldn't do it.

Part of the reason he could get any sleep in the facility was that he listened to their breathing and heartbeats to find some comfort.

And now, his room had none.

His feet moved on their own accord as he found his way to Sage's room not even an hour after heading to bed, and instantly he caught the tiny illuminating sprinkles of stars on the wall and surrounding the moon.

Although it seemed childish, it was needed. What was childish, though, was Liam underneath a purple-colored comforter.

"Couldn't manage, huh?" He whacked his brother with his pillow and found himself in the same position as last night.

"She's moving around a lot, think she dreaming about hunting." He whispered out, and Luke hummed. But Sage finally felt the presence as she wiggled in response.

"Sleep?" She spoke her question breaking into the air to her brothers.

"Yeah hun, sleep. Go back on down for me." Following his instructions, she curled up with her knees tucked in like they had been before. Liam's radiating heat was a comfort, instantly putting her back to her dream world of running through the woods. 

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Date: 11-16-2020

Time: 6:57

Words: 3710

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EDITED:
DATE: 08-29-2021
WORDS: 3791