* * *

Beta Elena hadn't known what Maeve had done, nor had she found out until the witches were gossiping about the news—Of course, it was them. Wolves were private on matters like this.
Yet witches were almost as annoying as the squawking birds in the morning with their chatter.

It was one thing to have a crush, but taking advantage of their Alpha when she was emotionally trying to compensate for her separated family? That was where Elena was going to step in, and she certainly would've...Had she not caught how relaxed and happy Alpha Sage had greeted her that morning.

Maeve was still warned about the outcome, that this was not long term once they returned back to their world. And Elena certainly didn't like the cocky smirk she received, not when she came curled into Sage's hold as if she belonged there.

The tension between either Beta or Delta had taken Sage a day to figure it out, though the question still rang in her mind as to why there would've been a fight about attention.

At times like this, she wished Darius was back, but it felt close to severed now...And Sage wondered if it was the same substance from losing Remus—The other theory was that he was with Willow.

That made the days without him much easier to tackle, or would've...Had the hunting groups come back in worry about nearby wolves.

It caused Sage to go out with a group and scout out, considering they rightly didn't have anyone for that specific job. The hours combed through the distance miles outside their territory hadn't been all that faint, but in using Leo's training, it looked as though they were tracking something, another wolf?

This put a strain on some of the freedom the clan had. Nobody was allowed far without a partner or two, double the night shift with the addition of weapons.

Sage did not want to look unprepared for the thought of enemy. Especially when they were racing around her territory.

In relation to being at risk, Sage had fallen into the pattern of being the last to fall asleep and the first one up. There was no room for games or fun, not in her mind and not when the answer hadn't been solved yet.

Sure the collection of limestone had been a blessing, and it gave Sage something to toy with when she was at the firepit outside alone. This was when she laid on her bear's pelt and looked up at the stars, her wolf taking the mental time out and just dreaming that maybe...Just maybe, her pups were looking up at the moon right now too, that Remus was teaching them.

"Sage?" She withheld an annoyed huff and turned to the she-wolf, taking instant notice that the female had a blanket and pillow in her arms. And the Alpha was not one to deny someone comfort, instead, she greeted the Delta with a small rub to her cheek and allowed her to join.

Yet it was clear that Maeve was not looking to sleep, not when her eyes would keep fluttering here and there. "I never saw the moon before...I go to Mystic Grimm first and then I see it."

"It's been a while since I've seen her. She's beautiful," Maeve whispered, and Sage hummed in agreement. Though the silence caused her to turn down to the she-wolf beside her, it had been a week and a half since their shower together.

To say Sage was confused was an understatement, yet it felt so right when Mae's embrace came  forward, and she turned to brush her lips against her own. The softness lured her in further, but it never grew further than that. Not unless Maeve teased herself or attempted to please her Alpha.

But that caused Sage to growl, the submissive position was certainly not an aspect in her system, not unless it was Remus. There was something about being dominated by her own mate and Alpha that caused her wolf to shutter in pleasure.

Delta Maeve hadn't taken it in any way, not when Elena's words rallied in the back of her mind. That Sage was still morning the loss of the connection, but that happiness still rallied—Even if the Alpha was stressed on the tracks in sense.

It took another week before Elena managed to get Sage to sleep back inside the cave with everyone else, to relax and trust the witch's charms to work.

Currently, they were preparing a beautiful lunch, a great hunt caused for celebration and thus everyone worked together to grill and mix. The garden salad had been a blessing, since Sage simply upped the process in letting them overgrow. Leaving them with everything from tomatoes and melons.

It almost put her garden at home to shame.

Sage had been overlooking the operation and managing the salad itself, and she tried to recreate something that Blake had made once when she was pregnant. Even if it didn't taste exactly the same, it certainly smelled good with the oils and spices.

The pups had returned with a few she-wolves with the cleaned plates, and thus they started working out portions. As it was clear that a wolf ate more than a witch, they were still fairly similar in size. Though a witch received more fish than steak, and wolf vice versa.

The iced tea was another one of Sage's ideas, having missed her treats back in Crescent Moon. And telling the others who were mothers how her mate would wake up in the middle of the night to make her a sandwich or fetch something else while pregnant had caused laughter, all in our understanding.

"I don't know why, but I really liked tomatoes when I was pregnant with pups. I ate a lot." She bustled, and the others smiled and shared their own pregnancy cravings. But of course, it was hardly that long-lived, not when they thought so dearly about their children.

Sage had begun sketching small stones for others in the clan, not many asked for them...But the mothers certainly did, a mental image through their pack link was all it took. Nora, Kai, Tessa, and a few others were eternally grateful.

They kept the stones on them throughout the day, as did Sage now that she had smaller ones compared to the large one beside her bed.

Yet this was the first day that Sage hardly felt antsy to the evidence of others, and the last thing the clan needed was an already established pack moving in on them.

The feast was her idea, to celebrate the work done and perhaps a start of something new. The weather was certainly getting warmer, making everyone assume that summer was on the horizon, but alas...It only made their minds eager to plan their continued journey.

The issue was that not everyone was prepared to leave. Physically, everyone had healed. But not mentally.
Mentally, they were still getting over the prospect of escaping.

After helping to serve everyone, Sage sat at the head of the 'table'. But the table really was just  the center of the circle with either Elena or Maeve at her sides, then came Isla beside Elena and Cassandra beside Maeve. They said their few prayers and began diving into the well-crafted meal, everyone throwing their signs of approval with hums and groans.

The months of unflavored food had been in the past now that they were living on their own creations, and to say Sage had a hand at the creativity was an understatement. Though it mostly had to do with her studying the small bit of witchcraft in combination to Blake's teachings.

A lot of what she was surviving off of was from Blake.

In the record of her train of thought, she had slowed down in eating—Which caught Maeve's attention close to instantly. But the Alpha hadn't stopped, not with the thoughts lined up. It felt wrong to feel sick while eating it, so she lowered her plate and tried to calm her nausea with the refreshing ice tea.

This was not the time to feel anxious or saddened.

It was lucky that the pups hard started with a song when they finished their meal, and it was always an adorable sight to see them twirl around with their skirts. The witches surely taught them some new ones and it caught Sage's attention instantly.

The entertainment surely caused a few others to join, but when Maeve asked if Sage would join, she was declined.
Politely, of course, but that still didn't stop the pout of rejection that form.

Elena rolled her eyes in seeing how needy Mae was in gaining Sage's attention to the point of laying in her lap. It wasn't that the Alpha could get annoyed, but there was a limit to everyone.

With Sage finally finishing her plate, she began pulling more attention into braiding Mae's hair. A common trade that one woman would do for one another. A favor or type of payment, considering there wasn't much to do with currency.

The music having died down for a minute and more, Sage smiled in thinking of the perfect song. So much so she pulled up her hood and smirked down to the she-wolf in her lap.

"I am my mother's savage daughter,
The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.
I am my mother's savage daughter,
I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice!"

Sage offered out, and the witches surely caught wind of their mistress joining in to lead that they started to hum along. Though it was the wolves who didn't know this chant, but gauged with the same curiosity as the ones they didn't know before.

"My mother's child is a savage,
She looks for her omens in the colors of stones,
In the faces of cats, in the fall of feathers,
In the dancing of fire and the curve of old bones."

Isla had joined her this next verse, and with a combined nod, the witches had joined in on the next chorus. Their voices much rougher than the delicate tones used before.

"I am my mother's savage daughter,
The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.
I am my mother's savage daughter,
I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice!"

Sage smirked and bobbed her head along with the taps and small beats to the wooden drums. But those around her awaited for her to sing the real lyrics, and she laughed out loud before starting anew.

"My mother's child dances in darkness,
And sings heathen songs by the light of the moon,
And watches the stars and renames the planets,
And dreams she can reach them with a song and a broom."

The chorus took over once more, but more wolves appeared to join in on the tempo this time. Even Mae had begun to mumble out what she could recall, sitting up to join the joyous moment—Even laughing at the fact the pups began dancing and shouting their own verses.

"My mother's child curses too loud and too often,
My mother's child laughs too hard and too long,
And howls at the moon and sleeps in ditches,
And clumsily raises her voice in this song!

Sage attempted to follow along lightly with this next chorus, but the silence soon set in after their verse, and Sage breathed in slowly.
The music having come to a stop.

"Now we all are brought forth out of darkness and water,
Brought into this world through blood and through pain,
And deep in our bones, the old songs are wakening,
So sing them with voices of thunder and rain!"

The Alpha no longer had a part in the song as she breathed in the beauty that was their enthusiasm, and for once, Sage could enjoy the light and lift up that worry that was plaguing her mind.

However, it spoke much too soon when the attention had been drawn out by laughter—Male laughter.

"I think I found the answer as to why our woods are so empty, Severin..." 

______

Date: 08/19/2022

Time: 9:58

Words: 2125

Author's Note:

Alrighty, if you missed my post, I have decided to add both Lacking Humanity: Crescent Moon AND Mystic Grimm to the Wattys. I'm very excited!

Wow, we're already up to chapter twelve! [12/37]

I think Sage is getting used to this whole Alpha/Mistress title, what do you all think?

So what does this mean for the males who came forward?
 Who the hell is Severin?

Guess we'll have to wait until Monday to find out with the start of the Waxing Gibbous phase.

ALSO,
 if you want to hear the song Sage sings--I left the youtube link above for someone singing the cover. I really do love this song!

✨Hope you all have a fantastic weekend, see you Monday✨