* * *

With Chloe finally starting to regain consciousness and a team of Healers coming to take her to the infirmary, Kat had offered to show the guests where they would be staying.

Granted, things were very different, all things considered. As Sage had soon found out, there was little personalization to be had, as the pack was not open to items that could be bought and ordered directly to the pack border.

Here, there was nothing more than flower garlands, ones that Remus knew were going to cause Sage to start another uproar over.

"The Nymphs are okay, Sage—The wolves of this pack aren't hurting them." Blake sighed and groaned all at once at what Remus had said.
"Just like Almond doesn't hurt me?... He just keeps me as a prize. That's okay too?" Remus had stood in awe, not meaning for it to be interpreted in that sort of way.

But as Sage caught sight of the bathroom, she immediately went forward and locked herself in. Which was then blocked by Blake, who was sharing the family suit with them.

"What the hell was that, Alpha?"

"You get what I mean, they're fine for one more day."

"They're Nymphs! They need natural sunlight and rooted plants. Not unsanctioned dirt!" Remus huffed to the side, finally catching what it was that grew Sage's anger.

But it was the death glare that truly sanctioned Remus' funeral as Hayes caught the better half of the conversation, following Sage's slight outburst.

"Just when I think you're doing well, Moon..." Hayes muttered, shaking his head and throwing his bag onto the couch as well. Though everyone had flinched when they heard the sliding metal door commence, introducing Kat who stood in the hall with another smile to greet them.

"Sorry to intrude, there was no answer on the telegraph. I wanted to make sure you knew how to work the Hanger." She claimed with a smile, but her eyes scanned the room with ease to try and find Sage.

"My daughter is in the bathroom...What is a Hanger?"

"It's how we manage to get food transported to the family rooms that don't want to head to the mess hall. And considering that your points aren't activated yet, it's easier this way. Besides, you all might not like the attention you'll get in public." Hayden nodded, knowing full well that Sage would not want to be stared at and gawked at.

Blake was the one to raise his hand, claiming he'd be interested to learn while Remus lingered in the background and watched—Though he waited for his mate to leave the bathroom, that was not going to be an easy task.

Not when Sage had stripped from her colored jumpsuit and placed herself directly onto the metal flooring, allowing the hot water to burn her skin—Even taking advantage of the featured tablet on the side of the wall. Hoping that the puppy videos she searched up would just cycle through until she felt better.

She didn't.
And her ordered food was left cold on the table as the other males were waiting.

"This is fucking pointless," Blake growled, and Hayes shifted his fists into one another once more and nodded in agreement. "Just be patient."

"Be patient? Our badges don't work on the bathroom because it's 'in use,' that's the dumbest thing I've heard of. What if she was hurt? Then what?" The former Rogue was getting worked up, and rightfully so.

If something was wrong, Remus' badge would be alerted as per the status of being her mate. Granted, that was in addition to what a mate bond would hold.

And Remus was still sulking in the seat beside Blake as to what he was feeling.

"Then we break down the door." He grumbled, and Blake huffed. "You know she and everyone else is feeling like we're back in the Underground, how the fuck did you think that was okay to say?"

"Look, I get I could phrase it a little differently, but I meant that they're okay until tomorrow!"

"So why didn't you say that?!"

"Cause I didn't think she would bite my ass about how that Vampire treated her. Goddess, I didn't mean for it to—" Hayden growled to silence the two's bickering, his eyes still locked on the door.

"The shower's been off for a while..." He whispered out, slowly rising to his feet and knocking at the metal frame. "Sweetheart?...Bubbles? We have a chicken sandwich waiting for you. Do you want me to leave it in your room?"

Remus had never heard Hayes talk so softly, though it was for that very reason alone. That voice was reserved for the females of the Mystic family, and Remus himself no doubly did that to his own pups and would continue to for Rue.

"Sage...? Please, I don't want to have to call someone to open this door." There was no reply, and thus, Hayden huffed and banged on the door. "Sage Hera Moon, this is not how you—" Out of the other direction of the hallway came Sage, hair dried and a blanket over her shoulders as she looked up at her father.

Though it was fairly easy to smell the tears lingering on her figure.

"Why you wake me up?" She questioned, yawning once more before catching sight of both Remus and Blake—Both having stood up from their position on the couch. "We thought you were still in the bathroom..."

"Bathroom door needs to press button. And there another door in bathroom to other bedroom." She claimed, pointing into the said room with a huff before turning back around and spotting a plate of food.

"We get food?"

"Yeah, high-end service too. Kat said something about how they're farming, isn't that cool? Fresh chicken and everything." Blake offered, gesturing to the plate and pouring her a glass of water.

Yet Sage did not look at her mate, not once since she emerged from her bedroom.

As Sage ate the first few bites, Remus linked the two other males to give him the chance to apologize. And they agreed on the soul promise that he would not anger her further.

So when Sage realized that her father and Blake were leaving and saying their goodnights, she paused her next bite and looked towards Remus. Who was pale, mindful of the red tipping his ears. "Sage—"

"You're sorry."

"Of course I'm sorry, hun. I meant that they were safe for right now. That they can wait a day until we solve this with Alpha Daniel." Sage sighed and placed the sandwich back onto her plate and stared up at her mate.

It seemed like he was the one male who didn't understand when one aspect of what had happened between her and her time in imprisonment.

"They have no sun, no real air. They cannot leave and have to work. That is not safe."

"They're okay for one nigh—"

"No. Nymphs need sunlight to grow too. They are dying, slowly. I feel their energy, it is not going to survive." Remus knew that this was indeed something that Daniel would need to take into consideration as well, that their food supply was at a limit with how they treated their Nymphs for how long they've done this.

"I didn't mean for you to...To go back to that place with Almond, hun. I really didn't."

"Because you keep forgetting."

"That's not true, hun—" She reached for his cheek to settle any and all thoughts to direct them to her mate. If he made those insensitive comments, he truly did not understand the playing field on which others survived through.

What she and her females went through prior to becoming Black Crescent.

Images of the lonely and cold nights she managed through in the back end of the garage, curled up in the corner of the concrete wall trying to get any level of peace and quiet from the rest—With nothing more than a thin sheet and scrubs on is all Remus saw.

Sage lived in absolute hell while suffering through a loss bond, and as she opened her eyes, she caught the tears falling from underneath his closed ones.

It was never ending with how many wrongs she fought through. Her aching breasts desperate to feed the pups, the weary glances from both witches and wolves—Curious about the newcomer.

It was an absolute hole. And while Sage finally let him out of her memories, she looked at him as passive as ever while he tried to control both his wolf and the forefront of his emotion.

"Sage—"

"You can't handle seeing me as pup in facility. You can't handle other Underground. Don't make comments like that again. You don't know." She claimed, taking another bite of her sandwich and minding her own business.

But her mate was falling apart at the seams beside her.

Remus, desperate for his mate's forgiveness, had gotten out of his chair and onto his knees.

"I know that's why you and Andrew connected so well. You both—You both went through it. And I'm sorry hun, but you—You didn't want me wearing these clothes. You're feeling everyone's stress right now too. We can't contact our pack or the pups, and we're at the mercy of Alpha Daniel. It's not an excuse and I don't mean for it to be, but breaking out the Nymphs could mean something back for us if we're not careful. We have to play it smart, isn't that what Luke always says?" Sage had turned towards her mate for a moment before looking straight ahead once again, knowing that he was right and she wasn't the only one feeling misplaced.

"I can't connect with you on those types of things. Not like you and Blake, or the rest of the Rogues you helped. But I never want to treat you like you have been through it either. The second I start babying you again, you'll hate it."

"Babying me?"

"Sage, when you came home...All I wanted to do was put the house on lockdown for the rest of our lives. To make sure you're in my sight at all times, but you didn't want that. You needed your space and I did my best to do what I could. I know I'm not winning any 'best mate' awards this year, but I am here. I'm here and I want to be with you—To figure this all out so we can rest easy and know that your mom will come back to be with your father. That our pups will be safe. That you will be safe. And that we don't have to look over our shoulders every day with the fear that Almond will come back and take you. I can't live like that." Sage's lips parted as she turned to look at him, taking into account that his eyes were glossed over.

Her hand had turned to graze over the tattoo—The tattoo that they share, as with so many other things in their lives.

"You forget that being trapped is not always with lock and key." She whispered, her hand moving from his shoulder and up to curl into his hair. The locks getting longer, though she smiled to see a strain of grey that matched what her father always said.

"You're turning my hair grey, Bubbles! Why do that to your father?" And she smiled as she tucked it back in and hid the find for herself for a later date.

"I did...Yeah. And I was blindsided with how defensive you are for any creature. Little or small. We aren't usually friends with any species, but you've reached out to Demons, to Vampires—Mermaids...Now Nymphs."

"Nymphs are important too. They keep plants blooming. There are more creatures—That's why I say Kingdom should open for more than wolves. We all need to be safe." A flash of recognition passed over Remus' face as he curled further into her lap. His shoulders shook as he let out a sob.

"When we met—That first day, when we met—I never thought you were going to be what I needed to see."

"See what?"
"See that the way we're operating isn't right. That we're all sectioned off from each other but hunted by the same group." Sage frowned but nodded. Hadn't she said this from the beginning? The van she saved Raven from had wolves and witches.

"Yes. That's why we need to make safe ground for everyone. Maybe a school? Maybe just homes? I don't know. But something needs to change...Did you eat?" Remus shook his head, and since Sage had lost her appetite and was only trying to be polite and eat so she wouldn't be nagged, she offered up her sandwich and fed her mate.

He didn't hesitate to finish up her sandwich.

When was the last time they fed each other? It was an old habit of theirs, especially when they were cooking—But now there was so much going wrong that Remus choked back his next upsetting thought.

Wondering just how much pain Sage will feel when she finds out that Andrew is leaving.

It was hurting Remus, deep down, that he and his best friend couldn't manage to come to an agreement.

And no part of him wanted to share Sage, even now she was defensive about the Nymphs being trapped. It was too much for her to handle two Alpha wolves as her mates.

Not to mention it was highly inappropriate.

"Remmy...Do—Do you still love me?" It was hard to describe what hurt in his body, as every fiber, every square inch, reacted at hearing something so painful from his mate.

How could she not know?

"Sage—Goddess, of course I love you. I've loved you since the first moment I caught your sent in the wind. And every moment after that, I loved you even more. You've blessed us with pups—Our little munchkins. I love you more than words can even describe."

"Love me...Without mate bond?" She questioned further, and Remus swallowed and sighed. "The mate bond is there for us to recognize compatibility. There are couples that hate one another but have the mate bond fuel their life. What is this about, hun? Tell me."

"I don't know if mate bond will be the same after what Almond does to me. A-and I don't want you to be upset." The male rose further to his knees, pressing his forehead directly against hers as he gave one solid shake in response to what she said. "It will still be us, because even if we don't have our fated bond—It will still be a claim. When we forge the bond back, it will grow together. You're right, it won't be the same. But we're not the same either, are we?" She shook her head and placed her hand back on his cheek, but didn't have anything to show for him at this moment.

Remus recognized her tired gaze instantly, and let a small smile form. "Let's go to bed, munchkin." The reminder of sleep had swept over Sage's figure as she recalled being disrupted just a few minutes ago, and as her mate rose to his feet, she threw her arms into the air—Determined to get a ride.

"Must be really tired if you're asking to be picked up." He said with a cheeky grin to cover up the fact that another tear betrayed his trust. But Sage just snuggled further into his chest. "Sleep with me?"

"Always."

"Even when we go home and things are a mess?" She questioned, and Remus frowned as he hoisted her up further, his hand firmly against her neck to make sure she was stable.

The last thing he wanted was to jostle her around.

"What type of mess are we talking about?" He questioned as he placed her in the center of the already messy bed. And she pouted in trying to figure the words out for herself. "Mess...With Andrew? With Crimson pack? With Rogues? Lots of mess. I cause lots of problems."

"Hey, this isn't the time to be pointing fingers, especially at yourself. The mess is between Andrew and me. Not you. The Rogues and Crimson pack are bigger than what you've started. And a lot of wolves are happy that you did." Her eyes closed and came to lean forward into his hold, and the male did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her. Trying to soothe out the stress and all that had across them in the last few days.

However, a knock had called their attention to the doorway. It was only Hayes, coming to say goodnight—And a reminder that he could still hear through metal walls.

The comment confused Sage, but Remus took that as a sign as to not repeat what they did the previous nights. Granted, he wasn't sure that now was the time anyhow. They were in very foreign territory, not to mention that Sage was teetering on the verge of being overwhelmed with everything going on.

And Remus was short to follow in pursuit.

"You feeling alright, Bubbles? Did you eat?" Before Sage had nodded, her father's voice had filled her head. But she managed to respond to his verbal question regardless.

My bedroom door is open if you don't want to sleep with him, sweetheart.

It was a nice offer, one that gave her the separation she needed. But she simply squeezed Remus closer and shook her head.

"We try to call pups tomorrow?" She questioned, and Hayes chuckled. "Yeah, we have to make contact regardless. Or else Kendal and Harlow are going to storm the place and realize what's here." In that moment, she recalled that in the chaos of everything that was happening, she forgot to tell her father about the most important find.

"Kat is Kendal's mate." She deemed, and Remus grinned—Utterly proud that Sage uncovered such a detail of everything. "And Chloe? I can't help but be curious about which male will take the first position of Luna." Sage huffed, but came to terms with the same strain that piqued her interest and told her that Kat is Kendal's mate...

There was no color that Sage could identify that went along with Chloe.

"Chloe doesn't have a mate." She deemed, and Hayden found himself stumped over what that could possibly mean. "You think they're not old enough yet?"

"No. I can see Allison and Liam as mates. They have colors...Chloe doesn't have colors." It was a rather dark uncovering, but Sage couldn't manage to decipher why there was no color.
Not when Carter has one.

"Does everyone have colors?" Sage nodded, but Remus didn't take it as anything worrying. Not when he would have to fish for further information, but he had come to know just how Sage's thoughts operated.

Most of the time—Perhaps half? It was hard to judge, but here—Here he could process it.

"Can you see Casey's?" That had caused Sage to frown once more and she nodded. "Yes, Casey has white—All pups have white. I think that's when pups are waiting for mate to be born. I don't see a-dult wolves with white colors." Now it was worrying for Remus to dwell further into, good goddess—Did that mean?

"Sage, do you think something bad is going to happen to Chloe?" That elected a tilt of her head as she thought for a moment, but didn't give much more of a response. Not with how quickly Sage's eyes continued to move back and forth, a though she was reading something in front of her.

"I don't know, don't—doesn't feel good." That was enough of an answer for right now. He didn't need to worry about another female when he was already worrying him and his wolf silly.

Remus had turned to eye Hayes, and the two shared the look. The very one that suggested that they would speak about it tomorrow with a better mindset. Instead, Remus said his goodnight, and Sage followed in pursuit.

Though her body conformed perfectly to her mate's stomach that she did not want to move, not when he felt so warm. Yet when she rubbed herself against him, the damned fabric scratched her.

"Take off." She grumbled, sleep finally returning to her small figure that Remus held back a laugh. "Want me that bad, munchkin?"

Her nose twitched as she helped him out of said jumpsuit, though he placed his name tag right beside Sage's on the nightstand at his side.

"Where'd you find the pajamas?" He questioned, knowing that he hadn't seen her take any clothes with her into the bathroom. But she huffed as though it was funny, and instead turned into the bed and its covers and offered them up for her to join.

"Kinda chilly, hun. I might get cold."

"I'm warm."

"That you are, hun. That you are." He finalized, coming to pull himself kindly into her waiting embrace. One that they held. Their hands intertwined and Remus's nose pressed against her neck as though he was enthralled and needed the reminder that she was right beside him.

______

Date: 07/14/23

Time: 10:28

Words: 3623

Author's Note:

Hellooooo everyone! I'm fashionable late, but I have an excuse! My friend took me to a candle-making class as a late birthday gift!

We set our intentions with them, and they smell amazing!
(Hers is the white one, mine is the black one)
Anywhooo, we're closing up our stay in the Crimson Pack, one more chapter before we start our adventure to the Lichen pack where Daniel admitted that there has been some strange activity lurking there.

I'm sure nothing can go wrong!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend and I'll see you Monday to close out this phase!