* * *

Sage almost didn't bring the twins today for lunch as Rue was being very fussy this morning. Leaving Kenzie to diagnose her with the early signs of a pup cold, and getting down the medication was bad enough.

She hardly slept which meant neither of her parents slept, making everyone cranky. Along with Ronan who was getting annoyed by his sister's constant cries of pain.

So Sage suggested that she take a walk around the packhouse, that the fresh air might be good for the pup or distract her long enough to forget the pain.

It seemed like the medication finally started kicking in and Rue sat in the grass, her pudgy hands taking hold of the grass around her as her mama kept her stable.

"Mhm-jaja."
"Are you singing Rue? It sounds very pretty." Sage said, taking a flower and putting it behind her own ear before deciding the Rue should have one as well.

It was a small secret that Sage would sing to the pups, especially when it came to songs about the goddess. And since Rue would look as though she understood every word of it.

Sage surely had a secret weapon, which worked on Ronan too.

"See the moon tonight
Smiling down on me
As I cast my circle of infinity
When the moon shines bright
Goddess calls to me
And I dance in the circle of her love
And I dance in the circle of her love..."

Rue wiggled and tried to clap her hands together, the almost two and a half weeks in skin surely allowed the twins more movement. But not enough to pick it over fur.

Sometimes they'd shift in their sleep, but Hayes claimed it was normal. And if they could do it in their sleep without crying and at will, it was a blessing that they were so in tune with the shift.

It made the new parents feel rest assured that there wasn't anything wrong on that end, and Sage was just thankful that Rue had stopped crying for a short time.

Her sobs were starting to sound hoarse, which brought Sage to always have a sippy cup of water at the ready. As they were finally allowed to be introduced to other types of food besides breast milk.

They were getting so big so quickly, Rue was even sitting pretty well on her own.

"Luna Sage?" The voice had taken her by surprise, and she turned to see a rather older fellow with four males just beside him. The stoic expression they had sent sirens in the back of her mind, so she smiled—Better to test the waters than jump in.

"Hello."
"We're with the council, Mrs.Moon. We need to ask you a couple of questions." Sage felt uncomfortable, and it didn't take much for the mystery set of males to think she was acting suspiciously.

"What kind of questions?"
"The kind that test to see if what has been said about you and your mate are true." The strangers took advancing steps, and Sage growled instantly. Her previous position of sitting was twisted as she was close to pouncing.

"Resisting a council member? That's against the law!"
"Stay back." Sage snarled, her voice mere seconds from her wolf joining the conversation. And no amount of words or logic could separate her mindset that these males were trying to get her pup.

They were strangers, they smelled unfamiliar—Yet the second her pup had started to cry. There was no hesitation left in Sage.

"Sage Moon, you're arrested for going against council policy and for refusing a council member's questions with a granted warrant. Get her!" Sage's eyes flashed to black, and she placed a hand down onto Rue.

It was meant to be both of comfort and an order to remain there.

Rue continued to cry out, but this was worse—This was in fear and a call out for help. And goddess help Remus or his males that he could've heard it from off-pack grounds.

Jules was ordered to stay with Ronan as the rest of them hurried out of the Packhouse and rushed to the back. Only to see four males crowding around Sage attempting to get a swipe in with silver cups.

"Away! Go away!" She warned, and just as Remus was about to yell not to attack one of them. It was too late, Sage's wolf had enough of being quiet.

Her fist connected straight to one of the males, and it happened that her wolf side had called upon her claws. Making the contact have an extra oomph, sending him off and away from the corning group.

It was clear she was protecting the pup over herself, however it was Remus that finally settled the matter. "ENOUGH!" He interjected, Sage had felt relief all too soon as the enforced had taken the opportunity to arrest her property.

And whether it is the reminder from her time in the Underground or the sheer fact her hands were bound that caused her to lose all reason, nobody could've guessed that she pulled her father's move of gaining her hands back to the front of her body and wraps the silver chain around one of the male's necks—Knocking him down to his feet.

Ending him with a snap to his neck as she tore through the chains and socked the necks.

Why was it that she was so far off into the garden?
And why the hell was the council here?!

"Alpha Nathan, what the hell is going on?!" Remus called out, and while he did ask the question. He didn't hesitate to check the state of his mate, growling at the Enforcers to take a step back—But it was clear that they wouldn't listen to his orders.

Only the council member off behind them.

"Your mate denied to be asked questions and then proceeded to resist arrest."
"Not true. I tell you to stay back and you don't listen!" Sage huffed, and Hayes took the few strides up towards Nathan and gripped him by the ends of his shirt.

"You openingly engage an attack on a new mother in front of her pup?! Since you failed to have a pup of your own, I hope this experience gave you an idea about how territorial they are." Nathan growled at being called out on his failure to find his mate, leaving him to pass the title to his brother's son.
But it was no matter, he threw the warrant onto the ground and repeated his orders from the rest of the council.

"Sage Moon was pregnant from the end of May and entered Sanctuary at the beginning of August. That's her pup, and if you don't think for one second I won't have you punished for this so help me—"
"She attacked my Enforcers!" Remus stood in front of his mate, especially since she bent down to pick the distressed pup.

"We are here to investigate whether the rumors were true, and had she answered the questions we wouldn't be discussing a worse fate."
"This our pup, Ronan is inside. You scared me, you don't ask questions." She said off behind Remus, cuddling Rue to the point she looked like she was being suffocated into her mamma's chest.

"And you know better than most that there needs to be a represented on her side, her mate for instance! This was never addressed to the Luna as she was still recovering from the birth." Sage sniffled lightly, the panic had truly shaken up her wolf. And it didn't help that there were still silver cuffs around her wrists.

She handed the pup off to Eli and tried to rip them off herself, but it was causing her distress that reflected poorly on the Alpha. Which left him to face the burn so she was given some clarity.

He popped them off and let them fall to the ground, but Sage couldn't stop staring at them. Especially when they made Remus' skin started to smell burned.

Rue could feel her parent's pain and hideaway in the Beta, but even with her facing the packhouse, she still wasn't far enough. Leaving Jade to join close so Ronan could hopefully calm his sister.

"She refused to cooperate."
"I tell you to stay back! You can ask question from there, Nathan, you're a liar." It was an awful display of disrespect to not place 'Alpha' in front of an elder's title.

But the years hadn't been kind to this male, Alpha Nathan had lost his appearance and hid behind the means of the Council. Yet Hayes didn't hesitate to deny him the opportunity to advance one single step.

"Eli, Jules...Take them upstairs—Call Amy." The two didn't want to leave their Alphas, but Remus had another plan. His own Enforcers started trickling in, and the second she smelled Papa Leo and Luke, it began to relax her.

Slowly, but surely.

"Alpha, Luna." Luke greeted, his stance resembling his readiness for an order while his stoic expression hardly spoke on his opinion. His Luna was in trouble and threatened by slimy tactics by a corrupt council member.

"I want them in the basement, the council can come and let you out." Nathan's jaw dropped at Remus' order, and while the growl started to incline in a warning.

But he didn't listen to Sage's warning when she spoke about leaving her and Rue alone with some distance, Nathan was going to get the same.

"You can't imprison a council member! I'll have your head for this Moon!" Sage's eyes burned at the male her enforcers escorted away, and didn't protest the idea of sending someone to confinement.

Instead, she stood just as angry as ever.

Hayes was making his way back towards his daughter and the Alpha, his own mind wired to find a solution. But one thing was clear, everyone knew to stay away from a lone mother and pup, and Alpha Nathan failed to recognize that and failed to recognize the warnings she called out.

Just as Remus make a comment to his father-in-law, his wolf enacted and instantly caught his mate—Who fell limp into his arms, her body exerting the energy she didn't have after caring for the pups.

"She'll be fine...Goddess, I remember when Willow and I took Harlow off to watch a hunt. A deer came charing the spot where he was watching from..." The faint sense of happiness washed over the two fathers, while Remus scooped her up underneath her knees.

"You're sure she's alright?"
"Mama wolves can and will rip out a tree from its roots if they think it's harmful to the pup. It's the nap after that really sets them back."
"How long did she sleep for?"
"Few hours, but it's better to get her to the infirmary." Remus took the advice at face value, and the two started to walk towards the infirmary.

His mind was filled with his pups calling for him, but the distress would only magnify if Remus let them come when their mother couldn't comfort them.

They wouldn't understand that she couldn't wake up from a nap yet, so when Remus had walked in with the Luna in his arms. It sent the healers into a frenzy, giving a separate room away from the crowd of other patients, and within a few minutes, she was hooked up to the IV with either her father or mate by her side.

Remus hated that she felt so fearful for her and the pup, he groaned into his hands. "Why didn't she link me? She knew I was in the office, she could've—"
"It's fight or flight Remus, it's was instinctual for her to protect Rue. And Rue did exactly what a pup is meant to, we heard her." Hayes' explanation made sense, Sage's attention went to the fight while the pup called for help.

Why didn't he get that before?

Remus had called for his children soon after, and while Rue shouldn't be using up all her energy on shifting. Amy claimed that they refused to shift back to skin, even when Eli and Julia bribed them.

Instead the two pups were settled onto their slumbering mother and instantly curled into her sides. Or for Rue, who carefully crawled up the likes of her mom's chest and curled into her neck.

A whine escaped Rue, and Hayes smiled—His wolf understood what it was.

Rue was saying thanks.

"I think...You need to start listening to your beast more. Your mate is closer to hers, you need to match it."
"Match it? Goddess, how would I even get close to that?"
"Mystic Grimm has always been close to our fur side, Sage no doubt inherited that and counted on it when she couldn't connect to her humanity." While Remus didn't want to be lectured, he sat attentive to what he had to say.

It was better than having to call Hayes over the phone.

Sage's father soon gave the Moon family some privacy and decided to make some calls, especially to the council. As they arrived without warning and with means of attack. Those waiting in the plane surrendered, but that didn't stop the Reformed from patrolling the tarmac—Seeing as how they took great offense for the Luna being attacked.

Even they knew the importance of a mother and pup bond.

Remus had caught Sage's twitches, simply holding her hand wasn't enough. It was never enough.

He undressed and shifted, but he was surprised to see how defensive Ronan had turned, and only backed down when he sniffed the air properly. Which caused him to tilt his head in confusion and in question.

I want to curl up with her too.

Remus explained, and Ronan made room for his father, who took the better half of her body and laid at her stomach. Which still left plenty of room for Ronan to curl just beside his father's head.

While Rue picked up her head and yawned, her tail flapping just a bit in seeing her dad. Her little legs stretched out, letting out a pleased groan at getting the kink out of her shoulder.

Only to curl back up and sleep.

Yoohoo, my beautiful wolfie friend. Come back.

Darius? You're back?

Yep. I gave you a little maternity break, don't tell me you missed me.

I tried waving to shadow, didn't work.

I saw, sorry about that. Big man said it'd be easier on you not to spend so much energy on me but hey! Taking out a council member, nice work.

I didn't hurt council member.

Not physically, no. But your pops is looking to get that asshole revoked from the council for his misconduct. Letting strangers near a sick pup.

I smell pups and Remmy. Am I asleep?

Kinda...You and your wolf are gaining a bit of energy back, you turned into super mom to protect the pup. They're with you in the infirmary. I must say they look adorable.

And heavy.

That's your fluffy mate being a worrywart. Good! He should've told you what was happening!

Yeah. Council don't believe us about pups.

Hmm, don't worry. Think pops is ripping them a new asshole right now.

What should I do?

I dunno, are you looking to be an Arson again? I won't lie, that was beautiful.

Arson? What's Arson?

Lighting things on fire for the fun of it. Like you did with the facility you escaped from. I say you let me work my magic and the council's headquarters can just poof, go up in flames.

You come to earth and burn things?

I have a few people who owe me favors, wolves can't touch demons.

No, I don't want council to burn. But I don't like council.

Well, you're not the only one. It's alright, maybe papa Hayes will have some good news.

Remus caught his mate starting to smile, her face curling to lean into Rue's side—Only causing the pup to start licking at her mama's face.

Sweet goddess, he couldn't get used to this.

Sage? Munchkin?... How're you feeling?

Her face turned sore at the sound of her mate's voice filling in her head, where Darius' voice was softer...Remus' was urgent and in panic.

"Head hurt...No link." Which caused him to shift, sitting back into his seat to cup her cheek. "How bad?"
"Twenty." Placing a hand onto her head he could start feeling his own pressure and intensity.

"Kenzie's coming, do you remember what happened?"
"Yeah, and I'm mad at you." It was his turn for his head to fall, and while he leaned in to take her hand back into his, he squeezed.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you're still on maternity leave. The council was supposed to announce their visit."
"You don't tell me a lot of things and I keep getting in trouble for not knowing." Remus huffed, but Sage wasn't having any of that.

Instead, she took her hand away from his and turned to face him. Both pups making the move to cuddle their mother better.

And he hasn't told you about Blake and Raven.

What about them?

You think Blake wouldn't be playing with your pup's twenty-four-seven? Come on wolfie, think. What else would he try to hide?

Papa said council would be mad about attacking truck.

Good girl, now lay it on the mutt.

"Sage, I can't tell you everything. Not when you can't handle things while caring for pups." Whatever he said angered her, he saw it festering in her eyes.

Had he said something wrong?

"Then go away." 

"Sage, you can't just send me away because I've upset you, I don't even know what I said."
"Then go away and figure it out." She huffed, hugging the puppies close to her chest.

Another painful stab caused her to hiss out, which caused Remus to retract his departure.

"Good news! Council didn't approve of only Alpha Nathan, he's being investigated to see which packs were going to align themselves with the allegation he planned on putting on Sage or you...So don't be alarmed if they send out a bullshit notice. And the council's asking for the data system from the truck." Hayes explained, however when he finally caught Remus up. His wolf started to feel the strange tension in the room.

"What happened?" Hayes said, feeling his daughter's anger.

Don't know, I can't figure out what I said that was wrong.

I'll handle it. Eli's almost done with the report. I'll sit with her.

The healer's coming, she's getting a temperature I think.

Sage could feel the twinge of their linking, and had her head not been pounding then she would've peeked into the conversation. But when she felt Remus starting to leave she turned to have her gaze follow after him.

"I don't trust council. Don't send the system." The males stilled, turning to one another in pure confusion. "Uh...Sage?" She turned a bit to look at her mate, and while she was still angry she was up to taking a question.

"Sage you can't say things like that and not give any reasoning."

Lay it on them wolfie, sometimes a she-wolf has to speak up for males to understand the obvious. Let it rip.

She instigated a growl, and started to sit up. Helping the pups and securing them to not fall off the bed. And once she was set, she shot her mate another look.

"Council doesn't help, they pretend and say they help but they no help. They help other packs. Pack's like Nathan. It smells funny." She said with her nose hitching up a certain way, and while Remus wanted to deny it, her words managed to leave some uncertainty in the air

But Hayes frowned, his wolf howling at the prospect of believing in his pup. "Bubbles you have to have evidence, we can't take this intuition of yours to start a revolution."
"Okay. Did they help with Rogues? Our Rogues? Did they tell Harlow not to worry about silver rope? Did they say they help with Underground wolves? Or fight against Underground? No. They let bad packs do bad things because they're more of them on council. Not fair."

Bias. They're bias Sage. Finish them off.

"Bias." Either male had made a face, it felt Sage had woken up with a new vendetta every damn morning. First, she wanted to fight the Underground.
Now she wants to fight the council?

"Sage...I'm on the council, sweetheart."
"Nathan's not going to be in trouble, watch." Remus scratched his head and tried to come closer to his mate and pups.

"No. I'm still mad at you for not telling me."
"You or your wolf?" A rather sinister smile peeked up on her face as her eyes grew black.

"Want to find out, mate?" Remus had never seen Sage act this spontaneous to her emotions and speak with such devotion—And with evidence!

But Hayes gripped the back of Remus' shirt. "Last time Willow said that to me, I was limping for a week. I think you offended her wolf a hell of a lot more than her skin."
"Munchkin, goddess, what did I do?"

"You forget I'm from Underground, and now you forget I'm Luna. If we get in trouble, who protects the pack? I'm mad, mate, because I'm not just pup's mama." Hayes sucked in a breath.

"Oh, goddess help your soul son, because I have a feeling that if she wasn't set up on an IV. That she'd beat your ass to next week." Sage's growl only confirmed what her father was saying and Remus huffed.

"Munchkin, I'm sorry if I offended you and your wolf. But I don't just see you one way."
"I want a warning."
"I can do that."
"And no sending system to council."
"Uh, that's a direct order from the council Sage. I can't just say no."
"Yes you can, finders keeper. Wait until Nathan is saved." She said with a wiggle, and the pups surely found it time to play.

"I think that's a direct order from your Luna, Remus, better clock it in...Goddess, Willow would be so proud." Remus ducked out without another word, though his eyes did linger on his mate.

While his wolf was beaming with pride to handle the situation, his skin side was running the logistics.

If Nathan did manage to only get a slap on the wrist—He would keep the data system, and to keep his promise of warning others. He called around to the packs he's aligned with.

To say his fellow Alphas were pissed was an understatement, and Remus couldn't prepare himself to hear the choice of words both Jade and Mary used, as they were fired up and defensive of Sage, just added the icing on the cake.

______

Date: 01-08-2022

Time: 3:43

Words: 4025

Author's Note:

Yoohoo! Guess who's back, did you miss Darius?

I have to admit, he was a spur-of-the-moment character but I just love him so much that I had to add him in more scenes, and the only way to do that was to make him important--Hence, him shadowing Sage!

The linked Youtube video at the top is the song Sage was singing to Rue!

I didn't realize I forgot to add family trees or council members to the Important Details chapter at the beginning of the story, so it's there now!
Just to clarify, Alpha Nathan was the former Alpha of Shadow Pack, but he never found his mate and had to relinquish the title when Alpha Nate became of age. This is why having multiple heirs is important, as the family name that's rooted in the Alpha's bloodline can continue.

Editor/Friend: Is that why he's acting like a little bitch?
Yes. Yes it is.

Before I close this up, how are we liking Sage stepping up to make plans? She's right, things are smelling funny. But it's hard to detect bias when the council has been like this since its inception.

Alrighty, that was a lot of a background, I'm going to head to bed.

Love you all, stay safe!