* * *

Tearing Sage away from the mermaids and pups was harder than Remus first thought, yet Assyria assured them all that Sage's addiction to water would start to wear off once she started to get a handle of her element.

In returning to the packhouse, the Snyders had been already arrested and were awaiting a questioning. However, the rest of the contract between the demon needed to be dealt with beforehand, leaving the entirety of the Crescent Moon council to appear along with Hayes and Blake—Along with the witches and the singled-out Vampire.

All in hopes that there would be some sort of revelation.

"What we need to do is summon the demon who made this deal...Sage? What is Darius saying?" Sage took a moment and bit her lip.
"Darius says after he learn about Snyder poisoning me he go and find him and kill him...But contract keeps him alive a little, so we can summon him." She explained, though her eyes were still looking down at her shadow before beaming to her mate. "Darius is coming." The announcement had hardly given the wolves enough time for them to really understand what that meant.

Especially when the spoken-about demon had popped up in full grade black cloak as he bowed forward to the rest of the group. "I didn't expect it to turn out like this...But it certainly will work out for the better, now then. Where's the sacrifice?" Remus nicked his head off towards the laid-out bones that the witches and Sage had arranged, and the demon stood there in front of the remains silently.

For a few minutes on end.

"Aria...Aria Clark?" The demon had offered, and by the way those born in Crescent Moon had looked off towards Remus, suggested that it was a familiar name.
Yet the tug Sage had given her mate's shirt hadn't gained her his attention. "Remmy?"

The male had his eyes closed in an attempt to swallow what happened as to why his father would pick this specific she-wolf. And without the context, Sage was left to wonder who it was.

Patients little wolf, he'll tell you when he's ready.

We don't have time for patients.

"I can certainly summon up the remains the demon has on this, it's written in blood you see. That is and will always be set in stone even after a demon dies, especially with a blood sacrifice in play. However, I will point out that the Snyders are much more...Evil than I anticipated. Shall we get started?" Darius addressed the room with the parchment and locket in hand, the duo would prove to be an easier set to mandate than just the packet itself. Better yet, the bones of Aria Clark were still intact.

Making his job easier, however, Sage simply wrapped her arms around his to hug and nodded for her shadow to continue. The process had started off in Latin, and Sage did her best to follow along. Yet the buzz and humming undermined her thoughts as it started, caused her to shake.

Her shadow using up energy would be a direct line to the Luna herself.

Which was why Darius needed to be careful.

In the instant of his chanting coming to a closed, another figure from the depths of hell had brought a man in chains and ripped shirts.

"What can I help you with, my lord?" The fellow said in an essence of displaying power, and Darius certainly smirked off to his shadow and the rest of the audience. "Tell me what you know about Randal Moon." The panic in the demon's eye was telling, especially by the clacking of his shackles.

"Even your position cannot order me to discuss clients—"
"Then perhaps you need to speak to my father again?... And if you won't discuss it with me, you most certainly can talk to Randal's son about it." The strange male had scoped the room until his eyes landed on both Sage and Remus.

"You've certainly grown from the last time I saw you...My name is Bako. How can I be of service, Moon?" It appeared that even in his demise, the fraction of Randal's contract was reigning high.

"Why was Aria Clark killed?" Remus growled out and Bako's mouth opened, yet the burn within his chest closed his throat in a sign that he wasn't allowed to speak on the matter. "I cannot disclose something was forged to be forgotten, sir."
"Why not?! Bypass it! Override it, fuck just tell me something. Running around for Goddess knows what is getting pointless, and for you to stand there and tell me that you can't—"

"REMUS!" The voice had taken the room by storm, yet for directive yell caused the male to flinch his shoulders. The anger she was betraying was only unlocked when he truly messed up, and when she came forward to him now she locked her fist around his shirt to pull him down to her height.

"You don't talk to demons like that, Remmy. Even if you're Alpha." While his responsive huff hadn't been all that aggressive, the demons had been keenly watching the room.

"A Mystic? I can certainly work with that, sir..." The threatening smirk Bako's portrayed caused either Hayes or Remus to meet him with the same stare—However, neither could beat the look of pure shock of Bako seeing Sage's dueled hybrid eyes awaiting his next words.

"That Mystic happens to be your master's Luna, once you've proven your work you're going back...And careful, that's my shadow." Darius warned with a taunting smile, especially when Bako had started to really grasp what he's been summoned into.

"Very well, but my tongue has been tied to secrets to die with Alpha Randal. I cannot override something like that."
"I'll get working on that with father, what else do we need to check?" Eli scanned through the built list that they originally made and Bako nodded.

"Randal had taken plans from his father to build into the mountain for resources, he conducted most of his dealings there with a group of wolves. Clark and the Synders I recall being at the forefront, they were more than willing. The others...not so much." Remus bit his lip, careful of not to upset his mate by being too direct.

"Who is A?"

"There were a few A's in the mix, if you're referring to Andrew then he was the Alpha's favorite. Otherwise, there was the Anonymous that Randal made dealings and took advice from. Even against my suggestion." Bako informed and Hayes growled.

"Did Randal destroy my bond with Willow?" Neither of the Crescent Moon males hadn't dared to stop the widow. And Bako nodded.

"Anonymous had the means of experimenting to perfect a formula to reduce the pull of the mate bond—But he made it worse, to destroy a bond of it altogether. I do not know if they continued to a further product, but I always had a feeling anonymous had it out for Willow Mystic. Randal assumed he was snubbed by Alpha Water the wrong way and this was a solution to gain something from him." Hayes could hardly keep his breathing under control, and while Remus was dealing with his own struggle to uncover what was needed.

"Why did Randal do all this?" Bako's eyes had softened significantly, and while Sage assumed that the two demons were discussing through their own link. The uncomfortable shift from the imprisoned demon shot red flags in her head.

"He wanted to be Alpha king, a divine right that She gifted to him, steaming from an old myth that I'm sure he made up on the fly to gather support from the Snyders and others who listened to him. The Mermaids didn't want to be on the receiving end, hence them hiding this contract." The silence washed over the room and the next question truly shifted the attention of everyone.

"Yes, it took a large part of the witches to mix a brew strong enough to be erased from the pack's minds. It was completely wiped. The Snyders were a loud bunch so I am not surprised it is blank from your minds...You're right to kill them, Tina Synder had been so focused and in love with Alpha Randal to—"
"In love?!" Remus roared, the complete and utter bile had started to rumble in his stomach.

Better yet, it seemed everyone who met Tina Synder had made a sour face. Jules and Elenor as well. "The she-wolf had been obsessed to become Luna and have any bit of power. With such a big family it was easy to make a clan of followed to come closer—But then his female came into the picture." Bako informed, yet it didn't settle anyone.

"And my mother? Did he kill my mom?" The demon shook his head. "No, but the weakened state the silver left her did not aid her in the rogue attack. From my understanding, a party was returning from Hilltop back home and they were attacked by escaped rouges. They held no mercy and the only survivor of the attack was Andrew." Remus narrowed his brows, that hadn't made any sense.

Andrew was only a few years older than Remus himself, having been seven at the time of his mom's death that would've made Drew at least twelve.

"Why was Andrew there? I don't remember him shifting so young." Remus questioned, but it had been more to himself than otherwise. "He was the Alpha's favorite, it's escaped my mind as to why Andrew was always around but he was present for most meetings." A demon at the time of all this wouldn't ask questions of 'whos' and 'whats', they simply took ordered to follow in pursuit of what they were tasked to do.

The little details they knew already, but the connection to the Underground hadn't been a part of the demon's expertise. If anything the demon contract had been too late, they knew a good portion of it.

"Blake, when you lived in Moon Valley and Shadow Pack, did you see anything strange?" Eli questioned, and the questioned male recoiled. "I never lived in Moon Valley." Sage had thought for a moment and shook her head.

"Yes you did Blake, you said you cooked for the Alpha pups...You told me—" Remus held up his hand and looked to the pack member. "Are you lying, Blake?"
"No sir. I wouldn't lie about this kind of thing." Remus nodded and looked off towards the others, it the documents was clear and even Hayes knew about his son's complaints on being the fourth pack Blake had transferred to.

The file had been passed over straight to the former rogue as he scanned the stamps of pack officials and frowned. "What the fuck...?" He grumbled, trying to recall the dates in order of when he was supposedly here and there.

Nobody doubted the look Blake had given, and Darius took the strides over to him. "Can I have your arm, son?" He offered up the one he'd been eyeing, the demon arm scanning for any marking in such had showcased to the group the scars he received from the Underground. But the brand of Moon Valley caused everyone's eyes to widen.

Blake jumped to his feet and tried to scratch it away, the panic in his shakes was only pardoned by the calming touch of his pregnant female.

"I have reason to believe...Blake was never a cook in the pack as he claimed. I believe there might be another element in the mix." Darius said attempting to clear his thoughts on the order, and Bako nodded in agreement.

"This is more than compulsion, it's just been enacted it seems. Especially if he spoke to my wolfie on something specific—Have you been feeling ill as of late?" Blake instantly shook his head, but Raven frowned.

"What about the headaches?" She mentioned and Darius snapped his fingers together. "There it is—Surely the work of a witch. No offense there, darling." Of course Raven knew that it wasn't at all a fault on the whole specious.

"My sister and I...We were building up a theory with our coven. If one gains enough witch blood, is it possible to—To do magic?" Only a beat had passed before Darius threw his head back to laugh.

"Bless you, you beautiful witch! I knew one of you two would be the ones to crack it. Magic has limitations by a set of rules, that's what makes dark magic a danger—Illegal if you will. A witch's blood is coursed through their nexus and out. It is why vampires find themselves drinking more witch blood than humans." Darius' explication had caused the room's attention to shift off to the cold one in the room.

"I almost killed Rebekha from my drinking from her, I didn't receive any of her abilities."
 "The more in your system the more you can obtain, from that specific witch that is. If you take a bit from your mate, your in-law, and Sage. I'm sure you'd be able to make some sort of magic dependent on how much you've studied the craft." Enzo looked distraught, it was vial and cruel but he didn't doubt that some of his kind would give them an extra boost.

"What would a hybrid's blood like Sage's do?" Remus questioned, bringing his mate into his arms at the idea of her shivering at being comfortable. "That's what Mr.Anonymous was most likely hoping to do, spark her witch side. He surely didn't understand the foundations of the craft. I strongly stand behind the senses that he was trying to force a mate." Darius prompted, yet it was Bako that shook his head.

"I was under the impression that Anonymous already had a mate." The new demon explained but he shrugged soon after. "Though they didn't express more than 'she's' and 'her's'. The silver made it difficult to visit more than once in a while." Sage gnawed on her inner cheek as she cuddled closer to Remus.

"Who made the tea that almost killed our pups?"
"That was Tina with my gifted supplies, but Kelly placed it among the gifts at your door...I believe it was after your birthday party that they were serving that they contacted me." The room was thrown for an eery silence.

"That's when you announced that you were expecting..." Luke whispered, dragging his two hands down his face. Sweet goddess, he didn't know what to think of now. The room smelled so foreign that it was a pure switch to just having a coven of witches to view Sage's memories.

"We need to find the snakes in the Snyders, sure they'll rat each other out eventually, but they don't have a demon contact anymore to draw power from." With a few things learned and sighted, Buko had been returned back to the hell's fiery pits to serve out his sentence.

While Darius returned back to Sage's head—Or Jack still thought of at the very least. However, Remus' quick kiss to his mate's temple was all she was gifted before the male stalked out of the room.

She felt deflated in not being able to help him anymore or to learn what Drew was really up to. But one thing was for sure, the missing people in Moon Valley and Blue Moon held a bigger story than what they initially thought.

In addition, Sage's itch caused her to have her own discussion—One with her Betas and Deltas, along with her father.

Sage needed an emergency plan for herself and the pups if something were to happen.

______

Date: 04/11/2022

Time: 9:27

Words:2706

Author's Note:

The Snyders were up to some shady stuff, it will be explored heavily in the future. But Tina Snyder being in love with Randal Moon? Someone pass over a bucket because just thinking about it makes me sick!

ALSO--We're introduced to Aria Clark, Andrew (Drew) Clark's mother. Question is, why was she chosen for the Snyder's sacrifice?

Suppose time will tell.

Send some love out for Blake and Remus, the boys haven't had it easy💔