* * *

Since being sick the past few days, Sage hardly had the time or energy to venture to her hidden oasis. It hadn't been all that hard to pick out, and the scent of her wolf had managed to keep it intact.
Others wouldn't venture this far, not when the brush she created did it's task in covering the trail.

It had been a small climb down, but it was worth it. Especially when she had a curve of lake all to herself, the small sandlot provided shade and comfort. All while giving her the perfect angle of the territory, it wasn't far out of reach—And if need be, she could swim.

With the distance, however, it gave her the opportunity to breathe. Maeve wasn't annoying...Persay, but she certainly asked a lot of questions. Making her age much younger than Sage initially thought.

Humming along, Sage moved aside her vines. At a simple touch, they started to retract on their own, revealing what was hidden underneath a sturdy tree trunk.

What she considered to be her prized possessions, as of late.

It was a large flat stone she had found on one of her findings in the river, there were no canvases or paints that she could purchase. No Remus to help her order a stockpile, so she made do with what she had.

Though she decided that it certainly wouldn't need to be colored in, it was perfect in the sketch stage as is. She asked Hazel to fashion her a stencil to write and scrap against the rough surface of the stone. She delivered, with plenty of options.

The smaller ones were in protected in a makeshift bag. She was thinking of taking them to her room. It wouldn't be too hard to offer a place on the wall, and it'd make her feel better to wake up to the face of her love ones.

Ronan and Rue were starting to become more recognizable as she allowed the pointed tip to scratch their widened smile—It was one of her favorite pictures of the two. Ronan was holding Rue in his lap. It was featured as her phone's background, and also has a place at her bedside. Remus surprised her with it one afternoon, his excuse being that they don't have enough pictures of them printed out.

And it was true, but then the guilt sunk in.

Sage had been so busy taking pictures of Remus with the pups that she hardly recalled being in them herself. Did the pups remember her?

Do they miss her?

She needed to stop her train of thought, but it only offered more questions, leaving her to place down her unfinished piece and look out to the water. Her hand offered a few twitches in hopes to release the tension in her heart and soul.

Instead, she brought out the smaller stone, one of Luke—The first one she ever did. As it hurt too much to recall Remus and his all too eager grin he'd have when she'd say something witty or tease him.

"My bear is bigger now." She whispered off to Luke, then her smirk rose off towards Liam. The male hadn't gotten one last year, and she hoped that he managed well enough this time around.

If not, she was sure that in the coming years, he'd get the chance.

Then her eyes wandered off towards Jack, her running buddy, her Delta. As much as Maeve was growing on her, when she referred to her as being the third in command, she was prepared to see Jackson.
Completely shirtless and with a joke ready to pop into the conversation, whatever it was about. With Eli not too far behind, ready to smack him upside the head.

The rest of her family lay in front of her, her father—Her mother. It felt like they were all here with her, all paired up in small little pocket-sized frames.

It could be considered torture, and she sure didn't feel better after getting the image out of her head; No. Sage wanted the real thing.

She wanted to get reprimanded by her father for being in the bathroom for too long without anyone.
Get blindsided by Blake for being angry, and that's when she broke further.

One of the many promises she had given Blake when they started the relationship of being charge and mentor was to be there for one another.
And unknowingly, she failed.

In an event to try and remember everyone, she started sketchy out the easier ones. The Elwoods held one corner, her siblings and parents in another—And before she knew it, almost thirty small stones lingered around her.

Her eyes soon lingered on Eli, and the first time meeting him had swallowed her whole. The familiarity she felt was in being introduced to her future Beta, that he had no issues with her being on pack grounds.

Leaving her mouth to curl in recalling the hundreds of times she threw almost being kicked out in her mate's face. As if he didn't have enough personal guilt on the matter.

"I miss you...All of you." Her chest heaved both in being anxious as well as pride. The sentences she was forming were getting on track, and nobody here faulted her for having trouble. Not when the pups were learning, or others felt like they had lost their touch with society as well.

The standards in Black Crescent weren't high. No, everyone helped everyone. Like it's meant to be.

The hours had passed by without change. She simply looked at the faces and tried to hear their voices. Attempting to hold to the conversations, even if they weren't important.
It was enough, and better yet—It made her wolf feel much better.

"Sage...? Alpha?" The voice called out, and her eyes began to burn. She didn't want anyone here, not seeing her this weak or in pain. But her warning growl indicated a location, so it wasn't at all a surprise in seeing Maeve push the barrier to see just where Sage had hid all this time.

Sage nodded before looking out towards the water. The moon was no longer felt as it once was. It was a key reminder of what Remus said, that he'd walk the moon.

Making Darius' words echo through her mind.

"Dinner's almost ready...Why don't we get cleaned up? The pups made some more soap with the witches." It was a pure temptation. She could use a scrub, but the idea sounded like too much work, and she felt drained as is.

She always was when she left the sandlot.

"Alpha?" Maeve dared to come closer, and Sage reacted with a quick wipe of her tears as she sniffled. An uncontrollable urge to yell at the Delta overcame her, though it was blocked as Sage simply didn't want to speak.

The she-wolf fell to her knees, her hand latched onto Sage's risen ones. The contact felt nice, and thus the first layer had cracked, her eyes gesturing to the crowd in front of them.

To say the Delta was shocked was an understatement, the knowledge of the natural elements in the world was one thing. But seeing Sage's work on display made her eyes widen, picking one of the many caused her to huff.

"Cameron. Brother." Mae nodded, before pointing them all out. And each one resulted in a name and relation. Leaving Maeve to understand the life Sage had left behind.

"And this one?"
"Pups...Rue and Ronan." She said, pointing out the two. The saddened smile caused Maeve to revert to a touching embrace, her arms wrapped behind her Alpha—And before Sage knew it, her body conformed into the warmth.

It wasn't weak, she would do this once and a while to Remus. Before she knew it, Mae's hands raked through her waves. The calming action caused her to breathe fluently and closed her eyes.

"I'm sure everyone here...Everyone right in front of you, misses you."
"Pups will forget me." Sage rallied, and Maeve instantly shook her head. Sage felt it against her own, especially the light kiss on her temple that truly sanctioned the start of something new.

"I can't remember the last time I saw my mom, but I remember her face. They'll remember, and when you see them again, they'll recognize you instantly. Pups bounce back—We'll bounce back." The unsteady inhale pushed Mae to continue her hair combing, the tactic worked much better now than before.

However, Sage had other plans, her instinct was to touch her mark—The desperation of wanting to feel a connection with her mate was rising the longer she gazed at his stone. Her hand went to the scarred over tissue that Remus had made when they completed the mate bond.
She hoped for anything, a simple spark from him.

But there was nothing, only more torture to what she was already doing. She doubted it looked the same as it once did, when it healed correctly under his lavishing tongue...There hasn't been a mirror since the pathetic excuse of a bathroom back at the Army base. But even then she steered clear of it and its reflection.

No part of her wanted to be remembered as the girl from the facility, the one that Harlow and Jade first met.

Maeve caught on quick enough and interlocked her hands into the Alpha's. Fighting so often to stop her from falling down the rabbit hole of doubt. "Don't...It's not worth it."

The voice of reason locked Sage in her hold, and the comfort was making it easier to breathe.

While she held the pups more than a few times a day, she had always been the one to give them comfort. Not receive it.

The two sat there long after dinner, even if it was one of Sage's rules to be present, her legs felt numb, and the strength she's attempted to endure for the last few days had finally been eaten up.

Maeve only suggested that they get back to the cave once it started to drizzle, though she aided in carrying the makeshift skin bag to make the trip easier.

The night shift greeted them with a plate of leftovers, but Sage couldn't dare try and stomach anything. Instead, Maeve had wrapped an arm around the Alpha and motioned for her to come towards her bed—Though it was heavily occupied by two slumbering pups with no room to squeeze in.

"Come, sleep with me." Maeve offered, and no part of Sage could find it in herself to disagree. So they gently placed the stones onto the ground beside the bed and laid down beside one another. Though within just a few minutes of attempting to fall asleep, Sage instinctually reached out to one of the wolves nearby—Thinking it was either Clem or Poppy.

However, Maeve's wolf couldn't help but mew at the love and attention she was getting. Her Alpha's nose trailed the lights of her neck and caused an instinctual gasp to escape her. It was downright erotic this small movement, but truthfully Sage was attempting to pinpoint the wolf. Nothing about her action was sexual.

But Maeve was making the most of anything.

*

The next morning, Sage hadn't been all too aware of what happened the night prior. There was still a sickly haze around her that needed rest, and she hardly found the strength or willpower to start the day. Instead, she snuggled further into the soft likeness of hair, and for a moment—Just a beautiful and surreal moment, Sage pretended it was Remus.

However, as she peeked open her eyes. She caught the smile of Mae, who couldn't look brighter if the sun was shining on her directly. Sage couldn't help but return it, even when it strained her face to make such an expression.

The squeal broke her thought, but it was still early, and thus neither of them closed their eyes once more. Resting ever so lightly over and underneath the furs, the trickling of freshly cooked steak made its way easily into the cave. But Sage was still not feeling the essence of food. Instead, she dreamed about feeding her own children.

Her breasts had long since stopped lactating for them, and it hurt much more than she could've ever realized, she knew the timeline, and she wanted to continue up until a year old and perhaps even longer.

She missed feeding them as she rested in Remus' arms, who would watch and talk to either her or the pup, completely hypnotized by the mere action or thought.

Mae had caught on to the tears quite easily, and so she pulled Sage closer into her embrace. What Sage wanted to be a firm chest with her Crescent Moon tattoo etched on the chest, was instead replaced by a breast-filled one.

It wasn't the first time they had done this. In the garage, within the first few hours of losing the mate bond—She could've sworn that Willow left, and she was transferred into the arms of Maeve.

"I bet the witches would make you some tea if you're still feeling nauseous." The she-wolf offered, and Sage hummed in return. Remus would've surely offered her tea had he been here.

And had Darius been active in her mind, then he would've told her to get up on her fluffy wolfie bum and be productive. And that is what she did since leaving Maeve's bed, she hadn't stopped moving. Though it took both the combined efforts of her Beta, Delta, and Gamma to get her to eat the provided lunch that the witches experimented with.

The natural talent of cooking was a godsend. Truly, the fish they managed to grill was flavorful and sweet. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection, and part of Sage thought that she couldn't manage anything close to it on her own in the beautiful kitchen back in Crescent Moon.

Something about it being freshly caught and burned over the ready-made fire made it all the more savory. And Sage never hesitated in praising the clan when they did something right, and goddess the small circles of soap that the witches' and pups managed with found lavender and other herbs.

Sage was rightly in heaven. Even now, as she bathed underneath the waterfall to soothe her worries, yet the small movement in the water caused her to tilt her head to the side.

And there stood Maeve, showcasing just what the goddess had blessed her with. But Sage held her gaze downright, silently questioning what she was doing, interrupting her time.

"Can I join you, Alpha?" The she-wolf certainly wouldn't hog the natural shower, and thus she moved against the slight push of the current to make room.

Maeve had instantly taken the acceptance in strides, walking straight into the shower's head and gasping at the cooling water dowsing her beautiful locks. However, Sage knew the difficulty in properly washing hair with braids, and so she placed down her slap of soap to help her Delta in removing the delicate binds.

It didn't take all that long to help her, and the likeness of doing this reminded Sage of helping Rue or Arabella.

With her hair dampened and free from the braids, Sage took the slab of soap and ran it gently through. Reaching forward to replace it on the lone rock beside them, she did her best to wash and scrub the day's worth of workouts.

"Are you feeling better?" Maeve asked, prepared for silence or a word one-worded answer. But received much more than that.
"Yes, thank you...Pups always take my bed. They never use their beds." She instated, and Maeve hummed along. Leaning forward as Sage dug deep in one of the many areas that Mae cursed in being a weak spot of hers.
Course it certainly didn't help with Sage's breasts being pushed against her back either.

"Join me tonight?... If the pups are still there." Sage nodded and continued her method of scrubbing and washing, but once she had finished. Maeve fought the urge to pout and groan, or had until an idea sparked in her head.

She beat Sage in retrieving her own soap, and it caused Sage to frown, not understanding what was happening until the bar touched base with her shoulder. "I wash hair—I wash my hair already." The Alpha said, in the correction of her improper sentence. And while she expected to be given the soap back, Maeve continued to lather her body up and scrub in the forming suds.

"You deserve some pampering too, Alpha." The Delta reminded, and thus it continued. Though mindful of the neck, Mae found herself lowering her attention further down—Paying strong attention to the Alpha's perky breasts, and wiping away the combined sweat of yesterday and today.

Sage knew she should've washed up yesterday, but her mind had other plans. Yet it remaindered her of the hundreds of times Remus offered to wash her, his hands managing to swipe each and every soft spot she had.

The growl that escaped her throat was not at all what Maeve had expected, but there had been a sudden hint of acceptance lingering in her body's vibrations. 

And it urged Mae to continue.

The Alpha's breathing started going rigid, and whether it was planned or otherwise—Sage's closed eyes had taken hold of instinct. She turned around quickly and embraced an all-to-ready Maeve with a kiss.

Delta Maeve surrendered close to instantly, and that certainly veered well with Sage and her wolf. The beast inside her had the primal urge to take her, and while she was inexperienced with a female's body in this way—It certainly didn't feel like it on Mae's account.

Every nerve in her body was vibrating as if she's never felt the rawness of this type of ecstasy before. With the water not being as deep in this part of the lake, Sage lifted the she-wolf by the backs of her thighs...The action allowed Maeve the bit of leverage to control the kiss, but the fight for dominance was caught clear—Especially when Sage had the last word of it.

While she didn't understand Mae's motion in rocking her body against hers, the question had been answered when the teasing and torment had turned into a guttural moan.

The climax had caused Maeve to shake and stutter out Sage's name, and the protective nature of the Alpha fell in swoop, especially when she placed the she-wolf onto the comfort of the rock.

The scent of the two was close to addicting, and the stress lines had close to vanished on the Alpha that Maeve's task had been fulfilled. 

As well as her dreams.

______

Date: 08/15/2022

Time: 10:24

Words: 3194

Author's Note:

Soooo...That happened 😮

What do we think about Maeve?
Personally, I'm not her biggest fan, and the character sort of wrote herself into this.
Hopefully, Sage comes to her senses soon, but it comes with the territory of being Alpha!

Anywho, how sweet are the stones? I was balling my eyes out, thinking about Sage fawning over the sketches of her loved ones.

Things may (Or may not) start turning for the better. 

Alrighty, chapter twelve is the last chapter in this phase, and it's awesome! It's also time to move this story along. As much as I love this Black Crescent territory, we're going to bigger and better things soon!

Hope you all have a great week and I will see you Friday!