* * *

UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF HOURS AFTER

Maeve and a few of the other she-wolves lingered around Hera, helplessly watching her as her body convulsed and the putrid stench of her mate mark began to rot. She was one of the only wolves who could stomach it, having never been able to find a mate herself.

Yet that didn't aid Hera's pain. Nothing did. Not even the cooling wet blankets or the soothing prayers that embraced a spiritual and peaceful atmosphere. Or tried to, anyway. 

While Hera wanted to feel the support around her. The pain was getting worse. It was pure torture, and the theorized reason for Hera's condition being so bad was due to the fact that she had pups.
The stronger the mate bond, the more there is to break.

And breaking it surely felt.

"Why don't you take a rest...Go on, girls. I'll stay with her." The calming voice lulled Sage awake, but only partly. There were a few times she wished for death in her life, and this was undoubtedly one of them.

And while she promised Luke and Kenzie to never resort to using her claws, she couldn't even if she wanted to. They were inaccessible, making her wolf feel even more enclosed than before.

The howls in her head only caused the ring in her ear to worse, and without the faint touches of the she-wolves to distract her, Sage was left with nothing more than feeling every fiber of her body break.

"Come here, sweetheart, it's almost over...That's it." She acted like a child, hugging instantly into the soft embrace and squeezing to find a comfortable position.

It didn't aid the pain, but it did give her comfort. And the soft rocking and 'shushes' to follow her tears reminded her of what she would do with her own pup.

"You didn't tell me she was nursing..." The voice questioned, but Sage couldn't make out the mumbles that followed. Instead, her eyes popped up to look faintly at the woman she was holding onto. And if the fates could rip her heart out and replace it with a new one, Sage was sure it'd hurt worse than this.
Because just before her, the she-wolf combing her hands through her hair was no other than Willow Mystic herself.

"Mamm." Willow ignored the almost word of the wolf she was comforting and ordered one of the others to fetch some more water. And much like Sage would do for Rue, she was fed gentle sips of the refreshing water. Unfortunately, it did nothing to settle the ache, but it did help her wake up from her haze all the bit more.

One of Sage's wishes had been to find her mother, and a part of her felt the connection at her fingertips. But it felt strange to be in the arms of the woman who gave birth to her.
That named her—That carried her, and all Sage could do was cry.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. Let it out...You'll feel better." No. Sage yelled in her mind, she knew she wouldn't. The 'what if' of Remus being dead or alive stung her wolf, and if Remus was feeling the connection, then would he follow her.

"F-follow...To the moon." Willow had remained still and silent for a moment, letting the words echo in her mind before continuing her actions. "Your mate will be there to meet you again. Not to worry. We'll be seeing them again." The sureness of her voice brought pictures of Hayes together with Willow, as Haylee thought it was important to see them together as a family.

And Sage understood outright what it meant. The light in her father's eyes was never the same. And she didn't need to hear that from her sister to prove that.

However, what irked Sage, was how her mother was here—Here and alive. And never, not once, tried to escape?
Where was her mother's demon?

She doesn't have one, Sage. It was you or her. And I chose you.

Save mom.

You'll get the chance soon my sweet wolf, rest. Your mother isn't going anywhere. This is her job I beleive, to take care of she-wolves after their transformation.

Transformation? I turn into something?

No. My mistake, I meant transforming the bond.

Remmy's dead.

No, Sage, we can't think like that. Remember what was uncovered in the mountain? Randal had used the same concoction on Willow to kill the bond with your dad? It has to be the same here hun. Those she-wolves have faint bite marks too.

Sage wanted to believe him, but with all opposing sides, it was difficult to breathe, let alone think. She finally accepted one thing, and that was acceptance of exhaustion. However, it hadn't stayed with her for long.

From what she could tell, Willow had stayed by her side and constantly kept liquids at a steady pace. If anything, it made it much more endearing. To be reconnected with her mom again?

"Ms.Willow...Have—have you heard of any pups coming in the facility?" Sage twitched in recognition of Maeve's voice, and she matched Hera's smile while her eyes flickered back to Willow.

"No. But I'll be on the lookout, how young?"
"Hera is still breastfeeding. They can't be much older than a year." The sharp nod silenced the two, but Maeve remained right by Hera's side now that the smell had subsided. And the others in the room were thankful, not because they were annoyed by the cries of pain that Hera had been trying to muffle.
But because it was heart-wrenching to see any wolf or witch go through losing their soulmate.

Ever so often, Sage would look at the spoon calendar. And it felt odd. Had it been only one day?

Rising to sit up, Sage shifted and felt the dampness between her legs and frowned. It must be her period—That or she couldn't hold it anymore, not like she knew or could get up if she needed to.

Shifting uncomfortably, her first thought was to go to her mark, which was wrapped up with a cloth or some sort of bandaid because she couldn't touch it properly. A panicked huff escaped her as she attempted to yank either off. However, a hand stopped her.

Calmly pulling it down at the wrists to stop her next action.

"It will heal better covered up...How are you feeling?" Sage gulped. She partly wished her dreams weren't true. But as she looked at her mother, the soul essence of her mother. She tried her best to smile.
"Fine." She mumbled, though a bit more bitter than she initially intended.

Yet Willow didn't seem to mind, and a gentle silence settled them further. "Let's get cleaned up and into some new clothes." She beckoned, and sure enough, she was led to the showers and so forth. Though the showers were a makeshift hose and a single bottle of shampoo.

Yet Sage would not complain, not when the cold water aided her begging breasts and the stabbing in her heart seemed to num once.

"How old is your pup?"
"Five months, I have son and daughter." Sage discussed, but Darius silenced her from saying any more. Something smelled off about her mother, and it was strange that the woman would return at such a convent time.

Do you feel her Sage?

Yeah? That's mom.

No...I mean her wolf? Do you feel her wolf?

Not really, do you think her wolf is dead?

Darius' silence was worse, as the panic had overtaken Sage into thinking that he left. But he confirmed his attendance by a subtle move of her shadow, and it was just the fact that Willow had asked another question, and she missed it in the process.

"Sorry, ears a little fuzzy."
"It's okay. I just wanted to know your daughter's name." Sage shook her head, feeling discouraged from actually telling anyone in the facility anything more about her life.

It was bad enough that Darius chided her for using her 'true name' as opposed to Aurora or Julia, but instead, she also gave out her pack's name.

"Is it Heidi? I always thought that was a lovely name." Sage shook her head again, Remus did say that if they were to have another pup, they'd start with the letter of her first name next. But she hadn't found any that really stuck.

"I know it's hard. I've lost my mate and pups, but I promise it will get better."
"No. It won't. I miss my mate and pups, and nothing will get better." Willow blinked at the rage in the wolf's eyes before her, it was strange, yes, but the glint of familiarity had shined across the board.

But the woman couldn't place it.

It will get better Sage, don't doubt yourself. You're stronger than that. Don't lose hope.

I had hope, and now I'm back here the same. Without pack, without mate and without pups.

It's the mate bond, hun, you're not really—

"SHUT UP!" Sage yelled, her hands going over her ears as she struggled to contain her anger. And when Willow attempted to touch her, she was met with a firm growl, almost as though the she-wolf in front of her was attempting to shift.

But under the medication that the rest of the wolves were under, it wouldn't make any logical sense. It was strange to see someone still fighting for the takeover. Alas, it was inevitable. Leaving Sage to fall limp into the ready arms of her mother.

Her unknowing mother.

The hours that followed were relatively the same, and Willow hardly moved from Hera's side. Even with the resistance, she fought with when she was awake. It was not in the woman's nature to give up so easily.

So while the bond that Sage had spent a year and more with Remus had been severed, she was open to securing a new one. One that never had the chance to blossom and grow, and that's what kept Willow right by her side.

However, the ring of the door caused her to frown, and she ultimately decided that it would be best not to start an argument and thus followed the rest of the females as they formed another line.

Sage had managed to gain a bit of consciousness but through the patches and blurry blobs, that could be anything other than the captives. There was no part of her limbs that would aid her in joining them, however, it was the scent that made her violently ill to her stomach.

Her eyes wandered over to the open doorframe. It wasn't the twig scientist, no...This fellow held much more esteem prowess, and dignity than a scrawny man behind a lab coat, and that is exactly why her neck felt the motion to submit.

Because it's been ingrained into her since the moment she was born to fear this man.

"Hmmm, ladies...Good morning." And in perfect sync, the females responded with a fake and pleasant voice.
"Good morning, Master." Sage found herself thankful that she had been left to remain in her corner and underneath a blanket. Otherwise, she would've surely outed herself, and right now, Darius could agree that gaining a bit of strength and energy is the only thing stopping her now.

"How is our new arrival, my sweet?" Willow rose to her feet with a beautiful smile, her eyes partly cloudy—A trait that those around her always caught on to when she arrived and as she departed.

"Almost ready. It's much more of a break when there are pups involved." Maeve bit her tongue. This information wasn't meant to be shared directly. And it pained those around her as the vampire found reasons to use against Hera.

"It's a shame...I was hoping with all this commotion with the mutts and the rest that it would draw more out of their pack borders. Pitty...Come, love. Best be off." He said, playfully growling that caused a few gags around the room once the doors closed and they were alone.

"Can I sit with Hera?" Clem asked, having barely gotten up to her own two feet before rushing over to Maeve. "Why don't we let her rest alone for a few hours, alright?" It was hard to tell the children no when it was the most excitement they've had in—Well...Ever.

There wasn't a time that either of the pups wasn't trapped in the room. Maeve and the rest had been the ones to teach them to speak and grow up the best they could in the environment they were enclosed in.

And while the witches weren't exactly in favor of the wolves, or vice versa, any female had a soft spot for a child. Especially in the predicament they were in.

No one was ever surprised to see Willow return with fresh brushes and bite marks lingering on her body. A perfect showcasing of what happened in the hours before. However, the news of Hera being semi-conscious was enough to settle the woman's worry.

There were just some wolves who couldn't survive the change, and the room hardly wanted to lose another female. The wellness had risen, and the faint mention of Hera being involved with witches allowed a small settling of differences, yet that didn't push Sage to speak to her mother as she came over.

"May I sit with you, Hera?" It was a joke, it had to have been. Even with the rawest growl she could muster, there was always a sting at the end—Her mother using her almost name was making it difficult to focus, let alone breathe.

"Sit alone." She grumbled, her risen legs starting to hide her away as the blanket was over her shoulders and head. It was still partially wet from the last time someone soaked it underwater, but right now, the issue steamed from her neck to her chin.

And she hardly wanted to know what her mate mark looked like now or when it finally decided to heal.

"We're never really alone, come...Get some more sleep." She said, offering her arms out. It was such a motherly thing to do that the craving for her real mother won the battle within seconds.

But she wasn't as eager as before, and that was a strong sign of her truly waking up. The only time Willow was set to leave was when a guard called her and escorted her out and away, yet it was then that Sage took to entertaining the pups.

The spoon calendar wasn't the only one lying around, and she had the idea of scratching out the letters of the alphabet and numbers to help the pups identify them better.

Starting with the song, to memorize the pattern before turning to see the physical letter. It took longer than Sage had initially thought, but there was nothing to do and no other materials to use.

Leaving her to simply continue through and hopefully pass this learning block.

It was a blessing in disguise to put her attention to something else, and Darius praised her for maintaining a leveled head. As it's only a matter of time before she'd be immune to the meds, and that was all they were waiting on.

______

Date: 01/31/24

Time: 12:50

Words: 2585

Author's Note:

Edits are slowly moving along, but they're going!

We've had plenty of new readers come join us, and I'm almost at 700 followers!

Honestly, it still baffles me that this story has managed to come so far...I'm hoping to start updating normally within the next few weeks, as in two post a week.

Looking forward to the weekend where I can actually get a move on!

Anywhooooo,

I hope you are all doing fantastic today and I'm wishing you a great rest of your week!

See you in the next update!