* * *

Encouraging the group to keep moving had been much more work than she realized, and the extra day of rest hadn't motivated them—It only left room for them to start protesting. So when Sage had raised her voice four octaves higher, the group had certainly found themselves moving.

With little to no more hesitation in their steps since before she put her foot down.

The addition of her blood to their teas certainly aided the group, and perhaps it was her wolf managing to identify the situation more clearly. But they did indeed look like they had more color in their cheeks, allowing Sage to push them further away from the facility.

However, in doing so, she let out a furious growl, earning her the attention of everyone. Especially since she placed the bags in her hand down and felt up her arm.
"They put trackers in us?" She questioned, and the others looked more than panicked as they too began searching high and low through their warm wraps.

A wolf named Wynne had called out that she thought she found one, and when Sage came over to feel the small device she nodded. "Check under arm, not in wrist anymore. Makes it harder to get out." She whispered, and thus Sage looked directly into the she-wolf's eyes.

Silently questioning the acceptance of what was about to happen.

"Please do it quickly, Alpha." She nodded, her jaws and fangs unhinging to dig for it. And while it had caused some discomfort in Wynne's arm, it shocked her how fast the pain faded.3

"I have enough cloth to put some of the berry paste onto the injuries...Alpha?"
"Then we take small break. Find partner and get it out. Wolf finds a witch and another wolf. We get them out and the pups will break with rock, work fast." The order was off and it was clear that they trusted Sage much more than an inexperienced wolf to do it, Elena had been the one to offer to do the Alpha's. Earning Sage another horrific scar right beside the bear talons.

The fuss that both Lilith and Rain had gone through trying to rectify the bite mark on Sage's arm was humorous, especially seeing Rain work with a witch trying to bind it properly.

However, what the Alpha could not handle on any account was the endless apologies, yet the mood was much lighter now that the possibility of being tracked by those humans was close to none.

Having not looked at the moon or the stars the previous night, Sage truly had no idea as to where they were going. And to be frank, she simply decided that heading East was the best chance, especially since they had been traveling in that direction since their escape.

It hadn't been until the third day of constant traveling that Sage stripped herself of her outfit and was able to shift. The look of astonishment beckoned those around her, and she turned over towards Maeve in question to see if she could attempt a shift.

Sage had the stronger Lycan blood cycling through her body, in addition to her Halliwell ancestry. Though Mae simply shook her head and looked away, the she-wolf hadn't caused any more problems in deflecting Sage's orders.

No. The submission was finally working, and that had a strong part of Sage giving out her blood. Especially since this had been another show of strength.

While it was a healing aspect, those drinking and sharing her blood were indeed joining the clan. Considering that everything and anything that happened at the army base, it took her away from Crescent Moon as a whole.
The majority of the wolves had felt the same, but it angered Maeve, everyone seemed to have fought a harder battle that she felt misplaced.
The She-wolf had no direct family, no mate, no pups or pack. She hardly recalled what she was doing as a Rogue before being placed in the facility and at the whim of Armond.

But the she-wolf was starting to realize that living under Sage was better than anything she felt in a long time, whether it was helping skin an animal with Wynne and Misty.
This meal, paired with an herbal drink that Adelaide and Ethel managed to concoct, was enough for Mae to question what the hell the purpose of all this tea was besides healing them. Though she finally understood that she had no place to question the working orders of the Alpha, or what Sage had ordered the witches to do as their task for the day.

Clearly, Sage has the essence of an Alpha—And the two years of confinement and working under Willow hadn't mattered, in Maeve's case.
Or hadn't meant as much.

It didn't come as a surprise when Maeve had shifted on the 7th morning, it was a week since their escape and they continued to move. Strengthening the teas, and raising the blessings for every morning, afternoon and evening drink.

They needed every deity to keep them safe, especially when the wolves were starting to get antsy to run instead of walk.

By the tenth day, most of the she-wolves had started to feel the urge to shift, which was much more than what they had in the days prior. It was Vivian's sudden burst of magic that caused the witches to cheer. It aided the fact that she was a Defender, having worked on protecting her coven with charms and spells.
Which they could certainly use now, it became clear as to what the group needed.

It took the help of both Maeve and Elena to explain to Vivian what the specific stone was and looked like, but Callia, a Herbalist, certainly knew what the topic of conversation was.

Finding Limestone wasn't the issue, it was mining and blessing it correctly in small enough pieces to make a necklace. But it became another suggestion when the others started to manage a shift. The clan was made of four-legged, two-legged, no-legged, and even those who could fly.

Which made for an interesting travel time between the entire lot of them.

Currently, however, Sage let out a small howl to return everyone to her location

Smell that?

Sage called out the wolves, and there had been a few huffs and sneezes in agreement.

Alpha, we're not strong enough to take down a bear. Even with witches and—

I take down bear before, I feel big lake too. We can't keep camping, we need to find nicer home.

Elena's warning hadn't worked, and Maeve eyed the Alpha once more as though she was nuts.

I take down bear, we take bear's territory. Water means theres fish. Water means there are more prey drinking here. That or mountain.

The positives outweighed the negatives, which prompted Sage to shift. Leaving the pups to hand her her clothes but she waved them off.
"We travel a little closer to bear mountain, birds stay in trees. Some wolves stay, Hunters and Gathers can go searching." Her voice was even and took the moment to gaze at each animal in its shifted form.

However, it was Isla who morphed up from a Bobcat, strutting forward in pure panic. "You want to fight a bear?!"
"I do it before. Bear smells young." The witch looked off to both the Beta and Delta, and as the official Gamma of the clan—The advisor in her stuck every cord to advise against this.

"We need to find nicer home, no more moving. We live there, we make it nice, and then we figure out how to get to Crescent Moon." Sage's mention of remaining somewhere for more than a night's rest sounded delightful, and the chirps agreed as they fluttered their feathers.

But Isla crossed her arms over her bare chest and frowned. "And when you get hurt? We don't have enough to take care of cuts or—"
"We need meat, Isla. We need to eat and somewhere to sleep. Shift, we're going." The threatening glow of Sage's eyes caused Isla to shiver, and the witches had ultimately felt the dictating order of a mistress.

Sage wasn't just an Alpha as she was also granted Mistress status when the witches caught her whispering along to their prayers and discussing their deities. She certainly was diverse in either lore, whether it be Lycan or Wiccan.

The continuous trek towards the destination was scouted by the birds—an Owl, Robin, Eagle, and Crow paring. Which Sage had to admit was fairly useful, especially when they'd send their hoots and hollers their way.

Currently, however, she had both pups on her back—While a few of the other larger beasts carried the supplies they'd managed to gather. Whether it be smoked meat or otherwise, yet when Sage came to another halt—an hour or so after the first...She wiggled for either Clem and Poppy to slide off so that Sage could shift.

"This our camp for now. Bear can already smell the meat. Hunters, Gathers? Stay close, not too far. I feel a storm coming." While the looks she earned suggested many different approaches, Sage's wolf felt a buzz like no other.

The love-hate relationship she has with bears was making her burn for a taste of its heart. And she'd get it soon, right beside a beautiful fur coat.

The majority of the witches remained at the stopping point. Mainly since it was unethical to use magic against nature, and the hunting was more or less given to the wolves as a job. Right besides skinning the kills, it wasn't that they were not in favor of eating meat, especially after the time in imprisonment—They were simply squeamish and unused to the settling picture of a dozen of hung deers.

"Alpha Sage?" A small voice peeked up, and Sage had already shifted back. Looking at Poppy as she clutched the stuffed rabbit one of the skinners had made for her at Sage's request, it had been intended to be worn as a hat or maybe even act as a pillow—But the way Poppy started carrying it around, which brought a smile to everyone's faces to something so adorable and pure.
It was a long time since anyone had seen the joy over a child and their favorite toy, especially when Poppy and Clem started playing with them.

That was only after they asked a few dozen times if there was anything that could be done, yet Sage knew that if she waited any longer to get this challenge over and done with—They'd be faced with less light and thus...She led the numbered wolves to the destination, it was clear that none of them had gone on a hunt to this extreme before.

So they received a history lesson, one that she repeated from her teachings from Papa Leo. It was better that they knew everything on her mind while she was preparing for this battle, in case she needed backup.

But Sage was confident that she wouldn't need it.

The plan was fairly easy, or that is what Cicil and Viki assumed would happen, as they were stationed just behind Maeve, while Elena remained behind with both the pups and witches.

Sage soon peeked through the grounded bushes in an attempt to gaze at the bear's home territory, and she was rather surprised the wind was working in their favor as it directed them to the scent and not the other way around. Had that been the case, the Alpha would've been much more hesitant in leaving the others to fend for themselves.

What's the plan?

Male is not that old but very large, with scars on face...He knows how to fight. Only come in when I ask for help. Okay?

There had been a few gruff and whines of complaints, but Sage turned to Maeve, and the she-wolf issued a small lick to her muzzle. A friendly way of saying 'good luck' without voicing through the links.

Sage's wolf thrived in finally getting somewhere with her Delta, though she knew it would take more than a week of freedom to have a bit of trust. However, she was simply hoping that by this challenge, there would be more of a trust base between her and the rest.

The black wolf leaped over the bushes and made a flawless and silent pat-down before rounding the corner. Kept up with the changing shifts in the wind, and it still worked in her favor but only partly.

Sage allowed herself another breath, recalling how excited she had been just a year before—Had it been that long?
Would she have gone to the next bear hunt had there been no war?

Probably not, not when the pups needed her, and she would still be nursing. However, the pain in her chest rallied, and she decided against continuing the thought.

Which was fortunate, considering a loud stomp caused her ears to pin back.

The bear had spotted her, and just like her gaze up on the hill—She realized that he was indeed a seasoned creature, muscular in every aspect that her wolf couldn't help but admire her target.

She licked her lips in a taunting motion, and the bear took another step before issuing a roar like no other. It rumbled as though he caused the earth to split in two, not to mention the dozens of birds nesting in trees, rushing off to run from the danger.

Sage had issued a name on this beast, Demon Bear, whether it be the way he held himself or the amount of demonic rage—It reminded her of when Darius was angry. Like a red tint in his eyes only teased his opponent.

She snarled with the same intent, leaving the creature to take the charging assault, and it was clear on her account that he did not waste time with formalities.

It was only then that an important factor dawned on Sage. That it was completely the wrong time to be hunting a bear, the damn thing was running purely on finding something to mate and breed with, and it was certainly fired up enough to attack a lone wolf.

After having argued with the clan about taking the territory, she would not leave this fight with her tail between her legs.
It was unheard of, especially if she was planning to get all these women back home.

It was going to be much harder than taking a bear down.

Sage met the beast with the same fiery attitude and clobbered her way into getting a few rips and tears into his skin, and while she did pierce through—The beast was unfazed.

It didn't tire her out, though. Leo taught her all about endurance when it came to fighting this specific beast.
Keeping up with the movements and taking breaths when she could was the strategy in taking down a beast twice or three times your size.
And right now, he came out to be nearly four times the size.

Had this been her choice bear, she had a feeling that she would've asked Remus for help.

She was Luna then—Now, she holds the title of Alpha.
Which ensured a level of cockiness that had never taken root this far into her soul until this very moment.

The only times she had the Alpha title was when Remus had left the pack—Yet didn't leave the weight on her shoulders or when he had been shot and unconscious for a month.

This was different.
It burned in delight and beckoned her to do things she'd never dreamed of. Nor did she realize she managed to jump and dodge the beast's attack, taking it in a chokehold and sinking her teeth deep into his neck.
The previous years hadn't been easy for him. And perhaps it was obvious where to fight back, given that the scar tissue was still pink and healing.

Had another wolf taken a beating from him?

The question hardly had time to linger when Sage watched the light glisten in the male's eyes like he wanted to die. That the burden of surviving was all too much, and thus...Sage shifted.

"Thank you for your fight. Bless me with warmth, energy, and strength...You may rest now." She said, watching the final beats of his heart tempt his body for the last moment before silence. Sage shifted once more and threw her head back into a howl, leaving those in the region to do the same.

With wolves in all areas, it made it easy to rendezvous in their new home. And when the pups returned, seeing their Alpha having blood smeared on her face and stomach—They gasped and whimpered.

"It's nothing, you two. Alpha had a taste of the heart," Elena said, a teasing glare left in offering as Sage simply smiled. "Bear for dinner, did you find any berries?" The two found numerous things, maple for instance—Which one of the witches suggested that there could be syrup in some trees.

There had been a few forming honeycombs, meaning bees were starting to grow in population. And lastly, a variety of different mushrooms and nuts. The witches certainly didn't hold out on the gathering as the formed bowls and bags had been stuffed to the brim.

Not to mention the hunting team returned with dozens of bunnies and squirrels. The upbeat in the camp was starting to come together, especially when Sage had managed to conjure the cave into a much larger area than she had in the last cave they hunkered down in.

With everyone back to work, Sage returned to her bear. Knowing it would be her responsibility to make sure it was done right and even.
That...And she had plans for the fur.

"Why did you kill the bear?" A voice asked, and it surprised Sage to see Maeve behind her. Admiring her work but also questioning her, was the she-wolf always that strange?

"I miss my bearskin. I want another." Sage offered, all before gesturing to the fallen body of the bear. "But this is a lot of food. If we find salt we can keep it longer."
"S—So you fought a bear because you wanted its fur?" Sage nodded once more and continued using the sharpened rock to cut, having heard Luke's words of 'you won't always have a knife on you,' beckon her to continue this tedious task.

"You're crazy!"
"Crescent Moon has bear hunt. Every year they take bus and drive off pack ground to go and hunt. I kill my first bear. This is my second."
"You could've asked for help!"
"No, you're healing still. I still smell it in my blood. I'm fine. Not that hurt." Mae left in a huff, but it didn't explain why the she-wolf came over here in the first place.

Had that really been her burning question? 

It felt strange for Sage to think about her own response for so long. She killed the bear to get territory, but wasn't the reason why she's in the mess now?

From her understanding, Moon Valley wants Crescent Moon just like she wanted the bear. Just like Alpha Nathan wanted her and her family dead.

Sage never saw herself as a selfish person, but for the first time in her life, she started to question what it was she was doing and what she wanted.

There was no Luke or Remus to guide her. Her Delta still couldn't be fully trusted after the first night of their escape. And she was still too weary of Elena to consult her. So she looked over towards Isla, a witch and their company would do her good.

It hadn't taken much to wave her down, as she was potentially the one in charge of the witches and their tasks when Sage herself couldn't mandate them with everything else going on—It worked out so far, so it'd certainly continue this form.

"Alpha, do you need some help? I'm sure Jose wouldn't mind trading." Sage's eyes had left Isla's for a moment to scan for Jose, who was cutting up the found mushrooms and teaching the pups.
"What do you think...About killing bear?" The Alpha questioned, and Isla's eyes widened. Course she had her own opinion, but now it was clear that something was wrong.

"I think this is exactly what we needed. You made the right call."
"Right call or lucky I win fight against bear?"
"Both, but it doesn't matter. I can tell you firsthand that Mae would have us sitting in the first cave for days—She wouldn't have thought up half the things you managed, trust yourself Alpha...We need you." The soft hand on her shoulder was nothing like her father's, and Sage smiled. Rubbing her cheek against the witch's, and sure it was strange on her end—But she had seen it enough the past few days to understand the meaning.

However, when Isla started to walk away, Sage returned back to the task at hand. Knowing full well she needed to get this done by tonight, both skinned and salted. Though that would need some extra hands at the end.

Yet it was the Gamma that turned to both Lilith and Ethel, who were attempting to make a healing potion for the Alpha's gashes. So she leaned down to the ears of the two witches and nodded, knowing that it would indeed lighten up the spirits of everyone.

"Lady spin your circle bright..." Isla lead, turning to another set of witches, and the next line had taken it right away.

"Lady, spin your circle bright,
Weave your web of dark and light.
Earth, Air, Fire, and Water,
Bind us as one."

The song was short and sweet, but it was repeated, and it was a beauty to hear the Alpha sing—The usually strict and stoic female had managed to sing it fluently, clearly, it wasn't the first time she had heard or sung this song.

The beauty was found in both that and the upkeep. The wolves who weren't entirely taken over had simply hummed to keep the tune, and yet when the song had finally wained down—Isla had looked to Sage's back, hoping—Praying that there had been both equal witch and wolf.

"Mother of darkness, mother of light,
Earth beneath our souls in flight."

Sage attempted, turning over her shoulder with a smile, and those beside Isla had grinned ever so widely. It meant that witches and wolves weren't all that different in the world. Nor were Rogues.

"Songs of love and love of life
Guide us to our hearts
We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean."

Sage held out the song a bit longer, but everyone felt transparent and listened intently. However, this time, the Alpha had thrown in a wolf chant, one that was usually saved for a ceremony, but nevertheless, an Alpha or Luna was meant to start the chants.

With the wolves having respected the witch culture, they received the same treatment. Leaving the witches to hum to the beat of the tune.

Sage had finished her skinning, leaving the better part of the black bear's coat disconnected and free to salt and hard into proper leather. Smirking down she breathed in her kill.

"We are...Black Crescent Circle." She said, raising the bear's head onto her own, and it worked just as she wanted it.
The jaw acting as a head cover, equal parts warrior and leader.

And in looking off toward the rest of the members of the clan, it was clear that they saw her in a new light. Especially when she hadn't spoken after her declaration, and their necks craned or heads bowed in honor of their Alpha Mistress.

______

Date: 02/29/24 (Happy Leap day)

Time: 04:04 PM

Words: 4000

Author's Note:

I feel like the editing process has me moving at a snail's pace, I am so sorry!
But I am also actively working on The Luna of Crescent Moon and while I am on vacation and have downtime, I plan to get cracking!

Or, at least make a dent in everything I have planned.

There's an ongoing joke that wattpad writers have a lot of books drafted, meaning that readers cannot see them on your end--I'll just come out and say that I have 20.

😂✨

Anywayyyy, I hope you're all doing well and have a great rest of your week!