* * *

Sage, having been treated rushly by Lilith, was still groggy in terms of trying to focus on what had happened. Lilith claimed that they were in a jailhouse. A jailhouse that hadn't been on the tour when Alanna and Andy had introduced everyone to the Oak Wood pack.

After the small bit of treatment that the Witch had managed, Sage was feeling better but not fully conscious enough to understand the rushed words from the Wiccan Healer.
The female began to chant a small spell to keep the heat inside—Given that Sage herself hadn't been wearing anything warm.

"W-what?"
"That bitch says she found...Goddess, I don't know the wolf term for it—But it's what you take when you don't want a pup or to never become pregnant again." Lilith's explanation had caused Sage's eyes to go wide with panic, but bless the witch who had eased her worries and returned the blanket back over her Mistress.

"It's alright, it wasn't enough—And the treatment plan for it is meant to be violent. No one was scarred. That's important, but we need to be careful...That female—" Sage's growl silenced Lilith, as she didn't want to hear about what Lucy had managed to do in the time of a single morning.

Shifting such blame and pinning an arrest?
Sage could hardly wrap her head around the madness. Truly, what was the point of this?

Was it a test?
A continuous test to see if she deserved to return back home?

Had she upset the Goddess in some way?
Had it been for the fact that she had ignored Andy during her Heat?

Possibilities swirled around so quickly that she wasn't able to listen to Lilith's theories or see her be replaced by Andy—Who slid down the side of the barred door.

"I hate this...I'm so sorry, sweetheart—We're trying to figure out what happened. But I think...I think I've got it figured out. You have to say that we're expecting a pup, alright? You wouldn't have the means if you were pregnant, too. That shit is so dangerous to even be near a pregnant she-wolf, right?" Andy had been rushing through his plan in a whisper as it nearly took all her strength to listen to what he was trying to say.

"L-Lucy..."
"Yeah, yeah, hun, I saw—She said she found it in our room." Sage's cough had echoed through the small cell and she groaned. 

"When I feel better, I am breaking out. I don't care, Andy. I can't be in cage...Not again." It was cruel, but at the moment Sage was far too tired to promise much more than that.

"There's a blizzard coming. We can't leave—We're not leaving." Andy demanded, yet Sage's eyes pinned open to look at him. He was still leaning against the wall, his head tilted to meet her, but not directly facing her.

Damn him, damn him to— "And I'm not safe here. We're not safe here."

"Sage—"
"It hurts...Shh." She wanted to rest, and having only drank so little but spitting out the rest had hopefully saved her from just what the blend was created for.

"We need to be smart about this, not run away from the problems that come at us."
"And I can't have tea at breakfast because someone wants to kill me. There is no pup, and I don't even talk to Lucy long...I warn you, and you do not listen...Why should I listen to you?" Andy's sigh had been long, knowing full well that Sage's voice was teetering on the end of her exhaustion, but realistically, what more could he do?

Severin and Elena were already doing all they could to try and rectify the situation, as were the witches—In the infirmary, that is.

At least Lucy and Kendra hadn't been too bright when it came to the dosage for a whole kettle, as Lilith had claimed.

"You made me a promise, sweetheart. And I made one to you too. You're my female until I see proof that your male is alive." The room, if possible, had grown colder as the words bounced around in Sage's head, and thus, her eyes began to shift to a cold and dark stare as the hallway light began to flicker.

Proving that the bars that were holding her were not, in fact, silver.

"Hard to be Alpha without a pack..." Sage said with a smirk as she curled further into the blanket Lilith provided. 

Yet the scoff had alerted Andy to turn back to the forefront. "What did you find, Elena?"

"I know you did not just threaten my Luna after what she just went through, Alpha...Goddess, what is wrong with you?" Elena hissed, and the way the fire had risen in not only Sage, but in his Beta female had finally caused him to recoil.

"Just trying to remind her that leaving Oak Wood is not an option right now."
"And you're needed upstairs, Alpha...Sev is trying to get to the bottom of this, but it's better to have you there." Elena had been careful with her word choice, and after a bit of silent debate, Sage had watched Andy try to reach for her in the cell, only for her to arch her arm over to squeeze.

"Figure it out before I break out, Andy." She warned, and thus, Andy had given her a solum nod.

He couldn't lose another loved one, even if Sage weren't meant to be a permanent figure. He simply couldn't.

So, in returning to the mayhem, Andy did his best to keep his wolf and internal emotions at bay. There was hardly any time for Sage to properly heal, let alone think of any malicious intent amongst the pack.

That would be Andy's opening statement or would have been, had Lucy not flung herself into his arms and smiled brightly up toward him. "Andy, goddess, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way."
"Lucy, I need to speak with Alpha Julian." Is all he said, disregarding just what the she-wolf had said.

It was time to start taking Sage's words for what they were, and he did not doubt that if he didn't start now to gain her freedom, she would start the trek home to Crescent Moon tonight.

Blizzard or not.

"Lucy, please check in on Alanna for me. Tell the Healer I need an update every hour. If anyone's condition worsens, I want to know." Julian ordered, and the female, while hesitant, followed through with the order from her Alpha—Leaving the two dominant males in the room alone with one another.

"You're making a mistake, Julian."
"Am I? The Murax leaves were found in your room, Andy. What am I meant to think?" Andy paused, taking a breath in before he retracted the very words he had tried to convince himself of before.

"Because I'm hopeful that Hera is carrying my pup, but you seem to disregard all of it without conducting a proper search...Hera and I share a room, but she's the one locked in the basement?" Julian frowned further. Clearly, he hadn't been thinking straight.
Not when his mate was in the Infirmary bed with a good portion of other females.

"What are you saying, Andy?"
"That Hera has been falsely accused, and I can bet my life that Lucy is involved in this somehow. Hera doesn't even know that there are life-altering remedies like this...I'm sorry I didn't let you in on this. We haven't smelled anything that could lead to a pregnancy, and you're other Healer is in Arctic Crest."
"And you think going to Crescent Moon, to her former pack, to ask about her pregnancy is a good idea? She's carrying a bastard for as far as they care—I have my doubts, Andy." That made him scoff, crossing his arms over his chest in pure defiance.

"Then we have come at an impasse, and given that I doubt you changed your rules and bylaws...I want an investigation done on Lucy, Kendra, and their little circle of she-wolves. Since my female is in confinements, I suppose they'll have to brave the storms outside."
"There's a blizzard outside!"
"Then move my female back to our rooms, set a guard—Fucking goddess, Julian, she's just escaped the Underground." It was a pathetic attempt to try and pardon Sage, but Andy still held the respect in the same hand as the debts he owed to this pack.

He couldn't misspeak. Otherwise, his pack would be left to the elements outside without any help.

Though, he wondered if the best course of action would be to head to Arctic Crest instead. At least they were neutral territory...Or he hoped that was still the case. "You're sure that Hera is innocent?"

"I would offer my blood and swear it on the Moon Goddess herself, but it doesn't mean the same to you anymore since—" A growl settled through the room, and Andy had known there had been a cease in control.

As he had reminded Julian of his fated mate, his first female. Perhaps it was a bit unfair, but Andy couldn't risk the safety of Hera and their pack.

"Four of my Enforcers will bring her to your room and stand guard. Our first concern is healing the females." Andy nodded, leaving the room to go and alert his higher tiers to form a solid plan.

Yet, with only Sage being affected by this nightmare, it would be hard to prove—Unless he found better evidence or found someone not afraid of Lucy and her gaggle of brutal She-wolves.

In reconnecting with Severin and Grey, he felt confident that things would blow over. But that would do little for the trust Sage has in her own kind.

______

Date: 06/29/24

Time: 1:17 AM (oops)

Words: 1663

Author's Note:

A bit of a different twist than outright blaming Lucy for the poison. This turned into a more realistic approach to figuring out who did it.

There are only ten chapters left!

I hope you're all doing well, and I hope you have a fantastic weekend, and I'll see you in the next update!