* * *

Beta Elena hadn't known the truth as to what happened, and she had only discovered the truth when witches were gossiping about the news—Of course, it was them. Wolves were private on matters like this.
Yet witches were almost as annoying as the squawking birds in the morning with their chatter.

It was one thing to have a relationship together and flaunt it to the rest, but to hear that Calla and Leah had nearly asked the Alpha—Their Mistress, to join in on their nightly rondeau had crossed a line.

Taking advantage of their Alpha when she was emotionally trying to compensate for her separated family wasn't what had been instilled into this pack.

That is why Elena was going to step in, and she certainly would've...Had she not caught how relaxed and happy Alpha Sage had greeted her that morning. However, it was because of a completely separate reason.

The witches were still warned about the disrespect, that it wasn't the way of the wolves to offer relationships to mated couples. And in the given situation that Sage didn't have her mating mark, her claim, wasn't anyone's fault but the facilities.

All in all, this isn't what Elena had planned for, given that Maeve had overheard and come to her own conclusions. And Elena certainly didn't like the cocky smirk she received, not when she too looked at Sage as though she was a next project to try and conquer.

As if anything the witches had said were true, that Alpha Sage had joined them in their night by the waterfall.

The tension between either Beta or Delta had taken Sage a day to figure it out, though the question still rang in her mind as to why there would've been a fight about attention.

At times like this, Sage wished Darius was back, but it felt as good as severed now.
Sage wondered if it was the same substance from losing Remus—The other theory was that he was with Willow.

That made the days without him much easier to tackle, or would've...
Had the hunting groups not come back in worry about nearby wolves.

It caused Sage to go out with the group and scout out, considering they rightly didn't have anyone for that specific job. The hours combed through miles outside their territory hadn't been all that faint, but in using Leo's training, it looked as though they were tracking something. Another wolf perhaps?

This put a strain on some of the freedom the clan had. Nobody was allowed far without a partner or two, double the night shift with the addition of weapons.

Sage did not want to look unprepared for the thought of enemy. Especially when they were racing around her territory.

In relation to being at risk, Sage had fallen into the pattern of being the last to fall asleep and the first one up. There was no room for games or fun, not in her mind and not when the answer hadn't been solved yet.

Sure the collection of limestone had been a blessing, and it gave Sage something to toy with when she was at the fire pit outside alone. This was when she laid on her bear's pelt and looked up at the stars, her wolf taking the mental time out and just dreaming that maybe...Just maybe, her pups were looking up at the moon right now too, that Remus was teaching them.

"Sage?" She withheld an annoyed huff and turned to the she-wolf, taking instant notice that the female had a blanket and pillow in her arms. And the Alpha was not one to deny someone comfort, but at this moment, she had taken one look at the Delta female and growled at her in a warning.

Not allowing her to join. With a quickened huff, the female who had attempted to put her foot out and perhaps dip into exactly what the witches had gossiped about had been faithfully stopped with ease.

But in all honesty, had Maeve not left, Elena was just a few steps short of joining the Alpha—Knowing that she did not need acceptance to join.
She is, after all, the Beta female of the group.

With ease, Sage understood what Elena was doing over the fire pit, bowling some water and preparing a small bundle of herbs to enjoy together. And it caused Sage to smirk to the female— "Maeve is still angry." Sage offered, and Elena had stalled her next movement. "Angry?"

"Yes, she is angry that I take her spot as Alpha. And with high-ranking blood, I do not give her Beta position." Not knowing what to say, Elena continued the movements and didn't return to her seat until she offered up the fresh couple to the Alpha and sat herself down just at her side.

"Maeve has always been a bit...Off. The girl has been through a lot, and while stubbornness can go a long way, I don't find her motives supportive to the group."

"That is why she is Delta. Deltas are important, but they keep busy so they can not do anything more." Elena frowned, was Sage suggesting that Maeve was up to something more than just a curious glance at a relationship?

Just as Elena was about to question her, Sage had taken a different approach. Not wanting to talk about the clan's dynamics any longer—"I never saw the moon before...I go to Mystic Grimm first and then I see it."

"It's been a while since I've seen her. She's beautiful," Elena whispered, and Sage hummed in agreement. Though the silence caused her to turn down to the she-wolf beside her, it had been so long since Elena had found her by the shore, in her personal oasis, and gave her the much-needed support and comfort that couldn't always be found in the top half of a clan's hierarchy.

To say Sage was confused by Maeve's attempt at being kind was an understatement, Elena's company felt trustworthy. And while the female were not like Julia or Aurora, she still felt the female's dedication. Even loving the small group that they've become.

For the next few nights, this pattern continued on. Maeve would attempt to saunter out and try and join, but every night it was an utter failure.

After a full week, Elena managed to get Sage to sleep back inside the cave with everyone else, to relax and trust the witch's charms to work. Even if the feeling of being watched lingered in the forefront of her mind.

Currently, they were preparing a beautiful lunch, a great hunt caused for celebration, and thus everyone worked together to grill and mix. The garden salad had been a blessing since Sage simply upped the process in letting them overgrow. Leaving them with everything from tomatoes and melons.

It almost put her garden at home to shame.

Sage had been overlooking the operation and managing the salad itself, and she tried to recreate something that Blake had made once when she was pregnant. Even if it didn't taste exactly the same, it certainly smelled good with the oils and spices.

The pups had returned with a few she-wolves with the cleaned plates, and thus they started working out portions. As it was clear that a wolf ate more than a witch, they were still fairly similar in size. Though a witch received more fish than steak, saving it for the wolf's diet.

The iced tea was another one of Sage's ideas, having missed her simple treats back in Crescent Moon. And telling the others who were mothers how her mate would wake up in the middle of the night to make her a sandwich or fetch something else while pregnant had caused laughter, all in our understanding.

"I don't know why, but I liked tomatoes when I was pregnant with pups. I ate a lot." She bustled, and the others smiled and shared their own pregnancy cravings. But of course, it was hardly that long-lived, not when they thought so dearly about their children.

Sage had begun sketching small stones for others in the clan, not many asked for them...But the mothers certainly did, a mental image through their pack link was all it took. Nora, Kai, Tessa, and a few others were eternally grateful.

They kept the stones on them throughout the day, as did Sage now that she had smaller ones compared to the large one beside her bed.

Yet this was the first day that Sage hardly felt antsy to the evidence of others, and the last thing the clan needed was an already established pack moving in on them.

The feast was her idea, to celebrate the work done and perhaps the start of something new. The weather was certainly getting warmer, making everyone assume that summer was on the horizon, but alas...It only made their minds eager to plan their continued journey.

The issue was that not everyone was prepared to leave. Physically, everyone had healed. But not mentally.
Mentally, they were still getting over the prospect of escaping.

After helping to serve everyone, Sage sat at the head of the 'table'. But the table was just the center of the circle with either Elena or Maeve at her sides, then came Isla beside Elena and Cassandra beside Maeve. They said their few prayers and began diving into the well-crafted meal, everyone throwing their signs of approval with hums and groans.

The months of unflavored food had been in the past now that they were living on their own creations, and to say Sage had a hand at the creativity was an understatement. Though it mostly had to do with her studying the small bit of witchcraft in combination with Blake's teachings.

A lot of what she was surviving off of was from Blake.

Though she couldn't forget to give credit to the Elwoods, Leo and Luke especially.

In the record of this thought, she had slowed down in eating—Which caught Elena's attention close to instantly. But the Alpha hadn't stopped, not with the thoughts lined up. It felt wrong to feel sick while eating it, so she lowered her plate and tried to calm her nausea with the refreshing iced tea.

This was not the time to feel anxious or saddened.

It was lucky that the pups hard started with a song when they finished their meal, and it was always an adorable sight to see them twirl around with their skirts. The witches surely taught them some new ones and it caught Sage's attention instantly.

The entertainment surely caused a few others to join, but when Maeve asked if Sage would join, she declined.
Politely, of course, but that still didn't stop the pout of rejection that form.

Elena rolled her eyes after seeing how needy Mae was trying to gain Sage's attention to the point of gifting her creations or serving her plate. It wasn't that the Alpha could get annoyed easily, but there was a limit to everyone.

With Sage finally finishing her meal, she began pulling more attention into braiding Poppy's. A common trade that one woman would do for one another. A favor or type of payment, considering there wasn't much to do with currency. Though for the pups, anyone would do it without hesitation.

The music has died down for a minute and more, Sage smiled in thinking of the perfect song. So much so she pulled up her hood and smirked down at the pup in her lap.

"I am my mother's savage daughter,
The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.
I am my mother's savage daughter,
I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice!"

Sage offered out, and the witches surely caught wind of their mistress joining in to lead that they started to hum along. Though it was the wolves who didn't know this chant, but gauged with the same curiosity as the ones they didn't know before.

"My mother's child is a savage,
She looks for her omens in the colors of stones,
In the faces of cats, in the fall of feathers,
In the dancing of fire and the curve of old bones."

Isla had joined her this next verse, and with a combined nod, the witches had joined in on the next chorus. Their voices were much rougher than the delicate tones used before.

"I am my mother's savage daughter,
The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones.
I am my mother's savage daughter,
I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice!"

Sage smirked and bobbed her head along with the taps and small beats to the wooden drums. But those around her awaited for her to sing the real lyrics, and she laughed out loud before starting anew.

"My mother's child dances in darkness,
And sings heathen songs by the light of the moon,
And watches the stars and renames the planets,
And dreams she can reach them with a song and a broom."

The chorus took over once more, but more wolves appeared to join in on the tempo this time. Even Mae had begun to mumble out what she could recall, sitting up to join the joyous moment—Even laughing at the fact the pups began dancing and shouting their own verses.

"My mother's child curses too loud and too often,
My mother's child laughs too hard and too long,
And howls at the moon and sleeps in ditches,
And clumsily raises her voice in this song!

Sage attempted to follow along lightly with this next chorus, but the silence soon set in after their verse, and Sage breathed in slowly.
The music having come to a stop.

"Now we all are brought forth out of darkness and water,
Brought into this world through blood and through pain,
And deep in our bones, the old songs are wakening,
So sing them with voices of thunder and rain!"

The Alpha no longer had a part in the song as she breathed in the beauty that was their enthusiasm, and for once, Sage could enjoy the light and lift up that worry that was plaguing her mind.

However, it spoke much too soon when the attention had been drawn out by laughter—Male laughter.

"I think I found the answer as to why our woods are so empty, Severin..." 

______

Date: 03/21/24

Time: 12:24

Words: 2525

Author's Note:

A day late, I'm so sorry!

I just returned home from my trip to Germany and I was able to get a few good chapters done for The Luna of Crescent Moon, I'm so excited!
Remember when I said that the story was going to be a short one?
But do you also remember when I said that I cannot write a short story to save my life?
Well, I think we're at a good 40+ chapters and I'm not even close to finishing the plot I have laid out for me, and I didn't even start editing it yet!

Soooo, I think we're a ways away from starting to post the story, at least until I'm a little closer!

That way I can focus on the Moon Ridge rewrite AND the Grey Hallow rewrite/finishing the story in peace!

Phew, that was a boatload of info, but anyway, we're on our way to the biggest revisions this story has...Are you ready?

I hope you all have a great week, and I'll see you in the next update!