* * *

The meeting was surprisingly informative. The pictures of the uncovered building identified it as an old formation of the Oracles of the Holy Knot, but not the modern period.

Hayes was quick to theorize that Randal would have put the entirety of the packs in America back into the stone age if he had the chance—leaving females to be titled bitches and nothing more than homebodies and to care for the pups.

A reality that would have been real had he won the war.

It wasn't far off from the chaos Randal had created in Crescent Moon either, but in recent times, it has been much more equality-centric and focused on prosperity in the newer testaments. Jade and her former Alpha had spoken the most and identified what they could, but even then, there wasn't much to go on.

Sage played over the conversation repeatedly in her mind. The packs hardly looked at a higher power beyond the Moon Goddess. But the presence of two separate cultures, Greek and Norse, was tugging at her thoughts. Torin didn't know what to make of it either, not when they were dependent on such a small amount of information.

Her dreams were readily available to walk through both the temple she visited in her mother's body to the one within a few miles away. Something connected them, as the 'stained glass' placement was relatively the same.

As though they were telling a story.

"We'll see each other again real soon, Sage...Very soon." The voice was familiar, but his body didn't align with what she saw—Not with the flashing images paired with the falsely stained glass trying to promote darkness and dictatorship. "VERY SOON!"

The shout erupted in Sage's ear as she shot forward, her hands touching her neck to ensure that there wasn't any collar or anything binding her arms and legs. It took her nearly falling out of bed to feel secure enough to breathe evenly, yet the familiar candle scent had placed her back in her bedroom—The one right across from Remus.

It was just easier to find peace here in her 'office', as Julia was starting to call it since nobody wanted to admit to the fact that Sage and Remus were sleeping separately.

Or that Andrew occupied another room just at the end of the hall.

Then it hit her: neither Remus nor Andrew would come to her rescue for this night terror, even when she felt Armond's hands burning at the touch.

There was no bond to connect her to her Fated Mate, which meant that Remus had no idea what was happening, causing Sage to crack, feeling almost as alone as when she woke up bare in the rain.

It wasn't them that were betraying her, it was just a reminder of the difficulty of accepting Remus. Not linger around him, even if not much time had passed between what she'd endured with Armond.

Pulling herself together, she wiped away her tears and settled on checking on the pups. They were sound asleep and nestled perfectly under their blanket, and as she allowed herself the moment of humming and combing their hair back and out of their faces, Roe decided to wake up and smile at his mama.

The young toddler offered his stuffed animal, and Sage took the bear and kissed it on the top of its head. "Mommy sees you in the morning. Goodnight, Roe." It was enough to send the boy back to sleep within mere seconds, with his head tilted to the side.

He was definitely fighting the urge to stay awake.

As she closed the door with a soft click, it left her in the hallway, confused about what to do now. No part of her wanted to get back into bed alone, and as her eyes lingered off toward the stairs, she didn't crave a hot beverage either.

Nor was it safe to take a night run.

Her options were limited, especially when her dad was staying in the pack house instead, saying that the house had too many people to get any real sleep.

She hadn't gotten any real sleep for some time now, and it wasn't hard to figure out the blessed factor. She and her wolf missed her Mate, but having a former bond that was now disconnected made everything feel numb.

Only when they reached out and touched the bond did they finally recognize the other as what they once were, it was damning—And in the beginning, Sage had thought it helpful not to have to focus on a male, but for one reason or another, she wanted her male.

It was instinctual for wolves to find comfort in one another, especially those they'd bonded with. Not only were they bonded through the Goddess' pairing, but she was the mother to his children. His Luna.

In the morning, she would talk with Andrew. She needed to try to push out her feelings. Or perhaps she would speak with Cal before attempting any sort of change, not wanting to risk things coming out all wrong.

Once and for all, take claim and thank him for helping her return, while also apologizing for not being as truthful as she could have been.

With her emotions and thoughts combined into one set motion, she had come towards Remus' door and gently peeked her head in—And her wolf had nearly howled at the sight of Remus sprawled out and clutching one of her missing pillows.

She hadn't thought more of it when she had gone to bed with one absent, but now it was sending her back into a chaotic whirlwind.

She never would have thought she would miss sleeping in this room—Yet this is exactly what she fought so damn hard for in attempting to come back to.

Remus was the main reason just, besides the twins and the rest of the family, to return.

So why had she thought space was the easiest way to solve this?

Sage never lived in a world where Remus' bond didn't affect her, and it was still growing increasingly difficult to understand what was plaguing her mind and why his presence still seemed to scare her.

Even when she slipped into his side of the bed beside the door, he didn't instinctively move to hold her.

Not until her scent reached his nose did he wake up. "Sage...?" He called out, sleep thick on his voice—And all she could do was conform to his backside and hum. "Hey, hun, did you have a nightmare?"

She hummed again. It was funny how a nightmare led her to his room. But he didn't care, he was following Hayes' advice in letting Sage come at her own pace in getting back together.

And with the internal rage of everything coming back into the spotlight, a Heat and the pups craving their mom's attention—Their relationship would take time to return to what it was, if it ever returned at all.

"Miss you." Her voice had come out in a whisper, but as Remus turned around to look, he realized that she wasn't as awake as he first thought. "You want to talk about it?"

It was a genuine question that Calista had instructed those around Sage to ask on occasion. Hoping that maybe one day she would share everything that happened in the months she was pronounced dead.

"Bad vampire man says he's coming to get me soon." She replied, her nails fiddling with the blanket she wrapped herself in. Yet her attention piqued when Remus's growl filled the room, providing her with the comfort to fall back into his embrace.

"He's not going to touch you while I'm still around, and there's a long line of people who want him dead." While Sage didn't respond, her long inhale was enough to settle his wolf.

"Can I sleep here?" She asked, wondering if she was the one to be too pushy now. And a playful smile had erupted onto her mate's lips. "I'm not sure, can you sleep here?" He asked, and she thought for a moment before realizing he was starting their conversation with a gentle tease.

"I ask because I don't know...If you want me here."

"Sage—What gave you that idea?" The disbelief in his tone instantly caused her to feel guilty about her reasoning. "You're mad about deal I made with Andy." She whispered back, the insecurity just building by the second between the two of them.

"You did what you had to do. I—I get that now. I'm in this to the end, Sage... This is our home, our pack. We're mates, and sometimes the world will get in the way of us." Her nod was delayed, and Remus could only hold himself back so much.

His hand gestured to push the better part of her long bangs behind her ear, causing a delightful shiver to escape her body. And Remus followed by tucking her under the covers. "I want you, Sage. Now more than ever."

Relief struck her instantly, giving her the proper go-ahead to push her lips lightly to his—And the spark erupted and began to glow, pushing their instincts to overcome any past incidences to bring them back into the moment.

What had started as a chaste kiss turned into Sage gasping for breath as Remus nuzzled her neck and pressed deeper into her ever-so-responsive body.

With so much at risk, Sage thrived on the good in the world. His hot breath did wonders to her arousal, and he followed in pursuit soon after. But the sharp gasp came out in surprise.

When both had come to a combined stop, it was clear nothing would happen that night or anytime soon. But that was okay in Remus' mind, as he kissed her once more and moved to his pillow, tucking her just under his chin.

"You took my pillow." She whispered, only for his body to shake with laughter. "Yeah, I couldn't help myself, I sleep better with you nearby." She shifted onto her stomach to face him properly.

"So busy we can't talk anymore."

"Yeah, I almost forgot how much work it is being an Alpha. Once we find a few leads, we can start relaxing. And we're headed to Florida for vacation the second we find Willow and kill that vampire man."

"Vacation?... Why Florida?" Her only experience of Florida was the council's territory, so he soothed her worries by expecting a large meeting and explaining that Florida has beautiful beaches, ones that a douser like herself should experience the ocean a few times in her life.

"It's nice and warm, and we need a break."

"A break with pups." Sage rephrased, and Remus smirked, "Sounds like a dream, a very far away dream."

Sage nodded with a slight pout, wondering what lay between them and a stressless activity with no objective other than to have fun.

And thus, Sage had fallen asleep soundly with the gentle image of a beach. While Remus hardly needed any imagination, as having his mate back beside him was all he ever wanted.

***

As morning came, the pups weren't all too chatty. They made their way out of their cribs on their own and decided to play with the toys scattered in their room.

A shriek of laughter had pulled Andrew out of his slumber, not that he managed to get much with how soft the bed underneath him is. But his thoughts continued to plague him, not to mention that he missed Sage.

He missed her more than he ever thought he would.

It didn't help that he craved comfort when the Snyder family was about to be put on trial in the coming days. The entire court will be broadcasted to surrounding packs, and it was driving him insane to think that he would have to stand as a witness and relay everything that had happened and how Snyder managed to rat him out of a suicide mission—But also encourage the torture to four innocent wolves?

He made it a point to speak with them and check in. But the last thing they wanted was a reminder of his scarred face.

Even if they were too nice to say it, John included.

"Hey, lil moon pups, what're you two playing?" He asked, kneeling beside them, as of right now, the twins were the better part of his day. They were so innocent and sweet that they didn't care about his scar, not to mention that they were the near-identical copies of two of his favorite people.

"Uncle Andy! Read you book." Rue's excitement had stumbled a bit as she wobbled her way forward and fell into his lap, all while pointing to the pictures and making up her own story.

It was precious that Andy didn't have the heart to correct her on any of her mistakes. And Ronan listened just as intently as he fiddled with his small wolf figure.

Goddess, he wished he could have the life Remus has. The idea of a mate and pups was causing his wolf to whine out in desperation. Even when he nuzzled the young pup, imprinting his scent into his head—It wasn't enough for his craving.

The mantra of 'when everything is over' struck once again, sparking the anxious feeling once again, leaving a heavy weight to rest above his heart and threatening his breathing.

He needed things to be over, and soon—It wasn't that he hated living in Crescent Moon. It was just too much of a reminder of what he had and lost.

Perhaps he could take up Issac's offer and move to Grey Hallow. At least there, he could start a new life surrounded by his mother's family.

The pups soon grew bored with the toys in their room and decided to move downstairs to the playroom. After helping them both down the stairs, he called out to Sage and Remus—But they weren't in their normal spots in the kitchen.

Frowning, he set the twins in the playroom and secured the child gate to ensure they wouldn't run all around the house unsupervised. When he checked Sage's room and saw it empty, he quickly assumed that she was off on an early morning run before the pups woke up.

Which was not that surprising considering she's had that routine even at Half Crescent.

But with a quick knock on Remus' door, he was both delighted and hurt to have found Sage.

It was wrong to be jealous, not when he was staying in their home, he should have expected that things would naturally return to normal.

For such a short amount of time, Andy had thought he had found his Mate.

All to be crushed by the news that his friend was alive and well.

It was wrong to be angry, yes, but it still left Andy confused as to his position here in Crescent Moon. Hell, even back then, he wasn't at all concerned about his position, not when he felt comfortable dying for his case and ending Randal's outlandish ideas.

However, Remus' voice had pulled him out of his thoughts, but that only caused him to land back on the image of both of his friends, naked, and sharing an embrace.

Which was still difficult to digest.

So he said the first thing that popped into his mind. "Cooking. I'm cooking breakfast." Remus rubbed his eyes and started to pull away from Sage, but his brain was not fully awake just yet.

"Andy—Wait." Before Remus could get out of bed, Andy was already halfway down the hall. And in his rush, the bed began to tussle, making Sage growl in a warning for him to stop.

"Breakfast, hun," Remus said, "I'll make you some tea." With that sort of offer, her growl subsided and shifted into a hum, snuggling further into her pillow as she yawned. It felt as though she hardly slept, but taking in the fact that the bed smelled heavily of Remus caused her to stop.

She was back in their bed—How did she get here?

Upon sitting up, Remus placed a kiss on her crown and offered up her robe. It left her smiling up at him as she pulled it on. Thinking her tank top wasn't enough when the spring air still left the mornings a bit chilly.

But speaking of downstairs, Andrew was grumbling to himself at just how much of a dumbass he was being. He was causing unwanted problems not only for himself but for others around him.

"Hey, can I get a cup of coffee?" The voice caused his back to hunch up as he turned around. Only to see Calista smiling up a storm behind him. "Stop sneaking up on me." He said, placing down his spatula to get what she asked for.

"Well, Mr.Grumpy, you make it so fun." She said with an even wider grin if that was even possible.

"Here," Andrew huffed, only eyeing her for a moment, "what are you doing here?"

Cal's brows rose as she took a sip, only until her eyes flickered off towards the stairs. "Are the pups up?"

"Yeah, they're in the playroom, why?"

"I just have a soft spot for pups." She claimed, but Andrew had missed the more than obvious she-bear checking out his ass as he turned back around to the stove.

It's hopeless, isn't it?

Calista had tried to talk herself out of these feelings, but they blossomed right under her snoot—Andrew Clark is a handsome male, it was a shame he was so caught up on something out of everyone's control...

"Cal!...Good morning!" Sage cheered as she came flying down the stairs and hugged the she-bear. "Good morning, Luna...See, that's the kind of greeting I want, Clark." Remus frowned at seeing his friend scowling at a pack's guest, and sure it was too early to start talking about work—There was little anyone could do.

The Snyders needed to be put down and forgotten as soon as possible.

***

"How did the interviews go?" Remus questioned as the table finished their last bites, and Sage lingered for a minute before getting the pups cleaned up.

"Pitiful, but that's not very professional of me. If you'd like to review the recordings, I have the list of questions and everything in my room. Who did they call to defend them again?" Calista asked, though Remus shrugged and claimed that someone from another pack would be taking on the legal procedures in the case of Crescent Moon versus Synder.

"I can't talk about much more than that, Alpha," Calista refrained from speaking too much towards one side, "I'm supposed to be on neutral territory." Andrew chuckled into his next bite, and Sage frowned at his reaction, saying that there wasn't a reason for his anger.

"It's okay, you helped a lot already." The Luna said, completely grateful for the help.

If only they had more of a lead on Willow than getting justice for all the crimes the Synders have caused.

___

Date: 07/07/2

Time: 12:38 PM

Words: 3085