* * *

"You said she would start waking up by—"

"Alpha Remus, I cannot even begin to address what happened. But Sage's eardrums burst, and she nearly ran herself into the ground with the trial and undergoing the search. Her body needs to heal, not to mention that she's still healing from her time captured and as a rogue." Kenzie considered herself a patient female, but she was reaching her limit.

If it weren't for Remus' title, she would've called security for being an overbearing mate.

The only option she had was to call Alpha Hayes, but he was far too involved with the search, and she couldn't pull him away.

Not when Sage's room just started to clear out with guests.

Two days.

Two whole days, and while all her vitals seemed well, Luna Sage was still undefined.

"What did Mystic Grimm's Healers say—"

"Sir, I am quite capable of finding a reasonable explanation for the Luna collapsing. We aren't working with something wolf-like. We're going into the category of torture and abuse, if you haven't already realized. Not to mention her eardrum is still healing from being too close to the sound," Healer Kenzie said, and not for the first time, "I already told you my theories, and Clark agreed."

Remus bit back his wolf's growl. Andrew did give his insights after waking up an hour later. But Sage was one of the final wolves still lingering in the infirmary that wasn't a part of the rescue.

"Luke's group found more captives. I'll come around after I check on them, sir. The Luna will be furious if I didn't." With the nodding approval of her dismissal, Kenzie nearly ran out of the room and started barking orders to prepare.

In the midst of his self-loathing, however, Remus missed another set of calls from Mystic Grimm, White Paw, and Grey Hallow. It was starting to become a struggle to keep up with what was happening in their community. After running a stressful hand through his hair, Remus realized that this was more or less his fault.

He didn't think to look.

Not in the mountains, not underground—Hell, not even his ex-girlfriend, who smelled off from the start.

It wasn't until Andrew mentioned just how obsessed the female was during their younger years that he absolutely hated the fact that it took Sage coming in full force with a punch to his jaw for him to realize something that everyone had been screaming for half a decade.

"Harlow?" Remus spoke directly into the phone, but his attention was still strictly on Sage's chest rising and falling. "You're worse than Dad in answering your fucking phone. What's going on?"

It felt awful to repeat it again and again.

That Sage is still out cold.

Or that the number of found wolves was rising, and to make matters worse, they weren't all just Crescent Moon residents.

It seemed that the party traveling to Moon Ridge would also be returning a good few wolves back home.

When the calls finally ended, Camilla leaned in with a gentle knock, offering a smile before bringing the stroller in further. The actual seats were leaned back for the pups to get their nap in.

"They just had a bottle. The pups did a wonderful job watching the twins, " she shared, thinking back to the pictures of Casey, Levi, Poppy, and Clementine playing with the younger years.

It was the easiest way to keep the parents at ease to know that their pups were safe together.

"Thanks for bringing them," Remus sighed, "I know it's not the best—"

"She'll feel them if they're close. Don't worry...How about you go and get something to eat, Remus? I'll sit with her until you come back." He hadn't left the room for more than a few minutes since Sage was admitted, so he reluctantly nodded and mindlessly followed his nose toward Gigi in the kitchens.

Hoping he could get some early dinner to bring back to the room.

Camilla was surprised that Kenzie's suggestion had passed, so the woman had taken hold of Rue's cranky form and brought her straight to Sage's chest to relax. Sure enough, Rue shifted to her wolf and snuggled deeper into her mom's chest. Hoping for some reaction since the pups were missing their mom.

Mama! Mama look!

Rue's voice trickled into Sage's mind as she began to stir, and Camilla caught it nearly instantly, just as she was unbuckling Ronan to join his sister. "Sage?"

It did not elect a response, though the vocal yaps, but as Rue started to link once again—She learned quickly that her mom started to respond, just in not so many words.

"...Ken—Kenzie!" Camilla shouted out into the hallway, and the urgency caused a few passing nurses to peek at Camilla. Once they realized that it was the Luna's room, the healers hurried forward.

"I—I think Sage is waking up...She's been moving." Kenzie nodded and took the checks for her blood pressure and heartbeat. Noticing that it's no longer in its resting state.

"Sage? Can you squeeze my hand?" The question held still and didn't react, not for a few passing beats that caused MaKenzie to frown.

"What is it?" Camilla asked, desperate for an answer just as Remus would be. "Nothing, I just—Get me an otoscope." The order had been sent, and a runner returned with the needed tool. And just as Kenzie had predicted, Sage was starting to wake up but couldn't necessarily hear.

Sage? Can you hear me?

Kenzie? Where am I?

You're in the infirmary, Rue is on your chest, and Camilla and I are in the room. Can you open your eyes?

Sage followed her instructions, only to see her daughter and the very females mentioned in the Link. In a moment of panic, however, she pushed herself forward and wrapped her arms around Rue—shaking frantically that this was all a lie.

She thought this was a fever dream, and she would wake up back in the cold garage or in Half Crescent.

Rue started to yelp at how pressing her mom was, and in an attempt to give a sign—The small licks to her chin had started to calm her down. The rush of scents lingering in the air helped her story where she is, but not knowing where anyone is—She felt discouraged in not being able to feel her brothers, her dads, or Andrew.

But the link for Remus was clear and bright, and she didn't hesitate to call for him.

Sage?

Remmy, where are you?

Hang on hun, I'm in the pack house. I'll be right there! Just stay awake for me, please?

His tone of desperation had caused Sage to look directly towards the door as Kenzie worked around Rue, staying in her mother's arms. It made it slightly difficult, but it was better than the previous types of lashing she'd been dealing with since the uncovered truck.

It was strange, more than strange—To see everything moving and working in complete and utter silence. There were no thumping heartbeats from anyone in the room, and she certainly couldn't hear the machines beeping beside her.

But from previous experience, she knew what made noises and what didn't.

"Sage?!" The Alpha bellowed upon coming into the room. The tension in his face had caused her to frown and tilt her head, while the rest of the room had lowered in submission.

Having caught the rumble in the heart more than at her ear, Sage's hand had itched at her ear. Only for Kenzie to interfere. "I was correct. The device ruptured her eardrum. It should return in a few hours or days, depending on how often it's happened."

Sage's eyes flickered from Kenzie, Mama Camilla, and Remus.

Though it was growing extremely difficult to see them start talking over each other, the lip-reading turned nearly impossible as she huffed impatiently. Earning her an eager lick from Rue beside her.

However, instinct prevailed, and a once sleeping pup started throwing his arms up to show his demands. And when they weren't met, his eyes turned red with frustration and tears. "Ronan." She demanded, and Sage managed to catch her eldest's pup starting to wail in the commotion of it all.

Camilla had comforted the pup for only a moment before he shifted into fur and scrambled towards his mom in the infirmary bed. And once he managed, he snuggled directly under her awaiting arm.

"I can't hear, but pups don't like yelling. No more yelling." She spoke, her tone growing louder at the fact that she couldn't hear herself. And by the end of her scolding, she was again tapping at her ear.

Luna, please don't touch your ear. Not until I can properly treat it. It might be a few days until your hearing is rescheduled.

Kenzie's voice was a soothing reminder that the world isn't as mute as it seems. And thus, she smiled and tried her best to comfort her screaming pups.

At least we have linking to communicate, Moonlight...And thank you for the save. Luke thinks they would've torn me to shreds.

Sage nodded toward her mate with a smile. "Can't hurt my Mate. They don't know better." Her defensive stance over her Mate and the newly discovered Deformed was inevitable.

"Yeah, but thanks, hun...I guess we have a few calls to make, huh?" He questioned, speaking both in Link and aloud to the females beside him.

___

Date: 08/25/25

Time: 2:17 PM

Words: 1547