* * *

In the days following the return of the Moon residence guests, Sage blossomed at the prospect of her house once again filled with everyone she loves.

Though, she couldn't help but feel that Andy was creating a wide berth of space between them whenever she came near. Better yet, he only spoke to her in regard to Half Crescent and the progress of the pack.

Nothing more.

It was as if the Heat had pushed him and his pursuit, but that still didn't withdraw his attention—It was nearly impossible for him to cut Sage out. Not that he wanted to.

But because he had to.

Not to mention that Jade was still a bit weary after the small spat that happened on Christmas Day. Even if the two turned civil—It didn't mean they would become best friends anytime soon.

As of yet, the house has been filled with just the same guests, in addition to witches. It was decided that a mind swap could potentially give them the answers they craved. It was vital for them to check their mental health before performing such a complicated spell with Sage and Willow.

With the possibility of Willow being relatively low and unstable, there was a risk.

A high one.

Not to mention the now bonus to what the remanence of a Heat would do in the record of Sage's health.

The witches had laid out all the options, but nothing fatal. Yet one that stayed in Remus' mind was the mere thought of them becoming stuck.

It didn't allow Remus or Andrew to sleep, and Sage was quaking at the mere possibility of going back to the Underground.

Back to the mental and physical torture that she had just escaped—Worse of all, she would be stuck in a body that wasn't her own.

The twist was the excitement buzzing around the Moon household. While Sage held her tail between her legs, her siblings and father counted down to the last minute.

Was it wrong?

Sage didn't want to stop the casting, not when it could give them clues or hints. But she was the one who had to endure it.

"Remember, Sage, we will set a timer. It could be difficult for us to hear you from your end, but if something is wrong or you've been caught, say the words." Aurelia's encouraging reminder of the safe words didn't stop the she-wolf from gnawing on her lip.

Her family treated her like a savior, but it didn't feel that way at all.

She felt horrified by what could happen—Scared, even.

She was especially shocked when she caught sight of her home's den having turned into an empty prayer circle. The witches were already getting to work on the blessing station; they would be the outer rim, as the wolves didn't have the magical capabilities to maintain anything.

"Raven, can you put twenty minutes on the clock?" Her aunt called out, but Harlow frowned, "What if we need more time with—"

"I think twenty minutes is plenty. Remember where your sister, my Mate, are going back to." Remus bit back, and it was as if, at that moment, his words dumped cold water onto the Mystic members.

Hayden became the most distraught over it, "Sage..."

"No, we need to find Mom. Twenty minutes is okay. We can go again later." Aurelia nodded to the Hybrid's words, and thus, the room finally settled. The lights were lowered to a dim setting, leaving the den to become nearly pitch black—the curtains having been extra layered to keep the sun rays out.

They didn't need any outside sources peeking into what they were doing, not when demons and other beings were lurking about. However, upon seeing the offered blindfold, Sage gulped.

It was better to be safe than sorry, especially when Willow's mind could be looked through and tormented for information, which is why one of Sage's senses would be blocked off.

Even with Remus being the one to tie it around her head, it didn't calm her wolf, not one bit.

Andrew had to keep himself planted on the opposite side of the Alpha as he had no place in this, but his anxiety was still rising tenfold.

His mind goes directly back to the torment he's evaded for just over a decade. And Andy wasn't even the one going into the soul swap, fuck, a part of him wanted to speak up, perhaps try and send someone else—A witch, perhaps.

But it was far too late.

Not when blood magic was involved.

With everyone secured into place, the enchanted humming started to fill the room. The scent of lavender and sage permeated the room and made the wolves' nostrils water at how strong it was on them.

This was all necessary to the process, as was the prominent candle in the middle—its purple coloring had been blessed and given Sage's blood, along with that of her siblings and father.

The family's bond would come to help with this summoning.

Remus felt his mate's subtle movement; he couldn't describe it as anything more. Looking at the connected candle, its glowing ember on the wick showed the progress being made.

Until it grew to an instant flame, Sage's head flew back as she began to convulse. "Stop it! Stop—"

"We cannot stop mid-summoning, this is normal." Raven had been the only one about to speak and thus, calmed the better part of the wolves surrounding her.

And yet, when Sage's body had fallen still with her head hanging low, Remus couldn't feel a thing. However, it was Hayes' wolf who had picked up what Remus had previously. He carefully cupped his daughter's cheeks to enact a sort of fire in his palms.

A sensation he hadn't felt in twenty-plus years.

Any doubt that the others had instantly changed while Willow's scent overtook Sage's. And, of course, Remus and his children had let out a faint whine at the sudden absences.

"Willow?" Hayes cooed down to his misplaced Mate, he had to remind himself over and over that this wasn't entirely Willow. And yet he placed a small kiss on her temple before embracing her. "It's me...You're safe." The desperation in his voice hadn't been the one to cause any movement from the possessed she-wolf.

It had been the scent of the room, her nose had begun to twitch and dive into the palm of Hayes' hand in desperation to get more.

"Ayden?"

Remus' eyes widened. He'd never heard Sage speak so clearly. While her gruff tone had managed to lighten over the months, this wasn't her. It wasn't his Mate.

This is Willow.

Which promptly led the former Alpha of Mystic Grimm to be reduced to tears, though it felt like a constant reaction in these last couple of weeks. It was only becoming worse as the sweet aroma of his former mate was making his wolf howl in regret, in apology.

But ten minutes was not enough.

"Goddess...Will—Where are you? Tell us where you are—" The desperate voice of her former mate had caused her to turn her head both this way and that. "I—I don't know, it's dark and—"

"No. Not where this is, where are they keeping you? I promise, I'll storm anywhere in the world to get you back." Hayes' words had been rushed, but the female had settled it with a shake of her head.

"I don't know, but it's not the same facility as before. It's nicer—There's wolves and vampires, witches, too." She whispered, still getting her bearings together by feeling out the rest of her senses, but Hayes had been following each and every one of her words.

"Mom..." Haylee couldn't contain herself. She didn't want to take the moment away from her father. But hearing the nickname had unlocked so many buried memories that it was hard not to see the comparison now.

"I can smell again..." She whispered, letting her nose inhale those around the room and locking straight over towards her pups. "Come here, sweetheart, let me—oof." There had been a different type of tackle than Willow had expected. Instead of Haylee, it had been little Rue who snuggled into her mother's chest, though huffed through a pout.

"Not mama...Daddy, where's Mama?" It was not in Willow's nature to let a pup go straight to tears, so she soothed the young pup, even if she didn't know what was happening.

"Who am I holding?" Willow questioned, accommodating the pup to fit easier in her arms.

"Your granddaughter...Rue." Remus answered, and Willow had sanctioned that with a small kiss to the child's forehead, but the rest of the pups had gotten jealous of Sage's attention and, thus, hurried towards her as well.

"Careful, Mom, you're in the body of the pup, whisper." Harlow's tease followed as he and Haylee followed after their whining children. "And who's this?"

"Hardin, soon to be Alpha of Mystic Grimm. Isn't that right, son?" Hayes cooed, and Sage's jaw had fallen as she hadn't believed that they would already be an heir to her pack.

"Really?" She sniffled, and the rest of the room smiled at the reaction. And, of course, Hardin had earned a kiss from his Aunt, but his first from his grandmother.

"Haylee, goddess, you are too young to be having a pup alread—"

"Me? Sage has two pups!" Haylee argued, and in that instance, Ronan huffed at being forgotten by his mother.

"T-that's not possible. Sage's is—Sage is..." The mother of three was clearly at a loss for words. She hadn't been prepared to hear that so much time had passed. Her youngest had to be older than eighteen, and that was the minimum, considering her mate was just beside her.

"Will...Sage is nearly twenty-five," Hayes whispered lightly, "Time has passed." The stressed breath had left Sage's lips as she took the comfort of the pups in her arms. "I've been here before. It's where we'd travel from the facility Sage and the other women were...But I don't—I don't know where any of that is." She answered honestly, and that had left the room in eminent silence.

The faithful growl that escaped Hayes had caused her to sigh. "It's well established, has been for years. Is it possible to put a tracker on my soul? Mom did that once." Willow offered, and Hayden straightened his back before he turned to look at the witches.

"Yes, we're in the works with that as is. We can try Sage in another location now. Rebekah?"

"Auntie, it'll take more than the ten minutes we set on the clock...I'll need at least twenty or even a half an hour." The eyes had turned to Remus regarding a decision, there was no way to communicate with Sage on the other side.

"He won't be back for another hour or two. I'm in my room resting." Willow offered, but that didn't amount to Hayden's worries. Not when even Willow herself wouldn't dare speak out loud the Vampire's name.

"Willow, we need to ask you a few questions regarding—" Andrew had started, but was hushed by Harlow with a rather hardened growl.

"We have plenty of time to—"

"No. We don't. The second Rebekah is done, we're pulling Sage back. We promised her a set time, and she's already being forced to stay longer. I'm not willing to put her at risk any more than she already is." The room had gone silent, but Sage's smile had risen.

"You must be my daughter's Mate." She decided, tilting her head momentarily and inhaling the scents around her.

"N-no, uh..." Andrew choked, "I'm uh, Rem?"

Remus swallowed thickly. This was not how he wanted to be introduced to his mate's imprisoned mother, but as the record goes, clearly, nothing ever happens as planned.

"No, Andy isn't Sage's mate. It's nice to meet you, Willow. My name is Remus." The only sounds that followed were either from the pups or the conjoined breathing and commotion of the witches.

"Remus...as in Remus Moon?" The she-wolf had looked up towards her own mate, conforming deeper into his chest as she had asked the question open-heartily. "Yes, ma'am." Her son-in-law responded, but that only got a flinch out of her.

"I'm not that old to be calling me ma'am, boy. Watch it." She growled, and Andrew bitten his lip to remain neutral among the two. "Sorry..."

"Well, it's good to meet you, Remus. Haylee? Who's Haylee's mate?" The call-out had caused Drake to peek up his attention and after a few sniffles in reaction to both her daughters being announced as Luna's of either pack. She was settled with the questions for the moment.

"You can ask your questions now, Andrew...I'm not sure how helpful I'll be, though." She reframed from stating that she was entirely clueless, no, she was not. But she also didn't trust all that her mind had to offer.

"Do you know where you are? Where Sage is right now?" Willow shook her head, and the energy in the room had fallen short.

"I don't have a name for this place, the one where I first met Sage—That was off by a lake. I remember whenever we flew in, there'd be a lake. But he never visited more than a few times every month, leaving me there to go off to another location. His coven, I believe, but I'm not sure...Now, it just feels normal. I'm not underground, I don't think. It doesn't feel as claustrophobic, and I've heard planes out from overhead." It wasn't what they hoped for, but it was the building block to give them as much lead as possible.

"What about the vampire man? What does he want?" Remus questioned, and Willow had stilled outright as though it was forbidden to speak about.

"He wants Halliwell blood. He wants my bloodline." The witches were actively attempting to track Sage's position and were at a loss as to what that could possibly mean in regard to gaining enough blood.

The universe had a set of standards to kill those that were too powerful by making something as its equal to defeat it. "Do you know what he plans to do with it?"

Willow shook her head and sighed. "No, and it doesn't help that Sage is much more potent and experienced than I am. She makes for a better captive than I do now, and he knows it too...He knows she has children but not...Not a daughter, I don't think."

With the subject slowly shifting from Sage to Rue, Remus couldn't handle that another person in his family would be targeted all because of a goddamn fucking vampire.

"What do you remember when you were first captured?" Andrew had asked, trying to move the conversation forward, and it had started like the previous ones. It was clear it was a difficult topic, and as Willow began to dive into it—In excruciating detail, Hayes had found his arms tightening around her with each passing minute.

"...Randal bragged about becoming a deity, replacing the Moon Goddess. At that time, I didn't know I was pregnant, not until a few weeks into my captivity with him. He was ecstatic, even if he didn't know which pack I was a part of. He didn't care. He just cared about Sage and—I never saw her again. Not until—Not until it was too late!" Willow had gone into a panic, her breath unstable as she started to slash in Hayden's arms.

It was torture for the mother to hear or even speculate all that's happened to her pup. But the group surrounding her had consolidated Sage's past two years of freedom being nothing but the best.

Until she was kidnapped again.

Blake apologized, he had hung his head low and begged for forgiveness yet again. And much like Sage herself would do, hands had cupped his cheek with an offered smile.

But it was different than his mentor's touch. He and his wolf didn't recognize it as such.

"How are we on finding a location?" Remus questioned, eager to have Sage's proper scent and mind return. But the witches had looked over rather glumly. "Not great. Wherever they are, it's a fortress. It's in central America, but that is as far as we've managed." Raven offered, but the look between her and Blake shared their desperation.

"I can try to find some more details. I'm sorry, but I don't know anything more than the room and the temple." The wolves frowned.

"Temple? What kind of temple?" Harlow questioned, and Willow remained silent as she sorted through her thoughts.

"It's for the witches. He allows us time every day to worship and pray. I think he's trying to assert more of my witch than my wolf, vamp's always hate wolves."

Enzo chuckled in the corner as he tried to remain quiet, though Rebekha had issued a small smack in retaliation for his reaction.

"Mrs. Mystic, my name is Aurelia Warren, I'm the headmistress of the Ember circle. I've been aligned with your daughter and her pack for quite some time...Can you tell me about the temple?"

"It's...It's not a Human church, I know that." She explained, and the witch questioned her as to what gave it away, "The stained glass looks ancient. They have depictions of wolves and the moon goddess. It's beautiful." She said whimsically, and that had left Jade to think and wonder.

"What colors are the stained glass?" The current Luna of Mystic Grimm questioned, and Willow's attention turned.

"Who is that?" She whispered out, trying to imagine those around her in an account circle but it was growing difficult with how many voices were starting to pop up.

"Mama, this is my ate, Jade." Another smile appeared, and teetered a bit in realizing that her reign as Luna had ended abruptly and gained a new.

"Jade...I uh, I'm not sure about the colors. Red lots of red and gold, they're outdated. They're old stories about the goddess." The female she was trying to describe the glass inscriptions had stumped the group, but Jade was still bouncing on ideas.

"It sounds like an oracle temple..." Jade whispered, and that caught the witch's attention outright. "Wolves believe in oracles?"

"We hold the goddess' word above all else, that is why the council always wanted to know whether a wolf was touched by the goddess herself. Sage was the last documented case." Jade explained, and Hayes huffed.

"I doubt all the other packs were being particularly honest in submitting that." The former council member admitted his suspicion, and Willow was given a brief description of what the council had been and how it had ended.

"Alpha, I'm sorry...But we don't have enough time to track either soul. We need to get Sage back before it becomes obvious that they've switched." Aurelia interjected. Hayes had caught Remus' desperation, but he felt selfish at that moment when he breathed in Willow's raw scent for the first time in more than two decades.

"We'll see each other again, Hay. You know I'm alive again, that I didn't leave—"

"I never thought you left, Will. You would've fought tooth and nail to stay." Even with the cloth tightly around her eyes, tears had managed to slip through ever so often.

"Please take care of Sage, tell her I love her—please? I hardly had the chance to hold her as a pup." Hayes soothed his mate's worries as they sprouted. The witches restarted their chant, and Sage's body began to wither once again before falling limp.

"They're passing one another; any moment now, she'll return, " Aurelia whispered to an already stressed crowd. However, the abrupt scream and slashing took Hayes by surprise and caused Remus and Andrew to step forward to try to soothe her.

Both of the twins were held back, whimpering in the arms of their aunt and uncle to see what had come about their mother. It wasn't Remus' decision to allow either of them to be present for something so traumatic, but as Sage's scent started to return the function of her nose reigned in those around her.

She began to settle, but such a short amount of time was enough of a panic to cause her to rip apart the males nearby.

"Away! Go away!" She roared, her wolf returning in the same level of defensiveness. And with the confusion of both of her males, she surcame to the familiarity of her father and hid away in his arms.

"You still think she could've lasted an hour?" Remus cruelly asked Harlow, and the male had finally caught just how brutal of a situation both his mother and sister had been subjected to.

___

Date: 03/19/25

Time: 1:07 PM

Words: 3451

Author's Note: 

Between surgery recovery and a season cold after season cold, I think I have returned!

I am so sorry for my absence, but between work and no more sick days to use up, I had to force myself to work. 

I'm just thankful my coworkers are just the sweetest and helped me where they could.

With that being said, I'll see you in the next update, on time, this week!

Hope you're all having a great day!