* * *

Sage had been partly awake for some time now, but her body didn't have the energy to get up just yet. So she remained resting in the chair. Her focus on the young boy in bed, she had a long line of questions and she didn't know where to start.

She made it clear to the healers that if someone were to wake, it would be better that either she or Blake were there to introduce themselves. In addition to a sign that they weren't in captivity anymore, so she thought even harder about what she wanted when being freed.

She mentioned burgers, and when Luke heard he simply laughed.
Yes, he missed burgers and wings just as much as his brother. But currently both Luke and Blake were peeking in to check on the Luna.

"I'm awake..." She whispered, rubbing her eyes as she turned to them in question. She smelled the tea much louder now that it made its way into the room, and Blake made sure she had a firm handle on it before letting go.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked and she hummed before looking off to Luke. "Hi."
"Pretty big smile for someone uncovering goddess only knows what." She nicks her head towards the bed and looks back at both of the males.

He's waking up. Shhh.

Blake rolled his eyes and looked at the boy, yeah he was definitely awake—Forcing himself to breathe evenly but otherwise scared, it was easy to read.

Alpha's looking for your number code, they've got a handle on the computers. Do you remember—

32A-1012-7438

Sage that's not...Are you sure there's a letter in it?

She nodded again and smiled, Remus was quick to write down the given number that was passed along. But he couldn't will himself to look her up just yet, right now they needed to know what they were dealing with in terms of mutations and such.

And it was helpful from thereon. A few started to be revived, but not fully conscious as of yet.

The young pup was starting to do just the same, and Sage held his hand even tighter as he began to move and roll his shoulders. Almost testing to see if he was at all bound, but the only weight he could feel in addition to the blanket was over the better part of his body.

His fingers twitched but they were limited as Sage squeezed her hand further into his. "Good morning little pup, can you open your eyes?" She whispered, her voice so soft and kind that he was tempted to do it, the inner beast in him wanting to do just as she was asking.

But he withheld, and instead lulled back as the sweet scent of a she-wolf. Had he been paired with a she-wolf in the room now?
Pure confusion started to wreak into the room and so Sage smiled lightly.

Luke? Are you still here?

Yep, just around the corner. How's the pup?

Scared, pretending to sleep. Can get a lil bear toy from gift shop?

Are you bribing the pup to wake up?

Liam give me my first stuffie, pup needs toys. He feel safe.

Luke found logic in what she was trying to say and found himself heading to the gift shop that usually consisted of flowers and toys. It was meant for the mothers who were giving birth, just a simply stocked inventory. So he picked one of each, not really having a care about the fact that she asked for one.

She was right, a pup needed toys. And they smelled of the hands that stocked them ealier. They smelled like she-wolves and now his scent.
Surely it would help in installing trust. Though when he returned to the room, he could see that the pup was already starting to do just that.

"Alpha's in the meeting room, wants to know what you want for lunch?" She huffed and turned over her shoulder, an instant smile taking hold of her expression as Luke hadn't failed her.

"I eat burger. Do you want a burger too, pup?" Her brother settled the extra bears on the table beside the bed before placing one with Sage and the other in the crook of the pup's hold.

He was hoping the scent factor would contribute more than words.

Lu? What if he like me and born in a cage?

Then we do the same thing we did with you, we teach him how to be a wolf—A person.

"My brother Luke get you a teddy bear, he's very cute." She said, tugging the little stuffie closer to the pup and the interest soon caught on to the boy as his eyes peeked open just a tad.

Yet in fear he shut them close, the male was still there.

Sage turned around, and Luke knew that perhaps his presence was too overbearing at the moment and thus he stood at the door.

"It's okay pup, my name is Sage...You're safe." She whispered, tugging at his free hand before offering her wrist right up to the pup's nose. Confirming that she was indeed a wolf, but the scent of a pregnant one gave him much more comfort than any bear would.

So when he opened his eyes for the second time, he was blessed with the kindest smile he's ever seen. "Hello."
"H-hi." He tested out, but his throat was more than dry. It always was when he found himself suddenly awake in a new place with a new ceiling.

Sage soon leaned over towards the small pitcher of water and filled the cup generously before gesturing for the pup to use the straw. He drank greedily, he didn't want it to be taken away too quickly.
But Sage was always gentle with the pups, and knew firsthand how he was treated prior to his arrival.

The more she refilled the cup, the more alive the pup had become. It was then that Sage had caught the sight of his eyes, one was blue and the other brown.

"I like your eyes...They're pretty." She cooed, coming to crawl her fingers up his bone-ridden chest and boop his nose. He allowed himself to giggle and she smiled in return.

"I don't know if you hear me before, my name is Sage...Can I know you're name?"
"003—"
"No. Name, not number." He blinked as though she was asking the world, looked as though she spoke in tongues, and she pouted.

"Levi, we'll call you Levi."
"Le-vi." She nodded in encouragement, and when he started to gain the strength to sit up she aided him. Weak as he may be, he still managed to do just fine without her help. Though his eyes look straight to her stomach in awe, complete and utter awe that she can't help herself by smiling wider.

"This is my pup." She says, taking his hand and gliding it over the highest tip. The boy looked beyond captivated with the idea, and she placed her hand to caress his.

"How old are you?"
"Dunno." Sage's ears perked up, he had responded to a question and she looked questionably to Luke. "Do you have your wolf?" His attention shot off towards him, but his hands hadn't moved away from Sage's offering touch.
He felt safe in her hold, secure.

His wolf craved it.

"N-no...But I hear him."
"What does he say?"
"Says I'm safe. That you won't hu—hurt me." She shook her head, making sure her finger capture his falling tear.

"No, no one will hurt you. You're in Crescent Moon Pack. You're safe." And within a moment's notice, he began to cry. Tears falling suit that Luke worried of what Sage would do—But her instincts on pups were on a high, she moved closer to pull him into a hug.

Luke had smelled the Alpha coming, and made some room on the opposite side in the chance he did want to enter. Yet in seeing Sage holding the small pup caused him to stop his next step.

"Shh shhh, it's okay. It's okay. You're okay." The pup couldn't feel anything more than happiness, the freedom caused his wolf to shake in anticipation, and he couldn't manage it anymore.

"Thank you...Big thank you." It was like Luke expected, or perhaps he had more of an opportunity to learn how to speak among other wolves. Yet when the smell of an Alpha graced his nose, he made the gesture to sniff higher up. Leaving him to look at both males at the door.

"That is my mate and brother..." The pup had grown excited at the newcomers who smelled like the she-wolf in front of him.
"Wolves?" She nodded, though it was a slight mistake as she had to hold it from ripping the IVs from his wrists.

"Hi!" Luke chuckled while Remus was in a daze, the pup was so lively that he lost his worries at that very moment. He was reminded of how kind his mate was in times of need, but then firm in others.

"Pup no. Stay in bed."

Hypocrite.

Sage turned her head and growled at her mate, her mouth issuing an almost snarl. It hadn't been all that long since their agreement, and like Luke suspected. She held a grudge.

"Okay?"
"Yes. I'm okay, you want to meet Luke and Remus?" The Alpha managed to refrain his wolf from returning the growl pledge by his mate, reminding him that she was almost due to give birth to their pup, as well as battle through this emotional strain.

As if this summer wasn't difficult enough for her as is.

"Hey there bud." The future Master of Arms had spoken so softly towards the boy as he neared, that he almost laughed when the pup put his nose into the air.

Similar to what they did to Sage when she first was here, he put his arm just before him and it earned him the pup's interest.

"H-elloo. No hurt?" It caused Luke to tilt his head, slightly confused about what the pup was trying to get across. They weren't used to translating Sage's words for a while now, but it seemed like Sage understood well enough.

"No, Luke will not hurt you. No wolf will hurt you, and no more humans will hurt you, little pup." Remus watched as the pup conformed back into Sage's neck, clinging to her like a lifeline.

"I think I smell lunch on the way. I want you to eat too, Sage." She nodded her head, and he knew it in her eyes that she would indeed eat lunch.

"Food?" Sage cooed to the pup, pushing his unkempt hair back. She flinched in feeling the scar but continued the action fluently the next few times.

"Yes. Lots of food, but first healer come in soon. Kenzie is a wolf too. Going to make sure you're okay."

I love you, Sage Hera Mystic Moon. Goddess, you are perfect in every way, shape, and form. Let me beg for your forgiveness, mate.

Her wolf knew it was an apology, she whined through the bond, and while Sage herself wanted nothing more than to go to him. To accept him and everything he's done in the past twenty-four hours.
She couldn't, not yet.
Not when she was needed elsewhere.

"This is Remus, he's Alpha of the pack, my mate." She said, her voice still sweet as she looked towards Remus to come closer and make the same scent offering.

"Al-pha...Mama says Al-pha's are le-aders." Sage nodded in agreement, but Remus thought of another key factor. "Where is your mama, pup?"
"Mama's dead." For a pup who was no more than ten, having said something blunt and no emotion to follow caused Remus's wolf to shake.

Pup not remember his name, I call him Levi...Remmy, I don't know what to do.

You're doing perfect, Luna. Follow your wolf, she wants to help just as much as you do.

What does your wolf want to do?

Kill everyone and anyone responsible for it, but that takes time. This is here and now, Sage. Just don't go in a room without someone with you.

Levi was very interested in the Alpha, as he smelled of power and strength. He smelled fresh and didn't have the strong chemical burn in the back of his nose, and so when he found his way out of Sage's hug, he threw his arms up and into Remus' hold.

The male hadn't been one for physical contact, not until he met Sage.
He hardly even held Arabella when she was here for that short amount of time, but the same instinctual method that Sage was feeling transferred to him.

He was going to be a father after all.

His hand rubbed his back in a soothing motion, full of warmth, and invited the pup to pur in his hold. Reminding the Alpha that he was young, very young.
And without parents.

"Another male is going to come in, his name is Blake. He'll be having lunch with you and Sage. But no trouble with the healer, alright?" Levi didn't want the male to leave, he reminded him of another strong wolf that he's met in his time in captivity but didn't have the words to ask him to stay.

And instead, was soon left with Sage and Luke. Who offered up another stuffie and the boy quickly took it into his hold, petting the soft fur in complete wonder.

"Alright, where's the pup?" Blake said with his hands out in waiting, and he smiled brightly at the boy in the bed.
"Other wolves are starting to wake up. Aurelia thinks that the witches were more heavily sedated." Sage nodded but reached out to her friend, and he let his hand go limp in the Luna's grasp before gesturing it up to Levi.

"You're an adorable lil pup, what's your name?"

Levi didn't know that he was being talked to, but when the silence waiting on him he smiled. "Le-vi." Blake nodded and pointed off to the bears in the corner.

"Those yours?"
"Dunno." Making conversation with the pup proved to be difficult, he rather listen and nod than speak out loud. For Luke, it was a jump back in time.
Where Sage would rarely converse with those around her.

Blake didn't give up though, he quietly gestured to the bears and made the pup giggle. Which was more than enough for Kenzie to peek her head into the room with a sense of relief.

"Hello, my name is Kenzie, I'm one of the healers in this pack. I'm just going to ask a few questions, okay?" Levi had given the she-wolf his full hearty attention, but in seeing his opening sniffing, she followed the similar instruction that both Blake and Sage had mention to do for all the wolves.

The questions were standard, and Levi was a champ through each and every part of the check-up, as Kenzie acted as though this was his first proper physical—To give him some background in their world.

"Alright Levi, lunch is on its way. I want you to eat all of it, and if you want more I'm sure one of the males here can help you." Levi huffed in confirmation, and Sage was hiding a small smile behind her hair as she eyed her brother.

"Sure we can handle that, Kenzie." Luke agreed, and soon the healer found herself self off and away as she continued to regulate the other patience beside this very room.

It seems that Levi hadn't been pumped with as many sedatives like the rest, considering he was barely the proper size for his assumed age.

Luke might've called in reinforcements, meaning his mom came in with a bundle of Casey's toys and a set of clothes for Levi to change into. All in the attempt to start to feel normal, though the second he smelled the beef of the burger, his eyes turned black.

"Alright, that's a new one..." Blake dwelled as motioned to the oddity that came upon Levi's expression. "Are you hearing your wolf now, Levi?" He nodded, but his eyes didn't deviate from the door, and the she-wolf pushing in the cart hadn't been prepared for such a bright smile from the boy.

She left the tray close to the bed and allowed them to serve themselves as there was more work to be done around the infirmary, and while Sage was getting up—Blake pointed her to sit back in the chair.

"I think Alpha made sure you got the extra tomatoes, Sagey." Luke teased, causing her to perk her lips and roll her eyes.

He's in trouble.

Big trouble? Or just trouble?

Big trouble, I'm still a little mad.

Luke knew he had no right in asking about his Alpha and Luna's relationship. But it was clear that she didn't want to talk about it any more than Remus wanted to be in the room with her, something was wrong.
And the shake of Blake's head only suggested that he remain silent.

Or to Sage's direct line at the least.

It wasn't pretty if that's what you're wondering.

What wasn't pretty? Alpha and Sage's argument?

It wasn't just an argument, was sure Sage was going to pounce on him—If she wasn't carrying a pup, I'm sure she would've.

The hell was the fight about?

Ah, yeah—Sage wanted me to drive her to the highway where the witches were heading, to wait for the truck. I wasn't going to do it, but goddess, was she angry. I think Remus...I think Remus forgot where Sage is from, that she isn't just a Mystic Grimm pup. She's a cage pup.

What do you mean forgot?

He didn't realize what this would mean to Sage, to help people like her—And that dream, fuck, I even smelled it from the dream.

Luke shivered but hid it well enough. He tried to push Sage to eat another burger, but she kept eating the tomatoes on the side while Levi didn't hesitate to take another offered burger.

His eyes still not having returned.

"Your eyes change when there's food bud?" Levi had started taking up the nickname from Luke and blinked a few times before tilting his head. "Eyes...Change?"

He looked off to Sage and she nodded in confirmation, though she had stuffed a few bites of tomato in her mouth and she tried to chew a bit faster.

"Eyes change because wolf is close, maybe Levi's close to shifting?" Blake shrugged his shoulders.
"It's possible, Rogues don't shift with a ceremony." It earned Levi a comforting rub on his leg as Sage smiled lightly.

"When Kenzie says you're okay, we can go sit outside." She said, and the next action that Levi responded with had almost made her cry.

He let out a little wiggle.

Sage hadn't been the only one in the room to thought it was sweet, however, Kenzie knocked on the door. "Luna, a she-wolf is starting to wake up." Her attention flickered to the healer for a moment before she nodded and rose up.

"Be right back okay? I want to go and check on the she-wolf. Luke will stay with you." The pup shivered and watched as the Luna left the room and the other male who played with him followed after her, a chuckle from Luke caused him to jump.

"She'll be back kid." He reassured, but it caused him to stare at the door in waiting. So perhaps he'd need to distract him a little bit, so he pulled out a few other things his mom brought over to the infirmary.
He found himself just coloring with the boy, writing out the name 'Levi' on the top for him to copy. Though the pup didn't know what those strange symbols meant, which could only confirm another theory.

Levi must have been a young pup when he was taken with his mom, and it was evident that he did remember a few things from before he was taken. But his voice was soft and childlike, much like Sage's was when she's unsure of a word or phrase.

______

Date: 09/24/2021

Time: 11:13 (I did it!!!)

Words: 3482

Author's Note:

Okay, but how adorable is Levi?
Pup has been through a lot, but he's in good hands now, no worries!
As is everyone else in the Crescent Moon Infirmary, they're going to be cared for if it's the last thing Sage Moon does before heading into the Sanctuary to have the pup.

It feels surreal that we are so close to slapping the [COMPLETE] logo on this book! I cannot wait!

T-minus three chapters!
Two more in this phase and then the final chapter in the last phase!

See you Monday!