* * *

What Sage also wasn't prepared for was the excitement in the pack, they yelled their cheers in support of their Alpha. While Harlow reigned in on his father to lay it on Remus, reiterating the plan of not holding back.

And then a smile escaped Sage, her heart warmed in understanding to this tradition. Goddess, she felt hot just by looking at how her mate was fighting for his so-called 'right' for her.

"Hmm, that's how I felt out too," Haylee whispered to her sister, while Luke started to grow uncomfortable at the thought. But he managed to bite back his comment as this is what sisters do—Or he thought this is what sisters do anyway.

Harlow on the other hand was smirking up a storm while studying the fighting style of Remus. "Don't hurt him too bad-ly." Sage pouted up to him, and with that, he too wrapped an arm much like Haylee was doing.

Leaning to lock his head on top of hers. "He has a lot to answer for, Hera." Luke glanced back at the three reigning Alpha children and smiled, it was a bittersweet moment. Even with the commotion happening around them.

So to give his Alpha a bit of confidence he threw in his own roar of approval.
Making Sage giggle.

When the fight was over, either wolf huffed at one another—patches of skin missing from their fur coat. But then Remus let out a laugh as he shifted back.

"I see where Sage gets the black coat from, huh?" A proud grin rose out Hayes as he took the offered clothes from those around him, though he would be shifting back to run with Sage in a bit.

"Need a minute there, Alpha?" Harlow chuckled. It was safe to say that Remus was never going to be used to this family relation between the Mystic Heirs.

Even if his mate was indeed one of them. Hera.

Goddess, his wolf loved the sound of her name, but Sage was right...Why wasn't her name Hera instead?
It would've been easier to find her family when she and her brothers escaped to Mystic Grimm.

Hayes tapped out and Harlow rose his arms out, sure he wasn't on his own home grounds. But he loved the energy of Crescent Moon.

"Done a lot of good things here Remus, better keep it that way. She's not just your mate anymore."
"I think you're more upset about hiding the pup fro—"
"Yes I am. Because now I'll have to hear it from my own mate for not knowing sooner!" Sage found herself giggling again at the taunts, it wasn't anything mean and Harlow wasn't that awful against Remus.

But it still felt great to cuddle against her father, and a part of Hayes' wolf was whining at the thought that Willow might still be out there—Better yet, Sage took her appearance more than his own.

Her black raven hair, her piercing eyes. Pairing it with a devious smile that managed to chill him to the bone. Willow could be vicious when she wanted to be, and their daughters surely inherited that.

"Okay?" Sage whispered up to her dad, and he chuckled. "Yeah, yeah little wolf I'm okay." Her nose hitched, grumbling that she wasn't a 'little wolf' and Haylee shot her dad an amused look.

"Dad always has nicknames for us, better get used to it."
"Little wolf not nickname, I'm not little." Sage debunked and he growled at that notion.

"I was also not expecting to be a grandfather again so soon after Hardin. So excuse this poor old man's heart, Bubbles."
"Bubbles?" She questioned and he hummed in confirmation.

"Wow, real original. Harlow's Bubs and I'm Bobo." Of course, it didn't really click for her that this was another tradition in the family. That Hayes and Willow had nicknames for each other, similar to Remus' 'munchkin' title for her.

Remus had beaten both Alpha's, and as a reward, Sage came up to her mate and kissed his lips gently—Careful not to disturb his cut lip. "I've looked a lot worse hun, believe me...Go have a run with your dad, I'll be alright." She didn't look all that convinced so he silenced her with another kiss before nicking his head towards Hayes.

She found herself walking back off to her dad and he wrapped his large hand into hers as he took the first tug in the direction of woods to have their run.

"I guess you'll be leading more than me, Bubbles. Usually we'd be in our pack for this."
"Lap around the lake?" He grinned and offered the tree for her to shift at, and of course, he knew that it would take a few moments considering how far into her pregnancy she truly is.

Soon, she came wiggling out from behind the tree, yipping and yowling another greeting. Course his wolf still felt strange in the fact that her stomach was protruding with a pup, so he slobbered her with proud kisses both on her face and then on her neck.

When he was done, Sage had the motion of rubbing her sides into his chest. Wanting to get her own scent onto him, to combine the two together—And while she already held Remus' scent, her true unmasking soon erupted.

And Hayes couldn't get enough of it, she was an Alpha pup in her own right, but now it was just solidified.

The pup smells strong, Sage.

Kicks hard too. I'm happy I can talk to Jade now, scared about birth.

There's nothing to worry about hun, your wolf will know what to do...It's quicker than what it'd be in skin form. The pups are just a lot more vulnerable.

Can you stay? And when pup is born?

I'm grandpa, aren't I?

I hope pup a girl, I picked girl's name...Rue.

Rue...That's sweet bubbles.

He didn't think she'd actually give up the name of the pup, but her wolf was excited that he finally recognized her as his pup, his kin.

Since telling her, it felt like he finally reawakened from when he had gotten the call. Goddess, he never felt more helpless since then, he ordered Haylee to fly to Mystic Grimm to meet him there.

He only explained why they were going to Crescent Moon after they were in the air. Which was a mistake on his part since Harlow could barely contain himself and his wolf, he was enraged.

And he wasn't the only one.

Sage was a remaining factor that Willow was alive much longer than they thought, it had been wrongly assumed that she was dead because of what Hayes felt—That their connection broke.

Remus was right, they needed to focus on that aspect since Sage wouldn't have known much more than that.
Hayes felt awful that Willow had gone through the pregnancy and skin birth without his help, and unfortunately, he took most of his anger out on Remus.

The run wasn't rightly a run, it was more of a jog as Sage was already exhausted by the time they made it halfway around the lake. But Hayes' and his wolf just licked her cheek, telling her it was alright if they walked the rest of the way.

It was then he led her to the water's edge where he watched over his daughter as she drank.

I have question...

Hayes had turned his attention back over his shoulder and his wolf huffed happily, he'd be open to anything she needed. Even when she was barely considered a pup anymore.

What's up, Bubbles?

He watched in awe as she came over with her head tilted down—Almost like she was scared to ask.

Do...Do I call you Hayes?

You can call me anything you want. I know it's unfair for you to call me dad when Leo has done a lot more in terms of taking care of you.

I call him Papa Leo, can I call you Papa Hayes?

Yeah, I like that. And maybe one day you'll call me papa.

And Mama? Is she alive?

A whine escaped his wolf before he could contain it, and Sage followed quickly to his side and nuzzled into his side.

Sorry. Don't want to make you sad.

It's new, sweetheart... I always thought she was dead, but she was captured, and it makes sense. When the rogues attacked when you were visiting us, they must've used the silver rope to stay hidden. Harlow is having wolves look at it now, we think she was kidnapped using that.

Wish I can help more.

You are, we know more than we did before.

The silence was a welcoming factor for the father and his youngest pup, it felt strange that she was the baby of the family. Which was another reason for the spoiling, especially when Haylee barked off at the corner of the underbrush.

Sage's tail began to thump even harder at the prospect of playing with her siblings, but Harlow looked rightly out of place as he still felt on guard. A male would always be this protective over a pregnant she-wolf, but now she was accepted by his wolf as his sister.

His sister and his niece or nephew.

Play?

Haylee couldn't hold back and as she pranced off towards her sister and bounced her paws as Sage nipped at her sister's jaw. Harlow might've been acting like the Alpha he was raised to be, which Hayes surely found humor in him acting so superior when it was clear he longed to do the same as Haylee.

So it was Sage who engaged him first with her tail wagging high in the air.

Don't want to play?

It was a heavy tease for sure, as she could see it in his eyes, so when Haylee stood beside Sage the two tackled it in a team effort. And of course, he would give them this win, like he would when he played with Hardin.

Hayes couldn't stop rolling his eyes, his little litter would always act like damn pups. But he soon growled as they were starting to get a little rough, and Sage huffed.

Bubbles you have to be careful.

Noooo. I don't want be babied anymore.

She yowled right beside her linking voicing to those around her, and Harlow let out a wolfie laugh.

Remus baby you a lot, Sage?

Yeah, when I am poisoned and when I punched in the face. She-wolf broke my nose.

Haylee's ears had twitched at the quick reaction of their father and brother, course the males would try to rectify an already passed situation.

Who poisoned you?

Kelly and Snyder...They're dead.

And who punched you?

Lexi Greene, she's Caleb's mate...I take away her title.

It was a tag team for those around Sage to find out all that's happened, course Hayes heard about the assassination attempt. But since it was deemed 'taken care of,' the council wasn't allowed to intervene.

Unless it was suspicious.

Course some members of the council, those who still had malice and ill will against Crescent Moon, found themselves wanting to give reasons of suspicion.

The only reason why it was dismissed was that Snyder had more than a few rumors surrounding her that truly didn't need fact-checking. But now Hayes could just ask the source, though he wouldn't stress Sage on this matter. Instead, he sat just a foot or two away to see either of the older siblings tease and taunt the youngest.

Just how it should've always been.

*

While they wanted to stay longer, Harlow had to return to Mystic Grimm and explain everything to the pack that they had another Mystic Heir—while Hayes needed to properly debrief his fellow council members.

For Remus it was an eye-opener on what the word 'family' meant, course Sage was welcomed with open arms into the Elwoods. Yet now there wasn't a day that didn't pass without one of her siblings or Jade calling both Sage and Remus to check in with them.

Jade had been a sobbing mess, her wolf felt the familiarity. Similar to what she felt with Haylee but categorized it wrong.
She wasn't the only one who had that feeling, it was as if Sage had a mask.

On the other end of the spectrum, Sage had an itch that she couldn't scratch. Literally.
But it wasn't a physical itch, it was the one where she couldn't sort the focus on what she needed to know.

It didn't feel like a new mate and it wasn't a rogue attack, but it did feel like trouble. So when she spoke to Remus about it, he was readily concern—As Sage never an itch that didn't come true.

But he assumed she meant rogue attack, and was rather let down that his mate's premonitions had been wrong. Making this the first time they were wrong.
Yet she claimed that she never said 'rogue' and now he too grew in her frustration.

Leaving the two not to speak for the rest of the day, making her pissed and Remus even worse in terms of wanting—Needing to be near his mate during these final days in skin.

When he returned home that day, the house was an absolute mess. Sure he expected Sage's family to send a few gifts, but even as Sage sat in the middle of the pile wondering what the hell to do with all these extra clothes.

It left Remus to chuckle as he stepped over a cardboard box stuffed to the brim with clothes and baby essentials.

"I think Harlow's excited he's an Uncle this time around."
"I think they feel bad..." Sage was getting very good at reading in between the lines, and having it being mandated and controlled by her hormones was making it rather difficult to get a word in when she was still pissed.

And he realized right away that Mozerella sticks wouldn't work in this regard.

He was just thankful that she didn't sick her dad or brother on him just yet, he was still feeling the phantom punches and bites that they sent in a preemptive warning.

"Would you relax? I'd be getting annoyed too if something in me kept moving around while I'm trying to sleep."
"More than that Jackson, she's pissed at me."
"Yeah I heard, she didn't say it was Rogue that was bothering her. It's something else."
"Alright then, enlighten me, Jack—What is 'something else?'" Jack shrugged and made a face.

"Maybe the pup's coming early?" That had been the entirely wrong thing to tell Remus, especially when he returned home at lunch to see Sage being coached on the pregnancy ball and on the phone with Jade.

"Sage...?!" She bit back a growl and Jade explained that Sage was having false contractions. They were very common in wolves, especially those who were giving birth to Alpha pups, as it needed to translate twice over, so after it subsided—Jade explained like she had to Sage, that she would need to shift and go through it once again.

Remus had taken over for Blake, and while he was angry in not being told. He could see that Sage was having trouble even speaking let alone gain the energy to do the breaths that were instructed by both Jade and Kenzie.

That night Remus had settled her in the crook of the couch, underneath a blanket and the electric heating pad, hoping it'd her body some comfort. While he patted a rag down on her furry head.

"Is it feeling any better, munchkin?"

Not bad as skin, still hurts.

"Almost done hun, almost done."

I only want two pups. This hurts.

"All she-wolves go through this hun, Camilla went through it five times."

Goddess bless her...Mama Willow in cage for me.

A whine escaped her, the emotional pain rallied through their bond and Remus breathed in and nuzzled her neck to soothe her. "A mama Wolf will do anything for their pups. You gave your mom hope." It was surely the right thing to say as Sage managed to find sleep soon after.

Though the pre-birthing pains were starting to concern Kenzie that perhaps it would be an earlier birth, until Remus mentioned that she was feeling stressed as of late—Along with the introduction to her true family, and yes it did answer questions, but it added a whole lot more to the list.

Sage still attempted to be a good sport, attending the training slots for both Mikey and Lexi. Wanting to know that they were improving, but also to get through the day quicker.

She needed to stop looking at the clock like Luke always warned her of doing, and goddesses she finally found her safe haven.
The tub.

And Remus was all for it if it meant Sage felt comfortable in her body again, as he was trying to leave his males the least amount of work as possible.

Though it did help that Hayes would be coming for the entire length they would be in the Sanctuary, he could see the relief in either Eli and Jack's face when he told him the news.

They all felt a little bit more taken care of, though it was followed by a quick addition by Hayes— "Your father is going to haunt me if I take over as Alpha for your pack, Remus. Even if it was for five minutes."

That night Sage had been facing a few brutal kicks to the ribs, and she huffed and whined the entire night. And while Remus' warm hands grazing the pup's previous pokes helped, he was more excited over feeling the pup than her pain and her wolf whined further.

Inconsiderate fluffy male, give him a good nip when the pup's born. You know he's turned off his side of feeling the pain over the bond, right?

He'd be crying too.

I'd bet the better half of my paycheck on it, hun.

You get paid?

Well, I have stuff to buy too you know, demons are usually the wealthiest of the supernatural creatures.

What about wolves?

Not in the same way, sure you guys live awhile. But there's gems down here with us, Vampires are right behind us. The older the Vamp the richer they usually are, since they don't really need to eat.

Sage hardly got sleep the previous nights, so she fell asleep as she was discussing all things with Darius, proving the he really shaping out to be her supernatural guide to the world.

______

Date: 09/17/2021

Time: 11:17

Words: 3159

Author's Note:

This chapter was basically family fluff. 

But what is it that Sage can sense coming?

I guess we'll find out next week! See you Monday

QUESTION:

Do you think the pup is a boy or a girl?

Do you think Willow is still alive?

--

What do you want to see happen?