* * *

"Or did she and she simply didn't know what it meant? For as long as you've known her, has she been submissive or just apologetic?"

Those words had haunted Remus the entire walk home as Blake had caught up with Sage and escorted her home. But she didn't want anything to do with Eli and Jack when they attempted to apologize, Remus had watched in awe that one look from his little mate caused them to tilt their heads in submission.

It wasn't just Sage sharing her rage, it was her wolf.
Her Alpha persona was infuriated.

He called up to her, but he received a rather loud slam of the door in retaliation.

"How long until the blood test come back?"
"Shouldn't be too long, but it could cause for some...Political gain." There was that word again, 'political,' what did it even mean?

Sage had enough of a sulk that she found her way to sit onto her computer and type in the word, though she's seen it a few times it was still difficult to understand a social hierarchy that wasn't in wolf nature.

What type of political gain would others get in claiming that they were related to her?

Her wolf understood, and in not so many words had they built the conclusion that they would use her. Her power and influence, and if there was one thing that she and her wolf were against—Was being used.

Remus had attempted a few times to knock at the door, but she glared at it and remained happily at her bed. He'd say things like "Munchkin, what do you want for dinner...I was thinking pizza?" And it simply made her wolf even angrier that he was trying to push past it so soon.

So much like the previous tries, she growled and it sent him away.

Until it was Ellie who came over with a knock, tempting her with food as it was a lie from Remus that he was working late. Which backfired instantly as Ellie came back home to her own home with Luke...she thought Sage was mad at her, leaving Luke to go straight to the Alpha's house.

He didn't bother knocking, he didn't bother going to their bedroom. And he certainly didn't hesitate in knocking on the door and growled in seeing that his mate simply left the food she brought at the door.

And Sage hadn't bothered to get it.

"Sage? Hun, what's wrong?" Her red and puffy eyes had turned to the door, but she just curled further under the covered and away. Her hands had been replaced by her wolves' claws, and she had simply been scraping away at her wrist.

It was a habit that had done before Luke and Liam had come, but she stopped as her nurses would put a collar on her.

But there was no collar to shock her for this, and she wanted to feel pain. Even if her wolf was howling out in damnation, it was just easier to be in control of something let allow this to keep happening.

"SAGE!" His voice sounded so damn demanding, but her body was exhausted. Was it so hard for everyone to understand she wanted to be alone?

Yet the panic Luke was feeling was not a brotherly kind, it was in fear of his Luna hurting. It was a striking pain that wasn't simply on his end—Everyone felt it.

Remus had been simply in a meeting with his highest rank when he felt the rupture in his heart. "Sage..." He whispered, and Jack had been the first to rush out the door and go to the Luna while Remus sunk into his chair.

Confused on the feeling erupting in his soul.

Luke hadn't wasted another moment as he broke down the door, and rushed to see what was hurting his Luna. And never did he assume to see that he'd catch his sister clawing herself, he gripped her wrists away from one another cautious on how deep her claws would be in her skin.

But it was the loud sob that caused him to stop his angered monolog. "I don't want to be human! I don't want human blood in me!" She cried, and it left Luke defeated on what she could've possibly meant by that statement.

"Sage you're not—"
"I don't know!" It sounded like an awful nightmare, but as he continued to pin her hands away from one another as she struggled. Until it was met with a sudden release of pressure, as Jack had tackled Luke without giving a chance at hearing what happened.

"She clawed herself," Luke said, staying planted on the ground as he knew it was Jack's job in protecting the Luna.
"She's trying to get the blood out of her...the human blood." Jack turned in warning, but it was a standard notion that any being in the supernatural world was wary of humans and halfbreeds.

"We're working on that." Jack growled off to Luke, but it was his turn to hold her wrists down to the center of her body. "Luna, please, we'll figure this out...Remember, the blood test?"
"No! I get it out!" He couldn't imagine how uncomfortable or how confused she was over this whole ordeal, but it was also her hormones fueling her scattered emotions.

But it was Luke who had the idea, he picked up Sage's phone from the counter and offered it up to her as a white flag. And once she held the phone, the eldest of the Elwoods shoved his Delta to the far wall and kept him there.

"I was just thinking of you little wolf, how are you?"
"Not good—I need help," Sage said into the phone, and Jack's eyes widened in pure disbelief.

"Sage...Don't-" He pleaded, linking both Eli and Remus to come to the house in hopes of stopping this while he attempted to fight off Luke. But his rank didn't work, not on Luke—Had it been Liam it would've. But Luke Elwood was gearing up to be the Master of Arms, a title that wasn't just given...it was earned.

"You tell me I'm wolf. Lycan...But I got a menstrual cycle. What's that mean?" Jack struggled in retaliation, and Luke knew that he would be punished for not listening though if it stopped Sage then so be it.

"I'm so sorry little wolf, I'll see you tomorrow."
"And you help?"
"We have a lot to talk about Luna, and it's better to do it in person," Sage said her thanks and sniffled, which caused Aurelia to recommend one of the bath salts that she gifted the wolf for Christmas.

Sage turned to see the two males attempting to outrank the other, and it caused their Luna to rise to her feet—Slightly unsteady, but she growled to the both of them as she issued Luke away from Jack.

"Sage that was—"
"No! I want to know more about my blood." Jack was feeling her rage returning, but listening to him right now was completely infuriating.

Especially when her head was going into a frenzy, it was the voices of Mackenzie, Remus, Eli...Was that Leo and Camilla as well?

Sage had accidentally tapped into her Luna abilities, ones that included feeling for the presence and thoughts of everyone around her, and it caused her to place her hands over her ears in hopes that it would help.

It didn't.

Luke had turned to Jack in confusion, what was happening? It wasn't that they knew the powers that Alpha's had, males or Lunas.

"SAGE!" Remus shouted downstairs in a pit of fear, his mate hyperventilating was causing his own heart to spike in retribution to the pain they were all feeling.

"Sage...Munchkin, listen to me...Block them out." He said, petting her hair to the back of her head in an attempt to calm her down. Though it was failed as she slashed her arm and moved away from him.

"Go away!" Even while she was in immense pain, she did not want the comfort of her mate. And it caused Remus to sink before the bed she was sitting on.

"Sage. There are too many wolves in this pack for you to hear, block them out." She tried to listen, but it was the combination of her surge of hormones that caused the static and unpredicted nature.

Remus had always assumed she had a handle on it. However, with the sudden appearance of her menstrual cycle, it turned any and all theories up and away.

What was his mate?
Who was his mate?
Why was his mate experiencing all of this?

The questioned were starting to cause an unnecessary amount of pressure to wrack up into her head as she finally stumbled and fell back onto the bed. While Eli and Jack had held Luke by one arm each, he hadn't bothered to fight against it—Whatever punishment was in store for him he'd live.

As he's lived through much worse.

Sage had been met with the darkness as her mind simply couldn't handle it anymore, it was a blessing that it consumed her to the point of falling limp in her mate's arms.

"What the hell happened?!" He shouted, and Luke turned to Jack expectedly, knowing full well the entirety of the situation had been tattled on.

"Sage was hurting herself sir, Luke was trying to stop her."
"Then how was that witch called?" Remus growled, and Eli turned expectedly off towards Elwood.

"I called." He said rising his head in defiance of his Alpha, and his wolf snarled at the disrespect. "I was handling it."
"Not quick enough. If I hadn't come, Alpha, she might've cut too deep." Remus growled, leaving the three males to turn to look off elsewhere.

"Mackenzie is coming, I want you three downstairs. Now." The males didn't have a choice as the Alpha's tone had come out, so much so that Mackenzie had felt it outside.

She clutched her travel kit and knocked cautiously to the Alpha's house and peeked in, Eli pointed up the stairs to where the Luna was located.
It hadn't been all that long since this afternoon when Sage had come in with her issue.

She knocked at the wall and bowed her head, she called out their titles and Remus explained that Sage had overdone herself as well as the claw marks on her wrists needed to be wrapped.

Mackenzie worked diligently, but her Alpha being present was the type of pressure that made her anxious.

"I need you to stay with Sage for a few minutes until Elenor comes upstairs...What you hear downstairs is not up for discussion."
"Yes, Alpha." Mackenzie took a few more tests but after explaining it, Remus found himself not needing to be present as he needed to sort out the priorities of Luke Elwood.

Both Eli and Jack had their arms crossed as Luke was looking up at them with a dull expression, Remus' steps were heard throughout the house and either Beta and Delta moved aside as their Alpha had his fists curled.

"You called the Warren's. Why?"
"Why? Sir, she checked Sage's blood and said Lycan. She's coming tomorrow—"
"That was not something that you were to share to anyone." Remus had caught Jackson's issuing step, and the Delta explained that Sage had been the one to tell Aurelia.

"She was trying to get the blood out of her, and if she cannot tell Mystic Grimm or anyone else...What do you expect to happen, Alpha? I could still smell the confusion from the hallway."
"I think...You've forgotten that Sage is my mate." Whether it was the stress from having felt the strained tug of the mate bond, or the overprotective nature of Luke, Remus was seething internally as to what happened in the last hour.

There was a long list of punishments one could have in Crescent Moon, as Remus' father was sadistic to say the least, and wasn't forgiving about torturing those who spoke out of turn.

Had Remus been his father, Luke would've rotted on a silver pole.
Especially when it involved a mate.

With Elenor in the pack, Remus was able to link her and she hurried back from the Packhouse.
"Is Sage okay?" She spoke barreling in, but the look of overwhelming concern was baffling.

"You shared sensitive information about this pack's Luna to witches. Do you deny that?" Luke turned his head with a smirk and shook his head.
"I didn't say a word to the witches, sir, that was the Luna...Who didn't know it was a forbidden topic." He found the loophole and Remus had been enraged even further.

"I can't lock you in a cage or put silver on you or so help me goddess my mate would skin me alive...But that doesn't mean I cannot punish you, do I make myself clear, Elwood?"
"Yes sir."
"You are risking my mate's title, do you understand what will happen if this pack finds out there might be human blood in their midsts?" Ellie gulped but kept her head low.

Her mate had done a dishonor—Though perhaps commendable in moving things along a more risky path.

"Elenor, I need you to stay upstairs with Sage. She's asleep and our pack doctor is watching her now." With that, either Eli and Jackson had to walk out with Luke.
"Alpha please..." Ellie whispered, her eyes begging him to be easy.

It was for the well-being of Sage, everything Luke seemed to do was for the good of the pack, the Luna or his mate.

It's not worth it Elenor, go upstairs...I'll be alright.

Luke linked his shaking mate, and she hurried up the steps and figured that the room with the door half on the hinges was the one in question. And there she could see Healer Mackenzie praying over Sage's bed.

Begging for mercy on the Alpha's wrath.

Ellie sat down beside Sage's sleeping form, softly rubbing her shoulder as she slumbered through the violence that was happening downstairs.

"Where is the Alpha headed?" A sniffle escaped Elenor as she turned her gaze towards the healer. She hadn't met her directly, only in passing at the packhouse, but it was one of the many familiar faces since her time

"Giving Luke a punishment." She managed to croak out, but in hopes of not disturbing her Luna's somewhat peaceful sleep, she covered her mouth and looked away.

"Crescent Moon has gotten rid of its old ways, there's nothing to worry about."
"But he's being blamed for outing Sage." Makenzie knew very well what was happening downstairs, but the hierarchy of their lives meant that Remus was in charge.
He decided how to deal with issues such as this, did the healer want witches on pack land?
No.
But if it would ease the Luna's chaotic mind and give them some answers, then so be it.

Blake, being Sage's charge, had finally surcome to the pain he had felt for the past half an hour. Almost ranging to the extent of panic to what Remus had been feeling.

He rushed to the Alpha's house and hadn't bothered in knocking or calling out—Blake simply followed the Luna's scent upstairs, only to find two she-wolves hovering over Sage's sleeping form.

"What happened?" He questioned, and either woman stilled as they were ordered not to speak. Although Ellie knew this wolf, Mackenzie did not. And she growled in defense.

"You are not welcome here at this time, Rogue." It was rather harsh, coming from the healer herself. But the Crescent Moon pack members weren't entirely there yet in terms of accepting these new changes, even if he is the Luna's charge.

"Because you had such a handle on it before?" Mackenzie rose to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, she—much like most of this pack, was raised under false concepts that weren't shared with other packs.

And Elenor hadn't understood what was happening, partly because she was younger and in a different generation. But it was enough to separate the two.

"There's no need to call names, Blake...This is a really bad time, please."
"Elenor—"
"No, Blake. The Alpha is not in the mood to hear that you've stepped out of line. Trust me." The fact of the matter is that Blake did not trust a single soul in this room—That was awake that is, he trusted Luna Sage with his life.

But this was not it.

He huffed, sharing his irritation and Mackenzie turned in theory to the Luna and then stared in suspicion. "How do you know our Luna?"
"I'm her charge, or at least I think that's the pack term of it. I could be wrong, I am just a Rogue after all." There was only one connection that could be made for Sage to make quick friends with another wolf.

An unmated male as well, and understanding wrapped the healer's head as she nodded and found herself sitting back in the chair she was first stationed at.

While Elenor was simply misplaced on what to do now that the slight argument was over, and her mind went straight to Luke. He was blocking her from his mind, and it horrified her beyond belief to tell Leo and Camilla.

Remus had finally made up a punishment that wouldn't leave his mate to hate him for the rest of their lives. Luke was ordered to shift and not return back to skin for a full forty-eight hours.

It allowed him to still be present when the witches came, but not in the sense of being able to talk to the coven.

Luke had done far worse, when he first received his wolf and started to feel comfortable with his beast. His father would push this activity to see how long he could last, and his mother had to smack his bum to shift back...As he thought that he could miss a whole month of school if he continued the path he was after.

But his mother was smart.

Forty-Eight hours was nothing, he's seen Sage do this plenty of times. She would be in fur in her own house. The only issue was this also separated mates, as Elenor was meant to stay away during this punishment.

As a mate would simply seek to give comfort.

Remus had returned that night, Elenor having fallen asleep beside Sage and Makenzie in one of the many bean bags. While funny enough, Blake was sitting in the hallway and rose in seeing the Alpha return.

"What do you know?"
"That your healer might've put together that I was in the facility similar to Sage's...And other than the menstrual cycle discovery, paired with a stab in my soul and the bandages on her wrists?... It's pretty self-explanatory." Remus closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"She wanted to get the human blood out of her." Blake nodded, but then he proceeded to rise up his own sleeves to showcase his attempts.

"That isn't a new thing, most wolves would in the facilities. It was a much less painless than living to see the next day." Remus nodded at the information, almost thankful that Blake was starting to gain trust in him as a person to share this.

But then he realized it was more for Sage's sake than his.

"Are you familiar with Witches?" Blake blinked at the thought, and a crude smile showcased on his lips.
"Familiar might be too vague of a word, Alpha." Remus shouldn't have asked, he simply should've left it for tomorrow's problem, instead he went off to the many guest bedrooms before waking up Elenor and helping her into bed—Knowing full well that Luke's actions did not reflect her.

Or his actions reflect him.

McKenzie was easier, she had woken up from the mess and her mate was waiting for her outside the Alpha's house. Leaving Blake downstairs to take the couch, after asking for permission first of course.

It seemed like Blake had attempted to fix the door, though it would need another look at with proper tools. But it was no longer being held on by a single hinge.

"Goddess Munchkin, how could we wake up this morning in complete bliss and now...?" He let out a harsh breath as he held onto her hand, another hand firm on her waist. There wasn't enough room on the bed without moving or disturbing her, but he simply placed his head down to the mattress and tried to rest.

*

Remus had woken up with a start, gasping as his hand clawed to the burning sensation of his mate's touch attempting to soothe him. His breaths were uneven—Harsh. His wolf whimpering at the imaginary rejection. He didn't want to believe that Sage would ever say hurtful things, or that she valued her pack more than the idea of a mate bond.

But he did believe that the dream meant something, it had to. Whether it was trying to tell him which pack she was from or what her connections might be. Whatever it was, the fact remained still—Sage is still an unknown and unclaimed she-wolf.

When Remus started to recognize his surroundings and the events that followed him falling asleep, he caught that Sage was awake. Though her eyes were midnight black, as she too had been startled by his sudden touch and the movement it brought.

She started to rise up a small bit and sniffed the air to know if there was anything else in the room. He had scared her and her wolf, so much so that she woke up.
"I'm sorry Munchkin." He whispered, while her hands started to feel for his shoulders. At first, he thought he was going to be pushed and sent away, but Sage was pulling him into bed with her and hugged him from behind.

With her half-asleep it allowed him to focus on where the pain was the most, and he realized that his touch on her waist and the warmth his back was displaying acted just like her belly warmer.

"Sleep sleep." She mumbled, cuddling further into his back and attempted to fall asleep. However his warmth was not enough to stop the spikes of pain.

Cramps. And they were brutal, enough to make her cry at the pain.
"Sage?...Goddess what's wrong?"
"Hurts...Bad." She mumbled through her tears and held onto him tighter. "How about get the bath started hun, the warm water and those salts that the witches gifted? Remember how you felt so much better after training?" She nodded her head and allowed him to leave his hold.

And Remus never felt stressed in knowing that his mate was hurting, this was different than when she was experiencing her first heat. That was curable, this was unknowingly torturing Sage without a good explanation behind this.
It was one thing for the menstrual cycle but Remus realized that the only thing he had really put together was what it would mean politically.

Not to Sage herself.

Remus had filled the tub and diligently put in the recommended cup and half of salt before returning to Sage and picking her up. "It's alright sweetheart, the tub is all set. Do you want to stay in your clothes?" She shook her head and proceeded to take her shirt off along with her pants.
But when Remus had started to take off her panties she stopped him.

"Do you want to keep them on hun?"
"I don't want you to see." She whispered, and Remus dragged his hand down his face he realized that the entirety of the day had resulted in response to this.

"Munchkin, I don't care if you're human...You're my mate, and I wouldn't change that for the world alright? The moon goddess matched us together for a reason. We're going to have pups, and we're going to be together for a long time...Humans, instead of having mates, they go out and find someone similar to their personality and then they get married. It's their version of mating, and one of the promises is 'in sickness in health,' if you don't feel well Sage I want to know." A small smile rose up on her face for a moment as she soaked in his words.

"But it's not com-for-table." Her over pronunciation was adorable to say the least. "Do you want me to turn around so you can take them off?" She had thought for a moment before nodding her head, and it hadn't been all that long before he aided her into the tub itself.

The pain was descending greatly and she hummed in recognition to the herbal essence and sense. "Luke punished?"
"I'm sorry Sage, but that is very sensitive information about you—That's dangerous and it's dangerous for the witches to know, right? He disobeyed an order from Jack that was from me. It's a time out hun, nothing more."
"Time out in fur?...I think I hear things when asleep." He was simply sitting at the side of the tub, his arm against the side and his head perched just there.

But he'd stay as long as she needed.

"Birdie say I should use salts."
"And I'm sure she'll have a few things to give to you too Munchkin, do you want me to wash your hair?" She shook her head, but he met halfway and tied her hair into a high bun and she smiled with a thankful grin.

"Blake okay?"
"He's downstairs sleeping on the couch."
"I hear his voice when sleeping, what happened?" She questioned, all while taking a small washrag and attempting to clean herself from the sweat she had received while sleeping.

This bath really was working wonders.

Remus had taken hold of the washcloth and started doing it for her, making sure to get every nook and cranny had equal attention. It relaxed both her wolf and made his rumble in approval for making her feel better.

Even if it was the salts.

He explained all that happened, and what would happen tomorrow as well. But then he bit his lip.

"Sage...? I think the pack where you come from has fallen...It might not be true, but I had a dream—A nightmare really."
"What kind of nightmare?" It was a morbid topic, especially when she lived through an actual nightmare.

"You never were in the facility, and we met for the first time at a pack conference. Like the Luna meeting, but this was for everyone. And you were with your dad I think, and you were going to be your pack's Alpha."
"I...I'm Alpha?"
"Meaning that your dad didn't have any more heirs, it's usually sons that take the position. But it didn't seem like you really were challenged by taking the title. It made sense."
"But why are you sad?"
"Because that could've happened, if you weren't born in the facility. You would've gone to school, lived as a wolf...Lived in a pack with your dad--With your family? I wish I could give that to you Munchkin."
"But I get sweet mate now, I get to learn now. And I have fun with runs and fun training for bear hunt. I live that now."

Remus hadn't meant to break down, but he was so damn proud of Sage for speaking in full sentences, for asking questions.

"Why crying? Are you hurt?" She whispered coming out of the water and putting her hand to his cheek in an attempt to feel for his pain. But it wasn't that type of cry.

"You've been talking a lot lately, you've been making friends with Elenor and you've grown even stronger with your training. I'm just really proud of you munchkin." He said, his hand overlapping hers before leaning forward and placing a kiss to her lips.

"Happy cry?"
"Yes. It's a happy cry. Like when you cry during those puppy videos." She gawked and then huffed with a solid pout on her face from his comment. But he continued to clean and soothe the witch's brew deeper into her skin.

"I like puppy videos."
"And I liked when you were with Hardin." He growled rather deeply, and what those around them had failed to understand was that one of the many pain relievers for Sage would be to mate.

But it hadn't been a thought in Remus' mind until Sage had leaned in and kissed him with the same intensity as she would when issuing her want in mating.

"Sage..." He warned, knowing that his wolf was close in urges to continue this. Yet she only smiled through his warning and blinked rather innocently.

"Yes?"
"Careful Munchkin, I might end up joining you in the tub." Excitement and a rather intense need for him had sparked the bond, and he hadn't thought twice from there.

______

Date: 06-08-2021

Time: 5:14

Words: 4816

What is your favorite werewolf trope?
(Ex. Rejected mate, Alpha/Beta pairing, Rogue, Werewolf King...Ect)