* * *

The holiday was too good to be true, and they were set to leave just after lunch. However, it didn't stop from a pattern forming, that Sage would check in on Blake at least once a day and ask how he is.

While the she-wolves thought it sweet, Remus didn't know how either he or his wolf felt about the situation. Especially when Harlow was asking what he planned to do with Blake.

"What do you mean?"

"He's Sage's charge...That leaves him in her care."

Remus' hands rubbed down his face, his idea of Sage taking on a charge was a heavy burden. Not that he didn't think she could do it, but what did that mean for her other responsibilities.

"The council is all for it, if anything it makes sense given their shared background."
"You just want him off your hands."
"Of course I do, but if anyone is going to get him whipped into shape, it's your mate." Remus huffed, knowing it was true the longer he spoke on the situation.

"Alright fine. Fine...Does he know he's being transferred?"
"He actually requested it."
"Did he now, and does Sage know?"
"I don't think she understood the term, nor do I think they spoke in skin since their spar...That's two transfers to document, would you look at that. Crescent Moon is changing." Remus smirked.

"Sage was initiated in."
"Ah but she's your mate, letting in Blake would mean a break of the borders. Meaning some families might consider moving." Remus let out another groan, all before claiming that no family would even want to move.

But then again, he took a small peak at the pile on Harlow's desk. And he was meant to be a fear pack right alongside Remus.

"Moon Valley is falling, the council denies the claims but sooner or later another pack or Rogues will come and claim it. Other packs need to be prepared for when it does." The two Alpha's shared a look while Drake had remained quiet in the corner, or up until this point in time when his pack was actually taking effect by the changes.

"The numbers are dropping in Moon Valley, all the transfers I've come across say the leadership is awful or there is the constant danger. Conner and Erika dug themselves into a whole." Remus thought for a moment on how he could act ahead of this, perhaps if he started to commission some apartment houses in early spring he could prepare for the changes in numbers, though that was something to discuss with his own people.

But it would ultimately be beneficial if it meant job positions being filled up. So he nodded for a moment but remained silent, all in telling that he would think over the possibility of what this could possibly mean.

Unfortunately, lunch had ended far quicker than the Lunas realized, and Sage had been a pouting mess of not wanting to leave. Which ultimately left Jade to feel emotional as well, and no matter how many hugs and promises of future visits there were stopped the anxiety on the departure. It also didn't help Sage from shaking the feeling off.

"Remmy?" She questioned, having just gotten out of the car where he was grabbing their share of bags with Luke. "What's up Munchkin?"
"Something wrong." She blinked, and it caused Remus to turn to Luke.

"What kind of something wrong?" Luke questioned, showing a growing concern and bringing his mate closer to his side. Earning him an annoyed grunt but he silenced it instnatly with an unsure look.

"What's wrong?"
"Sage thinks somethings wrong." He caught her up to speed, though there wasn't really anything more than that. If anything, Ellie thought the two Crescent Moon males were acting strange.

"Rogues." Sage rushed out, turning over her shoulder to where she thought they were coming. So much so that she threw off her sweater and darted off in the direction of her suspicion.

"SAGE!" Remus yelled out, but his Alpha tone held no effect on his Alpha-female. Though it did reign in on the Elwood brothers and Ellie.

"What happened?" Jade said, rushing from where she was helping Haylee and with Hardin in her arms. "Sage thinks there's Rogues coming, there's—" Blake, who had remained silent for part of the conversation had dropped his backpack to the floor and kicked off his shoes and sweater as well. All before shifting off in search of his Luna.

"Alpha?" Luke said, eyeing the direction where the former Rogue and their Luna was headed off to. "Harlow! What section of your pack is off in that direction?!" The level of seriousness had dropped the temperature, Remus was livid however the howl of an alert caused all the wolves on the tarmac to still.

"Fuck. Luke, Liam..." Remus called, which left Luke to throw of his own layers. And it was only then that he caught Ellie doing the same. "No, you're staying here."
"You're kidding, right?" She scoffed, and Liam was already off following their Alpha with the rest of the shifted leaders.

"Elenor. You're staying here."
"Not when you're out there fighting, and if you think you're going to be this way I might as well stay here!" She yelled, ditching her shoes and shifting with an extra level of anger ripping through her growls.

Luke, who was just a few paces behind as her, hadn't explored as much of Mystic Grimm as his own Luna, meaning it was better to allow her to lead.

Does she always do this?

No, but she can't express them into words most of the time. What is the pack saying?

Ellie claimed that their Alpha was on the lookout close to the boarders by sending warriors and patrols closer to see where they were headed—However the sudden yelp from behind her caused her to stop her charge.

Luke?!

Sage found them. Call your father, she's attacking at least a few be herself.

Ellie agreed, and the two newcomers had stopped at the border of the chaos. The Rogues were battling it out, as Sage was back to back with her own mate—While Liam and Blake soon joined their circle of defense.

Luke?!

Ellie cried, and Luke turned in fear that something happened to his mate.

My goddess, I can't link my father! Something's wrong, he's not responding.

Elenor, stick close to me. We need to finish this with the numbers we have.

The two intervened and tackled from behind, giving the Rogues a disadvantage. And while Luke was busy with his own locked target, Elenor found herself in a bit of a tight space between an oncoming four. Leaving Sage to aid her brother's mate, unhinging her jaw and giving the sickened wolf a quick death before moving to the next.

It left Ellie incomplete in utter awe at how the Crescent Moon wolves worked alongside one another, but the fighting style all around her was different. First, it was sectioned off by Sage and Blake, who were taught at a very young age that you fight until you couldn't move another muscle.
Then there were Luke and Liam, who trained side by side for the majority of their lives under the surveillance of their father.

Almost at the same rate as Remus, though he had a few more years on either of them and a much stronger wolf to boot.

It was the Mystic Grimm wolves that hadn't surprised her, if anything Haylee had traded her fighting style for that of Whitepaw. That wasn't much of a surprise, but what was—was how quickly the Rogues started falling to the floor.

Luke why can't I link my father or mom? What's happening?

With the mate bond not being affected and Sage being able to be the only one to hear the collective conversations around her, she huffed in confirmation, her ear ticked at the idea of there being silver somewhere in the area.

Leaving Luke to shift and fall into the snow completely nude. "There's silver somewhere here, we need to find it all." He called out, which caused Sage to put her nose up into the air and leave her pack mates to look at her expectedly.

I only find a little.

She called out, but Remus had said that it'd be enough to start. Which lead Harlow to be entirely confused but followed after the Luna of Crescent Moon never the less.

She began digging, both underneath the snow and gravel to find the long rope-like thread. Taking it between her teeth did she begin to rip it up, almost like a tree root. And it had started to go on for a long while, until Blake had aided her and started to perform the same task.

Either being immune to the silver.

However Sage hadn't accounted for her injuries and her wolf shifted in accordance with having enough. In seeing her fall Blake had hurried to meet her at the same time Remus had, his wolf warning that another step would result in an open attack.

He already noticed how the two had worked so flawlessly together, and his wolf was just urging the damned grey patched wolf to push his final limits.

Blake had weighed his options for a moment, but surcame to the decision that it was a mate's job to heal their wounded. And so he returned back towards the line of silver.

"I want an explanation. Now!" Harlow argued, and it had the Elwood brothers and Ellie submit instantly at the Alpha's voice, however with the silver it left the inability of linking to be dimmed down to mates.

"I smell Rogues," Sage whispered numbly, her breath labored as she flinched in feeling a claw mark on the side of her rib. Leaving Remus to shift to skin and hold her close. "We can't link outside the barrier, that silver's blocking it."

"And how the hell was that planted it there?!" Harlow yelled, it was clear that it was placed there a long time ago.

And in shifting, Blake turned to the rest of the wolves and motioned it up. "They used this in the cells, we'd form packs in the facility and we tried to rally." He explained, and Sage whined in recognition and whispered out another word.

"Liber." Blake turned over his shoulder, he had suspicions that maybe Sage had been stationed at the same facility as he had. But if she knew then...Then he would've been there for at least one facility that housed Sage.

"Sage...I need you to get onto my back munchkin. We need to go to the infirmary."
"Noooo." She said, grasping his warm skin in contrast to the snow beneath them.

But he left no chance to argue as he shifted back to fur and Sage hooked her arms around his neck, trying her best to keep her whines to mumbled into his fur coat. While Remus started had started the walk back towards the packhouse.

"Remmy...I sorry I can't say words."

He knew that Sage was acting on instinct, it was a beautiful trait for the young Luna to have. The only issue is that going into a linkless area was dangerous, especially in another pack.

It's okay Munchkin, we should have a code word or something. But we stopped anything from happening, it's okay.

"But Harlow mad."

Harlow isn't mad hun, I'm sure he's happy we were here to help. And you found the silver hun...Sounds like we're staying another day.

"Yay." She mumbled, but it was laced with sleep. And if he hadn't managed to run into a group of incoming wolves, he wouldn't have known that word had gotten out—Among them was Hayes, and it caused Sage to give them a loppy smile.

"Careful, silver." Hayes held concern to see how scratched up and battered the young Luna was, just as much as how his own children had been.

I'm sending over the pack doctor, I'm going to assume Sage doesn't want to go to the infirmary.

"I go, I really hurt. It's okay. Remmy with me." The black wolf had nodded in his form before following after the given group, yet that didn't stop other enforcers to come and escort the Crescent Moon's Alphas to the Infirmary.

It was quick work in stopping the bleeding, and Remus had stayed in his fur as he hadn't liked the idea of a male doctor touching his mate.

It was the first time either Sage or Remus had been asked if it was alright to touch the Luna, he had to force his wolf to agree. Claiming that it was for the better to heal her, and it worked out well enough as Sage was wrapped up and tucked in.
Leaving her Alpha to lay on her entire form.

Yet soon enough Blake came in, he hadn't taken much damage. But he stood at the doorway in a sense of urgency, yet it was clear that he absolutely hated, with every fiber of his being: The infirmary.

"Don't think I can ever get the smell out of my head." He whispered, and Sage hummed in agreement. "Outside smells better. I never see tree before until brothers come find me."

"Yeah? What kind of tree was it?"
"Maple." Remus grinned as he knew what the male was doing, to see how far she's come from there.

"Are Lu and Le coming?"
"Your Lu is making sure his mate is getting check out, but I think he's going in the Dog house." "Why?"
"Cause he wanted her to stay on the tarmac—At the plane." Sage huffed in retaliation.

"Ellie strong wolf, she know how to fight." Elenor had taken a peek into the room with her mate and his brother, and she grinned widely in seeing her future Luna agree with her.

"See! Even Luna Sage thinks I can protect myself!" She cheered, and Luke growled in response. But it only grew louder he caught the state his sister was in. 

Ellie had caught a tug on the bond and frowned, she knew that the Elwoods had adopted Sage as their own until she mated Remus.
But it was true, they imprinted on her as a true sister.

In seeing Sage, Luke had wrapped his arms around his mate and growled right beside her ear. "If you were in that infirmary bed, I don't what I'd do..." Ellie relished in the contact of her mate's skin on hers, issuing a new feeling of healing that she's never experienced before.

It made it harder to be mad at him.

"Silver rope?" Sage called out, and the Alpha turned expectantly towards those at the door. Luke shared what he had found out, it seemed to be a small portion of the sector that was hidden—They were going to see how long it had been planted there, as roots were growing around it and such.

Jade came in soon enough, a sheer mess as she came over towards Sage's bed. Though she had just fallen into sleep and it left the Mystic Grimm Luna cautious in waking up the healing she-wolf.

"Remus we're so sorry, goddess it's—

Don't think twice about it, though I don't know if Sage or anyone should be flying—

"You're all staying another night, Harlow is out with a dozen or so wolves trying to take it all out. It's sounding like a mile...But the previous attacks that Mystic Grimm has faced are starting to make sense." Remus' head rose up in solidarity, it was a forbidden topic the tragedies that this pack has faced.

"They won't rest, Luke's out there with Ellie trying to calm them down. We could use Sage's nose when she's feeling better." Remus nodded, but it was the movement underneath him that caused him to growl.

"I want to help." She chimed in, looking awfully exhausted at all that occurred. But Jade gave a white flag to Remus as she sat on the bed. "Sweetheart you get something to eat and rest, you and Blake killed a lot and we're very thankful. Heal up a little more."

"No, I can talk with silver around. I help."

Sage listen to—

"I need to help." She said, dismissing either of the wolves before getting dressed with the sweater and pants that were provided. And it was a simple gaze from Remus to Jade that had the Luna hurry out of the room.

"Sage..."
"No. I help. They need help, I don't know what happen be-fore. But they need help to find it. Yes?" Remus chuckled, coming closer to his mate and aiding her through the hole of her sweater.

"No shifting yet hun, still a little woozy alright. We'll head over in a car."
"ATV?"
"This isn't our pack hun, how about you see if you can link someone who's ripping out the silver?"

Sage thought for a moment as she waited for her mate to get dressed him, and she closed her eyes and tried to figure out who would be the best bet.

Harlow? Hayes?

Sage? How did you—

Son?

The two voices in Sage's head made the tension rise, but she continued to have her eyes closed as she thought of what to ask.

I want to help, where I go?

I'm out in sector three, dad's by sector four? I'm closer to the Infirmary Sage.

And Luke?

He's with dad, we have wolves in skin with walkie-talkies hun.

Sage shared the locations with Remus and the two exited her room in the infirmary, only to see Blake sitting on the floor before scrambling up to his feet.

"How long you sit there?" Blake shrugged off the question and followed after the Alpha and Luna in a quest to find out some answer.

"You smell silver?"
"When it's close enough."
"We go and find where silver rope ends so Harlow know...I not be able to shift." Remus stood back and saw how Sage took the lead in ordering her charge around, but it was sort of sweet that this wolf hadn't bothered to listen to anyone to but her.

Sage's speech was definetly improving and that's what mattered, even if she was unable to bare what was happening before.

"Remmy, you think we have silver rope at home?" Sage questioned, and Remus smirked. "Looks like I have a call to make home huh hun?" She nodded in confirmation before getting into the car, she gave Remus her phone and he was quick to dial Eli's number.

"Hey little Luna, I didn't know our planes had internet to—"

"We have a situation, we're going to be coming home tomorrow morning or by the afternoon. There was a Rogue attack." From there Eli had orders to follow through but was under heavy consideration to not let this scare the pack. But the idea of curfew and certain wolves having metal detectors around the ways was defused by the Beta and Delta sharing that their Luna and Alpha had been attacked by Rogues off in Mystic Grimm.

Though even then it didn't share how severe it could've been here.

After a full day of work, uncovering a full four miles combined that made for the perfect attack base to come in undetected. And with the distraction of the entire Alphas party leaving the pack it made them weak if Sage didn't smell them in time.

But her being able to smell through silver made their attack pointless and failed.

Hayes had been immensely thankful, as had Harlow. They expressed it constantly and continued to ask if Sage needed anything more, but all she really wanted to cuddle her mate and have a extra playtime with Hardin.

In the end, it was for the better that they leave that night, even when Jade begged them to stay. Sure it was the comfort of having them here, but with this new knowledge, there would need to be a new defense strategy against this.

Sage boarded the plane with the help of her mate and settled down as the Alpha continued to aid the rest of the males with the luggage. Though it was mostly Ellie's life moving from one pack to another, which meant clothes and mementos in the given boxes and such.

And it made Ellie feel extremely guilty in having her new Alpha load up the plane, but if anything he laughed it off. "I don't like plane too. But it's night and it will be nice, yes?" Ellie smiled politely to her new Luna and nodded.

"Do you go on planes often?"
"No, I go on one for Luna meeting. That first time."
"Oh yeah, I...I heard how that went."
"Maybe you come with to next Luna meeting, it was okay other than mean Luna's." Elenor sat beside Sage as the males were loading up the plane, until the pilot said he was all set.

Leaving the seat empty for Remus to join his mate and she was quick to cuddle into his lap, falling asleep within the first ten minutes of the flight.

Luke had been almost jealous of his Alpha for seeing a she-wolf showing that much affection, but now he understood. Especially when Ellie was resting her head onto his shoulder, it was the minimum of the affection she's shown since they met. Yet it was sweet never-the-less as she was still slightly angry.

Though by the end of the flight she was almost in his lap as well, and his wolf had never felt as comfortable as she had. Yet it was going to damn hilarious to introduce Ellie to his Mom, he wondered if they would allow her to sleep in his room for the first few days or set her up in Sage's old room.

Remus nudged Sage awake, and it earned him a growl that everyone in the room felt. Even Ellie as she popped her eyes open in fear that something happened.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She whispered, and Liam laughed at her anxiety.
"The Alpha woke up the Luna, she's a ray of sunshine when you wake her up from a nap." He teased, and it was clear that Sage was not happy with being awake or having to face the landing.

But Luke hadn't been prepared for his own mate to be scared on the landing, but he took her into his embrace in order settle her and her shaken wolf. Much like Remus was in the midst of it all, and when the plane did land—Sage felt utterly relieved.

She was home, they were all home. And her pouting face had suddenly been filled with a sense of relief, one that everyone in the cabin had felt.

"Happy to be home Munchkin?"
"Yes, can we make midnight snack?" He growled into her cheek as he left a small kiss before setting out to start grabbing the first of many duffle bags.

He had an extra truck ready to help bring Ellie's things and that end, but Sage was very excited for Luke and his mate. She couldn't stop smiling, that knowing smile that always caused her brother to eye her suspiciously.

Like she had her hand in her a cookie jar.

"Remmy, I wanna see Luke in-tro-duce Ellie." How could anyone deny Sage when she said it in a full sentence? The only thing is he didn't know if it was going to be such a public event, but Elenor was slightly nervous and Luke thought it would help his new mate acclimate to his family if his sister was present.

"Maybe that'd be a good idea, that scratch on your face will surely get mom distracted for a minute or two." Liam teased, but it was enough for the Elwoods to hop into one car while Sage had followed into the designated car for the Alpha and Luna.

"Change of plans, we're headed to the Elwoods," Remus said to the driver, and Sage had her chin planted onto the seat before her's shoulder as she looked expectedly to both the Beta and Delta.

But the two were in the midst to see what would happen if they hadn't said anything to their Luna, leaving her to pout and become doe-eyed before Jack had caved in first.

"How could I possibly not miss this face! My running partner is—" There had been a third body entering the car as he found his way to sit in the SUV's seats behind the Luna.

"This is Blake. He stay at...Remmy? Where Blake stay?"
"For now Blake, you're staying at the packhouse until we can build another home."
"That's fine, not a stranger to building...Did Harlow give you my file?" The Alpha nodded, eyeing him in complete in utter warning that he was meant to stick to this good behavior.

And if he did anything out of tern Sage would not be able to save him, if he made anything public.

"I'll get him set up." Jack offered, but it was up to either Beta and Delta to do just that before Remus took to drive...And it seemed that either Luke and Liam were waiting for the party, which caused Sage to hurry on out to join them—Thinking she missed the introduction.

She bounced on her feet as she squealed, but then frowned at how nervous both Luke and Elenor seemed to be. "Goddess, I've tried for the past five minutes to get these two in the house." Liam groaned, and it caused Sage to interlock her hand into Elle's with a bright smile.

"It okay, Luke didn't like Remmy as my mate. But Camilla like you a lot, she very excited." Remus turned his gaze to Luke, but he knew it was the relationship the two had that made Luke feel that Remus hadn't proven himself.

"Let's just say that I think Luke would've loved that custom that Mystic Grimm has." Remus dwelled with a slick grin, and Luke nodded in confirmation that it would've gone down much like that had Crescent Moon acted on such customs.

And Luke would've put up a fight for sure. Just for a formality.

"Come, I want midnight snack and sleep." She cheered, obviously not understanding what the idea is of being nervous in this sense would be. Shouldn't having a mate be a joyous thing?
Or was she wrong in assuming that?

Whatever happened, Luke smiled down to his sister before turning closer to the house hand in hand with his mate.

Liam on the other hand nudged Sage. "So since you turned into a seer, could you tell me when I'm going to meet my mate?"
"I don't know," Sage said very quickly, but then tilted her head in thought, yet the disruption of this conversation ended once a sharp scratch erupted in their wolves' ears causing them all to flinch.

"Maybe soon." She whispered, but Liam's ears perked at the sign that there was a mate in store for him in the future. And he was filled with joy—He and his wolf, as he saw his mother start to cry, laugh, and scream all in the record of a minute.

She fawned over Elenor, and there had been loads of questions from Leo to know what types of training Mystic Grimm and her father had in store for her. But it made the utmost sense, that the two pups from Master of Arms families would be the next generation for Crescent Moon.

Making their alliance that much stronger.

Sage remained beside Remus and couldn't help but smile at the sight, she turned her attention up towards her mate with the same grin. And he chuckled, "What's up munchkin?"
"Happy." She whispered, snuggling her face into his his side and humming in delight, but Remus sighed.

She was exhausted, and it was clear that she was hiding it from the bond. But it was racking up and thus he said a parting goodbye, yet Sage was soon tackled by Ellie with a loud goodnight, and sure it earned a pout...Though Sage found it in her to rub her cheeks as a parting.

"It's alright Munchkin, let's get you into bed." He whispered low enough for her to hear, and she smiled at the idea of being back at home. Yet the Alpha blood coursing through Remus' veins because overprotective and didn't allow for her to walk into the house on her own, instead he carried her all the way upstairs.

Sage did find enough energy to just take a quick wash in the shower before dressing warmly for bed, leaving Remus awake and staring fondly at her from the doorway of the bathroom. He kept the door open and rushed through his own shower before joining her in bed, and a small giggle escaped from her.

"Wet hair." She said, and he ran a hand through in hopes that it would get the stray droplets out but it was no matter, she curled into his hold and the two were able to sleep like the dead.

______

Date: 06-02-2021

Time: 8:14

Words: 4877