* * *

Remus hadn't left Sage's side once, she only woke up in a haze once or twice throughout the night as she would run her free hand through his fur for a moment, only to fall back into a deep slumber. Course that meant the Alpha had slept as well, just not as soundly.

He replayed the fight in his head over and over again, and every time he thought of of her being slashed at or thrown had caused his heart to tug. Ultimately leaving him to nuzzle into her chest lightly. Searching for her heartbeat to know that she was alive and well.

Remus couldn't count how many times he licked her wounds clean throughout the night, and by the first chirps of morning, he had done so again. Only this time he removed himself from her sleeping body and decided to get her something to drink, having hope that she would start to wake up soon.

Camilla smiled in greeting to her Alpha as hardly anyone was awake just yet, but she gestured up a mug—In offering tea for Sage and he said his thanks before hurrying back.

Already the smell waffled the air in the tent and caused Sage's nose to start to twitch, however when she went to move she instantly hissed out in pain.

"Hey hey...Take it easy hun, lie back down for me." He whispered, putting the tea off to the side and looking to where the pain was the most and he stilled.

Her wound had not healed in the slightest.

"How do you feel munchkin?"
"Okay...Tired and sore. But I feel good." She said, her eyes turning from his to the tea and he simply helped her take a few gentle sips before taking it away and she turned her head to the pillow.

"Are you okay?"
"I didn't take on a four hundred pound bear yesterday hun, you took some damage."
"But I killed the bear." He nodded, and her wolf let out a satisfying rumble.

Remus had called on Camilla and Elenor close to instantly as they were the ones to bandage the Luna. The grim faces told otherwise. "I don't understand Alpha, it should've healed a least a bit. But it's...It's hardly closed." Camilla whispered, but she had taken the liberty of trying another attempt, hurrying towards her bag and finished out a tube of cream.

"That's for pups..." Ellie whispered in warning, and Camilla smiled to her daughter.
"Sage had a pup cold a few weeks after she came to Crescent Moon...Alpha, may I?" Remus' jaw visibly clicked as he had no utter clue on what to do to get his mate to enable her healing abilities. He had thought for sure that his saliva would at least dull the pain, but it was clear that there wasn't anything done.

She was healing like a human.

"That smells funny..." Sage whispered, and it was suddenly red sires as Sages stumbled and moved away shaking her head and beginning to sob as she didn't want the cream on her skin.
"Sage...Shsh, munchkin it's going to help." He said, holding her gently as he positioned himself behind her and nodded for them to continue.

But it didn't feel right.

The cream instantly burned to the touch and Sage hissed, but the others took it as a sign of it working. Yet the tears kept coming and all the three could do was soothe her worries.

Something still wasn't right, and she was rather angry that Remus didn't listen to her reaction when she didn't want the cream. So when he mentioned that he was going to go and observe the other bear hunts, Sage didn't give another thought to his decision.

She was simply quiet, not saying a word. Not when that cream was still burning.

"Some are going to stay back with you, do you want to sit out in the camp?" She simply snuggled further back into the pillow, feeling rather unheard as she heard him sigh.

She heard the others starting to go, and she smiled to herself when she thought of Luke and his own bear hunt.

Good luck Lu.

She called out, and he laughed over the bond as he said something about her being mad at Remus. And she simply growled in agreement.

Usually, when Sage was hurt after a spare, everyone knew to leave her alone. That her wounds would heal, and Luke agreed that it was wrong for them to basically hold her down and put the cream on her when she clearly didn't like it.

Even if the Alpha said to do it.

After a good while had passed, Sage had attempted to make her way out of the tent yet stumbled lightly and held onto the tree closest to her.

"Luna, goddess, please! Sit down...?" They were young pups, probably no older than sixteen or seventeen, and just shifted the first time within the given years, Ben and been the brave soul and aided his Luna into one of the many camping chairs.
And she sunk right in and smiled to be graced with the fresh air.

"D-do you want some tea, Luna?"
"Yes, thank you." The two had gotten to work quickly, it was seen as a great honor to take care for and protect their Luna.

Especially when she was injured.

The two were silent, too silent for her as she turned to them with a smile. "Can you tell me a story?"
"L-like a campfire story Luna? O-or a story about—"
"Story about you, I only know names." Ben had tapped on Wyatt's leg mouthing the words 'she knows our name' with a giddy expression.

But that only caused Sage to tilt her head.

"I know a lot of wolves name in pack, I know scents better."
"T-that's okay, um...There was this time when Ben and I..." And Wyatt started her on a wild adventure the two had experienced a summer ago with those their age, as it was important to camp out in your wolf form.

Especially when this trip was a possibility.

When Sage had a question she would polity interrupt and ask, usually it involved technology or some other slang terms, but for the most part she enjoyed the pup's company.

Though the burning on her injuries was telling her otherwise, she held a little faith that they knew what was good for her.

However there was a record of commotion, as either male had suddenly risen to their feet and started to prep an area. "Elwood is hurt!" Ben shouted and Sage sniffed the air, and sure enough the iron flavor was in the air once again.

And it was surely her brother's.

Panic rose into her system, and it wasn't long before the first step of wolves returned. Followed by Luke who was clutching his own stomach, but he managed to smile at his Luna before being placed down by the fire.

And in an act similar to Remus, Elenor had curled up in her fur and attempted to lick the wounds.

"Hey hey, it's alright. He just got a nasty claw mark and shifted. He's going to be fine." Remus whispered beside her as he pulled a pair of shorts on.

But Sage was not convinced, even when Remus placed her back into the chair and left her while he attempted to help Camilla—Who was readily on a warpath with anyone who was in her way.

And right now, Elenor seemed to be in direct line of it.

Perhaps Camilla had a bit of a struggle seeing her eldest move out with a mate, and she had completely forgotten how protective a she-wolf was when their mate was injured.

As same went for a male to their female.

It was no surprise that this earned the in-law a growl, deeper and darker than Sage had even thought possible.

"Mom..." Sage called out, and the woman turned to her adopted daughter and Luna to receive a shake of the head. And whether she took it as an order or a suggestion, the mother knew that this was no longer her job to tend to her son's wounds.

Thank you Sage.

She heard whispered in her head, and she smiled into her cup of tea that was going cold as her eyes flickered off towards Luke. He was awake, trying to calm down his own mate who hadn't stopped licking him since his mom left the two alone.

However a nicer sent permitted the air, and that was when a few others were hauling up Luke's kill. She hummed in approval before getting a kiss to the top of her head, so that's where Remus had gone.

"How are you feeling Munchkin?" She still felt a little angry with him, but she shrugged her shoulders and uttered the word 'okay'. Which only had him kneel down onto the floor beside her and tug her shirt up, and he sighed when the three hours had passed and nothing had changed except it looked beyond red and irritated.

"Creams burns." His head shot up to his mate as he called over Camilla, showing her the claw marks the bear had done as this wasn't what the cream was supposed to do.

"I think we need to clean it thoroughly Alpha, there's a stream a few minutes north." Remus nodded as he turned his gaze and softened, Sage was still looking to her brother in worry.

"He'll be fine Munchkin." He received a few blinks before she ultimately decided that she wanted the cream off, but when he offered his hand she didn't take it.

That's when he realized she was angry, she adored holding his hand. For whatever reason or another, it was her habit. He had gently tugged her back, not to disturb her healing shoulder or surprise her to where she could fall.

"No. I said no cream and you don't listen. No hand-holding." He growled in response but it was simply matched to her own tone, her wolf was pissed and goddess did the skin look irritated.

When she started to hear the running water, a relieved sigh was released as she made her way towards the slight waterfall and quickly stripped.

Not having bothered to wait for her mate to either join or question if she was alright, she was getting tired of hearing the same questions. Especially this trip, but the pain she was feeling was masking the homesickness. Now it was traded with the pain of Luna being felt throughout the pack.

The water was cold, she let out a squeal as she walked directly into the water halfway through. And while she wanted to move her right arm, she couldn't and kept it straight and only bent it a little underneath the water.

"Sage, if there is a possibility that something could help you—Especially when you're hurt. I will risk it."
"I say no?" She questioned, her eyes staring directly to him now as she had splashed her face with the fresh and running water.

"You should've healed more Munchkin." 

"I know. I have ears." She was being fresh, but he supposed he deserved it and she was in pain. Sage's tolerance in pain might be high, but when having to focus her attention on having a conversation as well.

She didn't comply entirely.

"I'm sorry."
"Okay. But I'm still mad."
"Can I make it up to you hun?" She hummed for a moment, but his idea of 'making it up to her' didn't fit her image of it.

"We make mozzarella sticks at home." He smirked and nodded. "Lots."
"And tomato sauce?"
"No, I like ranch." He grinned even further as he let his head lower, his nose brushing against hers as he hummed in agreement.

"How about I get your own ATV?"
"I can't drive."
"I'll teach you on that, then we'll move to a car." She leaned and placed herself further into his hold, her head resting against his chest as the cold water and warm mate was a nice combination.

"How does it feel hun?"
"Fine. Don't ask again...hear too much today."
"Cause our wolves are worried sweetheart, that's a part of being a Luna. Even if it is annoying you have to push that aside and put the pack members first." She nodded, trying to think through what he meant, until she looked up and questioned it.

"The Rogue attack during your coronation, the Luna's job is to take care of the pups. That allows the parents of those pups to have no worries because you're there."
"B...But I'm not there."
"No, but you took over as Alpha, and I remained with those who couldn't shift. The pups were fine, and you fought beautifully." She grinned and shook her head as she looked rather playful.

"No, you mad...Very mad."
"At the time, yes. And I probably would be if you did something like that again. I'm an overprotective beast Munchkin, sue me."
"Sue...Me?"
"Er, it's a punishment involving money that you pay a certain amount."
"Oh, I break something and I pay?"
"Exactly." He grinned, his cheeks rising with his lips.

He just couldn't help it when she understood something so quickly.

"Did you eat lunch?"
"No, Ben and Wyatt tell me stories." He coaxed her into leaving the water, putting on her clothes as she was surely going to get redressed back at the camp.

Luke and Elenor had moved to their tent, to give them privacy and a sense of seclusion from the rest of the pack.

The Elwoods had managed to start the processes in cleaning the bears, both Luke's and Sage's. And she grinned in seeing her kill being gutted.

"You didn't get a proper taste girlie, coming right up." She hadn't even had time to take a bite of her kill, but in seeing it sitting on the makeshift grill caused her to rise her shoulders in a sense of pride.

Though her shoulder still burned.

Remus had attempted to go without touching his mate, but he couldn't take it anymore. He lifted her up gently and settled her back on his lap, leaving her to groan slightly in pain as he misjudged her shoulder.

"Careful, shoulder hurts."
"Let me kiss it better." Her nose went up in retaliation, but it wasn't in a sexual manner and nobody in the camp would say anything against it.

Leo plated the bear's cooked heart and handed it towards his Alpha and Luna, knowing full well it was his daughter's favorite part of a kill.

"It's not as good fresh hun, but it's still a bear no matter how it's cooked." Sage thanked her dad as he went off to continue slicing and cooking up more strips of her kill, and an instant wiggle had come through.

Course Remus felt the sensation when his mate did that, but in all fairness she was excited.

She didn't bother with the fork and knife, instead she picked it up gently with her hands and took a very large chomp out of the cooked piece. Remus growled as he heard her hum in pleasure, his wolf feeling left out but she simply offered up a bite and he grinned.

She was always very good at knowing what his wolf was feeling.

Mate listens to me more. His wolf teased, which caused him to lean into her neck and smell his scent so loudly on her person.

She shared her bear heart with Remus and the rest were eager to get their own taste of the bear this season. Course it was a tradition that the Alpha—If he were to come, would get the first kill. But he gave it to Sage first and foremost.

Once everyone had a plate and drink in hand, they made a toast. And it simply caused Sage's cheeks to blush as they were very thankful for this meal.

With all said and done, Sage wanted to check on her brother. So when Remus had explained he was going to be taking a run, she remained in her seat by the fire until he was well enough away to not know where was off to.

Sage was usually very good at knocking, but there was nothing to knock on so it left her mildly confused until she came to some sort of middle ground.

"Knock knock." Ellie lifted her head for a moment to greet her Luna, but also allow her to enter the tent.
Sage was very good in reading a wolf, and in looking at either her brother or Ellie. She realized that he was in good hands.

"You need to eat." She whispered, and a smile played on Luke's face as he mumbled in agreement. When Ellie shifted, Sage had her clothes more than ready as she was going to stay with Luke while she got herself a taste of the bear.

"Dad says my bear's bigger."
"Mine tastes better." She shot back, causing him to chuckle again. He was on a sort of high that his mate would give him for ease of comfort, though it was strange for her to see it from this angle.

"How's cut?"
"Think we both got more than a cut hun, your arm still looks pretty banged up..."
"Le says I get cool scars." He nodded his head, but it was clear that he was growing tired and less active due to his mate's departure.

But a sudden thought occurred in Sage, or it wasn't a thought—But one of those intuitions. "Lu?"
"Hmm?"
"I have in-tu-ition."
"Yeah? That my bear tastes better?" He questioned, letting himself have the laugh while he clearly missed what Sage was doing.

It wasn't that hard to find a knife in the tent, and when she went to look towards the scratches on both his chest and back. Sage felt the intuition spike rapidly.

Having quickly cut the palm of her hand, she remembered how she shared the blood into Birdie's vial so she could analyze it, and she did just that as she made a fist and squeezed. Although it was painful, she allowed the drops of blood to fall onto her brother's skin.

At first, he hadn't a clue as to what she was doing, it felt as though Elenor was covering his wounds in salvia again—Though this time it was much more potent of a pain reliever.

His eyes shot open to see what Sage was doing, and while attempted to stop her, he realized that he was watching his own wound soak up his Luna's blood and stitch the wound from this morning.

Scrambling to sit up did he feel the area in question, there was no mark or scar—Hell it wasn't even tender to the touch. But all Luke could really focus on was what the hell was in Sage's blood to be able to do that.

"In-tu-it-ion." She said, still struggling to pronounce the word. But the wolf was shocked. There were no words that could really explain what happened in the last two minutes.

Alpha. Come to my tent, now.

Luke called out, and the urgency caused Remus to stop his run with the three other wolves he was with before turning back towards camp. He was prepared for Sage to be sitting in the same seat he left her in, but it was getting dark and she felt fairly tired through the bond, so he hadn't thought anything of it.

Making his way towards Luke's tent, he narrowed his eyes between both his mate and the male wolf who called him. "Something wrong?" He issued, but Sage simply came forward, careful of her arm and smiled.

"I heal Lu." She said, and that caused Remus to turn in question—But having seen Luke almost bleed out today to having nothing. Not even a scratch, caused him to look back at his mate in question.

"I heal Luke with my blood." It was clear what she did, seeing as how her hand was still dripping onto her sweatpants. Only for Remus to take off his shirt and wrap it around her still bleeding cut.

"Sage, what did you—"
"I have in-tu-ition. I heal Luke with blood." Luke hunched over further, having felt the stress of his body needing to heal to just feeling utterly exhausted at how much energy he and his wolf used.

"I can't say I'm not happy hun...That wouldn't be a Luna gift, would it?" At this point, Remus wouldn't know. Luna's were blessed with certain abilities to look after pack members, but each pack was different. Surely Haylee and Jade had their own, and it wasn't something that was to be shared with another.

"We keep this between us, and Elenor...We'll figure it out." Luke nodded, it wasn't that odd, Sage didn't have the chance to say anything as Remus pulled her out of the tent and they returned to their own.

"Sage, sweetheart...Please tell me before you do something like this alright?"
"But I heal Lu."
"Yes, and I'm sure he's thankful...But you need to focus on healing yourself, not others. If a pack loses a Luna then the pack could fall hun, but if the pack loses Luke then—"
"Luke important."
"He is, everyone in this pack is. But you're everyone's concern in this pack. Do you understand that hun? The pack wouldn't be the same if something happens to you." Sage looked at him, did she truly not understand how important she was?

To the pack?
To him?

He pulled her ever so gently into his embrace, running his hand through her hair, and allowed his wolf to purr. If she wasn't going to understand words, perhaps she'd understand his wolf.

"Every wolf is important. Not me." She whispered, and he disagreed instantly.
"But a lost Luna...Means a lost Alpha." It was clear that Sage did not know what happened if a mate died, and so he settled her further into his now crisscrossed lap and pulled her just underneath his neck.

"When a mate dies Sage, it feels like your soul is ripping apart. You don't want to live anymore without them."
"So when I get hurt—"
"Myself and the pack worry, same if I get hurt. We only get one fated mate Sage, you are my other half and without you I—" She nuzzled into his neck, the bond having been readily tugging this way and that as it was surely a difficult conversation to get through.

"It's why my father lost his mind—Or he was lost already, but after mom died he lost his other half and the last of his sanity...Sometimes wolves will kill themselves, find another choice mate...But he didn't, he kept going to try and find out who killed mom that it consumed him."

"Why Hayes kills him." Remus nodded, his arms coming over her in a protective huddle.

"I couldn't do it hun, because he was on a vengeance." She kissed just underneath his chin and let out a small huff, a sign of acceptance. "You didn't want to kill family."
"But I did anyway."
"No. You help pack, and you help your dad. Alphas strong and don't want to quit, mom dying made him want to fight, not quit." He let out a hoarse breath when he heard her calling his mom simply 'mom', it's been so long since Remus had family surrounding him, and he was surely thankful for it now.

"I love you munchkin."

"I love you Remmy...Sorry I get hurt."
"I've been prepping myself up for it hun, just next time ask for help? You're almost as stubborn as Luke." He could feel her grin against his skin, course she would feel proud in being compared that way.

Perhaps this bear hunt is just what she needed...

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Date: 06-17-2021

Time: 12:13

Words: 4005