Lacking Humanity|Half Crescent

Chapter Thirty-One

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The plan was to wait out the storm, yet the storm blessed them with the perfect gift—A shifting ceremony.

While Andy had been in a mess of panic, Sage had taken reigns as she sat either of the pups down into the snow while their heads lay resting in her lap. She made sure that they were directly under the moon's beautiful light and didn't rush them one bit.

The pup's only concern was about the onset of pain or if they were either hot or cold. The other wolves cheered them on from the sidelines, while the witches chanted a healing tune.

And by the end of the tortuous night—Half Crescent had received two new furry members, and it was touching to see that either young pup looked similiar in fur as well.
It was Clementine who had the small little white scruff on the side of her muzzle.

Sage had been equally tired but rose to her feet with the strong will to run with them for the first time. It was the pack's job to make sure they felt safe and secure with this new experience, and thus, Andy and a few others had taken lead.

The run itself hadn't been challenging, not when the bond was peaking at this newfound responsibility. Andy hadn't met many pups that hadn't shifted yet. Usually, they would die long before they reached his borders or leave with another family member pre-shift.

This had been a new experience for him as well.

And Sage couldn't be prouder with how well things had turned out. The pack was thriving with this good fortune that it didn't matter that they were facing a snowstorm for the next few hours. The pups needed to get used to their sore muscles and prepare for an even bigger journey now that they could follow at a better pace.

What was adorable, however, was them sleeping in their fur to get a better sense of their other half—Yet their stuffed bunnies were never far from them, and Chase learned firsthand that their wolves were the embodied souls of abused pups.

It was theoretically their only possession that didn't count the clothes on their backs or their water bottles, and Sage reprimanded Chase for even teasing them in the first place.

They were troopers, and Andy made sure they heard his praise. Not many their age would be able to survive the conditions they have, but throughout their time in agony, they recalled back to one of Sage's earliest pieces of advice.
To trust their wolf.

Ears up everyone. Might have a few visitors in a bit.

Severin called out, which caused Sage to pull forward and stand beside the Beta. Her nose bent down to sniff said print, and her wolf howled in confusion.

Close?

Can't be more than a few hours...Scouts, run up a bit—Stay alert.

While Sage's question had been intended for Severin, Andy found his way up to put in his own order. It earned him his female's attention, and she licked her lips in question.

Nothing to worry about, hun. We'll keep watchers tonight when we camp.

I'm not worried about that, look.

She gestured her own paw off towards the said track, and Andy knew Sage was a large wolf—An Alpha in her own right. But when she made a similar indent in the snow beside it, it was clear that her print was pathetic beside it.

Not a normal wolf.

Was all she said before falling out of skin, calling out a whistle to herd in the birds surrounding them. "Lupus enim magnus quaerere." [Look out for large wolf.] She directed off to them, and Holly let out a cheerful chipper in response to her mistress' beautiful phrase.