Lacking Humanity|Half Crescent

Chapter Thirty-Nine (Rewritten)

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The plan was to wait out the storm, yet the drastic change in weather blessed them with the perfect gift and opportunity—A shifting ceremony.

While Andy was panicking, Sage took the reins as she sat beside the pups, lowering them into the snow while their heads rested in her lap. She ensured they were directly under the moon's beautiful light and didn't rush them.

The pup's only concern was the onset of pain as they alternated between hot and cold flashes. The other wolves cheered them on from the sidelines while the witches chanted a healing tune.

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 similar in fur.
The only difference between their grey coats is that Clementine had a slight white scruff on her muzzle.

Sage had been equally tired but rose to her feet with the rest, wanting to experience a two's first real run. The pack's job was to ensure they felt safe and secure with this new experience. This is why Andy and a few others had taken the lead.

The run wasn't challenging when the bond was peaking at this newfound responsibility. Andy hadn't met many pups that couldn't already shift.
Usually, they would die long before they reached their borders or leave with another family member pre-shift.

This had been a new experience for him as well.

Sage couldn't be prouder of how well things had turned out. The pack was thriving with this good fortune, so 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 their 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.

Theoretically, their only possession don't include their necessities, such as the clothes on their backs or water bottles. 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 had, but throughout their time in agony, they recalled one of Sage's earliest pieces of advice.
To trust their wolf.

Ears up, everyone. We 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 place his order. This earned him the 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 paw off towards the said tracks, 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 fur, 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.