Lacking Humanity|Crescent Moon

Chapter Eleven

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Over in the playroom, Sage looked around in awe at the monstrous amount of toys that littered everywhere. All filled with color that caught her interest, she took a few things in her hand and take a quick glance at them before putting it back down.

She noticed that the figures held small faces and smiled up at her, and she foolishly smiled back.

Casey was more than ecstatic to meet Sage and showered her with all the toys he has. Pointing out a few of his favorites and what they were, his old blanket that he doesn't sleep with anymore.

His favorite teddy bear, that he does sleep with.

"Bear."

"Papa says I can go hunting with them when I'm big and strong! Will you come, Sagey?" Sagey. It sounded so odd and delicate, but it sent small tingles into her heart as he looked up to her with a toothy grin, awaiting a response.

"Hunt bear." She repeated, though it was slow and quiet, but it was a good enough answer as he rushed off to the other side. And the lesson of colors and drawings had returned.

Something that Sage is familiar with after enjoying her time with Jade.

"Mama bought me paints for my birthday, but we have to ask if we can use them." The idea of paints didn't register, so she silently continued copying shapes and the flowers she learned in the last few days.

"Caleb, no! My Sagey!" The young pup shouted, and it had her eyes connect off towards the wolf lingering in the doorway, his presence causing her to still.

"Not stealing her away, Casey. No worries. Just checking in, what are you two drawing?" Caleb asked, continuing towards them but stopped instantly when he caught Sage's discomfort.

"Hey, it's alright. Here." His voice was undoubtedly soft, and she recognized what he was trying to do when he offered out his arm. After a quick sniff, she huffed. Defiantly a wolf.

With that, Caleb was then allowed to sit down alongside the two, though his eyes wandered down to whatever Sage was attempting to draw.

He couldn't imagine what a whole life inside a cage could be like, but she was so calm that it almost felt like they were waiting for an episode.

Or did her emotional breakdown already happen?

The episode could happen later on, and Caleb only thought this way because she was faced with escaping and traveling. Obviously, both she and his brothers are tired, meaning that it was put on a halt until everything starts to calm down.

And against his mother's wants, Sage would be sleeping in a boring guest bedroom before the new bedsheets could get here. Though he really doubted she cared about things like that.

Caleb's thoughts had cycled through, and his eyes trailed down to Sage's bareback, not in the same intent Cameron had before. But he caught interest in the thin scars that seemingly made up her shoulder blade.

And while it didn't look like it did any permanent damage, as she moved along just fine when it came to playing with Casey, he did note that she could feel his returning gaze.

Enough to retain eye contact with him before huffing. "Hurt." She mumbled, knowing that they were being looked at, granted she had never seen herself in the mirror to that extent. More so, she knew her body and the worst injuries she's faced over the years.

Her shoulder being one of the few.

"Does it still hurt?" A quick shake of her head had caused her long hair to fall in her face, and even though Caleb caught the odd number of hair ties around her wrist, she didn't bother pushing her hair away from her eyes.