Chapter 413: Where she belongs
After finishing his meal at Katelyn’s house, Sage returned to his apartment and locked himself in his bedroom. He paced the length of the room, until finally he sank onto the rug with his back against the bed.
"No, Nyko. I can’t go near her. You need to understand that," Sage muttered aloud, his chest tightening as his wolf rumbled restlessly within him.
’But Silver and I have already accepted each other,’ Nyko’s voice growled in the back of his mind. ’Just make Kate agree. Do whatever it takes. We’re going to burn like fire the entire night if you keep resisting.’
"I can’t hurt her," Sage whispered back fiercely, pressing a hand over his heart as if to hold himself together. "I won’t."
Nyko went silent, but his silence carried no peace. The restlessness only increased, suffocating Sage until even his breaths grew ragged. His imagination started taking toll on him. Katelyn’s scent flooding his senses, which was both sweet and intoxicating, pulling him under.
With a groan, he drew his knees up and buried his face between them, every muscle trembling. "Why today?" he muttered hoarsely. "Of all days, why did she have to appear before me now? Why did I have to find my mate today?"
When no calm came, Sage finally pushed himself up. The heat burning through his veins was unbearable, maybe a cold shower would wash it away, if only for a moment. But just as he turned toward the bathroom, the sharp chime of the doorbell rang out.
"Kate?" he breathed, hope and desperation tangling in his voice. Without thinking, he hurried across the room, rut-clouded instincts making him reckless. He flung the door open, but froze.
"You," Sage spat, his expression darkening as his gaze locked on the last person he wanted to see. Eleanor.
His jaw clenched, fury cutting through the haze as he moved to slam the door. But Eleanor was quicker, slipping inside before he could shut her out.
"Get out," Sage growled, his fists curling so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Your mother sent something for you. I went to your home, and—" Eleanor began, but Sage didn’t let her finish. He yanked the door wide and shoved her back into the hall.
"You are shameless, aren’t you?" Sage snapped with fury. Eleanor’s pheromones hung in the air like poison, hitting him with a dizzying rush. His body ached, his knees threatening to buckle, as if her presence was dragging every weakness out of him.
The commotion had already drawn the neighbors as curious eyes landed on the scene.
"Don’t come near me. And don’t you ever step foot in here again," Sage warned with a his thunderous voice. With that, he slammed the door shut in her face.
But Eleanor wasn’t done. Her fists pounded against the wood, each knock echoing through the room.
"Sage! Sage!" she cried, her voice breaking as she slammed her palm against the door again and again. "Don’t see me as the villain here! I love you so much. Don’t push me away!"
"Fuck her pheromones... my head and my whole body’s burning," Sage muttered through clenched teeth. He staggered into the washroom, gripping the sink as cold sweat broke across his skin. Turning the tap, he splashed water over his face, desperate to cool the fire raging in his veins before turning to the shower.
Outside, Eleanor finally stopped pounding at the door. Her expression hardened as she turned on her heel, walking briskly toward the elevator. Pulling her phone from her purse, her gaze lingered on Katelyn’s contact the one she had slyly obtained from Sage’s stepmother.
With a smirk, she pressed the number and lifted the phone to her ear as the elevator doors slid shut.
"Hello?" came Katelyn’s voice on the other end. "Who’s this?"
"Hi, Princess Katelyn. It’s me, Eleanor. Can we meet right now?" Eleanor asked smoothly, though her eyes glittered with malice.
Katelyn’s tone sharpened. "How did you get my number?"
"Sage’s mother gave it to me," Eleanor replied casually, glancing at the glowing floor numbers ticking downward on the elevator’s display.
"Sorry, I don’t have time to meet," Katelyn said coldly.
"No need," Eleanor purred. "Then I’ll say it here. Leave, Sage. Leave his life. I love him dearly. I know you both are honoring family promises, but, Your Highness, you shouldn’t stand between me and the man I love."
Katelyn’s fingers curled until her nails bit into her palms. "You dare speak to a princess like that? Don’t test me. Don’t forget who I am, or what I can do to someone who tries to claim my mate."
"Your mate? You don’t even love him!" Eleanor snapped, striding out of the elevator toward her car. "Everyone knows you’re not interested in Sage. You’re only doing this for your father’s sake."
Katelyn snorted at her words. "And who are you to decide whether I love him or not? Sage and I are bound as mates. Only rejection can separate us. If anyone should leave his life, it’s you. And hear me well, this is the last time you call me and dare speak to me in that tone. Try it again, and I swear, I won’t spare you."
Before Eleanor could respond, Katelyn ended the call with a sharp tap. She stared down at the phone, her own words echoing back at her. She had spoken out of anger, but it was the truth she hadn’t admitted to herself until now.
Her frown deepened. "Sage’s stepmother is insane," she muttered. "Looks like I’ll have to show her exactly where she belongs."
As she walked toward the bed, Katelyn’s steps slowed, her mind drifting back to Sage. ’Is he alright?’
She had never worried for him before and never allowed herself to. Yet the matebond tugged at her heart in ways she couldn’t control, stirring emotions she wouldn’t have normally felt.
She pressed her lips together, unsettled by the truth. The more she tried to resist, the more her instincts betrayed her.