CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: THE VISIT

DANTE'S POV

My mother was here.

Of course she was. She stared at me with that knowing look and it took everything in me not to curse out loud.

I could see Sage throwing short glances at me then at her from the corner of my eyes. Mentally asking what was happening.

"Mom," I called out and Sage's heartbeat immediately increased so hard I was more than positive everyone in the damn mansion could hear it.

“Dante,” my mother said, tilting her head with a warm smile that only seemed to set me off. "I tried so hard to get to you but for some reason, you never answered."

“I was working,” I replied, running a hand through my hair as I spoke because I could already feel this turning into one of those conversations where nothing I said mattered anyway.

"I know, you're always working." That felt like an insult but I ignored it. Far too tired for this conversation.

Sage shifted in her chair and I felt it immediately, that small change in her breathing. It was almost like she was trying to make herself look smaller. Maybe even hoping she'd disappear.

She looked like she had been pushed into a situation she wanted nothing to do with.

Her fingers were pressed together on her lap as she pulled at the nails.

My mother gave her a friendly smile, turning back to me. “Dante? Are you going to stand there or are you going to introduce your guest properly?”

Guest. I almost scoffed but stopped myself. Sage's eyes flicked to me briefly, then away again, like she was trying not to look too long at anything that could get her into trouble.

“This is Sage,” I said finally, stepping forward, my hand resting briefly on the back of her chair without thinking. "She's my....guest."

I hated how we still had not made a decision on what she was to me but this was the right time to do that.

“Hmm,” my mother replied, and I knew that sound, that specific tone meant she had already decided something and was now just waiting for me to catch up to it. "Guest."

Sage cleared her throat slightly. I could see her debating whether she should stand, stay seated or disappear entirely.

Slowly, she pushed herself off the chair, her legs shaking. My mother and I turned towards her almost immediately.

“No,” Mom ordered and Sage froze in place. “There's no need for that, honey. Besides, you're injured. Sit.”

Sage froze mid-movement, then she turned to me as if she was waiting for my reaction. Letting out a sigh, I nodded. "You can sit, Sage."

That obviously rubbed my mother the wrong way and she stared at me like I was some sort of slave runner.

"And do you care to tell me why your guest would be injured in your house?" She asked, folding her arms and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Sage was a fully grown adult. That wasn't something I could completely avoid no matter how much I tried.

“She had an accident,” I said flatly.

“Mm,” she repeated, like she was tasting the lie without calling it one yet. Sage looked between us, confused—clearly trying to follow a conversation that was moving too fast for her to catch.

My mother finally looked at her properly. "Welcome to Talonpine pack, sweetie. I hope Dante's been treating you well?"

“Yes, ma'am.” Sage nodded with a tense look and my mother only chuckled.

"Please, would you stop being formal? I'm beginning to think I might look older than I am." Sage gave her a nervous smile, nodding, and I could hear her heartbeat slow down.

My mother did have an odd talent for soothing people. "You can call me Eloise. It's not a secret so I'm positive you'd like me better than my son."

Sage let out a chuckle, nodding, and I could feel the nervousness fade away. "I'm very sure about that."

"Come on, let's go get ready for dinner," my mother muttered, helping her up. I opened my mouth to speak but she threw me a heated glare, walking towards the dining area.

"This is torture," Nero agreed and all I could do was run a hand through my hair while I followed their tracks.

Dinner arrived slowly after that, and all of it seemed to go a bit too perfectly, almost like we had rehearsed prior.

“So, Sage,” my mother called out, breaking the silence. Her fork dancing around the expensive china while she slowly cut the steak. "Dante never told me how you guys met. I'm sure it would be a cute story."

Sage's movements froze and she gave me a glance that I refused to return. The last thing I needed was to have my mom suspect foul play.

"Well I'm afraid to say this but the story might be a bit disappointing," Sage explained, letting out an awkward chuckle.

"We didn't have any magical meet-cute. I just ran into him at work and then the same thing happened a few days after. Now, here we are?"

"Aww. That's still cute," my mother said, running a hand through her brown hair.

“And what do you do?”

“I used to help at a small place in the city, mostly service work. I moved around a lot.”

It was all a lie but who was I to call it out? If anything it worked very well in our favor and a small part of me even felt impressed.

My mother hummed softly, like she accepted it or like she had already decided what she wanted to believe anyway.

They went on about anything from their favorite coffee orders to even designers and I focused on the piling emails, barely touching my food.

“You are very quiet tonight, Dante,” my mother called out and I paused, lifting my eyes to meet her brown ones.

"Is there an issue?"

“No,” she replied, rolling her eyes. "But that's not a good way to host on the phone."

Sage shifted slightly beside me, unaware of how the conversation had just changed direction.

SAGE'S POV

Besides the tension, dinner ended more quietly than I expected. Dessert arrived in the form of a beautiful lemon cake that Eloise said she had brought herself.

The first bite melted on my tongue, bright and tangy with just the right amount of sweetness. It was my favourite.

Something about that fact made me pause mid-chew and the sweet cake suddenly tasted like bark.

How did she know? The coincidence sat heavily in my stomach, making me glance at her again.

It wasn't an odd thing for someone of her caliber to run a background check. Her son had done the same thing.

I looked up to find her watching me with that calm, knowing smile, like she had already figured out more about me than I was comfortable with.

I kept eating anyway, trying to act normal even though my pulse had picked up.

When the last plates were cleared, Eloise stood gracefully. “It's late and even though I'd love to stay, I should head home.”

“Yeah, I should se—” She waved a hand, interrupting him.

"No, darling. I'll be fine. You should help your guest upstairs instead. She shouldn't be moving around on that ankle more than necessary.”

I felt my cheeks warm. Guest. The word sounded polite on the surface but carried weight in this house.

Eloise turned to me with a warm smile. “I really enjoyed your company tonight, Sage. I'll have my assistant book a lunch for us soon. Just the two of us.”

“Thank you. That would be nice,” I grinned back, managing a small nod.

She gave Dante one last look, then waved lightly and walked out with quiet dignity.

The moment she was gone, the room felt heavier and Dante turned to me without a word.

Before I could protest, he stepped closer and lifted me into his arms, bridal style. With so much ease, like I weighed nothing. Sparks traveled through my skin on contact and I stiffened instantly, my hands gripping his shoulders out of reflex.

“I can walk,” I muttered, even though my ankle was already protesting the idea.

I expected a snarky reply but he only gazed at me, taking each stair slowly. I could feel the warmth of his body through his shirt and even worse, I hated how safe his hands made me feel.

My heart was beating too fast again, that unwanted pull stirring low in my belly despite everything.

By the time we reached my room, the sky outside had turned deep indigo, the last traces of sunset fading.

He pushed the door open with his shoulder and carried me inside, setting me down gently on the edge of the bed.

For a moment neither of us moved but the air felt heavy with everything we weren't saying. I could feel my tummy get warmer.

His steel-grey eyes held mine, darker than usual in the low light. I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his hands lingered near my waist for a second longer than necessary.

My breath caught. For a minute I thought he might lean in and the worst part—I knew I was going to let him.

Before it could happen I pulled back first, breaking the moment.

“I… I should go to bed,” I said, my voice quieter than I wanted.

Dante stayed still for another second, then straightened. He gave a small nod, his expression unreadable again.

“Goodnight, Sage.” He turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

I sat there alone in the quiet room, heart still racing. Oh Goddess, I almost kissed him again.