CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: WEIGHT OF RESTRAINT

SAGE'S POV

Crystal had been bent over my ankle for what felt like forever.

Tugging at the stupid bandage like it had personally offended her, while I sat on the edge of the couch trying not to kick her in the face every time she pulled too hard.

“Would you hold still?” she muttered, her purple hair falling slightly into her face as she tried again.

“I am trying to get this off without you losing the whole leg in the process.”

“I am holding still,” I said immediately, though my leg betrayed me by twitching the second she loosened it slightly, because the moment I felt the pressure start to come off my ankle I swear my entire body almost sighed in relief.

Two days.

Two long, boring, frustrating days of being stuck in the house like I had been grounded by life itself.

Watching Crystal leave almost every morning while I stayed behind pretending I was fine with it, when really I was slowly losing my mind from doing absolutely nothing.

I always wanted a vacation after dancing but this was not it. At all.

Finally, the bandage came loose and I practically pulled my leg back the second she was done, flexing my foot like it had been freed from prison.

“Oh my Goddess,” I breathed out, leaning back into the couch, “I can move again, I can actually move again.”

Crystal looked at me like I was dramatic, which I absolutely was not, then tossed the bandage onto the table and crossed her arms.

“You are acting like you were locked in a dungeon.”

“That is exactly what it felt like,” I said immediately, sitting up again even though my ankle still felt a little stiff, “do you know how boring it is to be left alone in a house where even the walls are judging you.”

She let out a small laugh, shaking her head slightly, “You are unbelievable.”

I ignored her completely and stretched my leg again, enjoying the freedom a little too much.

“Do you really have to go to work?” I asked, turning to her quickly, “like seriously, you can call in sick or something, I can keep you company, we can have dinner, anything.”

Crystal paused mid-movement, giving me that look that already meant no before she even opened her mouth.

“Stop being a big baby,” she said, grabbing her bag from the couch, “I told you already, the bakery has a serious order and I need to be there.”

“It is like four in the afternoon you said the prepping started at eight,” I called out, my lips twisting to a frown.

“Well I figured I'd go earlier,” she replied casually, like she had not just ignored my entire emotional plea.

“And you are just going to eat there?” I asked, watching her move around the room.

“Probably.” She placed the cast into the trash, shrugging.

I sighed dramatically, leaning back again as my life had ended. “Well, this is emotional abandonment.”

“Relax,” she said, walking over and tapping my forehead lightly, “I will be back tomorrow morning, first thing.”

“First thing like what time?” I asked suspiciously. She paused for half a second, then ignored the question completely, as if it was irrelevant.

Which it probably was, but still. Before she left, she crouched slightly in front of me, her expression softening a bit in that way she only did when she thought I was pretending to be fine but not actually fine.

“You sure you are okay?” I asked quietly, and from how her face fell she knew what I was talking about.

“Of course. Why wouldn't I be?” she asked, giving me a big grin. I studied her for a few minutes searching for any odd before pulling her in for a quick hug.

“Do not overthink things,” she said, pulling back, “and do not push yourself around too much.”

“I will not,” I yelled back even though it was a lie. She gave me a look that said she did not believe me at all, then finally grabbed her things.

“If you need anything, call the kitchen or the maids,” she added on her way out, “and stay off that ankle.”

“Fine,” I said, waving her off even though I already knew I was going to ignore at least one of those instructions.

The moment she left, the house felt even quieter than before and that was when it started.

The fight with Dante crawled its way back into my head like it had been waiting for me to be alone again.

I had barely seen him these past days but somehow I still felt his presence. His voice, his tone, the way he looked at me like I was both frustrating and important at the same time.

I hated that my brain refused to pick one emotion and stick with it. He wasn't helping either. I had barely seen him but I could still hear my door creak every night when he checked up on me.

Hours passed in fragments and I spent all of them doing nothing. Scrolling through my phone, watching the flowers from my window, and thinking a whole lot about nothing.

At some point, I tried to sleep, but it did not come easily, and when it finally started to settle, it turned into something heavier.

Like pressure behind my eyes, a slow-building headache that made me groan quietly into my pillow.

And then there was him again. At this point, it was the goddess trying to punish me.

That thought alone was enough to make something in my chest feel slightly heavier than I wanted it to.

Eventually, I gave up on sleeping completely. My head was pounding now, and I pushed myself up slowly, annoyed at how quickly boredom had turned into discomfort again.

“Maybe something sweet might help,” I whispered, picking up my phone.

I tried calling the kitchen first and by the third attempt, I was already irritated enough to throw the phone onto the couch and push myself up carefully.

“Of course,” I muttered to myself, “nothing works when I actually need it to.” I grabbed the railing and slowly made my way downstairs, trying my best not to put pressure on my left leg.

Downstairs was dimly lit when I got there, the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was. And I was halfway across the last step when I saw movement ahead.

Dante.

Walking up from the opposite direction, like he had just come in or was heading somewhere. He had on a black t shirt and a pair of dark jeans on and I couldn't help but wonder how long he had been at home.

His pace was steady until his eyes landed on me. For a second, neither of us moved and there was nothing in the air but that stiffness he had been

I felt my chest tighten slightly, because apparently, my body had not gotten the memo that we were supposed to be acting normal again.

I shifted my weight carefully onto the last step and my ankle gave no warning before I went crashing to the ground.

Before I could hit the ground, his hands caught my arm instantly, pulling me back before I could fully fall.

“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped immediately, voice sharp enough to cut through the quiet, “Why are you coming down the stairs alone?”

I blinked at him, partly annoyed, partly embarrassed, and partly frustrated that my body had just betrayed me in front of him again.

“I was going to the kitchen,” I said, pulling my arm out of his grip, “It's barely four minutes from my room. I don't need help for that.”

“You are injured,” he said, and I could see his jaw clenching, “what exactly do you think the staff is here for??”

“I was going to tell them,” I shot back immediately, “but the phone was not working.”

That made him pause slightly, just for a second, before his expression tightened again like he was already done with this conversation.

“Of course it was not,” he muttered.

I opened my mouth to argue again, but it was already happening, that familiar push and pull where neither of us wanted to stop first.

“This is exactly what I mean,” he said, stepping closer slightly, “you do not listen when it comes to your own safety.”

“Oh my God,” I exhaled sharply, “here we go again.”

“You are about to fall down the stairs and you are still arguing.”

“I am fine,” I insisted, getting tired of the back and forth. All I wanted was a cookie or maybe a can of pickles and here I was yelling at a grumpy alpha.

“No, you are not.” I felt it building again, that frustration from earlier, the same loop. Did he never get exhausted?

“I do not need you to hover over me every second,” I said, voice tightening, “I am not incapable of walking.”

“I did not say that.”

“You are acting like it.” The silence that followed was immediate and I could feel myself reaching my limit again, so I turned slightly like I was going to walk past him into the kitchen anyway.

That was a terrible mistake because before I could even take a proper step, he lifted me off the marble floor like it was nothing.

“Put me down,” I said immediately, shocked and angry at the same time, “Dante, put me down right now.”

Not a sound left his mouth and I could feel steam leaving my head. "Dante if you don't put m—" the words froze in my mouth as he landed a slap on my ass.

My eyes widened in shock and he just carried me into the sitting area dropping me carefully onto the couch like I weighed nothing at all.

I sat there for a second, completely stunned, before my anger caught up again. “You are impossible,” I snapped, trying to stand again when the maid rushed in.

“Alpha,” she said quickly, slightly out of breath, “there is a guest.”

Dante froze slightly and I watched him tilt his head back cursing under his breath. My brows furrowed in confusion and just as I was about to ask what the matter was a lady stepped in.