CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: THE MORNING AFTER

SAGE'S POV

“What were you doing? Creep!!"

My voice came out sharper than I meant it to, already rising with panic before I even fully processed what I was seeing.

As soon as my eyes adjusted properly and I took in the gray sheets, the dark furniture, and the unfamiliar surroundings, I knew something was very wrong.

Dante didn’t even react immediately; instead, he walked towards the side of the room, pulling on his shirt as if my confusion was nothing but background noise.

Like I was the one disturbing something normal, and that alone made my chest tighten more because nothing about this felt normal.

I pushed myself up quickly and instantly regretted it when my head spun slightly.

Nausea hit me and I gripped his side drawer trying my best to focus. Taking in deep breaths, my eyes scanned the gray sheets, the walls, and the gloomy decor and it slowly sank in.

This was not my room. It wasn't even close to my room

“Okay no,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes scanning everything again like I could force it to change if I looked hard enough.

“This is not happening”

"It is." Dante finally turned slightly, just enough to look at me properly. “You are in my room,” he said with such a calm tone, as if it were a normal thing. Like that was supposed to be an answer to the many questions I had.

This is why I never drank.

My legs felt like jelly and my eyes traveled landing on a peach dress crumpled on the floor.

My dress from the ball. For some reason, it looked like it had been discarded in a hurry and my brain immediately filled in the worst possible explanation.

My face went hot immediately “Oh my God,” I whispered, my voice dropping this time, “no, no, no, no, no”

Dante didn’t move closer, he just watched me like I was spiraling, which I absolutely was. My hands gripped the sheet tighter around me even though I was already wearing something.

My body froze at that thought again, if my dress was down there then what the hell was I wearing? Saying a short prayer I pulled the sheets away looking down to see.

Oh Goddess, I was wearing his shirt. His shirt. That only meant one thing.

“This is not funny,” I said quickly, pointing vaguely around the room like it could help, “I don’t remember coming here, I don’t remember anything, so why am I here and why am I wearing this and why is my dress on the floor”

Dante exhaled once, as he had already expected this exact reaction. “You were drunk,” he said simply and I paused in confusion.

“I was what”

“Drunk,” he repeated, “you could barely stand and kept arguing that this was your room. I let you in and you pulled off your dress so I wore you that instead."

As if enjoying the show his lips stretched into a smirk. It was definitely a sight but my eyes dropped towards the dress then back at him.

My brain refused to settle on one explanation, because the only one that kept trying to form in my head was the one I did not want to accept. “So nothing happened,” I said slowly, more to confirm it than to ask.

Dante looked at me for a second longer than necessary and just when I thought I might scream he answered. "No. Nothing happened."

I didn’t respond immediately, because my body still didn’t fully believe how calm he was about everything, like this was just another normal morning and not the most confusing wake-up of my life

I stood slowly, still holding the sheet around me, and that was when I noticed how quiet the room actually was.

“Where are you going,” I asked as he headed towards the closet.

“I have to get ready for work,” he said simply, pushing the double doors to show a room filled with suits.

Of course, he was just going to leave this like it was nothing. My stomach growled at the exact wrong moment, loud enough that I immediately froze in embarrassment

“You are hungry,” he said, giving me a short glance.

“I am not,” I replied quickly but my stomach disagreed again. Picking up his phone he headed for the door instead. "Come on, let's go."

“I can eat by myself”

“You won’t” That was all he said before walking out And somehow that ended the argument without me having a chance to continue it

The house was too quiet downstairs, not a sound and I couldn't help but wonder where everyone was. Dante always had at least four maids available and it was never this quiet.

I froze for a minute wondering what it was going to look like if one of them saw me in nothing but his shirt.

“They aren't here. At least not till after sunset so you're fine,” he answered as he walked into the kitchen as if he had read my mind.

Dante moved around the kitchen like he actually knew what he was doing completely relaxed in a way that made me feel even more out of place

I sat at the table quietly, watching him without meaning to, trying not to focus on how normal this felt compared to how confused I still was.

He poured something into a cup, placing it in front of me and I made no effort to pick it, staring suspiciously.

“It’s tea,” he said

“I don’t like tea”

“You will drink it” I frowned but still picked it up anyway, mostly because I was too tired to argue properly. I stared at him taking a tiny sip only to pause in shock.

It was lemon—warm, slightly sweet, and it immediately made my head feel a little less heavy

"How did you know it worked so well?" I stared at him but he had already turned back to what he was doing, as if the conversation was finished

Taking the hint, I focused on my tea only for him to speak again. “I found the person who broke into the house”

My body went still immediately and I blinked repeatedly trying to process what he had just said. “What”

"Yeah, it's handled but I figured I'd tell you since you asked last time."

“That’s it?” I asked, my voice rising slightly, “you are just going to say that like it means nothing”

“That is all you need to know,” he muttered, throwing his plate into the sink. "I have to get ready for work. Crystal’s food is in the fridge”

Then he left, just like that and I sat there for a moment staring at the space he left behind, realizing I hated how quiet it was. Probably even more than I hated him.

A few minutes later, Crystal came down looking worse than me, her hair slightly messy, eyes half-lidded as she had gone through a forty-eight-hour shift.

“This is punishment,” she muttered, massaging her temples as she dropped into the seat beside me.

“Try this. It helps," I muttered with a tired smile pushing my cup towards her.

She gave me a wary stare but took a small sip only to turn back with a questioning face.

“It’s lemon tea,” I said and she paused mid-sip.

"Last I remembered you hated tea. So who made this? The maids are out for most of today."

I hesitated deciding whether or not to tell her but the words slipped out anyway. "I didn't. Dante did."

"Oh? You two talked?" She joked turning to me and I watched her eyes widen as she noticed the shirt. “No,” she said, leaning forward slightly, “no way”

“It is not what you think” I yelled out, heat rising to my face.

“It is exactly what I think,” she said, leaning back like she was already convinced, “you and Alpha Dante in the same room, you in his shirt, I do not need more details”

“We did not do anything”

“Sure”

“Crystal!!”

“I’m just saying,” she shrugged, still smiling slightly. “Lovers end up doing the do more than once.”

“For fucks sake we are not lovers and that was different"

"Sure. Well, I have to get ready for work, sort that out will you," Crystal muttered, giving me a wink.

*****

The hours went by too slowly and without the maids the house looked more like a cage.

“I might just be thrown into a zoo or something,” I muttered under my breath, closing my second book of the day.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself off my window seat and threw on a scarf.

At first, I had only planned to take a walk within the mansion gates but I changed my mind immediately I stepped out. The weather was far too nice.

I couldn't remember how long I had been walking and I hadn't even noticed until I had ventured into the thick part of the woods.

I turned around looking for a way out when a large wolf jumped out from the trees. My eyes widened in shock as it ran towards me and before I could think I jumped towards the side of the road. Just in time.

My foot landed oddly and pain exploded in my ankle. "Fuck," I cursed under my breath trying to move it only to fall hard on my ass.