Chapter 409: She doesn’t want me
"Secretary Katelyn has gone outside for some work," the man said curtly before walking away, not waiting to hear more from Flora.
"Where should I—" she started, but he was already gone.
Left standing in the hallway, Flora decided to place the file on Katelyn’s desk, hoping she would find it later. She pushed open the office door and moved toward the cabinet.
"Who are you?" a deep voice cut through the silence.
Flora spun around, startled, her gaze dropping immediately to the floor. "I... I came with a file. Since Secretary Katelyn wasn’t here, I thought I’d place it in her cabinet," she explained quickly.
"Give it to me," Sage said.
Flora hurried forward and extended the file to him.
"You can go," he pronounced, dismissing her with a wave.
She gave a small nod and walked past him, her steps quick. Sage’s eyes followed her, catching the name on her ID card. His brows furrowed.
"Amelie’s younger sister... She works here," he murmured under his breath, a frown pulling at his features.
Stepping into his office, Sage sank into the chair and dropped the file onto the desk with little care. Leaning back against the swivel chair, he closed his eyes.
Since early morning, something had felt off. A strange, gnawing restlessness that refused to leave him. Now, heat spread through his body in waves, making it harder to focus.
Realization struck him. He straightened abruptly. "It’s my rut," he muttered under his breath.
Without wasting a second, he snatched up his car keys and moved toward the door. As he strode down the hall toward the elevator, he pulled out his phone and dialed Katelyn, but it turned out to be busy.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, he left a short message before stepping into the elevator. By the time the doors closed, he was already calling for a driver, ordering him to take him straight home.
During the drive, the heat in Sage’s body only intensified by now. His grip tightened on the seat as he fought to keep control of his senses.
"Drive faster," Sage ordered in a rough voice.
The driver pressed harder on the accelerator, weaving past other vehicles. He glanced briefly at Sage through the rearview mirror. "Sir, should I stop by to buy some suppressants?"
"I have them at home. Don’t bother. Just drive," Sage snapped, though his tone carried more desperation than anger.
The driver gave a quick nod and fixed his eyes back on the road. Finally, they rolled into the residential complex.
Sage wasted no time. He snatched the keys from the driver’s hand and strode into the building. By the time he reached his apartment, his body felt like it was on fire. He fumbled with the lock, shoved the door open, and slipped inside without a second’s hesitation.
He searched for the suppressants in his bedroom, but to his surprise the bottle was empty.
"Fuck!" He cursed under his breath, realizing it emptied the last time he was in a rut. His vision was blurring because of his rut and pulled out the phone. Instead of calling the driver, he mistakenly called Katelyn.
"Sorry, Sage. I was speaking with a client. I’m on my way," Katelyn said, pausing at the entrance of the company building.
"Buy me suppressants," Sage said in a hoarse voice with strain.
Katelyn halted, her eyes narrowing in concern as she stepped closer. "Are you in rut?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he admitted curtly, avoiding her gaze. His fingers fumbled clumsily at the buttons of his shirt, his movements sharp and restless.
Irritation flickered across his expression before he tore the shirt open, letting it fall to the floor. His bare chest gleamed faintly under the overhead lights. He reached for the AC remote, lowering the temperature as if forcing his body to calm itself.
Katelyn froze at the sound of the tearing fabric, her concern deepening. "Where do you live? I’ll bring the suppressants for you."
"I don’t live there," Sage said abruptly.
"Where do you live? I’ll get them for you," Katelyn said, already heading toward her car. She opened the door and slid inside, her mind already shifting to the task.
"I sent you a message," Sage’s voice came faintly over the phone before the call disconnected abruptly.
Katelyn frowned and quickly unlocked her phone to check the message. Her brows knitted together as she read.
"He lives in the same building as I do... Just a different unit," she murmured to herself. "I’ll have to ask him about this later." She fastened her seatbelt, her mind momentarily distracted, then started the car and drove toward the nearest medical store.
After purchasing the suppressants, she returned to her car and drove toward Sage’s apartment complex. Parking, she stepped out and walked briskly to his unit.
Her fingers pressed the doorbell and waited for the door to open. However, several minutes passed, but Sage didn’t open. She pressed the doorbell again. But no response came.
"What’s wrong with him? Did something happen?" Katelyn panicked with concern as the door finally creaked open.
Sage appeared, freshly out of the shower, the damp strands of his hair clinging to his forehead. He was wrapped loosely in a dark bathrobe.
"Here... These are the suppressants for you," she said softly, extending the bag toward him.
"Thanks," Sage said, his fingers brushed against hers and a strange shiver ran down both of their spines. Katelyn’s eyes gleamed and so did his as they suddenly caught each other’s scents. Their wolves reacted to it at the same time.
"Mate," Sage’s wolf growled, but Katelyn quickly took a few steps back.
"It can’t be possible," Katelyn said, and before situation could escalate between them, she dashed away.
"Kate!" Sage muttered, his grip tightening around the bag. But he couldn’t bring himself to go behind her. He shut the door behind him, and leaned against the door.
"She is my mate, but it turns out she doesn’t want me," Sage murmured, feeling betrayed and hurt.