Page 39 of Rejected Forced Mate
"But—" Ernie protested.
"I said," my voice was firm, "Report back to me."
He shut his mouth and looked at his feet. Good. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation, not while my head was still splitting, and especially not while Sage was involved.
"Now, please," I added, and the crowd began to disperse.
They didn't go far, and I could hear their murmurs as they wandered off. Sage had won this round, but as we made our way back to the house, I could feel the negative energy coming down our bond. She wasn't saying anything, her eyes fixed forward, and her hands in fists.
I wanted to ask her why she'd left, and I desperately wanted to share with her what I'd remembered, but she was giving me every indication that she didn't want to talk. I wasn't about to push her, not while she was clearly so upset.
Instead, we walked in silence, and when we were finally alone again, she went into the kitchen and immediately began making herself something to eat.
"Are you okay?" She didn't respond. "Sage?"
"No," she snapped, "Every time I try to help someone shows up to accuse me of doing something wrong. How do you think that makes me feel?"
"Don't pay attention to them. You're doing a great job."
"A great job?" Her voice was mocking, and it put me on edge. "I don't need you to patronise me, Noah, I—"
"Sage," I moved forward before she could stop me, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look into my eyes. She had to lean her head back to look at me, and there was a wariness in her deep brown eyes that I hated seeing, especially after everything we had shared the night before. "Stop. This doesn't need to be an argument. You aren't hearing me, so please listen."
Sage was stiff in my grasp, but she didn't pull away. It was all the acceptance I was going to get, so I went with it.
"I don't know why we keep having these miscommunications, but I want to stop it here and now. If I'm angry with you, I'll say it plainly. And if you've done something that pleases me, like you just did, standing up to the pack, I will also tell you as clearly as I can. There is no underlying message to my words, mate. There is no sarcasm, no double meaning. So when I saw right now that I'm thrilled you're taking an interest in helping heal the land, I mean it." I squeezed her shoulders. "Promise me that you'll take my words at face value from now on, and I'll do the same. That way, these misunderstandings end. Okay?"
Sage said nothing at first, but as her amber eyes roamed my face, her body language softened. "Okay. I believe you. I shouldn't have assumed."
Crisis averted, I pulled her into a hug. smelled like the sharp greenness of the crops, the faint sweetness of her skin, and the smallest hint of ozone that always lingered when sheused her magic. It was the best smell on the planet, the smell of my mate. "And I swear to you that those like Ernie who have a problem with what you're doing are the loud minority. The majority of the pack accepted you and are curious to see what your magic can do for the pack and our land. The way you healed the wolves after the bear attack earned you a lot of positive points, and it's only going to increase the more people see you use your gift."
"I just..." I was horrified to hear tears in her voice, and her arms tightened around me, looking for comfort as the words she'd been holding so close to her heart finally spilled out, "I never wanted to be a leader, or an example, or to change everyone's perspectives. I just wanted peace, you know?"
"I know, love," the endearment fell out of my mouth before I could stop it, but I didn't bother correcting myself, "I know. And you'll have peace again, but you were destined for more than just a mundane life, Sage. You were destined to be my Luna, to guide these wolves, old and new, into accepting those shifters who are different. Like you."
"It's just too much," she sniffed, "It's too much for one person."
"It doesn't have to be," I replied, "That's why we're together, love. You don't have to do this alone."
Sage nodded, pulling back enough to look at me. She wiped at her face and smiled, and it was like the sun coming out. My wolf rumbled in my chest, pleased that we'd made her happy.
"I'm so fucking sorry I didn't realize your worth all those years ago, Sage. But I'll do everything in my power as an Alpha to make up for it now."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, her mouth opened and closed as she struggled for words. Then, she lifted herself up onto her toes and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth.
"I believe you," she said, her words quiet, "I believe you, Noah."
"Good." My wolf growled in satisfaction. It was the first step in her accepting our mating bond, and the fact that we'd had to fight tooth and nail for it was a testament to just how much damage my rejection had caused. "Now, finish whatever you were making for lunch and double it. I want us to be sitting down when I tell you the news."
She furrowed her brow, "What news?"
I inhaled slowly, willing myself to remain calm so my headache didn't get any worse, "I remember.
Chapter 18 - Sage
Things had been in disarray after Noah recovered his memory and confronted his pack members about why they had kept Dominic and his betrayal of the pack a secret. On the outside, my mate had been furious, but through our bond, I could feel how genuinely hurt he was.
The people he was supposed to be able to rely upon had kept things from him. Even his own father, who would usually take any opportunity to needle Noah, hadn't said a word about Dominic.
