Chapter 50 And Into the Fire #2
My muscles tensed. “Ember?” Was that a guy? Kaleb was her ex, but he was dead…
“Yeah, my cat.”
My muscles relaxed. I was so fucking stupid, getting jealous over a cat. “You said you left him with Selene, right? At the bar? Did you want to get him back?”
“No,” she replied, her voice quiet. “He got me through some of the worst of it, but he seemed so happy and settled out at the house with Selene, going outside and catching mice all night long. And she loved having him around.”
I gave her hand a squeeze, the unspoken loss loud and clear.
Sage was missing the cat who’d taken the place of the familiar she’d never even met.
“We’ll go to Cindralis soon,” I said.
She sniffed, her shoulders falling.
“Sage?”
“I’m sorry, it’s just—”
“Shh,” I soothed, starting up a comforting purr as I pulled her over into a hug. “I’m sure other witches have been held up on their twenty-sixth birthdays before. We’ll go to the temple, consult with the priestesses, and—”
“No, it’s…” She sniffed again, wiping the tears. “It’s just that… it’s so nice to be with someone I don’t have to explain this stuff to.”
Sage had purposefully not mentioned Victor this whole week, and I wondered if it was for my perceived benefit or hers.
Because as much as every new thing I learned about him and how he’d treated Sage made me want to animate his ashes just so I could kill him all over again, bottling up all these feelings wasn’t good for her, either.
“You can tell me what happened. If you want. Or we’ll find someone else to listen. Just… don’t feel like you can’t talk about it. I’m here. Always.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I just want to process this on my own for a bit. Once everything settles down, I’ll reach out.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Whenever you’re ready.”
It was a smooth ride through the rest of the city-state, the streets calm.
Like Noctis, Ignareth truly came alive at night.
But unlike vampires, demons didn’t burn to a crisp in the sun.
Schools and other legitimate, non-entertainment businesses still ran during normal hours, all trying to do their best to avoid crossing paths with demons like me.
The buzz of the helicopter became louder the closer we got to my house, and a few vans were parked on the public street outside the gate.
But there was no way I was letting them get a good look at Sage.
The SUV rolled right past them and into the garage, the door closing before we left the vehicle and entered the house.
As soon as we stepped inside, the grunts milling about stopped everything they were doing, standing and bowing low.
“Oh!” Sage’s eyes darted nervously around the room. “Am I supposed to say something?” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
I put my hand on the small of her back as Kurai skirted around us with a couple more grunts, taking our bags upstairs.
“Listen up, assholes. This is Sage Hexwood, my mate,” I said, pushing a gruff, domineering tone that had Sage whipping her head at me in surprise. The look in her eyes assured me it wasn’t triggering. And the way she bit her lip told me she might actually like it.
We could play with that later.
“That means you treat any orders from her like they were from me. And if I catch even a whiff of disrespect, I will cut off your head, mount it on my wall, and hang my dirty towels from your horns. Got it?”
“Yes, Mr. Oniguro!” they replied in unison, their backs bent forward and eyes cast downward.
I started to lead her towards the private areas of the house when Sage twisted around and waved. “I’m looking forward to meeting all of you!”
So cute.
Once we were in my room, I gave her a quick kiss. “Unpack, take a nap, do whatever you want. I need to go send the reporters away, and then I’ll be right back.”
She looked around, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Um, okay. Don’t be long.”
A growl rippled through my chest and I kissed her again. “Never.”
It was difficult, but after some more hugs and kisses, I finally managed to leave, and found Toru now sitting with the grunts downstairs, nodding towards me as I walked past them. “Hey, Ronan! When am I going to meet—”
“Not now,” I grumbled.
He got up and jogged to my side, following me to the front door. “Look, I just wanted to say, your mate is going to need a dedicated security detail. And I’d be honored—”
I took his shirt and slammed him against the wall, leaving a small dent.
Whoops.
“I am not trusting you anywhere near my mate.”
His eyes narrowed in anger. “And why the fuck not? I’ve proven myself.”
I got closer, letting smoke curl out of my nostrils. “The only thing you’ve proven to me is that your first loyalty will always be to my dad. And that is exactly the kind of person I’ll never allow around her.”
“Of course my loyalty is to your dad, he’s the boss,” he hissed.
I leaned in further, whispering in his ear. “He won’t be the boss forever. And don’t assume for one second that when I take his place, I’m not taking my memories with me.”
I shoved him again for good measure. “Now, fuck off.”
His lips peeled back for a second, a challenge bubbling beneath the surface, but he managed to tamp it down. “Understood.”
I let him go and then left the house, making my way down the long driveway to the gate. “I take it you’re here for me?” I called out.
A handful of reporters jumped out of their vans, straightening their ties as their cameramen followed.
“Mr. Oniguro! Mr. Oniguro! Is is true that you orchestrated the attack on the Premier’s Mansion in Noctis?”
“Did you kill Premier Victor Corvane?”
“Where is the Premier’s mate? Have you taken Sage Hexwood?”
“No questions!” I barked. The corner of my mouth lifted slightly as their shoulders flinched. “Now, I’m only going to say this once. Everybody ready for your stupid soundbite?”
Microphones crowded the space in front of the gate I stood behind, and I leaned forward.
“Sage Hexwood is my mate. Always has been, always will be. Victor Corvane lied about his mate bond with Sage, using coercion and violence to keep her trapped. I removed her from that situation as soon and as best as I could. She’s now with me, and she’s safe, but she will not be making any of her own statements or appearances.
So I better not catch any one of you assholes trying to shove a camera or microphone in her face. ”
Eyes widened and jaws dropped.
“Not his mate? Can you clarify—”
“That’s all.”
I turned around, ignoring the next round of sputtered, desperate questions as I headed back towards the house, where my mate was waiting for me.