CHAPTER 478: I LOVE YOU, SAGE NIGHTSHADE

Sage was signing the final stack of documents, his last required work for the day. He had initially wanted to take a break, but he had deliberately dragged himself to the office. He knew if he stayed home, his mind would be completely occupied with Katelyn’s thoughts, and he wanted a distraction.

After an hour, he finally finished signing the last file. He pressed the desk bell and instructed his assistant to collect the paperwork. "I’ll be leaving now," he stated simply.

The assistant gave a slight bow, gathered the files, and exited, leaving Sage alone. Sage quickly prepared himself and headed toward the VIP elevator.

As the elevator descended, his earlier distraction vanished, and the painful thoughts returned.

’She didn’t call me back. I really wished she would have. So, it’s truly over for us,’ he thought, the conclusion hitting him more than any punch or slap. ’She doesn’t want this matebond. I feel so angry and so painful.’ He clenched his jaw, battling the rush of grief and rejection. ’I truly wanted us to be together till our last breaths.’

Arriving at the ground floor, he walked with heavy steps to his parked car, got inside, and drove home.

Reaching his apartment, Sage mechanically inserted the passcode and opened the door. He walked in, shedding his shoes and slipping on his comfortable indoor slippers.

As he stepped into the living room, his weary eyes widened in shock. Katelyn was standing there, near the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city. A small trolley bag rested next to the sofa.

’Why couldn’t I get her scent?’ The realization struck him hard, a strange, disconcerting absence where her familiar, comforting scent should have been.

"How did you enter in?" Sage asked, his voice strained with surprise and confusion.

Katelyn slowly turned to face him, and his breath hitched. Her eyes were visibly swollen, as if she hadn’t had proper sleep. Although she had carefully applied makeup, he couldn’t ignore the subtle signs of exhaustion and distress, all of which confirmed that Katelyn did miss him.

"Why did you leave the palace?" Katelyn countered immediately, ignoring his question about how she gained entry to his apartment.

"Because you didn’t want me to stay," Sage replied. The lack of her scent was intensely unsettling. "I can’t get your scent. What have you done to yourself?" He furrowed his brows, taking a protective step closer to her.

"I took a potion made by the healer," Katelyn replied, confirming the reason for her missing scent. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "You are a jerk, you know," she added, her voice thick with emotion.

"How?" Sage challenged. "You wanted to be free from my constant pestering. That’s what I did. I know you’ve come here to reject me. You don’t want me in your life since you think I’m not trustworthy. I have issues with my family." He forced himself to continue,

"I have told my father too, not to expect you to become my wife. I will always pray a good life for you. I hope you find a man, other than an Alpha, for you." He kept his voice calm, desperately trying to mask the devastation he felt. It was too hard to even look at her, so he averted his gaze from her, unable to stare at her and say these final words.

But suddenly, Katelyn charged at him. She began hitting him repeatedly on the chest with surprising strength. His confusion was absolute; this sudden, violent outburst was the last thing he expected.

"Hey! What are you doing? Why are you beating me suddenly?" Sage tried to protect himself, but Katelyn pushed him with such force that his back slammed into the wall. A surprised gasp escaped his mouth.

His eyes met hers, and he saw the alarming change: her eyes were shining silvery, a clear sign of intense, overwhelming emotion.

"You don’t love me anymore!? Say it! And I’ll reject you!" Katelyn screamed, tears finally breaking free and rolling down her cheeks. "For more than a month, you have been making efforts to win my heart! And suddenly, when I poured my heart out to my friend, you chose to leave me without hearing the entire truth! I hate you for hurting me like this and arguing with me last night. And—and I hate even more that I am in love with you!"

As soon as those defining words fell from her mouth, Sage’s eyes widened in absolute shock. The violent pain and anger that had consumed him moments before instantly evaporated, replaced by dizzying disbelief that Katelyn Sinclair loved him.

"What did you say, Kate? You love me?!" Sage asked, the question barely a ragged whisper. His heart began racing wildly in his chest, and his wolf, who had gone unnaturally quiet in his despair, suddenly woke up with a deafening howl of joy.

He instinctively closed the gap between them, reaching for her, but at the same time, a tiny, fearful voice in his mind wondered if Katelyn would suddenly push away and run.

To his utter astonishment, she suddenly filled the remaining gap herself. She grabbed him roughly by the collar of his shirt. Her soft lips then landed fiercely on his rough ones, and she closed her eyes, pouring every ounce of her frustration, pain, and love into the kiss.

His entire body jolted with happiness and white-hot excitement. He was instantly ready to kiss her back with all the passion he possessed, but just as quickly as it started, Katelyn pulled away.

Her chest heaved, her silvery eyes still sparkling with the intensity of her emotion. "That’s my answer," she stated breathlessly.

Sage was desperate to hear those words again. He couldn’t let the moment pass without hearing it again. His hands instantly found her waist, gripping her tightly, anchoring her in place. "Say again that you love me," he demanded.

Katelyn met his gaze, her expression now softening into a profound declaration. "I love you, Sage Nightshade," she said clearly. And that confession burned away all the doubt that remained between them.

"I love you too, Katelyn Sinclair. I can’t live without you," Sage admitted instantly. He gently held her face between his hands, looking deep into her eyes. "But I was hurt. I was too hurt. I truly thought I would die alone with no mate by my side. I would have lost myself completely if you had rejected me."

He drew a shaky breath. "I didn’t want to force the matebond on you since you hated how Alphas assert their dominance. From the first day I saw you, it’s been you only." His gaze was sincere and desperate. "I constantly used to think of ways to win your heart."

"Yet, in the end, you decided to leave me," Katelyn said sharply, the lingering pain of his actions evident in her tone.

"I am sorry," Sage immediately apologized, dropping his gaze slightly, filled with remorse. "I thought you don’t want me." He quickly took her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and pressing a fervent kiss to her knuckles. Then, he lowered it and captured her mouth for a passionate kiss.