SAGE
I left a message for Isla before following Catel.
It was either that or risk having the girl tear through the entire quarters thinking I’d been abducted.
When I saw him waiting at the door, expression carved from granite, I knew whatever was brewing had gone beyond petty irritation. The Beta himself, Claire’s brother had come to fetch me.
I should have been worried. Instead, my pulse fluttered in excitement.
"Lead the way, Beta," I said, falling into step beside him.
He didn’t reply, of course. Men like Catel had no taste for conversation—or humor. His silence only made me want to ruffle his feathers.
"So," I began, glancing sideways at him, "tell me, Beta Catel, do all of Adam’s men come with that same permanent scowl? Or is it just a family trait?"
His jaw flexed. "It’s called professionalism."
"Oh, of course," I said lightly. "The great Beta who never smiles. Do you ever relax, or would that make the muscles in your face disintegrate?"
He ignored me, and that was just too tempting.
"I could teach you how," I offered, tone dropping teasingly. "Smiling, relaxing... maybe one or two lessons in the bedroom. You’d look less like a statue." Claire would have my head at this rate.
Finally, he looked at me—deadpan, unamused. "I’ve found my mate."
I paused, then threw my head back and laughed. "Oh, congratulations! That explains everything. You’re boring by divine order."
His expression didn’t change, which only made me laugh harder. "I’m beginning to see why your sister glares so much," I murmured. "It runs in the bloodline."
He grunted something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like witch, but I didn’t take offense. I’d been called worse.
Inside the mansion, Catel stopped before the double doors leading to the royal dining room. He nodded stiffly. "They’re expecting you."
"I’d hope so," I said, brushing an imaginary speck from my sleeve. "Would be a shame to make an entrance without an audience."
He didn’t even roll his eyes. Coward.
When he opened the doors, I stepped in like it was a stage, my chin tilted, my expression cool. The air inside was thick—the kind that had been still too long, heavy with unsaid things. Every royal was present, from Adam’s parents to his ever-frowning brothers and their gloating brides.
So this was where I was supposed to bow?
Cute.
I didn’t.
I stood just inside the doorway, hands loosely crossed over my chest, watching them the way a cat watches a room full of mice.
Adam’s father broke first.
"Is there a reason you refuse to show respect in this house?" he demanded, voice sharp enough to cut glass.
Catel frowned deeply before leaving, probably relieved to escape the tension.
"Respect?" I repeated, turning my gaze lazily toward the old man. "You mean bowing?" I smiled, slow and infuriating. "I thought that was optional for guests."
"It is not optional," he snapped. "Bow."
I tilted my head, studying him like he was a curious insect. "If I bow every time I enter this room, I’ll start having back problems."
Gasps echoed around the table.
My attention slid to Adam, who was staring at me like he was deciding whether to strangle me or laugh. His jaw ticked, the vein at his temple pulsing.
"Well?" I asked him sweetly. "Why am I here, Adam? I thought I’d be summoned after the final contest."
He didn’t answer, just stared harder, his silence a taut thread of... anger?
Noah leaned forward, his voice icy. "Do you think you’re indispensable?"
I smiled without mirth. "Oh, not at all. I’ll outlast you though..."
The silence that followed was delicious. I almost wanted to fan myself.
The queen cleared her throat delicately, breaking the tension before her husband could explode. "Sage," she said softly, "please, sit."
Her tone was calm, gracious, even kind. I remembered her well—her voice had always been velvet over iron.
Still, I kept my face blank.
"Of course, Your Majesty," I said, casting a dramatic look around before pulling out a chair. "I wouldn’t dare stand while everyone’s glaring daggers at me."
As I sat, my gaze darted to the queen again. "So," I began, folding my hands elegantly on the table, "why am I here this time? If it’s another lecture about humility, I’ll need tea."
Before she could respond, the doors opened again.
Timothy walked in, guiding a figure beside him—tall, broad, dressed in black.
Darius.
Well, well.
My brow arched as he stepped into the room and bowed lightly to the royals before taking the seat beside me. Didn’t he wear anything other than black?
We turned to each other.
Then both of us—as if on cue—started laughing.
It wasn’t forced, either. It was genuine, reckless, startling laughter that filled the heavy room like sunlight after a storm.
When I finally caught my breath, I offered him my hand. "So," I said, smirking, "they dragged you in too?"
He shook my hand with a grin. "Seems like it. Did they tell you when the match is holding?"
"Not a word." I turned deliberately toward Adam, who was trying—and failing—to hide his surprise. His eyes flicked between me and Darius, suspicion obvious.
"You two know each other?" he asked, voice edged.
I pretended to think. "Well, that depends on your definition of know."
Darius laughed again, resting an elbow on the table. "We made a bet some days ago," he said, grinning at me. "A mutual one."
The way his eyes glinted made it sound far more scandalous than it was, which suited me just fine.
Adam’s jaw clenched.
"A bet," Noah repeated, unimpressed. "About what?"
"About which of us would survive longer in this kingdom," Darius said easily, shrugging. "Looks like we both lost."
A ripple of uneasy laughter went around the table.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs, letting my fingers toy with a strand of my wig. "So," I drawled, "since we’re all here, when is the fight starting? Or did you summon us for a tea party?"
Daniel’s glare could’ve burned holes through my head. "Watch your tone."
"Watching it," I replied cheerfully. "It’s lovely today."
The queen’s lips twitched, though she hid it behind her cup. Adam caught the fleeting amusement and frowned harder.
I tilted my head at him. "Oh, don’t look at me like that, Alpha. You called for me, remember?"
He held my gaze, his voice low. "We called you because we need you."
Finally. I smiled wider. "I thought I was the problem."
"You’re both."