Turning around, I find Sage frozen to the spot, her eyes on the door. Of course, nothing has changed, and she still wants to get as far away from me as possible. Funny how even the thought of Sage admitting that she likes my scent doesn’t calm me.
Another thing I hate is how I need to ignore the scent of her potent fear filling the room. I brace myself and walk past her, toward the kitchen, pretending that I don’t notice how she recoils, but shit, do I notice that. I’m so aware of her presence, it’s driving me crazy.
I cook dinner, throwing together a lasagna. I place it in the oven and quickly load the dishwasher while listening to her walking around upstairs and smile to myself. She wants to explore the house? Hopefully, that is a good sign. After all, sooner or later, this house will become her home too. No, it already is, she just doesn’t know it yet.
When I am done, I mindlink Zane to come over. A few minutes later, he stands at my door and knocks. Sage must be hiding somewhere, but at least, I know she can’t get out.
“Can you do me a favor and run to town for me? You can take my car.” Usually, I wouldn’t offer him my car, but I really don’t want to leave my mate here alone.
“Sure Alpha, what do you need?”
“Clothes for her.”
“What size?” Zane asks, and I scratch the back of my neck. Shit, I didn’t think of that part, all clothes have sizes.
I have no idea what size, but she isn’t very big from what I can see when she was crouched next to Kat. I could see all her ribs and her spine. “Wait here,” I tell him, and head towards the stairs.
Now that she’s brave enough to roam around the house, maybe I can find her and get her to tell me what size clothes she wears.
“Sage?” I call out to her, but she doesn’t make a sound, so I am forced to follow her scent.
Walking into the spare bedroom, I find her wolf under the bed. She growls, her cerulean blue eyes peering back at me as I get on all fours and look under the bed. “Do you know what clothes size you are?” I ask her.
She just stares. She should be able to mindlink me because I am her mate, yet she remains silent and staring.
I sigh, getting up and heading for the door when Donnie speaks. “Extra small, she thinks.”
I stop. “Sage spoke to you?” I ask him, but he shakes his head.
“No, Sierra, her wolf told me, her human is angry, she told you.” I nod. It’s better to leave her be and let her get used to her new living conditions.
“Size?” Zane gets straight to business as soon as I appear in his view.
“Extra small and grab some in small, just in case. Make sure they are warm too,” I instruct him and hand him my wallet.
“Anything else?”
“Uh, hair ties and a brush. I don’t know girly shit, I guess.” I shrug.
“This would be so much easier if there were some women here,” he mutters, but I pretend I don’t hear his remark. He doesn’t need to remind me of that. I’m aware of how lonely my men are here.
“You will find your mate.”
Zane nods as we head for the door, and I open it to let him leave the house. “Hopefully, those that lost theirs get a second chance too,” he adds, and I nod.
I hope the same thing. If only Zane knew how much I hope that will happen.
Closing the door, I head upstairs. I really hope her wolf might speak some more. Before I head to the spare room, I enter mine to grab some towels and clothes. Sage will have to roll the pants to hold them up, if she decides to shift back that is, but this is the best I can offer until Zane returns.
I head to the bathroom, to set them on the basin, and creep into the spare room. “Zane left for the town to get you some clothes. You can shower if you want. I put some clothes in the bathroom, and you can lock the door. I mean it, Sage, I won’t hurt you,” I assure her.
She doesn’t move as I walk out. At this point, I can’t do anything to improve the situation, so I head back downstairs. I sit in the living room, turn the TV on, and watch the news while I wait for dinner to cook.
After twenty minutes, the bathroom door closes, but when another ten minutes pass, and I don’t hear the shower running, I trod back up the steps. I stop at the bathroom door and knock on it.
Sage
That woman said he wouldn’t hurt me. Sierra wants to take him up on the offer to shower because she wants to rest from being in this form constantly.
I try to take back control as she comes out from under the bed. She pops her head out the bedroom door and peers toward the stairs. I can hear the TV downstairs, and I can’t see him anywhere.
“Sierra, go back,” I tell her when she steps into the hall.
“I don’t think he is like them,” Sierra responds.
“We don’t even know him, stop being blinded by the bond,” I scold, but she ignores me and shifts back to my human body.
As she retreats, her voice sounds like a soft murmur in my head. “We can shift back if he tries anything,” she promises me.
Sierra can promise me anything, and it wouldn’t matter, because I’m too busy dashing to the bathroom. My breathing is heavy as I close the door and lock it behind me. Goosebumps rise on my arms, my skin is exposed to the air, and makes me shiver.
I stare at the door, wondering if he will try to come in. The thought petrifies me. He is so much bigger and stronger than I am. Sierra can fight her own, but I can’t if he catches me off guard.
My heart races in my chest and I wait a few seconds before looking around the bathroom. Clothes sit on the counter, along with two towels, and socks. Turning, I look at the shower, but it doesn’t have any taps to turn it on. The bathroom is nice and clean, and I can smell the cleaning chemicals like it has recently been cleaned. The same scents as the basement. It burns my nose and my eyes water from the toxic scent.
I wave my hand under the shower head, attempting to turn it on. “How does it work?” I ask Sierra. A brief moment later she peers out, but my wolf isn’t much help as she seems just as confused.