"Sage, wait."
My voice was too sharp, and I immediately knew that I'd made a mistake. Her fingers froze in midair, and her shoulders went tense. As she turned to meet my eyes, she let her magic fade, and her expression was guarded.
"What are you doing?”
I hadn't meant it as an accusation, but it was obvious that's how she'd taken it. "I'm trying to help," she said, her voice tight, "Is that allowed?"
She was shaking with the effort of the spell she had been casting, and her face and neck were flushed. I'd broken something very fragile when I called to her, and she was teetering on the edge of being very, very pissed off at me about it.
"Of course," I said carefully, "But you almost triggered some of the border traps that we have. I didn't want you to get hurt."
"You don't trust my magic."
"I'm trying to," I said, holding out my hand to her, "What you were doing, healing the crops, was beautiful, but you were just too close to the edge. Setting off those traps would have brought my patrols running here, and I know you don't want that. I wasn't trying to offend you."
"Well, you failed."
"You know I don't hate your magic."
"You say that...but the way you talk, the way you act...it doesn't match. You only care about my magic when you have something to gain from it, but when I want to try to do something on my own, all you can talk about is traps. What do you want from me?"
"Nothing, Sage. You, and that's it."
She sighed, "You know that's not a good enough answer."
I didn't have a good response for her. I was still reeling from seeing her like that, and I was torn between wanting to kiss her and wanting to snatch her away from the border and keep her safe, even if it made her kick and scream.
She looked down at her hands, which were covered in dirt, and sighed. "I'm tired. I think I need to rest."
"I'll take you home."
"I'm fine," she snapped, then closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I just...need some space."
I wanted to argue with her, but she pivoted, and between one breath and the next, she had shifted. It had been a long, long time since I'd seen her in wolf form, and the sight of her was almost enough to make up for the pain of the misunderstanding we couldn't seem to find a way out of. She was a dark, rust-red, her muzzle and feet black, her coat thick and soft.
I'd never seen a more beautiful wolf, and my own beast yearned to shift and follow her. But she needed her space, and I was going to give it to her, even if it drove me mad.
I was so close to finally having everything I had ever wanted, and somehow, it had slipped through my fingers once more.
Maybe I just needed to hold on tighter. Maybe being so gentle with Sage was the wrong approach, and she needed me to show her just how fucking badly I wanted her close to me.
Everything else had failed thus far. It was worth a shot.
***
Sage was fast on four legs, but I was faster. When I got close, she turned to nip at me, her growl unmistakable.
She wanted me to leave her the hell alone. But I was done keeping my distance.
Still, I let her run for some time, allowing her to believe that she actually had a chance of outrunning me. She was young and healthy and strong, but I was an Alpha. Her Alpha. There was no real chance of escape.
I was patient and determined, and eventually, I would get my way. As a man, I had failed. Maybe as a wolf, things would be different.
Eventually, her speed and determination waned, and when I nipped at her, she spun and growled, teeth bared. It would have been a warning to anyone else, but I took it as an invitation.
She wasn't the only one who could run all day. She wasn't the only one who wanted to win.
I darted in and snapped at her flank, not quite getting her, but letting her know I was there. I circled her, waiting for her to make the next move. She didn't have it in her to keep up the fight, not with how much magic she had used today.
