Chapter 481
“I can certainly help you with the dishes,” Katelyn offered politely, already pushing back slightly from the table.
“Absolutely not. The princess is not allowed to lift a finger,” Sage replied with mock severity, his smile gentle. He took her hand and lightly but decisively led her away from the dining room and into the cozy atmosphere of the living room. Turning on the television, he suggested, “Why don’t you put on a movie or a show?” handing her the remote control.
As he returned to the kitchen to deal with the cleanup, Katelyn settled onto the sofa. She clicked the remote buttons absentmindedly, her attention far from the screen. She wasn’t genuinely interested in watching anything; her mind was preoccupied.
’Is my scent completely suppressed now?’ she mused. She had deliberately taken the suppression potion from the healer to test her theory; she wanted to see Sage’s genuine, uninfluenced feelings for her when the powerful, distracting effect of her scent was entirely absent.
Katelyn’s focused reflection was abruptly shattered as Sage suddenly burst back into the living room, his previous joyful demeanor. He was already deep in a phone conversation.
“Where was Zoey last seen?” he demanded into the receiver.
Katelyn immediately rose to her feet, her attention fixed entirely on him.
“Just keep chasing. Nothing should happen to my sister,” Sage pronounced grimly before snapping the call shut.
“Sage, what happened?” Katelyn questioned, sensing the immediate danger.
“A rogue wolf,” Sage stated, the words clipped with tension. “He kidnapped my sister p>
“What?” Katelyn exclaimed, her voice laced with shock and genuine concern.
“You need to go to your apartment immediately, as I may not be coming home tonight,” Sage asserted, his focus already shifting to the impending chase. “Come, I’ll drop you there right now p>
“No,” Katelyn countered firmly. “I will come with you p>
“You can’t come with me, Kate. I have to go directly into the chase; there’s no time for anything else,” Sage pointed out, his brow furrowed with impatience.
“Sage, we don’t have time to waste arguing,” Katelyn instructed. “Grab your things. Now.” She then whirled and rushed toward the guest room. She quickly snatched her phone and returned in seconds. Sage was already waiting near the couch, his expression a complicated mix of urgency and reluctant acceptance.
“Put on your heels,” he said quickly, noticing her bare feet. She mumbled a swift “Thank you” and efficiently slipped into her shoes.
“Let’s go,” Katelyn said.
They both rushed to the parking lot and got into the car. Sage started the engine and drove out. His phone buzzed again. “Kate, answer it,” he urged, handing her the phone. She quickly tapped on it and put it on the speaker.
“Sage, where are you?” It was William.
“Dad, I am in the car. I heard about Zoey. Don’t worry. I am on my way to the pack,” Sage replied.
“Just go straight to the Riverfang Forest,” William instructed him.
“Alright, Dad,” Sage answered, and the call disconnected. “Kate, that forest is quite a dangerous one p>
“You think I can’t fight!?” Katelyn arched her eyebrow.
“Well, if you get injured, I won’t be able to forgive myself. I don’t doubt your capabilities since you are a Sinclair,” he affirmed.
“But why would a rogue kidnap your sister? Is he behind some ransom?” asked Katelyn.
“My beta told me that it was a random move. And so far, the rogue hasn’t contacted us. And I am unable to mindlink with Zoey. That means she is unconscious,” he said with a worried tone while keeping a straight face. Overtaking the vehicles, he changed lanes and increased the speed.
“We may have to transform after a certain distance,” Sage stated, his eyes flicking to the dark stretch of road ahead. “The car will definitely be slower than our wolves’ speed,” he added, urgency lacing his tone.
“Alright,” Katelyn replied, her voice steady. “Nothing will happen to Zoey. I can tell you’re very close to your sisters,” she whispered, trying to offer a quiet comfort amid the stress.
“Because they are nothing like my stepmother,” he replied. “Nothing should happen to her,” he mumbled.
Katelyn noticed his hand trembling slightly on the steering wheel, showing his distress. “Hey, take a breath. Everything will be fine,” she assured him. “Zoey will be fine. I assume your Beta and the other wolves are already chasing the rogue, right p>
“Yeah, they are,” Sage confirmed, pulling the car over to a safe distance off the main road. He switched off the engine and immediately removed his seatbelt. He turned to her, his expression resolute. “Kate, you can still stay here. I genuinely don’t want you to get hurt,” he said once more.
“Nothing will happen to me. Besides, I can only be of help. Who knows, the rogue will hand over Zoey without any brawl, seeing me,” she opined.
“Well, I will make sure you don’t get involved in anything dangerous,” Sage stated, finally agreeing to let her accompany him.
The two of them stepped out of the car. After quickly moving a short distance into the surrounding woods to ensure privacy, they both underwent the swift, wrenching transformation into their respective wolf forms.
Nyko (Sage’s wolf) and Silver (Katelyn’s wolf) stood momentarily frozen, their attention locked on each other. Nyko was a magnificent, powerful alpha wolf with dark chocolate fur, while Silver possessed an agile frame covered in shimmering, ethereal silver fur. They didn’t have time, however, to admire their transformed states.
Both wolves immediately broke into a powerful run. To Sage’s complete surprise, Katelyn’s wolf was demonstrably faster than his own. He had always believed that female wolves were typically not as fast or as powerful as male alpha wolves. Shaking off his astonishment, he focused, using the powerful connection of the mate bond to mind-link with his Beta, seeking an update on their quarry’s path.
’Kate, we need to move northwest. The rogue was just traced in that direction,’ Sage mind-linked with her easily, thanks to the mate bond. Silver nodded her massive head in acknowledgment. Her silvery fur seemed to glow with a radiant luminosity, standing out brilliantly like moonlight against the dark backdrop of the evening woods.
’Zoey, I am coming,’ Sage then thought in his mind.