had found the perfect man only to lose him.
Sage’s steps faltered when he heard soft crying coming from the bedroom. Was being mated to him that terrible? Sage braced himself for the hurt as he pushed the bedroom door open. He stood there feeling as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he saw William curled up on the blanket, crying softly.
“Slim?”
“Go away,” William said as he sniffled.
Sage wasn’t going anywhere until he had answers. “Why are you crying?”
William wiped his eyes and then looked up at Sage. His pretty green eyes were bloodshot as his bottom lip quivered. “Why do you think?”
Sage was lost as fuck. “Is it because you’re mated to me?” he asked a little too curtly. If it was that god-awful, Sage would…he wasn’t sure. Giving William up wasn’t an option. He couldn’t see himself without William in his life. In just a week’s time, Sage had fallen hard for the man.
William gaped at Sage as if he had two heads. “Are you serious?”
Sage was officially confused now. He felt like Terror when she chased her tail in a circle. He pinched the bridge of his nose, placing his hand on his hip and taking a deep and cleansing breath. “Please tell me why you are crying.”
86
Lynn Hagen
“Because you don’t want to be mated to me. The only reason you did it was to save me from the pain I was going through. Admit it!”
Sage’s jaw dropped as he stared at the small man before him. He could feel his anger mounting as he stared disbelievingly at William.
“You think I mated you out of pity?”
“Yes,” William retorted with attitude.
Sage counted to ten, and then counted to twenty. He half wished it was one of the guys downstairs he was arguing with. At least he could slug one of them.
His hand shot out as he pointed angrily at William. “I don’t do a fucking thing out of pity. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. If you don’t want to be mated, fine. But don’t you dare lie there and put the blame on me. Tell me what I’ve done that even gave you that asinine idea because there is no one on this planet that has ever taken my heart the way you have.”
William opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. He cocked his head as he stared disbelievingly at Sage. “You love me?”
Sage’s Mystery
87
Chapter Nine
William knelt there stunned. When Sage spun around to leave the room, William panicked. He shot from the blankets and jumped onto Sage’s back. “Don’t go.”
Sage’s arms swung back, grabbing William’s legs as he stilled. “I don’t play games, William. If you don’t want to be mated, I need to know.”
The tables had taken a hard turn, and William was confused as hell. “I don’t like games.” Damnitty, damn, damn. That was all he could think of to say? He should tell Sage that he loved him, too. But had Sage really said he loved him? What exactly had Sage meant by taken my heart ?
“Good, then we’re on the same page,” Sage said as he pulled William from his back. William climbed down, staring up at Sage, wondering what to do next. He didn’t want the man to walk away from him.
Begging seemed a little unmanly, but William had never worried about his manhood before, at least not when it came to bravery. What was another shot against him? And same page? William wasn’t even sure they were reading the same book. “So, you want me around then?” he ventured, dreading Sage’s answer. His muscles wound tight as he waited for Sage to answer him. That was the last thing William wanted Sage to do.
“Slim, I didn’t just confess all that to you to sharpen up on my romantic side. And not a word about my romantic side. I definitely don’t want the guys downstairs to get the wrong impression. Jeremiah 88
Lynn Hagen
would roast my ass over the open fire if he knew how deeply in love with you I am. Those guys can be brutal.” Sage shivered.
William threw his hand over his mouth, stifling the giggle. “Not a
Sage’s steps faltered when he heard soft crying coming from the bedroom. Was being mated to him that terrible? Sage braced himself for the hurt as he pushed the bedroom door open. He stood there feeling as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he saw William curled up on the blanket, crying softly.
“Slim?”
“Go away,” William said as he sniffled.
Sage wasn’t going anywhere until he had answers. “Why are you crying?”
William wiped his eyes and then looked up at Sage. His pretty green eyes were bloodshot as his bottom lip quivered. “Why do you think?”
Sage was lost as fuck. “Is it because you’re mated to me?” he asked a little too curtly. If it was that god-awful, Sage would…he wasn’t sure. Giving William up wasn’t an option. He couldn’t see himself without William in his life. In just a week’s time, Sage had fallen hard for the man.
William gaped at Sage as if he had two heads. “Are you serious?”
Sage was officially confused now. He felt like Terror when she chased her tail in a circle. He pinched the bridge of his nose, placing his hand on his hip and taking a deep and cleansing breath. “Please tell me why you are crying.”
86
Lynn Hagen
“Because you don’t want to be mated to me. The only reason you did it was to save me from the pain I was going through. Admit it!”
Sage’s jaw dropped as he stared at the small man before him. He could feel his anger mounting as he stared disbelievingly at William.
“You think I mated you out of pity?”
“Yes,” William retorted with attitude.
Sage counted to ten, and then counted to twenty. He half wished it was one of the guys downstairs he was arguing with. At least he could slug one of them.
His hand shot out as he pointed angrily at William. “I don’t do a fucking thing out of pity. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. If you don’t want to be mated, fine. But don’t you dare lie there and put the blame on me. Tell me what I’ve done that even gave you that asinine idea because there is no one on this planet that has ever taken my heart the way you have.”
William opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. He cocked his head as he stared disbelievingly at Sage. “You love me?”
Sage’s Mystery
87
Chapter Nine
William knelt there stunned. When Sage spun around to leave the room, William panicked. He shot from the blankets and jumped onto Sage’s back. “Don’t go.”
Sage’s arms swung back, grabbing William’s legs as he stilled. “I don’t play games, William. If you don’t want to be mated, I need to know.”
The tables had taken a hard turn, and William was confused as hell. “I don’t like games.” Damnitty, damn, damn. That was all he could think of to say? He should tell Sage that he loved him, too. But had Sage really said he loved him? What exactly had Sage meant by taken my heart ?
“Good, then we’re on the same page,” Sage said as he pulled William from his back. William climbed down, staring up at Sage, wondering what to do next. He didn’t want the man to walk away from him.
Begging seemed a little unmanly, but William had never worried about his manhood before, at least not when it came to bravery. What was another shot against him? And same page? William wasn’t even sure they were reading the same book. “So, you want me around then?” he ventured, dreading Sage’s answer. His muscles wound tight as he waited for Sage to answer him. That was the last thing William wanted Sage to do.
“Slim, I didn’t just confess all that to you to sharpen up on my romantic side. And not a word about my romantic side. I definitely don’t want the guys downstairs to get the wrong impression. Jeremiah 88
Lynn Hagen
would roast my ass over the open fire if he knew how deeply in love with you I am. Those guys can be brutal.” Sage shivered.
William threw his hand over his mouth, stifling the giggle. “Not a
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