My Dream Mate Hates Me

Sage’s POV

I remembered that we were still in the middle of something important.

The world meeting.

Ronan strode to his seat at the center of the elevated platform, exuding dominance, his every step measured, powerful, commanding.

Every wolf in the room lowered their heads in submission, their bodies stiff with respect.

I didn’t.

Not because I wasn’t respectful—but because I was still too stunned, too fixated on him, too caught in the chaos of emotions unraveling inside me to think about protocol.

His dark, unreadable eyes flicked to me for half a second—then moved on.

I clenched my jaw.

Fine.

If he wanted to act like he didn’t know me, if he wanted to pretend that he didn’t just feel what I felt, then so be it.

I could wait.

The meeting began, the discussion quickly turning to the reason they had all been called here—the coup.

Tension thickened the air as Alphas from various packs took turns speaking.

“We cannot afford to be reckless about this,” Alpha Vaughn of the Shadowfang Pack said, his voice measured. “Declaring war before we have solid proof would be foolish. We need more information.”

“We don’t have time for more information,” another Alpha countered. “Whoever is behind this is already making their move.”

“Which is exactly why we must be careful,” Vaughn shot back.

My father remained silent, listening, his expression unreadable.

Ronan, too, said nothing. He sat back in his chair, his fingers loosely curled over the armrests, watching, his presence alone enough to keep the room on edge.

And yet, despite how detached he seemed, I felt his emotions ripple through the bond—restraint, impatience, calculation.

A long debate followed. Some Alphas wanted preemptive action, others argued for diplomacy.

But it was all political maneuvering.

No one was actually discussing what mattered.

And I was tired of waiting.

So I did something reckless.

I raised my hand.

A ripple of surprise spread through the room. Few unmated wolves spoke at meetings like this—let alone the daughter of an Alpha who was supposed to remain silent.

Ronan’s gaze snapped to me.

My heart pounded, but I held firm.

“Go ahead,” he said, his voice smooth but void of warmth.

I swallowed. “Has anyone considered that the best way to prevent an uprising is to address the root cause? If wolves feel the need to overthrow their king, shouldn’t we be asking why?”

Silence.

Some Alphas exchanged glances. Others sneered.

Ronan’s expression remained unreadable.

Then, in a low, cutting voice, he said:

“I don’t recall asking for the opinion of a pup who has no experience in matters of war.”

The words cut deeper than they should have.

Heat rushed to my face, a mixture of anger, hurt, and embarrassment surging through me.

My mate had just dismissed me. In front of everyone.

The bond between us pulsed—raw and angry.

I clenched my fists. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I’m not a pup.”

His brow arched. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Laughter rippled through the hall.

I felt like I had been slapped.

This wasn’t Ronan.

Not my Ronan.

Not the man who had whispered my name like a prayer in my dreams, who had held me close, who had promised—

My teeth ground together.

Fine. If he wanted to humiliate me, then I’d make sure he regretted it.

I lifted my chin. “I suppose that’s fair,” I said, my voice deceptively calm. “You probably know more about being a pup than I do, considering you’re the one who’s been sneaking into my dreams since I was fifteen.”

Silence.

Complete, absolute silence.

The entire room stilled.

Ronan’s expression finally, finally cracked. His fingers dug into the armrests, his jaw tightening ever so slightly.

But he didn’t deny it immediately.

The other Alphas turned, confused murmurs spreading through the hall.

And that was when I knew—I had said too much.

I had just exposed our connection.

Ronan slowly stood from his chair, his movements controlled, deliberate. Dangerous.

Every instinct in me screamed to back down.

But I couldn’t.

Not when his entire demeanor shifted—from cold indifference to something else.

Something sharp. Wild. Possessive.

Something I didn’t quite understand.

And as he finally, truly looked at me, acknowledging what we both already knew, I realized something terrifying.

I might be his mate…

But that didn’t mean he wanted me.