Page 15 of Mysterious Mate

She sighed, dropping the e-reader onto the bed. Maybe she was losing her mind. Or maybe, just maybe, she was falling for the one man who could keep her safe in more ways than one. Only time would tell if her instincts were right. Until then, she would have to find a way to navigate the dangerous waters of her desire and fear and hope that in the end, she wouldn't drown.

CAGE

As he watched Willow rush away, Cage knew he had messed up. Again. He couldn't seem to help it. He wondered if claiming her and being able to have endless nights of sex with her would help. He snorted. That was just his bear’s way of trying to justify what he wanted to do. The problem for Cage was, he wanted to do it, too. He was trying so hard to keep her at arm’s length to protect her. If he let that distance slip, he feared he’d lose his objectivity and focus. And if that happened, it would be Willow who suffered the consequences.

Cage watched her disappear around a corner, his chest tightening with a mix of frustration and longing. For a moment, he considered going after her and apologizing, trying to explain. But he knew it would only make things worse. She deserved better than his conflicted emotions. She, too, needed to focus on staying alive and providing the testimony that might be needed to put her slimy arms-dealing husband away for life. The Shadow League would answer to the Resistance, and she had provided them with invaluable information.

He followed her back to her room. Outside in the hallway, he placed his hand on her doorknob and thought about opening it, but then thought better of it. His bear roared in frustration and anger. Cage ignored him and went to meet with his security team. He needed a distraction, something to ground him in the present and keep his mind off the turmoil inside. The team was already gathered in the control room, their expressions serious as they monitored the screens.

"Report," Cage barked, his voice sharp and authoritative.

One of the guards, a burly man named Harris, stepped forward. "Sir, no unusual activity to report. All incoming and outgoing planes and boats have been accounted for. No unidentified signals or unauthorized personnel. Delta Team departed this morning at zero three-thirty and Omega Team arrived just after dawn. Everything's quiet."

Cage nodded, his eyes scanning the array of monitors. It was routine, but it was necessary. He needed to know that every possible threat was being monitored, every potential danger anticipated. His gaze lingered on one of the screens, where he could see Willow closeted in her room. Her shoulders shook, and it didn’t take a genius to realize she was crying.

The sight twisted something deep inside him. He had done that to her. His attempts to protect her were hurting her in ways he hadn't anticipated. He turned to the technician manning the cameras.

"Turn off the interior cameras in her room," he ordered, his voice softer but no less commanding. "Monitor the entrance and exit points only. Let’s give her a little privacy. It’s the least we can do for her."

“We followed your orders and had been turning them off when she went to bed, but we can go to just watching ingress and egress positions at all times.”

“Do it.”

The technician hesitated, glancing at Cage before nodding and complying. The screen showing Willow's room went dark, leaving only the exterior views. Cage took a deep breath, trying to shake off the guilt gnawing at him. He needed to stay focused, to keep her safe. But the image of her crying, of the pain he had caused, was seared into his mind.

He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him. He really was going to kill Colby, and god help anyone who laid so much as a finger on Willow. She was his fated mate, and he would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe and alive. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions get in the way. He had to remain objective, detached. But the more time he spent around Willow, the harder that became. Her presence was like a magnet, pulling him in despite his best efforts to resist.

As the meeting continued, Cage's thoughts kept drifting back to her. He remembered the way she had looked at him on the beach, the defiance and desire in her eyes. He had wanted to kiss her then, to close the distance between them and give in to the pull he felt. But he couldn't. Not while the danger still loomed.

He listened to his team’s updates with half an ear, his mind spinning with plans and contingencies. But always, in the back of his mind, was the thought of Willow. How could he keep her safe when he was losing control? How could he protect her when every instinct screamed at him to claim her and make her his?

Cage lingered for a moment, staring at the now-blank screen that had shown Willow’s room. He needed to find a way to balance his duty with his growing feelings for her. He couldn’t let his emotions compromise her safety. But he also couldn’t stand to see her in pain because of him.

He had to find a way to fix this. To protect her without pushing her away. To keep her safe without breaking her heart. It was a delicate balance; one he wasn’t sure he could maintain. But for Willow, he would try. He had to.

Cage was drawn out onto the balcony of the command center; Jones—his second-in-command, a man he trusted with his life; one he would trust with Willow’s—stepped out to join him.

Cage sniffed the air, his eyes never leaving the horizon. “Do you feel it?”

Jones nodded, his expression grave. “Something’s coming.”

They stepped back inside. The security team’s daily meeting was just wrapping up when something caught Cage’s eye on one of the monitors. He pointed to a blip on the radar.

“What’s that?”

Everyone’s attention was immediately riveted to the screen. It only took the space of the heartbeat for the team to start to scramble and the techs to go to work

Cage and Jones ran back to the window, pulling out their binoculars, focusing on the barely discernible shapes moving swiftly across the water. Boats. Several of them, heading straight for the island.

“Sound the alarm,” Cage ordered, his voice steady. “Get everyone to their positions. This is not a drill.”

Within moments, the fortress was alive with activity. Men and women, all highly-trained operatives, moved with purpose as they took up defensive positions. Cage made his way to the command center, where the surveillance screens displayed live feeds from various points around the island.

“Multiple boats approaching,” one of the techs reported. “Estimated arrival in ten minutes.”

Cage’s mind raced. He knew who was most likely behind this. Her damned husband, Frank Carlyle. The attack didn’t have the smooth operational quality or sheer numbers an attack from the League would have had. Cage had underestimated Carlyle’s reach, his determination to get Willow back, or perhaps to eliminate her altogether. But why now? And how had he located her? Now, that was something the League might have been able to supply Carlyle and then sit back and let Carlyle and his men test the island’s defensive capabilities.

“Davis, take Team Alpha and secure the east side,” Cage commanded. “Team Bravo, with me. We’ll hold the front.”

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